https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2dLTYSgmgs
The title seems a reference to the fact that we're looking at the bottom of the barrel as far as unknown punk records are concerned, but whoever was responsible for the digging that unearthed these gems certainly struck some gold. Most of the sixteen records comped here are sleeveless, and the few others have horribly un-punk sleeves (Ducky Boys being the exception though I guess the Exit sleeve isn’t too bad) which, along with low pressings, helps make sense of how these tunes remained under the radar for so long. Astute collectors may recognize The Grackles, whose name has been popping up on want lists in the last few years, but their appearance here is the first chance for most to actually hear the record. "Who Needs Wildlife Anyway" is a solid addition to the canon of "KBD classics"—from Albuquerque, NM, far from anything close to a punk scene, the tune is cluelessly over the top with lyrics to match ("Who needs wildlife anyway? / All they do is eat oats and hay / All they do is run around and play"). It's a shame that the MP3s I heard of the other songs didn't compare. The biggest surprise on the comp is Mind Games, who haven't been spotted on any want lists (until tomorrow). Their classically SoCal punk homage to "Get Smart" leads me to believe that those guys currently spend many hours watching Nick at Nite. Perhaps my favorite song on the record, and the one that I'll end up chasing down until I own, is the Ducky Boys' "Hooked on Junk." It's an undeniably possessed track that's young, loud, and snotty enough that it makes the Dead Boys sound like Stiv's solo records. Yow. Other winners include Chicago punk thuggery by JT IV; a great Damned-influenced track from Neck Tie Party; and The Ones, yet another great punk-edged basher in classic Milwaukee fashion. The record is not without fault: the Principles track sounds like a Cheech and Chong outtake (funny the first few times but a regular ‘skipper’); Scarecrows is a failed attempt at humor and lacks any remarkable tune; and I still don't understand why Screaming Sneakers haven't landed a spot on one of these comps— pop or not they smoke the Psychotic Frogs. All in all, "Staring Down the Barrel" is a great comp that should shut up anyone who thinks that all the great punk records have already been discovered. -
www.nostages.com