Category: New wave / No wave

WALL – Untitled

One of the best albums of 2017 is a full-length debut by a band that broke up before it was released.

No one seems to know, or is telling, why New York post-punks WALL (Vanessa Gomez – drums, Vince McClelland – guitar, Elizabeth Skadden – bass, Samantha York – lead vocals, guitar) broke up after releasing one critically acclaimed EP (WALL), wowing crowds at the 2016 South by Southwest festival, and recording what appears will be their only full-length record – Untitled. Perhaps they felt they’d said all they wanted to say. Perhaps they found out the music businesses wasn’t what they wanted after all. Perhaps it was the classic “artistic differences.” I’m not sure we’ll ever know, but there are hints on Untitled – a scorching post-punk testament to desperate times and desperate measures.

The first lyrics on Untitled are “Everyone looking ‘round, looking to get high. I was looking ‘round, looking to get high.” on “High Ratings.” The band drills out the jagged punk angles they had mastered so early around a song about people looking for validation in a world in which others are easily obscured by our narcissism.

“Shimmer of Fact” unveils WALL’s love for Joy Division. The reverbed vocals about a relationship gone wrong after moving from the friend zone to the lover zone include “Something went wrong.” and “We crossed those lines.” The song “Save Me” has shared male and female vocals (“You wanna walk away, now that’s it over?” / “Save me from myself.”) and powerful riffs that underline the frantic lyrics about danger and the thrills it can bring.

“(Sacred) Circus” continues the Joy Divison-like bass, but the guitars float into shoegaze glory, and then crash into punk rock, as they sing about love, lust, and jealousy. Part of the chorus is “Nothing in this life is sacred.” That includes, by the way, our expectations of WALL and what they had planned for their musical career. “Wounded at War,” with its guitars that sound like they’re melting in the sun, is both a salute to homeless veterans and a punch in the gut to the institutions that trained them. “Go home, soldier. Back to the war that bred you, soldier,” they sing.

“Everything In Between” sounds like it belongs in a rare 1980’s VHS vampire movie. Trust me, you’ll understand when you hear the heavy bass, racing pulse beat, and distorted guitars. “Charmed Life” (a Half Japanese cover) has a great saxophone riff throughout it. “Watch everything you do and everything you say,” they sing as they mix surf rock, post-punk, no wave, and 50’s love songs. The song ends with an abrupt stop by the band and York saying, “I guess I’m leavin’.”

On “Weekend,” she sings, “The weekend, the weaker I am.” Partying has become too much of a chore. “I can’t live this way,” she sings while the band (who sizzle for the whole track) agrees to go with her and “skip town.” “Turn Around” has York telling an admirer to “pull yourself together” and forget about even trying to chat her up or risk death.

The album ends with “River Mansion,” a gorgeous piece of post-punk shoegaze that has the band wishing for good things ahead but knowing they might end up not getting them. “We built this dream on a hill…A storm is brewing. I’m safe in the house, locked in a dream.” Perhaps WALL realized they’d already achieved the dream of expressing their art (and getting critical success for it) and knew it was time to leave the mansion they’d created before success flooded and drowned them (“I’m laying in the river and the rain is getting thicker,” York sings). Maybe WALL sensed that success wasn’t going to be good for them. Maybe there was infighting (“When our eyes meet, and you’re lying through your teeth. When our eyes meet, and I’m lying through my teeth.”). Maybe they knew going out on top was going to be the best, safest option.

Or maybe it’s all a lark. We won’t know until they or their label decide to tell us, if they ever do. Until then, we have Untitled to give us clues and questions without answers. Sometimes the mystery is more exciting than the solution, and perhaps that was WALL’s message the whole time.

Keep your mind open.

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The Moonlandingz – Interplanetary Class Classics

Spawned by the folks in Fat White Family, the Eccentronic Research Council, and the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, the Moonlandingz’s debut album, Interplanetary Class Classics, is, according to a quote on the band’s website “…a derogatory slap in the face of good taste and decency, an album synthesized out of pure irresponsibility and sheer self-adoration.”

In other words, it’s one of the most fun records of the year. That shouldn’t be a surprise when it’s something cooked up as a goofy music project by GOASTT’s Sean Lennon and members of Fat White Family. The Moonlandingz were a fictional band in this project, and now that band has come to life.

Opener “Vessels” is a song about sex, possession, and / or addiction. The heavy back beat and 1980’s no wave synths give the whole song a dark, smarmy feel. Lead singer Lias Saoudi’s vocals get louder and more frantic as the song progresses, and the Waitresses-like saxophone cacophony only helps. “Sweet Saturn Mine” was the first single released by the band when they kind of, sort of existed. It has a wicked drum beat and synths Gary Numan would love. Saoudi sings about strange happenings in strange places and, I’m pretty sure, orgasms that don’t necessarily bring relief. The Eccentronic Research Council’s synthesizer work and drumbeats on this are sharp as a knife.

“Black Hanz” is great psychedelia, and one of those songs that is apparently bonkers live (judging from YouTube videos I’ve seen). It’s something you’d hear in a weird curio shop in San Francisco that has a secret disco in the basement. “I.D.S.” begins with spooky female vocals from Charlotte Kemp before Saoudi starts a chant and then a Sigue Sigue Sputnik-like beat rushes at you. “The Strangle of Anna” could be a long lost Raveonettes track with its fuzzed-out guitar, Phil Spector rhythm, and heavy reverbed vocals.

After the brief, creepy circus music instrumental of “Theme from Valhalla Dale,” the Moonlandingz deliver “The Rabies Are Back,” which is just as wild as you hope it will be. “I turned my back on Paris, when I heard their dogs do bite,” Saoudi sings at the beginning before he goes into a bit of a frenzy singing about werewolves. “Neuf Du Pape” is just as weird and funky, combining new wave with industrial.

You can guess the subject of “Glory Hole.” You might not guess that it seems to involve sex across the galaxy or that it has such a wicked beat. “Lufthansa Man” is cool space / lounge / synth rock. It deserves to be on your next playlist (or mixtape if you’re still old school) named “Damn Funky Tunes.”

The album ends with the apocalyptic, epic, and crazy “This Cities Undone.” I’m sure it slays live and inspires crowd chants and spastic dancing as the band sings about the end of the world and puts down killer beats and cuts. If the world is going to end, you might as well party to something like this.

You might as well crank this whole damn record. It’s one of the best, funkiest, and weirdest albums of the year. I hope this fictional band doesn’t disappear into the ether. I hope they stay outside the fourth wall for a while. Break your own fourth wall by letting this album into your head. It will do the rest for you.

Keep your mind open.

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She-Devils release new single and North American tour dates.

She-Devils Share Video For New Single, “Hey Boy”
Watch HereNorth American Tour Dates Added;
European Tour Starts Next WeekSelf-Titled Debut Album Out May 19th On Secretly Canadian

“She-Devils are aware of some future truth that the rest of us aren’t privy to.” – NME

“intimate, dusty hybrid pop that searches for cosmic meaning in vintage sounds” – The FADER

“She-Devils…are creating a new way forward for tape looping. The group…dive into the souls of the samples they use, possessing them and finding otherworldly new emotions.” – Pitchfork

“She-Devils evoked the ’70s and ’80s electro-punk minimalism of Suicide and Soft Cell with an austere but riveting presentation.” – Chicago Tribune

A week ahead of the release of their eagerly anticipated self-titled debut album, She-Devils are pleased to share the new video for “Hey Boy.” The duo directed the video themselves, as with the all of their videos, and this focused vision creates a style that is very much in tune with the song. Bright and bombastic colors harp back to the video’s influences including the art of Yayoi Kusama, as well as 90s TV shows such as Pee-wee’s Playhouse, and 60s yé-yé music videos like Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg in “Comic Strip.”She-Devils have expanded their North American tour in support of the album. In June, they’ll make their way through Canada and the Midwest hitting Do Division Festival and ending in the Northeast with a stop at Northside Festival. Come July, the duo will join Beach Fossils for a western states run. Starting next week, She-Devils will be in Europe for two London shows as well as a Saturday slot at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, plus more. A full list of dates is below.

Watch She-Devils’ “Hey Boy” video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z98O1v9lUskListen & Watch:
“Hey Boy” stream – https://soundcloud.com/secretlycanadian/she-devils-hey-boy-2
“The World Laughs” video – https://youtu.be/lCRZCEQpOqY
She-Devils Tour Dates (new dates in bold):
Wed. May 17 – Paris, FR @ Pop Up du Label (Fireworks Festival
Thu. May 18 – London, UK @ Moth Club
Fri. May 19 – London, UK @ London Fields Brewhouse (Bad Vibrations Alldayer)
Sat. May 20 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Festival
Thu. May 25 – Berlin, DE @ ACUD
Thu. June 1 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
Fri. June 2 – Toronto, ON @ The Baby G
Sat. June 3 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
Sun. June 4 – Chicago, IL @ Do Division Festival
Mon. June 5 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
Wed. June 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb’s
Thu. June 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool (Northside Festival)
Fri. June 9 – Boston, MA @ Lily Pad
Wed. July 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ Resident
Fri. July 7 – Fresno, CA @ Strummer’s (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Sat. July 8 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Mon. July 10 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Tue. July 11 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Wed. July 12 – Portland, OR @ Holocene (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Fri. July 14 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Sat. July 15 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Sun. July 16 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Tue. July 18 – Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Wed. July 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)
Thu. July 20 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah (w/ Beach Fossils, Ablebody)


She-Devils album art

She-Devils’ debut album out May 19th.

She-Devils Announce Debut Album 
Out May 19th Via Secretly Canadian

Listen To The New Single, “Hey Boy”
https://soundcloud.com/secretlycanadian/she-devils-hey-boy-2 

U.S. Tour Dates Announced;
Including Northside Festival
“intimate, dusty hybrid pop that searches for cosmic meaning in vintage sounds” – The FADER
“She-Devils…are creating a new way forward for tape looping. The group…dive into the souls of the samples they use, possessing them and finding otherworldly new emotions.” – Pitchfork 
“She-Devils evoked the ’70s and ’80s electro-punk minimalism of Suicide and Soft Cell with an austere but riveting presentation.” – Chicago Tribune
She-Devils are excited to announce their self-titled debut album on Secretly Canadian out May 19th. Along with the announcement, they’re sharing a brand new single titled “Hey Boy.” The song fuses surf guitar with swirling sonics from Kyle Jukka and Audrey Ann Boucher’s preternatural voice. “Hey Boy” follows the recent single, “The World Laughs,” with its accompanying video directed by the band themselves who recently wrapped a successful SXSW.

Through primitive electronic gear, hypnotist vocals, and an “amusement park of sounds,” She-Devils construct a fun-house world of beautiful chaos. The music is built from original sonics inspired by everything from Iggy Pop to Madonna to T-Rex to Can, as well as the romantic longing of ‘60s yé-yé.

The pair met four years ago while living at a music rehearsal space in the Mile-Ex neighborhood of Montreal. The band played gigs for about eight months though they did not record right away. Making music together meant creating their own rules and taking things one-step at a time. Following instinct is a crucial part of She-Devils’ identity.

Striving to make music that feels “as visual as possible,” the band hopes to strap listeners into a rollercoaster ride “with Audrey’s voice as the centrepiece to cling to.” The duo are inspired by the cinema and art of Gregg Araki, Yayoi Kusama, Andy Warhol, John Waters and Quentin Tarantino. They direct their own videos. Audrey creates the artwork that accompanies the music. Her self-taught style evolved by watching hours of Disney movies, The Simpsons and Powerpuff Girls.

Audrey is also musically self-taught. In fact, she had never even played music before forming She-Devils. “I’ve always seen music from the perspective of an artist or music lover rather than that of a musician,” she explains. “When I sing over a loop, I don’t feel like I’m in control of what I do, or that I am cerebrally engaged with making music, it’s more like my subconscious is completely taking over my mind and it just comes out of my dreams.”

With She-Devils, the duo have created a channel to explore the sensory world, actualize aesthetic fantasies and alchemize pieces of history into entirely new sensations.

Listen To She-Devils’ “Hey Boy”:
https://soundcloud.com/secretlycanadian/she-devils-hey-boy-2 

Watch She-Devils’ “The World Laughs” Video:
https://youtu.be/lCRZCEQpOqY 

She-Devils Tour Dates:
Thu. Apr. 20 – Toronto, ON @ The Costume House (Red Bull Sound Select) (tickets)
Wed. May 17 – Paris, FR @ Pop Up du Label (Fireworks Festival) (tickets)
Thu. May 18 – London, UK @ Moth Club (tickets)
Fri. May 19 – London, UK @ London Fields Brewhouse (Bad Vibrations Alldayer) (tickets)
Sat. May 20 – Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape Festival (tickets)
Thu. May 25 – Berlin, DE @ ACUD (tickets)
Fri. June 2 – Toronto, ON @ The Baby G (tickets)
Sat. June 3 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory (tickets)
Wed. June 7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb’s (tickets)
Thu. June 8 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool (Northside Festival) (tickets)
Fri. June 9 – Boston, MA @ Lily Pad

She-Devils Tracklist:
1. Come
2. Hey Boy
3. Make You Pay
4. Darling
5. How Do You Feel
6. Blooming
7. You Don’t Know
8. The World Laughs
9. Never Let Me Go
10. Buffalo
She-Devils album art

Turn to Crime – Secondary

Detroit’s Turn to Crime have given us a cool record, Secondary, that I’ve read described as “record store clerk rock.” It’s not a bad description, because the whole album is full of stuff that would make you stop in your tracks and ask, “What is this?” if you heard it in a record store.

Starting with the funk bass and krautrock guitars of “Dead Man,” Secondary brings to mind beatnik dance parties and art happenings. Remember happenings? We need more happenings, and Turn to Crime seem to be providing the soundtrack for them with this record. “Chasing” is part-industrial, part-Warren Zevon and about being fed up with love, relationships, and drama (“I don’t feel like chasing you around,” they sing.).

“Get Your Pills from Tony,” a song about a drug dealer, has dark wave synths, distorted guitars, and sounds like an early Devo track. “Fall Down” brings psych-synths into the mix, showing that Turn to Crime is willing to give anything a go if it sounds good and is pure to their vision (and wait until the drums kick in!). The title track is outstanding with its hypnotic guitar riffs and late 70’s new wave synths.

“Her Love” is almost a Gary Wilson track (in terms of the lyrics about “real love”), except that it has underlying fuzz that’s absent in Wilson’s work. It’s a nice switch from the psych / no-wave guitar-driven material on the earlier tracks. “Don’t Let Go” is similar in theme (Don’t let love go once you’ve found it.), but the weird, warped guitars and vocals take the song deeper into no-wave rock. The album ends with “Mary Jean’s Chocolate Pie,” a song about a special dessert only served once a year. It’s weird and just what you’d expect from Turn to Crime by the time you get to the end of the record – a strange ending for an interesting record.

This is the quirkiest and most intriguing record I’ve heard in months. I need to track down more stuff by these guys, and I think a live show by them would be cool to say the least. Turn to Turn to Crime.

Keep your mind open.

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Gary Wilson releases excellent new single – “When Mary Comes Home Tonight.”

As if his excellent Christmas album wasn’t enough of a gift this year, avant-garde rocker / maestro Gary Wilson has released a new single before the end of 2016.  “When Mary Comes Home Tonight” has a cool 1950’s Phil Spector sound to it, but with more fuzzy guitar than I’ve heard on other tracks by Mr. Wilson.  It’s excellent and hopefully a glimpse of another full-length release from him soon.

Plus, he’s selling it for only a buck.  You can’t miss.

Keep your mind open.

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Gary Wilson – It’s Christmas Time with Gary Wilson

garywilson_orig

Gary Wilson releasing an album of original Christmas music? No standards? I’m there. I’m there all through the holiday season.

After a brief introduction that features cackling geese, Wilson’s distorted voice repeating “holiday” over and over, and warped synths, It’s Christmas Time with Gary Wilson brings “A Christmas Tree for Two.” Wilson sings about buying a silver Christmas tree for his love. “I don’t wanna cut down a Christmas tree. It makes me sad when it starts to bleed,” Wilson sings. Would you expect Gary Wilson to have anything but a swanky reflective tree with a spinning multi-colored light under it?

“I Saw Santa Dancing in the Dark” has Wilson singing about his eager return to his hometown (Endicott, NY) and taking his girl to the famous (to him and his fans) north side pool before a return home for drinks and dancing, but the mysterious Linda is “crying in the park.” Will Gary’s date go as planned? Here’s a hint: It rarely does.

As evidenced on “A Sled Ride Tonight,” in which Wilson’s been dumped during the Christmas season and all he wanted was to take his lady on a sled ride. It’s a song that would fit on any of his records, let alone a Christmas album. The chaotic synth instrumental “The Snow” is a perfect musical accompaniment to the hypnotizing, weird visuals you get when looking at blowing snow in the headlights of your car at 2am. “Holiday” is a jaunty tune in which Wilson tells his girl he’s going to introduce her to “the chromium clown.” It might be a bit creepy, but the song is nothing but bouncy lounge fun.

It wouldn’t be a Gary Wilson album without him singing about his lost loves, and “Cindy Wants to Cry” certainly qualifies. Don’t miss the nice saxophone work and quirky percussion while he sings, “Linda wants to cry, Karen wants to cry, Cindy wants to cry on Christmas.”

“Wintertime in Johnson City” has Wilson excited about yet another upcoming date, but he admits that Johnson City is “a town that has no pity” and knows that she might not show up. Meanwhile, “It’s Snowing in Endicott.” “Sounds so nice, so sad,” Wilson says at the beginning of the tune. The town is forever linked with Gary Wilson, as are its painful memories known only to him. He has his house and Christmas tree ready, doing his best to cut through the gray skies and loneliness. Maybe he’ll get his Christmas wish this year, but you doubt it.

Wilson’s girl doesn’t make it to his house because she’s “Lost in the Snow.” He can’t find her, yet again, but he never gives up hope. This never-ending optimism is one of the best things about Wilson’s music. There are themes of loss, loneliness, and bad luck, but he always gets up from the couch after another lonely night in Endicott. He never gives up hope of a fun Friday night with Linda, Karen, Cindy, or others.

There’s wonderful jazz lounge piano in “She Danced Near the Frozen Lake.” “Let’s take a walk into outer space,” Wilson sings on “A Date for New Year’s Eve.” I can’t imagine a better way to start 2017 than that. I don’t know what Wilson’s going to with the “pound of baking flour” he mentions buying in the song, but I’m sure it will end up everywhere. Check out one of his live shows and you’ll understand.

“Santa Claus Is Coming to My Lonely Town” keeps hope alive once more. Wilson’s met a new girl he kissed on the planet Mars. Is this after Santa Claus conquered the Martians? He’s brought Wilson’s wish list and it’s all walks in the park, kisses in outer space, beautiful snow, and every night being Friday night. It’s a wish list we’d all take and far better than more junk you’ll hate in four months.

The album closes with the instrumental “Lonely Holiday,” linking it back to the beginning of the record. The Christmas spirit, like Wilson’s perpetual optimism and search for love, should last all year.

Keep your mind open.

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Gary Numan’s new PledgeMusic campaign chronicles his next album from beginning to end.

gary_numan

Rock / industrial / new wave / no wave / electro legend Gary Numan is putting together his 21st record.  He’s chronicling the entire writing and recording process through a PledgeMusic campaign, and he’s asking for fans to help him through the creative process.

Numan plans to keep contributors updated through videos, music clips, and campaign updates.  He admits he has no preconceptions for the record, according to the campaign’s page: “I have no idea how I want it to sound, or who will work on it with me, if anyone. It doesn’t even have a working title as yet. It’s as blank a canvas as I’ve ever had and everything that happens will happen with you as part of it.”

Most of the perks are already sold out, and there are still over 200 days until the album’s scheduled release date.  It will be worth the price of the download alone to watch his creative process…or pitch in a grand for a private listening party!

Keep your mind open.

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Gang of Four – Live…in the Moment

 

GOF-LIVE-12-3neu.indd

Recorded live on November 06, 2015 at London’s Islington Assembly Hall, Gang of Four’s (Jonny Finnegan – drums, Andy Gill – guitar and vocals, Thomas McNeice – bass, John “Gaoler” Sterry – vocals) Live…in the Moment is a fine documentation of the edgy, post-punk legends’ raw power.

It begins with the fuzzy, almost frightening “Where the Nightingale Sings.” Gill’s guitar seems to double back on itself at points, and McNeice’s bass pounds out a killer beat. One of their biggest (and still truest) hits, “History’s Not Made by Great Men,” follows. McNeice and Gill get it off to a great start, and Finnegan puts down that slick groove that makes the song so good. Sterry sings to the back of the hall, urging the attendees and the rest of us to step up and move things forward instead of letting political opportunists get the best of us.

The squeaky and sultry sound of “I Parade Myself” is like something you’d hear as a bunch of strippers decided to beat up a rude customer outside the back of the club. The great beat on “Paralysed” is dub-like, but Gill’s guitar and vocals are almost shoegaze style. Sterry’s vocals on “What We All Want” are sharp and Finnegan’s groove is so good that he sounds like a human drum machine.

It wouldn’t be a Gang of Four show without “Love Like Anthrax,” one of the greatest post-punk songs of all time. Gill begins with guitar chaos that threatens to dissolve into madness before the rhythm section moves in to keep us and the song grounded. “Do As I Say” has Gill on lead vocals and he soon has the crowd chanting the chorus. “Stranded” is a modern post-punk gem, and “Damaged Goods” is another classic. Finnegan’s beats are dance floor-ready, and the rest of the band cooks like an Iron Chef right behind him. “Isle of Dogs” is a favorite with the London crowd, and you can’t go wrong with “At Home He’s a Tourist,” a classic song about man teetering on madness. Gill’s guitar is as bonkers as the song’s main character, and Finnegan beats his snare like it cut him off in traffic.

Gang of Four’s “To Hell with Poverty” is still one of the best post-punk songs ever written. McNeice’s bass work is especially good on it. Gill claims “Why Theory?” is his “feminist masterpiece” and “totally stolen from other people,” but that squelching, distorted guitar belongs to no one else but him. The album finishes with the solid rocker “I Found that Essence Rare.”

Live…in the Moment also comes with a DVD of the band’s performance in New York City in March of 2015. It’s a great bargain and a fine addition to Gang of Four’s discography.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: Early Indiana Punk and New Wave: The Crazy Al’s Year(s) 1976-1983 (2014)

earlyindiana

I’m a Gen X’er, which means I grew up in the 1980’s, and I was among the first and last true punk rockers at East Noble High School. I was in a garage band (Stranger Yet) and spent my Sunday nights at a punk rock club (after which this blog is named) in a dive bar attached to a seedy hotel on the east edge of Fort Wayne, Indiana. So, the Early Indiana Punk and New Wave: The Crazy Al’s Year(s) compilation is right up my alley.

It’s a stunning collection of rare singles and live cuts from bands that mostly played in the Bloomington, Indiana area (the location of the short-lived club Crazy Al’s). Where Time Change Records found some of these cuts is beyond me, but I’m guessing they had a lot of friends involved in the punk and new wave scenes back then who contributed some of the recordings. I’m also guessing Time Change Records employs some of the best crate diggers of all time.

The two-disc set has many standouts. The Jetsons’ “Genetically Stupid” sums up how many people felt about us punk freaks back then, and Dow Jones and the Industrials’ “Can’t Stand the Midwest” sums up how us punk freaks felt about everyone else back then. Your Grocer’s Freezer’s “We’re All Gonna Die” is a perfect example of the nihilism that was always on the edge of the scene, especially when we all thought nuclear war was coming any second.

Want pure punk? Repellents have two solid punk cuts on the collection – “Technorama” and “AFC!” – and the Slammies’ “P-U-S” is another good choice. Cheeses from France’s “Heart of Gold” is wonderfully weird and almost a krautrock track. The Gizmos proudly display their love of the New York Dolls on “Mean Screen” and “Mommy’s in the Kitchen.” Joint Chiefs’ “I Hate Pretty Girls” is an anthem for awkward guys who were spurned or insulted by the cute girls in school.

It wouldn’t be an Indiana punk collection without the Zero Boys, and they have two fine tracks here – “Commies” and “I’m Absent.” We’re Jimmy Hoffa were a punk band that loved John Carpenter movie soundtracks, and their song “Rock ‘n Roll” is something you’d expect to hear at a club in Carpenter’s future NYC as Snake Plissken cracks heads on the dance floor.

I can’t help but think that the parents of the lead singer of the Panics were laughing as he sang “I Wanna Kill My Mom,” because the song is pure snotty punk hilarity. Dancing Cigarettes’ “Pop Doormat” sounds like the Kinks if the Kinks decided to become a new wave band. Last Four (5) Digits bring in a goth touch on “Don’t Move” that is somewhere between Bauhaus and early Wall of Voodoo. Cast of Thousands brings an angry Brit-punk sound on “War Maker.”

Amoebas in Chaos bring back the fun with “Have You Slugged Your Kid Today?” and “Ronald Reggae” (which is live punk chaos with saxophone and plenty of guitar feedback). E-in Brino’s “Watch Alarm” is fine post-punk with heavy synths and and near-frantic vocals. Vibrato Fetish rounds out disc 1 with the rocking “Surf Bandits.”

Yes, all that’s just on the first disc.

There are plenty of prime cuts on disc two. The New Avengers’ “Mary’s in a Coma” is a lost 1980’s track you swear you’ve heard before and is even better than you remember it. The Positions’ “Follower of the Space Race” is great new wave, sounding like a mix of Devo and the B-52’s. Your Parents’ “Whiplash” is heavy post-punk, and “No Substitutions” shows their Ramones influence. The Race Records’ “Baby Take Me Back” brings rockabilly into the mix.

Lip Service’s cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” is full of skronky guitar and peppy organ, and MX-80 Sound’s cover of “Paint It Black” is a slick instrumental. The Obvious’ “Feelings of Love” sounds like an early Blondie track. Hugo Smooth’s “Won’t Play Bumpum Cars” is so new wave that it wanders into a jazz lounge hosted by Frank Zappa. Club Pressure’s “Slinkin’” is fine punk-reggae, and the Shouts’ cover of “Gloria” (which seems to have always secretly been a punk song) is outstanding.

It’s an essential mix of Midwest punk and new wave acts, and God bless Time Change Records for putting it out there for us old schoolers and new fans alike.

Keep your mind open.

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