Five On The Black Hand Side (Punk Edition)

skeme·
Vinyl

For quite some time I’ve been wanting to cover the world of Punk and collecting records that fall into that category but as a collector of funk, soul, jazz, soundtracks and other genres, my knowledge in that area is rather minimal. Although I know a few of the bands and love the music, it would be just another of the deep rabbit hole that I would fall down if I decided to start collecting it so instead I reached out to the experts in the field and got a great response from quite a few people who wanted to contribute. The first person to contact me was good friend and fellow collector Antonio Leiriao of Naptown Soul Club in Indianapolis. Antonio and I have been friends for quite sometime and are both collectors of not only records but vintage toys, Kaiju and horror memorabilia.  His Funk & Soul 45 collection is pretty thorough as is his Punk collection and who better to begin this new series with than someone who actually runs the indie label, Small Hand Factory that specializes in the genre!?  Within no time, he dropped five records on us and we’re excited to present it to you.  Here is his Five on The Black Hand Side!

The Bizarros “Lady Doubonette” (Gorilla Records,1976) Akron, OH along with Cleveland are as deserving as New York or L.A. when it comes to the history of punk and it’s genesis points. Before the “Rubber City” would see DEVO find success beyond its city limits,The Bizarros turned heads with this moody Velvets meets Television stunner.

Duchamp “Energy” (Champ records,1980) Kansas City angular, Punk, No Wave monster. Had this band not been from fly over country, they would most likely be talked about in the same breath as DNA, Mars, and other seminal bands from the No Wave scene. A band who definitely deserves re-discovery by a larger audience.

The Wasps “Teenage Treats” (4 Play Records, 1977) The amphetamine fueled double time version of The Undertones “Teenage Kicks”? The Wasps hailed from London and were among the best of the first wave UK punk bands. This, their best(imho), rips past in a blistering 3 minutes and will stay in your head for days.

The Gizmos “Pay” (Gulcher Records, 1978) Picking one Indiana punk track is almost an impossible task. Between the Gulcher & Hardly Music catalogs and one off vanity pressings, the state boasts so many seminal records and recordings that this could easily have turned into a top ten list. But Bloomington’s Gizmos arrived before most and set the table for many after. This later incarnation of the band, mixed pop sensibilities with punk’s ethos and there’s no better example than “Pay”.

The Buzzcocks “I Believe” (IRS Records, 1980) Among the first wave of UK punk bands Manchester’s Buzzcocks were set apart from the rest of the pack both stylistically and geographically. Much more about the existential than the immediate, Pete Shelley’s vocals and lyrics are something to behold. A song that sums up being young, punk, disillusioned and hopeful at the same time. As much about the black cloud overhead as it is about what’s beyond the next hill. I could listen to this song everyday. Incredible.