Radio : EXD 1239 - Sunday February 12th, 2023

 

ENVISION - Best of Times (Self-Released)

Chris Murdoch has been working on a scene report segment for our show for a few weeks now and we got together and recorded it last weekend. But the segments are so long that we are going to air it on three consecutive shows. Tonight we will be airing the feature which looks at his Black Dots presentation which started out as a social media project. But I will leave that for Chris to explain. 

Also on tonight’s show Chris Overall does a Black History Month feature that looks at rock and roll and some early covers by punk bands in a feature called The Great Rock n Roll Swindle. Andre highlights a New York label - Nerve Altar. Rob has some great Canadian material which includes a Direct Action cover. And a new releases feature to round things out. 

Download the show here.

Scene report - Chris Murdoch (Part 1) 

Highlights from Black Dots presentation 

Chris Murdoch is our scene report feature for the next three weeks. Chris is from Halifax and has played in a lot of bands which include Mean Streets and Word on the Street to Outtacontroller and Souvenir. A few weeks back I pitched him this idea of doing a scene report feature for the show and he was all in. This piece that we are about to air was the third segment in his scene report and relates to a presentation that Chris has put together on celebrating Black punks. He gets into how this came about which initially started as a social media project. We are airing the piece tonight because Chris is giving this presentation at a College in Dartmouth for the first time since the pandemic. So because of timing I wanted to get this to air. 

SWIZ - Lie (Sammich) 

X-RAY SPEX - I Can’t Do Anything (EMI) 

MCRAD - Sundial (Red Music) 

FIRE PARTY - Pilate (Dischord) 

BAD BRAINS - Don’t Need It (Caroline) 

The Great Rock n Roll Swindle (Chris) 

MOTÖRHEAD - Nadine (Castle Sanctuary) 

TRA (テラ) - Final B-beat Attack (Harimasu Asia) 

THE RAMONES - Do You Wanna Dance (Sire)

VOODOO GLOW SKULLS - Charlie Brown (Epitaph) 

SEX PISTOLS - Johnny B. Goode (Virgin) 

Nerve Altar spotlight (André)

RESENT - Wallowing In FIlth (Nerve Altar)

CHEPANG - Auda (Nerve Altar) 

OVERVIOLENCE - Pass The Crown (Nerve Altar) 

WATER TORTURE - Fourth Stage (Nerve Altar) 

HAAPOJA - Takauma (Nerve Altar) 

All Canadian Punk

AVERAGE TIMES - Out of This World (Self-Released)

BISHOPS GREEN - Working Poor (Pirates Press)

ARTIFICIAL DISSEMINATION - Hate Generation (En Garde) 

PHONE JERKS - Three Jobs (Alien Snatch) 

SCHOOL JERKS - Ugly Minds, Ugly Faces (Grave Mistake) 

New releases (Chris) 

RIVAL - Cazadores De La Noche (Self-released) 

CLASS - Inspect the Receipt (Feel It)

PRIMITIVE FUCKING BALLERS - COVID PUNKS IS HIPPIES (Earth Girl Tapes / Richter Scale)

JUDY AND THE JERKS - Criminal (Earth Girl Tapes / Richter Scale) 

FERAL - Genocide (Earth Girl Tapes / Richter Scale)

Radio - Sunday, March 3rd, 2019

The first half of the show is a feature on Black Punks in the pink scene between 1995 and 2004 with some exceptions carried over for the feature on Chris Murdoch, which makes up part three of our series Black Dots. Tonight's show will look at the years 1995 through to 2004, looking at DC, Detroit, and Halifax.

The second part of this show looks at a lot of new punk with some focuses on new Belgian punk, some powerviolence / crossover and some post punk.

We finish up by playing the rest of the songs from the new Subverter demo as our demo feature.

You can download the show here.

Black Dots 3: 1995 - 2004

BAD BRAINS - Black Dots (Caroline)

In 1994, DELTA 72 started out as an alternative rock band from in Washington DC, which sounded like it was coming up in a scene that grew out of the Revolution Summer and wanted to have some fun in the way that NATION OF ULYSSES did. DELTA 72 had a decidedly soul influence and would invoke this in many of their record titles and album artwork. We are going to start off with a song called “It’s Alright” from “The Soul of a New Machine”.

DELTA 72 – It’s Alright (Touch ‘n Go)
THE GORIES - Detroit Breakdown (New Rose)
SWEATBELLY FREAKDOWN – MCR (Jade Tree)

In 1996, SWEATBELLY FREAKDOWN started out with last line up from SWIZ re-grouping to start a new band. This happened in 1996 and continued until 1999. We heard a track from the ep, which came out first and has the SWIZ feel to it.

Mick Collins is a guitarist and singer for many bands in Detroit, starting out with a Blues / garage band in 1986 called the GORIES and "Detroit Breakdown" is off “I Know you Fine But how You Doin” LP put out on New Rose in 1990. Mick Collins would go on to play in many bands and here is a sampling of some of them. 

BLACKTOPS - Blazing Streets (Au Go Go)
KING SOUND QUARTET - Annihilate this Week
THE DIRTBOMBS - Armageddon Double Feature (Lovesick Blues #4)
THE SCREWS - Strange Things
VOLTAIRE BROTHERS - Trouble Man Everyday (Fall of Rome)

The BLACKTOPS were around between and were a much heavier and darker garage band.  Blazing Streets" is off a full length “Up All Night” released in 1994 on Au Go Go.

KING SOUND QUARTET was around next between 1996 – 1997. They released a single on Estrus, which "Annhilate this week" comes from and  “The Getdown imperative” which came out on In the Red Records in 1997.

THE DIRTBOMBS started out in 1996 and were around for a decade. They were probably the best known of Mick Collins projects hand originally started out as a singles band. "Armageddon Double Feature (Lovesick Blues #4).

THE SCREWS were a side project formed through a RED AUNTS visit to Detroit were they recruited Mick Collins. "Strange Things" appeared on "Shake Your Monkey  which was the band's second release coming out in 2001 also on In The Red. 

And the VOLTAIRE BROTHERS are a two piece side project that plays strictly funk. They are pretty great and and this song comes from their only release "I Sing The Booty Electric". 

A lot of this material was found on a blog called "Nothin' Set Somethin'" in a post called "Mick's Music" that if you enjoyed I would advice checking out further. 

Moving on from Detroit and the one man force of nature, we venture into screamo, a new style of emo that took what the Revolution Summer sound had developed and added spastic mathcore bits with hardcore energy. YAPHET KOTTO was one of those bands who formed in 1996 in Santa Cruz, California and released records on Ebullition Records, a label known for this fledgling new genre. Mag Delena played guitar in this band. 

YAPHET KOTTO - Torn Pictures (Ebullition)
AMALGAMATION - As I Slip into Roles (Rice Control)
PAY THE PRICE - Moving of the Second Hand (Self-Released)

Forbes Graham played in AMALGAMATION from DC between 1999 and 2003 and then PAY THE PRICE afterwards.

In 1997, a band from Southern California started up calling RUIDO.  The band featured  a guy named Lamin. The song "Destino Fatal" came off a split with FUCK ON THE BEACH out of Japan which came out in 2000.

RUIDO – Destino Fatal (Know)
CLOSE CALL - Crooked Cops (Sanitation Station)
ENVISION – Belong (I Drink Milk)
NEGATIVE RAGE - Don't Wanna Talk (Self-Released)
OUTTACONTROLLER - It's True (P. Trash)

Also in 1997 was a band from Boston called CLOSE CALL who were Straight edge band. Rasheed Hale was in the band and this collection of demos can be found up on their bandcamp page.

Meanwhile in Halifax Chris Murdoch was starting out with his first of many bands called ENVISION. Also a straight edge band Chris “Murda’ Murdoch would go on to sing in NEGATIVE RAGE between 2011 - 2015, and OUTTACONTROLLER between 2012 - 2017.  We played a song from each of these bands. Once again Chris' "Black Dots" presentation was one of the main inspirations behind this and Chris also sang in a band called WORD ON THE STREET, which we will play next week. 

A significant amount of this list comes from Afro Punk which we haven't mentioned until now and some bands that we tried to find material on but were unable include the following:
1) Danny Chavez who was in THE VELDT, APOLLO HEIGHTS, and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (although I don't know what records)
2) THE 90 DAY MEN were a math core band featuring Robert Low from 1996
3) Jaleel Bunton from TV ON THE RADIO, PLEASURE UNIT, MIKE LADD
4) Jeff Jaworski from RED TAPE who were a punk band from Sacramento that formed in 1998
5) Temesgen Wubeuh who was in SUPER CHINCHILLA RESCUE MISSION around from 2001 - 2002 in Baltimore / DC area. 
6) Calvin Taylor – CRUSTY FILTH, HOLY WHORES
7) Mitch “Damage” – ANGRY RED
8) Gary Sullivan – CRO MAGS, B-52s
9) Pat – DEVIANT BEHAVIOUR
10) Kevin Kennebrew – WHITE HOUSE, SWANS
11) Ryan Bland – HOME 33, BUSHMON
12) Nicole – SYSTEMIC INFECTION (2001)
13) Zambia Greene – TEENBEATTERS, OURS
14) Jonathon Wilson – ANASARCA
15) Rodg Little – SANS SOBRIETY (“Cooter Liquor” - 1995), DATA, THE KALI
16) Scottie – STRYDER
17) Harry Wilson – THE PEGANS, FUCK EMO’s
18) Shannon – ACTIVATOR
Without the great work of the film Afro Punk this list would not have been possible and the backbone for this series either. 
Here is some new stuff I have ben trying to play for weeks now:

ANTIBODIES - Suck Wank Freak (Self-Released) 
HOLY GRINDER - I.S.D. (Self-Released)
CELL - Rules of the Game (Self-Released)
WALL BREAKER - Lucky Assholes (Refuse)
SICK OF IT ALL – Self Important Shithead (Century Media)
TOTAL REALITY - The Final Letdown (Hardware)
MAN AGAINST MAN - Back From The Dead (Self-Released)

PLAN NINE - I Ain't No Robot (Supreme Echo)
DEAD CELLS - Stave My Name (Self-Released)
WHIP - Weak Flesh (Neck Chop)
WLMRT - C.U.T.V. (Self-Released)
VICIOS - No Tengas Miedo (Self-Released)
SOGA – Encerrada (Self-Released)

This next set feature new bands from Belgium as found out about in a recent scene report on Belgium published in MRR.

HAEMERS – War (Self-Released) 
PERMANENT DEBT – Food Chain (Self-Released) 
VOGUE – Caffeine Addict (Hardware)
HETZE – Distress (Self-Released) 
THE BLUDGEONING – The Line (Self-Released)
CLCKWS - Blow Up the Boiler Room (Self-Released)

A set of Crossover and Powerviolence bands

OVERVIOLENCE - The World To Be (Psychocontrol / Nerve Altar / Mono Canibal)
LOADED FOR BEAR - Masada Disraeli Masada (The Race War Finish Line) (Give Praise / Dead Heroes)
THE HIRS COLLECTIVE – It's Ok To Be Sick (SRA / Get Better)
PRETTY LITTLE FLOWER – Odious Demagoguery (Regurgitated Semen / Six Weeks)
NAZI KILLER – Outta My Head (Kids of the Lughole / At War with False Noise / Samizdat / SuperFi / Gronk! / Nuclear Mind / Repulsive Minds)

Some post-punk and electornic bands to round things out

SCIENCE MAN - Love Potent (Self-Released)
MORNINGSTAR RISING - Let Them Eat Wall (Self-Released)
RIK AND THE PIGS – Keyhole (Total Punk)

Tonight’s demo is a band we played last week from Surrey BC called SUBVERTER. Fantastic four song demo, so we will play the other three tracks tonight. You can find this demo on bandcamp.

SUBVERTER – Manic Depressive (Self-Released)
SUBVERTER – Pick up Your Fence (Self-Released)
SUBVERTER – Sticks and Stones (Self-Released)

Radio - Sunday, February 17th, 2019

Black History Month and punk : Black Dots - 1985-1995

The continuing look at the impact that Black punks have had on the scene. Listen above or download a copy of the show here.

BAD BRAINS - Black Dots (Caroline)

DC Scene continued
Revolution Summer begins in DC in the summer of 1985 in which the original kids from the hardcore scene re-engaged with the punk scene by starting bands and working on a cultural revolution within that took a hard stance on violence especially at shows, a hard stance against sexism, and a re-engagment with political activism in the form of the punk percussions events. Musically they created the basis for Emo,  but it started with a broad experimentation in sound.

There was no broader inspired band then BEEFEATER, who borrowed liberally from funk, soul, reggae and metal. Of course they layered everything over a punk bed. the band started in 1984 and didn’t start releasing records until 1985. They had a black guitarist named Fred Smith who brought the metal. He was a metalhead with leather jacket and studded shin guards. I saw him play at Ildiko’s where he put his foot through the wall. This is BEEFEATER with a song that Fred wrote called “Fred’s Song”.

BEEFEATER - Fred’s song (Dischord)
BEEFEATER - Satyagraha (Dischord)
BEEFEATER – Wars in Space (WGNS)
BEEFEATER – Apartheid (Olive Tree)
BEEFEATER – Freditude (Dischord)
BEEFEATER – Blind Leads Blind (No Master’s Voice)

BEEFEATER recorded three records and broke up in 1986. Fred Smith had the nickname “Freak” and would go on to play in a band called STRANGE BOUTIQUE in the 90’s. Sadly, Fred Smith was stabbed to death in San Fernando, last year on August 8th at the age of 55 s reported by MRR. In that last set comprised songs from everyone of their releases : i) Plays for Lovers, ii) Alive and kicking, iii) Need a Job, iv) House Burning Down, and v) The ALF is Watching and There is No Place to Hide.

FIRE PARTY were an all women punk band that also came out of the Revolution Summer. Tomas Squip, the singer for Beefeater, credits Amy Pickering, the vocalist for FIRE PARTY, for setting Revolution Summer in motion. FIRE PARTY’s drummer, Nicky Thomas, was black and experienced discrimination on another level. On a European tour, while FIRE PARTY were being dismissed as BANGLES wannabes, Nicky Thomas was being asked what was she doing at the punk show? The band defended her but the story demonstrated how racism was still an issue in a movement that was trying to bring this to light in the mainstream. 

FIRE PARTY – Only Nine Mottos (Dischord)
DAG NASTY – Never Go Back (Dischord)
SWIZ - Sunstroke / Pet Tricks / Tylenol (Sammich)

Shawn Brown, was originally known for singing in DAG NASTY with a bunch of scene vets. In some liner notes to the Selfless Recording, Don Zientara, the sound engineer, said that Shawn brought the edginess to the band whereas the other members were starting to fall back on pop hooks which is evidenced in their next release “Wig Out at Denko’s”. DAG NASTY kicked out Shawn before releasing “Can I Say” and re-record it with Dave Smalley, which is still a monster release, but Dischord had the foresight to keep the recording and after much pressure release the Shawn Brown recordings in 2010.

Shawn was inspired by Bubba Dupree from VOID. Shawn was not deterred and starts a band called SWIZ in 1987. SWIZ strived to be a non-political band so even though DC is hugely political place like DC that had Positive Force and Revolution Summer. Shawn still wrote songs like “Sunstroke” and “Pet Tricks” comparison between black men and animals., and “Tylenol” about getting a headache from continually having to explain your presence in the scene.

NYC scene continued
1986 - UNDERDOG formed when Richie left YOUTH OF TODAY to start a dub mosh blended hardcore band. It was truly unique at the time. They would go on to release a number of eps and LPs and Chuck Treece from McRad would later join the band which seems like a natural fit in terms of sound and direction.

1986 - ABSOLUTION featured Djinji Brown on vocals. Djinji was from brooklyn and was the son of Marion Brown who was in the jazz scene. “Blogged and Quartered” described ABSOLUTION as “in a league of their own. They played some of the most creative, energetic, and powerful hardcore with some of the most thought provoking and intelligent lyrics the 80’s NYHC scene had to offer. They didn’t release much and there was a wealth of bands which has kept them in relative obscurity. They were part of the second wave of NYHC existing between 1986 and 1989. Known for song “Never Ending Game”, which is a song directed at other black folks who called him a freak because they didn’t understand where he was coming from. When Absolution break up Gavin and John formed BURN.

1987 - Chris Fist was the guitarist in CLENCHED FIST, who were a second wave supergroup for the NYHC scene. Chris Fist was in MENTAL ABUSE when joining CLENCHED FIST he would go on to start BREAKDOWN and jam with CITIZENS ARREST. He currently has a hardcore band named the WILDING INCIDENT.

ENUF were a New Jersey band that introduce Hip Hop into the hardcore sound.

1987 - TRUE COLOURS - were in a hardcore band formed out of members form OUR GANG and would go on to start CITIZENS AREEST. The contribute a song to the “New Breed” compilation titled “No Way to Live”.

UNDERDOG – True Blue (Revelation)
ABSOLUTION - Not This Time (Temperance)
CLENCHED FIST - Inner Strength (Self-Released)
ENUF - Fantasy World (Self-Released)
TRUE COLORS - No Way to Live

1985 – S.C.U.M. were a crossover band from Montreal. They appeared on the P.E.A.C.E. comp put out by R Radical Records. The singer’s name was Anthony and he was a black punk. He was known for break dancing on the stage. The band’s name is a ingenious slight on the Montreal police who were known as C.U.M. There were signs everywhere that they just spray painted an S in front of to re-name them cum – Society Controlled Under Murderers. That help explains why they had so many songs about police harassment.

S.C.U.M. - So M.U.C.H. Hate (Psyche Industries)
AFGHAN WHIGS – Doughball (Ultrasuede)
ANGRY RED PLANET – Mediocrity (Angry Red)
TRENCHMOUTH - Here Come the Automata (East/West)

1986 - AFGHAN WHIGS - a soul influenced punk band from Cincinnati, Ohio
Steve Myers – AFGHAN WHIGS

1988 - TRENCHMOUTH - post punk band from Chicago. Damon Locks was the vocalist. They did most of their recording between 1991 and 1995.

BURN would feature Chaka Malik on vocals. Members would go on to form ORANGE 9mm, DIE 116, and QUICKSAND. ORANGE 9mm formed by Ckaka Malik

ORANGE 9MM – Driver (Revelation)
BURN – Drown (Revelation)
ANASARCA -Stationary People (Planaria / Second Nature)
DUB WAR - Mad Zone (Earache)
CANDIRIA – Tribes (Rising Pulse)

1992 - CANDIRIA - progressive metal / hardcore band from Brooklyn calling their blend of metal, hardcore, hip hop and jazz “Urban Fusion”. Carley Coma was their singer.

DUB WAR – from South Wales, described as ragga rap punk. The singer Clive Webbe would go on to play in LOS HOOLIGANS and SKINDRED.

1994 - ANASARCA were a six piece demo band from Cockeysville, Maryland. They formed in 1994 and broke up in 1997. They recorded a demo and an ep and a split. The band pushed the screamo sound from the fury and intensity side of things. Jonathon Wilson was a black punk

1980 - POISON GIRLS an anarchist punk band from the UK that featured Vi Subversa on vocals, a middle aged mother of colour who wrote songs that explored sexuality and gender roles from an anarchist perspective. They are an important omission from last week which we will feature a few songs from different releases.

POISON GIRLS – Crisis (Small Wonder / Xntrix)
POISON GIRLS – Underbitch (CRASS)
POISON GIRLS - Dirty Work (CRASS)
POISON GIRLS – Take the Toys (Xntrix)
RUBELLA BALLET - Money Talks (Ubiquitous)
RUBY KARINTO – Chikotan (Self-Released)
STIFF LITTLE FINGERS – Bloody Dub (Chrysalis)

Vi Subversa passed away on February 19th, 2016. Her kids would go on to play in Rubella Ballet.

LANDFILL CREW - Youth Revolt (Pirates Press)

Radio - Sunday, February 10th, 2019

Tonight's show is the first of a four part series looking at the contributions of black punks and the impacts they had on the scene. This first part looks at the proto punk period (1974) through to hardcore (1984) and could not been pulled together were it not for the excellent work of Chris Murdoch's "Black Dots" presentation. 

We are also indebted to Tony Rettman's book "NYHC" for the Bad Brains period in NYC. The imprint of the Bad Brains defines New York Hardcore.

Download the show here.

So we started with the BAD BRAINS song because the song described the experience of black punks in the scene. 

BAD BRAINS – Black Dots (Caroline)

DEATH (Proto punk)
So we are going to starts at the beginning with a proto punk band from Detroit called Death. The band started in 1971 and initially started out as an R and B band called Rock Fire Funk Express. The band went in a hard rock direction after seeing the Who and Alice Cooper. "Politicians in My Eyes" was the band's first release in 1976 on their own label, DIY before it was known as that. 

DEATH – Politicians in My Eyes (Tryangle)

The band was made up of the Hackney brothers (Bobby, David, and Dannis. They recorded an album in 1975 called  "...For The Whole World To See" which wouldn't see the light of day until 2009. The band was truly a rock n roll victim

DEATH – Rock n‘ Roll Victim (Drag City)

Their music has since been documented in the 2012 documentary "A Band Called Death", a film that has won them a cult following decades after they disbanded.

DEATH – You’re a Prisoner (Drag City)

Their music has since been documented in the 2012 documentary A Band Called Death, a film that has won them a cult following decades after they disbanded.

DEATH – You’re a Prisoner (Drag City)

PURE HELL
In 1974, a band called Pure Hell started up in Philadelphia. Also part of the proto punk era, Pure Hell came up at the same time as MC5, Dead Boys, and the Sex Pistols. The band would play New York City and befriended the New York Dolls and Sid Vicious and in 1978. 

PURE HELL – These Boots are made for Walking (Golden Sphinx)
SID VICIOUS – C’mon Everybody (Virgin)

Golden Sphinx was a label run by Curtis Knight who was in the Squires, aa band that featured a young Jimi Hendrix. Curtis liked the idea of an all black punk band because it was Pulling an Elvis on the music industry.  In his mind he was looking for a black group that could mimic white music. 

PURE HELL - I Feel Bad (Welfare)
JOHNNY THUNDER – One Track Mind

Curtis thought of Pure Hell as a novelty act. Pure Hell recorded an album in 197, but after falling out with the band he refused to release it. The widow of Curtis auctioned off the recording and Welfare would come to release the collection in 2006 by Welfare Records.  The album was called 'Noise Addiction'.

PURE HELL – Wild One (Welfare)

THE NY NIGGERS
Started by two black men who chose the name because Patti Smith had just released a single called “Rock ‘n roll Nigger”. The band name expressed that black punks didn't appreciate the use of that term. The NY Niggers would self-release a single and this is the B-Side.

NY NIGGERS – Headliner (NYN)

There is some confusion about whether there was one band or three in a review below: 

"THE NIGGERS - Seemingly three bands in three different cities (New York/Boston/Detroit) used this ungenteel name. The most prominent band appears to have been the Detroit Niggers, who had a story printed in Creem magazine in 1978 (as part of a larger piece on the Detroit punk scene) and a brief news blurb in Bomp. Both articles had pictures of the band with processed Chuck Berry hairdos and flaunted bare chests. Their songs included "Crazy White Bitch," "Dirty Dogs" and the anthem, "Niggers," and of the band name, members Reno and J.C. Richards explained, "Should we call ourselves The Honkies?" One New York punk legend of our acquaintance suggests that the N.Y. Niggers were "friends" with the late Nancy Spungen, Sid Vicious' doomed girlfriend. They self-released a ridiculously obscure single, "Just Like Dresden" b/w "Headliner" in 1978 as the "N.Y. Niggers." Though there's no picture sleeve, the rough punk sound of the record is Detroit influenced enough to possibly suggest it was the same band transplanted out East. (JP)"

- Black Punk Time: Blacks in Punk, New Wave and Hardcore 1976-1984 (Part 2) 
By James Porter and Jake Austen (From Roctober #32, 2002)



NY NIGGERS – Just Like Dresden ’45 (NYN)

Moving over to England, X-Ray Spex started out in 1976 after Poly Styrene saw a Sex Pistols gig. Poly stood out among her peers not just for being a person of colour or being a women but she wore these dental braces and stood against the typical sex object female archetype. "identity" embodied so much about poly's life.   

X-RAY SPEX – Identity (EMI)

There was a story about Poly Styrene chopping her hair in Johnny Rotten's place to take that anti-sex object one step further, and is a perfect segue into their most famous song....and the song that I grew up listening to over and over at summer camp off of some compilation. it took my years to realize that they had a single and an album out. 

X-RAY SPEX – Oh Bondage Up Yours (EMI)
X-RAY SPEX - Warrior at Woolworths (EMI)

Poly Styrene also had a unique vocal sound. She had been trained in Opera and her voice had been described as "effervescently discordant" and powerful enough to drill holes through sheet metal. Being of mixed race and wearing a lot of dayglo Poly was referred to as the face of modern day feminism. 

Meanwhile in Los Angeles another strong black woman was having an impact on their punk scene. Karla (Mad Dog) Duplantier would join the CONTROLLERS on drums. The band was unknown until Karla joined partially because she was a phenomenal drummer She also went to radio stations and started getting them better gigs. The GERMS borrowed her kick drum when playing and recording. and she wound up joining the FLESH EATERS which is where we found a recording with her on it. 

THE FLESH EATERS - Ten Inch Razor (Upsetter)
BAD BRAINS - Redbone in the City (Caroline)

BAD BRAINS - DC
BAD BRAINS started out as a jazz fusion that did covers, but their second guitarist,  Sid McCray, turned them onto the SEX PISTOLS, which is evidenced by "Redbone in the City". They were nervous about being seen as a novelty act and didn’t play out right away. It wasn’t until they saw footage of PURE HELL that they started playing shows on their own and would go on to lay the foundation for what would be known as DC Hardcore.

BAD BRAINS - Banned in DC (Caroline)
BAD BRAINS - Attitude (Caroline)

Positive Mental Attitude first expressed in the song "Attidude' would becme a defining ideology behind DC HarDCore. They became mentors for the TEEN IDLES and SOA. They would hold showcases for as many as 10 - 15 bands at a time. They shared a rehearsal space with the TEEN IDLES so they had somewhere to practise. They would give them tips on how to play their instruments. BAD BRAINS played the housing projects they were form in DC and Maryland. Valley Green housing project is one of them that had one of these matinees. But these shows were the reason why they got in trouble which is what the song "Banned in DC" is about. The bands that BAD BRAINS nurtured would go on to play wilder shows then them. So the mayhem was set in motion. What is interesting is that the TEEN IDLES would bring back the Huntington Skank from California which would make shows more dangerous. And they would not get banned. But the all black band was the one that got in trouble by the authorities.

So the next set will be about the bands in DC who also had prominiant black punks in their bands. Toni Young, was a promoter and was able to join RED C who only ever release 4 songs on the legendary “Flex Your Head” compilation. The song that they are most well known for is “Pressure’s On”, a song about police harassment. 

RED C - Pressure's On (Dischord)
VOID - Go South (Dischord)
SCREAM - Solidarity (Dischord)

VOID were from Colombia, Maryland and were younger than most everyone in the scene. They had a guitarist named Buppa Dupree who would inspire a young Shawn Brown to be in a band a few years later. VOID wrote a song called “Go South” about southerners who would come up to see their show and fight the band because they didn’t like the fact that Bubba was black and in the band. They also had a song called “Black Jewish and Poor” was a song that described the make up of this band.

SCREAM were another great band from DC and had Eugene Thompson better known as Skeeter, playing guitar for them. He was the person who convinced the band to add a lot of non-punk elements into their first record like acoustic guitar, reggae, country. They were not well liked at first. They opened up for Minor Threat a lot and they would cover “Guilty of Being White” and Skeeter would sing. They are one of my all time favourite bands from DC.

BAD BRAINS - NYC SCENE
So after Bad Brains got in trouble with those showcase shows they moved to New York city and their sound becomes synonymous with the New York Hard Core sound. BAD BRAINS experience is well documented in Tony Rettman's book called “NYHC”. The chapter on BAD BRAINS is called “The Big take Over” which takes on a new meaning with their arrival.

BAD BRAIN – Big Take Over (Roir)

Tim Summer did a radio show on WNYU called “Noise the Show”. He spoke about getting the “Pay to Cum” single as soon as it came out, which means it was released when they were in NYC. He said that he knew that this was something completely different from anything else. It was a record where nothing was the same afterwards, like “Blitzkrieg Bop” or “You Really Got Me” by the Kinks. It’s in that league. “Pay to Cum” invented an entire genre of music in a minute and a half.

BAD BRAIN – Pay to Cum (Roir)
BAD BRAIN – Supertouch - Shitfit (Roir)

The BAD BRAINS used to have an introduction “Quicker than the Dickies, Faster than the RAMONEs, ladies and gentlemen : the BAD BRAINS.

The editor of Tse Tse Fly zine said the BAD BRAINS were the centre of influence. Anybody from the CRO MAGS to AGNOSTIC FRONT to the MOB were indebted to the BAD BRAINS.

Todd Youth wrote that the BAD BRAINS were our Led Zeppelin and our Beatles.

Here is a set of bands influenced by BAD BRAINS starting with the STIMULATIORS who open the first time BAD BRAINS  come to NYC.

THE STIMULATORS - M.A.C.H.I.N.E. (Roir)
CRO MAGS – Dub (Cro Mag Recording)
BEASTIE BOYS – Beastie (Roir)
THE MAD - I Hate Music (Disgusting)
HEART ATTACK – Society (Serious Clown)
URBAN WASTE – Public Opinion (Mob Style / Mad at the World / Even Worse / Way Back When)
AGNOSTIC FRONT - Society Sucker (Rat Cage / Combat Core / Bridge Nine)

The breakdown in "Society Sucker" sounds like it is derived from "the Big Takeover" and "Supertouch". 

John Dancy was the drummer in Urban Waste and the song "Public Opinion" would express the identity crisis experienced by a black kid in the punk scene. 

Jesse Malin from HEART ATTACK expressed how helpful the BAD BRAINS were in loaning them their gear and had HEART ATTACK  play a set at their show. He said they were super into developing a youth movement. 

David Hahn from the THE MAD put up BAD BRAINS when they first came to town, took them out for Chinese food, and took them to clothing stores to get their second hand clothes.

The BEASTIE BOYS in their recent book talked about how important BAD BRAINS gigs were in NYC. 

The Dub song on the Age of Quarrel demo suggests the lasting impression that the BAD BRAINS had on a young Harley Flanagan when he was in the STIMULATORS. 

Skate scene
The skate scene was made up of a lot of black punks like Mike Cornelius who was in JFA from Pheonix. Probably the band that defined skate-core. 

JFA - Skateboard / We Know You Suck (Placebo)
McRAD - Dominant Force (Red Music)
YDI - Out for Blood (Blood Bubble)
DEAD KENNEDYS - Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Alternative Tentacles)

MCRAD from Philadelphia featured Chuck Treece, He would go on to play for UNDERDOG which we will feature in next week’s show.

YDI featured Howard Twigs on drums, also from Philadelphia. He expressed his frustrations in the songs “Out for Blood”

DEAD KENNEDYS feature D.H. Peligro on drums. His first recording with the band is “In God We Trust Inc.” which features “Nazi Punks Fuck Off”. The song took on a new meeting as the band started to get attacked by nazi skins because D.H. was in the band.

The STRANGLERS talked to me about how they developed their sound. The bass drives their sound. That came from checking out King Tubby's sound system. 

THE STRANGLERS – Peaches (United Artists)
BASEMENT 5 - Heavy Traffic (Island)

Source:

Chris Murdoch "Black Dots"


Tony Rettman "NYHC"