Pitchfork

Finally, someone is putting out the Fire Engines. The Scottish post-punk icons' original studio recordings will see release for the first time in the U.S. on CD with the Hungry Beat collection, due this fall from the Acute label. The band's closest peers on the early-80s Scottish scene have both already received the compilation treatment, with Orange Juice's extraordinary The Glasgow School in 2005 and Josef K's excellent Entomology last year, both on Domino. The same label also released a Fire Engines live hodgepodge, 2005's Codex Teenage Premonition.

Hungry Beat compiles Fire Engines' sole releases-- three singles and a mini-LP-- but the group continues to tour after reuniting in 2004 for gigs with the Magic Band and Franz Ferdinand. The latter band lauds Fire Engines as an influence, and the reasons will be clear from the blend of post-punk angularity and Chic funkiness on "Meat Whiplash", which will appear on Hungry Beat. For a taste of Fire Engines' live act in their heyday, check out this video featuring a 1982 live performance of another compilation track, "Big Gold Dream". The clip originally aired on BBC2, and frontman Davy Henderson's asymmetrical coif screams 80s (or 00s).

MP3: > Fire Engines: "Meat Whiplash"

Fire Engines: "Big Gold Dream"