The Big Boys – “Wreck Collection” (Gern Blandstein
Records)
This is a great compilation of pretty much everything this
Austin, Texas band ever recorded during their existence in the eighties. It’s
some kind of punk, but with weird ahead of the times touches. We used to call
stuff like this alternative music before that term lost all meaning. There’s
some straight forward rock stuff (“Shut Up“, “Frat Cars“), but most of this is
decidedly more offbeat. There’s dissonant, almost noise rock stuff (“Mutant
Rock”, “Rules”), songs with weird sound effects (“Rock Pil”), creepy sounding
dirges (“Manipulation”, “Damage 43”), and forays into surf rock (a cover of
“Wipe Out”) and funk (“Funk Off”, “We Got Soul”) long before those styles became
trendy in the underground. The lyrics are pretty weird too, especially for a
period in underground music where politics and smart ass humor were the norm.
Not unlike Pere Ubu or fellow Texans The Butthole Surfers, The Big Boys don’t
have much use for musical boundaries or traditional ideas of what can and can’t
be done in rock. If only more bands today were this adventurous. To quote The
Big Boys themselves, “fuck a bunch of rules,” and “gimme gimme gimme gimme
mutant rock.” (Bob Ignizio)
Lotus Pedal – “Secret Space Machine” single (self
released)
(No cover image)
I got the cassette version of this, which features 4 songs
instead of 3. “Secret Space Machine” is the main track these guys are pushing.
The song twists the typical alien abduction motif to tell the tale of a sexy
space babe absconding with an earth man for carnal purposes. It’s also the most
overtly “space rock” sounding tune on here, with synthesizer noodling providing
the Hawkwind-esque atmosphere. “Karma Soldiers” reminds me a bit of Farflung,
but with more of a pop sensibility. “Ultrasonic” is an up-tempo rocker with a
bit of a NWOBHM feel to it. “Space Child” closes things out by straddling
the line between space rock and straight forward metal. Lotus Pedal wisely
varies the tempo and intensity from song to song while maintaining a distinctive
identity. They also avoid the tendency of similar bands to go off on lengthy
jams, preferring a more song based approach with an emphasis on the vocals.
Although the material is good, the production is a little weak with the guitars
in particular sounding a bit thin. Still, this is not a bad first effort from
these guys and one that shows promise. (Bob Ignizio)
If you’re a fan of NE Ohio underground music and have
access to the internet, you’ve probably spent at least a little time browsing
through the ClePunk website. If not, go check it out (after you’ve exhausted
everything on Utter Trash first, of course). Anyway, ClePunk has compiled an
excellent overview of the area scene with this release, covering every possible
permutation of music that could be labeled as some kind of punk. Chances are
you won’t like everything on here - I could definitely do without the ska,
myself - but almost all the bands play their particular styles well. Personal
faves include The Vacancies “Get Love”, Allergic To Whores’ “Breath of Life”,
and Phestur’s “This Thing”. Overall I’d say I liked more than half the bands
on here, which isn’t bad considering the wide range of styles covered. For the
ridiculously low price, you can’t really lose. Go buy this now, and then go
check out some of these bands live. (Bob Ignizio)
Zao's latest
starts off with the memorable classic, "The Buzzing". This is pure thrash done
in the hardcore vein with the vocals screaming out as if to bite your head off.
And it’s all done with outstanding musicianship to boot! Track two, however,
takes us to where their last self-titled CD left off. Some great heavy
thrashing mixed with commercial elements that don't belong there. It's as if
Soundgarden or Tool took over for a few measures, then Zao came back and kicked
their asses. But SG and Tool keep coming at them. A lot of bands are doing this
now; trying to appeal to a wider audience while throwing off fans of their
original METAL music. "Parade of Chaos” however, contains more of the classic
Zao heaviness than unfortunate commercial parts. Other standout tracks include
the title track, "The Buzzing" and "Free the Three" [Ed. - about the West
Memphis Three, subjects of the recent Black Flag tribute CD ‘Rise Above’]. Lots
of catchy thrash riffs with some of the best screaming vocals you'll ever hear.
(Mike Salamone)
This is a great compilation of pretty much everything this
Austin, Texas band ever recorded during their existence in the eighties. It’s
some kind of punk, but with weird ahead of the times touches. We used to call
stuff like this alternative music before that term lost all meaning. There’s
some straight forward rock stuff (“Shut Up“, “Frat Cars“), but most of this is
decidedly more offbeat. There’s dissonant, almost noise rock stuff (“Mutant
Rock”, “Rules”), songs with weird sound effects (“Rock Pil”), creepy sounding
dirges (“Manipulation”, “Damage 43”), and forays into surf rock (a cover of
“Wipe Out”) and funk (“Funk Off”, “We Got Soul”) long before those styles became
trendy in the underground. The lyrics are pretty weird too, especially for a
period in underground music where politics and smart ass humor were the norm.
Not unlike Pere Ubu or fellow Texans The Butthole Surfers, The Big Boys don’t
have much use for musical boundaries or traditional ideas of what can and can’t
be done in rock. If only more bands today were this adventurous. To quote The
Big Boys themselves, “fuck a bunch of rules,” and “gimme gimme gimme gimme
mutant rock.” (Bob Ignizio)
If you’re a fan of NE Ohio underground music and have
access to the internet, you’ve probably spent at least a little time browsing
through the ClePunk website. If not, go check it out (after you’ve exhausted
everything on Utter Trash first, of course). Anyway, ClePunk has compiled an
excellent overview of the area scene with this release, covering every possible
permutation of music that could be labeled as some kind of punk. Chances are
you won’t like everything on here - I could definitely do without the ska,
myself - but almost all the bands play their particular styles well. Personal
faves include The Vacancies “Get Love”, Allergic To Whores’ “Breath of Life”,
and Phestur’s “This Thing”. Overall I’d say I liked more than half the bands
on here, which isn’t bad considering the wide range of styles covered. For the
ridiculously low price, you can’t really lose. Go buy this now, and then go
check out some of these bands live. (Bob Ignizio)
Zao's latest
starts off with the memorable classic, "The Buzzing". This is pure thrash done
in the hardcore vein with the vocals screaming out as if to bite your head off.
And it’s all done with outstanding musicianship to boot! Track two, however,
takes us to where their last self-titled CD left off. Some great heavy
thrashing mixed with commercial elements that don't belong there. It's as if
Soundgarden or Tool took over for a few measures, then Zao came back and kicked
their asses. But SG and Tool keep coming at them. A lot of bands are doing this
now; trying to appeal to a wider audience while throwing off fans of their
original METAL music. "Parade of Chaos” however, contains more of the classic
Zao heaviness than unfortunate commercial parts. Other standout tracks include
the title track, "The Buzzing" and "Free the Three" [Ed. - about the West
Memphis Three, subjects of the recent Black Flag tribute CD ‘Rise Above’]. Lots
of catchy thrash riffs with some of the best screaming vocals you'll ever hear.
(Mike Salamone)