Suburban Voice blog #128

GETTING SAVAGE WITH HÜSKER DÜ

At Chet's Last Call, June 1984

HÜSKER DÜ-Savage Young Dü (Numero Group, box set)
An exhaustive overview of Hüsker Dü's early years, spanning from 1979 to 1982 i.e. material up until their SST debut Metal Circus. There are different configurations--mine is the four LP version. There's also a vinyl version that came with a bonus 7" of Metal Circus outtakes called Extra Circus, but the vinyl version is currently out of print and you can only get it on CD or a digital download, so that kind of sucks. Pity because the songs are raw, visceral rage, save for the early version of "Standing By The Sea," which would show up on Zen Arcade and the somewhat more melodic "Won't Change" (which came out on a couple of compilations in the 80s). I hope they do a repress but I'm not holding my breath. There's also a 3 CD version and all come with a hardcover book filled with photos, flyers, detailed information on the recording sessions, as well as a lengthy essay telling the story of their savage young years. It's quite an impressive package.

Getting to the four records, the first features early demos and live tracks and shows a band working on finding an identity. "Do You Remember?," "Sore Eyes," "Sexual Economics" and an early version of "Do The Bee" (which is very rough sounding) are good snotty punk rousers. But it's wildly hit and miss. The demo of "Data Control," is inferior to the live version on Land Speed Record (more on that later). Definitely some skip-over tracks--their mid-tempo poppy songs hadn't really gelled yet. "Outside" is an exception, a stinging mesh that has stinging guitar work and endearing ragged harmonizing. 

The second is also on the haphazard side, although it gets off to a great start with the sturdy post-punk of their debut single "Statues." "Writer's Cramp" and "Let's Go Die" are both sharply catchy. But other songs suffer from substandard sound quality and, once again, things hadn't completely gelled and there's a good reason why many of those songs didn't last long in the set list. The early, deconstructed version of Metal Circus' "Wheels," is done as tense, moody dirge with repetitive keyboards, far-removed from the chugging arrangement on Everything Falls Apart. 

Things took a 180 degree turn for their first 12" release, Land Speed Record. A live recording that shows the band hammering out blistering high-velocity thrash, seldom taking a break between songs. However, it's not the original version of the album that came out on New Alliance and later SST (no doubt due to licensing issues). This comes from a show taped two weeks after the one that was on the original release and holds its own quite well. It's a bit cleaner and the set list is the same with the exception of three songs--"Do The Bee," "Tired of Doing Things" and "Data Control," all of which appear elsewhere on the box. As I said, it's a shame about "Data Control," because that was a show-stopper, a slower, bashing conclusion to the speedy mania that precedes it. However, there are five songs from the second set they played the night of the original recording and it includes an early version of Metal Circus' "Diane." The songs are much more tuneful, a harbinger of what's to follow. That really started with the In A Free Land EP. It's a slightly different mix than the original 7" but the title song remains one of their all-time greats. A politically-charged, speedy anthem with a knockout chorus and guitar line. The two other songs were in a LSR vein and there are two outtakes of songs that'd end up on their Everything Falls Apart album, blazing renditions of "Target" and "Signals From Above." 

Finally, the last disc is a remastered version of the aforementioned Everything Falls Apart, along with half a dozen unreleased live tracks, including three live versions of Metal Circus songs. "Travel In Opposite Car" is a tuneful track that should have been done in the studio. EFA solidified the transition or yin and yang, if you will, of their balancing hardcore savagery with blatantly poppier compositions like the title track and "Gravity." Even the harder hitting tracks (well, all the songs here are hard-hitting) offered glimpses of melody--the guitar line between verses of "From The Gut," for instance. It set the stage for what would follow, at least up through Zen Arcade--a smorgasbord of high energy punk, pop and hardcore. 

Obviously, this box is only one chapter of the Hüsker story and I'd recommend Zen Arcade for novices, but it's a vital history lesson, a treasure trove for lifelong fans and shows them going from a hodgepodge of styles into something focused and highly influential. (www.numerogroup.com)

ROCKING AND WALKING ON THE STRAIGHT EDGE

The title for this review comes from a sticker on the cover of 7 Seconds 1988 album Ourselves that was put there by their record company. When I sent a photo to Kevin Seconds, he said, “even at my corniest, I couldn't have come up with anything that ridiculous. The first time i saw it, I just about threw up.” As bad as that sticker is, the album’s contents aren’t much better—tepid melodic punk with abysmal, echoey production that was fairly common on late 80s albums. Let’s just say it won’t make you forget Skins, Brains & Guts, The Crew or Walk Together, Rock Together. In fact, some opted out with New Wind and Praise, the latter of which had a decided REM vibe.

I thought of that sticker while reading Tony Rettman’s latest book Straight Edge—A Clear-Headed Hardcore Punk History, an oral history presentation that traces straight edge back to its roots in the embryonic DC hardcore scene with Teen Idles and Minor Threat. From there, it delves into three decades of the edge story and just about all of the major players are heard from—members of Youth of Today, Uniform Choice, Insted, Earth Crisis, Judge, Chain of Strength, Mouthpiece, Ten Yard Fight and Floorpunch. as well as fanzine publishers and record label people who continue to keep the straight edge banner flying. The subjects talk about how they embraced straight edge and, in some cases, left it behind and what it’s meant to them in their lives. Various feuds and beefs are discussed and some mention how they were ostracized after “breaking” their edge—that became particularly true in the early 2000s.

It’s interesting to read the comments by the old-timers. You get the feeling some of them felt like they might have created something of a monster, something that strayed from the original intent. For instance, John Stabb (R.I.P.) of Government Issue said, “straight edge is not a movement to me” and that ““Straight Edge” is a great song but it’s a song about anti-obsession… it’s not a fucking religion. It’s a song.” Brian Baker from Minor Threat said, “the band didn’t brand ourselves a straight edge entity. The idea of having straight edge bands came after us, with the Boston people.” Baker’s bandmate and Dischord co-founder Jeff Nelson says, “Straight edge became a religion, and it’s a very strange feeling to be one of the unwitting founders of this religion.”

Indeed, over the years, straight edge increased in militancy and codification in some quarters. As Baker mentions, the Boston bands added a vehemence to their take on straight ege. The philosophy was expanded by some to embrace vegetariasnism/veganism and spirituality (Krishna consciousness, in particular). It was taken to ridiculous extremes with the Hardline movement (Vegan Reich, Raid and Statement), which also embraced regressive viewpoints, such as being anti-choice. All eras are covered—the mid-to-late 80s “youth crew” scene, its revival in the late 90s to the subsequent generations of bands and individuals keeping the flame burning.

There’s a discussion of straight edge fashion—an effort to separate from the punk style. It became, in the words of Sammy Siegler (Youth of Today, Judge, Side By Side), “a powerful culture and look, like in hip-hop, in that there was an identifiable look.” A certain amount of conformity set in. Ray Cappo from Youth of Today described it as, “a bubble, a scene within a scene that wasn’t really interested in anything that wasn’t straight edge.” The fashion element has certainly never gone away. Ray’s bandmate John Porcelly owns a company called True Till Death Merch that sells clothing with a straight edge theme. The demand is certainly there.

Straight edge as a worldwide movement is also covered—straight edge bands and scenes in the UK, Europe and Scandinavia (Umeå, Sweden, home of Refused)—and how a lot of those people faced resistance and hostility from other punks. People from LÄRM talk about how left-wing politics had more of an influence than in the straight edge scene in the States.

I have to mention one noticeable element—just about every person interviewed is a white male. Only a few non-males are mentioned in the story and Vique Martin, from Simba fanzine and Revelation Records, is the only one who speaks at length. And there isn’t any mention of LGBT people in straight edge. You have to look elsewhere for that. The 2012 book Sober Living For The Revolution (edited by Gabriel Kuhn, PM Press, pmpress.org) covers more diverse territory. It provides a wider variety of perspectives on straight edge. An assortment of voices are heard from--activists, non-male and LGBT straight-edgers and it visits different countries. It gives more voice to individuals who look at straight edge being part of an activist mentality. Taken together, those two books provide a more complete survey of a subculture that continues to bring a wide variety of reactions and opinions to this day. (Bazillion Points, bazillionpoints.com)

NECK CHOPPIN’

Neck Chop Records, out of Fullerton, CA, started in 2016 and, in that brief time, already have 25 releases in print. Lest you think it’s just throwing shit against the wall to see what sticks, most of these have been quality releases, including the likes of Erik Nervous, Acrylics, Macho Boys, Woodboot, Mark Cone and plenty more. The tagline for my radio show is “punk, hardcore, garage and other loud music” and that’s what Brandon puts out, in different forms and permutations.

Label honcho Brandon sent me a huge package of 13 records, seven of which were released at the same time and that’s what we’ll focus on here. Knowso’s one sided 12”, Look At The Chart, sounds like a slightly-less mechanized A-Frames but there’s a robotic element. The title track is a paranoid tale of science possibly gone too far. The speed up and slow down of the riff signature at the end sounds like an adjustment is being made to the narrator’s wiring until the plug is pulled. Straddling the line between post-punk and nervous new wave, with an edgy intensity.

Jackson Politick is another solo project for Andy Jordan aka Andy Human. His Paste V.1 album is a wide-ranging effort of punk and pop minimalism and the results are scattershot. The lo-fi punk of “Habit” and “Learning To Live With It” are nervy delights and “I Am A Raver” has an engaging catchiness. The early OMD-meets-bedroom pop of “The Hours” has an offbeat charm. Other songs are on the too-cutesy/twee side. If you’re into the C86 bands or Tenement, you might like those songs more than I do.

Living Eyes are from Australia and I’d imagine there’s a good chance they’re named after Radio Birdman’s second album but you can only hear faint echoes of that band and it’s not really a major component of their muse. Their third album Modern Living is a hit and miss collection of tuneful punk with garage and psych shadings. “Better Think Again,” “Party Theme,” “Stuck In A Hole” and “Horseplay” are all good charging rockers but other songs don’t have nearly as much presence. All in all, kind of an average effort—some good moments but not always that gripping.

Moving on to the 7”s, Winnipeg band Whip's self-titled EP is a raucous joy. Snotty, insolent-sounding punk with a trebly guitar attack and a whole lot of fuck-you attitude in Ferro’s vocals. Pretty straight-forward, although they add some against-the-grain elements at times, as with the post-punk jab for “Double Life” and “Melle.” In addition to this 7” (their vinyl debut), Whip also just released a new demo, Can Con Icon, which includes a cool cover of Dow Jones & The Industrials’ “Can’t Stand The Midwest.”

Gee Tee is another solo project, this one masterminded by an Australian named Kel Gee, who plays in garage mavens The Draggs. Hissy, lo-fi, quirky new wave/punk/pop that has an appealingly skewed nature. A cruder-sounding version of Ausmuteants-meets-Spits-meets-UV Race-meets-Total Control. Something like that. There are hooks to go along with the weird, mad-scientist ambiance. Death Race is his second 7”, following the Thugs In Cars EP released on Goodbye Boozy early last year and that one is just as enjoyable as this scorcher.

Philly bashers Penetrode and Chicago hellions C.H.E.W’s split tape Strange New Universe has been given a vinyl pressing and both bands generate some skull-crushing sounds with different wrinkles. Penetrode’s songs have a mean/stomping old-school hardcore cadence ala 86 Mentality at times, although “Egocentric” takes an anarcho punk turn. C.H.E.W. impressed on their split with Rash last year and their four songs on this split. Nightmarish hardcore with a relentless quality, accompanied by anguished and howling screams from the soul.

Color TV’s second 7” Paroxeteens is a pair of jabbing, tuneful punk gems along the same lines as Marked Men. The chorus for the title track has an absolutely knockout hook and “Night After Night” is just as punchy. These two songs feature denser, less-clean production than on their debut and that makes it sound harder-edged. Fine with me.

I have to mention a few of the other releases—Science Project’s Basement Blues is entertaining one-man-band synthy weirdness. The culprit is Cody, who hails from Nova Scotia, and also plays in a bunch of other projects including Booji Boys. His cover of Negative FX’s “Might Makes Right” is hilarious, as he explains “we ain’t gonna stop… fuck you!,” just like Choke did at NFX’s final Boston show.

Raymond Schmidt is another one-man science project, Race Car and B.Y.O.G.K. (or Build Your Own Go-Kart) was originally released on tape on Abnormal Broadcasting. While synths and programmed drums are part of the equation, it’s a noisier, clattering, head-messing approach laced with searing guitar licks. Channeling Metal Urbain and Chrome and stripping them to their barest elements? That works. If you can’t get enough of that sort of thing, Raymond has another project called S.B.F. who released a really good demo on Abnormal Broadcasting a few years ago. Along the same lines with programmed drums and drill-press guitar, although it’s more of a straight-forward punk attack.

Another Abnormal Broadcasting release that’s been pressed onto vinyl by Neck Chop comes from Process of Elimination, once again featuring one performer, Grant Berry. Three songs of electrifying mechanized primitivism with distorted vocals and spacy synth and guitar effects.  Grant also plays guitar in The Snails, whose two Abnormal Broadcasting demos have been given the vinyl treatment (hmmm… something doesn’t sound right about that). More traditional-sounding punk and hardcore bordering on nerdy new wave, but with live drums and no synths. Just buzz.

Round Six, with five more releases, is already in the works and should be out very soon. It includes a new Liquids LP, an Erik Nervous singles compilation LP and new 7”s from Kid Chrome, Lysol and Stiff Love. (PO Box 5635, Fullerton, CA 92838,neck-chop-records.myshopify.com/)

BUILDING BRIDGES

Chris Wrenn started Bridge Nine Records in 1995 while he was a college student in Vermont and, over the past 23 or so years, it’s grown from a tiny DIY label run on a shoestring budget to one run out of a large warehouse in Peabody, MA, about five minutes from my house. Chris is up to over 250 releases at this point, a long way from running the fledgling label out of his dorm room.

The First Nine Years is a box set with five 7” EPs, each with a heavy stock picture sleeve, with songs drawn from the label’s first 50 releases—29 songs in all—accompanied by a 128 page soft-cover booklet. It tells the Bridge Nine story—all the trials and tribulations and the creative ways he financed and promoted the label, like painting the company’s name in the middle of the night on a bridge over the Charles River that was usually painted by rowing teams. He talks candidly about his struggle to keep things afloat when he runs into a serious snag with his distributor. There are reminiscences about the bands who had records released on B9 during that time. It’s been an interesting journey, one borne of an abiding passion for the music and that continues to this day. There’s never been anything half-assed about a Bridge Nine release.

Bridge Nine’s roster has become more diverse in recent years—my favorite release is Ceremony’s Rohnert Park album from 2010, which branched out into post-punk, garage and shoegazer rock along with more traditionally hardcore sounding material. During the early era, though, the emphasis was on straight-edge hardcore that generally used early Revelation Records as a starting point. Opening band Tenfold sound more than a little like Chain of Strength. In fact, the last song is taken from B9’s reissue of Project X’s Straight Edge Revenge EP. There are darker shadings from the likes of Panic and Give Up The Ghost (aka American Nightmare). Cops and Robbers hearken back to classic early 80s hardcore, as their song “On The Decline” borrows from Negative FX’s “VFW.” But it’s mainly aggressive, pummeling material from some well-known parties—Terror, Carry On, No Warning and Hope Conspiracy, along with the slightly-underrated Striking Distance and Holding On.

It has to be noted that this end of the hardcore spectrum was (and still is) a very male-oriented scene, at least in terms of the bands included—that’s my perception, anyway. You don’t see that many women in the photos and few are mentioned in the story. Still, this is a well put-together package, coming out some thirteen years after its projected release. Better late than never! (www.bridgenine.com)

Suburban Voice blog #127

CATCHING UP ON SOME RECENT MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL COLUMNS

Back in 2015, I said I was going to occasionally start post some recent (but not brand new) Maximum Rocknroll columns (minus the record reviews) for those of you who don’t get the magazine on a regular basis or at all. Of course, that fell by the wayside as many things regarding this blog often do. But I’m going to try to make this a bit more frequent. I’ll mainly stick to music-oriented ruminations, what I call punk rock history lessons. Here are a few from 2017. Enjoy…

ONE-OFFS, LOST GEMS AND THE LIKE

I recently engaged in an on-line discussion of lesser-known, perhaps semi-obscure (or completely obscure) 7”s from the UK in the late 70s/early 80s. I know the Killed By Death thing has been done to death (pun intended), I’m sure some of these songs might not be as far under the radar as I think but it’s always a fun topic and maybe you’ll want to seek these out. It’s certainly easy enough these days, as I was able to find all of these on YouTube. All of these songs are what I often refer to as mix-tape favorites, songs that have been embedded into my brain since taping them off the radio over 35 years ago at this point (yikes!). And I was able to score quite a few of them in the 99 cent bin (or at least fairly cheaply) at late, lamented stores like New England Music City in Kenmore Square in Boston and Discount Records in Harvard Square in Cambridge. Ah, those were the days. You kids have it so easy now. I suppose I should punctuate that with a “get off my lawn!” coda.

The Rings were a band with Twink, who played drums for 60s garage legends The Troggs and then the Pink Fairies in the early-to-mid 70s (you might know their song “Do It,” which was covered by Henry Rollins). Twink was out front for this unit and their single “I Wanna Be Free/Automobile” was good stripped-down punk with a pub rock flavor. The lyrics for “Automobile” are a mere two lines—“I wanna get you in my automobile” and “do you remember when we were crazy.” Two of the Rings, Alan Shaw and Rod Latter, started The Maniacs after that band’s implosion, and came up with a great, if instantly-dated dose of punk energy for “Chelsea ’77.” The boisterous guitar line that introduces the song, along with Shaw’s enthusiastic vocals, punctuated by an assortment of “EEYAY-EE-EYAY”s ‘EE-YOW”s and “CH-CH-CH-CHELSEA!”s really make the song. Shaw is a punk lifer, having played with the likes of The Damned and their original guitarist Brian James over the years.

I mentioned the pub-rock influence for the Rings song. A number of early punk musicians spent time slogging it out in the pubs, playing revved-up, R&B-inspired, back-to-basics rock ‘n roll before donning their pogo shoes. Veteran guitarist Chris Spedding teamed up with former pub rockers The Vibrators in 1977 for the irresistible “Pogo Dancing.” That generation’s version of “The Twist”? Well, the single didn’t exactly climb the charts and perhaps it’s a bit of a novelty song but also a damned catchy one.

You can feel the sneer coming through the speakers when listening to The Users’ “Sick Of You” and its b-side “I’m In Love With Today.” Released on Raw Records, which unleashed a handful of memorable singles, this was the cream of the crop. The whipsnap guitars and attitudinal vocals have more of a Raw Power-era Stooges flavor. Pure nastiness. “Sick Of You” did appear on the first Killed By Death comp. Future UK Subs bassist Alvin Gibbs played in a later lineup of this band.

The Subs weren’t the UK Subs, but a group of Scottish punks who did a one-off single for Stiff Records, “Gimme Your Heart.” Starting with an incessant drumbeat and gang vocals chanting the chorus, the track is full of both venom and tunefulness. It’s hard not to love any song that starts with a line like “livin’ around here makes me wanna throw up.”

APB were also a Scottish band and played mainly post-punk/funk/dance music that wasn’t all that scintillating, save the tense “Talk To Me,” from their second 7” Their first single was a lot different, though—a total poppy/punky earworm from 1981 called “Chain Reaction.” Bouncy and buzzing, with an inescapable chorus hook… even a partially-spoken part where bassist/vocalist Iain Slater sounds a bit like Groundskeeper Willie from the Simpsons—maybe I shouldn’t bring that up because my MRR compatriot and native Scotsman Allan McNaughton reacted rather negatively when I mentioned it before. His words were, “watch it, bub!” You’ll be singing this one all day.

I’d imagine quite a few of you have heard of The Lurkers but their bass player Arturo Bassick left the band early on and started his own project Pinpoint, who released a few singles and an album in ’79-80. “Richmond” was the first and the best, another song that sounded inspired by pub rock as well as Spiral Scratch-era Buzzcocks. B-side “Love Substitute” has a similar sharpness, throwing in a nice little guitar freakout. Arturo eventually returned the Lurkers as a vocalist and “Richmond” became part of that band’s repertoire. 

Before Ian Page (neé Paine) and Dave Cairns donned their sharp suits for mod-revivalist band Secret Affair, they played in the New Hearts and released a nice piece of power-pop-punk called “Just Another Teenage Anthem.” Plaintive, yearning vocals, punctuated by some “oooo-oooohs” and a little jangle in the guitars. There was an anthology that included their two 7”s and a lot of unreleased tracks that came out in 2009.

Ian North played  in mid-70s NYC glam-pop band Milk ‘n Cookies, before moving to the UK and starting a punk band called Neo. There was only one single, 1978’s “Tran-Sister.” An intense track with striking guitar lines and a dark undertow and I suppose it could be considered more new wave than punk, but no matter—it’s a good one. The chorus has the line “television on the radio” and I’ve always wondered if the band TV On The Radio got their name from that song. Probably not but that was the first thing I thought of when hearing the latter’s name. And what I’ve heard from that band can’t touch this single.

The late Ian Lowery played in a few bands that didn’t really fit a specific category and they tend to be overlooked a bit. The Wall came first. Lowery wasn’t in the band all that long but he hung around long enough to sing on their first two singles. “Exchange/Kiss The Mirror” was the second one and both songs are good bashers in a Ruts vein, albeit without the rhythmic subtleties of the latter. After Lowery left The Wall, he found himself in Ski Patrol, a post-punk unit who recorded for Malicious Damage, the label that released early records by Killing Joke. The debut, “Everything Is Temporary/Silent Scream” has a post-punk ominousness and the jarring jitter continues for “Driving,” the b-side of their second single “Agent Orange.” That track marks a departure—a slow, steady buildup starting with a pulsating bass-line, adding guitar and synth shadings (played by Jaz from Killing Joke) as the volume steadily increases and the tone becomes increasingly desperate until there’s a blood-curdling scream that gets abruptly cut off. Quite a striking song. (January 6, 2017)

THE GREAT BAND NAME SHOWDOWN

THE OTHER SHATTERED SILENCE

As some of you might know, I was in a band called Shattered Silence. We were around from about 1986 to 1989, re-formed briefly in 1991 and got back together to play a few shows in 2015 and it’s been an on again/off again ever since (as of now, it’s pretty much an off thing). In the process of setting up a social media page for the band, I discovered that there were other bands with the same name. It’s not all that original, I suppose—I stole the name from the title of a 1984 album by the Winnipeg band Unwanted. Anyway, one of ‘em is a self-described southern rock band from Tennessee and their influences are listed as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns ‘n Roses and Bon Jovi (sounds REALLY promising). Their Facebook page has a profile picture with an eagle with an American flag behind it and the cover photo is a Confederate flag. I think this band might be a bit confused. They do have pretty cool t-shirts, though (no American or Confederate flags on it).

The other one is what could best be described as a Christian alternative rock band from Texas. Their vocalist/guitarist Justin Gambino said their name comes from “400 years of silence between the Old Testament and New Testament in the Bible… We believe that in this life, in this world, some people feel that God has gone silent in their lives and we want to be the light to the world and to shatter that silence.” I have to admit that’s a lot more thought out than just poaching the name from an album title. Still, even with the obvious differences, I’ve felt a bit of a kinship with them and have even interacted with their Facebook page. They seem like decent-enough guys, even if their music is pretty awful and I’m being generous there. I was still saddened to learn that they’re splitting up because Justin has “felt led by the Lord to pursue a solo career.” I didn’t know the Lord was in the music management business. I posted that I was disappointed they were splitting up because now we wouldn’t be able to do a split record with them. One of the guys in the band took it with good humor.

So it’s up to us to carry the Shattered Silence banner. We’ve been floundering in that task for the past few years but never say never, right? Anyway, it got me to thinking about bands with the same name. The endless discussions over who’s better—Subhumans from the UK or The Subhumans from Canada? The Los Angeles X or the Australian one? It always makes for enjoyable, often spirited debates—they sometimes become more intense than discussing political issues. I put together a list of bands with the same names. In some cases, the spelling might be different but it’s the same pronunciation. And I pretty much stuck to bands that fall under the punk, post-punk or hardcore banner. Even if I don’t declare winners or losers, it’s also a good way to expose you, my loyal readers, to bands you might not have heard of before—so it’s as much a public service as a competition. Finally, I realize this is far from a complete list.

SUBHUMANS (UK)--2005

I already mentioned the dueling Subhumans. There seems to be more polarization with these bands than the others—if people like one, they tend not to like the other. I think they’re both great. While each had socially and politically-conscious lyrics, they had differing musical approaches. The UK band (no “the,” just Subhumans) operates in an anarcho-punk vein—maybe that’s a rather vague term. It’s a mix of punk, reggae, post-punk and rock, along with sharp, observational lyrics. They still play out (having returned from a hiatus in 1999) and still play almost all tracks from The Day The Country Died album, which isn’t a bad thing since it’s one for the ages. If anything, they’re a better live band now than they were in the 80s. The earlier EPs still kick ass and Worlds Apart pushes things in a more melodic direction without losing focus. They have an extensive catalogue and most of it is worthwhile.

The Canadian band’s debut full-length Incorrect Thoughts is chock full of memorable, anthemic tunes like “The Big Picture” and “Dead At Birth,” along with slam-bang rippers like “Death To The Sickoids” and “We’re Alive.” Their best-known song is probably the sarcastic “Slave To My Dick,” which showed up on the Let Them Eat Jellybeans compilation. The original album is a LOT better than the unauthorized CD Presents reissue, which had remixed versions of the songs, a different running order and an absolutely hideous orange cover that manipulated the original artwork. There are also two decent odds and ends compilations, Death Was Too Kind and Pissed Off… With Good Reason. You can avoid their tepid-sounding No Wishes No Prayers album on SST. I never heard the re-recorded version of Incorrect Thoughts or mid-2000s album New Dark Age Parade, but I can’t imagine them being anywhere near the level of the earlier discs. Sadly, their vocalist Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble and original drummer Dimwit (both of whom also played in DOA) are no longer with us. As I said, both have a place in my collection and it’s a shame there’s so much divisiveness.

Just about everyone has probably heard of Boston legends Jerry’s Kids, who unleashed one of the greatest hardcore albums of all time, Is This My World, which boils over with a ferociousness and intensity few other bands ever achieved. But there are two other bands with the same name, albeit spelled differently. Jerry’s Kidz were from New Mexico and their sole EP, 1984’s Marionetts (also titled Well Fed Society on a Lost & Found Records bootleg), is a dose of ripping hardcore punk, featuring sputtering guitar leads and, while they’re not the most-original sounding band, this 7” is worthy of a reissue. The final one, from Austin, spelled its name Jerrys Kids and featured two future members of Scratch Acid, Rey Washam and Brett Bradford. Unfortunately, even with the talent involved, their album What Can You Say? How Will They Take It? is not-all-that-electrifying garagey punk/post punk. It’s hard not to love a song titled “Love Theme From Sharon Tate’s” and there are moments but this is hardly crucial.

X (AUSTRALIA)--2010

I mentioned X before. The one from LA put out some solid records—the Los Angeles and Wild Gift albums are packed with great songs like “Johny Hit and Run Paulene,” “Los Angeles,” “We’re Desperate” and “Beyond and Back.” The brooding “White Girl” is my favorite. Exene and John Doe’s crooning was distinctive and the musical skill, particularly Billy Zoom’s rockabilly-inflected guitar licks and Don Bonebrake’s fluid drumming, was high. Unfortunately, there were a couple of awful albums and there’s the matter of Exene and Billy’s right-wing politics, so that detracts a bit (even if it’s unfair). The Australian X put out a groundbreaking, ahead-of-its-time album, 1979’s Aspirations. Driving churning punk/post-punk with slashing, sputtering guitar lines and relentless bass/drums. A sinister, acerbic classic. Ugly Pop put out a collection of 1977 demos a few years back, X-Purts, that’s more straight-ahead punk but you can hear hints of what would follow. I’ve been listening to the Aussie band a LOT more in recent years.

There were three Stains that I’ve heard—the one from LA had a 1983 self-titled 12” on SST. That has some scorching metal-tinged hardcore and is one of the records on that label most deserving of a reissue. “Sick and Crazy” is a good summary of their sound. The Stains from Austin eventually morphed into MDC and their sole release under that name was a 7” with the original versions of “John Wayne Was Nazi” and “Born To Die.” Slower but also scrappy--two great songs. There was also a Stains in the early 80s who were originally from Maine but eventually moved to Boston. They had a somewhat unclassifiable sound that fused ’77 era punk (their 7” had Damned and Sex Pistols covers) with a slight arty twist. The recordings are very hit and miss (there’s a compilation on Rave Up). They eventually changed their name to Ice Age.

Before the LA hard rock band L7 (whose music hasn’t aged well at all), there was L-Seven, a band from Detroit who had the sole release on the Touch & Go’s Special Forces spinoff, a self-titled 7” from 1983. Their vocalist was the late Larissa Stolarchuk (aka Strickland), who later wielded a mighty guitar for Laughing Hyenas. L-Seven had a pulsating, yet melodic post-punk sound. The three songs are full of shimmering guitar lines and a potent rhythmic undertow, along with Larissa’s sweet-sounding vocals. Long out of print and I’d imagine likely to stay that way, which is a shame, as this is an underrated disc.

Then there’s Youth Brigade, a name shared by bands from LA and DC. The former have a three decade career, the latter came and went very quickly in the early 80s but I listen to them a lot more these days. Their Possible EP, demo EP that was issued on Dischord in recent years and tracks on Flex Your Head are pissed-off and raging as fuck. Some of the recordings by the LA band (with the Stern brothers, founders of BYO) haven’t held up too well, to be honest, although there are still-enjoyable rousers like “Fight To Unite,” “Violence,” “Blown Away” and “Sink With California,” which make up for not-so-great songs like “What Will The Revolution Change?” and “Alienated.” There were two versions of Sound and Fury, from different recording sessions. The original one, later reissued as Out Of Print, is rougher-sounding, with an enjoyable west coast meets UK/Oi! sound. The redone version subtracts and adds some songs and spruces up the production.

UK thrashers Heresy are probably better-known than their slightly more obscure Michigan brethren. The latter didn’t release a whole lot back then—the Driven demo, a few songs on a cassette compilation and one posthumous 7”. Whereas the UK version wore the Siege and DRI inspirations on their collective sleeves, the Michigan unit had a buzzsaw thrash attack with occasional metallic leads and hoarse vocals. Some raging stuff.

There wasn’t one but two kickass bands with the name Agent Orange. I’d imagine the west coast punk-meets-surf band is better-known and their Bloodstains single and subsequent album Living In Darkness still sound great 35 years later. That more than makes up for the mediocre releases that followed (although the Breakdown EP is pretty good). But if you haven’t heard the Dutch Agent Orange, you really need to. Raw, fast, blistering hardcore with a complete don’t-give-two-fucks attitude. How can you not love a song with the title “Your Mother Sucks Cocks In Hall,” especially when delivered at a full-throttle thrashing-bashing tempo? It’s impossible.

CONFLICT (US)--ca. 1982 (photo: Ed Amaud)

There was an American counterpart to the UK anarcho punk band Conflict—an early 80s band from Arizona fronted by a psychiatric nurse named Karen. They released a demo, America’s Right (still have the copy I mailordered from Karen) and a 12” called Last Hour. Basic thrashy hardcore with occasional hints of melody that isn’t exceedingly original but still worth a listen or two and there was growth between the demo and 12.” Puke N Vomit did a reissue of the 12” a few years ago. Another UK anarcho band with a US counterpart was The Mob (the UK band spelled it Møb). The US aggregation, from NYC, put out a couple of 7”s that had decent 1-2-1-2 rat-a-tat-tat-tat thrash and a terrible, more metal-sounding album later on.

The Misfits from Lodi, NJ weren’t the only US band with that name—there was also a Misfits from Albany, NY, who later changed their name to The Tragics. Their 7” was reissued on Loud Punk in 2007. Trashy, fuzzed-out tuneful punk with Liz Davies’ Styrene-esque vocals. “Mommi I’m A Misfit” is an ear-grabbing gem. 

Long before the Santa Cruz band Bl’ast—who, if you’ve never heard them, offer some crushing, Black Flag-inspired mayhem—there was the Belgian band Blast, who have been described as “proto-thrash.” Their song “Damned Flame” is certainly quite speedy for 1972, when it was recorded. It was reissued a few years ago but even that’s a bit expensive. Gloriously lo-fi, with buzzy and fuzzy guitar, drumming that can’t quite keep up (especially for the b-side “Hope”) but, yep, it’s thrash. Maybe a bit more of historical curiosity than anything else.

One of the easiest “showdowns” involves two bands who started off as The Beat—the 2 Tone-era ska band English Beat and power poppers Paul Collins Beat. I know there are people who stand by the latter but I always found them wimpy. Truth be told, the UK one only have about half a dozen songs I still listen to, but I’ll still take them for the win. I had only one friend who thought the Paul Collins one was better but his opinion is disqualified because he once told me that Black Flag’s Damaged was one of the worst records he ever heard. No wonder I’m not friends with the guy anymore... (March 5, 2017)

Suburban Voice blog #126--The Best of 2017

DAME (Halloween show at Harsh House)

The end of another (somewhat) fucked-up year, to quote Embrace. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but DIY punk in Boston is at its lowest point in recent years. Sure, there are some shows at clubs with stage barricades and bouncers and high prices. At least there’s still the Democracy Center, the one steady DIY punk venue that’s still left, and they do a great job. The Cambridge Elks is also steady, although it’s expensive to rent out and doesn’t exactly have the same charm as a basement show. People are moving to NYC, Philly and Olympia, among other places and there are many bands who are skipping the area. I only went to one basement show all year and it was actually about three minutes from my house here in Peabody, in a vacant building owned by the dad of Gary from Bombers, Banshee, GSG and others. They’re calling it Harsh House and hope to do more shows. I love the shorter drive, anyway, although it’s tough for others, of course. 

Enough whining... let's get to my top ten favorite recordings of the year, followed by the "honorable mention" list.

And if you want to hear the Sonic Overload Best of 2017 show, with a lot of other releases that didn't make this list, here's a zip folder where you can download the whole thing. Just click on this link.

Happy New Year!

1. MOD VIGIL-s/t (X-Mist, LP)

The record jacket is a tribute to Gang Of Four’s first EP. So it’s not a major surprise that there’s an angular, post-punk pulse but this is hardly a derivative tribute. The nervy jab is hitched to a full-bore punk attack. Distorted, nasally vocals and songs that build themselves into a whirlwind frenzy, especially album closer “Trout Casualty.” The stop/start “Rare Au Pair” slows it to a moodier clip. And the trebly production by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring and others) gives it a restless edginess. Just an incredible debut.

 
2. INSTITUTE-Subordination (Sacred Bones, LP)

Institute's second album adopts a pronounced fuzzed-out guitar tone and has the band leaning in more of a rock direction on some tracks, but it’s not a major departure. There’s still an early goth/post-punk undertow. Some knockout songs, starting with the punky rush of “Exhibitionism.” You won’t be able to get the guitar line for “Only Child” out of your ears, with its Crisis echo. The butcher-block bass lines for “Oil Money” are a perfect accompaniment for the noisy guitar swirl. Mose Brown’s against-the-grain sing/speak vocals wrap around the music in an off-kilter intonation. Continuing to evolve without losing its core grittiness.

3. NURSE-s/t (Scavenger Of Death, 7")
Nurse's second self-titled 7” is just as intense as their first. Nasty, scalding hardcore punk but there’s also haunting guitar textures to go with the onslaught. These guys actually sound like Out Cold with darker musical shadings, especially on opening song “Foreign Objects.” Also, like that band, the lyrics reveal a tortured, tormented soul. Ear-rending sounds. 

4. DAME-s/t (Charm School, 7")
Melodic, yet stinging 80s-inspired goth-punk by these five ladies from Boston and a big jump from their demo. Lauren’s synth isn’t quite as prevalent as on that recording, creating more of an atmospheric effect. Anna’s mellifluent guitar lines come to the fore, underpinned by solid bass lines and drumming. “Hush” speeds things up to a punkier pace without losing the tuneful glow.

5. LA VASE-s/t (tape)

This German band kick up a fucking storm on their first full-length, which came out in tape in November but should be out on vinyl early in the new year. A driving mix of punk, post-punk and garage packed full of hooks and burn. A little Eddy Current here, a little Mission Of Burma there but with an amped-up, caffeinated intensity. 

6. MACHO BOYS--s/t (Neck Chop, LP)

Timeless hardcore punk, both in the band's direct, rough and tumble 80s-inspired sound and pointed lyrics. Mixing thrash with a classic SoCal punk inspiration ala Adolescents and Agression, with a driving backbeat. "Stone Cold," with its wrasslin' theme, definitely falls into that realm. And being a Bostonian, I applaud their pounding cover of Decadence’s "Slam," from This Is Boston, Not LA. I mentioned the timeless lyrical themes and that's rather a pity since the same shit that angered punks back then is still around. And this type of music remains is still a good way to cope.

7. TARANTÜLA-s/t (Lengua Armada, 7")

Tarantüla is the new band with three former members of Cülo and, this time, they’ve brought in a bass player. After a couple of kickass demos, their vinyl debut provides no let-down. The sound is fuller and more tuneful in spots (“Dawning,” in particular), along with some darker shadings and there’s plenty of punk kick. In other words, this isn’t really Cülo Part II but trying something a bit different. The lyrics exhibit some serious demon-wrestling and you have to respect their candor. Released on Lengua Armada in the US and Erste Theke Tontrager in Europe)

8. THE COWBOY-The Cowboy Album (Fashionable Idiots, LP)

Steve Peffer and Drew Banaszak from Homostupids comprise 2/3 of this band and, as you might guess, they rely on a volume-drenched attack although it's not nearly as blown-out sounding as their former unit. An engaging, nervy amalgam of old Clevo scuzz punk, garage and post-punk. Big, cascading, swirling riffs come through to envelop the senses but there's also nuance and a strong rhythmic punch. The occasional melodic hook pops up as well.

9. VANILLA POPPERS-s/t (Lumpy, LP)
No-nonsense, ass-kicking punk/garage/rock 'n roll. Many of the lyrical themes deal with the dynamics of human interaction i.e. people can really, really suck--sexist, useless wastes of space and so on. A straight-forward, fuzzy, three chord attack, along with Christina's pissed-off sounding vocals. Nothing complex, just loud and burning in its most basic form. Why fuck with what works?

10. HARAM-When You Have Won, You Have Lost (Toxic State, LP)
The current NYC buzz-punk sound is at Haram's core but they take things well beyond that in a number of ways. Straight pummel 'n burn, ala Dawn of Humans and bands of that ilk, but there are also songs that go in experimental directions. Lyrics are in Arabic but you still hear the passion and anger in Nader's voice. "Your President, Not A President" and "Not A Terrorist" are cogent anthems for a new dark age. 

THE REST OF THE BEST…

BLANK SPELL-Miasma (World Gone Mad, 12”)

CONFIRMATION-++++ (demo)

DREAM PROBE-Demo II (demo)

EEL-Night Parade Of 100 Demons (Beach Impediment, 12”)
ELIX-R-6 hrs (demo)

EXOTICA-Musique Exotique #2 (La Vida Es Un Mus)

girlSPerm-GSP (Thrilling Living, 12”)

GLUE-s/t (self-released, 12”)

HALDOL-The Totalitarianism Of Everyday Life (World Gone Mad, 12”)

OWNER-Demo 2017 (Nervous Energy, demo)

RUT-Attraction (Secret Bathroom, 7”)

STRUCTURE-s/t (demo)

UBIK-s/t (demo)*

UGLIES-Keeping Up With The Uglies (Nopatience, 12”)

XYLITOL-Demo (25 Diamonds, 7”)/Is Toxic To Pigs?? (self-released, 7”)

(*released December 2016)

BEST LIVE

BOMBERS

DAUÐYFLIN

HEZ

INSTITUTE

MACHO BOYS

NEGATIVE APPROACH

NOTS (in photo above)

THE PIST

UNA BESTIA INCONTROLABLE

XYLITOL

IN MEMORIAM:

Dave Bakkari

George Czernetzky

Xtina Lloyd 
Susan Tanner

Suburban Voice blog #125

BANSHEE

Nearing the end of the year. The next installment will be the Best of 2017... and, no, I'm STILL not caught up with everything.

ABOLITIONIST-The Pinnacle EP (1859, 7")
Melodic punk with a full-bore sound and from-the-gut vocals. Not wimpy, poppy stuff or dull street punk. Abolitionist's song feature loud, beefy riffing and bashing drums. Echoes of Leatherface, particularly on closing track "Not Alone." First time I've heard from these guys in awhile and they still provide a solid kick. (1859records.storenvy.com)

BANSHEE-Caw! (self-released, LP)
Seeing Banshee live is quite the experience... half a dozen or so (I lost count) guys playing an arsenal of guitars, bass, drums, sax and keyboards, fronted by a vocalist doing his best to channel both Iggy and Stiv. And the music is total widescreen, kick-out-the-jams-motherfuckers psyche-rock-a-rama. A thick 'n heady stew. All of this is executed by members of Boston bands Male Nurses, Casanovas In Heat, Combat Zone and many others. And it rocks like crazy, punk guys flying their freak flag and imbuing that kind of attitude into the fray. Banshee tend to stretch out on their songs--five of seven top the five minute mark    When they're on, they're on, as with the fired-up fury of "Wave To The Police," "Culture Vulture" and "Cop Caller," which fades off into noisy mayhem. Sure, it can get ponderous or hazy on occasion and I get the feeling ingesting various substances might enhance the effect. But this hits you between the ears. Get out the black light and boogie. (www.bansheemotherfuckers.com)

B.D.-Over 30 Singles (Emotional Response, LP)

B.D. is the band formerly known as the Bad Daddies (although they apparently answer to both) and this is a compilation of songs taken from various demos, 7"s, splits, etc, along with a few unreleased songs. This is their first 12" release as B.D. never did an album, although they've been prolific. It's not complete--in fact, the accompanying booklet doesn't provide info about the songs on the album but about the songs they left off and there are interviews with past and present members, photos and flyers. While the songs are mostly wrapped in a noisy cocoon of feedback squalls and fuzz and are mainly brief bursts of spirited, ranty punk, it's not the whole story. Poppy touches come through and those elements are played up on songs like "We Never Will" (which has a knockout chorus hook), the more-recent "Panama Papers" and their utterly charming cover of Smoking Popes' "Not That Kind Of Girlfriend." Camylle can sound sweet and she can also sound pissed as all-hell. And the fury flies for the likes of "Regress" and near-epic (3 minutes!) "You Ain't Right." Many of the songs are under a minute, as they flow from one thorny composition to another, not following any set formula. If you've missed the boat on these guys/gals, here's a good way to at least partially catch up. A few people have said that "underrated" should be stricken from the music critic lexicon but I'll say it anyway. (jenandstew.com)

BOMBERS

BOMBERS-Loaded Gun (demo)
Bombers are quickly becoming one of my favorite local bands... stomping, mean-as-fuck punk rock 'n roll. The last words you hear out of guitarist/vocalist Eric's mouth are FUCK YOU (that's how he usually starts their sets, as well)--such a lovable guy. Well, sometimes everyone needs a good 'ol dose of bile and hate and Bombers are more than happy to give it to you. About as subtle as a brick to the face. And it rocks like a motherfucker. (bombersma.bandcamp.com)

THE BUG-Humbug (IFB, 7")

A relentless aural bombardment by this Chicago band, on their first 7", following two demos. Dangerous and frenetic, a cyclone-like gnarl of sputtering guitar lines and off-kilter bash.  The axe-mangling for "Opinionated" will shred your brain. It comes with a booklet that includes the lyrics, artwork and explanations behind the songs. Damn fucking straight it has a message but there aren't any slogans, just ruminations on mental health, gender and political issues. And lest you think the political vitriol is meant for the current occupant of the White House, it's actually aimed at the previous one, as the title track is about the "hoax of hope." One can hear echoes of early Die Kreuzen, although this is a lot more twisted-sounding and not any sort of dated relic. (ifbrecords.com)

CINDERBLOCK-The Executioner EP (Loud Punk, 7")
Four new songs from this Boston punk crew--a tough 'n tuneful UK-82 inspiration, delivered with a solid kick. The title track starts with a Blitz "Warriors" nick and then and settles into a punchy mid-tempo pounder. "No Means No," about sexual assault, slows to a bootboy stomp. Enjoyable, if fairly average. (loudpunk.blogspot.com)

CONFIRMATION-++++ (demo)
Post-punk messthetics with melody, although that comes from more of a haunting nature instead of blatantly poppy elements. Moody but energetic and building to a manic, jarring level for "V" (the six songs have Roman numerals for titles). Even with the vintage feel, Confirmation bring it up to date with a churning intensity and fresh approach. I also concur with the lyrical sentiment of "II"--"most people seem useless." I imagine their music acts a sort of coping therapy. Works for me. (confirmationpunk.bandcamp.com)

THE COWBOY-The Cowboy Album (Fashionable Idiots, LP)
Steve Peffer and Drew Banaszak from Homostupids comprise 2/3 of this band and, as you might guess, they rely on a volume-drenched attack although it's not nearly as blown-out sounding as their former unit. An engaging, nervy amalgam of old Clevo scuzz punk, garage and post-punk. Big, cascading, swirling riffs come through to envelope the senses but there's also nuance and a strong rhythmic punch. The occasional melodic hook pops up as well, starting with opening track "Everyday We Grow." Surging, stinging and brain-piercing. (fashionableidiots.blogspot.com)  

DAME

DAME-s/t (Charm School, 7")
Dame craft melodic, yet stinging 80s-inspired goth-punk on their debut 7". Lauren’s synth isn’t quite as prevalent as on their demo, creating more of an atmospheric effect, as Anna’s mellifluent guitar lines come to the fore, underpinned by solid bass lines and drumming. “Hush” speeds things up to a punkier pace without losing the tuneful glow. Their demo was OK but this 7” is big leap forward. (charmschoolrecords.bigcartel.com)

DIRTY & HIS FISTS-s/t (Feel It, 7" EP)
Vinyl debut for west coasters Dirty& His Fists. The four songs were originally released on their summer tour tape. In case you missed the demo review, it's a dose of high energy, burning, buzzing punk rock ‘n roll at a sturdy mid-tempo clip, with the occasional synth coloring, as on "23rd Century." The brash production adds to songs' energetic kick. (feelitrecordshop.com)

EEL

EEL-Night Parade Of 100 Demons (Beach Impediment, LP)
With each successive release, Eel get increasingly raw. The vocals get buried further into the mix and the trebly guitar sounds like a buzzing hornets' nest at this point. Lyrics? Who needs to hear lyrics? They even state as much on "Always Never"--"Lyrics are stupid/lyrics is boring... I can't remember any words/Impossible to remember." Is the increasing primitiveness some sort of completion backwards principle? (Tubes reference--look it up). The modus-operandi remains the same--full-bore Japanese inspired hardcore, as well as a little Anti-Cimex thrown in, and topped off with noisy effects. Their Endless Fucker album almost sounds like pop music by comparison. A deadly sonic brainbomb. (beachimpedimentrecords.blogspot.com) 

girlSperm-gSp (Thrilling Living, 12")
Boisterous and engagingly abrasive--no, that's not an oxymoron. girlSperm--or gSp for short--is a thorny-sounding post-punk trio bringing to mind the likes of Delta 5 and Kleenex, along with 90s era riot grrrl. That's not a stretch or easy categorization, since Bikini Kill's Tobi Vail plays in this band. Guitar and bass lines snake around each other, accompanied by martial drumming and gang-style vocals. A nervy racket that will pierce your brain. '79 meets '92 in '17, still sounding timely. (thrillingliving.com)

HARAM-When You Have Won, You Have Lost (Toxic State, LP)
The current NYC buzz-punk sound is at Haram's core but they take things well beyond that in a number of ways. Straight pummel 'n burn, ala Dawn of Humans and bands of that ilk, but there are also songs that go in experimental directions--the atmospheric collage "Voice of the Hari'meen" or slow-churning tribalism of "What Is This Life?" and "Road To Liberation" that bring to mind some of the newer Una Bestia Incontrolable material. The lyrics are in Arabic but you still hear the passion and anger in Nader's voice. He was investigated for ties to ISIS last year, so songs like "American Police" and "Not A Terrorist" are born of personal experience. And in the midst of our current national nightmare, "Your President, Not A President" is a dissident anthem. The whole thing moves like a motherfucker, with unstoppable fury. (haram.bandcamp.com)

HOT TIP-Hold Me Closely (One Percent Press/Radical Empathy/Bitch-Face, LP)
This one's been out awhile--it came out at the tail end of 2016--but just showed up here recently. I've actually had MP3s for awhile and it's nice to have the real thing to play nice 'n loud on the turntable. Hot Tip, from Buffalo, had a pretty good demo in 2014, but this album shows growth. You can hear that immediately when comparing earlier versions of songs with the re-recorded versions. Bracing post-punk with bits of 80s goth and melody and it's a churning excursion. Along with Katherine's urgent vocals, the band create a head-messing mesh punctuated by textured guitars--shimmery, nightmarish, jabbing--accompanied with thick, fuzzy bass lines and tribal-inflected drumming. This comes out most forcefully for the penultimate song "God Feels" and the driving opener "DNA." Uneasy sounds that weave a potent spell. (hottip.bandcamp.com)

MACHO BOYS

MACHO BOYS-s/t (Neck Chop, LP)
There are actually two girls and two boys in the Macho Boys--okay, two women and two men--and their debut album is a throttler. A timelessness, both in the band's direct, rough and tumble 80s-inspired hardcore punk sound and pointed lyrics, mixing thrash with a classic SoCal punk undertow. I'm not talking EpiFat shit, I'm talking about bands like the Adolescents or Agression, with its driving backbeat. "Stone Cold," with its wrasslin' theme, definitely falls into that realm. And being a Bostonian, I applaud their pounding cover of Decadene's "Slam," from This Is Boston, Not LA. I mentioned the timeless lyrical themes and that's rather a pity since the same shit that angered punks back then still remain. Yet, with the rage, there's still a warmth, a "we're all in this together" vibe. Punk as a sort of group therapy. (neck-chop-records.myshopify.com)

NO SKIN-Paying The Fine EP (Give Praise, 12")
New(ish) band with Ben Crew from In Defence and Damage Deposit. In Defence traded mainly in crossover thrash metal but No Skin are a different beast. This is straight-up ripping hardcore, a mix of US influences and the occasional Dis-sertation. Anger unleashed, as Ben barks like a rabid dog and the band sounds muscular and in-your-face. From the one-two opening blast of "Knee Jerk Circle" and "Neck Deep" to floor rattlers like "White Elephant" and "Drill Pressed," No Skin kick up a power-packed storm. Only 100 pressed. (shop.givepraiserecords.com)

THE NERVOUS-s/t (Nervous, LP)
ZERO-FORM-s/t (demo)
A couple of Denver bands--The Nervous, who are now on hiatus (I think) have been around since 2009, with a 7" and a few demos under their belts. This album was recorded in 2014 and it's a second pressing of 200 copies. Punchy, melodic punk that reminds me of the some of the early 2000s Danish bands like Gorilla Angreb or Swedish band The Vicious, with an edgy roughness. Zero-Form is a newer band that includes Jen and Johnny from the Nervous and not far-removed from that band, although there aren't as many poppier touches. Snotty, dual vocals from Jen and Sara and basic, straight-forward arrangements. Some serious lyrical matter, as with the domestic violence theme of "Perineal Fallout." Sharp, tough, catchy punk done the right way. (toonervous.blogspot.com, zero-form.bandcamp.com)

OBEDIENCE-2017 Demo (demo)
Three songs from an upcoming 12" and more rage from this Austin band, fronted by Dave Ackerman (ex-Tear It Up). Basic, raw hardcore punk with a d-beat influence and the drumming provides a solid wallop. Looking forward to the vinyl. (obedience.bandcamp.com)

OXIDANT (photo: Jessica Domino)

OXIDANT-Deconstruct (To Live A Lie, 7")
The hammer effect as Oxidant maneuver their way through blazing speedcore/powerviolence territory. Perfectly executed and unrelenting. KJ howls at the top of their lungs, spewing out lyrical fragments as opposed to a verse/chorus/verse structure. Includes a cover of an early Hüsker Dü song, "Bricklayer," which originally appeared on Land Speed Record. Maybe the Hüskers were early purveyors of powerviolence. This is probably something I'd rather experience live and in my face but they do nail the sound with skilled mettle. (www.tolivealie.com)

OWNER-Demo 2017 (Nervous Energy, tape)
Some hot new London punk from this three-piece. The start of "Spent" makes you think it's going to be a d-beat assault but it's a feint, as the band settle in a loud, mainly mid-paced mode and they mix in a few different influences--90s riot grrrl, even some Nirvana riffage for "Nothing To Say." A fired-up blast, making for a strong debut. (ownerpunk.bandcamp.com)

RASH-Midnight Crooner (IFB/Hawthorne Street, 7")

RASH/C.H.E.W.-Split (Slugsalt, 7")

Chicago's Rash is one mean-sounding band. Face-melting hardcore that provides a loud and dark scream from the soul. That's evident on their latest 7" Midnight Crooner (following up their Skinner Box 12"). Screeching and squalling riffs underpinned by a sturdy crunch, slowing it to a pounding creepy crawl for "Tick." There's also a split where Rash is paired up with C.H.E.W., another edgy and provocative Chicago band. C.H.E.W. (which allegedly stands for Cocaine, Heroin, Ecstasy, Weed) connect with an aggressive and driving hardcore sound and also add a Jesus Lizard-like twist for "Moral Panic." Doris' vocals exude a savage, murderous intensity. The same can actually be said for Eric from Rash's verbal emanations. That'd make for one hell of a duet, I imagine. A perfect pairing. (ifbrecords.com; www.slugsaltrex.com)

RIXE

RIXE-Collection (La Vida Es Un Mus, LP)
A handy dandy collection of this French Oi band's first three 7" EPs. An even dozen loud, boisterous, catchy ravers. Gruff vocals, whoahhing backups and a meatgrinder powerhouse of sound. What's old is new again or at least keeps regenerating itself and, while Rixe draw from the obvious 80s touchpoints--what was happening in France back then (Komintern Sect and Kidnap, to name a few), as well as the No Future bands, there's a gusto to the proceedings. Songs like  the peppy "Razzia" and stomping "Coups & Blessures" make me want to start a boot party. At that big bar in the sky, I'm sure the late, grate Bruce Roehrs from Maximum Rocknroll would raise a glass to them and go, FUCK YES! Exactly, Bruce, exactly. (lavidaesunmus.com)

ROTTEN UK-Waiting For The Bomb/Protest & Survive (Loud Punk, 7")
Two songs from this upstate New York (not UK) band. The title track is a somber, melodic punk song ala Crisis. The cover of Discharge's "Protest & Survive" is perfunctory but that's about it. Nothing that great here. In other words, I'd rather listen to Crisis and Discharge. (loudpunk.blogspot.com)

RUT-Attraction (Digital Regress, 7")
The cover is the comic strip character Nancy kicking the band's name and that fits the mood of the record. "Provoked," indeed, as the opening track with that title gets things started with a storm of feedback leading into pounding hardcore punk. Dense and thumping, guitar pyrotechnics that don't veer into wank territory and thick basslines. Rut are from California, although they remind me a bit of UK nasties like Snob or Frau. One of the people in this band also plays in Acrylics so you know this is music with a bone to pick with the world. (digitalregress.com)

SUBURBAN HOMES-Unemployed/Anxiety Attack (Total Punk, 7")
Only two jittery gems here and maybe it's s concept, with unemployment leading to an anxiety attack? Whatever the case, Suburban Homes have perfected their late 70s DIY post-punk sound that draws from Swell Maps, O-Level and other bands of that ilk. Non-distorted guitar lines, a sturdy bass/drums combo and plaintive vocals and lyrics. "Unemployed" has a cool little guitar break while "Anxiety Attack" ups the bash quotient and urgency of the vocals. More, please. (floridasdying.com)

SYSTEMATIC DEATH-Systema-Ten (FOAD, 12")
A one-sided disc with an etching on the flip and really fucking expensive for 9 minutes of music that could have fit on a 7". Sometimes you have to bite the bullet, I suppose, because Systematic Death remain as raging as ever. They've changed guitarists and new axeman Ryu is a little flashier but the style remains the same. Fast, blazing hardcore punk with delivered with savage relentlessness. One of the few exceptions to the rule that older bands shouldn't release new music. (www.foadrecords.it)

VANILLA POPPERS-s/t (Lumpy, LP)
No-nonsense, ass-kicking punk/garage/rock 'n roll. Many of the lyrical themes deal with the dynamics of human interaction i.e. people can really, really suck--sexist, useless wastes of space and so on. That comes out for "Time To Say Goodbye, "Dead Inside" and "Where You Told Me I Belong," in particular. A straight-forward, fuzzy, three chord attack, along with Christina's pissed-off sounding vocals. Nothing complex, just loud and burning in its most basic form. Why fuck with what works? (spottedrace.bigcartel.com)

BOOK REVIEWS:

DEAD BOYS 1977: The Lost Photographs Of Dave Treat (Signature Book Printing, 88 pg.)
Just what it says, a collection of mostly-unreleased images tracing the early days of the Dead Boys. It's divided into three parts--the first is a photo shoot of the band, before they moved to NYC. The backdrop for the black and white images are the decaying buildings and urban landscape of downtown Cleveland, before its resurrection. Then there's a collection of color live photos from two shows--one set in color, one in black and white. The final segment is a collection of black and white photos of Stiv Bators, done for Treat's student portfolio and taken in his apartment (Cheetah Chrome pops up in a few photos as well). Even though they're not music shots and Stiv is largely in repose, you have a pretty good idea what his life's destiny will be. Cheetah and drummer Johnny Blitz offer brief snippets of commentary throughout the book. Although it's a nice looking, hardcover/glossy book, at only 88 pages and a $30 retail, it seems a bit steep, to be honest. Probably for the diehards only. (deadboys1977.com)

xXx FANZINE (1983-1988) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties by Mike Gitter (Bridge Nine, 288 pg.)

Years in the making (the idea was originally conceived in 2005), this is a  compendium of original content from the 20 issues of xXx published by Mass. native Mike Gitter from 1983 to 1988. The book is augmented with updated interviews of people interviewed “back in the day,” as well reminiscences by Gitter and other individuals who were involved, along with additional photos and flyers. (full disclosure: I wrote one of the forewords and contributed a few other written passages). Those items surround the original zine layout. In addition to the interviews, the vintage content includes scene updates, show, zine and live reviews. It’s a history exhibition unfolding in real time.

Gitter started his zine in the spring of ’83, some months after the first issue of mine. As with most embryonic zines, the layout was a primitive cut and paste format and the quality improved as time progressed—half-toning the photos, using offset printers instead of going to the copy shop etc. xXx never got away from its fanzine look, though. He never went to a full-color glossy format.The writing and depth of interviews also improved as time progressed, as did the scope of bands that Gitter interviewed. At the beginning, he wrote about and interviewed mainly hardcore and punk bands and spoke with just all of the “legends”—Minor Threat, Black Flag, Necros, 7 Seconds, Void, Negative Approach, Battalion of Saints, etc., as well as all the classic local hardcore bands and even some that didn’t always get a lot of ink, like Psycho. He didn’t just stick to one style of hardcore or punk either—it ran the gamut from UK bands to west coast punk to straight edge purveyors. He eventually moved a bit beyond strictly punk and hardcore to include acts like Lydia Lunch and Swans and expanded into the metal realm with the likes of Metallica (around the time that Ride the Lightning came out), Exodus, Voivod and Motörhead, along with second and third generation bands like Dag Nasty, Kingface, Ignition and All. It’s a documentation of Gitter’s musical journey, as things went in different directions. One thing Gitter didn’t do was editorialize about political issues. It was always about the music for him.

The then-and-now aspect of the book is a different wrinkle and it’s fun to see people giving their current day perspective on what happened then, now that they’re older and wiser (maybe the latter is sometimes questionable).You have Vic Bondi from Articles of Faith revealing that the band had already broken up when he did the interview but it wasn’t public knowledge yet and the members of Void talking about their unreleased Potion For Bad Dreams album. All in all, it’s an enjoyable trip down memory lane, while also tying things to the present day.

The book comes with a 19 song download  of a compilation album, Still Having Their Say, with (mostly) modern day bands covering 80s hardcore tunes. It's also available as a limited vinyl pressing as part of a package deal that also includes a couple of posters and a 64 page paperback book compiling the three issues of Gitter's pre-xXx zine Suburban Mucus that he produced with a partner, Mark Dincecco (who was actually in Siege for about 5 minutes). I'm a little leery of all-covers or tribute albums these days. The versions often sound uninspired or rote or perfunctory. Strife's adding youth crew backups to their version of Void's "Who Are You?" An acoustic/folky version of Agnostic Front's "Society Suckers" by Walter Schriefels? Jesse Leach turning Minor Threat's "Salad Days" into lilting reggae rock? Nope, not feeling it. On the other hand, Nomads smash their way through a medley of Crucifix's "How, When and Where" and Agnostic Front's "The Elminator" with pure malevolence. Tombs' bashing of Samhain's "Kiss Of Steel," American Nightmare's raging version of Cro-Mags' ""It's The Limit" (recorded in 2001) and Fuck You Pay Me's spirited take of Subhumans' "Relgious Wars" are both enjoyable, as is  Dan Kubinski from Die Kruezen joining Voivod for a live version of his band's "Man In The Trees." Some good tracks, if not 100% essential.

The Suburban Mucus book is stretched out with reproductions of classic Boston hardcore flyers and photos from Claire Sutherland, who did work for a number of zines back then, including my own. It's very much the effort of two high school kids reviewing not only punk and hardcore but also new wave (Soft Cell! Adam Ant!), post-punk and industrial. By the third issue, it was moving into the direction Mike would pursue, with interviews of the Freeze and the criminally-underrated Sorry. (bridge9.com)