13th Chime – The Singles: 1981-1983 (2009) [Sacred Bone] // Grade: B+

I know I’m not the only one obsessively addicted to tracking down as many obscure relics of  the late  70s-80s Post-Punk/Goth scene. What used to be a blind luck obsession at records stores based around cover art, label names and word of mouth has since crossed into the digital realm where a multitude of blogs and record collectors are opening their collections and sharing either rare records you never knew existed or ones you never thought you’d find, let alone be able to afford. But the beauty is that it never ends! There never seems to be any shortage of these short lived and obscure bands. While the whole scene may sound derivative to an un-indoctrinated outsider, Those of us truly enamored know the thrill of the hunt through countless unknown or forgotten bands or songs that leads to that unequivocal rush when you find one more song or 7″ that so perfectly personifies the genre… so imagine stumbling upon an album’s worth?

With the release of 13th Chime’s The Singles: 1981-1983, NYC’s purveyors of all things dark & exotic, Sacred Bone Records (re)introduce a forgotten band who’s minuscule output was hotly pursued by post-punk/goth aficionados. This UK group only ever put out three 7″ singles (Fire, Cursed & Cuts of Love) whose tracks are collected here along with demo recordings for what ended up being a failed debut LP for I.R.S. in the early 80s. Sparse yet confrontational, their guitars buzz like rusted chainsaws over hypnotizing and driving bass lines in capturing the bleak existence of growing up in blue-collar U.K. town. Those who’ve long exhausted the Factory catalog but not yet taken the plunge into the vast waters of the full (and obscure) extent of the Goth, Death Rock & Post-Punk scene of the 80s should look no further than here for what will surely be a good gateway drug.

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Addendum 7/9/09 -7:00pm

As it would turn out Greg just walked in and slapped a copy of 13th Chime’s second 7″ Cursed on my desk! He had found it at a garage sale a few years back and paid a whopping $1 for it!

- My Pal the Crook