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Please send vinyl (preferred), CD, or cassette releases to MRR, PO Box 3852, Oakland, CA 94609, USA. Maximum Rocknroll wants to review everything that comes out in the world of underground punk rock, hardcore, garage, post-punk, thrash, etc.—no major labels or labels exclusively distributed by major-owned distributors, no reviews of test pressings or promo CDs without final artwork. Please include contact information and let us know where your band is from!
While the drumming is a bit sloppy, the rest of the band churns on. I like the other aspects well enough, but I keep hearing the drumming; sounds like it’s from someone else’s record…maybe some jazz track mixed in for kicks. Unfortunate for me—maybe it won’t irritate you as much, because the rest is cool.
It would be unfair to characterize this band as something between DISCHARGE, DOA, and MDC—because although there are some tinges of each influence, DIRECT ACTION is their own band, slashing out with one intense song after another, all of which are powerful, intelligent, and well done. Get this tape, and their hopefully upcoming 12″, but they have had some problems with the mail (it’s the name), and many sent out never arrived. They’ll send you the tape and cover in separate packages to avoid such problems.
ERIC HYSTERIC and his friends again treat us to some garagy, off-beat punk; here, however, the mid-tempo ditties utilize synth and rhythm machine to augment their hard guitar sound—and add a bit of dementia. The songs are better than ever, too, though my inability to understand German left me out of a lot of the fun. Then again, if you get drunk enough, anybody could understand this music. Good stuff.
Likeable, garden-variety thrash are DTJ’s stock-in-trade, though the lyrics on this one definitely push this outfit into the growing ranks of “drunkcore” bands. Five of the six songs on this EP have energy and spunk, especially the upbeat rocker, “Die Schwarze Else.” Pretty good record.
Six totally gnarly, noisy thrashers. There’s no let-up at all—just one blast after another. Yet, beneath the fuzz and snarl, there’s plenty of melody. Yet another Swedish classic….
I’d say they were the heirs to the early COCKNEY REJECTS and other “working class” “football chant” UK bands, but this band actually predates most of them. I don’t know how long they disappeared, but their return is most welcome, especially on this disc. All the tracks are catchy, exuberant, and powerful. A good one.
The CRETINS’ track, “Dachau Disco,” is a snappy punk number, well-produced, in a manner somewhat reminiscent of the VIBRATORS. BLUT+EISEN chip in with “Summa Summarum,” a trashed and thrashed-out version of “Teach Your Children Well.”
Mike Spencer is the only original member left of this R’n’B-oriented, rocked-out group (they date back to the late ’70s, and their cover of “Good Guys Don’t Wear White” on a single back then still rules!). While BO DIDDLEY or rockabilly riffs may be cliché today, they deliver with such verve that it becomes fun—especially the live side, which is much more crazy than the rather staid studio tracks.
This may appear to be a typical troglodyte Oi! album, but it’s both more and less. On the plus side are the now-traditional gravelly vocals, an uncharacteristically rich guitar sound, and some surprisingly accomplished songwriting; on the debit side are overly long, metallic guitar solos (as in the title song), some bad reggae-influenced numbers, and a penchant for writing somewhat retarded lyrics (e.g., “Dr. Marten’s Beat” and “Fussball & Gewalt”). Entertaining.
Bone-crunching punk (without being metal), these guys deliver intelligent lyrics to boot. This, their second 7″, is produced by Dave Gregg of DOA, and there are some slight similarities in their punk “rock” approach. Powerful.
Why these two platters in tandem? Because they graphically reflect before and after. Now that some A&R man has taken them under his wing and has sent them out on the road with HANOI ROCKS, will things ever be the same? They have some fuckin’ killer platters like this 7″, but their LP pales by comparison; it’s still up front and to-the-point, but they lost me when they started singing in English.
Boomba! This is a pretty terrific debut. While the drummer seems to lag at times from sheer exhaustion, this band blazes from beginning to end, delivering not just wicked blasts of thrash, but tuneful, catchy, and intelligent songs as well. Hot!
A powerful effort that crosses sonic punk with a frenzied, bizarre quality, yet lacing all the different elements of punk into the sound. Chanting vocals with background screams are added for an interesting effect, as the up/down, stop/start chord changes make this Japanese group unusual but enjoyable. Mysterious slices of doom to haunt and taunt at your swelling brain.
23 bands from all over the world contribute to this compilation, though a sound problem on the first side (is it just my copy?) works against some of them. First-rate efforts by the ACCUSED, NOT MOVING (from Italy), YOUTH KORPS, VICIOUS CIRCLE (from Australia), and Denmark’s DISRESPECT make for some rousing moments; el Demento award goes to HAPPY FLOWERS for “Mom I Gave the Cat Some Acid.”
This latest Greg Shaw reliving-his-teens comp contains all contemporary SoCal neo-’60s bands. The accent is on punk here, with just a dash of folk-rock, psych, and Mersey. And a good one it is—solid rockin’ from beginning to end by all 16 bands (most previously unreleased). Recommended.
Oh, no! Yet another STANDELLS cover—and a pretty decent one at that. The flip is a ’60s fuzzed “tribute” to the holiday season; pretty imitative-sounding, but still OK.
There are three tracks here, all in the “angry young singer-songwriter vein.” It’s sort of a pissed, poetic stream-of-consciousness rap laid over driving rhythms, not unlike early LOU REED or JIM CARROLL (but with better lyrics). They’re an enjoyable (though sometimes both tedious and thrilling) live act, too.
One of a seeming million early-’60s garage bands from the Northwest that paved the way for mid-’60s punk. This LP traces their progress from an only slightly more interesting later reincarnation as a pop/rock R’n’B-sounding band (while going from name to name). It’s a classic story, but not necessarily that interesting, musically.
Heard this was a truly rockin’ ’50s-ish band (maybe the LYRES?), with a front-man and honkin’ sax added. It’s OK, but not the rip-snortin’ thing I was expecting. The exception to the rule was their cover of MICKEY HAWKS AND THE NIGHTMARES’ “Cotton Pickin’.”
Hailing from Smalltown, Michigan, there is something almost comical and naïve about this EP. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly; the music is punk/thrash, but it’s delivered in such a garagy, under-produced manner that it seems almost Quincy-inspired. But there are some serious lyrics, and although I don’t mean to be condescending, it’s just that I feel I’m back in ’78 again.
Words that once used to adequately describe the SWANS—like “grinding, crunching, noisy, and painful” are not obsolete. Nothing can describe the total off-the-wall intensity of this band. Everyone should hear an album like this at least once in their lives. Definitely the kind of music sloths reproduce by….
With their folk-style vocal harmonies and sedate instrumentation, this band seems to have steeped themselves too deeply in MOR ’60s pop. Too bad; the rudiments of good songwriting are evident, but the STEPPES don’t develop their melodic hooks or arrangements with much originality. “Kathy McGuire” rates as an above-average moddish ditty.
SWEET, MOTT THE HOOPLE, etc. While this outfit is more garagy than their influences, they do seem a bit out of place today (which “All the Young Dudes Are Dead” testifies to). “Prison Rape” is the most intense of the four songs, at least lyrically.
A new Huntington Beach band that’s got powerful, but not especially original songs and delivery. Their most charming aspect is the nasally teen vocals. This band should improve with age.
A match made in hell? Actually, this single is pretty enjoyable. While I haven’t really liked LYDIA LUNCH since TEENAGE JESUS & THE JERKS, the focus of SONIC YOUTH forces her into a structure that makes the result a lot more accessible. Almost sounds like PATTI SMITH.
We’re bordering on ambient slow-burn here, but I’m still drawn…no, sucked into this band’s whole thing. They simply can do no wrong. I’m the biased jerk who really shouldn’t be reviewing this babe. Not for everybody, but then neither is good taste.
If you were never lucky enough to pick up the SOLGER EP (one of the earliest NW thrash bands), then pick up this tape. It contains 15 tracks, down and dirty, recorded in 1980, that make the FARTZ sound pop. Well, not really, but you get the idea.
A horror-filled tape (lyrics only, folks), full of guts and gore. This mood is enhanced by echoey, mysterious vocals, and slightly psyched instrumentation, some punk and some post-punk. Buy and die.
Really nice stuff here from SALEM 66. “Across the Sea” features some cool guitar and vocal interplay which is highlighted by a super chorus. The B-side falters in its vocals and length, but it’s still strong. Play it for your Mom.
A three-song goodie. The production on these rockers is really fine, calling attention to this band’s musical expertise and attention to arrangements. Although there are tinges of “rock” guitar, it’s kept to a minimum, making way for the powerful overall effect. Their version of the AIRPLANE classic is totally enjoyable.
Where does one draw the line between cute and dreadful? This is one of those judgement calls, being just guitar and vocals, punk singer/songwriter stuff. I dunno.
A young Berkeley thrash outfit that sports some keen bass playing and guitar work that are sometimes disconcerting (it’s the weird tone, which is both good and bad). Good vocals, too, but they have a propensity to break into rock ’n’ roll/R’n’B riffs in the middle of songs.
Folk, mutant psychedelia, and experimental influences abound on this debut cassette. Acoustic and electric guitars predominate over lilting vocals in these improvisational-sounding songs; I felt that this band needs to apply more structure and invention to their output.
A current band with a ’60s fixation, copping their name from the SDS 1962 statement of purpose, and a cover of BOB DYLAN’s classic. Actually, I’m surprised that no British band has done this (have they?), because Maggie Thatcher is plastered across the record sleeve. The music itself is a slightly more bluesy version; the B-side is a funky throwaway.
Seems like I’ve heard more and more new bands lately that are borrowing heavily from the early ’70s proto-punks like the STOOGES, HEARTBREAKERS, etc. This band is in that vein, although other less appealing aspects of ’70s rock creep in, too. Overall, a nice nostalgic departure.
This remarkably consistent eight-track effort shows the PART-TIME CHRISTIANS at their quintessential best. Scathing, DIE KREUZEN-style vocals blend with grinding thrash (metal overtones included) on most of these songs here, though “Bowling Pin Massacre” parodies rap effectively. If they bowl as good as this record sounds, they’d probably hit a near perfect score.
The PANDORAS present two rockin’ blasts of ’60s psych/punk on this one. “Hot Generation” opts for a slightly more commercial approach than past efforts, though the flip packs it all in—cheesy keyboards, thickly textured guitar riffing, and an unforgettable melody. The cover’s great, too.
A musical departure of sorts for PAINTED WILLIE, this topical release incorporates aspects of rap, funk, and slower rhythmic forms. But the accent here is on lyrics, with title track zeroing in on Reagan’s “We begin bombing Russia…” “joke,” and going on from there. It’d be nice to see more bands using vinyl as “current events” ways of communicating opposition.
You can hear garage, pre-’77 types of punk, SoCal thrash, etc. in this band. I’m not too partial to the singing, though he does have some distinctiveness. Covers of “New Race” and “Can’t Explain,” too.
This live tape is characterized by long songs, with somewhat of a slow STOOGES influence, and perhaps a bit of early TELEVISION mixed in. The sound quality is decent for a live recording, but some of the wanking and effects get a bit obscured, as this is moody stuff.
Semi-psychedelic funk rock? A wimpier URBAN VERBS? A decent idea overpolished? A reviewer who’s just not into it? Should I take some acid?
Remember hard rock? This Arizona band sounds like they’ve been isolated for ten years, but they’re really good—like ALICE COOPER but more on the “lonesome” side. It’s slightly metallish without the power for power’s sake.
These guys hit you with power and drive that falls somewhere between HÜSKER DÜ and NAKED RAYGUN. Their sound is continually driven like fellow Minnesotans the HÜSKERS, but their rhythmic pulse is more akin to N.R.
HUNTING LODGE are much more rhythmic and less cluttered here than in some past releases. This is closer to CABARET VOLTAIRE but less obtrusive—and no electronic clichés.
The production on these acidic thrash compositions is extremely basic, as on their debut LP, but HUMAN SUFFERAGE earn high marks for improved songwriting and a sense of passion that’s almost tangible. “Take It for Granted” is a snappy hardcore number worth special mention, but the lyrics on all these songs show that this band is extremely articulate, too. A must-get.
A self-admitted silly name, but the music and lyrics aren’t. While sometimes metallic, they are pretty energetic and straightforward instrumentally, with lyrics that are well thought out and somewhat political, though not dogmatic.
Yep, here they are, performing their generic hits like, “Nuclear War Is Awful,” “Peace Is Where It’s At,” “Slam, Slam, Slam,” “Government Is Lame.” Actually, the only way I can tell it’s really them is from the flyer, because musically it’s all just one big “live” blur, making them sound like countless other generic YOUTH imitators.
Maybe if you’re from the Midwest you might relate to this record, with its geographical themes (there’s even a song about Woody Hayes) and garagy appeal. But it’s pretty folky overall. Erikka says it sounds like “bad NEIL YOUNG.”
Another hot new neo-’60s release. This now-defunct outfit was from San Diego, and they knew how to mix original and cover songs to achieve the right mid-’60s feel. The high points here are an amazingly snot-nosed vocalist with sneering ’60s inflections, some strong original songwriting, an appropriately tinny “mono” production, and an above-average choice of tunes to cover. Although the fuzz guitar could be louder, these guys have obviously been inspired by primo stuff.
One thing that bugs me about a lot of today’s neo-’60s bands is that they’re so concerned about projecting the “correct” image and musical format that they actually do a disservice to the creative spirit of the mid-’60s, and the FUZZTONES sort of epitomize that tendency. I know it’s unfair to single them out, because they do produce appealingly raunchy blasts with belligerent singing, fuzz guitars, and cheesy organ swells, but they are among the most calculated of the bunch. Still, this batch of cover songs rocks out, so who cares?
