The Slits- "Typical Girls" Video (1979)

Dubby post-punk madness- one of my all-time favorite "girl groups"

The Pop Group- Y (1979) / How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? (1980) MP3 & FLAC

"No sequence to follow, no fear of tomorrow."

When mentioning the movers and shakers of the early days of Post-Punk, bands such as Gang of Four, Wire, and Siouxsie and The Banshees (for whom the term "Post-Punk" was coined) are usually the first mentioned; however, there were a number of other bands who were just as instrumental in the rise of this innovative and exceedingly influential movement though they ended up with much smaller, and consequently lesser known, discographies. The Pop Group, an ironically-named outfit of Agit-Funk-Punk provocateurs from Bristol, were just such a band. Much like Gang of Four, The Pop Group were interested in ideology critique from a decidedly radical leftist perspective; however, unlike their Leeds-based cousins, theirs is a much more fractured and varied approach, often pushing the discord and abrasiveness to aesthetic extremes while integrating Funk, Dub, Jazz, and Punk influences. On their striking debut, Y, The Pop Group find a perfect balance between political didacticism and sonic adventurousness. For example, on the brilliant "She Is Beyond Good and Evil," lead singer Mark Stewart sounds something like Ian McCulloch channeling Birthday Party-era Nick Cave while fronting The Clash. Drenched in Dub-style reverb that lends the song an increasing sense of claustrophobia, it is one of the most memorable and creepy songs of the early Post-Punk milieu. The remainder of the album is full of unforeseen twists and turns; from the Aladdin Sane-style lounge piano turned upside down and inside out on "Snowgirl" to the cannibalistic Funk of "Don't Call Me Pain," Y makes a strong case for being one of the most demanding and fascinating albums of its era. While The Pop Group's follow-up LP For How Much Longer Do We Tolerate Mass Murder? maintains the Funk-inspired approach of the debut, it is far less experimental in nature; as a result, the lyrics, and thus the political rants, are pushed to the foreground, which actually works to the detriment of the band's purpose. Nevertheless, there are some worthy moments, including "Feed the Hungry," a straight-up Funk song with some deliciously abrasive guitar work. While not as accomplished as some of their more famous contemporaries, The Pop Group were masters of a Punk and Dub influenced brand of Agit-Rock that still retains its chaotic and unconventional qualities to this day.

The Pop Group- "She Is Beyond Good and Evil" Video (1979)

Imagine members of Gang of Four and The Birthday Party doing a dub-reggae album; it might sound something like The Pop Group...

Portishead- Numb EP (1994) / Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me) EP (1994) MP3 & FLAC

"'Cause nobody loves me, it's true, not like you do."

The Numb and Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me) EPs house the first two singles culled from Portishead's stunningly original debut, Dummy. Comprised of both non-LP tracks and significantly different versions of the title tracks, these EPs provide an interesting and often rewarding addendum to the album proper. On the Numb EP, "Numbed in Moscow" treats the title track to a cooler, more emotionally detached mix, while "A Tribute to Monk & Canatella" takes Portishead in a noir-jazz direction; the results are mixed, but it's never anything less than intriguing. The clear highlight on the Sour Times (Nobody Loves Me) EP is "Theme from 'To Kill a Deadman'," one of the best non-LP tracks Portishead has lingering in the backwaters of its discography.

Portishead- Dummy (1994) MP3 & FLAC

"Love don't always shine through."

Seventeen years and countless imitators after the fact, Portishead's debut, Dummy, still sounds as fresh as the day it was released, which is a testament to the album's originality and stark emotional depth. Something of a unique mash-up of Hip-Hop-inspired beats and samples, singer-songwriter pathos, psychedelic overtones, and electronic-based sonic manipulations, this unapologetically moody classic, while categorized as "Trip-Hop," is actually genre-defeating from start to finish. Dummy also marks the first appearance of one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices of the past thirty years, and it is Beth Gibbons' contributions to Portishead's sonic palette that consistently allows the music to transcend the sum of its parts. Nowhere is this more in evidence than on "Glory Box," a seductive slow-burner, which combines Gibbons at her soulful best with sampled strings and distorted guitar to create an indelible melodic effect. Gibbons oscillates between several vocal styles during the course of this song, while showing the ability to express myriad emotions through the simplest of inflections. Truly, one of the most stunning releases of the nineties (a decade not particularly known for stunning releases).

Bauhaus- Bela Lugosi's Dead EP (1979) MP3 & FLAC

"The virginal brides file past his tomb, strewn with time's dead flowers bereft in deathly bloom."

One of the pinnacles of the Post-Punk era, Bauhaus' debut single is both enigmatic and indelible. While David Bowie and Joy Division are clearly touchstones here, Bauhaus' use of Dub-Reggae studio trickery, such as over-emphasizing David J's bass sound and adding heavy reverb to guitar and percussion, creates an unforgettable and unparalleled atmosphere of dread, which propels the song toward greatness. Not to be overlooked are Daniel Ash's spectral guitar textures and creepy string manipulations and Peter Murphy's glowering croon, all of which virtually create the Goth-Rock template during the course of the song's nine plus minutes. Absolutely essential.

Bauhaus- "Bela Lugosi's Dead" Video (1982) Live at the Old Vic, London

Nice live version of a peerless song:

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Soul Rebels (1970) MP3 & FLAC

"I'm a capturer, that's what they say, soul adventurer, night and day."

Soul Rebels, The Wailers' first long player, often gets lost in the shadow of all the iconic albums that followed it; however, if you haven't heard Bob Marley's early collaborative efforts with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, then you are in an awakening. Darker and more rough-hewn than later Wailers' albums, Soul Rebels catches band and producer at a formative juncture in the development of Reggae as a distinct genre because these were among the first recordings to carry this music beyond the shores of Jamaica. Massively underrated, but no less essential than the later albums.

The Specials- S/T (1979) MP3 & FLAC

"What you gonna do when the morons come for you? They won't go away; they want the whole world painted grey."

Unquestionably the defining statement of the late 70s British Ska revival, The Specials' debut album, with its satirically bitter tales of urban decay and racial violence, is no less relevant today than it was in 1979. While the album contains a number of impressive "reworkings" of songs originating from the "first wave" Jamaican Ska, it is to the band's credit that their original compositions stand toe-to-toe with (and occasionally best) these classics. While most Ska bands of the time engaged political issues on some level (although often very obliquely), The Specials were political through and through, explicitly dealing with topics such as class hatred, racism, and economic hopelessness; despite this, they never sound overly didactic and the music is never anything less than danceable. A great marriage of art and politics, and an absolute classic in every sense of the word.

Various Artists- Too Much Two Tone: Ska Classics (2001) MP3 & FLAC

"Twenty-one years in captivity. Shoes too small to fit his feet. His body abused but his mind is still free."

Ska's "second wave," also called the "2-Tone" movement in honor of the record label that served as its main catalyst, was a radical hybrid, wedding the rhythm and style of 1960s Jamaican Ska and Rocksteady to the sonic aggression and socio-political lyrics associated with the then-burgeoning British Punk-Rock scene. As a result, second wave Ska had more on its mind than being merely danceable; many of the 2-Tone bands such as The Specials, The (English) Beat, and The Bodysnatchers (to name only a few) wrote lyrics touching on both the public and private disaffection of black and white working-class youths during the early years of Thatcherism. While the ironically titled Too Much Two Tone: Ska Classics is far from comprehensive as a compilation of second wave Ska (for example, The Beat are entirely missing), unlike many of the other available 2-Tone collections, this one includes several obscure, yet important tracks otherwise unavailable on compact disc.

The Specials- "Too Much Too Young" Video (1979) Live, Old Grey Whistle Test

These guys are ridiculously underrated. As good as (or better than) any band of their era, Ska or otherwise:

Forest Swords- Dagger Paths + Rattling Cage EP (2010) MP3 & FLAC

While bearing a passing resemblance to the Post-Rock-meets-Dub palette of bands such as Labradford and Bowery Electric, Matthew Barnes' Forest Swords project effectively transcends such comparisons by integrating Post-Punk, Kraut-Rock, Reggae, R&B, and Techno influences into its reverb-drenched mix. Barnes' spiderweb-spinning guitar work coupled with the Dub-heavy atmospherics on tracks such as "Miarches" and "Glory Gongs" sounds something like Tom Verlaine in low gear fronting a space-rock band produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. What Barnes does best on Dagger Paths is create some dark, atmospheric gems, all deftly structured around a surprisingly unique mix of influences. Yes, it is clearly indebted, in the guitar-atmospherics department, to Verlaine's instrumental work on, for example, Around and Warm and Cool; however, there is something dynamic and original about the EP, which has me highly anticipating Forest Swords' next move.

Pan•American- S/T (1997) MP3 & FLAC -For theStarry-

On Pan•American, Mark Nelson's solo project debut, he takes leave of the Ambient-informed Post-Rock of his then-main gig Labradford by constructing melancholy Electronic excursions that successfully wed dub-style rhythms to diverse and multi-layered experimental soundscapes. While later Pan•American efforts have tended to proceed in a more minimalist Ambient direction, the debut is ultimately more memorable because it, in many ways, is a hybrid creature, seamlessly traversing different genres and methods, and in doing so, creating something distinctive and surprisingly cohesive. For example, on "Lent," the guitar and organ effects create a noir-like vibe that wouldn't be out of place on a Chris Isaak album, but the spare yet insistent beat and ghostly whispered vocals suggest something far more dark and sinister. Pan•American was an album well ahead of its time back in 1997, and listening to it now makes me wish Nelson had pursued this muse a little while longer.

Junior Murvin- Police & Thieves (1977) MP3 & FLAC

"Police and thieves in the streets, oh yeah! Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition."

Many will already be familiar with the title track of Junior Murvin's debut "solo" album, as The Clash recorded "Police & Thieves" less than a year later for their eponymously titled debut. While The Clash's Punk-Reggae interpretation is memorable, Lee "Scratch" Perry's Dub-informed production and Murvin's unparalleled vocals make the original version truly definitive.  If your knowledge of Roots-Reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley, you are in for a revelation because Murvin brings an entirely different vocal style to these songs. While Marley's vocals add Rock and Folk influences to the Caribbean mix, Murvin seems to be channeling the ghosts of 1960s Motown and R&B, but these comparisons do neither artist any justice. If you want to understand why Police & Thieves is widely considered one of the essential Roots-Reggae albums, listen to Murvin's prophesying falsetto roaring through Perry's trademark heavily reverbed production, creating a dark and intense musical template for these tales of social unrest and spiritual reckoning.