ZOUNDS
PRESENTS
SKATE ROCK
When it comes to serious skate tunes, the
following bands wheel and deal. They all appear
on Thrasher's tenth musical compilation,
Explicit Sktrok, which blasts an earful of
torchers and scorchers.
by
Mike LaVella
LESS IS MORE are in a bit of a bind.
Drummer and all-around nice guy Seth broke
his wrist skateboarding and will be in a cast for
at least six months. The San Francisco band has
been at it for three years. Seth and bassist Mike
have been skating and playing together since
childhood. Pete, guitarist and S.F. punk scene
veteran, says they have played "everywhere in
the Bay Area, parties, warehouses, anything."
and are currently mixing their full-length Lp
Sawlid. Luckily, the drum tracks were laid
down prior to the wrist surgery, and it won't
be
ng before they are at it again. Less I
Iso noted for its energetic live
show. Seth keeps his cymbals so high he has
to jump for them because, he explains, "I
got tired of drummers blending into the
background. I wanted to go about things
Keith Moon style." Their music has been
described as "Spike Jones meets Aero-
smith" and the song "The Brick" on the
new skate rock compilation is a high-
intensity instrumental "just for the fun of
it." Down but not out, these guys will
continue to rage, on the streets, on back-
yard ramps, and on the stage, where they
are most at home.
HEMI Mike LaVella
CMII Ever hear of big block rock?
San Francisco's Hemi define it with a
hard and heavy rocking sound. Drum-
mer Matt Etheridge and guitarist Mike
Fox were in Los Olvidados. Singer
Dave Durran was in San Francisco-
based Clown Alley and Eye Ball and
New Mexico's Jerry's Kidz. Ed Davis
rounds out the quartet on bass.
Known for awhile as Spider Baby,
Hemi changed their name when Dave
10
GOODBYE
GEMINI
joined up. "Are you punk rock?" Thrasher asked
Matt. "Just loud" was the reply. They have three 7"
singles out and an Lp in the works. "Slow Leak" is
about the tribulations of low of air pressure.
Gentlemen, pump your tires.
70 T MACAN
SWELL Mike Lavella
I paint a portrait of impressionistic sound on their
new self-titled album. Likewise, "Sick Half of a Church'
which features a vagrant street screamer on vocals, is a
dirty example of Swell's musical urgency, but it only offers
a blurry glimpse of the band's turbulent dark side. Formed
one year ago in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, Swell is
swiftly becoming a local favorite. The groan Kirkpatrick,
consists of
founder/songwriter David Freel, drummer Sean I
veteran skatehead and bassist Monte Vallier, and Thrasher's
own Jawhn Dettman on guitar. Live, they have the ability to
climb inside an audience's head, poke around like rats in
a dumpster and always come out with something. Swell is
certainly a stormy change in the weather.
VERBAL ABUSE Lala
"Still Alive" pretty much says it all.
Vocalist Scotty says, solid. We've finally gotten everything
true, but this line-up is
had a revolving membership, it's
together." The current Abusers have toured Europe twice
and the new Lp Red, White &
Violet is def-
initely differ-
ent, he says,
"more to-
wards, umm...
hard rock,
punk, rock
and roll... you
just gotta
hear it."
BLUNT
ain WIN Chilled
JFA
BOMB
THE
BONESHAVERS