Nothing says the 1980's quite like the hairstyles of U.K girl group "We've Got A Fuzzbox And We're Gonna Use It" (AKA known as "Fuzzbox" for those who get tired of excessive typing) which range from the ludicrous to the ridiculous. However there was no denying the infectious glee and innocence of their actual music.
"FUZZBOX" ~ "LOVE IS THE SLUG";
Like Bow Wow Wow, The Go-Go's, Bangles, and Toronto's B-Girls they are a reminder that setting aside the archetypal anger of hardcore the most important ingredient of Punk and New Wave was innocence and good old fashioned fun. Rock and Roll all night and party every day indeed. Just as it was in the 1960's Surf and Garage Rock and 1950's Rockabilly. As it always should be. Before soulless corporations and humourless political activists suck all the fun out of things of course.
"FUZZBOX" ~ "RULES AND REGULATIONS"
Fuzzbox were a group of wildly upbeat post punk girls from England who bounced on the scene with hair explosions, cheerleader ready songs, pounding drums and of course a fuzzbox. Which they did in fact use. Jo Dunne was their guitarist. She died this week of cancer this week at 43. Which also tells you just how young they were back in the 1980's.
FUZZBOX & THE NIGHTINGALES ~ "ROCKIN WITH RITA";
If the over the top perkiness of girl bands like Fuzzbox, Go-Go's, Bangles etc. seem a little too undignified for today's riot grrls keep in mind that in the 1980's the very idea of girls playing actual rock and roll (as opposed to just singing) was still a radical one. Of course eventually a major record label got a hold of them and softened their sound to a more Bananarama type pop which got them a few top 40 hits. But the first few singles are still great fun.
FUZZBOX REUNION REPORT ON BBC;
Mike Scaccia; Guitarist for Ministry on their classic 1990's "Psalm 69" album and such songs as "Jesus Built my Hotrod" and "N.W.O.", collapsed and died on stage in Texas on December 22 aged 47. He started out in Thrash Metal band Rigor Mortis in 1983, then moved to Ministry in 1992. Ministry's "Psalm 69" and the accompanying videos and and Lollapalooza tour did much to take Industrial Music (or a club ready version of it) to the mainstream. He also played in Ministry side projects like The Revolting Cocks, Buck Satan and Lard.
MINISTRY ~ "JESUS BUILT MY HOTROD";
MINISTRY ~ "N.W.O.";
Tony Sly; singer of 1990's California post hardcore band with a similarly awkward moniker "No Use For A Name" also died in July at age 41. No Use For A Name had actually had a series of different members over the years but Sly had been singer since 1989 and after Sly's death they announced that they would end the band. Sly had also recorded with Lagwagon as well.
NO USE FOR A NAME ~ "SOULMATE";
Sven Gali were a Toronto band of the late 1980's and early 1990's who started off as a Hair Metal Band before doing a quick chango when Grunge hit. It never really took of course which is kind of too bad since they were better than your average hair band. Guitarist Dee Cernile died this year.
SVEN GALI ~ "UNDER THE INFLUENCE";
Not post punk but from but from pre-punk Psyche/Space Rock bands that I couldn't find room anywhere else for;
Ed Cassidy ~ Drummer for late sixties Psyche Band Spirit. Cassidy was an oddity in the late sixties in being fully twenty years older than the rest of the scene, i fact he was actually the father-in-law of Spirit guitarist Randy California. Partly to hide his age Cassidy shaved his head making him stand out even more. ~ 89
SPIRIT;
Huw Lloyd-Langton ~ Guitarist for venerable UK Psyche/Space Rock band Hawkwind ~ 61
HAWKWIND ~ "SILVER MACHINE";
And in the "I can't believe I forgot to post this" department. Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys! I know I played some stuff on my radio show when this was announced but apparently I forgot to post anything. Ooops my bad.
At this point it's easy to forget that in the beginning they were so viciously attacked on all sides. The hysterical attacks by the Legion of Decency types were predictable enough (and also hysterically funny at this point) but they were also attacked by women's groups (for sexism, natch) and by leftists for "racism" and "appropriating black culture". Like that's possible. Serious music critics dismissed them as a joke at first (understandable) but by their second album they had developed a distinctive style of densely produced mixes that could not be denied. They also managed to combine their laddish persona with some good work on some serious issues like the Environment and Free Tibet that any punk should envy. So there.
So here's some extra Beasties to make amends;
BEASTIE BOYS ~ "FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY";
BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SABOTAGE";
BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SO WATCHA WANT";
BEASTIE BOYS ~ "SURE SHOT";
BEASTIE BOYS ~ "HEY LADIES";
BTW people forget that the Beasties actually started out as a New York City punk band, but they did in fact release one punk ep "Pollywog Stew" and a single;
BEASTIE BOYS ~ "ODE TO...";
