BOX OF 7"s: Episode 8

LIMP WRIST - s/t
Parology Recs., 2001

Maybe you didn't know, but Limp Wrist are America's preeminent gay hardcore band. Martin picked up the pieces of Los Crudos and ran with them, creating another exciting, unusual band.
There's a lot to discuss, socially and politcally, here. I won't waste your time on a conversation you've most likely had, but I would like to hear a new record from Limp Wrist now, amidst all the DADT crap and California's Prop. 8 and all the racist legislation that's coming out of Arizona.
Martin! Where are you guys? Another decade's worth of gay American youth needs you!




MAKE UP - Substance Abuse
Time Bomb Records, 1996

The title song on this little slab of wax is probably the greatest thing this great band ever put down. I have listened to it countless times and it never gets old. I used to play it when I dj'd and I still listen to it now. The recording is exactly how it should sound and everything comes through. The desperate howl, the urgent bass line, funky drumming, the fun of using drugs! "You have got to take the time, to consider what the substance is for."
I know that the Make Up were white belted hipsters and everyone liked to point and make fun, but when they played everyone paid attention. That's what counts and they were awesome. It goes like that when most of the band is made up of most of Nation of Ulysses.



MARKED MEN - She Won't Know b/w Nothing's Changed
Shit Sandwich, 2005

Of all the great bands that Texas has given us, these guys fall somewhere in the Top 20 of All Time and the Top 10 for me. Besides SA's Big Drag and maybe a few others, no one does power pop as good as these guys. When they started, I was doubtful because I liked the Reds, a previous iteration featuring most of the same dudes, way too much. After the first Marked Men album, I was all like "The Reds? Who's that?" Just kidding. The Marked Men will live forever and this little piece of gold is a good illustration why.

BOX OF 7"s: Episode 7

Hello again...



INHALANTS - s/t
Unclean Records, 1993

Not the fun party accessory, but a fine single from the garage rock factory here in Austin, TX. Unclean Records released a number of fine Central Texas product, like Glorium, the Hamicks, and the Sons of Hercules. I didn't get my hands on it until a few years after its release, when the Inhalants had already broken up. I never got to see them. At one point, they were crazy enough to hire wild drummer Chris Hernandez, who, I'm sure, talked his way into that position like a smooth criminal. Then, all of Austin moved to Seattle.
I like this one, as it includes the awesome "Misanthrope", which sounds like a song X would pull out for an encore.
As luck would have it, some time later, Lisa from the Inhalants would later get a roommate. That roommate would figure in our next two bands....




THE JEWWS - I Need Your Lovin'
Alien Snatch Recs., 2001(?)

The Jewws have a cemented a place in my heart. As far as rock music goes, Houston has produced none better than the Jewws. Their Heartbreaker 10" (with Omari's brother keeping the beat)is so awesome. I have seen them countless times. I still wish they were together. The snotty, spastic loudness hooks me every time. Rebecca's thick, red mane still shimmers! Omari's sneer shines in the night! Matt's striped shirt reminds me of his other striped shirt! Seriously, if you haven't already introduced yourself to the wonders of this band, please do. Check the video below.


During the time of the Jewws, I got to know them and still do to this day. They are all awesome. You should try and find that Heartbreaker 10".
Of course, two Jewws were also in...





JUNIOR VARSITY - Bam Bam Bam!
Twist Like This, 2000

"If I was a pizza, I'd be a slice of cheese.."
How could you turn down a record with a line like that? You couldn't and neither did I. It's no secret that I like cute stuff, and this is that with charm for days. In a feat of engineering genius, they managed to squeeze an entire album onto this 7". How so?
Even though JV pines for the creaky old 50s, this sounds fresh and sprightly. Yet another band out of Houston I wish would still play (and two more Texans lost to Washington!). I'm going to listen to it again, while I eat Wheat Chex. Oh, here are some cute pics of JV playing at an elementary school!



See you soon!

I'ma live blog this SXSW bitch!

As a grand return to bloggville, I will try to live blog evryband I see this year!

I AM A SORRY BITCH

FUCK! I haven't put up anything new here in over a month! Well, there's actually been some factors as to why, but most aren't good enough to publish. I promise there will be Episode 7 of the 7 Inch Box soon. Maybe some cute animal pictures. Stay tuned!

Cute Visitor at Work

This happy fellow came in and spilled cute everywhere.

BOX OF 7"s: Episode 6

Hey, you guys like Hickey?





HICKEY - Us v. Them ep
Truth About Fonzie Communications, 1994

Is this the first Hickey 7"? Yes, but my copy is a repress from a year or so later. Needless to say, this is awesome. Not only does it come with a bunch of shit for you to read, it contains one of my favorite Hickey songs: "Everyone's A Whore". This record is ideal for drinking your first beer on a night when you just know you're going to drink more than 10. Interesting fact about my copy: it has a phone number inscribed on the inner sleeve that was there when I got it in 2002, which is the same year Matty Luv died. It's a 214 number. If you want I'll e-mail it to you and you can call it.




HICKEY & ALL YOU CAN EAT - Banana Split ep
Monitor Recs., 1994 (It's yellow see-thru!)

OK. On the cover of this piece of gold, AYCE is actually listed first. I file it under Hickey because I listen to that side more and Hickey are great. If you only have "Various States of Disrepair", their compendium, this 7" has 'Make Sure There Aren't Any Squares At My Funeral' and 'El Farolito'. These are two awesome songs and will surely take your mind back to an awesome party somewhere in your history. Especially if you love burritos. All You Can Eat acquit themselves quite well on their side of the split, but I'm here to talk about Hickey.
I'm thinking this is a repress, but I'm not sure. It has a cute drawing of a guy in a dinosaur costume handing out flyers for kung fu lessons on the back.



HICKEY - Art, Messianism, & Crime ep
Last Resort Recs., 1995

Then again, maybe this is their best 7". Not only do all the songs shine like crusty diamonds (especially "Everything I Know About Sex I Learned from KISS"), but the unfoldable newspaper cover reveals the awesome "Hickey vs. Austin, Tx" article inside. The tale involves arrests and Peter Criss, but not necessarily together. I never got to see Hickey. I wasn't hip to them when they played here. :( It must also be mentioned that this a good party record.





HICKEY / VOODOO GLOWSKULLS
Probe Recs./"Epitaph Recs.", 1996

I'm just going to reprint the stuff from Wikipedia:

Probe records released a 7" which was made to look as if it were a split between Hickey and the Voodoo Glow Skulls. On one side of the 7" was the Hickey song "Food Stamps and Drink Tickets" and the other side members of Hickey played the trumpet that was stolen from Voodoo Glow Skulls over the answering machine messages left by Voodoo Glow Skulls members and Epitaph Records employees demanding the return of the instrument. The 7" also falsely had the Epitaph Records logo on the back as Epitaph had no official part in the release.

According to the zine included with the 7" the two bands played together at the now closed Nile Theater in Mesa, Arizona. Matty Luv, singer of Hickey, made disparaging remarks about Epitaph Records and the commercialization of punk. After members of both bands had a confrontation, the Voodoo Glow Skulls convinced the venue owner to eject Hickey without pay. In response, Hickey stole the trumpet in question out of the Voodoo Glow Skulls van.

After receiving threatening messages on their answering machine, Hickey filled the trumpet with pudding and returned it.

^>

Sorry to end on a down note, but I'm just not crazy about the song on here. It's called "Food Stamps and Drink Tickets". The zine that comes with this is pretty entertaining, though. The back and forth between the bands and their peoples makes for a good read.

CAT PARTY

The kittens are going in to get their nuts cut on Friday! Wish these bros well.








Spottie!

BOX OF 7"s: Episode 5

Now that the boozy holidays are over, I can get back to pondering my box of 7"s. Actually, the box had a little adventure of its own. In protest of my not cleaning their box, one of the cats took a shit near the box. That was bad enough, but when I reached for the box the next time, I found a remnant stuck to it! It was a piece of duct tape covered in cat poo stuck to the box! Gross! Not as gross as a dog shitting a tampon, I suppose. It was cleaned and returned to its former state.


THE GOSPEL SWINGERS - Mississippi ep
In The Red Recs., 2001

This is a really awesome record, and I remember these guys really bringing down the house whenever they played. They were from Denton, so it wasn't that rarely. I remember one particularly fun show at Trophy's in south Austin. Unfortunately, the record ends too soon, and really leaves you wanting more. Luckily, an album came along a few years later, however posthomously. This slab is produced by the great Tim Kerr, who would soon collaborate with 3/5 of the Swingers in the Now Time Delegation.
The Swingers originated with the handsome Alex Cuervo, who also thrilled us in the King Sound Quartet and Blacktop, among others. He's now fronting the excellent Hex Dispensers, along with his lovely wife Alyse Mervosh-Cuervo, who punishes the drums. You can read an interesting interview with Alex from 2007 here.
PS. When they got married, it was awesome and it allowed me to wear a chipmunk vest for most of the evening.





THE HATCHBACKS ep
Turkey Baster Recs., 2000 (It's green see-thru.)

Ha ha! I have lots of fun memories associated with this band. They were loud and snotty and liked to party. They all remain friends of mine today and they continue to rock, although one rocks a research desk at a prominent Jewish university. Not bad for a Motard!
The song I like the most on here is "Hit the Road", a driving little tune that sternly asks for your attention. The remaining jams keep the party goin' and prompted me to drink a beer as I type this. Those Hatchbacks really liked to rock. Once, Dean knocked himself out cold when he fell off the stage during a show. I thought he was dead, but he merely received a concussion. He passes on that concussion to the ages with this fine contribution to Texas music history.
Did you know that there's a rockabilly band from Sweden called the Hatchbacks, too? Well, there is.


Sorry this post only has two entries. Next, I've got 4 Hickey 7"s to go through.

BOX OF 7"s: Episode 4

DONNY DENIM - "Hey You" b/w "Rock 'n' Roll Love Affair"
Radio X, 1999

There's a lot of Darin Raffaelli in this box. Here he is with his back-up band, AM Radio, on a couple of snappy tunes. The b side is the winner of this pop contest. The song dances around with a Sweet/Dictators vibe. It still sounds like it'd be better if the Bobbyteens did it. This disc also reveals how much he had to do with that band's sound.
I don't really know what dude looks like, but the picture on the back of the sleeve is very unflattering. It filled me with disappointment upon first viewing. This did not look like the handsome lad on the car from Supercharger.
One thing I was unaware of with this record. Check this out:

LC: Donny Denim. Was it a solo project? If not who was in it and did you tour?

Darin: Donny Denim was a comedy record that I recorded with Brian and the rockin Kathy Walker of the Retardos. We were so blatantly trying to be funny that I scratch my head when people say that its powder poop. Read my lips: I shit on powder poop and wipe my ass with bubblegum. I was trying to look like the Big Ragu on the cover but ended up looking like I don’t know what. My friend Nici, who did the cover, had to airbrush my bald spot. Thankfully, Michael Lucas asked me to record Necro Sue with the Phantom Surfers, which really captured the true spirit of what Donny DeNimbecile was supposed to be all about. No tour. No shows. No girl fans.

Here's a video!

THE FATAL FLYING GUILLOTEENS ep
Twistworthy,

We wanna know where the rock comes from.
Boy, do I love me some early Guilloteens records. Houston's most aggressive weirdos seemed to run on contempt; for the audience or the club or each other. I liked to go to their shows to see what would happen, and usually something did. They played lots of hardcore shows and those kids like to dance (and so did I!) I got punched in the face once during a fight at one show and I had to barf after. Oh, and the band sweat a lot.
This records seems a little less manic than the ones to follow but still shows off their menacing snarl proudly. That last song is, to me, their theme song.




FATAL FLYING GUILLOTEENS ep
Estrus Recs, 1999

This record is so awesome. Recorded almost exactly one year after the previously mentioned 7-incher and the experience gained is displayed well. "Shake Train" is probably my favorite FFG song and it really brought down the house when they played it live.
You know what? The band is historically handsome. Throughout their line-up changes, good looks have been a constant. I wonder if you have to submit a headshot when you audition for the band. Are they serviced by a men's modelling agency? You tell me.

BOX OF 7"s: Episode 3

THE CHERRY VALANCE - "Two Headed Woman" b/w "(Let Me Do My) Business"
Fandango Recs., 2000, (pretty clear blue wax)

One of my favorite bands of the 00s also has one of the coolest names. In case you didn't know, they're named after a character in the SE Hinton book The Outsiders. You've probably seen the movie, which is also good.
Anyway, this record rocks and is good for consuming mass quantities of beer and fun. Both sides are great party jams filled with Southern boogie charms and a foxy lady who can play ripping leads. Her name is Cheetie. Both she and her bff, Paul, are in Birds of Avalon now. They are cool people in awesome bands. The Cherry Valance were great live, a dynamo of musical awesome. Make sure you check out their LP called Riffin', which is wall to wall hits.
Here's a video you may enjoy:




CHERUBS - "Pink Party Dessert" b/w "Downy Downer"
Trance Syndicate, 1992

"Pink Party Dessert" is a great song that opens with a bludgeoning riff and careens on from there. It's so awesome that I rarely listen to the other side, which has never grabbed me. If you ever see a copy of their Heroin Man LP, you should pick it up.
Once, I was at a Stereolab show at Liberty Lunch. I am old. The show was in full swing and I lit a joint and noticed I was standing next to Kevin Whitley, a Cherub. He looked at me funny and I offered him a hit, but was waved off. I found out the next day, he's as sober as the sun. A faux pas?





THE DONNAS - "Da Doo Ron Ron" & "I Don't Wanna Go To School" b/w "I Don't Wanna Rock 'n' Roll Tonight"
Super*Teem Recs., 1996

"Gimme that chiba!" Another assist from Darin Raffaelli leads to another piece of bubblegum punk girl greatness. Each song is better than the previous one. I wish I had the talent to have written "I Don't Wanna Rock 'n' Roll Tonight". The genius lies in the simplicity. Three chords and the teenaged truth, right? Do you think Raffaelli wrote the last one after one the teenaged Donnas turned down his old man advances?


THE DONNAS - High School Yum Yum ep
Radio X, 1995 (I think mine's a re-press, though.)

The debut of our teenaged darlings. The gem on this one is "Let's Rab!" which plots the course for the next few years to come.
Once I gave Donna R., the guitar player, a joint. I hope they enjoyed it. As for the Donnas, we've grown apart. When they started down the arena rock path, I went along. I got off at the first stop, though. They continue to rock on.