** Record Store Day 2016 Exclusive, few copies soon available, pressed on color vinyl and sold in bundle** Suicide is the classic proto-punk duo composed of Alan Vega and Martin Rev. Their first single, 1978's Cheree, was originally released in England just months after their landmark self-titled LP. The A-side, a sparkling remix of the group's first proper song, features the brilliant juxtaposition of Vega's yearning voice and Rev's swirling synth textures. Non-album track "I Remember" is another urban hymn rescued from the Suicide sessions. Truly greater than the sum of its parts, Suicide remains the most controversial and confrontational band ever to come out of New York City.
It may come as a surprise to hear that Suicide's best-known song, the startlingly beautiful "Dream Baby Dream," was never issued on any of this seminal band's albums. Originally released on ZE Records in 1979, Suicide's second single has been covered by many artists – most famously Bruce Springsteen – to become one of the era's most ethereal love songs. "Dream Baby Dream's" sparse lyrics and majestic chords are simply chilling, while the B-side's "Radiation" offers a shamanistic groove – perfect for when the lights have gone out.
"The Fall formed in 1977 with their debut EP hitting in August 1978. Three spiky numbers therein boldly announce the arrival of an uncompromising unit that eschewed the cosmetic elements of punk and New Wave to tear open an entirely new musical form. The woozy Martin Bramah guitar lead punctuating Bingo-Master's Break-Out (recorded in two takes, the first being more 'together') contrasts with Mark E. Smith's acid-tinged sneer and the band's overall stripped-down attack. The B-side reveals The Fall's mantra of the three basic R's: repetition, repetition, repetition." – Brian Turner
"The Fall's next 45 hit in November 1978 to find the group squarely between their first two Peel sessions, yet still pre-dating their first LP. Critical acclaim was starting to swell; the lineup was already morphing to include Marc Riley and Yvonne Pawlett (whose globby approach to the cheap keyboard cemented the instrument's place in the band). 'It's the New Thing' is a straightforward punk-out, while 'Various Times' shifts focus to a darker atmosphere of cerebral plod that further hints at the future to come." – Brian Turner
DNA burst onto NYC's underground scene in the late '70s and recorded their lone single at Ultima Sound (the same studio where Suicide made their first album) in May 1978 just weeks prior to the pivotal No New York sessions with Brian Eno. Featuring the original lineup of Arto Lindsay (vocals/guitar), Robin Crutchfield (keyboards) and Ikue Mori (drums), You & You is DNA's indelible debut that perfectly captures the anti-movement of No Wave: clearly defined and purposely oblique with traditional rock instrumentation completely destroying rock 'n' roll in two minutes or less.
