▪• • • • • • • • •- •_=~ • • • • !! ' ; CALAMITY JAN E • LOVE SONG / BELIEV E • 7" SINGLE - $ 3 .
54IVAtRt~
•~~ t
ca1an
SALIVA TRE E DOWN IN THE MIDDLE / HALFWAY BETWEEN LE E 7" SINGLE - $3
▪ N. i ▪ tote s •• •' •' ••• 'i i • '! 'iii• 'i i •'• SNOWBUD AND TH E •• FLOWER PEOPL E BONG HIT / •• • CRYING TIME IS OVE R •• ' 7" SINGLE - $ 3 • •• •• • POND •• YOUNG SPLENDOR / TREE ' •• 7" SINGLE - $3 • ▪0 'iii•i'•'i •'i •'i •'i •'•'•~ i• •i••i'•'•ii'ii i• •• GUS VAN SANT •• ▪ LOST WORLD / • •• BURSTING CLOUD S •• 7" SINGLE $ 3 • •• •• •• EIGHT SONG S •• •• FOR GREG SAG E •• AND THE WIPER S • BOX SET • •• 7" SINGLES - $18 • • ' • ' •' i•'•'•'•'•'•'•'•'•'•'•'•'!'• '~•'•'•'•'•••'•'•'~ •'I •'•'•'!' *1
0
ALL PRICES POST PAI D
also available !
RECORD STORES WE SELL DIRECT
FOURTEEN SONG S FOR GREG SAG E AND THE WIPER S CD - $1 6
SEND FOR OUR FREE CATALOGUE ••••••••••! • • • • • • • •
P .O.BOX 42423 - PORTLAND OR 9724 2 !••• •- •
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
IL, U
THE SEVEN INCH SINGLES ZINE
418 GREGORY AVE WEENAWIICFN NJ 07087 A ARMY BEAT PUBLICATIO N
Glut Staf f Jim Test a Edito r
Des Jr ., Greg Matherl y Sal Cannestra, Jamie Turne r Danny Eldridge, Ben Wease l Jimmy Turri, George Che n Alex Swain, Tom Angell i Bob Byrne, Mike Lupic a Tom Brebric, Dave Urban o Scott Beibin, Mike Harbi n Jodi Shapiro, Artie Shepher d Frank Phobia,
Code {
Ar-r f j OneeZe)r
From The Editor's Desk
It Seemed likeAGood Idea At The time ... Like the chubby guy with the glasses a t Homestead used to say, "It seemed like a good ide a at the time ." That's about the only rationale I have for thi s fanzine . For the uninitiated, I am the editor of a long-running zine called Jersey Beat, which takes u p quite a bit of my time as it is . But in the last fe w years, there has been an explosion of seven-inc h vinyl on the indie scene . . . in fact, it's gotten totall y out of hand . I was receiving over 100 seven-inche s for every issue of Jersey Beat, with room to revie w no more than 20 or 30 of them . And it was killin g me . The biggest difference between singles an d albums is simple : Very few bands have ten goo d songs, and most albums are forgettable . But almost every band worth keeping together has two goo d songs, so most of the singles were actually okay . And a lot of them were terrific . So we - that is, the staff and I - decided to star t a second zine, dedicated solely to the enjoyment o f 7 inch vinyl singles . In honor of the ridiculou s amount of vinyl coming in the mail, we named i t GLUT And the rest, as they say, is history . Issue No . 1 went all right, but then it came tim e to think about Issue 2 . And I thought about it, al l right - for months and months and months . Meanwhile, the vinyl continued to pour in - eve n more than before, because now people heard w e were specializing in singles . So here it is, finally, Issue No . 2 . And althoug h you'll find hundreds of singles reviewed in here , what you're seeing is only a fraction of what actuall y came in the mail . We apologize to anyone who sen t us a single and didn't get reviewed . We did the bes t we could, given the limitations of time, space, an d patience . We owe an especially big apology to the label s who were nice enough to advertise in this issue , many of whom have been waiting for months to se e their ad in print . I had hoped to include a comprehensive, step by-step "how to release your own single" feature i n this issue, but several people I asked to contribute t o it never responded . (We also wrote to several othe r indie labels asking to do a label profile, like the on e on OutPunk Records, but never got answers fro m them either . ) In lieu of all that, here are a few quick tips that, o n the basis of the many mistakes we see peopl e making time and time, might answer some of you r questions :
1. How many singles do I press? If you're doing a Screeching Weasel single an d you only press 600 copies, you're just manufacturin g instant collector's items, since the supply i s obviously going to fall way short of the demand . If , on the other hand, you're doing the debut single b y The Chronic Misfits from Akron, OH, then 600 wil l probably be more than you need . Don't overpress , you'll only wind up with boxes of records under you r bed for the next five years . It is a good idea , though, to print twice the number of sleeves as singles ; it's much cheaper to go back and re-press your 7 inch once you've paid for the initial masterin g (that's transferring the mixed tape to a metal plat e which is used to press the records,) but printers wil l charge a lot more to do two jobs of 1000 sleeve s than one single run of 2000 sleeves . If you don't repress your record, you really haven't lost that much the second 1000 sleeves will cost next to nothing . And if you do re-press, you will have saved yoursel f a bundle . 2. Do I really need to spend extra money on a n insert ? This is a pet peeve of mine . I don't understan d why little do-it-yourself punk bands can afford t o take the effort and extra expense to make cool lyri c and photo inserts for their 7 inches, but the bigge r indie labels - with much more capital to throw aroun d - don't . Remember, your 7inch is going to be competing with as many as a dozen others that wil l be pouring into college radio stations, fanzines, an d newspaper offices every day . Anything that help s make your record special is a good idea, and a n insert - with a photo of the band, lyrics, a messag e about what you're doing - makes twice th e impression as a six-page presskit (which, believe me , is only going to get tossed in the trash anyway . ) 3. How about colored vinyl ? Glad you asked . We had an expert write a piec e to tell you all about it . That's about it . We hope you enjoy GLUT - let u s know if you do, and p/ease, take advantage of th e label addresses included at the back of the zine an d write away for some of these 7 inches if they soun d like something you'd enjoy . Mailorder is the bes t and most cost-efficient way to market the littl e suckers, and the cheapest way for you to get you r greedy little hands on them . - Jim Test a September, 1993
Guest Editorial
Color Me (Un)Impressed: Is It Back To Black For Vinyl ? by Jerry Kerns Faye Record s Tucked down into the third-to-last paragraph of Be n Weasel's column "Doing A Single'?" (a must-read for anyon e who puts out 7-inch records) in Glut #1 is yet another point made against colored vinyl . Ben's hardly the first and won' t be the last of an ever-growing number of pundits who fee l time and money are better spent on other things -- such a s sound quality - than brightly-colored records . Black is back . Through Faye Records - a 7-inch label I help run i n Columbia, MO - we've released eight singles, each o f which has been on colored vinyl (if we re-press, we do it i n way- cheaper black .) Color vinyl costs about $100 mor e than black vinyl on a run of 500 records, and up to now , we've felt it was worth it . Usually, the bands would help ou t in paying the extra costs . Frankly, we got a buzz off th e way the records looked, and we figured it might help sel l them . Now, we're reconsidering . For one thing, as Ben Weasel says, everybody is doing color vinyl . It's no longer unique . In fact, there migh t even be a backlash going on, a bias against colored vinyl . I've read a couple of other comments by fans, reviewers , radio people and distributors about how it seems that a higher percentage of colored vinyl records suck than blac k vinyl records . That is probably because of the sheer numbe r of colored records they receive, probably more than blac k ones . The Suck Factor also has to do with the fact tha t bands with inferior recordings probably feel the need to spruce up their product . Maybe if it's on pink marbled vinyl , someone will like it . That's unfortunate, because the system is clogging up . The 7-inch scene is exploding . Everyone is releasing 7-inc h discs, which in one respect is cool . The 7-inch bes t epitomizes what we hope rock 'n' roll is all about . It' s accessible to everyone - bands, labels, and fans . They'r e cheap to produce, and they ' re cheap to buy, and that' s the beauty of it . You can still buy great music for 3 or 4 bucks and not feel stiffed if you end up hating the record . That beauty, however, could be leading to the format' s demise . The worthwhile stuff, the 'great little discovery" Be n Weasel longs for, often gets buried in the glut . Man y college radio stations, we've found, won't even deal with 7 inch singles . They say they don't have the time or desire t o wade through all the records - most of them shitty - the y get . (Of course, dozens of stations are truly cool and mak e the effort to play the singles and keep in touch with label s like Faye .) But it's hard enough getting reviewers o r stations to listen to your records, and until now, we figured r pressing them in color would help our chances . That is n o longer the case . In fact, it might even hurt our chances : 'Oh no, not another swirly blue record! ' In our part of the country, however, color vinyl is still
a novelty . It still creates an excitement over a record . That's probably no longer the case in places like New Yor k or Seattle or San Francisco, where 7-inch singles hav e been a regular format for bands for a long time . Here , there isn't much of a 7-inch scene . We're trying to buil d one, and color vinyl has helped . People here still ooh an d aah over the sight of a neat-looking record . But even people's enthusiasm around here seems to b e waning . In our latest newsletter, we asked for feedbac k on the color question, and easily most of the responses sa y colored vinyl is not worth it . People care most about th e music . If it's good, the single will sell . If it sucks, it ain't, no matter what it looks like . And fans would gladly trad e colored vinyl for cheaper prices . It all goes back to the core reason for putting out 7 inchers (at least our ideals of doing it) : To put out qualit y regional music at the cheapest possible price . All else i s secondary . It comes down to the quality of the record , not how pretty it is . And if we can produce more record s from the money we'd save by doing black vinyl, and sel l them more cheaply, does it make sense to continue doin g color? Faye Records has a great newsletter/catalog that they'l l send you for a self-addressed stamped envelope . Write to : Faye Records, PO Box 7332, Columbia MO 65202
Rock 'n Roll Facts about Rats
Don't Wanna Get Involved Hard driving Punk from one of the best bands i n Boston . Features a revved up version of th e Queers classic plus two driving originals! Kille r live shows . Killer 45 . ppd
$4 .00
Always Sounds Voodoo Dolls Number 2 The latest 45 from this long lived Boston band . "Tight garage-Punk Band with hooks and good stage Presence . The Ramones would be proud . " -BOSTON HERALD ppd
$4 .00
Bette r
Here's how you can tons of cool 45s! !
Write and request our FREE mailorder catalog! We carry hundreds of har d to find 45s from Boston, US, Europe and Austrailia . Color vinyl, limite d editions, reissues, periodic rare record sales and general invective fou r times a year!! We also carry tons of LPs which you just ain't gonna find a t your local store any more . Whadda ya waiting for punk? ?
8YW .a7n.%
Mcwt..P.11.9>,,At
Imv81e; Ka- 42160
on a 45!!
STANTON PARK RECORDS P.O. Box 58j Newtonville MA. 02160
a singularly singleless chat wit h
superchun k The whole idea of interviewing Superchunk for GLUT was to talk about th e funds commitment to the Do-It-Yourself principles of punk rock, and th e deal they 've arranged whereby their albums are released on Matador (with dis/ ibu/ion by Atlantic Records) while retaining the right to release singles o n their own label, Merge Records (which also records other bands from their North Carolina scene.) Well Greg did the interview, but Mac and Laura, who run Merge . were to o busy to talk to so he wound up chatting with the group :5' drummer and the subject of singles never came up . Undaunted we thought the intervie w might still be okay if we supplemented it with a discography listing all the grea t 7 inches Superchunk has released over the years So we called Matador . . . but they were too busy to talk to us (the Fall were in town that week) and referre d us to Merge. We called Merge - three times, in fact - and /en messages on the answering machine, but no one ever called us back So here i the Superchunk interview. Okay, it sucks But its not our fault. - The Editor by Greg Matherly I felt as though I was making really good time on the road t o that glittering small town of Chapel Hill . Three hours into m y trip, and with visions of Superchunk dancing in my head, I decided to stop and see how much farther I had to go . Turns ou t I had missed a highway and had been traveling in the wrong direction for over an hour. The story of my life. I barely arrived on time, then drank too much and screwed up my camera . Very unprofessional, very punk rock. Mac (guitar, vocals) was ill , Laura (bass) was still at home, and Jim (guitar) just wasn' t willing . So thanks to their drummer, Jon, here it is : A glimps e
Interview by Gre g Matherly
into a group of thought-provoking energy addict s making one of the biggest sounds in punk today . Q : So how ' s the new album, On The Mouth, going ? Jon : Ah, it stinks. (laughs) No, it's ok. It just came out a few week s ago and we've been on the road ever since it came out, so I don' t know how it's doing.
Joe (about Mac) : He 's got snot running out his nose . Q : Okay, this follows up the last question . Will Superchunk be the next Nirvana ? Jon : Probably, Yeah, I ' m sure we ' ll be the next Nirvana . Q : Then would you model grunge fashions if you were told it woul d help promote your career ?
Q : Who have you been touring with ?
Jon : Sure! (laughter )
Jon : Unrest, Th' Faith Healers, and then us . That's the bill . We'v e done about 8 or 9 shows with them .
Q : What would you wear ?
Q : On The Mouth is on the Matador label . Do you think that yo u will get picked up by a major now that you ' re doing so well ?
Q : The kind you buy with the holes already in them ?
Jon : Probably not . Not in the near future, anyway .
Jon : Yeah, and like, black socks and combat boots .
Q : How long have you been in the hand ?
Q : Did you vote for Bill Clinton ?
Jon : A year and a half.
Jon : Yes .
Q : What was it like opening for bands like Mudhoney, back whe n Superchunk was still virtually unknown? Did you always get a good response ?
Q : How about the rest of the band ?
Jon : I wasn't in the band for the American tour but I was there fo r the European tour, so it was nice because they (Mudhoney) ar e HUGE over there, and we were always playing to, like, 800 people a night. So that was real cool . Where as we could only draw about, a t the most, 100 people at that time . The crowd response was good an d they're (Mudhoney) good guys . They walk around in their underwea r a lot though . Q : Name some individuals who have been an inspiration to you an d the rest of the band . Jon : There was this wrestler in the mid 70's who was a big influenc e on Mac and I, named Chief Jay Strongbow, who did a terrific hi p flip . That was the first thing Mac and I realized we had in common , we used to watch that stuff when we were younger . . . and that wa s what kinda broke the ice between us . Our first conversation was about wrestling, of all things.
Jon : I'd probably wear those long, baggy, cut-off shorts .
Jon : I have no idea . I would assume they voted the same . Q : No, that's crazy, you've got to know . Jon : I don't know! We didn't talk about it ! Q : Do you think the world will be here in 2001 ? Jon : Only because of the prophecies of Nostradamus . Q : What do you see yourself doing then ? Jon : How many years away is that ? (Everyone in the room counts on fingers, then at the same tim e shouts, "Eight!" ) Jon : I don't know . Probably living in Jersey . Carteret, home of th e Smithereens . Joe : No, you'll be living in Ho-Ho-Kus, near Mahwah . I think you'l l prosper there .
Q : About the hip flip .
Q : Besides necessities, what's as important to you as the band ?
Jon : Yep, the Chief. Who else? I think we're all into Shelly Long , the actress.
Jon : My library of JFK conspiracy books.
Q : Wow, the Chief and Shelley Long . What a combination! Jon : Those are the two that come to mind right away . Q : Here is a question a lot of people are asking: Do you think Chapel Hill will be "the next Seattle? " Jon : I hope so . . . No, I don't! (laughs) I don't know if that is going to die down soon or not . I sort of hope it does . It seems that one magazine did an article on it and all the others followed suit, an d kind of jumped on the bandwagon without really knowing what wa s going on and tried to make it into. . . The articles that were writte n were heavy on the gossip side . Q : That's really strange . This is a really small town, isn't it?
Q : This is starting to sound like Flipside . Tell me about this new label of yours ? Jon : We're putting out a single, called "Seven Brides For The Mea t Wagon," and it's sort of a spoken word/music thing . Q : Any closing comments ? Jon : Rock on, Jersey!
s
Jon : Yeah . (At this point, Mac and Jim walk by the room .) Q : All right! Get over here for this interview ! Jon (to Mac) : Glut, son of Jersey Beat . Q : (to Mac) : I know you're not feeling well, but that's ok, I don' t mind . (Mac and Jim leave the room .)
OG1c 1141%!
OUTPUNK This is Matt Smith He's here He's queer Deal with it OUTPUNK is one of the most distinctive DIY singes labels around, and its owner, Matt Smith, seems to be int o everything in the Bay Area - an Ep'Center volunteer, a Maximum Rock N Roll shitworker, and an outspoken supporter o f gay issues . How did you start the label, and why did the name change fro m Shred Of Dignity to Outpunk ?
The label started under the name Shred Of Dignity because i t ran out of the collective household warehouse of the sam e name . When I took over the label independently, I wanted a name all of my own, so I chose Outpunk . Also, our identitie s were getting mixed up, and we would get each others' mail , etc . I even got a postcard from Ian MacKaye, and Ian neve r usually writes me . Weird . So, considering that our queer stuff was getting the most response and that I had alway s wanted to bring it up in the context of what we were doing , Outpunk seemed like the perfect name . How exactly did things work in terms of financing, and wha t sort of business experience have you had with Me label?
We put out the first 7 inch over two years, the Hemi 'Sav e Yourself single . Myself and two others, Richard and Shawn , shared the costs and label duties . We made 1000 and I'm just selling the last copies now. Overall, it just about broke even, but it took this long to do so, which kind of sucks . The biggest financial mistake we made was not having enoug h covers, and paying an exorbitant amount to have a new batc h printed . Always, always make twice as many covers (an d labels) as you'll need. The cost difference is minimal and you'll save tons of hassle and money if you decide t o re-press . At worst, you'll have some extras, and if yo u average the costs in initially, it's no big loss .
The label originally did a variety of punk bands but I understand from now on, Outpunk will only release records by queer bands . How did you come to that decision ? (,p to this point, / have never commandeered a project fro m stcrt to finish. In every case, someone else lined up th e deal, and / usually did the follow-up work and technical stuff. / had a say on what we would do, but many of our projects have been sort of accidents. Now, since I've taken over the label, / have made the decisions on future projects. While there are lots of bands that / would love to work with , I've decided to work with queer themes for now. And if the band isn't queer-specific, / would prefer that they have sane sort of connection with queer issues, either through politics, message, or if they appeal to a queer audience . A t this point, my label puts queers first .
Have you gotten any hassles over the gay themes of you r projects, or run into any censorship dilemmas ? Because of the environment that / exist in (San Francisco), / have relatively no hassle in pushing queer themes and issues . / use local pincers and the stores and alstnbutors have been very receptive. However, / did run into trouble wit h United Record Pressing in Tennessee. They refused to prin t nudity on the labels of the Screeching Weasel 'Pervo Devo' 7 inch. They were really uptight and refused to run the orde r with my artwork, despite being pre-pad with a certified check. / guess you could give them credit for their 7ntegity,' but the whole incident disgusted me and I'v e stopped using them since. This is unfortunate, considerin g that they're the cheapest place / have used and they have a quick turnaround time . / may break down and use them in th e future, but for now, fuck Lkrited.
How do you make out with d istributors? And while we're on technical subjects, any advice on mastering and pressing for
the do-it-yourselfers out there doing their first 7 inch ? Somehow, I've lucked into a distribution ded with Revolver USA . They pay for my pressing costs and in turn, / give the m an 'exclusive.' It works well for me, because it frees u p more (non-existent) money for other things, and / only have to chase down a few people to get my money back . They do a great job and always pay me . Unfortunately, they have become overwhelmed with labels recently, and / doubt tha t most people just starting out could have them carry their stuff . We need another reliable, indie-oriented distributor / have all my stuff mastered by Ken Lee at Sonic Arts her e in San Francisco. His prices are the same as everywher e else, and / have the convenience of being there in person . / press everything at Alberti, because they have an account with my distributor. They're expensive and slow, but the y are reliable and have high quality. How many people work with you ? Outpunk is mainly just me, with a little help from a fe w people here and there . The advantage is that / have tot d control over how the label is run, and I'm probabl y impossible to work with anyway . The disadvantage is that it can be hard work, and / don't even own a car, which is a drag. Having several people involved can take off a lot o f physical and psychological burden, but you have to mak e ideological compromises . Mat else do you do besides the label? / have a little fanzine (also called Outpunk) that / do t o keep me busy . l am also employed as a slave, operatin g machinery, taking orders, and being poorly compensated. it's pretty tragic, redly. What's coming up on the label?
/ have a Tribe 8 12' EP and CD (tentatively titled 'By The Tim e / Get To Colorado') and a Pansy Division 'Bill & Ted' s Homosexual Adventure" 7-inch out now, as well as another issue of the Outpunk fanzine in the works . tf anybody knows a way to convince Shudder To Think or Mecca Norma/ to be on my label, please write .
Discography #1 - Hemi "Save Yourself' 7" - Sold out #2 - Blister "Stitches" 7" - Sold out #3 - Cringer/Holy Rollers Split 7" - Sol d out #4 - Screeching Weasel "Pervo Devo" 7" - a few left #5 - "There's A Dyke In The Pit " compilation - a few left #6 - Pansy Division "Bill & Ted" 7" #7 - Tribe 8 12" EP and C D Related Release s 'There's A Faggot In The Pit" compilatio n Sold ou t Blatz/Tribe 8 Split 7" - Sold ou t
OUTPUNK PO Box 170501 San Francisco CA 9411 7 HARDCORE PUNK ROC K Straight From the basemen t Minneapolis/St .Paul to your Virgin Ears! 11
r,11~S~
7
Compilatio n
PLEASE SEND $2 .0 0
($3 .00 International ) PPD to : Mad Radish Record s 582 Simpson St . Saint Paul, MN 55 1 04 U .S .A . Featuring
cEMTaES s MOMCTIM1
BONE CLU B SWAY JACIAUSS Scr~dS
DER IV Dr t1 !
VENDABAIT Crushing My World EP still available 300 made $3 plod USA $4 Foreig n Centsless Prod. or $5 USA/f6 Foreign c/o Andy Bussing for bot h 5945 Monticello Ave . Cincinnati, CH 45224
singles reviews THE 5,6,7, 8 ' S - "Edie Is A Sweet Candy " Rockville Shonen Knife teething on Cramps vinyl . Does that sound scary ? These Japanese birds get their kicks by playing rockabilly and 6 0 ' s style garage punk, for which they deliberately use broken Englis h slogans to make fun of their Japanese heritage . Athens, Seattle , next stop Tokyo? - Greg Matherl y 7 SECONDS - "Happy Rain"/"Naked " Eating Blur Like most 7 Seconds fans, love the live shows and wince at ho w wimpy their records turn out. But maybe getting dropped b y Restless has been the kick in the butt that Kevin Seconds ha s needed, because the A side of this rocks . It's not gonna make th e "Walk Together, Rock Together " kids happy because you can ' t mosh to it, it's a little too funky and something of a new directio n for the band (although a lot like what Kevin has been doing in hi s side project, Drop Acid .) The B side is a typically, do I have to sa y it?, wimpy emo ballad that I'm sure will sound a lot better live . Some things never change . - Jlm Test a A-BONES/SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS - "Gossip & Rumors" EP Baylor The 'Skids provide "Rumors Of Surf," a surfabilly instrumenta l influenced by the original " Theme From Star Trek ." The A-Bones do their usual brain-damaged cave stomp thing . - Jim T. ALL YOU CAN EAT/BLOWNAPART BASTARDS - Split E P Unite & Fight The longer All You Can Eat stays together, the less they sound like one of Devon Morf's silly joke bands and the more they rock hard, like Rollins . What's scary is that when I saw Devon on hi s annual tour visit to NY this summer, he even looked a little (Ik e Rollins . I have no Idea who the Blownapart Bastards are, bu t apparently they're from North Carolina, recorded their cuts for thi s EP live on a lour track, and sound like a Japanese grindcore band . Banzai . - Jim T . ALLOY - 'Reading Bllnd'/'Ellminate ' This is one of those ex-mem ber bands, with ex-Articles Of Faith , Cro Mags, Murphys Law, and Dag Nasty members, oh Joy . With all the hype behind this, !think I was expecting more : this sucks . It' s Just bad college punk (although they were much better live when I saw them, more like Superchunk .) 'Eliminate' features one of th e worst choruses I've ever heard . They'll be on a major In a year Chickenhead ALMOST KNOWN - 'Going Strong' E P Headach e This is really, really good proletariat, blue-collar rock . Growling vocals, catchy chorus, everything that makes 01 punk fun . Though a definite Skrewdriver sound Is omnipresent, I think it sounds great , and though Skrewdriver's politics are ass-backwards, they hav e made some good music . Yeah, I'm not politically correct . Scre w you . Buy this record . - Jamie Turner AMERICAN SOUL SPIDERS/SUPERSNAll- Split E P Baylor Record s I've been wanting to say something about the American Sou l Spiders for a while now . Both of their Sympathy singles are prize d possessions, and when I got this split EP In the mail, I almos t swooned . These tuckers rock out . Sweaty, loose, fucking dead-o n gutbucket rock 'n roll . I love these guys!!! Supersnazz are n o siouches either, both AmSoSp are the ahit . Happy happy, joy joy ! Did I mention both of these bands are from Japan? Clear wax . Des Jr
ALCOHOL FUNNYCAR - "Pretense"/"Drive By " Rathouse Rocking tuneage in a Pacific Northwest vein . " Pretense " move s right along, but "Drive By" is slower and in my opinion, not as good . If you like the nondescript working-class rock of Love Battery o r Rein Sanction, than this band's right up your (bowling) alley. - De s Jr. ANTHROPHOBIA - " Candy Coated Voodoo " Web Of Sound, 27 N Prince St, Lancaster PA 17603 Anthrophobia's always had a heavy groove but on " Voodoo, " singer Frank Phobia actually raps the verse, then spits out the mega-cool chorus in harmony with Suzi of L7 . Whoa . Major cool . "Glue" chugs along like vintage Kiss (are you old enough to remember " Strutter?"), with power riffs that'll have you spitting fire all over your bedroom . - Jim T . ANTI-HEROES - "Election Day" E P GMM I ' m aorta afraid of talking any shit on this tough band o' skins fo r fear the y ' ll jump me and steal my Doc Martens, man . A must for all Oi! boys. - Danny Eldridge Jr ANTISEEN - "Fornication"/"I Can't Control Myielf " Rave Antiseen goes to Seattle and the result is the best soudning 45 that these North Carolina hog butchers have ever waxed . Producer Jack Endino concentrates on a, dare I say it, " grunge" element tha t these boys have always had, but never in the forefront of thei r sound . " Fornication" sermonizes in fine Southern Baptist traditio n while the music slowly drags you to the river and holds your hea d under. And a few appropriate lyrical changes customize the Trogg s cover so it fits the band's psychotic redneck image perfectly. No t PC, and damn proud of it . - Des Jr . ANTISEEN/RANCID VAT - "Pure Hate" Split E P Brilliancy Prize I'm at a loss for words . Hot on the heels of Antiseen's killer Rave single comes this second split 7 " with Portlan d ' s Rancid Vat. While RVat ars good at soundin ' bad, Antiseen top themselves again wit h their most vehement, most riff-corrosive tune yet . More punk than a Misfits skullhead tattoo . Get it, then see them live . - Des Jr . ARCWELDER - "Raleigh" EP Touch & Go Bright guitar wash with a tight rhythmic grip and poppy vocal melodies . I like it, but it just doesn't flip my switches into the "on " position for very long . - Des Jr . ARTLESS - "Harass " Vital Music Okay, here's Mykel Board, the Rush Limbaugh of punk rock, on the topic of sexual harassment: " Feminocracy rubs with an iro n fist/they think free speech laws won't be missed/If we wink at girls , then they'll be pissed ." The B side is a cover of the Divinyls' " I Touch Myself ." And musically, of course, the band once agai n distinguishes itself as one of the greatest punk bands in the history of NY Hardcore, right there alongside Got and Huasipungo . - Jim T . AVOCADO JUNGLE FUZZ/WAG - 'Phineas P . Gaga" Spilt E P Happy Trail s Nice 3D skill and brain cover art (Including the little cardboard 3D glasses) . You see, Phineas P . Gage was a l g th century railroad worker who had an Iron rod Impaled In his head due to an acciden t on the job . He lived, but over time his personality changed for th e worse . H's an interesting story, but unfortunately, the same canno t be said for the bands who share this split EP . AJF take th e post-Sub-Pop Nu-Rok path while Wag follow a more wimpy po p direction . Next . - Des Jr .
BAD TRIP - "Elevator" E P Wreck-Ag e Post-punk with collegiate lyrics, kinds like a more erudit e American Standard with two guitars, fitfully trying to find a plac e somewhere between old school hardrock riffage and today ' s catchier brand of punk tuneage . On " Stockholm Syndrome," Bad Trip finally find a groove, and on " Elevator" they dissect New Yor k City ' s current malaise with more insight than the 6 O'Clock News . New guitarist Artie Shepherd adds a dimension that's heavy but no t metal, while substantially boosting the band's cuteness factor . Lyric sheet included . Pretty cool . - Jim T. BALLISTICS - E P Ghou l A four-piece garage/psychobilly band with all the usual Crampisms and with a touch of Stray Cats . This record retains a certain punkness throughout that either of those bands don't even touch . Worth checking out if you're into the ' billy thang . - Jimmy Tur n BALLOONATIC - "Living In Your Time"/"Drift " Fluffe r Pretty, driving tuneage . The A side sounds very Flop-like . I like th e lyrics to "Drift," which correspond to my own anti-holida y sentiments . - George Che n BIVOUAC - "Fishes"/"Dragging Your Weight Around " Engin e "Fishes" pumps along in a non-offensive manner, but the acoustic "Dragging . . ." reminds me too much of bad 70's AOR 1p filler (o r something) to give it much of a chance . - Des Jr. BLANKS ' 77 - " Destroy Your Generation " E P Headach e Well, maybe not the whole generation, just these four numbskulls . "Police Attack " is good if you're locked into the '77 sound, and I rather like the dingy bass and the neanderthal harmonizing . - Ale x Swain BLATZ/TRIBE 8 - Split E P Lickout Great split single with two more killer Tribe 8 tunes and the bes t songs Blatz have ever released la cover Of " Nausea " and the hallucinogenically depraved "Roadkill .") More than worth k . - De s Jr . BLOOD SPOON - "Deadwheeling" E P Mentalfis t A good urgency in the singer's voice, a crunchy guitar an d grooving rhythm section are the shining points to Bloodspoon's 7 inch. "The Day She Died" has excellent lyrics dealing with th e environment, while "Deadwheeling" throws in some feisty change s to keep the hardcore style from going stale . Overall, a good effort . - Tom Angell i BLUE MEANIES - "Grandma Shampoos"/"Dickory Dock " No Recor d I love the horns and funk thing, which has been demoralized in the Bay Area . Blue Meanies recorded these tunes live last year an d I'm digging it full, as if the Beastie Boys took a cue from aka. George Che n BOG BLAST - "Miss Conception"/"Foot The Bill" Anti-Music Grindy fuzz punk guitar riffs just slow enough to itch a little wit h 3 and 4 note delay solos, vocals from Gruff Throat 101, lyrics about narrow minds and slaves to Miss Clairol . Nothing special, but nothing bad . - Greg M. BOLLWEEVILS - "Disassembled" E P Underdog Very very very very very fast hardcore, with annoyingly nasa l vocals . This sounds a little like Naked Raygun played too fast, bu t that's the nicest thing I can say about it . - Jim T . BOMBSHELL - "Fixer"/"Death, A Hammer, & A Childs Song " No Ide a Gainesville outfit with two ex-People's Court members and Var o f No Idea fanzine . This is reminiscent, to me, of recent Dischord bands, with choppy guitars and emotional lyrics . Not bad, but I think " Fixer" is the stronger song . Worth investigating but hurry , they only pressed 300. - Des Jr.
Photo by Jim Testa
Cavity
BORN AGAINST/UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMAGEDDON - Split E P Gravity There's no doubt about it. Born Against are one of the best band s around . Their two songs on this split EP stay on track - very heavy but it still rages . UOOA sound very much like Born Against , although their songs aren't quite as good . Still, this is a great split EP, because you don't get one good band and one bad band . In this case, both bands are great . - Bob Byrn e BRANIAC - " Superduperseven " E P Limited Potentia l Cool garage-noise band with a Moog that makes your ears fee l like they're at a taffy pull . The title song is kinds clunky but th e rest of this 3-tune EP is worth checking out . - Des Jr. BROKEN HEROES - "Jump For Oil" E P Headache Hooray for Headache . Headache bands are a welcome chang e from the girth of shitty pop-punk or 80's punk music that's churne d out so frequently these days . Broken Heroes have a real fire an d energy in their Oi punk that would get a club hopping in minutes . Buy this and look for anything on this labell - Jamie T. BRUJERIA MACHETAZOSI SATANISMOI - 6 song E P Alternative Tentacle s Lots of questions about whether this, the first Satanic grindcor e release from Alternative Tentacles, is meant as a joke or not . I don't think it is, but who cares? Thumbs up for the gory cove r photos, anyway . - Des Jr . BUGJUICE - "Velcro Buddha" E P Constant Chang e This is why reviewing 7-inches can be so rewarding . These Boston rockers are tight, talented, and very catchy . The first song makes it obvious what bands Bugjuice sounds like - the guitar i s reminiscent of old Dinosaur Jr or Blake Babies . Vocals range from Mr . Seconds to J Mascis' closest relative . The overall sound reminds me primarily of Soul Asylum . This record screams to be heard, or at least respected . This will remain on my turntable for a while, or until the pot runs out . - Alex S . BUMPING UGLIES - "Thin"/"Hollywood " Red Planet The Bumping Uglies, who hail from Southern California, are quite an enjoyable folk/rock outfit. Sure, they sound a lot like 10,000 Maniacs, but I still like them . Buy this 7 inch and go dance around the front yard without pants . - Jamie T.
BUTTHEAD - "Volume" E P Heat Blast The cover is a takeoff on Black Sab ' s "Volume 4, " which woul d be more appropriate for a Pearl Jam or Nirvana who have coppe d more Sabbath riffs than . . . Oh, nevermind . Butthead cops the Sabbath riffs as well but they add a great singer, quality songwritin g and excellent metal-tinged production . Tony lommi could lear n something from these guys . - Ben Wease l
COSMIC PSYCHOSNERTIGO - Split E P Hippy Knight Each band covers a Halo Of Flies song . Vertigo's " You Get Nothing " takes the cake from the Psychos' " Garbage Rock . " However, neither comes close to the originals . So there .
CANDY APPLES - E P Serene Sardine Insulting guitar noise backed by screechy singing and accompanied by chaotic cover art . Dirgy bass and an overall demented feel make this an engaging slab of vinyl . - Mike Lupic a
CRAW - " 405 " / " Stomp " Chok e So, do the Jesus Lizard get the nod as the new cool influence, o r what? "Stomp" has to be the most difficult thing I've subjected m y ears to in a long time . "4O5" gets higher marks for at least making an effort to get going somewhere . Remember, boys, there ' s more to writing songs than just remembering when to stop and start land stop . . .and start again . . . and stop again .) - Sal C .
CATHARSIS - "Darkness AT Noon"/"Question of Sorrow " Noiseville Ahh, a lovely, chunky, grinding fuzzfest . It ' s been a long time since I've heard such heavenly feedback . Growling vocals, churning mayhem . . .what more could a guy want? - Jamie T .
CYNICS - " Right Here With You"/"Leam To Lose " Get Hip Fuzztoned high-energy garage rock, exactly what you ' d expect from the Cynics . Another solid release from this outfit . Check out the message scratched into the center groove . - Des Jr .
CAVITY - E P 4 1/2 Fingers Fiercely painful, twisted, gut-wrenching grindcore by a group o f Florida teens who are obviously possessed by Satan . The onl y experience I can compare to this record is having a wisdom toot h pulled - without novocaine . In other words, I loved it . And a s psychotically deranged as they sound on this 3 song EP, it doesn 't do their live show justice . Find this band . Feel the pain . - Jim T.
DAISY CUTTE R Shith ammo r/Rockville All songs, including " Pull , " are driven by heavy bass going boom , band, chok . . .whie the guitar oodles back & forth . It reminds me o f the Buttholes, not just because there are two drummers but it ha s that demented, I don't know what, hypnotic quality . " Glutton Timing" is the best track, a sample of college rock like Gree n Magnet School . - Dave U .
CHER - "Live From Lawrence Kansas" E P Roundu p Melodic, rather dull music combined with quite an uncomplementing live sound . I really don't see the point in releasing a live 7-inch by a band that doesn ' t have enough of a following to appreciate it . And if this is just to keep the local crowd happy, then why sand something this shitty sounding out as a representation o f your work to the rest of the country? I'm not impressed . - Jamie T.
DAMBUILDERS - "Smell"/"Colin's Heroes " Pop Narcoti c "Smell" tests the boundaries of pop with a piercing sonic guita r and a restless violin while crying, " She goes to bed with a smell" i n a passionate plea for understanding . " Colin ' s Heroes " rides a bit easier, relaxing as the violin bounces off the bass, then the guitar . Soulful and talented decoy pop . - Greg M .
CLAYFACE - "What We Do"/"Head On Ground " MY Natio n A side : The music grooves to a sinuous bass pattern while th e singer screams into a broken mike. B side : The bass reminds me o f "And Then He Kissed Me" while the pit does a Fugazoid chunkachunk . The mike's still broken . Verdict : I don ' t know . Yello w vinyl . - Des Jr . CIRCLE X - "PR Ghost"/"Pleasure Gallows " American Gothic/Dutch Eas t "Pleasure Gallows " has that grainy distorted sound with a monotone drone that gives me pleasure - it gives me the sam e satisfaction as scraping my nails against a chalkboard in a roo m filled with people I hate . This varied greatly from their live set . Tom B . COLORED GREENS - EP Big Red Ant Great grungy band from Brooklyn . The song "Salvation" is definitely the best track on this four-song EP . lt rocks, then brings down the dynamics with a catchy vocal that makes it worth playin g again and once more . If you can find it, pick it up . - Dave Urbano . CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS - "The Mississippi"/"Johnny Oops " Singles Only Labe l Americana music which is, to me, more interesting for the name s on the label (Pater Holsapple, Steve MacDonald, Vicki Peterson and Susan Cowsill) than the actual tuneage . Despite my opinion, this i s a label worth supporting . - Des Jr. CORNDOLLY - "Come Out"/"Sex Kitten " Mud Insistently strummed rhythm guitar and an urgent vocalist prope l this gem into the top of my 1993 list so far. Fans of the Scrawl to Beat Happening spectrum should seek these gals out . I'd love to see them live . - Des Jr .
Doc Hopper
DAllLING KILLMEN - "Medicine Me"/"Poptones " Skin Graf t "Medicine Me" reminds me of a slightly less psychotic Stretcheads tune, while the flip is a prettier (if that' s possible for a song about rape & murder from the victim's point of view) versio n of PIL's "Poptones ." It's a decent record but the real deal is the comix packaging that sets these Skin Graft projects apart from th e crowd . In particular are the pages done by Mark Fischer . The y stand taller than most anything that's been published in the las t couple issues of RAW . Burgundy wax . - Des Jr. DEATHGROOVELOVEPARTY - "George Bush Lies " Singles Only Labe l "George Bush Lies" makes me think of the Violent Femmes on a n off day . "Love Is Strong" on the flip is better, a folky/rocky thin g driven along by a thumping tomtom beat and a squalling guitar line . It' s only all right. - Des Jr.
DOC HOPPER - "Sweet Urns" E P Constant Chang e They crammed too many songs onto this 7 " at 33 rpm with a noticeable loss of sound quality, but that's my only complaint . Sugary pop-punk with the former drummer of the A .G .'s on lead vocals, spewing out some funny lyrics amid the catchy hooks . There ' s some classy Sabbathoid showoff guitar on the B side, a G .G . Allin cover, and a 2-second song co-written by Sa m McPheeters . How punk is that? A definite find . - Jim T. DOG FACED HERMANS/JONESTOWN - Split E P Compulsive One live track from each band . Jonestown sound like the y grabbed the wrong end of a live power cable and are now convulsing on the floor with their skin seared, their eyes boiled and their hair on fire . Incredible . DFH do an Omette Coleman jazzspaz z with an assist from a horn section called The Honies . Double cool . Get it . - Des Jr . DOGFIGHT - "Freeze Your Laughing" E P Collective Chao s Chaotic Mirxeapolitan Profane punk noise bowing trombones , trumpets, saxes, plucking upright bass, and dumpster diving . The music is reminiscent of the jazz-style of Nation of Ulysses, Fishbone , and Charlie Parker . Imagine Thelonius Monk if he were a crust y anarchist . Lyrics are by female and male and sampled . While listening, peruse the the well-done 20-page lyric insert for the ver y DIY feeling this record exudes . An inspiring and original work that grows on you the same way wax and bacteria do when you don't bathe indefinitely . A must get . . . - Scott Beibin DON CABALLERO - "Don Caballero" E P Touch & G o An all-instrumental EP . Yuckl This bores me . I think only musicians can appreciate instrumentals . Basic heavy, hard-rock type stuff here . Nothing new from Touch & Go . - Bob B . DONORA - 3 SONG ep Withering Cerebral sludge . Like the Melvins with a B.A . in philosophy . It' s ok, kind cool-boring . - Des Jr .
Don Caballero
DELVIS - "Tiger In My Tank"/"Took A Trip " Wicked Coo l The Gun Club meets the Throwing Muses in a quartet that's slot less interesting than it should be . Kind . cool. . . but not that cool . Thumbs up for effort, tho . - Jamie T. DEVIATORS - "Fall( g Away E P Empty Like fellow Brouklynites the Vacant Lot, the Deviators pla y Buzzcocks/Ramous styule punk that manages to borrow all th e best elements without sounding like carbon copies . Occasiona l things skate a little close to the obvious but originality was neve r exactly the Ramones' strong suit either . Great pop music can soun d both familiar and fresh at the same time, and the Deviators hav e somehow managed to come up with threee more tunes that you'll hum in your head long after you've forgotten their names . - Sal C . DIE MONSTER DIE - " Bareknuckle " /"Wallflower Garden " Funky Mushroo m This is the first time I've heard Die Monster Die,, and while I can' t say it's the best thing I've ever heard, it wasn't too bad . One sid e is a catchier pop song and the other more mellow . Good guitars with a singer that has a very high-pitched voice . Very commercial , but worth a listen . - Bob B.
DREAMS MADE FLESH - "Great Men " E P Interplant The "groat men" are Philip K . Dick, the dead scifi author, and Jerry Garcia, the Deadhead . Both tunes are catchy collegiate pop , about what you'd expect from a Boston band . The song about Philip K . Dick is full of oblique references but the Jerry Garcia tune is a novelty tune making fun of the Grateful Dead, and I'm all for that . - Jim T . DREAMS MADE FLESH - "Renegade Debutante" E P Interplant No themes or gimmicks on this foIowup to theri "Great Men" EP, just two solid songs on a slab of cherry red vinyl . Both song s feature throbbing, humpy rhythms, with less of the X-Iike male/female vocal interplay than on earlier recordings . Leaner, mor e straightforward, but still a potent dose of churning post-punk roc k and roll. - Jim T . DRIVE CHOIR - "Close Your Eyes"/"La La La " Maggo t Catchy pop punk with a nice beat and engaging vocals . If they lived in my town, I'd be a regular at their shows. The flipside is sort of an artsy attempt at a Banana Splits tune . Groovy . - Jim T . DROP ACID - "John Dark" E P Eating Blu r Kevin Seconds side project on his new label, with a funky groove fora change . This isn't exactly Nine Inch Nails but it's a helluva lot livelier and heavier than anything on the last few 7 Seconds Ips . Kevin still needs a producer who can gat him a chunkier guita r sound in the stud io, butjhis is certainly a step in the right direction - great vocals, tons of energy, and some bails for a change. - Jim T.
DWARVES - "Underworld"/"Lies " Sub Po p The most happening band currently on this label (oh shit, that' s not saying much anymore, is it?) slows it down and stretches it ou t for this 45 . I think it's great but if you're looking for "Fuckhead, " you ' ll be disappointed . Glossy glamor sleeve and piss yellow wax . - Des Jr. EGGS - E P Jade Tre e Damn pretty . The trombone is boss, and their cover of "Fever " is quite welcome . This is one of the DC groups that is totall y minimal but still evokes a range of beauty of displacement . " Sexual Tension : is an eerily plodding piece with screamed background vocals . - George C . EL MAGNIFICO - "Hooray"/"Mind Set " Red Planet The front photo is comical, a naked bald dude with a barrel around his body . The band is polished, proudly displaying a L .A . hard rock/alternative sound . The vocals on "Mind Set, " wit h a lot of flange on top of the rock grooves, reminded me a lot o f Monster Magnet . - Dave U . EL SMASHO - "Foster Brooks" E P Icon Not as happening as their two previous singles, but not slackin g in energy or chops . Worth it for the line, " This ain't just music, it ' s revenge . " Find everything by this band . - Des Jr. ENDPOINT - "Bum Sassy Idiots" E P Doghouse A brilliant concept! Louisville's finest hardcore bands cover four songs from their favorite inspirational bands, including Embrace, the Misfits, Malignant Growth, and Rites Of Spring . The songs are all done justice, with Endpoint adding their own special flavor . Th e sleeve photo is a hilarious takeoff on Samhain . - Mike Harbin
FILTHKICK - "Hand Crushed Heart" E P Desperate Attempt A 3-song EP from a U .K. punk band turned slo-industrial-grind-hate . Not as quality as Godflesh but similaritie s do exist : grunge guitar, armageddon lyrics, and samples of serial killers . Not for the mentally unstable (or competent .) - Greg M . FINGERS - "You Get On My Nerves " Bag 0' Hammers Precisely the kind of disgusting little single I love . Three guys in ties, and very little musicianship to match, yet they manage to com e up with two awesome songs that sound like they belong on an old tape of your favorite show from your local college radio station . This made me simultaneously shit, piss, and cream in my pants . Rare . - Mike L . THE FIXTURES - "Entartete Kunst" E P House O'Pain Definitely the oddest thing I've heard in a while . Intricate metal-style arrangements that zip by at a ncie pace, augmented b y some truly unique vocals by drummer Kevin H . Kevin sings in a deep, deep basso profundo that's almost operatic at times leek!) . If they sang about Satan , there would be Fixtures posters hanging o n every midwestem teen's wall . Instead, they sing about the ne w world order and quitting your fascist day job . Some folks never learn . - Sal C . FLAPJACKS - " Working Mans Blues"/"6th Street " T/K Totally enjoyable rockabilly . Touches of the Cramps and the Cynics abound . Plenty of humor and straight, upfront vocals make this a winner . Could easily fit into any John Waters movie . - Ben W .
EVERCLEAR - "Nervous & Weird " Tim Kerr I do n ' t want to overdo this, but sometimes you hear a band and you get a tingle . It's that rare rush of adrenaline that comes whe n music hits your head and your guts at the same time, and you jus t know that the band you're listening to is the shit . Well, Everclea r gives me the tingle . Grunge isn't dead, it's just moved to Portland . "Nervous & Weird" has a hypnotizing feedback buzz to the guitars and a wonderfully bumpy melody, with lyrics that fall into on e another like free-verse poetry, just like on that big hit record by that three-piece from Seattle a couple of years ago . The flip, "Electr a Made Me Blind," adds just a little blues groove to the formula fo r another whomping kick in the head . Don't even bother looking fo r this single, you'll probably never find it . Get the EP these songs ar e from, and remember you read about this band first. Because I' m betting yo u 'll be reading about them in Rolling Stone and Spin a year from now, if not sooner . - Jim T. FACTS ABOUT RATS - "I Don't Warms Get Involved With You" E P Stanton Park The A side is a collaboration with Joe King of the Queers, s o predictably it ' s a boozy singalong with a totally Ramones chorus . Side two's pretty much more of the same, although not as catchy. This is probably what Screeching Weasel will sound like in ta n years, god help us . - Jim T. FAILURE FACE - E P Burrit o I can't tell if this record is just poking fun at Old School N Y moshcore, or whether the band members just enjoy indulging in th e genre's excesses . You get all the ingredients in ample doses : Heavy guitars, growling vocals, galloping bass riffs that stop on a dime, slamming power chords, and a drummer playing faster than Speedy Gonzalez on meth . Having seen them live, I gather it' s al l tongue in cheek, but I bet an awful lot of lunkheads still mournin g the demise of Agnostic Front would eat this up if they heard it. Jim T.
Everclear FLOWER GANG - "Junkdrawer" Double-7 " Spin Art Infantile love rock . This record is so cute and precious that I fee l compelled to chase the neighbors' kids with the weedwacker as an antidote . - Des Jr. FORKLIFT - 4 song E P Vandal Childre n Sounds like this should be on Cruz - emo lyrics with heav y guitars . Fans of All might warms check this out . - Danny E . FUCKERS - "Block Party"/"A Goddamn Anthem About Man . . . " Sub-Po p A slower, less misogynistic Dwarves-type thing . I hear that it' s a Seaweed side project but I have no real proof other than it' s produced by Clint Werner (of Seaweed .) Oh, it's okay . Mine's on clear blue vinyl. - Des Jr.
FUSE - Double 7 " PCP Record s NYC artloft all-star pretensions redeemed by crack (or is tha t smack? ouch!) drum vet Jim Sclavunos (Teenage Jesus to the Jerk s to latter-day Cramps) and Mark C's (ex-Live Skull) corrosively lovel y guitar tones . Overall, it's not what I'm into but there are som e wonderful musical passages here . - Des Jr . F .Y .P. - "Cooties " Theologia n From the man behind Recess Records, Dirtboy zine, and pr o skateboarding, Todd Congelliere, comes this basic punk records . This is so simple it ' s quite good . Snotty punk rock with a totall y do-it-yourself feel . I think all the Riot Gras should listen to "Born With A Dick ." - J .Turri GAMEFACE - "Beach Chair"/ " Home " Gameface Excellent pop punk with a fine vocal, similiar to Big Drill CAr . I anxiously await a full-length Ip with beefier production . Gamefac e would fit well in the Cruz lineup, so listen up . - Mike H . GASOLINE/BOB CACTUS - Split E P Prick Gasoline falls under the hardcore category for me . Some tightening up would have made their song, "Moments," better. "One Last Wish" is more original . The Bob Cactus side is done o n four-track ; they write pretty smarmy tunas like "N .D .S ." I don't know what that means, but "Prez Clinton" sounds like Fugazi o n some vegetables given to them by Wean . Look for Bob in the future . - Dave U . GHOST SHIRTS - "Here Is A Compass " /" Song X " Cyphe r There seems to be a little mini-scene brewing, based around a new style of pop band . Bands like the Ghost Shirts (and Nothin g Painted Blue, and Lotion) fall somewhere to the right of Sonic Yout h on the pop scale, or somewhere to the left of R .E .M . These are catchy songs played as if the musicians might just turn things insid e out come the second verse . But then they never quite do . Po p music for people who don't like pop? Sounds good to me . And so do the Ghost Shirts . - Sal C. ,iUMS - 4 song E P Quixoti c This band is tight in a mid- to uptempo three-piece sort of way, but the singer's voice is at odds with the musicianship, flat and yowly . But I definitely get the impression that vocals are secondary , as these guys have extended instrumental passages that showcas e a well-practiced jam sound . Not as bad as I may be making it out to be, and probably pretty cool live . - Des Jr . I love potato-cakes . Now I know they ' re not new, fresh mashe d potatoes, but but you know, after they ' ve been in the refirgerato r a while and then I pat 'em out and fry ' em out, they really taste a whole lot better . It might have something to do with the fact that not everybody knows about potato-cakes . I'm funny like that . S o this EP has four Sonic Youth/Dinosaur Jr .-esque songs that are really very good, despite the fact that " Eyedropper " contains tw o dis-chords plucked right out of Sonic Youth ' s " Cross The Breeze. " This is definitely not original and I will even go so far as to say tha t I'm surprised they dare sound like this . But I will continue to pla y this constantly. I'm funny like that . - Greg M .
Hum
GIRLS AGAINST BOYS - "Bulletproof Cupid"/ " Sharkmeat " Touch & Go G vs B are nothing if not consistent . Consistently dazzling live and consistently hit or miss on record . When they come up with a good hook or two (see the A side), they are capable of grinding i t out with the best of ' em . When they try to rely to heavily o n "atmosphere" (see the B side), they can get boring kind of quick . - Sal C . , GO FIGURES - "Reputation"/"Phantom Pains " Self Rising Okay, these Athenians are good rocking fellows, but they sound a little too rehearsed, if that makes any sense . I get the feeling these songs have been practiced so many times that they've lost their initial exhuberance . The singer' s Pearl Jam twang turns me off as weN . The B side is the better tune . Go figure . - Jamie T .
GIBSON BROTHERS - "Mean Mistreater" 3 song E P Homestea d Lo-fi retro covers from these Cannuck stalwarts with Pussy/Hog g pit mangler Jon Spencer sittin' in . "Cat Drug In" and "Girl Can' t Help It " are delivered in the tub-thumpin' voodoobuzz packages yo u might expect from this combo, but it' s the sweet rendition of th e Box Tops' "Soul Deep" that sticks with me . Overall, kind of a n " eh . ." to me, but fans of Billy Childish oughta dig it . - Des Jr .
GOD IS MY COPILOT - "Gender Is As Gender Does" E P Funky Mushroo m Arty feminine abrasion . Four songs, two are live in the stud io and two are "constructed" of samples of the band . You can't tell th e difference unless you look at the insert, tho, because GodCo attack s song structures with a lurching rhythmic approach, scratchy guitars, and recited/chanted dual vocals . It ' s okay in a design school type of way, but sounds a bit too self-conscious for me . Yellow wax . Des Jr .
GIGANTOR - "Quicker Than Quick" 3 song EP Lost & Found With a name like Gigantorand a dedication "to the greatest band in the world, The Dickiesl", why does this sound more like Dag Nasty? Ther e ' s a Kiss and a Misfits cover on the b-side . Next. - De s Jr .
GOD AND TEXAS - "Comrade General"/"Chromalox " Lovehamme r Relentless brainpound from this Ohio 3-piece, rock solid and dirty . "Chromalox" has a cool false ending . Put it in a lovely Napolean sleeve and you have this gem. You need it. - Des Jr .
GODSPEAK S Limited Potential Chicago-area grunge with all the usual "roc k " sensibilities . The singer occasionally sounds like Ian Astebury of The Cult but th e music is more along the lines of Tad . Good, but ho hum . - Mike L . GRABBERS - " The Way I Am " /" Three " Dr Drea m Hmmm, seems to be late 80' s rehash punk-rock with a stron g Ramones influence . This shows some potential but is lackin g something ; it's barely catchy and not memorable at all . Maybe nex t time around, guys, huh? - J .Turr i GRAVEL PIT - "The Devil" E P Caffeine Dis k The A side is a love song that didn't do much for me, but the B side - titled 'Paul Westerberg," yet - is much better, a rockin' tun e with headlong urgency and a kickass melody, nice fuzzy guita r breaks and a feisty, punky lead vocal . The only thing it has to do with Mr Westerberg, however, is that it has a cool hook that Mr . Placemats might have written in his prime . - Jim T . GREY SPIKES - "Redwing Motel " Vital Gesture Rather unconventional punk music that's quick and to the point . Strip away all the distortion and yelling and you ' d be left with basi c blues structures, a good foundation that a lot of bands try to avoi d for some reason . In fact, a fair part of this band ' s catchiness is du e to that simple fact . "Idiot Man " has a spooky, late-night quality that's out of character (which is why it works .) Three songs in all , with a slow, lethargic B side with disturbing guitar noodling that eventually builds up into a massive explosion of noise . Right on . Mike L . GRIFTERS - "Soda Pop"/"Divine/She Blows Blasts of Static " Shangri-L a Hard to put a descriptive finger on this . The singer drawls, th e beats are mid-tempo, but the songs devolve into a fuzzed-out screechfest with blackdirt amp noise . Pretty neat, but not, like, wa y involving . I ' d go see them if they were playing near me, though . Des Jr . GRIMPLE - 4 song EP Homemad e These kids kick out the jams in a crusty, Discharge-y vein . Very punk, non-pop East Bay noise. Fun stuff and a great sound for being recorded at a practice space . Keep it up, guys) - Des Jr. GROOVEBLASTER B - "Only The Shadows Know " Don' t The A side is a neat reggae-dub bass groove with a cooing lad y vocalist. I rather like it. However "(Go Go) Get Away From Me" on the flip is standard-issue disco that wants to be on your loca l dance-mix radio station next to TLC and Bobby Brown . Considering that there ' s nothing punk, alternative, or even experimental about this record, I'm not sure why we got it . - Des Jr. GUZZARD - E P Project A Bom b A way cool single of assaulting guitar and snouty vocals, a formula that always gets me worked up . Reminds me a bit of Helmet, in that there's lots of empty space in the music, but that adds to the overall effect of being bludgeoned by the pulsatin g rhythms . Both songs share an identical structure, the onl y difference is the speed, but I still think a whole album of this would be pretty damn exciting . - Mike L . THE HANSON BROTHERS - 'Brad"/ " Hay There Goes That Kid ' Wrong Funny side project from the NoMeansNo folks . The idea is that the Hanson Bros . are a sibling punk band/hockey team (taken from the goon hockey players in an awful Paul Newman movie .) I like the more straightforward (as opposed to NMN) late 70 ' s punk style going on here, but it probably helps to be Canadian to get the joke . - Des Jr.
HELLKRUSHER - 'Dying For Who? " E P Tribal Wa r This English grind band is so punk, they don't even try to mak e the lyrics rhyme (which doesn't matter, since on vinyl they're 100 % unintelligible anyway.) Five loud, angry, very fast songs, garble d vocals, nasty guitars, social/political lyrics, but with enough of a n early Oi! that they reminded me a little of NYC' s Kraut . - Jim T. HIGHBACK CHAIRS - "Share"/"One Small Step " Dischord This is the label that once housed Faith, Void and Dag Nasty? Th e Highback Chairs are a headlong plunge into lightweight altema-po p marsh territory . Forget Government Issue, the reference point i s now Material Issue . Icky poo . - Des Jr . HIGH RISK GROUP - " Pulsed " /"Occupied " Artsy moan/drone that achieves a decent ebb & flow on "Pulsed, " but takes a nap on the b side . Produced by Thalia Zadek of Come . - Des Jr . HIJOS DE NADIE - 'El Puto Sistema" E P Computer Crim e Ohmigod! ft's 1981 again and Bieck Flag, Fear and the Dea d Kennedys are in full effect! Not really, but if this wasn't so badl y recorded, it could be as forceful as those classic HC groups . Get these native Puerto Ricans into a real studio and watch the m explode . - Des Jr . HOOVER - "Side Car Freddie " / " Cable " Dischord/Hoover Ltd Though 3/4 of Hoover only moved to D .C . within the past tw o years, the band embraces the stereotypical D .C . sound, look, and etiquette more than any native band . Nonetheless, they rock wit h sincerity and emotion . Catch them live for a better representation o f why they are Dischord's new blood - not necessarily a breath o f fresh air, but certainly new blood . - Mike H . HOOVER/LINCOLN - " Two Headed Coin" Split E P Art Monk Constructio n Clever idea, having two bands with similiar styles and both named after presidents share an EP . Hoover and Lincoln both traffi c in that post-Fugazi emo-core style of punk, a genre that ' s becom e almost as cliched as all the thrashy hardcore bands who sprang up in the wake of Minor Threat . Obviously, this style has its fans ; Fugazi's mind-boggling success proves that, and this EP will n o doubt satisfy the faithful but leave non-believers unconverted . Hoover is capable of amazing things live, but here they sound lik e too many othor bands - Greyhouse, Gauge, etc. Lincoln adds a gawky adolescent vocal to the formula that proves too much sincerity and emotion can be a bad thing . England has it s shoegazers, D.C . has its moongazers - bands that sing like they've got their heads up their butts . - Jim T. HUM - " Sundress " / " Time Is Melting " Mud Hum are a young band from Urbana, IL . Maybe you caught the m on tour with Poster Children . Their past stuff has been great and promising, and their 'Hello Kitty ' single has spent a lot of time o n my turntable . So this new 7 " is no surprise . There ' s a slight Poster Kids influence here, but Hum's a lot heavier. Both these songs are harshly pretty, with buried vocals and effected guitars . I tend to like " Sundress " better . A great new band, with an album on the way. Jodi S . . HUMAN ODDITIES - "The Earth Will Shekel" E P 4 1 /2 Fingers If X had grown up in Miami and had group sex with the Cramps on a regular basis, they still wouldn't have sounded as cool as these demonic Florida teens . Stompin' punkabilly riff s, possessed male/femal vocals trading off one liners back and forth, cool gutbucket sax blowin' through the whole shebang . . . This band's got it all, definitely try to check this out . - Jim T.
JFA "Lightning Storm" E P Buzz kill I had no idea JFA were still together, so needless to say I wa s surprised to find this in the mail . However I was much less surprise d after a spin on the turntable . This isn't as far a cry from what the y were doing ten years ago as I might have hoped (i .e ., "It's time to unite . . .join the party and grab yourself a brew . . . " kind of stuff . ) Sad . The good news is that Brian Brannon still wears an afro . Danny E .
PETER LAUGHNER & THE FINNS - "Baby's On Fire'/"What Goe s On " Singles Only Labe l This is my first chance to hear anything by Peter Laughner, th e legendary Cleveland punk rock mover . These are fairly faithful En o and VU covers, but the thing to remember is that this was back in the mid-70's, when no one knew what the fuck this shit was about . This is history, folks, and I'd bet a lot of you could use the lesson . - Des Jr.
JAWBOX - " Jackpot Plus! " / " Motorist " Dischord This 7 inch is a bit louder than I remember the Grippe Ip being, a definite plus . I guess that tour with Helmet was sorts influential . And, oh my, the labels are reversed on my copy! - Des Jr.
LAVA SUTRA - "Feeling Handsome"/"You All Over " Bold Heavy-sounding pop-rock from Chicago . Their classic rock influences help hide the fact that they' re Neil Diamond fans . Fun guitar-driven sounds with no pretensions of hefty aspirations, ye t hard enough not to be sappy . - Tom Brebri c
JAWBOX/TAR - "Static " Split EP Dischord/Touch & G o So it's the old, Let's cover each other' s tunes ploy . The twist here is that both songs bear the same title . Jawbox ' s Tar is bette r than Tar' s Jawbox, but I still find this very strange . - Des Jr . JESUS CHRIST SUPERFLY - "Big Shit"/"Rocket Scientist " Rise Both tunes take on obvious targets (cops, fret boys, etc) wit h short, chunky, Derelicts-style big-chord punk songs . It's ok, but mega hats off to the incredible Frank Kozik who designed the cover . Red wax . - Des Jr . JOE WORKER - "Getta Jab"/"Capital Bill " Roundup Medium-tempo punk with nothing interesting to offer . I almost fell asleep listening to the singer chirp, "Gotta job ; " not even "getta job, " which is the name of the song! - Jamie T .
THE LEONARDS - " Move " Red Planet Happy bubblegum punk with good production an d good intentions . It gets better and better with each listen . "Catchiest Overused Guitar Hook of the Year Award" goes to th e last 45 seconds of the B side . - Mike L. LI D Quixotic A two-track recording of your pre-pubescent brother's band . N o shit! Four lo-fidelity monotone songs great for wasting your time . Now there's nothing wrong with spending little to no money o n recording, as long as the energy and emotion translates . It onl y makes sense . But when you can release any piece of low-qualit y shit and call it art, I think you ' re confused and need a swift pounding in the head . Please put a Lid on it . - Greg M .
JOLT - "Billy Boy " / " Jalopy " Shredde r Cool new trio that combines Green Day's poppin' fresh doughy fun with Jawbreaker' s sore-throat pop angst . The A side wa s produced by former Jerseyite Nikki Parasite . Rockin' . I hope they tour this summer . - Jim T . JUNCTION - "Falling & Laughing" E P Significant 10,000 Maniacs go punk . The lyrics are - Jim T.
s0000
poetic . Blechhh .
JUNKFISH - "About You"/"She Said " Drazen Krsnik Heavy Belgian riff rock that puts about 3/4 of the current crop of Subpoppers in the dirt . These guys play it like they mean it . A very impressive 45 . Find it. - Des Jr . JUSTINE - "I On You"/"The Thrasher " Lovehammer Off-kilter noiserokk from Mass . with snotty vocals . Too damn quirky for its own good, say I . Maybe next time . - Des Jr . KILL SYBIL - 'Fairlane" 4 song E P Empty Seattle Lite with lady voices . That may be unfair, but this just doesn't impress me . - Des Jr. KRULLER - E P Dr. Drea m This band has a very cool pop thing going on ala Samiam . Just as catchy and memorable . How come some of the coolest new band s never put inserts inside of their 7-inches? That's about the only complaint I have of this above average release . - J.Turri LAUGHING ACADEMY - "Wildwood"/"Ensenada " Dahlia These guys have a less-psychotic Scratch Acid/Birthday Partythin g happening . "Wildwood" has a mutant walking blues groove wit h neat slide guitar figures . " Ensenada " is more churning, pit-wise, wit h s pounding stagger beat. Not bad . - Des Jr.
Photo by Rick Seger
Jolt
MALIBU BARBI - "Ain't Life Swell?" E P Harp Very catchy punk deal, performed with much aggression . "Party With Death" even attempts some metal-riff-rap combination, with a n apocalyptic theme . So it ain't subtle . - George C. MAMA TICK - " Horse Doctor " /" I'm Okay With Me " Skin Graf t A hectic earfuck from a group whose each successive release gets that much more deranged . Use Scratch Acid as a reference point and open your mind from there . Another high quality package from the fine artists at Skin Graft . - Des Jr . MAN OR ASTROMAN? - "Possession By Remote Control " Homo Habili s Mindless teens possessed by intergalactic boogiemen pla y swingin' surf instrumentals until the cows come horns . I'm sure their legendarily wacky live show helps a lot, since there ' s only s o much you can do with surf instrumentals, even if you play them wel l and come up with a lot of cool riffs . Still, the picture sleeve on this disc is worth the price of admission all by itself . - Jim T.
Junctio n LIQUOR BIKE - "Thirst Day" E P Penultimat e Liquor Bike play sloppy, raucous rock n roll ala Gas Huffer an d Mudhoney, but for my money, they might be better at it tha n anyone else . Blistering garage punk with great playing an d production. And a good looking package to boot! Check it out . - Sal C. LIQUOR BIKE/MILKMINE - Split E P Merkin Liquor Bike sounds like Soundgarden did years ago . . .but a little different . There's a picture inside the sleeve of them . They have such nice hair . Still, this is nauseating, commercial wannabe-Su b Pop rock with a glossy cover that once again tells me nothing abou t the bands . I hate to say this, but Milkmine are really brutal, noisy, and chaotic . . . crazy . Like the Cows, Helmet, Unsane, and Dwarves . Their song "Baptism" is an iconoclasic account of a Christian ritua l they compare to drowning . I'd like to hear more from them, but no t Liquor Bike . - Scott B .
MANHOLE - "Final Blow" E P Direct Hit Manhole play straight ahead hrdcore, complete with double bass and pissed off lyrics, not polished enough to leave garage status though . Every female hardcore band has a real cool name but fe w are able to justify it with their music, it seems . - Greg M . MELTING HOPEFULS - "Suck My Heart"/"Trying To Catch A UFO " Population Much in the poppish K Records vein, and judging from th e accompanying literature, they seem to be nice folks . The female lead singer has a dreamy voice too . But the sound quality is a bi t grainy on my copy, making the vocals hard to heard . - Dann y Eldridg e
MILK - "Making the Most Of Minimal Hearing " Big Money A really cool and fucked up EP with four songs that sound anything like one another, so it ' s impossible to pin a style on these guys . The tunes range from drugged out dreamy anthems t o Sebadoh-esque acoustic bits . Milk have harnessed themselves a good chunk of my respect and admiration with this 7 inch . I squirm impatiently in my seat as I wait for more . - Mike L .
LITTLE DEBBIE - "Thank You For My Vitamin" E P Weedeater Six humorous, nonsensical punk rock ballads from Athens . Reminds me of monkeyshines, fartburgers, and rubber boots . - Greg M. LOAD - "Pastor's Day" E P Faceless Wreckerd s it's easy to see why this is Des Jr.'s favorite new band . The y sound like Jesus Lizard on angel dust - faster than shit, frantic guitar spazzouts fronted by a crazed singer who sounds like he' s committing autoerotic asphyxiation while he ' s sings ng.lmpressive if you're into the psycho-noise shit scene . I bet they're amazing live too . - Jim T . LOVE BLOBS - "Cylinder Head"/"Peanuts " Big Mone y On a picture disc no less . Minneapolis seems to be putting out a lot of AmRep clones . I don ' t mind especially, because songs like "Cylinder Head" have cool little guitar melodies under ale the distortion that I like . "Peanuts " cooks along nice and tightly too . Get it while it's hot . - Dave U . LUNACHICKS - "C.I .L .L ." / "Plug g " Vital Music Both these tracks appear in vastly different forms on the 'chick s second album, Binge & Purge . As much as those versions kick, I prefer these rawer, less metallic takes . These may have been intended as demos but they're the ones that recaN the band' s garage-punk roots as they continue to slide closer and closer t o straight metal/thrash . Produced by Lanny Kaye (whose name may be familiar to anyone out there over 30 .) - Sal C .
Photo courtesy House O ' Pain
Load
MILK - "Eggs Breaking, Thunder, Sneezes & Laughter" E P Big Mone y I love it when I can't describe a band ' s sound immediately. I t means they may have something . This is produced by Mac (o f Superchunk fame I assume) and is not typically Minneapolis : Even though it's heavy, it's original, sorts like sped up King Crimso n meets Shudder To Think . - Dave U . MIND OVER MATTER - "Hectic Thinking" E P WreckAge Hard-hitting Long Island moshcore with a guitar sound heavy enough to be Old School, although the youthful shouted vocal s matriculated at Straightedge U . Powerful, edgy, throttling tempo s pummel you with ideas and riffs until you're ready to scream uncle , then they crank it up one more notch for the closer, "Feel Th e Pleasure & Pain ." Well, good hardcore should hurt . Ouch! - Jim T . MOJO NIXON & THE WORLD FAMOUS BLUE JAYS - "UFO's . . . " Diesel Only I don't know if I'll be listening to this a whole lot, but Moj o Nixon's silly, throwaway novelty songs make perfect sans sin th e context of this jukebox single . Using the Blue Jays as his backu p band works well (in a countryfied sort of way) but I still mess th e "Frenzy" that he stirred up with Skid Roper . This comes on marble d wax with jukebox title cards . - Des Jr. MONDO GUANO/SLO DELUXE - Split E P Toxic Shoc k Mondo Guano is an incredibly accurate description . If this is a joke , it's not funny . Four noise-infected tracks which are way too painfu l and poor to be psychedelic, but could possibly be compared to Ween . . .if you were nuts and got an erection by stumping your to e and busting your face wide open. The flipside features Sb Delux e doing their " Lizard Mix" of Hank Williams' "I Saw The Light, " a heavy industrial homage with very meticulous vocals and a slow , stinging guitar . Which all adds up to an awful lot of adjectives . Greg M .
MOTHERFUCKER 66 6 Get Hi p Jeff Dahl ' s latest outfit does a Rolling Stones cover . Hey, guys , change the name to MF Sucks Sucks Sucks . - Mike L. MOTHRA - "Fun With Felt " Touchy Feely Their presskit is dumber than day-old Spam but the music made by this West Philadelphia bunch is kinds cuddly . You know, the type of stuff you can curl up with on a late night drive . Both tune s are quite catchy and will be quick to remind you that good thing s often come in red felt packages . - Mike L . MOUNT SHASTA - "Nodule"/"Sleeping Fugly " Skin Graf t This is the unmistakable voice of John Forbes (ex-Dirt, see Seersucker review), perhaps the most throat-shredded singer t o emerge from Atlanta ever . Mt . Shasta is his new band and while h e sacrificed the rhythmic momentum that became Seersucker's, he i s doing things with this band that I could never see Dirt doing (the hypnotic outro/fade on " Sleeping Fugly," fr' instance .) Plus, it' s great to hear that strangled cat screech again . The Seersucker stuff might rock a lot harder, but this record feels formative and the ban d might still be coming into its own . The single comes with a very funny, very sick comic book included . Worth your support . - Des Jr . MOUSETRAP - "Wired"/"Train " One Hour These Mousetrap singles keep getting better. I don't think this one can even be compared to the last . "Wired" is straight out of a caffeine-induced hell, complete with neurotic breakdown . "Train " will just fucking run you down . It's amazing how they got the trai n into the studio for that one . No Minutement references this time , Mousetrap are a jackhammer of energy and tension tearing up the roads of punkdom . - Greg M .
MUDWIMIN - "Have A Good Time"I"For 7!7!? " Big Dog Wanky but insidious Buttholian mindfuck . I would love to see these wimin live . - Des Jr .
""
MUFFS - "I Need You / Beat Your Heart Out " Sub Pop Last stop before a major . The Muffs have the looks, the beat, th e distortion, the songs, and the history to succeed . where bands like Hole, Babes in Toyland, and L7 probably won't . And I don t mea n to slight any of those groups or make it sound like the Muffs are just another prefab "grunge" "foxcore" band . The Muffs just have a good, classic rock sound and with a good video, they could be huge . As for this record, it rocks . "I Need You is a screamer with a cool riff and lotsa feedback, while the flip is a boppin' (old) Zero s cover . I stand by Nirvana, I still support Helmet, and if these gal s make it, I ll still go Muff diving . - Des Jr .
'
"
'
'
"'
"
MULE - I m Hell"/"To Love Somebody 1 /4 Stic k Accurately named, this band brays and kicks in a manner most fearsome . Needle-thin guitar and sputtering drums are neatly wove n together by deftly fluid bass patterns . Plus it's catchy as fucking shit . Flip's a Bee Gees cover . Keep an eye on these boys . - Des Jr.
""
"
"
NAPALM BEACH - Last Big Heartache / Summertime Again T/K Record s Boring lyrics recited over only slightly more interesting BIGGROK K dynamics . I was expecting better from these guys after their cut o n that Greg Sage tribute box . Red vinyl . - Des Jr. NATIVE NOD - E P Gem Blanste n This will sound like it's going to fast even when you play it at 3 3 1/3 but don t worry, it s supposed to sound like that . Native Nod had a certain naive charm at ABC No Rio, but there really wasn' t any reason to capture this annoying pubescent mewling fo r posterity, especially when they were going to break up so soon anyway . - Jim T.
'
A
'
"
NEGLECT - "Pull The Plug E P WreckAg e L .S .S. is pro-merc y Bareknuckle Old School NY hatecore . killing, verging on self parody when the tough-as-nails narrator gets through telling us how bad life sucks and then sobbing, "Grandma! Grandma!" "No Tomorrow stops short of advocating suicide bu t still argues that life's not worth living . I suppose unrelieve d negativity has its place in art, but I really don't understand wh y people bother making records like this . I thought music was supposed to be fun . - Jim T .
'
"
"
NEW BOMB TURKS - "Got No Proof"/"Polyester Thinking Cap " Empty The best 7 inch I ve heard yet out of these speedfreaks . Th e guitars sound like radial arm saws, the drummers going at least 16 0 bpm, and the singer seems to want to tell you something in th e most insistent manner . Watch out! - Des Jr .
'
""
'
NEW BOMB TURKS - "Sharpen Up Tim e / Laissez Faire Stare Bag Of Hammer s Jesus Christ, these guys are hyper! As fast as '81 era hardcore , with a healthy dose of greasy yeehaw attitude . I m not knocked out by their records (the way a lot of folks are) but I d bet they'd be frightfully loud & kinetic on stage . They're definitely a band to keep an eye on . - Des Jr.
''
NO COMMENT - "Downsided" E P Slap A Ha m For Slap-A-Ham fans only, I d imagine . Gritty and monstrou s grunge-core that gets kind of boring kind of quick . Lyrics reflect the music to a "T." On clear vinyl that should've been black, t o foreshadow the mood of this band . - Tom A .
'
NO EMPATHY - "Ben Weasel Don't Like It" E P Johann's Fac e Every the anti-punk, Mr . Marc Ruvolo tosses a few pies at Ben Weasel and hits him dead on at least twice . Then to back it up, th e band covers Bad Religion's "Chasing The Wild Goose off a into the unknown, and in so doing draw a straight line from Bad Religion s ballyhooed 2nd Ip to modem-day Social Distortion . I'm not sure what that means, but I think Marc's got a hit . - Des Jr .
"
'
CONSUME OR BE CONSUMED !
COW S They Migh t Be Giants
L7 SPITBOY M ..
tntu'ttttkuusf THE FIXTURES Entartete Kunst 7 " Angry and aggressive punkcor e from Encino California . Four songs with lyrics tha t will make your brain think .
al.
{_ .
0 I
HOUSE 0' PAIN FANZINE ISSUE #9 OUT NOW !
HOP004 $3 PPD .
FEATURING THE MELVINS , L7, COWS, JESUS LIZARD , B . BES IN TOYLAND AN D SO MUCH MORE .
WOODENHORSE Title 7" Raging melodic punk roc k with insightful lyrics . Two songs from Pensacol a Florida's finest . HOP003 $3 PPD .
64 PAGES - $2 PPD .
ALSO STILL AVAILABLE: COUSIN IT - The Demo - five song cassett e Progressive punkcore from Nashville, Tn .
STUPID AMERICANZ - Lost Cause - Six song Classic drunk punk from Music City USA!
ITC U SV 0' PAI N
HOP002 $3 PPD .
HOP001 $3 PPD .
7"
OVERSEAS ORDERS ADD $2
PO BOX 12086 1 NASHVILLE, TN: 3721 2
THE OBVIOUS - "2 Thumbs Down"/"Dollar Bill " I Wann a Spunky teen rock reminiscent of the (really) early Replacements . The A side is a poison pen letter to a rock critic that rock critics lik e me will find irresistible ("thanks to you/and your review/our future' s screwed . . . " ) Appropriately snotty vocals and a nice buzzy guitar sound fill this one out nicely . The B side is a paean to the slacke r generation that shows Dayton's not quite as out of it as you migh t think . With songwriting this clever, I hope an album's in the works . - Jim T . OFFICER DOWN - E P Rathous e Noisy hardcore that took seven people to make . Boring as hell , but I'm sure their friends think it's really neat . Yet another shameless waste of resources and manpower . - Ben W. OVERSIGHT - " After This Day " E P Conquer The World These guys have a good enough sound, but the older I get, the less I want to be preached at by teenagers . Suffice to say that I a m not this record ' s target audience . - Des Jr. PANSY DIVISION - E P Lookout Three-chord Ramonesish punk rock with a totally queer sensibility . It' s funny, not many straight punks aver write about lust (I gues s being horny isn't p .c . enough), but PD's Jon Ginoli doesn't min d letting it all hang out, which makes " Femme In A Black Leather Jacket " so endearing . Talk about enrol The gay Christmas carol goes a little too far, verging on self parody, but Pansy Division ' s queercore takeoff on Nirvana is nothing short of brilliant : "Roll it o n now, lubricate us/Get us off now, ejaculate us/Play Fugazi, pla y Repeater/River Phoenix, wearing speedos . . ." If straight kids take to this the way they sing along to Screeching Weasel's " I Wanna Be A Homosexual," it means we're witnessing nothing less than sexua l revolution in the once totally homophobic punk scene . Say amen . Then giggle . - Jim T . PANSY DIVISION - "Bill & Ted's Homosexual Adventure " Outpun k More lightweight catchy pop/punk but again, it's no more than a novelty tune, and the joke's wearing thin . It' ll be nice when Jo n Ginoli can take the Pansy Division concept and write real songs wit h it, instead of these Queer AI Yankovic-type parodies . - Jim T. PARASITES - "Crazy"E P Radiatio n I was surprised to enjoy this quirkly little 7" so much . The first side is a worthwhile instrumental, while the other is a catchy an d hip pop tune . it'll probably be too cute for some to stomach, but I found myself playing it a whole buncha times . I mean, how can yo u hate silliness like, "I loved the way you moved/even though yo u moved involuntarily." - Tom A .
PINKY - 4 Song E P Harrie t Downerfolkoid monotone snooze. Rudimentary instrumentation plucked and bowed while a girl sings with her eyes closed . I appreciate the sentiment, but I don't like it . - Des Jr. PIPE - " Ball Peen" E P Sonic Bubblegu m The only thing I didnt like about this release was the length. I almost cried when the short 12 minutes were up . This is another strong offering from Sonic Bubblegum, and even though it has its minor flaws, these rocking runes with their Small and Superchunk influences make this a disc to get . - Jamie T. PITCHBLENDE - "The Weed Slam" E P Jade Tree ' Not bad . Noisy and fast. I really don ' t know what to say when reviewing grungy stuff - either you hate it or love it . "Ask Rexella " really hit me . - Alex S .
PARASITES - "Letdown"/"Reason For Treason " Shredde r The Parasites are a band that never lets me down. They - o r should I say Nikki, since he' s the only steady member - have been playing some of the best catchy pop/punk on Earth for years, like the Ramones but a lot better . "Reason For Treason" Is one of the best covers I've heard in a long time, while " Letdown" sticks with the Parasites usual formula . Hopefully with Nikki's move to Berkeley, the Parasites will find some of the attention they've deserved for so long . - Bob B .
PODS - "it's A Bummer About Bourble" E P Stone Record s Founding ex-Lemonhead Ben Deily does hypermelodic pop w/ a mature lyrical viewpoint. However, "New Strings" seems to take a n obviously accusatory swipe at current Lemonheadman Evan Dando . Is there some kind of animosity there? I don't know, I don't reall y care . I was never too hot on the Lemonhead tip anyway . This will probably be a hit with a lot of people but to me it reeks of col d craftsmanship . - Des Jr .
PINK LINCOLNS - "Sumo Fumes" E P Stiff Pole I'm really close to this band & this record, so I'm probably not the most objective judge of this gem, but fuck it. This record rules) Two covers (X-Ray Spex and Split Enz) and a killer original makes thi s one of the best 7-inches I've heard all year . It's that cool . Plus, it sounds so damn good that you won't believe that it was recorde d on 8 tracks . Get it immediatelyl Now excuse me while I wipe the shit off my nose . - Des Jr.
PROCESS - "Steel Jaws" E P Conversion Competent metallic hardcore, much him Judge . As you might imagine, "Steel Jaws" is a lyrical attack against the fur industry, and side two deals with friendship gone bad . Typica l topics and sloganeering lyrics are boring and hardly though t provoking anymore, but who gives a shit when you're moshing ? Both songs will be on an upcoming Ip so you might want to wait . Mike H .
POLICY OF 3 - E P Bloodlin k Is there such a thing as Post-Fugazi Punk? Policy Of 3 (formerl y known as Matter Of Fact) threaten to take savage emo thrash to a new level of intensity, with tumultuous dynamics that range from a whisper to an impassioned scream in the stroke of a guitar pick . Slashing guitars parry and thrust while a propulsive bass provide s bottomless melody lines into the mix . And as good as this single is , it doesn ' t approach how awesome they can be live . Definitely a band to watch . - Jim T . They have a definite Fugazi/D .C . influence, but the quality songwriting and variation in songs goes way beyond immediat e comparison . This is powerful and melodic, a great 7 inch . Buy this immediately . - Chickenhead
Policy Of 3 THE PRIMORDIAL UNDER MIND- "Anesthetic Revelations" Dionysu s This record kind of rocked my world . All the instruments seemed tuned enough and the jacket graphics weren't that scary . Sound s a bit like Samiam on a bad hair day . An A for effort . Bonus feature : clear orange vinyl . - Danny E . QUINCY PUNX - "Eat A Bowl Of Fuck " THD Here we have some music that got played out a decade and a half ago . If you think this is exciting, get a life . These Darby Crash sycophants are even dumber (and one' s even fatter) than he was . - Alex S . RAILHED - "I Am You" 3 song EP Jade Tree Y'know, when I hear the word "emo," I think of a tall, dott y comedian with a bowl haircut . - Des Jr . RANCID - 5 Song E P Lookout Rancid are the prototype Lookout band - catchy punk -ock wit h gruff vocals and angry shout-along lyrics . Guitarist Tim Armstrong is a better than usual player and the production is appropriately in-your-face . Another great Lookout release . - Sal C . RED PAINT PEOPLE Red Paint People Record s Psychotic noise rock, nasty vocals, demonic deans, guitar solo s that eat out parts of your brain like acid, with lyrics that conjure u p sick acts of perverted lust and pornographic violence. No wonder all the kids in Philly love this band . - Jim T.
RESURRECTION New Ag e Out of NJ, Resurrection throw together some old-school, straigh t edge ideologies with some new anger, and come up with a decent EP . Not as intense as Heroin or Inside Out, but Resurrection do hol d their own. Give 'em time to grow and a nice BIG production to le t them really vent their frustrations, and we'll be in business . Sid e one is the standout cut . - Tom A . RHYTHM COLLISION - "Irrepresible" 3 song E P Stiff pole Sharp classic Engish-style punk, well-played and presented . "Irrepresible " has too sudden an ending, but I know that's the point . And there's a faithful cover of the Clash ' s "Tommy Gun, " all on clear green-tinted vinyl, with a postcard to boot. Check it out . - De s Jr. RIVERA BROTHERS - "Yvonne"/"Red Letter Day" Gaga Goodie s I don't know . . . this isn't bad, but it reminds me too much of th e 70 ' s . A little J .Geils, a little Pink Floyd, a little Rolling Stones . Makes me nostalgic for stoned teenage nights at the local arena , holding up my lighter for Head East or Montrose. Then again, maybe not. - Des Jr. ROLLICKER LAYDOWN - "Cut"/"No Voices In The Wire " DeSot o One of the most pleasant surprises of 1992 : Rollicker Laydown is the instrumental 3/4 of Government Issue ' s final lineup . Both song s were partially finished with GI broke up in 1989 . Now they ' ve gone back into the studio to finish 'em and clue us into the direction G 1 was going when they called it quits . And what direction was that ? Well, it sounds a helluva like Jawbox (whose Jay Robbins ' handles all the vocals here) . Stately, melodic hard rock with Tom Lyle' s inventive guitar playing and Pete Moffet' . powerhouse drumming . Essential . - Sal C . ROMULANS - "Atlas Lovely " Sue stone s With the flaming dupe of a Sub-Pop package on this thing, I worried I was in for a flaming dupe of a Sub-Pop band . And I was right . Poppy/noisy, a little surf, and a lot of dissonance. This wiM float your boat if that's your bag . " Atlas Lovely " is a bit like early Redd Kross with its crooning and the accompanying chorus of sweetboys . - Alex S .
s
CPS 0e1 ELI Tla ass/rise) es r CID see as nasal r seas .sisss .r Mg rook sad tree).. Tfss bsd as I .u .AssM hem Ws Meaolas .. Oely few •1 Ms last mighty credseftL preW g r.ssla . lei t. CD eta/. .ss.pais Is ►N . Cf$ eea J..su.. . D. f .e.a D . .sasa spat r lh . trwks bum bell . ..taw .'. Hour sad D M Qs e07 a,. . TI~~•r 3 Bad Wlsa• 10s■. mashy sad .aaaasa 1140sl sale 7" yaw '/ Wads t)ra.U. Col.aua'. Mw Verna . lkssl sail veal 1.1 a.W .h .ta.t ea- C.O.C. CIS OOa Cas/sahr ens . 1 ass Mu. Dean W Ma.s /read Mali fast Tit. lot Is . sacs M I .pa~arf all.s. tae ass lea a. ...o. CD .a. Mts. .. a ..r lasso, 4W. A.al ral .agi . Mew from awrur J. .k • Nuts W Dodd Hala l Altar paws sale .. Comas saes fle a CPI eel Vials Nooks T..l.ot .sa. r Mli feeler ass 1.1a .f Sias WWI Is • lose 0-0100 f ..s. ag 1000061 0040 roe s A.saw . Is s4LJ .sssq. sad samples. ae soe mp )mole r CPS OM ot speftsl .. . c firlaa u RA` `r r s.ldlr . LLt It Ps..s.st as ere ost . . ew r - ►, sr bells sal say tk.tr. .eel is the D..Y. Sissy... risk I . h, speeds/ Nooses from Rtab. .4., l .tl.t es lb. Cry$, a.a.a. D. aIN Hall, Mesa Hoak, sal lea. asaa . ti 'j t . .
d VU
i
>'•t .coMPULsiv ' PA 19130 p.o. box 15188, Philadelphia,
I'
-Ir . .
:
-
Scapegrace
new york city hardcore recorded 1989 half live/half studio $3.00 ppd/USA $4.00/Europe $5.00/World send well hidden cas h or m.o. to m. gard HLH records 19 union s t new brunswick nj 0890 1
RUBBER SOLE - "Working Class John" E P Sneezeguar d Vary much in the Screeching Weasel school of snotty pop/punk , Rubber Sole come from Annapolis with a chip on their shoulder and lots of catchy riffs in their repertoire . The group rocks pleasantl y through a Sammy Hagar cover on the A side, while providing one o f those sadder but wiser tales of unrequited love on the flipside . A nice solid rocking little record . - Jim T . SARCASM - " Lowest Form Of Wit " E P Tribal War Tribal War has been fairly hit or miss as a label, and this Englis h grind act seems to have both its ups and downs as well . Sounds like "Scum"-era Napalm Death complete with high and low pitche d gutteral vocals, and a noisy-as-all-hell recording . This is just one of those bands where a lyric sheet is totally necessary due to th e completely inaudible singer (actually, " singer" isn ' t the word for it . ) This is a decent 7 inch, especially if you're one of those metal kid s who crosses over into the ever-popular grindcore genre . You might even learn something . - John L . SCAPEGRACE - "Plead" E P Framewor k One of the most original & entertaining bands to emerge fro m Long Island's hardcore scene, Scapegrace unleash four blasts o f their hysterical punk frenzy here . Steve Driscoll's temper tantru m vocals are a force to be reckoned with, ably supported by a tight-knit band whose riffing and drumming are much better than you notice on first listen . What's nice is that the band can not onl y hit you over the head but add little shadings and twists to their shtick too - " Suck The Dead" is actually scary, for instance . A great young band with a promising future . - Jim T. SCAR CROW - "Laugh Toothless"/"I Kneed Your Ass Like Dough " Spanish Fl y Artsy herky-jerky w/ a sax and a yelpy mouthist . " Laug h Toothless" was okay, but I ' m not going to be listening to this to o much . - Des Jr.
Shi v
N~ 7 0"
~co~ 0
o \d,y o o GLU E FEATURING ADDITIONAL VOCALS B Y SUZI GARDNER OF L 7
OUT NOW!
$5 Europ e OF SOUND RECORD S PO BOX 6257 WYOMISSING, PA 1961 0 $4ppd
WRITE : WEB
chede/money orders payable to: Cathy Mallon
6
0:
with : Mule, b Evans , Ricochet, Wor I's Collide , 7 Year Bitch, -nitor Joe , Mind's Eye , Rain Like Th e Sound Of Train s )
Change Zine #2 $2pp d Trinity College #904 Hartford, CT 061 06
SEERSUCKER - "Smokestack"/"Tough Ass Knives " Worry Bir d A couple of years ago, there was a band from Atlanta called Dirt . They played some of the most rocking, fucked up noiseshit to blo w down your pipe in a fucking eon . A multitude of touring with th e Jesus Lizard (the old Phantom 309 connection) resulted in a rhythmic tightening and perhaps the eventual split up, with singe r John Forbes going to Mt . Shasta (see review in this issue .) and th e rest of the band forming Seersucker . I once saw Dirt blow Fugaz i off the stage and more than hold their own against the Melvin., so I held mucho anticipation when word was filtering down o n Seersucker . This record is the first I ' ve gotten hold of, and buddy , it lays waste to 98 .8% of everything else I've listened to this year . The music stretches and sticks like taffy but is totally driven by tha t same anchored propulsion that creamed me with Dirt . Plus yo u STILL can't understand the words (well . . .maybe a few more) . The B side is a crazed cover of Mercyland ' s " Tough Ass Knives " . I am so happy about this record . . . all I have to say is that you need it . - Des Jr.
SELF HELP MANTRA - " Love's Sweet Confection " Underdo g When this Chicagoland trio loses itself in one of thei grooves, it' s magic - a lovely rhythmic drone that's positively hypnotizing . That's what you get on side one . They also do some standar d Fugazi-ish rock stuff with long sobs, and that' s the B side . - Jim T .
Screeching Weasel
Photo by Rick Sege r
SCREECHING WEASEL - "Radioblast " Underdo g "Radioblast" is Ben Wease l' s "Radio Radio , " which is ironic sinc e he's beginning to sound a little like Elvis Costello even as the ban d threatens to actually turn into the Ramones with every new son g they release . But while the lyrics take a well-deserved blast a classic rock programming, you have to ask how many people who buy Screeching Weasel singles listen to K-Rock anyway? Preachin g to the converted, Ben? Sounds like it . The B side's a lot more ambitious, both musically and lyrically, with an impressive openin g rift and a solid melody, as Ben dissects the life and death of a working class white girl with no future, probably the best son g they've written since "I Wanna Be A Homosexual . " - Jim T. SCROG - "Honest To God " /" She Said " Mint Tone I was in the stud io when these tracks were being recorded, so I' ll admit that I'm a bit biased . But I believe that these guys are one of the best units in the Tampa area today . Trebly guitars build o n themselves only to be crushed under crunchy distortion, carrie d along by a grooving bass and rock-steady drumming . All the while the vocals fight to keep from being buried . Imagine the Cure meeting Helmet . Now forget that image and get this record . Hand-colored covers tool - Des Jr. SEAWEED - "Measure"/"Turnout " Sub-Po p I picked this up from the band while they were on tour throug h Florida . They are certainly an energetic live act and put on a ver y aerobic show, but I can't help but feel that they only have abou t three or four good songs . These aren't them . - Des Jr.
SEXPLOITATION - E P Sexploitation This Boston combo proves that it's slot easier to suggest sexua l perversity on stage than on vinyl . Their live act - with a cross-dressing lead singer, plenty of lipstick and fishnet stockings , and an abundance of sweaty male flesh - has made them a popula r draw in Boston, but their music just doesn't connect on record . They sound like an anemic alternative band with a fetish for Perr y Farrell but absolutely no balls . Maybe they need a better producer . Or a new act . - Jim T. SHADOWMEN - " The Remains Of Alice C . Horton" E P You Say Whe n This is so sad! Like good or Monissey on hormone pills and a lou d guitar. If you like drawn out sing-a-long suicide anthems, search n o further. Wheel - Danny E . SHIV - "Luster Nozzle" E P Caffeine Dis k Mutant Butthole-spawned punk sludge with distorto vocals tha t delights in prolonging the agony of every cut . Sounds even better slowed down to 33 rpm . For those who like to revel in pain, Shi v provides all the satisfaction of a pounding headache at 4 a .m . Brilliant. - Jim T . SHIRK CIRCUS - E P MY Natio n The amateurishly scribbled cover art hints at the underlyin g current of earnest innocence that informs Shirk Circus' romantic pop/punk . The single suffers from tinny drums and harsh vocals II suspect it was done on four-track, but even so, you can get a better drum sound than this) but the feeling still shines through , especially on the heartfelt reading of Carol King ' s " Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," done at hardcore tempo . Bar None should let this band tour with Chocolate USA, they'd be a natural together. Jim T . SHORTY McGONIGAL - E P K Town Water Shorty McGonigal are one of the D .C . area' s lesser known gems . Sadly, they just don't fit in to the territorial cliques . But it's only a matter of time before the rest of the nation catche s on and takes notice . Shorty play a brand of fun, poppy punk, not unlike early Replacements, Jawbreaker, or even the Minutemen . Maybe they'd be better off moving to the East Bay . - Mike H .
SHRIEKING VIOLETS - "Do You Remember?" E P Broken Rekkid s NYC not grrls with sassy lyrics and a primitive, garagey sound . They've got more inspiration than talent at this point (something a lot of these grrl bands have in common, actually), but in punk rock , musicianship has never been that big a deal, and I have to admit I found this EP's upfront trashiness endearing . - Jim T . SIMPLETONES - 6 song E P Sugarditc h Non-pretentious popiod punk that holds up after repeate d listenings . The song "Kim Deal" waxes mushy but this is still a record worth owning. - Des Jr .
SINISTER 6 - "Go Away"/"Keep My Cool " Empty You can tell by listening that these guys broke a sweat recordin g this . Psychotic 60's punk rave, short and to the point . A coo l record on a happening label . - Des Jr . SINISTER 6 - "Outta My Way " Bag Of Hammer s Surfy grunge'that sounds a lot like the Supersuckers . They have that controlled messiness down perfect and I get the feeling they're probably a great live band . Thoroughly demented and killer . Buy . Mike L . SINKHOLE - "Stool" E P Ratfis h Green Day meets Kiss, as power rock solos fly behind goofy pun k rock tunes that rock with the catchiness of beer commercials . Sinkhole (formerly known as the A .G .'s) know the contradictions of punk rock . Kiss may be a million miles away from the Ramones an d yet in the end they're all part of the same sick culture . Sinkhol e plays both ends against the middle and winds up with the best o f both worlds . - Jim T .
E
SIX CENTS & A NATALIE - 4 song E P Harrie t This record is cool . Brain-damagingly simple lyrics ove r Casiotone-drone chords with somebody rocking out on pots an d spoons . Very influenced by bad 70's pop culture . And short! Goo d for a hoot . - Des Jr. SKELETON ED - "Spree Sessions" E P Art Midge t Self-proclaimed best power pop band from Minneapolis . " Actually there's no insert in this but the press release tells me that they're such goofy guys that they met at a Don Knotts Film Festival . Sounds like nice music to listen to at a college cafe, sipping Kafk a and reading espresso . Very lightheaded and unthreatening guitars , bass, and drums, as well as voice . Almost like movie soundtrac k music that's meant to stay in the background . - Scott B .
"
SLUDGEWORTH - "Anytime"/"You And I " Sludgeworth A year or so ago, a couple of friends and l drove from Tampa t o Gainesville (approx . 130 miles one way) to see Sludgeworth on thei r first tour down South . It turns out that these Chicago boys kind o f overdid the exposure to our tropical Florida climate and, as a result , cancelled the show due to sun poisoning (they all had lobster pin k sunburns .) We caught them as they were pulling out of the club and followed them back to their hotel, where we watched the m groan and be totally uncomfortable for a while before we drove th e dark 1-75 corridor back home . All the way, we were shaking ou r heads over their agony; then we'd laugh a little . I just wanted to share that memory because I guess Sludgeworth is rather defunc t ' now, and listening to this cool 7 inch makes me wish that thos e sillies had used their sunscreen that day . Damn it . - Des Jr. SLUG/UNSANE - Split E P PCP Entertainment Two of the more seriously damaged aggrocombos cover eac h other and make the songs their own . As usual with these things, it helps to be familiar with each band to get the concept, but mar k my words, if you do n t pick this up now, yo u ll be seeing it for $40 in the MRR classifieds next year . Oh yeah, it's good . - Des Jr.
'
'
D
O
0 2 :AVAIL 7„ EP ES APART 12" 0 3 :5 4: 5:
FLY 7" EP 1 .6 BAND 7" EP 0 6 : FINE DAY 7" SINGLE . 0 7 : GROOVE . 7" SINGLE * : GROOVE . 7" EP (ON NGR)
$3
Hp
TWO 7"s AND ONE 12" . . . $11 . FOUR 7"s AIVD ONE 12"
STORES! WRITE FO R WHOLESALE RATES
. . . . 6 3 . . .
3 3 3 3
. . $16.
ALL PRICE S INCLUDE POSTAGE SEA . . . ADD $I .
AIR . . . ADD $2.
SMEAR - "Hung"/"Wrench " SubCorridor A little slower and more progressive than their last effort . They ' ve gotten tighter, learned some things from Fugazi, and bought a chorus pedal or two . - Greg M . Alright, Smear - bravo, you angst-ridden boys! When the slo w passages erupt into power and noise, you sway and pulsate with life . The Helmet-ish fury is positively divine . - Jamie T. SMOKING POPES - "Break Up" 4-song E P Smoking Pope s This self-released followuptolast year'sincredible"Inoculator" exceeds expectations . "Breaking" is a sonic assault ala Husker Du , while "Waiting Around" (a song I would've killed a man to write) shows the Popes settling into their own strain of angst-ridde n melodicore . Fuck, this is great. - Ben W . SMUT - "Goodness No Grief"/"Epilogue " Spanish Fl y The press sheet that came with this pushes this band's socia l consciousness in an effort to make me feel bad for not liking it . Despite that, I find the fact that two of the four ladies in this band are named Germaine to be the most interesting thing about them . This sounds like the type of slower hardcore where the bass doe s a quick speed riff to signal the fast thrash part . Only with femal e vocals . Blue vinyl . - Des Jr . SOUNDBITE HOUSE/YOUTH GONE MAD - Split E P Moving Targets Three lo-fi punk rock anthems, two from NYC's own Youth Gon e Mad and one from Long Island's Soundbite House . I'd love to hear both of these bands with a real budget in a real studio, but mayb e that' s missing the point. Still, the tunes and performances manag e to shine through the shoddy sound quality . - Sal C . SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS - "Santo! Sing s " E P Zontar How do they do it? I'll say it again. . . Southern Culture On The Skids are America' s best kept secret . This time out, the toe-suckin g geek rockers come to us with a Richie Valens-Ventures-Spanis h wrestling b-movie feel added to their own brand of hickoid bliss . Find this, pay whatver you must . Brilliant . - Frank P. SPARKMARKER - "Plug" E P Sparkmarke r The beautiful hand silkscreened sleeve is only one reason to fin d this single . Sparkmarker, from Vancouver B.C . (a suburb of Seattle , as they're so fond of saying,) take traditional fast hardcore and cho p it up into quirky disjointed bits of rhythm that percolate beneath emotionally turbulent vocals . An original and altogether captivating young band, especially live . - Jim T . SPENT - " Keeping Secrets " E P Ringers Lactate Spent are a Jersey City-based band who (if you're into the category thing) fit into that Pop Lose r' s Scene . They play with Son s Of Elvis a lot . This is their first single, with three pretty , well-crafted songs that sound like Galaxie 500 crossed with th e Raspberries . This is a sweet, summery single, but not enough t o send you into sugar shock . "Keeping Secrets " has one of th e coolest choruses ever: "I'm not good at keeping secrets/I tell the m all the time" (or is it sell? I'm not sure) . Judging by their live show , they've got a whole bunch of other songs just as wonderful . - Jod i S. SPURGE - "Questions " / " Greed " Word Of Mout h This has a decent, full & crunchy production, but these guys don' t seem to be exerting a helluva lot of personality . What's it sound like? I dunno, kindy chunky riffage with bland vocals and an occasional lead . "Greed" has a slap bass . There ya go . Purple wax . - Des Jr . STEEL WOOL - "Ian" E P Empt y "Broom Sauce" has a touch of wild surface-lurking madness to it . " Dog That Bites" james righteously, even if you ' ve heard it all before. " Ride Free " pops in and out quick enough to satisfy and no t unnerve . - George C .
STILLMOTION - E P Word Of Mout h A trio from Upstate NY with a definite Creations Records soun d - everything's muffled in a fog of dense, matted sound . Som e people call this " psychedelic " but I find it boring . Still, it worked for the Smashing Pumpkins. - Jim T . STINK - " Diana " / " Never Will Forget " Megalomani a This is really good stuff, and they sound like they're having a lo t of fun doing it. Fast and quirky power-pop with too many lou d noises for these old ears to keep up with . - Danny E . STINKERBELL - "Who Blew Smoke?" 3 song E P Angry Neighbor Kinds Feederz-sounding punk rock with a (real) girl vocalizing . They do n ' t seem to take themselves too seriously and that adds to the fun . Extra, extra points for the line, "1 saw the Misfits/way bac k when you were six, " in the song " Misfits ." Great band name . Clear purple wax and read the inner groove . - Des Jr. STRUGGLE/UNDERTOW - Split E P Bloodlin k Out in the hinterlands, it's still 1988 and the struggle endures . I watch videos of CBGB matinees from those shows and wince at th e violence I remember, but you can't deny hardcore lost a certain energy when that scene went under . Today, young bands like Undertow keep alive the clench-jawed Emo-core of jock-rock band s like Youth Of Today, while Struggle adds a jagged, polyrhythmic swing and pubescent vocals to the formula . Give this a spin and yo u can smell the testosterone . - Jim T. SUGARSHOCK - " Playtime"/"Land Of Enchantment " Funky Mushroo m Despite that fact that these folks are trying to do the noise ban d thing a little differently, I only perk up during the spoken part at th e tail end of the B side . Otherwise, this record is made of pretty blu e green wax and comes with a funny sticker . - Des Jr. SUGARSHOCK - "I Hate The Kids"/"Country F .U .22 " Thrill Jocke y The sloppiest band in Hoboken (and that's a compliment) are a t it again : Yowling vocals, squealing feedback guitars, flailin g drumsticks . If Wile E . Coyote and the Tasmanian Devil ever tangle d with one another in a Looney Tunes cartoon, this record is what i t would sound like while they were ripping each other to shreds . That ' s a compliment too . - Jim T. SUPERBALL 63/MICKEY FINN - Split E P Big Mone y A little taste of two of Minneapolis' coolest bands at the moment : Superball 63's " Cinderblock" might merit Pearl Jam comparisons , what with its grungy guitars and melodramatic vocal, but there ' s a nice slinky beat that's a little funkier than they ever get in Seattle . Mickey Finn's " Plasterfeet" is a frantic, nearly hysterical post-pun k wipeout with eerie female backing vox . - Jim T . SUPERKOOLS - "In My Way"/"Down, Out & Gone " Word Of Mout h They look like the Ramones and sound like every grungy garag e band that's ever been on the cover of Flipside . Long live the L .A . bar scene and Rodney On The ROQ, I guess . Cool cover art, though . - Jim T . SUPREME DICKS - " Sky Puddle " / " Country of Nuns " Funky Mushroo m This sounds totally smacked out and noddy, perhaps the type o f music you hear just before you hit the cold, pisscaked floor afte r shooting up in the john . But since I don't do junk, it sounds mor e like noodle-moanie . "Country Of Nuns" tries to wake up, but it hit s the snooze button and rolls over. Yellow wax . - Des Jr. SURGEON GENERAL - "Think About It" E P Headache I do n't where Armand keeps finding these aging punk rocker fo r his label, but here ' s another trio of surly thirtysomethings wh o manage to sound like a cross between really early Adrenalin OD an d TMA (for all you old Jersey hardcore fans out there) . The guitar s whine like an electric blender stuck on Puree, and the drums an d bass sound like someone dropped a bowling ball down a flight o f metal stairs . A big Jersey cheer for this one : Fuckin"ey, man . - Ji m T.
TAR - "Teetering"/"The In Crowd " Touch & G o These guys continue to drop killer tunes onto7-inches when you' d think they'd save them for the inevitable major label Ip that' s coming one of these days . I, for one, am glad they didn't . "Teetering" is classic Tar and suggests that this band just keep s getting better with each release . "The In Crowd" is a strang e choice for a cover, with buried vocals and a feedback ending tha t continues until the needle lifts . Cool . - Des Jr. TEEN IDOLS - "Old Days, Old Ways" E P House O'Pai n Have the Ramones really been putting out records for almost 20 years? The Teen Idols traffic in punk rock nostalgia - simple tunes , singalong choruses, and plenty of pogo-paced beats (and to think I almost made it through this review without using the phrase " Ol d Schooll") Hey, at least they ' re not lamenting the passing of the NY/HC scene or some other dubious endeavor . Dust off yer leathe r jacket and feel good reliving your punk rock yesterdays . - Sal C . THANKLESS DOGS - "Yesterday Is Gone " Bag Of Hammers Cigarette smokin' music . A big Stooges influence makes this ye t another awesome release for the BoH label . Cool garagey productio n but no lyric sheet, no insert, no nothing . Too bad, I'd really like to know more about them . - Mike L . THATCHER ON ACID - "Chagrin" E P Desperate Attemp t This guy Ben from Thatcher On Acid played all of the instrument s because the rest of the band was " too busy " to record a single , hence the title . Well, I don ' t think it could have translated any better, Ben . Thick, English-accented " Think About tt" pop with a sonic tinge . "As Clear As Mud" flows in the same vein a s Mudhoney or Lemonheads, while "Skin Banjo" is a live-solo ditty that sounds like Syd Barrett singing about masturbation. Very melodic and emotional, a good buy if you're not turned off b y Cockneyisms . - Greg M . THINGS THAT FALL DOWN - "Bad World"/"Hate " Sonic Nois e Take your pick: A) A sonic rodeo of buck naked fun . B) David Byrne and Beat Happening in a B Western on Mars . Or C) Bad aci d cow disco hootchie kootch . Scott Brooks' preacher-man vocals , Frank (Blue Watusi's) Raven's melting harmonica, a horn section , and steel guitar all set to a driving cowpunk beat. This is beautiful art damage at its best, busier 'n an ant farm and spunkier than a prescription of Ritalin . - Greg M.
PHOTO BY SHAWN SCALLEN
Sparkmarker
THIRD EYE BUTTERFLY - " Everything Falls Apart " Psycho-Po p The B side, "Skin," has this powerful fuzz chord stuff going on that's in the Black Sabbath/retro vein, with some dumb rhymes . The A side is definitely psycho happy pop . - Dave U . THROW - "All Too Human"/"Parasite " Limited Potentia l Almost faceless hard pop trip with a hot drummer. If you like Crackerbash (and I like Crackerbash,) then this is for you . Funny cover photo . - Des Jr. THRUST - "She Who Must Be Obeyed" E P Funky Mushroom Ok, so 1 get the idea that Funky Mushroom is kind of an arty loca l NY label and that's more than cool . But so far they just haven' t released anything that I' m going to listen to after it leaves m y review area . That's just my taste though . I will say that this labe l does a consistently good job with top quality and packaging, and the ideas expressed on the wax are valid and deserving of you r attention . - Des Jr. THUDPUCKER - "Hopfrog"/"Penelope " Lovehammer Kind of snoozy bigrock tunes that don' t really tickle my fancy. No t hateful but not exciting either . - Des Jr.
Undertow
TOXIC NARCOTIC - "Populution" E P Rodent Popsicl e The cover depicts a drawing of a skeletal Uncle Sam carrying a scythe whilst standing next to a suit 'n tied Klansman amongst vat s of toxic waste and skulls . If that's not enough, they spell the name of the record wrong on the cover . Take a wild guess what it sounds like . - Ben W.
TREEPEOPLE - "Outside In"/"Hide And Find Out "
crz I had heard a lot about these guys . Nifty guitar bits, but I wa s disappointed at how lightweight and faceless this sounded . I hop e they're better live . - Des Jr . TRIBE 8 - "Pig Bitch" E P Harp Rocking lezbopunksthat unleash some of the coolest drool sinc e I don't know who . "Femme Bitch Top" has awesome lyrics an d "Frat Pig" does a monster chord change on the chorus . Attitude an d riffs, what the fuck more do you want? - Des Jr . TROJAN PONIES - "Growing Old"/"Dean I " Presto ! Alternative with a capital A . Very collegiate with decent ballad s and throbs, but it strikes me as being a tad overdramatic and highbrow . This will be good for the Lush crowd . - Des Jr . TRUSTY - "Kathy's Keen " DeSot o DC's has an obvious effect on Trusty, who relocated there from Arkansas about a year before the Clintons . This has a lot more bit e than their earlier pop/punk . The lyrics to " Kathy ' s Keen" peer into the tortured soul of an adolescent girl with such insight, i t' s amazing that a guy in his late twenties wrote them . The B side ' s a littl e cheerier. Cool sleeve too . - Jim T. UNDERCITY - "Tin Plated"/"Weighted " Undercit y Solid college-radio rock, without much to distinguish it from a lo t of other Replacements-influenced bands . Raspy, earnest vocals an d a certain Westerbergian touch in the lyrics add a dash of pathos , especially on the countryish B-side . - Jim T . UNION - "Anaesthetized" E P Tribal Wa r Like the earlier EP by Tribal War's Hellcrusher, Union reeks of ol d Discharge, which is always a beautiful thing . Very cool, intriguin g graphics as well make this an all-around excellent package wel l worth picking up on your next visit to ABC No Rio . The son g "Anaesthetized" takes a more leftist shot at those who abus e welfare (if tha t ' s at all possible) and the other three cuts do a lot o f complaining about government in a more constructive way . Goo d disk. - John L.
THE UNKNOWN/DIRT MERCHANTS - Split E P Jiffy Po p I love power pop, and it's not often I find bands who play it right anymore . You have to love the music, otherwise it comes acros s as campy or retro . The Vacant Lot do it right here in New York, an d The Unknown are carrying the torch in Cleveland . " Seems So Rea l " is a fast, poppy blast of power punk, a perfect complement to the band's revved up cover of the Undertones' "Here Comes Th e Summer." Way cool . A great live band too . On the flip aide of thi s EP, Detroit's Dirt Merchants work similiar terrain adding a bit of a country twist . A fine little record if you like ' em catchy and with a beat . - Jim T . UPTOWN BONES - "Naked"/"Satan's Confusing Realm " Compulsiv " Naked" strikes me as a decent Janes Addiction copy w/o Perry' s annoying as shit vocals . The flip goes from a Seaweedoid lurch ' n pogo to a Deep Purple wank off jam and finally to a Led Zeppis h 12-string coda, right down to the half of "Rain Song" (or is i t "Thank You?") quote on the fade . Overall, it shows a big tendenc y towards bombast . No thanks . - Des Jr . VANDALIAS - "Build This House"/"I'd Be A Boy" Tenpop/Susstone s These guys shoot for an early 70's harmonipop sound and succeed . Personally, I ' m not nostalgic for something the sucked i n the first place . [The cartoon of them on the sleeve looks like the y want to be the new Partridge Family - Ed .] - Des Jr .
PHOTO BY RICK SEGER
Tribe 8
GUS VAN ZANT - "Last World"/"Bursting Clouds " Tim Kerr Moody, jazzy, nicely rendered acoustic folk/rock from th e maverick filmmaker, who sings and plays all the instruments . The lyrics are disappointingly banal, though, like a bad Leonard Cohe n love song . So if you're looking for the queer sensibility of "M y Private Idaho," try Pansy Division instead . - Jim T. VENDABAIT - "Crushing My World " Centsless Production s A really punk record with stupid lyrics, obnoxious vocals, an d production-in-a-can . Hey, I dig it! If you want to get an idea of what this is like, get your oldest Angry Samoans record and imagine it being fronted by shouted (loudly spoken) female vocals . Fuckin ' punk . - Mike L . VERSUS - "Bright Light"/"Forest Fire " Pop Narcotic It figures that these two sad & moving songs come from the bes t band I saw all summer. I've heard hazy references to Scrawl an d Mission Of Burma lobbed at this trio for months now, but I still fee l they ' ve captured their own brand of pop with this second single . It's a lot harder than Small Factory and a lot more interesting tha n Velocity Girl, but hey, I'm not out to make anyone feel bad, right? - Mike L. VINE - "Sun Kiss" E P Sidekic k Packaging and lyrics scream emo-core, and the music inside does not disappoint expectations . Well produced and just different enough to justify searching it out, if you ' re a fan of bands like Fin e Day, Trusty, Sleeper, etc . - Sal C . VODKA - E P Funky Mushroo m The music swoops and crackles in an enjoyable manner, butth e singer has a seriously obtuse, pretentious air that sticks its foot ou t and trips this right onto its face . - Des Jr.
SUUPPOO1 LOCAL
WALLMEN - "Dead Judy" E P A singer who can't decide if he wants to be Ozzy or Joey Ramon a fronts some mediocre clean-guitar slop . " Mildly amusing" would b e a good way to describe this record . - Mike L . WESTON - " Thursdaytown 1981 " E P Mammy Yet along in a long line of shitty, wannabe MTV alternative bands , with a thoroughly awful singer . Totally insincere, and it ' s n o wondertheir "no thanks " list includes "people who yell mean stuff . " Maybe they're saying something you should listen to, guys . - Be n W. WET - "Eating Out Is Fun"/"Magic Forehead Vision " Rise " Eating Out Is Fu n " is a cute ode to cunnilingus that does n ' t last much past the novelty aspect . The B side is wordy and made m e yawn a bunch . No big deal. - Des Jr. WHITE FLAG - "Don't Give it Away" E P Sympathy White Flag have been around forever and !just never know ho w seriously they want to be taken . I mean, just look at their history - Nazi uniforms, stupid names, nudity, Kiss fixations, and gimmick s like 3-sided records, all the markings of a joke band . The music ha s always been okay but they've never really carried any weight. Now here they are again (down to Pat Fear and Trace Element, with Ki m & Ronnie from the Muffs helping out) and they release a perfectl y gorgeous 60's style pop record . It's great, but I can ' t help thinking what it would have been like without Kim Shattuck co-writing th e A side and singing lead on both songs . Extra points for a hilariousl y deadon cover of the Muffs Sympathy single sleeve . Deep purpl e wax, and scrawls in the inner groove . - Des Jr. WRETCHED ONES - "Sideburns & Beer" E P Headache Very OI1 band from NJ with working class lyrical concerns . You've heard it before ( " Working Man " cops a middle eight fro m Devo's " Mongoloid " ) but the guitarist manages to throw in a coupl e of cool harmonics and stuff every once in a while . Not so bad an d only "Oi Rodgers" is a real stinkers . Blueish gray vinyl . - Des Jr. YOUTH GONE MAD - "Life, Sweet Life"/"OkiDogs " Posh Boy I don't know what to make of this, yet another Youth Gone Mad e 7 inch. It's on that House Of Oldies Posh Boy and there are not one, not two, but three copyright dates listed on the back (1982 , 1988 and 1989 .) Devoid of any other info, all I can surmise is tha t this is the same style garage punk that YGM has been doing fo r years (and possibly recorded as long as ten years ago by wh o knows how many different lineups .) But in any event, this really isn't for those who aren't already initiated . - Sal C . YUPPICIDE - "You've Been Warned" E P Wreck-Ag e Forget the lameass name, these guys have a good underlyin g energy that pulses as the band drives to a Smashing Pumpkins-like fury . Distorted vocals and all, Yuppicide blast forth with music tha t is good, hard, loud, and fast (in places.) All the kids love them . Bu y this . - Jamie T. ZIPGUN/DERELICTS - Split 7 " Empty Fine split, with two old-school punk bands from (gasp!) Seattle . Zipgun is definitely a group to keep an eye on . - Des Jr.
Read Fanzines
-- COMPILATIONS
--
A DENT IN THE GENERAL MENTALITY - E P Vandal Childre n Hey, look, a Connecticut compilation! Could be fun, but sadly , it's not. MI6 are pretty catchy, but all the other bands seem stuc k on tired chords and melodies from punk's by-gone days of mold y oldies . - Jamie T. ATOMIC ACTION - E P Constant Chang e A sort of leftovers compilation, with unreleased cuts from tw o bands that have broken up and a cover by another band that' d probably be ashamed to release this particular song anywhere else . 7 League Boots do Dylan's "Solid Rock," which was a staple of thei r live set, and there is also a cut from Rhode Island ' s Giving Tree , whom I had never heard . Finally there's the still very much alive Do c Hopper doing Tommy Two-Tone's immortal shlock classi c " 867-5309 (Jenny), " which was a staple of the A .G . ' s live set, which is another story altogether . Still, this is a really good 3 song compilation, and Bobby Sullivan fans will want it for the Boots cu t alone . - Jim T . ATTACK FROM BOTH SIDES - E P Stiff pole Each of these bands stick out as an individual, which is good for compilations . But No Fraud just weren't that good, just weird sounding . Face To Face are incredible, great fast-paced punk rock . I'm sure people will buy this just for their song . Rhythm Collisio n are all right, although the vocals didn't go well with the music . Psycho Tribe are pretty good . Well worth checking out . - Bob B. EIGHT SONGS FOR GREG SAGE & THE WIPER S Tim Ker r Finally, atribute thing that actually challenges both the bands a s well as the listener. This is obviously a labor of love (as opposed to some band saying, Yeah, we'll do a Ramones song for your comp ) and all the groups deliver outstanding performances . Some heavyweights include Nirvana (who rage on "Return Of The Rat" ) and Poison Idea (showing new musical depth on "Up Front ." ) Napalm Beach, M-99, Dharma Bums, Crackerbash, and the Whirlee s also contribute superior tracks . This is one box set of singles wel l worth your $$$ (along with Allied Records' Discharge tribute!) Des Jr. SONS OF BLEEAAURRGHH I Slap A Ham 52 bands, 69 songs, most of which don ' t last more than te n seconds . Billion-mile-per-hour drumming coupled with insan e screams . That's all 52 bands . It ' s kinds funny, and besides , TT-Task and ARnes Plasthjama sound like they might have som e great tunes in them . - Ben W . BLOODLESS UNREALITY Forfeit Kind of a ho hum crust comp . Destroy kick up some dust, bu t Hellnation and Confrontation fail to excite, while the Assuck song s are on their 12" . Nice package design though. -Des Jr. YOU DON ' T HAVE TO BE TOM JONE S Coolidg e Four tracks from four fairly goofy bands who have set up hous e in the City of Brotherly Love (and soft pretzels .) POD and Anthrophobia kick the hardest, but it's E .D .O . ' s "Alex's Pee Pea " that stays with me long after I've put this one on the shelf . A more than worthy addition to your growing list of regional rock ' n' roll comps . And it made me laugh . What more could you ask for? - Sa l C.
1/4 Stick Records, PO Box 25342, Chicago IL 6062 5
Dutch East India, PO Box 800, Rockville Ctr, NY 1157 1
4 1/2 Fingers, 4787 SW 154 Ave, Miami FL 3318 5
Dynamutta Records, PO Box 3312, Houston TX 7725 3
Angry Neighbor Records, PO Box 66462, Houston TX 7726 6
Eating Blur Records, PO Box 189445, Sacramento CA 9581 8
Anti-Music Records, PO Box 20178, Femdale MI 4822 0
Empty Records, PO box 12034, Seattle WA 9810 2
Art Midget Records, PO Box 14339, Minneapolis MN 5541 4
En Guard, 1671 St Hubert, Montreal QBC CANADA H2L 3Z 1
Art Monk Construction, PO Box 1105, State College PA 1680 4
Faceless Wreckerds, 7231 Cleveland St, Hollywood FL 3302 4
Atomic Records, 1813 E Locust St, Milwaukee WI 5321 1
Fluffer Records, PO Box 684651, Austin TX 7876 8
Bag Of Hammers, PO Box 928, Seattle WA 9811 1
Flux Records, PO Box 1033, Newport RI 0284 0
Baylor Records, 633 Leonard St #3, Brooklyn NY 122 2
Forfeit Records, PO Box 15284, Cleveland OH 4111 5
Big Money, PO Box 2483 Loop Station, Minneapolis MN 5540 2
Framework Records, PO Box 216, Pt Jefferson NY 1177 6
Big Red Ant Records, 333 Berry St #3, Brooklyn NY 1121 1
Funky Mushroom Records, PO Box 100270, Brooklyn NY 1121 0
Bloodlink Records, PO Box 252, New Gretna, NJ 0822 4
Gem Blansten Records, 305 Haywood Drive, Paramus NJ 0765 2
Bold Records, 1526 W Wilson #4, Chicago IL 6064 0
Get Hip Records, PO Box 666, Canonsburg PA 1531 7
Broken Rekkids, PO Box 460402, San Francisco CA 94146
Ghosttown Records, PO Box 3662, Tucson AZ 8574 0
Burrito Records, 3421 SE Micanopy Terrace, Stuart FL 3499 7
Ghoul Records, PO Box 10702, Costa Mesa CA 9262 7
Buzzkill Records, 132 Lundys, San Francisco CA 9413 2
Gritty Kitty Records, PO Box 5145, Bellingham WA 9822 7
Caffeine Disk, PO Box 3451, New Haven CT 0651 5
Happy Trails Records, PO Box 5467, Evanston IL 6020 4
Cavity Search Records, PO Box 42246, Portland OR 9724 2
Harp Records, PO Box 460465, San Francisco CA 9414 6
Centsless Productions, 5945 Monticello Ave, Cincinnati OH 4522 4
Harriet Records, PO Box 649, Cambridge MA 0223 8
Choke Inc ., 1376 W Grand Ave, Chicago IL 6062 2
Headache Records, 53 Myrtle Ave, Midland Park NJ 0743 2
Collective Chaos, PO Box 81961, Chicago IL 6068 1
HeatBlast Records, PO Box 491, Eatontown NJ 0772 4
Compulsiv Records, PO Box 15188, Philadelphia PA 1913 0
Hippy Knight Records, PO Box 1281, Windsor 3181 Australi a
Computer Crime Records, 74 Osborne Ave, Norwalk CT 0685 5
Homemade Records, PO Box 3021, Berkeley CA 9470 3
Constant Change, 2028 W Main St, Middletown RI 0284 0
Homo Habilis Records, PO Box 63&, At.1um AL 36830
Coolidge Records, 248 South St, Philadelphia PA 1914 7
House O'Pain, PO Box 120861, Nashville TN 3721 2
C/Z Records, 1407 E Madison #41, Seattle WA 9812 2
I Wanna Records, PO Box 303 WBB, Dayton OH 4540 9
Dahlia Records, 11A Myrtle St, Jamaica Plain MA 0213 0
Interplanet Records, 5 Dale Ct, Stoneham MA 0218 0
Dead Judy Records, 771 Lisa Lane, No Syracuse NY 1321 2
Jade Tree Records, 2310 Kennwynn Rd, Wilmington DE 1981 0
DeSoto Records, PO Box 60335, Washington DC 2003 9
Jiffy Pop Records, 4080 Woodside, No Royalton OH 4413 3
Desperate Attempt Records, 1320 So Third St, Louisville KY 4020 8
K-Town Water Records, PO Box 416, Cabin John MD 2081 8
Dionysus Records, PO Box 1975, Burbank CA 9150 7
Lickout Records, PO Box 326, Berkeley CA 9470 1
Direct Hit Records, 3609 Parry Ave, Dallas TX 7522 6
Limited Potential, PO Box 268586, Chicago IL 6062 6
Dischord Records, 3819 Beecher St NW, Washington DC 2000 7
Lookout Records, PO Box 11374, Berkeley CA 9470 1
Don ' t Records, PO Box 11513, Milwaukee WI 5321 1
Lost & Found Records, lm Moore 8, 3000 Hanover 1, German y
Dr. Dream Records, 841 W Collins, Orange CA 9266 7
Lovehammer Records, PO Box 10073, Columbus OH 4320 1
Drazen Krsnik-Heinzelovia, 20 4100 Zagreb, Croatia
Mad Raddish Records, 582 Simpson St, St Paul MN 55104
s
Maggot Records, PO Box 110065, Hialeah FL 3301 1
Significant Records, PO Box 1113, Camp Hill PA 1700 1
Mammy Records, 338 Vine St, Bethlehem PA 1801 5
Singles Only Label (SOL), PO Box 966, New York NY 1000 9
Megalomania, 4470-107 Sunset Blvd #925, Hollywood CA 9002 7
Slap A Ham, PO Box 4208431, San Francisco CA 9414 2
Mentalfist Records, 295 Dania Ave, Alpharetta GA 3020 1
Sludgeworth, PO Box 138-071, Chicago IL 6061 3
Merkin Records, 310 E Biddle St, Baltimore MD 2120 2
Smoking Popes, 5715 Shadowood Dr, Crystal Lk IL 6001 2
Moving Targets Records, 180 Varick St, New York NY 1001 4
Sneezeguard Records, 309 Annapolis St, Annapolis MD 2140 1
Mud Records, 201 N Coler, Urbana IL 6180 1
Sonic Bubblegum, PO Box 35504, Brighton MA 02135
MY Nation Records, 62 Union Place, Ridgefield Park NJ 0766 0
Sonic Noise Records, 1945 W Thomas 1st fl, Chicago IL 6062 2
New Age Records, 1036 Mt Whitney Dr, Big Bear City CA 9231 4
Sparkmarker, PO Box 1457 Stn A, Vancouver BC V6C 2P7 Canad a
No Record Company, 5416 Blodgett Ave, Downers Grove IL 6051 5
Stiffpole Records, PO Box 20721, St Petersburg FL 3374 2
Nocturnal Records, PO Box 399, Royal Oak MI 4806 8
Stone Records, PO Box 15177, Boston MA 0221 5
One Hour Records, 1 215 Hamey St, Omaha NE 6810 2
Sub-Corridor, 1763 Golden Gate Ave #10, San Francisco CA 9411 5
Payback Records, PO Box 857, Brighton BN2 2TJ ENGLAN D
Sub-Pop, PO box 20645, Seattle WA 9810 2
Penultimate Records, PO Box 4842, Baltimore MD 2121 1
Sugarditch Records, 1861 Poplar Ave #3, Memphis TN 3810 4
Piece Of Mind Records, 2431C Main St, Santa Monica CA 9040 5
Susstones Records, PO Box 6425, Minneapolis MN 55406
Pop Narcotic, 1085 Commonwealth Ave #339, Boston MA 0221 5
THD Records, 2020 Seabury Ave, Minneapolis MN 5540 6
Posh Boy Records, PO Box 4474, Pal Desert CA 9226 1
Tim Kerr Records, PO Box 42423, Portland OR 9724 2
Presto) Records, PO Box 1081, Lowell MA 0185 3
Touch & Go, PO Box 25520, Chicago IL 6062 5
Prick Records, PO Box 27142, Tempe AZ 8528 5
Touchy Feely Records, 2200 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia PA 1913 0
Project A Bomb, PO Box 4233 Industrial Stn, St Paul MN 5510 4
Toxic Shock, PO Box 43787, Tucson AZ 8573 3
Quixotic Records, GPO Box 7296, New York NY 1011 6
Underdog Records, PO Box 14182, Chicago IL 6061 4
Radiation, 2425 B Channing Way #554, Berkeley CA 9470 4
Unite & Fight Records, 12336 UNCG, Greensboro NC 2741 3
Ratfish Records, PO Box 1869, Cambridge MA 0223 8
Vandal Children Records, PO Box 260805, Hartford CT 0612 6
Rathouse Records, 1900 E Denny Way, Seattle WA 981 2 2
Vital Gesture Records, PO Box 46100, Los Angeles CA 9004 6
Red Planet, 2531 Sawtelle Blvd #39, Los Angeles CA 9006 4
Vital Music, PO Box 20247, New York NY 1002 8
Rhetoric Records, PO Box 82, Madison WI 5370 1
Web Of Sound, 27 No . Prince St, Lancaster PA 1760 3
Rise Records, 506A W 14 St, Austin TX 7870 1
Weedeater Music, PO Box 5013, Athens GA 30604
Roadrunner Records, 225 Lafayette St, New York NY 1001 2
Wicked Cool Records, 181 Highland Ave, Stratford CT 0649 7
Roundup Records, PO Box 3695, Kansas City KS 6610 3
Word Of Mouth Records, PO Box 25656, Los Angeles CA 9002 5
Self Rising Records, 244 Elizabeth, Athens GA 3060 7
Worrybird Records, PO Box 95485, Atlanta G A
Serene Sardine 540 Alabama St #315, San Francisco CA 9411 0
WreckAge Records, 451 W Broadway #2N, New York NY 1001 2
Sexploitation, PO Box 85, Foxboro MA 0203 5
Wrong Records, PO Box 3243, Vancouver BC Canada V6B 3Y 4
Shangri-La Records, 1916 Madison, Memphis TN 3810 4
You Say When Records, PO Box 4751, Baltimore MD 2109 4
Shredder Records, 2425B Channing Way #554, Berkeley CA 9470 4
Zontar Records, 197 E Clayton St, Athens GA 30601
Skin Graft Records, PO Box 257546, Chicago IL 6062 5 Sidekick Records, PO Box 11245, Takoma Pk MD 20913