Wired Up!

This book is awesome and you need a copy so you can spend the rest of your life doing something worthwhile. Like, hunting for these obscuro 70s European picture sleeves!

I know what you're thinking "Who's Alvin Stardust?"; "Why did France need its own pressing of Zenda Jacks "Rub My Tummy"; "Is Pantherman really my friend?", "Did Orange know about Grapefruit?" The answer to all these questions is simple, "Who the fuck cares!" Dig those crazy mutton-chops! Check out that freakin' cheetah! What a nice cape!!! 

Russian Punk Band Offends Putin & Church, Jailed

In case you were wondering, Russia is obviously still pretty fucked up...

Watch the BBC report

Read the full New Yorker article

JULY 24, 2012

PUTIN’S RELIGIOUS WAR AGAINST PUSSY RIOT

Posted by Masha Lipman

The pretrial hearings in the case of Pussy Riot, a Russian female punk band, are held behind closed doors in a Moscow court. Police have cordoned off not only the courthouse itself but also the street outside to keep the band’s supporters from even coming close to the building. Any attempt to hold a sign or chant is stopped; policemen grab the offenders and throw them into avtozaks (police buses). The three band members, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, twenty-three; Maria Alekhina, twenty-four; and Ekaterina Samutsevich, twenty-nine—Nadia, Masha, and Katya—are being prosecuted for an unsanctioned “punk-prayer” called “Our Lady, chase Putin out.” The women managed to perform for about thirty seconds in the Moscow Christ the Savior Cathedral before the church’s security guards kicked them out. A music video using the footage shot in the cathedral was distributed on the Web. For that, the three women have been kept in pretrial detention since March; on Friday last week, the judge extended their incarceration for six more months, and yesterday their trial was scheduled for July 30th. They are facing up to seven years in prison.

Protex - Strange Obsession

I Woke up this morning with this song stuck in my head and had to look through a couple piles before I found the "Strange Obsession" LP reissue on Sing Sing.




Go here for the vinyl and here for the Mp3s. 100% must-have Buzzcocks-style, first-wave punk from Belfast.

The Infamous Bad Brains, Big Boys, MDC Incident

Finally, The Big Boys' Tim Kerr sets the record straight about what happened when his now legendary Austin punk band

set up a now infamous 1982 DIY show for DC rasta punkers Bad Brains. I have heard bits of this story, but never the whole tale. I got to Austin in 1984, so I missed all the fun. I guess you give HR the benefit of keeping the courage of his convictions, no matter how backwards and bigoted they may be. The thievery, damage, and destruction...I don't know how you rationalize all that.

The "below cost, something" they needed was obviously weed. Back in the day, that's the part that was most rumored more than the anti-gay slurs, and certainly not the vandalism.

All this aside, Bad Brains were the best live band on the planet during the 80's. I have seen a lot of bands and none, neither small nor large, any better.

New From Sing Sing records

We just got in some fantastic new reissues from Sing Sing records. All available right now at saki.

The Leopards  - Kansas City Slickers (LP 1977)

*An LP of heavily Kinks-influenced rock and powerpop from this underground Kansas City combo. Self-released in 1977! Sophisticated musicianship with subtle nods to a variety of 60s artists, and obvious ones to the aforementioned rock gods.  

Brad Long - Love Me Again b/w Come To Me (7" 1977)
*DIY powerpop release from an Indiana music store owner. If only he knew 35 years later bands would be trying very, very hard to capture hazy, bedroom pop sound he seems to nail effortlessly!


The Onion Dolls - The Kids b/w Hot Love (7" 1979)
*The lone, snotty single from this Belgian punk band. Not to be confused with their The Kids (also a killer Belgian punk band).

No Sweat

This gem from Northern Ireland's Rip Off records, and more like it, can be found, lovingly compiled, on the recent LP offering from Sing Sing records.

Of course, you can get your copy right here.