Something I Learned Today

This one seemed appropriate, what with it being Mardi Gras and everyone focusing on the New Orleans celebration post-Katrina. This was Scream’s final release while a functioning unit, released in 1990 on DSI. The session that spawned these tracks would be released in 1993 as the Fumble LP. Fumble was delicately termed “uneven” by the critics, a nice way of saying it’s ahorrible bore. “Mardi Gras” and “Land Torn Down” were far and away the best tracks on the album: noisy, melodic anthems (minus the metal edge that plagued the rest of the album). When this single appeared it single-handedly help remove the bad taste left by their previous “uneven” albums No More Censorship and Banging The Drum. That may be a rough assessment, but I loved these two tracks (and still do). I’ll still recommend their landmark album Still Screaming before this - shit, it’s s landmark album and still one of my favorites - but this may be the best Scream moment post 1985

Scream - Mardi Gras.mp3
Scream - Land Torn Down.mp3

About a month and a half ago I posted New Strings For Old Puppets by Really Red, asking someone to get on the ball and post both the original B-side to Modern Needs and the Despise Moral Majority EP. A couple of you got crackin’ and were able to get me the songs in question. Suburban Voice publisher and Sonic Overload DJ Al Quint hooked me up with a rip of “White Lies”. Michael Honch, former guitarist for Hunger Artist and Powerline and genuine stand up guy went one step better, ripping me the whole of Modern Needs and Despise Moral Majority. You guys rule.

Here’s the Modern Needs 7″ from 1980, featuring a different (slower and weirder) version of “White Lies” than what appeared on the Teaching You The Fear LP. Cool, creepy cover photos to boot:

Really Red - Modern Needs.mp3
Really Red - White Lies.mp3

Despise Moral Majority was also released in 1980. As Break My Face puts it “The toughest to find in nice condition, but the least essential of the 45’s.” 4 tracks recorded in live in November 1980, all of which would be properly recorded on Teaching You The Fear. The two b-side tracks were ripped as one track. “A Reminder” is my favorite cut from this one:

Really Red - Entertainment.mp3
Really Red - Starvation Dance.mp3
Really Red - Nico/A Reminder.mp3

A comment on a way old post asked about The Eat’s second 7″, God Punishes The Eat. I had assumed it had been posted by one of the usual suspects but a check showed it had not. Huh, no love for the Eat? The Miami band’s fist release Communist Radio/Catholic Love is one of the top American punk singles. You can check it out here. Tough to live up to a song as good as “Communist Radio”, and the second single from the Eat fails to meet the standard (despite some of my favorite cover art). Still, 1980’s God Punishes The Eat is a great single full of funny, fuzzy, barely out of the garage punk. I think most of the tracks have been comped in one form or another in the KBD series, but this is all of them in one place. How can all material this still not be reissued?

The Eat - Silly Drug Songs.mp3
The Eat - Nut Cop.mp3
The Eat - Knee Cappin’.mp3
The Eat - Jimmie B. Goode.mp3
The Eat - Dr. Tv.mp3

Even when I’m busy I’ll always try to make time for a request, especially a weird one. “Weird” is an understatement when it comes to Kilslug, a Boston based group of psychos who specialized in sludgy, anti-social dirges. They released two 7″s and and an LP (on Taang!) of sluggish noise before morphing into Upsidedown Cross. I can’t find much info on the band other than numerous reports that lead singer Larry Lifeless was/is a genuine menace to society. Someone fill in the blanks!

from 1982’s Warlocks, Witches, & Demons 7″
Kilslug - Warlocks, Witches & Demons.mp3
Kilslug - Hare Krisna.mp3
Kilslug - I Hate The World.mp3

from 1983’s Necktie Party 7″
Kilslug - Necktie Party.mp3
Kilslug - Momento Silence.mp3
Kilslug - Autopsy Performing.mp3

File Under: Who Fucking Cares:
Time has been tight as of late. I’ve taken a new position at work that requires more travel and has been eating up most of the free time I had been spending working up posts. I expect things to calm down in the near future, but until then site updates may be sporadic. That includes email and link requests also. Thanks to everyone who has emailed, left a comment, etc. It serves to keep this site alive.

Here’s a nice chunk of raw, snotty and damn near perfect Oz punk from Brisbane’s The Leftovers. Relased in 1979, the 3 track Cigarettes & Alcohol 7″ is the band’s lone effort. If I had a theme song I’m pretty sure it would be “I Only Panic When There’s Nothing To Do”, but that’s besides the point. This platter was included on the awesome Murder Punk series from the 90’s, which is where these tracks are from. Ace label Dropkick reissued the 7″, an unreleased studio track, and a cache of live stuff in 2003 as The Fucken Leftovers Hate You. Hinman raves about it, though I’m not too keen on the noisy live sound. Dropkick has a sample on their downloads page, decide for yourself. Anyhow, here’s the lone 7″:

Leftovers - Cigarettes & Alcohol.mp3
Leftovers - No Complaints.mp3
Leftovers - I Only Panic When There Is Nothing To Do.mp3

Tis the season for love, at least according to the greeting card people. Fucking Valentine’s Day. While I rush out to buy my wife flowers and candy (on my birthday, no less) do yourself a favor and enjoy these tales of love and devotion:

Humpers - Plastique Valentine.mp3
Oblivians - Sunday You Need Love.mp3
Dayglo Abortions - Used To Be In Love.mp3
Mule - To Love Somebody.mp3
Fun Things - Time Enough For Love.mp3
Joe Coffee - Stink of Love.mp3
Scientists - We Had Love.mp3
Queers - Love Me.mp3

View this post as a tag-team effort (albeit unplanned) with Strange Reaction to deliver you the first two Insults singles. This here is the Insults first single from 1979 Population Zero/Zombie Lover. As Scott’s Stiff Love post states, there isn’t a lot of info about the band, so if anyone can contribute then you know what to do. The tracks here aren’t as immediately catchy as the snotty and lewd “Stiff Love” material, but they feature such a gnarly guitar sound that I can overlook it.

Insults - Population Zero.mp3
Insults - Zombie Lover.mp3

The Middle of America was a compilation featuring Chicago area bands put out as a benefit for Northwestern University’s WNUR radio statio. Released in 1984 the comp features most of the happening Chicago bands at the time. The best known tracks here (by Naked Raygun, AOF, Big Black) have been released in other places, which is why I didn’t hesitate to part with this record a couple of years ago. With the magic of Soulseek I have since been reunited with the comp. I don’t know if this is scheduled to be reissued. Since it is currently OOP you can find the whole thing here. Below are my favorite tracks:

Naked Raygun - I Don’t Know.mp3
I’m guessing this is the same version as would appear on Throb Throb

Savage Beliefs - Double Standard.mp3
I don’t have much info on Savage Beliefs, other than ex-GI member John Gay sings and plays guitar.

Nadsat Rebel - I am The Wall.mp3
noisy weirdness. Someone will have to fill us in on the Nadsat Rebel story

Out of Order - Survival of the Fittest.mp3
speedy, chunky HC - different than the version that appeared the band’s Paradise Lost album

Articles of Faith - Five O’ Clock.mp3
a track from AOF’s godhead Give Thanks LP

Rights of The Accused - I Came To Dance.mp3
this one is lightening fast HC, the other ROTA tracks here are jokey throwaways. MXV has the ROTA story

Big Black - Hunter’s Safety (Tommy Bartlett Dies in Pain).mp3
noisy instro from Racer-X era Big Black

Notes:
> Dementlieu has a Middle Of America page, as does KFTH

RIP big man. Not a lot of info, but it’s been confirmed that larger than life Poison Idea co-founder and guitarist Tom “Pig Champion” Roberts passed away January 30, 2006. Odd, people were questioning whether or not Pig and others were still alive over here. Here are a couple of my favorite Poison Idea tracks. For those interested, the Darby Crash Rides Again and Filthkick tracks are here:

Poison Idea - Pure Hate.mp3
Poison Idea - Time to Go.mp3
Poison Idea - Laughing Boy.mp3
Poison Idea - Lifestyles.mp3
Poison Idea - Nothing Is Final.mp3
Poison Idea - Getting The Fear.mp3
Poison Idea - Just To Get Away.mp3
Poison Idea - Crippled Angel.mp3