Swindon This Is Swindon (compilation) [1980]

WARNING: This release is not remotely extreme in any way, shape or form. If that bothers you, go give Black Pentacle a visit. This certainly deviates from the norm here at Court In The Act, but it's a good deviation in my eyes (which are currently fucked over by hayfever). This is an obscure compilation of bands from Swindon in the early eighties - indeed, these seem to be the only tracks which exist for each of these groups according to last.fm (although Bantu share their name with a reggae artist). So, what about the music? Well, I'm not very good in this area, but I believe this is a rather catchy take on new wave with just a little smattering of punk added for the sake of it - all four bands play similar styles too. I found this on the wonderful no longer forgotten music blog.

320 kbps

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We Sleep In This Machine - EP [2012]

We Sleep In This Machine is a local band - the guitarist is a friend of mine, but I try not to be biased - who play a fairly standard brand of melodic post-hardcore (if any of the metalheads who follow the blog think that means Enter Shikari then no, you're some distance off). But hey, originality went with the turn of the millenium anyway. What is important is their strong songwriting and cathartic feeling, which is present in every song on this 7-track EP. I believe the track titles refer to the month in which the track was written - which, despite being somewhat original, is not a method by which I feel tracks ought to be named. Recommended for fans of The Carrier, Life Long Tragedy and to a lesser extent Modern Life Is War. Available as a sliding-scale download from their bandcamp.

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REVIEW: Patti Smith - Horses [1975]

‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine’. Thus opens ‘Gloria’, the opening track from Patti Smith’s seminal debut album Horses. The track itself is actually a cover of a Van Morrison song, originally written for Them, but Smith recreates it – including a reinvention of lyrics to include said opening line – in such an idiosyncratic manner that the song sits quite happily among the rest of the album, well-disguised as a Smith original.

But idiosyncrasy was always one of the main objectives of the then-budding punk movement; a fact which was somewhat forgotten by the better-known English bands after the original rush of ’77. Smith used the lyric as a method of rebellion against the institutionalized religion she felt had been forced upon her; the three-chord progression was the style which came to be known as the ‘punk style’, sure, but by the time the likes of the Sex Pistols attempted to see commercial success past the surprising success of Never Mind The Bollocks, their attempts fell flat – not so much, I believe, due to the lack of another full-length, but more so because the style had had its 15 minutes.

So when the Pistols came stateside, performing just down the road from Patti Smith one night and frontman John ‘Rotten’ Lydon talked about ‘some woman singing about fuckin’ horses’ (or words to that effect), it was evident that they had lost touch with the roots of the movement. The diversity in Smith’s influences is evident throughout this album – for instance, second track ‘Redondo Beach’ takes a bouncy approach akin to reggae, predating ska punk by several years, whereas the first 9-minute epic of the album, ‘Birdland’, is loosely based around a piano ballad throughout.

When she actually becomes violently passionate during a song, therefore, it comes as quite a surprise – the first chorus to ‘Free Money’ comes out of seemingly nowhere, as does the vocal attack when past the introduction to ‘Land’, which for all intents and purposes is the title track. The point is this; although the instrumentation is interesting, sure, the focal point of this album is Smith’s outstanding vocal performance – one which has not since been paralleled in popular music.

This performance demonstrates quite capability the sheer range of Smith’s vocal styles – although upon one’s first listen to the album, one might remember the ‘monkey noises’ during the chorus of ‘Gloria’ and Smith’s tendency to take her pitch sharply upwards at the ends of vocal lines, but equally memorable upon repeated listens are the cavernous vocals utilised in ‘Land’ and the percussive approach used in many verses, which really aids in the appreciation of the quality of the timbre of her voice.

In essence, the variation in this album means that the post-punk genre is here before much of the groundwork of punk itself had been laid down. It may seem strange, a ‘post-‘ genre being spawned before its suffix was fully created, but that is the only way to demonstrate aptly the full level of innovation of this album. This album was, and is, one of a kind. Patti Smith did indeed go on to make more wonderful music with the likes of Radio Ethiopia, but this is by a long shot her best. An absolutely wonderful album.

Download here.

O. Children - O. Children [2010]

Another album I happened upon in my dad's collection, which I was drawn to simply because I liked the artwork. But to my surprise, when I popped the album in my CD player and hit play, it turned out to be simply sublime.

O. Children are another one of the post-punk revival bands that have been popping up recently (one well-known example being Editors). In their self-titled debut, the instruments are minimalistic, the bass is zingy and the singer's voice is impossibly deep. So all the ingredients of post-punk/new wave are there. Though for some reason, I find this album a lot more catchy than other post-punk acts, which probably has contributed to the fact I've listened to it 4 times in as many days. Standouts on the album are "Dead Disco Dancer" and "Radio Waves", the latter coming complete with a kickass saxophone solo of all things. I can't wait for their next album.

M4a, ~320 kbps (VBR)

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Scars - Author! Author! [1981]

This LP was brought to my attention when my Dad bought the CD of it about a year ago. He said he had it on vinyl years ago and he really enjoyed it. And since it was my dad who introduced me to The Jam (now one of my favourite bands), I decided to give it a listen.

Scars were a post-punk band from Edinburgh, and this is their only album as they split in 1982. Furthermore, the CD version of their debut comes with B-Sides and a couple of other songs as bonus tracks, so this disc contains all but about three songs the band ever recorded.

As for the album itself (or rather, the original 10 tracks), it is an extremely solid post-punk affair, reminiscent of The Cure's early work in places. The broad Scottish accent of the singer adds an extra layer of colour, and some of the tracks (e.g "Obsessions") has some very nice drum work. A standout for me is "Your Attention Please", a reading of a mocked-up nuclear strike warning that no doubt was extremely chilling in early-'80s Cold War Britain. Anyway, this album is definitely worth a listen, but don't end up desperate for more from the band, as you won't be getting it anytime soon.

M4a, ~320 kbps (VBR)

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(N.b. Sorry to disappoint all you metal fans - the track entitled "Fear of the Dark" is not some lost predecessor to the Iron Maiden song of the same name.)

Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky [2010]

Swans are legendary, simply put. They are one of the few bands with a discography the size of theirs to have never released a dud, this one from last year included. Although this lets up on the crushing emotion in some ways, it adds more in others, ensuring the continuation of Swans' wonderful record.

N.B. Files are incorrectly tagged as from the UK.

Similar artists: Jarboe, Current 93, Godflesh

320 kbps

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The Vanishing - In The Bat Haus EP [2002]

This is a little known EP, and it's quite good, although it wouldn't quite fit into my 'quality' band. Although the horror film cliche artwork suggests that this will be heavily gothic, the goth elements tend to take a backstage role to a pervading punk sensibility, if I remember correctly (on this EP at least).

Similar artists: (N/A, I know next to nothing about goth)

192 kbps

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Swans - Children Of God [1987]

Swans are without a doubt pioneers in music. Even the term 'grindcore' ultimately finds its origin in them, even if it's far from an accurate descriptor. This is... a Swans record - repetitive yet never boring, and pervaded throughout by haunting, almost shamanistic vocals.

N.B. There is an unidentified track on here, labelled as another copy of 'Our Love Lies'.

320 kbps

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