Late 80’s Philly hardcore band with Bob Belcher (Guitar) Rob Lipshutz (Bass) Scott Helig (Drums) & Steve Spagnuola (Vocals).
01. Death Mobiles
02. Killing Is My Life
03. Money Is Burned
04. Criminal At Large
05. Plague Of The White Frogs
06. Stealing For Christ
07. Close Minded Fool
08. Sinful Past
09. Urban Rednecks
10. Never Too Young
11. Keep The Scene
Both of these compilations tapes were put out by Chainsaw Fanzine from Bethlehem PA. After I posted I learned that this fanzine was put out by Dick Destiny of Dick Destiny & The Highway Kings.
On the Annoy Your Neighbor tape Senseless Hate, Tony T And The Bad Seeds, and Russian Meatsquats were from the Lehigh Valley. Some members of Tony T were later in Original Sins.
On the Please Stop tape Suburban Aggression and Professor Schnitzer were from Reading, Senseless Hate was from Bethlehem, and Wasted Talent was from State College PA. The drummer, Mick Begnal, from Wasted Talent was later in the Philly band Oblivion.
01. Professor Schnitzel intro
02. Suburban Aggression – Album Stomp
03. Suburban Aggression – No Drugs For Me
04. Suburban Aggression – I Want To Scream
05. Suburban Aggression – Lion’s Share
06. Attrition – First Onslaught
07. Attrition – Commandments
08. Perfect Heller – The Ride Home
09. Suburban Menace – Fear To Live
10. Spike Haytred – Straight Jacket
11. Wasted Talent – Surf City
12. No Thanks – Who Me
13. Senseless Hate – Subdue & Destroy With Blinding Speed
14. Senseless Hate – Dead Brains
15. Senseless Hate – Roasted Meat pt 4
16. Fatalities – Hemorraging
17. Smersh – 20,000 Maniacs
18. Smersh – Put Your Coat On
19. Angry Somoans – Poshboy’s Cock
20. Angry Somoans – Pictures Of Matchstick Man
21. Angry Somoans – Time To Fuck
01. Angry Samoans – Steak Knife
02. Angry Samoans – Lights Out
03. Roach Motel – Now You’re Gonna Die
04. Spike Haytrid – Death To Preppies
05. Spike Haytrid – Dream Girl
06. Senseless Hate – We Destroy The Ants
07. Senseless Hate – I’m A Sociopath
08. Senseless Hate – Roasted Meat, part 3
09. Meatmen – Meatmen Stomp (intellectual party version)
10. Tony T And The Bad Seeds – Suicide Note
11. Cracked Actor – Nazi School
12. Cracked Actor – Judy In Disguise
13. Smersh – Right Wing Barbeque
14. Smersh – Put Your H.O. Car In Your Mouth
15. Smersh – Man Threw In Jail (For Stealing Cookies)
16. Suburban Menace – Get Outta My Way
17. Suburban Menace – Serena Dank (Go Away)
18. Suburban Menace – What’s So Wrong
19. Suburban Menace – Skateboard Zone
20. Blight – Prophet Of Doom
21. Russian Meatsquats – Society Sucks
22. Attrition – Dilemma
West Chester PA band tape from 1992. It’s two sides of live shows from Philly and Pittsburgh, both recorded on a boombox from the audience.
01. Sisters Of Mercy bit
02. Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
03. Five
04. Technology Baby
05. Anti-Man
06. Fundamentally Demented Americanisms
07. Allergic To Humans
08. Poison Love
09. Guilded Rage
10. Gabe’s Song
11. Bonus For Screaching Weasel
12. Last Rockers
13. -dialogue-
14. Anti-Man
15. College Boy
16. Paint It Black
01. Scottcracedia (Upstage, Pittsburgh 12-07-91)
02. Out Of Sight Out Of Mind
03. Anti-Man (cut)
04. Poison Love
05. Five
06. Allergic To Humans
07. Guilded Rage
08. Coffee Dogs
09. Thought Police
10. Someone’s Gonna Die
11. Gabe’s Song
12. Bonus For Necracedia
13. Paint It Black
14. Universal Healer
Sugar Skulls were a Philly band from the early 2000’s which was often referred to as Philadelphia’s answer to X. The comparison came in a large part due to the late Red Burns (Tequila Worms, Hellfire and Brimstone) and Heather Brann sharing lead vocals. Red also played Guitar along with Dave Birch (Derelict Hotel). Brian Murray (Psyclone Rangers) played bass and made all of the very distinctive art work for the band. Dane Wilson (Derelict Hotel, Sugar Skulls) was the drummer.
While the X comparison is easy to understand if you go deeper there is evidence of a lot of other influences that gave Sugar Skulls their own unique sound.
Their album Waking Hour is not included here, you can get it here or on itunes here. Thanks to Brian Murray for the cds and flyers.
01 – Cry In The Night
02 – Baptism
03 – Forsaken Blue
04 – The Chase
01 – Detroit 442
02 – Light of Despair
03 – Dying Moon
04 – No Cure for Miracles
05 – Pessimist March
06 – Drunken Sympathy
07 – A Room Forever
08 – Grease Fire in the Fusebox
09 – Forsaken Blue
10 – It All Caves In
11 – Coming Apart
12 – Dirt Nap
01 – Dying Moon
02 – Waking Hour
03 – Light Of Despair
04 – Taco Doomsday
05 – Need You Around (Smoking Popes cover)
06 – Swear & Sin
07 – Drunken Sympathy
08 – Baptism
09 – Coming Apart (New Christs cover)
10 – Cry In The Night
11 – Kiss The Bottle (Jawbreaker cover)
The Gruberger Brothers, Solomon and Jay, were originally from Brooklyn New York and are well known for being members of the Proto-Punk band O. Rex who formed in 1973 and released an independent 3-song 7inch ep in 1976. The third member of O. Rex was Kenne Highland who later became famous in the Punk world as a member of The Gizmos. It seems that O. Rex never actually played a live show and by early 1977 the Grubergers and Highland combined forced with Kim Kane of the Washington D.C. band Slickee Boys to form a new band called Afrika Korps. Recording commenced with the results released in September 1977 as the Music To Kill By LP. During 1977 Afrika Korps played some live shows and their setlists included some of the O. Rex songs. For reasons unclear the Gruberger brothers dropped out of the Afrika Korps at the end of 1977 and first Solomon moved to Reading Pennsylvania and was later followed by Jay. Once they were set up there they tried to put a band together but found that people and clubs in Reading were not interested in original music. But, with a hired drummer named Mitch, they went into Jake Hain’s Unisound Recording Studio on N. 8th Street to record tracks for a proposed record. The name of the band was to be Spike and the record was to be a 7inch ep titled 90 Miles Per Hour. Eight songs were recorded but the record was never released. Over the next two years the brothers would record ten more songs at Unisound with drummer Ron Roberts. None of this material was released to the public at the time. Had the 90 Miles Per Hour ep been released in 1978 it would have been the first Punk record from Reading Pennsylvania. While the Grubergers were involved with music playing in cover bands in Reading, Spike apparently never played live and the Gruberger Brothers never played their original material live. Both brothers did return to playing with Afrika Korps in the 1980s. Sadly, Jay Gruberger was killed in a car accident in January 1993. In 2011 all these tracks were mastered from the original reels and released on this LP. Solomon passed away in 2012, almost a year after the release of this album.
Since this album is available to purchase at Midheaven and I’m sure other places I have only included a couple of track so you can sample them – if you like them get the album
Thanks for the tape files Brett Noise Addiction II
A very recent nice development has been members of bands from the 80’s getting back together and/or starting new bands. Three of them from Philly all have members from of one of my favorites Electric Love Muffin. Another fan of ELM has been releasing records by these new/old bands on Sister Raygun Records. According to him the label’s main goal is to promote local Philly bands (though we have non-Philly bands too). Plus it is “purely a labor of love for me — just trying to help put out some good under-the-radar music….” The great part is these bands aren’t rehashing the sound of any of their old bands they are expanding on those sounds in many new directions. For some videos Check out the Sister Raygun YouTube channel
Now, getting back to the three bands:
Poppy was first formed in the early 1990s with members of 2 of 80s Philly punk scenes favorites Electric Love Muffin (Brian Campbell) and Scram! (Craig Heim) with Kate Campbell’s powerful vocals and loud guitar. They returned a few years ago and have been playing all over Philly. First time I saw the reformed Poppy was at the Tusk (I think) and they were heavier than I had remembered and it was just a good time seeing them again. In November of last year (2019) they released a new album Snakes of New Jersey. There are a variety of styles on the album from Noisy Blues with powerful vocals to straight ahead pop rock to one song Marga, which in some ways reminds me of (I’m not sure what it’s been labeled) but bands like Seam/ Dustdevils/ Breaking Circus/ Polvo.
FoxyContin formed in 2003, the band features members of 2 Philly punk legendary bands The Electric Love Muffin and Krhissy. Rich Kaufmann (ELM singer) wanted to start a band that channeled the first wave of punk rock after the end of his country rock, the Rolling Hayseeds. He was working with Ravine Veneer at Silk City who played guitar and got Michael Barndt (Krhissy) on drums and Mike Stifel on bass. I missed recent Foxycotin shows since they have been back, but once we can return to seeing bands, I plan on going, Their long awaited debut album This Time You’re On Your Own (see below) comes out on August 7th on Sister Raygun. There is something for everyone on this album. A song for the sad state of politics in America (The Whole World Knows I’ll Never Get Over It Now), A reworked Rolling Hayseeds song (It’s Starting to Show), and a couple of songs have organ music by Sam Steinig (Mondo Topless and GTVs) that reminds me of the organ parts of early Elvis Costello songs, plus lots of cool covers from all over the musical spectrum.
Mt Vengeance is Rich Fravel – singer/guitarist (Uptown Bones, Latimer, Ashtabula, Blue & Realtor extraordinaire who helped me buy my house), Brian Campbell – bass (Electric Love Muffin & Poppy) and Nicky Santore – drums (Valsalva, Glory Hole). I have seen them live a few times and for me it was a strange (in a good way) mix of nostalgia for the 90s but with enough freshness to it to make it sound new. Their first album Covered in Dust from 2018 was one of my favorites of that year and the new album Machines is even better (see below). There are a lot of different styles on this album. A few songs have a pop sensibility but with a harder edge. Others like Nil By Mouth has distorted noisy guitar with a grove. Then it all wraps up with the song Machines which has a metalish Hawkwind sort of sound.
Here is a video I shot before the Photon Band / American Trappist / Mt. Vengeance show at JB’s. Brian (ELM, Poppy, Mt. Vengeance), Rich (Uptown Bones, Mt. Vengeance), Art (Uptown Bones, Photon Band) & Noel (Uptown Bones) played two Uptown Bones songs and an ELM song.
Other Sister Raygun bands include Philly’s own Beretta 76
Good Power Pop Italian band Mad Rollers
I have to use the bandcamp description for Pre-Cog in the Bunker – a sci-fi post-punk duo blending punk noise, classic melodies, and literary lyrics.
And The Professor Fuzz 63 is a cool, lo-fi, rocking’ trio from Dallas,
(some pics from the label and a couple I took)
2 Live shows from JC Dobbs in 1992 by Richmond VA band Mudd Helmet. There is not a lot of info about them online but it looks like Mudd Helmut broke up in 1993 after releasing one 7″ and one tape (1990).
Thanks for the tape files Brett Noise Addiction II
01. Give Me Sensation
02. Wired
03. Doomsday In Hell
04. Between The Lines
05. Riding Jeanies Brain
06. title unknown
07. La La La
08. Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In
09. NYC Mourning
10. This Ain’t No Promised Land
11. title unknown
12. What’s Your Name
01. Sometimes I Feel
02. title unknown
03. title unknown
04. Doomsday In Hell
05. Give Me Sensation
06. Somebody’s Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In
07. title unknown
08. La La La
09. This Ain’t No Promised Land
10. I’ve Been Gone So Long
11. Something’s Gotta Give
12. What’s Your Name
Photo credit: Jen Buck Knies
YQ was a band from 1985 to 1986 from Catasauqua in the Lehigh Valley.
Larry Deiter, charismatic teenage hero who ran away from home and lived in the little league dugouts for awhile, was the singer. he’d sung in a band called Zero Factor previously.
Tracy Pain played guitar, Bobby Fegley played bass (RIP. he died in a car crash in the 90s) and Roy Mayorga played drums. Somewhere late in their ‘career’ they got Roy Grube from LAST CRY to play bass. (I never saw this lineup…) Mike Gentilcore, local king of LV BMX, played second guitar in an early lineup.
They were from Catasauqua, which kids on the scene used to call Little England. Catasauqua (or Catty) was one of the punkest small towns in America. there were some truly amazingly stacked shows from 84 to 86 there. it was like the Huntington Beach of Pennsylvania; as if Catty High was the PA version of Edison High in HB. And most of those kids were a bit crazed and tough. it was totally Class Of ‘84.
Every other high school in the LV had maybe 5 or 6 punkers each. but at Catty High it seemed to me like every single student was a punker, or at least wouldn’t give you shit for being a punker. i mean i would go to the Catty High dances with Larry Deiter and Story from The Complaints and hang high up in the bleachers with the punkers. I never even thought of going to a dance at my own high school in Bethlehem! I mean fuck, that thought gives me shivers.
By the early 80s for some reason Catty had such a deep punk tradition and i don’t really know why…. To this day i still wonder about Why That Was. Someone brainiac should figure it out and do an ethnography.
There were even dances at some church in Catty that I and other LV punkers would attend. First time I went my mind was fucking completely blown: little elementary & middle school kids (no lie) pogoing around with spiked hair, sid vicious chain necklaces with locks, and engineer boots. Tracy Pain’s gnarly older brother was DJing (999, pork dukes, sex pistols, uk subs, all Catty faves). The chaperones were all singing along to Friggin In The Riggin and dancing around.
I couldn’t believe it.
Me & a couple kids started skanking around 1982 style and bam! Tracy’s older brother put me on the floor with a sucker punch. He didn’t like this new kinda punk dancing.
YQ practicing in some basement
Prior to Youthquake the Catty bands were pretty tough & raw and late 70s-ish. The LIARS, The CLAP, The COMPLAINTS (whom i totally loved), etc. They all kind of sang with english accents.
But with YQ came a more hardcore approach, as if intentionally they were reacting against the older punkers ( the Complaints had a song called Johnny Please Come Home, which i always hoped & imagined was about Johnny Loftus from The Clap) YQ wrote a darker themed song called Johnny’s Not Coming Home)
They broke up in 1986 I think?
But with roy’s brother on bass, or down-tuned guitar, they morphed into WORD MADE FLESH who were, to me, thee greatest LV band ever (not just up to that point). But for whatever reason they didn’t last too long either.
Larry went on to sing in Fathead, and continues to ‘live rough’ to this very day i hear. Roy went on to play with Nausea, Soulfly, Stone Sour, Amebix and probably others.
When i think of all these old friends and the things they did I cant help but feel good, and sad; about having once been a 16 year old punker, and about how much time has gone by.
– Eric de Jesus (raw pogo on the scaffold zine/ easy subcult)
– photos by Jen Buck Knies & Jen Chapelle
There first demo – It’s Up To Us is up on the FOE site
Thanks for the tape files Brett Noise Addiction II
01 – We Dont Need
02 – Johnnys Not Coming Home Today
03 – The Tables Turned
04 – American Escalation
05 – Stress Test
06 – Ill Take My Chances
07 – Right to Die
08 – It Wasnt Your Choice
09 – Prepare Them for War
10 – It Cant Happen
11 – Youre the Robot
L.M.N.O.P. were Rob Windfelder on vocals, Greg Cowper on keyboards, Lisa Cortes (aka Palmyra Delran) on bass/guitar, Eddie Beinlich on Drums. This was the very first LMNOP show. Drummer Eddie left the band soon after. Later on the band changed their name to Doctor Bombay and released their 1st single in 1985 with an LP following in 1989. For their Dr Bombay 7″ they added Barbara McGough on Backing Vocals, Bob McKeown / Joe Ankenbrand on Drums & Greg Cowper on Keyboards. Then for the Car Crash Rage album it changed to Noelle Hoover (currently of Gibbous Moon) on Bass, Keyboards with Bob McKeown again on Drums. Palmyra Delran is also on the live recording with Das Yahoos here. She later went on to play with Friggs and Pink Slip Daddy.
Here is their page on Discogs.
The insert pages for the LP had a lot of text so I included pdf versions + plus there was a fold over section so there are two versions:
Red Image Version & Black Image Version,
Thanks for the live tape files Brett Noise Addiction II
01 – Title Unknown
02 – No Way Out
03 – Desire
04 – Title Unknown
05 – Title Unknown
06 – Dogs on Wheels
07 – Title Unknown
A1 – Bound and Gagged
B1 – Alone for You
A1 – I Cant Touch You
A2 – The Light
A3 – What Kind of Trip Are You On
A4 – Foxtrot
A5 – Desire
B1 – No Way Out
B2 – Use the Door
B3 – Mechanical Pets
B4 – All Too Clear
B5 – Life in a Cage
Deadspot were in my opinion the best of the Philly Metal crossover bands. They definitely had a more metalish sound but retained punk/hardcore ethos. For the demo tape the bass player was Richard Birch who was also the guitarist for Decontrol. One of the Deadspot songs from their tape was on the Philly comp: Disc Pan Hands. Deadspot’s line up featured Larry Horn (listed as The Kid) on drums, Mike Illes on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Paul Juestrich on lead guitar and Larry Leifheit on bass. Besides the Demo Tape I have included their first album Adios Dude and the 7 inch Built-In Pain.
Their 2nd album Built in Pain LP is still available to buy.
I’ve also included a couple of videos I put up on YouTube from Lenny Crunch (RIP) & flyers.
Thanks for the tape files Brett Noise Addiction II
01 – Another Day
02 – Deadspot
03 – Friday Night in Hell
04 – Powertool
05 – Suicide City
06 – Tonite
07 – Here and Now
08 – Hollywood
09 – Paris is Burning
A1 – Addiction
A2 – Right Through You
A3 – Inside
A4 – Deadspot
A5 – Friday Night in Hell
B1 – This Means War
B2 – Powertool
B3 – Another Day
B4 – My Death
B5 – Jesus is My Best Friend
A1 – Razors
A2 – T.V. Eye
B1 – Built in Pain
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