Entertainment

In the wake of all that punk and no wave nonsense, a crop of players in New York emerged, all weaned on the most outrageous of guitar based skronk focused rock stuff. By the time it was the mid eighties there was an established route for these players to follow, not necessarily one leading to radio play, record deals and fame, but there were certainly outlets for aggressive, extreme musics.

Blast First was initially conceived to issue Sonic Youth records to a European audience. Becoming a substantial imprint for noisome rock stuffs may have been the point all along, but after a while the label’s releases began garnering a decent amount of attention, even the ones having nothing to do with Thurston Moore and company. One of the acts Blast First picked up on by 1988 was a triad of guitars called Band of Susans. With such a precious name, one could imagine a girl group replete with lame harmonies and a lack of melodic imagination. Giving the world Page Hamilton, one time Glenn Branca understudy and eventual Helmet front man, might be the Susans’ most recognizable accomplishment. But for a few years, the ensemble sought to work up a clatter of guitars backed by a sensible rhythm section.