something I learned today...

Moving

2006-06-13T00:30:00.000-04:00

Like all of the other cool kids I've decided to move this thing to it's own home. Please, update your bookmarks, links, etc. to the new location:

www.somethingilearned.com

H-100s

2006-06-08T22:39:00.000-04:00

And now for something completely different - a short blast of manic '90's hardcore from Cleveland's H-100's. There isn't much info on them, other than this blurb from Havoc Records:

Cleveland Ohio's h-100's blast out crucial early 80's style raw thrash. The singer was a teenage kid with a really snotty voice. The rest of the band were thirty-year-old record collector dudes who were there when hardcore ruled and didn't forget. Although the h-100's claim 80's Japanese thrash as their main influence this record reminds me more of early Die Kreuzen, Poison Idea, Toxic Reasons or many other Midwestern thrash bands of the 80's...H-100's were notorious for their outrageous live shows which usually featured fireworks, wrestling moves and throwing everything that wasn't nailed down.

The H-100s released 3 singles - Texas Death Match, Dismantle, and Distort Cleveland before - splitting in early 1996. 3/4 of the band would become 9 Shocks Terror, with Tony Erba & Wedge eventually forming Gordon Solie Motherfuckers. There was reportedly a CD of all three 7"s, but I've never seen it. 1995's Distort Cleveland EP is my favorite of the three records. Take a listen:

H-100s - Brown Sugar.mp3
H-100s - Destroy Cleveland.mp3
H-100s - Shit We Live In Today.mp3
H-100s - Don't Ask Me How I Am.mp3
H-100s - Free.mp3

And for good measure here are two more - "Agitate" is from Dismantle, "Picked On" is from Texas Death Match
H-100s - Agitate.mp3
H-100s - Picked On.mp3

Pere Ubu

2006-06-06T17:02:00.000-04:00

To be honest, I don't feel like I have a keen enough intellect to adequately analyze and expound on Pere Ubu. While I like the band and their music on a high level, I feel like I'm missing something critical that everyone else is getting - kinda how I feel whenever I listen to Jazz. Kinda how I felt when I failed advanced calculus, or tried to read Dostoevsky. Just plain dumb. So I'll leave it at that, but suggest you head over to Vinyl Mine to check out Jim's take on Pere Ubu's first album The Modern Dance.

Deconstruction aside, I've grown comfortable with the majority of material Pere Ubu released in their "Historical" period (1975-1982). The band produced 3 fine albums (Modern Dance, Dub Housing, and New Picnic Time) in little over a two year span, in addition to a couple of fantastic singles. If you can put aside David Thomas' off-key yelping/mewing and the band's more artsy-fartsy avant weirdness there's much to enjoy. The tracks here come from the band's 5-song 1978 12" Datapanik in the Year Zero, originally released in the UK on Radar Records. The EP collects cuts from the band's early releases on their own Hearthan label, including the first single from 1975, the b-side to their second single ("Cloud 149"), a demo version of "The Modern Dance" (marked as "untitled"), and the b-side to The Modern Dance single ("Heaven"). A nice sample of the band's early output, though the exclusion of "Final Solution" is puzzling:

from 1978 EP Datapanik in the Year Zero
Pere Ubu - Heart of Darkness.mp3
Pere Ubu - 30 Seconds Over Tokyo.mp3
Pere Ubu - Cloud 149.mp3
Pere Ubu - Untitled.mp3
Pere Ubu - Heaven.mp3

Notes:
> Photo from official Pere Ubu website: Ubuprojex
> Rocket From The Tombs tracks are still available from an earlier post. I prefer the RFTT early version of "30 Seconds Over Tokyo"
> The entire Datapanik EP is included in the Terminal Tower singles, etc compilation and the Datapanik in the Year Zero boxset.

Ikara Colt

2006-06-01T13:00:00.000-04:00

With the recent Joy Division post and my new found enthusiasm for blogging British bands (woohoo, 2 out nearly 350 posts), it seemed like an ideal time to dish up a little Ikara Colt. Playing that noisy, seemingly familiar blend of arty postpunk, Ikara Colt graced the world with two albums and a couple of singles during their 1999 to 2004 run. Pitchfork had the following take on their 2002 debut Chat and Business

It's as if Ikara Colt ran down a checklist from the back of the NME on how
to be a British punk band: They met at art school, they dress sharp, and they
sound glum. They crib from the best post-punk and noise-rock, and every track on their debut gets a perfect score for pop songform and speedy hook delivery...
The music also falls in line, between Sonic Youth and The Fall, but at least they do it well.... Chat and Business won't bring you down, nor will it kick your ass. It's the kind of album that's never better than its last single, but my complaints will sound like stodgy nit-picking if you go nuts for the guitars
2004's Modern Apprentice is more of the same, if ultimately less engaging. No Ripcord sums it up fairly well:

It’s unfortunate that the familiar sound of some of these tracks, the nagging suspicion that you heard this once before, is always hiding in the background, because there’s worthy enough material here. The previously mentioned raw energy is evident in bucketloads, and there are tons of spiky guitar slashes and fuzz-heavy bass riffs.

Modern Apprentice was never given official release in the US, for reasons unknown to me (perhaps their split). Regardless of the slings and arrows levied at the band I enjoyed both of these albums, with Chat and Business being one of my favorites of the early 21st century. Take a listen

From Chat and Business
Ikara Colt - Sink Venice.mp3
Ikara Colt - At The Lodge.mp3

From Modern Apprentice
Ikara Colt - Wake in the City.mp3
Ikara Colt - How's The World Gonna Take You Now.mp3

Notes:
>Photo from an Ikara Colt fansite

Joy Division

2006-05-29T10:36:00.000-04:00

I've been beating myself up trying to decide whether to post the first Joy Division 7" or the band's oft-booted "lost" LP from 1978. Easy solution - why not both? The whole Joy Division story can be found here. My first exposure to the early Joy Division sound came in college. I had only been familiar with the band's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and the follow up work by New Order. A friend in my dorm had the 12" version of Joy Division's An Ideal For Living, and I was blown away upon my first listen. Despite claiming to "hate" the record, he refused to part with it. Fucker. After graduation I never saw the record again, left with a beat up tape copy until another friend made me a CD-R of not only the single but the band's shelved 1978 album Warsaw. The story as I know it is that the band recorded the album in May of 1978, but rejected it after hearing the final mix. I love this early Joy Division sound, so raw and aggro and unrefined when compared to the band's proper albums.

recorded in December, 1977 while still known as Warsaw. Officially released in 1978
Joy Division - Warsaw.mp3
Joy Division - No Love Lost.mp3
Joy Division - Leaders of Men.mp3
Joy Division - Failures.mp3

recorded in May 1978 but rejected by band. Booted many times over (whole thing here)
Joy Division - They Walked in Line.mp3
Joy Division - Transmission.mp3
Joy Division - Living in the Ice Age.mp3
Joy Division - Shadowplay.mp3

notes:
Scans from the excellent Joy Division Central
An old post of Joy Division covers
The first 7 inch tracks have been included on the Joy Division compilation Substance

Arcwelder

2006-05-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

Minneapolis' Arcwelder made some beautiful noise in the 90's, releasing 6 albums all told. Fuzzed out guitar, alternating vocals, strong hooks, noisy pop melodies - Arcwelder always reminded of a latter day Husker Du. While still technically an active band, the trio of Scott Macdonald and brothers Bill and Rob Graber haven't released an album in 7 years. Presented for your listening pleasure are Arcwelder's two 7" released on Touch & Go. While not their best work (check the bands sonic masterpiece Pull or the nearly as great follow up Xerxes), these records hold their own. The Raleigh 7" comes from demos recorded prior to Pull in 1992. A more refined version of "Raleigh" made it onto Pull, "Walls" and "Rosa" appear only here. The Captain Allen 7" appeared in 1995 as a stop-gap until Entropy could be released. The gem here is an on the mark cover of the Volcano Suns "White Elephant". I'd love to hear something more from the band, but I'm not holding my breath.

from 1992's Raleigh 7"
Arcwelder - Raleigh.mp3
Arcwelder - Walls.mp3
Arcwelder - Rosa.mp3

from 1995's Captain Allen 7"
Arcwelder - Captain Allen.mp3
Arcwelder - White Elephant.mp3

Not as if anyone would have noticed, but those first two sentences are recycled from an earlier Arcwelder post. I'm just phonin' this shit in now.

The Skinnies

2006-05-22T13:02:00.000-04:00

Image "on loan" from the generous folks at Killed By Death Records!

Last week I posted on the Shit Dogs, and you, dear readers, underwhelmingly responded with exactly one comment. Well, fuck you I'm going back to the well with some more Louisiana punk rock. This time we have The Skinnies from New Orleans. Their Kill The Beat 7" was released on 'Lectric Eye back in 1978, and has been given the the whole Killed/Hyped/Death treatment. CollectorScum calls it "Classic loser punk". Do you need anything else? Really, both of these tracks are excellent and deserve a listen. Anyone wanting to share info on the band is welcome to comment

Skinnies - I'm a Dullard.mp3
Skinnies - Out of Control.mp3

V/A - New Jersey's Got It?

2006-05-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

Satisfying a waaay old request, here's New Jerseys' Got It? Released on Buy Our Records in 1985, the compilation is nothing but Garden State bands. I've been sitting on this one for a good, long while, because honestly it's mostly disposable. Most of the tracks here play like mediocre, second-tier material. The highlights are a deranged Cows like track from Cynamid, a fuzzed out stomper from Pleased Youth, weird, theatrical noise from Children in Adult Jails, and hyperactive thrash from Adrenalin OD. The highlights are listed below: (whole LP can be found here)

Bedlam - Mongoofy.mp3
Bodies in Panic - Wendy O.mp3
Cynamid - Support.mp3
Pleased Youth - Obedience School.mp3
Children in Adult Jails - Fishing for Compliments.mp3
Stetz - Kids Habits.mp3
My 3 Sons - People Who Bleed.mp3
Sacred Denial - What Religion.mp3
Adrenalin OD - Infiltrate The State.mp3

notes:
>Strange Reaction has the My 3 Sons 7" available. Check it out
>Many of the bands here were also featured on the Big City - One Big Crowd comp LP. Vinyl Mine gives you the nickel tour.

Shit Dogs

2006-05-15T22:07:00.000-04:00

Although the writing doesn't demonstrate it, I often spend several weeks ruminating over posts, playing tracks, and doing research before sitting down to write a post. One of the major frustrations I encounter is having to toss a post when it's discovered that another blog has beaten you to the punch. With all of the punk related blogs out there now it's happening more and more often. Even though it's not an mp3 blog, Agony Shorthand always seems to be one step ahead of me. Hinman usually hits the nail on the head with spot on reviews and great writing style, often leaving me standing with my cock in my hand. Well, fuck it. For the umpteenth time I've been trumped, this time when it comes to the Shit Dogs World War III compilation on Italian label Rave Up. Most of you are aware of the Shit Dogs as a result of their inclusion on the Killed By Death series. Rave Up has compiled the Baton Rouge, Louisiana band's 1980 History of Cheese EP, 1981's You Bet 7", and the Dog Style LP all on release. 22 tracks of lo-fi goof rock that gets compared to the Ramones or The Eat. I think you can still get this one, along with other choice reissues of Louisian greats The Skinnies and Toxin III. Some samples

originally from 1980's The History of Cheese 7"
Shit Dogs - Reborn.mp3
Shit Dogs - Killer Cain.mp3
Shit Dogs - Raw Meat.mp3

originally from 1981's You Bet 7"
Shit Dogs - Calling Dr. Modo.mp3
Shit Dogs - Can Opener.mp3

originally from 1983's Dog Style LP
Shit Dogs - Rats in the Tunnels.mp3

By Request - 2 more from the Shit Dogs (You Bet 7")
Shit Dogs - Under Slithery Moons.mp3
Shit Dogs - Flippin' Burgers.mp3

Life Sentence

2006-05-11T12:18:00.000-04:00

Life Sentence. Shit, I damn near wore out the grooves on their first LP, playing it what seemed to be every day in 1988. I didn't know much about the band at the time, other than that high profile bands such as DRI and Corrosion of Conformity sported their t-shirts in photos. That, and they were pretty smoking live when I finally got the chance to see them. Apparently there was a whole world of drama surrounding the band that I never knew until many years later. If you're interested in tales of drug addiction, legal matters, and band animosity then head over to the Punk Vault and read the comments. As for the music, Life Sentence's 1987 debut LP was pretty killer - breakneck speed, chunky guitar, and all sorts of breakdowns that my brother and I used to slam to in our basement. Ahhh, good times. the second "Life Sentence" LP No Experience Necessary was released in 1989. It was OK but seemed to lack gutfire. A disappointment for me, both then and now. The first album still remains a fun listen though (hot metal licks aside). Hopefully someone will give this a reissue, along with what I've been told is a great pre-album demo. My favorites:

from 1987 s/t LP
Life Sentence - Problems.mp3
Life Sentence - Punks for Profit.mp3
Life Sentence - In The Streets.mp3
Life Sentence - Figure It Out.mp3

from 1989's No Experience Necessary
Life Sentence - Win, Lose, Or Sue.mp3
Life Sentence - No Experience Necessary.mp3

La Peste

2006-05-08T22:21:00.000-04:00

I doubt anyone will question the inclusion of La Peste's "Better Off Dead" in the upper echelon of amazing American punk tracks of the '70's. The b-side "Black" is mostly forgetable, but the a-side, oh man, what a great fucking song. On the strength of that one track I picked up the band's 1996's collection on Matador, which contains the band's lone single, latter day recordings, and live tracks from 1979. Everything I had read about La Peste praised their fierce live shows, and most of the live tracks here are indeed pretty hot ( and I'm not one to heap praise on live recordings). Some of the studio tracks are limp ("Let Me Sleep", uggh), but all in all this a mostly solid collection for those with a taste for pop-edged 70's punk. Sure, nothing tops "Better Off Dead", but there are a couple of tracks that almost approach that zenith. I'm pretty sure this is now OOP, but shouldn't be that hard to track down. A couple of my favorites

from the 1978 single
La Peste - Better Off Dead.mp3

live in 1979
La Peste - I Don't Wanna Die In My Sleep.mp3
La Peste - Kindness Invites Abuse.mp3
La Peste - Acid Test.mp3
La Peste - Spymaster.mp3

Notes:
> Agony Shorthand's take on the disc
> La Peste pages at Boston Rock Storybook and New England Music Scrapbook

The Metros

2006-05-04T17:28:00.000-04:00

I thought it was just yesterday that I posted some tracks from bands associated with Rip Off Records, but it really has been awhile since I covered anything from them. So why not take a listen to The Metros, who are responsible for some of my favorite records on Rip Off. A 5-piece from Detroit, the Metros released two singles and an album between 1998 and 2000 before vaporizing. I've read descriptions of the band's sound as "pure Gun Club fueled punk", which suggest to me the reviwer either didn't listen to the record or doesn't have a clue about the Gun Club. Whatever. The Metros dish out two minute chunks of gritty garage punk with hooks, and dig it. I think all of their material is still available, check them out if you haven't already. Here's a taste:

from their first 7"
The Metros - Hot-Wired.mp3

from their 1999 self-titled LP
The Metros - Black Leather.mp3
The Metros - Lay It On Me.mp3

from their second 7"
The Metros - I Gotta Go.mp3

X

2006-05-01T21:46:00.000-04:00

Is a post on LA's X too pedestrian for the refined and esoteric tastes of the mp3 blogosphere? Fuck if I care. Los Angeles and Wild Gift are both staples in regular rotation at the homestead. I was hooked on the band the minute I heard their shit hot tracks from Decline of Western Civilization. Pure punk rock bliss - I was hypnotized by Billy Zoom and that odd, plastic smile. Anyhow, these early tracks are X at their best. The Adult Books/We're Desperate 7" was released on Dangerhouse in 1978. Both songs were later included on Wild Gift, but these are the definitive versions. The cover art is an absolute killer to boot. "Los Angeles" is from the one-sided Dangerhouse compilation Yes LA. All of these tracks are readily available in some form or another (Dangerhouse Volume 1, Dangerhouse Volume 2, Beyond and Back), but not all on the same release the last time I checked. For your convenience:

from their 1978 debut 7"
X - Adult Books.mp3
X - We're Desperate.mp3

from 1979's Yes LA compilation
X- Los Angeles.mp3

Notes:
> Is there a better source of amazing band and record info than Break My Face? No, their really isn't. This page has all the info on Dangerhouse Records you've ever wanted to know.
> Nothing in common besides the name, an earlier post on Australia's X

On Vacation

2006-04-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

I'm Heading down to Atlanta, GA for some rest and relaxation with the family for the remainder of the month. I'm not expecting to update, but it's not out of the realm of possibility. In the meantime, check out the archives. There's active tracks back through September 2005.

V/A - Noise From Nowhere

2006-04-21T21:44:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how many subsequent volumes (10 maybe?) would be released in the series, but the original Noise From Nowhere compilation has the distinction of being the the first release on Arizona's Toxic Shock label. Released in 1983, Noise From Nowhere contained 4 tracks from four under-the-radar bands. Kent State deliver earnest if unremarkable hardcore. Modern Industry's "Out of Focus" is spirited, melodic hardcore - my favorite track on the comp. The flipside features a creepy dirge from Moslem Birth (who would eventually morph into Peace Corpse) and a speedy, snotty rip from Manson Youth. Noise From Nowhere was reissued a couple years back on CD with 3 other early Toxic Shock singles by Peace Corpse, Red Tide, and Massacre Guys. And yes, that's an exploding penis on the cover, courtesy Pushead

Kent State - Breakout Breakfree.mp3
Modern Industry - Out of Focus.mp3
Moslem Birth - Horror Snores.mp3
Manson Youth - Penis Brain.mp3

Notes:
- check out the Punk Vault's take on Noise From Nowhere
- Cover scan from KFTH. My copy has a light blue cover, as do most all of the others I've seen

Vertigo

2006-04-20T12:04:00.000-04:00

I've been meaning to rip all of my singles by Minneapolis noise-rockers Vertigo for some time, but shit always seemed to get delayed. Then, about a month ago, always on-the-ball Jay Hinman at Agony Shorthand wrote up the first Vertigo 7" and fucking nailed it:

The fucked-with stills from some ancient monster movie on the record's sleeve hinted at what was inside. "Two Lives" is foreboding and weird throughoutits 3+ minutes, when barely-harnassed feedback providing the bedrock for a simple, haunting guitar squall. The singer - when there are vocals at all - sounds distant and a little bit annoyed, like he's parked in a bedroom behind alocked door not entirely capable of providing his disinterested commentary. "Front End Loader" is a crazed instrumental with a hall-of-fame riff - it makes sense that these guys covered CRIME's "Murder By Guitar" later on, because I'm telling you, they are easily in the same league. Finally, "Phil 105" might be the best of them all, with thinly-disguised melodics that are the diamond in a showering frenzy of heavy guitar-shard feedback.

Awesome - This 1988 single by Vertigo just may be their best offering. Originally pressed in a batch of 300, Forced Exposure decided to help out and press another 700 to make this a nice even 1000. In 1989 the band hooked up with AmRep and released the killer Bad Syd/Going To Pieces 7". They would go on to release 3 full lengths and 3 more singles before burning out some time in the mid nineties. While the albums were spotty in places, the singles always delivered. Here are the first two:

from their debut on Skid Mark
Vertigo - Two Lives.mp3
Vertigo - Front End Loader.mp3
Vertigo - Phil 105.mp3

from their first AmRep single
Vertigo - Bad Syd.mp3
Vertigo - Going To Pieces.mp3

and while I have your ear why not enjoy this cover of the Flesh Eaters
Vertigo - Shallow Water.mp3

Vertigo founder Gene Tangren followed up Vertigo with the equally cool Silver Salute, who released 3 singles in the mid-nineties. Gene is currently in Grackle and runs Suspended Dimension Records

"Shallow Water" appeared on the 1993 compilation Self Mutilation Volume 3, lovingly compiled by Cousin Creep

Gang of Four

2006-04-17T21:28:00.000-04:00

In reviewing the last 300+ posts I don't think I have covered a single British band. Huh. I guess most of my Britpunk collection (GBH, Subhumans, Chaos UK, and way too much Oi) sounds stale to me these days. As I've grown older I've phased out much of my earlier British items for the more refined sounds of Wire, The Fall, Joy Division, Mekons, Gang of Four, and the like. I was into my last year of college when a friend introduced me to Gang of Four and their landmark Entertainment! LP. I was hooked instantly by the deft bass lines and the tense, jagged guitar. For years I had a tape of that included the band's first two albums (Entertainment! and Solid Gold) along with the tracks from 1978's Damaged Goods 7". I lost the tape awhile ago but was able to track down Entertainment! and! and Solid Gold. The 7" tracks I've been unable to smoke out until just recently. The versions on the single differ from those on later releases - I prefer the versions of "Love Like Anthrax" and "Armalite Rifle" on this record to those put out later. "Damaged Goods" doesn't quite measure up to the Entertainment! version, but it's such a remarkable song that it bears a listen in almost any form

from 1978's debut 7"
Gang of Four - Damaged Goods.mp3
Gang of Four - Love Like Anthrax.mp3
Gang of Four - Armalite Rifle.mp3

V/A - More Songs About Plants and Trees

2006-04-15T22:29:00.000-04:00

A quick one to round out the week, More Songs About Plants and Trees was a pro-conservation compilation released on graphic artist John Yates Allied Recordings in 1990. 4 bands, 4 tracks, and a crapload of environmentalist mailing addresses make for a rather uninspiring compilation, but shit, it was in my "to do" pile and the Antischism track is pretty fucking great. Side 1 includes a poppy and melodic track San Francisco's Cringer and pretty mediocre number from the Lookouts. The flipside was always more my speed - screaming anarcho hardcore from South Carolina's Antischism and solid doomcore from NYC's Nausea.

Cringer - Burn Down The Forest.mp3
The Lookouts - Once Upon a Time.mp3
Antischism - Greedy Bastards.mp3
Nausea - Here Today....mp3

Crime

2006-04-13T16:17:00.000-04:00

I've been on the road for work the past couple of days, and my iPod is a saving grace for those long car rides and boring nights in the hotel. Sometimes, I forget what I actually have on the damn thing - I put it on shuffle and am usually pleasantly surprised by the stuff that I've forgotten about. Case in point, Crime and their first two singles. You can find the full band history and discography here. I'll let others fight over whether Crime was really "San Francisco's First and Only Rock 'n Roll Band", and where their legacy stands in the annals of punk history. Listen and decide for yourself. I know I think the first two singles still sound fucking fantastic. If you haven't already checked out 2004's San Francisco is Still Doomed then hurry out and get it. It compiles two studio sessions by the band from 1978 and 1979, and alternate takes of the first single. It' worth it just for first 12 tracks alone, which are fucking hot.

from 1976's debut single
Crime - Hot Wire My Heart.mp3
Crime - Baby, You're So Repulsive.mp3

from their 1977 follow up
Crime - Frustration.mp3
Crime - Murder By Guitar.mp3

And because I've been gone for so long I'll throw out the much maligned, new wavish final single from 1980.
Crime - Gangster Funk.mp3
Crime - Maserati.mp3

Tar

2006-04-05T18:44:00.000-04:00

I've written about Tar before, way back when. I hate to think I'm repeating myself, but when it comes to Tar I think everyone should listen up. From 1988 through 1995 Tar were responsible for some of the finest noise rock to be found, releasing albums and singles on Amrep, Touch & Go, and their own No Blow imprint. With no disrespect to their impressive albums (Jackson and Over and Out top my list), some of Tar's best work appeared on their singles and compilations. Unfortunately, none of these tracks have been reissued. (to my knowledge) Strange Reaction got the ball rolling last summer, posting Tar's second and fourth singles. I figured I'd fill in the blanks by posting the band's first and third single
.
Play To Win/Mel's was released on the bands own No Blow records in 1988. "Mel's" would be re-recorded for the band's Handsome 12". Solution 8/Non-Alignment Pact was a Europe only AmRep release (I think, no scale number) released in 1991 between the Roundhouse and Jackson albums. Both records are well worth a listen.

from their debut single
Tar - Play To Win.mp3
Tar - Mel's.mp3

from their third single
Tar - Solution 8.mp3
Tar - Non-Alignment Pact.mp3 (Pere Ubu)

The Proletariat

2006-04-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

I've always wondered how Taang! records could be responsible for one of the more disappointing reissues (Power by SSD) and one of the absolute best, the 45 track double disc Voodoo Economics and Other American Tragedies by The Proletariat. Where Power disappointed because it lacked completeness, Voodoo Economics throws in everything but the kitchen sink - the Boston Not LA and Unsafe At Any Speed tracks, both albums (Soma Holiday and Indifference), demos, and unreleased tracks. With their leftist slogans and jagged guitar riffs the Proletariat always reminded me of an angrier, more aggro version of early Gang of Four (eh, maybe a stretch). 15 years after first hearing the band I've grown weary Richard Brown's sparse rants on the ills of society, but I still love that beautiful and twisted guitar sound Frank Michaels managed to pull out of his guitar. For that alone this collection is highly recommended.

originally from 1983's Soma Holiday LP
The Proletariat - Decorations.mp3
The Proletariat - Blind.mp3

the b-side to the 1985 Marketplace single
The Proletariat - Death of a Hedon.mp3

originally from 1985's Indifference LP
The Proletariat - Pride.mp3
The Proletariat - Recollections.mp3

Notes:
A great band website can be found here

The Beguiled

2006-03-30T23:22:00.000-05:00

Details are sketchy when it comes to The Beguiled. I think (but can't confirm) they were from somewhere in Orange County, CA. After releasing an LP on Dionysus in 1988 the Beguiled reappeared and found their mark in 1993 with this here single on Estrus. Fuzzy, swampy, and dark sounds spew forth on this one. Three of the four tracks would be cleaned up enough to appear on 1994's excellent Blue Dirge LP. I myself prefer the raw sounds and rougher vocals of this 7" to the LP. The Beguiled ended soon after the release of Blue Dirge when guitarist Mike Ball was killed by a drunk driver. Bassist Steve Pallow would go on to form the even creepier Necessary Evils

from 1993's Estrus 7"
The Beguiled - Black Gloves.mp3
The Beguiled - Kitten With A Whip.mp3
The Beguiled - She-Devil Rock.mp3
The Beguiled - Woman is Trouble.mp3

from 1994's Blue Dirge LP
The Beguiled - I Walk Alone.mp3
The Beguiled - The Screaming Rummy.mp3

Non Compos Mentis

2006-03-28T22:08:00.000-05:00

Another great Texas band, Non Compos Mentis (later just NCM) were a trio from Dallas that released two singles on the VVV label in the early '80's. Years later the tracks would make the obligatory appearance on the boot compilation (Back to Front, Killed By Death, and Outlaws in my Eye, Texas!, amongst others). The tracks here are catchy, almost poppy punk. I wish I had more info on the band, but that's where you guys come in. CollectorScum completist can check out Break My Face's It Never Ends entry for NCM for all the gory details on the first 7".

from their 1980 debut 7"
Non Compos Mentis - Ultimate Orgasm.mp3
Non Compos Mentis - Twist The Blade.mp3

from their second single (1981)
NCM - Quick To Compliment.mp3

from the VVV compilation Live at the Hot Klub
NCM - Mental Case.mp3

from the Sacred Cattle comp 7"
NCM - Six Feet Under.mp3

V/A - Kitten

2006-03-25T23:45:00.000-05:00

Originally released as Reflex Records "C", Kitten was the follow up to the 1982 Minneapolis compilation Barefoot and Pregnant. Recorded live at infamous Minneapolis punk club Goofy's Upper Deck over the course of two shows in October 1982, Kitten featured 11 bands and a total of 36 tracks. Lots of great noisy Midwestern punk interspersed with some furious hardcore action. Choice cuts are turned in from Husker Du, Red Meat, Exmo-6-Desmo, and Willful Neglect. This was reissued in 1999 with two bonus Husker Du tracks, which you can buy direct from Garage D'Or for just $10. All the info you could possible want on the release has been collected right here. Some samples:

Proud Crass Fools - Bad Moon.mp3
Propaganda - The War Ain't Over.mp3
Exmo-6-Desmo - The Old Bum.mp3
Todlachen - Parasites.mp3
Rifle Sport - Keep on Walkin'.mp3
Willful Neglect - Geeks.mp3
Red Meat - The Circle.mp3
Man Sized Action - Only You.mp3
Husker Du - It's Not Fair.mp3

Stripminers

2006-03-22T22:07:00.000-05:00

You would think I would have plenty of information about a band from my hometown but I ain't got shit on the Stripminers beyond the basics - They were a trio from Rochester, NY who released two LP's on the Community 3 label. As I recall the local media always tagged the Stripminers as "Avant Garde", but a more apt comparison would be to the late '80's noise sounds generated by the likes of Sonic Youth, Live Skull, and even Dinosaur, Jr. I always thought these guys would have fit well in the Homestead catalog...

from 1988's self-titled 12"
Stripminers - Please, Chief.mp3
Stripminers - Mole Man.mp3
Stripminers - Barn Burning.mp3

from 1989's Divorce Yourself LP
Stripminers - Pigs Before Wine.mp3
Stripminers - Word Food.mp3
Stripminers - Fist.mp3

Chosen Few

2006-03-20T19:02:00.000-05:00

When it comes to great Australian punk it seems I'm constantly referring to the mega-awesome Murder Punk series that came out in the late 90's. Unlike the Killed By Death or Bloodstains comps the Murder Punk discs (volume 1&2) included full singles by such Aussie legends as the Fun Things, Victims, Scientists, and today's feature the Chosen Few. Hailing from suburban Melbourne, the Chosen Few were a quartet that existed from 1977 to 1979. At the time their lone release was 1978's The Joke's On Us 7" EP. 6 tracks of noisy Stoogified (or Tekified) guitar bliss. The freakouts on "Terminal Rock" alone make this one essential listening, second only to the Fun Things 7" (in my opinion) as one of the great EP's of the period. A band website can be found here. An LP of outtakes, etc called Do The Manic! was released in 1997 and may still be available in some form or another.

The Chosen Few - The Joke's On Us.mp3
The Chosen Few - T.A.L.O.I.G.A.mp3
The Chosen Few - Adolph You Beauty!.mp3
The Chosen Few - Disco Tek Wreck.mp3
The Chosen Few - (Do The Manic) To Kill or Maim, Honey!.mp3
The Chosen Few - Terminal Rock.mp3

V/A - Smells Like Smoked Sausages

2006-03-17T23:10:00.000-05:00

Christ, I wish I had joined the goddamn Sub Pop Singles club way back when, not necessarily for the investment value but simply to have had a chance at so much cool swag. Smells Like Smoked Sausages was the February/March of 1992 installment of the singles series, a double 7" compilation comprised entirely of Amphetamine Reptile recording artists. I think most of these tracks have never made it to CD, with the exception of the Helmet track. Choice cuts from Tar and Vertigo amongst others, overall this is a solid overview of the AmRep sound at one of its peak periods.

Tar - Deep Throw.mp3
Cows - My Girl.mp3
Vertigo - Dynamite Cigar.mp3
Helios Creed - Hideous Greed.mp3
Helmet - Oven.mp3
Surgery - Our Demise.mp3
Boss Hog - Fire of Love.mp3
God Bullies - Bullet.mp3

Drive Like Jehu

2006-03-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

The middle act in the John Reis - Rick Froberg trilogy, Drive Like Jehu was a giant in the "post-hardcore" scene. Without a doubt Jehu were my favorite of the their collaborations. The band's brief tenure was marked by two albums and this lone single. The albums are both great, but the 1992 7" release by the Merge label is over the top. Reis' explosive guitar shards meld with Froberg's manic vocals to create two near perfect aural stabs (especially on "Bullet Train.."). Swami (run by Reis) has included these tracks on the 2002 reissue of the band's second LP Yank Crime. Check it out:

Drive Like Jehu - Hand Over Fist.mp3
Drive Like Jehu - Bullet Train To Vegas.mp3

Notes:

Buy the Yank Crime reissue direct from Swami

The A.D.'s

2006-03-06T22:27:00.000-05:00

Not to be confused with the Adolescents subset the ADZ, the A.D.'s were from Albany, NY and released a total of 3 singles from 1979 to 1982. I know nothing about the band, and can't seem to find any information on the band or their material. The "A" side from their 1979 debut single "Living Downtown" was comped on Backseat Love, a Killed By Death style comp featuring so-called "power pop". Don't let that tag scare you off, "Living Downtown" has a nice raw guitar riff that ain't close to being limp pop. The "B" side "Testing" may even be better than the flip, a fast & chunky punk cut that smokes . Anyone with info on the AD's please fill in the blanks!

The A.D.'s - Living Downtown.mp3
The A.D.'s - Testing.mp3

Fun With Numbers

2006-03-04T13:59:00.000-05:00

I woke up the other day with an strange urge to listen to "20 Eyes" by the Misfits, which lead me to start thinking about a way to include some songs by bands that might not get their own individual post. Maybe some kind of numbers game? After considering songs with numbers, band names that include numbers, album titles with numbers, etc. I ended up with this simple counting game. And after all of that I still didn't find a way to work in "20 Eyes". Here's the first ten, no need to take of your shoes and socks to count unless you're a freak or have been involved in some kind of farming accident:

Fugazi - Song #1.mp3
from their 1990 Sub Pop single (and Dischord single, and Dischord CD)

Bad Religion - Part II (The Numbers Game).mp3
from 1988's Suffer LP, one of the original song ideas for this post

Sheer Terror - Three Year Bitch.mp3
From 1992's Thanks For Nuthin' LP, reissued on the Bulldog Edition double CD.

Volcano Suns - Four Letters.mp3
From 1985's All Night Lotus Party. The first 3 Volcano Suns LP's are all worthwhile (and OOP, I think)

Sugar Shack - Five Weeks Ahead of My Time.mp3
Choice garage snarl - this is the title track from their 1997 album on Estrus

Pagans - Six & Change.mp3
First Pagans single from 1977. This guy just sold one for $885!

Blight - Seven Winds over the Gobi Desert.mp3
Weird noise damage circa 1983 from Tesco Vee and former Fix members on Touch & Go. This is just about to be reissued by T&G.

Husker Du - Eight Miles High.mp3
Mould & Co. own this cover of the Byrds. Originally released as a 7" in 1984

Born Against - Nine Years Later.mp3
From the coincidentally titled 1991 LP Nine Patriotic Hymns for Children

Beasts of Bourbon - Ten Wheels For Jesus.mp3
Countrified skronk from Tex Perkins and some of the Scientists. From 1984's The Axeman's Jazz

The Maids

2006-03-02T18:13:00.000-05:00

The mighty Toestubber beat me to the punch on this record by a couple of months, but since those tracks were gone I decided to go ahead and rehash. The Maids were from Berkeley, CA and released this lone single in 1979. End of story. Actually that aint the end of the story at. In fact, the whole sordid story of the band, their single, and the legion of collector scum can be found right here. In the LA Weekly article an incredulous John McCormick (singer and guitarist) asks a fan why the record was so in demand, to which the fan responds: "I'm not sure, but it's a rocking a-side. nice fuzzed out guitar". I won't argue that - the guitar has a beautifully filthy sound, the drums are crazy, and both tracks are smoking. As a result, boths cuts from the Maids Maids in Bataan have been included in the KBD series (at this point what hasn't?) Great stuff.

The Maids - Back To Bataan.mp3
The Maids - I Do, I Do.mp3

Scream

2006-02-28T21:18:00.000-05:00

This one seemed appropriate, what with it being Mardi Gras and everyone focusing on the New Orleans celebration post-Katrina. This was Scream's final release while a functioning unit, released in 1990 on DSI. The session that spawned these tracks would be released in 1993 as the Fumble LP. Fumble was delicately termed "uneven" by the critics, a nice way of saying it's ahorrible bore. "Mardi Gras" and "Land Torn Down" were far and away the best tracks on the album: noisy, melodic anthems (minus the metal edge that plagued the rest of the album). When this single appeared it single-handedly help remove the bad taste left by their previous "uneven" albums No More Censorship and Banging The Drum. That may be a rough assessment, but I loved these two tracks (and still do). I'll still recommend their landmark album Still Screaming before this - shit, it's s landmark album and still one of my favorites - but this may be the best Scream moment post 1985

Scream - Mardi Gras.mp3
Scream - Land Torn Down.mp3

More Really Red

2006-02-23T21:56:00.000-05:00

About a month and a half ago I posted New Strings For Old Puppets by Really Red, asking someone to get on the ball and post both the original B-side to Modern Needs and the Despise Moral Majority EP. A couple of you got crackin' and were able to get me the songs in question. Suburban Voice publisher and Sonic Overload DJ Al Quint hooked me up with a rip of "White Lies". Michael Honch, former guitarist for Hunger Artist and Powerline and genuine stand up guy went one step better, ripping me the whole of Modern Needs and Despise Moral Majority. You guys rule.

Here's the Modern Needs 7" from 1980, featuring a different (slower and weirder) version of "White Lies" than what appeared on the Teaching You The Fear LP. Cool, creepy cover photos to boot:

Really Red - Modern Needs.mp3
Really Red - White Lies.mp3

Despise Moral Majority was also released in 1980. As Break My Face puts it "The toughest to find in nice condition, but the least essential of the 45's." 4 tracks recorded in live in November 1980, all of which would be properly recorded on Teaching You The Fear. The two b-side tracks were ripped as one track. "A Reminder" is my favorite cut from this one:

Really Red - Entertainment.mp3
Really Red - Starvation Dance.mp3
Really Red - Nico/A Reminder.mp3

God Punishes The Eat

2006-02-20T21:34:00.000-05:00

A comment on a way old post asked about The Eat's second 7", God Punishes The Eat. I had assumed it had been posted by one of the usual suspects but a check showed it had not. Huh, no love for the Eat? The Miami band's fist release Communist Radio/Catholic Love is one of the top American punk singles. You can check it out here. Tough to live up to a song as good as "Communist Radio", and the second single from the Eat fails to meet the standard (despite some of my favorite cover art). Still, 1980's God Punishes The Eat is a great single full of funny, fuzzy, barely out of the garage punk. I think most of the tracks have been comped in one form or another in the KBD series, but this is all of them in one place. How can all material this still not be reissued?

The Eat - Silly Drug Songs.mp3
The Eat - Nut Cop.mp3
The Eat - Knee Cappin'.mp3
The Eat - Jimmie B. Goode.mp3
The Eat - Dr. Tv.mp3

Kilslug

2006-02-17T22:39:00.000-05:00

Even when I'm busy I'll always try to make time for a request, especially a weird one. "Weird" is an understatement when it comes to Kilslug, a Boston based group of psychos who specialized in sludgy, anti-social dirges. They released two 7"s and and an LP (on Taang!) of sluggish noise before morphing into Upsidedown Cross. I can't find much info on the band other than numerous reports that lead singer Larry Lifeless was/is a genuine menace to society. Someone fill in the blanks!

from 1982's Warlocks, Witches, & Demons 7"
Kilslug - Warlocks, Witches & Demons.mp3
Kilslug - Hare Krisna.mp3
Kilslug - I Hate The World.mp3

from 1983's Necktie Party 7"
Kilslug - Necktie Party.mp3
Kilslug - Momento Silence.mp3
Kilslug - Autopsy Performing.mp3

Update

2006-02-16T21:43:00.000-05:00

File Under: Who Fucking Cares:
Time has been tight as of late. I've taken a new position at work that requires more travel and has been eating up most of the free time I had been spending working up posts. I expect things to calm down in the near future, but until then site updates may be sporadic. That includes email and link requests also. Thanks to everyone who has emailed, left a comment, etc. It serves to keep this site alive.

The Leftovers

2006-02-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice chunk of raw, snotty and damn near perfect Oz punk from Brisbane's The Leftovers. Relased in 1979, the 3 track Cigarettes & Alcohol 7" is the band's lone effort. If I had a theme song I'm pretty sure it would be "I Only Panic When There's Nothing To Do", but that's besides the point. This platter was included on the awesome Murder Punk series from the 90's, which is where these tracks are from. Ace label Dropkick reissued the 7", an unreleased studio track, and a cache of live stuff in 2003 as The Fucken Leftovers Hate You. Hinman raves about it, though I'm not too keen on the noisy live sound. Dropkick has a sample on their downloads page, decide for yourself. Anyhow, here's the lone 7":

Leftovers - Cigarettes & Alcohol.mp3
Leftovers - No Complaints.mp3
Leftovers - I Only Panic When There Is Nothing To Do.mp3

More Love Songs

2006-02-12T00:15:00.000-05:00

Tis the season for love, at least according to the greeting card people. Fucking Valentine's Day. While I rush out to buy my wife flowers and candy (on my birthday, no less) do yourself a favor and enjoy these tales of love and devotion:

Humpers - Plastique Valentine.mp3
Oblivians - Sunday You Need Love.mp3
Dayglo Abortions - Used To Be In Love.mp3
Mule - To Love Somebody.mp3
Fun Things - Time Enough For Love.mp3
Joe Coffee - Stink of Love.mp3
Scientists - We Had Love.mp3
Queers - Love Me.mp3

Insults

2006-02-06T17:18:00.000-05:00

View this post as a tag-team effort (albeit unplanned) with Strange Reaction to deliver you the first two Insults singles. This here is the Insults first single from 1979 Population Zero/Zombie Lover. As Scott's Stiff Love post states, there isn't a lot of info about the band, so if anyone can contribute then you know what to do. The tracks here aren't as immediately catchy as the snotty and lewd "Stiff Love" material, but they feature such a gnarly guitar sound that I can overlook it.

Insults - Population Zero.mp3
Insults - Zombie Lover.mp3

V/A The Middle Of America

2006-02-04T15:40:00.000-05:00

The Middle of America was a compilation featuring Chicago area bands put out as a benefit for Northwestern University's WNUR radio statio. Released in 1984 the comp features most of the happening Chicago bands at the time. The best known tracks here (by Naked Raygun, AOF, Big Black) have been released in other places, which is why I didn't hesitate to part with this record a couple of years ago. With the magic of Soulseek I have since been reunited with the comp. I don't know if this is scheduled to be reissued. Since it is currently OOP you can find the whole thing here. Below are my favorite tracks:

Naked Raygun - I Don't Know.mp3
I'm guessing this is the same version as would appear on Throb Throb

Savage Beliefs - Double Standard.mp3
I don't have much info on Savage Beliefs, other than ex-GI member John Gay sings and plays guitar.

Nadsat Rebel - I am The Wall.mp3
noisy weirdness. Someone will have to fill us in on the Nadsat Rebel story

Out of Order - Survival of the Fittest.mp3
speedy, chunky HC - different than the version that appeared the band's Paradise Lost album

Articles of Faith - Five O' Clock.mp3
a track from AOF's godhead Give Thanks LP

Rights of The Accused - I Came To Dance.mp3
this one is lightening fast HC, the other ROTA tracks here are jokey throwaways. MXV has the ROTA story

Big Black - Hunter's Safety (Tommy Bartlett Dies in Pain).mp3
noisy instro from Racer-X era Big Black

Notes:
> Dementlieu has a Middle Of America page, as does KFTH

RIP Tom "Pig Champion" Roberts

2006-02-01T13:12:00.000-05:00

RIP big man. Not a lot of info, but it's been confirmed that larger than life Poison Idea co-founder and guitarist Tom "Pig Champion" Roberts passed away January 30, 2006. Odd, people were questioning whether or not Pig and others were still alive over here. Here are a couple of my favorite Poison Idea tracks. For those interested, the Darby Crash Rides Again and Filthkick tracks are here:

Poison Idea - Pure Hate.mp3
Poison Idea - Time to Go.mp3
Poison Idea - Laughing Boy.mp3
Poison Idea - Lifestyles.mp3
Poison Idea - Nothing Is Final.mp3
Poison Idea - Getting The Fear.mp3
Poison Idea - Just To Get Away.mp3
Poison Idea - Crippled Angel.mp3

Beefeater

2006-02-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

Finding information on the Need A Job 12" by DC's Beefeater has proven to be difficult. The band released two LP's of politically charged, funkified hardcore on Dischord during their short tenure. Sandwiched between was this 12", released in 1986 on the Olive Tree imprint (also home to at least one HR release). Typical Beefeater - impassioned vocals from Tomas Squip, precision bass from Dug Bird, and fiery guitar from Fred Smith. (that I wish was mixed louder) Only six tracks on this one, which means mostly meat rather than filler. I'm not sure if I would go so far as to state Need A Job is better than Plays for Lovers or House Burning Down, but it's a least on par.

Beefeater - In America.mp3
Beefeater - Need A Job.mp3
Beefeater - Laurel Grove.mp3
Beefeater - Apartheid.mp3
Beefeater - Gov't Worker.mp3
Beefeater - Better 'n Me.mp3

Notes:
> Vinyl Mine's take on House Burning Down

Subhumans

2006-01-30T12:35:00.000-05:00

Fulfilling a request from a reader in China (which blows my mind for some reason), here are both 7" singles from Vancouver, BC's amazing Subhumans. First and foremost is the bands self-released 1978 single Death To The Sickoids, two rough and ready tracks. The bands second 7" Firing Squad was released in 1980 on Quintessence and is a major leap forward in terms of production and song writing. "Firing Squad" is an early underground anthem - a classic melodic punk cut. 1996's compilation CD Pissed Off... With Good Reason collects most of the band's best known songs in various forms and is a nice overview. Personally, I'd like to see a reissue that includes all of the band's studio output (both singles, the 12", and both LP's) while scrapping the live material.

first 7"
Subhumans - Death To The Sickoids.mp3
Subhumans - Oh Canaduh.mp3

second 7"
Subhumans - Firing Squad.mp3
Subhumans - No Productivity.mp3

Notes:
> Subhuman's page at KFTH

Nervous Eaters

2006-01-26T13:06:00.000-05:00

A quick and dirty one due to being all pressured up, this is the second single by Boston's Nervous Eaters. Recorded in 1976 but not released until 1979, this single is a raw rock'n'roll classic. Both tracks here have been comped plenty of places, for obvious reasons. Far and away their best material For more info check the band's webpage, and this writeup at Boston Rock Pages

Nervous Eaters - Just Head.mp3
Nervous Eaters - Get Stuffed.mp3

And for good measure, here are a couple of Nervous Eaters covers courtesy Teengenerate and the New Bomb Turks

Teengenerate - Just Head.mp3
Teengenerate - Get Stuffed.mp3
New Bomb Turks - Just Head.mp3

Latin Dogs

2006-01-24T12:08:00.000-05:00

I really don't know much about Michigan's Latin Dogs. Warning! is their only release, released in 1982. The signature song is "Killed In Jail", which has been comped on both Killed By Death 8.5 and Bloodstains Across The Midwest. The whole record features a twisted, fuzzed out guitar sound that I fucking love, and is further evidence that the Midwest produced some of the most potent, underappreciated bands of the early 80's.

Latin Dogs - Killed in Jail.mp3
Latin Dogs - World Powers.mp3
Latin Dogs - We Are Against What's Wrong.mp3
Latin Dogs - Road Kills.mp3
Latin Dogs - Death To Tyrants.mp3
Latin Dogs - Go To The Window.mp3

Notes:
> Image from Punk Rock Picture Sleeves
> Anyone have any band info?

V/A - Murders Among Us

2006-01-21T23:18:00.000-05:00

Something a little different here, some straight up New York Hardcore circa 1990. This kind of material was my staple 15+ years ago. Most hasn't aged well in my opinion, but I always thought this comp ripped. Vermiform and Combined Effort released Murders Among Us in 1990, providing a different look at the NY hardcore scene than the one presented by the Straight Edge/Youth Crew/Revelation world. The best track here is by Absolution; I had forgotten just how good "Dead and Gone" was and how unique sounding it was at the time. The Born Against and Life's Blood tracks are also great. My only gripe is Nausea - I prefer the band's crustier sounds as represented on their Extinction LP. Vocalist Amy Miret sounds like a shrill 7 year old girl mixed up on helium and speed on this cut. Regardless, a great compilation.

Life's Blood - Human Power.mp3
Absolution - Dead and Gone.mp3
Nausea - Electrodes.mp3
Born Against - The Good Father.mp3

Notes:
> Middle Aged Youth has an excellent post on Life's Blood for those looking for more info
> My copy of Murders Among Us was stolen years ago. Thanks to reader DK for hooking me up with an excellent rip of the comp.

Ignition

2006-01-19T18:54:00.000-05:00

Along with Swiz and Soulside, Ignition provided the soundtrack to my last years of high school, and their songs often evoke many a cool memory. Being a Dischord band I'm sure many of you know the band's history. If not, this should suffice. I was always partial to the bands first two singles, released in 1987 on their own label. While the singles were hard to come by at the time, I was able to pick up a 12" (pictured above) which included both. Dischord compiled the bands singles, album, and 12" as Complete Services in 1995. A check of the Dischord store seems to indicate it's out of print.

first 7"
Ignition - Sinker.mp3
Ignition - Rebuilding.mp3
Ignition - Anxiety Asking.mp3

2nd 7"
Ignition - Anger Means.mp3
Ignition - Proven Hollow.mp3

Notes:
> Bassist Chris Thomson went on to front Circus Lupus, The Monorchid, and Skull Kontrol. He's currently part of Chicago's Red Eyed Legends.
> Jim H covers Ignition and the first single much better than I could ever hope to. Check it out

X-X

2006-01-16T19:50:00.000-05:00

My theory is that the fumes from a burning Cuyahoga River affected brain chemistry of Cleveland's youth. The result is some demented and damaged art punk along the lines of Pere Ubu, Electric Eels, Styrenes, etc. Not to be overlooked is X-X (or X blank X), who featured former Electric Eel guitarist John Morton on vocals and guitar. The backstory of the band is unknown to me. All I know is that X-X released two singles on local label Drome (famous for releasing some of the Pagans 7"s). The first was released in 1979 and is the better of the two and includes KBD #9 hit "You're Full of Shit" (originally an Electric Eels track). The second 7" was circa 1980 and includes another Eels outcast "No Nonsense". All are noisy, skronky lo-fi treasures.

First 7"
X-X - A.mp3
X-X - You're Full of Shit.mp3

Second 7"
X-X - No Nonsense.mp3
X-X - Approaching The Minimal With Spray Guns.mp3

Notes:
>pics from Henry Weld's indispensible Discography of American Punk
> Battle of the Electric Eel's websites: Brian McMahon vs John Morton

SNFU

2006-01-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

Edmonton, Alberta's SNFU (Society's No Fucking Use) formed in 1982 and surprisingly are still together today (I thought the broke up years ago). I was a fan of the band's first two albums (...And No One Else Wanted To Play and If You Swear You'll Catch No Fish) but lost interest at some point. The tracks here are from Real Men Don't Watch Quincy, a 1990 bootleg that compiled the band's tracks from the It Came From Innerspace compilation on side A along with two 1982 demo tracks on the flip. The comp tracks are great, "...Quincy" and "Strip Search" are both catchy, mid tempo punk well worth checking out. The demo tracks sound like, well, demos. And for those you wondering what all of the Quincy talk is about then check out these pages. "Why would anyone want to listen to music that makes you hate, when you can listen to music that makes you love?" Thanks, Quincy.

SNFU - Real Men Don't Watch Quincy.mp3
SNFU - Strip Search.mp3
SNFU - Grunt, Groan, Rant & Rave.mp3
SNFU - Life of a Bag Lady.mp3
SNFU - This is the End.mp3

Red Rockers

2006-01-10T12:34:00.000-05:00

Another request, someone asked for some Red Rockers so long ago that I can't even find the email. Sorry about that. This is the first single from the San Francisco via New Orleans band named after a Dils song. Released in 1980 before the move west, Guns of Revolution contains 3 melodic, Clash inspired tracks. Their 1981 LP Condition Red (*hint* click link for tracks) is more of the same. The general consensus among punk purists suggests the band's later major label material (most of which I haven't heard, to be fair) is a big watered down yawn. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Red Rockers - Guns of Revolution.mp3
Red Rockers - Teenage Underground.mp3
Red Rockers - Nothing To Lose.mp3

V/A - Metal Gives Us A Headache

2006-01-07T23:08:00.000-05:00

I can't remember if I stole this record from a long ago friend or if he gave it to me. From what I remember he hated it and I liked it, and after a long night of drinking it somehow found it's way home with me. Not that it's a great coup or anything, but it's nifty little compilation that was put out on Hippycore in 1988. Metal Gives Us A Headache features 6 politically aware tracks from some off the beaten track bands. If I recall Subvert and Desecration were from Arizona while Dead Silence was out of Colorado and Dissent were from South Dakota. The two "biggest" bands (for MRR readers) were East Bay bands Cringer and Stikky. Each song is preceded with a heartfelt message from the band, some of which are kinda funny sounding now to my cynical ears. Like the other Hippycore records I've seen this comes with a nice insert. And like all of the Hippycore records I've owned I've misplaced the insert at some point. Crap. My favorites here are Dead Silence, Dissent, and Stikky

Subvert - What Does It Mean.mp3
Dissent - Abe Lincoln.mp3
Desecration - In a Childs Eyes.mp3
Dead Silence - Sally.mp3
Cringer - Take Back the Night.mp3
Stikky - I Want to Hear Horns.mp3

Poison Idea

2006-01-05T19:11:00.000-05:00

Pick your Poison Idea king - early '80's, svelte (by comparison), hardcore Poison Idea, or late 80's, morbidly obese, speedcore PI? I'll straddle the fence and say I like both - 1983's Pick Your King may be one of best US hardcore 7" of the era while 1990's Feel The Darkness is easily one of my top LP's of the early 90's. Below are two Poison Idea 7"s, one from each period. Darby Crash Rides Again is the band's 1982 demo tape that was released on vinyl by the band in 1989 on their own American Leather label. Most of the songs would be better recorded for Pick Your King:

Poison Idea - Give It Up.mp3
Poison Idea - This Thing Called Progress/In My Headache.mp3
Poison Idea - MIA.mp3
Poison Idea - Think Twice.mp3
Poison Idea - Bounce The Rubble.mp3
Poison Idea - All Right.mp3
Poison Idea - Underage.mp3
Poison Idea - Castration.mp3
Poison Idea - Pure Hate.mp3
Poison Idea - Young Lord.mp3

1988's Filthkick features a crunchier, more powerful sound. This 7" minus ("New Rose") would be coupled with the tracks on the Getting The Fear 12" for 1989's Ian Mackaye 12"

Poison Idea - Hangover Heartattack.mp3
Poison Idea - Drug Revival.mp3
Poison Idea - Ballad of a Pre-op.mp3
Poison Idea - New Rose.mp3

Really Red

2006-01-03T22:21:00.000-05:00

Since virtually everyone else seems to have done a Really Red post (myself included) I figured why not throw this one in the mix. New Strings For Old Puppets is the bands fourth and final 7", and it may just be my favorite (argue amongst yourselves). Originally released in 1982 on the bands CIA imprint this was briefly available again in the early '90's on their discography CD which is also OOP.

Really Red - I Refuse To Sing.mp3
Really Red - No More Art.mp3
Really Red - Suburban Disease.mp3
Really Red - I Was A Teenage Fuckup.mp3
Really Red - Ode To Kurt Kren.mp3

Notes:
>Excellent Really Red info at Break My Face
>Teaching You The Fear is regretably the only Really Red in print
>Cover scan courtesy of PunkRock Picture Sleeves
>Now all we need is someone to post the Despise Moral Majority EP, the actual Modern Needs b-side ("White Lie"), and Rest In Pain in full. Get to it.

2005 in Review (aka Another Crappy Year End List)

2005-12-31T23:08:00.000-05:00

At this point your probably sick to death of another "Best of 2005" list. I know I am, but I'm not letting that stop me. Actually, this isn't so much a "best of" list. Rather, this is pretty much a listing of all of the new releases I picked up over the past 12 months. Not much here, and most of what I actually I do buy these days is a known commodity. Kids, house payments, etc. really cut into my ability to speculate. So this is it, in no particular order

Easy Action - I'm Waiting.mp3
I finally picked up Friends of Rock'n'Roll a couple of weeks ago, and I wasn't disappointed. 10 tracks of Easy Action's noisy Detroit rawk and John Brannon's raw, ravaged vocals. This is the lead track and sets the tone nicely.

A-Frames - Negative.mp3
After repeated listens I still can't put Black Forest above their previous LP, 2. Somehow this latest batch from the A-Frames is more abrasive sounding than previous releases. There's some excellent tracks, but there is some definite fat that could have been trimmed.

Miss Alex White and the Red Orchestra - Out of Style.mp3
Everyone recommended this In The Red LP which is why I picked it up. I'm not crazy about it, but it has moments when White's vocals push it over the top. I think I prefer White's other band the Hot Machines a bit more, but that's splitting hairs.

Bassholes - Daughter.mp3
7 years between albums almost guarantees some level disappointment for fans, which was my first reaction when hearing the album. It's not as sonically pleasing as When My Blue Moon Turns Red, but after repeated listens I could appreciate the songs and overall tone for what is - a solid roots rock album from Don Howland and Bim Thomas. This pairs nicely with Long Way Blues.

John Schooley And His One Man Band - Drive You Faster.mp3
Absolutely the best work John Schooley has done since the Revelators first LP. This album is chock fulla greasy guitar, dirty wailing harp, and a hellish drum racket. Fucking awesome. This is one of the four originals (7 covers) on the CD

Blowtops - Insected Mind.mp3
There are times on Insected Mind where the Blowtops sound like a cartoonish circus band, but overall the new album and lineup is a sonic improvement over the past couple of releases. A weird blend of garage, punk and even some industrial that manages to effectively put the creep on.

Vaz - Tri-Panic Express.mp3
The Lie That Matches The Furniture is much less immediately engaging than 2003's Dying to Meet You, which is what Vaz promised/warned their fans. I'm still digesting this one in all of its densely structured glory. It's good, but lacking in the spaced out goodness that made their previous albums so enjoyable

Unsane - Make Them Prey.mp3
Blood Run is the first Unsane record in 7 years, but you wouldn't know it - it sounds and looks like it could fit in between the bands Scattered, Smothered, and Covered and Occupational Hazard. Punishing, like all Unsane material. Listening to this straight through is an exhausting undertaking.

Lightning Bolt - Captain Caveman.mp3
Lightning Bolt makes my head spin - and hurt. Hypermagic Mountain is riff heavy distorto bass and drum overload at its finest. 'Nuff said.

Bob Mould - Surveyors and Cranes.mp3
There was much ado made about Body of Song being Mould's return to form, and there is a great deal of truth in those statements. A solid album, not his best but not his worst. This falls somewhere between Last Dog and Pony Show and Workbook. "Surveyors and Cranes"
is from the deluxe boxed version of BOS. I would personally have replaced "Missing You" with this one on the main disc, but nobody asked me

Queens of the Stoneage - Someone's In the Wolf.mp3
What can I say, I'm a sucker for Josh Homme's voice and guitar. Lullabies To Paralyze took awhile to grow on me, being sludgier and more low-key sounding than previous efforts. It's decent, but I'll still take their debut over this one any day. The track here, "Something's in the Wolf" clocks in at 7+ minutes, about 2 minutes too long, but the trippy riff is what first sold me on the album.

So, what were your top albums for 2005?

Happy New Year everyone, thanks for reading, commenting, emailing, etc. It's been a blast!

Christmas Vacation

2005-12-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

a combination of sickness, family, and holiday overload means no posts until the weekend or so, unless I get an overwhelming urge to post something. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all that bullshit

Descendents - Christmas Vacation.mp3

**

Nunfuckers

2005-12-22T17:32:00.000-05:00

I can't think of a band name that better exemplifies the Christmas spirit than the Nunfuckers. Fulfilling a request from the Sons of Ishmael post, the Nunfuckers are another Ontario, CA band playing a similar style of goofy, hyper hardcore. Take a look at the cover of their lone 7", 1987's Dead and On The Floor. That drawing sums up the band and it's sound better than I ever could (translation - I don't know shit about the band). Be forewarned the sound is pretty rough - take it for what it's worth:

Nunfuckers - Decimation.mp3
Nunfuckers - Moving On.mp3
Nunfuckers - Snap.mp3
Nunfuckers - My Shit.mp3
Nunfuckers - Up Your Ass With All Your Gossip.mp3
Nunfuckers - Social Butterfly.mp3
Nunfuckers - Blood Bath.mp3
Nunfuckers - Burning Chemicals.mp3
Nunfuckers - My Mom and Dad.mp3
Nunfuckers - Cheap Friends.mp3
Nunfuckers - Spoiled Brats.mp3

Sin 34

2005-12-20T12:41:00.000-05:00

Someone made a request for Sin 34 a couple of weeks (months?) ago, and I figured it was high time that I obliged. The brief Sin 34 story goes like this - band forms in LA in 1981, releases a single and a LP in addition to countless compilation appearances before splitting in 1984. Former drummer Dave Markey offers the full story on his website. The Die Laughing 7" featured here is pretty standard early '80's hardcore with some great basslines and the added twist of a female vocalist (Julie Lanfeld). My faves include "American America" and "Join The Race". This 7" and the band's LP Do You Feel Safe? are both out of print and, according to the story above, most likely never to be reissued.

Sin 34 - American America.mp3
Sin 34 - Children Shall Not Be Heard.mp3
Sin 34 - The Uniform.mp3
Sin 34 - 12 Hour Trip.mp3
Sin 34 - Join The Race.mp3

>>GTA released Die Listening - 1981-1984 which compiles demos, comp tracks, and live material.

V/A - Bands That Could Be God

2005-12-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

This was one of those great used bin finds I would encounter sporadically years ago at the Record Archive in Rochester. How could I go wrong for $3, especially with tracks by Moving Targets and Deep Wound? Bands That Could Be God - The Conflict Compilation was the product of Gerard Cosloy (Conflict zine editor, Homestead Records founder, Matador exec, etc.) and Lou Giardino's Radiobeat label. The comp features 9 relatively unknown (for 1984) bands from the Boston and Western Massachusetts region. Sounds range from hardcore (Outpatients, Deep Wound) to indie guitar rock (Busted Statues) to folksy pop (Salem 66) to just plain weird (Beanbag). Below are my favorites, but all of the individual tracks can be found here

manic, melodic thrash from the Moving Targets, much more chaotic than their later work.
Moving Targets - Changing Your Mind.mp3
Moving Targets - Waiting For The End.mp3
Moving Targets - Selfish.mp3

a fast one and a slow one from Deep Wound, this is their only official appearance beyond their 7"
Deep Wound - You're False.mp3
Deep Wound - Time To Stand.mp3

underappreciated HC from Western Mass
Outpatients - Light Blue.mp3
Outpatients - Fight.mp3

melodic HC that reminds me of the DC sound.
Sorry - One More Step.mp3
Sorry - My Word.mp3

I don't know anything about Busted Statues, but to me this sounds like a more jangly Wipers or Mission of Burma
Busted Statues - Blue Cheer.mp3

More Mystery Tracks

2005-12-14T12:16:00.000-05:00

Four more mystery tracks that need identification. Today's tracks come from Robbie (via Brian GTA) and Dave. Please take a listen and see if anything rings a bell. Correct identification will result in a crisp $100 bill*

"Vertigo"
British or Australian, based upon the singer's accent. Melodic mid-tempo punk

"Society"
Canadian, perhaps? Mid-tempo stuff with a nice thick guitar sound

"Front Page"
The vocals almost remind me of the Victims or the Fun Things.

"Forever's Never Here"
new wave synths, no guitar, British sounding vocals. I'm clueless on this one

###########################################
Update:
It appears the first track is "Vertigo" by British band Open Sore from the Farewell to The Roxy compilation

*not really

Child Molesters

2005-12-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

You would think that with the proliferation of punk rock websites that I could turn up some band info on LA's Child Molesters, but I can't find anything of substance. Anyone familiar with the Killed By Death/Bloodstains series will know the band, as most of the material from the band's early singles has been comped. Below are the bands first two singles in all of their sloppy, crude, anti-social glory. Also, two tracks from 1981's 12" Wir Lieben Die Jugendlich Madchen (a title I'm almost afraid to translate). All originally released on Ace & Duce, I think some of this has been reissued by SFTRI.

from 1978's debut 7"
Child Molesters - (I'm The) Hillside Strangler.mp3
Child Molesters - Don't Worry Kyoko.mp3

from 1979's second 7"
Child Molesters - (I Wanna See Some) Wholesale Murder.mp3
Child Molesters - I'm Gonna Punch You (In the Face).mp3

from 1981's Wir Lieben die Jugendlich Madchen 12"
Child Molesters - I'm So Fucked Up.mp3
Child Molesters - 13 Is My Lucky Number.mp3

Notes:

Break My Face has the collectors take on the first single

V/A - Half Skull

2005-12-11T09:06:00.000-05:00

I don't have much info on this record, but it's a cool little 7" comp. Half Skull was a released in 1984 on Insane Industries and features four SoCal bands doing there thing. The "big" names here are Decry and MIA, who both deliver the goods - melodic hardcore. I know nothing about the other bands, Basic Math and Love Canal, but their tracks are solid also. Please, someone, anyone, fill in the blanks here.

Basic Math - Onward.mp3
Decry - Warlords.mp3
Love Canal - Greatest Sports Legends.mp3
MIA - Turning Into What You Hate.mp3

Laughing Hyenas

2005-12-07T12:20:00.000-05:00

Completing the string of inter-related posts I figured why not write another post on one of my Touch & Go faves, the Laughing Hyenas? The bands albums You Can't Pray a Lie and Life of Crime are still in regular rotation in my house, though this set of tracks comes from the later era of the band. Covers - Stolen Tapes 92-94 isn't an official release, rather a double 7" boot of studio and live covers performed by the band. What you get is a studio version of the Scientists "Solid Gold Hell", a live version of the Troggs "I Want You Right Now", a studio take on the Rolling Stones "Under My Thumb" and a live cover of John Lee Hooker's "Serves Me Right To Suffer". Sure, this isn't the Hyenas at there most potent. Still, you get a nice dose of Larissa Strickland's guitar and John Brannon's patented roar.

Laughing Hyenas - Solid Gold Hell.mp3
Laughing Hyenas - I Want You Right Now.mp3
Laughing Hyenas - Under My Thumb.mp3
Laughing Hyenas - Serves Me Right To Suffer.mp3

L-Seven

2005-12-05T12:53:00.000-05:00

This one seemed like a perfect tie-in to the previous post, given the Dave Rice connection. L-Seven were an early Detroit "post punk" band, for lack of a better term. L-Seven existed from 1980 to 1983, featuring Rice on guitar and Larissa Strickland (pre Laughing Hyenas ). The band's sole legacy is this 3 song 7" on Touch & Go records. The bands sound didn't fit with the other bands on the label, so T&G decided to release the record on the one-off 'Special Forces' sub-label. Anyone looking for in-depth band info should definitely check out the Punk Vault's post on this record - tons of first-hand info. As for this record, well the tracks are all excellent, think along the lines of Fly On A Wire era Effigies with female vocals. "Clear Vision" is my favorite

L-Seven - Insanity.mp3
L-Seven - Secrets.mp3
L-Seven - Clear Vision.mp3

Notes:

Guitarist Dave Rice's page

Touch & Go's L-Seven page

Anyone know whatever happened to Larissa Strickland?

Sandy Duncan's Eye

2005-12-02T22:10:00.000-05:00

I know virtually nothing about Sandy Duncan's Eye other than they were from LA , they released a record or two on the Flipside label, and their guitarist Dave Rice was originally in Detroit's L-Seven. Given the label I was surprised to discover that the tracks were in the noisy/grunge pop that would have been at home on Subpop or even Amphetamine Reptile. "A" side "525 NTSC" is the more immediate of the two tracks, uptempo and driving with distorto vocals. The flip "Sub" is slower drone with vocals that almost remind of J Robbins. I never came across the band's lone LP. If anyone has it and wants to share some tracks let me know.

Sandy Duncan's Eye - 525 NTSC.mp3
Sandy Duncan's Eye - Sub.mp3

Sons of Ishmael

2005-11-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

I honestly don't listen to that much thrashy hardcore anymore, but I still give the Sons of Ishmael's debut 7" Hayseed Hardcore a spin now and then. Forming in Meaford, Ontario in 1985, Sons of Ishmael would go on to release a full length, 1987's Pariah Martyr Demands a Sacrifice and a couple of additional singles before splitting for good in 1991. Hayseed Hardcore was released in 1985, and contains 13 tracks of wild, hyperactive hardcore that reminds me of early Verbal Abuse or Antidote. My favorite release by these guys

From Hayseed Hardcore
Sons of Ishmael - Small Town Mentality.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Break Free.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Democracy.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Mr. Personality.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Governors of Death.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Todays Victim Tomorrows Aggressor.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Parasites.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Explanation.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Social Drinker.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Condemned to Live.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Another Groovy Tune.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Follow The Leader.mp3
Sons of Ishmael - Service to Your Country - End To Your Life.mp3

>> Band bio from Punk History Canada

Link Wray - 1929-2005

2005-11-23T22:58:00.000-05:00

With everything going as of late it took until today for me to discover that guitar legend Link Wray died November 5, 2005. Wray first began performing in the early 1950's and continued to record and perform for over 50 years. Virtually ever article I've read about Link Wray will credit him with being the father of the power chord in addition to attesting to his influence over several generations of guitarist. Who am I to dispute this? I remember when I first heard "Rumble" - I was amazed that a track so raw and edgy could have been recorded in 1958. My personal favorite though is "Big City After Dark" - a skronky blues number with an absolutely filthy guitar sound.

Wray's best works were recorded during the years 1958 - 1965 and have been collected many times over. For a quick overview Rumble, The Best of Link Wray is a tight, 20 song collection. Also recommended, the Mr Guitar double disc on Norton.

Link Wray - Rumble.mp3
Link Wray - Jack The Ripper.mp3
Link Wray - Deuces Wild.mp3
Link Wray - Big City After Dark.mp3
Link Wray - Zip Code.mp3
Link Wray - Hillbilly Wolf.mp3

>> Buy Link Wray releases

Identify The Mystery Tracks

2005-11-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

I think we've all come across a song or two from the past that has captured our attention but about which we know nothing. The dreaded "mystery track", artist and title unknown. I've had a couple of people ask me about such tracks and usually I'm pretty fucking useless when it comes to helping. So here's your chance to identify a couple of songs and bask in the accolades that will surely follow. The person who sent these to me indicated they were taped from a WFMU show circa 1986. The first track is aggro punk rock, kinda Brit sounding, with lyrics involving a "Rock and Roll Nurse". I'm stumped. As for track number 2, I've convinced myself that it is a Volcano Suns song, but I can't place it anywhere. Take a listen and help us figure this out.

Track #1
"Rock and Roll Nurse"

Track #2
"So Civilized"

If anyone else has any tracks they need help identifying please send them on. If there is interest this type of post can become a regular (semi) feature here. Thanks to Curt for the songs and the suggestion.

###############################################
Update: Tracks have been identified - #1 is "Emergency Room" by The Worst. #2 is "Animals" by the Volcano Suns

If you have any additional unidentified tracks then please submit them using the contact info on the right. Thanks!

The Fix

2005-11-18T23:06:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I've written about The Fix before (once, twice, thrice), as have others, so I apologize if this isn't shedding new light. I've gotten a couple of requests for some of Lansing's finest and I feel obliged to make sure everyone has a chance to hear their two legendary 1981 releases. Plus, Dementlieu has an updated Fix page that has an absolute ton of info on the band. If you don't think "Vengeance" is one of the great hardcore songs I'm going to come to your house and punch you in the face. OK, not really, but what are you prepared to throw on the slab against it?

From 1981's Vengeance/In This Town 7" on Touch & Go
The Fix - Vengeance.mp3
The Fix - In This Town.mp3

From 1981's Jan's Rooms EP on T&G
The Fix - Cos The Elite.mp3
The Fix - Truth Right Now.mp3
The Fix - Signal.mp3
The Fix - Off To War.mp3

A couple of tracks that were included on the OOP Cold Days compilation that Lost & found released 10-15 years ago. The first two are from the 1980 sessions that produced the Vengeance 7". The last two are from the Jan's Rooms sessions
The Fix - Candy Store.mp3
The Fix - Famous #1.mp3
The Fix - Famous #2.mp3
The Fix - Rat Patrol.mp3

Toxic Reasons

2005-11-14T21:54:00.000-05:00

Following the Veterans Day post and at the behest of a generous reader, here are the first two 7"s from Dayton, OH legends Toxic Reasons. For those unfamiliar you can find a band history here. Toxic Reasons began in 1979 and kept on releasing albums until their demise in 1995. Arguably their best era was the 1979-1983 period when their sound was a near perfect blend of both the snarl and crunch of American hardcore along with the tempos and melodies of classic Britpunk. They would release two singles (War Hero and Ghost Town - both below) during this period before recording their debut album Independence. The material on Independence was mostly rehashed from the bands singles in addition to their tracks the Master Tapes and Process of Elimination compilations. No matter, the album is a must have. And while I enjoy some of their later material (notably 1984's Kill By Remote Control), these early tracks are really the best representation of the band.

From 1980's War Hero 7"
Toxic Reasons - War Hero.mp3
Toxic Reasons - Somebody Help Me.mp3

From 1981's Ghost Town 7"
Toxic Reasons - Ghost Town.mp3
Toxic Reasons - Killer.mp3
Toxic Reasons - Noise Boys.mp3

Notes:

Independence is still in print, buy it at Beer City Records

Dressed for the H Bomb has Toxic Reason's 1984 God Bless America 7"

Pics from Ohio Punk Discography and Punk Rock Picture Sleeves

Veterans Day Mix

2005-11-11T21:57:00.001-05:00

My father is a Vietnam veteran who lost his leg in the war. When I was kid my mom and I would accompany him to the local VA hospital whenever he needed to have his artificial leg examined or replaced. I was always struck by the message that graced the entrance of the hospital:

The Price of Freedom Can Be Seen Here

It's stuck with me ever since. Every Veterans Day I can't help but think of my father, my grandfathers (WWII vets), my uncles (Korea) and friends (Desert Storm). Regardless of my opinions on the current state of affairs I have nothing but the utmost respect for the men and women who serve their country. Some of these songs may may not reflect this, but take them with a grain of salt.

from 1987's Jettison LP
Naked Raygun - Soldiers Requiem.mp3

from 1988's Don't Tread On Me LP
Anti-Heros - National Debt.mp3

From their 1980 first 7" and Bloodstains Across The Midwest
Toxic Reasons - War Hero.mp3

from 1988's Fizzjob LP
Didjits - Plate In My Head.mp3

from 1982's World Full of Hate 12"
Fartz - Viet-Vet.mp3

from their split LP with Faith
Void - War Hero.mp3

from their 1982 Fall In 12"
RF7 - Viet Vets.mp3

Any other "soldier" songs out there?

The Lamps

2005-11-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

It took me a bit to warm up to it, but The Lamps 2005 release on In The Red is one of the most oddly enjoyable albums I've heard in awhile. The Lamps sound is a steam-rolling blend of primitive trash rock crossed with anti-social noise, which is "thumbs up" in my book. Virtually every review of this record I've come across name checks the Necessary Evils and either the Cramps or the Gories, so I'll do the same. Everyone also seems to mention that artwork, which as you can see is in fact pretty fucking creepy. Track this one down. Take a listen:

The Lamps - Hot Plate.mp3
The Lamps - 2o" Of Monkey.mp3

Notes:

Lamps page at ITR

Lamps Myspace page, complete with requisite sounds

Interview with the guitarist/vocalist Monty Buckles at Terminal Boredom

I picked this one up based upon Agony Shorthand's review

Rubber City Rebels

2005-11-07T21:58:00.000-05:00

For many years the Rubber City Rebels were one of those mysterious bands that appeared to be lost for the ages. My only exposure to the band was via covers: Candy Snatchers "Such a Fool" and Jakkpot's "Young & Dumb". After hearing those songs I had to track down something, anything about this band. Luckily, the band was beginning to reissue their old material making the quest pretty easy. Moving on...

The Rebels story is pretty much as follows: Band forms in Akron in the mid-seventies, playing a blend of pop, "punk", and rock. In 1977 they release a split LP with The Bizarros entitled "From Akron". Seeking greener pastures, the core of the band relocates to LA and is snatched up by Capitol Records. TrouserPress sums up the bands impact:

Although Devo, Rachel Sweet, Chrissie Hynde and the Waitresses all fared well on major labels during the new wave era, the Rubber City Rebels proved it was possible to come from Akron, Ohio and still roll into commercial oblivion.

In 1980 Capitol records released The Rubber City Rebel's self-titled LP. 10 tracks, including 4 covers and rewrites of the bands earlier material. Hmmm... Flex isn't kind:

1980: Punk was the big thing and major labels were looking for bands to cash in. Capitol chose Rubber City Rebels; thank god they left no trace. Fake and polished music with no soul

What happened after that, well I'm not sure. The band has reformed and released a new album, 2003's Pierce My Brain. I've heard a couple of tracks and it's decent, which is pretty much my take on the band: Some great cuts, some snoozers, overall decent. Take a listen:

from 1978's split w/ The Bizarros:
Rubber City Rebels - Kidnapped.mp3
Rubber City Rebels - Such A Fool.mp3

From their 1979 7"
Rubber City Rebels - Brainwave.mp3

From their self-titled 1980 LP
Rubber City Rebels - Paper Dolls.mp3
Rubber City Rebels - Young & Dumb.mp3
Rubber City Rebels - Rubber City Rebel.mp3

Notes:

The official Rubber City Rebels site

Buy Rubber City Rebels releases

as always, Henry Weld's Discography of American Punk is an invaluable tool

I Think I've Had It

2005-11-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

AKA I Don't Need This Fucking Shit. Oh man, what a fucking lousy week this has been, fraught with work problems, family problems, frustration, anger, and stress. To top it all Blogger ate my first draft of this post. Fuck. Given all that this is going to be brief. Do these really need any explanation?

Black Flag - Nervous Breakdown.mp3
Dead Silence - Stress.mp3
N.O.T.A. - Frustration.mp3
Ramones- Go Mental.mp3
Hunches - Got Some Hate.mp3
Queens of The Stone Age - Everybody Knows You're Insane.mp3
Child Molestors - I'm Gonna Punch You in the Face.mp3

I'm hoping to get back on my regular posting schedule next. Also, I'm way behind when it comes to answering mail. So if you've sent me something and I haven't written back, well now you know. I hope to clear the backlog soon.

Lunchmeat/Mission Impossible

2005-11-02T12:12:00.000-05:00

As promised a couple of weeks ago here is the split release with Lunchmeat and Mission Impossible. I don't have a lot of info on the release and the bands beyond the basics: 3/4 of Lunchmeat went on to form Soulside, while Mission Impossible has the distinction of being Dave Grohl's first band. The split was alternately titled Thanks (1st press of 500) and Getting Shit For Growing Up Different (2nd Press of 1000) and was a joint effort between DC labels Sammich and Dischord (Dischord 17.5). I dubbed this from a friend many years ago and hadn't listened to the tracks again until I found it on Soulseek awhile ago. It honestly doesn't hold up as well as I remembered, but it has it's moments. Judge for yourself:

Lunchmeat - Looking Around.mp3
Lunchmeat - No Need.mp3
Lunchmeat - Under The Glare.mp3
Mission Impossible - Helpless.mp3
Mission Impossible - Am I Alone.mp3
Mission Impossible - Into Your Shell.mp3

As usual, please let me know of any corrections or additional info

Red Snerts

2005-10-29T20:32:00.000-04:00

Gulcher Records has been putting out Midwest punk, garage, and new wave records for close to 30 years now. Their 1981 all Indiana compilation Red Snerts - The Sound of Gulcher runs the gamut of Indiana's underground music scene, from the no wave sounds of the Dancing Cigarettes to the classic punk of the Zero Boys. In between there's everything from pseudo-dub (Amoebas in Chaos) to ska (Freddy & The Fruitloops) to art damage (A. xax). 16 bands altogether. As a result of this variety Red Snerts can be an up and down ride like so many early punk/new wave comps. Still, I find this an enjoyable "time capsule" release, with the Dow Jones & The Industrials and The Panics tracks being my top tracks. Gulcher reissued Red Snerts on CD in 2001 and it's still available.

The Gizmos - The Midwest Can Be Alright.mp3
The Panics - Drugs Are For Thugs.mp3
The Defekts - Peer Pressure.mp3
E-In Brino - Indianapolis.mp3
Zero Boys - New Generation.mp3
Dow Jones & The Industrials - Ladies With Appliances.mp3

Notes:

A comprehensive Red Snerts page complete with insert pages and band info

E-In Brino is actually Paul Mahern of the Zero Boys and ???? Any info?

Gulcher Releases available from Midheaven Mailorder

Riverboat Gamblers

2005-10-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

I don't care what anyone says, I dig the Riverboat Gamblers. I've read a great deal criticism of them on various message boards that state the Gamblers records are "too rock", or their shows are "too choreographed", or they're "rockstars" for playing the Warped Tour. Hell, I too was skeptic, but a listen to 2003's Something To Crow About made me a believer. It flat out smokes. Their 2001 self titled is also a worthwhile rawk investment. To me the band sounds like a tougher version of the Supersuckers jamming with Sugar Shack, cranking out melodic, anthemic rock action. Good stuff.

Despite all of the praise I'll warn you off of 2004's Backsides, which is supposedly a 'contractual obligation' deal. By comparison to the previous releases Backsides is relatively mediocre, dragged down by lackluster songs and muddy production. I'm hoping the band's planned next album (supposedly being recorded now) plays like proper follow up to Something To Crow About. Here's a couple:

from 2001's self-titled debut
Riverboat Gamblers - Jenna.mp3
Riverboat Gamblers - Drink Alone.mp3

from 2003's Something To Crow About
Riverboat Gamblers - Rattle Me Bones.mp3
Riverboat Gamblers - Ice Water.mp3

End:

Buy Riverboat Gamblers releases

official Riverboat Gamblers site

Photo swiped from Gearhead Records

Social Distortion - demos

2005-10-24T21:40:00.000-04:00

Someone out there has to know the real deal on this. Perusing Soulseek I came across what is purported to be Social Distortion's first demo tape from 1979. Now, if this were really from 1979 then it would most likely include the original lineup of Mike Ness with Rikk Agnew on guitar, Frank Agnew on bass, and Casey Royer on drums. I can't find any evidence that this lineup actually recorded anything before the Agnews and Royer split to form the Adolescents. I suspect these tracks are actually from 1980 or 1982 or so, as "Lude Boy" and "Telling Them" sound like the same versions as those that appeared on the comp Hell Comes To Your House. I'm pretty sure the remainder were cleaned up for official release as Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past. The versions here appear to be nth generation dubs complete with tape hiss and volume issues. Take them for what their worth:

Social Distortion "1979" Demo
Social Distortion - All The Answers.mp3
Social Distortion - Lude Boy.mp3
Social Distortion - Mainliner.mp3
Social Distortion - Moral Threat.mp3
Social Distortion - Orange County Jail.mp3
Social Distortion - Playpen.mp3
Social Distortion - Telling Them.mp3

Alive and Kicking

2005-10-21T23:24:00.000-04:00

So here's another great DC hardcore comp - Alive and Kicking. Released in 1985 on local DC label (and studio) WGNS. This one is pretty solid from beginning to end. United Mutation kick it off with a blast of their twisted, rocking hardcore mayhem, complete with sax. Gray Matter's "Walk The Line" is a rougher, less intense rendition than the version that would appear on the Take It Back 12". Beefeater's track is more punk than funk, Tomas Squip almost sounds like HR at moments on this one. Mission Impossible, featuring a teenage Dave Grohl on drums, play some quality emo-infused DC hardcore (the MI split with Lunchmeat coming in a future post). Marginal Man's eponymous track is rawer than the version on their Identity 12". The only real clunker on the whole comp is Cereal Killer, which plays like KBD toss-off. Take a listen:

United Mutation - Sensation Fix.mp3
Gray Matter - Walk The Line.mp3
Beefeater - War In Space.mp3
Mission Impossible - I Can Only Try.mp3
Cereal Killer - Knife.mp3
Marginal Man - Marginal Man.mp3

Surgery

2005-10-19T12:23:00.000-04:00

Another one of my favorite noise rock bands, Surgery originally formed while students at Syracuse University before relocating to New York City in the late '80's. In NYC they became part of the underground rock scene that produced the likes of Helmet, Unsane, and Boss Hog. Surgery's sound wasn't as pummeling as some of their contemporaries, instead infusing a blues/boogie backdrop with shards of noise guitar, feedback, and growling vocals. Like Helmet, they would join the Amphetamine Reptile stable and go on to release 3 singles, an LP, a 10" and numerous compilation cuts before signing with Atlantic to release 1994's Shimmer. The two proper albums (the aforementioned Shimmer and 1990's Nationwide) are the best starting point for the curious. Personally, I always preferred the singles, especially "Little Debbie"/"Queen To Queens Level Three". I finally tracked down the "Not Going Down" single this year after years of searching. Funny how this things work, it seems I'm finding "Not Going Down" everywhere now. As far as I know these things are all out of print, and can usually be found on Ebay for reasonable amounts.

from their 1989 debut 7"
Surgery - Not Going Down.mp3
Surgery - Blow Her Face.mp3

1990 - Scale 27
Surgery - Feedback.mp3
Surgery - Fried.mp3

1992 - Scale 45 also released on CD5 with an extra track ("Exquisite")
Surgery - Little Debbie.mp3
Surgery - Queen To Queens Level Three.mp3

Notes:

Singer Sean McDonnell passed away in 1995 as a result of asthma attack

Surgery also released a 12" called Souleater in 1989 on Circuit/Glitterhouse. I can't remember my source, but AmRep apparently rejected the album due to poor production and weak songs. A listen to the record confirms this [EDIT - a very informed source states that this wasn't true - Surgery entered into an agreement with Circuit before signing to AmRep]

AmReps pictorial discography

TrouserPress on Surgery

Buy Surgery releases

While we're talking AmRep, can anyone help me out with the following ecords? Prefer vinyl but mp3's are fine...
Lonely Moans - Scale 14
Gear Jammer - first 7"
Thee Headcoates/Lollipop Split 7"
Silver Salute - 4 Song 7" on Teenage Burrito
Bludgeon - AmRep #1 that came with an issue of Your Flesh magazine

Rocket From The Tombs

2005-10-17T17:21:00.000-04:00

Man, I was thrilled when I finally tracked down a copy of the Rocket From The Tombs archival juggernaut The Day The Earth Met... Even with all of the hype I was still floored by the amazing sounds contained therein. For those in the dark Rocket From The Tombs where a proto-art-skronk-punk band from Cleveland circa 1974-1975 and served as the first band for underground rock dudes David Thomas, Peter Laughner, and Gene O'Connor (aka Cheetah Chrome). The band disintegrated before reaching a studio, but many of the track would gain new life in the members new bands. Thomas and Laughner would go on to form the legendary avant punk outfit Pere Ubu, while O'Connor and RFTT drummer Johnny Blitz would later surface as part of the Dead Boys.

As for the disc itself, well it contains 19 cuts of raw, vintage rock culled from rehearsels and live recordings. Track include early versions of Pere Ubu and Dead Boy classics, covers of The Stooges and the Velvet Underground, and tracks that never reappeared in any form. In short, this is a must listen for anyone with an interest in primal American punk.

Based upon the success of The Day The Earth Met.... Rocket From The Tombs regrouped (with Television's Richard Lloyd filling in for the deceased Laughner) to tour and properly record many of the tracks for release as 2004's Rocket Redux. These kinds of endeavors usually raise a red flag, but Redux is a solid, surprising rock album that deserves a listen. Below are a couple of my favorites:

From 2002's The Day The Earth Met....
Rocket From The Tombs - Never Gonna Kill Myself Again.mp3
Rocket From The Tombs - 30 Seconds Over Tokyo.mp3
Rocket From The Tombs - Search & Destroy.mp3

From 2004's Rocket Redux
Rocket From The Tombs - What Love Is.mp3
Rocket From The Tombs - Life Stinks.mp3

End:

Buy Rocket From The Tombs releases

Lots of info at the Ubu Projex

A band history and bootleg listing at Perfect Sound Forever

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

2005-10-14T23:15:00.000-04:00

I think it's been 8 straight days of rain now, but to be honest I've kind of lost track. My area ain't as bad as other parts of the Northeast US, but it's been bad enough to flood the basement and generally make life miserable. Doesn't appear to be any end in sight, either. What the fuck? Anyhow, here's a playlist for a rainy day. Sorry, "It's Raining Men" wasn't available.

from 1994's Palomino Pizza 12"
Cosmic Psychos - Rain Gauge.mp3

from 2003's excellent Complete Recordings 1976-1979
Testors - Rainy Night.mp3

from 1988's landmark Daydream Nation double LP
Sonic Youth - Rain King.mp3

an aural bludgeoning from 1998's Occupational Hazard
Unsane - Smells Like Rain.mp3

Vic Bondi's '90's group. From their second album
Alloy - Hard Rain.mp3

one of my favorites from 1987's Huevos LP
Meat Puppets - Look At The Rain.mp3

Lead track From 2002's Time Bomb High School
Reigning Sound - Stormy Weather.mp3

The Bellrays

2005-10-13T12:10:00.000-04:00

God as my witness, I thought The Bellrays had broken up. Apparently I was misinformed, as their Saturday night date in Rochester attests to. Huh. For a couple of years there the Bellrays were all the rage with their brand of "maximum rock 'n' soul", a mix of punk drive and powerful vocals. The best approximation I could come up with was Patti LaBelle fronting an overamped MC5, take that for what it's worth. 1998's Let It Blast was a staple in my CD player for many months. 2000's Grand Fury was more of the same but failed to stick with me, which may be the reason I drifted away. Since then the Bellrays have released a couple of more discs, including their latest The Red, White, and Black on Alternative Tentacles. Here's a couple from their earlier releases:

from 1998's Let It Blast
Bellrays - Hole In The World.mp3
Bellrays - Cold Man Night.mp3

from 2000's Grand Fury
Bellrays - Heat Cage.mp3
Bellrays - Under The Mountain.mp3

End:

buy Bellrays releases

The Plugz

2005-10-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if Los Angeles's The Plugz really were the first Latino American punk band, (claims I've read multiple places) but when it comes down to it does it really matter? Ethnicity aside, The Plugz 1978 debut 7" is a classic punk record plain and simple. All three tracks from the Slash released disc have been comped on the Killed By Death/Bloodstains series, for good reason - they're twitchy punk gems. Guitarist/vocalist Tito Larivva would form his own label Fatima to release the bands follow up 7" and LP's, 1979's Electrify Me and 1981's Better Luck. [Edit - Electrify Me wasn't released on Fatima - it was released on the Plug label]
The LP's are pretty good, but are tame when compared to the spitfire first single. Hard to believe this material is out of print considering the reissue craze of the past 10 years, but it appears this is the case. Take a listen:

From 1978's Move 7"
Plugz - Move.mp3
Plugz - Mindless Contentment.mp3
Plugz - Let Go.mp3

From 1979's Electrify Me LP
Plugz - The Cause.mp3
Plugz - Adolescent.mp3
Plugz - Berzerktown.mp3

Notes:

A nice Plugz bio

MXV's post on the Plugz

Photo found here

Clitboys

2005-10-07T21:50:00.000-04:00

After this weeks post on the Catatonics I received a request for the Clitboys, so here you go. Featuring 7 tracks of speedy midwest meat & potatoes hardcore, We Don't Play the Game is the Clitboys lone EP, released in 1983. As I mentioned in an earlier post this 7" was booted along with Active Ingredient's Bringing Down The Big Boys EP, the Catatonics Hunted Down EP, and Mecht Mensch's Acceptance EP on one LP. An interesting compilation of some forgotten records. As for the Clitboys, well I have no idea what became of the members. Someone out there can probably fill in the blanks.

Clitboys - No Such Thing.mp3
Clitboys - Have Faith.mp3
Clitboys - Sheep.mp3
Clitboys - Gay's OK.mp3
Clitboys - Slogan Boy.mp3
Clitboys - So Funny.mp3
Clitboys - We Don't Play The Game.mp3

Questions & Recommendations

2005-10-06T12:55:00.000-04:00

A couple of things:

Is anyone receiving popup messages when loading this site? I'm trying to determine if this is a spyware issue on my machine or something that's been added to my template. Nothing against people that have ads, etc on their sites, but I'm not interested in making money of this. Just so everyone know that I haven't added anything deliberately.

My needle is shot. Can anyone recommend a good cartridge or stylus? I'm currently using a Stanton D72E cartridge with an old Pioneer turntable and I'm having trouble finding info on stylus replacement or cartridge replacement. Recommendations appreciate.

If you have the chance I'd recommend seeing Bob Mould on this latest tour. Full band, songs from Sugar and Husker Du, very energetic and loud. We saw the Toronto show and it was well worth the drive.

Anyone listening to anything good? I'm spinning my wheels trying to find something new and exciting.

Catatonics

2005-10-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

The schedule has been pretty tight the past couple of weeks, and this week looks to be no exception. So here's a quick rundown on the 1984 Hunted Down EP from the Catatonics, one of Syracuse's first hardcore bands. Member Belvy K would go on to drum for 7 Seconds and the UK Subs before starting Libertine some time in the late '90's. In addition to this 7" the Catatonics had a cut on the Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Volume 2 that was left off of the CD reissue. The whole 7" was included on a bootleg of four old hardcore singles that included the Clitboys, Active Ingredients, and Mecht Mensch. In between the surface noise you'll hear fast, screaming hardcore in the NYC vein, which to be honest isn't very exciting to me anymore. Still, some punk related history from my adopted home town that isn't about Earth Crisis. "Hunted Down" is the best track, but decide for yourselves:

Catatonics - Never Again.mp3
Catatonics - Bet I Will.mp3
Catatonics - Hunted Down.mp3
Catatonics - What You See and What You Say.mp3
Catatonics - Obstinate.mp3

Notes:

Anyone know a good way to reduce surface noise on MP3's? I've been using Goldwave with some success, but as you can tell there's obvious room for improvement

Info and graphic taken from the KFTH Catatonics Page

The Dwarves

2005-09-29T22:18:00.000-04:00

For a wild couple of years the Dwarves were arguably the most entertaining, offensive, and dangerous band anywhere to be found. I view the band's arc as mirroring a bell curve: the humble beginning making campy 60's inspired garage before transitioning to the lunatic sounds of Toolin' For A Warm Teabag and Blood, Guts & Pussy, followed by the inevitable sink to mediocrity. Living in the sticks I never had a chance to appreciate their brand of mayhem live, though their antics were recounted in almost every 'zine of the day. Apparently Blag Dahlia and the Dwarves are still kicking around, though I hopped off the train after the whole Subpop fiasco. If you haven't done so already, get a hold of Blood, Guts & Pussy, perhaps the best 11 minute LP you'll ever listen to. The Free Cocaine CD, which compiles Toolin', Lucifer's Crank, and assorted outtakes from the 1988 era, is also a worthwhile listen. The last two Subpop LP's (Thank Heaven for Little Girls & Sugarfix) are more polished and by the numbers. Despite missing that early energy each has a couple of decent tracks. Take a listen:

From the Free Cocaine compilation
Dwarves - Sit on My Face.mp3
Dwarves - Free Cocaine.mp3

From Blood, Guts, & Pussy
Dwarves - Fuck You Up & Get High.mp3
Dwarves - What Hit You.mp3

From Thank Heaven...
Dwarves - Dairy Queen.mp3

From Sugarfix
Dwarves - Anybody Out There.mp3

Notes:

Dwarves official site

Jay at Agony Shorthand reminisces

Mark Prindle on "The Little Punk Band with a Heart of Gold"

Double 0

2005-09-27T12:19:00.000-04:00

I've always been fascinated by the split releases that Dischord Records has been putting out for many years (see the Reptile House post for another). During the height of my record collecting days my goal was to own a copy of every half release on Dischord. That never came to fruition, though with the advent of the digital age I've been able to track many of the songs down. Which brings us to Double O and their self-titled 7" EP. Double O formed in 1981, comprised of former Youth Brigade and Red C members. Their lone EP was released in 1983, just as the band split. Alternately referred to as "You've Lost" after the first track, this release was a split between Dischord and DC's R&B records, listed as Dischord 10 1/2. 5 tracks of punchy, mid-tempo hardcore that everyone compares to the Faith, a comparison that is good enough for me. The record is infamous for including synth sounds on "Death of a Friend", pure heresy at the time. Take a listen:

Double O - You've Lost.mp3
Double O - Is It Better.mp3
Double O - Gray to Black.mp3
Double O - Death of A Friend.mp3
Double O - There's No Reasoning.mp3

Stuff:

A double 7" of the bands demos were released as Double Barrelled years ago. I've never heard this to comment on the quality

KFTH has a nice Double 0 page

Double 0 interviews, etc at DementLieu Punk Archive

Drinking Is Great

2005-09-24T13:02:00.000-04:00

Portland hardcore comp Drinking is Great is dedicated to "the great boozers throughout history" - an appropriate soundtrack for weekend in which the wife and I will be heading out to some of New York State's finest wineries on our annual fall booze run. Released on Poison Idea's Fatal Erection label, Drinking is Great is a snapshot of the hardcore scene in the Rose City circa 1985. 4 bands, 4 tracks, the highlight being Poison Idea's "Laughing Boy" - possibly my favorite track by Jerry A and Tom Pig. The E-13 track is solid, with a great mid-tempo feel. The other two tracks aren't bad, but fall into the vast morass of unremarkable metallic hardcore. Eh, decide for yourself:

Poison Idea - Laughing Boy.mp3
E-13 - Pankreatitis.mp3
Lockjaw - You Dick.mp3
Final Warning - I Quit.mp3

Lee Harvey Oswald Band

2005-09-22T18:32:00.000-04:00

As promised several weeks back, here finally is the mysterious Lee Harvey Oswald Band. Apparently Lee Harvey Oswald was a side project featuring Didjits frontman Rick Sims and graphic artist David Landis (can't verify) hiding behind makeup, wigs, and pseudonyms (Dredge and Zowie Fenderblast). The music is less Didjits mayhem and more NY Dolls inspired sludgy glam rock, featuring distorted vocals, dirty production, and odd covers (Wings "Junior's Farm", and The Amboy Dukes "You Speak Sunshine, I Breath Fire" among them). Or, as TrouserPress describes them: Urge Overkill practicing to be an MC5 cover band

The band'a=s albums can be uneven, varying from balls out rockers to pure dreck. (i.e. the cover of "Locomotion" an example of the latter) 1996's Blastronaut is more polished and poppy than 1994's A Taste of Prison and features a more tracks with Sims on vocals. You decide if that is good or bad. Check it out:

from 1996's Blastronaut
Lee Harvey Oswald Band - Rocket 69.mp3
Lee Harvey Oswald Band - Morphodite.mp3

from 1994's A Taste Of Prison
Lee Harvey Oswald Band - Tinglers.mp3
Lee Harvey Oswald Band - Jesus Never Lived On Mars.mp3

from 1990's Lee Harvey Oswald Band 12"
Lee Harvey Oswald - Steamroller Doggie.mp3

End:

Buy Lee Harvey Oswald Band releases

please, share any info you may have

Saccharine Trust

2005-09-19T17:37:00.000-04:00

Why write my own description of LA's Saccharine Trust when this quote from Perfect Sound Forever captures it all:

A screaming hybrid of punk energy, be-bop swing and beat poetics, for many, the 'Trust were SST's "difficult" outfit. Without the brutal anger of Black Flag, the populism of the Minutemen, the hillbilly stomp of the 'Puppets or the pop smarts of Husker Du, the band was often left playing support to the stars and being content with their "cult band" status. So be it.

It took many years for the music of Saccharine Trust to sit well with me, but I've reached a point where I can now cautiously appreciate (if not fully understand) what Jack Brewer, Joe Baiza, and company were trying to do in the early '80's. I remember picking up the Sacramentel Element tape after reading about it in an SST catalog (which effectively hyped every release ), and being disappointed by what I heard. Or rather, what I didn't hear (see above quote). In retrospect the Trust's 1981 debut Paganicons is a classic 12" filled with Baiza's twisted guitar dissonance and Brewer's impassioned rants. 1984's Surviving You, Always is a more schizophrenic affair, mixing spastic jazz riffs with weird, psycho-religious lyrics to create some strange soundscapes. Sometimes great, often frustrating, Surviving You, Always can be an exhausting listen. As a result of my initial distaste I passed on Saccharine Trust final two LP's - 1985's World broken and 1986's We Became Snakes. Below are a couple of my favorites from the first two albums:

from 1981's Paganicons 12"
Saccharine Trust - I Have...mp3
Saccharine Trust - I Am Right.mp3

from 1984's Surviving You, Always
Saccharine Trust - Sunk.mp3
Saccharine Trust - Speak.mp3

Stuff:

buy Saccharine Trust releases

photo from the official Saccharine Trust website

Dave Lang is the author of the quote from PSF

Mutiny on the Bowery

2005-09-16T23:31:00.000-04:00

By now everyone has heard the news about the impending end of CBGB's, right? In light of that and possessing a myriad of "Live at CBGB" releases I figured why not trot out the Mystic comp Mutiny on the Bowery? I always enjoyed most of the bands and the live sound on this one, and say what you want about Mystic Records, but they've always put out a solid compilation. Mutiny on the Bowery was volume 6 in their "Sounds of USA Cities" series, the previous 5 I have no recollection of. Anyhow, Mystic seeks to capture the vital sound of NYC by recording two live 1986 shows featuring mostly Connecticut and New Jersey bands. Go figure. Most of the material is solid, but I'm partial to Damage and Sharkey's Machine. Below are my favorites:

Adrenalin OD - Pope on A Rope.mp3
Chronic Disorder - Welcome To The Modern World.mp3
Damage - Yah Die Ho.mp3
Seizure - Not Without A Fight.mp3
76% Uncertain - Same Result/Justice For All.mp3
Sharkey's Machine - Chevy Van Blues.mp3
Stisism - I'm a Corpse.mp3

Stretch Marks

2005-09-14T23:03:00.000-04:00

I don't usually do requests, but tonight I'm putting up a couple tracks in an effort to thank a reader who seriously hooked me up with some great music and info. Thanks Mike!

The Stretch Marks hailed from the frigid realm of Winnipeg and along with fellow Manitobans Personality Crisis garnered a fair bit of attention in the US hardcore community. The Stretch Marks self-released a 6 song 7" in 1983 entitled Who's In Charge. BYO took note of the band's muscular sound and singalong choruses and signed 'em up, releasing the bands 1984 LP What D'Ya See. Hearing this many years after first listen I have to admit a good portion of the material isn't as remarkable as I remember. Some of the tracks however (i.e. "What D'Ya See", "Turnbuckle Stomp") are loaded with overwhelming energy and still deliver a wallop. My favorites:

From 1983's Who's In Charge EP.
Stretch Marks - Who's in Charge?.mp3
Stretch Marks - Professional Punks.mp3

From 1984's What D'Ya See LP
Stretch Marks - What D'Ya See?.mp3
Stretch Marks - Turnbuckle Stomp.mp3
Stretch Marks - Another Tragedy.mp3

Suicide Commandos

2005-09-13T07:01:00.000-04:00

Carrying on in the "suicide" theme (in name only), it seemed like a perfect opportunity to discuss Minneapolis's Suicide Commandos. Ostensibly the first "punk" band to come out of the Twin Cities (someone, somewhere can always point to something earlier in most cases), the Suicide Commandos were guitarist/vocalist Chris Osgood, drummer, Dave Ahl, and bassist Steve Almaas. Forming in 1974, the Commandos would release two 7" records on the PS label before landing on Mercury's short-lived punk subsidiary Blank (the only other Blank release was Pere Ubu's The Modern Dance). 1978 saw the release of Suicide Commandos Make A Record, 15 tracks of high energy rock punctuated by Osgood's stun gun guitar and Ahl's animal like drumming. In 1979 the Commandos completed their run, releasing a live platter The Commandos Commit Suicide Dance Party (the first release for TwinTone records) and a couple of tracks for Big Hits of Mid-America III compilation One of the tracks on the comp was "Complicated Fun" - years later this track would turn up in a Target commercial. Anyhow, have a listen:

from 1978's Suicide Commandos Make A Record

Suicide Commandos - Attacking the Beat.mp3
Suicide Commandos - Mosquito Crucifixtion.mp3
Suicide Commandos - You Cant.mp3

A couple from the band's first two 7 inch releases, more in the straight rock vein than the album 1977's "Match-Mismatch" is a long one - 5+ minutes - that kinda drags for the first two minutes before hitting it's mark. "Emission Control" is from the very first 7", released in 1976

Suicide Commandos - Match-Mismatch.mp3
Suicide Commandos - Emission Control.mp3

Notes:

Make A Record was reissued by Mercury on CD in 1996, but that too seems to be unavailable.

A Suicide Commandos page on Twintone's website

Don't Fear The Reaper

2005-09-10T23:25:00.000-04:00

This is a part two of sorts to the Heroin Hates You post from July, this one involving bands who've had members take their own lives. Sadly, there is a recent addition to the list: Stevo Jensen, original vocalist and songwriter from the Vandals. Below is a list of some of people who've succumbed to their personal demons

Nirvana - Been A Son.mp3
While not a huge Nirvana fan I'll remember the moment I heard about Kurt Cobain's death - I was in a record store and happened to be checking out the only copy of Big Black's Headache 12" (with the limited edition cover) that I had ever seen. The clerk joked that the cover model was Cobain, and then explained what he had just heard. Creepy

Joy Division - Shadowplay.mp3
a brief writeup on the life and death of Ian Curtis.

Plasmatics - Monkey Suit.mp3
vocalist Wendy O. Williams, in the woods, with a shotgun.

Reagan Youth - (Are You Really) Happy.mp3
The story behind Dave Insurgent's suicide - truth or urban legend?

Battalion of Saints - Second Coming.mp3
I know someone in this band has offed himself, but I don't know who. I could probably fit Battalion of Saints into any death related post.

Christian Death - Figurative Theatre.mp3
original vocalist Rozz Williams hung himself in 1998

Vandals - Legend of Pat Brown.mp3
Original singer Stevo Jensen overdosed in late August 2005 .

Dead Milkmen - Tiny Town.mp3
Most "joke" bands songs don't stand the test of time, and that is sadly true for most of the material by the Dead Milkmen. Still, I met them a couple of times after shows and they simply were some of the nicest people I'd ever met, funny as hell and completely down to Earth. I was saddened to learn that bassist Dave Blood took his life in 2004.

An incomplete list, of course. Please, share any that I've overlooked.

Reptile House

2005-09-08T21:54:00.000-04:00

My post on the Bouncing Babies compilation a couple of weeks back generated some comments and emails both praising and asking for more Reptile House. Reptile House were a Baltimore band circa 1982-1987 and are notable for having a pre-Lungfish renaissance man David Higgs on vocals and London May (Samhain) on drums. In 1985 Reptile House released their only 7" I Stumble As The Crow Flies, produced by Ian Mackaye. The record was released as Dischord #15 3/4, a split with Baltimore label Druid Hill. The four tracks on the 7" contain some melodic, atmospheric guitar sounds that reminds me at times of the Proletariat's Indifference LP. Reptile House would eventually release a solid and enjoyable posthumous LP titled Listen to the Powersoul in 1988. Like this EP it to is currently out of print.

1985's I Stumble As The Crow Flies 7"
Reptile House - Keelhaul Love.mp3
Reptile House - Social Champion.mp3
Reptile House - Mrs Rain.mp3
Reptile House - Sleestak Weather.mp3

Strike Under

2005-09-06T23:01:00.000-04:00

Despite a flash in time existence (1980-1981) and miniscule output Chicago's Strike Under have several notable distinctions to their credit. First and foremost their Immediate Action 12" was the first release for Chicago's famed electro-industrial label Wax Trax! (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, etc.). Strike Under is also remembered as the starting point for guitarist/voaclist Steve Bjorklund (Breaking Circus, producer) and bassist Pierre Kezdy (Naked Raygun, Pegboy). The band split in 1981, soon after recording the tracks for the Busted At Oz compilation and the Immediate Action 12". And what of this record you ask? Well Flex pretty much shits all over it:

Mid- to slow-tempo HC from Chicago; some Naked Raygun influence, but pretty boring otherwise. [4].

A quick listen and you might agree - the guitar sound is mighty weak sounding on some of the tracks, and the pace is kinda slow. After repeated listens though it grows on you. Everyone knows "Context" from the Killed By Death series, right? It is the standout track on the record, without a doubt. The others are decent, if somewhat undistinguished from their influences. "Sunday Night Disorientation" has lazy, Brit post-punk vibe, while "Closing In" is a mostly instrumental track ala Naked Raygun or The Effigies. "Elephant's Graveyard" reminds me of Radio Birdman or the Fun Things, and "Immediate Action" is a speedy, midwest Hardcore '81 track. Have a listen and decide for yourselves

Strike Under - Sunday Night Disorientation.mp3
Strike Under - Context.mp3
Strike Under - Closing In.mp3
Strike Under - Elephant's Graveyard.mp3
Strike Under - Immediate Action.mp3

Personally, I like the tracks from the Busted At Oz comp better, if only for the grittier guitar sound:

Strike Under - Anarchy Song.mp3
Strike Under - Fucking Uniforms.mp3

Info:

KFTH page on Strike Under

Strike Under Interview at Dementlieu

Hosting Issues

2005-09-06T12:12:00.000-04:00

Bear with me folks, I'm in the process of switching hosting companies and things are progressing slower than expected. I've exceeded my monthly bandwidth limit with my current host, and between that and the host change links may not be working correctly. I hope to have a new post tonight or tomorrow, just FYI.

Sacred Cattle

2005-09-03T20:06:00.000-04:00

Another exhumed (and subsequently lost) gem from the Existential Vacuum label, Sacred Cattle is a "lo-fi selection of previously unreleased Texas Punk 1978-1982". I had forgotten this one even existed, as the pressing of 600 rendered it scarce. A couple of weeks ago someone inquired about, which rekindled my desire to hear it. I tracked it down and I wasn't disappointed, it's a quality collection. What you get is four overlooked Texas bands on one 7". All of these tracks are solid - Boy Problems (Austin) deliver some punchy punk, while Vast Majority (Houston) shuffle through two songs. The Ejectors (Fort Worth) track is speedy,old-style hardcore; NCM (Dallas) finish things up with the cool, bass driven "Six Feet Under"

Boy Problems - Participation.mp3
Vast Majority - Poor Sid/Duke is Dead.mp3
Ejectors - Slam Dance.mp3
NCM - Six Feet Under.mp3

Shellac

2005-09-01T22:03:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe it's been five fucking years since the last Shellac album, 1000 Hurts. A year ago I posted on Shellac, hoping that by this time I would have something new in hand. No dice. The last I read was the new album was still only half complete with no anticipated release date due to the band's ongoing day to day obligations. Luckily, Albini, Weston, and Trainer have been able to get out and play an occasional show here and there. Some of the new tracks have made their way to the net, and judging by the recent requests I've received for Shellac's "End of Radio" I figured it would only be fair to share them with all of you. So, below are three new tracks recorded in December 2004 as a tribute to the late John Peel. Enjoy:

Shellac - The End of Radio.mp3
Shellac - Paco.mp3
Shellac - Steady As She Goes.mp3

Notes:

Buy Shellac releases

Simon at Spoilt Victorian Child had "End of Radio" up earlier this year. Read his take on the track

a Pitchfork review of a recent show

Photos from the 2004 Peel Session