Hunters & Collectors - Talking To A Stranger

Now here's a lost gem... and a great way to wake up this Monday morning! Australian group Hunters & Collectors were formed in Melbourne in 1981, starting out as a kind of industrialized krautrock funk band, a cross between Neu!, Can and Talking Heads with a strong sense of melody, exemplified by this, their first single from 1982. They later turned a bit more mainstream although they retained the quality if not the excitement of their earlier recordings. "Talking With A Stranger" was backed by another great song on the b-side of the single, called "Alligator Engine". You will have to listen for yourself to understand what this sounds like, but expect frenzied guitars, anguished vocals, a deep and funky bassline and a pulsing beat. I love it!

By the way, the arty video is quite good too, but the actual song doesn't start before one and a half minute into it, so if you don't have the patience to watch a guy waiting for a train, cue forward to 1:26.

Watch and listen