Monday, October 09, 2023

The Alley Cats: Nightmare City 1981 + Escape From Planet Earth 1982

 

The Alley Cats are a Los Angeles, California-based punk rock trio formed in 1977. The original line-


up, featuring Randy Stodola (guitar and vocals), Dianne Chai (bass and vocals) and John McCarthy (drums), was a fixture of the early L.A. punk rock scene. Signed to Dangerhouse Records alongside other seminal California-based punk bands including the Bags, Black Randy and the Metro Squad, and X, they released their first single "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" backed with "Give Me a Little Pain" on March 30, 1978. They are among the six bands featured on the 1979 compilation album Yes L.A. and appear in the 1982 film Urgh! A Music War.
                    

The Alley Cats were regular performers at such Los Angeles venues as Club 88, Hong Kong Café, The

Masque, and the Whisky a Go Go. Their earliest output -- the single "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore" -- was released on Dangerhouse Records (the independent that once boasted such legendary acts as the Avengers, the Bags, and X).
                          

They then jumped ship to Time Coast, which released their follow-up singles, as well as their first

album, Nightmare City, in 1981. Their final album (on major label MCA), Escape from the Planet Earth, hit stores in 1982, and was the last heard from the trio until 1985, when the group emerged again with extra members as the Zarkons. In 2007, a CD/DVD anthology (simply titled 1979-1982) containing most of the band's work was released on the Laugh.com label
                              

In 1985 Stodola and Chai tried to start again, as The Zarkons. They recorded "Riders in the Long Black

Parade" with McCarthy. After that McCarthy was changed by Terry Cooley and with lead vocalist, named Rente as quartet they recorded "Between The Idea & The Reality… Falls The Shadow". As "The Zarkons", they released two albums, Riders In The Long Black Parade (1985) and Between the Idea & the Reality…Falls the Shadow (1988), before disbanding in 1988.
                         

After a 20-year hiatus, Stodola reformed the trio and currently performs as The Alley Cats along with Apryl Cady (bass and vocals) and Matt Laskey (drums).

THE ALLEY CATS - NIGHTMARE CITY 1981
                     


The Alley Cats – Nightmare City
Label: Time Coast Records – none, LaughDome Records – none
Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 2008
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk, Alternative Rock

TRAXS


01. Nightmare City    2:56
02. Night Along The Blvd.    2:52
03. One More Chance To Survive    3:17
04. King Of The Street Fights    3:46
05. Today    3:02
06. Nothing Means Nothing Anymore    3:31
07. Too Much Junk    2:15
08. Give Me A Little Pain    2:44
09. Black Haired Girl    2:08
10. When The World Was Old    2:52


MP3 @ 320 Size: 69 MB
Flac  Size: 171 MB

THE ALLEY CATS - ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH 1982
                        


Alley Cats – Escape From The Planet Earth
Label: MCA Records – MCA 5333
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk

SIDE A.


A1. Escape From The Planet Earth    3:08
A2. It Only Hurts The First Time    3:17
A3. Breath Of The Barfly    3:23
A4. Bitter Fruit    2:32
A5. Waiting For The Buzz    3:15

SIDE B.


B1. Night Of The Living Dead    4:03
B2. Naked Souls    2:50
B3. The Hotel    4:05
B4. After The Funeral    3:10
B5. Just An Alley Cat    3:26

MP3 @ 320 Size: 80 MB
Flac  Size: 238 MB

9 comments:

  1. Glad you brought ALLEY CATS.
    FANTASTIC L. A. PUNK and is one of the best that has ever appeared as punk. I bought both as soon as they were released. A scandal that to this day is only known to insiders.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had post even the soundtrack Urgh! A music War, but they deleted my post. What a shame.

      Delete
    2. But deleted it must have happened quickly. I didn't even see it on your blog. Yes, these bitches don't want to miss out on the deal. By the way, i don't know this do-lp at all. I put it in the shopping cart for now. Thanks

      Delete
  2. Already ordered the Soundtrack War Music for 23e as do-lp incl. postage in mint.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In Urgh! A Music War they deleted the whole post with the story of the film the bands photos, everything. Not only the links. The same happened with the album of Shocking Blue and the album of Aziza Mustafa Zadeh. What can I say? All these posts are completely lost.

      Delete
    2. Pity aout that. Probably you wanted to bring " music war" to make a new war ?
      Today you are in constant crisis mode, you can't get out of it, without solving the old ones.

      Delete
  3. What did you want to bring from Aziza Zadeh?
    I do not know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had post her album Jazziza. She is a Jazz singer and piano player. Her music is not for you. I had post her about 18 years ago.

      Delete
  4. Not a comment about this wonderful band.

    ReplyDelete