DOLDRUMS -- No Idea EP

No Idea Records -- Gainesville (1988)

Believe

Stabilizer

Conquer the Fear

A Place to Hang Your Head

Pete Brightman - vocal

Russ Johnson -- guitar

Victor Wilkinson -- drums

Greg Pierce -- bass

No Idea Records started as a punk rock fanzine in Gainesville and in their sixth issue, in 1986, they started including 7" records with each issue. The first of these was this one by the Doldrums, a band that included some of the most solid Gainesville punks and musicians of that time. Live, this band was monstrous, with a tight powerful sound and threatening and deranged frontman Peter Brightman.

Unfortunately, this doesn't entirely translate onto vinyl. Don't get me wrong; this is a fine disk, with 'Believe' and 'Stabilizer' as standouts. In the faster cuts, you can hear something like the early 1980s hardcore band Scream, and indeed Scream did play Gainesville a couple of times around then.

But recall also in the late 1980s a lot of good punk bands started experimenting with metal -- and promptly ceased to be good punk bands. There is some crossover influence here, no doubt.

FLOOR / ED MATUS’ STRUGGLE split 7”

No Idea / Space Cadette Records – Miami (1996)

EMS – Hovering
Floor – Figure it Out

Floor – Jeff Sousa, Steve Brooks, Anthony Vialon
EMS – Juan Montoya, Scott Nixon, Carl Ferrari, Robert Lacusay

One could look at this record as a “first date” of the band Torche. Juan and Steve would start that band several years later. The packaging is over the top – you get white vinyl, several insect pictures on fancy paper, and a piece of screening (to keep the bugs away from the record???) I think I’ve seen a less elaborate version of this record too. Both bands are at their best here. “Hovering” starts out more direct than the average Ed Matus’ Struggle song and doesn’t become ponderous until the end. “Figure it Out” is one of Floor’s finest songs – which also gets ponderous at the end – but ponderous in a metal way. Kinda like Torche.

RADON 4-song EP

NO IDEA -- 1992, Gainesville

Bill Clower -- drums

Dave Rohm -- guitar, vocal

Brent Wilson -- guitar, vocal

Radon

Welcome Home

Exhaustra

Facial Disobedience

This record challenges two of your most deeply held assumptions: 1) All pop-punk sucks and 2) All No Idea releases suck.

On the first point, you may argue this is a bit too raw to be called pop-punk, but by 1992 standards it did earn that label. Besides, this record is so catchy, its ridiculous. The chorus of the song 'Radon' compels singing along, even some la-da-da-das, so you might want to listen to it while you're alone to avoid embarrassment.

The record offers some surprising lyrical insights, such as "you will crawl on your belly and you will eat dirt all the days of your life, and so will I, la-da-da-da." They are so right.

Your second point doesn't deserve an answer. This is a fine record and you should apologize for getting drunk and mouthing off about people who are trying their best.