I was browsing through a friend’s rather large record collection recently, and I stumbled upon the gem Warsaw. Now for those of you who don’t know, Warsaw is the band that would become Joy Division, which in turn would become wildly successful(though not nearly as legendary or good) New Order. Warsaw changed their name to avoid confusion with the band Warsaw Pakt, and Joy Division became New Order after the now infamous death of lead singer Ian Curtis.
I had heard some tracks off of Joy Division’s Substance compilation that had been written in their early Warsaw days, but this was the first time I was coming in contact with the actual album that they recorded.
The Warsaw recordings are awesome because you get to see a glimpse of Joy Division without madman producer Martin Hannett guiding their sound. While Hannett is the one who delivered the signature Joy Division sound that would define the band, I find it much more intriguing to hear the band in their rawest form. These songs are much more punk, and without the glossy sheen of Hannett’s production the listener is really able enjoy the simplistically brilliant song writing.
Warsaw would never have achieved the semi-mainstream success that Joy Division has earned since Curtis’ death. Hannett really was a genius, and the Joy Division recordings are near perfect. Still, there is something just a little bit more dangerous about Warsaw, and that’s something worth getting excited about.
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Denton, TX’s short lived Ghosthustler gave us a tasty blend of disco, post-punk, & synth-pop. Though they’ve parted ways, their monster bass licks and 80’s montage keytar lines will live on forever in the Wide World of Web.
Alan Palomo, the mastermind behind Ghosthustler, has since moved on & formed Vega, and has proven that anything he touches is neon-tastic gold. What I enjoyed most about Ghosthustler’s tunes (other than its 80s-esque dancy perfection) were the unbelievably sick bass lines of Gray Gideon. When performing live Gideon played keys, and for a short time Ghosthustler brought in Shane English to play bass. English has been in other local TX bands such as the noisy, experimental pop punk trio The Undoing Of David Wright, and in another three-piece, the incredibly fast-paced punk band White Telephone, who I was fortunate enough to see in 2004 at, of all places, a high school talent show. With Gideon’s bass lines and Palomo’s catchy, 80s-fresh melodies, Ghosthustler calls for one hell of a dance party. Check out the live footage of “Parking Lot Nights,” another one of my favorite Ghosthustler tunes.
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Artist: Ghosthustler
Song: Busy Busy Busy
Album: Only Me To Trust
Atlanta, Georgia’s The Balkans deliver a moody, punk sound with raw, 60’s surf rock undertones.
“Zebra Print,” from The Balkans’ Zebra Print / Oh Dear 7″, is an erratic combination of jangly 60’s surf rock and old school punk. Upbeat, wishy-washy drums are followed close behind by eerie, drawn-out vocals. “Oh Dear” is the other track on their 7″, with oddly familiar surf rock patterns lead by slightly distorted, strummy guitar riffs and clean, punchy bass lines. All under the age of twenty, they seem to have perfected their sound during their two year career. Their stage set up contains what looks to be a twelve foot ladder that their bassist makes his way up to during their shows. The next time you’re throwing a house party and you live anywhere near Georgia, I highly recommend you invite The Balkans. Or if you’re not the house party type, you can catch them tonight at 8pm at Foxbox in Atlanta, Georgia.
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