Music Reviews: January 2021

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2021
Images from the Internet

Music Reviews: January 2021
Note that these reviews are alphabetical, not listed in a “ratings” order.

 

Ben Sutin Quartet
Hard Bop Hanukkah: Live @ Rockwood Music Hall
www.MEIIenterprises.com
www.bensutinmusic.com
Hard bop, a subgenre of bop jazz, was fomented by the likes of Miles Davis and Coltrane. It is wild and a bit musically asymmetrical, relying more on sharps/flats and a tempo of its own and often changing nature. The opening of the six cuts, “Have a Little Dreidel,” shows exactly what is expected right off the – er – spin. Ben Sutin, who leads the Quartet, is the arranger and violinist, who tends to play at the high end of the instrument. He is met evenly by Sam Javitch’s piano. They are backed by Cole Davis on bass and Evan Sherman’s drums. But it is the violin and piano that are out front on this live recording in one of my favorite spaces to hear non-punk/rock music in New York, Rockwood Music Hall, down on the LES of NYC. The third song, “Neroit Dolkim,” has the bones of Klezmer (which I thoroughly enjoy). Sutin’s modified V-necked electric violin gives him access to the very high ends of the strings, while Javitch uses his piano for both melody and part of the rhythm section simultaneously. “Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov” (translated as “Dreidel, Spin, Spin, Spin), the longest cut on the release, gives the rhythm section a chance to solo in smatterings. This may sound blasphemous, but parts of “Maoz Tzur” (or “Ma’oz Tzur” aka “Strong Rock”), from the 13th Century, sounds like it could be off Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas album (I am saying that in a positive way, as that is the only Xmas record I can tolerate). The musicianship is superb, as would have to be to play in this style, and the Quartet go full force. As with many jazz styles, the songs are all instrumentals, and tend to average around 6 minutes, but they do both swing and bop. Might be good to get this now and have it ready for the next time Hanukkah rolls around.

Cro-Mags
2020
Mission Two Entertainment
The Cro-Mags are to hardcore what the Ramones were to the first wave of punk. These New Yorkers blazed a trail that was picked up by a disenfranchised youth into a movement of fury, anger, and moshing. In fact, Cro-Mags founder Harley Flanagan was the first mosher I ever saw when he was still with the Stimulators in the early 1980s, at a Siouxsie and the Banshees show at Irving Plaza. The Cro-Mags called it quit for a few decades, and now have come back with the second release this year, in this six-song opus that lasts, yep, 20 minutes and 20 seconds. Needless to say, it covers the topics of the year, including COVID-19 and street rioting. Starting off strong, the band wails with “Quarantine,” which leads pretty strongly with Garry “G-Man” Sullivan on bass, and Rocky George on Greg Ginn/J. Mascis-ish lead shred guitar (note that George used to be with Suicidal Tendencies). As with the rest of the songs – “2020,” “Life on Earth,” “Violence and Destruction,” “Chaos in the Streets,” and the instrumental “Confusion,” there is an atonal element that pounds and works, even with the chant-worthy choruses such as with “Life on Earth.” There’s even a bit of New Agey reverb used on occasion, such as the beginning of “Violence and Destruction,” before it descends into hardcore madness.  Despite the screechy, amazing guitarwork by George, parring with Gabby Abularach on rhythm, the songs are more rhythm focused on top of almost No Wave-inspired hardcore with Flanagan (bass) giving some thrash metal growl lyrics. Honestly, without a lyric sheet, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the songs stand up, especially “Chaos in the Street,” which is more traditional hardcore, and is by far my fave here. It concludes with a bit of just a part of an in-studio freestyle jam. The Cro-Mags have not lost their edge and deserve a listen.

 

Jordan Rabinowitz
A Couple Songs
@jordanrabinowitz
For years, Rochester, NY native/Washington, DC-based Rabinowitz has bounced around the music scene playing bass with other groups before settling down and working on his own material. He has now released a five song EP (available on YouTube HERE).  His songs feel like light, singer-songwriter style, but actually are kind of dark, talking about break-ups, love ending, and leaving. Jordan’s voice is pleasant without being same-old-same-old, with a hint of pitchiness that works for him. Note that the songs are fully backed by a band in which sometimes the feel of the song gets a bit mired in a way that would not happen if he were a solo-performer, but that’s the nature of the beast in today’s studio-produced world. It’s a good listen, though, and for a debut record, the songs are well written and performed.

 

Rockower
It’s Alright But It’s Never Enough
Mark Rockower Music
Great name for the band; fortunate that the center of it has this appellation. Mark Rockower is on vox, guitar and synthesizer (and songwriting), Derek Hughes plays bass, backed mostly by Jax Bowers on drums. But essentially, this is a two-man outfit, even recording it in Hughes studio (garage? basement?). This harmonious (i.e., overdubs of Rockower’s vocals) almost pop rock has all the hallmark sounds of a demo. Now, to be fair, a demo sound is so much more preferred by us aficionados than the cold, overproduced music mostly found on the radio today. It reminds me of the likes of The Nerves (who originally sang “Hanging on the Telephone”). The amateurishness (of the sound, not the playing ability) is refreshing and enjoyable, starting right off with the upbeat “American Dope.” Each song going forward is a bit different, but the overdubbing is pretty consistent, though I believe it should be used more sparingly, such as on choruses; overdubbing vocals also make it harder to hear the lyrics. “The Other Side” sounds a bit more garage from the late ‘60s, or possibly less formulaic than the early ‘80s. As the CD plays on, it definitely grew on me more. Sure, “Simple Minds” is a bit of filler, but they make up for it with the very next up-beat poppy number, “Lunar Star.” For a miss, like “Vacation Girl,” a synth noise mess, there are others that are worth the listen, like (again) the following cut, “Driving Force” and the title number, which closes out the 10-song disc. Basically, the entire zeitgeist is about American culture in the here and now, which makes it an interesting timepiece. I definitely liked it more on the second listen.  Weirdly, the biggest mistake is not printing the name of the band or CD on the disc proper, rather than just an image. Good way to get the disc lost.

 

TASTE
Brothers Vol 1
Melodicrock Records
Taste-music.com
TASTE is a “legendary” rock group from Down Under which originally formed in the 1970s, but I am not sure I have ever heard of them before, as this kind of ‘70s rock (they are often compared to the likes of Queen and 10cc) that never held my attention. But this is a new 5-song EP. It starts off with a kiss-off to a “horrible year” with “2020’s Gone.” It’s a power ballad celebrating the coming of a new year and hopefully new – err – hope. The production level is high, but it has a catchy and flamboyant chorus. Its follow-up “Hello Hello” is almost more rock power pop, which feels stuck in the ‘70s reminding me more of REO Speedwagon than Queen. Lots of harmonies, especially on the choruses. Ken Murdoch’s vocals are not traditionally rock tenor-and-above rock screeching, but rather it’s quite pleasant. He is well backed by Joey Armenta on guitar, Michael Tortoni on bass, and Damian Corniola on drums. “(We All) Stand Up” is a ballad paced bit of a corny and cliché rock with lyrics that are a bit insipid; what would at one time may be called “filler.” It’s follow-ups are live (or live in studio) versions of their previous songs, “Rock is Dead”  and “I Don’t Wanna Be Like You,” which are a bit better as rockers with the band getting to exercise a bit more of its instrumental prowess (including an extended drum solo on “Rock,” and clocking in at over six minutes). “I Don’t,” which is more guitar-focused, has an Aerosmith feel during their prime. Note that all proceeds go to benefit Beyond Blue, to help those affected by anxiety, depression, and suicide. A noble cause, indeed.

 

Reverberating with THE STIMULATORS [1981]

Text by Julia Masi / FFanzeen, 1981

Introduction by Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2019

Images from the Internet

This article was originally published in FFanzeen, issue #8, dated 1981. It was written by our Managing Editor, Julia Masi.

I’ve told this story before, but I’ll repeat it: the drummer of the Stimulators, a young Harley Flanagan, was the first person I ever saw slamdance among a very confused pogoing audience at a Siouxi and the Banshees show at Irving Plaza. It baffled a lot of us at first, being horizontal rather than vertical, but it was my introduction to live hardcore behavior. He was ahead of the scene. Later, he would form one of the leading hardcore bands based in New York that would influence many others, the Cro-Mags, and would publish an autobiography in 2016 titled Hard-Core: Life of My Own. The singer, Patrick Mack, died in 1983 of AIDS complications, which closed down the band. Bassist Denise Mercedes would go on to play in heavy metal cover bands. – RBF, 2019

The Stimulators take their name from tiny Chinese acupuncture needles that instantly alleviate pain at the nerve endings. And like their medical metaphor, the collective talents of Denise Mercedes, guitar, Patrick Mack, vocals, Nick Marden, bass, and 14-year-old Harley Flanagan, drums, are a fast, sure, sure-fire cure for the disease of boredom.

The music is a high-decibel mix of raw, gritty rock’n’roll, like “Cradle Robber,” “Loud Fast Rules,” and reggae-style numbers. Most of the music is composed by the band’s raven-haired catalyst and spokesperson, Denise, who formed the Stimulators in 1979, after playing with Rat Scabies (of the Damned) in England. Patrick contributes some of the lyrics, Harley works out rhythms and, recently, Nick has started writing.

Harley, in a recent documentary

They have a repertoire of about 25 songs, but oddly enough, they have only two singles to their credit: “Loud Fast Rules” b/w “You Will Never Break My Heart” on the Irish label Good Vibrations that is considered a collectors item, and an American release of “Loud Fast Rules” with a flip side of “Run, Run, Run,” on their own Stimulators label that is already out of print.

They’re taking their time before they go back into the studio because, Denise says, “We are a very live band. To go into a studio, which tends to have a dull sound; or not just the right sort of equipment; or if you can’t record under the conditions you’d usually play under, it creates this whole other sound that doesn’t sound like the band. And we didn’t want to have this piece of plastic that doesn’t sound like us.”

They’re hoping to put an album out this Fall that will include some of their older material, and is what Denise sees as “the first of our albums. We’d like to do it our way, on our time. We’re not sitting around and waiting for somebody to say, ‘Oh, here’s a record deal.’ Most likely somebody would want to have a big, heavy hand in producing it and packaging it a certain way.” And their manager, Donald Murk, agrees: “If there’s gonna be any big, heavy hands on it, they’re gonna be ours.”

Denise (right) in a metal cover band

The forthcoming album [a live recording, Loud Fast Rules is the band’s only full album, which was released in 1982 in cassette form from ROIR – RBF, 2019] will be an attempt to put on records some of the best of their old songs, so that they can be on to new material for their sets. “People want to hear old favorites. Even with a band like ours who doesn’t have three albums, everybody wants to hear stuff off the first record. We’re a little bit being locked into playing our best stuff, just to keep it active. So, I think this album might really help in wanting to move on without wanting to give up the old stuff. You’d have to play for five hours sometimes (to play at all),” says Denise.

Despite their limited amount of records and radio airplay, the Stimulators are still one of the most popular bands of the New York underground, partly because of their unofficial slogan Loud Fast Rules, which has been written in every BMT subway car in the city and billboards in Staten Island by their adoring fans.

“We just wrote it as a song,” added Denise, “but it’s become an identity. In fact, people who have not even heard the band have this preconceived notion of ‘Oh, yeah, the Loud Fast Band,’ which is okay because that’s still basically what we’re doing. People really identify with it. We have people walk past us yelling, ‘Loud Fast Rules!’, and they come in wearing it on their clothes. Most bands don’t get identified by one slogan. It’s just a little thing people can hold onto very easily.”

One thing the Stimulators haven’t hooked onto easily is being labeled a “punk band.” “It would pay for us to define ourselves in one word,” concluded Denise. “It’s just the music of now. It’s 1981. We’re playing the music of 1981. It’s just a modern rock band.”

Anarchy Burger, by Paul Decolator [1983]

Text by Paul Decolator / FFanzeen, 1983

Introduction © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2016

Images from the Internet

 Paul Decolator

This article about the New Jersey Hardcore (NJHC) scene was originally published in FFanzeen, issue #10, dated 1983. It was written by Paul Decolator, whose own highly regarded fanzine was Tips and Tours. He was also a musician, and liked to promote the scene and its bands. In another article in the same issue as this piece, he wrote a negative piece about the Bad Brains (as people), that was not well received at the time (and reprinted HERE),  even though he has been proven right over time. Paul’s untimely passing at age 36 in 2002 is discussed HERE. 

Paul was also correct that while I was involved with the First Wave punk movement, it took a while for the Third Wave (Hardcore) to reach the pages of FFanzeen, other than record reviews. This article is old news, but it’s sort of like a time capsule, which keeps it relevant. Besides, I’m amused at the mention below of the Beastie Boys when they actually still played Hardcore.

Note that due to the time span between the original publishing and when you are reading this, lives change and therefore so do addresses, so whenever an address or phone number is given by Paul, I have redacted it, but left in the city of origination. – RBF, 2016

Well, here it is, FFanzeen’s finally gotten to admit that HC does exist. As of now, the hottest scene on the East coast is New Jersey. Yes, that’s right, New Jersey. The major news is that Adrenalin O.D. is finally in the process of releasing their vinyl debut. AOD’s EP will contain six songs, including “Trans-Am” and “Die For a Cause.” And Dave (the drummer for AOD) says that the production is very good, almost rivaling that of Kraut’s Unemployed EP. Speaking of Kraut and AOD, at the Irving Plaza AOD / Kraut / Stroken Wurst / Young and the Brainless show, Kraut was in awe when AOD played. Seems Kraut suffered a little attack of jealousy, and after AOD played to a very enthusiastic crowd, Kraut went into the dressing room at Irving and locked AOD out. Supposedly, they were sulking, ha-ha.

South Jersey faves Autistic Behavior are also in the process of getting their debut EP out. AB has been plagued with problems as of late. Their guitarist tore a few ligaments in his leg in a skateboarding accident, and their drummer broke his collarbone, also skateboarding. This has led to a lot of gigs being cancelled. AB also had a gig pulled right out from under them with Black Flag at City Gardens. The reason for the cancellation was that Randy (owner of CG) decided he didn’t want to book HC due to the fact that somehow the sprinkler system in the dressing room went off on a night when Millions of Dead Cops / Hose / Stroken Wurst just happened to be playing. It’s unfortunate that most club owners now won’t book HC. Club Mod cancelled its HC policy after too many minors were let in for the Code of Honor / TDV (Thirteen Day Vacation) show, and the Fast Lane had to close its doors. To make up for the lack of venues to play in, Pat Duncan from WFMU radio [on from 1979-2009 – RBF, 2016] had been having bands in the studio to do live over-the-air concerts. As of late, Pat has had AOD, Mourning Noise, Sand in Face, The Misguided, Fartheads, and TDV on his show. The Pat Duncan Show has been temporarily cancelled due to the fact that too many “bad words” leaked out over the air. It seems doubtful now that any more bands will play in the studio [HERE]. https://wfmu.org/playlists/PD

Halls are also starting to crop up. The NJAMAS (New Jersey Alternative Music Appreciation Society) has found a hall in Newark and are putting on shows. The first show was with AOD, The F.U.’s from Boston and Crib Death. The hall concept is catching on, finally, and after all, don’t you think it’s about time that kids should be able to go to shows without getting carded and having to worry about getting drunk? Also, due to the lack of clubs, people have been throwing a lot more parties: best one was thrown by Shaun up in Dover, where The Outgroup and Sand in Face played. Speaking of The Outgroup, Dover’s only HC band has gone into the studio to record some tracks for a possible EP.

New bands that have cropped up in Jersey are Rosemary’s Babies, who stem from Lodi. Hard and loud is the best way to describe ‘em. TDV are also new, but you would never know. TDV are probably Jersey’s Next Big Thing, combining a brash US thrash sound with some English overtones thrown in. Super fast – almost too fast. TDV now have a ten-song demo, and you can order a copy from [address], Old Bridge, New Jersey. Include $2.00 for the tape and 50¢ for the postage. It’s well worth picking up and is unusually well produced.

Flag of Democracy, from South Jersey, came on to the scene with a bang, doing their first show with Minor Threat and SS Decontrol. Other bands that are starting to get their acts together are NJF (New Jersey’s Finest [aka, Paul Decolator’s band – RBF, 2016]), Chronic Sick, Child Abuse and Suburbicide. Suburbicide have actually been around for quite a while, but have been plagued with line-up problems, and now they have a whole re-vamped line-up. Let’s hope they can keep it together. Look for Suburbicide on the new (well, not-so-new-anymore) Meathouse compilation tape put out by Bob Moore of Noise fanzine and Version Sounds Records ([address], Xenia, Ohio). Sacred Order is about to go into the studio and have also auditioned for a cable TV show, and it looks hopeful that they will be on it (Channel 3, Clifton Cable Network).

Old Jersey stalwart, Genocide, finally look like they are coming back. The band now consists of its two founding members, Bobby Ebz (vocals) and Brian Damage (drums); new members are Biggie from Legion of Decency, and a newcomer, Mike Moe. Look for Genocide’s album on Smoke 7 Records ([address], Canoga Park, California). Old bands never die, they just play reunion gigs, as is the case with No Democracy, who refuses to die. ND has played a reunion gig on WFMU, and a reunion hall gig. I don’t know why, ‘cause they really are bad, even though they admit it. Oh, well.

As of now, NJ has one hall which will probably book HC on a regular basis. So far, only a couple of gigs have gone on. The hall is the Piaste Hall. It is a huge Polish hall in Jersey City. The acoustics are good and it’s in a safe area. If any out-of-state bands are interested in playing there, they should get in contact with either Dave from AOD [phone number] or myself, Paul Decolator [phone number]. The shows that have gone on have had small but enthusiastic turn-outs. Also, there are some gigs being set up at a hall in Clifton. The first gig will be with AOD, The Beastie Boys, and TDV.

There are a lot of good fanzines popping up, too. The best ‘zine is Flesh and Bones ([address], Middlesex, New Jersey), with intelligent writing, hilarious interviews, comix, and tons of record reviews. Send one dollar to Jeff J. if you want a copy. Assassin of Youth ([address], Rochelle Park, New Jersey) is okay. Hey, for 50¢, you really can’t go wrong. New edition just out. On the Rag ([address], Matawan, New Jersey) is a new fanzine and it’s a crack-up. Funny, almost stupid, interviews with Jersey bands. Real good cover on issue #2. Well worth the measly 25¢ editor Lori Wedding [FFanzeen #9 cover girl] asks for.

The scene in Philadelphia is fucking hot, after a rather lame summer with no gigs, and the closing of the Elks Lodge. But things are really starting to pick up. The big news is the forming of the Philly BYO (Better Youth Organization). The Philly BYO is made up of about 25 people, including members of The Sadistic Exploits, Allison from Savage Pink fanzine, members of Skatecore fanzine, and all the Philly punks. Their first gig was a benefit with Minor Threat / SS Decontrol / Crib Death (from PA) / Flag of Democracy / Agnostic Front. The price to get in was only five dollars and the proceeds are going to a permanent hall in Philly. The show went off with a few hitches and I’m happy to report that there was a strong sense of unity there; even members of an all-black biker gang called the Ghetto Riders were there, and they really enjoyed it. The BYO will be sponsoring gigs and let’s hope that it works. If the show in Camden was any example of how things are gonna work, the future looks bright. Hint to the BYO: stage your gigs in Philly and not ghettos like Camden. There were two incidents where punks were assaulted by the locals. If you want to get in touch with the BYO for info on upcoming gigs, or if your band wants to get involved, write to them at [address], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Also, The Love Club and East Side Club have started booking HC entertaining acts, such as Discharge, Meat Puppets, and local bands. The only problem with that is the stupid 21-year-old age limit the club sets, so a lot of kids can’t get into shows. In other news, The Sadistic Exploits have finally found a drummer. The old drummer left because he didn’t want to go on a tour. Hopefully, a new vinyl release from the Sad Ex’s will be out soon.

New fanzine in town is called Skatecore ([address], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). The ‘zine focuses on the skateboard scene in Philly, and covers local punk events and record reviews. It’s free, so write for it. Another good one, which is Philly’s oldest HC ‘zine, is Savage Pink ([address], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). SP is filled with interviews (this issue is the DK), news reports, record reviews and political articles. Well worth 75¢. Another good newsletter is Anarchy for Punks ([address], Darby, Pennsylvania).

Getting closer to home, the NYC scene seems to be doing nothing. NYC is like Jell-O: it just sorta sits there and wiggles. There have been a few good things happening. Irving Plaza has re-opened its doors again and is now doing shows on a sketchy basis. CBGB’s is booking a lot more HC Saturday afternoon matinees. The matinees are real good, usually two bands for three dollars, and draft beer is only a buck, and the shows are usually over by six or seven at night. NY’s best HC band, The Nihilistics, is going into the studio again to record some more tracks. Heart Attack has reformed as a four-piece, with Jesse [Malin] moving over to vocals. Big deal. The Misguided just released their EP; it’s okay. The Mob recently returned from a tour of North Carolina, and is also in the process of putting out Urban Waste’s EP on its own Mob Style Records. I wish to hell Regan Youth would release something. RY are probably NY’s best known band and really deserve to get picked up. I’m surprised Faulty Products or someone hasn’t approached them.

Rumour also has it that The Ramrod bar (an infamous NY homosexual hang-out) is going to experiment with HC. The first show is scheduled for some time in late January with The Nihilistics and Long Island’s favorite bunch of guys, The Headlickers. Javi, from Savage Circle, is planning to release an eight-song NYC HC sampler. Tentative bands are Anti-Warfare, Urban Waste, and other local bands.

Worthy records that have come out in the past few months are The Mob’s debut EP, The Nihilistics EP, and the NYC compilation Rotten to the Core, on S.I.N. Records ([address], Oakland Gardens, New York), with Killer Instinct, The Mob, and The Headlickers, among others.

Urban Waste is a very impressive HC thrash band who has been impressing a lot of people as of late. A recent gig with Minor Threat and The Mob at CB’s went over well, but they only got to play five songs, due to the fact that the club opened late. It’s a shame because everyone wanted to hear more.

DVD Review: The Dicks from Texas

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2015
Images from the Internet

The Dicks from Texas

Produced and directed by Cindy Marabito
MVD Visual
70 minutes, 2015
www.thedicksfromtexas.com
www.mvdvisual.com

Bands less-subtly named after body parts arose in the late ‘70s. The first I knew of was the Tits (from Rhode Island, I believe), an art rock performance duo that I saw at Max’s Kansas City. This was followed by the Clits (saw them at Irving Plaza), the Cunts, the Kuntz, and arguably, the Dickies. Likewise, Queercore has its forerunners to the Dicks, such as Lance Loud and the Mumps, the Student Teachers, and again arguably, the Speedies (who were definitely more pop, but had a punk edge). But the Dicks were a whole ‘nother ball of leather.

At a time when Texas was possibly even more rigid than it is now (including Austin), the ‘80s spawned a number of scenes around the State that would change and charge up some of the less countrified young’ns, if not the old guard (or most of the rural countryside, as their voting direction indicates). The Dicks were in the front line of that change, fronted by the self-proclaimed out of the closet and overweight Maoist, Gary Floyd. The rest of the band kind of formed around him, from 1980 through 1983, and then again in 2004.

This doc is, on one hand, your basic history of the nascent scene (basically Southern Rock), how the Dicks formed, and then how an almost new scene emerged around the band. Most of the talking head interviews are from the Dicks, the other bands on the scene such as the Torn Panties, Sister Double Happiness and especially the band-members-in-arms, the Big Boys (no mention that I noticed of MDC), and from other regular members of the audience (including the film’s director), many of whom went on to their own fame as writers, photographers and artists. Then, of course, there are the big name cameos that all punk/hardcore docs must have these days, in this case the nearly omni-documentary-presence of Ian MacKaye (of Minor Threat, Fugazi, etc.), Henry Rollins (Black Flag) and Mike Watt (Minutemen, fIREHOSE, etc.). Making a rare appearance is Texas Terri, who is an interesting person in her own right. But I digress…

But then, on the other hand, this comes across more like an Oral History, which improves the narrative a bit. Rather than single set-ups where the person tells his story and then has it sewn into the fabric of the story, the main players are shown in various locations, and also with others, who spurn on stories that would probably not have been inspired if they were by themselves (such as Floyd bringing his mother to… well, you’ll have to see it). Amusingly, for example, three members of the aforementioned Torn Panties are laying (dressed, but under the covers) in a twin-sided bed that is too small for all of them, or others are sitting in bars, at home, etc.

Laced into the history are tons of still photos and videos (b-roll type) of the Little Mexico area (the Bowery of Austin, apparently) both then and now, including of many of the people in the video. The documentary, though, is actually broken into two pieces, which is appropriate because the Dicks had more than one life. After moving to San Fran, the band went on tour, and when they played their home turf at the end of it, the band stayed and Floyd went back to SF.

Following that segment and a brief “In Memorium” not just for Glen Taylor, the guitarist from the Dicks who passed, but also members of the scene, the band reformed on a lark in 2004, and is still playing. It picks up Phase 2 at 55 minutes or so, and continues on. At 70 minutes, the film is the perfect length to keep the audience both informed and interested.

There are some fun outtakes during the credits, and the only extra is actually quite a special one, namely two live shows from 1982 and 1983, when the band was in its prime and with the original line-up. Considering it was obviously VHS tape masters, the first is pretty clear in both sound and visual. The second has a bit more noise and fuzz in the sound, but still helps give a better picture of why the Dicks had its cult following.

One of the differences between this and most of the other band/scene combo documentaries is that this does not discuss the end of the scene, its main focus at the end is the band. This was a nicely done film.

 

DVD Review: Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2015
Images from the Internet

Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)

Written and directed by Scott Crawford
New Rose Films / MVD Visual
102 minutes, 2014 / 2015
www.SaladDaysDC.com
www.faceboom.com/SaladDaysDC
www.mvdvisual.com

There were so many important Third Wave scenes when the hardcore explosion grew into fruition, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Phoenix, and so on. There is no doubt, however, that the standing of the Washington, DC base is among the strongest. Two names tend to rise to the top, Henry Rollins, and especially Ian MacKaye, both of whom are represented here.

Of course, the opening shot is of Ian MacKaye talking. Without meaning this as any form of sarcasm or complaint, is there anyone in the punk scene who is represented on indie documentaries about the genre as much as Ian? After all, he was the one who started the whole Straight-Edge movement (though he did not invent the symbol of the X on the hand) that became somewhat of a preachy religion to some. And the fact that he’s this present so many decades later just proves how much he has injected into the movement.

The second person to talk is Henry Rollins. Henry, one might say, left his band SOA and joined one that was arguably bigger than Fugazi ever became, namely Black Flag. Flag had an influence on the world, but MacKaye was definitely – and rightly so – king of his kingdom, the land known as DC. Whereas Black Flag spread a sound, MacKaye spread a philosophy.

The growth of DC hardcore was nothing less than ferocious, with Little Ronnie Reagan right there, in a town mixed with rich government overlords and extreme poverty. This split personality was a societal PTSD with a beltway around it. Generally speaking, you could get depressed or you could get angry. Punk in that town went down the road towards the latter, with Doc Martins and spiked hair.

It’s no secret that the home base for Third Wave in DC is the 9:30 Club. Every town had it, be it CBGB, the Rat, or the Mabuhay Garden. In DC, it was the womb that launched a hundred bands that would have a ripple effect on every other club in every other town, even the older, more established ones.

The film is broken up into segments, each of which covers a topic or two. This is extremely well handled, as are the interviews. Yes, talking heads, but even when it’s the same person discussing her or her view, sometimes you can tell it was done over time as you can see them in different settings. Mixing in with this is some of the best hardcore photos I’ve seen, mostly in crisp black and white, and music clips that ranged from clear to pre-camcorder fuzzy, of bands and fans in action.

Let’s talk about some of the guest interviewees. There are the likes of Thurston Moore (known for Sonic Youth, but before then he was in the Coachmen, and I do believe that FFanzeen was the first ‘zine ever to publish anything about Moore; but I brag and digress…), Fred Armisen (the actor/comedian from Chicago was also in the band Trenchmouth), J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. , Tim Kerr (Big Boys, from Austin), and arguably the almost as omnipresent Dave Grohl, who was in the early DC scene and in the local band Scream. For once his stories didn’t sound like Whocares to me. And what, no Keith Morris, who is also usually on these types of documentaries?

Punk scenes that last long enough seem to follow a similar trajectory. A group of people start playing at a bar or a new space and an insular crowd with camaraderie forms. Everyone knows each other, bands respect each other (even with some rivalry), and everyone gets picked on by the local jocks and cops. Time passes and the scene starts to get popular, and the very jocks that were doing the jumping are now doing the moshing, and being violent inside the club. People get fed up and stop coming. The scene disintegrates. On some level, that fits DC as well, even though it splintered in the early 1990s, rather than disappeared.

The scene starts with the likes of the surf-inspired Insect Surfers (saw them play Hurrahs), the pop-rock Tru Fax and the Insaniacs (both these bands not mentioned in the DVD) and the garage-laced Slickee Boys (I saw them play twice at CBGBs and was a fan), and becomes the balls out Bad Brains. The BB left early on in 1980 to move to NYC, but they were adults by then. So the kids start forming their own bands, like Gray Matter (their drummer, Dante Ferrando, was amazing), Iron Cross and especially Teen Idles, began to rise.

The latter, with Ian MacKaye, didn’t last long, but they were the first to release a DIY single in the area. After they broke up, MacKaye formed the more iconic Minor Youth. It was here he started the record company that would define the scene, Dischord Records. Soon touring bands from DC would find gigs on just the strength of having a Dischord release.

This is the first section of the film. Another part discusses the violence coming from outside the close-knit group, from Georgetown College boys in Mustangs who would gang up on punkers. Henry Rollins tells a great story of how a group of punks used Alec MacKaye (Ian’s younger brother) for bait to catch the guys who were doing the beating to return the favor. They needed to take actions into their own hands due to a police force ambivalent to their needs. This would be mirrored in a later section on how moshing turned into performed behavior independent of music (I’ve seen this too, where the music playing was not as important as the stage diving; it could have been Andy Williams and gotten the same action), which turned into violence as the pit became the eye of the storm of the elbows and knees of skinheads and “Drunk Punks.” This led to gay bashing. Some started DIY self-promoted shows to limit this vehemence. MacKaye, again wisely, says he realized that the music they were playing and its subject matter are partially to blame because, as he put it, “Violence begets violence.” This led to his forming the less ferocious yet equally energetic (and nationally popular) Fugazi.

You really can’t discuss the DC scene without detailing the whole Straight Edge movement started by Ian, with the black “X” on the hands. While this is a quasi-zealous group, it did have at least two important results: it lead to the All Ages shows, which opened up a whole new, younger fan market, and (b) created a backlash that sometimes broke the scene into two defiant schisms, and bands would fall on either side; e.g., Black Market Baby came out as anti-SE, calling their counter-movement Bent Edge. The legacy of that lives on: when I wrote a blog on how I imbibe just a tiny bit and called the piece “OnBeing Straight Edge, Kinda Sorta,” l had some interesting responses blasting me for not being all in; this was in 2008.

While even the director of this film, Scott Crawford, becomes part of the story as he discusses his own introduction to the scene at age 12, and also fanzines, including his own Metrozine. There is a short, interesting segment on Go-Go, a black music scene that was incorporated into the punk catalog, much as earlier British punk celebrated reggae. As MacKaye succinctly puts it, you would find punks at Go-Go shows, but no Go-Go fans at punk shows.

The more interesting and intersecting segments to me dealt with social issues, including Misogyny (the “boys club,” dismissed by one dude as “we were young”) toward the female musicians who explain what it was like. Also there was the political and social upheaval as DC became the “murder capital of the U.S.” and the mayor, Marion Berry [d. 2014] was caught on camera smoking crack (sound familiar, Toronto? DC beat you to it!). One of the results of this, in 1985, was the formation of Mark Anderson’s Positive Force organization, that booked shows and held fundraisers for various causes (poverty, end animal cruelty, etc.). They were (and are, after three decades) a bit preachy, but a definite positive influence in the region. There is a documentary about / by them called Positive Force: More Than a Witness – 30 Years of Punk Politics in Action.

The extras include 14 “Extended Interviews” (aka deleted scenes), and 10 full live song performances (each averaging around two minutes) from the likes of Fugazi, Government Issue, Gray Matter, and Marginal Man (acknowledged as the first Emocore band, coined by Brian Baker of Dag Nasty), and others.

Representing the scene is more than thirty people interviewed, including musicians, photographers, fans (titled “Scenesters,” I term I often use), fanzine editors, and organizers. It’s an excellent oral history of the period. Mix in all the stills and films, plus some interesting graphics, it’s well-edited together and gives a well-rounded view of what was going on during the 1980s in the Capitol’s punk capitol.

 

DVD Review: Clockwork Orange County: The Rise of West Coast Punk Rock

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2014
Images from the Internet

Clockwork Orange County: The Rise of West Coast Punk Rock

Directed by Jonathan W.C. Mills
Endurance Pictures
92 minutes, 2011       
www.fearthismovie.com        
www.mvdvisual.com

In Costa Mesa, located in Orange County, California, the hardcore scene could be narrowed down to a single club, the Cuckoo’s Nest. Opened in 1979, from this very wellhead sprung the movement that some might say transformed punk into hardcore, setting in motion the third wave of punk rock.

Of course, every scene can claim that, from Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club, to the Masque in L.A., to A7 in New York, and so on. But there is no doubt that the Cuckoo’s Nest was a touchstone moment in the movement.

What is most impressive is the heavy hitters willing to talk to the camera (in 2011) here, including various members of bands like Social Distortion, T.S.O.L., the Circle Jerks, the Adolescents, Agent Orange, Black Flag (including Rollins, of course), Dead Kennedys (Biafra, of course), and so many of the others that took a scene and brought it to that whole new level which became a standard / uniform for the rest of the world, and in many ways is still in play now, over 30 years later.

Rather than just yammering heads, there is a wise choice in showing both music and talking clips from the period, mixed in with the “present” (again, 2011), so you can see how the musicians and fans have changed over the years. The music clips, all shot at the Nest, are not complete, but many of them are lengthy enough to actually get a feel for the appeal.

Each topic / chapter is introduced with a title card, and is discussed pretty well in detail, again mixing the past and present. It makes for an interesting oral history, most of which are of memory, but this lets the memory mix with the moment.

Some of the subjects discussed include:

·         the both figurative and literal fights with the rednecks in the C&W bar next door, who were constantly antagonizing and threatening the punks (naturally you don’t hear their side, which I think could be amusing).

·         the love / hate relationship between the bands / fans and the club’s owner, Jerry Roach, who Rollins calls “a tightwad son of a bitch.”

·         how important the parking lot scene outside the club was to the denizens of the Nest

·         when Pat Brown, one of the regular fans, allegedly tried to kill a cop by dragging him in his car (resulting in three shots by said cop hitting his car as he drove away; this film is dedicated to him)

·         and even how (possibly) Jim Decker, the lead singer of the Crowd, started Slam Dancing as a trend.

[Side note: the first time I ever saw slam dancing was by Harley Flanagan when he was the drummer for the Stimulators, who opened for Sousxie & the Banshees at Irving Plaza around 1982.]

The topic of slamming brings up the subject of excess violence that followed as part of the natural order. Joe Escalante of the Vandals refers to the aggression of the pit and the audience as the bands merely being “the soundtrack to beating the crap out of each other.” I often felt like many people at hardcore shows are not there to hear the music, but to strike out at anyone they can through fists and kicks in the pit. At the Nest, this resulted in the choking off of the punks via legislation and harassment (1000 tickets in 3 days) resulting in the closing of the Cuckoo’s Nest more than anything else (as announced on their local television by a very young Connie Chung).

The thing is, just about every hardcore scene on the West side of the country (not just OC) seemed to have followed the exact same pattern, if not timeline. It starts with some kids who liked bands like the Ramones and Sex Pistols, and they find a dive to drive it. The kids start forming their own bands and put some originality into it, only to get harassed by law enforcement (remember, right-wing Ronnie’s the Prez in 1980 and the “moral majority” nuts are starting to show their teeth). The violence perpetrated on the kids starts to show up in the scene when the jocks who used to beat them up for being punks find that by being punks themselves, they can join that mosh pit and continue to beat on the brats. The violence level increases by within and without, the media starts paying attention, this turns the fans away, and the source - in this case the Cuckoo’s Nest - closes down and effectively turns the tide by abating the access.

Another aspect of this film that is interesting is when they don’t just get stuck in the past and take it to the modern punk bands that were influenced by that scene, such as the Diffs and Death Punch. The original bands seem split on how their legacy has been picked up, whether that’s good or bad, and whether the modern punks are, well, really punk rock.

The only extra is the trailer and chapter selection.

Is this a good film? Well, yeah. They’ve taken what could have been a boring talking head film and made it interesting by grouping topics together, and mashing up historical film documents, including live performances, interviews, and newscasts, and also throwing in some of the newer area bands. It keeps the pace moving and the interest high. And if you’re like me, and you have the music of all those bands (didn’t see many of the West Coast bands live), it’s great to see the then-now differential.

Plus, it’s always great to hear the Circle Jerks’ Keith Morris’ strange and enjoyable vocal patter, Henry Rollins’ near poetic talking style, and Jello Biafra’s sibilant “s” and humor, for example.

 

DVD Review: Dinosaur Jr., BUG, Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of the Fans

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2013
Images from the Internet

Dinosaur Jr. Bug, Live at 9:30 Club: In the Hands of the Fans
Directed by Dave Markey
MVD Visual
106 minutes, 2012
www.dinosaurjr.com
www.MVDvisual.com

The 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, is a fantastic place for the reunion of Dinosaur Jr., and for them to play out their entire 38-minute classic noise punk 1988 release, Bug. The club was to DC what CBGB and the Rat were to New York and Boston, respectively.

For the second title released as In the Hands of the Fans (the first being the Stooges doing Raw Power), the band started out as Dinosaur, and then had to add Jr. to it because the name was already taken by some L.A. classic rocker “superband” that lasted for five minutes, step on the same stage. This is remarkable for a number of reasons, two of which are the length of time from the last performance to this mini-tour, and that this band has quite the combative history of infighting of the Who proportions.

The problem with them, as trio of humans, is that they are all hyper-talented perfectionists, with their own vision of what that entails. Needless to say, there have been some classic and highly-publicized intraband clashes. Plus, being prima donnas didn’t help, either.

Getting back to the story behind the series, through an online contest (via YouTube), fans were asked to send in videos of why they should be the chosen ones to film the concert. Six were selected, and we are introduced to them (all male) before the start of the performance part. Before the show, each is given a placed to stand and a camera. Then all the film is edited together in a coherent full concert.

As a band, they are infamously loud. For example, even in a club the size of the 9:30, there is a stack of 6 Marshall Amps alone behind vocalist / guitarist J Mascis, and another stack behind bassist Lou Barlow. And yet drummer Murph holds his own against this wall of noise.

The band is often lumped into either the hardcore bands on SST (who released much of their material), or compared to the alternative scene of Nirvana and the rest of the Northwest. This is actually inaccurate. It could be more precise to posit that they are part of the missing link between those two scenes; their sound is quite chaotic, with crashing instrumentals, and Mascis’s less than pretty voice (never mind on key), bred in the hardcore scene, but they also have a sense of melody, structure and a heavy reliance on guitar, as much of the Northwest discipline did, with the likes of Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and yes, Nirvana.

With the strong reliance on classic/heavy rock, through the use of long guitar solos that had been abhorrent to the hardcore scene before it, the new breed of SST artists like DJr stretched in new ways by bringing back some of the old. Their shows, as evidenced here, were not necessarily full of jumping around… okay, Barlow shows he can move onstage, but Mascis is sturdy as a rock, and I do not say this in a disparagingly way. It’s hard to read him, with his long (now nearly white) hair hiding his face to the audience and cameras, his voice is of a thin range so there is not much that can be read into his vocal emoting. But he is the both rock and the hard place when it comes to playing his instrument, which is does with flair, even when he’s wailing.

Bug was a big release for the band, going to No. 1 in the UK in the indie charts. And yet, in his curmudgeonly way, Mascis has stated quite clearly in the past that this was his least favorite album (perhaps because it was most popular, going against punk ethics?). It is one of the more, well, commercial (relatively) of DJr’s albums, with a definite melody line amid the thrash, and recognizable chord progressions, even if the lyrics get lost in the translation. Mascis has been called monotone, and I don’t necessarily buy into that, but I would agree with the mumbles part. And since I listen to the LP every once in a while but not enough to know it well, I am not sure about the overall content / intent.

Despite the ravages of time and discordant behavior within the band, they remain tight as a trio, familiar enough with each other’s moves and licks to be in sync, at least musically. In part because of this, Bug remains a stalwart and influential record, and it’s as stunning live now as it was on vinyl (you heard me) then. Unlike the Stooges show which played the album out of order mixed with other tunes, DJr stick to the LP, and in same order.

For the final song on the album, “Don’t,” which is the only track on Bug that Barlow was permitted to sing, they bring up a guest vocalist from the audience (one of the video winners?) to scream out the oft repeated lyrics, ”Why?! Why don’t you like me?!” This may be Barlow’s protest, by saying, “You want me to sing only one tune, then fuck you, someone else can do it for me.” Or perhaps it’s a way to connect with the audience via participation (or both). With Mascis’s wild post-hardcore guitar screeching solo over Barlow and Murph’s rhythm pounding, this long piece really epitomizes the sound that followed the original basic structure of the start of punk’s Third Wave.

An interesting aspect about watching the band is that even though their sound melds so well, they could all be in separate rooms for all the physical interaction. There isn’t really much in the way of eye contact. Mascis basically looks down at his guitar when he’s not at the mic, Barlow bounces around in that hardcore back and forth motion, and Murph, well, drummers need to concentrate on the tempo. There is a b-roll shot of them talking in the back alley during the credits, probably before the show, but how much of that is staged I couldn’t guess.

The six fans do a mostly great job capturing the band, and the editing is superb at not doing that 2-second cut that MTV pioneered and has annoyingly been used to death. True, most of the cameras seem to be focused on Mascis, and I would have liked to have seen more of Barlow’s work, as he’s more interesting to watch onstage, but I understand the “lead” gets the largest draw of attention, even if unintentional.

There are lots of extras for this release, so let’s get on with it. First one up is called “On Stage Interview with Henry Rollins.” The Black Flag fronter / writer / poet / actor / etc. is a self-professed “XL Dinosaur Jr. fan.” He also mentions the opening-but-unseen-here band, Off!, which features ex-Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris (Rollins calls him the “best Black Flag vocalist bar none”; I would have liked to have seen that performance as well). He brings the band up on stage in front of the 9:30 audience while he conducts in questions. Topics include volume, evolvement of style, early career and records, touring, and general punk rawk.

For the “In the Hands of the Fans’” nearly 19-minute short, those who were chosen to film this show get to hang out backstage with DJr, and ask them questions, such as who is their favorite bands/influences, and who would they like to slam. The questions are kind of mundane, but the answers by the band are interesting if you want to know where they come from, musically speaking.

The rest of the shorts are bonus live footage of the songs “In a Jar” and “The Wagon” (9 min) from the same show (I’m guessing the encore), a co-interview with J and director Dave Markey, who is also known for 1991: The Year Punk Broke in1992 and Desperate Teenage Lovedolls (I have the original Desperate Teenage Runaways VHS) in 1986, and I am looking forward to seeing his latest on the Circle Jerks, My Career as a Jerk (8 min), and “Rollins on the 9:30 Club” history (3 min). Most of the extras were filmed in the alleyway behind the club, at least one during the soundcheck bleeding through.

There is no denying that together or individually, Dinosaur Jr. and Bug are among the most influential bands of its period, which I would group with the Minutemen and Husker Du, of music that took the simplistic hardcore scene and changed it into something else, much as the Beatles changed rock’n’roll with Sgt. Pepper’s. It then became something else, even if the genre title stayed the same.

I am hoping this series continues, and as a suggestion, how about Slade doing Stomp Your Hands and Clap Your Feet? Or Television doing Marquee Moon? Or…

Band:
J. Mascis: Vox / guitar
Lou Barlow: bass / vox
Murph: Drums

Set List:
Freak Scene
No Bones
They Always Come
Yeah We Know
Let It Ride
Pond Song
Budge
The Post
Don’t
Sludgefeast
Raisans

Bonus live footage:
In a Jar
The Wagon

DVD Introduction


Full VOD:
www.youtube.com/verify_age?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3D9Bvv_j0CThU