“Turn Away” Protex

This way: Turn Away

Protex are a Belfast punk band which formed in 1978. Their first records were issued on Good Vibrations records. They formed part of the first wave of Belfast punk bands along with label-mates The Undertones and Rudi. The original line-up was Paul Maxwell (bass/vocals), Owen McFadden (drums), David McMaster (guitar/vocals), Aidan Murtagh (guitar/vocals).

Protex formed in 1978, inspired by the band members experiencing first-hand The Clash’s landmark visit to Belfast in 1977, when their gig was cancelled at the last minute due to insurance problems. The Clash’s Belfast visit in 1977 is considered by many, including Good Vibrations' Terri Hooley, to be the catalyst for the punk movement in Northern Ireland. Protex was influenced by The Clash and took their original name, Protex Blue, from an album track on The Clash's eponymous debut album. The band did not realise the Clash song was about condoms.

Protex's debut live performance was in 1978 at Knock Methodist Church Hall in Belfast. Shortly after the show they shortened their name to Protex to avoid any confusion about being a blues band. They performed around Belfast and eventually secured a radio session with local station Downtown Radio. By regular gigging around the city the band soon came to the attention of Terri Hooley who they initially met at a gig at the Glenmachan Hotel in Belfast. Hooley prompted them to record a three track debut 45 which he released on his Good Vibrations record label in November 1978 as issue GOT6. The Belfast label had previously released singles by Rudi, Victim, The Outcasts and The Undertones. The single was later re-released on London-based Rough Trade Records.

Following good reviews from the NME writer Tony Parsons, and more radio air play the band secured a BBC Radio 1 session for the Kid Jensen show. This led to interest from Polydor Records who signed the band. The band were all still in sixth form at school when A&R men came over from London to see them play live at Chester’s in Portrush. At Easter 1979, Protex went to London to record their debut single for Polydor, "I Can't Cope".

[Spotify] Turn Away 

“Dip Flash” Wire

This way: Dip Flash

Released at the end of the initial period of Wire’s 3rd Act – after Aend and before the band’s post-Bruce Gilbert re-invention – Read & Burn 03 never quite got the attention it deserved. However the opening track 23 years too late, with its tour narrative text and motorik rhythm stands as one of the band’s finest achievements of any era in the view of both core fans & the band the original ep, 3rd in the read & burn series and the one not compiled on to the send album, was the last non-historic release by the original wire line up of colin newman, graham lewis, bruce gilbert & robert grey and has never been properly released on vinyl. The original version of our time and an alternate mix of desert diving are the other additional tracks.

[Spotify] Dip Flash 

[Spotify] Dot Dash 

[Charming Live] Dot Dash 

“Like Flies on Sherbert” Alex Chilton

This way: Like Flies on Sherbert

Like Flies on Sherbert is the first solo album released by American pop rock musician Alex Chilton. He had previously recorded a collection of songs in 1969 and 1970, ultimately titled 1970, but this was not released until 1996. Released in 1979, Like Flies on Sherbert was recorded at two Memphis studios, Phillips Recording and Ardent Studios, in 1978 and 1979. Chilton had previously been a member of the Box Tops and Big Star.

The album was originally released in fall 1979 in a batch of 500 copies by Peabody Records, a label run by Memphis singer and guitarist Sid Selvidge. Aura Records, a British label, put out a version that differed slightly from the original issue. A number of CD releases followed in the 1990s and 2000s, some with added bonus tracks. Selvidge's 1998 Peabody CD reissue collects all the tracks from the previous Peabody edition and the Aura reissue and adds three tracks: "Baby Doll," "She's the One That's Got It" and "Stranded on a Dateless Night."

 

The photograph used for the cover of the album was taken by noted American photographer William Eggleston, who had previously provided the cover for Big Star's second album Radio City. 

[Spotify] Like Flies on Sherbert 

“Shiftless when Idle” The Replacements

This way: Shiftless when Idle

The Replacements were an American rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1979. The band was composed of the guitarist and vocalist Paul Westerberg, guitarist Bob Stinson, bass guitarist Tommy Stinson, and drummer Chris Mars for most of its existence. After two albums in the style of punk rock, they became one of the main pioneers of alternative rock with their acclaimed albums Let It Be and Tim. Bob Stinson was kicked out of the band in 1986, and Slim Dunlap joined as lead guitarist. Steve Foley replaced Mars in 1990. Towards the end of the band's career, Westerberg exerted more control over its creative output. The group disbanded in 1991 and the members found various projects. A reunion was announced on October 3, 2012. Fans affectionately refer to the band as the 'Mats, a nickname which originated as a truncation of "The Placemats". 

Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash is the debut studio album by the American band the Replacements. It was released on August 25, 1981, by Twin/Tone Records. Squarely inspired by punk rock, the album stands in contrast to the power pop and indie rock styles of later albums.

The track "Somethin' to Dü" is a reference to the band Hüsker Dü, contemporaries of the Replacements and their Saint Paul counterparts. The track "Johnny's Gonna Die" is a reference to guitarist Johnny Thunders of the Heartbreakers and New York Dolls, specifically his heroin addiction. Thunders died in 1991.

[Spotify] Shiftless when Idle 

“Gang Related Death” The Stains

This way: Gang Related Death

The Stains is an American hardcore punk band from the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. One of the first East Los Angeles punk groups, the band started playing punk in 1976. Their style is described as hardcore and speedy, and as an innovator in bringing elements of metal into hardcore.

History

The Stains recorded their debut album in 1981, produced by SST Records house producer Spot. It was released by SST in 1983. The debut album is often considered influential in bridging hardcore punk and heavy metal before the creation of thrash metal. The band has been on tours with Black Flag, Hüsker Dü and countless others.

They were one of the bands that played at a 2001 "anniversary show" memorializing the landmark East Los Angeles punk venue, Vex Populi. The music writer Josh Kun wrote in Los Angeles magazine that their set was "punk rock enough for the Stains to leave a pool of blood on the stage's wood beams".

[Spotify] Gang Related Death 

“If I Told” Courtney Marie Andrews

This way: If I Told

Courtney Marie Andrews (born November 7, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter originally from Phoenix, Arizona. She released her first widely distributed and breakthrough studio album, Honest Life, in 2016. From 2010 to 2011, Andrews was an auxiliary member of Jimmy Eat World, appearing on their seventh studio album Invented (2010) and acting as their keyboardist and backing vocalist on the subsequent tour.

Andrews began playing guitar and writing songs at the age of 13 or 14 and began performing at 15.

In September 2009, Jim Adkins of the band Jimmy Eat World asked Andrews to sing with him on a live cover of Wilco and Feist's song "You and I". In 2010, she recorded backing vocals for Jimmy Eat World[5] on five songs for their studio album Invented. She subsequently joined them on stage to perform during the album's release and full 2010–2011 tours, acting as their keyboardist and backing vocalist.

In 2011, Andrews relocated to Seattle, Washington. It was there that she began playing electric guitar in long-time admirer Damien Jurado's band.

[Spotify] If I Told 

“Morning Noon or Night” Golomb

This way: Morning Noon or Night

The Columbus power trio, who'll make their debut on Philly's esteemed No Quarter Records next month with sophomore album The Beat Goes On, great catchy pop songs with bent frames. Dig it.

[Spotify] Morning Noon or Night 

“Ft Worth Blues” Steve Earle

This way: Ft Worth Blues

Here's a great one from Steve Eale circa 1997. 

[Spotify] Ft Worth Blues 

[Charming Live] Ft Worth Blues 

“I Want Candy” Bow Wow Wow

This way: I Want Candy

Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band with then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals. They released their debut EP Your Cassette Pet in 1980 and had their first UK top 10 hit with "Go Wild in the Country" in 1982. The band's music was characterized by a danceable new wave sound that drew on a Burundi beat provided by Dave Barbarossa on drums, as well as the subversive, suggestive, and sometimes exuberant lyrics sung and chanted by their teenage lead vocalist.

In 1980, former Sex Pistols manager McLaren persuaded David Barbarossa (also known as Dave Barbe), guitarist Matthew Ashman and bassist Leigh Gorman to leave Adam Ant and form a new group he was managing. The band embarked on a six-month audition process for a lead singer. Talent scout Dave Fishel heard 13-year-old Lwin singing along to the radio at a West Hampstead dry cleaner where she worked, and Fishel persuaded McLaren to audition her. 

[Spotify] I Want Candy 

“Girl U Want” Devo

This way: Girl U Want

Devo just played a gig here in Pheonix this last week. I didnt go, but am glad to see they still have the spuds. I do recall seeing them at Dooleys in Tempe in about 1978. Here is a great one from one of my alltime fav LPs. 

[Spotify] Girl U Want 

“Out on My Own” Romeo Void

This way: Out on My Own

Romeo Void was an American new wave and post-punk band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1979. The band primarily consisted of saxophonist Benjamin Bossi, vocalist Debora Iyall, guitarist Peter Woods, and bassist Frank Zincavage. The band went through four drummers, starting with Jay Derrah and ending with Aaron Smith. The band released three albums, It's a Condition, Benefactor and Instincts, along with one EP. They are best known for the songs "Never Say Never" and "A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)"; the latter became a top 40 pop single.

The band was started at the San Francisco Art Institute by Iyall and Zincavage. They released a single on the recently formed 415 Records before recording their debut album, which has been deemed a "masterpiece of American post-punk". The success of their second release, a four-song EP titled Never Say Never resulted in a distribution deal with Columbia Records. The band continued to release music and tour until they broke up in 1985. The members have reunited briefly over the years. Iyall has continued to pursue music as a side project. Iyall has garnered acclaim as a skilled lyricist who explores themes like sexuality and alienation from a female perspective with "searing imagery".

[Spotify] Out on My Own 

“New Noise" Refused

This way: New Noise

Oh, there is screaming. 

Refused (also known as the Refused) was a Swedish hardcore punk band originating from Umeå and formed in 1991. Refused's final lineup was composed of vocalist Dennis Lyxzén, guitarist Kristofer Steen, drummer David Sandström, and bassist Magnus Flagge. Guitarist Jon Brännström was a member from 1994, through reunions, until he was fired in 2013. Their lyrics are often of a non-conformist and politically far-left nature and were for a time associated with the straight edge subculture.

The band released their debut album This Just Might Be... the Truth in 1994. They followed this up with Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent (1996) and five EPs. In 1998, the band released The Shape of Punk to Come, which expanded their sound with jazz and electronic influences, but was initially poorly received commercially and critically. The group disbanded shortly after, during their subsequent tour. Despite limited contemporary success, Refused were influential on the development of rock music in subsequent decades.

[Spotify] New Noise 

“Statue Down” Alex Cameron

This way: Statue Down

Alex Cameron (born 11 September 1988) is an Australian singer-songwriter from Sydney. He is best known for his solo career, a high-concept act in which Cameron initially adopted the persona of a failed entertainer. During live performances, Cameron is often joined by saxophonist and "business partner" Roy Molloy. Before making music under his own name, Cameron was also a member of the electronica act Seekae, releasing three studio albums with them.

Cameron independently released his debut album, Jumping the Shark, for free on his website in 2013. In 2016, Secretly Canadian reissued the album to a wider audience and growing cult fanbase. In 2017, Cameron released his second studio album, Forced Witness, featuring contributions from Molloy, Flowers, Olsen and Jonathan Rado. His third studio album, Miami Memory, was released in September 2019. His fourth studio album, Oxy Music, was released in March 2022.

[Spotify] Statue Down 

“The Passenger” Iggy Pop

This way: The Passenger

This is one of my all time favorite songs. I could listen to this a few thousand times. 

"The Passenger" was co-written by Iggy Pop and guitarist Ricky Gardiner; Pop wrote the lyrics, while Gardiner composed the music. Gardiner thought of the riff in early 1977 as he was wandering throughout the countryside, "in the field beside an orchard, on one of those glorious spring days with the trees in full blossom. The song was recorded at Hansa Studio by the Wall in West Berlin between May and June 1977. The lineup consisted of Pop, Gardiner, David Bowie on piano, Carlos Alomar on guitar, and brothers Tony and Hunt Sales on bass and drums, respectively. Bowie, Pop, and producer-engineer Colin Thurston produced Lust for Life under the pseudonym "Bewlay Bros.", named after the final track on Bowie's 1971 album Hunky Dory.

[Spotify] The Passenger 

“Gone 2” Slow Pulp

This way: Gone 2

Slow Pulp is an American indie rock band from Madison, Wisconsin, currently based in Chicago, Illinois. Slow Pulp began after childhood friends Teddy Mathews, Alex Leeds, and Henry Stoehr decided to start a band. This resulted in their first release, an extended play (EP) titled EP1 in 2015. In 2017, they released a second EP titled EP2, which was the first release to feature new member Emily Massey. In 2019, the group released another EP titled Big Day.

The group was midway through recording its debut studio album, Moveys, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit; it was recorded remotely and released on October 9, 2020.The album received positive reviews. In support of the album, the band embarked on their first headlining tour, and also supported Death Cab for Cutie, Pixies, and Alvvays.

In September 2023, the band signed to Anti-, with whom they released their second studio album, Yard.

[Spotify] Gone 2 

“Radio” Freak Slug

This way: Radio

Xenya Genovese, known by her stage name Freak Slug, is a British indie rock musician from Manchester.

Genovese released her debut EP, Slow Down Babe, in 2021.Genovese released her second EP in 2022 titled I'm In Love. In 2023, Genovese released her third EP under the Freak Slug moniker titled Viva la Vulva. Genovese announced her debut studio album, I Blow Out Big Candles, in September 2024 and released it in November.

[Spotify] Radio 

“Dirt on the Bed” Cate Le Bon

This way: Dirt on the Bed

Cate Le Bon (born Cate Timothy on 4 March 1983) is a Welsh musician, songwriter and record producer. She sings in both English and Welsh. She has released seven solo studio albums, and was one half of the experimental music duo Drinks (stylised in all caps) with her then-partner Tim Presley. Her stage name is a tribute to English musician Simon Le Bon.

As a record producer, Le Bon has produced albums by Deerhunter, Wilco, John Grant, Dry Cleaning, Horsegirl, Devendra Banhart and Kurt Vile, amongst others.

[Spotify] Dirt on the Bed 

“Something Lurks” Evangilism

This way: Something Lurks

 Kensington, Philly. MM - vocals, guitar, synth, sax, lyrics

Adam - synth, guitar

Danny - bass, synth

Nate - guitar

Kei - drums, vocals

Andrew - violin

Alli - vocals

Scotty - backing vocals, samples, timpani

[Spotify] Something Lurks 

“Black Gold” Escape-ism

This way: Black Gold

ESCAPE-ISM —known as the “found sound dream drama”— is a group specializing in “minimal rock ’n’ roll” led by Ian F Svenonius on voice, beat machine, and electric guitar & featuring Sandi Denton on electric bass guitar, voice, & keyboard.

As art & expression kneels in servility to corporate dictums, ESCAPE-ISM is an outlier. They're the “rock ’n’ roll animinimalist” that rides the rails with a bindle stick; a “what me worry?” tramp who haunts out-of-the-way watering holes frequented by roughshod holdouts against computer conformity.

Known for their offhand musical insouciance, ESCAPE-ISM has gathered a devout following of know nothing acolytes across the globe. ESCAPE-ISM also hosts a series of evenings at Los Angles’ Zebulon nightclub entitled “Rated Z”, named for their full length album Rated Z (2022, Radical Elite/Monotone records). These rock 'n' roll revues are legendary events of simulated excitement. 

Dominated by lo-fi electronics, buzzy guitars, witty and subversive lyrics, and the coolly passionate vocals of Ian Svenonius, Escape-Ism represents another vehicle for the unique talents of the man who founded , , , and . Debuting in 2017 with Introduction to Escape-Ism, Svenonius has declared it to be his first true solo project, in which he writes all the songs, handles all the vocals, and plays all the instruments.

[Spotify] Black Gold