The Passage - Troops Out. A Disc By Night & Day 7". ampm 22:00.

The Passage were the kind of art-rock politically-motivated band that would get nowhere near a major label these days, but here they are on Virgin Records offshoot Night & Day. Having seen them in London around the time their second LP For All And None came out a friend told me they sounded like Discharge with synths. It was meant to be a put down. In retrospect that would be A Good Sound. The records, of course, aren't anywhere near as rough, particularly given lead fella Dick Witts' classical background, and the major label backing. This release was a true rarity, support for the withdrawal of British troops from the north of Ireland at the height of The Troubles, complete with contextual information and contact details. Enjoy.

The Passage - Troops Out. A Disc By Night & Day 7". ampm 22:00.

Manchester Object Records post-punk The Passage

Josef K - Sorry For Laughing - Les Disques Du Crepuscule 7" TWI 023

Recorded especially for Les Disques Du Crepuscule in January 1981. Presumably at a time when the band were passing through Belgium, otherwise why ship four Scotsmen over just to record two tracks? Sorry For Laughing was the title of Josef K's aborted first release. The LP that made it as far as test-pressings and art samples but was then binned (until later revival on CD, naturally). Anyway, good stuff... Enjoy.

Josef K - Sorry For Laughing - Les Disques Du Crepuscule 7" TWI 023.

80s josef k les disques du crepuscule post-punk postcard Scottish Pop

The Go-Betweens - Hammer The Hammer - Rough Trade Records 7". RT 108.

The sleeve for this one is hardly going to keep the World's greatest graphic designers awake at night. Well done, Rough Trade. Flip side By Chance is from The Go-Betweens second, and greatest, LP, Before Hollywood. This was the A-Side's debut appearance. It has since appeared on a number of compilation releases. The Go-Betweens are a band whose lack of wider success is a mystery for many, but this release is from their earlier, less compromising, post  new wave period. The production budgets were smaller and the sound was more thud and crash than the smoother pop sound which was introduced on their next LP, their major label debut, Spring Hill Fair. All periods of The Go-Betweens, have their merits, though. More from them soon. Enjoy.

The Go-Betweens - Hammer The Hammer - Rough Trade Records 7". RT 108.

Australia pop post-punk postcard Rough Trade The Go-Betweens

Wah! Heat - Seven Minutes To Midnight. Inevitable Records 7". Inev004.

Wah! Heat, male slags, male slates, at their thrashing, crashing post-Clash best. The production on their records became increasingly mannered, with all the rough edges knocked off and utilising that over-compressed super-tidy 80s major label sound. This, however, is the band at their peak and with production to suit. Enjoy.

Wah! Heat - Seven Minutes To Midnight. Inevitable Records 7". Inev004.

inevitable Liverpool pete wylie post-punk rockist shambeko say wah wah wah heat

Girls At Our Best - Politics. Record Records RR2.

More pure pop from the wrong side of the Pennines. The second single from Girls At Our Best on their own Record Records label. Looking at the line-up on the flipside of the sleeve I was going to suggest that this was proof of the primacy of trios but there's no drummer listed. Both tracks are great but I think that, on this occasion the B-side wins. I'd love to see some footage of this band moving and grooving but, alas, there's nothing out there freely available. Enjoy.

Girls At Our Best - Politics. Record Records RR2.

Girls At Our Best pop post-punk Record Records

Scars - adult/ery / horrorshow. Fast Records 7". FAST 8.

This one's a bit spikier than, All About You, the Scars single I uploaded in May. On Bob Last's tremendous and innovative Fast label, this is a nice slice of 1979 post-punk action. Enjoy.

Tracks:
adult/ery (99 BPM).
horrorshow (101 BPM).

Scars - adult/ery / horrorshow. Fast Records 7". FAST 8.

Fast Records post-punk scars Scottish Pop

The Fall - Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul. Kamera Records 7" ERA 001.

If there were such a thing as Cock of The Walk where bands are concerned (and there isn't, so fuck off U2, Radiohead, White Stripes, Wu Lyf etc.) there have been a few times in their career (and it has been a career) where The Fall have been it. Times when they have been Top Dog. The Best Band In The World. Without parallel. Beyond the pail. This period of two drummers, rockabilly rhythms, intelligent, coherent lyrics and yelping dog-like vocals, for example. Enjoy. It's also got a great Savage Pencil sleeve. So double enjoy.

The Fall - Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul. Kamera Records 7" ERA 001.

Manchester Mark E. Smith post-punk Savage Pencil Seminal The Fall