The Slits - Cut (Antilles, 1979) Like all great post punk albums, Cut reinvents rock music, with the addition of creating a new form of PLAY. What a joy this album is. They would get more serious later, and put on one of the best live dub shows I’ve ever seen! #5debutalbums7579
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (Factory, 1979) A recent film posited in one extraordinary scene that JD is folk music. You could also argue that it’s soul music. Either way, it’s deep stuff and bedrock music for me. Powerfully influential, but nothing really touches it. #5debutalbums7579
Maryam Qudus is already having a great year, thanks to her work on Hannah Lew's debut solo album. Now, her project, Spacemoth, has heralded a new album with the super-cool track, Do We Exist? Listen, and then await Inward Eye, out 6/26 on @greenwayrecords.bsky.social
youtu.be/x0Ha1Fpv1qU?...
Great article! I went to look at "Emily Hart's" Facebook page and noticed he misspelled "Christ" as "Chirst" - if that was intentional...chef's kiss!
The Undertones - s/t (Sire, 1979) No messages or calls to revolution, just song after tuneful song of roughed up power pop. Bands of the 90s and 2000s probably took as much from them as the Buzzcocks. Lightning in a bottle, however, with no real follow-up. #5debutalbums7579
Lene Lovich - Stateless (Stiff, 1978) Pop-craft with a sense of history and a nice layer of quirk, Lucky Number and the rest of the album drew a blueprint for 80s new wave that should probably be acknowledged more often. Lovich & Les Chappell were a dynamic duo! #5debutalbums7579
This is the Beck I've been wanting to hear for a while. Ride Lonesome is simply gorgeous, an instant classic! Listen now and join me in hoping for a whole album of this. youtu.be/VqQmgHcIHN0?...
Public Image Ltd. - First Issue (Virgin, 1978) A thrilling, angry, and funny runway to the towering achievement of Metal Box. Keith Levene still astonishes, the Wobble/Walker rhythm section defines space in a new way, and Lydon shows new depths. #5debutalbums7579
Siouxsie And The Banshees - The Scream (Polydor, 1978) Brittle and brutal guitars, pummeling rhythms, and that wailing voice make this a foundational post-punk album. John McKay never matched his work here, but many others took his baton and ran with it! #5debutalbums7579
Here for it. It’s a much nicer day for IndiePlaza this year, so thanks for that Rough Trade and Rockefeller Center! Very psyched for Winter, Friko, and Hotline TNT, but it’s always a good time! #freeconcert #livemusic
An album of boundary-breaking works from the Tak Ensemble gives us A Song For Friday. Also: Michael Jones, Dinzu Artefacts, Joseph Branciforte & Jozef Dumoulin, Nine Inch Noize, Pioneers, Yaya Bey, Hollie Cooke, HOLODEC, Kathryn Mohr, and Rachel Armes. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for...
Pere Ubu - The Modern Dance (Blank, 1979) Maybe it’s not fair to expect debut albums to scorch the earth with their ideas and present them in a perfect set of songs performed with furious commitment. But when you find one that does…WOW. #5debutalbums7579
XTC - White Music (Virgin, 1978/79) This Is Pop and Statue Of Liberty are so great that they overshadow even the best of the rest of the album. A fun listen and an auspicious debut, even if the Dylan cover remains atrocious! #5debutalbums7579
Glenn Branca’s Symphony No. 13 (Hallucination City) for 100 Guitars at @lincolncenter.bsky.social? Uh, that's a big HELL YES from me. June 12th at 7:30. Tickets on sale May 20th - put that on your calendar, too!
lincolncenter.org/series/summe...
Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks (Virgin, 1977) If your debut is your whole discography, it better be this good! Imagine how it felt for Lydon, a deeply unconventional person and singer, to have this wall of guitars and indomitable rhythms behind him. #5debutalbums7579
Talking Heads - 77 (Sire, 1977) Half a great album, half a fascinating placeholder for what was yet to come. Recently ranked it 3.5/5 and 6 of 9 studio LPs. It could be I feel that way because Fear Of Music was the first one I fully connected with. #5debutalbums7579
Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (Columbia, 1977) Scrappy production announces a great songwriter in search of a sonic identity. That would come. In the meantime, gaze in awe at such wonders as Alison, Detectives, Mystery Dance, etc. What a way with words! #5debutalbums7579
Sending strength. I’m not working right now but I wish I could help.
The Clash - s/t (CBS, 1977/78) If you want to know what it sounds like to kick a door down while playing guitar, put this deathless slab under your needle. Dry, tough, almost workmanlike, this classic album (first heard in the US version) sold me on punk. #5debutalbums7579
Black Uhuru - Love Crisis (Jammy's, 1977) While the polishing done for the Black Sounds Of Freedom reissue in 1981 was an improvement, this is a more than respectable debut for one of reggae's greatest bands. #5debutalbums7579
youtu.be/tCluZAEgMDU?...
The Eleventh Hour - Hollywood Hot (20th Century, 1976) Exuberant, big band funk that never quite gets above footnote status in Bob Crewe’s legendary career (or Cidney Bullens’). Bumper To Bumper would have been on many a high school mixtape had I heard it! #5DebutAlbums7579
Automatic Man - s/t (Island, 1976) Todd “Bayeté” Cochran had a fascinating career, including his role in this often thrilling fusion band, which also featured Michael Shrieve and Pat Thrall. Bayeté’s vocals could be better, but there’s some great stuff here! #5debutalbums7579
Iggy Pop - The Idiot (RCA, 1977) This dark and powerful album is an act of brotherly love, with Bowie setting his friend Jim up for a complete success. The following tour, with Bowie on keyboards, was further proof of his massive respect for Iggy. Not a bad song here! #5debutalbums7579
Bunny Wailer - Blackheart Man (Island, 1976/7?) One of the most gorgeous reggae albums of all time. Just impeccable, as if Wailer was saying “Hold my spliff, Bob!” That Bunny could not sustain the quality in the future detracts nothing from this masterpiece. #5DebutAlbums7579
The Dictators - Go Girl Crazy! (Epic, 1975) The comedy rock concept is solid and The Next Big Thing is a glam-punk gem. But most of the album doesn’t live up to the concept or the song, so it’s not a contender no matter how handsome Dick is! #5DebutAlbums7579
@richards7370.bsky.social has given us a TASK with #5debutalbums7579! 1979 alone could dominate my rankings without any shame whatsoever. But before jumping the gun, I'll try to get to as many of these 70+ albums as possible! open.spotify.com/playlist/6xy...
VERY cool new track from Zzzahara! Check out Chinese Tobacco now, and then keep an ear out for Distant Lands, coming out June 5th on @lexrecords.bsky.social. youtu.be/vTszGg8aarA?...
This week’s A Song For Friday is uncut psychedelia from Italy by Lay Llamas. Also: Hannah Lew, Rachel Lime, IMustBe Leonardo, Marcelo Mellado, Whitney Johnson/Lia Kohl/Macie Stewart, Sarah Plum, and Zachary Mezzo. anearful.substack.com/p/a-song-for... #newmusicfriday
As gorgeous, lush, and melodic as you would expect...but it also rocks. Here for whatever she's serving! Kelela - idea 1 (Official Video) youtu.be/U2IpeDPmjFo?... via @warprecords.bsky.social
When I saw Alex Amen open for Folk Bitch Trio, I knew he was the real thing. Listen to this *sparkling* preview of his debut album, Sun Of Amen, out June 12th from @atorecords.bsky.social. Diamonds (Official Music Video) youtu.be/ZQRjrHfgi4k?...