SEMINAL RATS - Life in the Necropolis

SEMINAL RATS Life in Necropolis cd 1990 320 kbps

Spider boy / Red planet / Ain't dead yet / Sunny brook / Part time girl / Heart punch / Liquid / Change / Honey Gorge / Zugz wang / Toe blood / Rat Race / Lime / A day away / The Forest / Head rush / Mean dartin / Exhale / Boss hoss / City slang.

A Seminal Rats production.

Seminal Rats : Mick Weber : guitar / Reuben Pinkster : guitar / Todd Mac Near : drums / Dave Balsamo : bass / Michael Harley : vocals .

Conventional wisdom suggests that Sydney was and still is the high energy capital of Australia. During the 1980s and 1990s however, one band helped dispel that myth. The Seminal Rats were one of the first bands outside of Sydney to embrace the high energy rock 'n' roll which bands like Radio Birdman had produced in the late seventies. There had been others like the Chosen Few and legendary Sick Things and the Rats helped set up a high energy rock 'n' roll scene in Melbourne which lasts to this very day. The Rats came together in the early '80s, first as the Flipper inspired band, Skippy. Skippy mutated into the Seminal Rats around 1983. They were heavily influenced by the Detroit rock sounds of the Stooges, MC5, The Sonics Rendezvous Band as well as the first wave of US hard-core eg. Black Flag, Bad Brains. The beauty of the Rats was that they were also influenced by bands not necessarily associated with punk rock. For instance, AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix and John Coltraine were all cited as favorites of the Rats. Live, the Seminal Rats were one of the best high energy bands playing, not only in Australia, but in the world. Their records released on Mr Spaceman show just how high energy their shows were. Omnipotent stands as their best recording from the period. Furious guitars, killer drumming, gruff as fuck vocals and killer tunes - they had it all. The band would go on to share stages with such seminal influences as Johnny Thunders, Deniz Tek and Dead Moon. The Rats continued rocking Melbourne till the late '90s. Sadly founding member guitarist Mick Weber passed away in early 1999, bringing an end to one of the best high energy rock 'n' roll bands this planet has ever produced. I saw the Rats many times and they always rocked. They will be sadly missed. JIM from Red Shift (The Mr. Spaceman Label 1985-1990) 1999.
Spain - sorry Basque Country's - best Australian label, Bang! Records has made ,in 2007 , a double CD collection of 27 songs : The essential Seminal Rats 1984-1991 available here

FIXED UP - Take a look at me

SINGLES FIXED UP Take a look at me ep 1983 Sonics records flac
I 'm so sad to see you go ! / I can't sleep / Take a look at me ! / Miss T.

Produced by Barry Sage.

Fixed Up : François Lebas : guitare , chant / Mephisto : basse / Sylvain : batterie .

French power trio from Le Havre (Little Bob Story & City Kids rock 'n' roll town) , Fixed Up was very influenced by australian rock and by Wilko Johnson (& so Mick Green) for the use of the Telecaster. "Take a look at me " is their first single on Sonics records (created by Stephane Saunier : Teenage records, Nulle part ailleurs...).

THE IAN LOWERY GROUP - King blank to

THE IAN LOWERY GROUP King blank to cd 1989 Situation two 320 kbps

Need / I said skin / A kind of loathing / Sick little minds / Wild times / Jack dust / You're gonna pay / Beach fire / Never trust me / Driver's arrived / The party / One last blast.

Produced by the Ian Lowery Group.

The Ian Lowery Group : Ian Lowery : vocal , guitar, piano , bass / Nigel Pulsford : guitar , piano , organ , backing vocals / Joe Hammond : slide guitar , banjo / Alan Burgess : drums / Hugh Garrety : bass.

After being ejected from punk group The Wall (3 singles) in 1979, singer Ian Lowery and guitarist Nick Clift (ex-Debutants) formed Ski Patrol, along with Pete Balmer (ex-Stranded, later to record with Fad Gadget) on bass and Bruce Archibald on drums.

Ian Lowery had been signed to Killing Joke’s Malicious Damage label as leader of the group Ski Patrol. Politics and the general tensions that seemed endemic to the Killing Joke scene led Ian to leave Ski Patrol and recruit long time friend of Jaz Coleman - Alan Cole on drums, Kris Jozajtis on guitar (now Dr Kris Jozajtis at Stirling University) and Mark Whiteley, from Wales, on bass to form another, more satisfying but no less intense project - The Folk Devils.The sound was a bastardised blend of punk, blues, and amphetamine fuelled angst with the music often walking a fine line between a patchwork of brilliant musicianship and violence. The political and ideological canvass for the Folk Devils was the miners strike, Thatcher’s Britain, mass unemployment and the flooding of Britains street with heroin and despair.

Ian Lowery died in 2001 having continued to work throughout the late 80s and early 90s the with Nigel Pulsford of Bush on the King Blank project and the Ian Lowery Band.

RED ROCKERS - Condition red

RED ROCKERS Condition red cd 1981 415 records 320 kbps

Guns Of Revolution / Teenage Underground /Peer Pressure / Can You Hear /Grow Up /Know What I Think / Dead Heroes / Folsom Prison Blues / Condition Red / Hold On / White Law /Live Or Die / Guns of revolution (7" version) / Teenage underground (7" version) / Nothing to lose (7" version) / Hidden track.

Produced by David Kahne.

Red Rockers : John Thomas Griffith : vocals, guitar, keyboards / Patrick Butler Jones : drums / James Singletary : lead guitar /Darren Hill : bass.

The Red Rockers were a great punk band from New Orleans who took their name from the Dils song of the same name. Inspired by groups like the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers and the Dils, they started off as the Rat Finks doing cover tunes of aforementioned groups, then changed their name and released the "Guns of Revolution" single before moving to San Francisco. There they hooked up with 415 Records and put out this great LP in 1981. Despite popular claims, this was not produced by Jello Biafra, something which has been constantly perpetrated on rare punk lists for years. He does, however, sing backing vocals on their punk-country cover of "Folsom Prison Blues." That said, the sound quality is excellent, and their raunchy but melodic sound is heard in full force on this CD. Songs like "Teenage Underground," "Know What I Think," and "Can You Hear" are totally rockin'. "Dead Heroes" also hits home with its lyrics "We've gotta fight - I don't know why/We've gotta die - tell me why/I've got to kill - that's the American way" that unfortunately still ring true today. After this LP, their original drummer left and was replaced by former Stiff Little Fingers drummer Jim Reilly, and they were signed to CBS, for whom they recorded two subsequent LPs, "Good As Gold" and "Schizophrenic Circus", neither of which come close to capturing the raw energy on this album. They did score a minor A.M. radio hit with "China," but much of the magic was gone and the slick major label production didn't do them justice. But, stick with this one and you can hear how great they were in the early days.

A. Wright

MIKE NESS - Cheating at solitaire

MIKE NESS Cheating at solitaire cd 1999 320 kbps

The devil in miss Jones / Don't think twice / Misery loves company / Crime don't pay/ Rest of our lives / You win again / Cheating at solitaire / No man's friend / Charmed life / Dope fiend blues / Ballad of a lonely man / I'm in love with my car / If you leave before me / Long black veil / Send her back.

Produced by James Saez & Mike Ness.

Mike Ness : vocals , guitars / James Saez : guitars , percussion & keyboards / Josh Freese : drums / Veikko Lepisto : bass / Chris Lawrence : pedal steel & guitar /Tom Corbett : mandolin / Mando Dorame : tenor sax / Jamie Muhoberac : keys and B3 organ.

The frontman for punk survivors Social Distortion, singer/guitarist Mike Ness was born April 3, 1962, in Stoneham, MA. Raised primarily in Orange County, CA, he was kicked out of his parents' house at age 15 and spent the years which followed in and out of jail and experimenting with drugs; after forming Social Distortion in 1979, Ness' struggles with addiction deepened, and after recording the now-classic "Mommy's Little Monster" in 1983, his self-destructive lifestyle (vividly captured in the 1985 documentary Another State of Mind) nearly broke up the band. After getting clean and sober, Ness reconvened Social Distortion for 1988's rootsy "Prison Bound", followed in 1990 by the group's self-titled major-label debut, which launched the hit "Ball and Chain." After 1992's "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell", however, the band went on an extended hiatus, not resurfacing until "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" four years later. In 1999, Ness made his solo debut with "Cheating at Solitaire". A covers collection, "Under the Influences", followed later that same year.

In one sense, it seems a little strange that Mike Ness would choose to record a solo album since he always appeared to be the driving force behind Social Distortion. On the other hand, Social Distortion is a full-fledged rock band, which means they're a democracy -- and that might have gotten a little constricting after nearly 20 years in the same outfit. Hence, Ness decided to take a solo detour in 1999 with "Cheating at Solitaire". The title slyly hints at the fact that he didn't do this alone, and there are a stunning array of guests on the album, including contributions from Brian Setzer, Bruce Springsteen, and members of the Royal Crown Revue. Even if the record is loaded with cameos, it remains very much the work of Mike Ness, emphasizing his love of American roots music. Sure, there's hard, punky rock & roll on the record, but things get really interesting when he goes for straight country, blues, rockabilly, and folk. He's dabbled with these genres before, but he's never quite been as straightforward as this, nor has he been as successful. Occasionally, it may sound like he's tackling too much at once, but that's refreshing in a time when most rockers are playing it safe. And that is certainly one thing "Cheating at Solitaire" never does. Allmusic

THE MEDIA WHORES - Master of Pop Hits

THE MEDIA WHORES Master of pop hits cd 2002 320 kbps

Two steps back / Today is mine / It's about time / 1984 / Feel it ! / Lisa sez / When it began / Flawless heart / Robyn / LOVEnROCKnROLLnHOWTHEYRELATE / After you / Cult of the psychic fetus / No matter what / All I want for Christmas / Can't hardly wait.

The Media Whores : Pat Dull : vocals , guitar / J. D. Dallas : guitar / Arturo Deleon : bass / Milan Karcic & El Gato : drums.

The Media Whores are a powerpop band that likes to rock. Comprising the pop elements of The Who, Elvis Costello, and The Clash, together with the rock elements of The Beat and The Plimsouls, this group aspires to the lofty Cheap Trick brand of high energy Pop... and damn the torpedoes! No wimpy shoe-gazer stuff here... this band ROCKS! The Media Whores started in 1998, and hail from Columbus, Ohio, in the USA. They've released tons of records, each filled to the brim with loud rockin' guitars and ultra-melodic tunes. They've also played hundreds of high-energy shows all over America. The band has been praised by such diverse magazines as Rock'n'roll Outbreak ("This is the best kind of power pop: the songs are perfect, and the guitars and drums flat out ROCK!") and MAXIMUMROCKNROLL ("Really cool sing-a-long parts and great melodic guitar riffs"). In a review of The Media Whores' debut CD, Amplifier Magazine gushed "Every track on this album sounds like a gem from radio's glory days!" So if you like powerpop (with the emphasis on POWER), check out the rockin' tunes of "Master Of Pop Hits," the latest slab of powerpop rock from The Media Whores, available on Screaming Apple Records!

GO TO BLAZES - Love , lust & trouble

GO TO BLAZES Love , lust & trouble cd 1991 320 kbps

Chainball / Suicide driver / Cathouse / (And I'll be) Hating you / Long red hair / Pagan baby / For loving me / Piece of mind / Bad cup of coffee / She's right / Return to her.

Produced by Ben Vaughn & Adam Lasus.

Go To Blazes : Edward Warren : lead vocal , electric & accoustic guitar / Keith Donnellan : drums & backing vocals / Christopher Horner : accoustic & electric bass , backing vocals / Thomas Heyman : lead, slide & steel guitar.

Formed in the D.C. area in 1987 by college buddies Ted Warren, Tom Heyman, Christopher Horner and Keith Donnellan, GTB recorded and released their self-titled debut, a revved-up rockabilly LP, in 1988 and quickly moved north to Philadelphia. Many whiskey-soaked nights playing in all kinds of places in Philly and New York City (alternative clubs as well as old-man alchy bars) toughened up the band considerably. Their 1991 follow-up, "Love Lust and Trouble", was light years ahead of their first release. With almost any hint of rockabilly behind them, the band just got tougher and tougher, finally hooking up with producer, vibe-man, and father figure Eric "Roscoe" Ambel. From there things took off. The addition of Ted Popadopolous on bass solidified things, and a deal with roots rock label ESD led to 1994's "Anytime, Anywhere", their classic. With Eric Ambel once again in the producer's chair the band followed it up with the quieter "GTB...And Other Crimes", also a winner. The album was mostly cover tunes and was recorded in one night.

The band had developed a following in Germany and toured there extensively. Glitterhouse released most of their catalog there as well. In 1997 the final disc, "Waiting Around for the Crash", was released on the about-to-go-under ESD. It marked continued improvement in sound and songwriting, but still didn't top "Anytime, Anywhere". GTB held their "final clearance sale" in 1997 and is sadly missed, at least in Philadelphia and on the lower east side of NYC. A posthumous release, "Almost a Decade", combined unreleased demos, live tracks and B-sides.

THE VOODOO DOLLS - Not for sale

THE VOODOO DOLLS Not for sale cd 1992 Helter Skelter 320 kbps

Not for sale / I've got nothing / Lido beach / Turn the lights on / She won't sleep well tonight / Just like Romeo & Juliet / Bonedog / This town makes me feel so lonely / Junk drawer / The good part's over / I lost her number / Crush on me* / 1-2-5 / I ran out of luck / Number two / Bad feeling / Gone , gone , gone / Sorry .

Produced by Aram Heller , except for * : Steve Malone.

The Voodoo Dolls : Cam Ackland : vocals , harmonica / David Harrison : guitar / Evan Shore : guitar , vocals / Bob Martel : bass , vocals / Bruce Pierce : drums .

Had The Voodoo Dolls formed in, say, 1997, rather than 1987, they likely would have been riding the modern garage-rock popularity wave with the likes of The Hives, The Mooney Suzuki, The Hellacopters etc. They had great songs (mostly thanks to guitarist Evan Shore, now of Muck & the Mires, then formerly of The Pets, The House Pets, and The Queers), dueling guitars (courtesy of Shore and Dave Hollywood Harrison), and a great lead vocalist in the form of ex- Prime Mover ,Cam Ackland. Rhythm section? Well, they were always great, but the rhythm section changed rather often in this band. One night in Bethlehem, PA, Original Sins leader JT said of them : " This must be what it was like to see the MC5". These guys were a POWERFUL rockn’roll band.

LARRY WALLIS - Death in the guitarfternoon

LARRY WALLIS Death in the guitarfternoon cd 2001 Ribbed records 320 kbp

Are we having fun yet ? / Crying all night / Dead man riding / Downtown jury / El diablo's hangin' ten / Where the freaks hangs out / Don't mess with Dimitri / Meatman / Mrs hippy burning / I'm a police car / Screw it .

Produced by Larry Wallis.

Larry Wallis : vocals & guitars / Big George Webley : bass / Wayne Casserly : drums.

Larry Wallis began work on a solo album in early 1978, recording with Deke Leonard, Big George Webley, and Pete Thomas; unfortunately, record company politics saw the record shelved (it remains unreleased) and Wallis moved on. Further stints alongside Mick Farren were interspersed by gigs with Wayne Kramer and a decade-long songwriting career with Dr. Feelgood. A mid-'80s Pink Fairies reunion was bookended by Wallis' own bands, the Death Commandos of Love and the Redbyrds, while Wallis finally released this solo album, "Death in the Guitarfternoon" in 2001.

LARRY WALLIS - Leather forever

SINGLES LARRY WALLIS Leather forever / Seeing double sp 1986 Sonics records wav
Produced by Larry Wallis

Band ?

Wallis' pedigree reaches back to the early '70s, and a roll call of bands that included free-festival favorites the Entire Sioux Nation, former T. Rex percussionist Steve Took's Shagrat, Blodwyn Pig, Lancaster's Bomber, and, briefly, metal heroes UFO, before he joined the Pink Fairies in time for their third (and possibly finest) album, "Kings of Oblivion". The band broke up following its release and, in 1975, Wallis reappeared in Motörhead -- a move that the guitarist unhesitatingly describes as preordained: "It was just as if the serendipity fairy had arrived, Lemmy had been 'imprisoned in Hawkwind,' and was now flexing his leathern wings.... It just had to be."

Together, Wallis and Lemmy alchemized one of the hardest-hitting bands of the entire pre-punk era, and the handful of shows that the group played during this period was nothing short of the absolute revision of all that had taken place before. Certainly their label of the time, UA, was absolutely baffled by the band, sending them into the studio first with Dave Edmunds, then with former beat boom survivor Fritz Fryer, before deciding that nothing the band did was actually marketable. The band was dropped from the label and the tapes were buried in a lead-lined box, figuratively if not literally. And they remained there until -- surprise, surprise -- Motörhead became late-'70s superstars, and suddenly anything with their name attached seemed eminently saleable indeed. "On Parole", titled for one of Wallis' own compositions, was released in 1978 and has been available ever since.
Wallis departed Motörhead around the same time as they were dropped and, through early 1976, he led a revitalized Pink Fairies lineup around the London club scene as it lurched from pub rock to punk. By late summer, the Fairies had signed with Stiff Records and released the single "Between the Lines," the label's second-ever release. They also appeared at the first Mont de Marsan Punk Festival that August, a gathering of the clans that pitched the likes of Nick Lowe, Little Bob Story, and Eddie & the Hot Rods into the middle of rock's latest firestorm. Of them all, the Fairies came out on top, but with a sense of timing that they had long since perfected, the group announced that this moment of absolute triumph was the ideal time to break up. Allmusic