CROW PEOPLE – “Wasteland: Recordings 1985-1994” CD

The timely discography for the anarcho-punk band that formed in Doncaster in 1984. Like many of the DIY punk activists of their generation they took their inspiration from the early 80s Crass/Flux lead anarcho movement and carried it onwards into the next chapter, playing alongside old comrades (Culture Shock, Chumbawumba) plus the newer generation of hardcore leaning protest punks (HDQ, Dan, City Indians, The Depraved, Karma Sutra, Generic, Next World, Feed Your Head – all good bands, that are often overlooked). The Crow People’s sound was between Amebix and The Mob – which they interpreted into their own Northern style, adding perhaps a little New Model Army, and, as often was the case at this point in time, a little bit of free-festival inspired space rock, too. This LP contains nearly everything Crow People recorded in the studio from 1985 – 1994, sixteen tracks consisting of their Cloud Songs 12″ EP released on Meantime Records in 1987, and another twelve unreleased tracks – with the later-era recordings baring similarities both to modern day versions of post-punk, and also what is now recognised as the Leatherface approach to gruff-vocal, melodic punk(Leatherface being, of course, Crow Poeple’s old label mates on Meantime Records).