Random Letters

Last post I wrote about Psycho and mentioned Charlie Infection.  As I was going through a package of my old stuff from my time on the East Coast, I came across a flier for an April 18 (year unknown) all ages Death Fest at the Escape Club on Salisbury Beach.  The flier featured Entombed (only New England appearance), Hexx, Ripping Corpse, Psycho and "3 or 4 more bands too."  Eight bands.  Eight "bux."  Standard flier.  On the back of it was a letter from Charlie Infection, which gave me the idea to start sharing all these letters I had saved up (unless they were truly personal or something).  They won't all be interesting, and they won't all appear on this blog, but here is the first one.

"Hey Doug -- Here's the inter view [sic] w/some pictures + logos + ads + review pack -- Thanx -- Send us a couple copies when it's done -- Later Charlie I."

Very basic letter, and I will be reprinting the interview sometime.  It should be pretty interesting.

Going through these letters, I saw stuff from writer/agent of chaos George Hayduke, artist/musician Doug Evil, and the late great GG Allin.  Keep your eyes posted on my various blogs, as I'll be posting them all at some point.

Psycho

If you read Maximum Rocknroll during the '90s you could not help but come across ads for Ax/ction Records and its premiere band Psycho.  The label and band ads prompted me to check out the music, which quickly made me a fan.

If there is one word to describe the band, it would be "abrasive."  The line-up I was most familiar with was Johnny X, Mike Psycho and Charlie Infection (with whom I corresponded with on a fairly regular basis).  They cam across as badasses with a hint of workhorse thrown in.  It was a good combination, and while I have long since stopped following the band's output, from what I understand it is still going strong (with a different line-up).  (It should be noted I could find no website for the label.  How punk is that?)

Liked by metal and punk fans, Psycho made a point of playing fast, short songs and doing plenty of split 7"s with favorites of mine like Anal Cunt, Meatshits, and Rot.  Ax/ction, which also served as a distro, carried stuff from those bands and others, as well, which meant I was a regular customer.

I don't read MRR these days.  I've got too much other shit going on to even follow up on all that, but I'm still a fan of fast, abrasive bands that seem to put out something new every two weeks.  I'm not sure how Ax/ction stays in production (I imagine either due to Japanese fans or day jobs), but it warmed my heart knowing it was still around.  As for Psycho ... that doesn't really surprise me, either.  There's always going to be an audience for that kind of music.  If New Kids on the Block can come back on television, Psycho can keep plugging away in the underground, as a nice counterbalance to world where nothing makes sense.

The Econchrist/Detonators Influence

Last night, while preparing my daughter for the bath/brush teeth ritual that goes on in many a household around the world, I asked if she wanted to listen to any music.  She's pretty open to music beyond the realm of Disney, and she usually agrees, but I like to ask because it's polite.

She confirmed that she would, and I put on the Econochrist/Detonators split 7". 

She loved it.

I have no idea why it appealed to her.  All I know is that while peeking in at her brushing her teeth she was doing a little dance and kind of singing along,  without really knowing the lyrics.  (You know what I'm talking about.  You just sort of mumble things.)  At this point I had to think, "This may be the only little girl in the world who is listening to this 7" right now.  I wonder if this will stick with her?"

Beyond the aforementioned Disney music, my girl has a deep love of the Misfits, Blondie and the Clash.  All good bands in my mind.  I'm hoping she branches out to embrace some other ones, too, as a varied musical background is one of those keys to being a well-rounded, finely adjusted human being.

Seeing her dance last night let me know she was off to a fine start.

An Unpleasant Death

It had to happen.  My turntable is slowly dying.  Fittingly, it chose to start down this path while listening to the first LP of the Dwarves' Lick It.  It also has a cassette deck on it, which is also starting to go.  What I have to do now is find a decent self-contained turntable, cassette deck and speakers that will fit into an area I have set aside for it.  I've found one or two that I like, and they are in a good price ranger ($200-$300), but the one I have my eye on is a Crosley unit that records onto CDs.  (I fear every time I play a single or LP that I am slowly destroying the thing.)  I'm not a huge fan of the system's retro look, but if it allows me to enjoy my Italian pressing of Social Distortion's Mommy's Little Monster and my Gauge 7", then I'll suffer.

I figured this would happen eventually, but at a time when I'm looking to make a few other big purchases, the timing sort of sucks.  Couple that with the fact that I just got a huge box of vinyl, and I'm a might bit pissed, but appreciative of the irony.

I've had friends ask why I even bother with vinyl.  I think the answer is pretty self-explanatory.  First, as odd as it sounds, not everything is available on CD or even as a download (legal or otherwise).  Second, I like the way it sounds.  I like have a large piece of artwork to look and pour over.  Listening to an LP is a far more intimate experience than listening to a CD.  Always has been.  Always will be.

So this is my quest now.  Sell enough shit on eBay (maybe someone will buy that Yellow Dancer 7" that I've had up forever), and purchase a new turntable.  Hell, I don't even care if it records onto CD, though it would be nice to listen to some of this vinyl in the car or while I'm mowing the grass.  That would only be an added bonus.  I just want the sweet sounds of Born Against to fill the room once again as I step from the shower.  Is that too much to ask?  If you're my turntable, apparently it is.