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.
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