Dead Boys “Sonic Reducer” 1977, 12″ single. Today, June 4th, is the anniversary of Dead Boys singer Stiv Bators’ death (b. Steven Bator, 1949), killed after getting hit by a car in Paris in 1980. (His ashes were scattered over Jim Morrison’s grave.) “Sonic Reducer” is one of the best early punk anthems ever. First written by Cheetah Chrome and David Thomas while they were in Rocket From the Tombs around ‘74-’75, Dead Boys reworked the track – with some lyrical change by Bators – and included it on their amazing debut Young, Loud and Snotty. The B-side of this 12″ has the cover “Little Girl,” performed live, originally by Syndicate of Sound (garagey psychedelic rock) from 1966 as well as “Down in Flames” written by Stiv Bators and Cheetah Chrome that also appears on Young, Loud and Snotty.