"Deadline" was the second track on Leningrad Sandwich's second album, Heat, released in 1982. While no singles were taken from this album, "Deadline" encapsulates the post-punk beat that characterized the overall sound of the album.
Next Wave: Hotel Motel
Hotel Motel is an interesting trio whose sound is a perfect combination of soulful vocals, nice synth lines and raw guitar riffs. Recently I discovered them on MySpace. Currently they are recording their debut EP which is going to be released soon. Below you can check their first single "Sucker Man."
Winston Tong
Winston Tong is a San Francisco-based performance artist and singer, celebrated both for his solo work and his collaborations with the cult group Tuxedomoon.
In late 1977 Tong met an early incarnation of Tuxedomoon, then comprising Steven Brown, Blaine Reininger and Victoria Lowe, after Lowe invited Tong to perform at a self-organized salon, Chez Dada. Afterwards Tong agreed to perform with the band as and when time allowed, a flexible arrangement which would remain in place until he finally ceased working with the band in 1985. At about the same time Tong met Bruce Geduldig, who would take on responsibility for visuals and staging with both Tong and Tuxedomoon.
In late 1977 Tong met an early incarnation of Tuxedomoon, then comprising Steven Brown, Blaine Reininger and Victoria Lowe, after Lowe invited Tong to perform at a self-organized salon, Chez Dada. Afterwards Tong agreed to perform with the band as and when time allowed, a flexible arrangement which would remain in place until he finally ceased working with the band in 1985. At about the same time Tong met Bruce Geduldig, who would take on responsibility for visuals and staging with both Tong and Tuxedomoon.
Tong's first record appeared in the spring of 1979 and is a Tuxedomoon release in all but name. Featuring TM members Brown, Reininger, Peter Principle and Paul Zahl, "The Stranger" paid homage to the existential classic by Albert Camus, while the flipside "Love/No Hope" offered spiky angst-rock at one with the first two Tuxedomoon EPs, "No Tears" and "Scream With a View".
A second Tong solo release appeared in early 1983 through Les Disques du Crepuscule. In its original form 'Like the Others' was a handsome cassette and book package, featuring several oblique monologues with sympathetic backing by Tuxedomoon. The title track appeared as a single in France, while an expanded CD edition later added an improvised live track, Last Words at the Scaffold, on which Tong is backed by members of Tuxedomoon and Cabaret Voltaire.
At the beginning of 1983, Blaine Reininger quit Tuxedomoon for a solo career, and although he would return in 1987, this setback left the band inactive for much of the next two years, so Tong released another solo album. This next album was produced by Alan Rankine (ex Associates) and Dave Formula (ex Magazine), 'Theoretical China' featured a stellar cast of guest musicians including Jah Wobble, Simon Topping (A Certain Ratio) and Steven Morris (New Order), although despite the exceptional pedigree of the supporting players the track doesn't quite gel as a funk-dance cut. 'Theoretical China' appeared on Crepuscule in November 1984, backed by The Hunger on 12" format, yet the single was credited to Tong alone. For whatever reason, Mono found herself frozen out of the project, and recording of the album continued with Persian born singer Sussan Deyhim on backing vocals and Alan Rankine handling all production, arrangements, instruments and sequencing. It's worth noting that a number of early Tong/Mono songs were dropped for the album, including To You, Incubo, Zimbabwe and Dream Assassins, although the latter did get as far as a formal recording.
The Winston Tong 'pop' album eventually appeared as 'Theoretically Chinese' in October 1985. It's an album of peerless electronic dance pop, the sound expansive and expensive, and a million miles from the angst, night and fog for which Tuxedomoon were renowned. Lush ballad "Reports From the Heart" was the deserved second single, while "Big Brother" and a cover of "Broken English" by Marianne Faithfull proved on the money as sophisticated disco. The album sold well enough in Europe, although Crepuscule must have been galled that there were no live dates in support, and that Tong had already donated his best solo composition, "In A Manner of Speaking", to Tuxedomoon.
Today, Winston lives in San Francisco and is working on new projects. He appeared with Tuxedomoon for their 25th year reunion concerts in the city in March 2005.
http://www.ltmpub.freeserve.co.uk/wtbio.html
The Killers- Sawdust
'Sawdust' is the forthcoming compilation of B-sides, rarities and remixes by the Las Vegas rock band The Killers. The album is set for release in the United States on November 13, and on November 12, in the UK. "Tranquilize" is the first single from the album which features Lou Reed.
The song was made available for download on iTunes(UK) from October 12th, there will also be limited edition etched 7" vinyl of "Tranquilize" avalaible from November 5th, it will feature a lyric from the song hand picked by Brandon Flowers etched onto one side.
Yazoo- The 25th Aniversary
This year Yazoo celebrates its 25th anniversary. In 1982, they released their biggest hits "Only You", "Don't Go" and the album 'Upstairs At Eric's'. Their 'Bad Connection' site has recently updated and contains new sections and some information which has been added.
Black
Black was a British group which was formed in Liverpool, England in the early 80’s.The main figure of this unit was the singer/ songwriter Colin Vearncombe. In 1987 they would score on of the biggest hits of 80’s music, the “Wonderful Life”.
The first incarnation of Black, consisting of Vearncombe and a cast of anonymous session players, debuted with the single "Human Features" on the local Rox label. The record quickly sold out, and soon Vearncombe was approached by the Eternal label, operated by fellow Liverpudlians Pete Wylie and Wah! With the addition of ex-Last Chant keyboardist Dave Dickie and bassist Jimmy Sangster, Black became a true band, and soon issued their sophomore effort "More Than the Sun".
The trio eventually came to the attention of WEA, which funded Black's third single "Hey Presto". The record stiffed, however, and when an orchestral rendition of "More Than the Sun" met a similar fate, Black were dropped from their contract. Some 18 months of writing and searching for a new record deal followed before Vearncombe was contacted by the tiny Ugly Man label, which issued the minor hit "Wonderful Life." Soon A&M came calling, and in 1987 Black scored a UK Top Ten hit with "Sweetest Smile" the follow-up, a reworked "Wonderful Life," was also successful.The group's debut LP, also titled 'Wonderful Life', appeared in late 1987, and was well-received throughout Europe. Three years after their biggest hit, the group finally resurfaced in 1991 with an eponymously-titled LP featuring cameos from Robert Palmer and Sam Brown. Black soon left A&M, and after teaming with producer Mike Hedges issued ‘Are We Having Fun Yet?’ on their own mail order label Nero Schwartz in 1993.
After a prolonged hiatus, Vearncombe returned in 1999 to release a string of critically acclaimed recordings under his own name. In 2005 though he returned to the band format and name to release a new recording entitled ‘Between Two Churches’
Update:
The lead singer Colin Vearncombe sadly passed away after being in coma after a car accident. He was 53 years old.
Instant Hit: Informatics- Accident In Paradise
Australian band Informatics released "Accident in Paradise" in 1985 as their second single on Last Chance Records in Germany. The same song was reissued in 2003 by Punx.
Radiohead- In Rainbows
'In Rainbows' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download, and is scheduled to be released on 3 December 2007 as a "discbox" with a second CD of additional material. By the day of its release, In Rainbows had sold 1.2 million copies as digital downloads.
WAW: Kylie Minogue- Two Hearts
Kylie is going to release her 10th album 'X' this Autumn. The single "Two Hearts" is a little warm up for the album. Here some rocky Kylie with some Goldfrapp and Madonna impressions.
Hooverphonic- The President of LSD Golfclub
Hooverphonic have released their sixth studio album 'The President of LSD Golfclub' on 7, October and the first single "Expedition Impossible" was released in September. The album is rumored to contain some of the additional songs composed for 'No More Sweet Music' that did not make it to the final release.
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