Saturday, March 12, 2011


Au Pairs- Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology (2006) MP3 & FLAC


"Playing your game, verging on the humane, I get a little romance, when I get the      chance to."

Similar to Gang of Four both in sharp-witted tone and stark, scratchy danceability, Au Pairs were easily one of the most politically confrontational bands of the Post-Punk era. What really set this band apart, however, was its passionately feminist politics and lead singer Lesley Wood, one of the first openly lesbian musicians of the rock-era, whose vocals were a force to be reckoned with. Au Pairs' debut, Playing with a Different Sex, is their enduring masterpiece, and takes no prisoners in its whip-smart evisceration of bourgeois notions of sexuality and gender. For example, "We're so Cool" is sung from the perspective of a woman trying halfheartedly to convince herself that "things are cool" with her emotionally vacant lover. Here, Wood pours on the irony while the band locks into a groove that sounds something like Post-Punk funk. While Au Pairs' follow-up LP, Sense and Sensuality, isn't as consistently great as their debut, the sound is more textured due to the addition of synths and occasional horns into the mix, and Wood's vocals show more range, almost taking on a smokey soul-like quality at times. As with Gang of Four, some will find the lyrical content too didactic in places, but musically, Post-Punk doesn't get much better than this.

Stepping Out of Line: The Anthology


CD I: Playing with a Different Sex (1981)
 1. We're so Cool  (3:29)
 2. Love Song  (2:50)
 3. Set Up  (3:21)
 4. Repetition  (3:49)
 5. Headache for Michelle  (6:55)
 6. Come Again  (3:54)
 7. Armagh  (3:37)
 8. Unfinished Business  (3:28)
 9. Dear John  (2:56)
10. It's Obvious  (6:19)
-Bonus Tracks-
11. Pretty Boys (BBC Session)  (4:01)
12. Monogamy (BBC Session)  (2:56)
13. Ideal Woman (BBC Session)  (3:56)
14. You (From You EP, 1979)  (2:51)
15. Domestic Departure (From You EP, 1979)  (2:22)
16. Kerb Crawler (From You EP, 1979)  (2:47)
17. Diet (Single B-Side)  (4:18)
18. It's Obvious (Single A-Side)  (5:46)
19. Inconvenience (12' Version)  (2:56)
20. Pretty Boys (12' Version)  (3:39)



CD II: Sense and Sensuality (1982)
 1. Stepping Out of Line  (6:02)
 2. Sex Without Stress  (4:31)
 3. Instant Touch  (3:00)
 4. That's When It's Worth It  (4:07)
 5. Shakedown  (4:23)
 6. Tongue in Cheek  (3:02)
 7. Intact  (3:16)
 8. Don't Lie Back  (4:50)
 9. America  (5:20)
10. Fiasco  (3:52)
-Bonus Tracks-
11. No More Secret Lives (1983 Demo)  (5:16)
12. Runs with Honey (1983 Demo)  (6:20)
13. Hokka He Ha (1983 Demo)  (5:32)
14. Taking Care of Him (1983 Demo)  (5:12)
15. What Kind of Girl  (3:36)
16. Piece of My Heart (Live, Berlin Tempodrome, June 20, 1981)  (3:50)
17. Headache for Michelle (12' Version)  (6:38)


30 comments:

  1. Oh yeah, more agitrock for the soul. All over this stuff back in the day (Billy Bragg, The Redskins etc.) Didactic yeah but stills rocks the house.

    First heard them on "Brave New Waves" a CBC late night radio program which featured alternative music. I taped the hour long feature and had it for years. This comp has most of it but is lacking the Live In Berlin LP (1983)save one track.

    More nostalgia tonight. Off to see Hugh Cornwell doing his solo/Stranglers stuff. Saw him last year...awesome. Anyone in Vancouver should brave the rain (did I tell you it rains a lot here) and shell out some bucks and see the man. Not just nostalgia but true cool.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hexx, coincidentally, I have The Stranglers debut coming up soon. Personally, I like the "didactic" lyrics; in fact, sometimes I'm a didactic kind of guy. This is "thinking (wo)man's punk." I just think it's a crime for some to ignore an amazing band like this just because the lyrics are deemed "too political" or "too radical." I really love Wood's voice- very unique. The Cornwell show sounds amazing; wish I lived in Vancouver....hmmm, now that I think of it, I really do; Los Angeles is like an aging starlet in her death throes, but refusing to give up the ghost. Lying in her musty bed, lipstick smeared across her wan cheeks, she prepares for a return to glory that no one will attend. Yes, I love my hometown ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh man you are welcome to live here but I would trade you in a second. Sure it's purty but the town (this is not a "city") is so parochial. The scene sucks, it was good in 1978 and there are still people living off that time...any cool person moves out asap. Why do I stay? good bloody question. Our provincial gov't is fascist they fool us to believe in crap like the Olympics ...who gives a shit just for the yuppie scumballs who control everything. We were planning to move to the good ol' USA but 9/11 happened and that was that. I'm bitter but positive...I got two kids who will be Au Pair fans because they'll know what is REAL and what is bullshit. So thanks for the political punk still so relevant in these bullshit times!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. well, L.A. certainly isn't parochial, but it's still full of the same crap you described in relation to your town. "Bitter but positive" is an apt description for me too. I lived in the SF bay area while I was in college, and that was a much better fit for me both musically and politically. I also lived in Texas for a few years after Berkeley, and man, talk about fascists! The place was crawling with them. Anyway, you're right; it's important to keep this music alive now more than ever.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Speaking of L.A. - what about Eleven ...? They've written some great songs - they know their craft. And what voices!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anon. I haven't thought about Eleven in years; thanks for reminding me. Yes, the vocals are great.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ... and another one ...

    Brazzaville (David Brown)
    East L.A. Breeze is a great record.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Obviously,this night (12:03 AM in my country) i'm gonna replace some of my mp3 LPs with FLAC,and Au Pairs is 1 of them...
    Do you have Raincoats ''The Kitchen Tapes'' (live) in FLAC?Or some other from Raincoats,maybe...

    ReplyDelete
  9. sunday, I am planning two Raincoats posts in the very near future (the first early next week). I think I will cover two albums per posts (all 4 albums in FLAC). More people need to know about the Raincoats!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Searching digg.com I noticed your site book-marked as:
    Blogger: (La) luna. Now i'm assuming you book-marked it yourself and wanted to ask if social bookmarking gets you a good deal of targeted visitors? I've been thinking of doing some social bookmarking for a few of my sites but wasn't certain if it would generate any positive results. Thank you.

    Also visit my weblog: backlinks services

    ReplyDelete
  11. Heya! I'm at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work!

    Here is my page - article source

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's a pity you don't have a donate button! I'd definitely donate to this superb blog! I suppose for now i'll settle
    for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.

    I look forward to brand new updates and will share this site with my Facebook group.
    Talk soon!

    Feel free to visit my blog post click the next web page

    ReplyDelete
  13. Your blog appears to be having some compatibilty issues in my chrome browser.

    The content seems to be running off the page pretty bad.
    If you would like you can e-mail me at: claire.motley@gmail.
    com and I will shoot you over a screenshot of the problem.


    Here is my weblog :: aussiebbqfestival.ning.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi! It appears as though we both have a passion for the same thing.
    Your blog, "Blogger: (La) luna" and mine are very similar.

    Have you ever thought of authoring a guest write-up for a similar
    website? It is sure to help gain exposure to your website (my website recieves a lot of visitors).
    If you're interested, email me at: bellefraser@googlemail.com. Thanks

    Here is my web blog: More about the author

    ReplyDelete
  15. Good day! I just found your site: Blogger: (La) luna when I was searching stumbleupon.

    com. It looks as though someone loved your site so much they decided to bookmark it.

    I'll absolutely be coming back here more often.

    Stop by my web blog: Suggested Webpage

    ReplyDelete
  16. Exceptional post but I was wondering if you could write a litte more on this topic?
    I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Thanks!

    Visit my site - Visit Website

    ReplyDelete
  17. Please let me know if you're looking for a article author for your blog. You have some really great articles and I believe I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I'd really like to write
    some articles for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
    Please blast me an e-mail if interested. Kudos!


    My website: Visit The Site Here

    ReplyDelete
  18. I am wondering which blogging platform you're using? I'm new to running a blog and have been thinking about using the Live journal platform.
    Do you think this is a good platform to start with?
    I would be very thankful if I could ask you some questions through email so
    I can learn a bit more before getting started. When you have some free time,
    please be sure to get in touch with me at: johnnieharvey@gmail.
    com. Bless you

    Here is my web blog; how much is auto insurance ()

    ReplyDelete
  19. I don't know whether it's just me or if perhaps everyone else encountering problems with your site.
    It seems like some of the text within your content are running off the screen.
    Can somebody else please provide feedback and let me know if this is happening to them as well?
    This could be a problem with my web browser because I've had this happen before. Many thanks

    My weblog - related website

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey there! I just wanted to ask if you ever have any problems with
    hackers? My last blog (wordpress) was hacked and I ended up losing a few
    months of hard work due to no backup. Do you have any solutions to prevent hackers?



    my web page just click the following webpage ()

    ReplyDelete
  21. Appreciating the commitment you put into your website and detailed information you present.
    It's awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn't the same old rehashed material.
    Excellent read! I've saved your site and I'm including your RSS feeds to my Google account.


    Feel free to visit my page: just click the next document ()

    ReplyDelete
  22. Please let me know if you're looking for a author for your blog. You have some really great posts and I think I would be a good asset. If you ever want to take some of the load off, I'd love to write some
    articles for your blog in exchange for a link back to mine.
    Please blast me an email if interested. Cheers!



    Look into my page ... click here... ()

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hello! Would you mind if I share your blog with my facebook group?
    There's a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content. Please let me know. Many thanks

    Feel free to visit my web page: Learn More Here ()

    ReplyDelete
  24. Woah! I'm really loving the template/theme of this site. It's simple, yet effective.

    A lot of times it's challenging to get that "perfect balance" between usability and visual appeal. I must say that you've done
    a amazing job with this. In addition, the blog loads extremely fast for
    me on Chrome. Exceptional Blog!

    Here is my web-site - resources

    ReplyDelete
  25. I am really enjoying the theme/design of your web site.
    Do you ever run into any browser compatibility issues?
    A few of my blog readers have complained about my website not operating correctly in
    Explorer but looks great in Safari. Do you have any suggestions to help fix this
    issue?, for example link building companies :: ::!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Pretty! This was a really wonderful post. Thank you for
    supplying this info.

    my site :: additional reading

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hiya. I noticed your site title, "Blogger: (La) luna" does not
    really reflect the content of your site. When writing your
    website title, do you think it's most beneficial to write it for SEO or for your readers? This is something I've been battling with due to the fact I want good search
    rankings but at the same time I want the best quality for my site visitors.


    My web blog; link building in seo

    ReplyDelete
  28. When I originally commented I clicked the "Notify me when new comments are added" checkbox and now each time a comment is
    added I get several emails with the same comment.
    Is there any way you can remove me from that
    service? Bless you!

    Visit my webpage; good link building

    ReplyDelete
  29. We, "Code BMUS", owe a considerable amount to the "Au Pairs". We were invited to support them on a number of occasions. The Au Pairs were a very important band at the time in terms of their politics and the line up of the band which was and still is unusual. 30 years on and we have just re-released our E.P. "Strike Now, There Is No Cover" on Bandcamp: https://codebmus.bandcamp.com/ We leave you to spot the influences the Au Pairs had on our sound. Most importantly their support was and is much appreciated. Jon, Paul, Russell and Tony.

    ReplyDelete
  30. We, "Code BMUS", owe a considerable amount to the "Au Pairs". We were invited to support them on a number of occasions. The Au Pairs were a very important band at the time in terms of their politics and the line up of the band which was and still is unusual. 30 years on and we have just re-released our E.P. "Strike Now, There Is No Cover" on Bandcamp: https://codebmus.bandcamp.com/ We leave you to spot the influences the Au Pairs had on our sound. Most importantly their support was and is much appreciated. Jon, Paul, Russell and Tony.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.