Dag Nasty - 1985-86 - Cassette tape on Selfless Records

Dag Nasty kept roaring D.C.-styled hardcore alive during the mid-'80s. Although the group was more accessible and melodic than Minor Threat, they never lost their bracing, blistering edge. Formed by former-Minor Threat and Meatmen guitarist Brian Baker and ex-DYS vocalist Dave Smalley, Dag Nasty recorded their first album, Can I Say (1986), with D.C.-punk guru Ian MacKaye assisting on the production. The following year, Smalley left the group; he was replaced by Peter Cortner, who added more pop elements to the band's sound. Dag Nasty moved from MacKaye's Dischord label to Giant in 1988, releasing their last album, Field Day. Along with former-Big Boy Chris Gates, Baker formed the metal band Junkyard in 1989, which released two records on Geffen before fading away. Dag Nasty came back together in 1992, releasing Four on the Floor for the growing underground punk scene that was only a few short years from breaking into the mainstream. The response was enthusiastic, but the band stepped away from the business again. Ten years later, they reunited with the emo rock call-to-arms Minority of One and released it on Revelation Records.

Dag Nasty - 1985-86 - Cassette tape on Selfless Records

Angry Samoans - Live at Rhino records - Cassette tape

Along with X, Black Flag, Fear and the Circle Jerks, the savagely satirical Angry Samoans rode the first wave of Los Angeles punk. Formed in Van Nuys, California in the summer of 1978, the band was founded by singers and guitarists "Metal" Mike Saunders and Gregg Turner, a pair of erstwhile rock critics who previously teamed with fellow writer Richard Meltzer in the group Vom. After considering names like the Egyptians and the Eigen Vectors (a mathematical term -- Turner later became a math professor), they settled on the Angry Samoans, enlisted Saunders' brother Kevin on guitar, bassist Todd Homer and drummer Bill Vockeroth, and initially set out as a Dictators cover band.

Angry Samoans - Live at Rhino records - Cassette tape

Buzzcocks - Trade Test Transmissions - UK import cassette tape on Castle Records

Formed in Manchester, England, in 1975, the Buzzcocks were one of the most influential bands to emerge in the initial wave of punk rock. With their crisp melodies, driving guitars, and guitarist Pete Shelley's biting lyrics, the Buzzcocks were one of the best, most influential punk bands. The Buzzcocks were inspired by the Sex Pistols' energy, yet they didn't copy the Pistols' angry political stance. Instead, they brought that intense, brilliant energy to the three-minute pop song. Shelley's alternately funny and anguished lyrics about adolescence and love were some of the best and smartest of his era; similarly, the Buzzcocks' melodies and hooks were concise and memorable. Over the years, their powerful punk-pop has proven enormously influential, with echoes of their music being apparent in everyone from Hüsker Dü to Nirvana.

Buzzcocks - Trade Test Transmissions - UK import cassette tape on Castle Records

Sukay - Huayrasan: Music Of The Andes - Peruvian music vinyl album on Flying Fish Records

Sukay specializes in Peruvian music of the Andes Mountains. Led by the Badoux's, musicologists from S.F., these are storytellers with romantic presence.

Sukay - Huayrasan: Music Of The Andes - Peruvian music vinyl album on Flying Fish Records

The Smith Sisters - Roadrunner - Vinyl album on Flying Fish Records

The Smith Sisters attracted attention when their debut album, Mockingbird, released in 1984, was produced by the late Merle Watson and featured guest appearances by top-ranked bluegrass pickers including Sam Bush, Mark O'Connor, Doc Watson and T. Michael Coleman. But, it was their octave-spanning vocal harmonies that truly showcased their musical strengths.

The Smith Sisters - Roadrunner - Vinyl album on Flying Fish Records

Don Sebesky - Full Cycle - Vinyl album on GNP Crescendo Records 1984

Don Sebesky is best known as house arranger for many of producer Creed Taylor's Verve, A&M, and CTI productions; the man whose orchestral backgrounds helped make artists like Wes Montgomery, Paul Desmond, Freddie Hubbard, and George Benson acceptable to audiences outside of jazz. He has taken critical heat for this, but Sebesky's arrangements have usually been among the classiest in his field, reflecting a solid knowledge of the orchestra, drawing variously from big band jazz, rock, ethnic music, classical music of all eras, and even the avant-garde for ideas. He once cited Bartok as his favorite composer, but one also hears lots of Stravinsky in his work. Sebesky started out professionally as a trombonist while still at the Manhattan School of Music, working with Kai Winding, Claude Thornhill, the Tommy Dorsey Band led by Warren Covington, Maynard Ferguson, and Stan Kenton. In 1960, he gave up the trombone to concentrate upon arranging and conducting, eventually receiving the breakthrough assignment of Montgomery's Bumpin' album (1965). Some of the most attractive examples of his work for jazz headliners include Bumpin', Benson's The Shape of Things to Come, Desmond's From the Hot Afternoon, and Hubbard's First Light. He began to step out into the spotlight with the release of his all-star Giant Box, which was followed by sporadic further releases on CTI and GNP/Crescendo. He has also written classical works and a book

Don Sebesky - Full Cycle - Vinyl album on GNP Crescendo Records 1984

The Chameleons - The Fan And The Bellows : A Collection Of Classic Early Recongs - UK import vinyl album on Hybrid Records

The Chameleons (called The Chameleons UK on some American releases) were a dream pop/post-punk band that formed in Middleton, in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England in 1981 (see 1981 in music). They consisted of singer and bassist Mark Burgess, guitarist Reg Smithies, guitarist Dave Fielding, drummer John Lever as well as keyboardists Alistair Lewthwaite and Andy Clegg. Their body of work is still critically acclaimed within the music press and influenced bands as diverse as The Smiths, Protokoll, The Comsat Angels, Puressence, Interpol, Editors. Through Mark Burgess' penetrating vocals and dark and ironic lyrics, their songs often dealt with personal themes of childlike innocence and a reverence for nostalgia. Musically, perhaps most notable in their work was the band's innovative and distinctive use of dual guitar melodies, courtesy of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, as opposed to the traditional rhythm-and-lead guitarist format prevalent in rock music even to this day. These arrangements were often characterized by the use of delay and choral effects. The Chameleons' unique sound is quite often compared to U2's The Edge.

The Chameleons - The Fan And The Bellows : A Collection Of Classic Early Recongs - UK import vinyl album on Hybrid Records

Voivod - The Best Of - Cassette tape on Futurist Records

Voivod (singer Denis "Snake" Belanger, guitarist Denis "Piggy" d'Amour, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin, and bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault) was one of the first thrash bands out of Canada to gain popularity outside of their home country. From their beginning in the early '80s, their main goal was to be different from anyone else, and thus they incorporated odd musical tempos and futuristic story lines into their songs, often dealing with technology taking over the world. Voivod opened the way for other Canadian thrash bands and for metal bands with their unique styles of performing and writing.

Voivod - The Best Of - Cassette tape on Futurist Records

Hollow - Architect Of The Mind - CD on Nuclear Blast Records

Originally going under the moniker Vaalkyrian, Andreas Stoltz (vocals/guitar) Thomas Nilsson (bass) and Urban Wikstrom (drums) eventually changed their name to Hollow upon the recruitment of second guitarist Marcus Bigren. Feeling that the name of their band perfectly fit the mood setting of their personalities and musical tone, Hollow released their debut album "Modern Cathedral" in 1998 with the accompaniment of progressive rock chords and a love for classic Rush and Queensryche.

Hollow - Architect Of The Mind - CD on Nuclear Blast Records

Stiff Little Fingers - Flags And Emblems - Cassette tape on Castle Records

A taut, explosive Belfast-based punk band, Stiff Little Fingers (named after a Vibrators song) had the dubious distinction of being referred to as "The Irish Clash." What must have seemed like a compliment at the time did little to help their career, only because it made comparisons between the two bands inevitable. Granted, there were many similarities: both bands debuted playing revved-up late-'70s punk rock, were politically inclined, featured pissed-off lead singers, had a love for reggae, and possessed a near-palpable sense of isolation and desperation. But as we all know, the Clash offered complexity, panache, and a consistently breathtaking body of work. Stiff Little Fingers, on the other hand, were simply a very good punk rock band. With sandpaper-throated frontman Jake Burns leading the way, SLF did release an auspicious, if badly produced, debut album, Inflammable Material, that featured the band's two best songs, "Alternative Ulster" and "Suspect Device." Both were passionate, ferocious songs dealing with the harsh, deadly realities of growing up in the middle of two decades of Northern Ireland's violence. These songs thrust SLF into the limelight and got them loads of enthusiastic press, which led to a contract with the decidedly anti-punk Chrysalis label in 1980.

Stiff Little Fingers - Flags And Emblems - Cassette tape on Castle Records

Mensclub - Drug Pit - 7 Inch Record on Dutch East India Records

Growing tired of the light hearted, gentle, sensitive, politically correct culture of the 90's, the members of Mensclub wanted to change all that when they got together in 1993. Favoring the likes of Grand Funk Railroad, The Stooges and The MC5, Ron (guitar/vocals), Tom (drums) and Jon (bass) pay tribute to the meat and potatoes combo of classic 70's rock and punk to share it with their Bay Area quarters of San Francisco. Upon the release three singles during the next two years of their career as well as a contribution to the Probe Records compilation "This Ain't No Melodic Punk" in 1996, Bar/None debuted their first full-length "Comin' To Take You Away" later on that year. Man's Ruin Records followed in 1997 with their second album conveniently titled "Mensclub."

Mensclub - Drug Pit - 7 Inch Record on Dutch East India Records

Yazoo - Situation - 7 Inch Yaz Depeche Mode on Mute Records

Yazoo and Yaz are actually the same band. They had to use the name Yaz in the U.S. because of copyright issues.
Vincent Clarke of Yazoo was actually one of the founding members of Depeche Mode, but left after their first album and enlisted Moyet to create Yazoo.
After two albums, Clarke and Moyet split. Alison Moyet went on to pursue a solo career. Vince Clarke continued to create other projects/bands, most notably Erasure.

Yazoo - Situation - 7 Inch Yaz Depeche Mode on Mute Records

Blightobody - Party Snout - 7 inch vinyl voted best college band in America

In August 1994, Blightobody won the Best College Band in America competition sponsored by AT&T, which led to appearances on Late Night with Conan O Brien and E! Entertainment News network television. In the same year they were also featured in Billboard Magazine, released the international recording Party Snout on Restless Records and recorded the full length CD Poovys Grove. The band also received national exposure by performing at Atlantas Coca-Cola Lakewood Amphitheater in 1993. Blightobody consisted of Todd Turner on drums, Bryan Big Horse Williams on bass, John Furr on guitar, and Brian McCarter on vocals and guitar.

Blightobody - Party Snout - 7 inch vinyl voted best college band in America

Local H / The Blank Theory - Split - Full color picture disc 7 inch on 4 Alarm Records

Extremely cool and limited edition picture disc in a heavy plastic sleeve

Local H / The Blank Theory - Split - Full color picture disc 7 inch on 4 Alarm Records

Dag Nasty - 1985-86 - Cassette tape on Selfless Records

Dag Nasty kept roaring D.C.-styled hardcore alive during the mid-'80s. Although the group was more accessible and melodic than Minor Threat, they never lost their bracing, blistering edge. Formed by former-Minor Threat and Meatmen guitarist Brian Baker and ex-DYS vocalist Dave Smalley, Dag Nasty recorded their first album, Can I Say (1986), with D.C.-punk guru Ian MacKaye assisting on the production. The following year, Smalley left the group; he was replaced by Peter Cortner, who added more pop elements to the band's sound. Dag Nasty moved from MacKaye's Dischord label to Giant in 1988, releasing their last album, Field Day. Along with former-Big Boy Chris Gates, Baker formed the metal band Junkyard in 1989, which released two records on Geffen before fading away. Dag Nasty came back together in 1992, releasing Four on the Floor for the growing underground punk scene that was only a few short years from breaking into the mainstream. The response was enthusiastic, but the band stepped away from the business again. Ten years later, they reunited with the emo rock call-to-arms Minority of One and released it on Revelation Records.

Dag Nasty - 1985-86 - Cassette tape on Selfless Records

What Makes Donna Twirl - Amber Skin - 7 inch vinyl featuring Steve Stain and The Blue Daisies on New Alliance Records 1986

Another project featuring Steve Stain with members of LA's dance industrialists, The Blue Daisies. These songs have a more industrial feel than the solo album but still retain that same incrdeible stain

What Makes Donna Twirl - Amber Skin - 7 inch vinyl featuring Steve Stain and The Blue Daisies on New Alliance Records 1986

Black Angel's Death Song - Nothing Equals Nothing - Colored vinyl 7 inch on Dionysus Records

Taking their name but not their sound from the most experimental track on the 1967 classic The Velvet Underground and Nico, the Los Angeles-based indie rockers Black Angel's Death Song are either (depending on one's point of view) admirably eclectic or frustratingly all over the map. Elements of folk, pop, punk, and noise show up at various times, but they're rarely integrated within the same song.

Black Angel's Death Song was formed in October 1989 by a pair of songwriting guitarist-singers, Jack Gould and Jim Miller (formerly of '80s art punks Trash Can School). The original lineup was filled out with bassist J. Francis Connors, percussionist Carol Symington, and drummer Brett Gutierrez. This lineup recorded several tracks in early 1990 that remained unreleased for over two years, but it fractured when Gutierrez entered rehab. Gutierrez was replaced by an ongoing series of part-time drummers, including Jennifer Finch of L7, but after Lisa Nardoni came into the band to replace Symington in 1991, she eventually took over the drums as well as her percussion duties.

The reformulated quartet recorded a handful of singles for small Los Angeles indies before finally completing their first full-length, Sinning With a Policy, in 1992. (The CD came with an additional eight tracks, The Brett Sessions, from those early 1990 recording dates.) Connors left the band in December 1993, replaced by the mono-named Bianca in time for the recording of the group's second album. Peculiarly, the same set of 14 tracks was released on vinyl by the Italian label Helter Skelter as Two Girls and on CD by the Los Angeles label Hell Yeah as Due Ragazze.

Black Angel's Death Song split up in late 1994, with Miller going on to re-form Trash Can School with his ex-partner Adam Seven. However, a final album, Super Everything, came out in 1996.

Black Angel's Death Song - Nothing Equals Nothing - Colored vinyl 7 inch on Dionysus Records

Lydia Lunch - Queen Of Siam - Cassette tape on Triple X Records

Her laconic slur of a voice has never sounded sexier, and her off-key rendition of "Spooky" is so lazily erotic that it nearly sucks the life out of you. A putrid classic of style and substance.

Lydia Lunch - Queen Of Siam - Cassette tape on Triple X Records