REST OF THE BOYS - Live Auf'er Walli/Lübeck, Januar 1985

The coldest month begins today, so let's warm up with another aLive post, this time from a band that received little attention but irreplaceable to me. I'm talking about The Rest Of The Boys, a band from Lübeck that was primarily active in the Eighties. Founded as Restive Boys by Kirk (bass), Rolf (guitar), Mampe (drums) and Ritchie (vocals) they released their first EP Die Wende in 1983 on their own label and this Killer is still one of my favorite 7Inches. In 1986, a tape and a second 7Inch, both named Where's All The Hope?, were released, before twenty-four months passed and their only album Days Weeks And Years comes out and was the last sign of life by the Boys, some members were also active at the same time in the Pissed Boys. This little gem is an authentic document of North German Punk history, which at the time was primarily shaped by Hamburg bands. The recordings capture perfect the raw energy of Lübeck's Walli (an alternative venue on the Wall peninsula), and the sound is consistently fantastic and unpolished; you can practically feel the vibes and the carefree atmosphere, and you know: that's the place where you wanna be. It's not a high-fidelity blast, but a honest reflection of a sweaty Punk gig as I have often experienced. The band plays significantly more aggressively and faster than on their vinyl releases, but that's usually the case, I'd say. The tape contains a brilliant mix of their songs and shows the band in excellent form. For collectors, this tape is a holy grail of the Lübeck scene. It's less of an album for "pleasure listening" and more of a historical document that wonderfully preserves the spirit of the Eighties. I'm sure you'll like it.

The Rest Of The Boys/Dirty Ways/Different Ways/Tubestation/Innocent Faces/Death & Love/The Only Thing I Know/Towns Like Desserts/A Feeling/Your Mind Is On The Screen/Ice/Banana Sunshine/Die Legendäre Bühnenshow/Peter Says/Peter Says/Innocent Faces

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HÜSKER DÜ - The Living End 1994

All good things come in threes, that said a famous Greek Philosoph many centuries ago, and if you want to know what he meant by that and how three people can create a sound with simple instruments that simply blows you away, you know who I'm talking about. He listen to Hüsker Dü and their The Living End record, an energetic live beauty which documents recordings from the band's last fucking US tour in October 1987 (shortly before their split). It showcases the group at their peak, delivering raw, fast goodies and is praised by critics as "Controlled Chaos" (what kind of crap is this?), such a lousy statement doesn't them a disservice. This album an important chapter in their discography and set a high benchmark and deserves a considerable amount of respect of their works and their unconventional sound. Alternative Rock??? So what the FUCK?? I just can't understand some people. Are so many really deaf and blind? I guess so, the number of idiots I'm encountering right now is truly extraordinary. I feel like the biggest moron on this beautiful planet. But I don't want to think about it anymore, get upset about it, let this crap putting away, click it away, throw it in the trash. It infuriates me like the German postal service; that asshole postman isn't capable of putting a notification card in my shitty mailbox... what a stupid wanker. And on top of that, they charge exorbitant postage costs. I know this shit doesn't belong here, but what about you? I'd really like to know. -  To the post: the album offers a very raw sound that captures the band's "furious best." They play with high speed and intensity. Some songs, especially from the Warehouse album, sound very powerful, while older tracks sometimes lose some of their passion. It includes rare & previously unreleased songs. An essential document not only for fans, which, according to Bob Mould, doesn't necessarily reflect the band's impending demise, but rather the raw energy of the tour.

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DEAD KENNEDYS - @ The Paradiso/Amsterdam 5.12.1982

Here I am again, and it's snowing, and it's miserable, and blah blah blah. We're staying live, and today I'm presenting you the second record from the anniversary box set "Forty," by the Dead Kennedys which was released six years ago. This wonderful recording shows the Californians in top form during their third European tour. These recordings were made at one of Amsterdam's oldest venues, the Paradiso, and you can imagine, if you know the city, how exhilarating this gig was. So far so good, enjoy the material. I'll be back soon, as I've been blessed with a fucking flu and this beauty is driving me absolutely crazy. Incidentally, all re-upload requests have been finished. Stay Healthy!

Moral Majority/I Am The Owl/Life Sentence/Police Truck/Riot/Bleed For Me/Holiday In Cambodia/Let's Lynch The Landlord/Chemical Warfare/Nazi Punks Fuck Off/Kill The Poor/We've Got A Bigger Problem Now/Too Drunk To Fuck

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NEW ORDER - @ Recreation Centre/Tolworth 12.05.1983

This band is with me for a long fucking time: New Order from Manchester, who were 'involuntarily' formed in 1980 after the tragic end of the unique Joy Division. They retained their dark sound on their debut album, but with their second LP, they reinvented themselves and created their own style. And when 'Blue Monday' was released, their popularity spread across the great ocean, making the four what they are today: one of the most successful pop bands on the planet. The concert @ the Recreation Centre on May 12, 1983, is one of their best, and as I've read, the recordings quickly circulated afterward. No wonder, because it's an awesome soundboard recording and the song selection is fantastic and offers a delightful mix of their early great tracks. There is more detailed information in the file from someone who attended this legendary concert, and apparently the rip is also from this human; I am grateful for this and may this musical outpouring satisfy you.

Blue Monday/In A Lonely Place/Chosen Time/Dreams Never End/We All Stand/Leave Me Alone/Age Of Consent/Temptation/586/Everything's Gone Green

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LOVE A - Irgendwie 2013

Dear friends and followers of this little theater, a new year is here and I hope you have welcomed it in a decent way and I start fucking 2026 with a band I like a lot and this is their second album on Rookie Records and it's a nugget made for every emotional mood. I'm talkin' about Love A, a four piece founded in Trier 2010, known for their distinctive German lyrics and charismatic melodic songs. I first encountered the band in 2013 at a legendary concert in the old Batschkapp in Frankfurt, and this album was the first one I ever bought immediately. That almost never happens, but the four of them impressed me so much that I couldn't resist. It was love at first tone, like when you recognize yourself in another person, discovering facets you like because you like them in yourself. It's almost as if your own self is standing before you, and you know and feel that this is the right person you want to wake up with every morning, and that's exactly the feeling I had when I first saw Love A in this hot and small area. I wanna quick slip in suitable review: "Irgendwie" (Somehow) positions thirteen highly danceable gems rather uncomfortably between stools, with clear lyrics, lyrical sophistication, and copious amounts of cynicism. Love A delivers without resorting to an overly obvious fuck-you attitude. And yet, the extended middle finger lurks everywhere – somewhat hidden behind great guitar melodies, post-punk bass lines, and singer Jörkk's undeniable entertainment skills. "Everything's Already Been Said/Just Not Everywhere." True to this motto, Love A depict the state of a society in which one increasingly doesn't know where to go, but somehow also quite clearly where not to go. (Eric Meyer) That's life, and anyone who knows it knows what I'm talking about. But I don't want to dwell on life's little shitties any longer; Love A does this brilliantly, and I highly recommend that if you don't speak German, you use a translator so you can understand what it's about. It's definitely worth it and helps you recharge and get rid of useless baggage, just like me when I do listening, looking ahead and seeing all the crap in a different light. A worthy successor to the debut and a short video from the concert back then is also included. Now I'm going fishing. Enjoy the record + screw dumb simple minded people!

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POT VALIANT - Never Return 2023

I want to end this rather unpleasant year with the exact opposite, and I've loved this band ever since I first heard them on the Life Is Change #2 sampler from BeriBeri Records. Both songs captivate me with their personal lyrics and melancholic mood, yet they still sound very harsh and offensive. This sound and atmosphere resonate perfectly with me, as I too very sensitive and emotional, and it's precisely these two qualities that sometimes get me down because I encounter people who couldn't care less about feelings and only care about their own interests. It's like an addiction; everything else is blocked out, and only the self matters. Well, that's awful, and I don't want to dwell on it. I don't like people who get close to you and then it turns out to be nothing but lame air, and you count no longer. Pathetic. Poor in spirit, poor in heart, or just incredibly stupid. I was very surprised when I saw this release and didn't hesitate to buy it. I want to give you some info about the band; it's not from me, but it fits 100%: "Pot Valiant was a four piece from El Cerrito/California and consisted of Brian (vocals), Nick (guitars), Craig [bass), Dave (drums) and were active from the mid 80s to the mid 90s. The band began as Vagrants; under this name they released three demo tapes and a 7Inch on Lookout Records. Later on they changed their name to Pot Valiant and released two more 7"s and one full-lenght. They also appeared on a compilation and reissued a previously unreleased track this year. Their material released under Vagrants is very DIY and a little more punk sounding than their later material under Pot Valiant which became more of a mix of Punk/Emo/Indierock. Musically their sound could be compared to Squirrel Bait or even The Hated, subtly mixing the emo undertones with straightforward, enjoyable Punk characteristics. It's always impressive to me to hear bands going for this kind of sound pre 1990s when it became increasingly popular and really evolved into its own genre. Back in the 1980s there weren't many bands straying from the norm in terms of Punkrock which makes me really respect the band." Suitable for all moments in life and a constant favorite in my ears, there's nothing to complain about here, and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to this album, I'm thrilled! Compiled on this two record set are the band’s Lookout & Sunny Sindicut 7Inches, Transaudio LP, comp tracks, and three previously unissued songs, comes in a fold-out case and includes a twenty-page booklet (not included) full of notes, flyers and photos of this classic from the outsider emo scene.

Enjoy the music and the last hours of this year and I wish you all a happy new 2026 and we'll rock just this as fucking hell.

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BUREAUCRATS - s/t LP 2000

Superb release, and I quote the liner notes from the insert: Formed in the summer of 1978 in Ottawa/Canada, the Bureaucrats featured Guz (vocals), Mitch (rhythm guitar), Joe (lead guitar), Grant (bass) and Wayne (drums). At the timeof the band's inception, very little was happening on the Canadian music scene. Bands that wrote and performed their own material could not get gigs in local clubs, as club owners systematically selected mainstream "cover" bands to fulfill their club's musical needs. Record companies also did not believe that original Canadian bands had anything to offer, and would rarely even venture outside of New York City to check out new talent. Eventually, Toronto was seen as a stepping stone to NYC but even that didn't occur until well into the 80's. But a band from Ottawa.. especially one that leaned heavily towards the "new wave".. wasn't then nor ever would be, a consideration in any self-respecting A&R man's eyes!

Burdened by these limitations, the Bureaucrats began their musical legacy by opening and closing the now infamous "Rotter's Club" and eventually did the same with it's successor, "The 80's Club". In the time between these two club's inceptions and eventual demise, the band changed the face of the 'live' music scene in Ottawa forever!

Starting from a point of having absolutely no musical venues to showcase their original and distinctive songwriting capabilities and performances (with the exception of Eugene Haslam's legendary "Gang Of Four" house parties), the growing appeal of the band ultimately led to the opening up of almost ALL clubs in the Ottawa area to the Bureaucrats, and eventually to the just then emerging "new music scene".

This about face the club owners could only be attributed to the popularity of the band, their intensly energetic yet melodic music, and their ever-growing fan base. Combine this with an almost iron-clad guarantee of a capacity crowd wherever and whenever they performed proved to be just too lucrative for most club owners to continue to ignore. And that, if anything, is the Bureaucrat's legacy to Ottawa: their ability to "open the doors" which enabled the 'live' new music scene to grow and prosper in Canada's capitol. Over the course of these early years, besides extensive touring, the Bureaucrats had been busy penning and recording original songs both at Double Helix Studios in Old Chelsea and at Passport Studios in Hull. In total they wrote about 20-30 songs but unfortunately only recorded aboult half that number.

This album combines the best of what could be found of both sessions, and as an added bonus, includes three 'live' versions of previously unrecorded Bureaucrats classics! Ironically, the three live songs were recorded at a concert in Ottawa in the final days of the original band's existence, while the final three songs on this album were recorded in late 1980 by the remaining Bureaucrats, following the band's break up. The "original" Bureaucrats went their separate ways in August 1980. However, the band continued on in various incarnations until late 1981 when eventually it disbanded for good. Great album from a great band!

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RIISTETYT - Raiskattu Tulevaisuus 1984

It's frosty at my homebase, so I'm off to Finland, where I'm sure the locals would laugh at such temperatures. Riistetyt somehow sent their demo, Raiskattu Tulevaisuus/Raped Future, to the house painter H.E. from Cologne. He's already released two albums by the band, and apparently both sold really well, so he didn't hesitate to release another tape on his Rock-O-Rama label, naturally with a self-designed cover, etc... I don't want to write any more about the album; anyone who likes Finnish HardcorePunk will be very satisfied with this record; all others as well. This sound was and is irreplaceable. And the best: They are still active! So if you don't know what to do with a lousy, icy Monday, Riistetyt is the answer.

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CÓMPLICES - De Espias, Policias Y Ladrones 1986

The Cómplices were a band in the purest Clash style, emerged 1985 in Valencia and consisted of José (vocals/guitar), Félix (bass) and Domingo (drums). They released their debut via Discos Medicinales in 1986, recorded at Sono-Estudi. The theme that opens the work was the result of the discontent generated by their participation in the festival organized by the Provincial Council at that time. The Cómplices has been one of the bands most unfairly valued, given the excellent repertoire that is extracted from their only album. They performed on several occasions in the different fashionable venues of Valencia in the Eighties, especially at the popular Gasolinera. Twelve songs often hailed as a raw, socially critical Punk/New Wave milestone of the Madrid scene, with sharp lyrics about espionage, police and theft that reflect the chaos and frustration of the late Franco era and transition, praised for its raw energy and direct style, although perhaps not as polished as later works. It captures the spirit of that time in Spain - a time of upheaval, social tensions and counterculture. Their words are intelligent, often cynical and politically charged lyrics and the decent production give us driving guitars, simple but effective rhythms and the distinctive voice of frontman Miguel, the raw and blunt approach is highly brilliant. Media says it is considered an important, if less well-known, album from the Spanish underground scene and of course, it is compared to the energy of bands like the Clash or early the Jam, but with a distinctly Spanish flavor. Currently the band is known as 3Cómplices and has since released three more albums, including their recent one in 2024.

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V/A - Underground PunkRock From The Vaults 2024

Today, one more fantastic Compilation, and I've already mentioned the Shout It Out Loud label, which could be considered as a second Redrum and perhaps it's headed in that direction, I hope so. At least it once again presents rare gems from obscure Punk stuff from the Western world. Bands that will likely be unknown to most collectors, but are ultimately well worth a listen, and the record itself is impressive. Fourteen bands with their rare and hard-to-find songs, originally released on 7Inches, covering the period from 1979 to 1983. All songs have been specially remastered for this vinyl reissue to bring back the original, uncompromising feeling. Liner notes and cover art are printed on the back of the record. Let's hope the guys don't get tired and continue to make such rare treasures accessible; I'm thrilled, you are, and so every Punk in every conceivable place in our beautiful world.

1.(I Don’t Know) Who She Is - STRANGE WAYS

2.A Cruise - BRUKUKU

3.Anarchy - WOZO

4.Catch Yourself Talking To Yourself - NU-CLEAR ENERGY

5.Dead Girls - THE ROMFORD STOMPERS

6.Do Or Die Situation - OVENMEN

7.Fear Of God - MOHAWK MIKE & LEPCIS MAGNA

8.Hazel - THE HAEMORRHOIDS

9.I Don’t Want To Discuss That - THE SHOWBIZ KIDS

10.Lesbian Boy - GARY QUAZAR

11.N.Y.C. - THREE LEEZ

12.Out Of Control - THE STEROIDS

13.Slot In The Dark - HUMAN MOTIVES

14.The Collector - THE RELATIVES

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