Songs of the Free
Artist: Gang of Four

Only within the context of Entertainment! and Solid Gold does Songs of the Free seem truly weak; otherwise, it has its merits and lasting value but doesn't hold up in invention and influence like its predecessors. Clunky rhythms, lumpen tempos, and morbid existentialism dampen some the songs, making the record seem less assertive and defiant.... Read More

The Psychedelic Furs
Artist: The Psychedelic Furs
Community Score: 8.00

Emerging from the incipient post-punk London scene with a healthy fascination for late-'70s Bowie (and in turn, for his own attraction to Krautrock), the then-sextet kicked up a slightly monochromatic but still attractive storm on their debut. Richard Butler's Thin-White-Duke-after-smoking vocal rasp has a surprising appeal, serving up a wry,... Read More

Signals, Calls and Marches
Artist: Mission of Burma
Community Score: 6.83

One could argue that Mission of Burma's first 12" release, Signals, Calls and Marches, was the point where "indie rock" as a separate and distinct musical subgenre well and truly began. Mission of Burma's music had the brawn and the volume of hardcore punk, but with a lyrical intelligence and obvious musical sophistication that set them apart... Read More

Nunsexmonkrock
Artist: Nina Hagen
Community Score: 7.50
Unbehagen
Artist: Nina Hagen Band
Pop-Eyes
Artist: Danielle Dax

"Today's not the same as before/Starting with a clean slate/Promises of new rewards." This seems an appropriate beginning to Danielle Dax's first solo record, which comes on the heels of a two-album stint with experimental pop group the Lemon Kittens. Certainly, Dax makes the most of this particular tabula rasa. Self-written, produced, and... Read More

Underwater Moonlight
Artist: The Soft Boys

After recording the material that would later comprise the bulk of Invisible Hits, the Soft Boys recorded their masterpiece, the shimmering neo-psychedelic Underwater Moonlight. Essentially, the band didn't change their style for the record -- they merely perfected it. The Soft Boys don't hide their influences -- whether its the ringing guitars... Read More

Once Upon a Time: The Singles
Artist: Siouxsie and the Banshees
Community Score: 8.75

Once Upon a Time: The Singles collects all ten of Siouxsie and the Banshees' A-sides spanning the years 1978-1981, with four songs otherwise unavailable on LP. It's a neat and accessible encapsulation of the group's early guitar-driven sound -- a frosty, dissonant art punk that had a tremendous impact on the emerging goth rock scene. Unlike... Read More

The Scream
Artist: Siouxsie and the Banshees
Community Score: 5.67

After building up an intense live reputation and a rabid fan base, Siouxsie and the Banshees almost had to debut with a stunner -- which they did, "Hong Kong Garden" taking care of things on the singles front and The Scream on the full-length. Matched with a downright creepy cover and a fair enough early producing effort from Steve Lillywhite --... Read More

The Correct Use of Soap
Artist: Magazine
Community Score: 8.00

The Correct Use of Soap is a bit of a return to more standard operational form for Magazine, who thawed out after the recording of Secondhand Daylight to throw this bouncy batch of rhythmically intricate and colorful songs together, which is something of a surprise when considering that they enlisted Martin Hannett (Joy Division), master of the... Read More

Nunsexmonkrock/Nina Hagen Band
Artist: Nina Hagen

This eccentric rock material, all in English, shows the diversity of her vocal instrument. ~ Bil Carpenter, All Music Guide Read More

Invisible Hits
Artist: The Soft Boys

A collection of lost recordings and previously unreleased tracks, a number of this album's cuts remain Soft Boys classics, like "Rock 'n' Roll Toilet," "Wey Wey Hep Uh Hole," "Have a Heart Betty (I'm Not Fireproof)," and "He's a Reptile." Most of the songs were recorded in 1978-79 during the sessions prior to A Can of Bees and Underwater... Read More