Songs the Lord Taught Us
Artist: The Cramps
Community Score: 8.25

Continuing the spooked-out and raging snarls of their Gravest Hits EP, the Cramps once again worked with Alex Chilton on the group's full-album debut, Songs the Lord Taught Us. The jacket reads "file under: sacred music," but only if one's definition includes the holy love of rockabilly sex-stomp, something which the Cramps fulfill in spades.... 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

Kaleidoscope
Artist: Siouxsie and the Banshees
Community Score: 7.25

After Join Hands, guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris departed the Banshees, leaving the band at a crossroads. Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin elected to soldier on with ex-Slits drummer Budgie and two guitarists, ex-Sex Pistol Steve Jones and John McGeoch of Magazine as guest Banshees. Despite the personnel upheaval, the result is a... 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

LC
Artist: The Durutti Column

After some abortive collaborations, Reilly hooked up with a regular drummer, talented fellow Mancunian Bruce Mitchell, to create LC, Durutti's second full release. Self-produced by Reilly but bearing the unmistakable hints of his earlier work with Martin Hannett, LC, named after a bit of Italian graffiti, extends Reilly's lovely talents ever... Read More

Negativland
Artist: Negativland

The then-trio's debut record, like many first efforts out there, was tentative in many ways; without Don Joyce and his ear for ratcheting up collage chaos to even more confused yet coherent levels, Negativland here had many of the intentions but not the overarching conceptual approach. Still, much that's core about the group was already... Read More

Half Mute
Artist: Tuxedomoon
Community Score: 2.00

Tuxedomoon's debut album on Ralph Records followed in the wake of several EPs and singles released on their own label. Unlike many techno bands in the wake of punk, they punctuated the electronics with instruments such as sax and violin, the sax reminiscent of the self-taught sounds of David Bowie -- not entirely polished, but unmistakable. The... Read More