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One of the great functions of a record company, aside from spending thousands of pounds on bands who don't deserve to be heard, is to curate the past. Elektra Records famously allowed Lenny Kaye to gather together the best American punk rock records from the mid 1960s for a double LP released in 1972. Originally Ìý was to reflect the best of the Top Forty but Lenny arrived back at the office with 27 examples of first generation US Punk records, from the Electric Prunes to the Magic Mushrooms. It was and remains a fantastic collection. If you think otherwise, turn around and walk back to the start of this blog with your head bowed. I suspect Nuggets was a once in a rock and roll lifetime event but I am very excited about a new compilation of Californian Punk Rock which has the unfortunate title 'Black Hole'. It's been curated by Jon Savage. You may remember him from other punk rock manuals like "England's Dreaming" and 'Punk Rock's Biggest Words". It has the perfect time parameters , 1977 to 1980, and features such bands as Dils, The Avengers and The Zeros. A CDfication of black vinyl singles from the Golden State, which proves that you don't need rain, repression and repossessions to be angry enough to write songs like We're Desperate, Nothing Means Nothing Anymore and Anti, Anti, Anti. It's issued by Domino records which has shown impeccable taste with the Young Marble Giants and Orange Juice revivals. Buy it when it comes out next month and get a fifteen year head start on the California Punk revival of 2025.