Mostly known stateside as IRS Records' gothrock hope once Doctor and the Medics tanked, Gothenburg, Sweden's Leather Nun put out three LPs in the mid-to-late 1980's and vamoosed. I recall seeing them circa 88 opening for someone and thought of them kind of as a slightly heavier and less dreadful version of the Mission or something, and I remember they were handing out black condoms in the lobby of the theater proudly boasting that the imprinted logo and skull and crossbones rubbed off during use. I also kind of remember a kitschy version of John Cougar Mellencamp's "Pink Houses" making the rounds on college radio. Before their first album in 1986 though, they issued a slab of completely ruling singles that took cues in a big way from Throbbing Gristle and the Stooges sped up, almost akin to Metal Urbain with a human drummer. They still sound killer, too; check out this one from 1981: "Ensam I Natt" (MP3), "Here Comes Life" (MP3), "No Rule (live)" (MP3). It should also be noted that LN's Freddie Wadling has gained some prominent fame as both an actor and a key component in Sweden's experimental scenes; Fläskvartetten were and experiemental string quartet with revolving vocalists, and Wadling has done some great solo records, one of which consisted of Captain Beefheart covers. He also fronted the punk band Cortex way back when.
Many FMU fans might have heard the great song "Comme à la Radio", done by Brigitte Fontaine and Areski (who collaborated together with the Art Ensemble of Chicago on the LP of the same name). Here's an MP3 of the English version from Un Beau Matin, whith lyrics even weirder than I had imagined it they would be (sample couplet: "At this very moment, thousands of dogs with be run over on the highway. At this very moment, an alcoholic doctor will lean over the body of a young girl and swear 'you're not going to die on me, you bitch.") Fontaine still continues to churn out her music, in fact a full LP with Sonic Youth has actually been languishing for a few years unreleased. Fontaine's 70's work is extremely stellar.
It's good news indeed that the mighty Siltbreeze label has returned to its proper spot on the bus as thee eminent purveyor of musical confusion, having brought us the Dead C, Harry Pussy, and Charalambides (back before "New Weird America" became a sticker for CD shrinkwrap and every kid started wrapping his or her CDR of introspective psychedelia in leaves). It's safe to say that anything that adds on to the label discography is sure welcome at any point in the timeline, even if the CEO has to take off for a few years to exotic animal-roasting culinary seminars in Europe. Rumblings began with a Times New Viking LP last year, and now a bunch of titles are set to rip in '07, with an LP from the mysterious Der Teenage Panzer Korps leading the charge. Der TPK are a sort of teutonicized Germs, barrelling head first into a crusty lo-fi Krautrock/hardcore hybrid in a way that slightly resembles some of those Metabolismus 7"s but with a bit more rotgut. CDRs on Pink Skulls (part of the west coast Jewelled Antler scene, and indeed "Edmund Xavier" of Der TPK is fabled to be Blithe Son/Thuja/Skygreen Leopards member Glenn Donaldson) led to a Skulltones 7" and now some of those tracks are reprised on this full length LP Harmful Emotions. Bunker Wolf's (pictured above with his other band the Nazi Dogs) German (or Germanic for all I know) barkings definitely reinforce the vibe being portrayed here on "Government Christians" (MP3), and I'm glad to see that the wide spectrum of ideas crammed into those little 7"s and CDRs continue to be in similar diversity here on the LP.
Here's a wrap-up of MP3-heavy posts in Beware of the Blog from the past month (scratched and sniffed by Liz Berg):
- Perhaps you've been hiding in a cave for the entire month of January? Hibernate no more! Otis Fodder has revived his glorious 365 Days Project, wherein you shall receive a new MP3 each day of 2007. Promotional music for bygone appliances! Evangelical family sing-alongs! College pep bands! Theft-prevention tracks! Catch up on the 365 magic right here. And keep checking our blog each day for a new nugget.
- Caroliner live at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, 2002. Grab a few tracks here, and thank Fatty Jubbo for hooking you up.
- Scott Williams has been posting a series of "Guess the WFMU DJ Personal Article" contests on the blog. Not only does Mr. Williams reveal sacred items belonging to real live WFMU DJs, he also peppers in a mystery MP3 track (or two, or three ) for your enjoyment.
- Mastermind behind the Crud Crud blog, Static Party blog, and S-S Records, Scott Soriano recently enlightened us with this track of gospel salvation, straight from Al Green's ministry in Memphis.
- Debbie Daughtry celebrated Mighty Hannibal Day in Atlanta (Jan. 12) by sharing an MP3.
- Ever wonder what the hell was up with the Butthole Surfers' song "Kuntz"? It's actually a cover, and Brian Turner has generously posted the original tune here.
- Dave the Spazz gives us the update on Question Mark (of ? & The Mysterians) and the tragic house fire that consumed most of his belongings along with a few of his pets. Find out how you can help ? and also grab a few MP3s while you're at it.
- Snag an early Nina Hagen track, before fame, fortune, and punk rock hit her. Delivered by Lukas.
- Chris T presents Alvin and the Chipmunks like you've never heard them before... sloooooowwwwed doooooooowwwn.
- Check out the entries submitted for Station Manager Ken's Sixty Second Song Remix contest. Famous songs with the fat cut off.
- Fatty Jubbo gives us tunes by Alan Gillett: because Kermit the Frog vocals are always endearing.
Got to agree about the Leather Nun. Fans of grindcore should also check out the feedback speckled Prime Mover which is where I discovered them. I had to check though: I definitely had a Nun LP before 1986. It was called Alive and is just a live album, showcasing both the Leather Nun's antagonistic relationship witht heir audience and the fact that Prime Mover eclipsed the rest fo their set - although they did have a song called Fist Fuckers of America which was was worth it just for the title.
Posted by: J L Smith | February 06, 2007 at 07:05 AM
The first Leather Nun 7" is actually on Industrial Records...released 1979, recorded in Sweden, December of 1978. The title of the 7" is "Slow Death EP" and is definitely reminiscent of the Industrial/Throbbing Gristle independent sound of that time/genre. It is actually very good with archaic blasts of neoist/punk/noise resulting in four songs: No Rule, Death Threats, Slow Death and Ensam I Natt. The second release I fondly found was on Subterranean Records out of
San Francisco around the same time period. This was the "Primemover" 7" and the B-Side was Fist Fuckers Association, which by my accounts is actually a
groovy little number. Leather Nun had learned to play it's instruments at this point. I bought their album after that, which to my recollection was the live album, but found them formulaic and boring at that point. Those first two 7"s are gold though and I still have them. The "Slow Death EP" in true Industrial
Records fashion has what looks like a burned corpse sitting in a chair on the cover with a crowd of onlookers, so I hesitate to say corpse...but I also have the
SPK 7" with a skewered penis on the cover and I don't think that IR would put something so "Fluffy" on the cover. The "Primemover" cover is brilliant and even
more decadent with a topless nun wielding something dangerous, wearing a studded leather belt. Typeography is lime green. The reverse is the ab portion
of a male giving the Stretch Armstrong Fist greased up in Crisco to his elbow. I loved music from this period because it was experimental, questionable,
always surprising, a test of the limits, a test of talent, a test of technology. and most importantly a real working of the imaginition.
If I am not mistaken, Leather Nun was a Swedish biker band. I was never sure whether they were just heavy and surreally decadent, or whether they were a
homoerotic leather band. But before they evolved into the pretentious pap that became their "Live" and follow up crap, they had real hope with me because
I couldn't figure the motherfuckers out.
Posted by: HalfSpeed | February 06, 2007 at 10:14 PM
Heh. I saw them at Radio City opening for Echo and The Bunnymen. I kind of liked them, but it was such a crappy pairing that I couldn't get over it. I kept that black condom for a long time, tho.
Posted by: Morgan | February 07, 2007 at 03:48 PM
You can listen and read some more here:
http://myspace.com/leathernun
Posted by: heinz | March 17, 2007 at 06:21 AM
I too saw The Leather Nun in the 80's(Hill Aud.on the U of Michigan Campus) backing up Echo & The BunnyMen and they BLEW THEM OFF THE MAP!!!... all I could think while watching ECHO was DAMN I WISH THEY(THE LEATHER NUN) WOULD COME BACK OUT!!!!!!!!!
I am the PRIME MOVER say Can YOU FEEL IT??
Cheers, Henry
Posted by: Henry Ponds | December 30, 2007 at 12:33 AM