Art for Spastics v.88

Download AFS v.88

...or stream it

ABE VIGODA – Power Place – split cassette w/ Hot Girls Cool Guys – Not Not Fun *new

SHEARING PINX – Cursed Heart Matter – Poison Hands dbl. 3” CDR – Not Not Fun *new
BATZ – Backpack Up – self-titled 3” EP – Self Released *new
GROWING HABITS – Social Tactics – Myspace mp3 demos *new
SHOPLIFTING – Male Gynecology – Body Stories – Kill Rock Stars *new
NIGHT WOUNDS – Nineteen – Advance Tracks CDR – Self-Released *new
ERASE ERRATA – Cruising – Nightlife – Kill Rock Stars *forthcoming
HANK IV – (Ci è a) Hole in the Face – il Silenzio è Morte CDR – Self-Released *new
THE REBEL – Demonstration Tape – The Rocket Breaks Down – Pecan Crazy *new
COMET GAIN – Mainlining Mystery (Finchley Road) – Beautiful Despair 12” EP – What's Your Rupture? *new
INSTANT AUTOMATONS – Scared to Be Alone – v/a: Messthetics Greatest Hits: The Sounds of D.I.Y. 1977-80 – Hyped2Death *new
CABARET VOLTAIRE – Capsules – Mix Up – Rough Trade 1979 *request
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY – R´n´R D.J. – Leave a Message cassette – Barf *new
THE PASSAGE – Taboodub – Taboos 12” EP – Cherry Red 1982
DIGITAL LEATHER – I Tell My Sorrows to the Stones – Monologue – Shattered *new
ENSTRUCTION – Keep Out of My Body Bag – Keep Out of My Body Bag 7” – Deus ex Machina 1982

LA COMTESSE MORTE – No No Never – v/a: Electronic Renaissance – Enfant Terrible *new
ICH BIN – Danger – Obéis! – Poutré Apparente *new
VOLT – Kein Mensch – v/a: Tête de Bébé – S-S Records *new
METAL URBAIN – Futurama – Anarchy in Paris – Acute/Seventeen 2004/1978
JEFFREY NOVAK – I Hate Music [the Mad] – v/a: Killed by Trash – P.Trash *new
THE TRASHIES – Steal Yr Bike – Let It Be Trashed 7” – Out of Order *new
DOOMED ON PLANET EARTH – Mercenaries – Mercenaries 7” – BTCP 1982

STEVE MIRO & THE EYES – Shadow Screen – Rude Intrusions – Object Music 1980
HIPS – Hips – self-titled 7” – Animal Mandible *new
KK RAMPAGE – Lowlife Lousy Little Puke – Sides E & F 7” – Rococo *new
TEMP SOUND SOLUTION – Shit´s Ridipulous – Pain Based Lifeform – Terra Firma *new
MIKAELA’S FIEND – track 5 – March 2006 Tour CD – Self-Released *new
K.K. NULL & Z’EV – untitled – Artificial Life – CIP *new
TWIG HARPER – untitled – Intuitive American Esoteric vol 2 – Heresee *new
ARGUMENTIX & DEAD/BIRD – Destruction of the Depression Device (Morale Was So Low) – 2006 Tour triple 3” – Self-Released *new
ARGUMENTIX & DRAGGING AN OX THROUGH WATER – Outrage Is Secondary to Sexy Glances – A Prairie Elephant Remembers CDR – Self-Released *new
SMEGMA – Ha-Ha Remco – Live 1991-1993 – Resipiscent *new
SUNSHINE & HER LITTLE FRIENDS – Tell It As It Is – Wiggles and Giggles – Educators in Motion 197?
RACCOO-OO-OON – Painted Desert – split LP w/ Woods – Not Not Fun *new
LAS VEGAS CLUB – Casa de Muerte – Whiskey Flats – Not Not Fun *new
VIRGIN INSANITY – River Town – Illusions of the Maintenance Man – P-Vine *new/1970

More notes about these artists coming soon...
Thanks for listening!

Art for Spastics v. 87

Download AFS v.87

...or stream it

COUNTRY TEASERS – Please Ban Music/Gegen Alles – The Empire Strikes Back – In The Red *new

HOT GIRLS COOL GUYS – Ponytale – split cassette w/ Abe Vigoda – Not Not Fun *new
COACHWHIPS – I Don´t Need You – Double Death CD+DVD – Narnack *new
SIC ALPS – Making Plans – The Soft Tour in Rough Form – Mt. St. Mtn *new
THOMAS JEFFERSON SLAVE APARTMENTS – Petty Thief – split 7” w/ Fat Day – Ratfish 1997
SEXAPHONE – M.E.A.N. – Double U 7” – Yakisakana *new

RAT TRAPS – Vampire – split 7” w/ The Lamps – Yakisakana *new
THE FEELERS – School Jerks [the Vains] – Parts and Pieces 7” – P.Trash *new
FUNCTIONAL BLACKOUTS – Raw Dawg, Raw Deal – Raw Dawg, Raw Deal 7” – Wrench 2005
FUNCTIONAL BLACKOUTS – In My Vacuum
DRUGSTOP – M.I.C. [Hüsker Dü] – v/a: Killed By Trash – P.Trash *new

DIGGER & THE PUSSYCATS – Better Off Dead [Wipers] – v/a: Killed By Trash
OPÉRATION S – Pogo in Togo [United Balls] – v/a: Killed By Trash
BELASTUNGSPROBE – Viel-Ø-SOPHY – Æ.T.V. 7” – Play Loud 1980
BELASTUNGSPROBE – Berliner Lust – Platzdruck 90 Atü 7” – Play Loud 1981
RED ASPHALT – Humungulous – Live at Le Disque 2xLP – Jump 1981
GROUNDHOGS – Joker´s Grave – Solid – Akarma 1974/*new
ENSTRUCTION – Signal to Noise – Keep Out of My Body Bag 7” – Deus ex Machina 1982
ENSTRUCTION – Is There a Dog?
DALI’S DAUGHTER – Cold War – v/a: Amuck – Placebo 1981
HAUNTED CASTLE – Dump the Zombies Off Your Back – DBA Tape Club split cassette w/ Megaweapon – Deathbomb Arc *new
PRURIENT/JOHN WIESE – Cloven Spike – Cloven Spike 7” – Hospital *new
EIKENSKADEN – Presto Agitato Cupido – The Last Dance – Weird Forest *new
ZACH HILL & MICK BARR – Lakes in Space – Shred Earthship – 5RC *new
FLYING LUTTENBACHERS – Improvisation Two – Spectral Warrior Mythos Vol. 1 – ugExplode *new
HANS GRUSEL’S KRANKENKABINET – Teapot Steamsystem – Happy as Pitch – C.I.P. *new
HANS GRUSEL’S KRANKENKABINET – Tea für Two

THE RITUALISTIC SCHOOL OF ERRORS – The Pit of Absolute Zero – s/t CD+DVD – Resipiscent *new
T CELLS – Deep in the Woods [Birthday Party] – v/a: Release the Bats – Three One G *new
OBSERVERS OBSERVING OBSERVABLES – Remodel Yourself – Watch Out for the Other Guy 7” – Hardly Music 1980
OBSERVERS OBSERVING OBSERVABLES – The Shah Song
DIE RADIERER – Madagaskar – v/a: Lieber Zuviel Als Zuwenig – Zick Zack 1981
BELASTUNGSPROBE – Isolationshaft – Æ.T.V. 7”
BELASTUNGSPROBE – Jugend Heute – Platzdruck 90 Atü 7”
NEU! – E-Musik – 75 – Groenland/Astralwerks 1975/2001
DEATH SENTENCE: PANDA! – Here Come the Ghosts! – Festival of Ghosts – Self Released *new
DEATH SENTENCE: PANDA! – Public Forest
LOOPOOL – Title Unknown – v/a: So Moated: a Bored Fortress Compilation 3”CDR – Not Not Fun *new

Notes soon to follow...stay tuned and thanks for listening!

Art for Spastics v.86

Download AFS v.86

...or stream it

TUXEDO KILLERS – Track 9 – Barf City tour CDR – Furniture *new
NERVOUS EXITS – It´s a Flash – Get Out – Super Secret *new
CARBONAS – Typical Jerkoff – s/t LP – Thee Raw Deluxe *new

CARBONAS – Alone at Last
HEADACHE CITY – Headache City -- s/t CD – Shit Sandwich *new
KICKING GIANT – Wire – Alien I.D. – K Records 1994 *request
THE FORMLESS – Shaking Ships – v/a: Keep Portland Weird – Sincere Brutality 2004
SHOPLIFTING – M. Sally – Body Stories – Kill Rock Stars *new
DEERHOOF – The Great Car Tomb – Holdypaws – Kill Rock Stars 1999 *request
DRAGIBUS – A Crocodile in an Aquarium – v/a: Tête de Bébé – S-S *new
PLEASEY PLEASE – Loss Control – split 7” w/ Child Pornography – Silencio *new
AWESOME COOL DUDES – Coral and Devonian – Maxin and Relaxin – Furniture *new
ANAVAN – Your So Called Notoriety – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2 – Deathbomb Arc *new

ROSE FOR BOHDAN – Friends Forever – Then Everybody Hugged “Racism Is God” – Deathbomb Arc *new
GOLIATH BIRDEATER – Title Unknown – v/a: So Moated: a Bored Fortress Compilation 3” CDR – Not Not Fun *new
NIGHT WOUNDS – Hex Appeal – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Coughs – Not Not Fun 2006
DEATH SENTENCE: PANDA! – Friend of Friend of Friend of Friend – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Silver Daggers – Not Not Fun *new
AFRIRAMPO – Sore Ga...Guruguru Guru – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Hospitals – Not Not Fun *new
FOOT FOOT – Pilgrim Hat on an Indian Summer – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ My Little Red Toe – Not Not Fun 2006

RACCOO-OO-OON – Visage of the Fox – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Sword Heaven – Not Not Fun *new
MY LITTLE RED TOE – Firemen – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Foot Foot
16 BITCH PILE UP – Acapulcopokalipstick – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Burmese – Not Not Fun *new
HOSPITALS – Sick Bird – v/a: Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Afrirampo
SILVER DAGGERS – Faithful Unlawful – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Death Sentence: Panda!
COUGHS – Sexual Hijinks – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Night Wounds
BURMESE – Bodies – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ 16 Bitch Pile Up
BURMESE – Roots & Rights
SWORD HEAVEN – Town Hag – Bored Fortress split 7” w/ Raccoo-oo-oon

SMEGMA – Giant Robot – Live 1991-1993 CD – Resipiscent *new
FAT WORM OF ERROR – Special Bonus Thing – Pregnant Babies Pregnant with Pregnant Babies – Load *new
ELECTRIC MELANOMA – Raging Hormones – MySpace mp3 demo
MEATSWEATS – Falcon Man – MySpace mp3 demo
CRACK HOUSE – We Are Many – Crack Baby b/w We Are Many 7” – Gutterbox 1991
REPTILIAN CIVILIAN – Mummy Earthquake – MySpace mp3 demo
PARTY FOWL – Surfin´ Bird Flu – s/t cassette – Self-Released *new

KNIT WITCH – Bell Book Candle – Myspace mp3 demo
DUCHESSES – The Lazer Poney – MySpace mp3 demo

Art for Spastics v. 85

Download AFS v.85

...or stream it

GO-BETWEENS – I Need Two Heads – I Need Two Heads b/w Stop Before You Say It – Postcard 1980
DESPERATE BICYCLES – Trendy Feelings – Remorse Code – Refill 1979
MUDHUTTERS – Water Torture – v/a: Killed by Death vol. 1: Swingalongamuck – Redrum 1979
PICTURE CHORDS – A Cause des Voisins – v/a: Waiting Room – Object Music 1980

TAKE IT – How It Is – v/a: Messthetics Greatest Hits: The Sounds of D.I.Y. 1977-80 – Hyped2Death *new/1979
BLACK TIME – Safe in Heaven Dead – Blackout – In the Red *new
HOSPITALS – Sick Bird – “Bored Fortress” singles club split 7” w/ Afrirampo – Not Not Fun *new
YUMA NORA – You Can´t Get Nothing for Gold Fronts – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2 – Deathbomb Arc *new
DEWEY DECIMATOR R.I.P. – Flying Duo – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2
COCK E.S.P. w/ DJ ENORMOUS GENITALS – (Never Gonna) Bounce – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 1 – Deathbomb Arc 2004
CREAMSICLE ON WHEELS – Soldier One – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 1
RAH BRAHS – Mr. Clarinet – v/a: Release the Bats – Three One G *new
CLIPD BEAKS – We Will Bomb You (We Will) – Preyers – Deleted Art/Tigerbeat6 *new
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY – Fuck the Reverb pts. 1 + 2 – split 7” w/ Pleasey Please – Silencio *new
ICH BIN – Méthanol – Obéis! – Poutre Apparente *new
ICH BIN – Trafic d´Organes
LAWRENCE WASSER – Piggy on a Rooftop – v/a: Tête de Bébé – S-S *new

KANIA TIEFFER – Treat Me Like a Dog – v/a: Tête de Bébé
DEEKAY JONES – New York, New York – v/a: The Pulse of New York – Glass 1983
THE SECONDS – Dogsicle – Kratitude – 5RC *new
NIGHT WOUNDS – Caving In – Advance Tracks CDR – self-released *new
SLUMS – Waiting Rooms/Chained to the Wall – Demo CDR – self-released *new
MERZBOW – Xa-Bungle – v/a: Three Minute Symphony – Xtract 1984
CRASS – Shaved Women – Best Before – Crass 1979
CRASS – Bloody Revolutions – Best Before 1980
CRISIS – Holocaust – Holocaust Hymns – Apop *new

CRISIS – Frustration
KARMA SUTRA – How the Other Half Die – v/a: We Don´t Want Your Fucking Law! – Fight Back 1985
TOXIC WASTE – Good Morning – v/a: We Don´t Want Your Fucking War! – Fight Back 1984
PART 1 – Black Mass – Pictures of Pain – Pusmort 1985
SEPTIC DEATH – Hardware – Need So Much Attention – Pusmort 1984
GIFT OF GOATS – Death to the Outsider – v/a: 4-Band Split LP – Omnibus 2003
DANIEL FRANCIS DOYLE – Wrapped Up – Who Are Your Customers? – Furniture *new

We begin this week with the venerable classic Aussie pop band the Go-Betweens, who tragically lost singer/guitarist Grant McLennan this weekend at the all-too-early age of 48. People are always surprised to learn that I can enjoy a band as sweet and melodic as this, but I always counter that by proclaiming that among the "formalist pop" bands of the post-punk era, the Go-Betweens are among the very best because they were so damn clever, both musically and lyrically. If you never tried listening too closely to them, I recommend you try it.

The Desperate Bicycles are often hailed as the U.K.'s first DIY band; their first single came out on their own Refill label in 1977, and their slogan--"It was easy, It was cheap, GO AND DO IT!!!"--became emblematic for a stylistically varied movement including bands as sweet as the proto-twee pop-punkers Thin Yoghurts to the aggressive peacenik polemics of Crass and their many affiliated bands. For this reason, I'd rate them as at least as important as the Damned or The Clash.

Another superb U.K. DIY band that followed in the tradition established by the Desperate Bicycles were the Mudhutters. The brash Jagger-like swagger and emphatic drawl-out of end-line vowel sounds, the aggressive barre chord stroking, and the heavy plodding rhythms made them one of U.K. DIY's ballsiest bands. "Water Torture" is an absolute classic!



Object Music is obscure to most Americans, but in the late 70's and early 80's, they released a slew of interesting music that stylistically descends from the inspiration of these earliest of U.K. DIY bands. This "Waiting Room" compilation comprises three outstandingly clever bands, the Slight Seconds, the Mediators, and the Picture Chords. We hear these Picture Chords here with their only song from the LP, a very unusual 13-minute opus which follows chirpy powerpop with an esoteric mindtrip of an outro which rather reminds me of "Concorde Square" by Crispy Ambulance.

If you really wanna experience the enormous effect that the Desperate Bicycles' music and approach had on their countrymen, there is no better or more convenient collection than the latest in Hyped2Death's "Messthetics" series, "Messthetics Greatest Hits: The Sounds of DIY 1977-80." I chose the track by the band Take It which is chopped-up angular artpunk that lurches and skids, stops and starts, or is it just an elliptical sorta rhythm that clunks along? Does it infuriate you? Sounds like a personal problem to me. I love it!

Black Time have this fantastic new album on In the Red, and the come from Scotland. I was excited to play this wonderfully fuzzy song for you and announce their plans to tour the USA this summer, but alas, those plans have been scrapped. Reportedly this band slays live, and this record does not thing to make me question that. Stripped-down garage-punk rawness with a few weird touches that might really appeal to fans of the Hospitals, such as the ridiculous reverb drenches that creep in now and again. Naturally, that's why I had to drop that Hospital request in immediately afterward.

Here's another double-shot from Deathbomb Arc's awesome new tribute to Cash Money Records, "Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2," and it's a juxtaposition that looks awful on paper, but it plays out perfectly thanks to Yuma Nora ditching their free improv rhythmic staple of Rashied Ali-style accelerando and ritardando for the strutting double-triplets of hip hop. Amy is such a versatile vocalist, so is it really a surprise to hear her pull of the most lilting rap flow ever? Dewey Decimator R.I.P. are a complete mystery to me, so I can't tell you anything about them, or even whether they are being ironic or not. But both bands here are showing us free twee's hip hop edge. Yes, guys...I'm still trying to make that "free twee" genre stick.

Y'know, there was a volume one of "Why Is Anything Forbidden?" The first CD came out a couple years back, and it was a tribute to No Limit Records. Cock ESP with DJ Enormous Genitals give us a disjointed cut'n'paste hip hop track, and Creamsicle on Wheels play it out with a very naturally segued soothing, laid back indie pop instro that still lends itself to the hip hop headbob. Volume two is better on the basis of the incredible variety, but both discs sound like really great freeform radio with the free-flowing mastering, close-together edits, and generally exceptional track sequencing. If you are a label and wanna make a compilation, please PLEASE PLEASE place a premium value on track sequencing!

It's been a few years since Three.One.G released "Dynamite With a Laserbeam," a tribute to Queen. I don't like much Queen, but I really loved this compilation, especially for Weasel Walter's outrageous take on "Bohemian Rhapsody" which makes my shortlist of best cover versions ever. So, when I learned that Three.One.G was planning a tribute compilation for the Birthday Party, I pencilled it in as possibly the album of the year. Well, maybe that was a little overzealous. Too many of the bands on this disc take all the writhing and seething outta the originals and fail to re-inject them with anything interesting. Melt Banana pleases as usual, and this Rah Bras take is another highlight, but much of this disc just sorta bores me. And you should know by now that it's hard for me to write anything negative or ho-hum even about any record. So, caveat emptor.

A lot of people in Davis and Sacto are really looking forward to seeing Clipd Beaks perform live at the all-day/all-night outdoor music festival, Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom III. Their new "Preyers" CD is a sexy, slinky, soaring, psychedelic album of postpunk disco anesthesia. I imagine it would go great with a laser light show. We do have lasers and fog machines galore at the DAM House, so maybe we will bring it on June 3 to Plainfield Station. If you are within a 100-miles radius, I strongly suggest you come to ORMF III. Party like you're in a Coors Light commercial filmed on location at a Texas backyard BBQ...'cos that's what the first two ORMF's have been like.

I enjoyed myself immensely at the Child Pornography show at the Delta of Venus in Davis (which far too many people slept on!), and I wiped out their merch table. This 7" is the best thing I scored there, and it reveals a darker side of the band, driven by a richer, fuller keyboard tone which sounds a lot more like a vintage synth than the band's usual consumer-grade Yamaha. I think this is CP at their best!

Here's a couple more by the best synthpunk band ever from the island of Corsica, Ich Bin! This is a player for reissue LP of the year. Of course, the album was only previously released in a very limited CDR edition.

Another early nominee for album of the year is the fantastic "Tête de Bébé" LP. Here's two more songs from it which cull from the Tubeway Army and Der Plan.

I know nothing of Deekay Jones, but as far as dance music goes, this is nice, even mind-stimulating rather than mind-numbing despite a heavy beat and no words other than "New York, New York." I mistakenly thought it was gonna be a new version of the song by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

This new CD by the Seconds sounds a lot better to me than the first one. Less uniformly robotic, more unpredictable, and no less than what you expect from a band whose members are also in Ex Models, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, etc.

Night Wounds are also coming to Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom III on June 3, and guitarist/singer Toby promises to jump off the roof and get a totally awesome sunburn. These guys have the bleak tone of the original no wave of New York, but they're insistent, oppressive dance beat and singalong group chant choruses also bring a palpable party vibe that cannot be denied. I've seen 'em twice in the last six months, and they've been great both times. This is one of the most exciting bands on the west coast today. This song is from a forthcoming debut album...watch for it!

Speaking of bleak tones of no wave, Slums are a band from Portland, Oregon, who probably have the most authentically bleak guitar tone, immediately recalling Glenn Branca's quasi-eastern chime from the Static and Theoretical Girls. But what makes them exciting and all-new is the militant grind-informed drumwork and the male/female zombie-like choruses. Formerly known as the Hyacinth, Slums shares members with Die Monitr Batss, all or most of the band were previously in Sleetmute Nightmute, who were amazing live and had a tremendous album which remains unreleased. It seems that Slums hardly ever plays live even in their hometown, but they are scheduled to perform at the End Times 2 festival in St. Paul, Minnesota, from June 23-25.

Dating back to 1984, this is the earliest Merzbow material that I can find, and when you hear, I'm sure you'll agree that this sounds a lot different than the noise he's become synonymous with. This is rhymthic proto-powernoise industrial music, not unlike what Esplendor Geometrico were doing at the time.

I haven't played Crass in years and years, but ever since I saw Le Flange du Mal perform a cover of "Shaved Women" live at Undisclosed Location in San Francisco a couple months ago, I've been thinking about what an outstanding band they were, and how much they really helped progress my own definition of punk rock with songs like this and "Bloody Revolutions" which intersperse the raucous punk with interludes of musique concrète-inspired found-sound collages. I think that hearing this at age 13 or 14 made me ready to hear not only The Ex, but also Merzbow.

Another British DIY band that was political and righteous have just been saluted with an excellent anthology CD--"Holocaust Hymns"--which features all the essential studio recordings of the band Crisis. I've been confused about this band for years. Misinformed amateur punk historians told me that Crisis was a white power band, which was sorta reinforced by my learning that the band was pre-Death in June, and I know Death in June has flirted with fascist lyrical references and iconography. Without ever hearing the song "White Youth," I figured it was a supremacist rallying cry. I'm sad that I ever bought into that because this band made some great music, and anti-racism was the primary plank in their platform. For people who think the Warsaw demo is better than any Joy Division album, (a) you are wrong about Warsaw being better, and (b) you really oughta hear Crisis. Straddling the blurry boundary between punk and post-punk, Crisis have that bass-propelled urgency that you love. Members of Crisis also landed in Sol Invictus.

Next up we have some more peacepunkers by Karma Sutra from England and Toxic Waste from Northern Ireland. Karma Sutra certainly have that bass-driven doom 'n' gloom postpunk sound, too. I'd like to hear more of them, but I'm not sure where else to look besides Crass' "Bullshit Detector" compilations. Toxic Waste are like early Disorder if they were led by a teenage girl singer. Each of these are off related compilations from Fight Back Records.

Part One made this one LP on Pusmort, and this song also appears on the amazing "Cleanse the Bacteria" compilation. The Part One LP has cover art intricately hand-drawn by Nick Blinko of Rudimentary Peni, and the voice on the record sounds oddly like Nick Blinko, too. But precious little personnel info is available on the record, so your guess is as good as mine. "Black Mass" is the best song, and the rest of the album also sounds like a cross between U.K. peacepunk and Banshees-style proto-goth.

Pusmort was the original label in the 80's run by Pushead of Septic Death, Idaho's greatest musical export (the band would later center their activities in San Francisco, and in the 90's, Pushead's label activity would be renamed Bacteria Sour). Septic Death were one of the fastest and most savage thrash bands when they barreled ahead at full bore, but they were also known to flirt with a bit o' goth flair...swirling chorus-pedal effects during slow intros and breakdowns. Here's an old fave of mine by the band which shows both sides.

Like many other HC/punk fans, my favorite record cover artist then was Pushead, but if I had a favorite illustrator now, I'd say it's Sacramento's own Troy Mighty who makes grotesque yet sympathetic characters with a scant and minimal technique, but often in front of a background that's intensely complex squiggles that also recall the maniacal work of Nick Blinko. The characters repulse you, but the backgrounds engross you. A Troy Might original enfolds the only 7" by the Davis/Sacto legends of bombastic thrash'n'roll, Gift of Goats. With band members scattered throughout four different cities, I think this band's pretty much done now. Bummer deal, but I've got great memories of the dozen or show Goats shows I saw. Musically, I'd say they were somewhere between mid-period Poison Idea and Skull Kontroll. Totally explosive energy! They didn't play too many dates outta town, but whenever they did, they never really showed themselves at their best. Too pooped from partying all night in KOA campgrounds, too wasted to set up quickly or play tightly, the band made many a Portlander frown. And what a shame...I drove nine hours mainly to see how my PDX friends would react to them. Mainly it was just a lot of quizzical looks...like, "What's with the dirty dreadie?" That's Mick Mucus, simply one of the greatest individual human beings I've known, and perhaps best known for his band Anal Mucus.

Daniel Francis Doyle is a one-man loopbuilt noise-rock band from Austin, Texas, and he's also the drummer of the Tuxedo Killers who will rule the basement of the Turtle House in Davis on Thursday night. Don't miss out!

Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom III festival

Freeform KDVS in Davis presents...


Operation: Restore Maximum Freedom III!


Saturday, June 3, 2006
12 noon to 12 midnight
@ Plainfield Station
23944 County Road 98
Woodland, CA (MAP)

ALL AGES!



The Advantage


Erase Errata


Clipd Beaks


...Worms


Night Wounds


Micose & the Mau Maus


Ettrick


Oaxacan


Eddie the Rat


Art Lessing


Sholi


Betsy & the Teen Takeover


The Megacools




COME PARTY HERE!!!

Freedom is not without sacrifice, however...


$7 for students/advance general
$12 gen. admission @ door


Buy Advance Tickets HERE!!!

Tickets also On-Sale NOW at...

Flatspot Skate Shop
1115 21st Street
Sacramento, CA
http://www.flatspotskateboards.com/

&

Armadillo Music
205 F Street
Davis, CA
http://www.armadillomusic.com/



Tell all your friends...THANKS!

Art for Spastics v.84

"MAY DAY!"


Download AFS v.84

...or stream it

THE REBELS – Mayday – v/a: Pogo Punks: Early Original Swiss Punk Rock ´77-´82 – no label 1979
YODLER KILLERS – Soussolrock – v/a: Springtime in Belsen – Sadist Rekords 1979
ICH BIN – A.I.N.Z. – Obéis! – Poutre Apparente *new

ICH BIN – Bodybuilding
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY – TV Got Me – 2006 Tour Demo!! CDR – Self-Released *new
CAPTAIN AHAB – Where My Dogs At? – After the Rain My Heart Still Dreams – Deathbomb Arc *new
FRIENDS FOREVER – C$ Fresh – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2 – Deathbomb Arc *new
ROSE FOR BOHDAN – Covered in Monkeys – Then Everybody Hugged “Racism Is God” – Deathbomb Arc *new
THE MALL – Advantage In – First, Before and Never Again 12” EP – Mt. St. Mtn *new
BIPOLAR BEAR – Cuzco – Cuzco/Bogota CDR – Self-Released 2005
EREBUS NYX & STYX – Izzie Fatal – self-titled – Silencio *new
WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE SON, GOD? – Beelzebubble – 4-song EP CDR – Scenery Audio Archive *new
GAPESEED – Dusty Trophy – Project 64 – Silver Girl 1997
…WORMS – Crows in My Mouth – self-titled 7” EP – Marriage *new
DEATH SENTENCE: PANDA! – Friends of Friends of Friends of Friends – Bored Fortress Singles Club split 7” w/ Silver Daggers – Not Not Fun *new

BUSINESS LADY – Slow Motion – v/a: Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2
GET HUSTLE – Don Quixote & I – Rollin in the Ruins – Three One G 2005 *request
I WILL KILL YOU FUCKER – titles unknown – Educated Guidance 7” EP – Tank Crimes *new
HIPS – Get Movin’ – self-titled 7” EP – Animal Mandible *new
SIC ALPS – Microcastles – The Soft Tour in Rough Form 12” EP – Mt. St. Mtn *new
STANDARD TRIBESMEN – Picture Take – self-titled 7” EP – Borox *new

THE INTELLIGENCE – Grease 3 – Let´s Toil – Polly Magoo *new
FACTUMS – Split Screen – Second Demo CDR – Self-Released 2005
CRASH NORMAL – Bad Way to Get Fun – v/a: Tête de Bébé – S-S Records *new
LILI Z. – Blut – v/a: Tête de Bébé
FRUSTRATION – Faster – self-titled 7” EP – S-S Records *new
THE WEEGS – Two and Three Eighths – The Million Sounds of Black – Hungry Eye *new
COUGHS – Track 12 – Bent Babies CDR – Self-Released 2005
SNOWSUIT* – Helio Mix1 (Master2) – Don't Kill the Contractor CDR – No Format *new
BORIS – Blackout – Pink – Southern Lord *new
NOEL von HARMONSON – Track 5 – Born on the 4th of July – Resipiscent *new
EARWICKER – Throne of Blood – All Seeing Ear – Resipiscent *new
AT JENNIE RICHIE – Dreams That Money Can Buy – The Bicycle Considered 3” – Resipiscent *new
ARGUMENTIX – Lend Me Your Blanket I Want to Dream – Tarantula Downpour 7”+DVD-R – Trash Skull *new
ARGUMENTIX & DEAD/BIRD – The Salad Can´t Talk to Me – 2006 Tour triple 3” CDR set – Self-Released *new

This Rebels 7" provides our timely lead-off song for the evening...well, almost timely now that it's officially May 2...but this is reputed to be one of the rarest of Swiss punk records from the late-70's. And it's one of the best, too! Switzerland had a lot of bands during this heyday who were manic and rollickin' melodic punk, such as Jack + the Rippers, Nasal Boys, Fresh Colour, etc. This one was comped onto a "Killed By Death"-style Swiss-only LP called "Pogo Punks" which features a blow-up of the Rebels 7" picture sleeve on the front cover. It came out years ago, but I still see sealed copies at better stores in the Bay Area. Pick it up!

I know nothing of the Yodler Killers except they were also from Switzerland in the late 70's, and they had a 7" which was comped--both sides even!--onto the mysterious "Springtime in Belsen" LP, a late-90's collection of rare 70's Euro trashpunk in a spraypainted sleeve. These guys had a bouyant jangly sound which was 100% distortion-free.

Ich Bin is my favorite new find this week, thanks to fellow DJ Scott Soriano who brought back a limited quantity of their new LP from his trip to Paris, France. What we have here is a bizarro band from the Mediterranean island of Corsica who made aggressive and weird synthpunk in the late-80's and early-90's. This new French label smartly reissued it in its first true LP edition which is a stunner! While they essentially employed the same gear as EBM/industrial bands such as Front 242 and Frontline Assembly, Ich Bin were fascinated with the budding noiserock genre, perhaps finding their way to Jesus Lizard and Killdozer from Big Black. Some of the songs sprawl obtusely like those bands, but otherwise, there's no resemblance to any other band working at the time in the realm of "punk" or "industrial." And hence, this LP sounds as fresh as if it were teleported back from the future.

Child Pornography will have a new album soon, but this "tour demo" will tide you over 'til then. It shows them to be a more versatile band...kinda somewhere between the ultra-uplifting posi- dance party Casio(er, Yamaha)-core sound they've become known for, and the skeletal geometric forms of the A Frames.

Captain Ahab is an exciting electro/"ravesploitation" performer, and outta anyone still milking the "irony as fashion" schtick for what it's worth, Captain Ahab is getting all the best last drops on this incredible new album. Much of the music is rooted in ghetto-tech, booty-bass, and daringly mainstream techno cliché, but it's all remixed and remixed and over-remixed until it's made right again, coated in digital stardust, and oh...THE LYRICS!!! I was grinning while listening to the whole thing, even while repeating certain tracks over and over. How giddy you'll get when you hear the refrain of "Girls Gone Wild" sung through that same vocal processing that reinvigorated Cher's singing career with that terrible song about believing in life after love. This is sheeny and technology-rich, yet undeniably great like only Andrew W.K. and Girl Talk can achieve.

Deathbomb Arc's new "Why Is Anything Forbidden? vol. 2" CD is a tribute to Cash Money Records, and it just might be the raddest swipe anyone's taken at anyone's favorite rapstars, yet with a lot of care and respect, too. While most of the artists on this disc are from California's DIY experimental rock scene, there's an outstanding variety here from college-radio-friendly indie rock all the way to completely cracked noise, and some of the songs are essentially straight covers while others are merely Cash Money-inspired originals, and still some are outrageous deconstructions. You can't let this slip by you.

Rose for Bohdan's releases are all neat and great, yet they're wildly unpredictable, but guitarist/vocalist Brian Miller tells me that for this latest album, the band has succeeded in recording the best possible representation of the live R4B experience, and from having seen the band a few times, I totally agree. The bass-riffs are chunkier than Oprah's ass shitting a Payday bar (sorry!), but a hell of a lot more propulsive. Okay...don't take this the wrong way...but remember when Superchunk and Archers of Loaf were much-hyped? Sure, other than that one "Powerwalker" song by the Archers, I was also kinda bored by those bands, but you know how the most interesting thing about those bands was the bass guitar, right? Well, right now, Rose for Bohdan is showing us the direction those Tarheel bands of yore coulda taken had they not elected to become Docker khaki-wearin' bores in button-down plaid shirts. This is ecstatic, elated, and at times really explosive!

Mt. St. Mtn. is the new record label of Mark Kaiser, who ran Omnibus throughout the 90's until last year, and longtime friend and bandmate (both in Shove and more recently Gift of Goats) Jay Howell. With Jay being quite the visual artiste, Mt. St. Mtn. releases are gonna be beautiful works of art above all, and it's immediately evident when you first behold the inaugural 12-inch EP by San Francisco's The Mall. The sleeve is a stunning screenprinted textural masterpiece, and the music within is upbeat, insistent artpunk with some math-rock accessibility. Strictly algebra-level, though, so if you're a hater of ostentatiously complex math-wank Einsteins, this is probably your speed.

Bipolar Bear is an L.A. band that's related to The Pope, and they just released a new album, which I'm hot on the path for now. This song is from a nondescript two-song demo CDR, and I believe both of these songs ended up on limited-run compilations, and based on just these two songs, they specialize in noiserock with a melodicism that sweeps and soars.

I'll hafta finish this later...

Thanks for listening!
Rick