MP3: Sounds Blasts EP3 - The Perfect Disaster & Mega City Four

Time for yet another 7" EP, again given out free with Sounds Magazine back in 1989, and this time it's more of a heavy rock affair, featuring The Perfect Disasters, Mega City Four, Cerebral Fix, Killdozer and Pussy Galore. All tracks presented in full vinyl background noise stereo. The two songs from Side A are below and the three from Side B will go up tomorrow or Sunday.

First up are Perfect Disaster. Led by singer/guitarist Phil Parfitt and lead guitarist Dan Cross, they started out as Orange Disaster, and then changed their name to Architects Of Disaster before finally choosing their last name in 1984. They remained the only two constant members, other alumni including Allison Pates, John Saltwell, Malcolm Catto and Josephine Wiggs (who later left to join The Breeders). Ignored by the British press, their first self-titled record was released by a French label in 1985. A few years later they managed to sign to Sheffield's Fire records and released their critically acclaimed followup, 1987's Asylum Road. A series of EP's (T.V. (Girl on Fire) in 1988, Rise and Up in 1989) followed, but it wasn't until 1990 that their next full length, Up, came out. One final record, 1991's awfully titled Heaven Scent was released before they split later that year. To be honest this is the only track i've heard by them, but its a good one, and as some of their catalogue apparently sounds close to Aztec Camera, it sounds like further research might be in order. The only info I could find on them is this biography at Trouser Press, and this page at the Fire website (who knew they still existed?).


Next up are the semi-legendary Mega City Four. Once Steve Llamacq's favourite band, they formed up the road from me in Farmborough in the mid to late eighties, the long forgotten by most people alt-rockers were made up of guitarist/vocalist Wiz, bassist Gerry Bryant, rhythm guitarist Danny Brown and drummer Chris Jones. They released their debut single Miles Apart on their own Decoy records in 1988, and after two more self-released singles (Clear Blue Sky and Less Than Senseless) they soon gained a distribution deal with Cherry Red, releasing their first album Transophobia in April 1989. More singles followed in the shape of Awkward Kid and the Finish EP before they signed to Big Life Recordings (later they would be on Strange Fruit and then back again to Cherry Red). They then began an impressive run of five more albums finishing up with 1996's Soulscraping, after which they split. A live album and a Peel Sessions compilation were also released, and Wiz and Bryant have gone on to play together in the band Serpico, who to date have released two albums. As you can see from the picture above, one of them had bad hair, one was all bendy, and another had a flat cap! The chancers! More info at this unofficial site or this other unofficial site. Enjoy.


Download: The Perfect Disaster / 55 Miles - MP3 3.05mb (rapidshare)
Download: Mega City Four / What We've Got - MP3 1.70mb (rapidshare)