8-20-2015

Setlist:
1. Electric Eels - Accident
2. Specel Lesters Shoes - Untitled Frustration
3. The Fuckin Flyin A-Heads - Swiss Cheese Back
4. Bad Taste - Summertime Blues
5. Pets Or Food - L. Ron Hubbard
6. Primitive Calculators - I Can't Stop It
7. Bodysnatchers - Frantic
8. The Silver - Do You Wanna Dance?
9. Panther Skull - Transistor Owls

Electric Eels - "Accident"

Recorded in 1974/1975, Released in 1991 on the "God Says Fuck You" compilation on Homestead Records, repressed on 2014's "Die Electric Eels"comp released on Superior Viaduct Records.
A criminally over-looked Eels track, Accident was from the same studio sessions that birthed other Electric Eels classics, such as 'Agitated,' 'Cyclotron,' 'You're Full Of Shit,' and 'Jaguar Ride,' amongst other tracks. The sessions appear in full on Superior Viaducts 2014 compilation Die Electric Eels, along with a 1973 demo called 'You Crummy Fags.' 
I love the intentionally bad harmonies during the chorus, along with John Morton's way of turning glam riffs on their heads. Electric Eels always sounded like rock music committing suicide (or sewercide?), and this is a prime example of such.

Specel Lesters Shoes - "Untitled Frustration"

Off the "Love Is Coming For You (2)" released on Orange SLS Records in 2014.

Specel Lesters Shoes was the first (and founding) act on Orange SLS Records; in fact the SLS in Orange SLS means "Specel Lesters Shoes." 

The band, to my knowledge, was founded by Scotty Shoes and Gabe Shoes. They recorded plenty of stuff - studio takes, demos, live shoes - all that. Sadly, around 2011 or so - Gabe Shoes died. There's hints to suicide, but I'm not completely sure. Due to Gabe's death, Scotty, owner of Orange SLS, would go on to disband the group and release albums and compilations of previously unreleased demos, studio sessions and live tapes to fulfill a promise. 

The album "Love Is Coming For You (II)" is alternate takes to songs that appeared on "Love Is Coming For You," this time with amps and electric guitars; not acoustic.

You could argue whether or not Specel Lesters Shoes "started" rural New York's modern day folk punk / anti-folk / folk rock scene, but that's a debate that would keep very few people's interest.

>> View the Specel Lesters Shoes catalog here <<

>> Buy 'Love Is Coming For You (II) here <<

>> Stream 'Love Is Coming For You (II) here <<

The Fuckin' Flyin' A-Heads - "Swiss Cheese Back"

Off the "Swiss Cheese Back / Watching TV" single released on Otaro Records in 1980.

An atonal mess a la Flipper or Z, the A-Heads are Hawaii's first punk act, if you'd want to call this Punk. Taking influence from Motorhead, Blue Cheer, and the Mabuhay Gardens bands of the late 70's.

Despite having little success booking gigs, the A-Heads were able to record one of their few live sets; 2 tracks of which are featured on this single, 'Swiss Cheese Back' and 'Watching TV.' Both tracks are pretty atonal and garbled, but I'd say that the A-Side is the superior track; hence why it's here.

The label, Otaro Records, seems to be independently founded by the A-Heads themselves, or a good friend. The only releases is this 7" and the album "Street Songs" by Howard Nishioka; which A-Heads vocalist Eric Ishii did the artwork for. The label is most likely defunct, since this single was repressed in 2010 by De Stijl, not Otaro.

If you wish to know more, than read a interview with Eric Ishii here.

Bad Taste - "Summertime Blues"

Off the "I Was A Teenage Jack The Ripper" EP released on Feral Kid Records in 2010.

Another act from Rochester, NY; Bad Taste, much like their peers Brain Car, (who were on the 8/11/2015 post) Bad Taste take 80's Hardcore and refurbish it in order to not be 'another throw back band.' Unlike Brain Car, however, Bad Taste don't deviate too horribly much. Sounding quite a bit like early DRI or Government Issue, Bad Taste's only EP, I Was A Teenage Jack The Ripper, features 9 tracks that all sound the same. Due to that, I decided to put the longest song up, a sloppy cover of Eddie Cochran's Summertime Blues. Atonal, sloppy and all over the place, Bad Taste makes it clear they couldn't be anymore apathetic.

Now broken up, Bad Taste remain as one of Rochester's most prolific 2010's punk act, although that history is still being written with bands like Tapehead and Harmonica Lewinski.

>> View Feral Kid's Catalog here <<

>> Buy 'I Was A Teenage Jack The Ripper' here <<

Pets Or Food - "L Ron Hubbard"

Off the "L Ron Hubbard / The Ghost Of Wigwam Vomit" released on Solfmormorkelse records in 2010.

Some of the best post-2000 'No Wave' I've ever heard, Pets Or Food are quirky yet brutal - the primal smashing sounds of early Swans coupled with the angular guitar work and shouts of DNA or Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, Pets Or Food are the modern No Wave band everyone aspires to be. The B-side, "The Ghost Of Wigwam Vomit" will probably be on a future post, as well. 

Primitive Calculators - "I Can't Stop It"

Off the "Do That Dance / I Can't Stop It" single released independently in 1979.

An all out oddity of the 70's underground, the psuedo-No Wave blasts of synth and guitar generated noise forms a wall of uncomfortable sound. The first release from the Australian group, the A-side and B-side of this 1979 single are a prime example of PC's sound. Initially active from 1978 to 1987 (only to reunite in 2009), they have become one of the most prolific bands in Australia's underground.

Bodysnatchers - "Frantic"

Off the "Frantic / Mystery" single released on Savage Music in 1979.

Also from Australia - Bodysnatchers are definitely an off-shoot of The Primitive Calulators - Bodysnatchers take the structure of feel good pop tunes and distorts it. Lo-Fi, catchy yet otherwordly - Bodysnatchers definitely could only come from Australia. 

The Silver - "Do You Wanna Dance?"

Off the "Do You Wanna Dance? / Popper" single released on Black Label Series records in 1980.

Every listener of The Silver has a unique "story" about how they came across the band and got into their mystique - and I will not delve into such. All I'll say on that is if you're part of a certain fan club, then it's been one hell of a ride. 

Extremely long story short - The Silver are a Finnish noise rock (although I doubt that was their intention) composed of pre-pubescent children that up until this year remained completely unknown. The 2 people banging away here are Harri "Angel" Englund (now an accomplished author, political activist and college professor) and another mysterious man named Steve Mink - whom remains unfound. This single was released in 1980 on Black Label Series (Leevi and The Leavings label) and repressed on "pop con" in the mid 2000's. 

And now to the music - holy shit!

Panther Skull - "Transistor Owls"

Off the "Transistor Owls" released on Tone Filth records in 2005.

Released on Minneapolis' now defunct Tone Filth, Panther Skull's one song, single sided LP is a 16 minute drone akin to Family Underground (as featured on the 8/15/2015 show) and other contemporary drone acts - especially the others on the Tone Filth label, until label founder Justin Meyers shut it down and started Sympathy Limited.

I know very little about Panther Skull - just that they released drone with clear death industrial influence; demonstrating some of the best Atrax Morgue and Maurizio Bianchi worship ever.