Back in high school, when I was first getting into punk music, I bought a lot of compilation CDs. Afterall, how else could I survey the vast expanse of punk history on my paltry earnings as a part-time pizza maker?

I first encountered the Stranglers in 1997 on a punk comp dubiously titled "Anarchy From the UK." The compilation provided me with a sturdy education in the annals of punk history, but I always felt the Stranglers' "Hanging Around" seemed misplaced among the reckless, drunken riffs of Sham 69, The Business and the UK Subs.  The Stranglers were different. Elegant, even.

 "Hanging Around" - The Stranglers 

"Hanging Around" is a ghoulish, addictive pop song. And ten years after first discovering it, I still can't get enough of it. The Doors-inspired keyboards hail from that mythic proto-punk period, when bands like the New York Dolls and Television experimented with combining rock-and-roll with the musical equivalent of repulsion.

Flash forward to last week, when I was surfing Moistworks (my very favorite mp3 blog) for their latests postings. There, I discovered the Stranglers' hit "Golden Brown," and was immediately reminded of my affection for the band. And so began my hunt for a few choice songs to post here.

As far as I can tell, the Stranglers have three distinct eras:

1. Proto-punk (70s - 81')
2. Ghoulish New Wave (81'-89')
3. Crap (2006)

The tracks below represent their more stripped-down, synth-pop phase in the 1980s.

 "7" - The Stranglers

The track "7" is from The Gospel According to The Meninblack, an spatial concept album released by the group in 1981. As far as I can tell, the concept has something to do with alien invasions and Jesus' second coming. Picture Orwell's 1984 crossed with Sigourney Weaver and Steven King's love child. 

 "Strange Little Girl" - The Stranglers

"Midnight Summer Dream" - The Stranglers