Screeching Weasel - Screaming Otter in My Pants + Stupid Jerks Live

This is a couple of cool bootlegs from what used to be one of the finest pop punk bands of the '90s - Chicago's Screeching Weasel. The first one, tracks 1 through 18, was released in 1993 under the name "Screaming Otter in My Pants" and was available on the Music Ruined My Life blog until the file was deleted; the other one, tracks 19 through 33, was recorded in 2000 after a long time of live inactivity from the band, at a "secret show" under the name Stupid Jerks, if I'm not mistaken. Both have rather good sound, and both are actually a lot better than the live stuff from the official "Thank You Very Little" compilation. The 1993 show represents the band at the top of their popularity, just before the release of the "Anthem for a New Tomorrow" LP, and offers a good overview of the first (and best) part of their career; the 2000 one is not half bad either, and features a great Ben Weasel rant about "working class" punk bands. There is some track repetition between the two shows but not too much, and if you're a fan you'll love this.

Track listing:

1. Veronica Hates Me (3:14)
2. Peter Brady (2:07)
3. Slogans (1:43)
4. Falling Apart (1:56)
5. Teenage Freakshow (2:35)
6. Leather Jacket (1:21)
7. I Can See Clearly (2:32)
8. Every Night (3:39)
9. Kamala's Too Nice (1:44)
10. I Wanna Strangle You (1:04)
11. Science of Myth (2:22)
12. Mary Was an Anarchist (3:08)
13. Rubber Room (0:37)
14. Cindy's on Methadone (1:38)
15. Don't Turn Out the Lights (3:49)
16. Ashtray (2:11)
17. Joanie Loves Johnny (2:01)
18. Totally (1:37)
19. Sunshine (3:09)
20. I'm Gonna Strangle You (1:40)
21. Cindy's on Methadone (1:24)
22. Gotta Girlfriend (1:28)
23. I Wrote Holden Caulfield (3:14)
24. Racist Society (1:56)
25. Tightrope (3:35)
26. Supermarket Fantasy (1:22)
27. 99 (2:47)
28. Six Percent (2:07)
29. 21 Months (1:30)
30. Science of Myth (2:17)
31. Joanie Loves Johnny (2:24)
32. Slogans (2:07)
33. I Can See Clearly (2:29)

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Various - Hog Butcher for the World

This is a compilation of alternative bands from the Chicago area circa 1987, and it really is much more "alternative" than the cover would suggest - lots of it is rather quaint indie rock, not pigfuck noise you might expect from looking at the cover or flipping it to find a Big Black song in the track listing. Some of the bands here really remained obscure for a reason, but there is good stuff on it - the aforementioned Big Black in a strangely "funky" sounding edition, the dark Americana of an early version of Freakwater (here called Mojo something-or-other - I first thought it was an alias for Mojo Nixon, but the Internets say otherwise), a cool track by the pre-fame Urge Overkill, two nice otherwise unreleased songs by Joe Haggerty's Bloodsport and (already featured on this blog) Precious Wax Drippings, and so on. Nothing to really get your panties wet about, but still worthy of preservation.

Track listing:

1. Bloodsport - Ink of Your Soul (3:50)
2. God's Acre - 1-2 a Boy's Life (3:33)
3. Mojo Wishbean & Trippy Squashblossum - Little Black Train (2:35)
4. Urge Overkill - Last Train to Heaven (3:41)
5. Precious Wax Drippings - No Place I Can't Go (2:17)
6. The Garden - Walking through the Darkness (4:41)
7. Big Black - Big Money (live) (2:42)
8. The Defoliants - The End (3:51)
9. Permabuzz - Drivin' (3:20)
10. The Sapphires - Evil Eye (2:54)
11. Ungh! - Turn the Light On (2:39)
12. Material Issue - Chance of a Lifetime (3:04)
13. End Result - Truly Evil Thought (2:48)

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Precious Wax Drippings - Ain't We a Wishin' Bunch

I'm back after a three-week trip to the USA, so I'll kick off the blog again with a nice little EP I chanced upon at the wonderful Amoeba music shop in Hollywood. Although the name of this band did sound familiar to me, I didn't really have any idea on how they might sound; but the price tag of $2.99 and the words "Chicago Recording Company" and "Iain Burgess" on the back of the sleeve convinced me to give it a chance. And sure enough, it's really nice old-style emo-indie-punk-rock, like so much of the stuff that was coming out of Chicago during the latter part of the '80s. It's only six songs long and the instrumental "Big Cheese" is no big cheese really, but it's quite enjoyable in that "nice band that never amounted to anything although they did deserve to" kind of way. Hope you like it!

Track listing:

1. Prayers (2:26)
2. Soulbait (1:55)
3. Big Cheese (1:52)
4. Clover (2:08)
5. Keys (1:45)
6. Furnace (4:37)

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Pegboy - Three Songs and Five Shows

I did have a cassette dub of this album for years, but this is not my tape. In the 90's in Croatia we had a war, not 100 min Type II cassettes from Japan.

Time and time and time again, I have put on a Pegboy album and decided that they were my favourite punk band of all time, above the Clash, even above the Ramones. Now, I realise these are heavy words, but so is this band - heavy on the ears, heavy on the liver, heavy on the heart. They are one of those bands whose lyrics you are never able to fully grasp, and sometimes you're not sure whether they're beautiful, pathetic or just stupid, but that's the point when you need to stop reading the lyrics sheet and blast the song at full volume, preferably in the company of a few good friends and/or beers. The band was formed in Chicago by former Naked Raygun guitarist John Haggerty, and while the two bands do share some similarities, I like to think of Pegboy as the heart to Naked Raygun's brains - more monotonous and blunt in their approach, but also (even) more emotionally satisfying. That's if you like punk rock performed by sad men, of course.

As all of their albums are available from most regular music outlets, I will share three songs which do not appear on either one of them, and five bootleg live shows; there is a sixth one available, "Live at the Metro" from 2004, but you can buy that on iTunes and support the band in doing so. OK I did steal it from some guy on SoulSeek but I'm allowed to do that because I am doing such great things for the punk rock scene on these here Internets. On to the track listings:

"Three Songs"

1. Walk On By (2:12)
2. Chutes and Ladders (2:49)
3. Emerald (Thin Lizzy) (3:55)

"Walk On By" is the B-side of the "Field of Darkness" 7"; "Chutes and Ladders" came out on a Chicago bands compilation; and "Emerald" comes from a rare Thin Lizzy tribute disc and features some great swords-and-sorcery lyrics which sound rather hilarious coming out of Larry Damore's mouth.

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"Live at CBGB's July 16th 1991"
1. Method (3:57)
2. Strong Reaction (3:41)
3. Not What I Want (2:31)
4. My Youth (2:49)
5. Field Of Darkness (2:39)
6. Fade Away (3:23)
7. Time Again (2:59)
8. Still Uneasy (2:43)
9. Walk On By (2:11)
10. Locomotivelung (1:45)
11. Through My Fingers (3:51)

A good early show with passable sound quality and some great song choices. There are some problems with the sound of the vocals (sometimes the microphone seems to be distorting the sound, sometimes they're too loud, sometimes they're REALLY off-key) but I can live with that.

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"Live in Pittsburgh December 14th 1995"
1. Intro (1:23)
2. Strong Reaction (4:41)
3. Sideshow (3:18)
4. Not What I Want (3:28)
5. Locomotivelung (2:52)
6. You (2:59)
7. Field of Darkness (4:40)
8. Dad (Didjits) (2:34)
9. Sinner Inside (2:48)
10. Gordo (3:33)
11. Wages of Sin (4:07)
12. Witnessed (2:28)
13. Fade Away (3:41)
14. Never a Question (2:56)

Recorded during the "Earwig" tour, interesting song choices again, plus a cover of DIDJITS, of all bands?! Too bad the sound is really shitty, probably coming from a Walkman in the audience, but I'm PUNK AS FUCK and I like it anyway.

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"Live at the Fireside Bowl, Chicago, 2000"

1. My Youth (4:00)
2. Never a Question (4:10)
3. Hardlight (2:08)
4. Strong Reaction (4:29)
5. Dog Dog (3:58)
6. Method (4:18)
7. Field Of Darkness (4:28)
8. Not What I Want (3:16)
9. Through My Fingers (5:21)
10. Revolver (4:35)
11. Superstar (2:57)
12. Locomotivelung (3:54)
13. Time Again (3:18)
14. Dangermare (4:13)
15. You Fight Like A Girl (3:14)
16. Walk On By (3:11)
17. Treason (Naked Raygun) (4:47)

I guess these were the last days of the band as a functioning unit - they even talk about needing to (and not really wanting to) record a new album if I recall correctly, it's been a while since I last heard this particular bootleg. The sound is good and the set closes with a great Naked Raygun cover.

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"Live at Touch and Go 25th 2006"

1. Intro (1:23)
2. Still Uneasy (3:20)
3. Not What I Want (2:50)
4. Strong Reaction (4:24)
5. Locomotivelung (4:00)
6. Field of Darkness (3:47)
7. Walk On By (2:49)
8. Sideshow (3:49)
9. Time Again (4:55)
10. Superstar (3:27)
11. Fade Away (4:10)
12. Method (4:11)
13. Dangermare (2:51)

The first reunion show, at the Touch & Go records 25th anniversary festival in Chicago. The best sounding one from this collection (although the vocals could be a little quieter, and the guitar a little louder) and featuring wonderful stage banter about Larry being, alternately: 1) drunk off his ass at 1 PM, 2) fat, old and ugly, and 3) utterly unsuccessful in his musical career. THIS is how you speak before an audience. If you don't want to bother with all these shows, make sure you get at least this one and the 2000 one.

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"Live at Riot Fest 2009 (Live at the Congress Theatre)"

1. Dangermare (2:47)
2. Through My Fingers (4:05)
3. Field Of Darkness (3:04)
4. Witnessed (2:38)
5. Time Again (3:20)
6. Strong Reaction (4:00)
7. Hardlight (1:34)

Not much to write about this one - average sound, no surprises in the setlist, plus it's only seven songs, 21 minutes. I do believe it is the only show here which features the two-guitar line-up (Larry now also plays guitar) but it's not like you can hear it or anything. Get it anyway, it's not like you're PAYING for it, is it.

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Touch & Go 25th Anniversary Shows

Big Black, of course.

The world's best record label, Touch & Go Records, held a 25th anniversary festival some five years ago, which featured some great, great bands, some of which hadn't played for ages before, and haven't played again ever since (Scratch Acid, Big Black). Here is an assortment of live recordings from that festival (the whole Big Black mini-set is thankfully included, for historical purposes at least) which used to be featured at this blog, but are not available anymore.

The wonderful Mr. Todd Trainer of Shellac.

Track listing:

Day One:

1. Shipping News - (Morays or) Demon (4:28)
2. Shipping News - Axons and Dendrites (5:47)
3. Supersystem - Born into the World (6:17)
4. Supersystem - The Pinnacle of Experience (2:54)
5. Girls Against Boys - Rockets Are Red (5:19)
6. Girls Against Boys - Super-Fire (3:28)
7. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Sons of Cain (4:00)
8. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Suspect Device (3:09)
9. !!! - Must Be The Moon (4:27)
10. !!! - All My Heroes Are Weirdos (3:49)

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Day Two:

1. The New Year - Chinese Handcuffs (3:59)
2. The New Year - Reconstruction (3:23)
3. Uzeda - Gold (3:01)
4. Uzeda - Steel Man (3:03)
5. Pegboy - Superstar (3:27)
6. Pegboy - Dangermare (3:01)
7. Tim & Andy - lr72 (8:09)
8. The Ex - Sister (5:48)
9. The Ex - Unknown (6:25)
10. Killdozer - New Pants and Shirt (4:22)
11. Killdozer - La Grange / Cyst (5:43)
12. Jon & Kat - You Must Have Walked Across My Mind Again (3:43)
13. Jon & Kat - Last Fair Deal Gone Down (4:44)
14. Didjits - Plate in My Head (2:50)
15. Didjits - Who's Ready to Get High (3:06)
16. Negative Approach - Pressure / Fair Warning (1:04)
17. Negative Approach - Dead Stop (2:38)
18. Sally Timms - Corporal Chalkie (4:28)
19. Sally Timms - God's Eternal Love (5:02)
20. Scratch Acid - Monsters (2:01)
21. Scratch Acid - Mess / El Espectro (6:46)
22. Big Black - Intro (0:52)
23. Big Black - Cables (2:19)
24. Big Black - Dead Billy (5:48)
25. Big Black - Pigeon Kill (3:27)
26. Big Black - Racer X (3:35)
27. Shellac - Canada (2:55)
28. Shellac - Billiard Player Song (12:43)

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Day Three:

1. Arcwelder - Truth (2:50)
2. Arcwelder - Cranberry Sauce (2:57)
3. Quasi - All the Same (3:52)
4. Quasi - Peace and Love (3:43)
5. Monorchid - Curse of the Potty Trained Children (2:50)
6. Monorchid - New Tricks (3:22)
7. Enon - Ashish (4:51)
8. Enon - Which Way to Go? (2:48)
9. Three Mile Pilot - 97-MT (3:52)
10. Three Mile Pilot - Aqua-Magnetic (7:48)
11. Tara Jane O'Neill - Howl (6:27)
12. Tara Jane O'Neill - Famous Yellow Belly (7:40)
13. Seam - Berlitz (3:12)
14. Seam - Sweet Pea (3:32)
15. Brick Layer Cake - Sitting Pretty (4:26)
16. Brick Layer Cake - Stars (7:01)
17. Black Heart Procession - Not Just Words (4:03)
18. Black Heart Procession - You Got Lucky (4:51)
19. Coco Rosie - K-Hole (4:32)
20. Coco Rosie - South 2nd (3:47)
21. Pinback - Syracuse (3:59)
22. Pinback - Non-Photo Blue (3:41)
23. Calexico - Sunken Waltz (2:29)
24. Calexico - Alone Again or (4:01)
25. Calexico - A Letter to Bowie Knife (3:32)

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Naked Raygun - Live at WRUW

I wonder how many times I will use the phrase "best band ever" on this blog. Today the best band ever is Naked Raygun of Chicago, who you should listen to every day or you have, to paraphrase Mark Prindle, "been living your life incorrectly - go back and start again". I fell in love with them after hearing their song "I Remember" on a Homestead Records compilation back when I was in high school, a perfect pop song if there ever was one - you won't hear it on this live session for a Cleveland radio station, but you will hear many other incredible tunes, starting and ending with their two "hits", "Treason" and "I Don't Know". This is a live recording but the sound quality is excellent, and the set includes their cover of "Folsom Prison Blues", which I have not seen anywhere else. Enjoy!

Track listing:

1. Treason
2. Metastasis
3. Strip
4. Coldbringer
5. Dog At Large
6. The Promise
7. Walk In Cold
8. Jazz Gone Bad
9. Wonder Beer
10. Peacemaker
11. Vanilla Blue
12. Entrapment
13. Home
14. Backlash Jack
15. Hips Swingin'
16. Home of the Brave
17. Crowd Noise
18. Folsom Prison Blues
19. Surf Combat
20. I Don't Know
21. Outro

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