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In this thread I will be listening to and reviewing an album (or songs, as I'm finding it hard to find full albums from some) from every band on this list.
For those of you who know of bands that should be on this list, please post.
If you have any suggestions for an album from a band on the list, please post. I'll most likely be working in A-Z order.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_post-punk_bands
23 Skidoo – Seven Songs (1982)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkTCvcNtvG4
Angular. Tribal. Industrial. Broken robots playing African Funk. Hypnotic. Moody. Angry.
These are just a few of the things I thought of while listening to this challenging album. One of the things I enjoy most about the post-punk genre is the focus on rhythm, and the reliance on percussive instruments, and this album has some incredible percussion work. It’s sloppy in the way that A Certain Ratio is sloppy. These bands seemed to have taken their rhythmic cues from the African Funk scene in the 1970s. This is dance music for people not afraid of broken bones and bruises. This is an angrier version of Brian Eno’s and Jon Hassel’s idea of 4th World Music, a mix of world-beat and technology, human and machine, the organic and manufactured.
Seven Songs isn’t an album I’ll listen to often. It’s definitely one of those be-in-the-right-mood kind of things, much like The Swans. But when that mood strikes, it’ll be the perfect fix.
Ambitious thread. Fascinating genre. I'll be following.
Adam and the Ants - Dirk Wears White Sox (1979)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-jTLgpY7Fw&t=544s
Apparently this album is not well thought of. I've recently read some negative reviews of it, with some people saying it tries to hard, or that Ant's vocal style is too forced.
I'm not in that camp.
This album is pretty damn fantastic. It's probably more glam than post-punk, although it's not as polished as the glam in its days. It's not as angular as it's post-punkbrethren. Maybe it's not post-punks at all. Not quite sure what to call it, but I like it. I especially love track 2, "Digital Tenderness," and the use of the drum stick clicks as a driving, percussive element. The entire album is quirky, and packed with energy. It's a little zanny, and I like this aspect. Sometimes post-punk can be direly serious. This is more in the B-52s camp, although not as campy, or overtly playful.
That's god darned good list. I will be following as well!
I liked 23 Skidoo a lot. Looking forward to more.