Something I Learned Today

I didn’t buy dick this year, leaving me pretty short on items to list a “best of” for 2006. So I have to rely on you to clue me in as to what the best new material was for the past year. Seriously, I’m looking for tips on new shit. You know what to do…

And by the way: Thanks to everyone that leaves comments, sends emails, post links, and generally offers encouragement - it’s the biggest motivator to keep things moving ahead here. I hope everyone has a great 2007. Happy New Year to you all!

When it comes to punk compilations a post on the first Rat Music For Rat People compilation may seem ordinary given all of the rarities now available via blogs, p2p, and usenet. Nothing obscure here by any stretch - all of the bands are legendary and all tracks are live versions of songs that also appear on the official releases of each band (with the exception of the Dils, I believe). So why post it then? Two main reasons:

Not to mention that it’s out of print and the CD version (with only 27 of the 42 cuts from all three volumes) is selling for the ridiculous price of $126 on GEMM. WTF? BY comparison an original press of this LP on Go! can be found for the bargain basement price of $15 on Ebay. Go figure. Below are my favorite tracks from the comp, all recorded live in San Francisco from 1977 through 1982. You can download the whole thing as .rar archive right here.

DOA - America The Beautiful.mp3
Flipper - Life.mp3
Circle Jerks - Live Fast, Die Young.mp3
Bad Brains - You.mp3
Crucifix - Steel Cage Enclosure.mp3
Dead Kennedys - Forward To Death.mp3
Black Flag - Scream.mp3
TSOL - Sounds of Laughter.mp3
Avengers - Cheap Tragedies.mp3
Dils - Blow Up.mp3

I’m doing this mostly out of obligation. I generally hate Christmas music. Specifically, I hate when otherwise cool and worthwhile bands stink up the joint by performing cutesy, annoying holiday crap. Despite my disdain for this kind of schtick I’ve still managed to accumulate a good amount of Christmas tracks that mostly suck. A handful manage to rise above the kitsch level. Below are 12 cuts that display a crapload of holiday cheer while still managing to rock:

From Flyinbg Bomb Records very cool Surprise Package Collectors Edition disc
The Paperbacks - Let’s Get Lit.mp3
Bantam Rooster - Let’s Just Fuck For Christmas.mp3
The Mistreaters - Santa Stole My Baby.mp3
Rocket 455 - Santa Aint Coming For Christmas.mp3
MHz - Secret Santa.mp3

From SFTRI’s mostly disposable Happy Birthday Baby Jesus comps
The Creamers - Bob Kringle.mp3
Red Aunts - Little Drummer Bitch.mp3
New Bomb Turks - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).mp3
Quadrajets - Christmas Time is Coming.mp3
Jet Boys - Merry Christmas, Fuck You.mp3

From a boot of the 1993 KROQ Acoustic Xmas concert - nothing acoustic here, though the sound quality is mediocre
Bad Religion - Silent Night/Fuck Christmas.mp3

I’ve saved the best for last. The Lazy Cowgirls 1986 cover of this early Bob Segar tune is an absolute blast. If you download one song today, make sure it’s this one!
Lazy Cowgirls - Sock It To Me Santa.mp3

I’ll be back at some point (after I polish off a couple of these) - Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Everyone reading this probably already knows the whole Black Flag story, as it’s been covered in several books and rehashed around the web (KFTH sums it up pretty well). I’ll reserve comment on “Henry Rollins ruined Black Flag/Best Vocalist/Worst Albums” debates for some other time. I’m most intrigued by the legendary short-lived 5 piece lineup of the band circa ‘82 when drummer Chuck Biscuits joined Greg Ginn, Rollins, Chuck Dukowski, and Dez Cadena. 1982 and 1983 saw the band entangled by legal issues stemming from the release of Damaged. During this period the band would record a demo that was never officially released. Most of the tracks would eventually appear on My War or Slip It In, but many sound better here in their rawness. A comment on Mark Prindle’s site sums it up perfectly:

This would have been a perfect and logical segue between the Damaged and My War eras. Not only would Biscuit’s significant contribution have been catalogued for all to hear, there would be this “middle ground” album easing us from the Damaged sound into the Kira/Stevenson sound.

So, I’ll lay the whole thing out. The two unreleased tracks “What Do You Believe” and “Yes, I Know” are decent, but for me the highlights are “Slip It In”, “My War”, and the ponderous 11 minute medley of “Nothing Left Inside” and Scream”. Enjoy:

Black Flag - What Do You Believe.mp3
Black Flag - Yes I Know.mp3
Black Flag - Slip It In.mp3
Black Flag - Modern Man.mp3
Black Flag - My War.mp3
Black Flag - Black Coffee.mp3
Black Flag - Beat My Head Against The Wall.mp3
Black Flag - I Can’t Decide.mp3
Black Flag - I Love You.mp3
Black Flag - Nothing Left Inside/Scream.mp3

Notes:
>> I believe that Strange Reaction had the two unreleased tracks way back.
>> 7inchpunk has been dishing out the Flag singles
>> Good Music For Bad Times has the Licorice Pizza promo

Every review I’ve come across compares Sweden’s The Blacks to The Oblivions, and after you take a listen I’m sure you’ll see the similarities. Not that this is a bad thing - The Blacks spew out some mighty fine Memphis-via-Stockholm 2 guitars-and-a-kit trash, all dirty and gritty. A total of 4 7″ records released from 1997 through 1999 ( 2 more posthumous 7″ ep’s were released in 2003) on labels including Big Neck and Savage (guitarist Martin Savage’s own label). Below are a handful from those first 4 records:

The Blacks - Let It All Hang Out.mp3
The Blacks - Sock It To ‘Em, JB.mp3
The Blacks - What I Got.mp3
The Blacks - Call The Shots.mp3
The Blacks - Don’t Be Cute.mp3
The Blacks - The Boss With The Hot Sauce.mp3

In my original Hammerhead post I wrote “I’m going to save their albums for future discussion” . Well, 1 year, 10 months, and 18 days later I’m stepping up with the goods. Hammerhead were the shit, my favorite among so many top notch bands in the Amphetamine Reptile stable. The trio of Paul Sanders, Paul Erickson, and Jeff Mooridian got together in Fargo, North Dakota in the ‘89/’90 time frame and evenutally migrated to Minneapolis after cutting their debut LP. 1993’s Ethereal Killer was 33 minutes of edgy, guitar shredding post-hardcore nirvana that I played the shit out of. All 10 tracks are killer, but here are two:

Hammerhead - Blow-by.mp3
Hammerhead - Vegas Incident.mp3

1994’s Into The Vortex was darker, heavier, and more refined. I recall being initially disappointed upon it’s release but now I realize that this is the great step forward. Sanders spews pure bile, a scary thing on a number of these tracks. Erickson’s cuts have a heavy scifi vibe that balances things out. All in all, a masterpiece

Hammerhead - Swallow.mp3
Hammerhead - Brest.mp3

Duh, The Big City was Hammerhead’s finale, and displays the fractures of band coming apart. Sanders left the band at some point before the album was released, and plays on only 8 of the 12 tracks. Erickson played the guitar on the remaining cuts, and the best results, featured below, foretell what was to happen when Erickson and Mooridian regrouped as Vaz.

Hammerhead - Earth (I Won’t Miss).mp3
Hammerhead - Mune.mp3

Notes:
>> Buy Hammerhead releases
>> Rumor of an AmRep singles comp from the man himself
>> Anyone have the mp3’s from Paul Sanders post Hammerhead groups moreRAM and Fly Republic? (I have some of the FR stuff)

A short-lived blast of brutality from NYC, Citizens Arrest graced us with an EP and a fistful of comp tracks in the early 90’s before splintering on the eve of their first LP (Colussus). Hyperfast tracks in the Seige/Infest/Septic Death vein with insane vocals - hard to believe this shit aint Japanese. 1990’s A Light in the Darkness 6 song EP is smoking hot - I would post the whole thing but there are rumors of the discography getting a reissue. With that in mind here are a couple of cuts:

from 1990’s A Light In The Darkness EP
Citizens Arrest - Serve and Protect.mp3
Citizens Arrest - In The Distance.mp3

from 1991’s Colossus LP
Citizens Arrest - Through The Mist.mp3
Citizens Arrest - Pain.mp3
Citizens Arrest - Agony God.mp3

from 1990’s Look At All The Children Now comp
Citizens Arrest - Death Threat.mp3
Citizens Arrest - I Wont Allow.mp3

Note:
Citizens Arrest on Myspace