by Paul Hirsch
A few years back local cornball Huey Lewis (and the News) had a
hit with the tailgate party set, called "It's Hip To Be Square".
It saddens me to think that this song, technically, is a "rock"
song. How awful...and one of the more horrible sentiments to be
expressed in four chords.
"Square" was once a word that described "everyone" in the White-
Middle and Working Classes. At the time the word was only used by
the younger African Americans and their friends. It denoted those
people who were un-aware that they benefited from the oppression
of Blacks (and Black music) and, un-awareness in general. To be
"hip" meant really to have become aware that your socio-economic
status was the result of political manipulation, and not
genetics. "Hip" meant you were aware of the underlying smart-ass
back talk and authority mocking that was part and parcel of
Rock's origins. "Hail, hail, Rock and Roll", wrote Chuck Berry.
"Deliver me from the day's of old!".
It was probably pretty hard not to laugh at the white kid with
the saxophone or guitar comin' around wantin' to learn how to
blow, jam, swing, riff, and ROCK. We can only be thankful that
those old school Brothers didn't knife, and rob all those little
white kids. They did indeed learn 'em. Them old dudes learned
them kids, real good! Made those kid's parents mad as hell too.
Fear and racial intolerance kept white folks away from Rock in
droves in the beginning. Oh what a deliciously small and
exclusive scene it must have been in the beginning!
Absolutely NO squares allowed!!
Now a days it ain't like that. Ever since that it's "hip to be
square" bullshit came out, there's been a bring-down squad of
cubed out dinks showin' up everywhere I go. The worm has turned,
'cause once upon a time it was the square thing to do to stay
home on the weekends, but now they all want to "go out", they
"want to do somthing". THEY, the squares, exercise a superior
purchasing power over the disinfranchised rock and roller. Now
the concerts, clubs and record companies are catering to these
neo-squares, hence all the soft Brit-pop, Lounge music, "new"
jazz, whiney folksingers, and pop concepualization. There is no
need to express revolt and unrest to this crowd!
The mass marketing of "cool" by the consumer goods industry has
lead to the delusion that you are cool because of what you buy,
or because you're young. Nothing could be further from the truth!
If you were really cool, you'd try to scam some of the over
abundance of consumer products in this country, and let some
other fool pay for this bullshit! And very often, when you're
young, you're also stupid. It's just the way things are.
So maybe your just way too cool, but not hip enough after all.
But remember, FAD is not a consumer item. FAD is a sign post,
follow it!
LEAVING a monday night show. I was out to see a group called
SUNSHINE BLIND who were having a record release show at the
Trocadero night club. They were celebrating the release of their
new record called "LIQUID" on the Energy Records label. Like a
good goth-y band they waited untill late to start. But, by
midnight (and before the set was over) I and a few other day
jobbers were making our way toward the door. It's not that the
band wasn't of interest...it's just that "they call it stormy
monday, and tuesday's just as bad"!..and there I was standing on
the corner of 4th and Brannan experiencing desolation, smack in
the middle of The City. Just me an' the concrete. I stood in the
street to soak it all in. Alas my epiphany was broken by a cab
that turned the wrong way down one-way 4th street. Watch it
sucker!!
VARIOUS ARTISTS - THE RE-MIX WARS STRIKE TWO/ CLEOPATRA - OFFBEAT
This CD Ep contains six re-mixed tunes. Three songs by Die Krupps
that were mixed by the guys in Front Line Assembly. And three
tunes by Front Line Assembly re-mixed by guys in Die Krupps.
You get the idea...
While Die Krupps gets the digital industrial treatment, Front
Line Assembly is a-wash in grinding guitars and trap drums. Here
the stylistic "lending" works to symbiotic perfection. Producing
the "hardest" of the Re-Mix Wars discs. A techno-rock industrial
extravagansa that could beat any dance floor into submission.
Search for this one, it's worth it! and also check out ...
VARIOUS ARTISTS - THE RE-MIX WARS STRIKE THREE/ 21ST CIRCUITRY
This CD Ep contains six re-mixed slices. Three songs by 16 Volt,
that were re-mixed by Hate Dept. And, three songs by Hate Dept.
that were re-mixed by 16 Volt. The war continues...
These two up and coming bands have actually been at work for a
few years now, and are part of the "digi-core" scene. The one,
and two-man production teams that have dominated techno, are
expanded here, into full size bands that have brought grind-core
and punk infuence into the techno-industrial scene, and so we
arrive at "digi-core".
Which was also a term invented to describe these two bands.
16 Volt's songs are given a heavy techno-industrial treatment
based on some heavy downbeats, that could make one of these songs
a dance floor treat!
Hate Dept., however, was treated to a very esoteric de-
constructionist re-mix. One of these tunes sounds like it was
ment to be a 'round about diss. Maybe this IS actually a re-mix
war in the making? We'll see, I guess...the next time Hate Dept.,
gets a hold of 16 Volt's material.
AUTOMATIC HEAD DETONATOR - LIVE EP./ LO-FI RECORDS
Here is a tasty little slice that should generate real intrest from those
of you who have an anthropological intrest in rock and roll. If
your collection is peppered with the raw and the un-reconstituted
then you need to acquire this promotional disc!
Recored live, on the streets of Hollywood CA, it is a document
of guerilla theater. Automatic Head Detonator hires a flat bed
truck and pulls up to the line formed outside the Hollywood
Palladium, where a Sonic Youth gig is taking place. Automatic
Head Detonator begins to play on the street and a crowd gathers,
while one of their friends records the event on a
portable DAT recorder.
The Palladium security force moves to stop the illicit gig,
and the street crowd, becomes agitated and demands that the band
finish their set. The mob has spoken!! That event is recorded,
as well, and the band goes on to finish their last song.
A.H.D. are supposed to be a techno-industrial band, however
the lo-tek, lo-fi aspect of this recording gives them a decidedly
analog sound, but you do hear some samples, and
keyboard in there too.
Song number four on this disc is an undiscovered classic of
rock and roll music. Recorded in a setting that can only be
discribed as rock and roll. This is rock and roll existing in a
totally modern context. I don't know really, what their studio
recordings sound like, but this particular CD EP rocks like a mofo!
Here's how you hook up:
LO-FI RECORDS 4470 SUNSET BLVD.
#490 LOS ANGELES, CA 90027 fax: 213/ 871-5008.
*PUNX REVIVAL MEETING*
U.K. SUBS - OCCUPIED/ AMSTERDAMNED RECORDS.
THE ADZ - PIPER AT THE GATES OF DOWNEY/ AMSTERDAMNED RECORDS.
VARIOUS ARTIST- SON OF SLAM CHOPS/ TRIPLE X RECORDS.
THE U.K. SUBS, yes the same ones from 1979, have cut a slice that's a text book for all the jr. neo-punks that are currently scammin' the big bux. Bands like "No Doubt" look like jr. high talent show stuff when compared to the SUB's continental maturity.
They have an "outlook", they have a philosophy, they studiously pick at the
knotted ball of yarn that is politics. They tell tales of the
rock and roll lifestyle. If credibility has a sound, this is it.
And in this world, finding someone who DOESN'T want to bullshit you
is a minor miracle. Buy it!
THE ADZ used to be called the Adolescents back during the reign of the second generation L.A. Punk bands. One reason for the name change is that this is for the most part a project piloted by front man Tony Reflex a.k.a. Tony Adolescent and a revolving crew of L.A. locals. Good L.A. punk rock songs you've never heard before!
SON OF SLAM CHOPS is the second release in the "slam chops"
series and it's the sort of compliation that's meant to show case
the latest punk releases on the TRIPLE X label.
It's like the record company called their bands and said
"ok kids, send us your show stoppers!"
creating a best-of collection that rocks hard.
Some of the bigger names on the CD are: Exploited, The Dickies,
Sloppy Seconds, Poison Idea, Vandals, D.I., Angry Samoans.
YOU WILL probably have to order these cuts by mail unless you
live in a major urban center. It's just a fact of life; the
cooler the music, the worse the distribution. Don't leave your
musical tastes hostage to "Walmart" or Sam Goody's invest a
fuckin' stamp and send a letter asking for a catalog, You can get
Amsterdamned and Triple X products from the same address:
TRIPLE X/ AMSTERDAMNED:
P.O. BOX 862529
LOS ANGELES, CA 90086-2529.
DIATRIBE - DIATRIBE/ RECONSTRICTION-CARGO
San Jose based tech-industrial outfit which loosely operates as a metal band. Although on a few cuts on this CD there seems to be a pre-occupation with some wimpy-er stuff that is sorta like "the other" over ambitious attempts at artistry that seem to happen often among programmers.
Dude, we just want you to rock anyway...an' well, you do get
that on the first three cuts that get you rockin' in the most
modern style. After that it's hit and miss.
I am still keepin' my eye on them ...
-Paul Hirsch