Pipe - Six Days Till Belus

Year: 1994

Label: Jesus Christ

Here's a gem that feel through the cracks of modern rock history, even in their hometown scene of Chapel Hill, Pipe never received the recognition they deserved. Of course, they were competing for attention against some of the heavyweights of the nascent alternative rock scene of the time, Superchunk, Archers Of Loaf, Polvo, and Thinking Fellers Union among others. What set Pipe apart from those others was a much more raw, straight ahead punk sound tinged with a blue collar / drag strip vibe, and a confrontation attitude that most likely helped keep them in the minor leagues. 

I was living in Athens, Georgia by the time Pipe got going, and my first exposure to them was catching them in Atlanta as the "ex-Small" band. I was a fan of Small (or Small 23 as they were being forced to go by) because they were a springboard for Archers Of Loaf, my favorite of the Chapel Hill bands. While Pipe did have some hooks and bouncy bass lines, they mostly snarled and spit their way through a Rocket From The Crypt (but rawer) / Dead Boys (but meaner) / New Bomb Turks (but heavier) inspired set that included lead singer Ron Liberti knocking a couple folks in the chest with the butt of the mic stand (do you realize how much that would fucking hurt?) without ever missing a beat. That's professionalism folks.

The band released two more albums after this one, then split in 1999. The lead singer and guitarist have formed a new band called The Ghost Of Rock, which I've yet to hear. 

I think that if you like Mudhoney, New Bomb Turks, Thee Mighty Caesars, or Rocket From The Crypt, you'll be into this one. It's great catchy punk, with a beefy guitar tone, and scratching vocals. Hot shit.

DL