Even More American Junk

American punk. Can't stop, won't stop! 

Southern California's SST record label was founded by Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn in 1978 as a means to release the band's genre-defining hardcore punk. Over the next few years, the label released music from numerous bands that are now considered classics: Minutemen, Descendants, Husker Dü, and Meat Puppets to name a few. One SST band that is often forgotten is Saccharine Trust. Their eight-track 'Paganicons' EP came out in 1981 and is a noisy slab of arresting post punk, quite different from the prog rock and jazz elements on their later releases. Joe Baiza's abrasive and jagged guitar lines owe more to Wire than their hardcore label mates and Jack Brewer's nasally growls and poetic lyrics also contribute to the British post punk sound. Opening track 'I Have...' jumps out the gate with heartbeat pounding bass courtesy of Earl Liberty and the aforementioned spiky guitar from Baiza. 'I Am Right' (covered by Sonic Youth on 'The Melting Plot' comp in 1988) is the best song on the EP with a fast riff and anthemic chorus. On 'Effort To Waste' the guitar is similar to Ginn's obtuse dissonant chords with Black Flag. 'A Human Certainty' is pulsing and piercing with Brewer's guttural moaning over the two minute outro. This is a quick blast of uncompromising punk so strange you can't stop listening to hear what happens next. Put on repeat and scream!

 

Boston's Outlets are mostly known as the original band of Dropkick Murphys founder Rick Barton and his brother Alex. They're also known for their raucous live shows and catchy mix of punk and powerpop that resonates through New England to this day. Outlets formed in 1980 and quickly released a split single with fellow power-poppers Boys Life and their own 'Best Friends' single in 1982. They also appeared on 1981's 'A Wicked Good Time' comp and the “Let's Breed' comp from 1984. They released an LP in 1985 before breaking up. 'Best Friends' b/w 'Bright Lights' is a top ten powerpop single with catchy melodies, soaring vocals, and singalong choruses. 'Knock Me Down' from the Boys Life split is a more punk rock offering with the same stellar songwriting as the single. Sadly, the other split single track, a cover of the Monkees' 'You Told Me' is omitted. The rest of the CD is interesting in that it is a 2006 studio recording of the band's live set circa 1980, featuring all original band members: the Barton brothers, Mike White, and Walter Gustafson. Would've been nice to hear the original version of '3rd Floor For Me' from the “Wicked Good Time' comp, but this recording will do nicely. This CD is the only place to hear fantastic punky tracks like 'Wait' and 'I'm A Mess' that were never recorded in the 80s. Wish this reissue had more of the old  recordings, but a great document overall.

 

The three Hackney brothers: Bobby, David, and Dannis created proto-punkers Death in Detroit in 1971 as a funk band, but changed the focus toward hard rock after seeing acts like The Who and Alice Cooper perform live. In 1975, they recorded seven tracks for Columbia Records president Clive Davis for an album. Unfortunately, Davis stopped supporting them when they refused to change the band name to something more palatable. They self-released the 'Politicians In My Eyes' single in 1976 and seemed relegated to obscurity until Drag City Records reissued the seven tracks in 2009 to great acclaim. In 2012, a documentary was released called 'A Band Called Death' which won awards at SXSW and the Chicago Underground Film Festival. The seven songs show a band experimenting with rock and roll while creating a few of the earliest punk songs and some great hard rock in the process. 'Keep On Knocking' is a high energy MC5-ish punk-n-roller with big and loud guitar leads. 'Rock-N-Roll Victim' and “Freakin Out' crank  the energy level even higher and are certainly the most punk recordings from 1975. 'You're A Prisoner' is a bluesy number with a shouted chorus that reminds me of Edgar Winter or Golden Earring. The reissue saves the single 'Politicians' for last with good reason, this six minute opus encapsulates all the band set to achieve back then. It's fast, it's political, it has a funk rock breakdown, it's heavy and it rocks. A great end to an eye-opening comp.

 

Miami had a small, but vibrant punk scene in the late 70s and early 80s. One of the best known bands were punk pranksters Gay Cowboys In Bondage. Formed in 1982, they released two DIY cassettes and the 'Owen Marshmallow Strikes Again' 7 inch EP in 1984. They gained international fame with the inclusion of the fantastic 'Domestic Battlefield' on the Flipside Vinyl comp from 1984. Known for their hyper stage antics and and manic vocals from Mike Lesser, they were part of the first wave of Florida punk along with F, Roach Motel, and The Eat. The CD kicks off with the 15-track DIY cassette, 'We're Not Gay But The Music Is' from 1983. 'AOR' is a cover of Modern Lovers 'Roadrunner' with lyrics changed to rail against the sorry state of music on the radio. “Cuffs On My Hands' and 'Rip Off' are Ramones-y punk with Stiv Bators snottiness. The 7-inch is a hardcore classic that maintains its punk roots. 'Big Fat Baloney Sandwich' has a thick bass line and pulsing fast beat. 'Crime and Violence,' 'Fist May Follow,' and 'The Illness Song' sound like Canadian legends DOA in the best possible way. 'A Funny Red Moustache' is pop punk with a 60s rock heart. So cool this was reissued.

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!