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Do Yourself In
Batteries 'Human Requirements' Vinyl 7" + Download
£4.99
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Do Yourself In
Batteries 'Human Requirements' Vinyl 7" + Download
£4.99
#Order now and get an instant download of the EP.#
Very limited 7' single (300 only worldwide)
'Human Requirements' is the next single to be taken from Batteries, the debut solo album from Sci-Fi Steven from bis'new band Batteries, which is out now via Do Yourself In. The single will come out on 11 September and will be available as a double AA side single with the song 'Softhead', a new recording exclusive to this this 7'.
As Sci-Fi Steven Explains, the song "Human Requirements" is a 'thinly veiled political rant about the desperate inability of the electorate to fundamentally put collective welfare ahead of short-term selfishness. The "say-one-thing, vote-another" mentality that pervades and my frustration at conservative negativity. Somehow, it seems to have turned into a pop song with a skinny-tie sprightliness."
More info about Batteries:
Batteries is the self-titled debut solo album by Steven Clark (professionally known as Sci-Fi Steven) from Glasgow's Punk/Disco legends bis. An exercise in short, sharp new-wave snappiness, Steven has ramped up the guitars and latent aggression to create a new sound which has already been compared to Devo playing Queens of the Stone Age or vice-versa. Nagging melodies abound with some darker twists and a cynical sense of positivity informs the lyrics. There are plenty of pop hooks for the bis faithful, but Batteries is an angrier beast.
"Irresistible post-punk pop." Vive Le Rock 9/10
"The self-titled debut album from Batteries fizzes with post-punk energy across its 12 tracks, poking you in the ribs with arpeggio riffs that are all angles and elbows." The Herald
"The lead single, which like the project and the album is also called Batteries', is the perfect lead in to the project. It's a sharp-edged three minutes, pushing itself forward with stop-start rhythms, and bloody hell it's catchy." CMU
Tracklisting:
1. Human Requirements
2. Softhead
3. Human Requirements (Skylab Remix)
4. Human Requirements (Glitterous Remix)
5. Human Requirements (Video)
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/batteriesmusic
https://twitter.com/batteriesmusic
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In 1995 the album was an unexpected comeback and a lost classic. It was the first new material recorded by the band for years despite many of the songs being written a decade before. On release, though, the album disappeared into a void being out of sync with the times and before Poly got her deserved iconic status.Visit product page →
Bassist Paul Dean was equally shocked at the out of the blue recording.
‘I was very surprised, this was the mid 1990’s and 17 years since Germfree. It was the time of Britpop, Punk was now old news. Poly had 12 new songs and she said the album was going to be called Conscious Consumer and she wanted me on bass. I thought about and said yes of course’
Sax legend Lora Logic was equally surprised by the return of the band.
‘I was ensconced in mummyhood with a 3 year old and hadn't connected with Poly for a long time. She rang me out of the blue, and without any small talk, suggested I come and stay with her in her small London flat to record a brand new X-Ray Spex album.
Excited and without considering any repercussions, I found myself on the train with my tenor sax, (childcare sorted) which had been sleeping in it's case for years, and a soprano sax which I had not played since recording ‘Pedigree Charm’ in 1981.’
The band who also re-formed in 1991, 1995 and 2008 are now revered worldwide for sparking a new kind of attitude in music. The late Poly is now a pop culture pin-up for an originality and feminism that barely existed at the time. Her acerbic, witty and brilliant lyrics and distinctive voice have stood the test of time, and along with the band’s original sax player Lora Logic, she has become part of the punk rock narrative. The fuzzy snapshots of the brief early lineup see the sassy and sharp dressed teenager core oozing talent, originality and style in a freeze frame of pop culture punk rock perfection.
The X-Ray Spex story has been told over and over in books, films and online and yet the band’s second album seems to have slipped from view. Finally lovingly restored it’s getting its moment in the sun and its punky pop/noise songs that drip a punky sass with an added bubblegum melody with Poly’s sassy lyrical genius.
There is not a dud on the album that updates the debut’s kooky Day-Glo genius with a song cycle that are snapshots of the then contemporary culture. The tunes come wrapped up with Poly’s distinctive voice and, finally, Lora Logic who is unleashed on a whole album playing her exquisite sax on each track with her distinctive stand out style that is her trademark.
There is something magical about the way the voice and the sax slip around each other in their own individual perfection. Poly’s instinctive pop nous and Lora’s bleating sax give the songs their distinctive twists and turns.
Paul Dean remembers the recording.
‘It was Poly, Lora and me from the original band and we recruited Crispian Mills on guitar and Paul Winterhart on drums who were both brilliant and had a lot of input.
Some of the songs I was already aware of and had been around for years e.g. ‘Prayer For Peace’. We had a few rehearsals, there were 12 songs to work out. Poly had the lyrics and melody and the band worked out the chords, riffs and song arrangements into a recordable structure, it was a lot of work in a short time.
Sound wise it was the classic X-ray Spex set up with Poly’s unique vocals and raps and Lora’s trademark saxophone melodies swinging it along on top of the guitar, bass and drums. If I remember correctly, it was all done in a few weeks.’
For Lora Logic, it was initially an exciting experience.
‘My first studio memory was being struck by Crispian Mill's (or Red Spectre, his album pseudonym) impressive guitar presence and how tightly he played with drummer Paul Winterhart (or Pauli OhAirt, his album pseudonym), strengthened by a musical bond from years of gigging together. I had seen Crispian play in his first band in his early teens before Kula Shaker. Having previously made friends with his mum, Hayley Mills, from her Krishna Temple visits. It was awesome to find myself bumping into him again on an X-Ray Spex album!
Meeting up with original Spex bassist Paul Dean again, after nearly 20 years, was also wonderful. I very much enjoyed pulling sax flurries out of the ether after Crispian had arranged guitar to Poly's contagious new tunes.
However it was not easy to finish. Poly began suggesting that most of the sax should be taken out. Fortunately, the producer convinced her otherwise and the sax parts were subtly mixed in. Sadly, her emotional and mental decline became increasingly apparent as we went along. Completing Poly’s vocal over-dubs became a priority.’
Finally recorded, the album is full of lost classics like ‘Crystal Clear’ that revisits the tension and release of the debut album whilst ‘Cigarettes’ and ‘Junk Food Junkie’ are closest to classic Spex style with an added pop touch and see Poly still examining the crassness of consumer culture. There is the amusing nod to Iggy Pop in ‘Dog In Sweden’, which is an urgent punk rock missive just like the band had staked their reputation on years before.
There is the nod to T. Rex on ‘Prayer for Peace’ that featured on both this album and the recent Essential Logic Album ‘Land Of Kali’. or the hypnotic mantra like ‘Sophia’ that has the mystery of a Kate Bush in its exquisite grooves. ‘India’ is a paean to the holy nation of Poly’s dreams that embraces a spiritual serenity far away from the urgent rush of the debut album whilst ‘Hi Chaperone’ has the cheeky twist of Lora Logic’s own acclaimed post Spex band Essential Logic given the X-Ray treatment. Lora recalls the album fondly.
‘I am honoured to have been creatively involved with this unique collaboration of musicians and sound engineers and to have contributed to Poly’s extraordinary songwriting and performance’
Listening to the album again after a long break, Paul Dean is surprised.
“Conscious Consumer now sounds so much better than I remember. It wasn’t properly released at the time and so no one knows about it. If you love Germfree Adolescents you will love Conscious Consumer they are linked together. X-Ray Spex didn’t have just one great album it was two!”
The album rewrites the X-Ray Spex story. No longer can they be seen as a moment freeze framed in time back in the punk wars but a potentially longer term project that never lost their creative soul power. No mere flash in the pan, in many ways the album is even more frustrating and full of ‘what ifs’.
Of course, Poly made her own great solo records and Lora Logic was also on her own creative high with Essential Logic but the pair of them working in tandem was potentially one of the great sounds of UK pop culture. They had a rare magic that is the heart and soul of all great music, and the album is finally a reminder of just how much potential there was whilst also being a document of their innate brilliance.
Tracklisting:
1. Cigarettes
2. Junk Food Junkie
3. Crystal Clear
4. India
5. Dog In Sweden
6. Hi Chaperone
7. Good Time Girl
8. Melancholy
9. Sophia
10. Peace Meal
11. Prayer For Peace
12. Party -
The Land of Kali’ (co-produced by Youth), is the first new Essential Logic studio album in 43 years, and features the forthcoming new single ‘Prayer for Peace’, a re-imagining of the X-Ray Spex track from the tragically overlooked album, ‘Conscious Consumer’ (1995) on which Lora also played sax. “Poly Styrene and I were living in a Krishna community in Worcestershire in the early 80s.Visit product page →
We came together for the first time musically after X-Ray Spex to record the original version of this song. In 2019, I decided to record my own take as a tribute to the special times we shared. I hope Poly likes this new version too.” The 7” release of ‘Prayer for Peace’ is exclusive to the 5 LP box set “Logically Yours” via The bands DTC site and features a picture of Lora and Poly together during their time living at the temple.
Further tracks penned for release from the album include the dystopian, lockdown-inspired ‘Alien Boys’ and ‘Sky Rocket’, written with daughter Malini, about the fairground of life.
Tracklisting:
A1 ‘Prayer For Peace’
A2 ‘Alien Boys’
A3 ‘Mother Earth’
A4 ‘Never Know’
A5 ‘Charming Every Cupid’
B1 ‘Sky Rocket’
B2 ‘Serious’
B3 ‘Fallible Soldiers’
B4 ‘Land of Kali’
B5 ‘Beyond’
Land of Kali – (Adamski's Kali-Kiss Remix) – CD only -
Hiss And Shake Records
Essential Logic 'Logically Yours' Vinyl 5LP Bundle + 7" + Exclusive Tote Bag Bundle
£118.99
vHiss And Shake Records
Essential Logic 'Logically Yours' Vinyl 5LP Bundle + 7" + Exclusive Tote Bag Bundle
£118.99
Exclusive Cargo Direct Bundle includes:Visit product page →
1. Essential Logic – ‘Prayer For Peace’ 7”
Side A ‘Prayer For Peace’ (Full Album Version)
Side B ‘Beyond’ (Full Album Version)
2 . Essential Logic Limited Edition Silver logo and hand screen printed Tote Bag
Hiss and Shake Records to release ‘Logically Yours’ – a limited edition, 5 x LP boxset of 50 essential recordings from seminal post-punk icon Lora Logic including 2 classic Essential Logic albums, early single releases, EPs, B-sides, rarities, vinyl exclusives + first new Essential Logic studio album in 43 years!
Includes the classic Rough Trade Records releases ‘Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?) + ‘Pedigree Charm’ + 2 retrospective compilations of early single releases, EPs, B-sides, rarities + vinyl exclusives ‘Aerosol Burns & Other Misdemeanours’ + ‘No More Fiction’ + new studio album ‘Land of Kali’ (first in 43 years) + 20 page booklet with introduction from Celeste Bell + Lora Logic Q+A.
Susan Whitby, aka Lora Logic was one of the most distinctive talents from the post-punk era known for her intoxicating, rough-around-the-edges, yet exhilarating sax playing and haywire vocal style. Her offbeat, occasionally arresting lyrics tackled alienation, sexism, poverty and urban isolation, and with a complete disregard for convention, she carved her own path not only in her short-lived music career but also personal life.
She was still in her teens when she answered an ad in Melody Maker “Looking for young punks,” and in 1976, with her friend Marion Elliot (aka Poly Styrene), she formed the punk band X-Ray Spex and acquired the pseudonym, Lora Logic. The duo soon achieved notoriety with the irresistible feminist protest single, ‘Oh Bondage Up Yours’ (1977) – Logic arguably stealing the show with her thrilling punk sax.
“X-Ray Spex was my first band, I happened to be accepted, It happened to work, I happened to get famous overnight. I’d been playing sax in a cupboard in my room; I thought I better do something.” However, just prior to recording 'Germ Free Adolescents' (1978), X-Ray Spex's debut album, she found herself unexpectedly ousted from the band. With abundant enthusiasm and encouragement from Geoff Travis, founding director of Rough Trade Records, she went on to form Essential Logic, creating some of the most liberating and exciting music of the early post-punk era, not only as Essential Logic, but also as a solo artist.
Hiss and Shake Records are pleased to present a limited edition boxset of 50 essential recordings from the irresistibly engaging Lora Logic archive, allowing for a new generation to become aware of her incredible creative output. Across 5 LPs, ‘Logically Yours’ includes in their entirety, the classic Rough Trade Records releases ‘Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?) (1979) – Essential Logic’s sole studio album, and Lora’s solo album, ‘Pedigree Charm’ (1982) – her last studio album before turning her back on the music business, sad and disillusioned and fighting drug addiction, which saw her turn to a Hare Krishna lifestyle, alongside Poly Styrene, embracing a fresh new chapter.
This totally absorbing and definitive collection also includes two retrospective compilations; ‘Essential Logic – ‘Aerosol Burns & Other Misdemeanours’, which comprises early single releases, B-sides and oddities including the gloriously chaotic ‘Aerosol Burns’, the essential punk/disco ‘Music Is A Better Noise’, and ‘Fanfare In the Garden’, showcasing Lora at her most pop. In addition, ‘Essential Logic – ‘No More Fiction’; contains 10 vinyl exclusives, including ‘Do You Believe in Christmas?’, recorded with the Krishna Kids Choir in 1985, alongside tracks recorded circa 1997, with Martin Muscatt, Dave Farren (Bad Manners) and Gary Valentine (Blondie), forming the basis of what would have been Essential Logic’s third studio album, ‘No More Fiction’.
Having recently returned to the studio refreshed and rejuvenated, ‘Logically Yours’ also includes ‘The Land of Kali’ (co-produced by Youth), the first new Essential Logic studio album in 43 years, and features the forthcoming new single ‘Prayer for Peace’, a re-imagining of the X-Ray Spex track from the tragically overlooked album, ‘Conscious Consumer’ (1995) on which Lora also played sax. “Poly Styrene and I were living in a Krishna community in Worcestershire in the early 80s. We came together for the first time musically after X-Ray Spex to record the original version of this song. In 2019, I decided to record my own take as a tribute to the special times we shared. I hope Poly likes this new version too.”
The 7” release of ‘Prayer for Peace’ is exclusive to the boxset via The bands DTC site and features a picture of Lora and Poly together during their time living at the temple. Further tracks penned for release from the album include the dystopian, lockdown-inspired ‘Alien Boys’ and ‘Sky Rocket’, written with daughter Malini, about the fairground of life.
Despite her short-lived career in the music business, Lora still managed to perform and appear on releases with many artists including US experimental rock band Red Crayola between 1978 and 1981, and also appeared on recordings by The Stranglers, The Raincoats, Kollaa Kestää, Dennis Bovell, Swell Maps and later, Boy George.
Undoubtedly an iconic figure of the UK post-punk scene, Lora Logic’s boldness, adventurousness and sense of fun can be seen as an influence on numerous female artists today including Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Peaches and St. Vincent among others.
Tracklisting:
Essential Logic ‘Beat Rhythm News (Waddle Ya Play?)’ (1979)
A1 ‘Quality Crayon Wax OK’
A2 ‘The Order Form’
A3 ‘Shabby Abbott’
A4 ‘World Friction’
B1 ‘Wake Up’
B2 ‘Albert’
B3 ‘Alkaline Loaf in the Area’
B4 ‘Collecting Dust’
B5 ‘Pop Corn Boy (Waddle Ya Do?)’
Lora Logic – ‘Pedigree Charm’ (1982)
A1 ‘Brute Fury’
A2 ‘Horrible Party’
A3 ‘Stop Halt’
A4 ‘Wonderful Offer’
A5 ‘Martian Man’
B1 ‘Hiss and Shake’
B2 ‘Pedigree Charm’
B3 ‘Rat Allé’
B4 ‘Crystal Gazing’
Essential Logic – ‘Aerosol Burns & Other Misdemeanours’
A1 ‘Aerosol Burns’ (1978) – Debut single
A2 ‘World Friction’ (1978) – ‘Aerosol Burns’ B-side
A3 ‘Eugene’ (1981) – Single
A4 ‘Tame the Neighbours’ (1981) – ‘Eugene’ B-side
A5 ‘Music Is A Better Noise’ (1981) – Single
A6 ‘Moontown’ (1981) – ‘Music Is A Better Noise’ B-side
B1 ‘Fanfare In the Garden’ (1981) – Single
B2 ‘Stereo’ (1982) – ‘Wonderful Offer’ single B-side
B3 ‘Rather Than Repeat’ (1981) – ‘Wonderful Offer’ single B-side
B4 ‘The Captain’ (1979) – ‘Fanfare In The Garden’ B-side
B5 ‘Soul’ (1983) – Previously unreleased on vinyl
B6 ‘Stay High’ – Previously unreleased on vinyl
Essential Logic – ‘No More Fiction’
A1 ‘Essential Logic’ (1991) – Vinyl exclusive
A2 ‘On The Internet’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive
A3 ‘Under The Great City’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive
A4 ‘No More Fiction’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive
A5 ‘Love Eternal’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive
B1 ‘Barbie Be Happy’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive
B2 ‘Not Me’ (1998) – Vinyl exclusive
B3 ‘The Beautiful and the Damned’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive
B4 ‘Marika’ (1997) – Vinyl exclusive
B5 ‘Do You Believe in Christmas?’ (1985) with the Krishna Kids Choir – Vinyl exclusive
Essential Logic – ‘Land of Kali’ (2022)
A1 ‘Prayer For Peace’
A2 ‘Alien Boys’
A3 ‘Mother Earth’
A4 ‘Never Know’
A5 ‘Charming Every Cupid’
B1 ‘Sky Rocket’
B2 ‘Serious’
B3 ‘Fallible Soldiers’
B4 ‘Land of Kali’
B5 ‘Beyond’ -
Sold outLimited Edition 1000 Pressing. 2xLP Gold Vinyl.Visit product page →
Songs From the Red Room'marks the debut Record Store day offering from Shakespears Sister aka Siobhan Fahey.
This release celebrates the albums tenth anniversary with the albums long overdue vinyl outing. The critically acclaimed - Songs From the Red Room', originally released in 2009 has become a fan favourite amongst Siobhan's legions of fans.
The original 11 track album, includes the singles Bitter Pill', Pulsatron', Bad Blood'and It's A Trip', alongside Was It Worth It?'with long-term collaborator Terry Hall (Fun Boy Three / The Specials), a cover of the Linda Lamb classic Hot Room', bonus track Someone Else's Girl'and remixes from the Droyds, Whitey, Jagz Kooner and Death In Vegas.
As one of the most accomplished female songwriters the UK has ever produced, Fahey has enjoyed enormous creative and commercial success. Her career in the music industry stretches back almost four decades with legendary groups Shakespears Sister and Bananarama, as well as writing for other artists.
Fahey co-founded Bananarama with Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward in 1981. They enjoyed two top five hits in partnership with male trio Fun Boy Three in 1982, before having their first solo hit with 'Shy Boy' later that year.
Despite international success and a string of international hit singles, including the US Number One Venus'and four hugely successful studio albums Deep Sea Skiving', Bananarama', True Confessions'and WOW!'Fahey left the group in 1988 and founded Shakespears Sister. Initially as a solo project and later in partnership with Marcella Detroit.
Shakespears Sister's debut album Sacred Heart'was released in 1989, and included the hit single You're History'. Their 1992 hit Stay' topped the UK charts for eight weeks, the longest running Number One by an all-female group in British chart history. Their 'Hormonally Yours' album released that year went to Number Three in the UK charts and was certified Double Platinum, subsequently receiving the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection in 1993.
After a musical hiatus Fahey later returned as Shakespears Sister, again as a solo vehicle, for the the release of her critically acclaimed albums #3'and Songs From the Red Room'in 2009 on her own SF Records, amongst others.
In 2017 Fahey reunited with bandmates Dallin and Woodward for the Bananarama Original Line-Up Tour, their first as trio, for sold-out dates across the UK, North America and Europe into 2018. Now fans old and new can finally experience Shakespears Sisters fourth studio album in all its vinyl glory.
Tracklisting:
Side A:
1. Pulsatron (Whitey Mix)
2. Bad Blood
3. Was It Worth It? (with Terry Hall)
4. It's A Trip
Side B:
5. Hot Room
6. A Man In Uniform
7. You're Alone
8. Bitter Pill
Side C:
9. Cold
10. You're Not Yourself
11. A Loaded Gun
12. Someone Else's Girl
Side D:
13. Bitter Pill (Droyds Radio Edit)
14. Bad Blood (Jagz Kooner Mix - AT Edit)
15. Pulsatron (Gully Mix)
16. Cold (Death In Vegas Mix)
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