She is Beyond Post and Punk
British post-punk legends the Pop Group have re-released their compilation record We Are Time alongside a collection of rare live tracks and alternative mixes entitled Cabinet of Curiosities. Post-punk is going through an exciting revival right now, with bands coming from all over the world taking their influence from early new wave sounds from the late 1970’s and early ’80s. To accompany this swarm of new bands jumping on the post-punk wave, bands from the early days are getting in on the fun.
We Are Time, first released in 1980, is a compilation of demo tracks and live recordings that took place between 1978 and 1979 at places like the Electric Ballroom in London. Cabinet of Curiosities is filled with unreleased versions of tracks along with different mixes and live performances of songs, including “Amnesty Report III”, an alternative version of a song that appears on We Are Time.
The sound of the Pop Group is highly experimental, the epitome of avant-garde. Formed in 1978, the Pop Group were well ahead of their time in terms of their sound and their take on punk. At times atonal, disjointed, and altogether alienating, their music supersedes much of the attitude in post-punk and the new wave revival today. Tracks like “Springer,” more a spoken word piece than a song, which appears on We Are Time, gives an extreme example of the weirdness they can produce.
The Pop Group are an essential listen for anyone interested in modern post-punk or anyone with a special spot in their heart for new wave. Really, they’re an essential listen for any punk fan at all. They’ve been around since the beginning, and their reunion in 2010 has shown us that they plan on being around for a while longer. We Are Time and Cabinet of Curiosities are both strange, fascinating, and VERY punk rock records and absolutely worth a listen.
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