Dana K here, your hopelessly devoted host of Don’t Back the Front (Fridays 8–11pm) on WPRB. I’ve always believed that if it’s easy and it’s cheap, you might as well do it. My late-’70s/early-’80s post-punk and UK DIY 7”s are the crown jewels of my (admittedly smaller than you might think – I prefer to call it “manageable”) record collection.
For the uninitiated (or those unfamiliar with my radio show), the ’70s UK DIY movement began in the wake of punk’s push towards a more independent music economy. Buzzcocks’ debut Spiral Scratch EP was the first punk single to be released on a band’s own label. From that point on there was an explosion of self-released, Xeroxed, questionably competent but firmly grassroots punk-adjacent records from every far-flung corner of the country.
I’ve been at this for over twenty years and I’m still discovering long forgotten treasures from places like Bournemouth and Nuneaton. These are some of my favorites that I own – hence the lack of titles such as Beyond the Implode’s Last Thoughts EP (a copy of which is currently going for $750 on Discogs). John Peel liked these records too, but he’s dead, so you’ve got to deal with me.
Caveat for the nitpickers: some of these don’t necessarily count as “DIY,” having been released or distributed by actual (independent) labels, but if you listen I think you’ll discover a clear aesthetic through line.
The Desperate Bicycles – The Medium Was Tedium b/w Don’t Back the Front (1977)
Naturally I have to start with the mighty Desperate Bicycles. This is the specific record that blessed Don’t Back the Front with its name. It’s actually their second 7” – their first, “Smokescreen,” I also own, in significantly better condition than this one. “The Medium Was Tedium” was a DIY call-to-arms, imploring its listeners to “go and join a band.” And printed on the sleeve was exactly how much it cost to press a record yourself.
The Homosexuals – Hearts in Exile b/w Soft South Africans (1978)
The Homosexuals are perhaps THE name (after the Desperate Bicycles) in UK DIY and also the greatest band in the world. I very rarely buy records on Discogs – I’d be destitute if I did – but this was a recent gift to myself for being a good person and DJ. I received the three-disc Astral Glamour CD set on Hyped2Death as a Christmas present in 2004, which is why I can’t relate to any millennial nostalgia. As a song, “Hearts in Exile” is sublime, elliptical, gorgeous.
Scritti Politti – 2nd Peel Session (1979)
This is the second Scritti Politti release, taken from a Peel Session recorded in 1979. I’m still on the hunt for their first record (I remember a time when “Skank Bloc Bologna” had a moment on WPRB). Some of you may be familiar with the effervescent pop Scritti Politti made in the mid-’80s – this is NOT that. This is skittery and sideways, yet still possessing that sense of melody that would predict Green Gartside’s later work. “Messthetics” also gave its name to Chuck Warner’s series of UK DIY compilation CD-Rs in the ’00s (which were revelatory for a young Dana K).
The Lines – On the Air b/w Not Through Windows (1979)
Perfect band. Perfect songs. I am still in awe of just how GOOD all of the Lines’ singles and EPs are and this one is my favorite. “On the Air” is transcendent. The Acute Records compilations from the late ’00s did a valiant job of trying to introduce them to a wider audience.
V/A – The Potent Human EP (1980)
This one was a compilation of bands (The Spurtz, Bathroom Renovations, The Liggers, and The Mekon) in the Manchester Musicians Collective. “Apathetic Hell” by the Bathroom Renovations is the hit.
Nightingales – Idiot Strength b/w Seconds (1981)
The ’Gales received some long overdue attention recently with Stewart Lee’s documentary King Rocker but are still woefully unappreciated stateside. I will sing their praises for as long as I live. They are still an active band and they’re actually better than they ever were in the ’80s. That being said, this is a cracking tune with some great lyrics typical of Robert Lloyd.
Maybe it’s more than words, or my words aren’t up to scratch?
But this method of communication always seems to hit me back
And there’s a strange hand on the wheel
I feel a new script on the cards
Control and understanding are just two things I seem to lack
Restricted Code – First Night On b/w From The Top (1980)
I lived in Glasgow for a year and accordingly have a soft spot for Scottish bands like Glasgow’s own Restricted Code. This record was released on Pop, which was the Edinburgh-based label started by Bob Last after Fast Product (which released records by big names such as Gang of Four, the Human League, and the Mekons) folded. I realize I’ve been throwing superlatives around but “First Night On” is simply an incredible song. Restricted Code reunited in 2018 and are still at it, as far as I know.
The Petticoats – Normal b/w I’m Free (1980)
Possibly the most shambolic item on this list (even more so than the Desperate Bicycles), The Petticoats were a band formed entirely by German immigrant Stef Petticoat. “Normal” is an anthem for weird girls everywhere, and it’s also topped off with one of the best screams in punk rock.
Thomas Leer – Private Plane b/w International (1978)
The (possibly apocryphal) story goes that “Private Plane” was recorded in Thomas Leer’s flat and he had to sing quietly as to not wake his sleeping girlfriend. Leer had teamed up with fellow Port Glasgow native Robert Rental to record both this single and Rental’s “Paralysis,” as well as the excellent The Bridge LP, released on Mute in 1979. I’d call this one an early example of minimal synth, with the synthesizer in question being a Stylophone. It’s wonderful.
Methodishca Tune – Orchestras b/w LFD (1981)
I admittedly don’t know a whole lot about this band except that guitarist Simon Booth would go on to form Weekend with Young Marble Giants’ Allison Statton. This is lovely post-punk that reminds me of a less anxious (early) Scritti Politti. I included this one because I found it in the basement of Rough Trade West off of Portobello Road in London, a place I often return to in my dreams.