CHICKENHEAD – Everything Must Go 7” EP

4 ½ Finger Records – Miami (1992)

Born to Lose
Smash and Grab
Burn it Down
Everything Must Go
Short Fuse
Chickenhead won the war

Iggy Scam – guitar
Chuck Loose – vocals
Buddha – bass
Scott Crackrock – drums

It’s no exaggeration to state that this is a record that launched 100 records (mostly along a Miami – Chattanooga - San Francisco axis of evil). The Chickenhead mascot could often be found painted on boxcars along this route. I may be wrong, but I think this is the first vinyl appearance by each of the FLA luminaries in the band – or 3 outta 4. A prevailing theme is a total lack of respect for property (theirs or other peoples’). Each song is a short blast of sloppy, un-melodic malevolence half way between punk and hardcore. That’s a hearty recommendation, by the way. “Born to lose and I think it’s cool” is a representative sample lyric. Make sure the Chickenhead Story is included in your copy– its ridiculous propaganda that is a precursor to Scam Magazine (an occasionally very well written guide to scamming one’s way through life). In fact the record was sold for $1 because pressing costs were mostly scammed. Fidel Castro is given co-songwriting credit on all songs- though this could not be confirmed. Once Chuck Loose figured out he couldn’t easily top setting himself on fire on stage at Churchills, he decided to be the drummer for the Crumbs. Mr. Scam has taken on the assumed name “Erick Lyle” and remains in the industry, as does Buddha.

CAVITY – Scalpel 7”

4 ½ Finger Records – Miami (1992)

Scalpel
Feeling Odd
One Night’s Worth (of Upheaval)

Dan Gorostiaga - bass
Rene Barge – vocals
Joe - drums
Raf Luna – guitar

I would guess these guys appreciated side two of My War as much as I do. This was their first record of several. Bass is definitely the lead instrument and one cannot understand one word Rene screams. This record is a little dirgier than the Human Abjection lp but similar – it may have been partially recorded at the same time.

STRAIGHT YOUTH -- Together We Can Do It! EP

4 ½ Finger Records – Miami (1990)

Larry Edge – Vocals, Guitar
Ross Youth – Bass
Bruce Hard – Percutions

Positive Stand
X on my Hand
Str-8 Str-8 Str-8
No Drugs
Stupid Drugs
Hard Alertness

Part of the appeal of this record is that it can be imaged that not everyone will get the joke. These guys were involved with Powerhouse, a real straight edge band, and wound up in bands that were far from straight-edge land. The cover pretty much gives it away, I would say, but the music alone would certainly appeal to the boneheads of the time. All six songs are standard stop-start thrash with stupid and single-minded lyrics. X on my hand is the hit – the spoken part is great (“listening to this at home….I want you to get a marker …and put an X on your hand….”). This was the first release for the fine 4 ½ Finger label. That Ross Youth would be better off if he took some of the advice from this record takes some of the fun out of it for me, though.