Radiation Reissues Italy Vinyl & CDs

Review: The latest reissued compilation of 4 Skins' greatest works contains the hits and misses of the band at the height of the oi! era, which evolved in tandem with their breakout success and helped them along more than a fair little. From the opening jump of 'One Law For Them' and 'Evil', twin charges of unrelenting chant-punk and brawly sonic brashness, to the latter-siders 'A.C.A.B.' and 'I Don't Wanna Die', as well as a second Bumper Session of 'Evil', this retrospective harks back to a distinct early 80s subculture - as well as a band who, in their concern for police brutality and social injustice, defy common misconceptions of skinheads as all bad.

Review: Hailing from London's East End, there's few Oi-punk outfits who were as quintessential or authentic as The 4-Skins. While only releasing a small handful of albums with their definitive 80s line up, this live/demo/unreleased cuts compilation offers an aural fly-on-the-wall experience of being confronted with their signature brand of seething anti-authoritarian, anti-police brutality, anti-fascist, football loving, skinhead sporting, Doc Marten stomping punk in real time. Packed with cuts pulled from radio sessions, Bumper sessions, demos and even two tracks from a previously unreleased 7" 45, including the ska-punk-inflected 'Seems To Me'; offering a more subdued side to the OG Skins than most long-time fans would be accustomed to.

Review: Taken from their now iconic performance on 6th July 1976 at London's 100 Club, this live LP was originally released in 2007 as an accompanying bonus disc to the 30th anniversary deluxe version of The Damned's seminal 1977 debut full-length Damned Damned Damned. Landing on its own exclusive, limited and numbered red/black splattered vinyl 12", the set is noted for being the band's first official live show, as they provided support for the Sex Pistols, while guitarist Brian James has since elaborated that while the members were paid L5 for the gig by Pistols' manager Malcolm McLaren, they were also charged L10 to use their PA system. Not very punk if you ask us.

Review: The short-lived Dils was the brain child of Californian brothers Chip and Tony Kinman, who across their brief four-year tenure from 1976 to 1980, managed to craft a small but integral bevvy of minimal, proto-no wave punk that flew in the face of the more snot-nosed breakneck pace of the scene at large. They also exuded slightly more melodic tendencies, earning them the nickname "punk rock Everly Brothers", but make no mistake 'Dils Dils Dils' still offers enough abrasion to peel plaster. The one true LP from the group is made up of their slew of early singles including the essential anthem 'You're Not Blank', while the B-side is rounded out with various live cuts from their momentous peak years. Ending their original run at the dawn of the 80s with support slots for both The Clash, and finally Black Flag; The Dils were the real deal (dil?) and their brief but essential discography is awaiting reappraisal and rediscovery.

Review: Another year, another vital repress of Scotland's greatest punk export The Exploited's adored yet overlooked fourth full-length Horror Epics. Originally released in 1985 and arriving two years after the career high-point that was Let's Start A War... (Said Maggie One Day), fan appreciation for the project has only ballooned in the decades since, with a myriad of 7" singles and compilations often boasting at least one of the album's essential cuts such as 'No More Idols' or 'Treat You Like Shit'. For both seasoned heads and newcomers alike, who aren't bothered by the piecemeal approach, take advantage of Radiation Records' tireless efforts to constantly keep such punk classics in circulation in their intended form.

Review: Landing at number 11 on the list of limited picture disc pressings coming from the beautiful crate-digging Italian punk restorers Radiation Records, as part of their Record Store Day celebrations; Dead Cities was only the fifth single from Scottish hardcore/Oi-punk legends The Exploited. Originally released in 1981 on Secret Records, this pressing marks the first time the cut has ever been made available on 7" picture disc. Limited to just 500 numbered copies, be quick to ensure you lock down a sweet slice of this authentic jaw-breaking, curb-stomping UK82 (or 81) classic, that comes with the legendary deep cut 'Hitler's In The Charts Again' as well as the venomous 'Class War' on the flip.

Review: Stolen Property, like the title suggests, consists of songs borrowed/lifted/stolen/covered by legendary pub rock turned punk heroes UK Subs mainman Charlie Harper. Originally released in 1982, this debut solo LP refused to cater to the legions of punkheads Harper's band were amassing, and instead served as a sincere love letter to the sweet, simple rock n' roll of his youth and formative listening years. Initially distributed by Flicknife, this long overdue reissue comes courtesy of the dynamic Italians over in Rome's Radiation Records, and boasts retro-swag renditions of timeless tracks such as 'Louie, Louie' by The Kingsmen Quartet, 'Waiting For My Man' by The Velvet Underground, and The Doors' iconic 'Light My Fire'.

Review: Who needs commercial success, anyway? At least not in the Big Apple during the early-1970s - long before Manhattan became a millionaire's enclave and most of Brooklyn out-priced normal people. The New York Dolls certainly didn't seem to mind that their rowdy and raucous take on rock 'n' roll, somewhere between The Who in full meltdown mode and Jimmy Hendrix and the seedlings of punk, didn't capture mainstream imaginations when they first started out.

Through countless lineup iterations things would slowly and slightly change, with the band's first two LPs considered two of the most sought after releases in cult guitar-dom (The New York Dolls and Too Much Too Soon). Actress predates all that, taking its name from the outfit the Dolls grew out of, but the blueprint for critical recognition is clear already - part psychedelic, party sweat and blood and tears, part lager and fighting, all befitting one of modern history's most hedonistic eras.

Review: Originally released in 1979, 'Self Conscious Over You' still serves as a vital piece of Northern Irish punk more than four decades on. Following the success of their 'Just Another Teenage Rebel' single via Good Vibrations, and airplay attention from the one and only John Peel, The Outcasts delivered a staggering debut of frustration, vitality and youthful angst, with seminal cuts such as 'The Cops Are Comin' tackling more weighty anti-authoritarian vitriol, yet the bruised distracted heart of unrequited teenage affection and snot-nosed rebellion primarily teems through this essential Belfast punk classic. One for fans of the classics and newfound punk scholars wishing to expand their knowledge.

Review: True to the Radiation knack for reissuing only the most vital and unfairly forgotten gems of their time, the blues punkabilly grit of 'Pissed & Proud' has finally found a modern home on wax. The harmonica-blaring, ludicrously catchy oi-punk tempering of Peter & The Test Tube Babies was a far cry from their impish, boyish upstart demeanour, while timeless scrappy anthems such as 'Banned From The Pubs' are an era keepsake unto themselves.

These live collections were recorded over an August Bank Holiday weekend in 1982 with performances in Hammersmith and Wood Green, as well as their hometown, Brighton, and they couldn't sound more of and ahead of their time, simultaneously. You can practically hear the absorbed pub walls dripping with dingy sweat.

Review: Another release dropping in tandem with the upcoming Danny Boyle directed 'Pistol' biopic series, the beautifully titled, 'Spunk: The Demos 1976-1977' does precisely what it says on the tin.

Lo-fi, raw and (slightly) scuzzier peeks into a formulaic time, but not in the derogatory sense. Explore early proto versions of what would end up becoming legacy cuts such as 'Nookie (Anarchy In The UK)', 'No Future (God Save The Queen)' and 'Lots Of Fun (Pretty Vacant)', because even seminal punk classics had to start somewhere.

Review: In 1981, as the punk genre began to simultaneously expand and collapse in on itself, well across the pond, a group known as Solucion Mortal would stake their claim as arguably the most vital Mexican punk band to ever exist. Hailing from Tijuana, the bevvy of crusty influences smashed against the group's own perception of what punk meant to them, evidenced greatly by their pummelling debut, 'Live At Fairmont'. This self-titled compilation includes the entire full-length, along with the cassette release, 'En Iguanas', as well as a choice cut from, 'Al Filo De Abismo.' If you feel a slight pang of fomo (fear of missing out) that you've never delved into the criminally overlooked work of Mexico's seminal punk contributors, this collection serves as the perfect crash course.

Review: Originally formed in Birmingham in 1976, Suburban Studs were a classic case of right place, right time yet with no major mainstream success to buoy them for long. Opening for the likes of The Clash, Sex Pistols, Judas Priest, and even AC/DC during their tenure, while also recording a Peel Session, the Studs' live graft is what they're fondly most remembered for, yet their one and only full-length Slam is still packed to the brim with retrograde bangers. Releasing your punk debut in 1977, the year punk (apparently) died, may not have been the best move, but disregarding all pontifications of mysticism and fate, punks with working ears are still very glad the record exists, while those with turntables will be overjoyed to finally add this slept on gem to their collection.

Review: I Was A Mod Before You Was A Mod was originally released in 1995, at that point that made it their first album in three years. It was also Television Personalities' first collection of new music on new label Overground Records following the label putting out two live albums and nine reissued singles. Now it gets repressed and served up on wax once more but with the added bonus of eleven new tracks recorded by Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios. his marked the band's last original album with everything coming after taking the form of covers or compilations.

Review: Toy Dolls are a little-known but incendiary punk act from Sunderland, England; the band came together in 1979 at the pinnacle of the movement, at a time of fecund promise for genres such as oi!, industrial music and punk. As evidenced by their (now reissued via Radiation) third LP Idle Gossip, their sound is a riveting mixture of these. Its impeccably spacious sound and uniquely upper-register squeals, not to mention its male-female call-response patterns, transport the listener to a headspace of collective ecstasy, reminiscent of time spent watching your favourite team body the opposition, leading to a collective eruption of glee. Well worth listening to in tandem with their first two LPs, Geordie's Gone To Jail and Keith's A Thief, Idle Gossip is a quintessential, authentic slice of northeastern punk.

Review: Tozibabe was a group that was way ahead of its time, firstly because it was a Slovenian all-female hardcore and punk band. They were active during the 80ss in Ljubljana in ex-Yugoslavia. Alenka Marseni-Marsa, Lidija Rupnik, Krischka and Pika all thrashed out angry rhythms and angular guitars on just one album back in 1986. This first collection of their tunes draws together their best work and makes for a high-octane and scuzzy but empowering listen that is up there with any punk material you care to mention.

Review: The Roxy in Covent Garden, London, was the centre of the punk scene in 1977 and the UK Subs were one of many whose appaearances at the tony club launched them to lengthy careers. Originally recorded on New Years in 1977, this live album was originally released in 1991, showing the band - Charlie Harper on vocals, Nicky Garratt on guitar, Steve Slack on bass and Rory Lyons on drums - in their infancy. Known for their short, energy and often alcohol-driven songs, the band built a strong following for decades after, but that UK punk attitude is already very much in evidence in all its gnarly glory here.

Review: The early 1980's saw the punk scene begin its ripple effect throughout the world, with Mexico becoming an outlier melting pot of untrained, inexperienced yet utterly passionate fans, pining to offer their own contributions to a movement they felt at home within. Yaps were one such prime example, who would find themselves moving from zero instrumental understanding to support sets for the likes of Ramones, The Exploited and GBH, to name but a few. 'Punk Directo De Las Montanas' compiles the 1988 self-titled 7" and the 'Tu Sentencia' full-length from 1990 onto one LP home, provided by punk restorer extraordinaries Radiation Records.

Review: While legendary London proto-punk outfit The Boys carved out a lasting legacy and notable, if admittedly minute, impact on the early scene, one of their most bizarre and sought after contributions is the Christmas themed record released in 1980 under the pseudonym The Yobs (a very complex anagram). Credited under the aliases Noddy Oldfield, Ebenezer Polak, Kid Vicious and H. J. Bedwetter, the LP offers their very own shitheaded renditions of seasonal classics from 'Jingle Bells' and 'White Christmas' to more folk and biblical pieces such as 'Auld Lang Syne' and 'Silent Night'. If you're a Chrimbo punk sick to the back teeth of all the versions you hear repeated ad nauseam each year, then this reissue of The Yobs heading towards the exit on their own ludicrous terms is a vital stocking filler.