The Stump Wizards Six After Seven 12″
Yet another band that mines the 60s punk meets ’77 punk vein. Slow-to-mid tempo STOOGES-like rock, the only cover being The GROOVIES’ “Slow Death”
MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL
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Yet another band that mines the 60s punk meets ’77 punk vein. Slow-to-mid tempo STOOGES-like rock, the only cover being The GROOVIES’ “Slow Death”
Okay, these dorks have been around for a bit and it’s time you heard their innovative raging thrash with silly but thoughtful words. With tunes like “Senator Hart Humped a Dumpling,” “Pollution Rules,” and “Buttman,” how can you go wrong? You can’t, get this.
Between bands like the MELVINS, U-MEN, GREEN RIVER, and now these guys, Washington is developing a “sound.” So if you’re into LED ZEP retreaded for the 80s, check into this.
From the ashes of LUNCHMEAT, this band kicks out a strong melodic hardcore sound much like that of early SCREAM. Catchy riffs, clear vocals, pounding bass and personally political lyrics create memorable music backed up with true feelings. Good stuff!
Hey, there’s one song on this LP I like, a cover of CRIME’s “Hot Wire My Heart”. The rest is just too oozingly cool for me, though there are VELVET-y moments that appeal.
These Detroit guys have been around forever, and now finally get their grunge down on vinyl. This is a decidedly garage release, with three medium-beat crunches and one fast one. Lots of distortion, popping vocals, and a FLIPPER-ish trash feel adds up to…punk rock.
Pretty solid punk and thrash here with Al Quint (of Suburban Voice zine) being the mouth at the mike spitting out the personal and social commentary. Not bad at all.
For a band that hasn’t been active in years, they do get an amazing amount of vinyl out. This is a Japanese release of great sounding material. Which includes a MINOR THREAT/SSD medley cover.
What we have here is lots of wailing guitar, really catchy rhythm section, zany and creative vocals, humorous yet pointed lyrics, and effects galore. It’s all been done before, but not quite like this. Highly recommended.
A solid third LP by this overlooked and recently reformed Jersey outfit. This is a very consistent effort: loads of driving punk with HÜSKER DÜ-ish tinges. Plenty of power, personal lyrics, well worth looking into.
The instrumental sound is not unlike REBEL TRUTH (remember them?) with its inventive guitar riffing, and this band excels when the tempos are fast indeed. While the songs could be a bit faster, there’s a good “fuck you” attitude here, despite the rock trappings of some songs.
Pretty accessible stuff for this label, as the music is punkish eclectic pop with a dash of straightforward R’n’B based rock. Lyrics are L.A. bleak but more political than most emanating from the sun-fried zone. Pretty cool.
Their “unreleased” second LP, this, like the debut, is more of a mini-LP with seven tracks. And like the original there’s a definite STANDELLS influence — guitar, organ, clean — production, proto-punk. Several covers from this defunct band, whose singer is now in the RAUNCH HANDS.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH (not the old L.A. band), on their second release, comes off with some unique punk which boasts some real uniqueness. The cool use of keyboards helps: an utterly scratchy guitar sound, played with restraint, makes for some good moments; and the rampant sarcasm pushes this into the black. An interesting record well worth checking out.
Now, this is a “punk rock”, no doubt about it. While the band is not quite as tight here as they are live, this still rips. Mike’s retardo lyrics are at full tilt here, and this self-produced/distributed product is proof that some people are still into the whole punk idea.
Not exactly a group, but the second LP by Mark Edwards of Pollution Control mag, and this release has the uncanny ability to sound like a real band—in fact, sounds a lot like some real cool outtakes of 100 FLOWERS with its finely directed and passionate post-punk sounds.
This platter of HC/thrash has that tinny, garage-laden sound that I’ve always loved, and the good news is that MSI has a good command of their style. Not remarkably original, but the three all-out thrashers make for an entertaining ride.
This is righteous shit: rad rockin’ garage punk with lyrics about Ronnie, dumpster diving, and personal topics. There dudes blow doors, so get this!
A really surprisingly varied pop punk LP. At times they sound like STIFF LITTLE FINGERS, delivering really gutsy raunch. At other moments, it’s excellent Boston rockin’ pop. And then suddenly, they’re more to the pop a la HÜSKERs, but still maintaining their edge. Good job.
Bringing Fowl Records out of the closet is San Francisco’s longest lived and, as far as I know, only punk piano player. A fine novelty record if only for his covers of “Racism Sucks,” “Holidays in Cambodia,” and “Judy is a Punk.” He also plays lots of originals with vocals that are quite the goof.
At their best, they remind me of the PAGANS in their simple and hard-hitting guitar punk. Other songs also carry a ’77 punch, and a few draw on 50s R’n’B for inspiration. Cool.
Horror themes/death are the subject matter. Mostly medium/fast are the paces. Surprisingly non-metallic is the HC here. I guess this is radical in Utah.
Short energetic bursts of ’77 punk and thrash energy with an adolescent humorous “fuck you” attitude. Song title of the month: “Mommy’s Not a Heterosexual Anymore.”
With former members of FAITH, GREY MATTER, EMBRACE, and LUNCHMEAT, this new DC band comes out with three passable songs. While the energy and creativity are there, the songs just don’t have a lasting impression. The music has a good fast pace, but it’s built on a very undefinable structure with lyrics which have a dark, depressive taste. Hopefully this band will become stronger with time.
Pretty intense garage-y punk’n’thrash with a fair amount of innovation. The coolest part is the ferocious female screamer. Keep up the good work.
IOWA BEEF EXPERIENCE utilize mid-tempo HC and a gritty guitar approach to anchor a fairly generic set of songs on this EP. Energy is high, but originality in songwriting seems to be largely absent. Powerful sound, though.
Mainly mid-to-slow tempo tunes, often lilting, more often with a metalish riff structure but without the wanking, while lyrics are dark and introspective. There’s something here in both vocals and music that reminds me a teeny bit of BEEFEATER, but not in an imitative way.
Five tunes, most of which are steeped in mid-period LED ZEP crap. Blues based self-important rock with lyrics about “babes” predominate.
Cool straightforward punk’n’thrash with memorable melodies. Tight, hard, yet tuneful, especially on “TV Babies” and “Self Defense”. Get this tape!
Put out by Funhouse Records in Germany, this features the Another Wasted Night EP, the PMRC Sucks 12″, plus “Another Bomb,” ”Sold Out Alabama,” and a live version of “Let’s Drink Some Beer.” Drunk rock for the masses.
Brutal ravenous thrash with a metallic influence (mostly in the structures and leads) and lyrics concerning personal, political and horrific topics. The only setback is the noisy production which squelches the power a bit, but this still blazes.
Probably the first punk band to sing about strip mining, these guys cover a whole range of ecological/political subjects, and obviously know a lot about what they’re singing about. The music, however, tends toward consistently basic riffs, which gets a bit repetitive. A bit more variety there, and the diatribes would probably have more impact. Decent.
Kinda like newer RAMONES sound with a bit of glam and rock thrown in. Vocals are like a fast MOTLEY CRUE style mets ZERO BOYS. Rockin’, but on the verge of poserama with little inspiration.
Probably the DK’s final release, this is a greatest hits package containing all their singles, cuts from various compilations, as well as a bonus flexi and some live tracks. A really nice way to go out, and comes with a cool magazine, a page for each track.
Quick catchy punk similar to a SoCal sound, even the vocals. Reminds me of the first BAD RELIGION LP. Thumbs up for these dudes, who were great live.
This time, DAG NASTY has less punch and more melody present, bringing the DESCENDENTS’ pop sound to mind. Could be because it’s almost a whole new band, but aside from a few catchy hummable tunes like “Safe,” most of this LP struck me as ineffective and rather weak. Get back to the grind guys!
A very high quality live boot from New Zealand. The CRAMPS gotta be the most bootlegged post-’77 band, which is a compliment to them, but quite a ripoff.
It’s a trade secret that these guys’ debut album was one of the unsung pop-punk surprises of a few years back. With this, their second LP, the CONDITIONZ seem to veer deeply into some R’n’B punk regions, as well as toward basic pop-punk with rich hooks. The change is interesting: the result is an enjoyable record with a good guitar energy.
Don’t let the predominance of guitars fool you, this is pop—and not quite as engaging as I would have hoped. The compositions have no real stylistic niche and remain fairly generic: the vocals are just amateurish enough to become cloying after a while. Not good.
It’s a bird…It’s a plane…no, it’s the rest of SHOCKABILLY back for an encore. Hooray! Kramer and Licht team up with Ann Magnuson taking vocal responsibility and with celebs like FRED FRITH making appearances. The result is god-like. Great psycho freakouts, covers, catchy new ditties and moving moments.
Mostly fast thrash tunes here with a couple disjointed yet powerful numbers thrown in. Good stuff, but why no lyric sheet?
Really interesting, distinct and rockin’. Sort of a combo of early DAMNED energy and a mod sensibility meets the REAL KIDS. Three songs, all cooks and all have neat, memorable hooks. Go for it.
Hot thrash from this new Canadian outfit. Not too generic, personal lyrics, seems to be FLAG-influenced guitarwork, eight damn good tunes.
An all-instrumental combo out of St. Louis, Missouri. Lots of darkness in their big sound, but the ever-present pounding drums save it getting too heavy or dreary most of the time. As with most Instrumental efforts, there’s lots of repetition and little to bring you back for additional listenings, unless you’re a stoner.
A very NYHC sounding tape minus the metal damage. Lots of power, this knocks down the walls! Way rad.
Formerly CONDEMNED ATTITUDE, this band hits very hard with a powerful sound similar to a more metallish ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT with “reality” lyrics. Lotsa tempo changes, innovative structures. Good stuff from Andy Airplane and buds!
I didn’t think this’d ever come out as it was recorded quite a while back, but ran into all-too-typical indie problems. This LP encompasses a whole range of HC styles, none handled generically. Very good L.A. modern punk, so I hope we get to see them live now, too.
Finally out, this second and final LP by this defunct Chicago outfit. Recorded over two years ago, this is what HÜSKER DÜ and especially SOUL ASYLUM sounded like at their best. Personal lyrics delivered with plenty of emotion. Thumbs up, dude.
Personal/political lyrics, repetitive thrash song structures, exceptional speed, and tight delivery are all a part of the package with this debut EP. Of course, it’s been done often and better but that doesn’t stop at least three of the four or five songs here being strong, muscular thrash.
It’s hard to follow up on a debut LP, never mind one that’s generally considered one of the punk rock “classics,” even if six years have gone by. But the revived (and revised) ADS do a pretty decent job — at least they still sound like the ADOLESCENTS, with tuneful songs, classic guitar and vocals. They even throw in a few oldies (“Welcome to Reality” and “Losing Battle”), a few covers (“House of the Rising Sun,” “I Got a Right”). Very recognizable, but only time will tell whether it measures up.
