International EBM Day is an annual celebration dedicated to Electronic Body Music (EBM), a genre that blends elements of industrial, synth-punk, and electronic dance music. Marked on February 24th, this day serves as an homage to the genre’s origins, evolution, and continued impact on underground electronic music scenes worldwide. The date (24.2) is a direct reference to the iconic Belgian EBM band Front 242, one of the pioneering acts of the genre.

EBM emerged in the early 1980s, primarily in Europe, with bands like DAF (Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft), Portion Control, Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, The Klinik and Skinny Puppy shaping its sound. Characterized by pulsating basslines, repetitive beats, and aggressive vocal styles, EBM quickly gained traction in underground clubs, providing a harder-edged alternative to mainstream electronic music. Over the decades, it has influenced genres such as industrial, techno, and dark electro, maintaining a strong following in the global alternative music scene.

International EBM Day was unofficially recognized by fans and artists alike as a way to celebrate, promote, and preserve the legacy of this influential genre. With the advent of social media and digital platforms, the event has gained traction across the world, with enthusiasts sharing music, organizing club nights, and hosting virtual listening parties.

The continued recognition of International EBM Day highlights the genre’s resilience and its ability to adapt to new generations of listeners. Modern artists such as Suicide Commando, Youth Code, Sturm Café and The Juggernauts have brought fresh elements into the scene while staying true to its raw, rhythmic core. Additionally, festivals like BIMFEST (B), Familien Treffen (D), BodyFest (SE) and the yearly "International EBM day Festival" organized by Belgian non-profit organization BodyBeats Productions ensure that EBM remains a vibrant force within the electronic and industrial music communities.

By celebrating International EBM Day, fans reaffirm their passion for a genre that thrives on energy, movement, and rebellion. Whether through live performances, online discussions, or simply blasting EBM anthems, the day serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring influence of Electronic Body Music.

Today, it’s 47 years ago (23 February 1978) that renowned BBC DJ John Peel broadcast the second John Peel session recorded by Siouxsie & The Banshees on 6th February at the BBC studios in Maida Vale.

At the time of broadcast all songs where previously unreleased. In fact, their very first release, the 7” Hong Kong Garden, was only released on 18th August that same year.

In 1989 these studio recordings were released by the Strange Fruit label.

The John Peel Sessions (The Second Session)

Tracklist:
Hong Kong Garden
Overground
Carcass
Helter Skelter

Discogs

The severed alliance of Johnny Marr and Morrissey which exists today seemed a million miles away from the creative force that once was, 41 years ago.
On the 20th of February 1984,-35 years ago today, The Smiths self-titled debut album hit the streets. The legend was quickly born and fully impacted as the album debuted on the UK charts at number two. It was at this moment that The Smiths heralded their arrival onto the international music scene. From this point and over the next four-years they would become the dominant force on the indie and alternative music scene.

Preceded in January by the teaser single-‘What Difference Does It Make?’, supposedly Morrissey’s least favourite single, the song did however build the momentum for what was to come, hitting a high of number-twelve in the charts. The previous singles, one included here, ‘Hand In Glove’, had failed to make an impression on the charts, although the beautiful single which sparkled of Marr’s fully recognized guitar orchestra, did however catch the eye of the critics and media, they had already tipped something big from this band, thankfully they were right.

The second single ‘This Charming Man’ faired better but only broke the top-30. Such a staple of Smiths songs failed to break the top-twenty seems strange now but the public had not fully caught on. Though not originally on the album, ‘This Charming Man’ however did appear on U.S versions of the album distributed by Sire Records.

The Smiths could very well be the most significant release of the eighties. Setting a tone for the rise of other such bands at the close of the decade, unsurprisingly from the same area of Manchester-The Stone Roses, The Happy Monday’s and what came to prominence in the nineties Brit-Pop era owe a debt of gratitude to not only The Smiths as a band, but the foundations they laid in a short four-years.

The Smiths (Original 1984-Rough Trade Track List):

Side A

1. "Reel Around the Fountain" 5:58
2. "You've Got Everything Now" 3:59
3. "Miserable Lie" 4:29
4. "Pretty Girls Make Graves" 3:44
5. "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (quotation from "Sonny Boy" by Ray Henderson, Lew Brown and Al Jolson) 4:38

Side B

6. "Still Ill" 3:23
7. "Hand in Glove" 3:25
8. "What Difference Does It Make?" 3:51
9. "I Don't Owe You Anything" 4:05
10. "Suffer Little Children" 5:28

DISCOGS

[Kevin Burke - Feb 2019]

Remembering Bon Scott: The Voice That Defined AC/DC

On February 19, 1980, 45 ago, the rock world lost one of its most charismatic frontmen—Bon Scott, the legendary lead singer of AC/DC. At just 33 years old, Scott’s untimely passing in London shocked fans and left a void in the band that seemed impossible to fill. Known for his raspy vocals, mischievous grin, and wild onstage energy, Scott embodied the rebellious spirit of rock ‘n’ roll like few others.

Born in Scotland in 1946 before moving to Australia, Scott joined AC/DC in 1974, bringing with him a raw, bluesy voice and a devil-may-care attitude. His tenure with the band saw the release of iconic albums such as High Voltage (1975), Let There Be Rock (1977), Powerage (1978), and the groundbreaking Highway to Hell (1979). Songs like T.N.T., Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, and Highway to Hell remain timeless rock anthems, fueled by Scott’s distinctive growl and irreverent lyrics.

On the night of his death, Scott was found unresponsive in a car after a night of heavy drinking. Though his passing was a tragic loss, his legacy lives on. Just months later, AC/DC honored him by pushing forward with Back in Black—one of the best-selling albums in history.

Bon Scott’s impact on rock music is immeasurable. His rebellious spirit and electric stage presence continue to inspire musicians and fans alike. Over four decades later, his voice still echoes through speakers worldwide, proving that true rock legends never die.

Wikipedia

On the 18th-of February 1977 The Damned released their debut album ‘Damned, Damned, Damned’. The most important album of the late seventies punk movement, though when it comes to The Damned they are the architects of the revolution, what punk was and the direction it was heading.

Indeed, with The Damned there was a lot of firsts, they were the first band from the United Kingdom to release and chart a punk single in ‘New Rose’ in October 1976. The first UK punk band to tour America and play the blank generations ground-zero in New York’s CBGB’s. But it is that album ‘Damned, Damned, Damned’ which is the true-milestone, it was the first album released by a UK band from the surge of punk. Eight months before The Sex Pistols released ‘Never Mind The Bollocks..”, though a more fully formed debut than the Pistols, and released while The Clash were only starting to record their self-titled debut.

Without doubt both the influence and quality contained with ‘Damned, Damned, Damned’ made this the most important album release of the nineteen-seventies.
Produced by the Stiff Records maestro-Nick Lowe (Elvis Costello, Wreckless Eric), this was old-school rock and roll fused with teenage angst and layered with escapism, atomic art aimed at the heart of the British establishment and the pretentious state with the rock music circus of the day.

Raw-energy, the essential ingredient injected into the albums twelve-tracks by Dave Vanian, Brian James(London SS), Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies. Opening with the single-‘Neat Neat Neat’, the incendiary slice of punk, released simultaneously with the album. And closing with the nod to their heroes, a cover of The Stooges ‘1970’-renamed ‘I Feel Alright’, the adventure The Damned brings the listener on is one which resonates strongly within modern society today.

The bulk of the songwriting for the release was done by guitarist Brian James, the man who many feel responsible for punk, although after the follow-up-‘Music For Pleasues’ this original incarnation would break up as Jones departed towards the end of seventy-seven. This makes ‘Damned, Damned, Damned’ that bit more special as it the original sound captured of a band hungry and striving forward.
The only moment the band slow down is the terrifying-'Feel The Pain', the rest is an all-out attack on the senses as James is turning the guitar-sound into a noise-generator than an instrument. Tracks like- 'Stab Your Back’ is perhaps too moronic a track for even The Ramones, the collection is still the finest time-capsule from a moment in time where music had possibilities regardless of how it was executed.

New Rose (lyrics);

Is she really going out with him?
Ah!
I got a feeling inside of me
It's kind of strange like a stormy sea
I don't know why, I don't know why
I guess these things have got to be
I gotta new rose, I got it good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can't stop to mess around
I got a brand new rose in town
See the sun, see the sun, it shines
Don't get too close or it'll burn your eyes
Don't you run away that way
You can come back another day
I got a new rose, I got it good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can't stop to mess around
I got a brand new rose in town
I never thought this could happen to me
I feel strange, why should it be?
I don't deserve somebody this great, oh, oh
I'd better go or it'll be too late
Ah!
I got a feeling inside of me
It's kind of strange like a stormy sea
I don't know why, I don't know why
I guess these things have got to be
I got a new rose, I got her good
Guess I knew that I always would
I can't stop to mess around
I got a brand new rose in town, uh
Oh!
Na-na-no!

The Damned (Track List; Original 1977 LP)

Neat, Neat, Neat
Fan Club
I Fall
Born to Kill
Stab Your Back
Feel the Pain
New Rose
Fish
See Her Tonight
1 of the 2
So Messed Up
I Feel Alright

-All tracks written by Brian James, except ‘Stab Your Back’ and ‘I Feel Alright’.

DISCOGS

[Kevin Burke-Feb 2019]