RhoDeo 1401 Aetix

Hello, vinyl sales are at their highest level for 15 years, according to figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Official Charts Company. Just over 780,000 vinyl albums were sold in 2013 – the largest number since 817,000 were sold in 1997. The 2013 figure also constitutes a 101 per cent rise on 2012 sales. British rock group Arctic Monkeys's AM was the biggest selling vinyl album of the year, ahead of Daft Punk's Random Access Memories and David Bowie's The Next Day. Digital album sales were also up, by 6.8 per cent, subscriptions to digital streaming sites such as Spotify and Deezer rose above £100m for the first time, while overall revenues from music sales again topped £1 billion. Anyway vinyl coming back from the grave this time as a toy for elitists and show-offs all gifted with superior hearing-if you believe that, meanwhile I still have a considerable collection gathering dust and value.


Time for another Aetix episode; Today's artists were one of the two American post-punk bands of the '80s that changed the direction of rock & roll. R.E.M. became a superstar band; They never was more than a cult favorite. Nevertheless, their albums between 1981 and 1987 have proven remarkably influential; they provided the sonic blueprint for the roaring punk-pop hybrid that crossed over into the mainstream in the early '90s. Not only did they shape the sound of the music, they shaped the way independent bands made the transition to the major labels; they showed other bands that it was possible to record uncompromising music on a major label without losing any integrity or creative control. Nearly every major and minor band that appeared in the alternative underground in the late '80s and '90s owed a major debt to them, whether they were aware of it or not. . . ....N'Joy

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx


The band's two songwriters, guitarist Bob Mould and drummer Grant Hart, both had a knack for writing songs that essentially followed conventional pop structures, complete with memorable melodies, but were still punk songs. Hüsker Dü took the Buzzcocks' pioneering punk-pop and made it harder, both musically and lyrically. Throughout their career, Hüsker Dü never lost their edge, never turned down their amplifiers, never compromised their music. While Hart and bassist Greg Norton were an unfailingly strong rhythm section, Mould would prove to be one of the most influential guitarists of the decade. With his slashing rhythms, distorted strumming, and blazing leads, he set the stage for the alternative guitar heroes of the late '80s and the '90s.

Hüsker Dü formed in Minneapolis, MN, in 1979. Guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould was studying at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN, and working at a record store, which is where he met drummer/vocalist Grant Hart and bassist Greg Norton. The three musicians had diverse tastes, but all shared a love for hardcore punk rock. Naming themselves Hüsker Dü after a '50s Danish board game (the name means "do you remember"), Mould has commented that they liked the somewhat mysterious qualities of the name, and that it set them apart from other hardcore punk groups with names. Mould also reported that while Hüsker Dü enjoyed much hardcore punk in general, they never thought of themselves as exclusively a hardcore group, and that their name was an attempt to avoid being pigeonholed. Hart, Mould, and Norton fired Pine during their first official performance, on March 30, 1979, and continued as a trio under the new name.

In the early '80s, Hüsker Dü developed a strong local following; nearly every local band, from the Replacements to Soul Asylum, sounded like the Hüskers. Both Mould and Hart wrote songs and sang lead. In 1981, they released their first single, "Statues," on the local label Reflex, which was quickly followed by their debut album, Land Speed Record, which was released on New Alliance Records. Recorded live, Land Speed Record boasted 17 songs that lasted a full 26 minutes. Later that year, they released an equally fast and hard EP, In a Free Land. In 1982, they moved backed to Reflex, where they released Everything Falls Apart, their first album recorded in a studio. By this time, Hüsker Dü had begun touring the United States relentlessly, traveling across the country in a van and playing small clubs. Along with the Minutemen, R.E.M., Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, and the Replacements, Hüsker Dü formed the core of a group of independent rock & roll bands that carved out a reputation for touring ceaselessly and getting their records played through college radio stations; they formed the core of the American rock underground in the mid-'80s. Hüsker Dü concerts were a nonstop barrage; the band rarely spoke to the audience and each song segued directly into the next, without interruption. In addition to touring constantly, Hüsker Dü was recording quickly, turning out the Metal Circus EP in 1983.

After Metal Circus, Hüsker Dü developed musically at a rapid pace, with Mould and Hart coming into their own as songwriters on 1984's Zen Arcade, their first album for SST Records and their critical breakthrough. Hüsker Dü recorded the double album Zen Arcade in 45 hours for the cost of $3,200. Zen Arcade is a concept album following a boy who leaves home to face a harsh and unforgiving world. Its artistic and conceptual ambitions were a great stretch, given the purist sentiment then prevalent in U.S. punk rock. Zen Arcade was a double album -- something that was completely unheard of in the underground -- that showed the band stretching out musically, writing sharper pop songs as well as lengthy abrasive instrumentals. It received critical praise and significant mainstream music press attention, ending up on several year end best-of lists; it also helped expand the band's audience beyond the punk community.[

Hüsker Dü continued to record and tour at a blindingly fast speed throughout 1984 and 1985. Mould and Hart were beginning to develop an unspoken rivalry as well as a dependency on alcohol and speed. Nevertheless, the group was at its peak in 1985, turning out two albums. The first, New Day Rising, was released in the spring and showed the band moving closer to concise pop songwriting while accentuating their fierce sonic barrage. Flip Your Wig, released late in 1985, featured their cleanest, most accessible production, without making any concessions to mainstream rock. Both albums received excellent reviews, both in fanzines and some mainstream rock publications. Some fans attending shows during '85-'86 may have been alienated by so much material, wanting to hear favorite hits. However, Husker Du was an example of a band that wanted to keep evolving, and perform new material.

During the recordings sessions for Flip Your Wig major label Warner Bros. Records approached Hüsker Dü and offered the group a recording contract. The band felt it had hit a sales ceiling that it could break through only with the help of a major label. The promise of retaining complete creative control over its music convinced the band to sign with the label. Mould also cites the distribution problems with SST as a reason for the move, mentioning that there would sometimes be no records to sign when the band would show up for promotional events. Hüsker Dü was not expected to sell a large amount of records. Rather, Warner Bros. valued the group for its grassroots fanbase and its "hip" status, and by keeping the overhead low the label anticipated the band would turn a profit. Ultimately they became the first of the mid-'80s independent post-punk bands to sign a contract with a major label, as they closed the deal with Warner Bros. Candy Apple Grey, the band's first major-label album, appeared in 1986, though Warner Bros. had initially lobbied to release Flip Your Wig until the band decided to let SST have it. Candy Apple Grey was the first Hüsker Dü album to chart on the Billboard Top 200, but despite receiving exposure on radio as well as MTV, it could get no higher than No. 140.

During that year, tensions between Mould and Hart escalated. Mould began to clean up and Hart continued to sink further into drug and alcohol addiction. Nevertheless, they managed to write and record another double album, Warehouse: Songs and Stories. Although Warner didn't want the band to release another double record, Warehouse was released in the spring of 1987, to uniformly positive reviews.
Hüsker Dü was preparing to launch a series of concerts to support Warehouse when their manager, David Savoy, committed suicide the night before the start of the tour. Hüsker played the tour anyway -- they ran through the new album in order every night, without interruption -- but Savoy's suicide helped the inner-band turmoil reach a peak. Hart showed no signs of sobering -- he was developing a heroin addiction -- while Mould was clean. The band dissolved after a show at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri on the 1987 tour. Hart was trying to quit heroin using a supply of methadone, but the bottle had leaked. Hart played the show, but Mould and Norton were concerned Hart would soon be suffering from withdrawal and thus would be unable to play the next few shows. While Hart insisted he could perform, Mould had already cancelled the dates. Hart quit the band four days later. Mould has said that the breakup was about "three people going their separate ways" at that time, referring to Hart's drug use and a new relationship, Norton's recent marriage and starting a new business, and Mould himself having just quit a lifelong drinking habit.

The Living End, a live collection taken from the band's final tour, was released after the band's demise. When asked to review the album, Mould asked his guitar tech to do so instead. He says he has never listened to the album.


Hart released a solo EP, 2541, on SST later that year, followed by a full-length album called Intolerance a year later. After its release, Hart shook loose his addictions and formed a new band, Nova Mob. Nova Mob released their debut album, The Last Days of Pompeii, in 1991; a self-titled second album appeared in 1994. Norton became a chef in Red Wing a restaurant he runs with his wife. Immediately after the breakup of Hüsker Dü, Mould embarked on a solo career. After releasing two solo albums -- Workbook (1989) and Black Sheets of Rain (1990) -- he formed a trio called Sugar in 1992. Between 1992 and 1994, Sugar released two albums: Copper Blue (1992) and File Under: Easy Listening (1994). Mould broke up the band in 1995 and returned to a solo career the following year, releasing to date 7 more solo albums, Bob Mould (1996)
The Last Dog and Pony Show (1998), Modulate (2002), Body of Song (2005), District Line (2008), Life And Times (2009) and Silver Age (2012).

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

A 26min live EP, Land Speed Record races through its songs without regard for melody or riffs. As a sonic blitzkrieg, it's quite impressive, yet little of the record makes a lasting impression.

Hüsker Dü - Land Speed Record+ Metal Circus  (flac 296mb)

01 All Tensed Up 2:00
Don't Try To Call 1:30
I'm Not Interested 1:30
Guns At My School 0:56
Push The Button 1:52
Gilligan's Island 1:12
MTC 1:17
Don't Have A Life 2:07
02 Bricklayer 0:51
Tired Of Doing Things 0:58
You're Naive 0:53
Strange Week 0:54
Do The Bee 1:48
Big Sky 0:59
Ultracore 0:47
Let's Go Die 1:26
Data Control 5:25
Metal Circus EP
03 Real World 2:27
04 Deadly Skies 1:50
05 It's Not Funny Anymore 2:12
06 First Of The Last Calls 2:48
07 Lifeline 2:19
08 Diane 4:42
09 Out On A Limb 2:39

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

On their first studio recording, Everything Falls Apart, Hüsker Dü demonstrate a sharper sense of purpose than on their live debut, Land Speed Record, but that doesn't necessarily make the album a breakthrough. Indeed, the trio demonstrates that it's capable of powerful noise, but not songcraft -- the only song with a discernible hook is their thrashing cover of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman." Still, the band's hardcore is better than many of its contemporaries because its grasp of noise is superior. Even with the inconsistent songwriting, Everything Falls Apart rages with layers of blistering guitars and scorching rhythms that are exciting in their own right.
Rhino's reissue of Hüsker Dü's shattering first studio album includes a couple of rare singles, making it a must-have for the band's fans, as well as anyone interested in hardcore punk rock. Anyone unfamiliar with Hüsker Dü's early work should brace themselves for a breakneck force like no other. Not for the faint of heart.

Husker Du - Everything Falls Apart And More  (flac 285mb)

01 From The Gut 1:41
02 Blah, Blah, Blah 2:11
03 Punch Drunk 0:30
04 Bricklayer 0:33
05 Afraid Of Being Wrong 1:24
06 Sunshine Superman 1:50
07 Signals From Above 1:39
08 Everything Falls Apart 2:14
09 Wheels 2:07
10 Target 1:42
11 Obnoxious 0:54
12 Gravity 2:39
13 In A Free Land 2:53
14 What Do I Want? 1:14
15 M.I.C. 1:11
16 Statues 8:44
17 Let's Go Die 1:54
18 Amusement 4:57
19 Do You Remember? 1:55

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

In many ways, it's impossible to overestimate the impact of Hüsker Dü's Zen Arcade on the American rock underground in the '80s. It's the record that exploded the limits of hardcore and what it could achieve. Hüsker Dü broke all of the rules with Zen Arcade. First and foremost, it's a sprawling concept album, even if the concept isn't immediately clear or comprehensible. More important are the individual songs. Both Bob Mould and Grant Hart abandoned the strict "fast, hard, loud" rules of hardcore punk with their songs for Zen Arcade. Without turning down the volume, Hüsker Dü try everything -- pop songs, tape experiments, acoustic songs, pianos, noisy psychedelia. Hüsker Dü willed themselves to make such a sprawling record -- as the liner notes state, the album was recorded and mixed within 85 hours and consists almost entirely of first takes. That reckless, ridiculously single-minded approach does result in some weak moments -- the sound is thin and the instrumentals drag on a bit too long -- but it's also the key to the success of Zen Arcade. Hüsker Dü sound phenomenally strong and possessed, as if they could do anything. The sonic experimentation is bolstered by Mould and Hart's increased sense of songcraft. Neither writer is afraid to let his pop influences show on Zen Arcade, which gives the songs -- from the unrestrained rage of "Something I Learned Today" and the bitter, acoustic "Never Talking to You Again" to the eerie "Pink Turns to Blue" and anthemic "Turn On the News" -- their weight. It's music that is informed by hardcore punk and indie rock ideals without being limited by them. In 1989, it was ranked #33 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.

Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade ( flac 471mb)

01 Something I Learned Today 1:58
02 Broken Home, Broken Heart 2:01
03 Never Talking To You Again 1:39
04 Chartered Trips 3:33
05 Dreams Reoccurring 1:40
06 Indecision Time 2:07
07 Hare Krsna 3:33
08 Beyond The Threshold 1:35
09 Pride 1:45
10 I'll Never Forget You 2:06
11 The Biggest Lie 1:58
12 What's Going On 4:23
13 Masochism World 2:43
14 Standing By The Sea 3:12
15 Somewhere 2:30
16 One Step At A Time 0:45
17 Pink Turns To Blue 2:39
18 Newest Industry 3:02
19 Monday Will Never Be The Same 1:10
20 Whatever 3:50
21 The Tooth Fairy And The Princess 2:43
22 Turn On The News 4:21
23 Reoccurring Dreams 13:47

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx

For New Day Rising, the follow-up to their breakthrough double-album Zen Arcade, Hüsker Dü replaced concept with conciseness, concentrating on individual songs delivered as scalding post-hardcore pop. New Day Rising is not only a more vicious and relentless record than Zen Arcade, it's more melodic. Bob Mould and Grant Hart have written tightly crafted, melodic pop songs that don't compromise Hüsker's volcanic, unchecked power. Mould and Hart's songs owe a great deal to '60s pop, as the verses and choruses ebb and flow with immediately catchy hooks. Occasionally, the razor-thin production and waves of noise mean that it takes a little bit of effort to pick out the melodies, but more often the furious noise and melodies fuse together to create an overwhelming sonic force. It's possible to hear the rivalry between Mould and Hart on the album itself -- each song is like a game of one-upmanship, as Mould responds to "The Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill" with "Celebrated Summer." Neither songwriter slips -- both turn in songs that are catchy, clever, and alternately wracked with pain or teeming with humor. New Day Rising is a positively cathartic record and ranks as Hüsker Dü's most sustained moment of pure power. In 2003, the album was ranked 495 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and in 2012, it was pushed up to rank 488.

Husker Du - New Day Rising  (flac 300mb)

01 New Day Rising 2:31
02 The Girl Who Lives On Heaven Hill 3:03
03 I Apologize 3:40
04 Folklore 1:34
05 If I Told You 2:05
06 Celebrated Summer 3:59
07 Perfect Example 3:16
08 Terms Of Psychic Warfare 2:17
09 59 Times The Pain 3:13
10 Powerline 2:22
11 Books About UFOs 2:46
12 I Don't Know What You're Talking About 2:20
13 How To Skin A Cat 1:52
14 Whatcha Drinkin' 1:30
15 Plans I Make 4:16

xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx