Death were a pioneering proto-punk band from Detroit who are the subjects of the recent documentary A Band Called Death. They've experienced a resurgence in the past few years, with indie label Drag City reissuing their 1976 album, ...For the Whole World to See, putting out a compilation of rarities in 2011, and even releasing a new single in 2012. Now, Death have announced that they'll be releasing another compilation of recordings from 1975, 1976, 1980 and 1992, entitled Death III. Stream "North St.," the first track we've heard from the upcoming comp, above.
Describing a particularly seedy section of Detroit, the scorching "North St." tells the tales of undercover cops, storefront hangouts and 13-year-old prostitutes. Recorded in 1980, it came a little after punk "broke" in the U.S., but its breakneck tempo was probably still a little ahead of its time. But wherever you place them on a timeline of punk music, Death were certainly an anomaly as far as black musicians from Detroit in the late '70s / early '80s go.
Prior to being released as part of Death III on April 22nd, "North St." will be on the A-side of a single that's being released a week from today. Preorder it on Drag City's official website.
