About Swell Maps. Arguably one of the most influential bands of Post-Punk movement, Britain's Swell Maps began modestly, releasing their short, artistically-inclined pieces via Rough Trade in the mid- to late. Find Swell Maps discography, albums and singles on AllMusic. Swell Maps A1: Read About Seymour B1: Ripped And Torn B2: Black Velvet: Rough Trade UK: RT 010: Dec 1978: 7' 6: 6.5: Swell Maps A1: Loin Of The Surf A2: Doctor At Cake B1: Steven Does B2: Bronze And Baby Shoes: Rather UK: gear five: 1979: Bonus 7' 8: 7.0: Swell Maps A1: Dresden Style B1: Ammunition Train B2: Full Moon (Dub) Rough Trade UK: RT. In existence for most of the '70s, England's Swell Maps proved that a group of intelligent, fearless, versatile people can record five LPs and produce little of any lasting value. Though promising at the outset, Swell Maps (from a town outside Birmingham) succumbed to preciousness and self-indulgenc. Swell Maps create a beautiful aesthetic through abstract, DIY-infused soundscapes that accompany their progressive and forward-thinking percussion and guitar work. I love how much more vocally sparse this album is, as I think the vocals on A Trip to Marineville pull me away from the mood.

Swell Maps Discography -

Noisy and experimental, Britain’s Swell Maps experienced little commercial success during the course of their chaotic career, but in hindsight they stand as one of the pivotal acts of the new wave: not only was the group an acknowledged inspiration to the likes of Sonic Youth and Pavement, but their alumni – most notably brothers Nikki Sudden and Epic Soundtracks – continued on as key players in the underground music community. Although Sudden (vocals/guitar) and Soundtracks (piano/drums) formed the first incarnation of the Swell Maps as far back as 1972, the group did not begin to truly take shape until 1976, when the siblings enlisted bassist Jowe Head and guitarist Richard Earl. In the spirit of punk’s “do-it-yourself” mentality, they formed their own label, Rather Records, and issued their debut single – the brief, jarring “Read About Seymour” – in the early weeks of 1978. Local media support soon won the group a distribution pact with Rough Trade, but they did not resurface until over a year later with the single “Dresden Style.”

In mid-1979, the Swell Maps released their full-length debut A Trip to Marineville, a crazy-quilt of punk energy and Krautrock-influenced clatter. After the release of the speaker-shredding single “Let’s Build a Car,” the group recorded one final studio LP, Jane from Occupied Europe, before breaking up. Each of the members followed their own career paths, playing solo and forming bands: Sudden formed the Jacobites, Soundtracks joined Crime and the City Solution, and Head played with the Television Personalities. – Jason Ankeny

Swell Maps Discography By Year

Each album has been remastered. The CD versions include liner notes and unreleased photos as well as bonus tracks not available on previous versions of these albums. Great care has been taken to restore the tracklists and artwork of the vinyl versions to that of the original releases. In that spirit, a bonus 4-track 7″ is packaged with A Trip To Marineville.