On the best moments of his debut album, the Intelligent Hoodlum (aka Tragedy aka Percy Chapman) raps passionately about the lousy state of the world. Backed by hard, unadorned beats from ace producer Marley Marl, he leads a furious chant against racism in “No Justice, No Peace” and bristles with righteous anger on “Black and…
Liverpool’s sprawling nine-strong (later eight) Deaf School seemed like an ideal candidate for success in the quiet pre-punk doldrums of 1976. Visually, the group had more than enough going for it to guarantee a high profile in the British press. The cast included pasty-faced guitarist Clive Langer, who sported wire-rims and wrote most of the…
Mofungo’s frayed vocals, twitchy rhythms and snarling saxes are an acquired taste but, on Out of Line, the quartet — formed from the ashes of New York no wavers Blinding Headache — does an excellent job of preventing discordance from descending to chaos. The urgent attack of “Wage Slave,” “FBI Informer (He Sold His Soul)”…
This Massachusetts band may have suffered from inevitable (and self-induced) comparisons to the Cars, but their downfall was in getting caught up prematurely in the major-label search for marketable new wave bands. Like the Cars, the Elevators sparkle with slick, shiny surfaces, but there’s none of the emotional crunch under the hood.
In its original skinny-tie incarnation, this raucous fivesome from Springfield, Missouri combined the rough-and-tumble appeal of an ace bar band with diverse pop songwriting talent. Everyone except drummer Tommy Dwyer wrote and sang, displaying the diverse influence of the Stones, Beatles, soft pop, Little Richard, Led Zeppelin and Bowie. Here to Observe is an irrepressible…
The rocking Bethlehem, Pennsylvania garage that incubated the Original Sins hasn’t had a new coat of paint or even a serious spring cleaning in ages. Led by diminutive howler/guitarist J.T. (John Terlesky), the quartet — which didn’t change, lineup-wise, save for one drummer change, between its 1987 debut and 1996’s Bethlehem — has stayed true…
Formed in Los Angeles by sharp-voiced singer/guitarist Peter Case after ending the Nerves, the Plimsouls were one of many bands sucked up by record-label power pop mania in the wake of the Knack’s success. Following a short independent recording career, the Plimsouls signed a big deal and made one fine album that didn’t sell. That…
Art and Artie Barnes (one of whom had a highly public former life as Billy Mumy, child actor) are a sick pair of perverts you would not want to know personally. At your party, they would stage disgusting practical jokes; they would tell obscene lies to your parents just to get a laugh. Both Voobaha…
Australia’s Hummingbirds play an agreeable form of brisk guitar-band pop that’s hypnotic in small doses, but soporific on loveBUZZ‘s 55-minute length. With American classicist Mitch Easter producing, the Sydney quartet’s debut emphasizes a ringing blend of male and female three-part harmonies, generating a sweet, airy vibe with unabashed guitar energy. While toned-down efforts like “Everything…
The Reds perfected a hard-hitting, theatrical style that makes the music jump off the record and pin you to the wall. Suggesting an educated alternative to the Stooges, or a double-time interpretation of the Doors, this Philadelphia quartet played only at peak intensity, much like a dumb heavy metal band. However, the Reds don’t exaggerate…
Without erstwhile Soft Cell partner Marc Almond supplying the sleaze, shy keyboard man Dave Ball is a cold-hearted bore on his solo album. In Strict Tempo‘s drab mood pieces strain with little success for wry wit to leaven the pretentiousness, but wind up just a jumble of undeveloped ideas. Genesis P-Orridge of Psychic TV warbles…
By the time a pair of ne’er-do-well Hoosier punks rechristened themselves Axl and Izzy and headed west to the promised land, the core of Vincennes, Indiana’s Lazy Cowgirls had already blazed that trail, absorbing many of the same substances (both aurally and otherwise) while retaining the ingrained grittiness and knee-jerk bad attitude that marks ’em…
In its prime, San Francisco’s Flipper was a magnificent, fascinating entity, playing what might have been typical hardcore music at an unsettlingly slow speed: like a 45 slowed down to sub-LP pace, a flawless impression of a downed-out hardcore band. The harsh music lumbers and creaks, oozing feedback all the way. Flipper could be your…
Time has always stood still for the Fleshtones. Old-fashioned in sound when they began plying their “super- rock” trade in New York’s skankiest night clubs in 1976, the Queens group’s determined mediums — singer Peter Zaremba, guitarist Keith Streng and drummer Bill Milhizer — have never stopped channeling the spirit of every great rock’n’roll party…
The French name to the contrary, Mikel Rouse originally formed his trio in Kansas City, relocating it to New York in 1979. As a singer, Rouse shows promise, but Etudes borrows far too much from early Talking Heads to be accused of originality and is rhythmically monotonous to boot. Following a Belgian LP release, Tirez…
Ah, the wonders of showbiz. As lead guitarist and singer for the !Screamin’ Sirens!, Rosie Flores (previously of San Diego’s Rosie and the Screamers) performed her share of perky throwaway power pop, the kind of junk that fairly exploded out of the woodwork in the wake of Blondie’s late-’70s success. At other times, the four…
Following his work with the Flesh Eaters, California’s Chris D(esjardins) formed the Divine Horsemen, who debuted on the mostly acoustic Time Stands Still. Without an electric band churning away steadily behind him, he’s more appallingly effective than ever. The attractive, understated music belies such sentiments as “Past All Dishonor” and “Hell’s Belle”; the all-star supporting…
They say everything old becomes new again, and California’s Blasters proved it in 1981 by jumping into the national spotlight with an utterly familiar brew of blues, rockabilly and rock’n’roll. Detractors might call them little more than an updated Canned Heat — as if anything were wrong with that — but such criticism ignores their…
Singer Phil Alvin co-founded the Blasters in Los Angeles with his guitar-slinging kid brother Dave in 1979; the blues-roots-rocking band ended its recording career in the mid-’80s and, shortly thereafter, except for the occasional reunion gig, folded its tent for a while. Before dedicating himself to academics (getting graduate degrees in esoteric math disciplines), Phil…
For all of the ominous brooding in his dramatic music, London’s Matt Johnson, aka the The, has, over the years, matured into a subtle and versatile artist. Working in styles ranging from light dance-influenced pop to mutant country, he’s outgrown the fashionable despair embraced as an ultimate goal by lesser lights, creating moving testimonials to…
