Nails – Red Wedding EP 1984
Noinimblog
From the late 70s to mid 80s Los Angeles was the place to be if you hoped to explore untrodden heights of creativity in music. From punk to new wave to deathrock and beyond, LA cracked boundaries and encouraged experimentation, ultimately allowing countless new breeds of musicians to emerge and thrive.
Formed in 1981, Red Wedding was far ahead of the pack in terms of both originality and technical skill. With a weighty nod to psychedelia and an enthusiastic thumbs-up to prog, the band craftily melded fanciful guitar hooks with sci-fi electronics and danceable beats to create their signature sound of spooky, spaced-out postpunk.
“Nails”, the band’s second and final release, was praised by music fans and media press alike for its multifarious form; from the dark and groovy opening track “Goddess No More” to the synthesized chirps and bleeps of “Twist” (anyone ever heard of the band Reseau d’Ombres?) and the somber minimalism of the romantic “Somewhere”, this 6-song EP is sure to have you up and dancing, or at least bobbing your head, from beginning to end.
Highly recommended for those curious to hear a Chrome-molested Flock Of Seagulls… if that makes any sense at all.
“…Record producer Kim Fowley approached the band about managing them. While the members were flattered, Fowley wanted too much artistic control and the band turned him down.”
John Bryant – Male Review
“L.A. Bowie-damage heroes Red Wedding have a new EP, and it’s a giant step forward for them. Horny idol/guitar wiz Spider Taylor takes over this time to great effect, mixing it in with Marc O’s head-spinning synthesizer commotion and some tough bass-drum rhythms.
The songs on “Nails” come in a New Wave style, with quasi-metal rifferama sneaking in on “Goddess No More” and a punkerama velocity goose called “Twist.” Those cuts and “Satan in Cologne” leap out at the dance club crowd with precision.
“Bernardo” is the fantastic Ely poetry blitz, most unusual in the mixed-up vocals near the end, and overall a fine rendition of one of Red Wedding’s older, gay-themed numbers. ”
In Touch Magazine
“Red Wedding’s new EP is here at last and it’s gooooood! In case you’ve never heard them, Red Wedding is sort of psychedelic, sort of dancey, sort of mystical, sort of bat cavish, sort of…..well, get the record and figure it out for yourself.
Especially recommended is “Goddess No More” and “Under the Veil.” Send this record to David Bowie immediately, and let’s hope we don’t have to wait for two years to get the next one.”
