The Italian Flag

How is this not known...It was amazing.

They were just naming their bands fucking anything in the 90s man. This is great, I like it. Very unique post-punk sound, kind of like Sonic Youth x Stereolab, featuring the most Scottish man to ever exist. Long as hell, but stays interesting and varied throughout. That final 10-minute song was hypnotizingly great. Strong 4/5.

This surprised me. With a name like that, I was bracing for some kind of abrasive punk, and instead it was a really cool art rock kind of sound. Making some really cool moves in the production, definitely going to be spinning this one up again.

Maybe there’s a prolapse in my ears because it took several songs for me to realize what language this was in. Then when I found out it was in English, I immediately made an appointment with an ENT specialist. 4.1/10

Never heard of these guys before and as soon as the vocals hit I knew I was going to love this. Thank you to the submitter I’m going to play this a lot this year.

Wow. "You will neveeeeer understand meeeeeeeee..." goes the main vocal hook, here inserted between very apt Scottish-accented gibberish, on the opener of this record, "Slash / Oblique". As if Prolapse already knew their bonkers music would be ignored by most listeners, and this for all the WRONG reasons. This band seriously needed a PR team to help the audience open their ears and minds to their most admirable craft. Does anyone in here possess a time machine to help them do that? How could I miss that *incredible* album back in 1997? Because, my gosh, this one scratches an itch I had not realized I had up to now! Whoever suggested this, you're a hero in my eyes, ha ha. This is exactly what I signed for when I agreed to explore the users' list, and it makes up for the many middling LPs I had to go through for a year now. As many other reviewers stated, this vital-sounding (yet virtually confidential) record checks so many boxes at once. There are indeed whiffs of Stereolab circa-*Transient Random -Noise Burst With Announcements* (my favorite, too often criminally ignored), mixed with post-punk and noise rock influences hearkening back to Gang Of Four and early no-wave, Sonic Youth-adjacent acts. But that's not all: the krautrock influences and dual singers also suggest Prolapse were maybe the secret inheritors of Amon Duül II (at least once in a while, and especially on the first two tracks) ; the Scottish origins of the band makes them sometimes sound like Arab Strap or The Delgados on amphetamines ; and some of the most straightforward cuts (like "Killing The Bland" or "A Day At Death Seaside") are not so far from Sleater-Kinney and other riot grrrrrls acts. What I also find impressive is how Prolapse's artistry in *The Italian Flag* actually partly foretold current strands of "crank-wave" rock, from Ought to Shame or even Squid. Which explains why the band reconvened recently, even if I'm not enamoured with their most recent output. *The Italian Flag* indeed still appears like the highlight to select first in Prolapse's discography, at least from what I've managed to listen to today. So yeah, to put it in a nutshell, I didn't know there were ways to mix all those intents into a single striking groove, and those Scottish unsung legends should mostly be praised for the manner in which they cohesively gathered all those threads to create a very unique sound: the drums are tight, the basslines are infectious, the guitars are expansive and epic, and the feminine vocals are as elated as the male sprechgesang performer is unhinged and delirious. The dreamier cuts, like "Cacophony No. A", "Autocade" or "Bruxelles" were also absolutely delightful or hypnotic (that simple use of two-syllable words on "Bruxelles", damn, it's so evocative, cinematic and downright beautiful!). Even the synths, like the one giving a sci-fi flavor to "Return Of Shoes", are great. Many, many killer tracks, to the point where it becomes useless to mention them all. The only song that didn't really make it for me (even if it's far from being a dud) was "Visa For Violet and Van", the one before the closer. Everything else is stellar! Oh, that closer, by the way... Jesus Fucking Christ. "Three Wooden Heads" is ten minutes of traditional-fare-adjacent insanity -- a communal, obsessive barebones jam ending on a crazed-out "da da da di" vocal part, like the ghost of Grace Slick possessing your house, supported by the exorcists' handclaps. This conceptual, experimental cut offers a memorable way to close the proceedings for sure. It sounds a little like Milkweed, another recent crazy duo dabbling in traditional shenanigans as perceived through fogs of noise and a postmodern lens. I understand why this one would make some listeners feel a little dumbfounded, ha ha, but after everything else in the record, this feels like the perfect capper for me. And even if the last two cuts in this double LP don't sit sell with you, well, you still have a terrific 55-minute album without them anyway. You must like the other bands and sounds I've mentioned up there, of course. But if you do, there's no way you can dislike this amazing record. This one is gonna go through heavy rotation in the weeks to come (I've already bought a copy of it online). I'm head over heels. Thank you so much. ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 82 (including this one) Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 104 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 210 ---- Émile, j'ai vu ta dernière réponse. J'essaie de trouver le temps de te laisser la mienne dans les jours qui viennent. Désolé, ça fait longtemps que je te dis ça, mais la situation est un peu compliquée par chez moi en ce moment... Rien de grave, mais je trouve pas beaucoup de temps disponible. Porte-toi bien.

You see a band called Prolapse and immediately think “Grindcore”, not an amazing blend of krautrock, noise and post-punk that’s like putting Stereolab, The Fall and Sonic Youth into a blender. Now, the real question: How do I recommend a band called Prolapse to people? Edit: Upping this rating to a 5, because I’ve been listening to this record non-stop for the last week.

Not what I was expecting from a band named Prolapse, but I’ll definitely take an hour of hazy post-punk. This LP kept me on my toes and seemed to contort itself into a multitude of different styles and shapes. I can see people having an issue with the runtime, and the vocals weren’t always stellar, but this one felt unique and stood out compared to most additions on the user list.

I had my doubts with a band named Prolapse, but I really liked this. Intense and driving, but still melodic and catchy. Very nice. 4 stars.

I thought this was pretty stellar actually. Shades of Stereolab, GBV, but very much of its own sound. Offputting name tho.

The Italian Flag is an indie rock album by Prolapse. I didn't know what prolapse meant and now I won't forget. Strange name for a band creating this kind of music. The music is also something different, a sort of mix of Sonic Youth post-punk with The B-52s dynamic vocals. As with The B-52s these vocals are not always that strong, but that attributes to its charm. The music is solid, uplifting and quite catchy.

Cool sound and atypical structures. Quite liked it

I see a lot of what trendy bands are doing currently in here. Good record

I'm noticing a definite trend of shared albums I'm not enjoying that much being offered by people who haven't actually listened to very many albums themselves.

With a name like that I guess they were trying to remain obscure? This was absolutely brilliant from beginning to end.

I'm actually quite surprised to have never come across this before. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it very much in the nineties, but I do quite like it now. Linda Steelyard - has she done anything else? Her vocals sound really familiar. As I listen more to this, I realise that Bruxelles is an absolutely amazing track. The contrast between the vocalists is obviously prevalent throughout this disc, but lordy it's thrust into the light here. And then we go to Visa for Violet and Van - and it's just a huge kick-up. I think I really, really like this album!

Actually my kinda thing

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Cacophony no A, Autocade, Visa for violent and van

Kind of music I probably would have loved at the time. Takes a lot more from bands the other side of the pond at this time (Slint, Sonic Youth) than their Britpop brethren, while also sounding a bit like Mogwai or Arab Strap. Desolate and dispondent in the best possible ways.

Extremely cool and more than a little arty, plus lively, rambunctious and discordant – one totally digs – the spikier end of indie rock. Somehow it's a band one missed in real time, late '90s being more jazz and classical years. They let it rip in likable fashion, with strong notes of and major nods to The Fall and Stereolab (so obvs they've got great taste). Indie stalwarts of more recent vintage – Wetleg, Dry Cleaning, Carseat Headrest – all owe a debt, one should think. Great choice, recommender, will be exploring more. Of the 24 records from 1997 (what a year!) on the list proper, this could obviously replace The Divine Comedy, David Holmes, Roni Size, Robbie Williams and Mariah Carey and maybe Daft Punk, Missy Elliott, Finley Q, Nick Cave and Sleater Kinney. It could also replace either PIL entry.

This was a pretty good punk album.

I liked this a lot more than I thought that I was going to when it came up on the list. I felt that the interplay of the two vocalists made me think of favourably of The Sugarcubes. The punk aspects brayed pleasantly in my ears as I listened to the female vocals soaring. How dare this be so good?

There's a lot of this I really like. Punky, new wavey, bagpipes! I wish it was a tighter 40 minutes and then it'd be a 4 for me

It has some great parts, but overall it's too repetitive for me.

Favorite Track: Deanshanger

Interesting band strongly reminiscent of Stereolab albeit with the “punk” knob turned up a bit. Quite nice!

Get a better name, and they would get more radio play - the music absolutely deserves it, but it'd be a brave dj who mentioned them on daytime mainstream radio!

I enjoyed this one, except for the last track.

What a terrible name for a band. Yuck. Music was fine, though, but I can't believe their label let them keep that name.

Rock: Art Rock, Indie Rock. Bonito, pero no me encanta.

This was a lot more fun than the horrible, AWFUL band name belies. Kind of a mix of folk and punk at times.

Not bad

Unfamiliar with this, but a super solid post punk indie record from the 90s. About what you would hope for something like that.

Interesting combination of punk and slower melody.

Terrible name, terrible artwork. Given that, the music itself was more interesting than I expected. Lots of influences thrown in there, making it sound interesting, rather than confused, as they somehow all pull together. An edited single album would have been better, but given the length of the tracks, spreading out a little makes some kind of sense. Not bad.

post punk, indie rock. Me disgusta. Un 2.

Too long. We have enough bland British garbage from the 90s. My personal rating: 2/5 My rating relative to the list: 2/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

post punk, indie rock. Me disgusta. Un 2.

It's 'alright' I guess.

2.5

I thought the band name sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. A little online digging and oh - it’s them, that lot from Leicester. I was on the fringes of this scene when I rocked up in the City of Death late ‘93. I must have seen Prolapse at The Charlotte, and probably heard some of the singles. But they didn’t leave a mark on me, thirty odd years later. I have no memory of this music. The Italian Flag was unfamiliar. It filled a gap on a working morning. But I have no interest in returning to this scene, let alone the City of Death.

I didn't get much from The Italian Flag even though deep down somewhere I think I've listened to Prolapse before. As memorable now as it was then, if I was right, 2/5.

I don’t like the name. The music I didn’t care for.

This really felt like it didn't know what it wanted to be. Confusing, jumbled, and not that enjoyable.

Huh, je crois que je suis arrivé à la conclusion que le monde aime ça pour vrai le indie rock. Pour ma part, j’aimerais ça que le monde aime moins ça, de même il en aurait vraiment moins dans la liste, right? Tout le monde serait content je pense

I have never uttered anything remotely close to: "this song is so much better because of these bagpipes" nor will I. Based on the description of this album I was hoping for something a lot better. However.... there's a lot to be said for slogging through some of the shit (insert some sort of Shawshank Redemption prison escape reference here....). The first two tracks were absolutely dreadful but I'll admit the 3rd ["Cacophony No. A"] brought *something* to the table when I was ready to give up. "Autocade" is just nice - maybe the vocals need to stick with the woman and they should have kicked the other one to the curb. Overall though - unspectacular and at times irritating as hell but with some actual almost-gems within. Boosted my rating from a low 1 to "ehh." 5/10 2 stars IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

not enough talk in the gay community about anal prolapse

So this is confusing to me. The music is really cool, but both of the voices are just intolerable and something I can’t get past. The woman’s voice is so monotone, there’s no variability and I can’t respect her singing, and then the man’s is just difficult to digest.