Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Mama Tick - Action City


 
Label: Three Little Girls
Year: 1994

Might as well keep the Mama Tick flowing, right? 
Here are two more punishers for your consideration. The title track being a veritable "rock odyssey" by Mama Tick standards, running through a few ideas before settling into a slow motion explosion at the fireworks factory in a glorious lurch of chugging noise. Then you get a "cover" of Motley Crue's 'Shout At The Devil' which I imagine would confuse Mick Mars enough to rattle him out of his arthritic cage. It's recognizable, but with copious noise and shouting in place of the original sleaze and pomp. It's probably what you should expect.
Anyway, it's more Mama Tick, so just be thankful.

Monday, July 19, 2021

Mama Tick - Torture


 
Label: Bovine
Year: 1993

Two songs from a personal favorite band of mine. The dirt-kicking, thud-rocking Mama Tick team up with a personal favorite record label of mine, Bovine, who also kick their fair share of dirt. So, what could possibly go wrong?
Spoiler alert: nothing goes wrong.
Mama Tick go about their rampaging, clobbering ways unabated and with no regard for your, or your loved ones' well being. 


Tuesday, July 6, 2021

HELL NO - Superstar Chop



Label: Wardance / X-Mist
Year: 1994

Operating in that transitional time of New York City Hardcore, in and around the also transitional ABC No Rio scene, Hell No were as much noise rock as they were hardcore. Not unlike their contemporaries in Die 116, Mind Over Matter, 1.6 Band, Stillsuit, they took a more grooving, off-kilter, and discordant approach to the more straight ahead (pun intended) matinee sounds they were weaned on. It's plenty loud and aggressive and all that, don't sweat it. But also don't get nervous if the term "NYHC" makes you nervous. You'll like it either way.
On this record you get:
Janis from Citizen's Arrest, The Manacled, Animal Crackers, The Kill Van Kull
Rich from All For One
James Paradise from JJ Paradise Players Club, Freshkills, Go!, The Kill Van Kull, Pigs
Joe from Citizen's Arrest
John from...well...Hell No.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

The Nation Of Ulysses - The Nation Of Ulysses

 

Label: Dischord / K
Year: 1990

How many bands do you think The Nation Of Ulysses spawned in the mid-90's? Lesser-thans trying so hard to bite their combination of raved up Revolution Summer post hardcore pseudo-soul pastiche, and tongue-in-cheek revolutionary rhetoric were at every shitty "fest" in every town. They never had anything as witty to say, as Ian Svenonious did, and they never had the same confident swagger N.O.U. had (which made their cosplay so much more embarrassing). And what those second wave tribute bands definitely didn't have were the dueling guitars of Tim Green and Steve Kroner, that produced such an explosive and invigorating punch of interplay. The lyrics and presentation always get talked about (rightfully so) when you hear about The Nation Of Ulysses, but goddamn that band could go full fucking tilt. They somehow managed a dissonant swinging that propelled the whole wild-eyed conflagration into order. Or at least, close to it. Kind of.
All those nerdy wannabes almost ruined N.O.U. just by association, but the source material really is as good as could have been. Electric even.