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What’s up Sorry Staters?
As the weekend approaches, I’m yet again scrambling to get one of these damn things written. I spent like half an hour trying to get the graphic above put together. It looks so stupid. It’s like one of those tattoos where a shark is busting out of the skin, but it doesn’t even look that cool. But at least it features images related to the key topics contained within this write-up. I’m partially anxious because as soon I leave the store tonight, I’m immediately hopping in my car and driving up to Richmond. Then I’ll wake up at 9am and hop on a plane to Minneapolis. Trust me, I ain’t complaining. I’ve talked about it in previous newsletters, but Public Acid is playing this one-off gig on Saturday. I’m way stoked about this Thrasher event we’re playing. I get to see some of my favorite pro skaters sponsored by Vans rip it up during the day and then go rip it up with Electric Chair that evening? Can’t wait.
Once again, I didn’t know what record to write about. I took the easy way out and decided to write about a record I threw on the other day. I’ve been listening to old LA punk constantly lately. The other day, I listened to the sole release by this band Kaos (not to be confused with the Finnish band Kaaos, spelled with 2 “a’s”). This single, entitled Product of a Sick Mind… was released on What? Records in 1980. This same label released a lot of other early LA punk stuff, namely “Forming,” the first Germs single. Kaos was a short-lived band formed out of the ashes of The Controllers. The A-side track “Alcoholiday” was born to be featured on a Killed By Death comp. Less hardcore sounding than their contemporaries, this song is a sleazy, ramshackle, garagey punk stomper. I’m pretty sure this song appeared on KBD #4, sandwiched in between a bunch of Zero Boys songs. On the B-side, “Top Secret” is a bit faster tempo and reminds of the Randoms’ “Let’s Get Rid of New York” or something similar on Dangerhouse. The last track is a heavy dirge lamenting about not being able to sleep. Funny enough, this final track “Iron Dream” I first heard when the Carbonas covered it. That repetitive refrain “I can’t sleep at night!” I always associated with the Atlanta punk greats. It honestly sounds like a song they could’ve written. So when I finally got into this Kaos single, it was exciting to connect those puzzle pieces.
I scored my copy of Product of a Sick Mind a few years back. I pull it out to jam every once in a while. Funny enough, my copy is the 12” version, so it’s one of those oversized punk singles with plenty of unnecessary dead wax. My favorite style. But there is a more KBD-appropriate 7” single version released the same year. Limited to 200 copies, it’s super rare and has become quite the collector’s item. I’ll stick with my oversized platter.
Weirdly, I haven’t been drinking much lately. And funny how that works, I feel pretty great. But inevitably in Minneapolis I think I’m gonna rage. Time to get my Alcoholiday started.
Welp, that’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff