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www.churchonthursday.com
Fleshies
Kill The Dreamer's Dream
Alternative Tentacles
2001
The Phantom LImbs
Applied Ignorance
Alternative Tentacles
2001
Alternative Tentacles has long been a bastion for
fringe-dwellers. Unlike most punk labels
today, their releases have never conformed to a particular aesthetic--other
than residing on the outermost parameters of popular culture and even punk
rock. Compare practically any label that exists today and their lame-ass motifs--Fat
Wreck Chords, TKO, BYO, Jade Tree, Dischord--they're totally fucking predictable.
Isn't that what punk was initially rallying against? I thought so.
You have Emo labels, Garage Rock labels, "Indie Rock" (whatever
the fuck that means--the greatest cop-out since "Alternative")
labels. I guess
if you want a chainsaw, you go to a chainsaw dealership.
I wish that I could say I like all the stuff Alternative Tentacles puts out...I can't even say that I like most of it, though. I must have been conditioned from reviewinf a bazillion Fat Wreck releases that sound almost exactly alike. I used to buy practically everything on A.T.--Alice Donut, Dead Kennedys (duh), Nomeansno, False Prophets, Crucifucks...the last thing I purchased from them was Wesley Willis' Greatest Hits. I've got a lot of promos from them, however, and listened to all of them. While I can't say that any of them made my personal play list (other than Buzzkill, Life After Life, Slim Cessna's Auto Club and the brilliant country collaboration between Jello and Mojo Nixon), at least I do appreciate A.T.'s taking such an anti-commercial stance. Unfortunately, it's caused them more grief than good financially.
Here we have two releases that don't stand a chance in hell of selling much. The Phantom Limbs sound like a cross between The Ventures and Sonic Youth. Applied Ignorance is chock-full of low-fi, carnival-like mayhem. Unfortunately, this album gives me a headache--but I'm a puss. I like melody, so fucking sue me. The Phantom Limbs do posses a weird sort of melody. But I hear enough crazy shit in my head that I don't need to listen to their fucked-up idea of music. I guess they're a product of their surroundings. So is the cacophony in my mind. Familiarity breeds contempt, I guess. Whatever.
Same goes for Fleshies. This is a tight, kick-ass band. Stupid-ass lyrics, though, about arming the homeless, getting "shitfaced" and the like. Okay, you're punk. You don't bathe, you're stupid, you drink 40 oz.'s, you're obnoxious, your band gives me a splitting fucking headache. This band does truly rock, however. For once I must concur with The Elusive Leather Pirate, Michael Houghton, and say "I like it except for the vocals". Good singer, too. Problem is I can't get over my assumption that the music was pre-recorded and the singer wrote the lyrics in the studio while he was recording them. It sounds almost like an audition tape. Sometimes he pulls it off really well and even manages some crafty vocal melodies. Other times, however, it seems like he's reading out of a notebook. Fuck, who knows? I'm crazy.
Anyway, I'm not really fond of either release but I appreciate them both. And I definitely prefer these to the cookie-cutter "punk" I have to hear entirely too much of. It's a pleasant fucking change to get two releases from a label that sound absolutely nothing alike. If you'd like to explore what made Alternative Tentacles great, go to their website and order a copy of Oops! Wrong Stereotype--possibly the best and most eclectic punk compilation ever assembled.
--Felix Thursday