TYVEK - Mary Ellen Claims b/w Honda 7" single

Although it brings to mind both late '70s UK post-punk (Wire/Swell Maps/Mekons) and mid '70s Cleveland pre-punk (Pagans/Electric Eels/Rocket from the Tombs), Tyvek's music still sounds uniquely "early 21st Century decaying Detroit" to me. It's pretty weird, and in tone it suggests the strangeness and despair of crime-ridden, economically depressed, post auto-boom Michigan. B-side number "Honda", an "attack on car culture", is quite simply the best song released this year by anyone. Behind singer Kev's strange, brilliant spoken word rant, jangled guitars and a minimalist beat follow along, the pace moving increasingly faster as the narrative rises to a near psychotic tone. It peaks with some phenomenal fractured guitar work collapsing into a shambling musical car wreck -- just the right fit for the last gasps of Kev's vocal outburst. Song of the Year for sure! A-side cut "Mary Ellen Claims", an attack on "the mass media's promotion of anti-psychotic drugs for the youth as a cure for demonic possession", is more straight-forward but doesn't sound like any other punk song you've heard in 2006. It's a nice blend of crude, barely competent playing and creative, highly effective songwriting. I love the hooky guitars, the spare but catchy chorus, and Kev's appealingly bad singing. It's hard for me to pinpoint it exactly, but there's a quality to this song that keeps drawing me back in.

( I wish I could remember who wrote this review to give them their due credit. )

The mp3s are tagged as coming from the "Fast Metabolism" full length. The reason being is that these songs are also on that release so instead of ripping the vinyl I ripped the CD. They originally appeared on this 7" single.

This single went out of press very quickly. Lets hope X! Recordings reissues it soon.

http://download.yousendit.com/6FF9FDF154613B18

-COA

PIRANHAS - Garbage Can 7" ep

To say the PIRANHAS emerged from the ashes of the defunct EPILEPTIX might be an understatement, it sounds more like they exploded! This is the first PIRANHAS record and it is one hell of a sonic blast. If you dig art damged, demented punk with synths this may become your guiding light. Somewhat ragged and blown-out sounding with the ferocity of a hardcore band. It sounds like a the SCREAMERS on a roid rage! They keyboard must be cranked to 11 in the mix to the benefit of this record. I have to admit I think my jaw hit the floor the first time I heard this record. The PIRANHAS were around from 1998-2004 and they proceeded to only get weirder as they went on, but we'll get to that later in the blog. They always had an irreverant maniacal live show to back everything up too. It seemed pretty apparent, as a spectator, that there was some major booze, drugs and sheer insanity going down. The vocalist Jamie had an almost intimidating reign over the crowd. Performing, on more than one occasion, with a dead rat taped to his chest. From start to finish I can't hate one instant of this release. The members of the PIRANHAS are up to various post projects like Red Red Red, Little Claw and Druid Perfume. You can figure them out on your own.
Released on Tom Perkins Records (1998/99?)
http://www.mediafire.com/?k3hjuqak02ua6am <----refreshed link
-COA

YAH MOS - Off Your Parents 7" ep

The second release by YAH MOS, sounds like they are barely hanging on at times. Sloppy ass punk, much less polished than their first record. This is the most straight forward punk sound they produced yet still maintains that jazzy/funk groove they were known for. Much akin to Nation Of Ulysses without that pretentious hipster feel to it. They have even been referred to as a blue collar, low rent version of N.O.U., brilliant! Surley people are more familiar with the post YAH MOS band !!!, but this rages way over that Chik Chik Chik shit. Story goes that drug abuse and mental illness kept this Sacramento punk juggernaut down. At least they left this slab of wax around for the history books. Unquestionably one my favorite and most overlooked records of the early 90's. Released by Recess Records in 1994 and soon after repressed by Moo-La-La.

http://download.yousendit.com/C7B674BF2069882E

-COA