Yup, a match made in… Anyway, Mykel Board’s ARTLESS material is the same as what appears on the recent Placebo Records one-sided 12″, while I don’t know nor care if G.G.’s stuff was previously released. This label wants to license more US bands for European release.
I don’t know if it’s due to premature senility, living in Berkeley, or just plain spitefulness, but the older I get the more I find myself agreeing with Mykel Board’s views. Maybe it’s because the world sucks, and nothing the namby pamby peace punks do is going to change it. Anyway, here we have 6 raunchy but structurally diverse punkers and thrashers dealing with some of Mykel’s favorite themes, including self-righteous vegetarians and radfemme thought police. I almost died laughing when I first heard “Sisterhood is Powerful,” so I’d have to say this is a great mean-spirited record.
This fine band seems to have lost some of their steam and distinction from their previous two sparkling LPs—the songs here tend to run into each other without much differentiation, and the lack of real punch is a disappointment. Maybe I’m missing the subtleties, but I miss their power and speed.
Contrary to the claims of a crooked East Coast distributor, this is not an “official” DEAD KENNEDYS studio album. It is a bootleg, recorded live off a radio broadcast in Munich, Germany in December 1982. The copies with the white cover have better sound quality than the copies with the blue cover. Either way, buy at your own risk.
One of the earliest still-existing German punk bands have regrouped (with a few replacements) and kick out a really good pop-punk/thrash four-song EP. A band that deals with political subjects humorously, these four tunes are catchy, well-produced, and up.
A nifty cover of the SWEET classic is augmented on the flip with more of KGB’s upbeat, guitar-oriented punk. Good power here, but the cover alone makes this worthwhile.
Strong punk and thrash with both melodic and metallic influences. Lyrically, they cover both personal and rebellious topics. Although the vocals get annoying at points, this is worth checking out.
Out in two versions (“raw” mix and “final” mix – the former being livelier, the latter more homogenized). Even on the raw mix, the sound is pretty clean and straightforward, a very powerful British type of hardcore. Good stuff.
An excellent blend of tongue-in-cheek humor and youthful positive thrash from this band. They sing in both English and German and show a lot of diversity in their music. Good swipe at both John Peel and jaded punkers on “John Peel Said.” Good record.
Hey, you! How about some more goofy punk from Germany? The music? Well, it’s pretty much the standard balls-to-the-wall thrash band. Still, they’ve got a song called “When the Beer Was Forbidden” that’s pretty cool. And they steal from guitar riffs from the MONKEES, and that’s pretty funny. And they label the record sides Hansel and Gretel…and… Hey, come back!…
Divided into a “Romantic” side and a “Realistic” side, this band pulls off an out-of-the-ordinary LP. Their punk is not generic usually, but doesn’t really drift into experimentation or post-punk to pull it off. Can’t really say what it is, but it’s a tad different. Worth checking out.
One side is entirely US up-and-coming outfits, with the likes of PUNKS, KNOCKABOUTS, CAPITLE, PSYCHO, NO IDENTITY, ART THIEVES, JERK WARD, and TOE JAM. The other is an all-German line-up, starring R.A.F. GIER, RANOLA, RAZZIA, MOTTEK, EA80, BLUTTAT, and a few others. Sound quality is usually good.
A largely German comp (MOTTEK, R.A.F., GIER, COCKS, TOXOPLASMA, etc.) with a couple of tracks each. There’s also TOXIC REASONS, ARTLESS, and FRITES MODERN thrown in, making for an energetic, well-recorded sampler.
This special German pressing features six new tracks and thirteen previously released on their Third Strike LP. If you haven’t heard the band, the closest comparison would be a punk version of KISS influenced by the GERMS! I’ll leave it at that but I must comment on the cover…what a “unique” concept.
Another good sounding LP, as these guys churn ’em out. Still have a problem with their so-called “anti-political” lyrics, which more often than not are a not-so-subtle acceptance of the conservative status quo. Musically, they maintain their zip and imagination, producing fine punk and thrash.
Very tough but controlled. I like the way this German band has a solid foundation similar to DOA or SOCIAL DISTORTION but blends the roughness with a clean, high-quality production.
