The Silverkings - Warning: 100% Shit!

 

Artist: The Silverkings
Title: Warning: 100% Shit! 
Year: 1997
Label: G.I. Productions
Tracks: 1.) Class Trash, 2.) Bomb Threat, 3.) Turpentine, 4.) Don't Tread On Me

I remember G.I. Productions being pretty active during this stretch of the mid-90's but I didn't pay them much attention. I felt like they seemed like a lower tier label and with limited money and no internet to listen to things, I focused on other labels and records. 

I only just got hip to this. As far as I know this is the first record featuring Joe Pestilence. Joe would go on to play in 10-4 Backdoor with King Louie Bankston, had a run playing keyboard with The Spits, and then upon moving back south played bass on perhaps the best Buck Biloxi & The Fucks records. 

This record stands up with everything he did after. It's just really good, catchy, heavily rock 'n' roll influenced trash rock. They did one other 7" on the Swedish label Ken Rock. I still need to get that. 

Sample: here

Sleez Sisters - Sleez Sisters (Theme)

 

Artist: Sleez Sisters
Title: Sleez Sisters (Theme)
Year: 1991
Label: Sympathy For The Record Industry
Tracks: 1.) Sleez Sisters (Theme), 2.) Sick On You

Full disclosure I don't remember this at all from back in the day. It came out 2-3 years before I would have been looking for something like this. I only recently discovered it by chasing down some rabbit holes. Drummer Hisayo was a short time member of American Soul Spiders and slightly longer time member of Supersnazz. Guitar player Rico and bass player Mikako were in a very early version of the 5.6.7.8's. 

Musically this sounds a lot like early Supersnazz to me with the vocal delivery and general bounciness. "Sick On You" was originally recorded by the pre-Boys band Hollywood Brats, which was probably an obscure cut for this time period. 

Like a lot of Japanese bands from this time, Sleez Sisters are still going, and also like a lot of Japanese bands from this time that are still around, they haven't recorded much in a long time. It  seems they have a more hard rock sound now than on this record. 

Sample: here

The Half Rats - Throw It Around

Artist: The Half Rats
Title: Throw It Around
Year: 2007
Label: Culture Cast
Tracks: 1.) Throw It Around, 2.) B.M.W. Nuns, 3.) Throw It Around (Demo)

I remember The Half Rats existing during their time but never explored them because I thought they just kind of got lost in the shuffle among a lot of budget pop coming out of Indiana, highlighted by The Romance Novels with honorable mentions to Eric and The Happy Thoughts, The Sweet Sixteens, and The Boy Toys. 

But now that I re-visit The Half Rats, I can hear that they have some legitimately tough garage chops and aren't really all that pop even if they include Ryan from The Boy Toys and Alex from The Perennials. I don't know who wrote these songs but the second 7" credits all the songs to member Tyler who went on to be in the later version of Cococoma and that is closer to what this sounds like. 

This is The Half Rats' first 7". I assume it is self-released. The sleeve only indicates two songs. The third song seems to be a demo version of "Throw It Around". 

Sample: here

Jumpin' Beans And Willie - Popcorn

Artist: Jumpin' Beans And Willie
Title: Popcorn
Year: 2000
Label: Ball Records
Tracks: 1.) Popcorn, 2.) Milkshake For Two

More from Aaron and Will. This time a more mellow Hasil Adkins-inspired set. 

Sample: here

Black Time - ICU

Artist: Black Time
Title: ICU
Year: 2008
Label: Skulltones
Tracks: 1.) ICU, 2.) Corpse Life, 3.) Doomsday Parade

I briefly mentioned Black Time when posting The Real Losers a long time ago but this is the first time I have directly posted them. Black Time pretty much came out of nowhere in 2004 with a self-released LP called Blackout doing this kind of blown out and sparse but frequently catchy noise. 

The core of the band has always been singer and guitar player Lemmy Caution. I have a vague recollection his real name is Matthew something but he has consistently gone by this alias. All the rest of the members use aliases, too, and it is hard to tell if there has been a rotating cast or if they're the same 2-3 people changing names here and there. 

This is just one of a ton of good records they've done. "Corpse Life" is a real rocker. 

Sample: here

The Peeps - Stiletto

Artist: The Peeps
Title: Stiletto
Year: 2000
Label: Lipstick Records
Tracks: 1.) Stiletto, 2.) Rock-N-Roll Man, 3.) Loverboy

Here's a fun 7" from the always enjoyable Lipstick Records. The Peeps fit in well among the other bands Tina released doing the budget pop but a nastier edge and usually featuring women. 

The Peeps were from Arizona but were well connected to the California scene. Their lone LP is on Sympathy For The Record Industry and they recorded almost everything they did, including this, with Jeff Dahl. The Peeps were short-lived. They broke up right after this and the LP were released. Guitarist Paula and bassist Chela would then go onto Les Hell On Wheels, which had a run through most of the 2000's. Paula and Chela also did a project band with Miss Georgia Peach and Travis Ramin called The American Foxes. 

Sample: here

Teacher's Pet - Jenny Super Teen

Artist: Teacher's Pet
Title: Jenny Super Teen
Year: 2001
Label: Flapping Jet Records
Tracks: 1.) Jenny Super Teen, 2.) Pom Pom Girls, 3.) You're Too Young

A long time ago I came across a blog with a download for a band called S'cool Girls. It wasn't great but I filed it away as interesting because back then there weren't many bands doing a budget glam sound. 

Some time after that I put in a little research to see who S'cool Girls were. There wasn't a lot of info about them but I did learn that their singer is named Noah Wallace. A little more digging revealed that he was previously in Teacher's Pet. 

This was their only release. There are some YouTube videos of songs not on this record that apparently came from a demo CD. Along with The Retardos and The Fevers, Teacher's Pet is in the discussion among the first contemporary bands doing a budget bubblegum sound, going even farther into a heavy Milk 'N' Cookies influence. I think a few people might like this record but I don't think it caught on with the larger scene of bands profiled on here like The Retardos and The Fevers did. 

Noah Wallace has continued to be active. He's been doing a band called Hammered Satin since about 2012. They have a few releases and been absorbed under the Burger Records umbrella. They're pretty nonironic hard rock and should be avoided. 

Sample: here