It's that time of year again when we lay down our top ten's and say goodbye to another year. The top ten lists will be posted next week. 2002 saw the loss of Dee Dee Ramone and Joe Strummer. Mutant Pop Records once again looks like it is down for the count. On the positive side, the Clash were named to the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, punk rock permeates the media more than ever and great independent labels like Hostage, Pelado, Rapid Pulse and TKO continue to put out exceptional music for little gain. I can honestly say that there is more music out there today that I want than ever before. Please let me win the lottery in 2003!!!

My first new year's resolution is to devote a little more time to the site. This has been a weird year and my mind hasn't totally been with it. But I am in new Punk Information Directory headquarters and the motivation should flow with the new surroundings.

I messed up the URL for the Extras CD last week so you want a copy, get it from the following URL: www.lastvestige.com/extras

I don't have much to add this week because I am busy, busy, busy moving into to new quarters and I picked up some bug and feel like shit.

2 new reviews this week of the bands Extras and Blue Collar Special. Check them out here!

OK, so I've found a way to tie my sports enthusiasm into my even more enthusiastic punk rock fanaticism. If you go to a game, you know that they pipe in loud music to get the fans, and presumably the players, pumped up. I heard Blitzkrieg Bop playing in the background watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this morning and they kicked Atlanta's butt. The Yankees use this song all the time and we all know that they are perennial post season attendees. In 1998 the Arizona Cardinals were also using this song but somehow it got out of the rotation the following year. They've SUCKED ever since. Case closed.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Wimpy's - "Do the Wimpy's Hop!" (1+2) CD
The Wimpy's are Japan's answer to the Ramones. Plenty of "Hey Ho, Let's Go"'s and whoa ohs. It's difficult to pick a best song because they are all so good. Classic pop punk.

December is finally here! The move to the new Punk Information Directory headquarters is only 9 days away!

It's official! I have decided to not renew my season tickets to that abomination known as the Arizona Cardinals.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Stitches - "Automatic" (TKO Records) 7"
The greatest punk rockers on the planet deliver again, this time on the great TKO Records. Look up punk rock in the dictionary and you'll find a picture of the Stitches.

Impossible Ones/Blue Collar Special/Dames
The Rogue, Scottsdale, AZ November 22, 2002

Friday night at the Rogue and first up was the Dames, a local female trio. They had a large contingent of family members attending the show that provided most of the applause for this very average band. They alternated between screeching vocals and boring slow bluesy numbers sung by someone with a very good voice. That's about the most positive thing I can say.

Second up was So Cal's own Blue Collar Special. This was the first stop on their tour and I really enjoyed their show. They displayed many different styles ranging from punk rock'n'roll to dashes of hardcore to tunes that reminded me of Blink 182 with balls and others that reminded me of Bad Religion. They are very competent musicians and have a pleasant stage manner. Although they didn't blow me away, they are worth seeing if you get the chance during their tour.

Headlining were local heroes, the Impossible Ones (previously known as the Impossibles and the U.S. Impossibles). This was the first time I have seen the band. They recently reformed after putting out several records over a multi-year period. They look like they thoroughly enjoy playing and the banter between the band and the crowd is good natured and fun to watch. The song structure reminded me a lot of the Toy Dolls without the whacked out vocals. They had a lot of energy with melodic poppy punk traces in their music.

Overall, not a bad way to spend an evening.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Vindictives - "Nuttin' For Christmas" (Stardumb Records) 7"
The Vindictives are back with two Yuletide ditties for your enjoyment and it's on Stardumb Records and comes in three festive colors of vinyl. Do I need to say more?

Time to hit the pub again! This Friday, November 22nd at the Rogue (423 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale, AZ) will be the Dames, whom I know nothing about, local heroes the Impossible Ones (aka U.S. Impossibles aka the Impossibles) and Blue Collar Special from the San Fernando Valley. Blue Collar Special have put out several punk rock'n'roll releases on their own Destroy All label and have a record store in Hollywood called Destroy All Music. They play a lot and I'm looking forward to their first visit to Arizona. The Impossible Ones are a band that I think I've missed out on big time. I sampled some of their MP3s and was throughly blown away. A show review and CD review of Blue Collar Special's latest CD will be coming next week.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Ubangi Stomp - "S/T" (Brain Drain Records) CD
This came out a couple of years ago and I have recently rediscovered this gem. Big doses of straight ahead rock'n'roll served up over driving punk rhythms. 14 anthems from these North Carolinans.

OK, here's a great deal for you. Do you have a 7", LP or CD you have put out and want to get reviewed? Do you have a used disc (in near mint condition) that you don't listen to any more? How about trading it for a sealed Black Jax CD? Read the reviews. If you like punk rock'n'roll or '77 style punk with a melody, this will be a great trade for you. If you are sending me band material and you want it reviewed, please tell me that when you request a trade. Also, e-mail me before you send anything so I can tell you if I already have it.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Travoltas - "The Singles Collection" (Wynona Records) CD
The Travoltas are one of the world's (from the Netherlands) most awesome pop punk bands with their Beach boy-esque harmonies and absolutely great songs.

Labels:
Broken Rekids San Francisco based label that has been around since '91 and have around 100 releases.

Other Links:
AUSTIN CELEBRITY PROFILES Austin has a fabulous punk rock scene. Check it out.
Franky and Minx Get some "hot tattoo influenced products for rockin' girls".

Public Service Announcement: Vote or don't complain when you're stuck with some morons running your state or country.

It's about time to level set again. This web site is a continual work in process. If I was to guess, I'd say it's about 33% done and that might be optimistic. If you send me an update, it will always be added that week. Otherwise, I will have to add things as I become aware of them. You, the reader, are my best source for new information. Don't assume I know and get pissed because it's not there, send me the information (OK, Phil?)!! I have to admit that my motivation has been a bit low over the last 4 months as I have had to move into very cramped temporary quarters. That will change next month, and with it my attitude.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
V/A - "Punch Drunk III" (TKO Records) CD
Great song after great song from this great label providing you with the greatest street punk and punk rock'n'roll including an exclusive Stitches song.

Labels:
Artifix Records "We are an independent record label dedicated to releasing vintage punk rock from the early years as well as some new releases by legendary bands."
Head Line Records Putting out exclusively 7" vinyl so far including a new recording by the fabulous Skulls (L.A. circa '77).

Mail Order:
Head Line Records Very extensive catalog of new and old punk titles.

Record Stores:
Head Line Records An excellent selection of new and used punk vinyl and CDs. The used CD selection is better than the used vinyl selection. This store has the biggest and best selection of punk t-shirts.

F.M. Knives/Tyrades/Zodiac Killers

The Distillery -- Sacramento, CA

Friday, October 25, 2002

The Distillery may very well be the best bar in which to see a punk show in Sacramento. Cool vibe, good sound, friendly folks behind the bar, and booking that leans towards garage and the “rock” in punk rock (without forgetting the locals) are several reasons why this is one of my favorite venues in town.

I was a little surprised when the Zodiac Killers were the first band to set up their equipment for the evening. Advertisements for the show depicted the Zodiac Killers as the middle band on a three-band bill with the F.M. Knives headlining and The Tyrades opening. I viewed this lineup shuffle as a nice gesture on the part of the Zodiac Killers. By opening the show, they prevented The Tyrades from opening or closing the show – difficult slots for a relatively unknown touring band. Infused with new blood, including a new-ish guitarist and drummer, the Zodiac Killers were in fine form. They opened with “Kamikaze Attack” and blazed through a set of hi-energy garage punk that has become synonymous with Rip Off Records. There was very little pause between songs save for a snare drum change (more on that later), which provided a forum for some good-natured heckling by Greg Lowery. Everything and everybody was fair game as he tried his hardest to bait the crowd, singling out people in the audience sporting facial hair and backwards baseball caps among others. “Do you know punk?” inquired Mr. Lowery. “If not, we’re The Clash,” he quipped. Without missing a beat, his guitarist followed-up with “If you do, then we’re the Groovie Ghoulies.” Most people weren’t sure whether to smile or frown at the ambiguous reference to a hometown band, but I found the comment amusing in light of Zodiac Killers’ drummer Matt Kanelos’ (a.k.a. Matt K. Shrugg) departure from the Groovie Ghoulies not too long ago. Scene drama aside, I can’t say enough good things about Matt’s drumming prowess. The kid attacked his kit like a madman, and literally pounded the skins hard enough to put a hole in his snare drum several songs into the Zodiac Killers’ set. Overall, the band turned in a fantastic performance fitting of a headliner, and you should definitely see them live if you get the chance.

I would have been content to call it a night after the Zodiac Killers’ set -- they were that good; however, I was really looking forward to seeing The Tyrades. Of the three Tyrades’ singles available, I’d only heard their Rip Off Records 7” prior to the show. I thought the record was good, but I wasn’t sure if it was good enough to warrant buying their 7”s on Big Neck Records and Broken Rekids, respectively. When I’m on the fence about a band, a live showing usually determines whether I return to their recorded output with renewed enthusiasm or simply file the records away. The verdict? The Tyrades did not disappoint at all; I thought they were fantastic and turned in the most energetic set of the night. The Tyrades don’t sound like a “typical” Rip Off Records band. They've got the requisite garagey and trashy elements, but there is an arty streak to some of their songs, which sets them apart from others in the genre. The Tyrades' straightforward garage punk numbers were excellent and full of punch, and I loved the tension created by the stop-start whoosh (syncopation) and discordant guitar that weaved their way into the material. The energy level remained “in the red” for the duration of The Tyrades’ set as the band pushed each other and played hard. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the bass player’s “Yes, I’m going for the Adolf Hitler look” mustache, which was funny. I bought their other records after the show and you should buy them too.

In their short existence, Sacramento’s F.M. Knives have generated quite a buzz. Their debut CD on Moo-La-La Records is brilliant, and every review I’ve seen has been positive (check out the newest issue of Horizontal Action for an interview). What makes this band so great lies in the saying, “What you see is what you get.” No bullshit, no posturing, no flash; just four ordinary “old” guys armed with great songs and impeccable chops playing pogo-friendly, poppy punk. The F.M. Knives played an inspired set to a packed house to bring the evening to a close. They aren’t the most interesting band to watch, but perhaps they don’t need to be. Ultimately, it’s the songs that count, and the F.M. Knives’ songs speak for themselves. Full of tastefully executed guitar leads, bass lines, and drums fills, and accentuated by singy-songy, whiny vocals, the F.M. Knives are doing the right things at the right time. Everything has its place, and everything fits. The band played songs from their “Useless and Modern” CD including “The Man from O.S.I.,” “Down the Street,” and “Summer Holiday,” along with some new material, which was fantastic. I was also impressed with guitarist Chris Woodhouse’s technique for drinking a beer and playing guitar simultaneously without missing a note. Now that’s impressive!

-Mario Solis

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Vapids - "Charm School Dropouts (AMP Records) CD
This was released a year ago but continues a long line of Ramones inspired pop punk with a bite. These Canadians wear their Ramones influence on their sleeves with no apologies.

So it's Sunday. That can only mean one thing - football!! Not that soccer crap you non-Americans like to call football. So the local Arizona Cardinals played an ugly, ugly game today and came out on top 9-6. The first time they have been 4-2 after 6 games since 1988. San Francisco and St. Louis in the coming weeks so they'll have to play much better.

And, being a former resident of Anaheim, California, an dhaving followed the trials and tribulations of this cursed team, let's hope the Angels can exorcise the ghost of Donnie Moore and win the World Series.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Various Artists - "Battle For the Airwaves Vol. 2" (Radio Records) 7"
The West Coast vs. the East Coast, as the Workin' Stiffs, Bodies, Wretched Ones and Templars duke it out for street punkers on each coast. Killer 4 songs from the always reliable Radio Records. You'll have to decide yourself who wins the trophy.

Geza X was one of the true eccentrics of the early L.A. punk scene. He used to get up between sets and tell the story of Mean Mr. Mommy Man. One of the other things he liked to do was expose himself on stage. I remember him and Bruce "Barf" Moreland standing up in front of a crowd while fondling each other and jabbering away about something I don't remember any more.

One day there was a gig at Club Azteca in East Los Angeles. The club had hired a female rent-a-cop. So Geza exposes himself and the rent-a-cop was all over him like a fly on shit, and it wasn't to get a better look. Fortunately for Geza, the punks that came to the show, myself included, helped release Geza from her clutches and I don't think I ever saw him expose himself again.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Various Artists - "Back To Rockaway Beach Volumes 1-3" (AMP Records) CDs
Canada's AMP Records knows how to put out a killer comp (or 3 in this case). Each volume has wide assortment of pop punk, garage, punk'n'roll and glam to keep everybody happy. I don't how they manage to collect so many good bands in one place but I'm not complaining.

Labels:
Black Power Records New label from the San Gabriel Valley in California with a couple of compilation releases featuring aggressive punk and no "emo or pop bull".
Dirtnap Records One of the best labels going today. Home of the Briefs and Epoxies.

Mail Order:
Coloring Outside the Lines Mailorder site for Aimee Cooper's book reviewed last week. The review in can be found in the October 6 update in the What's New section.
Dirtnap Records Get all the latest Dirtnap releases and more.

"Coloring Outside the Lines: A Punk Memoir" by Amie Cooper was a very interesting read because it paralleled some of my own experiences as a young man in the formative years of the L.A. punk scene. Amie got her introduction into punk when she saw Johnny Thunders at CBGB's in '77 or '78. Fast forward a couple of years and the University of California, Santa Barbara alum ventures into Hollywood and discovers the L.A. punk scene.

The early punk scene had a way of drawing people to the scene that came from dysfunctional families or that felt they were outcasts in some way. Once accepted in the scene, it was very much like having a second family, a quite extensive one in Amie's case. Amie came from a loving family but writes of her lack of self confidence and identifies the moment that she felt she belonged within the scene.

Amy made her living by working for Slash magazine, her dream since the time she saw a copy of the mag in New York. This allowed her to interact with many of the founders of the early L.A. scene such as Exene Cervenka, John Doe and Lee Ving.

Amie's experiences during the 18 months that she made Hollywood home, are at times amusing, other times sad and ultimately end in her disillusionment with the scene. The early 80's were a time when goons that had no love for the music just came out to see how many people they could beat up. It was Hollywood vs. Huntington Beach and it was ugly. This violence ultimately ended up driving many of the early supporters away from the scene.

This is a good companion piece to the fabulous "We Got the Neutron Bomb" co-written by Masque founder Brendan Mullen. There are hundreds of stories that could be told by those who frequented the Hollywood underground in the late 70s and early 80s. We are fortunate to have one of those stories documented by Amie in this wonderful book.

"Coloring Outside the Lines: A Punk Memoir" is available through Amazon, directly from Amie through her website, Interpunk and soon at a book or music store near you.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Kevin K - "13th St." (Vicious Kitten) CD
From Australia's great Vicious Kitten label, 13 glam punk killers. Fans of Jeff Dahl will love this.

New category!!! Mario has created an "About the Author" page. Mario has been a welcome addition to the Punk Information Directory staff (all two of us). His insightful reviews and picks have added a much needed infusion of new blood into the site.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Stiphnoyds - "Portland Punk 1979" (Rave Up) LP
Volume 27 of this vinyl only "America Lost Punk Rock Nuggets" series on Rave Up Records. Portland, Oregons's very own Stiphnoyds 12 early punk classics from 1979. Vital stuff!

I am a day late on my update this week. I spent a marvelous Sunday afternoon in 107 degree temperature watching my team featuring Jake "The Fake" Plummer get their ass whupped thanks mainly to the aforementioned Mr. Plummer. Arggghhhh!!!!

To make matters much worse, this past week brought news of a relative's death, the death of Jed's dad immortalized in song by the Philiacs on their self titled Mutant Pop SRCD, and the news of a very dear friend's bout with breast cancer requiring surgery today. My thoughts go out to all of those affected by these tragedies.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Red Squares - "Modern Roll" (Rave Up) LP
If you ever needed a reason to buy a turntable, Rave Up Records "America Lost Punk Rock Nuggets" series is reason enough. Arizona's very own Red Squares play these 12 early punk'n'roll tunes from 1982. Great stuff!

I am in a self-imposed music purchasing drought at the moment as I save for the down payment on my new home. One thing this has done is to have me pull out a box of CDs sitting in the closet waiting to be transported to it's new destination and pull out some stuff I haven't listened to in years. Sappy Songs For Summer Nighst by the Mansfields is a pop punkers wet dream, Feel Lucky Punk by Klover is a much overlooked mid-90s classic, Anagram Records put Powerjive and King of the Mountain by the Lurkers together on one CD for this early UK punk band that reformed in the late 80s for these 2 classics, and finally Hate Your Friends by the Lemonheads is as good a punk album as you'll find from the earky 90s. Being reunited with old friends is mostly always a positive experience.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Various Artists - "A Fistful of Rock'n'Roll" (Tee Pee [Vols. 1-6] and Victory [Vols. 7-9]) CD
The brainchild of SAL CONZONIERI of ELECTRIC FRANKENSTEIN, this compilation series of punk rock'n'roll hits never fails to deliver. My favorite is volume four with great tunes by the Black Halos, American Heartbreak, Graveyard School and many more.

Jugheads is a little hole in the wall on the eastern end of Phoenix. The place was packed pretty tight after 10:00.

First up was Bullet Train to Moscow. They were a very nice Oi! band That had their fair share of very good songs and some that didn't quite grab me. They did a nice rendition of Cock Sparrer's "Stormtrooper".

The Beelzebullies played some really annoying thrash which is a shame because the guitarist when he wasn't just strumming as fast as he could, played some really outstanding guitar leads. Only one song broke from the formula, and it was a fantastic song.

The band I came to see was was the Lady Killers from L.A. Led by Levine "The Sex Machine", sporting an Elvis Presley pompadour and Buddy Holly glasses, the thing that really stood out was the band's musical expertise. Levine on Bass, Geoff on guitar and Brian on drums all sounded like they had been doing this for many years. The songs are in a punk rock'n'roll vein and varied from slow to mid-tempo to rockin'. Brian threw his drum set all over the area in front of the stage as they concluded their set to the applause of the appreciative crowd. This is a band to watch for. Check them out if they come your way.

As I'm writing this my home page hits have reached 49,993. Sometime within the next hour my 50,000th visitor to the home page will have arrived. The support is really appreciated and upward and onward to 100K!!

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Skulls - "Life Ain't So Pretty" (Head Line) 7"
Amazing packaging to this single by one of L.A.'s first punk bands, one I was fortunate to see in their formative years. Billy Bones recently resurrected the Skulls and recorded some new stuff. This sounds like it could have been recorded in 1977. Numbered edition of 500 which includes a 20+ page booklet, stickers and a badge. I'm sure it's long sold out by now, but get it if you can.

I have updated the "About the Author" section to make it more applicable to my current situation. I have added a section at the end of that category that lists the bands I have seen have live. It is a work in progress.

Synergy: The whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. The annual Labor Day Weekend trek to the Valley of the Sun by my lifelong friend, Steve Stiph is well under way. We have known each other since kindergarten and were roommates after moving away from home. I got into music pretty early on when the Beatles hit the scene and Steve eventually shed the chains of a repressed childhood and put his energies full steam into music too. I was into sixties style pop and progressive album rock in the early seventies and Steve was into more harder edged stuff. As time went by his influence on me for the harder stuff grew and we sought out the rockingest stuff we could find. Slade, the Status Quo, Mott the Hoople were regular purchases during this time.

I asked him if he wanted to go see Kiss in Long Beach and that was his first concert of many, many hundreds to come. We saw together the Ramones in Hollywood in '76, the Germs first show, the beginnings of punk rock in L.A. He bought stuff that I was turned onto and vice versa. Our tastes in music are so incredibly similar it is amazing. I think it is because it is "our" taste developed together over the years. It is a synergistic relationship that I wouldn't trade for any in the world.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Andrew W.K. - "I Get Wet" (Island) CD
Add me to the growing legion of fans that appreciate this 3 guitar assault on the senses. Sounds like Bruce Springsteen on speed.

I am a lifelong baseball fan. I played little league and pony league and grew up in L.A. during the era of Koufax and Drysdale. Last year was one of the most exciting post seasons in major league history with local team, the Diamondbacks, providing the thrills. That said, if there is a baseball strike and the post season is once again lost, I am outta here. See how much money you make when no one is watching you any more you greedy bastards!

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Popsters and Carbona - "The Popsters vs. Carbona" (Wynona Records) CD
Italy (The Popsters) vs. Carbona (Brazil). More Ramones style pop punk from these two great bands reprsenting Europe and South America. I like this better than the Popsters full length and Carbona is one of the world's best Ramones-core bands.

So I see in the paper this morning that Rick Wakeman has rejoined the 70's rock band Yes for a new tour. Rick Wakeman, one of the biggest assholes to ever disgrace popular music. Most of you probably aren't old enough to remember but Rick Wakeman was responsible for having the Sex Pistols dropped from the label A&M after he threatened to leave the label if the Pistols were part of it.

I guess the joke's on you, Rick. Punk rock music has invaded popular culture. You hear punk rock more often in movies, commercials and on the radio than in any time in history. Garage rock is actually going mainstream with bands like the Hives and the Vines.

Here's to hoping your tour is a miserable failure and that we no longer need to hear about any more Rick Wakeman comebacks. Asshole!

NEW CATEGORY!!! Check out the Columns section where we get more in depth about punk topics that interest us. The fabulous first column details Mario's recent vacation to visit as many California record stores featuring punk as possible.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Thunder Pistols - "S/T" (Pelado Records) CD
More Thunders than Pistols, these Southern Califrnians add to Pelado's already impressive line-up of punk rock'n'roll releases.

Phoenix is a great place to live if you want to buy a new home and you don't mind 100-115 degree temperatures for 4 months of the year (60s - 80s the other eight months). People with even moderate incomes can afford to have a new home built for them. That's where I am right now. I sold my old home and I'm living in an apartment while my new home is built. The downside to the whole thing is that I don't have my full down payment saved which means I am saving every last cent I make towards that down payment. I don't go out, I don't buy any beer and worst of all, I can't buy any music. Me, who used to spend every available left over dollar on music, is on the wagon. I am quite depressed and the only thing keeping me going is the promise of that new home and the music room that will be part of that home. Buy some Black Jax CDs, OK??

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Pink Panthers - "...Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (Wynona Records) CD EP
I'm always a sucker for a pop punk all female band. These Italian young ladies deliver the goods with style and flair and 7 scorchers that'll have you bopping your head.

Italy has one of the most vibrant punk rock scenes in the world. The Ramones influenced pop punk scene has no rival anywhere in the world with such bands as the Retarded, Stinking Polecats, Manges and others. Not to stop with one genre, straight ahead punk rock from the likes of the Peawees and the Alley'Gators' also originate from Italy. Tons of great labels also such as Be Nice To Mommy, Bad Man, Wynona and Gonna Puke. If you haven't gotten on the Italian express yet, jump on before you miss the train.

Continuing our journey into Italy, a new fanzine called Bam! has hit the market and includes a fabulous CD on the Bad Man label with the Alley'Gators (Italy), Yum Yums (Norway), Guitar Wolf (Japan) and the Spazzys (Australia). The fanzine contains tons of reviews (if someone could translate the Black jax review to English, I'd appreciate it), interviews and columns. Don't let the fact the 'zine is written in Italian discourage you because the CD is worth the price all on it's own.

New reviews of the latest Hextalls album, and CD EPs by Toxin III and Bubba Daddy here: Music Reviews.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Riffs - "Dead End Dream" (TKO Records) CD
Another solid TKO release from these Oregon punkers that have their Sex Pistols riffs down pat.

I'm back after a week's absence. I moved last weekend and somehow thought it would take about a day. Well, five days later, I was finally done and had internet access again. Moving is pure hell and I get to do it again in December.

I will have new reviews of the latest Hextalls album, and CD EPs by Toxin III and Bubba Daddy NEXT week. Nothing new this week but check out the latest reviews here: Music Reviews.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
New Town Animals - "Is Your radio Active" (Mint Records) CD
I've seen this described as "new wave" but this is pure, unadulterated punk rock done '77 style. Great songwriting and performance.

Other Links:
Short Music For Short People Site documenting the lyrics to the Fat Wreck Chords release, Short Music for Short People.

So it's official. I cataloged my recent purchases in my music database and for the first time ever I own more full length CDs than I do full length LPs. As a purist, it took me a long time to even give in and buy that first CD. Over the years I have come to appreciate the CD's contribution to music as more and more obscure music from the past that never would have seen the light of day otherwise has made it's way into my collection. Current tally 1612 LPs, 1619 CDs.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Ladykillers - "S/T" (Self Produced) CD EP
4 song EP sent to me by my friend, Susan who saw these guys play recently and figured I needed a copy. She was right! Great punk'n'roll tunes from these Southern Californians.

All updates sent in during the previous two months should now be applied. If you sent an update and it is not now listed, please let me know.

Back in '77, maybe '78 we saw an advertisement for a show at Larchmont Hall with the Avengers headlining. One of the warm up bands was a 4 piece with 3 guys and a female singer. The male bassist and female singer would each sing lead. The female singer wore these boxing gloves and I thought to myself "Man, these guys would pretty good if they lost that ugly female singer". Many albums later, X is probably the most critically acclaimed band to come out of the 70's L.A. punk scene. My first impression was dead wrong. The band would not have gone far without Exene's influence.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
No Time For You - Hore Hounds (Rapid Pulse)
Rapid Pulse continues to release nothing but exceptional 7" vinyl. This one has 3 driving, rock'n'rolly punk tunes just the way I like them.

Labels:
Crackle Records Great label out of the UK with tons of melodic punk. One of my favorites.

Let's go back to 1979 for a minute. One of the L.A. hot spots for punk was the Hong Kong Cafe. It was in the middle of Chinatown and competed with Madame Wong's for the fans dollars. Madame Wong's gave up on punk after a Bags show where furniture was freely tossed about the restaurant. They then catered to the "new wave" scene. So the punky shows were at the Hong Kong Cafe. I saw the Controllers, Silencers, Germs, Red Cross (before they had to change their name to Redd Kross), Black Flag, D.O.A. and countless others. One day Steve Stiph and I were standing outside the Hong Kong Cafe as we often did before shows or in between sets when we see this little feisty guy duking it out with 3(!!) long hairs. This was at a time when being punk meant hating hippies. Having long hair meant you were a hippy. So he's having his way with these 3 guys and we gave him the name Mr. Macho (I know it sounds stupid now but we were young then). Later Steve tells me that Mr. Macho has his own band and their really good and his real name is Mike Ness and the band is called Social Distortion. Damned if they haven't been one of the greatest fucking punk bands of all time .

Sorry for the delay in putting in your updates. I'll get caught up this week with a nice 4 day weekend coming up.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Now Wave Magazine Web Site
I'm going to change up a bit here and include a web site as my pick of the week. The brainchild of Josh Rutledge, maybe the best punk rock writer there is. The commentary is biting, the reviews are right on (although Josh has delegated review duty to his worthy staff) and the musical taste of said Mr. Rutledge mirror mine so closely that any recommendation is certainly a must have.

Don't miss Mario's review of the A-Frames and the 3 new SRCD releases from Mutant Pop on the Music Reviews page.

Groovie Ghoulies/Secretions/Les Dragueurs/Drowning Adam

The Boardwalk – Orangevale, California

Friday, June 14, 2002

The Boardwalk is a spacious, 450-capacity club that recently became an all ages venue. They have geared more towards punk-oriented shows than 80s hard rock, metal, and classic rock reunion tours in recent months, although Eric Martin of Mr. Big “fame” played there only one week prior to this show. On this night, The Boardwalk played host to the record release show celebrating the release of new CDs by the Groovie Ghoulies and Secretions, respectively.

Drowning Adam opened the show, and I tried my hardest to tune them out while I perused the merch tables. The baggy pants and backwards baseball cap crowd might flip for their brand of speedy punk with emo overtones, but not me. There was nothing to set Drowning Adam apart from the hordes of bands in this genre. I am sure they will be playing a Warped Tour near you soon.

Les Dragueurs, a French garage punk trio featuring Jon Von (Rip Offs, Mr. T Experience), were up next and turned in the best set of the evening. I eagerly picked up Les Dragueurs’ debut 7” a few months back hoping to be floored, but the record left me wanting more. Nevertheless, I was excited about seeing the band live. My excitement heightened when they came out on stage dressed in matching striped shirts and berets; snappy dressers, these Frenchmen. Following a brief introduction by Jon Von in his newly discovered, cutesy French-English accent about the meaning of the word “dragueur” – a French word for a guy who “picks up chicks” – the band launched into a fun-filled set of poppy punk sung in French with songs about how to pick up chicks. Rule #1: wearing sunglasses improves your chances of scoping out the babes because they don’t know where your eyes are wandering. Rule #2: the marketplace in Paris is a great place to pick up chicks because chicks like to shop. Rule #3…you get the picture. It was hilarious. I don’t think I stopped smiling during their entire set. Thankfully, the band had the hooks and chops to back up the humor. Imagine a looser, garagey (but not lo-fi) Groovie Ghoulies minus the b-movie/sci-fi references and imagery and you have an approximation of how Les Dragueurs sounded live. Jon Von looks as though he is having the time of his life onstage and that persona resonated well with the audience, who loved every minute of Les Dragueurs’ set. Hopefully, I’ll have a chance to see them again soon.

The Secretions struggled to find a label to release “‘Til Death” until Springman Records finally stepped up. A lot has changed in the year or so that has passed since I last saw them play. This is not the same scrappy, pop-punk band that released “Attention Deficit Disorderly,” a collection of silly songs in the vein of Screeching Weasel or The Queers. The Secretions now have a harder punk sound, not unlike a bastard child of Motorhead and the Ramones. The band has also upped the ante in terms of its live show: bigger guitars, bigger amps, and bigger props (they had a huge “Secretions” banner and the band emblem hanging behind them during their set). In simple terms, the Secretions have their shit together and are more of a “band” now than they were the last time I saw them. Nothing wrong with that, of course; however, some of the charm that first attracted me to the band is no longer there and my attention waned during their set. They were impressive – tight, animated, and alternating between raging rockers and poppy numbers effortlessly. A lot of people seemed to be into them, and with good reason, but as is usually the case with bands that develop a bigger following, the bonehead quotient seems to increase by leaps and bounds. Bands gets bigger, fans get dumber, so it goes. At times, the pit resembled a football tryout. I was scratching my head wondering if I was at a hardcore show (perhaps everybody was confused by the Secretions’ windbreakers for sale). I witnessed several people emerge from the fracas bruised and battered, which made no sense to me.

The crowd response during the Secretions’ set prompted the promoter, who was emceeing the show, to get onstage and remind everybody the goal is to have fun at shows, not beat the crap out of people. Ironically, it was the Groovie Ghoulies who talked about the absence of “mosh pits” at their shows in an interview that appeared in the local weekly just the day before. The Groovie Ghoulies are a remarkably consistent band. They don’t stray from their formulaic, Ramones-influenced pop-punk sound and that’s okay. Kepi is the consummate frontman; one can’t help but wonder if the guy has Flubber in his Chuck Taylors. Roach doesn’t do anything that hasn’t been done before in terms of guitar work, but she does what she does very well. And with the addition of Scampi on drums, who is a great fit for the band style-wise, the drummer slot just might be solidified for a while. The Ghoulies’ energetic set consisted of material from “World Contact Day” to the present, and showcased material off their new CD on Stardumb Records, “Go! Stories.” Following a trip to Europe, look for the Ghoulies in a town near you soon.

-Mario Solis

The Frisk/Broken Society/Scattered Fall

Westcoast Worldwide Records – Sacramento, California

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Home to the Sacramento-based hardcore band, the Hoods, Westcoast Worldwide Records is a practice space that doubles as a show space. It is located in a nondescript building in midtown Sacramento, across the street from a great Mexican restaurant and an office building where I used to work. It is a great space for shows, and I can honestly say I have never seen a cleaner venue. I am a clean guy and I like clean things, but it was a little weird.

The influence of AFI on young kids playing hardcore cannot be underestimated. The first band on the bill, Scattered Fall, sounded like a cross between AFI and Boy Sets Fire. They were fast, screamy, and angry, and their singer was a dead ringer for Davey Havok right down to the pale skin and black bangs in his face. I was amused. Scattered Fall was tight and their stage presence was commendable, but the band didn’t do much for me. If I wanted to listen to AFI, I would have stayed home and listened to one of their older records. You know, the good ones.

It is probably safe to say that just about anybody who has ever toyed with the idea of being in a band has tossed around a band name that included the word “society.” Show of hands, please? Broken Society’s music was about as exciting as their name. They were responsible, however, for the question of the evening in my mind: why spring for a wireless if all you’re gonna do is stand in the same spot for every song as though your shoelaces are tied in knots? Inquiring minds want to know…

For my money, few people can hold a candle to the amount of energy Jesse Luscious puts forth onstage. Spastic, random movements; herky-jerky dancing; contorted facial expressions; and snotty vocals reminiscent of the Germs’ Darby Crash always keep things interesting. With that said, The Frisk don’t quite recreate the magic of The Criminals. The Frisk formed out of the ashes of said band, and currently feature Hunter Burgan of AFI on drums and Zac Hunter of the now-defunct Nerve Agents on guitar. Ex-Criminals bassist, Mike Sexx, recently left the band. The Frisk played a short but intense set (they only have a handful of songs) to the twenty or so people in attendance. Hunter’s drumming prowess impressed me, and Jesse’s voice cracked and wheezed through songs like “Scream My Name” and the old Criminals’ song, “Leech.” They were good, but there was something missing. Their 10”/CD-EP on Adeline Records is worth a few spins and I may buy their next record, but I don’t know if I would make it a point to see them live again.

-Mario Solis

Smut Peddlers/Pretty Girls/Hit By A Semi/Riff Randals

The Distillery – Sacramento, California

Saturday, June 15, 2002

After seeing The Frisk, we whisked away to the Distillery for this show, which was billed as an after party for the All-American Tattoo Festival that took place over the weekend. For those who are keeping track, this was my third show in less than 24 hours. The Distillery is a great place to see a show. It is a bar/restaurant with good sound, friendly people, and reasonable drink prices.

The Riff Randals (with an “a” and one “l”), from Sacramento, got the evening started off right with a great set of poppy punk with (sex) hidden (sex) messages (sex) in (sex) the (sex) lyrics. These four attractive young ladies know how to rock hard and they don’t mince words when it comes to what they look for in a man. They don’t want commitment, they don’t want money; they just wanna fuck. Their songs are a lot of fun and one can’t help but smile at the frankness with which the lyrics are delivered, whether they are sincere or not. Musically speaking, they almost remind me a little of Black Fork, an East Bay punk band that had a record on Lookout Records (which was overproduced and didn’t do them justice), but without the fingernails-on-the-chalkboard vocals and more of a mid-tempo pace. Every time I see this band, I like them more and more.

Hit By A Semi were up next and played a solid set of street punk with a rock n’ roll feel, kind of like One Man Army meets Social Distortion, but not anywhere near as good as either of those bands. Their set wasn’t bad, but it was unspectacular and the songs failed to grab me by the throat.

This was my first time seeing the Pretty Girls and they were pretty good. The crowd didn’t quite know what to make of their 70s punk sound a la the New York Dolls or the Heartbreakers. Their songs had a real rootsy, rock n’ roll swagger to them, and I enjoyed their set quite a bit. Unfortunately, the mix was bass heavy and the two guitars were obscured somewhat. Heckled by some, there were a few people in the audience bopping their heads, including Smut Peddlers’ vocalist John Ransom who called the Pretty Girls one of his new “favorite bands” during their set.

I really like the Smut Peddlers. Purveyors of the Hostage Records “sound,” the Smut Peddlers successfully fuse the beach punk sounds of Beach Boulevard with the hardcore energy of the Circle Jerks or Black Flag. They are one of the better southern California punk bands around along with The Stitches, Smogtown, The Crowd, etc., and their live show is not to be missed. Armed with a great new record, “Ism,” the Smut Peddlers flat-out kicked ass and tore the place down. I secured a great spot up front and bounced around to a plethora of material from “Ism” and its predecessor, “Tarball 2000,” including “Inglewood Heroin Morning,” “Do The Flop,” “Riot At The Pier,” “Lennox Loner,” “Mona From Pomona,” and “Recreational Doper.” The band only played one song off their first two records, the anthem that is “Fuck You…That’s Why,” and revealed their true colors with a fabulous cover of The Gears’ “Baby Runaround.” John Ransom’s voice cuts right through you like a knife. Roger Ramjet (Pushers, ADZ) is an incredible guitar player. The rhythm section, Julia Kelly and Gish Thaxton, are no slouches either. This band rocks like nobody’s business and deserves your attention. Now!!!

-Mario Solis

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Groovie Ghoulies - "Go! Stories" CD/LP Stardumb Records
Stardumb and the Ghoulies hit another home run with this arrangement of pop punk gems in true Ghoulie tradition. They didn't make it to Arizona this go-round and I'm bummed!

Those of you who have followed this site at all know that I have been around the punk scene for a long time. During that time I have raised two great daughters. They were exposed to punk rock from the time they were infants until today when they have the ability to make their own minds up about what music they like. I am happy to say that they have chosen punk as their genre of choice even if their sub-genre is not particularly to my likely. It sure the hell beats the shit out of lsitening crap like the Backstreet Boys, Limp Bizkit a thousand other bands that MTV rams down your throat. The point of this trip through time is that yesterday was Father's Day and I received this massive book called PUNK: The Definitive Record of a Revolution from my eldest daughter. The thing must weigh 20 pounds. My girls know what to get their dad. Thanks, Allison!

MARIO's Pick of the Week
A-Frames - "S/T" LP
Fusing elements of post-punk, art-punk, garage, and pop, the A-Frames
just might become your new favorite band. The LP is a yearly top ten
contender. Look for a full review next week.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
S/T 7" - Rock 'n' Roll Class
Proving that you don't have to be slick and polished, this lo-fi affair exudes the essence of early punk - d.i.y. punk played with passion. From the great Hate Records out of Italy.

1-2-3-4!! More sad news this week as we lose Dee Dee Ramone. I remember that August evening in 1976 when I saw the Ramones for the first time and I think they only stopped once during the whole show to say anything. Otherwise, it was Dee Dee bellowing 1-2-3-4 before the start of each new song. Dee Dee was the musical genius behind the band, the one who wrote the mahority of the singalong anthems we have come to know and love. Dee Dee was a cretin. He took drugs. He died. "4-5-6-7, all good cretins go to heaven". May you finally have peace and know what you menat to a generation of young kids. R.I.P., Dee Dee.

A big thank you to Mario for supplying much of the content over the last month as I go through some major life events.

A-Frames/Duchess of Saigon

The Loft – Sacramento, California

Saturday, June 8, 2002

This show marked the A-Frames’ only appearance in northern California on their summer 2002 tour. Never heard of the A-Frames?!?! Read on, read on…

The Loft is appropriately named; it is nothing more than a loft located behind a bookstore in “midtown” Sacramento. About the size of an average bedroom, The Loft hosts shows, band practices, and recording sessions. The Loft experience is fun, informal, and intimate: bands are given an opportunity to shine in front of an appreciative and interested audience of 25 to 50 people. In lieu of a cover charge, donations are accepted for touring bands. You are more likely to hear about a Loft show from a friend than see flyer on a telephone pole or read about it in the local alternative weekly. Word-of-mouth is the primary method of advertisement for these shows and this formula has worked out well for both bands and fans during the venue’s existence.

The Duchess of Saigon kicked things off with a short set of jangly, vaguely poppy but not pop, songs. This was my first time seeing this band and I was very impressed. Clean guitar, female backing vocals, and drumming that is more of a lead instrument than a timekeeper define this drum n’ guitar combo. Their songs are short, funny, and catchy, with enough of a twist to set them apart from other drum/guitar combos I have heard. A 7” is forthcoming on SS Records, which should be available at http://www.sl.net/~ttbooks/moolala/ss.html soon.

Proving that there is more to Seattle than corporate behemoths, rain, grunge, and The Briefs, the A-Frames are a breath of fresh air in the Pacific Northwest music scene. They played a blistering set of loud, angular punk and gave new meaning to the “power trio” tag. These guys sounded louder and fuller than most bands do on a good day. The drumming is simple yet solid; the bass tone is filthy and distorted; the guitar work is both restrained and over-the-top without being wanky; and the vocals are spoken/sung/screamed, sometimes all within the same song. The A-Frames’ songs are remarkably catchy and rate high on the head bop-o-meter. Some songs hit you square in the chest with their hooks, while others teeter on the brink of chaos before unleashing a killer melody and/or chorus that brings it all together. Discordant yet tuneful, edgy yet cohesive, challenging yet approachable, the A-Frames’ music is wonderful live and on vinyl.

This tour coincided with the release of A-Frames debut LP on Dragnet/SS Records. The LP is limited to 500 copies and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl with a screened cover. In speaking with the band before the show, I learned that Dirtnap Records wanted to release the LP on CD and include the band on an upcoming comp, but the band declined. It is Dirtnap Records’ loss.

Check out the A-Frames and see what people are talking about.

-Mario Solis

MARIO's Pick of the Week
Live From The Masque - Volumes 1, 2, and 3 on CD
Great sounding live material documenting an important place and time in southern California punk history and punk history in general. Too many classic bands to mention. Essential.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Shattered - The Shifters
Great punk rock'n'roll sounding like a cross between the Stitches and the Victims (Australia) of "Television Addict" fame. Catchy tunes, great guitar action brought to you by the fabulous Radio Records.

Below you will find a new monthly feature which will be posted the first Sunday of each month. These are records old or new that just happen to be what Mario and I are listening to at that moment in time. There is no particular order to the entries, they are all noteworthy.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Say Go - Vox Poppers aka The Kranks
This is a local band that has released a demo CD EP as the Vox Poppers, a demo CD as the Vox Poppers and a new demo with their new name, the Kranks, but same line-up. If you like your music with both rock and melody, here's your band(s).

New reviews by Mario of The Decay and The Cadavers in the Music Reviews section.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
Total Knockout - Saturday Night Kids
The debut full length by the fabulous Saturday Night Kids. I absolutely LOVE this album (#1 of the year so far)! 13 pop punk songs that will have you bopping and singing along.

On Thursday, May 30th, my daughter graduates from high school. She grew up listening to punk rock because it was pretty hard to avoid it in this household. She actually introduced me to one of my favorite labels, Mutant Pop. I took her to some of her earliest gigs, The Queers, Muffs, Chixdiggit, Groovie Ghoulies. I remember her and her sister sitting in a corner at that first Queers show probably wondering what the hell dad got them into. Her tastes moved from pop punk to emo to more hard edged stuff like AFI and Hot Water Music. I always figured she had to find her own music because it would really suck to be a teenager and like exactly the same stuff your dad does.

Andrea has always marched to her own drummer which is why she will be successful in her chosen field of business. She has a hard edge and is driven to be the best. I couldn't be prouder and I love her dearly. Congratulations, Andy!!

New reviews by Mario of Bad Times, Teenage Rejects and a Nazis From Mars/Foreheads split in the Music Reviews section.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
S/T - Philiacs
The debut full length by the fabulous Philiacs. This is good news because it means that Scott is recovering from the Big C and we are blessed with another 13 pop punk classics by these Southern Californians.

The weather is heating up (already several 100+ degree days in Phoenix) and the summer concert season is heating up as well. Dirt Bike Annie, The Queers, The Travoltas are all coming through Arizona this summer and I am ready! The Stitches last week were a great warm up for what looks to be a classic punk rock summer. Get out and support these bands, buy their stuff and help the underground punk rock scene thrive!!!

Labels:
Bridge Nine Records Hardcore label out of Boston.
Reptilian Records "Punk fuckin' Rock, hardcore, noise, emo, grind, garage, indie-rock, post-whatever-- we dig it all as long as it kicks!"

The Stitches/The Wongs/Krank
The Rogue -- Scottsdale, Arizona
Friday, May 10, 2002

My first visit to the Rogue, the latest hangout for trashy, punk rock'n'roll. I would not leave disappointed. The three bands that played were Krank (formerly the Vox Poppers), The Wongs and The Stitches.

Krank changed their name from the Vox Poppers and have adopted a harder edge to their music. They played many of the old Vox Poppers songs and sounded as great as ever. The times that I have seen them previously I always came away thinking they were a great punk rock'n'roll band but saw a much poppier style on their fabulous 6 song demo CD I got from Art last year. I look forward to seeing how the new version (although all the same members) translates in the studio. Art, e-mail me!

Up next were the Wongs with their in-yer-face full frontal assault that somehow manages to sound melodic as it brutalizes your senses. The two guitar attack works well on all levels. Those of you familiar with Rip Off Records will know the style and it is also where you can get a copy of their debut full length released in 2000.

The Stitches show was truly an event. Mike was plastered by the time they took the stage. He disappeared from view for awhile as he collapsed to the stage and was helped up again. The amazing part of the whole thing was that he never missed a word the whole night. He looked like he was sleeping on his feet but yet he was able to sing to each and every song. He then started to wave the mike around in circles and I thought there's no way he's not going to take Johnnie's head off but somehow he missed. He did take out one of the over head lights though and nearly obliterated the overhead fan with the mike stand before that was removed permanently from stage. Oh yeah, the music. It kicked ass. 70's style punk a la the Sex Pistols, great guitar, great rhythm section and the previously mentioned vocal heroics of Mike. The place was jammed, the pit was in full motion despite the fact that it was a tile floor with beer spilled all over it and the fanatic moshers couldn't stay on their feet. If you ever want to know what punk rock is all about, go see The Stitches.

WILLY's Pick of the Week
The Face of England - The Pits
Snotty Johnny Rotten style vocals fronting these 12 mid-tempo '77 punk rock'n'roll anthems. Get it at Underground Medicne. The good folks at Underground Medicine will be releasing a Pits single next month on their Rapid Pulse label.

Mail Order:
Tooth and Nail Mail Order Mail order site for Tooth and Nail Records.
Know Your Product Great mail order site with vinyl old and new, CDs, clothes, badges, etc...

Other Links:
Vinyl Punx Great site documenting German punk from 1977 thru ??. Lots of MP3s to download. Written in German.

Our 40,000th home page visitor on May 4, 2002! Thanks for the overwhelming support. I am dreaming up ways to make the site even better as I whittle at the discographies. There are five new reviews this week of One Man Show Live, Radio Reelers, Smut Peddlers, T.V. Idols and F.M. Knives. Check them out here. The reviews section has been a woefully overlooked section of the site but with the addition of Mario Solis as official P.I.D. reviewer, look for many more reviews as we move forward.

Next week we will add a "Picks of the Week" section to help with your record purchasing decisions.

Mail Order:
Straight Edge Productions Japanese mailorder site featuring 7 Seconds and Dropkick Murphys stuff.

Other Links:
Grunnen Rocks Extensive discographies, label information, punk web sites. Very much in the same vein as my site.

Wankin' Stiphs Records and Pelado Records proudly announce a joint release featuring two of L.A.'s best punk rock band of the 70's. Shock, who were one of the earliest punk bands to come out of L.A. and have two highly collectible singles from that era including the sizzling "This Generation's On Vacation". Also, the Silencers, who are being released for the time ever. The link between the two bands is bassist Steve Reina. Kat Arthur and Brian Hansen also saw success during the 80's as members of Legal Weapon. Watch this site and the Pelado Records site for further details. Scheduled for summer release. Check out the official Shock and Silencers web sites.

The other exciting news from this week is the addition of Mario Solis as a contributing reviewer to the site. Included this week is the first of what I hope to be many more reviews. Welcome Mario!! I have also added a Concert Reviews section and renamed the Reviews section to Music Reviews.

Labels:
Lost and Found Records Prolific German label that has been around since the 80's.
Rip Off Records Fabulous label out of California bringing you the best in garage and punk rock.
Tooth and Nail Records Seattle based record label. Home to the mighty Huntingtons!

It's probably about time to set expectations for the rest of the year. My number one priority is the discographies and any additions that are submitted to me in other sections.

If I had known how much work it would be to put this site together, I probably would have never started. But, now that I have started, I am committed to completing this as best as I possibly can. Figure I am about 2 years into a 5 year project.

If there is something I can add to keep you coming back, let me know. And any updates that will help me complete the discography section are really, truly appreciated.

Las Vegas is the greatest place on earth... and the worst place on earth. I spent the weekend there with one of my oldest friends. The most you can ever expect to do if you're a gambler is break even and that would be considered good. Unfortunatley for me, I had one the worst place on earth experiences this weekend because the cards were just not falling right. Oh well, I'll get 'em next time! Yeah, right.

We did manage to roll down the strip with the windows open, car speakers blasting, and exposed the city of Las Vegas to one of the top ten albums of the 1990s, Turbonegro's "Apocalypse Dudes". We got some pretty good looks from the appreciative audience.

Mail Order:
Leatherass.com New mail order site from Finland specializing in old school punk.

I didn't get too much done this week on the site. I had to go out of town and then lost my wallet on a flight from Chicago to Phoenix, cancelled half my credit cards before getting a call from the airline saying they had found it. You never know how much of your life is tied to that wallet until you lose it.

One of the great joys of doing the web site is communicating with band members, people who came from the same scene and others with the same interests as me. Keep the e-mails coming. And if you have information to help complete the web site, please please write.

Other Links:
Screams From the Gutter Great web zine. "Old school punk radio from '77-'02, punk flyers, punk links, and pictures".

I am attempting to split out the larger pages into smaller sizes and was hoping to finish this weekend but I still need to do C, M, P, R and T. They will get done during the week.

The Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony was kind of weird to watch. Luckily I had it recorded and I could skip past what I didn't want to watch. Although I believe the Ramones deserve a spot in the hall if anyone does, it was a little freaky to watch all these old people cheering them on (and I'm one of them, but still weird). It made it vividly clear how mainstream punk rock has become and how I can no longer look upon it as being something that I was a part of that set me apart from others. It is no longer unusual for people to admit to liking punk which is both good and sad at the same time.

Labels:
Bad Afro Records Denmark's garage and punk rock'n'roll label.
People Like You Records If you want to find the full name, check out the site. Punk rock'n'roll site out of Germany.
Radio Records Great punk rock'n'roll site run by a member of the Bodies.
Riot City Records Information on early 80's Oi! label out the U.K.
SST Records Home of SST and Cruz records. Started by Greg Ginn of Black Flag in the 80's.
Taang! Records Another label started in the 80's with tons of punk records for your pleasure.
Warning Label Records New label releasing early 80's L.A. art punk band the Romans.

Other Links:
Argy Bargy South Jerseys exclusive carrier of Fred Perry, Ben Sherman, Lonsdale, Sourpuss, Lip Service, Dogpile, Serious Clothing, Lucky 13 and Mosquitohead.
Blank TV Music video site.

So it's Microsoft FrontPage that's screwed, not the speed of my connection. But the whole site uploads in about 3 minutes so it's cool.

The Ramones are inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame on Monday the 18th! First ballot overwhelming vote as it should be.

So tomorrow I get cable internet service. Then we find out if it's the speed of my modem or Microsoft FrontPage 2000 that is causing me time out when I try to do a partial upload. The end result is I have to upload the entire site every week and that's why I only do it once a week. if all goes well with the new cable internet I'll upload more often.

Picks of the week: Rock'n'Roll War - V/A on Vicious Kitten Records, Trash On Demand - V/A on Ultra Under Records, RAFR Vol. 3 - V/A on RAFR Records and 3 Minute Heroes - V/A on Pelado Records. All brilliant punk r'n'r compilations that I have acquired this year even though some may be several years old.

Pelado Records has joined the list of places to get your copy of the Black Jax CD. Grab a copy and get your "3 Minute Heroes" comp while you're there. See the What's New section for a description of this comp.

Labels:
Suckerpunch Records If you are into pop punk a la the Ramones, this is a new label with an incredible compilation as their first release and many exciting items to come. From the pop punk capitol of the world, Longview, WA.

Other Links:
From the Gutter Web zine with reviews, rants and other articles related to the hardcore scene.
Oneposter Get your punk posters here.

Labels:
Really Fast Records Swedish label putting out punk and hardcore since 1982!
Vicious Kitten Records Fabulous Australian label that put out the "Rock'n'Roll War" compilation that had me dancing in my car.
Wild Punk Records Spanish label releasing exclusively Spanish bands.
Harry May Record Company Great U.K. label re-releasing repackaged versions of early punk music.
Step-1 Music Another great U.K. label re-releasing repackaged versions of early punk music.
Cyclone Records Oi!, street punk, Punk rock'n'roll, call it what you will, it kicks ass!!

Many years ago I was born in a country called Norway. As a baby my family decided to move to the United States. When I was 16 they decided that they'd give Norway another shot and we moved back. It was a pretty scary time for me because even though I could understand the language, I was a very shy geeky teenager. One of my classmates took me under his wing and we became inseparable friends, playing poker and participating on the same track team.

So the Norway experiment only lasted a year and I moved back to the U.S.A. and my friend was going to stay with me for a year in the U.S. It only lasted a short time however but we stayed in contact over the years. He visited on several occasions and came to my wedding. I made one visit to Norway and we did a 3 week tour of Europe in 1977 which included trying to see the Sex Pistols in Oslo. Unfortunately it was long sold out and I could only listen from outside the club. We did manage to get to the Roxy Theater in London and saw Tubeway Army, Mean Street and the Saints (from Australia).

He ventured off to the Sports University in Norway and eventually landed a job as a cross country ski coach for the U.S. Ski Team and relocated to the mountains above Salt Lake City. He eventually quit the ski team to pursue other interests but eventually started coaching cross country skiers again.

This week during the Olympics the first ever cross country medal by a North American female cross country skier was won by Beckie Scott of Canada. She was coached by my friend, Torbjørn Karlsen. Great job, man!!! Check out his web site at www.fasterskier.com.

Other Links:
Americore Magazine Web zine with loads of reviews and other punk information.
Arizona Punk azpunk.com is dsedicated to punk rock in Arizona.

The most amazing item arrived in the mail this week. Not that I should be surprised because based on past experience, I should have known it would be great.

Pelado Records have outdone themselves with the release of "3 Minute Heroes", a 32 track compilation of the greatest glam, trash, punk rock'n'roll, street punk, whatever label you want on put on it. Bands that were and are influenced by the New York Dolls, Stooges and Dead Boys. Maybe more recent influences like Jeff Dahl and the Humpers. Flat out, in your face, punk rock that pierces your very soul.

Pat Grindstaff started this little label in the mid-90's and it is a total DIY effort. I discovered Pelado a few years back and have been trying to collect the back catalog ever since. Nothing but quality bands within the genre are released.

The new compilation kicks you in the teeth from the start with songs by the Dimestore Haloes, American heartbreak and the Ritchie Whites. The Sign Offs (their debut album on Disaster just released), Stilletto Boys, Prostitutes, Street Walkin' Cheetahs, Trash Brats, Super Bees, Bladder Bladder Bladder, Killer Dolls, Riffs are all stand outs. The East Side Suicides kicked my ass! Established bands, new bands, bands I never heard of before all adding up to the album of the year!

Over the years I have had the pleasure to see many touring U.K. bands from the 70's such as the Buzzcocks, Damned, 999, Sex Pistols, Undertones, Sham 69, Jam, Stiff Little Fingers, Motors and the Clash. Last night I was able to add another to that fine list - Slaughter and the Dogs! I first heard Slaughter and the Dogs in 1977 when I was visiting London and picked up a copy of the Live at the Roxy album. Boston Babies stood out right away as one of the best on the album. Over the course of their career I managed to grab just about every release they ever put out.

Last night's show featured a greatest hits montage including Quick Joey Small, Boston Babies, Where Have All the Bootboys Gone, Cranked Up Really High, The Bitch, I'm Mad, White Light - White Heat, Situations and others as well as their newest single on TKO Records, Saturday Night Into Sunday Morning. Yes, folks, Slaughter and the Dogs are back and hopefully coming to your neighborhood. They sounded awesome and the absolute joy of playing the show was evident from their grins throughout the evening. The new drummer was a wild man, with this maniacal smile on his face all night. Wayne Barrett, lead singer, and Mike Rossi, guitar are the only two remaining members but formed the song writing and creative nucleus of the original Slaughter and the Dogs. It took nearly 25 years to see them live but it was well worth the wait and quite obvious that they had not lost a beat.

The Beltones from San Francisco preceded the Dogs and belted out a sizzling set of punk rock'n'roll in support of their latest CD/LP release, Cheap Trinkets. Lead singer, Bill McFadden has a unique voice that gives the Beltones an Irish Pub drunken singalong feel (that's a good thing).

The West End Crooks, a local street punk band, opened the show. Their use of harmonica really added to the sound and gave them a lot of appeal.

Labels:
Top Five Records New label out of Texas, home to the amazing Koopas!
Morphius Records Punk and new wave label out of Baltimore, MD.
VMS Records Punk label from New York City.
Dead Weight Records Punk/Hardcore/Crust/Oi/PowerViolence/Wuteva in Canada

One new Black Jax review, recently discovered, to check out. Look on the Wankin' Stiphs Page.

Badman Records in Italy has become a distributor for the Black Jax CD. if you live in Europe and need to spend some of those Euros, here's your chance!!

As I write this next section, it is Saturday afternoon. One half of the 5th annual Desert Trash Blast is history and I'd like to get my thoughts down while it is still somewhat fresh.

Our host for the weekend, Jeff Dahl, started things off with not one, but two sets!. The Slash City Daggers bailed at the last minute from what I udnestand was one band member's inablitiy to get back in time from San Francisco. Jeff was originally scheduled to only do an acoustic set but wound up doing an electric set to make up for the Daggers loss.

I missed the acoustic show at the Blue Ox recently that Jeff had set up and wasn't terribly disturbed about it since I like my music loud and in yer face. I was pleaantly surprised how enjoyable the acoustic set was with Jeff on guitar and Jason Smith on bass. It was a short four song set topped off by a cover of a Dogs D'Amour song. I know that because I'm way cool (actually I overheard someone else say who it was by).

Jeff followed with another set of 10 or so songs that were reminiscent of the show two weeks ago that I reviewed and can be found in the What's New section. Once again they had a fantastic set.

The Sonic Thrills were next up and played about 10 garage/trash/punk'n'roll classics with charismatic Jim Monarch at the helm. A new drummer and an additional guitarist since the last time I saw them. They still sound like one of the elite few Phoenix bands.

Texas Terri and the Stiff Ones What can you say about a Texas Terri show other than it is an EVENT. With her blazing red hair, the tattoos, the in yer face attitude and the obvious joy she has in putting on a performance, she is the perfect front woman. Guest performances by Ricky Ratt, Jeff Dahl on vocals, Paula Monarch on vocals and some fan (from Denver?) that was allowed to sing along with several songs. Terri also provided the crowd with a glimpse of some of her very fine female attributes.

The Beat Angels topped off the evening with another stunning display of melodic punk rock music. If you haven't discovered the Beat Angels you are missing out. Brian Smith is another absolutely amazing singer and puts on a performance during the show that is unforgettable. Those who have only heard the studio work of the Beat Angels will be thrilled with the power that the live show brings out. There were several brilliant songs that I am not familiar with so these are hopefully part of the soon to come 3rd release by the band.

We start with four acoustic tunes by Ricky Ratt of the Trash Brats. Ricky did a very nice job of warming up the audience. The songs were very appealing.

As befitting a gracious host, Jeff Dahl played another electrified set after the Tempe Tramps bowed out of the show for whatever reason. Jeff and crew delivered another blistering set of his greatest hits (of course, you would be hard pressed to find a song that wasn't a greatest hit). Abe Ruthless of the Slash City Daggers joined Jeff for the second night in a row to belt out the Dead Boys tune Sonic Reducer to the delight of the crowd.

The still nameless Peeps came on next and showed again why they SHOULD BE the next big thing. The new line up and new songs are just awesome. The addition of lead guitar to this band has added a dimension that puts them head and shoulders above most of the competition.

Punk legend Tony Reflex (and a slew of other last names over the years) and his band of the last ten years or so, ADZ, gave a powerful performance topped off by Kids of the Black Hole from Tony's first band, the Adolescents. I had the opportunity to talk to Tony a bit after the show. We have several mutual acquaintances and both lived in Orange County at one point.

Topping off the evening were the BellRays. The BellRays have got to be one of the more unique acts performing in punk these days. The BellRays say are maximum rock and soul and you'll get no argument from me. They looked comfortable in either genre as Lisa Kekaula proved what a marvelous singer she is belting the soul when needed and the rock when needed and sometimes both in the same song. Lead guitarist, Tony Fate, was one of the best guitarists I have seen in a long time providing driving rhythms or lead guitar effortlessly.

The Desert Trash Blast was a rousing success, filling the 200 person capacity Hollywood Alley to the brim. The only sad thing is that with 3 million people in Phoenix, there should be a helluva lot more than 200 to regularly attend punk rock shows in this area.

Labels:
R.A.F.R. Records As the name suggests, this is Rock and Fucking Roll!!! Great L.A. based label with an emphasis on punk'n'roll run by former Flipside writer.

Other Links:
Punk Rock In My Veins Fabulous site featuring the best bands from the 70's and up until the mid-80's. Highly recommended!
Mod Pop Punk Archives Great resource about mod and pop punk bands from the 70's and early to mid 80's.

It's hard to believe but here we are 2 years later so it's time to break out the birthday cake again. Since I don't have a cake with two candles, we'll have to have 2 cakes. 29,000 home page visitors and counting...

The 5th annual Desert Trash Blast will be held this weekend at Hollywood Alley, corner of Baseline and Price in Mesa, AZ. 10 bands, 2 nights of blistering punk rock! Scheduled to play are the Beat Angels, Jeff Dahl acoustic set, Sonic Thrills, Texas Terri and the Stiff Ones, (Slash City) Daggers, Peeps, ADZ, BellRays, Tempe Tramps and Ricky Rat (Trash Brats acoustic).

Jeff Dahl started these shows 5 years ago to showcase the best of the Phoenix scene and bring in some name acts from other parts of the country. Jeff has played in bands such as the Angry Samoans, Powertrip and Vox Pop as well as having a prolific solo career since the late 80's.

1. No sooner had I declared Mutant Pop dead than I get an e-mail saying "I ain't dead yet, motherfucker!" from Mutant Pop founder Timbo himself. More welcome words were never uttered. Check out the reborn Mutant Pop at Mutant Pop.

2. In the better late than never category comes Spin magazines list of the top 50 greatest bands of all time. The bands were ranked according to their influence on rock music history. The Ramones placed second to only the Beatles. Can't argue with either placement. March 18th the Ramones enter the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.

3. Rockin' in the desert! Last night at the Blue Ox in Phoenix were the High School Hellcats, the artists formerly known as the Peeps and topped off by the Jeff Dahl.

The High School Hellcats are four young ladies from Baltimore, Maryland that laid down a blistering set of Ramones inspired pop punk. Although they look like they are still in high school, I believe all are over 21. With bands like the Peeps, Bobbyteens, Pinkz, Fabulous Tuscaderos and more that are all predominantly female, it is a trend that needs to continue. Maybe with more role models such as these we'll see more female bands and less Britney Spears wannabes.

The artists formerly known as the Peeps are Paula, guitar, lead vocals and Chela, bass from the Peeps with new drummer, whose name I missed and Ryan Wong (of the Wongs) on lead guitar. They are looking for a new name but haven't settled on one yet. They played several old Peeps standards and some new songs. The new songs were so good that it takes the Peeps (or whatever they become) from a great band to an elite band. The addition of the lead guitar and the song writing skills witnessed on the new songs elevate them to new heights. Punk rock'n'roll at it's finest!!

Jeff Dahl topped off the evening with a greatest hits package that left everyone satisfied. The last time I saw Jeff play was with the Hard-Ons and Adolescents at the Country Club in the L.A. area. During that show and playing for a packed house of mostly punk rockers, Jeff and his glam dressed crew were booed heartily by the crowd. Funny thing is it made me a Jeff Dahl fan. What came through were the songs. Great, guitar driven stuff that may have had it's roots in glam rock but that's OK because I loved bands like Slade and Mott the Hoople. Last evening was topped off with a couple of covers - Another Girl, Another Planet by the Only Ones with a guest vocalist that I failed to recognize and a stunning rendition of Sonic Reducer by the Dead Boys. Jeff has a definite love in his music for the Stooges and Dead Boys and that's just fine by me.

Labels:
Punk Core Records Hardcore and street punk label from New York.
W.C. Records Label from Spain with lots of punk and hardcore.

Mail Order:
Punk Core Records Great source for Oi!, street punk and hardcore.
W.C. Records Spanish mail order site with lots of punk and hardcore stuff.

Other Links:
GOTH PUNK and INDIE photos Tons of photos for your punk publishing needs.
Rings of Passion For your tongue, lip, nipple, etc. piercing needs!! Yow!
VIP-24 Info on Music Fairs in England and also an online fair where you can find that elusive piece that's missing from your collecton.

Another year and so much good music out there it will be almost impossible to keep up. Stardumb, Wynona, Hostage, Dead Beat, TKO, Captain Oi!, Break-Up!, Unity Squad, Gonna Puke, Bad Man and many other labels I'm sure I've forgotten that continue to put out fantastic punk rock music.

My favorite places to get these things are Disgruntled Music, Underground Medicine, Interpunk, Bomp! and others.

An apparent R.I.P. to Mutant Pop Records. Despite the occasional updates to the site, they are getting few and far between. One of the greatest labels ever, it will be missed.

Mario’s top ten/playlist for October

F.M. Knives/Tyrades/Zodiac Killers

Westcoast Worldwide Records – Sacramento, California

The Loft – Sacramento, California