U-BOATS -- Government Rip Off

Crow Records -- Tampa -- 1982

Government Ripoff

Break Out Tonight

Mike Nelson -- vocals

Jay Jetmore -- guitar

Bob Widenhofer -- bass

Hitler -- drums

The charming German motif (there's both a Hitler and a Widenhofer in this band) fills out this 1982 throwaway classic outta Tampa. However, their teutonic rhythm section was ditched for the U-Boat second 7". They have an LP still later but I've never heard it.

Both songs here are solid hardcore-informed midtempo punk. The stand-out track here is "Break Out Tonight" which they brazenly annexed from the equally obscure Commandos from Massachusetts who had originally titled the track "Stay Out Tonight" on their first 1978 7". There is no indication the song is a cover and given that they changed the words and name, the U-Boats clearly intended to steal it. Yes, that's right, this is a genuine punk rock record. The chorus of the A-side, "We're all into anarchy, the government's ripping off me," confirms it.

Widenhofer, also known as Bobby Skullfucker, also played in Tampa's Jehovah's Sicknesses if memory serves. He later moved to Austin, Texas, and played with the Convulsions in the 1990s.

LETHAL YELLOW -- Declaration of Retardation EP

Stench Records -- Miami -- 1985

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

In the Mess

Cockroaches

Velveeta Cheese

Spastic and Proud
The Obnoxious Song

Paul Enema -- vocals

Ivan Gripweed -- guitar

Syd Upp - bass

Mike -- drums

Retardation is the most obvious charm of these brave young banana-men. Digging deeper, you'll find laziness and slovenliness as well. It is worth the effort.

The stunted visions here are the first recorded by a couple of prolific South Florida punk social mutants, Ivan Gripweed (nee Osorio) and Paul Enema. Paul went on the lead the Stun Guns, while Ivan could be found in the Jeffersons, F The Band Formerly Known as the John Birch Society and Sick Dick and the Volkswagens. I'm sure there are others.

This is basically what used to be called hardcore, but is looser and sillier than music that word is used to describe today. Every song is catchy and soaking in self-deprecation. Two involve cheese. A sample: "Velveeta, there ain't nothing sweeter...Spread it on your bread or melt it on your head" Depending on your outlook, this may make you laugh, make you cringe or make you hungry.

"The Obnoxious Song" has been the most enduring track, as it appears on the superb Killed by Florida comp for which this site is named. The song also is heard playing on a car radio in John Sheppard's novel "Small Town Punk," which is about punk kids in Sarasota, Florida, in the early '80s.

THE JAMESES -- Rat People / Haunted Rider 7"

Mayo Factory -- Lake Worth -- 2010


Rat People
Haunted Rider

This isn't punk rock, purely speaking. It's lo-fi, but in spite of that it is the instrumentation that makes this such a great single. It has a haunting, droning keyboard over obscure vocals. Great squeaks, whistles and swishes buried in all the murkiness. Snippets of clever lyrical images escape the swamp. No, this is not self-conscious shoegaze crap for which the "sound" trumps the songs. These are real songs, the intensity hidden therein you might miss the first time. It helps if you listen to it at high volume as I am doing right now.

SLIPPERY SLOPES -- Sad Tugs 7"

Florida's Dying -- Orlando -- 2010

Sad Tugs

Pizza I'm Against It

Carburetor

Burnin'

This band plays old school pop-punk in the Queers mold, with songs like "Pizza I'm Against It," the stand-out track. I usually use the label "pop punk" as an insult, but not in this case. This record is not overly slick like pop punk generally is and offers catchy, goofy who-cares attitude. In this recording they go for the reverby vocals like the Jacuzzi Boys and many other bands are doing at the moment, but it is not excessive.

The alernative and superior cover of the record cover prominently features a swastika. Definitely more punk than pop! They're worth catching live as well.

SUPER AIDS – 7"

Ripping Records – Orlando – 2005

Fuck the Wagon

Rock ‘n’ Roll ‘n’ Tits

Girls are for Faggots

Alarm Clock / Hollow End

Nuke ‘em all

Tub of Guts

I just wanna kiss you tonight

Richard – vocals

Sam – guitar & vocals

Dan – bass

Lew – drums

Mike – guitar

The record’s ok – hard, fast punk that almost sounds hardcore except for a more rock’n’roll song structure. Lead guitar parts sound good enough. The song titles give you a good idea of the lyrical concerns. The best part of this release, obviously, is the cover. Those creatures look like they live several miles under the sea – the part where sunlight never reaches.

THE BOOM BOOM BAND – I want to Live 7”

Boom Boom – Miami – 1987

Bobby “Boom Boom” Gold – drums, vocals

John Ross – bass, guitar

Rick Meister – guitar

Extremely cheep record. That’s not smeared shit on the cover – it’s krappy glue that has turned brown over the years. It glues the picture to a standard 45 sleeve. And there’s no B-side. Actually this is way better than I thought it would be. The vocals drag a bit, the guitar-playing is so-so – but the guitar-sound is cool – in a jangley, psych kinda way. I don’t like being dared to dream, tho.

SHIT EAGLE – 7”

Florida’s Dying – Orlando – 2007

Girls at School

So Sad

Gaysted Love

Another fine FDR release. Extremely lo-fi speedy punk crap. I don’t think a lot of thought went into this – but that’s ok. Gaysted Love reminds me of Twin Infinitives era Royal Trux on helium (and speed). The other 2 are more straight forward. On 33 rpm, the singer’s voice is manlier, and it’s a lot heavier – but drags a little. I’d stay with 45.

RUGGED EDGE – Gangs in Heat / Two Face 7”

No Label – Miami – 1986

I usually tried to avoid seeing these guys – back in the day. I didn’t always succeed. Around 1986, I was fairly sick of watching a bunch of dudes clobber each other on the dance floor to a unwavering loud dull roar. Two face is a slower, unspectacular song – and dumb. Gangs in Heat is similarly dumb, but has a nice Motorhead-thing going. I will have to do more research (buy their other record(s)) to determine if I was wrong to avoid these ne’er-do-wells.

FASHION! FASHION! AND THE IMAGE BOYS -- Over Before It Ever Began

Florida's Dying -- Orlando (2007)

Sleazy G -- vocals
Reacharound Robbie -- bass
Tracy Blades -- drums
DJ Dialtone -- guitar, vocals, theremin (!)

The Hit
Shopping in America
She
Last Good Brawl of Summer

The cover sold me on this, but the music would have also. Four solid songs of quick throwaway punk rock with tight no-nonsense guitar and intense, no-range screaming vocals framing respectable rants about consumerism, groovy femmes, fist fighting and the final days of rock-n-roll. It sort of has a Humpers/Candy Snatchers/New Bomb Turks feel to it, if that's any help.

I don't have any complaints about this record. Oh yeah, the 'Last Good Brawl' song has a gratuitous theremin solo in it. Is that a complaint?

SLOANE PETERSON -- Knots / Telephone 7"

Steve's Pizza and Records -- Miami (2009)

Steve Hersh -- vocals
Brian, Chris, Peter, Andrew -- guitars, drums, etc.

Knots
Telephone

A website hawking this disc says: "Miami pop punk, catchy, fun." The first bits I can't argue with. It's poppy mid-tempo punk sporting a (305) area code and 'Knots' in particular is catchy. 'Fun' might be a stretch, although I admit I'm not sure I'd recognize fun if I ever saw or heard it. So, I'll give them that too.

The two songs deal with issues that confront young men regarding girls, self-confidence and telephones. Yawn.

I'm never going to listen to this record again. You can do what you like.