View Full Version : Interesting New Wave Finds


2DualsNotEnough
02-20-2006, 08:08 PM
I happened to find several very interesting albums yesterday,two in particular that I would now call discoveries.
No Wave(compilation featuring Joe Jackson,Dickies,Damned,UK Squeeze,etc)on aqua blue vinyl.
Carlene Carter-Musical Shapes(I already own it,but this was in great shape)
The Alpha Band(T-Bone Bunetts first group)
Lets Active-Afoot(sealed)
Cowboys International-The Original Sin


I was familiar with the first three,and always enjoyed them,but I didnt know much about Lets Active.Fronted by Mitch Easter,producer of REM,This is early 80's pop of a very high order.Catchy,clever,interesting guitar sound.That it was still sealed was just a bonus.
The real find of this group was Cowboys International.Its a British Pressing with a clear orange vinyl dustsleeve,and orange and blue lettering on the front,which is pretty cool,BTW.This band has a pretty cool pedigree:Ken Lokie who did time with PIL and Simple Minds,and Terry Chimes,sometime drummer with the Clash,Generation X,Hanoi Rocks,even Black Sabbath.
This was released in 1979,and I dont think Im overstating it to say this was seminal.I hear things that had to influence Psychedelic Furs,Human League,Echo and The Bunnymen,and countless others.The real shame here is that this was their only record together.I see that this has been rereleased on cd with some tracks added,a few missing,and in completely different order,with a much less interesting cover.I thought I was a follower of the late 70's British scene,but this one was new to me.Great stuff.
Jimmy

EchoWars
02-20-2006, 10:55 PM
When I first got into Let's Active (back in the late 80's), we took a road trip from Boise to Phoenix to see REM in concert. My friend's brother managed a club in Mesa that, the night before REM was to play, was featuring Let's Active as the band. I was jacked, and figured that Stipe or maybe even the whole band would show up...being in the same town and all.

Got to meet Mitch backstage before the show, but no REM showed up. Nobody else that rode down from Idaho with me knew who Let's Active was, but were all fans by the end of the show. :thmbsp: