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Generic is mostly sludgy and sloooowww for punk, especially considering the early 80’s California punk sound which was, decidedly, not. Compared to their contemporaries, Flipper’s tracks are epic in length. The dirgey, head-banging (slowly) “(I Saw You) Shine” clocks in at well over 8 minutes. Usually I’d get bored but the bass line is kinda great and there’s some pretty good guitar licks. Also epic is “Sex Bomb” (just under 8 minutes), one of Flipper’s most well-known tracks. Flipper released that song as a single in ’81 and recorded a new version for Generic. One reviewer says about “Sex Bomb” – “[it’s] the closest thing ’80s punk ever created to the beer-fueled genius of the Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie,” and a song with a great beat that you just can’t dance to.” It even has saxophone! Also great is “Way of the World,” which actually is a bit danceable, if totally nihilistic (lyrics include “There are hearts no longer beating, And there’s entrails still on the floor. That’s the way of the world.”), “Life” which has a Gen-X shrug about…life, and punk blues-riff laden “Nothing” which is actually an ass-shaker, though sloppily so. “Living for the Depression” is really the only high-speed punk song on the LP and it’s a real ripper for Flipper.

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I love this whole album and it’s completely wrapped up with the sensory memories of my shitty Madison apartment, blasting this on my JVC cd boombox while getting ready to go out to bars since I was finally legal. My top songs include the four singles Sonic Youth released from Dirty: “100%” (#4 on the US alternative chart, #28 UK) about the murder of their roadie Joseph Cole in ’91; the video was directed by Tamra Davis and Spike Jonze and features Jason Lee skateboarding, pre-acting days; “Youth Against Fascism” (#52 UK) which features Minor Threat/Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye on guitar and the still-resonant lyric “I believe Anita Hill; “Sugar Kane” (#26 UK) – its video is the first screen appearance by Chloe Sevigny; and “Drunken Butterfly” – I don’t know if it charted but the video was a result of a 120 Minutes contest and the song’s lyrics are composed entirely from Heart song names and lyrics. I also like the punk grrrl growl of “Orange Rolls, Angel’s Spit,” the super-short, super-punk’d Untouchables cover “Nic Fit,” and “Purr” which has a late 80’s grungy Seattle feel in the vocals and guitar. The track “Stalker” is not on the CD version, it was added in 2003 when the record was released on vinyl in the US.

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Lung at X-Ray Arcade, September 2024

Adult Prom is a great, if unusual, split LP. Lung’s side is heavy – it can’t help but be with all low-end drums and cello. Lung covers a Conan Neutron track, “The Impossible Task” from the 2020 Dark Passengers album, making the song sparse and sinister. My top pick on the Lung side is “Anyone Else,” which is also a bit sparse and sinister but has a classical music edge that makes it ultra-unique for a “rock” record. Conan Neutron’s side has a much more traditional grungy rock-n-roll sound (as compared to Lung), with guitar, bass and drums (plus sitar! so not that traditional). They cover Lung’s “I’m Nervous” from the 2021 LP Come Clean Right Now and it’s my favorite on the Conan-side. It’s ass-shaking: they keep the low-end and add some cocky alt-rock swagger. Lung’s Kate Wakefield also duets with Conan on “Fridging;” their vocal styles could not be more different but the song totally works. Actually the entirety of Side B is pretty great and I really need to make an effort to get to one of their shows since they’re now based here in Milwaukee.

“Wild Antics” is the first track on Conan Neutron’s side, it’s a great song but including the video here because it’s silly and it was directed and edited by the infamous Milwaukee indie filmmaker Mark Borchardt, subject of the cult classic American Movie (1999).

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Gallery Night at Cactus Club, 2018(?)

Gallery Night at Cactus Club, 2018(?)

Just three short songs: the dark “One By One,” which sounds a lot like another current Milwaukee band, Convert, with whom I think they played a show at Cactus, maybe pre-pandemic; “S.O.S.” which is jangularly intense, and the menacing “Got a Gun.” I’ve been sitting on this 7″ (plus their other two releases) forever. Hollywood is spinning records tonight at the new bar in Bay View that he co-owns; it’s a Repo Man theme and the energy of this EP is similarish to the Repo Man vibe.

Gallery Night at Cactus Club date unknown

Good luck finding anything by Gallery Night! I did track down one video by local label Dusty Medical on YouTube from a show in 2015 at Cactus. Not sure if I was at this one or not.

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