Something I Learned Today

For me the best feature of the IPod is the shuffle feature, which has let me enjoy so many tracks that have been buried in my collection. Case in point, The Authorities. “RadiationMasturbation” popped up and I knew I had my next post. The Authorities hailed from Stockton, CA and were active from the late 70’s to the mid 80’s. In all that time they only managed to release one 7″, 1982’s Soundtrack For Trouble EP. Four tracks of snotty, uptempo punk. “I Hate Cops” from this release would also be included on 1983 US Hardcore compilations We Got Power and Sounds of Hollywood: Copulation (both on Mystic). “RadiationMasturbation” and “I Hate Cops” would later get the Killed By Death treatment, appearing on the initial installment of the lost punk series.

In the late 90’s the Soundtrack For Trouble songs and unreleased tracks from 1983 were reissued by Existential Vacuum on vinyl, later by Get Hip on CD as Puppy Love. It’s 14 tracks in all, many of the unreleased songs are just as catchy if not better than their best known tracks.

Two originally from the Soundtrack For Trouble EP:

The Authorities - I Hate Cops.mp3
The Authorities - RadiationMasturbation.mp3

One from the unreleased 1983 sessions. More melodic and depressing. According to the historical website linked above there were some definite heroin issues within the band:

The Authorities - Your Life.mp3

Over the past week or so we’ve had an influx of Japanese visitor here on SiLT. To all of the new folks I’d like to say “konnichiwa” (hopefully spelled correctly). This presents an ideal opportunity to dish on one of my favorite Japanese bands: Teengenerate. Forming from the ashes of the American Soul Spiders, Teengenerate began kicking out their enthusiastic brand of 3 chord trash punk in the early 90’s. Wearing their unabashed love of ’70’s punk and American R’n'R on their sleeve, Teengenerate released scads of singles mixing originals and cool covers from the likes of Fun Things, Queers, Pagans, Nervous Eaters, Kids, etc. Despite having only one proper album (1994’s Get Action! ) Teengenerate became a cult favorite during their mid-90’s run, and remain as a lasting icon of the garage punk movement. Some choice cuts:

Teengenerate - Let’s Get Hurt.mp3
from 1994’s Get Action! LP, this one would later be covered by fellow Japanese garage rockers Guitar Wolf

Teengenerate - Don’t Come Close To Me.mp3
I’ve always assumed this one is a cover, but I can’t find any writing credit to indicate as such. Who cares - it’s a prime cut of Stooge/Birdman inspired tuneage. Included on the singles comp Smash Hits!

Teengenerate - Bloody Belgium.mp3
A cover of the Kids classic “Bloody Belgium”, from an entire 7″ of Kids covers (the others tracks are “This Is Rock and Roll” and “Do you Wanna Know?”)

Notes:
Human Tornado.mp3 available from Crypt Records Radio
Teengenerate discography from GrunnenRocks
Buy Get Action!
Buy Smash Hits!

I may be the last one to hear about this, as I live in a freakin’ box. I found this over at Master of Chooch. Forgive me if this is old news

The San Pedro Film Society in association with Rocket Fuel Films is proud to announcethe premiere of WE JAM ECONO - THE STORY OFTHE MINUTEMEN at 8PM on Friday, February 25,2005 at San Pedro’s historic Warner GrandTheatre. Minutemen Mike Watt and GeorgeHurley along with Director Tim Irwin andProducer Keith Schieron will sit for aquestion and answer session with the audienceafter the screening.

WE JAM ECONO - THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN isa feature length documentary chronicling thisground breaking, early 80’s punk rock bandfrom their humble beginnings in the harbortown of San Pedro, CA to their untimelydemise when lead singer and guitarist D. Boonwas killed in a van accident in December of 1985.

Told by those who were there, WE JAM ECONO -THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN weaves together footage from over fifty newly shot interviewswith archival interviews and live performancesto capture the dynamic energy anddo-it-yourself spirit of these punk rockpioneers. Newly shot interviews include Minutemen Mike Watt and George Hurley as well as Bill Morgan, Brendan Mullen, Brother Dale, Brother Matt, Byron Coley, Carla Bozulich,Carlos Guitarlos, Chris Morris, Colin Newman,Dave Markey, David Rees, Dez Cadena, Ed Crawford, Flea, Greg Ginn, Henry Rollins, IanMackaye, J Mascis, Jack Brewer, Jean Watt,Jello Biafra, Joe Baiza, Joe Carducci, John Doe, John Talley-jones, Keith Morris, Kevin Barrett, Kira Roessler, Kjehl Johansen, Kurt Schellenbach, Lisa Roeland, Martin Lyon,Michel C. Ford, Mike Martt, Milo Auckerman, Nannette Roeland, Nels Cline, Pat Hoed, RandyJahnson, Ray Farrell, Raymond Pettibon, Richard Bonney, Richard Derrick, RichardHell, Richard Meltzer, Bobby Holtzman, ScottBecker, Thurston Moore, Tom Watson, TonyPlaton and Vince Meghrouni.

All of the details are here. Suffice it to say that I’m eagerly looking forward to this DVD release (don’t think I’m going to make it in person). I could try and write about the band but I doubt I could convey their importance both globally and personally. Anyhow, I’m in the mood for some ‘propaganda songs’. Here are a couple of ‘off the cuff’ favorites:

Minutemen - Little Man with a Gun in His Hand.mp3
I wore out my tape of My First Bells primarily from rewinding to listen to this track. From 1983’s What Makes a Man Start Fires 12″

Minutemen - Tour-spiel.mp3
the live version from 1986’s Ballot Result LP. I had to include a song with ‘We Jam Econo’, and this version has some nice thud to it.

Minutemen - Bermuda.mp3
another live one from Ballot Result. Watt takes on Roky Erickson (and wins)

Minutemen - History Lesson Part II.mp3
The song that says it all. ‘Our Band Could Be Your Life’ - Boon and Watt always had the right turn of phrase, penning lyrics that still stick in my skull 15-20 years after first listen.

Stuff:

Today marks my 33rd birthday and I’m going to celebrate by getting myself a long coveted hard drive mp3 player. Conventional wisdom and market share suggests the Apple Ipod (40 GB model) is the way to go. I have my reservations, mostly with the battery life. Can anyone comment on their experiences with the 40 GB Ipod, especially the 4th generation? Has anyone purchased alternative products from IRiver or Creative Zen? Good luck or bad, let me know your experience with any of these products (via comments or email)

Also, can anyone point me in the direction of some new or unique blogger templates? I’ve grown weary of this one but nothing else on blogger or noipo.org strikes my fancy.

thanks!

– Eric

Remember, Valentine’s Day is Monday February 14. Why not give you’re loved one the gift of music? Here’s a couple sure to set his or her heart afire. Hugs and kisses!

Pagans - What’s This Shit Called Love.mp3

The Damned - Love Song.mp3

Dead Boys - What Love Is.mp3

Black Flag - I Love You.mp3

Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Love Comes in Spurts.mp3

All hearts generated by mature adults using the Acme Heart Maker. Make your own or browse the previous creations. This is all a desperate cry for help

If there’s anything I love more than getting comments on a post it’s receiving email from readers, friends, etc. Seriously - I dig hearing from people who read this thing and dig the music or just want to say hello ( true even if I sometimes forget to respond). Please, keep it coming.

I mention that because I received an interesting email the other day letting me know that a new Easy Action album is imminent. The writer was baffled how I could have overlooked not only Easy Action, but also John Brannon’s earlier efforts in the Laughing Hyenas and Negative Approach. How could I overlook these bands while talking about the likes of TSOL? Well, you have to dig but I’ve done my due diligence:

And yes, TSOL are sissies  

So at this point it only makes sense I to talk about Brannon’s latest group. Detroit’s Easy Action crossed my radar in the late ’90’s after a couple of 7″ releases on Reptilian Records. I’ve long been a fan of Brannon’s throat-shredding howl, even through the later, less intense Hyena output. This new material was a kick in the teeth: aggressive, noisy, rock highlighted by thick guitar, pounding rhythms and the unmistakeable vocals. In short, somewhere between NA and the Hyenas. 2001 saw the release of a self-titled album on Reptilian. I honestly thought the band had gone under until the 2004’s “Dead of Night/Worse for You” appeared on Empirical. Now we have the news of new album (Friends of Rock and Roll) and some touring to follow, so keep your eyes peeled. A couple of tracks:

Easy Action - What’s The Deal.mp3
Big rock action here on the first track from the LP. Musically this sounds like the interim step from Negative Approach to the Laughing Hyenas, rather than the successor the Hyenas.

Easy Action - If There Is Something.mp3
The last track on the album is a cover of an early Roxy Music track. Soaring guitar, powerful vocals, and the overwhelming sense of finality make this is a perfect album closer.

Easy Action - Dead of Night.mp3
The A-side to the 2004 single, this has a definite Hyenas feel to it. If I didn’t know any better I would guess that it was Larissa Strickland playing guitar. This and the flipside “Worse for You” aren’t as “up” as the album, but that’s not a bad thing. This material is whetting my appetite for the new album.

If you’re like me you may have spent a lot of time and money tracking down Offenders material based upon their PEACE comp cut “Face Down in the Dirt”. The track is a standout, and like so many other tracks on that comp it sent me out to shake the brush for evey piece of recorded material I could find. The end result was a collection of albums and singles that are hit or miss. The first Offenders 12″ We Must Rebel was released in 1983 on MDC’s R Radical label, and it’s no coincidence that the band comes across as a blander, less confrontational version of the label founders. Muddy production and songs best classified as “tuneless thrash” lead to a disappointing album. 1985’s Endless Struggle was an improvement, but still seemed to be missing that spark, that certain something that made “Face Down in the Dirt” so amazing.

In 1989 German label Bitzcore began to reissue some of the Offenders early material. Their reissue of We Must Rebel added “Face Down…” and several other tracks as bonus material. This was it. The tracks “I Hate Myself”, “Fed Up”, and “Inside the Middle” all had that sound, surely coming from the same sessions that produced “Face Down”. The guitar is incendiary, the vocals desperate, the drums, well there somewhere in the mix. Hellbent and out of control hardcore. Why couldn’t there be more of this material?

As it turns out the tracks in question were from the band’s pre We Must Rebel 1983 demo tape and have recently been resurrected by GTA as part of the Died In Custody CD. The CD contains all of Endless Struggle, the “I Hate Myself/Bad Times” 7″, the ‘83 demo and some live cuts. Definitely worthwhile. My favorites:

Offenders - I Hate Myself.mp3
Offenders - Fed Up.mp3
Offenders - Fight Back.mp3
Offenders - Inside The Middle.mp3

Sorry to disappoint all of you who came here expecting an excerpt of Ralph Nader reading from his auto safety expose Unsafe at Any Speed.I’m sure you’re heart-broken Nope, the Unsafe at Any Speed I’m talking about is the follow up to one of the best American hardcore compilations of the ’80’s - 1982’s This Is Boston, Not L.A. Highlighting many of the same Boston hardcore bands (most of the tracks are outtakes from TBNL sessions ) Unsafe at Any Speed was released as a 7″ on Modern Method records in 1983. This time out each band got one cut apiece. 6 songs in total, and while some of it sounds dated it’s still a nice dose of classic punk aggression. The goods:

Gang Green - Selfish.mp3
A hyperspeed blast from a teenage Gang Green. The initial era of Gang Green ended before this release. The band would later reform (based upon the success of there comp appearance and single on Taang!) to present the world a body of work built around metallic rock riffs and alcoholism.

Proletariet - Voodoo Economics.mp3
Don’t let the Proletariat’s lack of political subtetly prevent you from ejoying their brand of engaging hardcore. I’ll save additional details for another day, but what a fantastic band. Their double disc Voodoo Economics and Other American Tragedies is essential

Jerry’s Kids - Machine Gun.mp3
“Machine Gun” was later re-recorded for the Jerry’s Kids comeback LP Kill Kill Kill. This is the better version - a raw recording from around the time of their first LP Is This My World?

F.U.’s - CETA Suckers.mp3
This track was also on the another top-notch American hardcore comp - Master Tapes volume 1. What can I say, I love the F.U.’s, especially the early tracks (this cut, the Boston Not LA tracks, and the Kill for Christ 12″)

The Freeze - Refrigerator Heaven.mp3
Don’t let the mild sounds of this one confuse you. This one is a twisted tale of a lonely child and his “playmate”. Sick, sick, sick.

Misc:

The Mistreaters are everything I love in a band: a wild rock’n'roll unit with a sleazy, dangerous sound fronted by a vocalist who sounds like he is coming unglued. Formed in Milwaukee, WI in 1998, the Mistreaters have been a big player in the burgeoning Wisconsin garage/punk scene along side the likes of the Catholic Boys, the Mystery Girls, and the Leg Hounds. In the past 5 years the Mistreaters have graced us with 2 LP’s and a handful of singles on trash labels Big Neck, Estrus, and Yakisakana. The sounds are pure mayhem - twisted guitar, indecipherable vocals, and the worst sounding cymbals you’ve ever heard. Enjoy a couple of tracks…

From 2000’s Grab Them Cakes:

Mistreaters - Tired of Looking At You.mp3
Mistreaters - I’m Hurting.mp3

The band cleaned themselves up a bit for the 2003 release Playa Hated To The Fullest:

Mistreaters - Juan Burguesa.mp3
Mistreaters - Hard on the Eyes.mp3

Crapola:

I’ve been trying to fight it but I can’t get past the obligation of having to use the term ’skate punk’ in a write up on Agent Orange. I don’t know dick about ’skating’ music or the skate scene. All I know is that in high school all of the skate rats had either Agent Orange stickers on their boards or sported band t-shirts (along with all sorts of Suicidal Tendencies shit). Most of these kids actually new nothing about the band or their music, but hell, they had a cool logo and Thrasher recommended them.

But enough of all that, here’s the basic breakdown: Agent Orange formed in 1979 in Fullerton, CA and became a favorite of KROQ DJ Rodney Bingenheimer. Bingenheimer included the classic “Bloodstains” on one of his compilations for Posh Boy. “Bloodstains” was also the title track of the bands 1980 7″. In 1981 the band released their first 12″ Living in Darkness. The album consisted of 8 tracks of mod-punk fused with surf beats and somber themes. 1982 saw the release of Posh Boy cash-in 12″ Bitchin’ Summer that contained 4 cuts from the LID sessions . While the band would go on to release several more albums throughout the ’80’s and ’90’s all the prime tracks are included on the Living in Darkness CD reissue. Highlights:

Agent Orange - Bloodstains.mp3
The 1979 original version that appeared on the Rodney on the Roq compilation. Really, this is one of the top angry punk anthems you’re likely to find.

Agent Orange - Living in Darkness.mp3
I don’t know if the CD has been remixed, but those cheesy “thunderclaps” are garbage can lids. They sound more synthesized than on my vinyl version. Don’t let that detract from this amazing song, it’s my personal favorite of theirs

Agent Orange - Miserlou.mp3
OK, I figured I had to include at least one of the classic surf instrumentals. This one is a cover of the Dick Dale signature tune “Miserlou”. Also covered is “Pipeline” by the Chantays and “Mr Moto” by the Bel-Airs.

Agent Orange - El Dorado.mp3
From their first recording session. This was dusted off and issued as a contractual obligation 7″ in 1990. I’ve included it solely on the basis that it is big fuck you to the jocks at El Dorado High School in Placentia, CA which I had the pleasure(?) of attending for a couple of years in the late ’80’s. Right on!

Assorted Crap:

• Buy Living in Darkness
• Interesting info on the Posh Boy recordings from the label itself. Also an interview with the founder of Posh Boy courtesy Spontaneous.
• Hey, would some give the band an endorsement deal already?