SPOOKS – “1980-1990″ 7″ EP (1978)
So you’re thumbing through the used bin and you pull out this Punk-looking 45 that was put out in 1978 by Twin / Tone and you say to yourself, “Hmmmmm, this might be interesting—I’ve never heard of these guys.” You fork over your $2, look up the record on the internet when you get home and find next to nothing about them and remark to yourself, “My, well isn’t that odd!” You throw the needle down on the record and a slight sinking feeling hits you when you determine that the correct speed is, in fact, 33 1/3 rpm and you suddenly reflect that all past questions concerning this recording are now answered. You see where I’m going here?
Rear Cover
THE TRACKS (Although half the charm is watching it play and marveling at how long it takes for the tone arm to make its way through this thing!)
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New York Dolls – “Bad Girl / Subway Train” 7″ (1972)
Funny how, after you’ve owned a record for a few decades, it becomes invisible, even when you are looking right at it. I don’t know why I forgot about this one, but it is certainly essential listening and you should be downloading this right now instead of reading. Two tracks from the 1973 LP, recorded with no frills and released in 1972, with a sloppier, more raw sound. Do you need any further endorsement?
THE TRACKS:
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Poopy Endorsements 2010
Tutu And The Pirates "Sub-Urban Insult Rock For The Anti/Lectual 1977-1979" LP
Sorry folks, no freebies here! It seems that every year I manage to find a couple new releases that are worth picking up and I figure it can’t hurt to let other people know about them. So am I saying that there are new bands out there that I like? Fuck No! At least not in the Punk/HC genre and probably never will be again, although I am impartial to some newer Metal. Generally, music these days is fucking terrible—these are releases of old stuff. First off, we have Tutu And The Pirates and their long overdue release of “suburban insult rock” from the early days of the Chicago Punk scene. These guys are generally hailed as the first Punk band to come out of Chicago and, happily, they were pretty good, as were many of the Chicago bands from that era, although the less said about what followed later the better. I saw these guys live once, followed by a little chit-chat with the lead singer and the guy was totally hilarious and a true inspiration to my uncooperative, perpetually juvenile ass . So what does it sound like? Picture an entire LP of Cheech and Chong’s “Earache My Eye”! If you enjoy dumbass Punk in the vein of Chainsaw, this will do something for you.
The Mentors "Oblivion Train" b/w "Cornshucker", released on Stool Sample Records.
Secondly, we have an unexpected release my one of my all-time faves, The Mentors. Here we have two early songs recorded in Dr. Scum’s basement in 1977 and, amazingly, it sounds a hell of a lot better than those tapes I’ve been posting here. I was very happy with this and at 500 pressed, you’d better get while the getting’s good if you want this thing. However, the best thing about this release is the band photos on the back, with afros in lieu of black hoods and a much skinnier, albeit inbred-looking El Duce and a Dr. Scum with no glasses. I’m dying to hear the rest of this recording session and I hope this “Stool Sample Records” label remains solvent long enough to release it! And that’s it! Two new releases! Wow.
Youthful Mentors
Bizarros / Rubber City Rebels – “From Akron” LP (1977)
This is one of those early US Punk releases that never seems to get its due for some reason. Both bands on this split were kicking around the “scene” prior to the Punk “explosion” in 1977 and I tend think their songs would have “happened” whether Punk had given them a launching pad or not. Undoubtedly, this record would be a household name if they had cranked it out a year or two earlier. The Bizarros sound like a cross between Television and The Velvet Underground—but I like them anyway! Ha! Not a big fan of The Velvet Underground folks and, unlike most people who followed this band, I like the LP they put out on Mercury the best because it sounds the LEAST like VU. Rubber City Rebels, on the other hand, were an entirely different ball of wax, with a more familiar Class of ’77 sound and general dumbassitude to which my ears tend to soften—not to mention the awesome pose of the bass player on the front cover. I really dig that switchblade action—all bands should have at least one dude posing like that! Like The Bizarros, Rubber City Rebels went on to put out a major label release, substituting another guitar for keyboards, and is actually quite good and worth tracking down.
They Call Me Blade!
Pretty Boys.
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Rubber City Rebels – Such A Fool
Rubber City Rebels – Kidnapped
The Bizarros – White Screen Movies
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The Bizarros – 1st 7″ EP (1976)
So, as a follow-up to the above post, I suppose it can’t hurt to put up the first Bizarros 7”, as well. Released in that not-so-great year of 1976, this thing was way ahead of its time and, yet, doesn’t get talked about much for whatever reason. Again, there is a strong Velvet Underground influence to this stuff, but I forgive them, as they still stand head and shoulders above most bands of the era. Actually, in all fairness to The Velvet Underground, they had some good songs and I have a couple records by them that I play once in a while, however, they suffer from an affliction that I refer to as “Stairway To Heaven Syndrome”, a malady in which a band puts out one lame song that gets overplayed to the point where it becomes so completely annoying that it makes all their other stuff almost unlistenable—even if it’s actually good! In the case of The Velvet Underground, that song would be “Heroin”. I hate it—and so should you!
THE TRACKS (recorded with new software–I think it sounds good!):
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Christ Child – “Hard” LP (1977)
Searching through this blog, it seems clear that I have a thing for “fake” bands, so it wouldn’t be fair to leave out Christ Child. Get a load of the liner notes on the back of the LP—it’s quite the endorsement, indeed, and it’s not like these guys could have possibly listened to a band called Blue Oyster Cult at some point in their lives. Actually, I’ve long suspected a number of those Class of ’77 Punk bands were influenced by the “Tyranny and Mutation” LP, but just didn’t care to admit it! While not quite as stellar as Chainsaw, these guys manage to crank out some gloriously dumbass shit, while trying to sound as badass as they could muster. Of course, they fail miserably, but the results are still pretty hilarious. Some of these tunes have a Class of ’77 sound to them and rock in a bonehead fashion of which I approve but, actually, my favorite track on here would have to be “Star Whores”—not because it’s actually good, but because it’s exceptionally retarded and hard to listen to, with lyrics so macho and dumb they’d make El Duce blush!
Liner Notes
Hard?
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Just for laughs, here’s a couple tracks from Blue Oyster Cult’s “Tyranny and Mutation” LP (1973) for the young whipper-snappers!:
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Charlie Burton And Rock Therapy – “Rock & Roll Behavior / That Boy & My Girl” 7″ (1977)
Undoubtedly the toast of Lincoln, Nebraska, Charlie Burton went on to put out several records over the years. This was his first and, despite it’s release in 1977, isn’t quite Punk, but it’s close and reminds me somewhat of Rokker. As usual, I had no idea what this thing was when I found it, but I was intrigued by the cover art and, at first, I thought it was a bunch of dudes pretending to be drunk, throwing up in five gallon buckets. However, upon closer inspection, I realized they were actually pretending to huff industrial-sized containers of glue, instantly raising this thing a notch or two in my grading criteria. Based on the autographed cover, some guy named “Fred” didn’t get his world rocked by this thing, seeing as I found it in a junk pile, but I think it’s OK. The A-side certainly rocks in a bonehead, head-bopping way to which I am highly impartial, and the flip is decent blues / rockabilly-influenced hard rock. I haven’t heard all their stuff, but it seems like all their material was respectable power poop or hard rock.
THE TRACKS:
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The Ohms – “Teenage Alcoholic / Chain Letter” 7″ (1979)
I don’t know what I was smoking when I got it in my head to toss this in the reject pile. Well, maybe I do. At any rate, I fished it out a few weeks ago and the Poopy thumb is now directed in the upward position for “Teenage Alcoholic” and the flip ain’t too shabby, either. Perhaps, it was because these guys look like a bunch of Wavers and Power Poopers that made Mr. Poopy such a Negative Nellie, but all is forgiven now. Supposedly, this record is hard to find but you couldn’t prove it by me, although Syracuse, NY isn’t exactly a Mecca for rockin’ pop bands—or anything else for that matter!
THE TRACKS (Download has a higher bit rate):
Download HERE
The Most – “Take A Chance” 7″ (1979)
Other than sharing a label with The Ohms and also hailing from Syracuse, NY, I have no real information on this band, other than I sort of remember hearing that they were one of the mainstays of the Western New York “scene” back in the day. Or maybe not. I’d probably have to file this one under the category of buried records that deserve to stay buried and the degree of entertainment it brings you probably correlates directly with the mood for nostalgia you’re in. But, hey, it’s an obscure piece of Power Poop from 1979—I never promised you a rose garden and the corny lyrics and girly vocals have some charm.
THE TRACKS:
Or Download HERE
Cardiac Kidz – “Playground” 7″ EP (1979)
Better known for their “Get Out” 7” that showed up on one of those Killed By Death comps and a blog or two, this is the second Cardiac Kidz 7” that you never seem to hear about. Why? Who knows? It’s classic Class of ’77 stuff, recorded live, although it could just as well have been in the studio because the sound is pretty good. Seminal Punk with a mustache that everybody likes (or should).
Rear Cover
THE TRACKS:
Or Download HERE
The Depressions – “S/T” LP (1978)
Here’s one of those bands that wound up suffering the label of “fake” for some reason. They seem to have a bit of a Pub Rock feel to them, but I am inclined to think they were the real deal. Of course, I wasn’t there and I could care less, as there are some good Class of ’77 rockers on this thing and the lyrics on some of their songs more than meet my standards for excellence. The eye patch was certainly an underrated Punk accessory; perhaps if the other band members sported a wooden leg and a hook for a hand, these guys would have gotten somewhere.
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download HERE
Feederz – 1979 Demo (Cassette)
One of the few good things that came out of a recent move was that it gave me a chance to go through some of the crap that had been festering in my collection over the years, which included finding a few forgotten treasures, such as this old Feederz demo that I had a guy rip from the original cassette. The sound quality is about what you’d expect from 1979, but I’ve heard worse and it does little to hamper the pleasure of hearing a youthful-sounding Frank Discussion belting out songs from the first LP and 7”. Better still is the fact that it contained several songs that never made it onto any of their official recordings and they are all pretty good tunes, done in the style of the first 7″. Frank Discussion is a man after my own heart and his misanthropy, anti-establishment stance, and complete lack of tact should have been a model for all Punkers to follow, but they wound up enjoying relative obscurity instead. This is essential listening for anyone who ever dug this band.
Frank Discussion
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download HERE
Chainsaw – “Polaride Pictures” 7″ (1978)
Well, here’s another fine slice of moron Punk for you, dredged from the $0.99 cent bin to my turntable to you. Actually, I was pretty stoked to find this one about a year ago, as the criminally out-of-print “We Are Not Very Nice” CD that came out back in 2001 has been one of my picks for the decade. This is another one of those bands that people would have written off as “fake” back in the day, with the lead singer and guitar player getting their start in the glitter band Christopher Milk prior to starting this project. However, like many “fake” bands from that era, the results are far more amusing in 2009 than many of their contemporaries. Were these guys trying too hard? Hell, no! They were busting their asses—but to no avail! While older guys were obviously writing these songs, the lyrics sound like they were written by a 13 year-old kid, and that works for me quite nicely, thank you very much. All songs should be this good, bitching about those annoying popular kids with perfect teeth and all. Would it be mean of me to suggest that this band may not have been the sharpest tools in the shed? Perhaps, but you can tell they were really trying their hardest to be bad-ass Punks and every one of these songs is completely hilarious and retarded. The tracks from the original 7” are below and I graciously offer you the CD for download, complete with fake “live” recordings that sound like they dubbed the applause from a baseball game at Yankee Stadium and broken glass sound effects for an audience. Another criminally underrated masterpiece that deserved more love from an audience with a sense of humor.
THE TRACKS:
Get all their stuff HERE
The Victims – “Real Wild Child” LP (1979)
OK, so I’m not going to argue that this LP is better than the EP that people are now paying hundreds of dollars for. It isn’t. However, it isn’t exactly chopped liver by any means and it amazes me that I still find this record gathering dust for as little as $1.99. What the hell is wrong with people? Although this band seems to be rooted in The Dolls, they manage to toss up some great Class of ’77 rockers on this one and, as a whole, the record is pretty solid, insofar as none of the songs suck. Perhaps, my fondness for this LP stems from the general testosterone overload and sexual frustration that comes across here and, with the exception of “Victims Theme”, most every song revolves around chicks. Seriously, kids, next time you see this one lying around, snag it—it’s worth it!
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download HERE
The Diodes – S/T LP (1977)
There used to be some law in Canada that stated that “X” amount of music that got played on the radio needed to be Canadian artists, with the result that these guys actually used to get some airplay back in the day, despite an overall lack of commercial success. Did they deserve it? Meh. They were OK. When there was a renewed interest in Canadian Punk a few years back, people started looking for this one and, if you are one of those folks who are still looking, you can get it here and save your pennies. This came out on Columbia, so I’m sure plenty were pressed and I remember seeing it in stores at the mall when I was a kid. There are some decent, upbeat poppy-Punky tracks, but this was a pretty tame release in my opinion, no doubt due to hopes of making the “big time”.
For those of you too young to remember, the song “Child Star” is in reference to Anissa Jones, one of the stars of an idiotic sit-com called “Family Affair”, who died of a drug overdose in her late teens. Ironically, this show was sort of a prototype for “Different Strokes” and, just like “Different Strokes”, most of the cast wound up either getting themselves killed or fucking up their lives later on.
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download HERE
Amaziah – “Straight Talker” LP (1979)
When I found this LP in a thrift store I felt certain I had found the next big thing. Just look at these guys! While this was obviously a Christian Rock outfit, the band is totally Punked-out and what’s up with the dripping blood lettering? Very weird. Was it an attempt to rope non-Christians into buying the record? Who knows? At any rate, I was doomed to disappointment for, upon throwing down the needle, I found that the only Punk thing about them is that they can barely play their instruments and that the type of music they were barely playing seemed more derived from Deep Purple, Boston and Bad Company than the Stones, Ramones or the Sex Pistols. For some reason this record actually fetches a few bucks; are there Christian Rock record geeks, too?
Straight Talker!!!!!!
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download HERE
ROKKER – S/T LP (1979)
Aside from Puke, Spit and Guts, this is one of the few serious attempts by biker dudes to cash in on the Punk scene. A lot of Punk purists poo-poo this record and, as one can glean from songs like “Rokker’s Lament” and “Pigeon Hole Wankers”, the Punksters of Austin, TX didn’t much care for them either back in the day. I like this record, though, and biker rock in general, but this really is a ’77-style punk record more than anything else. At the very least, this slab scores points for doing one of the few incest-related Punk songs that I know of—a topic that simply doesn’t get enough coverage in contemporary music!
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Daddy! Whatcha Doin’ To My Sister?
Download HERE
The Now – “I’m Eating Off A Fashion Plate” 7″ (1978)
Another record that I am missing the jacket for. Oh, well. I got my $0.99 out of this thing. What we have here is raw Punk Rock power in its purest form. Ferocious, blazing guitars that slices through the speakers like a switchblade knife, mixed with driving, intense bass-lines, primal, out of control drumming, and savage bite-your-face-off vocals that are liable to blast the paint off the walls. This baby just rips from start to finish and makes other 70’s punk bands like The Kids or The Germs sound like pussies. This might just be the best KBD record ever, released by Armand Schaubroeck’s Kack Klick label.
SAMPLE TRACK:
I’m Eating Off A Fashion Plate
Download Entire Masterpiece HERE
Flyin’ Spiderz – S/T LP (1977)
This is one of the few foreign bands I’ll be putting up here and not a very popular one at that. A lot of Punk critics described these guys as “generic” and “fake”, which is pretty funny because that is exactly why I like them. I love fake Punk bands—a lot of the time they wind up being more entertaining than the “real” ones. But I think Flyin’ Spiders were a “real” punk band. At the very least, they were real kids and the lyrics to these songs are so juvenile they crack me up. I especially love the lyrics to “Take My Time”—such a song has no place in the adult world. This record boasts a few Class of ’77 relics that seem to have fallen through the cracks.
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download LP HERE
Flyin’ Spiders – “Let It Crawl” LP (1978)
This is the second Flyin’ Spiderz LP. It’s pretty much the same shtick as the first one, which is fine with me. More corny observations and teenage angst that really didn’t stand up against a lot of their contemporaries, but entertains the hell out of me. This LP seems a little more consistent than the first one, although they no longer had the major label backing. There are some great songs on this disk—I don’t know why people poo-poo’d these guys, although everything they did after this one wasn’t too hot.
SAMPLE TRACK:
Download LP HERE
Brainiacs – S/T EP (1979)
Yeah, you’d think I’d post a copy of this with the picture sleeve, but that would have involved me spending more than ninety-nine cents, and I just don’t swing that way—and neither should you! What’s an original copy gonna do for you? Give you an orgasm every time you play it? This is pretty decent Punk that doesn’t really stand the test of time, but isn’t without its charm. The song “Don’t Tell Me Why” showed up on one of those KBD comps that I’m too lazy to dig up, but I think “Take Me To Paris” is the winner on this record.
SAMPLE TRACK:
Download EP HERE
The Teens – “Punk Girl” (1979)
The Teens were obviously a boy band, geared for young girls and, indeed, they are a dreamy bunch! They even have a punk-looking “rebel” kid with a leather jacket! One could only hope these guys rock as good as they look but, sadly, this is not the case. As a matter of fact this record totally blows, with the exception of “Punk Girl”, which is hilarious. The best line of the song right here:
“Punk Girl, we’re gonna make love…”
Assuming these kids are all under the age of 16, this could be construed as a threat of statutory rape in all parts of the US and most of the world!! Good job, kids! But it’s not like the actual kids wrote any of this shit anyway. This appears to have been a European release and, judging by names like Jorg and Uwe, I’d have to guess Sweden or one of those other Horgen Bjorgen countries. Pretty sure it was never officially released in the US.
The Teens
SAMPLE TRACKS:
David Peel & Death – “King of Punk” LP (1978)
If you will note the cover of this LP, you will see a picture of the filthy, greasy Hippie, David Peel, along with the dubious claim of being the “King Of Punk”. You might also note that my copy of this record is autographed, which makes me exceptionally cool. Should you click on the scan of the back cover, you will see that this band contains ten guitar players, three bass guitar players, six “percussionists” but no drummer, and fourteen people performing vocal duties. You will then reflect on the fact that having a shitload of musicians like this is exactly the sort of thing some stupid, filthy Hippie would fancy as cool, and feel a wave of revulsion coursing through your body.
Rear Cover
But, despite these seemingly unpardonable sins, this record is still pretty good. Some of these tunes are a little repetitious, but that is to be expected from filthy, drug-addled Hippies who can’t remember lyrics because they lost their short-term memories along with their soap. Seriously, though, this record is hilarious and worth a listen.
SAMPLE TRACKS:
Download LP HERE
Mick Farren & The Deviants – “Screwed Up” EP (1977)
The Deviants and Mick Farren should require no introduction, so I won’t. Sure, this guy was a filthy Hippie, but Mr. Poopy is forgiving in that regard, as the man always had more of a cynical, anti-social, anarchist bend to his songs that are more to my liking. On this record he decides to take a few old Hippie songs and punk them out with pretty decent results.
Download HERE