Posts Tagged ‘1983’

The Church: Before “Under the Milky Way”

Posted: September 29, 2014 in Alternative, Band Profiles, New Wave, Post-Punk
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One of my favorite songs from the early ‘80s was “The Unguarded Moment” by The Church. I remember seeing the video on MTV and promptly getting my tape recorder ready in hopes that it would be shown again (that’s how we did things before VHS recorders). There wasn’t much to the video, just the band performing the song on a studio soundstage with very little visual effects. It didn’t matter though, the guitar intro alone was enough to grab my attention. I heard little more from the band until their US success in the late ‘80s. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to track down more of their earlier work to see what else I might have missed.

Most people were first introduced to The Church through their 1988 hit “Under the Milky Way,” off the album Starfish. It was an international hit and peaked at #26 on the US charts. But within their native Australia, the group had been churning out hits since 1981. Formed in Sydney in 1980, the band had an infectious post-punk, guitar-heavy psychedelic sound. The group released their first album, Of Skins and Heart, in 1981 to good commercial success. The album was later repackaged and released in the US in 1982 as The Church. Their second album, 1982’s The Blurred Crusade, performed well in Australia but wasn’t released in the US, as it was considered not radio-friendly enough for North American audiences. By the ‘90s their sound had gone more mainstream, bordering on progressive rock. They continue to tour and record and will release their 25th studio album, Further/Deeper, in late 2014.

“The Unguarded Moment” was the second single released from their debut album, Of Skins and Heart. It peaked at #22 on the Australian charts and led one Rolling Stone critic to describe it as The Church’s “1981 jangling gem.”

 

The song “Dropping Names” is from the band’s third album, 1983’s Seance, which found the group gravitating to more of an atmospheric sound.

 

Australia’s Divinyls

Posted: September 19, 2014 in Band Profiles, New Wave, Rock
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Many people know Australia’s Divinyls from their early ‘90s hit “I Touch Myself.” But the band had great success in their native country throughout the ‘80s. During that time period, they had a much harder sound, especially in the earlier part of the decade. I first discovered them through their video for the song “Boys in Town,” which received airplay on MTV in 1983. It’s a hard-hitting rock song with an unrelenting rhythm that mixed well with lead singer Chrissy Amphlett’s unique voice and high-energy performance. At the time, Amphlett reminded me of a younger Chrissie Hynde – fringe bangs, and lots of eyeliner and attitude. (In the 80s, Amphlett performed in a schoolgirl uniform and was often referred to as the female version of fellow Aussie Angus Young of AC/DC).

Formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980, the band went through many line-up changes throughout the ‘80s. By time the ‘90s rolled around they were a very different band. They adopted a more glamorous look and their sound moved to mainstream pop. It was only recently, after having come across a story on the band, that I remembered how much of a fan I had been of their earlier work. The group ended up disbanding in 1996 but reunited for a short time 10 years later before finally calling it quits in 2009. Unfortunately, Amphlett died in 2013 at the age of 53, after battling breast cancer and multiple sclerosis.

“Boys in Town” was originally released as a single in 1981. It’s part of the soundtrack for the 1982 movie Monkey Grip, which Amphlett also starred in. The single was also included on their debut album, Desperate, released in 1983. The video finds Amphlett in full schoolgirl garb, aggressively wielding a neon mic stand.

 

One of my favorite tracks off the debut album is “Science Fiction.” It has futuristic sounding keyboards and a robotic vocal performance by Amphlett that warrants the song’s title.

 

Getting to Know Liquid Liquid

Posted: September 14, 2014 in Band Profiles, Post-Punk
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Liquid Liquid is responsible for arguably the most well-known bass line and sampling in hip hop history. Their most recognized song, “Cavern,” was used as the backing track to Grandmaster Mell Mel’s 1983 single “White Lines (Don’t Do It).” (The lawsuit from the unauthorized sampling ultimately resulted in the downfall of both bands’ record labels). The song has been sampled and referenced by a diverse range of artists, such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Moby, LL Cool J, Mobb Deep, and De La Soul. It was also featured prominently in the film 25th Hour (2002) and more recently in the movie Chef (2014).

It’s quite a legacy for a band that only produced actively from 1980 to 1983, releasing just three EPs. They are labeled as a post-punk, post-disco band but have influences of reggae and funk. Liquid Liquid formed in New York in the late ‘70s as Liquid Idiot with a more punk sound. Their sound changed over the years to being more groove-based with their intention of getting people to “want to move.” The band reunited in 2008 and made an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show in 2010. For LCD Soundsystem’s 2011 farewell show, they invited the band to be the opening act, stating that Liquid Liquid was their greatest influence and “heroes.”

“Cavern” is a single off of their third EP, Optimo, released in 1983.

 

The single “Optimo” is another release from the EP of the same name. Another heavy percussion, groove-based track.

 

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