Smashed in the Face: A HxCx Primer

Bad Brains
Unquestionably the most musically gifted hardcore group that ever stalked stages and able to move between reggae, dub and back to its DC styled thrash, concise HC made Bad Brains an interesting confluence of ideology, politics and style. Yeah, they broke up only to return with a disc on Madonna’s label that sucked, but given its previous work, we’ll forgive ‘em.

Minor Threat
Another DC based band, credited or disdained for accidently creating the straight edge thing, Minor Threat and Ian MacKaye would go on to influence not just the music itself, but how it was marketed, distributed and presented to the masses. Unfortunately maligned by some, the group’s Discography has to be one of the best selling punk related albums of all time.

Black Flag
As important as those first two groups, but hailing from the opposite coast, Greg Ginn was a hippie with some shreddin’ guitar skills. The band’s sound veered from ‘70s punk to hardcore and eventually metal when the band was fronted by Henry Rollins. His presence is perceived to have changed HC for a variety of reasons – I’ve been known to figure that if not for that guy, there might not have eventually been so many jocks and tough guys at shows. Who knows, though?

7 Seconds
An oddity in the fact that they hail from Nevada, 7 Seconds has been putting music out for such a long time that even if they stunk, its discography would still be impressive. It can’t be said to have drastically affected the genre as a whole, but 7 Seconds did function as an important outpost in touring schedules with its home base situated between Cali and Texas. Even if the band got a bit poppy over time, the first few discs are pretty much golden.

Gorilla Biscuits
Members from NYC’s Gorilla Biscuits would go on to work in some other pretty heavy bands, but even if that didn’t impact the future of HC, the bands scant few releases would have by themselves. Straigh-Edge, yes, but the band tried to be all inclusive. If nothing else, its Buzzcocks cover’s pretty good.

SSD
One of the more militant scenes in regards to its straight edge philosophies – and ass beatings – Boston gave the hardcore so many strong bands that to pick just one that best represents it is pretty difficult. But the fact that SSD predated most of ‘em is important. Going through a variety of variations on Society System Decontrol, the band unloosed some nasty hardcore before getting all metaly on us. Easily a personal favorite from this here list.

The Necros
Being from Ohio, I’m almost necessitated to include these guys. Maybe not the first hardcore band, but they showed up kinda early. And coming outta the ‘burbs of Toledo makes it all the more impressive that the Necros were able to release a single during ’81. Find it, I might buy it.

The Zero Boys

The only other Midwesterners on here, a recent spate of re-issues and tours have raised this Indiana band’s visibility of late. Only releasing a single album during its brief existence, the band still helped solidify the genre – and had some pretty cool album art.

Try A Dull Knife: Xenia, Oh

If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re a weirdo. It might then also be safe to guess that you saw Gummo. If not, you probably know what that is. Right? Yeah. The follow up to Kids, directed by Harmony Korine, goes in on a psychotic look at what bored, poor, white trash do in the middle of nowhere Ohio. Xenia, Ohio to be exact. And while that place might not mean too much to anyone, my family almost moved there when I was a little kid. That woulda been a bummer. It was subsequently leveled by a tornado. Double whammy.

The reason that any of that matters is the fact that Try a Dull Knife was released via Version Sound. And Version Sound was/is (?) based outta Xenia. So in recalling what Gummo gave viewers during the mid ‘90s, imagine that town more than a decade earlier. That, my friends is plainly terrifying. But in figuring the music – which was all recorded and such by bands in and around Riverside, CA – it’s pretty important to have some of those Ohio born images bumping around in one’s mind. That’s how odd a compendium of this SoCal scene is. There’s not a cohesive push to any one genre, instead Try a Dull Knife is a delicious mélange of noise, punk, electronics and thrash.

White Flag is easily the most recognizable group on here – but being relatively unfamiliar with that group, both of the tracks included here (“Hell in a Handbasket” and “Love Me Like a Reptile”) are most likely found elsewhere in much higher fidelity. There’s other punk here as well – most notably Test Pattern. And while the two tracks that the group goes in on are a bit thin, it’s clear that the group has its act together. Interestingly enough, though, the band’s “Bite the Knife,” which could be assumed to have resulted in the compilation’s title, is pretty much a rip off of “Sympathy for the Devil.” It sounds good, so no complaints.

What’s confusing and a bit startling about Try a Dull Knife are the electronic inclusions. The five tracks that Death Patrol contributes – and no, I have no idea why ostensibly an EP’s worth of material from the band sits in the middle of this tape – are most certainly rooted in rock. But the warbling electro noises probably scared their parents when the band was practicing in the basement.

Most interestingly, though, is Cahuenga and its cover of Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine.” There’s no way anyone would be able to pick this track out as a cover – until the cascading ‘ahhs’ that function as the chorus kick in. As unsettling as that is alone, Cahuenga’s effort sounds roughly like the Screamers, if that’s even able to be grasped – the Screamers doing Floyd?

Either way, Try a Dull Knife is apparently a much sought after commodity these days. Surely tape collectors would shell out some big skrills for a copy, so dust off that shoe box of tapes under your bed and see if it’s still in there.

Reddy Teddy: A (Meh) Boston Band

Boston often gets overlooked when bands that inform punk are discussed. The Real Kids are obviously an important touchstone, but even before that garage approach to the music was worked out Willie Alexander was kicking around before his ill fated trip to the Big Apple to be a part of the (pretend) last Velvet Underground recordings. And while Alexander wasn’t a player in the Reddy Teddy line up, the fact that he had a hand in the recording of its album says a great deal about the direction of the music – namely that it’s not too special, but has a few elements that would later be important to the nascent punk scene that sprung up around the Rat.

The fact that Reddy Teddy never recorded a proper album shouldn’t discourage those that scour early ‘70s releases looking for power pop and hard rock being ratcheted up into something else. Again, this isn’t punk – but these guys were on the scene just as Aerosmith started to gain the recognition that they somehow carried through three or four subsequent decades. In fact, that bands utilization of some Brit hard rock, blues and slinky rock stuffs could be considered a part of the formula that Reddy Teddy would get down on its recordings from ’76.

These aren’t Elvis Costello style rockers, but something between the New York Dolls and Alice Cooper that propels these nine tracks. “Novelty Shoes,” specifically, benefits from the injection of Cooper’s influence. That’s not to say that anything here comes close to Love it to Death ‘cause that shouldn’t even be a consideration. And see as in ’76 the Ramones were cutting its first album, the fact that Reddy Teddy sounds as if it’s from an earlier portion of the decade isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. And really, if played back to back, this set of work and the Ramones first album, Reddy Teddy comes off like some radio friendly hacks.

The Boston band never got snatched up by a major, instead releasing these nine album tracks via some independent label. Despite that, it sounds rather polished and at moments even gets near a trashy, ‘70s Bo Diddley style. Portions of “Magic, Magic” ape the low down drum style of the RnB star, but sadly then move into some more middling rock. Taken as a whole, that’s pretty much what all of this is. So, it’s kinda confusing to grasp why exactly these guys get checked in punk circles…

There’s some feedback that might be pleasant to hard rock and punk fans, but beyond that, it just comes off as a band that you might have seen opening for Kiss – who had a bit of punk about that if not considering its over blown stage show and douchey make-up. The fact that these tunes from Reddy Teddy have been re-issued does, though, mean that Boston is getting a call up from around the world for its rock music – that’s good. But apart from the town receiving its due, there aren’t really any teeth to these rockers. It’s just rock to rock. Meh.

The Busy Signals: More Than I Expected...

I came to the party late. Yeah, this disc is a few years old, but what’s all this nonsense about the Exploding Hearts? Yeah, both the Busy Signals and that defunct NW group have a predilection for ‘70s punk and power pop, but to compare the two seriously reveals the inability for rock writers to independently think about a disc. Ok, both groups are on Dirtnap. You know who else is/was on Dirtnap? The Cripples. And those guys sound like drunken robots fighting with the instruments of a new wave band. So, for real folks, listen to a disc, digest it and think. That’s all. Just think.

I realize that this might be too punchy to make any sense at this point, but the Busy Signals deserve your attention despite the fact that I have no idea from whence they come. A MySpace page says Brooklyn, but every other site references Chicago. Beyond that, though, the group sports folks that have done time with the Feelers (Columbus) as well as the Carbonas (Atlanta). Anyway, the Busy Signals, regardless of what its mailing address currently is, finds itself fronted by Ana McGorty. She might get checked as some Patti Smith disciple, but she’s a bit to breathy for that – and yes that’s still in comparison to Smith who comes off as something more than hushed, even while screaming. Make sense?

Perhaps a good touchstone would be a lower pitched Exene. The X reference might serve to explain the rest of the music here as well. While the Busy Signals don’t get all rockabilly, the pop elements from the Los Angeles band get a work out here. Each track represented on the band’s self titled disc from 2007 comes in at around two minutes, if not more protracted than that. But the approach to song writing fits the group perfectly.

This music isn’t over thought, although it’s professionally executed and properly conceived. The Busy Signals have a tendency to crank out the back up vocals a bit too much (“Tell Me,” “Matter of Time”), but an argument could be made that the approach only fleshes out these songs. Maybe. But even if it doesn’t, the fact that those vox are included points to the abilities of all involved.

Where the inclusion of back up singing works out best, though, is on a track that sports a pretty obnoxious, but functional guitar line. “Just 4 Show,” and it’s airtight sentiment, fit seamlessly into the crop of pop songs here, and for reasons unbeknownst to me, the confluence of cheesy guitar and dual vocals works to good affect while all involved sing about posing - posing hard.

Clocking in at a scant twenty whatever minutes, listeners might find themselves looking for more material from the band – there’re a few singles here and there. But really, the disc is strong enough to warrant hitting play again and running through each of the tracks once more. And sadly, there aren’t too many modern punker discs that the sentiment can be figured about.

Proto Punk: Dawning of a New Era

No, proto-punk isn’t a real thing, it’s been concocted in order to more easily explain where stuff comes from. None of the groups below really had any inkling as to the effect that they’d have in subsequent years and more over, it’s safe to assume that none cared – except the MC5, who thought that it functioned as a mouth piece for the revolution. That obviously didn’t pan out, but the music that each of these groups below unloosed during the ‘60s and early ‘70s was able to change the way in which music – and art to a certain extent – was perceived. Each launched the career of at least one player that would go on to record for a few decades. Whether those individuals matter any longer is open to debate, but the quality of this music is not. The more you know…

The Velvet Underground
Beginning before any of the other folks on this list, the Velvet Underground might have also been the least popular outta this crop of bands initially. There aren’t really too many hints at what would sonically become punk – the instrumental of “I Think I’m Fallin’ In Love” comes closest – but the sheer disregard for other popular, cultural trends of the time would inform latter day punkers.

Lou Reed would obviously go on to a lengthily solo career, but it’s pretty easy to figure anything that the Velvet’s worked out as much stronger than those ‘70s albums.

The MC5
One of the innumerable Detroit bands that ratcheted up psych into hitherto unknown territories, the MC5 didn’t have any peers when it came to musicality. It was surely just a quartet like any other, but with the group’s belief that it had a higher calling (and all the drugs), the MC5 played as aggressively as any other ensemble outta the ‘60s. But beyond that the interplay of Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith (who would eventually wed Patty) and Wayne Kramer (who would eventually become an embarrassing solo act who even occasionally rapped) on guitars ranks up there with any other tandem and really makes the Yardbirds sound like a buncha hacks. Tell your dad that one.

The Stooges
As much inspired by smack as Detroit and life being a drag, Iggy Pop led this ensemble of ill intentioned ne’er-do-wells through a few albums before completely loosing it. The band broke up countless times, was reformed just as many, but was able to work with John Cale, from the aforementioned Velvet Underground, as well as David Bowie a bit later. And while the alliance with Bowie was really the death knell of the group, it served to begin Iggy’s solo career, which oddly enough, had some pretty strong moments.

The New York Dolls
As responsible for glam as punk, Johnny Thunders and David Johansen enjoyed wearing their girlfriends clothes and playing revved up Chuck Berry styled rockers. It wasn’t the most imaginative outta this crop of bands, but it was inspired (by drugs). It all only lasted for just a few years, but the groups that band members went on to play with were just as important as the Dolls were.

'90s Punk Classics

There really hasn’t been a bad decade of punk. ‘80s music in generally is looked down upon as sleek, corporate nonsense, but even in the decade after this genre’s inception, there was enough for pissed off kids to scream about that resulted in scores of independently produced music. It might not have always been well done – that’s a relative term, though – but it was genuine. For the most part.

Considering that a great deal of that ‘80s punk stuff was made up of anti-government polemics aimed at Reagan and his cohort, the ‘90s and its perceived affluence would then seem a bizarre time for the genre to continue. It did – and with a blustery force not found in newer punkers all that frequently. What follows shouldn’t be understood as the best of the best – it might be – but instead as a clutch of discs that were able to me through that decade.

US Bombs – Garibaldi Guard! (1996)
Duane Peters might be older than either of your parents and a part of at least three (?) bands at this point, but the second full length from the Bombs should be perceived as on of the stronger efforts not just from the ‘90s, but as a watershed release for the genre. It’s not perfect, but the players on here all had more talent than whatever spiky haired band is wearing bondage pants today. Equal parts drunken revelry, plain abandon and story telling, Garibaldi Guard! remains as strong a disc now as back then.

Electric Frankenstein – Conquers the World (1996)
Now that I think of it, the Canzonieri Brothers might have been as eldery as Duane during the mid ‘90s. EF still tours sporadically, but with the line up shifting about every ten minutes, it’s a mixed bag to catch these guys live. Conquers the World, though, was such a strong musical statement that even if punk isn’t your thing, there’s enough rock stuffs thrown in to entice just about everyone. The fact that Stever Miller – not that one, but EF’s singer – possesses one of the most torn up throats in all of music didn’t hurt either.

The Stitches – 8 x 12 (1999)
The fact that the Stitches are all still alive is a testament to the embalming properties of narcotics. As much juiced up power pop as punk and ‘70s verve, the band didn’t sound like it was of its own era. And perhaps for that very reason remains relatively obscure in comparison to the Bombs and others of this ilk. Working up a short spate of classics coming in at less than a half an hour, once you get through the second side of the disc, you gotta throw on side one again.

One Man Army – Dead End Stories (1998)
Insanely underappreciated, but somehow appearing at a Warped Tour or two, One Man Army were the first group to release a disc through Green Day’s Adeline imprint. One Many Army might be a bit poppy – not like Green Day kinda way – but its ability to craft some succinct pop tunes and ratchet up the aggressive tendencies of the music make it’s first long player a lost classic.

The Features: PA to NYC Floozies

So, let me again reference the Stitches as a way by which to figure my punk education. Yeah, they’re a ‘90s band, but outta that crop of groups who, apart from the Bombs, has the same sort of inarguable taste in older, completely obscure punk singles? Probably no one. That’s not the point here. What is, though, is the fact that on the first Stitches album, 8 x 12, the band covers “Floozie of the Neighborhood.” I don’t believe the version of that album I possess has song credits on it, but pretty quickly after coping that disc when I was fourteen (?) someone hipped me to the fact that the Features originally penned the tune. Where it came from – and I assumed that the band was from SoCal, I was wrong – though, is almost as interesting as the band itself.

There were countless bands doing a punk thing by the latter part of the ‘70s and a great many of ‘em moved to New York to try and make it big as it were. Not too many were successful. And if you look back, most of the groups that got signed – apart from Clevo’s the Dead Boys – were born and bread New Yorkers. Ok, well Richard Hell wasn’t, but some of his band was. But coming out of Pittsburg, which is really nicer than you’d imagine, was a group called the Fingers, who are really of no consequence although they reportedly released a single that’s above boards – good luck finding it, though.

The Fingers, or at least a few of ‘em, moved to the big city, wrangled a few other dudes and changed their name to the Features, penning that now classic, lost track. It was issued on a single with the b-side of “I Wanna Be Your Man,” a classic rendition. Of course, considering the glut of acts doing the punk thing at the time, no one snapped up the group immediately, ostensibly relegating them to the dustbins of punker history.

Thanks to not just the scum bags in the Stitches, but the folks at Rave Up Records outta Italy, the Features have gained a second life, albeit a truncated one. Releasing Floozie of the Neighboorhood back in 2002 afforded the group a short lived renaissance seeing as the disc has already lapsed back into OOP land. Have no fear dear interneters, it’s out there for you to find. And it shouldn’t be too difficult to hunt down digitally.

Once located, though, some might be surprised by the efforts held within that compressed file. Yea, the single the band released is flawless, and a great many of the other offerings here are well beyond what could be expected, but much like the other KBD bands or Nuggets folks, this is kinda inconsistent. And considering the fact that the Features didn’t really record in the studio too much, most of the album is comprised of a live set that the band worked out. They’ re-do their hit and run through a few other tracks – most notably the instrumental “On the Prowl” and “Shake.” So while this group will hitherto be known for the song that the Stitches helped popularize, these guys were deep into the ‘60s rock and soul music. Who knew?

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