Moss Icon - Lyburnum Wits End Liberation Fly (Vermiform, released 1994 but recorded in '88)

Recently there has been a noticeable amount of underground punk/hardcore acts reuniting for live dates and tours, many of whom during their heyday were either went unappreciated or had too short a lifespan but overtime have developed cult followings since their demise. One of the highlights has been the incredibly obscure but highly influential post-hardcore band Moss Icon who recently reunited for some dates in July. It is a real travesty this band is not as well known as they should be, as I'd definitely consider them on par with other bands of similar ilk like Cap'n Jazz, Nation of Ulysses, and Swing Kids. But what is absolutely jaw-dropping about this band, particularly when listening to this LP, is that this was recorded in 1988! Absolutely nothing about this material makes you think the eighties. Think about it, Fugazi was barely recording 13 songs when this was done. At the same time, it's not surprising the band was so innovative as they feature guitarist Tonie Joy of other seminal acts Born Against and Universal Order of Armageddon in its lineup. Traces of Moss Icon's style, much like Born Against and UOA, can be heard in so much hardcore that followed, but despite endless name dropping of this band by more successful emo acts they still remain relatively unknown. Aside from Joy's excellent guitar work, Jonathan Vance's incredible vocals avoid any faceless shrieking in their delivery, spewing some excellent lyrics that are simultaneously full of self empowerment and seething contempt. Case in point, the short but intense "Mirror" opens the album with fierce energy and continues on the following tracks until the band shifts its dynamic for the lengthy title track showing their range compositionally. Anyone into Ebullition-style hardcore should not pass on getting this album.

Bl'ast! - The Power of Expression (1986, reissued SST 1987)

Bl'ast's debut the Power of Expression is one of the more underrated punk releases of the 80s as the band shows a tremendous amount of promise that would fully develop by the time of their second album, It's In My Blood, which came out on Greg Ginn's SST label. Perhaps unfairly, Bl'ast was always constantly compared to Ginn's Black Flag and in particular the early Damaged era sound. However, this comparison was not always a negative thing, because for many in the mid-80s Black Flag's increasingly experimental sound was starting to become either a little too experimental or too slow and Bl'ast definitely expanded on the sound Black Flag had birthed on Damaged. Regardless of how you feel about My War or later Black Flag, for those who felt BF had moved on a little too soon from the sound of their earlier EPs and Damaged, Bl'ast was certainly an outlet to plug into. However, the BF tag comparison is a little overused I feel and doesn't do Bl'ast's music justice. Ginn at the time was mostly championing bands that were if anything quite the opposite of conventional hardcore, so Bl'ast's presence on the label alongside Meat Puppets, Husker Du, Sonic Youth, etc., says alot about the band being more than just a BF clone. Furthermore, It's In My Blood may be a must have punk release of the 80s, don't overlook their strong debut either.

Filth - Shit Split (Lookout!, 1990)

From the same scene that gave birth to everything from Neurosis to Green Day, Filth from Oakland's East Bay Hardcore scene and 924 Gilman St released this classic split with the frankly more mediocre band Blatz in 1990. Filth is notably unique as a crust band in that their guitar riffs are quite melodic and not really that far off from the less harsh bands of that scene like Operation Ivy and Crimpshine, but the vocals are definitely as bowl churning and crusty as the best of them. The band even has a youth crew call-and-response style on songs like "Banned from the Pubs." Thankfully, this classic has seen a couple of rereleases on Life is Abuse and Alternative Tentacles since it was originally released on the Bay Area's Lookout! in 1990. This is really one of the best releases of the early 90s not just for hardcore and crust but punk in general.

Gravedigger V - All Black and Hairy (Voxx, 1984)

While the underground 60s rock revival of the 1980s is mostly known for bands like the Mummies, the Gories, and the L.A. based Paisley Underground bands (the Dream Syndicate, Three O'Clock and the most commercially successful act the Bangles), further south in San Diego was the less known and more garage rock oriented band Gravedigger V. This album, released in 1984 and overlooked, was given a rerelease by garage staple Bomp! records in 1994, and this record displays the band's superb mix of punk attitude, psychedelic freak outs and campy humor. Leighton Kuizumi also has an absolutely infectious vocal style that perfectly matches the music.

Double O - "7 (Dischord, 1983)

The Dischord label has a seemingly endless amount of good material from excellent little bands on its roster but alot of the label's earlier signings unfortunately broke up after producing little material. One of the biggest anomalies is the band Double O, whom are very hard to find any information about. I have also seen listed the title of this record as being "You've Lost EP", but I can't confirm this. Regardless, this little EP shows an enormous amount of promise. Double O have a very unique approach that I find sounds almost like Wire playing D.C. hardcore. Not suprising, as Minor Threat had previously done an excellent cover of Wire's "12 x U."


But it's no wonder the band didn't last long when listening to this record, as they don't fit in with the Minor Threat/Government Issue sound nor really with the Rites of Spring/Embrace style either. While there is definitely some of the conventions of 80s hardcore present, they really have a sound all their own in the context of the scene they were in with tempo shifts, melody and even use of a synthesizer at times. Just as a sidenote, I would also like to point out that the singer of this band (Eric) looks an awful lot like Duff McKagan. Seriously though, with only 5 songs and 12 minutes of music Double O still left quite a mark with this EP.

Dr. Know - Burn 7" EP (Mystic, 1985)

Dr. Know is perhaps best known as the former punk band of child actor Brandon Cruz who played Eddie on "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" which starred Bill Bixby. A shame, because the real talent of the band appears to be held at the songwriting helm of vocalist/guitarist Kyle Toucher who unfortunately was not present when the band recently reunited, instead reforming with the less talented Cruz on vocals. Back in 1983, it was Toucher who took over vocal duties after Cruz left when band infighting came to a head just as they were beginning to record Plug in Jesus, and based on the recordings it payed off for the better musically. Cruz you may also remember as the douche who dared to fill Jello Biafra's shoes in the Dead Kennedys "reunion" shows.


In my opinion Dr. Know released some of the best hardcore records of the 80s with Toucher as vocalist and songwriter. Although well known in the punk and metal underground they never got as much attention as other excellent bands that play a similar style like GBH and Discharge. Unlike those bands however Dr. Know have a much more Sabbath-y feel as well. The band actually originate from a hardcore scene from Oxnard, CA that was dubbed 'Nardcore', which included other acts like Stalag 13 and Ill Repute, most of which released their music on the Mystic Records label (including this release). Dr. Know I think is the best of the pack however and a real highlight of their discography is the scorcher "Watch It Burn" from the Burn EP.

The Zombies - R.I.P. The Lost Album (On CD Imperial Records (JPN), Vinyl Release on Sweet Dandelion)

Unfortunately only released on CD in Japan in 2008, this long lost aborted third album from The Zombies has seen the light of day on a vinyl release as well. Still present are the melancholy lyrics, beautiful melodies, baroque-y harpsichords and mellotrons, etc etc. Previously these songs were available on some extended version releases of the Odyssey and Oracle LP and a compilation called Time of the Zombies from 1974, but never got its own release until recently.

The RIP album was intended for release in 1969 but was never fully realized, as it was recorded in a transition period before the band broke up and later formed as Argent, who If I recall correctly did that 70s rock radio staple "Hold Your Head Up." But alas, this release still sounds like the Zombies at their best. If you're willing to shell out $30 you can also get a copy of it on vinyl which has been released by Sweet Dandelion records. Regardless, if you've played Singles A's + B's and Odyssey and Oracle to death pick up this lost gem.

Dog Faced Hermans - Mental Blocks For All Ages (Mississippi Records, 1991)

A truly unique and extraordinary band featuring members of Holland's equally brilliant The Ex, the Dog Faced Hermans play a radically experimental and socially conscious style of post-punk. This is their hardest-to-find LP from the early 90s, a few years before they eventually found some broader distribution on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label and then broke up. Despite featuring a trumpet and viola at the forefront of their musical attack, the Dog Faced Hermans pack the same punch as bands like Crass, The Ex, Zounds, Chumbawamba, Flux of Pink Indians, Swans, Subhumans, etc. The minimalism and aesthetic is the same as those anarcho-punks but like the Ex adds elements of the No Wave scene and a folk music influence as well, albeit using some very different instruments. Recommended for squatter punks and pretentious avant-garde people alike!

Public Image Ltd - Commercial Zone (Unofficial Album from 1983)

The recent PiL "reunion" tour warrants a revisiting of the last true incarnation of the band, as the new PiL lineup currently on tour does not include any of the original members besides John Lydon. Instead it features Lydon and a sideshow of hired touring musicians, and absent are all of the more musically talented individuals that played on the band's most groundbreaking albums. The most obvious exclusions are that of guitarist Keith Levene, bassist Jah Wobble and drummer Martin Atkins. Anyone with taste who views footage of the new PiL or even listens to their late-80s albums can tell you the material really suffers without the free form guitar work of Levene. This reunion is not really a reunion at all.


For a little bit of history, the band was forged in 1978 by Lydon, Levene and Wobble. Levene had been an original member of the Clash and like Lydon was disatisfied with the musical direction of punk. Levene found kindred alienated spirits with eclectic musical tastes in Lydon and Wobble, and along with a Spinal Tap cast of drummers (which included Atkins) the three recorded two of the most influential post-punk albums ever. After playing on those first two (and arguably best) albums, Wobble left and went on to become a prolific world music player, occasionally flirting with new age mediocrity. Despite the ceasing of live performances, Wobble's departure, Levene's heroin use, and Lydon's ego, PiL recorded the truly unique 1981 Flowers of Romance album. Lydon and Levene wisely opted not to try and fill Wobble's spot, instead composing a short but brilliant eastern-tinged experimental record which explored minimalist and heavily percussive textures. By 1982, Levene and Lydon attempted to revive the group as a proper band, including getting a new bass player to play shows and record. However this version was short lived, and by 1983 Levene had left. Lydon then formed a new version of PiL which featured a neverending cast of musicians that pushed PiL into a more conventional rock sound with little trace of the bold experimentation of First Issue, Second Edition, and Flowers of Romance. Levene did however manage to salvage the recordings from this period.


Released by Levene after his exit from PiL, Commercial Zone is the unfinished '82/'83 recordings and original concept of the album that was later rerecorded by Lydon, Atkins and faceless players as "This Is What You Want, This Is What You Get". Shortly after, Atkins left and went on to play a large role in the industrial and experimental rock scene as Pigface, amongst other projects. Levene sadly drifted into unproductive obscurity, but his self-release of Commercial Zone (which had only one pressing before being halted by Virgin Records), shows that before his exit the band's material was starting to recall the danceable sound of Second Edition. Additionally, the version of "This Is Not a Love Song" that became a hit for the band is actually the version on this album, not the version released by Lydon. I really quite enjoy both versions of the album, but the overlooked Commercial Zone is slightly superior and worth a revisiting from PiL fans who enjoy the band's earlier material.