Sounds more like a ’76-era proto-punk band from Clevo. It’s hard-edged rock that slowly builds momentum, rocking in a VELVETS Loaded LP type of style meets the BIZARROS or something.
Although too many bands get compared to the BIRTHDAY PARTY/NICK CAVE these days, here you have to make that analogy again. There are these great, loopy, tribal rhythms and general trashiness that begs for the comparison. I like this record.
Basically this is a one man show by a guy named Mark Edwards who had drummed with a number of Cleveland punk and garage bands. Normally I tend to hate these one-man solo albums but this is a kicker. If you’ve ever heard bootlegs of very early JOY DIVISION before they discovered the recording studio, then you have an idea of what this sounds like. Rough, murky guitar sounds with great shitty production.
Good production really helps sometimes, and it’s nice to finally really hear this band. All four songs, whether thrash or punk, feature plenty of melody and musicianship, making for hot listening. Really like “Sad.”
Hard to believe this is the same band as on their pair of EPs (but it largely is). They began as a garage thrash band, moved to a more melodic style of the same genre by their second release, but on the two tunes here they’ve gone way poppier. The A-side is pretty straight pop, while the flip has a bit more garage to it. Can’t say I fully appreciate these changes.
Let me put it this way—if you liked PSYCHEDELIC FURS’ first LP or two, you’ll be heavily into this. The likeness is uncanny.
Varied musical approaches for this (relatively) long-lasting Ohio band. Fraser Sims and company prove they can do thrash, hard-edged mood music, funk-influenced beats, etc., with equal ease and power. Hard-thumping Midwest stuff.
The re-formed STARVATION ARMY showcases four medium-tempo rockish punk songs on this EP, which lack much in the way of power, melody, or interesting lyrics. Below the standard.
Less overtly “punk” than their debut 12″, this album contains ten pop-punky tunes with the emphasis on the pop, in a style reminiscent of the early SHOES. Undeniably catchy, this record is best when guitars take precedence, but there’s still a good deal here for fans of cool pop music — though the style does wear thin after a while.
From the opening jangle of “Tomorrow’s…” guitars, it’s clear that this trio has been influenced by the BYRDS. Both songs here have sad, melodic vocals and real cool double-tracked psychedelic guitar, and I like them a lot. These guys might get wimpy in a 24-track studio, but the garage production on this 45 provides an appealingly rough edge.
Wimpy folk-rocky trendy A-side but a decently rockin’ surf/garage “Frenzied” on the flip with lots of noise and guitar pounding. A 12″ is on the way soon.
