Pitchfork

While "justice" for Kafka's Josef K. was prolonged, crude, and nothing of the sort, justice for American fans of early-1980s Scottish dark indie-poppers Josef K was just ridiculously prolonged. Twenty-odd years prolonged to be exact. That all ends November 7 when the magnanimous folks at Domino Records issue the very first official U.S. Josef K release, a 22-track compilation titled Entomology.

Comprised of vocalist/guitarist Paul Haig, guitarist Malcolm Ross, bassist David Weddell, and drummer Ronnie Torrance, Josef K sounded a wee bit like Joy Division with jangle, and were part of that whole Postcard Records scene that people cooler than you are always talking about. Fellow Postcarders Orange Juice and the Fire Engines were both subjects of Domino releases last year. Can Aztec Camera be far behind...?

Entomology collects a number of JK singles, B-sides, album cuts, requisite Peel Sessions, and even six tunes from the unreleased Sorry for Laughing album, rejected by Postcard way back in the day ("Heads Watch", "Drone", "Sense of Guilt", "Citizens", "Variations of Scene", and "Endless Soul"). Some 25 years on, the taut rhythmic intensity, eerie atmospherics, and looming paranoia of these recordings still resonate-- which is to say, they're pretty effing awesome.

01 Radio Drill (Postcard 7" Version)
02 It's Kinda Funny (Postcard 7" Version)
03 Final Request
04 Heads Watch
05 Drone
06 Sense of Guilt
07 Citizens
08 Variations of Scene
09 Endless Soul
10 Sorry for Laughing (Postcard 7" Version)
11 Revelation
12 Chance Meeting (Postcard 7" Version)
13 Picture (of Cindy)
14 Fun 'n' Frenzy
15 Crazy to Exist
16 Forever Drone
17 Heart of Song
18 16 Years
19 The Angle
20 Heaven Sent (Peel Session)
21 The Missionary (Peel Session)
22 Applebush (Peel Session)