Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Various - So Punk, Barely Visible to the Naked Eye (1996, Ripped)

Just as DIY compilation cassettes were prevalent in the 1980s, that same blueprint translated to compact disks a decade later, particularly reverberating through the indie/punk circuit, thanks in part to increasingly cheap production costs.  So inexpensive in fact, some homegrown labels (like this one) sold their comp CDs via mailorder from $5 to $10, often including postage.  While So Punk... isn't particularly seminal (and btw, I strongly challenge the punk credibility of more than a few of it's participants), it's representative of the hundreds of various-artists disks minted on bedroom labels that flooded ad space in zines likes MRR and Flipside throughout the Clinton era.  For a lot of folks So Punk... probably began and ended with Less Than Jake whose "ROBO" may have been exclusive to this CD at the time.  As for someone like myself who gravitates to the pop side of the punk bullpen, I found saving graces with selections by Boxcar, The Resurgents, Dutchland Diesel and The Camp-fire Girls.  Those craving a little more roughage will be served well by The Halflings, and Violent Society, while hardcore purists can find their fix via The Alliance and The Tuners.  If the sentiments expressed on a good swath of these tracks strike you as a bit sophomoric, we can rest assured that many of these whippersnappers have gone on to bigger and better things, and are now likely practicing law and medicine.

I'd also like to mention that my buddy who fronts Shower With Goats started a little blog of his own a few years back, Punk Archives.

01. Violent Society - In a Hurry To Die
02. Slacker - Revolution
03. The Camp-fire Girls - Kids Inc. (theme)
04. Shower With Goats - Suicide
05. The Resurgents - Cate is Great
06. Less Than Jake - ROBO
07. Dutchland Diesel - Motto 21
08. Carmel Sun - I Thouroughly Hate You
09. The Tuners - She's an Alcoholic w/ Down on the Floor
10. Knuckleheads - It's Just a Punk Thing
11. The Halflings - Motherfucker
12. Boxcar - What's Eating Bullwinkle?
13. Thistlepink - Dega
14. Novelty - Wither
15. Hip O'Potamus - Dismissle 3
16. The Wastrels - On the Corner
17. Planet Labia - Goonies
18. The Alliance - New Day
19. Hubrubber - Slow Burn
20. Lost Cause - Something to Hide In
21. Eventide - Equal to Me 

Hear

2 comments:

Posi Jeff The Record Guy said...

Holy crap! I have been looking for this comp for years! Thank you! I am an avid collector of 90s pop punk and punk comps from the 90s as well. Is this your copy? and would you be willing to sell it?

kurganwins said...

Another request for a re-up. Thank you for the consideration