To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Sex Pistols‘ incendiary opening salvo ‘Anarchy in the U.K’, God Save Sex Pistols will be released as two enhanced Deluxe Editions. Authors Johan Kugelberg and Jon Savage, plus Sex Pistols archivist Glenn Terry, have joined forces to compile a comprehensive visual history of the band.
The Deluxe Edition — limited to 2000 copies — features the first edition, 320-page hard cover book in a bondage-inspired 5 mm rubber-effect slipcover, a companion book with rare press clippings plus a silkscreened Screen on the Green poster print.
The Ultra Deluxe Edition has a run of 500 and houses additional silkscreen prints endorsed on cotton rag paper by artists Jamie Reid and Zevs, four new silkscreen prints designed by Anthology Editions, handmade clamshell case housing, Sex Pistols canvas tote bag, and custom safety pin metal display stand.
Each of the Deluxe Editions feature manager Malcolm McLaren‘s handwritten letters, never-before-seen band photos, Reid‘s album artwork, concert tickets, fanzines, and more than 300 photos — and both are ready to order on PledgeMusic now.
I was bummed that I missed Riot Fest in Chicago this year, and one of the reasons was that I missed Bleached‘s set there. I discovered Bleached earlier this year DJ’ing for WSND and really enjoyed their new record, Welcome the Worms.
Luckily for me, Bleached were playing in Cleveland at the Grog Shop on the night my wife were there for her birthday road trip. The Grog Shop is a nice venue. My wife described it as one of her favorites of all the places I’ve dragged her to this year. It’s roomy, but not cavernous. Just avoid the Ace pumpkin cider.
First up on the bill were Hunny, a pop-punk outfit from L.A. with a lot of guitars and swagger. They sounded like Green Day if Green Day decided to keep playing mid-size venues instead of writing Broadway musicals.
Hunny
Bleached played second, and they killed it. A batch of Millennial girls started a tiny mosh pit as soon as Bleached put down the first chord. They opened with “Keep On Keepin’ On” from the new record and tore through other tracks like “Trying to Lose Myself Again” and “Wasted on You” from Welcome the Worms and “Looking for a Fight” and “Outta My Mind” from their first record, Ride Your Heart (review coming soon).
Jessica Clavin had a definite Suzi Gardner / L7 power in her guitar work, and bassist Micayla Grace was on point. Drummer Nick Pilot did a great job, and even swapped his drums for Jennifer Clavin’s guitar (while she took over kit duties) at the end. It was a solid set that won them a lot of new fans.
Bleached
Last up was Beach Slang, which was only singer / guitarist James Alex that night for reasons unknown. He played a loud, wild set of punk anthems and even invited audience members to join him on stage to play with him. Two people did, picking up a bass guitar and getting behind Bleached’s drum kit for one track – and doing well for being an impromptu rhythm section. Mr. Alex had a lot of fans in the crowd who went wild for his new material.
James Alex of Beach Slang.
It was a good night of rock. I hope you were there.
Recorded September 30, 2015, Live at Third Man Records is a fast, furious capsule of the raw energy of Death from Above 1979 (Sebastien Granger – drums and vocals, Jesse Keeler – bass and vocals). No guitar here, folks. Drums, bass, and vocals are more than enough.
“Right on Frankenstein” has enough electro-fuzz in it to bring an animated corpse to life. “Where have all the virgins gone?” the band wonders on “Virgins,” which has a wickedly slick bass groove that’s hard to describe. The bass on “Going Steady,” however, is almost like drone synth rock. Jack White, head honcho at Third Man Records, probably loves the title of “White Is Red,” and he can’t argue with the heartfelt lyrics.
“Trainwreck 1979” is about a deadly crash of a chlorine train tanker and hits about as hard. “Gemini” hits even harder, with squeaky, almost tortured bass and race to the finish drums (which makes sense since it was the last track recorded for side A of the vinyl release).
Side B starts with “Little Girl,” a love song with doom rock bass riffs and post-punk drums. “Go Home Get Down” has freakier bass and lyrics, and “Government Trash” is appropriately trashy and loud.
I’m going to assume “Always On” refers to the distortion pedals used by the band, because the song is a cranked-up, raucous rocker that reminds me of a rocket launch in the way it constantly builds to near burn-out. They close the live session with “The Physical World.” “Oh no, not again. I get this feeling this is not the end,” Granger sings, but end it must and they go for broke and fade out in squalls of feedback.
It’s a short, but strong live recording and a must for DFA 1979 fans.
Recorded live on November 06, 2015 at London’s Islington Assembly Hall, Gang of Four’s (Jonny Finnegan – drums, Andy Gill – guitar and vocals, Thomas McNeice – bass, John “Gaoler” Sterry – vocals) Live…in the Moment is a fine documentation of the edgy, post-punk legends’ raw power.
It begins with the fuzzy, almost frightening “Where the Nightingale Sings.” Gill’s guitar seems to double back on itself at points, and McNeice’s bass pounds out a killer beat. One of their biggest (and still truest) hits, “History’s Not Made by Great Men,” follows. McNeice and Gill get it off to a great start, and Finnegan puts down that slick groove that makes the song so good. Sterry sings to the back of the hall, urging the attendees and the rest of us to step up and move things forward instead of letting political opportunists get the best of us.
The squeaky and sultry sound of “I Parade Myself” is like something you’d hear as a bunch of strippers decided to beat up a rude customer outside the back of the club. The great beat on “Paralysed” is dub-like, but Gill’s guitar and vocals are almost shoegaze style. Sterry’s vocals on “What We All Want” are sharp and Finnegan’s groove is so good that he sounds like a human drum machine.
It wouldn’t be a Gang of Four show without “Love Like Anthrax,” one of the greatest post-punk songs of all time. Gill begins with guitar chaos that threatens to dissolve into madness before the rhythm section moves in to keep us and the song grounded. “Do As I Say” has Gill on lead vocals and he soon has the crowd chanting the chorus. “Stranded” is a modern post-punk gem, and “Damaged Goods” is another classic. Finnegan’s beats are dance floor-ready, and the rest of the band cooks like an Iron Chef right behind him. “Isle of Dogs” is a favorite with the London crowd, and you can’t go wrong with “At Home He’s a Tourist,” a classic song about man teetering on madness. Gill’s guitar is as bonkers as the song’s main character, and Finnegan beats his snare like it cut him off in traffic.
Gang of Four’s “To Hell with Poverty” is still one of the best post-punk songs ever written. McNeice’s bass work is especially good on it. Gill claims “Why Theory?” is his “feminist masterpiece” and “totally stolen from other people,” but that squelching, distorted guitar belongs to no one else but him. The album finishes with the solid rocker “I Found that Essence Rare.”
Live…in the Moment also comes with a DVD of the band’s performance in New York City in March of 2015. It’s a great bargain and a fine addition to Gang of Four’s discography.
Keep your mind open.
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Jim Jarmusch, director of cult hits like Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Dead Man, and Only Lovers Left Alive, has produced what looks to be a powerful, great documentary on Iggy Pop and the Stooges – arguably the greatest rock band of all time. The documentary, Gimme Danger, premieres October 28th on Amazon, and the first trailer already makes it look like essential viewing.
I’m a Gen X’er, which means I grew up in the 1980’s, and I was among the first and last true punk rockers at East Noble High School. I was in a garage band (Stranger Yet) and spent my Sunday nights at a punk rock club (after which this blog is named) in a dive bar attached to a seedy hotel on the east edge of Fort Wayne, Indiana. So, the Early Indiana Punk and New Wave: The Crazy Al’s Year(s) compilation is right up my alley.
It’s a stunning collection of rare singles and live cuts from bands that mostly played in the Bloomington, Indiana area (the location of the short-lived club Crazy Al’s). Where Time Change Records found some of these cuts is beyond me, but I’m guessing they had a lot of friends involved in the punk and new wave scenes back then who contributed some of the recordings. I’m also guessing Time Change Records employs some of the best crate diggers of all time.
The two-disc set has many standouts. The Jetsons’ “Genetically Stupid” sums up how many people felt about us punk freaks back then, and Dow Jones and the Industrials’ “Can’t Stand the Midwest” sums up how us punk freaks felt about everyone else back then. Your Grocer’s Freezer’s “We’re All Gonna Die” is a perfect example of the nihilism that was always on the edge of the scene, especially when we all thought nuclear war was coming any second.
Want pure punk? Repellents have two solid punk cuts on the collection – “Technorama” and “AFC!” – and the Slammies’ “P-U-S” is another good choice. Cheeses from France’s “Heart of Gold” is wonderfully weird and almost a krautrock track. The Gizmos proudly display their love of the New York Dolls on “Mean Screen” and “Mommy’s in the Kitchen.” Joint Chiefs’ “I Hate Pretty Girls” is an anthem for awkward guys who were spurned or insulted by the cute girls in school.
It wouldn’t be an Indiana punk collection without the Zero Boys, and they have two fine tracks here – “Commies” and “I’m Absent.” We’re Jimmy Hoffa were a punk band that loved John Carpenter movie soundtracks, and their song “Rock ‘n Roll” is something you’d expect to hear at a club in Carpenter’s future NYC as Snake Plissken cracks heads on the dance floor.
I can’t help but think that the parents of the lead singer of the Panics were laughing as he sang “I Wanna Kill My Mom,” because the song is pure snotty punk hilarity. Dancing Cigarettes’ “Pop Doormat” sounds like the Kinks if the Kinks decided to become a new wave band. Last Four (5) Digits bring in a goth touch on “Don’t Move” that is somewhere between Bauhaus and early Wall of Voodoo. Cast of Thousands brings an angry Brit-punk sound on “War Maker.”
Amoebas in Chaos bring back the fun with “Have You Slugged Your Kid Today?” and “Ronald Reggae” (which is live punk chaos with saxophone and plenty of guitar feedback). E-in Brino’s “Watch Alarm” is fine post-punk with heavy synths and and near-frantic vocals. Vibrato Fetish rounds out disc 1 with the rocking “Surf Bandits.”
Yes, all that’s just on the first disc.
There are plenty of prime cuts on disc two. The New Avengers’ “Mary’s in a Coma” is a lost 1980’s track you swear you’ve heard before and is even better than you remember it. The Positions’ “Follower of the Space Race” is great new wave, sounding like a mix of Devo and the B-52’s. Your Parents’ “Whiplash” is heavy post-punk, and “No Substitutions” shows their Ramones influence. The Race Records’ “Baby Take Me Back” brings rockabilly into the mix.
Lip Service’s cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” is full of skronky guitar and peppy organ, and MX-80 Sound’s cover of “Paint It Black” is a slick instrumental. The Obvious’ “Feelings of Love” sounds like an early Blondie track. Hugo Smooth’s “Won’t Play Bumpum Cars” is so new wave that it wanders into a jazz lounge hosted by Frank Zappa. Club Pressure’s “Slinkin’” is fine punk-reggae, and the Shouts’ cover of “Gloria” (which seems to have always secretly been a punk song) is outstanding.
It’s an essential mix of Midwest punk and new wave acts, and God bless Time Change Records for putting it out there for us old schoolers and new fans alike.
Keep your mind open.
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Post-punk legends Public Image Ltd. are offering impressive “super deluxe” sets of two of their classic albums – Metal Box and Album – through a PledgeMusic campaign.
Both records are available on either CD or vinyl and include remastered versions of the albums, a live record, unreleased tracks, art prints or posters (depending on which version you get), B-sides, BBC session cuts, and a lot more.
Metal Box was first released in 1979 as three 12″ singles in one package (a literal circular metal box) that made up the entire album. Album came out seven years later (and, full disclosure, is one of my favorite albums of all time).
The signed versions of these deluxe sets sold out on September 20th, so don’t wait to get an unsigned copy if you want one.
I’d planned to make it to Chicago an hour before show time so I’d have a chance to meet with a friend and grab a leisurely bite to eat with her. That plan was dashed, however, when the Lowe’s appliance delivery service showed up nearly two hours late with our new washer and dryer. My wife had to come home from work early so I could leave for the show.
On the way to Chicago, I chose the slowest moving toll road booth lane nearly every time. Once on Sheffield and near the Vic Theatre, I thought my luck had taken a good turn when I found a sweet parking spot just a block from the venue. I then discovered it was only for people with the “383 permit sticker” on their cars. That wasn’t me, so I ended up parking eight blocks away. I walked to the venue and was turned away by security due to me having a digital voice recorder I’d brought in case I had a chance to interview Buzzcocks before (if the delivery drivers had arrived on time) or after the show. I had to walk back to my car to leave the recorder in it. Of course, there is a voice recorder app on my cell phone and every other cell phone in the building, but apparently security didn’t realize or care about that.
I managed to grab a sandwich before the show and breezed into security without issue. I walked in and immediately spotted the merchandise table. A wavering drunken man was looking at the shirts with his buddy. I heard the woman behind the table ask the drunk guy, “So you came to see a band you hate?”
“I didn’t always hate them,” he said. “I liked them before they sold out.”
I chuckled. Buzzcocks have never sold out, no matter how you define that.
I met up with my friend and we got a nice spot on the main floor about five bodies back from the front of the stage. Buzzcocks came out and immediately broke into one of their fastest, hardest hits – “Boredom.” The show was anything but boring, as it turned out.
Not boring whatsoever.
They tore through classic cuts like “Fast Cars” (a personal favorite), “Totally from the Heart,” and “I Don’t Mind,” and cuts from their newest album, The Way, like “People Are Strange Machines” and “Virtual Reality.” Unfortunately, some of these songs were drowned out by the bass mix being too loud, but the sound board guys corrected it by the time Buzzcocks got to “Why She’s a Girl from the Chainstore.”
Pete Shelley – still sounding great.Steve Diggle – still shredding great.
This was also about the time two girls tried to get a mosh pit going. They finally succeeded, bringing in two people, then four, then six, and finally up to about ten or twelve. This was about the time someone made a bad decision.
An old school British punk rocker, probably in his 60’s, decided to walk from one side of the main floor to the other, along the edge of the mosh pit, with a full cup of beer in each hand. He was surprised and angry when a young man in the pit accidentally bumped into him and caused him to spill half of each beer on his shirt. Again, why he thought something like this wouldn’t happen at a punk rock show is beyond me.
The old schooler was instantly pissed. He chugged one half-cup and poured the other on top of the young guy’s head (who thought that was great). The old schooler then stepped to the back of the pit and waited, right fist balled up and ready. This poor guy missed Buzzcocks tearing through fun cuts like “Last to Know,” “Unthinkable,” “Autonomy,” and “Breakdown” while he waited to get within arm’s reach of the young guy. He eventually slugged him (a glancing blow) and four of us pulled them apart. The old schooler kept yelling about his shirt being ruined as he walked away from the pit. Security never showed up. It was up to us to break it up and keep the pit civil. That’s a punk rock show for you.
Pure punk power.
I got in the pit for the finale, which included “Orgasm Addict,” “What Do I Get,” “Ever Fallen in Love?,” and “Harmony in My Head.” I was the oldest guy in there, and I was able to keep up with the young’uns.
Steve Diggle getting us to sing “Harmony in My Head” with him.
Buzzcocks were more than able to keep up with them, too. They played hard, fast, and loud. They reminded everyone there that they haven’t sold out. I hope that wavering drunk was paying attention.
Thanks, lads, for keeping it 100, as the young kids in the pit say.
Keep your mind open.
[Thanks to John for setting up my press credentials for the show.]
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I’m a big fan of L7, so you’d think I’d already owned their second album, Smell the Magic, for years. It turns out I didn’t, but I thought I did because I own so many of the songs on it in other forms. It’s an early 1990’s classic, and needs to be in your collection if you’re any fan of any kind of rock.
Opener “Shove” (which I already owned on the Tank Girl soundtrack) is a fist-pumping anthem as Suzi Gardner (guitar, vocals) rants about bill collectors, the mailman, the neighbors, smog, and the political landscape of 1991. Dee Plakas’ (drums) beginning to “Fast and Frightening” (which I have on at least one other recording somewhere) are like a Gatling gun and Donita Sparks’ (guitar, vocals) vocals are as rabid as the song’s title. It also has one of the most punk rock lyrics of all time, “Got so much clit she don’t need no balls.” Play this if you ever need to start a mosh pit.
“(Right on) Thru” has some of the best guitar work from Gardner and Sparks, and I love how Plakas’ drums keep you guessing if the song’s going to take off or stop short. “Deathwish” (which I had as a live cut on another record) is a personal favorite. Jennifer Finch (bass, vocals) puts down one of her heaviest riffs that drives the song like a Sherman tank across a battlefield. The song isn’t particularly fast, but it grinds along with unrelenting power.
“’Till the Wheels Fall Off” is appropriately titled, because it tears through at breakneck speed. “Broomstick” is a Blondie tune if Blondie decided to be a punk band instead of a post-punk band. “Packin’ a Rod” is more angry punk. Hell, the first line is “All fucked up and I’m mad as hell, violate your daughter and your son as well.” Sparks is carrying a gun just for you, so you might want to steer clear of her. I love the crunchy, yet shredding guitar solo on “Just Like Me.”
The record closes with “American Society,” a cover of the song by the great underground band Eddie and the Subtitles that’s all about being sick of television, the rat race, the homogenization of radio airwaves, and the lure of materialism and quick riches. It was a perfect song to start the 1990’s, because everyone was sick of this stuff…and we still are.
Smell the Magic still shreds and is still relevant. Give it a whiff.
Keep your mind open.
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“Fea” is Latino slang for an ugly girl, but Fea the band (Letty – vocals, Aaron – guitar, Jenn – drums, Phanie – bass) means riot grrl post-punk (or “Fuck ‘Em All,” according to the video below).
Opening with “Mujer Moderna,” the band comes out with chugging guitars and vocals that sound like a Be Your Own Pet B-side. The song is a slug across the jaw to those who blame sexual assault victims for the crime. “Feminazi” is a fast, fun, and fierce call for both sexes to “meet in the middle” and for everyone to know that feminism isn’t fascism.
“You Can’t Change Me” has some of Phanie’s hardest bass as Letty sings about being out and proud and not giving a damn what you think. “Tragedias” will get you moving, because Jenn’s beats will boot your booty out of your chair. Be careful if you’re listening to this while driving. Don’t blame Fea (or me) for any speeding tickets you might get as a result. “Dead End” reminds me of Lunachicks, and that’s a good thing.
“No Hablo Español” might be the loudest cut on the record, because every lyric seems shouted to the streets. “Beat It Out” warns us against succumbing to the pressures of mainstream culture, white noise TV, and crummy relationships. Aaron’s guitar work cooks on it. “Sister K” is a funny story and middle finger to a mean nun Letty had to deal with in school.
“Stuck Like You” changes up the pace a bit with a softer chorus than most of the other tracks, and it works quite well. The riffs on “Poor Little Rich Girl” are outstanding, as are Letty’s Spanglish vocals. It’s some of her best work on the record. “Veins” is a little over three minutes long, but it only seems like half that because the track is so fast. “La Llorona” (“The Crying Woman” – a legendary ghost in Latin American culture) is suitably haunting. Aaron’s guitar sounds like he dipped it in a swamp before playing it and Jenn’s drums are like a funeral dirge at first.
It’s a sharp debut and I hope it leads to more records. Punk rock needed Fea. They’re like a shot of adrenaline to the genre. I didn’t know I needed Spanglish angry Latina punk until I heard this record, and now I want more of it.
Keep your mind open.
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