Due to the hectic nature of the holiday season, i really haven't had the time to sit down and post as much as i'd like. Certainly have way too much to do and too much going on, including a trip home to the east coast for a bit. Expect more posting early in the new year when i get back. Until then, maybe you should be spending your time digging around in the dollar bins. Here's a few things i recently scored for no more than 2 bucks a pop...
Professionals - Join The Professionals lp (UK)
Demics - Talk's Cheap 12" (Canada)
Teenage Head - S/t lp (Canada)
CH3 - S/t 12" (USA)
Asexuals - Be What You Want lp (Canada)
Oh and if anyone is looking for the perfect gift for me, i've realized that i've been living in sin for not owning Agent Orange's "Bloodstains" single. I'm sure this gift idea with surely transform into a new year's resolution though. See you in a couple weeks...
While last time around i was confessing about the lack of hardcore i'd been posting here, it hasn't taken me long to come back to the poppier side of the punk rock world. This would be because recently a turned up a copy of a record that i have been searching quite some time to find and i just can't resist saying a few words about one of my favorite non hardcore releases from the NYC area. By all rights, the Nasty Facts should have been bigger than big or at least done well enough for themselves to release another record. Perhaps then we would have gotten more than these 3 fine songs to remember them by. Nevertheless, such is not the case and this IS all we have, but what a great batch of songs to have attached to your name. Not only that, but have them all included on the same record.
Many years ago after moving to Toronto, i took a job working at a local rep cinema where myself and a friend of mine, Mr. Mark Pesci spent most of our shifts together shooting the shit about music and bands etc. Being a job with lots of downtime, there was always time for this or watching whatever was on the screen. Even with that though, being a job with low pay and few hours, i somehow managed to survive on it for a few years even if every night i was eating popcorn and drinking soda water as my dinner. But that's another story. The point was that over the years i picked up on some names of bands off Mark as i usually did and searched them out when i felt convinced that it was going to be something that i might like. This ended up being the case when i discovered the Nasty Facts 45, which after i downloaded, ended up getting quite a bit of play on the ipod shuffle that i was borrowing.
One of the things that i love the most about the record is that the vocals are so androgynous and sound amazing. At times you can think that it's a guy singing but seconds later it sounds like it could quite possibly be a girl. It borderlines gender to the point where many people have mentioned to me that they simply just don't know. Pretty rare for that to happen with a band, but the bottom line is that the singing on this record just sounds great. To my understanding, the majority of the lead vocals are done by female bassist and songwriter Cherl Boyze who from most accounts was a bit of a 'tom-boy'. Who knows. Musically, the songs are just simple catchy punk songs with a very poppy and melodic feel to them that should even induce pogoing in the most bitter and jaded folks. I wouldn't label this quite powerpop, but i could see how many probably would. One of the things i like the most about these recordings are how the snare, bass and tom drums all sound. Very thick and heavy, they seem like they'd be out of place with the songs, but it give it a very strong backbone. Giddy up.
I don't actually know many folks that have a copy of this, but here's a bit of info about the pressings. The first and original release was done with Jimboco records out of NYC. As far as i can tell, they did two different pressings, one of which has a large center hole and one that has a small. Though the label designs on these two are different, they're both printed on the same light blue colored paper. A year or so later after it's release, a UK (or french, depending on who you talk to) press was done on the 5th Column label. These are easy to differentiate from the US press as the labels are orange and the sleeves contain not only the 5th Column logo, but also a "5C2" in the upper left hand of the front cover. Apparently the UK press is much easier to find than the US one and as far as i can tell, goes for a bit less. That's not to say that you'll be able to find one for under 20 bucks in a shop, BUT stranger things have happened.
This is one of those records that i always wanted to pick up but just never saw a copy besides being listed on the online marketplace, going for much more than i was willing to shell out. Eventually, one did come my way for an offer that i deemed fair and the 'cheque was in the mail' so to speak. I wish i could have picked up a few other tempting things from the same fella, but alas it just wasn't meant to me. And really, i did get the best of the pile so what's there to complain about? Time to spin this platter another couple of times...
Oh and for those who always insisted that it was a fella behind the mic, i found this while doing a bit of looking around on popsike. It almost looks like this COULD be the cover and honestly, i kinda wish it was. Looks like my friend's crazy Uncle Jesus!
What better record to cope with my manic depression than the Manic Depressives single! Yes, this really is quite the punk rock masterpiece that no one seems to make it out to be and while it doesn't get weekly spins on my turntable, i'm always reminded why i think so when it does. Some would probably chalk this record up to being way too simple or kind of disposable, something i've read in various spots here and there while mentioning it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Ok, i jest. It IS simple, but goddamn if it isn't the catchiest version of simple i've ever heard!
The MD's hail from the swampy gumbo known as New Orleans and like the other few locals from their area (ummmm, the Normals anyone?) they released a gem of a 45 and then just sort of faded away. A tragedy really, especially if they could have kept of the writing pace of these recordings. There's so much high end and treble on this record that you'd think it'd possibly ruin it, but it works and it just happens to make the drums and guitar tone sound mindblowing. The songs themselves are great, well written and all around are the kind that get stuck in your head, which for me is the true test of a great musical diddy. They keep it straight forward but add a nice batch of hooks, leads and the occasional solo over those trashy sounding drums that keep a great back beat and doesn't stray too far from the basics. If that wasn't enough for you, the vocalist, the back ups and all the harmonies in between just put it over the top. Did i mention that each song gets faster than the last? Great.
For the nerds keeping track, you might recognize the Vinyl Solution label from their later hardcore eps like Toxin III and Shell Shock, but surprisingly the MD's single is much easier to track down that either of those. I picked up mine at a local shop that happened to get a few stock copies in straight from the fella that ran the label, who i imagine is still holding a batch. For a record that had been released in 1980, the damn thing looked like it could have been put out yesterday. Certainly lived up to the term 'Mint' in a world where a term like that has lost all meaning. Not a single crease or tear and looked like the sleeve had never even held a record. Score. But to continue, even online i haven't seen this thing break 20 bucks which means if you don't have it, you should and there's really no excuse for you not to. I imagine this will increase in value more in the next couple years when they're harder to find and the cat's out of the bag on how great it is, but at least for the time being this is one of those few GREAT American punk records you can still find for cheap.
I should also mention that i have the sneaking suspicion that vocalist Mandeville Mike was also the singer in another great New Orleans group The Skinnies, who's 1978 'Kill The Beat' is more than worth looking into. Feel free to confirm or deny...
