More American Junk!

More obscure American punk to make your ears bleed.

White Flag might be the most criminally underrated Los Angeles punk band. An antidote to the seriousness of hardcore, White Flag formed in 1982 to put some fun back into the scene, starting with band member pseudonyms like Jello B. Afro, Mike Mess, and Pat Fear. The band also had a steady rotation of ‘guest’ members like Kim Shattuck of the Muffs, the MacDonald brothers from Redd Kross, and Charlotte Caffey of Go-Go’s fame. The CD covers a lot of ground, including 1982’s ‘S is for Space’ LP, 1984’s ‘Third Strike’ LP, and assorted 7-inch tracks. ‘S is for Space’ is a typical hardcore record with a deliberate slant toward fun and pushing buttons. Their cover of the Germs’ ‘Not All Right’ is spot on and other songs like ‘Suzy Secret’ and ‘Go to God’ do a great job emulating the Germs’ chaos. ‘Cleocin’ reminds me of OG UK punkers Cock Sparrer. The ‘Third Strike’ LP is where the band really shines. Still poking fun at the hardcore scene while fleshing out complete songs and lyrics. The obsession with the Germs continues with ‘Over My Head,’ ‘Middle Class Hell,’ and LP opener ‘Cross Dogs.’ ‘Flipside’ is pop punk railing against the shitty music on MTV and middle-class suburbia. It’s fantastic from start to finish with various styles and sounds. “Ticket to Moscow’ sounds like Buzzcocks and “There’s A Place’ could be the Dickies. Releasing 10 albums and 30 singles so far, the band exists today with mostly original members. Unfortunately, band leader Pat Fear died in 2013. A documentary of his life was released earlier this year called, 'The Secret Lives Of Bill Bartell.' Check it out.

The three Shields brothers: Paul-vocals, Kevin-bass, and Don-drums, with Rodney Matejek on guitar got together as Detention in 1982. The pride of Hillsborough, New Jersey, they released the classic single ‘Dead Rock n Rollers’ in 1983 and a 20-track LP in 1985. This reissue includes the single, three songs from the LP, and a few early demo tracks. Overlooked in the shadow of the popular New York City scene, this is great punk with humorous lyrics. ‘Dead Rock n Rollers’ is a one hit wonder that perfectly combines snottiness with catchiness, and a hilarious rant. B-side ‘El Salvador’ is a political anti-war/anti-dying anthem. ‘Anti-A’ is 86 seconds of hardcore bliss with Paul clearly spitting the vocals as good as any punk vocalist before or since. ‘Beach’ is a garage-punk ode to the infamous Jersey Shore. Sadly, Paul passed away recently, but brother Kevin worked with Left For Dead Records to have this well-done retrospective released. You’ll come for the single, but the entire collection is awesome.

Christian Arnheiter was born in Panama some time in the 1950s and raised a military brat. His family eventually moved to Texas ending up in Houston where he would form the Hates in 1978, inspired after attending the Sex Pistols San Antonio gig. One of the first Texas punks bands, they would release four records between 1979 and 1982, all included on this reissue. The classic four song debut, 'No Talk in the Eighties” is a blistering 8:24 of fast riff-y punk. Christian's vocals are half-sung half-spoken with Rob Kainer's thick bass pushing the songs at a breakneck pace. 'Last Hymn' is a sarcastic mid-tempo punker about the Jim Jones death cult. On the second EP, 'Bored With The Boys' has a ferocious and raw guitar sound, while 'City On Ice' is the closest the band will ever come to writing a Power Pop song, with a really cool guitar bridge halfway through. 1981 EP 'So What' moves into hardcore with 'Not My Kind' reminiscent of Circle Jerks or Angry Samoans. Check out the double-time cover of the Lee Hazelwood penned and Dean Martin hit 'Houston.' The eight track “Panacea' EP from 1982 closes out the CD. Unfortunately one song “Cut The Shit' didn't make the cut. The rest maintain the quality expected of the band. 'Also Watched' sounds like fellow Texans Big Boys. The band is considered the longest continuously active punk band from the U.S. with a gig scheduled this March.

Mark Neill-guitar and Bruce Joyner-vocals were two broke musicians in Valdosta, Georgia when they decided to move to San Diego in 1979.They formed the Unknowns and quickly became one of the most popular bands in Southern California, signing a contract with Sire Records and opening for the likes of the Go-Go's, Wall Of Voodoo, and X. This CD compiles their self-titled LP form 1982 and five of the six songs on 1981's 'Dream Sequence' EP. The Unknowns play some of the most original garage punk ever recorded, paying homage to their influences Little Richard, Elvis, and the Everly Brothers as much as the punk and new wave of the day. The 11-track LP is a tour de force of rock energy. 'Crime Wave' has a country twang that points to their southern roots. On 'The Streets' atmospheric organ courtesy of Joyner creates a creepy 60s psych vibe. The calypso guitar and plaintive vocals on 'Rat Race' will have you dancing or bawling depending on your mood. 'White Trash Girl' and 'Pull My Train' are excellent garage ragers. The earlier EP has the band trying to find their sound and results in a couple a Power Pop gems in 'Actions/Reactions' and 'Suzanne' with some quirky new wave on the title track. Unknowns are at the top of my garage punk playlist along with the Fleshtones. Great find!

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Allez Allez!!!

French punk doesn't get much respect. Let's try to change that. Un, deux, trois, ALLEZ!

Named after a Paris subway station, Oberkampf formed in 1978. They released two LPs and five singles before calling it quits in 1985. This deluxe 2xCD reissue includes the first four singles and all but one track from their 1983 debut LP, ‘Plein Les Couilles’ or ‘Bollocks to Everything.’ The CD1 kicks off with four tracks from their first release, 1981’s 'Couleurs Sur Paris.’ Oberkampf were considered the French Clash and you can hear why on these recordings: militaristic beats and terrace chanting…Paris Calling! They include an interesting cover of Serge Gainsbourg‘s ‘Poupee de Cire’ or ‘Rag Doll,’ a song that won the Eurovision song contest in 1965. Their second single, ‘Linda’ b/w ‘Irreelle’ moves in a post-punk direction, but is still aggressive and punky. It’s a fantastic 45 and reminds me of Buzzcocks more subdued songs like ‘Autonomy’ and ‘ESP.’ The LP fulfills the promise of the early releases with songs chock full of hooks. Joe Hell’s crooning is straight out of the Dave Vanian playbook and guitarist Pat Kebra impresses with his surf-punkified playing a la Mike Palm of Agent Orange. 'N’Observe Plus’ is a cool dub song. ‘Requiem Por Un Con’ is another Gainsbourg cover. The bonus CD adds some b-sides and seven tracks from the second LP. A stellar band and comp.

Garage Psychiatrique Suburbain (G.P.S.) grew up in the suburbs of Paris and formed in 1977. They were contemporaries of French punk legends Dogs and Bijou, but did not release any records until the 'Quand Revient L’Ete’ single in 1982. This reissue compiles their first four singles and two LPs spanning 1982-86. Curiously, the CD leads off with the second LP from 1986. By this time, the band had transformed into a rock band that is hard to listen to. However, the first LP from 1983 is a completely different animal, ‘Bien Dans La Ville’ or ‘Good in the City” is a great slab of punky rock ‘n roll and Powerpop! The title track opens the LP with a blast of Aussie/Motor City rock that MC5 and Radio Birdman fans will dig. ‘Peut-Etre A Jamais’ and ‘Rock Et L’Amour’ sound like outtakes from the Plimsouls ‘Zero Hour’ EP. Singer Theirry Hazard even sounds a bit like Peter Case. 'Quand Revient L’Ete’ is an excellent mod number. ‘Pour L’Oublier’ and ‘Teleskripteur’ are super-fast Ramones-y punkers. Three versions of their top 40 hit ‘Berlin La Nuit’ are included. The best is the one recorded at the first LP sessions, less polished than the radio-friendly hit version. Sucks that their best song 'Samedi Soir,’ the B-side of the first single is omitted. It can only be found on the 'Power Perles Vol. 2' bootleg. Definitely worthwhile for the early stuff. Check out these early demos for free here:

https://cameleonrecords.bandcamp.com/album/garage-psychiatrique-suburbain

Still shocked by Kidnap and their awesome punk racket! Four 15-year-olds from Blois, about 115 miles south of Paris, spent 1977 listening to the Heartbreakers and Sex Pistols and decided to get in on the action. It wasn’t until 1982 that they would make their first recordings and release them on the ‘Apocalypse Chaos’ comp. “No S.S.,’ ‘Thatcher Dracula,’ and ‘Armée Nationale’ will knock your socks off. The guitar crashes in like the opening of the first Blitz LP and doesn’t let up. ‘No S.S.’ was also included on the ‘Welcome to 1984’ comp, the first LP released by Maximum Rock and Roll magazine. 1983/84 saw the band with two tracks on the ‘Chaos En France’ comps. ‘JR’ and ‘Putain de Vie’ are not the street punk from the previous year but fun pop punk that sounds like the Undertones. The band also put out their first single in 1983, 'Il Faudra Bien Qu'un Jour Tout Change' or 'One Day Everything Will Have To Change.' 'C'est Ton Probleme' and the title track are killer streetpunk with enough 'Whoa-ohs' to make the pop punk nerds go wild. They next released '1984' on a comp cleverly called 'Compilation' A great track with a big rock sound like Cook/Jones Professionals. I really like Fredo's rough, yet clear and forthright vocals. As alluded to earlier, guitarist Chicol has that razor sharp sound made famous by Nidge from Blitz. There's also 11 bonus demo tracks from 1979 when they were called Radiation. Definitely worth the ransom paid.

Parisian duo Francois Guillemot and Laurent Katracazos were in a few bands before forming Berurier Noir in 1983. Taking inspiration from early French punk band Metal Urbain, they use a rhythm machine and focus on guitar, vocals, and an occasional saxophone. This CD reissues their first LP from 1984, 'Macadam Massacre,' four tracks from their 1983 split single with Guernica, and a few demo tracks. The band was one of the most popular punk bands in France during the 80s, known for chaotic live shows. The LP title track kicks things off with bleak throbbing chords and that unflinching rhythm machine keeping time. An air raid siren starts wailing about a minute in, which makes sense since 'Macadam Massacre' translates to 'tarmac massacre.' 'Baston' and 'Elsa Je T'aime' follow with some rock and roll chord progressions thrown into the mix, disconcerting with the automaton rhythms. The rhythm box takes some getting used to, but after a while it recedes to the background and your focus is entirely on the creepy guitar and political lyrics. Francois sings with conviction and is a great complement to the guitar. 'J'ai Peur' and other tracks sound like a sparse Killing Joke. This album really grows on you...insidiously. Early in 2024, the National Library of France had a two-month long exhibition celebrating the band with archival photos, record sleeves, posters, props and homemade clothing they wore on stage, and of course a continuous punk rock playlist. Very cool!

Naguib Mahfouz - The Thief and the Dogs

I’ve been reading a lot lately, more so than usual. My reading goes through topical spurts where I read nothing but a particular genre or author. In line with that, I’ve had this long-standing goal to read as much existentialist literature as possible. I’m not clear as to the deep-seated reasons why I have this goal. I do know that I enjoy these authors immensely and relate to many of the philosophical concepts addressed in their works. The entire works of Kafka and Camus are behind me and a significant dent has been made in Hesse and Sartre. That’s why I was so pleased to come across the work of Naguib Mahfouz in Harvard Bookstore last summer. Mahfouz was an Egyptian author who published over 40 novels and other works from 1932-2005. His Wikipedia entry is here. Two excellent novels by Mahfouz are “The Thief and the Dogs” and “Autumn Quail.” Much of his writing deals with politics, particularly the Egyptian monarchy and revolution. These two works (both written in the early 1960s) are classics of existentialist literature, both with the changing Egyptian political situation as a major plot element. Although Mahfouz was a devout Muslim, he was not afraid to critique Islam or address atheistic subject matter. In 1994, 5 years and 1 day after he won the Nobel Prize for literature he was attacked and stabbed in the neck by two extremists, but survived. “The Thief and the Dogs” is the story of a Marxist named Said, who is released from prison and seeks revenge when betrayed by his wife and best friend. Said works through the conflicts he has with the changes in Egyptian politics that occurred while he was incarcerated and his all-encompassing desire to kill the mother of his daughter for her betrayal. This novel is both beautiful and ugly, and fascinating yet disturbing. Other works by Mahfouz that have existentialist themes are “The Beggar” and “Miramar”

An excerpt from The Thief and the Dogs can be found here.

1.4.5. "Pink Invasion" 12 inch EP, 1981 Archive Label

1.4.5. is from Syracuse, New York and features Paul Armstrong from seminal powerpop band Flashcubes of “Christi Girl” fame. Christi Girl was released in 1978 on the Northside label. The “Pink Invasion” 12 inch from 1981 is the first thing 1.4.5. ever released, followed by the Rhythm n' Booze 10 track LP released in 1988. The band is still together and performed live in Boston last year. I was lucky enough to find 2 copies of this record in San Diego during the same week of 2000. Great loud and rockin' tunes that hold up to anything from the golden powerpop era. Another great blog “Crud Crud” posted these songs a while back but the links don’t work anymore. Check out the Flashcubes web site here. They have a CD of new material available.

Track Listing:

She Couldn't Say No

Lets Groove

Mom & Dad

Sorry Wrong #

1.4.5. is the logical progression. Damn right!
Pink Invasion rar file

UPDATE! Saw 1.4.5. perform at P.A.'s Lounge in Somerville last November during the International Pop Overthrow festival. The set was amazing! Loud and tight with great vocals by Paul. They've still got the harmony thing down after all these years. I was mildly disappointed that Christi Girl wasn't on the set. I know it's not a 1.4.5. song, but come on guys, it's a GREAT song! Despite this omission, the set was superb with blistering versions of all four "Pink Invasion" songs and two or three others. A short and sweet set directly aimed at the heart of any true rock n roll fan. I hope they make it back to Boston for the next IPO.

Long Blondes: Not so many "Singles"

Like many of you, I was saddened to hear that the Long Blondes cease to exist and even sadder to hear that their reason for disbanding was that wonderful lead guitarist Dorian Cox suffered a non life-threatening stroke in June 2008. What even made it stranger for me was that I had just seen them play a blistering live set at the Great Scott in Allston, MA in late May or early June (I forget exactly when). The show was fantastic with a huge crowd in attendance. It was my first time seeing them and I was impressed with Kate Jackson's singing and the entire band. I was really getting into the more dance oriented songs on the new (at the time) album "Couples" .

Long Blondes released the "Singles" album in October 2008, shortly after the break up announcement. I was excited and anyone who has done any research will know, the CD singles and 45s that have the non-album b-sides are pretty hard to track down. When I heard that this compilation would include rare b-sides, I was stoked. Unfortunately, its not comprehensive, missing quite a few great songs. It's still a good buy though, because it does have some rare tracks worth hearing. Particularly good are "Autonomy Boy" and "Appropriation." For those unfamiliar with it, here's the track listing:
Better yet, support the band and buy it here.

1. "New Idols",
   
2. "Long Blonde"
3. "Autonomy Boy"
4. "Giddy Stratospheres"
5. "Polly"
6. "Darts"
7. "Appropriation By Any Other Name"
8. "My Heart Is Out Of Bounds"
9. "Lust In The Movies"
10. "Separated by Motorways" (Demo)
11. "Big Infatuation"
12. "Peterborough"
    

Songs left off "Singles"

Whippet Fancier
Unbearable Lightness Of Building
Never To Be Repeated
I'm Coping
Fullwood Babylon
Five Ways To End It
Christmas Is Cancelled
All Bar One Girls

I have never heard "Last Night On Northgate Street" " Platitudes" or "Who Are You To Her." If you have these for sale or trade, please contact me. And yeah, I know some of these have been posted before, but never together like this.

WELCOME TO MY WORLD

WELCOME! Just what the world needs, another music based blog. I know they're are thousands of them, but I'll try to keep this one fresh by focusing on rare music that has not yet been posted on the Internet. Hopefully, music that one or two people have been searching for or curious about for years and this will be their opportunity to hear it and learn a little about it. (If you read my next post you'll realize I've already violated this self-imposed rule!) I'm gonna try to be different and mix up the posts with stuff about literature, art, cinema, live performance, comedy, food and drink, hobbies...

A not too short list of what you'll find here: Punk, Post-punk, Garage, Indie, Dub, Old Soul, Rock N Roll and a very small bit of Heavy Metal. Foreign Film, Film Noir, Exploitation Film, Documentary. Gig Reviews, Art Exhibits, Gallery Openings, Public Installations, Stand-up Comedy, Road Trips. Various ramblings (hopefully not boring)

Initially there will be a focus on music. I have a backlog of stuff I've been wanting to see on the Internet, but to no avail. That's partly why I finally said fuck it, I'll do it myself. If I post something you can find elsewhere please let me know. The Internet has enough junk and I don't want to be part of the problem (or am I already!)

Thanks for reading. Hope you like what I post or at least find it thought provoking.