Tag Archives: Front Line Assembly

Marsbar Playlist ~ 2-1-2014

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February 1, 2014

David Marsden on the Rock.FM every Saturday and Sunday night from 7 p.m. until midnight. Streaming live via the Internet. Join the fun and get some interesting (and always entertaining) information at the new forum on Marsden Global.

The complete list thanks to late night help from The Barron:

69 Eyes – Wasting The Dawn
Alabama 3 – Hotel California
Arcade Fire – Reflektor
Beatles – Ain’t She Sweet
Big Audio Dynamite – E=MC2
Blue Peter – Take Me To War
Book Of Love – Boy
Carole Pope – Francis Bacon
Clash – The Magnificent Seven
Comsat Angels – You Move Me
Cure – Lullaby
Cure – The Walk
David Bowie – Sound & Vision
Depeche Mode – Everything Counts
Diodes – Photographs From Mars
Elephant Stone – Looking Thru Baby Blue
Fad Gadget – Collapsing New People
Filter & The Crystal Method – (Can’t You) Trip Like I Do
Frank Zappa – Nanook Rubs It
Front Line Assembly – Dead Winter
Gary Numan – Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
Gene Loves Jezebel – Desire
Grapes Of Wrath – Picnic
Heaven 17 – Let Me Go (extended 12″ mix)
Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Wake Up And Make Love With Me
Interview – St. Jean Wires
I.C.E. – Strange Attractor
Iggy Pop – Play It Safe
Isley Brothers – Shout
Japan – Transmission
Joel Plaskett Emergency – Fashionable People
John Foxx – Like A Miracle
Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
Muse – Uprising (Live At Rome Olympic Stadium)
Of Monsters And Men – Slow And Steady
Project Pitchfork – Orange Moon
Rammstein – Stripped (Heavy Mental mix by Charlie Clouser)
Roger Waters – Watching TV
Ronnie Hawkins – Who Do You Love
Royal Canoe – Birthday
Sham 69 – Poor Cow
Slave To The SQUAREWave – Hopeless Believers
Slave To The SQUAREWave – Pumpin’ Up The P House
Specials – Ghost Town
Smiths – This Charming Man (Manchester)
Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science
Time Zone – World Destruction
Timelords – Doctorin’ The Tardis (12 inch mix)
Tokyo Police Club – Hot Tonight
Tuff Darts – Your Love Is Like A Nuclear Waste
Ultravox – Love’s Great Adventure
Villians – Wendy’s Melody
Violent Kin – The Honesty
Wallflowers feat. Mick Jones – Reboot The Mission
Xprime – My Fair Lady

For previous David Marsden lists starting from 2003, visit RalphD’s blog “Marsbar Theater.” Ralph is the creator and original caretaker of the lists.

80’s Music Rules ~ Criminally Underrated Artists/ Bands ~ Front Line Assembly

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Bill Leeb (keyboards, vocals) formed the Canadian underground “band” Front Line Assembly around 1985 out of Vancouver BC, Canada. For a few months, Leeb’s attention was split with another band called Skinny Puppy, before finally turning his full attention to cultivating FLA.

FLA’s music is described as electro-industrial, decidedly cutting edge for a fledgling band in 1985. The synthesizers that were a vital part of the New Wave era were starting to turn a bit more serious and brooding mid-to-end of the 80’s decade. Even Gary Numan, considered by many to be the Godfather of Electronica, switched gears to create music that was moody and contemplative. New Wave’s popularity was showing signs of waning, while industrial, goth, dream pop, house, grunge, and shoegaze began to take hold.

Leeb recorded and produced a demo tape titled Nerve War in 1986. Only 50-100 copies of Front Line Assembly’s official debut were made and distributed. Shortly after, Rhys Fulber (keyboards, percussion) joined ranks with Leeb and together they produced a second full-length demo, Total Terror.

In 1987, Front Line Assembly debuted its first official album, The Initial Command. Michael Balch (keyboards) joined the duo about this time. As FLA’s popularity and name recognition grew, the trio ended up releasing State of Mind outside of Canada to a worldwide audience.

The three members continued their collaboration which culminated into releasing two EPs Corrosion and Disorder. These two compilations were later combined into a full album, Convergence.

The next album, Gashed Senses And Crossfire, netted a single “Digital Tension Dementia” which fueled the band’s underground popularity. Ed-FM played this song during this weeks’ Retrospect show from CFRC-FM, catching my attention and leading to this feature. About this time in the band’s evolution, Balch left Front Line Assembly to join Ministry.

Front Line Assembly has weathered many line-up changes over the years, and currently continues to record and perform live. I have listed only those titles in their discography released through 1991 because this blog focuses on 80’s music. For a full listing of their catalog and to find out shat FLA si up to today, check out Wikipedia and the Front Line Assembly MySpace site. If you prefer your 80’s electronica edgy, serious, and accompanied by a dollop of angst, FLA is definitely worth your time to discover.

“Digital Tension Dementia” via YouTube user djoscafox:

“Nerve War” via YouTube user Akira625:

“Total Terror” via YouTube user Akira625:

“Provision” via YouTube user MetalKael:

80’s Discography

1986: Nerve War
1986: Total Terror
1987: The Initial Command
1988: State of Mind
1988: Corrosion
1988: Disorder
1988: Convergence
1989: Gashed Senses and Crossfire
1990: Caustic Grip