August 20, 2006

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

New York City goofballs the Sea Monkeys were a funny, hyperspeed garage band that put out several records, mostly on the Vital Music label. They punked it up from the mid-1980s through the whole ‘90s and recently played a reunion gig in Brooklyn, about 2,850 miles from where I now live.

My favorite song by these tiny aquatic hucksters was a little ditty called “Secret Sign,” wherein the nerdy protagonist boasts of his occult Masonic knowledge, esoteric rituals and insider connections:

You thought I was a shlub ‘Til I joined a special club We meet every Tuesday night. I’m not stupid any more I can open any door Since I took that sacred rite! – Right!

After the Sea Monkeys got broked up, frontman Dave the Spazz sang for the Shemps for a few years, but he’s better-known to WFMU listeners for his beloved long-running Music to Spazz By educational radio show. Guitarist Andy Maltz went on to form the fantabulous Little Killers.

Two years ago, a Bay Area christian band decided to “cover” this song. The Knights of the New Crusade are a collection of born-again garage rockers whose unusual ministry calls them to proselytize in a rather smug, take-no-prisoners manner that some unbelievers perceive as a tad obnoxious. For example, the Knights’ first album (wherefrom you can get the track below) is entitled My God is Alive! Sorry About Yours!: Songs in Praise of Our Lord God and in Condemnation of Sin. Try saying that three times fast with a dick in your mouth!

Supposedly there’s a second CD called Knight Beat: A Challenge to the Cowards of Christendom where they exhort their fellow jesus freaks to get all medieval on Satan’s ass. The Knights’ version of “Secret Sign” is surprisingly rocking, and faithful (get it?) to the original – however much the lyrics were altered to conform to a slightly different Dark Ages mythos.

The Sea Monkeys – “Secret Sign”

The Knights of the New Crusade – “Secret Sign”

Rick at 9:48 pm

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August 8, 2006

Onion Breath

Now that I never go out to see bands anymore, it’s just a lonesome old man and his memories. That’s pretty fucking sad, I admit, but it does mean you all get the benefit of my 20-20 rose-scented hindsight. No more negativity, just plenty of rock ‘n’ roll cheerleading.

This week.

Anyway, these here Red Onions are a bunch of highly energized punks who are too hip to be cool, and too cool (apparently) to get signed by a major label. They probably all have day jobs and better things to do. I can tell that they’re still together because they still update their websites.

Paul Gonzalez, the Onions’ diminutive frontman, packs enough natural soul and jagger-swagger into his performance to make all the babies swoon. There’s no counting the number of times these kids have splashed their Mexi-sweat on eager Southern Cali audiences… that includes the floor-shredding show I once witnessed at Silverlake’s now-lost all-ages punk venue/skate shoppe, Juvee.

The undisputed killer hit below, “Live Wire,” was written by drummer Jorge and originally appeared on Gabe (Starvations) Hart’s defunct Revenge label in ‘03. Lawrence Sanchez plays alto sax on it. From the opening cryptic declaration of “Rancheras!”, you’re on a rough-and-tumble go-cart ride of hip-shaking spastic rock ‘n’ roll, East L.A. style. It’s retro, but not in that too-cute way you’re used to hearing from well-coiffed, impeccably tattoo’d Fonzie rockers or shiny-shirted, white, perfumed funketeers. This shit is straight off the asphalt, my good man, with nary a whiff of spoiled ego.

The Red Onions have more records out – a single with “Your Politics”, plus a five-song EP that includes “Gimme Some More.” You can download the last two (like I did) from their other website. And anybody who doesn’t dig ‘em can just pinchame un huevo... if you will please forgive my Spanish.

The Red Onions – “Live Wire”

The Red Onions – “Gimme Some More”

The Red Onions – “Your Politics”

Rick at 11:02 pm

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August 4, 2006

Screwed Up in the Street

My old pal Squeaky turned me on to Menace a long while back by playing me one of their songs and then pointing out that I already had it on a Link Records 1987 comp called Oi! The Picture Disc. Menace are definitely on the oi end of the punk scale, and their catchiness opened up a whole world of English streetpunk and oi that I’d been ignorant of. Later on I got the “Screwed Up” twelve-inch single, and that song has since been a practice staple of every band I’ve played in. Menace’s lack of commercial success must’ve somehow rubbed off.

This awesome band has been blogged before, and probably by better than me, but what the hey. They were part of the 1977 generation of punk bands, yet somehow stayed in the minor leagues (even though John Peel touted them on his show), but were later seen as very influential among the kids (and the aging kids). I wouldn’t know about that, being a johnny-come-late and everything, but I know “G.L.C.” has a fist-friendly, bouncy rhythm that’s just as crowd-pleasing as the best of Sham 69’s stuff. Dig this liberal reworking of Cliff Richard’s hit “The Young Ones” and the poor-but-proud anthem “I Need Nothing.” This is message music, but without a lot of preachifying. The original Menace lineup recorded only eleven great songs before they split up in ‘79.

Vocalist/frontman Morgan Webster had a tuneful, hoarse streetpunk shout that I find supremely satisfying. He apparently died in 1991, perhaps of an O.D., although the internet couldn’t supply me with a credible story.

The original rhythm section of Noel Martin and Charlie Casey has kept the band going through various incarnations over the years. They have a cool website with newer photos and interviews plus some good nostalgic material, and a MySpace page. If you ain’t heard of ‘em, best git y’self told.

Menace – “G.L.C.”

Menace – “The Young Ones”

Menace – “Screwed Up”

Menace – “I Need Nothing”

Rick at 10:57 pm

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