Various - Earcom 1, 2 , & 3 (Fast Product 1979 -80)

The Classic Earcom series from Fast Product.EARCOM 1 - included the quintessential DIY band, The Prats. A bunch of four high school friends: Paul McLaughlin, David Maguire, Greg Maguire, and Tom Robinson(not the gay one). While their instruments were basic - including a cardboard drum kit - they were able to quickly produce a demo which they sent to a local indie label Fast Product, and in the anything can happen atmosphere of the age, they ended up on this record. Subsequently they got to do a couple of peels sessions, but adolescence ruined them and they split in 1981.
The Flowers were pretty good too, but too competant as musicians I wager.
Tracks:

A1 - Prats - Prats 2
A2 - Blank Students - Fun At The Fair
A3 - Graph - Drowning
A4 - Blank Students - Background Music
B1 - Prats - Inverness
B2 - Prats - Bored
B3 - Flowers - Criminal Waste
B4 - Flowers - After Dark
B5 - Guest Item - (My Baby Does) Good Sculptures

EARCOM 2 - omg! Joy Division were on this! Sold my original copy in 1982 for £20 because of that! If joy division were still Warsaw at the time then i could call them DIY, but unfortunately as they are post-punk bohemoths, i shall ignore them.(fucking gods though!)
The Thursdays are my recommendation here.
Tracks:

A1 - Thursdays - Perfection
A2 - Basczax - Celluloid Love
A3 - Basczax - Karleearn Photography
B1 - Joy Division - Auto-Suggestion
B2 - Joy Division - From Safety To Where
B3 - Thursdays - (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay

EARCOM 3 ,(2 x 7")-This is the one with the screaming kids on it, THE STUPID BABIES, featuring, as legend would have it,- Adamski (who was number one in 1990-ish with that seal bloke,Killer i think it was). It was him and his little brother complaing about babysitters,and other problems of being under 10.
Great DIY mumblings from a bedroom band called 'From Chorley', who were from....erm... Chorley!!
And the first appearance of the Fantastic "Deutsche Americanische Freundschaft". I once went into a record shop in Leicester (revolver), and asked for a single by this aforementioned german group, pronouncing their full name correctly to a bemused saturday worker. He said "What???", i repeated it again to his collegue, who paused then replied,"ahhhhhh! DAF!"
You try your best to bring culture to the masses, and this is what you get, an abbreviation, because joe public can't say it.
Also the first appearence of Hardcore Punk with "Out Of Vogue" by the Middle Class, which was probably the 1st ever hardcore punk single, although that's a much disputed point. I wonder how much influence, if any, bringing this song to the UK might have had on the emerging faster bands starting up then.
And lastly,one of my favourite tracks EVER! Noh Mercy's "Caucasian Guilt" , an anthem against political correctness, and white persons guilt fatigue!

Tracks:

A1 - Noh Mercy - Caucasian Guilt
A2 - Noh Mercy - Revolutionary Spy
B1 - Stupid Babies - Baby Blues
B2 - Stupid Babies - Baby Sitters
B3 - From Chorley - Tablecloth
C1 - D.A.F. - Ich Und Die Wirklichkeit
D1 - Middle Class - Out Of Vogue
D2 - Middle Class - Situations


Get them all here....... Download
or Earcom 1
or Earcom 2
or Earcom 3
or alternative earcom 3