NOTES from the Undergroun
"Where would you rather be, on the road partying with a
great band and meeting lots of interesting people, get
ting free food and free booze, or working at a factory with
three kids in Kentucky?" Didjits guitarist/vocalist Rick
Sims had to ask himself that tough question after losing
brother drummer Brad Sims to a wife and job in bluegrass
country. Not to be deterred. Sims scraped up drummer
Todd Cole from Mentoon, IL and wants the world to know
The Didjts are back and they're bigger assholes than
ever. Case in point, a short but sharp jab at the bread-
basket of America called Little Miss Carriage! We're from
the school of guitar rock, which we think isn't being done
a whole lot real well," says Sims. There are so many
guitar bands that are too lame and wimpy. We believe in
tuming it up and letting it rip". New York City is one of
the roughest places in the world, and it gives local bands
like Sick Of It All a harder edge. According to vocalist Lou
Koller, "Living in the city, you have to have an attitude that
you know what's going on and you're not a sucka that's
going to get taken. It comes through in our music, but we
also give the message you don't have to be a tough guy
all the time." After ten years, Just Look Around proves Sick
Of it All can stil progress and stay true to its original sound
"We stick to our roots from the hardcore scene," says
Koller. "Other bands change their sound and flop because
the new fans don't like it and the old fans are pissed. We
take from different kinds of music, but we apply it to our
own style... Those "squealin' studs of pudness." Austin's
Skatenigs, avenge the death of disco with a sonic bar-
rage called Stupid People
Shouldn't Breed. If anyone
should question the validity of
that statement, the band sent
out condoms with their press
packs to apply where nec-
essary. Stupid People is fat
and hard, pounding, smashing
and crashing through a thick
jam of the rough, tough and
the ugly... You can't kill what's
already dead, and SOD crush
any and all comers with Live af
Budokan. This live recording
from The Ritz in NYC on
March 21, 1992, is more seri-
ous than cancer. An epic per-
formance by a raging gang of
metal-crazed madmen led by
Sgt. D and Scotty lan of
Anthrax. For a psychedelic
excursion into the fuzzy navel of grunge transference,
check into Too Little, Too Late by the Psychoviolets.
Heavier than lead... If dogs punked out instead of bark
ing at sirens, it might sound like Dog Eat Dog from New
Jersey. This pack of canine carnivores chews up funkified
shards of metal, melodically growls about "Cockroaches,"
Free Love" and "Life in Hell," and buries it in a backyard
called I. Dog Eater. The Dog features former members
of Murphy's Law and Mucky Pup, and cover art by pro-
ific tagmeister Andy Howell. The precision tradition
of Chicago's Tar continues with a 7" called The in
Crowd/Teetering. The cover art is possibly the ultimate
name-dropping thank-you list ever. Guitarist/singer.
John Mohr says the band borrowed friends and family
from ragers like Articles of Faith, Bull Dog Buzzcocks
and Zany Guys, and thanked them as if they were their
own. Not everybody has gotten the joke, but Mohr laughs
every time he sees certain names. "Seven Seconds
was a pretty big riot," he says. "On Committed for Life, they
apologize to some girl for missing her birthday party. It
says thanks to SNFU for the equipment. lan MacKaye is
thanked on there several times. The Big Boys thanked
Stacy Peralta for the wheels. He never gave us any
wheels, but thanks anyways"
Brian Brannon
Suffering the effects of
deli platters, guest lists,
sound checks and free
booze, Samiam get the
heebee-jeebies in the
luxurious backstage of
Maxwell's in Hoboken,
New Jersey.
the RICKTER
SCALE...
No Comment, Downside, where no one has gone
7. Eleven undisputable before. Not your everyday
thrashfests that make you
flush the first DRI record. Life
is nothing without this...
Venison, 6 Points of Light,
CD. A Slim-Jac CD 5 pack-
age that includes the brutal
ly infamous "1/15/91 single.
Musically vital and demand
ing with a touch of Big Black
Karl Hendricks, Lp.
Pittsburgh trio with rockin'
and toppin tunes no pop
collection is complete with
out Agent Orange, 7". It's
been a while, but yup, it's AO
all over again on a huge
swell of wave ridin' ritts...
Zeni Geva, Nai-Ha, CD.
Third and easiest to listen to
album by this amazing Jap
anese noise trio. Twin guitar
assault (no bass needed)
that's exhausting, especially
live Produced by Steve
Abini for insurability... Sar-
koma, Completely Different,
CD. Deemed indescribable.
Sarkoma mold all musical
influences into a spectrum
lyric content.... Sebadoh,
Rocking the Forest, CD.
Another fine release by Lou
and gang bordering on eso
teric psych with backwoods
periness, bursts of pure rock
energy and plenty of feed
back. Babes In Toyland,
Fontanele, CD. Don't let the
major label fool ya. The
Babes blend solid licks and
rhythms to cuddle up with...
Cadaver, In Pains, CD. The
only death metal band ever
to trade in the bass guitar for
a double bass. Seething
Norwegian grind thump
that'll fillet the soul... Incan
tation, Onward to Golgotha,
CD. Combining enough
heavy parts to cause blood
clots with memorable speed
riffs, Incantation creates a
doom I find hard to defeat...
Gruntruck, Push, CD.
Mucho northwest grungo
that's make Pearl Jammers
shrivel up and die... Grinch,
The Blacking Factory, CD.
These East Bayers pinched
my nerves when witnessed
their crushing live set. The Lp
is no let down, hardy heaps
of pounding rhythms...
Righteous Pigs, Stress
Related, CD. Premier Las
Vegas grindcore unit with
Mitch Harris (ex-Napaim
Death) and crew concocting
an unforgettable cryptonic
onslaught... Biohazard,
Urban Discipline, CD. To the
point lyrics and power bursts
by these NY mayhem mak-
ers that had me moshing for
more... Royal Trux, CD:
Back to more traditional
grounds with killer trashy
blues ballads... Laughing
Hyenas, Crawl, CD. After a
line-up change the Hyenas
still blast out wholesome
blues-driven rhythms and
John Brannon can still how
at the moon... Jawbreaker,
Bivouac, CD. The mighty
third album by a band that
comes a long way fast.
More intricate and lyrically
moody than past stuff, still
satisfying... Gas Huffer, Hot
Cakes, 7". SubPop finally
asked these psychobilly
masters for a couple of tunes
and everyone lived happily
ever after. Rick Rotsaert
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