I remember workin’ at a rekkid shop in the late 1990s and this couple (old patrons) in their latter 40s, who I hadn’t seen in 10 years or so, came-a-breezin’ through the store which was packed full of customers. On their way out they confronted me SCREAMIN’ that there hadn’t been ANY NEW music for the past 20 years and… why was I even still open. Knowin’ there was some truth to what they were yelpin’, I nonetheless felt the need to defend, even encourage contemporary underground music, particularly small press/independent punk rock because of its fresh energy, attitude and necessity. I walked over to the singles bin and picked up The Epileptix 7” “EP EP” and said, “Have ya heard this?” They muttered “No, but…” then I told ‘em to SHUT THE FUCK UP and GET THE HELL OUT! …I haven’t seen ‘em since. I now realize holdin’ up this single was the same as givin’ them ‘ol has-beens the finger. A little too punk perhaps?
The Epileptix were Timmy Vulgar’s 1st band (and this their 1st single?) back in 1997 before The Clone Defects, Human Eye and Timmy’s Organism. Along with fellow band the Piranhas, its hot-stink punk action is a classic example why this shit STILL needs to exist.
download: The Epileptix- “underground sounds”
Snappy post-punk pop from Chapel Hill that sounds a bit like the Contortions meets the Minutemen - the frantic guitar fingerin’ is unmistakably D Boon inspired. This really IS spazzy good fun and left me wantin’ to hear more. I guess in the meantime, this 2005 split 7” with Nein (Steel Pole Bath Tub member) on the super-cool Sit-N-Spin label will do me just fine!
download: Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan- “to love the unlovely”
Crawling from the bottomless rain-filled bucket that is the Great Nor’west were 2 gentlemen, Harlan Mateo & Jerry Ventura, BASHING THE F*CK outta some cheap-ass guitars like stoner knuckleheads tryin’ to find the key of E. That’s OK ‘cause they seemed to occasionally locate a loose groove and stay on it for a minute or two. Their prowess must’ve impressed prestigious ROUGH TRADE records so much that they unleashed this delightful 1981 12” EP on their one-off subsidiary SMASH/TRADE -just for the band! Two other releases (cassette only) followed… the first, aptly named “Deep & Dumb” in 1982 and then “History of…” in ‘84.
Now, it’s time to get SMASHED!
download: The Smashchords- EP (selected tracks)
Straight forward hard-drivin’ punk that sounds like the UK Subs if they’d come from the late ’70s/early ’80s LA punk scene. They toured with other UK bands like Menace, The Vibrators and The Ruts and became fairly popular by being able to adapt their sound with the always changing punk scene. Released in 1981, this is the 4th 7” by England’s The Dark.
download: The Dark- “on the wires”
A stellar recent release by the second singer (if ya call it that) of important experimental kraut rock band CAN. A true master of hallucinatory improvisational vocal jujitsu, Damo’s repetitive freeform ramblings bring dynamics & intensity to what normally would be just a semi-ordinary jam. This very limited (500 copies) 2004 12” EP condenses the best four tracks from the Hollywood portion of the “Hollyaris” 2-CD set which was recorded live at the Knitting Factory in 2002. If you’re into CAN’s early records you’re sure to dig this!
download: Damo Suzuki’s Network- “Hollywood” EP (selected tracks)
