12/31/01
2001 is mercifully over. A year that saw the attacks on the World Trade Center, a plane crash into Rockaway Beach, war between Israel and the Palestinians, war between Pakistan and India, hate crimes against Muslim Americans and the deaths of George Harrison and the father of punk rock, Joey Ramone. Good riddance 2001!!!
There were many, many great punk rock releases over the last year of which I will attempt to do the impossible and list a top ten. You will immediately see my bias towards pop punk a la the Ramones and punk rock'n'roll.
10. "Pure Pop For Punk
People" The Excessories Sympathy
For the Record Industry
I had the privilege of seeing them live a few months ago and they delivered the
goods. Long time punks Rich and Melanie Coffee put together solid pop punk
songs that keep you singing along.
9. "Backstabber Blues"
The Slash City Daggers Unity
Squad Records
Formerly known as simply "The Daggers", this Tempe, AZ band has found
the formula for taking the New York Dolls and updating the sound to be their
own. Trash rock in the desert and produced by desert dweller, Jeff Dahl.
8. "Songs in the Key of You"
The Huntingtons Tooth &
Nail
The Huntingtons most recent release finds them cranking out 14 Ramones inspired
tunes which on this go round means 14 melodic and 0 thrashy tunes.
Normally, the Huntingtons would be right at the top of my year end listings but
the songs are not quite up to their usual high standard but still manage to blow
away most of the competition.
7. 2001 Rapid Pulse Releases
Shrinks, the Pits and Paul E. Ester and the Cruel Shoes Rapid
Pulse
Rapid Pulse, run by the fine folks at Underground Medicine, released these 3
singles during 2001 and all are outstanding examples of their pickiness when it
comes to choosing the best punk rock'n'roll bands to release on their label.
Their total releases are up to around 15 now since '97 and all are worth your
hard earned bucks.
6. "Vive le Rock 'N' Roll"
Apocalypse Babys Smokin'
Troll Records
The title song alone will make you a fan of the Apocalypse Babys. 12 punk
rock'n'roll anthems by these brits that know the meaning of solid song writing
backed by a furious musical assault.
5. "Life's A Gas - A Tribute to
Joey Ramone!" Various Artists AMP
Records
What makes this release unique is that the songs are about Joey and the Ramones
and not just remakes of Ramones songs. Outstanding tributes from Psy-9,
The Shy Guys, Rat Fink, McRackins, Strap-ons and many others totalling 31
songs!!
4. "Introducing..."
The Pits Rhythm
Vicar
This is the debut album by the Pits. They make you forget it's not 1977
all over again. The Sex Pistols vibe is very apparent and they pull it off
while still sounding fresh. 12 mid-tempo anthems that you'll want to
listen to again and again.
3. "The Apers"
The Apers Stardumb
Records
If you are longing for the good ol' days of mid-90's Screeching Weasel, look no
further. These guys deliver some snotty vocaled, blistering pop punk tunes that
will have you pogoing till you drop.
2. "Last Ride To Nowhere"
Dimestore Haloes Pelado
Records
It was very hard not making this the number one record of the year. I will
justify it by the fact that there are only 7 tunes on this EP as opposed to 28
on number one. The Haloes are the class of the punk rock'n'roll genre.
Blazing guitars with song writing that is unparalled.
1. "The European Pop Punk
Virus" Various Artists Stardumb
Records
This album contains 28 of the best pop punk songs you'll ever hear. Taking
their pick of the Italian, Dutch and German pop punk scenes, you are immediately
struck by the vibrant European scene that is going on right now. The
Retarded, Manges, Apers, Dirtshakes, Lulabelles, Sonic Dolls, etc. This
goes down as the greatest compilation of ALL time.
Have a Happy New Year and let's hope for a better one. The Ramones are being inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame in March so it can't be all bad!
New additions this week:
Labels:
Intimidation Records
New street punk label out of Scotland. Limited, numbered pressings!
Mail Order:
None
Other Links:
House of Jordan Musician's reference
and guide to Indiana music.
Free Beer For the Punx
Guide to punk rock in London.
My Drifting Nature Resource for
reviews, columns, etc.
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots both old and new.
12/25/01
Christmas Day 2001. Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. God Jul. That's about the extent of my foreign language capabilities.
Next week we will list our top 10 records of 2001.
12/17/01
Punk rock earns legitimacy this week as the Ramones are elected to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame. With the influence that have had on many bands over the years, many of them mainstream, it would have delegitimized the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame had they not made it. Congratulations to the guys!! Too Bad Joey won't be around to see it. He was well aware of their impact to the rock and roll world though.
Check out the review of the Kling-Ons EP in the Reviews section.
On December 9th at the El Rey Theater in Los
Angeles, many L.A. punk bands from the 70's and 80's joined together to provide
a benefit show for Flipside magazine. Flipside has been in financial difficulty
since their distributor went bankrupt last year. The show was also a book
release party for "We Got the Neutron Bomb" by Masque owner, Brendan
Mullen and Spin Magazine senior contributing writer, Marc Spitz.
The show was dubbed the "Class of '77" and was hosted by two members
of the early L.A. punk scene, Pleasant Gehman and Hal Negro. Both did an
excellent job keeping the crowd entertained between sets and Pleasant's heckling
of the crowd caused her to be bombarded by flying cups and beer and water. She
took it all in stride.
In order to get everybody on in the six hours allotted to the bands, there was
one drum set and one set of amps used by all bands and then they just plugged in
their own guitars and bass.
First up was Hal Negro performing some lounge lizard stuff which failed to get
the juices flowing. When he was talking rather than singing things were a
bit more amusing.
The Controllers were up next minus Kidd Spike and Mad Dog. Both were ill and Mad
Dog, recently diagnosed with M.S., was not present. Kidd Spike was induced to
come up after Stingray sang Neutron Bomb. He made his way through Hot Stumps, Do
the Uganda and Jezebel. Unfortunately for me, during the set, the video camera
they let me bring in was now no longer allowed. I was forced to return the
camera to the car and missed half the set.
Geza X performed a one man show with acoustic guitar doing another lounge lizard
act like Hal Negro did. He did do his Mean Mr. Mommyman spiel which is always
good for a chuckle or two.
Hal Negro and the Satin Tones provided us with more lounge lizard music which
had become quite excruciating at that point.
The Minutemen minus D. Boon who is no longer among us played with bass and drums
only, choosing not to replace their lost guitarist. They played several songs
that tended toward the funky side of punk.
The Dogs did four songs including, Younger Point of View which was played for
the first time in 23 years. They stuck to their singles pretty much playing Fed
Up, Slash Your Face and the recently released Class of '70. As always, they were
fabulous.
The Runaways, which consisted of Cherie Currie and Sandy West with two
replacement players on bass and drums, played several songs while Cherie was
attempting to exhort the audience to sing along like it was some kind of arena
concert or something. One person appropriately lofted his Bic lighter. Having
seen the Runaways several times in the 70's, it was really weird to see a 40
year old Cherie Currie.
The Screamers were basically K.K. and Paul Roessler. They played several
songs including Punish or Be Damned.
The Adolescents were the highlight if the evening. All original members were
present including Man Mountain Rikk Agnew. They paid tribute to the late, great
Rik L. Rik by singing Do the Nihil. Amoeba and Kids of the Black Hole were the
best two songs by any band all evening. They were totally tight and totally
awesome. Reunion, any one?
The Skulls (Billy Bones and replacements) played several of their old standards
topped off by Victims. They got the crowd into a slam dancing frenzy.
The Crowd played mostly their hits from the late 70's, Trix are for Kids, Modern
Machine and Living In Madrid although they have continued to play and put out
records ever since they first started. They are currently part of the thriving
L.A. punk rock'n'roll scene.
Lee Ving of Fear replaced his usual crowd taunting with what I suppose was meant
to be a patriotic chanting of USA between each song. They played I Love Livin'
in the City, Beef Baloney and a couple more of their 70's "hits". It
would have been nice to see Lee bait the crowd as only he can but that task was
left to Pleasant in between sets.
Bad Religion played several songs in between Greg Graffin's seemingly incessant
chatter. When they were playing music they were well receieved by the slam
dancing crowd. They ended their set with 20th Century Digital Boy.
The Circle Jerks, Keith Morris, Xander Schloss
and Greg Hetson played the longest set of the night 7 or 8 Circle Jerks classics
followed by the Black Flag classic, Nervous Breakdown which was interrupted by
Keith to prevent the crowd from hurting someone. Thankfully he started the song
from the beginning because this was another highlight of the evening. Cliff
Roman of the Weirdos joined for the last two songs for the Weirdo classics, We
Got the Neutron Bomb and Solitary Confinement. I'm not sure where the Denney
brothers were but Keith did a good job on the 2 songs. I would have to disagree
with his statement that the bombing of Afghanistan had anything to do with oil.
I would say it has everything to do with revenge. Oops, sorry, I said I wouldn't
allow politics to creep back into my site.
T.S.O.L. frontman Jack Grisham said he didn't care what the crowd did to each
other in keeping with the violent Huntington Beach scene that formed in the
1980's which included his first band, Vicious Circle. They played several of
their better songs from their debut album including the great Code Blue.
Agent Orange topped off the evening with several of their earlier songs and a
recent addition to their repertoire. They are another band that never broke up
and have been playing and putting out music since the late 70's/early 80's.
All in all it was a satisfying evening which I attended with two of my best
friends, Steve Stiph and Susan. Steve and I supported the scene from it's
inception having seen the Dogs in 1976 and being there at the beginning of what
would become the L.A. punk scene for the Germs, Zeros and Weirdos at the Orpheum
theater in April of '77.
I also got to meet up with old friends. Brian Hansen of the Silencers and Legal
Weapon and his lovely wife, James Lerie and Gary Pogo of the Black Jax and Loren
Molinare of the Dogs and his family.
I spent the better part of 3 days reading Brendan Mullen's and Marc Spitz' book,
We Got the Neutron Bomb about the early days of punk in L.A. It was fun to read
about the things I knew were going on and also to read about all the things
going on behind the scenes. It is fascinating reading and a must have for anyone
that wants to know about that time period and scene.
New additions this week:
Labels:
Hard-On Records from Sweden, home of
the Pricks!
Scarey Records from Italy with some
modern hardcore.
Mail Order:
None
Other Links:
Melbourne Punk where you can find
out about the Melbourne, Australia punk scene.
12/10/01
I have several updates that need to be made from your e-mails but I have not gotten to them. I have been to Los Angeles this weekend for a 70's (and 80's) punk reunion show to benefit Flipside magazine and as a release party for Brendan Mullen's book on L.A. punk (one of which is in my possession now).
I will do a full review next week when I've had a chance to digest the full 6 hour show. For now, I have a book to read!!
12/2/01
R.I.P. George Harrison, one of my early influences.
On December 9th there will be a "Class of '77" reunion show at the El Rey theater in L.A. featuring bands from that scene during the 70's such as Dogs, Controllers, Plugz, Geza X, Fear, Skulls and members of other bands will be making appearances such as the Screamers, Weirdos and Dickies. The show will be hosted by Hal Negro and Pleasant Gehman. Surprises are promised and it should be a very special night. In addition, Brendan Mullen, Masque proprietor, will be having a book release party for his book about the 70's punk scene in L.A. Get your tickets from Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232. I hear it holds about 1500 people and it's sure to be a sell out.
11/25/01
The New York Dolls are alive and well as was witnessed at the Blue Ox in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend. Local heroes, the Slash City Rockers, played songs from their two albums out on Unity Squad Records when they were known as the Daggers. See my previous review in the What's New section if you want more details about their sound and live show.
The Richmond Sluts from San Francisco, CA headlined and highlighted songs from their self titled debut on Disaster Records. Their sound is unique in that a wall vibrating organ is an integral part of the repertoire. Imagine the New York Dolls with an organ. Lead singer Shea Roberts continually exhorted the crowd to MOVE!!, something that is totally lost on a typical Phoenix crowd. He was also heckled mercilessly by some of the female members of the crowd after taking off his shirt and displaying his scrawny physique. The music rocked though. If you like Punk Rock'nRoll, you'll love the Sluts!!
New additions this week:
Labels:
Thunderbaby Records out of Germany
specialize in girl groups and are strictly vinyl except for the two compilation
albums they have out. Great stuff!
Other Links:
Mediaocre is a site
with a ton of information including regular punk news.
11/19/01
Super exciting news this week!!! On December 9th there will be a "Class of '77" reunion show at the El Rey theater in L.A. featuring bands from that scene during the 70's such as Dogs, Controllers, Plugz, Geza X, Fear and members of other bands will be making appearances such as the Screamers, Weirdos and Dickies. The show will be hosted by Hal Negro and Pleasant Gehman. Surprises are promised and it should be a very special night. In addition, Brendan Mullen, Masque proprietor, will be having a book release party for his book about the 70's punk scene in L.A. Get your tickets from Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232. I hear it holds about 1500 people and it's sure to be a sell out.
Recent releases of note are the second single from the Pinkz on Gearhead Records. All female band with power and melody. Also, "Life's A Gas! A Tribute To Joey Ramone" with 31 bands singing tribute songs to Joey, but are not Ramones songs. It is essential listening for these Ramones inspired tunes.
11/12/01
Nothing much new to report this week other than a bunch of updates to the site as listed below.
New additions this week:
Labels:
Attack Records Cool label
from Germany. The samples I listened to tend towards straight ahead punk
and hardcore.
Mail Order:
Maximum Rock'n'Roll Berlin, Germany mail order site with mainly rare,
second hand items
Other Links:
Mohawk Masters Punk resource for 3D logos and other artwork.
Punk Rock Police
Punk resource for history, scenes, etc.
11/5/01
On a day when all four major sports teams played in Phoenix, the Suns lost, the Cardinals lost, the Coyotes lost, but the Diamondbacks are the World Champs and all is right with the world!! An absolutely amazing World Series that drained every last ounce of emotion out of you if you were a fan of either of these teams. I figure the Yankees were able to get back into the series in New York with two incredible two out nintyh inning comebacks because of the chants of Hey Ho, Let's Go from Joey and 50,000 rabid New York fans lifted them up. I hope any of you out there that are sports fans will someday be able to feel the exquisite feeling of your team winning a championship.
I saw a great show over the weekend at the Blue Ox. Red Planet played a set inspired by late 70's power pop such as the Boys with lots of power and sweet pop. Also if you want to go back further, their synthesizers are reminiscent of The Sweet's Fox on the Run. What they do have is an entertaining stage presence, fantastic lead guitar and hooks galore. They have several releases out on Gearhead Records. Check them out.
Second, and last, up was the Beat Angels. I'm embarrased to say that this is the first time I have seen them despite the fact they are a local band and I have had their first two CD's for ages. They claimed to be playing in their usual state of drunkenness but this did not detract from a tight set featuring pop melodies backed by powerful guitars that make the most jaded pop punker swoon with envy. They did a rousing version of the Dictator's "Stay With Me" that would have had Handsome Dick himself applauding. Overall a very satisfying evening!
10/28/01
I accomplished a monumental task this week. Imagine if you will, when you add an entry to the discography section you add one entry for an album or single by one band. If you get a compilation you can add up to 40 entries for one album. Now imagine if you have a box set compilation such as the International Punk Rock Box Set put out by Meathead Records in Canada with over 300 different bands on 11 CD's and you have to repeat the entries that many times. Then on top of that they also have the Canadian Independent Box Set with another 9 CD's and all I can is I'm glad I'm done with those!!
Go D'backs!!!
New additions this week:
Labels:
Hostage Records Great label
specializing in Orange County, CA street punk, punk rock'n'roll, whatever your
label of choice is.
TKO Records Another
great label specializing in street punk/punk rock'n'roll.
Meathead Records Famous for
their box sets.
Mail Order:
Hostage Records See above
for description.
TKO Records See above
for descritpion.
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots both old and new.
10/21/01
Call me stupid for having missed the Dimestore Haloes until recently. An absolutely fabulous punk rock'n'roll band if your tastes run that way.
Also the Stardumb label out of the Netherlands is putting out some great music mostly in the Ramones styled pop punk vein. There are many great bands from Europe - mainly Italy (Retarded, Stinking Polecats, Peawees and Manges) and the Netherlands (Apers and Travoltas) that are so good.
Go D'backs!!!
10/14/01
Catching up on my updates from the last month. If you sent one in, it should be here now.
New additions this week:
Labels:
None
Other Links:
Music Greats Signed punk rock
memorabilia for you collectors.
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots both old and new.
10/7/01
20,000th home page visitor this week on October 5th!!!
Last night I saw the fabulous L.A. band, the Excessories for the second time. The CD which is totally awesome, does not even begin to hint at the charisma and power that the band displays live. Melanie can belt out a pop tune with the best of them while Rich looks like he had too much rich coffee the way he moves about the stage and evn into the audience. They do such a great version of Blondie's X Offender that I wonder why they didn't get to do that song on the recent SFTRI Blondie tribute album. The bassist changed sexes since the last time I saw them and the rhythm section of bass and drums kept the beat going for this great set. I had the opportunity to speak to Rich a little bit during the evening. He and I are both products of the 70's L.A. punk scene. Great guy with all the credentials, having played in numerous bands over the years. The crowd was disappointing as a lot of Arizona gigs are. Kudos to the local punk rock band members that supported the show with their presence. If you get a chance to see the Excessories, don't miss out!!
New additions this week:
Labels:
Fight 45 Records Punk music
label from France that have just released a compilation picture disc of hardcore
and Oi!
Mail Order:
Fight 45 Records Also sell
music from the80's punk music for your listening pleasure.
Other Links:
Punkressources.com Links
and other resources to punk information.
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots both old and new.
9/30/01
Time to make the pages smaller again. B and D went from 2 to 3 categories, G, L and N into 2 categories and S was split into 6 categories. This should hopefully help with page loading time.
New additions this week:
Labels:
None
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots both old and new.
9/24/01
Back to a bit of normality this week so I thought I would try to define what I think this site is all about. What I have tried to do is build a site that I would want to visit on a regular basis myself. I collect punk rock music at as fast a pace as I can and when I hear a song that I love I want to find out more about that band and other releases that they may have put out. So here you have as complete a list as I have been able to put together in the limited time I have each week. It is by no means even close to being complete and I welcome any information that you are able to provide. So I have also added web sites and e-mail addresses so you can find out more about these bands and artists. I have sections for labels so you can check out their web sites for other records from artists you like. Where do you get the music then? Check out the long list of mail order sites and record stores. Personally, my first priority is always the local punk rock record store and then there are several mail order sites that I give regular business. To a lesser extent, I do occasional reviews if someone sends me a CD or record. I am behind in reviews so bear with me.
Hopefully this is a resource that you can use and I will continue to build on it until I feel that it is as complete as it possibly can be. Thanks again for all of the support. We are getting close to our 20,000 home page visitor but the number of folks that have visited ANY page over the last year is close to 90,000!! THANK YOU!!!
New additions this week:
Labels:
Smelly Menace Records New
label on the pop punk frontier run by members of the Drop Outs.
Mail Order:
ROUND EAR No web site but send them your wants list and see what
they can do. They visit all the european record fairs and are quite
well known there.
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots both old and new.
9/16/01
I've been thinking all week about what to say today. Should I keep it light and stick to punk rock or address the tragedy that hit New York this week? I have chosen to give my thoughts on the matter for what it's worth.
Most of us have been glued to the TV this week watching the devastating attack on New York and the Pentagon. What I have witnessed personally from 2500 miles away have both filled me with American pride and sickened me. I have seen the best of Americans in the form of donations, giving of blood and the heroic efforts of the volunteers at the impact site. I have seen the worst of Americans, those that preach intolerance in the guise of religion and those that lash out at people of other races because they are different. One co-worker said we should level the countries and all women and children in them so we don't have to look over our shoulders in the future. I told her she was no better than the terrorists that did this. A local university student was beaten because he was Arab. Don't let ignorant hate be your guide. Let's hope our leadership cuts out the cancer of terrorism without damaging the healthy surrounding tissue. All peace loving people in all countries have a right to live in a peaceful world. My heart and thoughts go out to those affected by this tragedy.
Punk rock will return next week.
New additions this week:
Labels:
None
Band Discography Updates:
Limited number this week.
9/9/01
The MTV Video Music Awards were this week. Clued into the fact that the Ramones were going to get some kind of award, I suffered through part of the show to see this. The award was to be give by Bono of U2 who stated that he was going to give the Ramones an award. Well, nothing was ever announced as to what the award was and they weren't allowed to say anything. Just what you've come to expect from MTV in regards to punk rock. They had the opportunity to showcase the Ramones through their channel but they figured Britney Spears, Limp Bizkit and 'N Sync have more artistic value. MTV sucks!
Support your local bands and record stores!!!
New additions this week:
Labels:
Insekten Records Peter P.
creator of the Back To Front and Break the Rules compilations label. Great
stuff!!
Mail Order:
Insekten Records Peter P.
also sells second hand mailorder for Punk and Powerpop (1977 - 1982).
Record Stores:
Curmudgeon Records and Vintage Vinyl,
both from New Jersey.
Other Links:
Sourpuss Clothing
For those of you asking where to get those punk rock threads, here you go!
Band Discography Updates:
Lots and lots, both old and new
9/2/01
This week I want to talk a little about ebay. Ebay can be a great place to find that cheap gem that only means something to you so you get it for a few bucks. It also provides the opportunity to find those rarities that may cost you an arm and a leg but you never find anywhere else. In these regards ebay is a great place.
But.....there are a whole bunch of idiots who ruin it for the rest of us. Luckily I have only had 3 bad experiences in the 3 years I have been using ebay. Two didn't deliver and I ended up losing a total of $100 between them.
My most recent bad experience was with a user called limb-by-limb. I won the auction, waited 2 days to be contacted by the seller and when I wasn't I sent an e-mail requesting the mailing and postage instructions. Having received the information, I mailed a money order the next day. So worst case the seller has my money order within a week of the end of auction. A month after the end of the auction I e-mailed to find out where my items were. The seller claimed that she had been away for a couple of weeks and apologized for the delay and mailed me 2 of the 3 items right after that. OK. so I didn't question the fact that she had a week to send it before leaving on this trip. A week later the 3rd item still hadn't arrived so I e-mailed again and said I was not going to leave negative feedback but please send my last item and maybe you should give up being a seller because basically you suck at it. I get a defensive e-mail saying that she didn't have another envelope at the time and my gosh, hadn't I ever been delayed at something?? Well, no, not when it comes to a business transaction which is what an e-bay auction really is. She said it was mailed. A week later, still no item so now I have to threaten negative feedback, a report to e-bay for non-delivery so we can get her ass thrown off of ebay. I get back a reply that said "I said I sent it". 3 days later the last item arrives with a postmark the day after she read the e-mail by priority mail. Stay away from this seller. Limb-by-limb in case you didn't get the ID. She thinks she's a good seller. You decide.
My other gripe is sellers who wait to give positive feedback until you've given them positive feedback. If you mail your payment within a day or so of the end of auction, you have fulfilled your obligation and should get immediate positive feedback without having to first provide the seller feedback for doing their part of the transaction.
OK, it's out my system.
New additions this week:
Labels:
None
Other Links:
The T-Shirt Alternative Site to buy t-shirts that are unavailable
anywhere else with plans to expand the operation soon.
Cha0s Nati0nals E-zine created by a young punker that lives off of reader submissions. Tour dates, horoscopes, punk topics and more.
9/2/01
Last Friday it was off to Long Wongs to again see the Sonic Thrills and the Vox Poppers. Both bands are incredible live acts. Plenty of rock'n'roll action, high energy, and classic songs. These bands are both outstanding. The Sonic Thrills have been around for 3 years and the Vox Poppers for 5. I'm ashamed to say that I just discovered they existed. Many thanks to Jim Monarch of the Sonic Thrills for the 7''er and Art of the Vox Poppers for the demo CD.
Long Wong's was kind of an interesting place to see a band. There was a window to the street and the college kids from ASU were walking by and occasionally someone would stop outside the window to check out the show. Occupancy was listed at 50 people and I'm sure it was at capacity. The sad thing is is that these bands should playing in front of tons more people. Come on, Phoenix, you can do better than that!!!
The Sonic Thrills were down to one guitar after their other guitarist quit after last weeks show. They were still able to play a blistering set that had the place rocking. The second guitarist was a recent addition so they were comfortable with this configuration.
New additions this week:
Labels:
Victory Records Hardcore label
with lots of your favorite hardcore bands.
Mail Order:
None
Other Links:
Holidays in the Sun Site that
brings you the who, what and where about the Holidays in the Sun punk festivals
which have been going on for several years in Europe. Looks like a possible East
Coast USA festival may be in the offing.
08/19/01
Another solid evening of rock'n'roll greatness at the Blue Ox in Phoenix. Where else can you go and get a brew for a buck and great music for $5? First up was Cherry Bomb. Five females playing a sort of soulful rock'n'roll. Obviously talented musicians and a singer who doesn't suck even if she claimed her singing sucked. A little too subdued for my taste but they had a very good reaction from the audience. The proliferation of female fronted or all female bands is a positive development in today's local music scenes.
The next two bands, the Vox Poppers and the Sonic Thrills fall into a category that is best described as punk'n'roll. Rhythm and lead guitar, and a driving rhythm section. These type of bands are not afraid to throw some lead guitar into the mix and owe their roots back to the fifties and sixties.
With that said, the Vox Poppers ripped through an all too short set of guitar driven rock'n'roll with solid songs that had tons of hooks and melody. I found their web site and discovered they have a CD released. This is now at the top of my acquisition list. Check out the song samples on their site and see what I mean.
I saw the Sonic Thrills for the second time. My impressions are a little different the second time around. The one thing that isn't different is that these KICK ASS!! More driving punk'n'roll, great songs, charismatic lead singer and the ability to back it all up. Whereas I originally described an Iggy/Dead Boys influence, I would lean more towards the Humpers this time around. There were a couple of lines in one song that sounded very Stiv Bators and one song that reminded me of the Misfits classic, Where Eagles Dare.
Is there a Phoenix music scene? Maybe I'll explore that in a later editorial.
The Damned return this week with their first studio album in almost 20 years. The advance promos describe it as having the energy of their first releases. Let's hope so. I first saw the Damned at the Starwood in Hollywood in April of '77. They were short on money so they encouraged the crowd to throw money and have their picture taken with them for $10. I wish I had now, but $10 was a lot of money then. L.A. punk icon, Pat Morrison (Bags, Legal Weapon, etc.) is now a member of the band and Dave Vanian's wife. Captain Sensible also returns on guitar.
New additions this week:
Labels:
None
Mail Order:
None
Other Links:
Savage Alternative
E-zine with information on bands, labels, gigs, venues, etc.
8/12/01
In an attempt to make the site easier to work with, I have changed the color on the visited links to make it easier to read. Thanks to frequent visitor, Susan, for pointing it out. Not all pages have been changed yet but will be within a couple of weeks.
Quite a few additions this week to mention:
Labels:
Glazed Records Releases by Rocket From the
Crypt, Peepshows and more.
Scooch
Pooch Records Releases from Zeke, LaDonnas, Nashville
Pussy and more.
She's Gone Records
Get your pop-punk fix here.
Nitro Records Releases by AFI,
TSOL, Turbo AC's and more.
Mail Order:
Glazed Records Also run a mailorder site with many fine releases
Other Links:
Madpen E-zine with a decidedly Arizona flavor to it and home to two of
Arizona's finest bands, the Peeps and the Sonic Thrills as well as others
Punk Fix In their own words, "PunkFix.com
is dedicated to studying the history, aesthetics, art, and music of punk rock
and hardcore." Great site with reviews, articles, interviews, etc.
Collector Scum Great site with
discographies a little more in depth than mine and focused on particluar regions
and periods. I will be updating my information from the work that Henry
Weld has done on this site.
Check out the new Disgruntled Music catalog for some great music at great prices. I am using the printed catalog currently to update a lot of my discography info.
8/6/01
A day late with the weekly update but who's counting?
The extra day allowed me to receive an e-mail from Karl in Sweden who has an absolutely fabulous e-zine site called Summer of Hate. Great interviews with L.A. 70's punkers, the Dogs, Controllers and Dils as well as some more contemporary stuff. He also knows his shit when it comes to the Sex Pistols. Karl also plays in the Swedish band, the Vectors, not to be confused with the Orange County, CA band of the same name.
I made a rare mid-week excursion out to see two local bands, the Daggers and the Sonic Thrills. It was well worth the few hours of lost sleep to see these two incredible bands. The Daggers have the New York Dolls/Johnny Thunders look and sound down pat. The drummer looks the reincarnation of Tony Kinman of Dils fame and the skinniest fuckin' legs I've ever seen (sorry, man). I've had their debut CD for awhile now and it is a must have for anyone that likes this style of music. The lead singer spits out his lyrics with venom and attitude. A band to watch!
Turn on MTV and what do you see? Britney Spears, countless rap acts, Jennifer Lopez, Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizquick (thanks to Jim at Underground Medicine for that one), etc. and it just makes you want to vomit that the general public is so influenced by the large corporations. Then bands like the second act of the night, the Sonic Thrills play in front of 50 people. Where's the justice? This band rocks! The sound has some definite Iggy and Dead Boys influence to it. Jim, the lead singer, struts around the stage laying on the amps like Darby Crash and you can tell that he is made for this and enjoys the hell out of himself. Sonic Thrills were recently named the best garage band in the Phoenix New Times Poll so there are some educated people out there that recognize a quality act when they see one. Let's hope for more form these guys. Check out their songs at MP3.com.
7/29/01
Well, two weeks since the last update, but what a two weeks!
My cousin, Leif, his wife Kjerstin and sons Geir and Kurt visited from Norway and we spent several days seeing the sights of Arizona and Las Vegas. Lots of alcohol was consumed, poker was played and generally we just had a great time.
Then last night the Dogs made the trek across the desert from L.A. to play Phoenix for the first time. Joining them were Kanary, which share bassist Mary Kay with the Dogs. Rounding out the bill were the Wongs, an energetic balls out punk band from Arizona.
It has been 25 years since I first saw the Dogs. I heard their song, John Rock, on the radio on sation KROQ. There was also an announcement that they would be playing the KROQ Cabaret, a local club that was hosted by local luminary, Rodney Bingenheimer. This scene, which included fantastic bands like the Pop and the Berlin Brats also spawned the likes of Van Halen. This group of bands were the predecessor to what would become the L.A. punk rock scene, maybe the most important scene to develop out of the punk rock movement. The Dogs were one of the bands that played constantly throughout the late 70's and eventually called it quits in the 80's. Through Dionysus Records, the Dogs archival material has been made available on a larger scale than ever before and prompted a reunion show at the Garage, a local L.A. hot spot for punk bands. One of the more exciting results of this initial reunion gig was that the Dogs realized that there was a new audience and genuine excitement about the band again. Three gigs later we arrive in Phoenix on July 28, 2001. Right now the Dogs intend to continue for the short term and hopes are that it will be for the longer term. The only known gig still ahead is the Las Vegas Shakedown in February.
I made the 6 hour trek twice to see the Dogs play in L.A. I had the opportunity to meet Loren Molinare, singer/guitarist and we have become friends. I don't know why I never introduced myself 25 years ago but that's the way it goes. Loren asked about possibly playing Phoenix and I made some inquiries and with the help of Jeff Dahl and Paula Monarch, the Dogs made it to Phoenix. I was a bit nervous because the club was slow to fill and I really wanted this to be a positive experience with an enthusiastic audience for one of my all time favorite bands. By the time the show began, the club was pretty full and the Dogs put on their usual amazing show, going through all the old faves like Slash Your Face, John Rock, Fed Up and Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl. A new song soon to be released as a single, The Class of 1970 was also played and Oh Yeah, a song written with Texas Terri rounded out a super set with a dose of energy not likely to be found by many 3 piece units anywhere. Solid bass by Mary Kay and drumming by Ken Murty (I hope that's right, Ken) made for a super tight sound that never fails to amaze with it's intensity. And to add a final thought to the night, you could not find nicer people anywhere.
A special thank you to Leslie of Kanary for taking the risk and providing the van to make this show possible. Kanary had quite a few fans in the audience.
We have also added Detour Records to the Labels and Mail Order sections. Detour also includes sub-labels, Bin Liner and Introducing. I managed to get the entire Detour catalog into the discographies and should finish Bin Liner and Introducing in the next week.
7/16/01
This week we welcome Harmless Records and Frilly Pink Records to the Labels and Mail Order sections and Red Hair Records, a new label out of Italy that has just released their debut compilation to the Labels section. We also have added to our Other Links section all you need to know about Florida punk in our logo artist's site, Florida Punk Rocker. Otherwise, my standard discography updates move slowly along.
The DOGS (L.A. 1976) are coming to Phoenix on 7/28 at the Blue Ox!! Phoenix will be rocking that night!! Many thanks to Paula Monarch of the Peeps for setting this up!!
7/08/01
OK. The reconstruction is complete and it's time to get down to content addition again. The discographies are being built upon again. We welcome X-Records from tiny Norco, CA to the record stores section. The Other Links section has new entries for Break My Face and This is Punk Rock. Both sites provide extensive information on late 70's/early 80's punk rock. Herb Garden Records has joined our list of mail order sites for those hard to find oldies.
7/04/01
The search is over!!! After a year of trying to find an artist to create a site logo for this site, Nicholas Gray, a budding web site and graphic designer has provided the fabulous logo you see above. If the samples I've seen so far are any indication, this guy has a very successful career ahead of him.
7/01/01
Welcome to the newly redesigned Punk Information Directory. I have attempted to do several things: 1) Ease maneuverability by making any page accessible from any other, 2) cut down the large pages to allow for faster loading, 3) eliminate the value column in the discographies because the values change too often to be meaningful, 4) add headings to all the pages, and finally 4) lose the Microsoft theme that was complicating my ability to run the site. If you have suggestions on further changes, please send them my way.
6/17/01
This week we add Head Dip Records and Badman Records to the Labels and Mail Order sections. Head Dip is from Germany and have released their debut 7" by Ruth's Hat and look to have very interesting stuff coming our way later this year. Badmanis from Italy and have released 10 records/CD's so far including the great, great "I Don't Wanna Be Trained" by the Retarded out of Italy. The single had a limited run of only 200 copies so I am very fortunate to have a copy of my own. The single version of the song is also available on the Killer Lixo Vol. 2 compilation CD which can be bought from Bomp Records among other places I'm sure.
Some other releases of note this week are the reissues of the Ramones first 4 albums with numerous bonus tracks through Rhino Records. The Excessories out of L.A. are also worth checking out with their debut album on SFTRI.
6/10/01
I have been out of town for the past week so I am a bit behind on the updates and it's two weeks since the last one. I also have several items to review, so if you have sent me something in the last month or so, hang in there, I will do it soon. The updates this week are limited, but I wanted to get something new out there.
It's going to be time to give the site a new look sometime this summer. Microsoft FrontPage 2000 gives me problems with the themes, so that has to go, and I can only upload my entire web because otherwise the system times out. That's why I only do weekly (most of the time) updates.
This week we add www.destroyallmusic.com to the Record Stores and Mail Order sections.
5/27/01
This week we add Smashin Transistors e-zine and Vinyl A Go Go to our Other Links section. Check it out. Also we add Crack Records and Junk Records to our Labels and Mail Order sections.
Otherwise, I have been attempting to fill in a lot of the missing information on the discographies. X-Z and F have been filled in pretty well.
The DOGS (L.A. 1976) are coming to Phoenix on 7/28 at the Blue Ox!! Phoenix will be rocking that night!! Many thanks to Paula Monarch of the Peeps for setting this up!!
5/20/01
This week we add Sobriquet Magazine e-zine to our Other Links section. Check it out. Also we add Nickel and Dime Records to our Labels and Mail Order sections.
Otherwise, limited updates to the discographies are our only entries for the week.
5/13/01
Please check out two new sites in the Other Links section. Punk 77 has everything you ever wanted to know about punk in the UK in the 70's. It's well worth an extended visit. Also, Punk & Oi in the UK gives you information on all your favorite punk and oi bands up to the present.
Since the last time I was in L.A. in March to see the Dogs, I knew they were going to be playing again on May 11. It had been gnawing at me whether or not to drive the six hours to see them again. Well, about 2:00 PM Friday afternoon I made up my mind and off th L.A. I was. Once they hit the stage, there was no doubt I had made the right decision. Loren acknowledged my trek during the set and called me a "Rock'n'Roll maniac". Fuck yeah! Thanks, man! The Dogs are not to be missed if you ever get the opportunity. They have a new single (Class of '70) coming out on Dionysus in the near future. I can't wait.
There were 3 other bands on the bill. First up was Fuck Bunny, 4 young ladies that were...cute. If they live up to their band name, I hope they put more emotion into that than they do to their playing. The Rotters, another punk band from the 70's played third with only one original member, Phester Swollen. I talked to him after the show and we reminisced a bit about the time I saw the Rotters at the Other Masque in '78 or so. The new singer puts on this angry young man persona and just yells out the vocals. I had a hard time recognizing Sit on Face, Stevie Nicks and Amputee because the vocals and the music were played withput any regard for making them sound coherent. If they played anything else from their singles, I couldn't recognize them. Phester was real nice. The Zodiac Killers headlined the bill and played some straight forward punk blasts that put a nice capper on the evening. They insulted the crowd, a la Fear for most of the set and deservedly so to the two morons who were called up to sing along to their encore and just danced. I went to the swap meet after their show and picked up two of their CD's from Greg Lowery. He knows what I mean.
5/6/01
Lots of new discography information added. If you have a favorite band and you don't see their stuff listed, please contact me at mailto:willy@punk-information.com. Thanks.
As always, if you missed any previous weeks comments, you can find them in the "What's New" section.
Rock'n'Roll
4/29/01
Another night on the town last night and 3 great bands. The local female threesome, the Peeps, started the festivities with a fun set with the emphasis on fun. I need to get out more because I had a blast and these young ladies have been playing around town for quite some time. Check out their full length on SFTRI.
Second up were the Fabulous Tuscaderos and their set can be summed up with one word...Fabulous! I had not heard of them before but these four young ladies laid a blistering set of straight ahead melodic punk blasts. They wore matching 50's outfits and sang about Fonzie and I'm sure the name comes from Pinky Tuscadero of Happy Days fame. The look and sound totally work. Check them out if you get a chance. They are from Long Beach, CA, my former residence.
Last up were the Lazy Cowgirls. I already knew about their great albums and I had heard great things about their live show. They lived up to everything I heard. Michael is an absolutely amazing guitarist and had the Tuscaderos bowing with unworthiness at his feet. The Cowgirls obviously have a blast playing and the joint was pretty much filled.
All in all, a fabulous way to spend a Saurday night.
4/24/01
Another week gone by and I'm 2 days late on the updates. The past week has shown that there really is a punk rock community out there all brought together by the untimely death of one of our heroes. VH1 should be commended for the fine show they put together on the Ramones and for the 25 Years of Punk presentation. If MTV had given them half as much airtime in the last 20 years as VH1 has given them in the last week maybe we wouldn't be listening to all the crap spewing out the radio these days.
If you've sent me updates during the last 3 weeks, I have added those updates today. Also the discography gets a little more complete with each update.
4/15/01
I was going to skip my weekly update this week because I hadn't made thatmany changes. That was until the unspeakable news came that Joey Ramone passed away today.
How can I put into words what this man and this band have meant to me. My first reaction was just stunned silence and then I cried. I'm on the verge of tears as I write this. I'm not ashamed to say so.
I heard the Ramones for the first time on the radio in July of '76. I immediately went out and found their album at Music Plus. I went home, played it and called my friend Steve. It was the beginning of a 25 year love affair with the Ramones and punk rock music in general. Steve came over and listened to the album despite having some presiing other things to do. he has never regretted it. We went to see the Ramones whenever they came to L.A. starting with an August, '76 gig at the Starwood. They played L.A. almost every year following that and we would go see them both at their main large arena gig and the secret unannounced gig that they always seemed to play at the Roxy or some other small local venue.
Punk took a turn in the 80's towards more hardcore punk and away from the poppy punk that the Ramones made famous. It was always a treat to know that the Ramones would have a new album coming out because you could always count on the music being great. They never failed to produce.
The 90's have seen a revival of sorts of bands that were influenced by the Ramones. Some people say "Gee, they sound just like the Ramones.". What better compliment could you possibly get?
Rest in peace, Joey.
Joey Ramone (1952-2001)
4/08/01
If you've missed any of the weekly updates, you can catch up by going to the "What's New" button at the top of the page. This means you Loren, Paolo, Lisa, Rich!!
Saturday night I wanted to go the show and what a show it was!! The Retarded/Phuzz tour added a date in Phoenix as their last show of the tour so I got another opprotunity to see these fabulous bands. The Tucson show could not have prepared me for the perefect set delivered by the Retarded. The show was longer, the audience got into things more and the excitement was electric. Two weeks ago I got relive the 70's and this weekend I got to see the future. Hopefully many of you across the country got the opportunity to see this exciting band. Support them by buying their stuff through Mutant Pop or Stardumb Records.
Forget the music for a second. You are not going to find a nicer groups of huys anywhere. Paolo, Mera, Paco and Mario are friendly and funny and love to have a good time. I hope I get the opportunity to see them again. Paolo gave me a copy of the only Retarded record I don't have. It is my honor to call these guys friends. Enjoy the spaghetti, guys.
The Phuzz played a wonderful set again that is full of humor and pop hooks. Matt delivers the pop goods. I had the opportunity to talk to Matt for awhile and he is also a super nice guy. They hail from SoCal so keep your eyes open for a local show if you are in the greater Los Angeles area. Their CD, American Pop, is well worth your cash.
Otherwise this week's updates consist of several hundred entries to the discographies.
This August will mark the 25th anniversary of the first time I saw the Ramones. It changed my life and my thinking in ways unimaginable. It's been a great ride and I wouldn't change a thing. Here's to another 25!!
4/01/01
Lots of news this week. It's been two weeks since my last update due to the glorious weekend I had last week.
We welcome Mad Dog Karla, drummer extraordinaire, to the Other Links page. mad Dog shares her story and other topics that are dear to her heart. Also added are Scary Records and Drive-Thru Records to our Labels and Mail Order pages. Scary Records sent me a free CD (hint, hint)!! We also add Panic Button Records to our Labels page.
Most exciting is our new distribution deal with Underground Medicine. Check out their mail order catalog. They have everything from KBD type comps, to reissues to some of the better sounds being released today. I find myself drawn back to them every month to buy more stuff from their great selection.
Friday night it was a couple of hours down the road to Tucson to see the Retarded!! I had a blast hanging out with the guys from Italy. Paolo was the most fluent in english and we talked about punk rock and what it was like visiting the U.S. for the first time. Their set was a powerful blast of Ramones influenced gems. Mera's gravelly vocals and guitars and the hard driving rhythms laid down by Paolo, Paco and Mario. The Phuzz came on after and played a delightful set of pop punk killers. A show not to be missed! Get the dates below.
Saturday night it was another 400 miles over to L.A. to see one of the greatest bands to ever call L.A. home. Fuck yeah!! Those were the words spoken to me by Loren Molinare as I embarked on one of the most awesome nights of my life. I cannot even begin to describe what a night of raw emotion and raw power that sets the Dogs apart from all other pretenders to the throne of punk rock. To see the Dogs again after all these years brought tears to my eyes as I watched in amazement how tight and powerful they sounded after all these years. No drug could provide a high better than this set. Punk rock luminary, Keith Morris, was there to enjoy the show too. The Dogs! Fuck Yeah!!!.
Opening for the Dogs were two female led bands, the Excessories and the Bobbyteens. This was the first time I had seen the Excessories and I was very impressed with their fun attitude and solid songs. The Bobbyteens came on after the Excessories and just prior to the Dogs. The Bobbyteens always play a fun show and the songs with their killer hooks and seductive vocals are a treat to listen to. I had the pleasure of standing right in front of Lisa and enjoying the attributes she displayed on, ummmm, guitar. One of the positive aspects of bands that employ female members (and all 4 bands had females this night) is that more females are part of the audience. Whereas traditionally 70% of the crowd was male, this show was pretty evenly divided.
Don't miss the Retarded U.S. Tour!!! Go to www.hey.to/retarded for tour dates.
3/18/01
The news regarding the second release on Wankin' Stiphs Records have to wait a little while due to unforeseen circumstances. Hopefully I'll have better news next week.
This is going to be one exciting week for me. On Friday I get to see the Retarded in Tucson. I told a co-worker what I was doing and she asked if I was doing some social work. Saturday it's off to L.A. and the DOGS!! It is over 20 years since I saw the Dogs play they were always one of my favorite bands and one of the first to play regularly in L.A.
The Dogs (L.A. circa '76) have reformed for some reunion gigs and to promote their fabulous release on Dionysus Records. Don't miss them at the Garage in Hollywood on March 24 with the Rubber City Rebels!!
3/11/01
10,000 home page visitors reached on 3/11/01! Thank you!!!
This week we add Vagrant Records and Liberation Records to our labels section. There is also another fantastic review of the Black Jax album by World Wide Punk. Read the reviews at Wankin'Stiphs Records and get your copy while supplies last. Buy them here or from Interpunk or Mutant Pop Records. Not a bad review in the bunch.
Exciting news coming next week!! Wankin' Stiphs 02 will be announced!
The site is also going to be going through an overhaul in the coming weeks. First thing to go was the record player spouting the musical notes above this section. Sorry if you really liked that. A replacement e-mail gif has also been added at the bottom of the page.
3/04/01
Basically, this week's updates are mostly Anagram and Captain OI! discography information. Both labels do a fantastic job of re-releasing (with bonus tracks) much of the 70's and 80's punk and Oi! albums and singles.
The price for the Black Jax CD has been reduced to $8 for domestic and Canada and $10 overseas and I pay the postage!!! Get them while they last!!!
2/25/01
This week we bring you SideOneDummy to the labels section and Unity Squad Records to the mail order and labels section. And as always, updates to the discography sections under Bands.
We also bring you a fabulous new review of the Black Jax CD from Now Wave Magazine. The price has been reduced to $8 for domestic and Canada and $10 overseas and I pay the postage!!! Get them while they last!!!
2/18/01
This week we add a good portion of the Epitaph catalog and the entire Teenage Treats compilations to the discography section. We also welcome Hyped To Death to the labels sections. And don't miss the photos of the masterminds behind Wankin' Stiphs Records!
2/11/01
Sunday night is upon us again and it's time for the latest barrage of updates. This week we are adding www.punkrock.net, Now Wave e-zine, and Deadbeat Magazine to our Other Links section. Also, Deafinit Records, Pop Smarts Records, and New Disorder are included in the labels and mail order sections. Also, a fair number of discography updates for your viewing pleasure.
The Dogs (L.A. circa '76) have reformed for some reunion gigs and to promote their fabulous release on Dionysus Records. Don't miss them at the Garage in Hollywood on March 24!!
Don't miss the Retarded U.S. Tour!!! Go to www.hey.to/retarded for tour dates.
2/05/01
Looks like I'm a couple days late on my scheduled Sunday night updates. Hung out with the one and only Steve Stiph listening to some fantastic music. The European pop punk scene is fabulous with bands like the Retarded, Apers, Stinking Polecats and Manges. The Retarded are coming to the U.S.A. from Italy at the end of March through mid-April. Don't miss them if they are coming your way. Check out the tour dates at http://hey.to/retarded
Two new reviews of the Black Jax from Maximum Rocknroll magazine and www.blankgeneration.com e-zine.
Welcome to www.poppunk.com in the Other Links section and Equal Vision Records to the mail order and labels sections..
1/28/01
In order to make the "What's New" section actually mean something, I will be putting these update blurbs on the What's New page. I have also decided that I will update the site once a week on Sunday evening.
I received an e-mail the other day questioning my choice of "punk" bands for the site. So here is my question to you - what is "punk". if you become successful and sell a million copies of your record are you automatically no longer punk? Is emo punk? Is power pop punk? Is hardcore punk? You get the idea. I'll share some of the better responses with the next update. This is my first attempt at a little audience participation, but there are enough of you visiting now that maybe we can have a little fun. If I publish your answer you'll receive a free Black Jax CD.
Check out the new link in the "Other Links" section for Blank Generation e-zine. Lots of reviews and staff writer columns for you to enjoy. Also, welcome to Inflammable Material in the mail order section and Epitaph in the mail order and labels sections.
01/18/01
Grab a fork (or spoon) and have some Punk Information Directory birthday cake! We are one year old today (at least it is if you are reading this on January 18th)!! This has been an amazing year and I appreciate all the support. I have made some new friends, heard from old friends, heard from many of you in bands old and new. This year saw one of my dreams come through with the release of the Black Jax on my own Wankin' Stiph's Records. We have had nearly 7500 home page visitors this year (even more if you count those who entered by any other page). The pace is currently for a staggering 20,000+ for the new year. The support is overwhelming. Thank YOU!!!
I am committed to getting those discographies going on a much faster pace this year. Please send me any info you have to help the cause.
Welcome Alien Snatch Records and Stardumb Records to the labels and mail order sections.
