LONG PLAYER OF THE DAY: The Birthday Party, ‘Junkyard’

The Artist/Album: The Birthday Party, Junkyard (4AD, 1982)

The Reason(s) We Can’t Stop Listening: As much as we enjoy blasting the Bad Seeds and Grinderman, there’s nothing quite like hearing Nick Cave in heat at the height of his stint as the Birthday Party’s shrieking, shuddering mess of a singer. You know, back when he’d say things like, “I stuck a six-inch blade in the head of a girl” without a trace of irony. Meanwhile, the rest of the band—including future Bad Seed/recent bass recruit Barry Adamson—whipped up a racket worthy of titles like “She’s Hit,” “Kiss Me Black” and “Hamlet (Pow Pow Pow).”

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Available At: Amazon · Spotify

Check out some classic Birthday Party videos below…