The Sweat - No More Running (1981)

     Clive Culbertson was the driving force behind Ireland's The Sweat, but if you don't recognize either of those names you're hardly alone, especially if you find yourself Stateside. For that matter, given the bent of No More Running's reissue liner notes, you'd get the impression they didn't make a dent in the British Isles either, due to a poor distribution effort on the part of The Sweat's label, Double D. Furthermore, this is one record that really deserved an entry in John Borack's Top 200 power pop albums roster in the 2007 Shake Some Action book. No More Running is sincerely that white-hot of a contender, entailing such deftly crafted, melodious salvos as "You Gotta Lotta Nerve," "How Much Longer" and "Isn't Anything Sacred Anymore." Culbertson's aptitude often borders the same hallowed turf as Shoes, Jesus of Cool-era Nick Lowe, and the Nerves (yes, thatNerves). When you place this high a premium on hooks the results are bound to be good, and in this case they're veritably off the charts.
     Sonically, the fidelity on No More Running dangles towards the "lo" end of the spectrum, oozing warm, analogue hues that couldn't be replicated in this day and age no matter how much effort was put forth to do so. In short, this is power pop as it used to be made, and Culbertson happens to be an immensely unheralded practitioner of the medium. The 2007 reissue on the Japanese 1977 imprint includes seven bonus cuts, including four from Clive's precursor act No Sweat. Additional material from this era was also committed to tape under his own name, and is available on a separate release that I can hopefully attend to later (and you shouldn't have to wait a whole 'nother year to partake in it).

01. Isn't Anything Sacred Anymore
02. Here Comes Another Lonely Night
03. No More Running
04. You Gotta Lotta Nerve
05. I Can Hardly Wait
06. Can't Help Myself
07. I Must Be Crazy
08. Please Don't Say You Love Me
09. We All Make Mistakes
10. Why'd Ya Have to Lie
11. Do You Wanna Break My Heart
12. How Much Longer

Bonus tracks:

(The following all recorded by No Sweat)
13. Start All Over Again
14. You Should Be So Lucky
15. Lete Your Love Shine On
16. Ginny Don't Cry

more by The Sweat
17. Hey Little Girl
18. Nobody Told Me
19. Don't Say a Word 

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Ruts DC - Animal now (1981)

With their unique blend of raucous punk rock laced with reggae and dub, the Ruts were one of the most exciting bands to emerge from Britain's late-'70s scene.
  Their sole album "The Crack" (1979) is among the pure punk rock masterpieces of all times.
  Their career was cut cruelly short by the death of their singer Malcolm Owen in 1980, but still the group released six crucial singles and a seminal album in their short lifetime.
   They were also a powerful force within Britain's Rock Against Racism movement, ensuring a political legacy at least as vital as their music.
   The rise of the neo-Nazi National Front and its deliberate recruitment of young people, saw the bandmembers take on an increasingly political stance of their own, adding their own voice to the growing grassroots opposition to the fascist threat.
   After Owen's death the remaining Ruts, Segs Jennings, Dave Ruffy and Paul Fox with the addition of sax player Gary Barnacle, kept things going using the name Ruts D.C and pushing the sound of The Ruts at its logical progression.
Their punk is more dark and their reggae is more dub!
This record is a forgotten treasure, one of the most fascinating records of the post punk scene.

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Flys - Flys Own (1979)

Not aggressive enough for the punks, a tad too bratty to be suitably labeled "power pop," and hardly pedestrian enough for the pub circuit, The Flys may well have eluded categorization despite a relatively accessible sound.  Flys Own (perhaps intended to be read as Fly Zone?) was the second and parting LP from these Coventry, UK kids and a big, big improvement over their debut Waikiki Beach Refugees which I posted a couple months ago.

In addition to Flys Own abundant grit and nervy panache there's some fantastic songs to speak of - "16 Down," "Energy Boy," "When 2 and 5 Make 9," and "Night Creatures"  That last one I might add was covered as a b-side to Superchunk's seminal 1990 "Slack Motherfucker" 7" (and amazingly they seemed to have more fun with it than the Flys)!  There's a lot to love on this classy and often sassy affair, not terribly removed from say, The Rich Kids Ghosts of Princes in Towers from the same era, if that means anything to you.  Maybe it's just me but I'm sensing trace elements of Bowie too.  In all respects this platter is a gem.

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Flys - Waikiki Beach Refugees (1978)

From a cosmetic standpoint, it might be easy to mistake this vintage, Conventry, UK crew as just another punk aggregation (suppose it doesn't help when you're album is reissued on a label dubbed Captain Oi) but that would be more or less inaccurate.  The Flys skewed considerably towards the "proto-punk" environs of Richard Hell, and to a lesser extent the New York Dolls.  Coming up in the glut of similar minded bands in the UK punk free for all spanning 1976-78, few were paying attention to this band, and I'm sure to their dismay they're less spoken of now than they were back then.  Waikiki Beach Refugees is far from a desert island classic, so to speak, but it's nervier moments - "Fun City," "Saturday Sunrise" and "We Don't Mind the Rave," really deliver.  The Fly's second outing Flys Own is more impressive, and I'll attend to it in another post

The 2001 reissue of Waikiki tacks on eight bonus selections, mostly culled from singles.

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Wire - Silver/Lead (2017)

Silver/Lead is the 15th studio album from musical pioneers Wire. It arrives on the 40th anniversary of their debut performance. Yet it's about as far from nostalgia as you could get. This is the sound of a uniquely addictive 21st century psychedelic post-punk. Colin Newman and Matt Simms' guitar work is alternately jagged and luminous, while bassist Graham Lewis's ear-catching lyrics are vivid yet oblique. Meanwhile, drummer Robert Grey provides a virtual masterclass in percussive minimalism. But it's how the various instruments mesh together that really counts. And Newman's production creates a sonic space in which even the smallest gesture is accorded some recognition. Highlights include the optimistic dazzle of 'Diamonds In Cups', with its almost T. Rex-style buzz and chug, and the moody swing of 'This Time'. Elsewhere on the musical spectrum, there's the menacing widescreen grandeur of 'Playing Harp for the Fishes' and breakneck-paced guitar pop of 'Short Elevated Period'. Wire are one of the world's most ground-breaking bands, their influence acknowledged by bands as diverse as Blur, Sonic Youth, R.E.M. and Savages. But they have never been interested in exploiting past glories. For Wire, there is only ever one possible direction: forwards. So it's perhaps not surprising that over recent years, they've played strings of sold-out shows, achieved career-best record sales, and been cited as a strong influence by yet another generation of bands. Wire's last three albums garnered nothing but rave reviews. From 2013's strangely beautiful Change Becomes Us ('It's fantastic.' Pitchfork) to the crackling motorik of 2015's Wire ('It's all really well turned, potent and crisp.' The Guardian), and last year's punchy mini-album Nocturnal Koreans ('It's a cracker and sounds defiantly modern.' The Quietus). Consequently, although it may be being released on the band's 40th anniversary, Silver/Lead is an album which has nothing to do with the past and everything to do with the future.

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Chrome - Techromancy (2017)

The legendary CHROME, led by longtime guitarist/vocalist Helios Creed, releases its 2017 full-length! 'Techromancy' brings back the driving rhythms and metallic riffs of the band's more rocking early '80s 'Red Exposure'-era.

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