Bearish Gentleman, 34, Seeks 7"s and Up for Spinning Pleasure

The cover of this record provides incontrovertible proof that we should shoot everyone that took pictures of us as teenagers – or at least confiscate the pictures and negatives at gunpoint.

That aside, the contents are more nicely dynamic, well-arranged, subtly shaped songs from Kaia (guitar/vocals), Melissa (drums) and Allison (bass/vocals), with the beautifully deep vocals of the latter making a nice contrast on the B-side with Kaia’s more plaintive tone (in fact, I initially figured it was some nice bearish guy (a fag can dream, can’t he?), though that would seem a bit out of place on a Butchies release).

My very first Fugazi record. I’m not sure I ever tried to consciously avoid this band’s output, but there you are…

The A-side has a very deliberate pacing, with a hint of funk, featuring Ian McKaye’s harsh but catchy vocals, and occasionally bursting into noisy guitar passages and precise drum fills and off-beats.

#5 is a power-chord driven instrumental that was entertaining enough, if a bit too much of one idea repeated over and over with slight variations.

Hello Morning has a repetitive, forward-pushing guitar riff and a rather thrashy tempo, but did not do much for me.

Interesting, and you have to give a band a bit of credit for releasing a stand-alone single at the same time as its new album – but I would not say you would die for its lack…

Gay Dad, Transmission/Sailing By 7" (B-Unique Records)

This rather sadly over-hyped band (who are really quite pleasant, but not the salvation of humanity, as the initial round of major-label promotion two years ago suggested) are back, with a few line-up changes and a less grandiose sound.

The A-side continues in the group’s earlier glam/camp mode, with long guitar lines, falsetto vocals and a general sense of decadence.

The B-side is slower and more melodic, with high fragile vocals, and stays pretty mellow and dreamy for its duration.

Nice, and hopefully typical of the album. Good pop stuff…

Limpwrist 7" (Paralogy Records, PO Box 14253, Albany, NY, 12212)

Gay straight-edge hardcore, courtesy of: Martin (ex-Los Crudos) on vocals; Mark on guitar; Andrew on bass; and Paul on drums (by the way, scandal of scandals, Paul doesn’t get to sleep with boys, poor thing, and Andrew apparently has been known to drink – turn in your credentials, studs!).

Don’t throw out the lyric sheet, both because there is a neat poster on its back of a gun-wielding rebel urging gaybashers to come and get it and because you may have a hard time making out the words otherwise, as it’s in the typical gruff, fast style of hardcore.

Great verse, but, again, I wonder why have it and obscure it so? Oh, well – its six songs are still cool…

Medium 21, Plans Aren’t Enough/Dodging Flames 7" (Fierce Panda Records; band at P.O. Box 21441, London, N7 6W2)

This was a sort of impulse purchase, as I’d heard good things about bands on this particular imprint.

COOL!! The A-side has nicely wheezing, whistling organ-like keyboards; churning, scratching guitars; miserable, phased Robert Smithy vocals; burbling bass; some nice guitar arpeggios; and a long middle sections that leads to a stumbling, gloriously sloppy end (too soon).

The B-side is slow and pretty, with delicate cymbal crashes, the same morose singing and some tasteful guitar whammy bar jerking.

For fans of The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and The Go-Betweens, without a doubt.

Issue #2 of this project dedicated to the faboo star of movies and television was a top draw for both its ‘zine and its single 7" companion.

This time, the record is more rewarding, as the ‘zine is shorter and less crucial, though the stuff on Patty’s bad girl/bitch potential, her dishing on Sinatra and some more gratuitous warnings on the evil that Boy does are intriguing.

The vinyl’s highlights include The Chubbies’ take on the "Patty Duke Theme", that is fast and kind of No Doubty, according to my sister, and Slumber Party’s eerie "One Kiss Away", with honours also going to Bidston Moss’ "All I Have To Do Is Dream", which tosses in parts of "The Tide Is High" – but all seven takes on tunes the subject recorded in the 1960s are fun and frothy.

Lou Reed, All Tomorrow’s Dance Parties 7" (Norton, Box 646, Cooper Station, NY, NY, 10276)

The A-side is Lou’s teen years band, Jades, with two camp doo-wop classics, "So Blue" and "Leave Her For Me", which are greatly elevated by tasteful, soulful saxophone. He does not sing on them (at least not lead) – he does play guitar, though.

The B-side is two songs from about four years later, when Lou was in university. "Your Love" has distinct queer potential, with the ironic lyrics about not being a real whole man until he got ‘your love’ (no gender mentioned). "Merry Go Round" is quite catchy, particularly for its organ break, and it’s a shame someone bigger did not hear it and record it.

Tremolons, All Girl Combo 7" (Sundazed, P.O. Box 85, Coxsackie, NY, 12051)

This girl group, with practice, became the much better Luv’d Ones, but, even in this early incarnation, Char Vinnedge (guitar/vocals), Chris Vinnedge (bass/vocals), Faith Orem (drums) and Mary Gallagher (guitar), had potential (though, overwhelmingly, Char was more committed and talented).

These recordings date from 1964 and, sadly, like most of the band’s output, were recorded quickly and often not in studios, so the sound quality suffers somewhat.

The A-side has raw, nearly Crampsy takes on "Whole Lotta Shaking Going On" and "Heartbreak Hotel". The B-side has the iffy, slight instrumental "Theme For A DJ" (though it does highlight Char’s guitar skills, it just isn’t that interesting) and the song that is worth the admission, the strong but lonely "Please Let Me Know". If only they had revisited that song a few years later – herstory might have been changed with a hit…

The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band, Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upward 2-10"(Constellation Records, P.O. Box 42002, Montreal, QC, H2W 2T3, CANADA)

Album title too short? Expand your name and your song titles.

This spin-off of Godspeed You Black Emperor! provides, with this follow-up to its debut LP, an hour of neo-classical beauty/dissonance, with extra players and a singer/reciter or two, all wrapped up in a darkly lovely package, accompanied by a lengthy, poetic, deep poster/manifesto.

Demanding but rewarding listening.

ESG, A South Bronx Story 2-LP (Universal Sound, c/o Sounds of the Universe, 12 Ingestre Place, Soho, London, W1F 0JF, England)

There is a certain irony in having to get a record by an American female band of the 80s in 2001 on a British label – but I like irony, so deal…

These girls, to some extent, transcend time and place, at least on the first three sides (the fourth side is from some ten years after the initial recordings, and sounds SOOOO 1991, sadly…), and were just about the only U.S. group to have a 7" released on the British label Factory.

While the music IS very rhythmic, with lead bass lines, it is not simply funk, but, rather, a hybrid that throws in some dub, punk, hip-hop and even droplets of goth (some of the guitar lines, which are, sadly, sparing, are decidedly eerie).

An historical, slamming, brain-teasing dance party…

Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman and newbie J.D. Samson give us the second full-length of their feminist fighting funk – and what brainy beats they provide!!

It starts off with the distorted vocals and poppin’ beat of "LT Tour Theme" (‘for the ladies and the fags’, huh? Not the trannies? Oh, perhaps we should not go there…); lets us shake, groove and think to "Fake French"; kicks it hard with "FYR" (Fifty Years of Ridicule" and "On Guard"; is much more atmospheric with "Dyke March 2001"; and then puts on its dancing boots again for the likes of "Tres Bien" and "TGIF", while also acknowledging moments of neediness and uncertainty with "Keep on Livin’" and "Much Finer".

Rocking – rolling – and righteous beyond belief…

Various Artists, How Many Bands Does It Take To Screw Up A Blondie Tribute? 2-LP (Sympathy For The Record Industry)

The answer is, by the way, 24.

But seriously – not quite hardly, kiddies!! This homage to the coolest pop-punk-parody band of the 70s (okay, so they carried on into the 80s, and reformed with surprisingly good results in 1999, but its heyday can be traced to those years some of my readers scarcely remember (some of whom take FAR too much glee in pointing out their lack of experience in that regard, I might add)) kicks some serious ass.

Some renditions are very faithful (Fur’s "X Offender"; Phenobardidols’ "11:59"; Third Grade Teacher’s "Atomic"); a few toss in intriguing twists (Trinket’s Beach Boys take on "In The Sun"; Scooter Skirt’s "Denis", which mixes the original by Randy and the Rainbows (keeping the gender as female, despite (or perhaps because of) its being sung by a woman in this version) with Blondie’s own cover arrangement); and a handful of brave souls go for wild digressions, with mixed results (on one hand, there’s the super-cool and sultry L’Alouette’s interpretation of "Look Good In Blue" or the Oscillators-Are-Go freakout on "Heart of Glass" by Space Surfers; on the other hand, there’s The Beards’ ethereal, Laurie Anderson misfire of "Presence Dear" ; and the spare appendage contains Hissyfits’ barely recognizable, slowed-down attempt at "Attack of the Giant Ants", which has a weird charm to it).

It is ultimately a collection full of love and fun, and a big plus for me was that the first album is heavily represented (8 of its 11 songs get treated), as it was always my favorite.

The package also contains appreciative and warm notes from Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, just to sweeten the deal. J