The Great Lost Brew Wave Album CD

(Blackhole Records, USA, 1997)

• Silver Crawlers (Ama Dots, c1980, unreleased)
• Gettin' Pretty Pop (Oil Tasters, c1980, unreleased)
• Emergency (Paul Cebar & The R & B Cadets, unreleased)
• Silence The Critics (X-Cleavers, unreleased)
• No Surfin' (At Bradford Beach) (Blackholes, unreleased)
• Let's Get Dumb / Me Generation (Muscle Beach, 1980, only 7")
• The Garden In Pain (Plasticland, unreleased version)
• Death By Phone / Pure Annihilation (Scott Puffer, 1980, only 7")
• Some People (Acetones, unreleased)
• I Don't Wanna Be Young (RPMs, 1980, from only 7")
• Don't Run Away (Baxters, unreleased)
• (Coming Back To You Baby) D.O.A. (Buck Byron, unreleased)
• The Sky Is Falling (Zino Euke & The Humanoids, unreleased)
• I've Got A Message / Dead Man (Prosecutors, c1980, from only 7")
• It's Hard To Smile (When You're Laying Face Down On The Floor) / Drop The Bomb (Haskels, unreleased)
• Lies (Dominoes, unreleased version)
• Let's Go (To Guyana) (American Bombs, 1979, from only 7")

A 1997 retrospective on the Milwaukee scene around 1980. I'm sure glad I didn't live there then! If this compilation is an indication, the town was full of non-descript new wave bands. The other Prosecutors track from their 7" is much better than either of the 2 here. I guess the compiler was more interested in production sound or something. The Scott Puffer 7" is kind of cool, a few other tracks are good powerpop but overall this isn't that hot. The Haskels definitely released their best tracks on their EP.
Rating: 6.5