THE DICTATORS (USA)

FUCK 'EM IF THEY CAN"T TAKE A JOKE
-CS
1981 (ROIR)


Re-Up!



"Once upon a time, there was this loud music called rock'n'roll which people started to take too seriously and it became rock. Then they really fouled things up and took rock seriously and now we have horrible crap. Luckily, even years after the fact, there were a number of brave, hopeless individuals who somehow remembered that rock was supposed to be loud, fun, and crazy. One bunch of misfits was called The Dictators and even though they managed to make some of the best music of the 70s or any decade you could name, they also managed to sink into obscurity while they watched their peers and opening bands move from small clubs to arenas." - Billy Bob Hargus

"Punks before punk was cool, junk culture freaks before the rest of us realized there was such a thing as junk culture, wrestling fanatics at a time when most of America didn't even know who Andre The Giant was and the Hulkster was just a muscle-bound gleam in some pharmacist's eye - New York's Dictators were cranking out loud, hard, fast, fun, dumb and obnoxious years before a market for loud, hard, fast, fun, dumb and obnoxious even existed." - Al Muzer

"Fuck Em If They Can't Take A Joke was ROIR's third release, a sonic atomic bomb from a five-headed street monster that was the perfect bridge between the urban glam of the New York Dolls and the punk edge of the Ramones. The Dictators kicked ass and took names, a dynamic blend of white heat and solid songwriting. They were loud and obnoxious, but if you looked closely you could see that tongue planted firmly in cheek. Not too closely, though...former roadie turned lead vocalist "Handsome Dick" Manitoba prowled the stage like a rabid rhino, keeping time with Richie Teeter's thunder drums. Ross "The Boss" Funicello played blistering lead guitar while Scott "Top Ten" Kempner held the fort on rhythm and Andy/Adny Shernoff handled bass. A Dictators show was a party and a war zone at the same time, and this night was no exception." - Bill Holmes


Tracklist:
1. Next Big Thing
2. Science Gone Too Far
3. Weekend
4. Rock And Roll Made A Man Out Of Me
5. Two-Tub Man
6. Moon Upstairs
7. Loyola
8. What Goes On
9. New York New York
10. Search And Destroy
11. Borneo Jimmy
12. Minnesota Strip


Download (192 kbs, 85 Mb)

UNDERGROWTH 85 - v/a (Canada)

UNDERGROWTH 85
-CS
1985 (Undergrowth/ Collectors R.P.M.)





"The second wave of punk bands in Vancouver started to get respect and better gigs with the help of friend and No Means No manager to-this-day Laurie Mercer who worked at Collectors RPM Records, who put out the first Another Kind of Blues record and Death Sentence and, No Means No 2nd record and more as well as 2 Vancouver Compilation tapes that are very rare and awesome." - Screaming King Neil Embo


"If you go into the city, into Vancouver, you should try and score the following-
1. Any old 'I, Braineater' posters.
2. The 'Undergrowth 85' comp. cassette.
3. An 'Expo Hurts Everyone' shirt." - Cali


From Maximum Rock'n'Roll #36 (1986):

"VANCOUVER-Home of the giant Expo
86 hockey stick. We have a really healthy
scene here with an average all-ages show
bringing in about 300+ people, and
out-of-town bands sometimes raking in about
500 people. There are never any fights nt
gigs and we don't have a skinhead problem.
Local shows are usually put on by Norm
Allity or by bands. Collectors RPM record
store puts on almost all the HC shows with
touring bands, but at, fucking ridiculous
prices (usually 10-12 bucks!)...
Places booking HC arc the Edge (doing most
gigs), New York Theatre (caters to the bigger
bands, with assholes for security!), and the
UBC Sub Ballroom (occassional) . Oh yeah,
John Barley's closed its doors to punk in
November--no big loss)...

Local bands: NG3 (No Guns, No
Gov't, No God) have sadly broken up,
caspecially without any releases to remember
them by. It's rumored that singer/guitarist
Nev has a new hand In the works. Other
bands that have broken up include SOCIAL
MENACE, IRRITANTS, BAD ATTITUDE,
and the FITZ. DOA are back from their tour
of Europe and North America .

DEATH SENTENCE has : released their long-awaited
EP, Not a Pretty Sight. During the summer
they added ex-FITZ drummer Jimmy on bass,
with Tim moving to guitar . This has
improved their live show and they've become
one of the most popular bands In town.

UNNATURAL SILENCE have gotten back
together after 2 years, with Ray as their new
singer. They have a sound like
ANTI-SYSTEM and CONFLICT with fucking
great music and very aware lyrics dealing
with things like animal and human
exploitation, ecology, rape, greed, etc.
They've done 6 gigs so far--a great band
gaining quick popularity!! Wicked with a
crimping iron too!

IMMORAL MINORITY are a hot 3-piece
that's been together for a while . They play
melodic thrash with really cool lyrics and
very positive attitudes . Their sound is in the
7 SECS/YOUTH BRIGADE vein and they
have a tape called Betalliation that rips! (see
MRR #29). They toured the East over the
summer and are rumored to be touring again
with DETOX, so watch for 'cm.

BILL OF RIGHTS have been gigging occasionally but
lost bassist Mike and possibly drummer Stu.
They recently put out a neat tape (Surf.
Skate Sk() which followed up on their
Meltdown 85 EP and previous single.

HOUSE OF COMMONS have been dormant
for the last year except for a tour of Canada
which got them stuck back east for a while.
Their great patriot EP may still be available.

A.K.O.B., featuring a couple of ex-H.0.C.
members, have done only 1 gig since
summer. They are highly influenced by GBH
and UK SUBS and have a 6-song EP out.

LEGION OF DOOM are a cool band
who sound a bit like S.L.F. They're
currently going through a little line-up
change and have got a really good tape out.

ACTIVE GLANDS are a fairly new band with
4 gigs to their name. But fuck are they
intense! Great stop-and-go thrash here
(reminds Inc of CHRIST ON PARADE) and
their singer Roneid has a Biafra-like stage
presence.

LITLE RATSKULLS recently won
1st prize in the Shindig finals (local band
competition). The prize is 24 hours of free
recording time, so they should be in the
studio soon . They have a cool RAMONES
meets the BUZZCOCKS meets the DICKIES
sound.


WITCHES HAMMER are probably the
only speed metal band Vancouver has, and
have a SLAYER-like sound.

UNKNOWN FIBERS haven't done a gig in a long time
(not sure what they're up to .

A.O.T. (Abortions On Toast), our very own thrash
fuck band, are going through another line-up
change.

Some newer bands are SHATTERED
AMBITION, A.W.O.L., AFFLICTED
(skate), DRY HEAVE (fun, party cover
band), and LETHAL VIRUS.


Lotsa vinyl action lately.
The SPORES (garage/funny punk) have an LP called
Schizofunoi.
SLOW (demolition rock)second piece of vinyl is their
Against the Glass, LP.
SHANGHAI DOG (progressivepost punk) have a
really good LP out his Revolution).
INDUSTRIAL WASTE BANNED
(our all-female version of CRASS/POISON GIRLS)
will be featured on a couple of comps from eastern
Canada and have a demo out.

Lotsa bitchln' zines like Cheeky Rebel,
Soagscum- Brano- Generic Drivel. Death To
The Sickoids. Terminally Stupid. Piledriver,
gnd Positive Outlook (formerly Thrash Trax).

All bands: play Vancouver. Don't let the
stupid 100 ft. hockey stick scare you away.
Write me and I'll get you a gig . Think
positive, communicate, cooperate, and
support your scene and the world scene.
Later, John Tsolinas


TRACKLIST:
A01 - HOUSE OF COMMONS - Here Today Gone Tomorrow
A02 - NG3 - Nuclear Death
A03 - AKOB - Pogo Blues
A04 - AKOB - 5 Finger Discount Blues
A05 - BILL OF RIGHTS - Surfrenzy
A06 - BILL OF RIGHTS - The Unknown Surfer
A07 - BAD ATTITUDE - Sinking Time
A08 - OTIS DOG - Welfare Punks
A09 - MECCA NORMAL - Are You Hungry Joe?
A10 - SHANGHAI DOG - American Desert (acoustic)
A11 - SORE HEADS - Teenage Crimewave
A12 - THE KRAUTS - America
A13 - SEXUAL INFECTIONS - Shock Therapy
A14 - ACTIVE GLANDS - It'll Be Me
A15 - IMMORAL MINORITY - No Toys For You
A16 - CELEBRITY DRUNKS - Lift Up That Dress

B01 - EMILY - Fuck The Dog
B02 - INDUSTRIAL WASTE BANNED - Thank You For The Hole In My Head
B03 - IDYLE AND UNDESIRABLE - Kamikaze
B04 - MIA - Louise
B05 - BEAUTY FOUNDATION - The Party
B06 - STAB 'EM IN THE ABDOMEN - Memories Of Kilgore
B07 - BELGIANIQUES - Looking At You
B08 - OMINOUS CINEMA - Stand In The Sun
B09 - A MERRY COW - Bed In The Gutter
B10 - ELECTRIC PURPLE CARROT - Boredom
B11 - BLOOD BBQ - I've Got YOu Babe (Sex Depression Mix)
B12 - SAM - I Am Hitler's Son


Download (256k, 180 Mb)


Update:
You can get Undergrowth '84 over at the mighty fine Model Citizen...Zero Discipline blog.

MC5 (USA)

BABES IN ARMS
-CS
1984 (ROIR)


Re-Up!


"If you don't like them I'll personally give you your money back. Actually, I won't, 'cause if you don't like the MC5 I don't wanna know you." - Jack Feeny



"The MC5's story is important because it's five guys from Detroit who, against all prevailing wisdom, at a time when the music business really didn't wanna know, tried to make something happen. I think there's something to be said for that. Unequivocal commitment to trying to achieve. The sense of possibility...

But we were part of a great community that was really unique. It didn't really exist anywhere else. It had to do with Detroit being a factory town, being a hard working town. This work ethic cut across to everything. The people worked hard and they wanted to see their bands play hard. It also created an openness for the cross-pollination between black music and what we did as white rockers, that didn't exist anywhere else. We had friends in P-Funk. Detroit had a kind of proletariat, utopian thing happening because everybody worked. There wasn't the class distinction that I think existed in other parts of America at the same time. I didn't realize til years later that in other cities all the white people grew up in one place and all the people of color grew up in another place. It wasn't like that in Detroit. There was room for everybody 'cause everybody had jobs and that's the real issue.

So, the cross-pollination and the influence of Motown... we all wanted to grow up and be the Motown recording band. Those were our idols. Even later in the MC5, we still did Motown covers 'cause that was the most stretched-out music happening in pop... It made more of a community- 'we're from Detroit and proud of it.' " - Wayne Kramer



"Despite all the rare mixes and original versions adduced in the notes, the only great track totally unfamiliar to this proud (and lucky) owner of the 5's three albums is a cover of Them's "I Can Only Give You Everything." The rest of the obscure stuff merely augments a superbly paced compilation. The raw songcraft and new-thing chaos of Detroit's other great protopunk band were further ahead of their time than it seemed five years ago. And drummer Dennis Thompson was a motherfucker. A MINUS" - Robert Christgau


MC5:
Rob Tyner - vocals
Fred "Sonic" Smith - guitar
Wayne Kramer - guitar
Michael Davis - bass
Dennis Thompson - drums



Tracklist:
Shakin' Street
American Ruse
Skunk (Sonically Speaking)
Tuttie Fruttie
Poison
Gotta Keep Moving
Tonite
Kick Out The Jams
Sister Ann
Future Now
Gold
I Can Only Give You Everything
One Of The Guys
I Just Don't Know
Looking at You


Download (192 Kbs, 68 Mb)

FLAT DUO JETS (USA)

LUCKY EYE
-CD
1998 (Outpost)


Re-Up!


"Flat Duo Jets have made the kind of record that you listen to on a crackly AM radio in your parked car on a dark '50s night. The only thing to illuminate the road is two sets of headlights and the odd cherry of a cigarette flickering at the sides. Engines rev, tires spin and a whole lot of gravel fires into the air. Beads of sweat rest on your brow to make speed demon history. The dust clears and the only thing left behind for the crowd to see is the glimmering tailpipes of two hot rods shooting off into the distance like firecrackers." - Aubrey McInnis


"If you have known the 'Jets for any length of time the first thing you will notice about Lucky Eye is the strings. Strings on a rockabilly record? Yeah, strings. What many do not, will not, realize is that Dex has a much wider range than the psychotic rockabilly cat we have grown to know and love. Dex has style. Dex has grace. Dex has it all, but has never been in a position to show it before." - bmodern


"From the start, Flat Duo Jets shows became legendary for the fierce drumming of Crow and the blazing guitar work of Dex Romweber. The image of Crow lanky and hovering over his tiny kit, staring through his stringy black mane of hair toward Dex as he looks to the ceiling, briefly, before ripping into the opening riffs of a tune etched into the setlist inside his head is indelible. This WAS the Flat Duo Jets.

What distinguished this band from other retro outfits is that the Duo Jets were not really retro at all. While their music was certainly inspired by the rock-n-roll of the 1950's, one got the feeling that nothing was calculated. There was no marketing ploy on anyone's part to capitalize on a trend or movement at the time. Dex and Crow brought the music to life with such vitality and passion that the styles did not seem antiquated in their hands. This was the genuine article." - Jeff Arndt


Tracklist:
1. Lucky Eye (Romweber)
2. String Along (Romweber)
3. Go This Way (Romweber)
4. Virginia Surf (Romweber)
5. Dark Night (Romweber)
6. Lonley Guy (Romweber)
7. Creepin' Invention (Romweber)
8. Hustle 'N' Bustle (Romweber/Stamey)
9. Blues Wrapped Around My Head (Romweber)
10. Hot Rod Baby (Romweber)
11. New York Studio (Romweber/Stamey)
12. Sharks Flying In (Romweber)
13. Boogie Boogie (Romweber/Stamey)
14. Love Is All Around (Romweber)
15. Ludwiggin' (Romweber)
16. Rockin' Mode (Romweber)
17. California Luau (Romweber)
18. Little M (C. Smith)


Download (192 Kbs, 60 Mb)

The SPITFIRES (Canada)

The SPITFIRES
-cd
1998 (Sonic Swirl)



Re-UP!


"High energy garage rock'n'roll from Vancouver group, THE SPITFIRES, whose numerous recordings have been released on Junk Records, Estrus, Sonic Swirl, Tee Pee, Rockin' Bones and Twenty Stone Baltt...
Weaned on cheap beer and the likes of the Dead Boys, reviews compare them to the Hives on the one hand, saying that both are "peddling the same wired rock'n'roll", and even going so far as to claim that the new album "eclipses anything the Hives have done, being that extra bit sharper and on the money". At the same time other reviewers state that this band is what you get "if AC/DC retained the killer riffs and power they somehow lost with the death of Bon Scott and then fused it with punk energy". Another review said, "F-ck groupies, blow and tour buses - for bands like the Spitfires rock'n'roll is more about broken bottles, skull-splitting hangovers and enough swagger to impress 1970s-era Keith Richards." Sounds good to me! "
-Bomp List Archives

Tracklist:
01 Social Club
02 Bringin' Me Down
03 Goin' Up For The Downfall
04 Gotta Go
05 Go On Girl
06 Hit-n-Run
07 Drop Kick Me Jesus
08 High Test Sucka
09 In Your Underwear
10 Little Girl
11 Brand New Wave


Download (192 kbs, 44 Mb)