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An OK compilation of Phoenix rock and hardcore bands that features one side of studio and another of live tracks. MIGHTY SPHINCTER has a twisted psycho-punk style that I found quite interesting, but several of the songs by CONFLICT and SOILENT GREENE (especially the latter’s “Pledge”) provide most of the energy and excitement. An uneven, interesting release.
Volumes 4 and 5 are essential to any garage punk fanatic, as they give a good representation of regional scenes in the ’60s. #4 deals with Chicago and brings together a nice blend of pop/folk rock/R&B punk groups. Especially cool are the LITTLE BOY BLUES’ “The Great Train Robbery,” the REASONS WHY’s “All I Really Need Is Love,” BUZZSAW’s “Live in the Springtime,” and GROUP INC.’s “Like a Woman.” Volume 5 concerns itself with Michigan, and again the results are wild. Particularly hot are the BOSSMEN’s “I’m Ready,” the UNDERDOGS’ “Surprise, Surprise,” the LEGENDS’ “I’ll Come Again,” and, most of all, a super-rare radio ad by the RATIONALS. Volumes 6 and 7 just came out, with #6 dealing again with Michigan, and #7 covering the Pacific Northwest.
This particular valley is the Silicon, home of GRIM REALITY, RIBZY, the FACTION, and MISTAKEN IDENTITY. All four bands contribute a pair of songs each, none of which are losers, and some of which are great (especially RIBZY’s). The FACTION deserves a lot of credit for putting out this EP, and the cover is great.
You’re probably already familiar with most of the sixteen bands collected here (including the OUTPATIENTS, N.O.T.A., NO LABELS, C.I.A., IMPACT UNIT, C.O.C., SEPTIC DEATH, R.O.T.A., and STALAG 13, among others. Each of them has donated two to four tracks which together add up to one fine tape.
First advertised here about a year ago, this Texas hardcore compilation has taken a long time to see the light of day. Was it worth it? Fuck yes—with tracks from REALLY RED, the OFFENDERS, D.R.I., MY DOLLS, the BIG BOYS, MARCHING PLAGUE, the BUTTHOLE SURFERS, BANG GANG, the DICKS, STICKMEN WITH RAYGUNS, the HUGH BEAUMONT EXPERIENCE, and others, it’s got lots of power and variety.
The best punkadelic albums I’ve heard in years. YO, a Bay Area band with some ex-members of B-TEAM, mix an abrasive punked-out guitar attack, meaningful TIM BUCKLEY-style vocals, innovative musical structures, obtuse lyrics, strong melodies, and occasional flashes of brilliant psychedelic guitar work to produce a cult masterpiece. Play this record next to those of the over-hyped neo-psych groups from LA, and watch them fade away along with the pink elephants you saw before the acid wore off.
The second EP from New Jersey’s WORST follows in the footsteps of their nifty debut. They still combine catchy, heartfelt vocal parts with a loud and fast instrumental backing that’s alternately straightforward and interrupted by unpredictable structural changes. Some of the compositions work better than others, but this release is well worth the price.
The newest entry into the nutmeg state’s hardcore sweepstakes presents a basic thrash attack with several metal-influenced solos and that by-now-traditional stop/start structure. Nothing here will surprise the listener, and both the drums and vocals occasionally sound out-of-sync, but a lot of these cuts are hotter than hell, especially those on the B-side.
This album is a little on the frustrating side. The VELVET MONKEYS seem to shift effortlessly from the sublime to the awful—classy ’60s-influenced psychedelic pop tunes (like “Everything Is Right,” the VELVET MONKEYS “theme” song, and “Any Day Now”) stand side by side with self-indulgent trifles (like “You’re Not There” and “Bad/Dirty Blood”). Their sound revolves primarily around a cool quasi-psych guitar and an ethereal organ, but it may not appeal to everyone.
The revamped line-up of T.S.O.L. makes its debut on this highly-produced album. I was prepared to dislike this after seeing the rock-star atmosphere they projected live, but there’s a lot on here that’s likable. On about half of the songs, they pack a good punch and the new singer’s annoying Jim Morrison delivery is minimized, but others are less worthwhile. Although it’s better than expected, give me their first 12″ any day.
A harsh debut from Wisconsin’s TAR BABIES. They offer mutated thrash (like “Be Humble” and “New Poor”), slower metallic growls (“Punch”), and disjointed experimental punk (“Triplets”), all with DIE KREUZENish singing and a super-distorted guitar. Intense and occasionally annoying.
Like MARGINAL MAN, SECOND WIND start with the basic D.C. thrash-oriented attack and play a lot of tricks with it. In this case, that means slowing down the tempo, and adding clever bridges, an occasional tasty guitar part, and particularly fine drumming. Although the singer has definite Ian MacKaye inflections, this is a distinctive release.
RUIN present a strange, unclassifiable amalgam of psychedelia, acoustic doodling, heavy metal, punk, and thrash, usually all within the same song! The lyrics are alternately oblique, humanistic, or cosmic. These guys are clearly experimenting and searching for a unique approach, which is admirable, but I don’t always find it enjoyable, mainly because of the frequent predominance of ponderous metal elements. I really like “Dionysian” and “Where Fortune,” though, as well as the chorus in “Rule Worshipper.”
Some very hotly-produced and performed ultra-intense thrash, sort of like a combination of D.R.I. and the MEAT PUPPETS. Great.
This varied effort from L.A.’s RED SCARE is reminiscent of U.X.A.’s early style, but with a considerably more metallic approach that I found somewhat annoying. Nevertheless, “Last Request” and the chilling, mid-tempo title track qualify as standouts here, in spite of the fact that many of the other songs don’t seem remarkably catchy. Fair.
REBELS AND INFIDELS provide some sharp, almost nihilistic satire to complement their mixed-tempo compositions, but it’s the thrashers that really stand out here. The pile-driving “Last Rites” and “American Citizen” (as well as their theme song) offer both excitement and food for thought, and the off-beat production emphasizes this band’s raw, “live” qualities. Solid and creditable.
Buzzsaw guitars and garage punk are combined with some Midwestern alienation in this Cornhusker combo. The songs herk and jerk all over the place, as do the inner-directed lyrics.
P. DISTURBANCE’s second release has a primitive sound and a weird trebly mix that emphasizes the vocals. At first, the songs seem sort of cluttered and disjointed, but after a couple of listens, they begin to coagulate in your cranium (except for the spastic “Do the Guilty”). The title track is the hottest from a musical standpoint.
The new PLASTICLAND 45 contains more of their vintage psychedelic noises. Fortunately, they have the heavier fuzzed-out ’67-’68 sound rather than the syrupy unstructured approach that took hold in late ’69 and early ’70s. Both songs are textured and loud.
A surf-folk-rockabilly-new wave-punk mixture that mostly comes off well. It’s not exactly my cup of tea, but it is lively and energetic.
Despite some rather questionable lyric overtones, there’s no question that this 9-track EP by the NIP DRIVERS presents extremely catchy, high-velocity bursts of punk rock. “Dog and a Cow” and their theme song are especially strong thrash-style tunes, so if you like accessible hardcore with dumb/funny lyrics, you’ll find this release delightful.
Most of the material here is in a slow-to-medium-tempo post-punk vein, with the accent on eerie vocal and guitar tones. It’s a bit too polished for my taste, except for the occasional faster tracks that remind me of early PERE UBU.
Another winner from NAKED RAYGUN. The three compositions on this EP mine poppier song structures, but don’t sacrifice a whit of abrasiveness when the situation calls for it. “Surf Combat”, with its inventive changes of pace, rates as the most notable song here, but the aggressive energy of “Gear” is also quite appealing. A highly original release.
It’s been a long time since this Houston outfit has released anything, and they’ve come a long way in the interval, as this is undoubtedly their best material to date. Side one is hard, and side two is soft, but both contain haunting post-punk. Although MYDOLLS aren’t outspoken feminists, they have a scathing demeanor—musically, vocally, and lyrically. “Christmas Day” is a great track, and “Please No, Mary” is poetically grand.
Although dodgy sound quality mars some of the tracks on the MINUTEMEN’s latest opus, this retrospective album offers a variety of unreleased studio and live compositions (including gems like “I Shook Hands” and “Base King”). Not all of the songs here exploit this band’s unique punk-funk stylings, but their fans will find interesting moments among these twenty-seven tracks.
“MESS” indeed! It’s supposed to have twelve songs on it, but my copy of this tape only had four and one half, with incredibly long gaps between songs. What there was of it sounded good, although the lyrics seem pretty confusing.
A three-song job that’s got the vocals clear and way up front, backed up by tight, cleanly produced thrash and punk. The intelligent lyrics are obviously being stressed here.
How strange! You’d expect this album to mirror the manic ultra-thrash which characterized their debut efforts, but it’s almost exclusively Country & Western. It’s pretty good, too. The rock’n’rolly charms of “Split Myself in Two” are contrasted with gentle, melodic numbers like “Climbing” and the swingin’ “Magic Toy Missing.” Is there a C&W revival going on that I don’t know about?
The A-side of this well-produced album features a brace of tight, fairly basic thrashers, only a couple of which really stand out. But the flip has a way cool reggaefied jam (“No Guns”) which reminds me vaguely of older attempts to produce crossover material by groups like the RUTS, the MEMBERS, and the (LEYTON) BUZZARDS, as well as a far less successful dub track (“Forget Those Years”). The lyrics are more serious than I expected from a band with such a clever funnypunk moniker.
A marvelous new release from Dischord. MARGINAL MAN combines a potpourri of influences to produce a heady musical stew. There’s a fine D.C.-type thrasher with distinctive guitar parts (“Pandora’s Box”), a haunting pop number (“Friend”), two grinding “pain” songs that I find tedious (“Torn Apart” and “Fallen Pieces”), and a bunch of superb fast and tuneful punkers that have a ZERO BOYS feel, especially in the ’60s vocal inflections. Yeah!
This new SoCal group offers an EP full of garden-variety thrash (except for the death-rockish “In the Dark”). The main problems here are a serious lack of musical imagination and tinny production; the main advantages are a shrill guitar and sound lyrics. Overly typical.
Basically, this is a one-man production with aspects of modern punk and lost of art-damage on top. It’s also a studio tracks tape that employs over-tracking and echoes in a way reminiscent of PRE FIX, especially in the rhythms and guitar noises.
The other side of Gary (from ANTI and MOOD OF DEFIANCE) emerges in this classical experimental “music.” Actually, only one “piece” approaches music, as the rest consists mainly of tape loops, extended notes, and noise. So drop that ol’ LSD, have that thorazine near at hand, and venture out into the stratosphere.
Seven well-produced, tight, and blazing fast songs appear on ICONOCLAST’s debut release. The lyrics put them decisively in the anti-war/”peace punk” camp, and as far as I’m concerned, there can’t be too many bands like this. Get it.
Some pretty melodic punk and thrash with gruff vocals and tight musicianship emerges from this tape. It proves that more than tomatoes can grow out of the dust of California’s Central Valley.
A much poppier effort from HEART ATTACK. This EP is filled with all sorts of hooks and singalong choruses, but it retains their hard-edged punky guitar assault and serious lyrical approach. Here, they take on topics like sexism (“Man’s World”) and the genocidal wars against the American Indians (“Wheels Over Indian Trails”) with a great deal of intelligence. Recommended.
GRAVEN IMAGE’s thrash doesn’t always hang together, but when it does gel, they have a MINOR THREATish sound. Lyrically, the topics are interesting and, at times, more than a little confused. For example on “Nails and Thorns” they warn punks not to reject Jesus because one might need “Him” someday, and that being an atheist means paving the way for Communism. Huh?
At their best, 45 GRAVE excel at creating distinctive amalgams of pop and horror rock, but their debut album seems altogether limp and lacking in power. Sadly, Dinah Cancer’s vocal renditions are rather lackluster, and the best tracks here (“Evil” and “45 Grave”) have been released in far better versions on previous records. The annoying intrusion of synthesizers only serves to hammer one more nail into the coffin of this disappointing LP. Too bad.
Here they are again, this time with an LP’s worth of live material that sounds just like their studio stuff. A lot of their classic tracks are on here, sounding as good and raw and raucous as ever.
Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the GROOVIES were in my Top Five list of hard-edged rock ’n’ roll bands. Though not as generally acknowledged as the VELVET UNDERGROUND, CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL, the MC5, or the STOOGES, their underground appeal led to an international cult following that still exists today, despite the many permutations they’ve since undergone. Here, they’ve been captured in their heyday in a live (and not so hot) recording, doing originals and covers. There are a few incredible moments, so if you love real rock ’n’ roll, give it a listen.
Another highly collectible item rescued from obscurity by Eva. Pittsburgh’s FANTASTIC DEE-JAYS (later SWAMP RATS) responded to the British Invasion with some wonderful fuzzy garage punkers like “Get Away Girl.” Their album has some other great ravers, but there are a few too many Beat ballads to win over non-believers in ’60s punk. Nevertheless, the slower tracks sound like GERRY & THE PACEMAKERS produced by Darby Crash, so one is still able to enjoy most of them.
With a name like that, you know it’s got to be silly. Actually, it’s the Stepe brothers (ex-NEGATIVE ELEMENT) and company “Doin’ the Jerry Lewis” and other topical subjects in their basement. Thrash that’ll drive the cows crazy.
The EDGE is a Midwestern garage punk band with some poppy vocal hooks. The production is primitive, the rhythm guitars are suitably grungy, and the overall effect is amateurish (in the positive sense). Humorous and spirited.
The A-side is kind of a teen rock-pop number in the old Boston tradition, with its jumpin’ rhythms, R&B beat, punchy guitar, and insipid lyrics; the flipside is a very uneventful cover of the EDDIE COCHRAN classic.
The DEPO-PROVERA side features some very catchy tunes, both slow and thrashed-out. They’re powerful, melodic, and intelligent, and worth the $1 price all by themselves. The TEMPERAMENTAL PSYCHOTICS, on the other hand, play slower, leaden punk that doesn’t do much for me.
Classic garage punk of varying goofy styles and descriptions. The music is simple, straightforward early-style punk, and the lyrics cover a whole range of teen topics. Fun.
These guys alternate viciously between FLIPPERish “pet rock” and all-out thrash—usually in the same song—to produce some fine noise. A good first demo.
The A-side is pretty tame, so let me rave about the flip for a minute. It’s classic psychobilly with lots of echo and oomph—the CRAMPS at their best.
CIRCLE SEVEN has sort of a measured mid-tempo post-punk approach. They have a basic guitar-bass-drum lineup, some seductive drum-heavy rhythms, distanced singing, and good lyrics, but the music is a bit too much under control for my taste (except maybe on “Look What You’ve Got”). If they got wilder, more heads would turn.
A rough garage-quality tape of basic melodic thrash with fairly intelligent lyrics. Given time and decent production, these guys will be good.
