Messthetics #104 D.I.Y. '77-81 South Wales I

D.I.Y. and (very) indie post-punk from South Wales and the Z-Block scene: '77-81 Messthetics' most obscure collection to date. By the end of 1977, years of music industry neglect (and the abrupt departure for London of the few feckless punks who'd landed record-deals) had left South Wales' fertile ground for D.I.Y. The most basic instrumentation, one-take recordings and black and white graphics ruled the day, so it's no surprise that not one of the records here sold more than 1200 copies. Mindful of these feeble sales, a dozen alumni of Cardiff's Z-Block label (and various mates) gave up releasing records altogether, and busied themselves in a frenzy of increasingly-sophisticated home recording. Here's just the tip of that iceberg - 23 songs on the CD, plus six bonus MP3 tracks. 24-page booklet, lovingly documented with histories & photos galore, PLUS a 'reunion' appearance of the legendary Great Pop Things rock history comic. Messthetics #104 features (extreme) rarities by Reptile Ranch, Tax Exiles, Immortal Invisibles, Flying Brix, Decadent Few, Ralph & The Ponytails, Czechs, Current Obsessions, What To Wear, Spitfire Boys, Discount Chiefs, Puritan Guitars, Janet & Johns, Crash Action Winners, Addiction, Boywonders, and Hugh Volk. Unreleased recordings by Reptile Ranch [live], the Sane [ex-Dec. Few & Reptile Ranch], Table Table (ex-everyone, including YMG), John Marlon (pre-4AD, ex-Tax Exiles), The Filmstars, and the 12- and 13-year-old splendor of the Autonomes. Plus previously unpublished Moors Murderers tales and Great Pop Things featuring 'Chuck Death' (Jon Langford)."