The Three Johns - A.W.O.L. 12" (1983)

A side group started in 1982 by Mekons co-founder Jon Langford, The Three Johns, originally made up of Langford, John Hyatt, Phillip "John" Brennan, and a drum machine, specialized in abrasive, politically charged, danceable rock. Sounding almost nothing like Langford's main band, the Johns were a silly-serious bunch of political and cultural provocateurs. Recording during the height of Margaret Thatcher's ill-conceived Tory rebellion, the Johns were openly antagonistic to this new, conservative vision of Britain's future. And while their elliptical and epigrammatic lyrics might not offer the sloganeering that would easily identify them as lefties, certainly there were enough hints dropped along the way to remove any doubt. Unlike other rock agit-prop, the Johns played a fairly accessible version of polemical post-punk anti-pop that embraced big, messy arena-rock-sounding guitars and hard, repetitive, quasi-hip-hop dance beats. Perhaps the most subversive thing about the Johns is that, despite Langford's and Hyatt's goofy vocals, they were, in their own weird way, pure pop for now people, especially those who hated Thatcher. With collective tongue planted firmly in cheek, the Johns took on British and American obsession with materialism, the diabolical Reagan-Thatcher lovefest, the machinations of the pop music industry, all of it done with a great sense of humor mixed in with genuine fear and horror. Frequently hard to pin down, the Johns reveled in being slippery, exhibiting a love and loathing for pop music. In some respects, the Johns resembled friends and fellow Leeds, England mates Gang of Four, but where Gang of Four was dour and serious (bordering on academic), the Johns were loutish and boisterous, which when combining politics and rock & roll can, ultimately, be a good thing. After the release of Eat Your Sons in 1990, Jon Langford turned his attention full-time to The Mekons, putting The Three Johns on what has turned out to be an indefinite sabbatical. [Source: AMG]


The Three Johns - English White Boy Engineer (Live at the Tube 1984)

Tracklist:

A1. A.W.O.L.
A2. Rooster Blue

B1. Image Or An Animal
B2.Kick The Dog Right Out

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The Three Johns - A.W.O.L. 12" (1983)

Big Black - Rarities

Famous American noise-rock act which was active in the 80s and included future superstar producer and critic Steve Albini. They generated a lot of controversy due to their lyrics and overall image (limited edition of "Headache" 12" included gruesome photo of gunshot wound victim). They were also known for acting independently of major labels, not having a lawyer and overall attitude which separated them from typical rock stars. Big Black split up in the late 80s with members moving on to a number of different projects including Arsenal and Shellac. [Source: DISCOGS]


Big Black - Kerosene (CBGBs 1986)

Tracklist:

1. Hunter's Safety
2. Il Duce
3. Burning Indian Wife
4. Rema Rema
5. In My House
6. The Crack Up
7. Every Man For Himself
8. Strange Things
9. He's a Whore
10. Newmangenerator
11. Jump The Climb ('82 Demo)
12. I Can Be Killed ('82 Demo)
13. Unknown ('82 Demo)
14. Live in a Hole ('82 Demo)
15. Rip ('82 Demo)
16. Kettle Cake (Albini & Zeni Geva)
17. The Model (Albini & Zeni Geva)
18. I Hate You (Albini & Zeni Geva)

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Big Black - Rarities

The Saints - All Fools Day (1987)

Call this the second coming of The Saints, but the only thing this record has in common with previous Saints recordings is Chris Bailey. Still, it's a sharp, tuneful, and (ahem) mature work that shows Bailey's increasing confidence as a singer and songwriter. One listen to songs as grabbing as "Celtic Ballad" or the great "Just Like Fire Would" (which is kind of a neat pun) will convince you that despite the differences, the new Saints were a good band for completely different reasons than the old Saints. [Source: AMG]


The Saints - Just Like Fire Would (1987)

Tracklist:

1. Just Like Fire Would
2. First Time
3. Hymn To Saint Jude
4. See You In Paradise
5. Love Or Imagination
6. Celtic Ballad
7. Empty Page
8. Big Hits (On The Underground)
9. How To Avoid Disaster
10. Blues On My Mind
11. Temple Of The Lord
12. All Fools Day

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The Saints - All Fools Day (1987)

The Plugz - Electrify Me (1979)

While the seminal 1979 debut from The Plugz is usually characterized as a punk record, the L.A. band actually strives to embrace the scope of rock & roll on Electrify Me. Built on a sound which spikes a strong pop sensibiity with punk fury, singer Tito Larriva and his band draw on their Hispanic heritage for an anthemic cover of "La Bamba" while exploring reggae on the title cut; there are even some folky touches here as well. And as for punk, both "Revolution" and "Alienation" burn white-hot. [Source: AMG]


The Plugz - La Bamba

Tracklist

A1. A Gain - A Loss
A2. The Cause
A3. Electrify Me
A4. Satisfied Die
A5. La Bamba

B1. Adolescent
B2. Braintime
B3. Wordless
B4. Let Go
B5. Infection
B6. Berserktown

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The Plugz - Electrify Me (1979)

Nikki Sudden & The French Revolution - Groove (1989)

After the post-punk band Swell Maps dissolved in the early '80s, lead singer Nikki Sudden began a diverse and maddening solo career, during which he performed with a number of different bands and side projects. Sudden released his first solo record, Waiting on Egypt, in 1982, followed closely by The Bible Belt in 1983; both records recalled Swell Maps. In 1984, Sudden formed The Jacobites with drummer Epic Soundtracks (his brother, who was also a member of Swell Maps) and guitarist/vocalist Dave Kusworth, who co-wrote the material with Sudden. The band developed a laid-back pop style, driven by acoustic guitars and a rolling rhythm section reminiscent of The Velvet Underground. The Jacobites released four albums and three EPs between 1984 and 1986, when Kusworth left the band. Sudden continued with the Jacobites name, releasing Texas on the Creation label in 1986. During the late '80s, Sudden ditched The Jacobites and began making music that strongly recalled early Rolling Stones. While none of his albums ever attracted a large audience, Sudden remained a cult favorite throughout his career. High-profile guests began appearing on his albums with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy lending a hand to 1999's Red Brocade and The Faces' keyboardist Ian McLagan playing on the 2004 release Treasure Island. On March 26, 2006, Sudden passed away after a gig in New York City. He was working on a new album, The Truth Doesn't Matter, which was released in October of that year. [Source: AMG]


Nikki Sudden & Rowland S Howard - French Revolution Blues

Tracklist

1. See My Rider
2. Murder Valley
3. French Revolution Blues
4. Breaking Lines
5. Groove
6. Sea Dog Blues
7. Great Pharaoh
8. Poor Relation
9. Wild Cathedral
10. Beethoven's Ring
11. Back To The Coast
12. Too Bad For You
13. Village Green

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Nikki Sudden & The French Revolution - Groove (1989)