Strange Men In Sheds With Spanners

***Drag City presents reissues of the avant-garde DIY label Groovy founded by PETE SHELLEY (BUZZCOCKS) and FRANCIS COOKSON. As of 1981, a sea-change was signaled with the Buzzcocks’ break-up, Pete Shelley’s subsequent solo career and energy going to other projects. However, even as these events were unfolding, recordings were made on a porta-studio at Pete’s place that further realized the Groovy direction. After the pubs closed, Pete brought back a motley crew of usual suspects and special guests, broke out the synths, drums and what-have-yer attitude, resulting in a wealth of additional material that provided private listening pleasure for the Groovy alumni over the years. Culled from Francis Cookson tapes, these pieces make a fourth Groovy installment entitled STRANGE MEN IN SHEDS WITH SPANNERS that features a bent towards more disciplined rhythm pieces scored with a very purposeful array of synthetic sounds—truly the lost next new wave of Groovy, finally crashing on our ready shores in 2011.