DADA- 12'' Discography

Here's the full 12'' discography of DADA, another new wave band from New York City. Contained within are both of their releases, both which walk a fine line between catchy minimal synth and bouncy synthpop.

The first 12'' was discovered whilst record shopping with Goutroy, who recently relocated to NYC via San Francisco. I randomly ran into him at a lesser record store, after a rather unceremonious trip home. A little solo shopping therapy turned into an afternoon of bin-hopping around the village. Sometimes I shop with the intention of looking for things I know, love, and plan to DJ. Other times, an interesting cover or title catches my attention, which is how I find most of the records posted here. However, this record was plucked out by Goutroy at one of my favorite shops in the East Village, a place that keeps odd hours and specializes in new wave. After one brief listen (he had placed this record in the "maybe" pile), I quickly became obsessed (perhaps annoyingly so) with his purchase, and quickly hunted down a copy of my own, and we've both been spinning it regularly at the Wierd party since. Camaraderie at its finest! That's not to say there wasn't a bit of competitive edge between us that day, as there tends to be when two underground music collectors hunt in the same shop at the same time. I feel like I paid more attention to what he had in his stack as opposed to the bins in front of me. He found R.E.K.'s excellent 12'' (found here at Crispy Nuggets) and I seethed with jealousy. That said, we both found each other some excellent gems, and both walked away with some hefty purchases that day. The rest, you can say, was nerd history.

I was able to snag the second 12'' online for a relatively cheap price, and while I prefer the first release overall (especially the amazing a-side), the two sound very similar. Not surprising, given that they were released only one year apart. The band seemed to have a sense of humor, from their vocal delivery, lyrical content, and even the record label (presumably self-released under "A Major Recording Label," whose only releases are these two records). The band members even all shared the same last name, though they may very well be brothers. Slight tongue-in-cheek humor aside, these tracks are perfectly suited for a dancefloor, and are some of my favorite obscure gems.

Speaking of that sense of collector camaraderie, you can also find this same post over at Goutroy's awesome Viable Commercial blog, back up and running after a brief hiatus! Same rips, two blogs, at the SAME TIME for maximum listening pleasure! Here's the info:



DADA- Age of Confusion 12'' (1987)
1. Age of Confusion
2. Pursuits of Happiness



DADA- Right Men Tell Lies 12'' (1988)
1. Discussing Missile Size
2. As the Sun Races By
3. Separate Ways****
4. The World They Left Behind

*download both here*

****NOT a Journey cover, I promise!

You can also peep the video for "Pursuits of Happiness" here:

Velveteen- After Hours 12''

You may have seen this one over at Capa Nostra Syndicate, but not sure what's up with the rip there, as it's pretty unlistenable. What we have here is some pretty solid new wave from hometown NYC, with a slight commercial edge to some of the tracks. Some of the songs fall a little flat for me, but some are unexpected synthpop killers. I'll let you all decide which tracks are which, but either way, this one's definitely worth a listen or two.

Here's the info for this 1983 release:



Velveteen- After Hours 12''
1. Nightline
2. Combo Boys
3. Nothing to Do
4. Wild Rain
5. Preoccupied
6. Get Wild

*download it here*

Noel- Noel LP

Here's a little classic and somewhat shameless synthpop record that's been a fun-filled favorite of mine for some time. The record in question is the debut album from Noel (Noel Pagan), a Cuban-born New Yorker with a powerful voice and some street smart credibility. Debut single "Silent Running" was released in 1987, but it took almost a year for his self-titled debut to appear in more readily available form on 4th and Broadway Records.

On listening, the record recalls mid-period Depeche Mode and various New Beat one-offs, with a more New York freestyle vibe. Though Noel would release a handful of dance mix singles into the '90s, his proper sophomore effort, Hearts on Fire failed to capture the same energy as the debut. He currently collaborates on recordings with the likes of Eddie Arroyo and Eddie Baez.

Without any further ado, here's the details for Noel's self-titled debut.



Noel- Noel LP
1. Silent Morning
2. Fire To Ice
3. To Be With You
4. Out Of Time
5. Change
6. Like A Child
7. Fallen Angel
8. City Streets
9. What I Feel For You

*download it here*




Though I can't embed the official video for "Silent Morning," here's a live performance of the track from 1988.

John Ruth- I Am a Model LP

There's very little information to be found on this particular artist, one John Ruth from New York, whose lone 1981 release, I Am a Model sits comfortably with the likes of OMD and John Foxx-era Ultravox, with a little Talking Heads quirk thrown in for good measure. Without any further ado, here's the information for this fantastic synth gem.



1. Goodbye
2. Stalk The Wild Animal
3. Kick Me In The Bed
4. Rhonda La Boo
5. I Am A Model
6. Summer Commuter
7. 50 Mile Radius
8. Ordinary Mood
9. Restaurant
10. Polyclimate Is Here

*download link removed. see comments for purchasing link*

John Ruth- I Am a Model LP

There's very little information to be found on this particular artist, one John Ruth from New York, whose lone 1981 release, I Am a Model sits comfortably with the likes of OMD and John Foxx-era Ultravox, with a little Talking Heads quirk thrown in for good measure. Without any further ado, here's the information for this fantastic synth gem.



1. Goodbye
2. Stalk The Wild Animal
3. Kick Me In The Bed
4. Rhonda La Boo
5. I Am A Model
6. Summer Commuter
7. 50 Mile Radius
8. Ordinary Mood
9. Restaurant
10. Polyclimate Is Here

*download link removed. see comments for purchasing link*