Notes from the underground

Thrasher Magazine, Feb, 2005

WHAT THE HELL? Seems like everyone's puttin' out a video these days, and I'll be dipped in sheep shit if a couple of them aren't worth watching. Top on the list for any metal-head worth his (or her) weight in weed is the Slayer Still Reigning video, in which they play "Reign in Blood" live in its entirety, and, during "Raining Blood," the band is completely drenched in stage blood that comes down like rain (something they are doing as an effect on their current tour).

There's other stuff including interviews and more songs. All I gotta say is: Dude! It's fucking Slayer! ... A couple other vids worth watching for: The Murder City Devils' Rock & Roll Won't Wait, which is more like a tour diary and history, and is therefore pretty damn cool, especially since the band isn't around anymore; The Supersuckers' Live in Anaheim, which is a little more of a straight live show video, although it's got some joking around and bonus live audio CD; and don't forget the Devo Live in the Land of the Rising Sun video. The latter is the Spud Boys taking on Japan, and, man, it's a little weird. Those guys are getting on in years but still rock them radiation suits and flower pot hats--uh--I mean "energy domes." Don't get me wrong, it's bad ass, but again, more of a straight concert video, although there is extra stuff that makes it worthwhile: interviews, old Target Video footage from 1980, and more ... I know what you're thinking: "Notes from the Underground is supposed to be a fucking music review column, not a fucking video column!" And you'd be right, so I guess I won't tell you about the amazing Jazz Memories series (Billie Holiday! Nat "King" Cole! Lena Horne!) or the Malanga Cuban music series (Compay Segundo! Benny More!). Nope, not gonna mention them ... I'll get to the point and talk about some of that sweet, sweet punk rock. Howzabout some real Discharge-y type stuff? Look no further than Cape Cod's Bloodstains and their Heroin 7". Ballsy, heavy leather-studs-and-acne type shit here, on FNS Records (which seems to have a straight edge subdivision? Wonder how the two get along?) ... And while we talk about thee punk rock on them small-sized records, why not bring up the Bones Brigade "Nothing Changes" 7" EP on Mind Warp Records. Hectic shit, like a cup of coffee infused with a gutbusting dose of codeine. The world is melting! But I'm running around in circles with a Mohawk! The shit's killer and these guys skate; always cool. I gotta correct one thing: they do a cover of "Leaving Here," and credit Motorhead, who made it famous around our kind of folks. But that's a Holland-Dozier-Holland penned song, the folks who wrote stuff for Motown, the Supremes, etc. Give credit where it's due, and flex my rock nerd muscles. And if 7" ain't enough, check out their CD Focused on Fight Fire With Fire ...--Wez Lundry One of our top lave skate rock bands of all time, SNFU, let loose with another of--their chunka chunka mind-twisting macabre masterpieces, called In the Meantime and in Between Time on Rake records. The Canadians will be south of the border as you read this, so work on them calisthenics ...--Rick Sanderson