X-Ray Spex

X-Ray Spex is my favorite late 1970s UK teenage punk band. The music is interesting and the band is cute. The lead singer Poly Styrene is better than Blondie. The saxophone is a nice addition to the usual punk combo. Their song materials shows the age of the musicians (let alone all the pictures chock full of braces. The only album released was Germfree Adolescents. I highly recommend it.

Here are a few clips.

Flux of Pink Indians

Flux of Pink Indians was a leftist early 1980s British punk rock band. Being more concerned with message, their musical style is similar to CRASS and also appeared on their record label.

Although I also appreciate their music and style, their history is interesting. Go Here for the Wilkipedia entry on the band. Go Here for some of their lyrics.

Throbbing Gristle

Before Psychic TV, there was Throbbing Gristle. TR was one of the first industrial acts. Their music was extremely experimental (I have yet to listen to their more recent album). Many of their songs, particularly Hamburger Lady, can be compared to a sonic assault. If you want something different, I recommend it.

CRASS

CRASS was a British hardcore band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their music was always more about the message that the music, but managed to show real creativity. For a brief history of CRASS and their record label go Here. Clips may be found Here.

Another of my favorite products are the full-sized CRASS poster which are the inside of every folder-over record such as this one:



















These posters alone make buying the records worthwhile. At the very least, CRASS posters cause annoying people to go away.

Another interesting feature of CRASS is the variety of male and female vocalists. In fact, my favorite album is Penis Envy. I don't believe anything else is quite like it, and I'd highly recommend it.

Sub Hum ans

The Subhumans are some of the best musicians ever to play punk rock in Britain or anywhere else (there is also a Canadian band of the same name). In fact, some people don't care for their music because they play too well. A favorite among crust punks, their music offers a hard hitting critique of modern life. If you haven't heard them, you should check them out Here.

Alien Sex Fiend

Alien Sex Fiend is one of the first industrial-gothic bands. Mr. and Mrs. Fiend's make a formidable musical pair on vocals and keyboards respectively. I've also appreciated the fact that most of the music features a live drummer in addition to a beat box.

Here are a few clips along with a short biography.

Poison Idea

Poison Idea is my favorite Portland punk rock band. Their music is aggressive yet as full as a five-piece can be.


Here are a few links to some of their MP3s.

London Calling

A man in London was Detained for singing along in a cab to The Clash's London Calling. Apparently, in England, one's choice of music makes one a possible terrorist. I wonder what would have happened if he had played Jihad Swing?

Suicide

Suicide was basically the first industrial music. As the above link states, "Although they barely receive credit, Suicide (singer Alan Vega and keyboardist Martin Rev) is the source point for virtually every synth pop duo that glutted the pop marketplace (especially in England) in the early '80s. Without the trailblazing Rev and Vega, there would have been no Soft Cell, Erasure, Bronski Beat, Yaz, you name 'em, and while many would tell you that that's nothing to crow about, the aforementioned synth-poppers merely appropriated Suicide's keyboards/singer look and none of Rev and Vega's extremely confrontational performance style and love of dissonance."

Their drum machine was a modified bowling pin setter. They had to build it themselves. Ric Ocasek took Suicide under his wing, but the record industry didn't really know what to do with them in the days of stadium shows. Even Bruce Springsteen was a fan. Crowds acted extremely hostile to their music. As related on their album liner notes, after opening for The Cars it was found that someone had actually thrown a knife at them during a performance. However, the club scene loved them and their influence may be heard to this day.

Here are MP3 clips to most of their well-known recordings.

GG Allin: Public Animal No. 1

GG Allin was the true king of hardcore. If anyone ever says, "Hey, let's go watch a GG Allin video," be prepared to be sickened. He was actually as talented as he was twisted. A cousin of mine who lived at the same squat for a time once told me he was known by his smell (he never bathed). His later material was his most violent. I have a copy of his last album. He is lying dead in his coffin on the back cover. Depending upon whom one believes, he either died of a drug overdose or was beat to death by straight edge skinheads. Whatever, I'm sure if there's an afterlife, he's still eating his own feces.