Organic – The Life And Times Of Sal Sagev

I think this is going to be the last single artist release I post for a while. I've been considering going compilation/sampler only for a long time, and that's all I have left in my queue, so now's as good a time as any.

Organic was a punk rock band from Las Vegas who released a single 7" via the nascent Microcosm Publishing. Per the liner notes, they self-released a CD and a demo tape before going, as most punk bands go, the way of the dodo.

But they weren't forgotten.

In 2002, Microcosm teamed up with Boss Tuneage to compile the old songs, add eight new songs, throw in a couple of period live tracks, and, Bob's your uncle, you get "The Life And Times Of Sal Sagev". Twenty years later, I'd add it onto an online order because it was on Boss Tuneage, it was cheap, and someone told me a long time ago it'd remind me of Crimpshrine.

They were right; it did remind me of Crimpshrine.

Discogs

Click here to download.

Drive - Discography 1988-1993

British punk bands were excellent examples of never judging a book (or record) by its cover. Case in point: Drive, an early 90s punk-pop band from Birkenhead, up by Liverpool, in the northwest of the United Kingdom.

Take a look at that cover below. Or look at promo photos of Ned's Atomic Dustin. Or Mega City 4. Or Snuff. Or any number of DIY punk bands from all over the U.K. who flew below the radar of the weekly press and got nary a mention in the States amongst any but the die-hard. If all you knew was how they looked, you might blow them off completely, because how the fuck could they be any good?

BUT, if I told you that Drive could be favorably compared to the likes of ALL or Big Drill Car or even Warner Bros.-era Hüsker Dü, you'd give that a listen, right? Because we all love some fast, melodic, youthful pre-Green Day, radio friendish punk rock.

I learned about these cats courtesy of the Can't Say boys, who borrowed a bit of their sound and the name of their follow-up project from Drive.

Here's your reminder to always pay special attention to the weird-looking ones. They always have the best sounds.

Discogs

Click here to download.