Considering that this trio split up over a decade ago, it's nice that each year brings another retrospective, and another opportunity to praise one of the most valiant, affecting, provoking, and downright great bands ever to be even remotely affiliated with the word "punk." In fact, if all so-called punk bands had this group's wit, intelligence, humor, mod/soul influences, and -- most of all -- burning passion and commitment, no one would ever associate the genre with anything but these valorou...   [ read more ]

CD $18.03

Chasing the Brighton-based punks from their "Banned from the Pubs" debut in 1982 through to the "Keys to the City" 45 three years later, The Punk Singles Collection is a reminder that, for all the on-stage hijinks and the complaints that they were essentially a novelty band, Peter & the Test Tube Babies were actually responsible for some of the hardest-hitting singles of the early '80s Oi! heyday. As usual with the series, 23 tracks round up both A- and B-sides, so a big hurrah for the...   [ read more ]

CD $18.03

Inaugurating the Beggars Banquet label with the life-affirming buzz rush of "Shadow," the Lurkers -- west London's answer to the Ramones -- went on to establish themselves among the finest singles bands of the age, a veritable production line of three-chord/three-minute classics whose longevity defied even the most generous expectations. "Freak Show," "Ain't Got a Clue," "I Don't Need to Tell Her," "Just Thirteen," "Out in the Dark," "New Guitar in Town" -- the chart statistic...   [ read more ]

CD $18.98