FIST FIGHTS, HOT LOVE - The Earaches (Steel
Cage Records)
The breaks don't often come to those who wait so it's gratifying to see hard
work pay off for Seattle's Earaches, whose demo was originally reviewed here
in February 2002 (when they were known as 
the
Reckless Bastards). We're not pretending to be prescient or anything, but that
original review said this was a band that needed to be more widely heard. The
good folks at Philadelphia's Steel Cage Records have agreed. Not claiming
any credit here but more power to 'em, we say.
Minimal polish has been applied (Johnny Sangster's original mix sounded pretty fine to these ears) to deliver 15 songs of raw 'n' rockin' punk. The mastering job obviously brings the guitars and bottom-end thump up a sonic grade. Musically, The Earaches don't do anything fancy but there's more than enough substance in this sort of time-honoured, meat-and-potatoes recipe to keep the hungriest I-94 Bar patron satisfied.
Not much we can add to the words below except two more: Buy It.
RECKLESS
BASTARDS - Reckless Bastards (demo)
We don't normally give airtime to many demos (bit pointless if you patrons
can't find a copy) but this brash-and-ballsy effort from Seattle's Reckless
Bastards. Recorded in, oh, 10 minutes at the semi-legendary Egg Studios, this
is garage punk that deserves to be more widely heard.
To quote from their bio, the Reckless Bastards formed following the demise of
singer-guitarist August Henrich's band The Castros. August started jamming with
a drummer and guitarist in the summer of '98. Recruiting bassist Joe Kilbourne,
they began playing out. The current line-up cemented with the influx of guitarist
Zach Sneider and ex-Castros drummer Alan Wright (of "Do the Pop" fanzine
fame and who was their manager - shades of Tommy Ramone.) Supports to the likes
of the Candysnatchers have followed and that sounds like it would have been
a good match-up. Echoes of the Gaza Strippers here too (although a bit lighter
on the top end sounds.)
The Reckless Bastards say their principles are the Three Fs - Fun, Fuzz and
Fuck It If you Can't Take a Joke. It's an ethos summed up in the lyric of one
of their songs "Misunderstood" (not the Saints song:) "Don't
think I'm better, don't think I'm worse/I'm just trying to have fun before I
ride in the hearse". Fun is the operative word in nine originals and two
covers ("Strong Come On" by the Oblivians and the nicely twisted "She's
the Girl" by the Screamers) that are driven by guitars and vocals that
are suitably full-throated. Wright's a master of 4/4 and he and bassist Kilborne
anchor it well. Of the self-penned songs, the Crampsy "I Used to be a Loser",
the singalong "Don't Need Your Love" and "Misunderstood",
with its busy guitars and fuzz bass, are stand-outs.
This should be on Estrus. You out there, Dave Crider? - The
Barman
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