More Messthetics

Chuck Warner at Messthetics is one of the good guys. He spends an inordinately large proportion of his life chasing down obscure Punk/DIY group’s from the late 70s/early 80s UK independent scene and dragging any available recordings into his Messthetics laboratory, where he lovingly fashions them into genre-defining compilation albums that become genuine historical artifacts themselves in the process. Following the rampant reception granted to 2006’s “Messthetics Greatest Hits” – including a full-page spread in The Guardian - Chuck has been beavering away at the test tubes/Bunsen burner once again assembling his UK Regional Series. Currently scheduled to run to 12-volumes (Messthetics 101-112), the series kicks off with a brace of London volumes:

Messthetics #101 - D.I.Y. 77-81 London I
(MESSTHETICS - MSS 101CD)

101 covers the London & Home Counties scene from 1977-81. Highlights include Funboy Five’s stomp-a-long ode to freedom through obesity, “Compulsive Eater”, a ‘rough’ version of the genius Homosexuals anthemic “Technique Street”, Take It’s gloriously shambling “Armchairs”, Collective Horizontal’s Sarah Records inspiring “Beach Coma” & Existence possibly ground-breaking boy/girl collaboration, “I’m Glad”. The package is completed with a 16-page booklet rammed with sleeve scans, rare-photos, bonus MP3s & essays on each group by Chuck Warner:

• 1. Scissor Fits – “I Don’t Wanna Work For British Airways”
• 2. Rich & Famous – “Machine Gun”
• 3. Different I’s – “This Week”
• 4. Acid Drops – “Distance”
• 5. Rejects – “Stir Crazy (demo)”
• 6. Jimmy Nipper Five – “Two Wasted Years”
• 7. Funboy Five – “Compulsive Eater”
• 8. Homosexuals – “Technique Street” (rough)
• 9. Exhibit A – “Distance”
• 10. Blue Screaming – “Gunpoint”
• 11. Take It – “Armchairs”
• 12. Twelve Cubic Feet – “Evercare”
• 13. Tiny Town – “Know Better”
• 14. Existence – “I’m Glad”
• 15. Collective Horizontal – “Beach Coma”
• 16. Different I’s – “Drive Your Car To The Middle Of Your Brain”
• 17. Karel Fialka – “Ghosts”
• 18. George Harassment – “Truth/Hey” (demo)
• 19. Tiny Town – “Back To The Bow”
• 20. Milkshake Melon – “What Did You Do With The Body” (unreleased)
• 21. Grinder – “Other People”
• 22. The Door & The Window – “Part Time Punks” (TVP/TDATW)

Messthetics #102 D.I.Y. 78-81 London II
(MESSTHETICS - MSS 102CD)

102 also covers the London & Home Counties scene, this time from 1978-81. Highlights include Metrophase’s abrasive “Cold Rebellion”, Dry Rib’s strident “Quail Seed”, Astronuats’ tiring “All Night Party”, London PX’s shadow casting “Orders” & Innerpropriates’ scuzzed up answer to the Tory canvasser at their front door, “Never”. The package is once again completed by the by now obligatory 16-page booklet stuffed with sleeve scans, rare photographs, bonus MP3s & essays on each group by your man, Chuck Warner!

• 1. Steve Treatment – “Tempest Fashion Baby”
• 2. Tea Set – “Sing Song”
• 3. Lines – “On The Air”
• 4. Vacants – “Television Viewer”
• 5. Walking Floors – “Last Telegram”
• 6. Metrophase – “Cold Rebellion”
• 7. Nigel Simpkins – “Oblique Encounters”
• 8. The Syrups – “Upwards” (unreleased)
• 9. Dry Rib – “Quail Seed” (demo)
• 10. Astronauts – “All Night Party”
• 11. London PX – “Orders”
• 12. MLR – “Noise In My Kitchen” (unreleased)
• 13. Innerpropriates – “Never”
• 14. Restricted Hours – “Getting Things Done”
• 15. Steve Treatment – “Danger Zone”
• 16. Auntie Pus – “Marmalade Freak”
• 17. Astronauts – “We Were Talking”
• 18. Walking Floors – “Turn The Clock Back”
• 19. Lines – “Blisstability” (unreleased)
• 20. Frank Details – “False Pretenses”
• 21. Dad – “Don’t Say Yes”
• 22. Dry Rib – “Alaska”
• 23. London PX – “Mayhem” (unreleased)

Leaving London behind, the series moves North to embrace the Midlands, & trakMARX is proud to exclusively announce:

Messthetics #103: Midlands D.I.Y. 1977-81

103 covers the Midlands scene from 1977-81. Highlights include The Prefects swaggering “Things In General”, Swell Maps’ certifiably eccentric “Camouflage Attack”, The Cravats’ uber-classic “Gordon”, The Shapes’ super-hero-worrying “Batman In The Launderette”, School Meals’ staff-baiting “Headmaster” & Domestic Bliss’ previously unreleased anthem, “Domestic Bliss”, collectively making a watertight case for Leamington Spa being the creative centre of the known universe! The package will once again include a 16-page booklet pimped to the max with sleeve scans, unseen photographs, bonus MP3s & the ubiquitous Chuck Warner penned essays!

• 1. Versatile Newts – “Newtrition”
• 2. Prefects – “Things in General”
• 3. Swell Maps – “Camouflage Attack”
• 4. The Accused – “Arrested”
• 5. Digital Dinosaurs – “Aliens in Your Skies”
• 6. Profile – “Vince”
• 7. Hardware – “Walking”
• 8. Spizzoil – “Fibre”
• 9. Famous Explorers – “Boy Detectives”
• 10. Cravats – “Gordon”
• 11. Buzz – “Life Ends”
• 12. Shapes – “Batman in the Launderette”
• 13. School Meals – “Headmaster”
• 14. Domestic Bliss – “Domestic Bliss” 
• 15. Hardware – “Face the Flag”
• 16. Hawks – “Sense of Ending”  
• 17. Cracked Actor – “Statues”
• 18. Lester and the Brew – “Bad Day in The City”/”Eyesight Bad” 
• 19. 021 – “Robot” 
• 20. Dangerous Girls – “Dangerous Girls”
• 21. Human Cabbages – “The Witch” 
• 22. Cult Figures – “Zip Nolan (live)”

Messthetics Regional Series will continue in due course, with volumes in the pipeline from Wales, Scotland, Manchester/Liverpool/Lancashire, North-by-Northwest, the South Coast, the West Country & Essex/East Anglia.