Wire Train - Like

Nicely atmospheric track from this San Francisco band's well-received but largely-forgotten 1984 debut, In a Chamber (a pretty atmospheric album generally). It's one of the album's darker moments but its short length keeps it from being too much of a downer.

Always loved the instrumental interlude that starts at around one and a half minutes in.

Romeo Void - Flashflood

San Francisco's Romeo Void weren't exactly a one hit wonder, but it's fair to say that there are probably a lot of people who'd remember one particular track of theirs even if they didn't remember their name. That particular track, "Never Say Never", had an exceptionally attention-grabbing lyric in the chorus which very nearly took the song into the realm of novelty status. The rest of the song's lyrics were actually very astute and literate, and kind of sinister in fact, but of course it was the gimmicky chorus that got all the attention and led to some people dismissing them as a gimmicky band.

It didn't help that their only other single of any renown, "A Girl In Trouble (Is A Temporary Thing)", was blandsville central.

They put out three albums in the early 1980s, with a sound that wasn't atypical of the American college rock of the time. What did distinguish them from the others, however, was Debora Iyall: an ethnic (Native American) woman with a powerful voice, insightful lyrics and a mind of her own, which didn't always rub music industry types (or audiences) the right way. I met her once in the late 1980s, in the queue for the ladies' at a Big Music Event, and I have to say I was a little bit awestruck by her even though I was never a huge fan of her band.

They did have their moments though, and this is certainly one of them - a sad and lovely tune from their 1982 second album Benefactor.

Wire Train - Chamber of Hellos

Here's a great track by a 1980s San Francisco band who were quite popular on the underground music circuit back then. Their debut album, 1984's In A Chamber, was sort of a more atmospheric version of the American guitar pop played on college radio all the time (REM, Translator, Plimsouls etc). You can hear bits of bands like the Chameleons in it, though a lot quieter.

This was their biggest hit single and I'm surprised I can't find a proper video for it because I'm sure I saw one back in the day.

Translator - Unalone

Translator were a rather ordinary American band of the early 1980s, who put out a couple of decent records that got a bit of airplay on college and independent radio but then disappeared largely forgotten. I really wouldn't say you missed much if you never heard them, but this one song is great.