Reviews

Capitol Idea

The Punks / Skateboard Skateboard & The Punks split cassette

For background, SKATEBOARD was a band from Buffalo, NY and the PUNKS were a band from Rochester, NY. A dude named Brandon was in a band called BROWN SUGAR from Buffalo, NY. Later, that dude was in SKATEBOARD and also in the PUNKS, and that’s why this tape has a weird and confusing title. MRR reviewer Biff (who was also in BROWN SUGAR, but was not in SKATEBOARD or the PUNKS) told me this one was good. Biff told me I was gonna like it. That motherfukkr….he was right. SKATEBOARD is gruff and wildly catchy punk, like early ’00s Toronto shit through a filthy American filter with no health care. The PUNKS swing harder (like a hardcore MENSCLUB, for the lucky few who will get the reference) and land like a lost ’80s Rust Belt punk nugget. But this whole thing is a lost Rust Belt nugget, because both of these bands were gone before they even got off the ground. So all hail Capitol Idea Cassettes for making this happen…but because NY punks are weird, there’s no song titles, no band information, no label contact information, no lyrics, nothing. So good fucking luck finding a copy…but when you do? Don’t snooze.

Spike and the Penetrators History With a Beat, Music With a Purpose cassette

This is a reissue of a 1984 cassette. It is a collection of the singles and some new at the time stuff that have not yet been reissued. If you’re like me you know most of these songs by heart. Fun, rockin’ early punk from Syracuse, NY with the perfect amount of attitude and fun. As the cassette states “History with a beat. Music with a purpose.” Oh yeah.

Spike Penetrator Rarities Volume 1 cassette

Here’s one for the record nerds out there. Bear with me as my knowledge of this may be limited. These are the one-man recordings of Eliot “Spike” Kagan from the early ’70s, recorded in a lo-fi bedroom style in Syracuse, NY. Spike would later wrangle his pal Jack Lipton into upping their punk game as a two-piece in the more well-known (but vague to me) PENETRATORS. There’s some stray rockabilly and country numbers, but most of this falls into a snotty, sometimes theatrical ’60s novelty-song-like style. Think the STANDELLS playing “Purple People Eater” with Metal Mike Saunders on vocals. Spike got a little punker in his next project and continued on through many more decades. Overall, I would call this an easy listen but in no way easy listening. Sick.