Singles Going Steady: May 1993

Why, one might ask, write a column about the dinosaur of recording technology, the seven inch single? Because vinyl rules! It is by far the superior medium for rock and roll type music. Singles sound incredible, the bass is full and natural and the guitars are rich and warm. Also, by buying singles, you can directly support some of the best independent bands and labels without throwing your money at Sony and Philips for so called superior technology. Why spend $16 on a CD that was probably recorded on analogue equipment to make Sony more cake when you can spend three or four bucks and have something cool and collectible that sounds great. Go to your favorite record store and demand vinyl. Tell them you won’t be railroaded by multinational corporations. Or try mail order. Some of these singles were given to SLUG for review, but the majority I ordered and bought with my own hard earned dough, so I’ll just sample a few of the top of the stack.

The good people of Constant Change records sent us a bundle, so I’ll hit those first.

Daisy Gray – “Alive” Daisy Gray is actually Terence D.H. doing the moody acoustic thing. For those of you who only know his work in The Stench and Bod Yodelers, I urge you to check this out. Terence is a pretty cool guy and a damn good songwriter to boot. A nice change of pace from a local band.

Giving Tree – “Samantha” b/w “Garden.” A bonus surprise, I love putting something I’ve never heard of on and being blown away. Unexpected twists and turns, strong melodies, tasty hooks, dreamy zen jams and the occasional power cord. Kate joins my roster of favorite singers.

Doc Hopper – They look like Hard Ones and sound like Descendants. Is this what the world really needs? I don’t think so. Purely fourth form.

Our Voice Pro Choice – Four band compilation (Hands On Records). Two locals, NSC and Anger Overload, hook up with San Diego’s Heroin and NYC’s Born Again on this benefit for the Utah Pro Choice Coalition. It’s a mixed bag. NSC is the stand out where with good hooks and relevant lyrics. A worthy cause, a mediocre record.

Bad Religion – “American Jesus” b/w “Stealth” (Sympathy). The grand daddies of Los Angeles punk have some news for us, greed + religion = corruption. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it has that mid-tempo, minor key, melodic groove that we know and love so well. Hopefully this is a teaser for an upcoming album. They’re about due for one, I’d say.

Red Aunts – “Retard Jenny Jones” picture disc (Sympathy). Disc of the month. Fantastic art work. A completely hilarious reworking of The Clash’s classic and three other songs in the vein of early Red Cross or Mad Society. A real toe-tapper from the Wahl family and friends.

Mono Men –“I’m Hanging” b/w “Teen dogs in Trouble” (Rise Records). Faster than a nitro burning funny car, more powerful than a monster truck rally, the Mono’s offer another custom slab of crankcase rock. Killer graphics courtesy of Frank Kozik and Red Vinyl.

Jesus Christ Superfly – “Big Shit” b/w “Rocket Scientist” (Rise Records). Smart ass, snot rock in the vein of Angry Samoans. JCS packs plenty of punch. As always, great graphics and colored vinyl. I would recomend anything on Rise for the punk connoisseur.

Process – “Steel Jaws” (Conversion Records). Fairly boring sludge rock P.E.T.A. propaganda. These rich kids have too much time on their hands.

White Trash Debutantes – “Bill Dakota” b/w “Bad in Bed.” These folks are hella fun live, but it doesn’t translate to the studio. It sounds like Ginger is reading the lyrics. (Come to think of it, last time I saw them she was reading the lyrics). A remarkably flat performance.

Check out more from the SLUG Archives:
Record Reviews: April 1993
Record Reviews: March 1993