In The Trashcan
Records GEM012
"Girls love your money...until the lights go
out..."
Before becoming cult heroes in Queenadreena, KatieJane Garside and Crispin Gray were in Daisy Chainsaw, a London-based indie rock band, formed in 1989, that recorded two albums and five 45s. This was their 1991 debut, released on Deva.
This is the fourth song from 1978. It's their second 45, both released on Big Bear Records. Strange that this 45 was also released in Belgium, Netherlands, Portugal and even Australia. When glam punk meets power pop...
Lydia Lunch is pure cult. Born Lydia Koch, she became the Mistress of the New York "no wave" movement. Together with James Chance she founded Teenage Jesus & The Jerks in 1976, releasing only a couple of singles, this being the first on Migraine in 1978. Drummer was Jim Sclavunos, who later reappeared with Sonic Youth, The Cramps in the early 90s and later in Grinderman with Nick Cave. Lydia Lunch lives in Barcelona nowadays.
Punky pin-up starlet singer Donna Boylan aka Honey Bane went commercial, unsuccessfully. She was 14 when she fronted Fatal Microbes in 1978. After a Crass 45 she met Sham 69 front man Jimmy Pursey, who got her signed to EMI. Result was this 45, which was a minor hit on the indie charts.
Also in 1978 Penetration, with singer Pauline Murray, issued their second single "Life's a gamble". One year later they disbanded, leaving 2 albums and 5 singles. Pauline went solo, but with no success at all. "V.I.P." is their second best effort. On vol 91 you'll get my fave Penetration song.
Siouxsie and Budgie had their own side-project, The Creatures. In 1981 they released this double-7". More avant-garde it helped Siouxsie to show her theatrical ideas. After disbanding The Banshees in 1996, The Creatures became the duo's main project.
Zillah "Minx" Ashworth is the singer of this anarcho-gothic band from London. Annie Anxiety was their first singer. Two children of Poison Girls' Vi Subversa are also member of this band, hence the release on Xntrix, the label of Poison Girls. This song from their debut EP also appeared on a John Peel session in January 1983.
Back to their main band. In 1988 they put "False face", a single-only track, on the B-side of "Peek-a-boo", which appeared on their Wonderland album "Peepshow".
Born Janet Susan Ballion, Siouxsie wrote this B-side, which was a live favourite. In 1979 it was officially released as a B-side of "Mittageisen", the German sung version of their own "Metal postcard". Co-writer is Peter Fenton, who was their guitarist for a short while. There are several cover versions of "Love in a void", the best being the one by Kyra Rubella, one of the Headcoatees and then still Mrs Billy Childish.
Again a B-side and now by a girl who was to become the new Queen of goth, replacing Siouxsie, yet failing completely. "I'm not a punk, I'm a modern woman" she said in a 1980 TV show. Toyah Wilcox, born in 1958 in Birmingham, released her singles and albums on the Safari label between 1979 and 1983. Nevertheless she gained a lot of popularity as a mainstream artist, TV presenter and actress, and also as wife of King Crimson's Robert Fripp.
The Stranglers' Hugh Cornwell produced this sole release by Ouida & The Numbers in 1980 for Modern Records, part of United Artists. Sometimes it reminds me of Nina Hagen meets The Go-Go's.
Emerging from the ashes of The Pop Group, this Bristol band featuring a young Neneh Cherry (she is 17 here) played an anarcho-jazz funk as if they were part of the New York No Wave scene.
Joolz Denby was a beautiful young singer from Bradford, UK, who became known as a punk poet. Here she's backed by New Model Army (see vol 9). After ending her short-lived recording career, she wrote several novels, poetry and short novels and nowadays she's a fulltime tattoo artist.
Their third 45 for Rough Trade from 1980. This Leeds post-punk band mix feminism and anti-racism with a Gang Of Four styled punky funk sound.
I assume this was their sole single release. In 2004 there was an album on CD, also released on their own Chi-Pig Records. This 1978 single came a couple of years too early. In 1978 the indie charts were not ready for this female cocktail of Killing Joke and Adam Ant.
"Walk into the sun" was their best known track. This is the flipside and I think it's even better and reminds me of Magazine. They also hailed from Leeds, starting on the Sisters Of Mercy label Merciful Release. Then they began their own label Rebirth. Rosie Garland's etheral soprano matches perfectly with Simon Denbigh's low voice.
