The Ultimate Collector's Guide to Florida Punk and Hardcore Records
by Bob SurenUpdated February 8, 2008
This article is a work in progress and will be updated on an as needed basis. If I got anything wrong, please let me know and I will fix it! Thanks to Justin Cudney and everyone else who pointed out errors in the earlier versions.
In the summer of 2000, my home town newspaper got in touch with me to do a story about punk rock in Florida. It was sort of a then-and-now piece, with most of my quotes falling into the "then" category. (OK, so I'm no spring chicken.) I didn't get around telling the reporter a fraction of what I could have -- and much of what I did say got cut. The final piece was pretty good for a general interest publication, but I figured it would be cool to write an excruciatingly detailed article about Florida punk records for this site. Yeah, I know I've already written three of these articles for MRR over the last decade and a large part of this article will be a reiteration. But I have since discovered many records that I didn't cover in the previous articles, as well as new info on some of the others. I plan to update this article on an as-needed basis. So, if anyone reading this has any information on these or other Florida punk records, please let me know.
OK, here are some things to keep in mind when talking about Florida punk records. First, most Florida punk bands had great senses of humor. (I think it has something to do with the humidity down here -- tends to warp the mind.) Check out F, Gay Cowboys In Bondage, Roach Motel and Lethal Yellow.
Second, there are hardly any 1970s-80s punk/hardcore albums from Florida. There are lots of 7"s, but the full length LP is very unusual when talking about Florida.
The most prolific independent Florida labels in the 1970s and 80s were Open Records, Suplapse and Destroy Records . Most other Florida records were self- released by the bands, often as one-off projects.
Open Records was a store in Ft Lauderdale, one of the few in the state that was staffed by cool people who would take chances on independent music, particularly punk. There are tons of stories about incredible finds at Open Records -- and tons more about "the one that got away."
I previously reported that that someone involved with Underground Records started the Sublapse label, but it has been pointed out by a few alert readers that this is not the case. Anyhow, Sublapse focused on hardcore, putting out releases by Gay Cowboys In Bondage and Morbid Opera (as well as the Psycho Daisies' epic first album). Sublapse Records was run by Barry "Boz" Soltz who also published Suburban Relapse, a great zine that gave heavy coverage to local music, as well as bigger underground acts like Redd Kross, Circle Jerks and White Flag.
Another South Florida zine was Tropical Depression. I have a couple of issues. If anyone has any info on Tropical Depression or any other early Florida punk zines, please get in touch.
In an earlier version of this article, I confused Sublapse Records with another Ft. Lauderdale label, Subversive Records, which was run by a guy named Mark. Subversive Records released a great 7" by Ft. Lauderdale's We The Living, the Sewer Zombies LP, and, for some reason, the "Son Of God" 7" by Germany's legendary Inferno (as well as the first album by Japan's legendary Shonen Knife). Some releases have a Ft Lauderdale address and some have an Arizona address. The Arizona address is later.
Destroy Records (and Destroy zine) was run collectively by the members of Roach Motel, financed by gigs. Destroy is still sort of around. The most recent releases are 7"s by the Drug Czars, the Gargirls and a Roach Motel discography CD. Destroy was probably the most important Florida punk label, if for not other reason than for releasing a compilation 7" called "We Can't Help It If We're From Florida" (Destroy Records number 2). This disc, released in 1983, really put Florida on the world hardcore map. It got killer reviews in zines all over the place and even made Maximum Rocknroll editor Tim Yohanan's top ten list.
Kicking off this classic slab is Hated Youth, a Tallahassee band that sounded a hell of a lot like early D.R.I. So much speed and anger. In the spring of 1983, Hated Youth and fellow Tallahassee hardcores Sector 4, jaunted down to Gainesville to play a show and hang out with Roach Motel. While there, Hated Youth recorded a 13 song demo. Three tracks from that session ended up on the Florida comp. The others remained unreleased for more than 17 years until December 2000 when my record label, Burrito Records, re-issued the complete 1983 demo on 7" vinyl, minus one song that was damaged on the master tape. In 1985, singer Gary Strickland left the band. Bassist Eric Rogers took over vocal duties and a new bassist (Tommy Hamilton, who later turned up in the X-Band) was brought in. They recorded enough songs for an album, but they remained unreleased until 2002 when I put out the Hated Youth/Roach Motel LP on Burrito Records. (The Roach Motel stuff is a live show from 1983.)
Next up is Tallahassee's Sector 4, with two songs, including an instrumental called, "Plaid Spaceship," that is about five seconds long. Later in 1983, Destroy released a 7" by Sector 4 called, "Disclexia," that is also pretty damn good. (I got my copy of it for a dollar in Gainesville at a time when it wasn't cool to be punk. While all the G-ville trendoids were ditching their HC collections, growing their hair out and buying Sub Pop, I was there, rummaging though the used sections at Hyde and Zeke's, Tom's, Bobaloo's and School Kids, picking up hardcore classics for next to nothing.) Like Hated Youth, Sector 4 has a bit of unreleased material. Apparently there were plans for a Sector 4 LP on Destroy Records.
Gainesville's Roach Motel starts side two of the Florida comp with three killer cuts of Florida hardcore humor: "Heart Attack," "Florida Reptile Land" and "My Dog's Into Anarchy," the latter of which I still sing to myself today. "Stage dives off the kitchen chair, lands on his head, he doesn't care. Around his neck are two inch spikes. You bet my mom feeds him what he likes." Yeah, great stuff. Roach Motel also released two 7"s on Destroy,
"What The Hell..." was actually supposed to be an LP. The band recorded enough songs for a full album and had more than $3,000 set aside for manufacturing but, as I am told by singer Bob Fetz, the bass player took the money and ran, never to be seen again, screwing the world out of what would have
Destroy Records had also planned a second pressing of "Roach and Roll," a third press of the Florida comp and new releases by Rat Cafeteria, Sector 4 and Hated Youth, but that all kind of fell apart after the theft. Hodapp, furious, quit the band, moved to south Florida and Roach Motel was finished.
Readers of Maximum Rocknroll have no doubt heard George Tabb's stories of his days in Roach Motel, but if you were to pick up "What The Hell," you would notice his absence. Now, George seems like a nice guy to me, but here's the story I got from Jeff Hodapp. It seems George went away on vacation for a few weeks and in the meanwhile, RM practiced without him for a big show opening for Channel 3 from California. The consensus was that Roach Motel sounded better without George, so when he came back, he got the boot. Hey, I still love your guitar solos, George!
One Roach Motel song, "Mad Dog," can also be heard on the "Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol. 2" LP and one song, "You Make Me Sick," can be heard on "We Still Can't Help It If We're From Florida," a sequel comp that I released in 1992 on my own label, Burrito Records. And an early version of "Frenzy" appears on the "Barricaded Suspects" LP compilation, released by Toxic Shock in 1983. There is also at least one Roach Motel demo out there that I believe pre-dates the first record. I have a copy and no, I won't dub it for you. I promised George I wouldn't.
Late in the summer of 2000, Fetz and Hodapp released a complete Roach Motel CD, featuring unreleased songs and a live show from Miami. In 2002, I released the Hated Youth/Roach Motel LP on Burrito Records, featuring studio tracks that were to be the HY album on Destroy and a live RM set from 1983.
Finishing up the Florida comp is Tampa's Rat Cafeteria. Their tracks, "Kill" and "Tax Revolt" are pissed off and real. Rat Cafeteria is, for me, the highlight of the record. That's all Rat Caf ever released on vinyl, but several other songs were recorded that day. I have a tape of the unreleased Rat Caf songs and they are pretty darn good. In any case, Rat Cafeteria were some scary guys. When I was in high school, I heard that Rat Cafeteria was supposed to record an album but the singer got thrown in jail and they had to use the recording money to bail him out. I went to at least three shows that Rat Cafeteria was supposed to play, but cancelled for various reasons. They have sort of become my white whale. The closest I came to seeing them play was at a house party in Ft Pierce. Three or four insane looking guys were smashing bottles, pouring beer over people's heads and pissing on unsuspecting passersby. "Who the hell are those guys?," I asked my friend Terry, who was older and knew a lot more about punk than me at the time. "Oh, they're in Rat Cafeteria. They were supposed to play tonight but they're too drunk." I've also heard tales of Rat Cafeteria robbing graves for fun and profit.
In an earlier version of this article, I stated that some members of Rat Cafeteria went on to form Blemish On Society, who released a 7" in 1988. But as one B.O.S. member pointed out, that information is a bit inaccurate. Here is the scoop. B.O.S. started in Roanoke, VA by singer Tommy Housman. In 1985, Housman moved to Tampa and reformed the band with Pat Freeman, the bassist of Pagan Faith. In 1986, Pat's girlfriend, part-time Rat Caf singer Lynn Thompson, joined the band. Freeman and Thompson left in 1987. Bass duties were temporarily handled by Rat Caf's Jimmy McHugh. But by the time the record was recorded, no members of the mighty Rat Caf were in the band. Anyhow, the Blemish On Society 7" came out on Kick Boot Records in 1988. This one is not too hard to find and still in the "affordable" price range for most. The band split up in 1989.)
I know, I spent an awful lot of time talking about "We Can't Help It If We're From Florida," but it is the Florida hardcore record. The most important record in the history of Florida punk. Three thousand copies were made in two presses -- that is an impressive figure for a small label in 1983. The first press of 1,000 has red labels. The second press of 2,000 has blue labels. Until the early 2000s, this record would turn up in Florida for $15 to $20. Since eBay took over the records collecting world, few copies have been found "in the wild." On eBay, expect to pay somewhere in the $100 ballpark. One band member I met claims to have several unplayed copies of the vinyl -- minus the covers and inserts -- sitting in a closet.
Roach Motel's Jeff Hodapp recently dubbed me a copy of a Florida compilation cassette that I had never heard of called, "Florida Explosion." This cassette was released in 1985 and features a mixed bag of punk, metal and some "alternative" music. The highlights include Foul Existense (Ft. Pierce), Pagan Faith (Tampa), The Drills (Miami) and early versions of a couple of Disorderly Conduct (Melbourne) songs.
In an earlier version of this article, I wrote of a mysterious band called K.T.H., or Kill The Hostages. In the spring of 2001, after seeing this article on the internet, one of the band members contacted me and answered all of my burning questions. This record came out in 1980 and the band name refers to those folks who were stuck over in Iran - - I told you Floridians had a warped sense of humor. The name was chosen, according to drummer Ron Linton, "...to try to top The Dead Kennedys..." in offensiveness. Of all the record collectors I know, I have only seen two copies of this record. It has a blank white picture sleeve with "K.T.H." and the A-side song title, "Mutant," hand written in pencil. The music is like a more grungy, demented version of Devo. The band never played live.
The record was recorded for free in Criteria Studios, a prestigious Miami recording facility, which has produced records for Eric Clapton, among others. Apparently one of the band members found a Criteria gift certificate, good for eight hours of studio time, at a flea market. The certificate was in an old envelope in a box of junk. The guy selling the junk gave the gift certificate to K.T.H. and they went into Criteria to claim their free session! I can only imagine the studio engineers reaction when K.T.H. began cranking out their bizzare punk. Although only two songs made it onto the record ("Mutant" and "Skull Bossing"), three others were recorded that day and have remained unreleased. A first pressing of 200 copies was made, but the pressing plant put the labels on the wrong side of 100 copies. When the band contacted the pressing plant to report the error, the plant made an additional 100 copies, free. So, in total, there are 300 copies, 100 of which have labels on the wrong sides. Now you know the story. Good luck finding this one.
The Eat is another band from the "Killed By Florida" comp and yes, they gave their consent. Some of the members of the Eat now play in the Drug Czars with Jeff Hodapp of Roach Motel/Destroy Records. The Eat is probably one of Florida's best-known bands to record collectors. Their inclusion on numerous bootleg comps like "Killed By Death" have made their two earliest records something of the holy grail of record collecting. Yeah, they are high-dollar records, but more importantly, they rock pretty hard.
The really rare Eat record is the "Communist Radio/Catholic Love" 7", released on the band's own label, Giggling Hitler in 1979. The two songs on this record were recorded live at a Miami soundstage for extra punk rock authenticity. You can hear the crowd at the end of side one. "Communist Radio" rocks, with a great melody and backing vocals. The guitar sounds like a high-octane version of the Ventures. It still kicks my butt every time I hear it. I've played it for a lot of people and they all love it. The band made just 500 copies of "Communist Radio" and gave away more than 100 of them at the legendary 'New Wave New Years' gig at the Sunrise Musical Theater. As you may have guessed, some of those records got broken, thrown out or left on the dashboard overnight to melt in the hot Florida sun the next morning.
"Communist Radio" is totally worth hearing, but I'd be hard pressed to say that any record is worth the $800 to $1,000 it commands from obsessive record collectors. (I was green with envy the day a buddy of mine nabbed a mint copy at a record convention in Clearwater for just $10!) Fortunately, it was officially repressed by Brain Transplant, a California label, around 1998. Unfortunately, Brain Transplant only made 1,000 and they sold out fast. The original has a light blue cover. The re-issue has a white cover, some of which were hand-colored by the band, the Brain Transplant logo and address. Don't be swindled into buying a repress for original prices.
The second Eat record, the "God Punishes The Eat" 7", was released on Giggling Hitler in 1980. The band made 1,000 copies of "God Punishes...," making it half as scarce as "Communist Radio," but it's still pretty damn rare. While I have seen perhaps four copies of "Communist Radio" in my life, I have seen nearly two dozen copies of "God Punishes The Eat." However, I should note that that includes the time that Eat guitarist Mike O'Brien walked into my record store with eight unplayed copies, wanting $125 each for them. If I had the money, I would have bought them all. Apparently the band still has a small cache of the second record but the supply of "Communist Radio" is dry. Mike told me, "I have one copy that I'm saving until I'm homeless."
"God Punishes The Eat" comes in an absurdly thick cardboard picture sleeve, which probably explains why all of the copies that I have seen have had nearly flawless covers. I don't know where they managed to get covers like that printed, as I have never seen a cover like that on any other record. The band members put cheap, round, yellow and red "Eat" stickers and baseball cards in select copies. If you find a copy with the extra goodies, then you have found an extra rare copy of an already rare record. Me? Yeah, sure I have one.
Jeterboy Records later released an Eat cassette, "Scattered Wahoo Action" in 1982. It was reissued as a 10" by a Wicked Witch, a Dutch label in the late 1990s. There are some great songs on this tape, such as "She's Pissed Off ('cause my Brother Wouldn't Fuck Her) and "Subhuman," sung by the late drummer Chris Cottie, and sounding pretty close to hardcore. "Subhuman" is much more aggressive than any of the other Eat songs. In 1995, Jeterboy released a 7" of new Eat music called, "Hialeah." While "Hialeah" is pretty good, it kind of lacks the punch of "Communist Radio" and "God Punishes..." What do you expect? Those dudes are old now. Ha, ha.
South Florida was home to many great bands and had a virile scene all through the 1980s. The big clubs were 27 Birds, the Cameo Theater, Flynn’s, and Finders Lounge. Some of the better bands from South Florida in the early to mid 1980s were Gay Cowboys In Bondage, F, Broken Talent and Lethal Yellow. All of them released vinyl.
The Gay Cowboys In Bondage released "Owen Marshmallow Strikes Again," a six-song 7" on Suplapse Records in 1984. This record is packed with silly, high school humor and great, memorable tunes like, "Big Fat Baloney Sandwich." And if you check out the insert, you can see a photo of the band playing their first show at a high school talent contest. Before "Owen Marshmallow," The Cowboys put out a 16-song demo called, "We're Not Gay But The Music Is." This demo contained more of their great tunes with silly lyrics. One song the from the demo, "Domestic Battlefield," appears on "Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol 1." In February 2005, I released "The Completely Silly Discography" CD on Burrito Records, featuring the demo, the 7" and a live set from 1983.
As an aside, I recently found a 7" record called Rip Schredder's Techno Primitivism. I can't find a date on it anywhere, but on the label, it credits Milo from Gay Cowboys as doing backing vocals. The record is mostly keyboards and vocals. Phil Blumel, the singer of F, tells me that Rip Schredder was a weird older dude, who somehow played a few punk gigs, including a warehouse gig with F and the Eat.
Cowboy bassist Eddie Nothing and guitarist Pete Moss also played in F. Eddie played bass and Pete played drums. F was notorious for their smart alec humor and pranks. While other bands of the era we're playing vehement anti-Reagan songs, F were vehemently pro-Reagan (or so they claimed). The never broke the facade either; they played it to the hilt. F also delighted in calling the cops to break up their own gigs -- just to see what would happen. They pulled this stunt at their famed last show in Ft Lauderdale, with great "success."
F polarized the South Florida punk scene. I remember going to a convenience store between bands at an F show, wearing my F t-shirt. A big mohawked dude jammed his meaty finger into my chest and said, "I HATE THAT BAND," punctuating each word with a sharp jab. Anyhow, the F "You Are An E.P." 12" is, in my opinion, the best punk record (beside the "We Can't Help It" comp) to come out of the state. This six-song, 45 rpm goodie made lots of top ten lists at Maximum Rocknroll. And how did the band show their gratitude? By refusing to pay for advertisements that had already run in the zine. Oh, they had the money. They just thought it would be funny to not pay the bill. If you'd like to see proof of this, check out the insert of the White Flag/F LP.
Either 1,000 or 1,500 copies of "You Are an E.P." were pressed. I've asked the singer a couple of times and got different answers, so I guess he really doesn't remember or it's just another F joke. And, although Phil says that the record came out in 1983, it clearly reads, "1984" on the labels. Who knows? All you gotta know is that it rocks. In July 2000, I worked with the band to re-issue "You Are An E.P." as a 7", with a previously unreleased bonus song. One thousand copies were made. A few years ago David Camp, who produced the F 12" and many other south Florida bands, found a few copies of the record in his mother's garage. Some copies are water damaged, but a few are in OK shape, I am told.
As I mentioned before, F also made a split LP with White Flag on Starving Missle, a German Label. This record has its moments, but is not as good as the 12" e.p. In 1988, F released their last will and testament, the "Mess You Up" 7", on Mystic Records. When I asked the guitarist why they decided to work with Mystic, he said, "Because they're the worst label in the world." That's F for you. F can also be heard on the compilation LP "Four bands That Could Change The World" LP, the European version, "Five Bands That Could Change The World," and on "Flipside Vol 1" LP.
Lethal Yellow played many shows in south Florida with fellow scenesters Broken Talent, Gay Cowboys and F. The self-released 7", "Declaration of Retardation" came out in 1984 on Braindead Music. Here again is more patented Florida smart alec humor. Song titles include, "Velveeta Cheese," "Spastic and Proud" and "The Obnoxious Song." Something for the 15 year old in all of us. Lo-fi and low brow.
Then there are a whole bunch of South Florida bands that I don't know too much about, like We The Living. I remember seeing this band's name on just one
As with We The Living, I have seen a few copies of the Menstrual Cycles "1/2 Skin 1/2 Punk" 7", but few people can give me any more info on them. I have been told that the singer tried to get the band signed to Riot City, but that never happened. The Menstrual Cycles record was self released in 1983 on Cycles 1. The band address and phone number is from Hialeah, a small town near Miami. The record was produced by David Camp, who also recorded F, but none of those guys know anything about The Menstrual Cycles.
I knew little about the Critical Mass "Silver Screen" 7" until recently. The guy I bought this from said that it is the first punk record from Florida. I have confirmed from three sources that the record came out in 1978, so this is true. Critical Mass is the first Florida punk record, pre-dating The Eat's "Communist Radio" by a year. There is no picture sleeve, just a white inner sleeve. There is no year or address on the record label. And the band sounds more like an English record from the late 1970s. On a trip to Florida, supercollector Ryan Richardson met a former band member who confirms the 1978 release date and also states that only 200 copies were made. Thus making it the rarest Florida punk record. An Italian collector who heard I have this record emailed me and offered me $1,200 for it, but of course, I had to turn him down, which prompted his response, "I WILL PAY ANY PRICE FOR THIS RECORD!" Sorry, no sale, and chill out, dude. In 2003, I saw a copy sell for $750.
In 1980, Critical Mass released a 10 song LP called, "It's What's Inside That Counts" on MCA, a huge major label. The songs on the LP are much more polished, longer and more "rock." Gone are all traces of the snotty punkness found on "Silver Screen." I paid $15 for my copy, but this is serious dollar bin material.
The Front, from Miami, released a pair or kinda new wave singles on their own label, Foam Records. "First Strike" 7" came out in 1981 and "Aluminum Room/Poor People" 7" came out in 1982. While I find these records pretty boring, they are a good example of early Florida D.I.Y. spirit and thus have a place in my collection. You can also hear the Front on "The Land That Time Forgot" and "Killed By Florida."
The Cichlids were pop/punk band with 2 girls and 2 guys. The band was put together by a svengali-manager Robert Mascaro, who also worked
An odd-ball band called Futurisk released an odd-ball single, "The Sound Of Futurism" in 1980 on the oddly-named label, Clark Humphrey Records. As it turns out, "Clark Humphry" is a pseudonym for the band's leader, Jeremy Kolosine. In any case, it's low- tech, lo-fi new wave, like early Devo, recorded in a garage. A web page I found states that Futurisk was the first electronic punk band in the south. This strange record comes with two covers. The first is a white, sealed picture sleeve, with lyrics to one of the songs on the back and a picture of the band on the front. (Yeah, they look like nerds to me.) The second cover is on heavy pink cardstock and fits snuggly into the white cover. Printed on the upper left back of the pink cover is "Limited Edition 500." Grab this one if it turns up at the next garage sale. A collector buddy in Miami dug me up a second Futurisk 7" from 1982 called, "Player Piano," again on Clark Humphrey Records. "Player Piano" is not nearly as quirky as "The Sound Of Futurism," but is worth picking up for any fan of homemade 80s records.
I remember seeing the X-Conz "Do Dead People Tan?" 7" on Tim Yohanan's want list in the late 80s, so a couple of years later when I saw a copy, I inspected it with interest. When I saw that it was from Florida, I was 99% sure that I should buy it. Then when I saw that they had a song called, "She's My Hosebag," well, I just had to have it. I gave the record store guy a buck and took it home for a spin. This four-song platter from 1981 doesn't have a lot of teeth, but the songs are pretty catchy, especially "Hosebag." I never did see another copy, so I'm glad I parted with my crumpled George Washington that steamy south Florida afternoon.
The Screaming Sneakers were a decent Ft Lauderdale punk/new wave band with a gorgeous female vocalist. At some point, they moved to New York and recorded there. The result was "Marching Orders," four-song, 12". The first song is really strong, with powerful hooks. The other three songs are a bit long-winded but OK. I don't know how many copies of this record were made, but it's hard to come by, even in Florida. A friend grabbed me a copy for $25 in Ft Lauderdale; a week later, I saw a copy sell on Ebay for more than $300! I'm not sure why such a mania would be attached to such an unknown record. Maybe it's because lead singer Lisa Nash looks so hot on the back cover, with her huge, 80s new wave chick hair and torn T-shirt!
Another Ft Lauderdale-area band with a female singer was the Spanish Dogs, who had a song on "The Land That Time Forgot" LP. The Spanish Dogs were more of a rock band, with some punk attitude, as shown on the song "Your Daughter," the stand out track on their "Don't Sweat The Petty Things" 7" (Ratsa Dog Records, 1982). This record is worth finding if not only for that song, but for the sleazy back cover. The Spanish Dogs also had another 7", "Meet The Spanish Dogs," released by Ruff Ken Records in 1981 and an LP, "Mongol Le Gan" LP released by Doggie Style Records in 1983 (allegedly 200 pressed).
A greatly-overlooked south Florida punk record you should know about is the super-duper Essentials "Fast Music In A Slow Town" 7" (Safety Net Records, 1982.) The first track, "Turn Off Your Radio," is not only sage advice, but is one of the best Florida punk tunes ever. Very catchy. The drummer, the late Pete Moss, also played in F and Gay Cowboys and Spanish Dogs. As of this writing, this record is fairly low-profile, meaning that insane collectors from Europe are not offering hundreds of dollars for it yet. I bet you might be able to score a copy in Ft Lauderdale or Miami for a modest price, so why not plan a family vacation today?
Also from South Florida were the Reactions, a great rock band with a punk attitude. Or a punk band with rock playing ability. Whatever. The Reactions made two EPs: the "Official Release" 7" (Reaction Records, 1980) and the "Love You" 7" (Reaction Records, 1981). I have heard there is a bootleg Reactions 10" with the two 7"s on it, but I have never seen a copy.
One record that I never see in anyone else's collection or hear anyone talk about is the Rugged Edge "S/T" 7" released by the band. The band was from Hialeah, home of the Eat and the Menstrual Cycles. The record was recorded in
There have been many bands named Panic, The Panic and The Panics from all over the world. (In fact, a very early version of Black Flag was called Panic.)
Another Ft Myers band that few people are aware of is Antler Joe And The Accidents. In fact, they recorded at the same studio as the Panics. Anyhow, Antler Joe released a three-song 7" called, "Go Commercial" in 1981. Just 300 copies
Disorderly Conduct was a great band from the Ft Pierce/Melbourne area that not many people remember today. But in their time, they were one of the best and most popular bands in the state, frequently opening for bigger touring bands. The band, featuring F guitarist U.S. Ken Decter, played a hybrid of hardcore and metal, without being speed metal. They really had an original sound, wrote great songs and were ace musicians. Casey Chaos' vocal style and lyrical arrangements have been a big influence on me. Disorderly Conduct made their vinyl debut with one song, "How Old Are You?," on "Flipside Vinyl Fanzine Vol. 2." This song is a real thrasher, with a couple of slow, tense breakdown parts. I think this song is a good representation of what the band was like live. Another Disorderly Conduct song, "Rock Bottom," appears on the 1986 compilation LP, "There's A Method To Our Madness," on Phantom Records, an Alaskan label. In 1986, Casey released the full length recording, "Amen," on LP and cassette. The name he chose for his label was Dirge Records, the only release by the label. "Amen" is a hefty album, packed with powerful songs and very few lulls, although a couple of tracks get a little indulgent. The opening track, "Crawl Down Inside Of Me," is the strongest moment, with a pulsing wall of guitar and a long, anguished vocal wail. I don't know how many copies of "Amen" were made, but the album had great distribution, at least within Florida. For a few years, you could find it in almost any record store in the state, even big chain stores. Until fairly recently, still-sealed copies popped up from time to time.
Shortly after the release of "Amen," Casey thought the next logical step would be to move the band to California. Decter went with him, but drummer Bill Erwin and bassist Scot Lade stayed in Florida. Lade told me, "I haven't talked to Casey since the day they left." In California, Casey started a band called Amen, which is still active today. Lade was the manager of Record Bar, a chain music store in Ft. Pierce's Orange Blossom Mall. He used his managerial position to stock the store with great hardcore releases from around the world. In fact it was Scot who suggested the Dead Kennedy's "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables" LP as my first punk rock purchase. On other visits, Scot suggested The Crucifucks, Die Kreuzen, "Flex Your Head," and many more. I'm really thankful that Scot pushed me in the right direction when he could have just pushed me away. Lade was pretty active in the scene and put on several shows at clubs and rented halls, including a five band blowout at the Sons Of Italy Hall in Stuart, my hometown. That was the biggest punk show Stuart has ever seen and probably will never be topped.
Beside playing bass in Disorderly Conduct, Lade doubled as the bassist for Ft. Pierce's incredible Foul Existense. Foul X was about the biggest band in the St. Lucie/Martin/Palm Beach county area at one time and headlined many big local shows. Unfortunately, Foul Existense never made a record, but they did have a great demo. Mark Robinson, a former band member, is planning to release the demo on CD. Mark is also a videotape whiz and has dubbed the demo over video of the band playing live and goofing around with their friends. Few copies of this video are in circulation. More Foul X stuff that I can remember or have heard about: 1. The band played live in the courtyard of a major shopping mall, driving off many patrons. 2. They covered the theme song from the Jetsons. 3. Allegedly, their drummer became a cop. 4. They all used to live together in the Foul Manor, a ratty old structure in Ft Pierce that got condemned. Allegedly, one band member went back and torched the house after they got throw out. It's a real shame that Foul Existense never did a record, because I'm sure it would have been great.
Next we'll move to the Tampa Bay area. As a high school kid in Stuart, I heard all kinds of stories about the powerful scene in Tampa. A lot of kids talked about moving to Tampa and a few did just that. In retrospect, it might have been just a case of the grass being greener on the other side. But at the time, Tampa seemed like hardcore punk paradise. I already talked about Rat Cafeteria. Although I never got to see them, I did get to see Jehovah's Sickness, Pagan Faith, Belching Penguins and No Fraud. Jehovah's Sickness never conquered vinyl, but they had at least one demo and put on a great live show.
Pagan Faith was another good live band. I remember seeing them do a cover of "Faster and Louder," by The Dictators that really hit the mark. No Clubs!, a local concert promoter, released the self-titled Pagan Faith 7" in 1986. About five years later, another batch of the record turned up with a slightly different back cover and without the No Clubs! logo. I've compared the vinyl and labels from each pressing and they are identical. It's most likely that someone found a stack of vinyl with no covers and made some new ones. The music on the Pagan Faith 7" is pretty good, but I'm not very fond of the singer's style and the vocals are pretty high in the mix. Still, a decent release.
No Clubs! also released the Belching Penguin "Draft Beer... Not Me" LP in 1986; 1,100 copies were made. Great, thrashy 1980s hardcore with some goofy lyrics. Everybody I know who has heard this record has been blown away. It's really good and one of the few 1980s hardcore albums ever released in Florida. (The photo on the back cover is classic, too.) No Clubs! re- issued "Draft Beer... Not Me" on CD in 1996 or 1997 and is still available. The LP used to be abundant everywhere in Florida, but has been seen less recently. Most of them have happy homes. In 2007, I released eight Belching Penguin demo tracks as the "1985/1988 Demos" 7" on Burrito Records.
No Fraud was Florida's longest running hardcore band. They might still be around, depending on who you ask. No Fraud has had many line-ups and releases over the years, but my favorite will always be their first, the "The E.P." 7", originally released on No Clubs! 1986. A later pressing appears on the band's own label, Truth Records. This is just good, fast, meat- and-potatoes hardcore. No frills, but lots of oomph. Also worth hearing is their follow up album, "Hard To The Core," on the German label, Nuclear Blast. The cover is an unbelievably tacky neon green, but most of the songs deliver the goods. After "Hard To The Core," I kind of lost interest in the band's recorded material but still enjoyed seeing them live many times.
A Tampa-area record that nobody seems to know anything about is a 1982 7" by the Fanatics. Four kinda rocky songs, a bit like the Panics, perhaps. The record was recorded at the now-famous Morissound Studio, which recorded many of the biggest death metal bands of the 1990s. A member of Rat Cafeteria told me he saw the Fanatics opening for X in a high school gym in Tampa, but doesn't remember much else. Anybody got a clue about this one?
Up in the panhandle, Maggot Sandwich were the undisputed kings of punk. I think they finally called it quits in the early 2000s. Maggot Sandwich started making noise in 1983 or '84 under the name Kaos. When it came to their attention there have been several bands by that name, they switched to Maggot Sandwich and have never had the same problem. However, guitarist Vik Graham and his brother, drummer Steve Graham, have kept their monikers Vik Kaos and Steve Kaos to this day. Vik formed his own label, KML Records and released "Dead To My World" , a great 7" in 1985. Five hundred copies were made in a single pressing. The band never re-pressed the record because they thought it was crap. I disagree. While the recording quality is low and you really have to crank it up to hear anything, the songs are really good, particularly, "Everything I Touch Turns To Shit." This record features original singer Buzz Zerk, who later left the band under nasty circumstances.
The band next set its sights on a ten-song LP, tentatively titled, "Success Pool." But during the recording session, the singer walked out and threatened to sue the rest of the band if they used any of "his" songs. The band salvaged what they could from the recording session and released the "Success Pool" 7". One thousand copies were made, 500 on black vinyl and 500 on green. Vik gave me a green vinyl copy because he's such a cool dude. He also gave me a cassette of the unreleased songs with Buzz from this recording session. I promised Vik that I'd never copy them for anyone, so please don't ask. And it's a darn shame they were never released because they rock.
Another Panhandle punk record, also on KML, is the Headless Marines "Crimes Of Truth" 7" (1988). Great band name, boring band. A lot of people remarked that Headless Marines were not included in an earlier version of this article. That was because the record is barely worth mentioning. A real snooze, but I will give it a mention now for history's sake. To their credit, I have heard they were good live.
From up in Tallahassee, our state capital, came The X-Band, who released a solid 7", "Pleasures In Life" 7" on Yo Mama Records in 1986. I am only guessing, but Yo Mama Records was probably the band's label. (I've never seen anything else on the label.) It really sounds like The X-Band took some cues from their Tallahassee hardcore forefathers, Sector 4. I even checked both records to see if any of the same people were in both bands -- nope. (As mentioned earlier, one of these guys did a brief stint in Hated Youth.) For some reason, people aren't too hip to this record, but they should be, because it is good stuff. I've run across a few copies in Florida, but I was really surprised to find two or three copies at Wax N Facts in Atlanta for $1 each. Some members of the X-Band went on to Gruel, who released an LP on Manufacture Records in the late 1980s.
Stevie Stilleto and The Switchblades was a good rocknroll-influenced hardcore band from Jacksonville. Their first 7", "It's a Bogus Life" was issued by Razor Records, the band's own label, in 1985. This version features a glossy, black and red, sealed picture sleeve. The record was later re-issued by KML with a slightly different cover. The KML version comes in a photocopied, yellow picture sleeve and for some reason, "And the Switchblades" is deleted from the front cover. All it reads is, "Stevie Stilleto." Vik from KML told me why the changes were made, but that was a long time ago and I forgot the exact details. Vik told me another story about the next Stevie Stilleto record. After "Bogus Life," the band self- released a single, with the A-side being a cover of Bing Crosby's, "White Christmas." Vik said that the band put out the record themselves, without his knowing, and put the KML address and logo on the release. This way, if there was any legal flak for using the Bing Crosby song,
Whew. I guess that's it. As I said before, I will update this as new information comes to me. So, if you have something to share, please get it touch.
Bob Suren
PO Box 3204
Brandon, FL 33509-3204 USA
Some Bands That Bob Missed, or
Maybe They Weren't Punk Enough, or Whatever
by Jeff Schwier, 2009Maybe They Weren't Punk Enough, or Whatever
I'd like to say that Bob did an outstanding job researching the scenes back then. That said, there's probably dozens of bands from all over the state that he (and I) haven't heard of yet. And there's also bands that were around that don't really fall into the classic definition of punk/hardcore, but it should be noted that when punk started in the mid-70s, it wasn't about "hard/fast", it was about doing something that was totally different from the prevailing musical trends of the times (ie..supergroups, prog-rock, and disco). That's why Charlie Pickett was punk, The Bobs were punk, The Minutemen, Pere Ubu, Talking Heads, etc etc
But enough of my personal bias. My main area of study is the south Florida scene, so that's where I'll concentrate most of my efforts. Please if you have any corrections or complaints. I've had lots of help from Charlie Pickett, Jimmy Johnson, Joe "Jeterboy" Harris, Michael Chatham, the EAT, Ian Hammond, Dave Froshnider, Bobby Tak and many others too numerous to mention.
Such Trash--According to Robert Mascaro, Such Trash was "the first original Florida punk band." This is 1976-77. Mascaro was on vocals, and Charlie Pickett on guitar. Mascaro left the group and started managing bands, and Charlie left and got married, then divorced, and started his own thing in 1979. I doubt if there's any recordings.
Z-Cars/Peter Patrick-Initially managed by Robert Mascaro, a Florida band fronted by an eccentric British lead singer. The Z-Cars (pronounced Zed Cars) were more rock than punk, played originals and covers, sometimes smashed their equipment, and self-released an original single in 1980. Peter Patrick fronted several other bands after the Z-Cars split.
The Girls--Known primarily as a band that featured Johnny Salton on guitar before he joined the Reactions. Johnny says they were Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart-influenced. He also says one of the other Girls has some tapes of the band, but he hasn't heard from him in years...
The Weasels--1979/80, a punk power trio. Johnny Salton called them "hardcore, but with a groove." Dave Froshnider later in the Eggs and Psycho Daisies. Not sure if the Weasels ever recorded. Drummer Raul wrote "Lover Girl", which the Psycho Daisies have played forever.
The Kids-1978-84. Johnny Depp was in this band, everybody knows about him. Johnny Depp was Lisa Nash's boyfriend, a few folks know about that. But what many people don't know is that at one point in the early 80s, Charlie Pickett was considering asking Johnny Depp to be in the Eggs. I don't know if the Kids recorded, but I do know they moved to LA in 1984, then broke up, and Depp decided to give acting a try...
Roll N Pinz--Punk with a rockabilly twist circa 1980. Bob Rupe on bass/vox (later the Cichlids, the Bobs, Crank, the Screaming Sneakers, the Silos, Cracker, Danny and Dusty), Kevin MacIvor on guitar/vox (later the Bobs, the DT Martyrs), Johnny 'Stix' Galway on drums (later Larry Joe Miller, the Eggs, the Bobs, Crank, the Psycho Daisies, the Silos) and a crazy-ass singer that I know nothing about. These guys didn't last long. Must find out more about these guys next time I talk to MacIvor.
The Bobs/Bob Went Bad--Quirky new-wave rock with quality tunes. The first south Florida band I ever saw, opening for the Ramones at the Tampa Theater in 1981. Bobby Tak from the Cichlids, Bob Rupe and Kevin Robert MacIvor from the Roll N Pinz, so they called themselves the Bobs, gettit? Songs written by Bob! Johnny Stix replaced Tak in 1984. Released 2 12" eps and a live cassette on Safety Net. Tak returned on drums and Mike Chatham replaced Rupe when they re-grouped as Bob Went Bad circa 1986, and they were heavily into the funk groove. These guys shoulda been LARGE.
Nouveau Reach--1984. Basically the Cichlids reformed with a new bassist and a slightly more progressive sound. Released a single on Safety Net.
RAF--1982, Ian Hammond project before the DT Martyrs, supposedly there's tape that exists, I gotta follow up with Ian to learn more.
The DT Martyrs--1983-present. Rock with an occasional twist of Stones or country. Ian Hammond was a big Charlie Pickett fan and a big EAT fan and a big CLASH fan, but slightly younger, so he got a slightly later start. Constant lineup changes in this band, the first 10 years was Ian Hammond guitar/vox, and Tony Bazemore drums, with second guitar and bass positions changing frequently. Al Harmon made great contributions in the mid 80s, Kevin MacIvor the same in the late 80s, and he's since returned to the Martyrs (they've dropped the DT), and they've played some of the best live shows I've seen in south Florida in the last 5 years. Released a cassette and an album on Jeterboy. These guys should be XTRA-LARGE
The Chant--1984-94. Psych/garage rock. Walter Cz from the Essentials and Jimmy Johnson (LINK) from the DT Martyrs were the constants in this band, lead guitar and drums changing frequently. Relocated to Atlanta in 1986. Released 2 albums on Safety Net. Walter later had a band called the Dot Commies, Jimmy released a solo single. These guys shoulda been JUMBO.
Crank--1984. Hardcore. This band contained, at various times, Dave Froshnider, Johnny Salton, Bob Rupe, Johnny Stix, and Billy Weasel, backing up a lady named Elaine. Recorded 3 songs that appeared on 2 compilations. Crank broke up from what Johnny Salton called "too much junkie business." Elaine recently replaced Lisa Nash as vocalist in the Psycho Daisies.
Larry Joe Miller--Rockabilly, 1980-present. Larry Joe was in a couple different bands in Kansas and Texas in the 60s, most notably the Thingies. Started playing rockabilly before the Stray Cats made it fashionable. Opened for the Clash in Orlando in 1984. Self-released one single, and had a cassette on Jeterboy.
Stan Still Dance Band/Johnny Tonite--originally a spin-off of the Spanish Dogs, both bands released numerous albums, some on cassette, some on Jeterboy.
Live Bait--self released a punk-ish single in 1981, had a studio that the Bobs did a couple sessions at, and that's about all I know, for now.
The Preachers--Richard Shelter is so cool he has his own section on Trashfever. A tireless promoter of south Florida rock, promoting gigs, running venues, he was the road manager for Charlie Pickett's cross-country tour in 84-85. his blues-rock band the Preachers released an album in 1986.
Julio Rey--released a pop/punk/garage single in 1982, went on and played in Lead and Frank's Enemy, and has a blog here
Mysfitz--from Hollywood, 1981 self released rock single
Violent Love and the Dead Whores--simple guitar pop, this band with a great name never released anything, but if they had, I could say their sound was a forerunner of a lot of sounds featuring females in the 90s. Get their demos (along with a lot of other cool stuff from south Florida) here
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