Punk. One could argue that the word is the biggest misnomer in the past 30 years of musical terminology. Ever since high school drop out Legs McNeil and artist John Holmstrom named their magazine that in 1975, musical journalists have perpetrated descriptive crimes and stretched the terminology of 'punk' to describe such acts from Blink-182 to the Black Lips as exactly that. Modern description of the word is a Frankenstein of musical genres that now dwarfs the modern aesthetic. The things that drove McLaren and Westwood to be complete assholes, the glamour of Bowie, the idea that modern "middle-class facsimile of anarchy" can be re-invented in a raw musical sense isn't really within the modern description of the word anymore. Yet some music, in particular this Lude Boys and Combat Zone split entitled 'Punk Is Sick' can encompass the old world feeling that was felt in 1975 and onward.
The beginning of the Combat Boys split features the aptly named Combat Zone, providing catchy pogo powered songs like "Barbaric" and "Fucked Up Head." "Rapist" is a departure from the fast-paced "Intro" and it sounds more like a Lude Boys song. Eric Devo's voice is a rough, smokey punch to the stomach.
The Lude Boys section of the tape is more of a pop-driven sound opposed to the hardcore Combat Zone. More of an americana-based guitar-solo driven emotional trip, songs like "Tip Top" and "Eric Devoe (brought a gun to work)" provide more of a show of electric power. With "Peyote" as the obvious single and the reason you would buy this tape (it's sold out, sorry) this is probably the best 'punk' tape you will listen to this year. The future looks bright and these young men look drunk.
Punk Is Sick
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