Saturday, December 26, 2009

Uniform Choice-Screaming For Change

I’ve always thought of Screaming For Change as being the album that Minor Threat forgot to record. Maybe I should back up here and mention that I generally hate straight edge music. Most of the big acts of the genre (7 Seconds, Youth of Today, Earth Crisis, etc.) do absolutely nothing for me. I guess the reason I can tolerate Uniform Choice is that they are so faithful in their imitation of the one truly great straight edge band, the aforementioned Minor Threat. The only real difference would be a slightly more metal sound, and the fact that the anti-drug and alcohol lyrics are even more preachy and judgmental than Ian MacKaye’s (not that that’s a completely bad thing-“No Thanks” is probably the most powerful anti-alcohol statement I’ve ever heard). Hailing from Orange County, CA, the band released this album in 1986, then disbanded, reuniting in 1988 to release “Staring Into the Sun”, a wrenched hairspray metal album. They mercifully folded shortly after that, and we would do well to remember them in their initial glory.

1. Use Your Head
2. My Own Mind
3. Straight And Alert
4. Build To Break
5. Scream To Say
6. Once I Cry
7. Sometimes
8. Screaming For Change
9. No Thanks
10. A Choice
11. Big Man, Small Mind
12. Don't Quit
13. In Time
14. Silenced

Update: Once again I am forced to remove a download link because the release in question has become available legitimately. You can now by the Uniform Choice CD through Amazon.
So spend a few bucks and help out the band.

Friday, December 11, 2009

The Whole Sick Crew-Demo CD-R

The Whole Sick Crew was a sadly short-lived St. Louis-based acoustic pirate band. From what I can gather this was actually a brief musical fad in some towns, but this band was the only act to play the genre around these land-locked parts. They released this demo recording in 2003 before breaking up. It’s worth downloading just to hear “The Effigy Song”, a perfect mix of dour lyrics regarding crime and punishment along with a jaunty rhythm powered by a memorable violin reframe. The other tracks follow with similar tales of mutiny, sex, and revenge. Some of the members of this band later helped start Rats and People, an ongoing musical project that creates soundtracks for old public domain silent films.

1. Honest Sailor
2. Crimes At Sea
3. The Effigy Song
4. O'Keene The Mean
5. Girl At Every Port
6. The Slow Song
7. Captain Samson's Song
8. The Vomits

Enjoy