Something I Learned Today

No, not another post on the great Australian Victims. This is the Victims from New york City. I can’t track down any real info on the band, so I’ll just give you what I have. In the late ’70’s the Victims released a couple of seven inches and one LP. Their second 7″ has the distinction of being the only non-Glenn Danzig related band to have a record released on Plan 9. Frontman Rick Riley was an emergency guitar fill-in for the Misfits at one time. The band plays some choice NYC ‘77 style punk rock & roll full of grit and sleaze. Below is the Plan 9 seven inch and a couple of tracks from their lone LP Real Wild Child:
Victims - Annette.mp3
Victims - I Want Head.mp3
Victims - Behind The Times.mp3
Victims - Nervous.mp3

from 1979′a Real Wild Child
Victims - (Gotta Find A) Substitute.mp3
Victims - She’s So Hot.mp3
Victims - Dance With You.mp

Notes:

As much as I hate to admit it, the Weird Lovemakers were a band I took a chance on simply because of the name. I mean, how could I resist? Most of the time these gambles don’t pay off, but this one was a definite score. Tucson’s Weird Lovemakers play high energy, high speed songs that are short, catchy, and sometimes just downright strange. Between 1994 and 2000 these guys released 5 albums of adolescent geek rock, two of which I didn’t know existed until I began researching this post. Guitarist Jason Willis and drummer Gerard Schumacher are currently keeping time with the very cool Knockout Pills. Enjoy

From 1996’s Electric Chump
Weird Lovemakers - I Hate Rock & Roll.mp3
Weird Lovemakers - Smells Like Rain.mp3

From 1998’s Flu Shot
Weird Lovemakers - Jet Boy Helena.mp3
Weird Lovemakers - Gotta Gotta Get Some.mp3

Notes:

Hopefully today’s mail will include the Rodney Bingenheimer documentary The Mayor of the Sunset Strip. I really don’t know why I’ve waited as long to get it as I have. I spent the mid ’80’s living in Orange County, and experienced one of the those life altering moments when I tuned into Rodney on The Roq for the first time. If I recall correctly, I believe it was the Germs “My Tunnel” which served as my official introduction to the wonderful sounds of punk rock. I was sold.

20 years later and now I can’t help but think of the Angry Samoans when I think about Rodney. At this point I’m sure most of you know all about the infamous Samoans and their special brand of hostility - their 1982 LP Back From Samoa is a study in anti-social behavior - a classic. And I’m sure you already are aware of what was really one of the great punk rock feuds of all time - The Angry Samoans versus Rodney Bingenheimer. As I know it the Samoans started it all with “Get off the Air”, a track that went right for the jugular, brutally savaging Bingenheimer. the DJ responded by threatening legal action and reputedly getting the band blackballed from LA’s clubs. Legend has it that the band released a four song EP under the name of the Queer Pills in order to garner airplay on Bingenheimer’s show. But according to guitarist Gregg Turner:

We never HAD to release anything as the Queer Pills- it was a goof, really. Back From Samoa was taking forever to finish for any number of reasons….we rushed a quick out-take package (7″ EP) that we called the Queer Pills. Mainly because it wasn’t finished product and we didn’t want to jump the gun on relasing the record. But then the mouth of hell opened once more: someone at the pressing tells Rodney to watch out for the Queer Pills ‘cos it’s really the Angry Samoans in disguise - I think he had actually played it on his show once or twice without knowing it!!

So here’s the Queer Pills 7″. Rough outtakes from the Back To Samoa sessions - 3 of ‘em made it onto the record, with “Time To Fuck” missing the cut.

Angry Samoans - You Stupid Jerk.mp3
Angry Samoans - Time to Fuck.mp3
Angry Samoans - The Todd Killings.mp3
Angry Samoans - They Saved Hitler’s Cock.mp3

And just for good measure, here’s their tribute from Inside My Brain

Angry Samoans - Get Off The Air.mp3

and while we’re naming names why not include the band’s take on the state of LA Punk circa 1981:

Angry Samoans - Posh Boy’s Cock.mp3

Notes:

Given Biscuit’s passing here are a couple of my favorite Big Boys tunes. Nothing more to say, other than the photo was taken from the Idle Time web archive. Idle Time publisher Dixon Coulbourn passed away earlier this month.

Big Boys - Influence.mp3
Big Boys - Red/Green.mp3
Big Boys - Complete Control.mp3
Big Boys - Which Way To Go.mp3

Randy “Biscuit” Turner, vocalist for the legendary Big Boys, was found dead yesterday at age 56. From the frontpage of the Austin Chronicle, who were running a cover story on him:

In the worst form of serendipity imaginable, Randy “Biscuit” Turner was found dead in his home late Thursday afternoon. Close friends had not heard from the local musician/artist for several days when Chronicle staff writer Marc Savlov, author of this week’s cover story on the ebullient Austin icon, stopped by Turner’s house to ascertain his whereabouts. Sensing something wrong, Savlov called the police, who arrived and found Turner’s body inside. As of 11:30am Friday morning, the medical examiner’s initial autopsy report attributes cause of death to “gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to cirrhosis associated with chronic [alcohol] abuse.” Although time/date of death has yet to be determined pending a final report from the medical examiner, it’s believed that Turner, 56, had been dead for at least several days. Needless to say, the entire Chronicle family is shocked and terribly saddened by this news. Pedazo Chunk, 2009 S. First, where Turner’s art installation “Mental Volcano” was to be displayed this weekend, will instead host an informal wake tonight, Friday, Aug. 19, beginning at 7pm.

Here’s a more in depth article from the Austin American-Statesman

Wow - first John Loder, and now Biscuit. A sad week for underground music fans.

Given that they are one of my all-time favorites, it’s high time I got around to doing a proper post on The Wipers. Of course, other bloggers haven’t been as derelict in their duties. Check out StrangeReaction’s post for some songs and Vinyl Mine’s excellent writeup for some knowledge. I personally don’t have much to add to the discourse. Basically, when the subject of the Wipers comes up I’ll recite talking points on the following:

Bouncing Babies was originally planned to be a split hardcore comp released by Maryland based Fountain of Youtb records and midwest label Version Sound. When Version Sound ceased to be a going concern the compilation became an all Maryland/DC compilation featuring bands whose sounds ranged from straight up hardcore to ska to jangly pop to art damage. Maybe that’s what disappointed me when I first heard Bouncing Babies. The mix of styles (and a truly terrible GI track) left a sour taste in my mouth, so much so I didn’t even bother taping the record. For years I wrote off the comp as a sub par companion to legendary DC comp Flex Your Head. A couple of years ago I was able to give it a second chance and walked away with not only a new appreciation for the record, but also for the scene not covered by Dischord. Some of my favorites:

Dove - Ambivalence.mp3
featured a former member of Red C, I can’t find any other info

Crippled Pilgrims - Black and White.mp3
Featuring pre-Trenchmouth members, the guitar is reminiscent of latter day Wipers. Great track

Scream - Ultraviolence-Scream.mp3
rougher sounding than the versions on Still Screaming

Black Market Baby - Suzie Dear.mp3
More great buzz punk from BMB

Reptile House - Talons and Claws.mp3
featuring a pre-Lungfish Daniel Higgs on vocals.

9353 - Ten Witches.mp3
This song grabs me everytime, until the 2:20 mark where the vocals take a schizo turn. Strangely enjoyable though. To me it plays like a mash of Joy Division and Alice Donut.

Void - Get Out of My Way.mp3
I’m not certain, but I think this cut was included on the Condensed Flesh 7″ boot released in the early ’90’s.

Notes:

The details of the backstory are lost to me, but here is what I do know about Madison, WI hardcore outfit Mecht Mensch: they formed in the early 80’s and would release a cassette split with the Tar Babies (shared membership, alter ego, anyone have the whole story?) before cutting their only 7″ - 1983’s Acceptance EP. They would also lend plenty of cuts to some crucial US Hardcore compilations - Master Tapes 2, We Got Power, Barefoot & Pregnant, Meathouse, and America’s Dairyland.

If anything, you gotta checkout the Acceptance EP - it’s their best moment. The twisted, discordant guitars are the highlight, at times reminiscent of fellow Wisconsinites Die Kreuzen. The best part of this? The whole EP is available for downloading on the Tar Babies website:

Download the entire Acceptance EP

The compilation tracks I’ve heard aren’t as distinctive as the EP, but are still pretty decent. A couple:

from the 1982 Meathouse comp cassette:
Mecht Mensch - Land of the Brave.mp3
Mecht Mensch - Revenge.mp3
Mecht Mensch - Government Lies.mp3

from the 1983’s Master Tapes Volume 2 LP:
Mecht Mensch - Killer Klowns.mp3
Mecht Mensch - What D’Ya Feel.mp3

from 1983’s We Got Power comp:
Mecht Mensch - Might Makes Right.mp3

Shit:

Hell yeah, I loved the Didjits. In the early 90’s Rick Sims and company satisfied virtually all of my rock needs. Those unfamiliar with this Illinois 3 piece should hurry down to the local record store and pick up any of their albums, pronto. (personal faves are 1993’s Que Sirhan Sirhan and 1990’s Hornet Pinata). You’ll be treated to some adrenaline fueled rawk action. The band’s allmusic.com bio provides a spot on take:

(the Didjits) sound was mostly speed-blur garage-band punk with a dash of AC/DC-esque hard rock, but their true inspirations were rock & roll wildmen like Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, not to mention the guitar heroics of Chuck Berry. Most Didjits albums were virtual catalogs of rock & roll sleaze and vice — sex, booze, drugs, violence, death, Satan, and the like — all rolled into a smart-alecky, Midwestern white-trash act.

The Didjits split in 1994. Sims would briefly join the Supersuckers for their 1995 Sacrilicious LP, in addition to appearing on Fred Schneider’s Just Fred disc. In 1997 Sims revived the whole “sharp dressed frontman with an attitude problem” as the leader of the Gaza Strippers (currently in limbo). The songs below aren’t necessarily the best of the Didjits catalog - it would be too tough to pare my favorites down. Instead I’ve chosen to post the bands singles:

from 1989’s Lovesicle 7″
Didjits - Goodbye Mr. Policeman.mp3
Didjits - One Dead Hippie.mp3

from 1991’s Fuck the Pigs 7″
Didjits - Headless.mp3
Didjits - Give it Back.mp3 (Dickies Cover)

from 1993’s Subpop Singles Club 7″
Didjits - Dear Junkie.mp3
Didjits - Skull Baby.mp3 (live)
Didjits - Fire In The Hole.mp3 (live)

Stuff:

Father-to-be (and all-around good guy) Tim at The Disassembly Line has put together a cool “jukebox jury” post on the Dead Kennedys, complete with mp3’s. Check it out. Keeping with the theme I’m posting the Didjits cover of “Police Truck” from the Dead Kennedys tribute disc Virus 100

Didjits - Police Truck.mp3

I have a full Didjits post coming up tomorrow