MYDOLLS - SPEAK SOFTLY & CARRY A BIG STICK 12" (CIA, 1983)

I'm an expatriate of Houston, Texas, a place not usually recognized for positive things (fattest city in America, murder capital of America, the scene of the infamous Janet Jackson Super Bowl fiasco, etc.), so I feel that it's my duty to let y'all know that some of the best female-fronted post-punk of the early 1980s was coming out of none other than Space City in the form of the amazingly underrated Mydolls. They formed in 1979 & released two singles before 1983's Speak Softy & Carry A Big Stick (on CIA Records, home to the equally mind-meltingly good '80s Houston punk band Really Red), which sounds like it could have easily been a product of the late '70s Rough Trade axis. "Rape of a Culture" suggests the darker moments of the Au Pairs, "As Strange As Mine" brings to mind the stripped-down primitivism of the Raincoats & "A World of Her Own" could be an outtake from the Slits' Cut album. A flawless record; I just wish it were longer (although there's now a hefty double-disc Mydolls CD anthology on Grand Theft Audio - get into it!). Viva le femme punk.

Need any more reason to love them? They also happen to be the band playing in the bar scene between Harry Dean Stanton & Natassja Kinski in Wim Wenders' fantastically great film Paris, Texas. Fuck yeah!

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THE COMES - NO SIDE 12" (1984)

While the "No Side" 12" by The Comes is considered by many to be a seminal burst of energy from one of the very first Japanese hardcore bands, I will admit my ignorance in not being overly aware of this record until 2 or 3 years ago at best. It very quickly, however, became one of my favorite hardcore records and with a recent vinyl bootleg quickly circulating various record stores and distros, those of you unfamiliar will be pleased to find this record (somewhat) available (said bootleg is supposedly limited to a mere 500 copies).

Regarding the album itself, these eleven tracks combine a whirlwind of frantic vocals, blazing guitars and pounding drums that, ultimately, combine to make an absolutely fantastic record. No fat to trim off on this one, folks, it's an absolute classic from start to finish.

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