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A very hard-to-come-by EP by this San Diego group. The music is medium-paced punk with occasional rapid-fire outbursts. The production is very powerful and English-like, and the words are really good, covering cliquishness, religion, paranoia, and intervention in Central America.
This is it! The HÜSKERS have finally come up with a great studio album, and if it doesn’t put them right up there with the top bands, then everyone’s lost their hearing listening to too much FLIPPER. The LP has got the power of their live performances, combined with a clean, crisp recording quality. Even if they can’t play Risk too well, they sure can play music.
Wow! The LAST have finally reverted to their earlier fast and raw form on 2/3 of this EP. “Up in the Air” is a super cut with great ’60s organ swills and a short but sweet psychedelic guitar break. “Wrong Turn” is almost as good, but “Leper Colony” has an awful, pretentious chorus. Still, it’s good to see the LAST get back a bit closer to the roots.
From the foothills of Northern California’s Sierras come JUSTICE IN AMERICA, blazing a trail with great thrasing lyrical assaults on the contradictions of life in the USA today. Very tight, very powerful, and the sentiments are right on the money.
A good pop album that could have been a great pop album. The songs still have a thousand hummable hooks and the background vocals are as coy as ever, but what the fuck happened to the heavy dual guitars that feature so prominently in the MUTANTS’ live shows? Unfortunately, they’ve been almost obliterated in a mix which overemphasizes Fritz’s weird voice. The same “wimpifying” technique turned the GO-GO’S into stars, but I wish someone would make a bootleg out of the MUTANTS’ earlier demo tape to provide a contrast and illustrate their real potential.
The A-side has a very long slower punk song that rags on working; the B-side has three thrashers, the best being a great anti-drug song called “Mind Control.” They also do a breakneck speed version of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” But guys, why “just another bitch?” Are you just another bunch of “punkers?”
Perfect! Captured on record before they become a “good New Wave” band. Anybody that’s from New Jersey, has worked in a bakery, thinks California is funny, and will play one chord for an entire song is OK with me.
The Mormons must be shitting! This young band combines thrash pacing with elements of jazz, pop sensibilities, and intelligent lyrics to produce a clean (too clean?), distinct sound that you’ll hopefully soon find on vinyl.
This group from Connecticut decided to move to the sunny climes of SoCal, with its recording advantages. Their new release is a five-song effort that with a sound somewhere between early SHATTERED FAITH and the DREAM SYNDICATE. It has the edge of punk, the vocals of pop, and the structure of more melodic rock. A good effort.
Not as hot as before. In fact, this is contentabilly, or even “whichwayyougoinbilly.” Still, the PANTHER BURNS have that certain—dim the lights—”mysterious” edge. “Panther Man” makes the STRAY CATS sound like a showbiz snowjob. Keep cool, fans, cause ol’ Gustav is already lookin’ for a hotter band.
The long-awaited debut of this medium-fast metal punk band. The songs are positive, spirited, and catchy, with lots of power to ’em.
A new East Bay band, including ex-INTENSIFIED CHAOS person Brad, Jake, and Jake’s mom on guitar. This is real good bone-crushing hardcore with a British feel. I’m looking forward to seeing them live.
Musically, I like it better than their LP, but the words are, uh, confused, to say the least. They put it best in one of their own songs, where it’s admitted that they “haven’t the faintest idea what [they’re] trying to say.” And they prove it—”666 Head” contains some retarded racist shit; “Revolutionary Worker” attacks the RCP for all of the wrong reasons; “Vampire Lady (Coke Whore)” is just plain stupid. I could go on, but it might be contagious.
Remember NEGATIVE TREND as they appeared on the old Tooth and Nail compilation? Well, Rik L. Rik was a member of that seminal outfit, and now he’s back with a new single. The A-side is an overproduced, almost syrupy psychedelic number. The B-side is better though, sounding like a cross between the early SLEEPERS and late Iggy.
The Kinman brothers could pull any sound off. The WHO, the VELVET UNDERGROUND, any real rock ’n’ roll. I’m biased. If I didn’t think the DILS were better, I’d really like this record. But there was something about the way the DILS could play “Mr. Big” right before the EVERLY BROTHERS’ “Cathy’s Clown” and be more energetic and original than RANK AND FILE will probably ever be. But Chip and Tony are different now. They’re friendly! Shit, they’re almost as warm as Springsteen.
A spirited young band from outside Chicago. They play a variety of styles on this tape, ranging from the FLIPPER-ish “Fucking Fashions” to the thrashed-out “I.R.S.” to the funnypunk classic, “Burn, Jane Byrne.” The lyrics to “Morton Grove” are a bit muddled, but SEISMIC WAVES have potential. I just hope they get some gigs.
These guys get “worse” all the time. They even make DEMENTED YOUTH and LENNONBURGER look good. If you don’t love the thrashed-out noise these jokers make, then you better go back to ’77. Armed with psychotic stuff like this, I’m ready for the future.
Alright! The REAL KIDS have ben resurrected for the benefit of all. Their forté—’60s pop-punk; their trademarks—heavy guitars, sizable hooks, and the plaintive voice of John Felice. Here the combination works best on the seductive “No Place Fast,” the driving “Senseless,” and the rock n’ rollin’ “It’s Been Real.” The production could be dirtier, but this is still super bad Bosstown bop.
Musically, this is a neat garagey record with both punk and rock overtones. In the midst of all the new political thrash bands, the SILLY KILLERS actually sound somehwat refreshing, even though they employ older stylistic devices. But the lyrics—yecchh! I’m getting real sick of all this sexist and homophobic shit coming out now. Just because you guys are insecure about your own sexuality, you don’t have to foist it on others.
A really unpleasant surprise. Musically, it’s more of the standard SHATTERED FAITH sound—mid-tempo punk with melodic choruses and occasional heavy metal guitar frills—but the production is too restrained and their newer material is less engaging. Worse, the live side is filled with standard rock and roll bullshit (Don Kirschner-like intros, artificially heightened applause, inane raps like “God bless you”), and the lyrics are unbelieveably stupid. The cliched songs about girls are bad enough, but “USA” plumbs the depths of ultra-patriotic retardation and makes it clear that earlier cuts like “Reagan Country” should be taken at face value rather than as satires. If this is LA, give me Boston.
Help! The SUPER HEROINES fancy themselves the cutting edge of oh-so-trendy “horror rock” now emanating from LA, but despite their pretensions, this LP showcases little more than regurgitated heavy metal. In a word, awful. Bemisbrain should concentrate on releasing more MODERN WARFARE material.
A neat little garage pop record by some clever Chicago teens. Acoustic-type guitars create a bouncy background for the hilarious lyrics and catchy chorus in “Hardon,” which describes an all-too-typical situation facing males. “Dear One” has more of a ’60s pop feel. Not bad for a first effort.
The TOXIC REASONS finally have their own LP after two 7″ EPs and cuts on various compilations. Here, they re-do their first single, cover MAX FROST & THE TROOPERS’ “Shape of Things to Come,” and rip through the whole gamut of their live set—punky reggae, punk, and thrash. The liner notes are great and there’s a glossy magazine included. A must.
From their inception, TSOL’s finest efforts used both hardcore energy and a fiery dramatic tension to fuel their compositions. Sadly, there’s surprisingly little excitement or drama on their latest LP; instead, they’ve opted for a heavily atmospheric approach to hold together a set of weak post-punk songs. I will always admire TSOL’s contributions to the California punk scene, but I cannot recommend this record.
Two absolutely great bands from Madison who have had cuts on the Meathouse compilation. Both bands are recording with Bob of HÜSKER DÜ, and hopefully will have some vinyl out soon. If it’s half as good as this tape, we’re in for a treat.
The WHAT are an all-female group from the Midwest, and they’ve made one of those records that’s so band it’s good. You know, the SHAGGS syndrome. “Gloria” is an amateur but straightforward of the PATTI SMITH version (!); the B-side contains a complete hatchet job of the OUTSIDERS’ old classic, replete with out-of-tune guitars, off-key harmonies, and imprecise instrumentation. Yuk it up!
I think this will be out on an album soon. It’s very sparse and bass-heavy thrash. I’m not sure I like the signing that much, but the words are all great, and, given time, I’m sure their sound will become more cohesive.
This sounds like UK-’78, not FLA-’82—you know, that slow-paced Oi sound. The best part is the totally fuzzed-out guitar.
San Francisco’s most provocative all-girl outfit has preserved much of their garagey charm on this debut single. “Bamboo Curtain” and “The Plan” retain too much artiness to connect as good pop songs, but “Erotic Fridgidaire” has a pleasant melody and a bouncy guitar riff to recommend it. Above average.
From Chainsaw fanzine, this collection ranges from hardcore to hard noise. On the noise side, we have SMERSH (a lot like the SCREAMERS), SENSELESS HATE, BLIGHT, and ATTRITION. There’s slower punk by ROACH MOTEL and the BAD SEEDS, and a few cuts that have already been out on record (CRACKED ACTOR, ANGRY SAMOANS), but the hit for me was Canada’s SUBURBAN MENACE, a totally great group.
Live recordings, ostensibly taken from various shows produced by Paul Rat around the Bay Area over the last six years. This contains cuts by the DKs, FLIPPER, DOA, CIRCLE JERKS, BLACK FLAG, TSOL, BAD BRAINS, CRUCIFIX, and the late, great DILS and AVENGERS (though the latter two’s cuts are from past their prime). Most tracks are good quality, so this album should do well.
Three new releases of ’60s punk reissues, Á la Pebbles. Volume 1 focuses on California bands like the BROGUES and the OTHER HALF; Volume 2 has mostly Chicago-area bands, including the DEL-VETTS and the great SHADY DAZE; Volume 3 is a potpourri and includes the MYDDLE CLASS and the classic BALLOON FARM cut, “A Question of Temperature.” These are the lesser-knowns, the equivalents of 90% of today’s punk bands, who managed to put out that one great single before fading into obscurity in one flash of purple Owsley. The sound quality on these records is stupendous, somehow enhanced to today’s standards. Now you can compare these old gems to today’s neo-psychedelic bands, and guess who pales in the comparison? Rave on!
A potpourri of Minneapolis-St. Paul bands, all on the punk side to varying degrees. My faves are GROUND ZERO and WILLFUL NEGLECT. Thank HÜSKER DÜ, who also appear here, for this project. Unfortunately, the tape is already out-of-print.
Like the earlier volumes, one side is punk and one side is pop. Lots of the bands are new to vinyl, including KENT STATE, ILL REPUTE, CATCH 22, and RED SCARE. The vets are CH3, JFA, NO CRISIS, PARIAH, and RUDI from Ireland. Most of side one is anthemic, melodic punk. I won’t deal with the flip except to say that the BANGLES track is much rawer than their EP.
This compilation from Tucson is an admirable effort. The tape features good production and wide variety of bands. There are punk bands like CONFLICT, who have a strong thrash attack, and the URBAN GUERRILLAS, who have a garage tinge like the CHURCH POLICE—grinding, profound, and original. The defunct SELDOMS do a JAD FAIR imitation, GREEN ON RED have a live track that’s not as good as the stuff on their 12″, and the PHANTOM LIMBS have a track that sounds like Jello Biafra playing with the PANTHER BURNS. There are other pop, electronic, and psychedelic cuts that have a certain spark. Something for everybody, and a chronicle of Arizona’s musical history in one package. Let’s have some more, Lee.
Four groups—COLCOR, NO LABELS, NO ROCK STARS, and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY—share this effort to show the world that hardcore lives in the American South. Well, if this is representative, it not only lives, it thrives! The cassette’s cover sums it up: it shows a Rebel flag being burned.
A follow-up to Is That All There Is?, and from start to finish, it’s a blitz. Made up mostly of Ohio bands like ZERO DEFEX, the AGITATED, STARVATION ARMY, the URBAN MUTANTS, the OFFBEATS, the DARK, and the IDIOT SAVANTS, it’s a total joy. For only $2, you’re really a jerk if you don’t send away for it.
Yet another LA compilation, and like most of the others, this is well worth the cash. The sound quality is mostly good, and it features well-knowns like REDD KROSS and JODY FOSTER’S ARMY, barely-knowns like the SINS, YOUTH GONE MAD, and SIN 34, and unknowns like MORAL DECAY, CRANKSHAFT, SADIST FACTION, the DEMENTED, the NAUGHTY WOMEN, and DEAD YOUTH. My faves are JFA, SIN 34, and REDD KROSS.
More urgent and exciting than their debut 7″, this single boasts two vibrant street anthems which update the ’77-punk style into the ’80s. A powerful guitar mix combined with a slashing vocal attack merge especially well on “Urban Rebel,” even though the flip is almost as good. ABRASIVE WHEELS have become a definite contender.
A letdown. The ADICTS’ newest funnypunk release is neither as funny nor as punky as their earlier efforts. The band is clearly capable of making entertaining music, but on this EP inferior material and overly clean production result in yawns rather than laughs. That doesn’t bode well for their new album.
This is a fine record. It’s very slow amateur punk, but it’s got haunting pop vocals and other distinctive qualities that make it stand out. For example, “Freedom Fighters” has a reggaefied structure and twin guitars, one sparse and one ultra dense, which complement each other perfectly. Way cool.
God, a real disorienting week. First, an intelligent record from the EXPLOITED, and now this—a strong pop-punk single with halfway decent lyrics from the biggest geeks around. Both sides benefit from good English production, have good hooks, and stick with you. I give up.
A 50-50 proposition. The strongest tracks are the ones with the cool back-up soccer chants—really powerful punk. And then there are the others, either too sparse, over-produced, or just plain lame (like their cover of LOU REED’s “Vicious”).
On one hand, it’s slow, repetitive UK punk. On the other, it’s so raw and weird that the instruments seem to turn into vacuum cleaners and electric saws, while the vocals become eerie PiL-type drones. Definitely odd. It might even grow on me.
This one’s got little to offer except very nasty Oi vocals. “Fighting the System” is a reggae-influenced number that doesn’t really go anywhere, and “Soldier” is tedious Britpunk that wouldn’t even disturb your grandmother.
CHELSEA seem to have fallen into a stylistic rut in their latest single. While the production factors are raw (a welcome change), CHELSEA have galvanized the hooks and choruses from their last two singles and album into an effective but unoriginal package. The lyrics, too, tend to degenerate into the predictable.
One record with a separate band on each side. In the No Future world, this is an appropriate move, because one side is punk, the other Oi. CRASH is the punk band, and they’re similar to many of the bands on that label—anthemic songs Á la BLITZ. CRUX are more like the EXPLOITED or the 4-SKINS, only sorta low-key. “I’ll Die with My Boots On” is the epitome of Oi topics, but “Streets at Night” is the better song. Nothing exceptional here.
Long-lost proto-Oi band COCK SPARRER have unexpectedly returned. This new release showcases their peculiarly melodic, buzzing guitars, and high-pitched vocals that sound like like a cross between soccer choruses and the singing of certain glam-rock bands from the ’72-’74 era (SWEET, SLADE, etc.). Though “England Belongs to Me” is avowedly an attempt to take the Union Jack back from the extreme right and make it a symbol for all Englishmen, it still reflects a reactionary world-view where petty nationalism is glorified.
A fairly unremarkable follow-up to their pretty decent first LP. It would help a lot t have a lyric sheet, especially since a couple of songs (“Sewage Worker” and “Jailbait”) are not even clear enough to tell whether they’re serious or not. If they are serious—note the sexy/sexist cover—it would contradict their otherwise progressive views.
More snappy pop-punk from the DAMNED, complete with organ, synthesized marimbas, and music-hall singing. This may be a far cry from “Neat Neat Neat,” but it’s got an undeniable charm of its own. There are even—dare I say it?—some tasteful guitar licks amid the overall silliness.
