Underground Communique 7/27/07

1. Naked Raygun - Entrapment - Understand? - Caroline
2. Avail - Song - Dixie - Lookout
3. Dillinger Four - Music is None of My Business - Versus God - Hopeless
4. Pink Razors - Summer Colds - Waiting to Wash Up - Robotic Empire
5. Lifetime - All Night Long - S/T - Decaydance
*Break
6. Shot Baker - Friendship - Awake - Underground Communique
7. Vacation Bible School - 26th and California - In Defense of Myself - LCRC
8. Discount - Clap and Cough - Half Fiction - Kat
9. One Reason - No Surrender - All Rivers Run South, All Roads Lead Home - Plan It X
*Break
10. 8 Bark - Give Up - Punk USA Comp - Lookout!
11. Copyrights - Planet Earth 1994 - Make Sound - Red Scare
12. The Speedies - Time - Speedy Delivery - Radio Heartbeat
13. Exploding Hearts - Making Teenage Faces - Shattered - Dirtnap
14. Ben Weasel and His Steel String Quartet - Let Freedom Ring - These Ones Are Bitter - Mendota
*Break
15. This is my fist- Story of Reconversion- I don't mean to...- Left of the Dial
16. Horace Pinker- Burn Tempe to the Ground- song about selling out- fat
17. Observers- Where I Stay- Where i stay 7"- Deranged
18. Jawbreaker- You're Right- Gilman boot
19. Pink Lincolns- Pretty in Pink- Sumo Fumes 2- stiff pole
20. Cringer- Razors-brouhaha- broken
21. Jawbreaker- Shiled Your Eyes- World in Shreds 2- Shredder
22. Pegboy- Method/ Through my Fingers- Three Chord Monte- 1/4 stick
breaks
23. Assfactor 4- Goodies Powers/Dale- rights resered split- punk lunch
24. Die Kruezen- In School - cows and beers- version
25. End of the Century Party- numb maybe, coaxed never- SE hardcore-
26. Inhumanity- victim in Pain- SE hardcore-
27. Minor Threat- Salad Days- Salad days ep- dischord
28. parka kings- sanford and son theme
break
29. expired youth- alive- where we stand- think fast
30. kill your idols- hardcore circa 1999- FSA split- hell bent
31. MLIW- destination: death or better days- 7"- lifeline
32. Rhino charge- circular evolution- s/t 7"- to live a lie
33. Act of Faith- network- atlanta hardcore- standfast
34. Dead Steelmill- fall falwell fall- s/t 7"- underdog
break
35. bad brains- sialin on - S/T - ROIR
36. Never Enough - One in a Million - Split w/ Solid Ground - Havoc
37. Brick Fight - There's Only So Much Room at the Bottom - Split w/Cattle Assassins - S/R
38. Vice Dolls - Everyone But You - Split w. Ambition Mission -
39. Cardiac Arrest - Fool Me Once
40. The Pist - Threat - Punk USA - Lookout!
41. Yo Man Go! - Boutros Understands Me - Tour Demo 07 - SR
*Break
42. Exploding Hearts - Busy Signals - Shattered - Dirtnap
43. Busy Signals - Can't Feel a Thing - Can't Feel a Thing Single - Shit Sandwhich
44. Tones on Tail - Go! - Go! Single - Beggars Banquet
45. New Order - Age of Consent - Power Corruption and Lies - Factory
*Break
46. Buzzcocks - Lipstick - Singles Going Steady - IRS
47. Screeching Weasel - Teenage Freakshow - My Brain Hurts - Lookout!
48. The Ergs! - Hysterical Fiction - Upstairs/Downstairs - Dirtnap
49. Pansy Division - I Really Wanted You - Wish I'd Taken Pictures - Lookout!
50. The Youths - Decontrol - S/T 7" - Criminal IQ
*Break
51. Quicksand - Dine Alone - Slip - Polydor
52. Nirvana - Hairspray Queen - Incesticide - DGC
53. Signal Lost - Simulation - Prosthetic Screams - Prank
54. The Jury - I Hate the Future - S/T Tour 7" - S/R
*Break
55. August Spies - Punk Car - 94-97 - Rodent Popsickle
56. Vidictives - Glad to Be - Many Moods of the Vindictives - Lookout!
57. J Church - Mary Provost - Nostalgic for Nothing - Broken Rekkids

Reviews and Other Stuff

Ben Weasel and His Iron String Quartet - These Ones Are Bitter - Mendota Records
I've always had huge respect for Ben Weasel as a person and song writer. Whether I agreed with him or disagreed, I've always felt that he was a man who really thought out his ideas. On "These Ones Are Bitter," Ben recruited Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor of the American Rejects to play guitar and drums (respectively, while Kennerty pulled double duty as producer as well) and Dan Andriano of the Alkaline Trio on bass. The history of this record is pretty interesting; some of the songs are from Ben's previous, short lived band, Sweet Black and Blue and others are new, but all of them are definitely trademark Ben Weasel songs. They have the distinct elements that I loved about Screeching Weasel, such as catchy melodies and clever lyrics, while raising the over all production value by incorporating more "radio rock" hooks as well as thick layers of guitars. Oddly, what it actually sounds like is some weird bastard child of later era Screeching Weasel and current era NOFX, with hints of early 80's power pop/new wave (sans synths).
Overall, I really like this album, despite fearing what it was going to sound like. I was really worried when I found out that two American Rejects were going to be in the back up band and I had horrible visions of a swoopy haired Ben Weasel staring in an over produced video on MTV. As soon as I heard the lead off track, all my fears went away. This is an extremely honest album and although production credits went to Kennerty, I'm almost positive Ben had absolute final say.
This record is available through download only, so if you're a geezer punk who doesn't "do" digital downloads, sit tight, because the vinyl version comes out in August.
Mendota Recording Company

Speedies - Speedy Delivery (reissue) - Radio Heartbeat
Radio Heartbeat is reissuing a lot of great power pop records that have been slipping through my fingers for years due to inflated collector pricing. I'd like to take this moment and say that "collectors" can blow me. I couldn't care less about which print of a record I'm buying, I just want to songs on the wax or vinyl or magnetic tape or whatever. Collectors be damned, Radio Heartbeat are wonderful people.
Previously, they reissued the first Hubble Bubble album, which was an album that I've been chasing since 1995. Now, they reissued another fine rock record from the post punk/pre-new wave era. While bands like Cheap Trick and Elvis Costello were blowing up, the Speedies were kicking it in the northeast writing hook after hook in some suburban garage. Listening to them, you'd think they were British kids, but they were 100% pure American teenage pop music.
If you want to know where the Exploding Hearts or the Busy Signals came from, the roots are firmly planted in the Speedies (whether they know it or not). If you're into either of these bands, or Gentman Jesse and His men or even the Nice Boys, the Speedies are essential in your record collection.


Rediscovering My Record Collection
I recently picked up the reissue of "Bubblecore!" by the Beatnik Termites and to this day, that band doesn't disappoint. I remember seeing them at the Fireside Bowl and thinking about how someday I'd look back fondly at that band. Normally, I was wrong about stuff like that, but the Termites really are a staple of that era for me and really deserve the cred. Arguably catchier than the Mr T Exeperience, more innocent than the Queers and more lo-fi than the Riverdales; I always felt they were sort of the "underdogs" of the pop punk scene. They never quite broke through the way the "big three" did. They never got the respect that the Queers, Screeching Weasel or MTX received, but the people who are truly hardcore into this sound loved this band. If there were to be a 90's Nuggets collection, the Beatnik Termites would be on it, no doubt.

The Future of Community Radio in Chicago (SEND HELP!)

Hey kids,

As many of you know, John Duggan and I host the Friday night punk and hardcore show on WLUW 88.7 fm here in Chicago. For the last ten years, Underground Communique (formerly known as Government Music) has been the "Friday Night Tradition" for many many punk rock kids in Chicago and up until recently, we were hoping that we'd be around for at least another ten. Some of you may have heard that Loyola University is taking back control of WLUW from it's current management (WBEZ, Chicago's NPR station). You may have also heard that they're planning on turning the radio station into a "lab" for students in their new School of Communication. As it stands right now, I don't know what the future of the radio show is. All I know is that we'll be around until at least June of 2008 (and if there is a last show, I think Denis Buckley will be asked to come and guest DJ... figure we mind as well go out with a bang and rack up some FCC fines for the Loyola :p).

WLUW serves the punk community in a very unique way. There's THREE punk shows, covering different facets of the scene and although there is over lap sometimes, for the most part there has always been a strong presence of (as Darius Hurley calls it) "extreme rock n roll" on the air waves. Without this voice, the alternative will be a far more pedestrian version of punk rock elsewhere on the dial. Personally, I can't get excited about "All Ages Radio" or "Fast and Loud." Neither of those shows really connect to the real underground sound of diy punk.

Anyway, right now, all I ask of you is, if you listen to WLUW, whether or not to my show, contact the school and let them know how much a community radio station benefits Chicago and how much it means to you. Also, make sure you let them know that it's bullshit that they're letting Shawn Campbell and Craig Kois go. They're the program director and station manager (respectively) who built the station as we know it. I'm not into putting out rally cries or calls to action like this very often, but this is something I believe in and something I care about.

If you want to contact Loyola University about this, here's a link to the office of the President: http://www.luc.edu/president/index.shtml
There's a mailing address and a phone number.

please please take 5 seconds and sign this:
http://www.freepress.net/lpfm/

WLUW 88.7 Listener supported community radio is being taken over by loyola university so they can have a "lab" for thier students- consequently leaving over 200 passionate volunteers and dedicated community shows and independent music programming out in the cold.
The only way to save this kind of radio is if legislation is passed to license low power FM stations. Please sign this petition, contact your representatives and help save the last good radio left in this city.

Thanks,

Chris

Underground Communique 7/13/07

1. Bad Brains - Natty Dreadlocks Pan the Mountain Top - Build a Nation - Megaforce
2. Bad Brains - Build a Nation - Build a Nation - Megaforce
3. Condenada - Same Old Blues - Demo
4. Kill Your Idols - I Still Feel the Same - For Our Friends - Lifeline
5. Jawbreaker - Donatello - Bivouac - Tupelo
*Break
6. August Spies - Cronan the Beer-varian - 94-97 - Rodent Popsicle
7. Hickey - Hey Cutie Pie - The Naked Cult of Hickey - Poverty Records
8. Tommy Rot - Not One of Mine - Thing That Ate Floyd Comp. - Lookout!
9. Operation Ivy - Healthy Body - Energy - Lookout!
10. Flipper - Life is Cheap - Generic Flipper - American
*Break
11. Poison Idea - Endless Blockades for the Pussyfooter - We Must Burn - Tim Kerr Records
12. Sub Machine - If Things Are Bad - 10" That Hurt - CI Records
13. Lightning Bolt - 13 Monsters - Ride the Skies - Load
14. Flipper - Shed No Tears - Generic Flipper - American
15. Annonymous - Corporate Food - Killed By Death #5 - Red Rum
16. Out With a Bang - Out With a Bang/Cursed From Birth - I'm Down EP - Proud to be Idiot
*Break
17. The Pagans - Cleveland Confidential - Live Road Kill 1978-89 - Sonic Swirl
18. Beat Beat Beat - Psycho - Living in the Future - Dirtnap
19. The Vibrators - Yeah Yeah Yeah - Pure Mania - Columbia
20. Chainsaw - Hard Times - We Are Not Very Nice - Dionysus
21. Functional Blackouts - Land of Treason - S/T - Criminal IQ
*Break
22. (Request) Nomeansno - Bags and Bones - People's Choice - Ant Acid Audio
23. Nite Hawks - Chicken Grabber - Pink Flamingos Soundtrack - Hip-O
24. Hasil Adkins - Chicken Flop - The Wildman - Norton Records
25. Man or Astroman? - Transmissions From Venus - Project Infinity - Estrus
*Break
26. Retainers - Kill My Boss - S/T Tour 7" - Fashionable Idiots
27. The Kids - Bloody Belgium - S/T - Havoc
28. Sham 69 - Borstel Breakout - The Complete Collection - Sanctuary
29. Ramones - Rockaway Beach - Rocket to Russia - Sire
*Break
30. Naked Raygun - Entrapment - Understand? - Caroline
31. (Request) Lawrence Arms - Quincentuple Your Money - Coctails and Dreams - Asian Man
32. Fifth Hour Hero - Cut Me Dead - Scattered Sentences - No Idea
33. Dead to Me - Don't Lie - Cuban Ballerina - Fat
*Break
34. (Request) Flipper - Sex Bomb - Generic Flipper - American
35. Dezerter - Zatrute Powietrze - Underground Out of Poland - QQRYO
36. Totalitar - Fienden - Vi Ar Eliten - Prank
*Break
37. The Members - Chairman of the Board - Up Rhythm on the Down Beat - Captain Oi
38. Boomtown Rats - She's So Modern - A Tonic for the Troops - CBS
39. Hubble Bubble - Sweet Rot - S/T - Radio Heartbeat
40. Screeching Weasel - What We Hate - My Brain Hurts - Asian Man
41. Toy Dolls - Carol Dodds is Pregnant - Ten Years of Toys - Captain Oi
*Break
42. Lynard's Innards - Valentines Day Massacre - Amscray - Harmless
43. Teen Idols - Porno Shop - S/T - Honest Don's
44. The Briefs - New Shoes - Hit After Hit - Dirtnap
45. Exploding Hearts - Making Teenage Faces - Shattered - Dirtnap
46. The Ergs - Kind of Like Smitten - Jersey's Best Prancers - Don Giovanni Records
47. Boris the Sprinkler - Do You Remember Rock N Roll Radio? - End of the Century - Clearview Records
48. Vindictives - Oh Oh I Love Her So - Leave Home - Selfless
*Break
49. (Request) 999 - Stranger - The Biggest Prize in Sport - Albion
50. Generation X - Running With the Boss Sound - Valley of the Dolls - Chrysalis
51. Returnables - Teenage Imposters - S/T - Dirtnap
52. Modern Machines - You're Getting Married - Take It, Somebody! - Dirtnap
53. Parasites - Sunnyside - Rat Ass Pie - Go Kart
54. (Request) Dead Town Revival - Time - Hasta La Muerte - Sinister Muse
*Break
55. Public Image Ltd - Memories - Second Edition - Warner
56. Dicks - No Nazi's Friend - 1980-1986 - Alternative Tentacles
57. Sam the Sham and the Pharohs - Pharoh A Go Go - The Best of Sam the Sham and the Pharohs - Rhino
*Break
58. Billy Bragg - Accident Waiting to Happen - Don't Try This at Home - Elektra
59. Snuff - Too Late - 1986-2002 - Fat
60. Rat's Eyes Retired - Nervous Breakdown - The Best Bands You've Never Heard in Your Life Comp. - More East Records
61. Devo - Don't You Know - Freedom of Choice - Warner
62. Polysics - Nice - Mailorder for the Masses - Asian Man
63. New Order - Age of Consent - Power, Corruption and Lies - Qwest
64. World/Inferno Friendship Society - Zen and the Art of Breaking Everything in the Room - International Smashism - Company With the Golden Arm
*Break
65. One Reason - No Surrender - All Rivers Run South, All Roads Lead Home - Plan It X

49.
*Break

Underground Communique 7/6/07

1. Neurosis - Giving for the Rising - Giving for the Rising - Neurot
2. Fucked Up - Carried Out to Sea - Hidden World - Jade Tree
3. Born/Dead - No Options - Endless War Repetition - Prank
4. Brickfight - There's Only So Much Room at the Bottom - split 7" w/Cattle Assassins - S/R
*Break
5. Mark Sultan - Cursed World - Sultanic Verses - In the Red
6. 13th Floor Elevators - Reverberation - Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators
7. Jay Reatard - Death is Forming - Blood Visions - In the Red
8. Jayne County and the Electric Chairs - Rock n Roll Cleopatra - Rock n Roll Cleopatra - Royalty Records
*Break
9. The Dictators - Baby Let's Twist - Bloodbrothers - Wounded Bird Records
10. New York Dolls - Looking for a Kiss - Rock N Roll - Chronicle
11. New Town Animals - Acme Rebel - Is Your Radio Active? - Mint
12. Shopping - History Will Tell No Truth of You - Immediate Cave 7" - Do the Math
*break
13. Carbonas - Your Neutral - S/T - Raw Deluxe
14. Hubble Bubble - New Promotion - S/T - Radio Heartbeat
15. Helmettes - I Don't Care What the People Say - Killed By Epitaph - De 1000 Idioten
16. Beat Beat Beat - Sinking Slow - Living in the Future - Dirtnap
*Break
18. The Ergs! - Hysterical Fiction - Upstairs/Downstairs - Dirtnap
19. Queers - Surf Godess - Move Back Home - Asian Man
20. Copyrights - Planet Earth Nineteen Ninety Four - Make Sound - Red Scare
21. Moral Crux - Window Shopping - Pop Culture Assassins - Panic Button
22. Boris the Sprinkler - UFO - Suck - Go Kart
*Break
23. Gogol Bordello - Zina Marina - Super Taranta! - Side One Dummy
24. Klaus Nomi - Total Eclipse - Eclipsed: The Best of Klaus Nomi - Razor Tie
25. Soophie Nun Squad - The Bovinity of Crust - Passion Slays the Dragon - Plan It X
26. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Ella Guru - Trout Mask Replica - Reprise
27. Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose - Reinventing Axl Rose - No Idea
28. Angry Samoans - Lights Out! - Back From Samoa
*Break
29. X - Los Angeles - Los Angeles - Slash
30. One Reason - No Surrender - All Rivers Run South, All Roads Lead Home - Plan It X
31. Discount - Clap and Cough - Half Fiction - Kat Records
32. New Bruises - Coffee With a Side of Contempt - Transmit! Transmit! - Kiss of Death
33. Jerkwater - Useless - Drown - Dyslexic
*Break
34. Vacation Bible School - 26th and California - In Defense of Myself - Lake County Record Collective
35. Modern Machines - She Doesn't Know She's Alone - Split w/the Ergs! - Salinas
36. Off With Their Heads - That Must Be Nigel With the Bree - Hi Five for the Rapture - Fashionable Idiots
37. Chinese Telephones - Those Hot Milwaukee Nights - Split w/Dan Padilla - Fast Crowd
38. Trabant - American Dream - Young, Reckless and Debonaire - New Disorder
*Break
39. Loraxx - Porn - Canada - S/R
40. The Jai Alai Savant - Scarlett Johansson Why Don't You Love Me - Flight of the Bass Delegate - GSL
41. Franklin - Major Taylor - S/T - Tree
42. Trenchmouth - The Dawning of a New Sound Session - More Motion - Thick
*break
43. Capitalist Casualties - Dennis' Problem (DRI)/Greedy Bastards (Antischism)/Pissed (Voorhees) - S/T - SW 87
44. Big Boys - Mutant Rock - Skinny Elvis - Touch and Go
45. Regulations - Anna's Eyes - S/T - Havoc
46. Burning Image - Burning Image, Burning - 1980-1987 - Alt. Tent.
*Break
49. The Unseen - At Point Break - Internal Salvation - Hellcat
48. Stockyard Stoics - Adolescent Chemistry - S/T - Jump Start
49. Good Riddance - What We Have - As a Matter of Fact Comp - Bad Taste Records
50. Agnostic Front - Take Em All - World Wide Tribute to the Real Oi
51. Leatherface - Hoodlum - Dog Disco - BYO Records
*Break
52. Banner Pilot - Bender - Pass the Poison - Absenic
53. J Church - If I Have to Dance, I Don't Want Your Revolution - The Horror of Life - No Idea
54. This is My Fist - Hooray for the Home Team - A History of Rats - No Idea
55. Pink Razors - Summer Colds - Waiting to Wash Up - Robotic Empire
56. La Quiete - Greyskull - Tenpeun - Perpetual Motion Machine
*Break
57. Lifetime - Turnpike Gates - Jersey's Best Dancers - Jade Tree
58. Latterman - Doom! Doom! Doom! - No Matter Where We Go - Deep Elm Records