Reviews

Left for Dead

Comateens Danger Zone / Elizabeth’s Lover 12″

If you’re only familiar with COMATEENS’ mersh early/mid-’80s synth pop/new wave dance sound, this reissue of some of their earliest material will likely throw you for a bit of a loop. Bassist/vocalist Nick O. Teen (né Nick Dembling) takes the lead on “Danger Zone” (which was actually the B-side of COMATEENS’ debut 1979 single), and it’s more KBD than MTV; an almost VOIDOIDS-ish punk rave-up with the sort of effervescent, undeniably pure pop choruses that graced countless now-classic Ork Records singles. When guitarist/vocalist Ramona Jan left the band in 1980, she brought their unreleased track “Elizabeth’s Lover” along with her and soon re-recorded it with her new project DIZZY AND THE ROMILARS for their own debut 7”, but her take on it with COMATEENS is given the B-side here (replacing “Cool Chick,” the original A-side counterpart to “Danger Zone”). Much like the ROMILARS’ version, it’s a giddy hodgepodge of sugar-coated ’60s girl group melodies, fizzy power pop bounce, and high-gloss new wave, like an extremely synth-forward iteration of BLONDIE or NIKKI AND THE CORVETTES. I’m not sure that I fully understand the resource utility of a two-song 12” that’s over and done in less than six minutes (especially when one can still easily find the “Danger Zone” single for like $20), but COMATEENS completists and early New York new wave obsessives might beg to differ.

Nasty Facts Drive My Car 12″ reissue

Teenage punky power pop perfection! While too many KBD slabs have been elevated to “essential” status by virtue of little more than their scum stats, this is a legitimate ripper, and a really important one at that. NASTY FACTS first came together as four grade school Brooklyn tweens playing covers in 1975, an origin story that would probably be enough in and of itself to cement their legend, but bassist/vocalist KB Boyce was also Black and queer, commanding space in a scene that has generally been synonymous with lovelorn white men fixating on women as lyrical subjects/objects of unrequited desire. The band tears through the three tracks on their one-and-done 1981 single with the wound-up melodic velocity of the BUZZCOCKS (bobbing bass, blazing guitar, restless drumming), with KB’s vocals exuding effortlessly cool teen nonchalance on the unassailable A-side “Drive My Car”—the line “I’d rather dance than read a book” in one verse precedes “I’d love to hit you with my car / Don’t ever look at me that way” in the next(!), with some SHANGRI-LAS’ “Leader of the Pack”-style car crash sound effects thrown in to really underscore that sentiment. The B-side (“Gotta Get to You/Crazy ‘Bout You”) is killer, too; a double-trouble dose of fierce, anthemic bubblegum punk right up there with the likes of SCREAMING SNEAKERS and the MNM’S (if you know, you know). Such a crucial record in so many ways. 

The Senders All Killer No Filler (1977–2001) CD

The SENDERS were the vehicle of Philippe Marcade, who came from Paris, eventually ended up in New York City in 1975, and quickly fell smack into the center of the pioneering Manhattan punk scene. He quickly met, drank, and played with all the heavy-hitters, including Johnny Thunders who plays on seven unreleased live tracks here. He was even asked on to the ill-fated Thunders/Wayne Kramer GANG WAR project. Phil ended up writing a book full of these tales, which is sure to be fascinating. Unfortunately, the music here is just middle-of-the-road, blues-based bar rock, maybe similar to a less interesting BLASTERS or DEL-LORDS. The Johnny Thunders tracks are the most interesting here, but it’s still not punk at all and doesn’t have any kind of real edge or danger. The songs are from a vast time period but seem to flow together without losing any cohesiveness, if that means anything. Maybe a great history piece at best. I have great respect for my elders, but could stand to live without hearing this one.

TMA What’s For Dinner? / Beach Party 2000 / Just Desserts Super Deluxe Edition 2xLP+7″ reissue

“Who are these guys?” That’s not me talking, but our beloved creator Tim Yo in his 1984 review, and I wholeheartedly agree. Maybe the best 1980s New Jersey hardcore band you’ve never heard of? I’ve been really nose diving into the toxic cesspool of Jersey punk recently, reading the No Slam Dancing No Stage Diving No Spikes book as well as the excellent Hard Times zine anthology but still there’s nary a mention of these goombahs anywhere. TMA stands for Tom Mike Al, the names of the original trio that expanded with a singer and later returned to form on their second platter. Too Many Assholes is the other name chosen, which is just as Jersey as the hilarious photos of these guys. New Jersey always seemed to be the Orange County of the East without the credit, providing solid melodic hardcore with RAMONES sensibilities. The Just Desserts EP and What’s for Dinner? LP are definitely my faves here, with a harder sound almost like a less offensive CHRONIC SICK with the humor and speed of ADRENALIN OD. They cover the Mary Tyler Moore theme; legend has them opening for HÜSKER DÜ, who mysteriously adopted the tune at a later date. “Beach Party 2000″ has the band maturing(?) and honing their songwriting into an almost BAD RELIGION or SOCIAL DISTORTION polished melodic-ness but still being able to slam it out on songs like “Slack.” If Epitaph Records had been in New Jersey, you punkers might be wearing their backpatches right now, but sadly with no fame or credit, TMA faded into the Jersey wasteland. Luckily we now have this lavish reissue all packaged in a spiffy slipcase on colored vinyl with extra inserts and new Charles Burns-like comic artwork. Truly a labor of love and with it being limited to 100 copies, you better jump on it, chump.