Something I Learned Today

Fulfilling a request from a reader in China (which blows my mind for some reason), here are both 7″ singles from Vancouver, BC’s amazing Subhumans. First and foremost is the bands self-released 1978 single Death To The Sickoids, two rough and ready tracks. The bands second 7″ Firing Squad was released in 1980 on Quintessence and is a major leap forward in terms of production and song writing. “Firing Squad” is an early underground anthem - a classic melodic punk cut. 1996’s compilation CD Pissed Off… With Good Reason collects most of the band’s best known songs in various forms and is a nice overview. Personally, I’d like to see a reissue that includes all of the band’s studio output (both singles, the 12″, and both LP’s) while scrapping the live material.

first 7″
Subhumans - Death To The Sickoids.mp3
Subhumans - Oh Canaduh.mp3

second 7″
Subhumans - Firing Squad.mp3
Subhumans - No Productivity.mp3

Notes:
> Subhuman’s page at KFTH

A quick and dirty one due to being all pressured up, this is the second single by Boston’s Nervous Eaters. Recorded in 1976 but not released until 1979, this single is a raw rock’n'roll classic. Both tracks here have been comped plenty of places, for obvious reasons. Far and away their best material For more info check the band’s webpage, and this writeup at Boston Rock Pages

Nervous Eaters - Just Head.mp3
Nervous Eaters - Get Stuffed.mp3

And for good measure, here are a couple of Nervous Eaters covers courtesy Teengenerate and the New Bomb Turks

Teengenerate - Just Head.mp3
Teengenerate - Get Stuffed.mp3
New Bomb Turks - Just Head.mp3

I really don’t know much about Michigan’s Latin Dogs. Warning! is their only release, released in 1982. The signature song is “Killed In Jail”, which has been comped on both Killed By Death 8.5 and Bloodstains Across The Midwest. The whole record features a twisted, fuzzed out guitar sound that I fucking love, and is further evidence that the Midwest produced some of the most potent, underappreciated bands of the early 80’s.

Latin Dogs - Killed in Jail.mp3
Latin Dogs - World Powers.mp3
Latin Dogs - We Are Against What’s Wrong.mp3
Latin Dogs - Road Kills.mp3
Latin Dogs - Death To Tyrants.mp3
Latin Dogs - Go To The Window.mp3

Notes:
> Image from Punk Rock Picture Sleeves
> Anyone have any band info?

Something a little different here, some straight up New York Hardcore circa 1990. This kind of material was my staple 15+ years ago. Most hasn’t aged well in my opinion, but I always thought this comp ripped. Vermiform and Combined Effort released Murders Among Us in 1990, providing a different look at the NY hardcore scene than the one presented by the Straight Edge/Youth Crew/Revelation world. The best track here is by Absolution; I had forgotten just how good “Dead and Gone” was and how unique sounding it was at the time. The Born Against and Life’s Blood tracks are also great. My only gripe is Nausea - I prefer the band’s crustier sounds as represented on their Extinction LP. Vocalist Amy Miret sounds like a shrill 7 year old girl mixed up on helium and speed on this cut. Regardless, a great compilation.

Life’s Blood - Human Power.mp3
Absolution - Dead and Gone.mp3
Nausea - Electrodes.mp3
Born Against - The Good Father.mp3

Notes:
> Middle Aged Youth has an excellent post on Life’s Blood for those looking for more info
> My copy of Murders Among Us was stolen years ago. Thanks to reader DK for hooking me up with an excellent rip of the comp.

Along with Swiz and Soulside, Ignition provided the soundtrack to my last years of high school, and their songs often evoke many a cool memory. Being a Dischord band I’m sure many of you know the band’s history. If not, this should suffice. I was always partial to the bands first two singles, released in 1987 on their own label. While the singles were hard to come by at the time, I was able to pick up a 12″ (pictured above) which included both. Dischord compiled the bands singles, album, and 12″ as Complete Services in 1995. A check of the Dischord store seems to indicate it’s out of print.

first 7″
Ignition - Sinker.mp3
Ignition - Rebuilding.mp3
Ignition - Anxiety Asking.mp3

2nd 7″
Ignition - Anger Means.mp3
Ignition - Proven Hollow.mp3

Notes:
> Bassist Chris Thomson went on to front Circus Lupus, The Monorchid, and Skull Kontrol. He’s currently part of Chicago’s Red Eyed Legends.
> Jim H covers Ignition and the first single much better than I could ever hope to. Check it out

My theory is that the fumes from a burning Cuyahoga River affected brain chemistry of Cleveland’s youth. The result is some demented and damaged art punk along the lines of Pere Ubu, Electric Eels, Styrenes, etc. Not to be overlooked is X-X (or X blank X), who featured former Electric Eel guitarist John Morton on vocals and guitar. The backstory of the band is unknown to me. All I know is that X-X released two singles on local label Drome (famous for releasing some of the Pagans 7″s). The first was released in 1979 and is the better of the two and includes KBD #9 hit “You’re Full of Shit” (originally an Electric Eels track). The second 7″ was circa 1980 and includes another Eels outcast “No Nonsense”. All are noisy, skronky lo-fi treasures.

First 7″
X-X - A.mp3
X-X - You’re Full of Shit.mp3

Second 7″
X-X - No Nonsense.mp3
X-X - Approaching The Minimal With Spray Guns.mp3

Notes:
>pics from Henry Weld’s indispensible Discography of American Punk
> Battle of the Electric Eel’s websites: Brian McMahon vs John Morton

Edmonton, Alberta’s SNFU (Society’s No Fucking Use) formed in 1982 and surprisingly are still together today (I thought the broke up years ago). I was a fan of the band’s first two albums (...And No One Else Wanted To Play and If You Swear You’ll Catch No Fish) but lost interest at some point. The tracks here are from Real Men Don’t Watch Quincy, a 1990 bootleg that compiled the band’s tracks from the It Came From Innerspace compilation on side A along with two 1982 demo tracks on the flip. The comp tracks are great, “…Quincy” and “Strip Search” are both catchy, mid tempo punk well worth checking out. The demo tracks sound like, well, demos. And for those you wondering what all of the Quincy talk is about then check out these pages. “Why would anyone want to listen to music that makes you hate, when you can listen to music that makes you love?” Thanks, Quincy.

SNFU - Real Men Don’t Watch Quincy.mp3
SNFU - Strip Search.mp3
SNFU - Grunt, Groan, Rant & Rave.mp3
SNFU - Life of a Bag Lady.mp3
SNFU - This is the End.mp3

Another request, someone asked for some Red Rockers so long ago that I can’t even find the email. Sorry about that. This is the first single from the San Francisco via New Orleans band named after a Dils song. Released in 1980 before the move west, Guns of Revolution contains 3 melodic, Clash inspired tracks. Their 1981 LP Condition Red (*hint* click link for tracks) is more of the same. The general consensus among punk purists suggests the band’s later major label material (most of which I haven’t heard, to be fair) is a big watered down yawn. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Red Rockers - Guns of Revolution.mp3
Red Rockers - Teenage Underground.mp3
Red Rockers - Nothing To Lose.mp3

I can’t remember if I stole this record from a long ago friend or if he gave it to me. From what I remember he hated it and I liked it, and after a long night of drinking it somehow found it’s way home with me. Not that it’s a great coup or anything, but it’s nifty little compilation that was put out on Hippycore in 1988. Metal Gives Us A Headache features 6 politically aware tracks from some off the beaten track bands. If I recall Subvert and Desecration were from Arizona while Dead Silence was out of Colorado and Dissent were from South Dakota. The two “biggest” bands (for MRR readers) were East Bay bands Cringer and Stikky. Each song is preceded with a heartfelt message from the band, some of which are kinda funny sounding now to my cynical ears. Like the other Hippycore records I’ve seen this comes with a nice insert. And like all of the Hippycore records I’ve owned I’ve misplaced the insert at some point. Crap. My favorites here are Dead Silence, Dissent, and Stikky

Subvert - What Does It Mean.mp3
Dissent - Abe Lincoln.mp3
Desecration - In a Childs Eyes.mp3
Dead Silence - Sally.mp3
Cringer - Take Back the Night.mp3
Stikky - I Want to Hear Horns.mp3

Pick your Poison Idea king - early ’80’s, svelte (by comparison), hardcore Poison Idea, or late 80’s, morbidly obese, speedcore PI? I’ll straddle the fence and say I like both - 1983’s Pick Your King may be one of best US hardcore 7″ of the era while 1990’s Feel The Darkness is easily one of my top LP’s of the early 90’s. Below are two Poison Idea 7″s, one from each period. Darby Crash Rides Again is the band’s 1982 demo tape that was released on vinyl by the band in 1989 on their own American Leather label. Most of the songs would be better recorded for Pick Your King:

Poison Idea - Give It Up.mp3
Poison Idea - This Thing Called Progress/In My Headache.mp3
Poison Idea - MIA.mp3
Poison Idea - Think Twice.mp3
Poison Idea - Bounce The Rubble.mp3
Poison Idea - All Right.mp3
Poison Idea - Underage.mp3
Poison Idea - Castration.mp3
Poison Idea - Pure Hate.mp3
Poison Idea - Young Lord.mp3

1988’s Filthkick features a crunchier, more powerful sound. This 7″ minus (”New Rose”) would be coupled with the tracks on the Getting The Fear 12″ for 1989’s Ian Mackaye 12″

Poison Idea - Hangover Heartattack.mp3
Poison Idea - Drug Revival.mp3
Poison Idea - Ballad of a Pre-op.mp3
Poison Idea - New Rose.mp3