Subterranean Singles: Third Part Of Three

Will Shatter
(photo by Bruce Conner)

Imagine if Dangerhouse, Slash, and LAFMS had all been one label.  Throw in Happy Squid and Independent Project.  That is essentially what Subterranean Records was for San Francisco in the 1980's and early 90's. 

The definitive history of the SF scene in the 80's is yet to be written. Gimme Something Better is an excellent book, but it's both too much and not enough. By covering two decades, it moves quickly "from the Fab Mab to Gilman Street" and I'd love to read more about the former and less about the latter. If someone like Joe Carducci, Jon Savage or V.Vale would excavate Steve Tupper's Subterranean warehouse and catalog its contents -- that's a book I'd pay good money to read.

Monte Cazazza

In 1982, Subterranean went big with the album Generic Flipper. Flipper was a band that both made money and cost money for the label. Read this MRR interview for details. Another big release from '82 was the Chrome Box.  The duo of Damon Edge and Helios Creed added the rhythm section of John and Hilary Stench (aka John and Hilary Hanes), who were former members of SF's Pearl Harbor And The Explosions.  After Damon split for Europe, Helios released two solo albums on Subterranean. Damon Edge died in 1995. Helios Creed is touring in 2018 with a new lineup of Chrome.

Mike Fox
(photo by Jeanne Hansen)

Subterranean co-founder Mike Fox formed Code Of Honor with members of Sick Pleasure and Society Dog. Code Of Honor made a split LP with Sick Pleasure, and an LP of its own, Beware The Savage Jaw. The nihilistic Sick Pleasure was the flip side of Code Of Honor's worldview, but shared the same rhythm section and guitarist (Fox). Code Of Honor singer Johnithin Christ died in 2009. Sick Pleasure frontman Nicki Sicki is still singing for Texas hardcore band Verbal Abuse.

Tana Emmolo-Smith
(photo by Jim Jocoy)

Monte Cazazza and members of Factrix participated on Tana Emmolo-Smith's "Prescient Dreams" (which features excerpts from the diaries of Exene's late sister Mirielle Cervenka). Joseph T. Jacobs of Factrix performed the b-side, "Zanoni".  (Jacobs also played in Bay Of Pigs. Cazazza cowrote the b-side of The Leather Nun's "Prime Mover" single.) 

Monte Cazazza has recently performed as part of a theremin duo with Mary St. Meri (singer of The Housecoat Project, and mother of two with Bruce Lose of Flipper.) The 1978 debut EP by Negative Trend (with Will Shatter and Steve DePace of Flipper) was reissued in 1983 on Subterranean.

Patrick Miller aka Minimal Man

Minimal Man (aka Patrick Miller) was an early Deaf Club performer, and collaborated with members of Tuxedomoon and Factrix. Subterranean put out the debut Minimal Man album and a single before Miller followed the members of Tuxedomoon by relocating from San Francisco to Belgium. Patrick Miller died in 2003. 

Stephen of Arkansaw Man
(photo by Jeanne Hansen)

Arkansaw Man was a trio that released one single on Subterranean and an EP on Modern Masters, a label run by Richard Kelly. Kelly (who studied with John Cage) co-founded the Club Foot in San Francisco, and produced several early Subterranean releases. Richard Kelly died in 1983, but his brainchild lives on in the music of The Club Foot Orchestra.

Richard Kelly
Club Foot co-founder

After 1983, Subterranean's catalog was all albums (with the exception of two oddities from 1985 and 1987 and a 1990 Flipper single.) Subterranean released LP's by Frightwig, Pop-O-Pies, Longshoremen, Polkacide, Any Three Initials, Controlled Bleeding, Psyclones, Caroliner, and The Housecoat Project. The label got into folk music with The Muskrats, The Terminators of Endearment, Penelope Houston, and Kathleen Yearwood. They reissued records from Japan (Angel'in Heavy Syrup) Switzerland (The Monsters), and England (Low Flying Aircraft) as well as the Dry Lungs series of noise compilations. The label has essentially been dormant since the late 1990's. 

Z'ev in performance

I can't forget to mention Stefan Weisser (aka Z'ev and Uns).  His discography on Subterranean includes an EP (SUB 14), an LP (SUB 30), a cassette box set (SUB 29) and an appearance on the Live At Target compilation. He was also part of the 1980's SF group Rhythm & Noise with Naut Humon and Diamanda Galas. Weisser performed with Glenn Branca, Keiji Haino, KK Null, Stephen O'Malley, Psychic TV, Lydia Lunch, Boyd Rice, Faust, Chris Watson (Cabaret Voltaire) and many others. Stefan Weisser died in December 2017. 

Subterranean Singles: Second Serving

1981 was an amazing year for Subterranean Records.  It started with the first Flipper single (SUB 7) and ended with The Dead Kennedys' "Nazi Punks" single (SUB 24). In between was the Red Spot compilation, the Witch Trials EP and albums by Minimal Man and Nervous Gender. Subterranean co-released records with Alternative Tentacles, Thermidor, and World Imitation Records (Monitor's label).

Subterranean also opened its doors to artists from outside the Bay Area. Tucson was the home of Les Seldoms, the Jr. Chemists, and Pre Fix (as well as the Meat Puppets, who first appeared on Monitor's album).  JFA's guitarist Mike Cornelius played with the Jr. Chemists; Les Seldoms shared members with the band Jacket Weather. The Arizona Disease EP influenced Beat Happening, Some Velvet Sidewalk and their ilk.

Ultrasheen was a SF combo that included members of The Mutants and Romeo Void. This interview details Ultrasheen's links to the Club Foot scene, which included Subterranean artists Bay Of Pigs, The Inflatable Boy Clams, Longshoremen, The Alterboys, Arkansaw Man, and Jed Speare (who appeared on Red Spot with Eazy Teeth and Research Library). Subterranean's website has a a free download of the Club Foot compilation LP!

Carol Detweiler and Judy Gittlesohn (pictured above) were in Pink Section, The Inflatable Boy Clams, and Longshoremen. (Photo by Ruby Ray, from her book From The Edge Of The World.) Tommy Tadlock was a producer as well as a performer. His credits include Tuxedomoon, Pink Section, Noh Mercy and Pre Fix. Wilma was a group led by K.D. Davis and Louise Deidrich; after their 1981 EP, they released a self-titled LP on Subterranean in 1985.

Superior Viaduct has reissued recordings by many San Francisco artists: The Avengers, Black Humor, Crime, Factrix, Flipper, The German Shepherds, Monitor, MX-80 Sound, Negative Trend, Noh Mercy, Pink Section, The Residents, The Sleepers, and Tuxedomoon. Superior Viaduct also published the aforementioned book of Ruby Ray's photographs.  

Subterranean Singles: San Francisco Underground

Subterranean Records was a San Francisco label started in 1979 by Steve Tupper and Michael Fox, who bonded over a shared love for The Screamers and Negative Trend and a mutual desire to document the local music scene.  

SF was known for The Avengers, Nuns, Crime, Mutants, and Dead Kennedys. But there were many lesser known artists performing at clubs like Mabuhay Gardens, the Sound Of Music, the Temple, the Savoy, Club Foot, and the Deaf Club; as well as multimedia performances at Survival Research Laboratories and Target Video.  

Subterranean showcased not only punk bands but also industrial/noise artists like Factrix, Z'ev, and Monte Cazazza; the synthpunk of Nervous Gender and Minimal Man; and the garage rock of The Jars. In interviews, Tupper said that Subterranean wanted to provide a street level alternative to the commercial aspirations of labels like 415.

Mike Fox produced the early Subterranean releases in his home studio. He was a talented guitarist who led The Tools, played with Sick Pleasure, and formed Code Of Honor with Johnithin Christ from Society Dog.

Plurex Records: Singles and EP's (1977-1980)

Plurex was a record label based in Amsterdam which existed from 1977 to 1983. 

Richard writes: "In 1977 everything became No Future. And as Johnny Rotten explained, there is no future unless you make it yourself. D.I.Y. That simple and elegant credo was overtaken by the newspapers who forced Punk upon us. Everywhere from even the smallest countries bands, fanzines, art, experiments grew. 

"In Amsterdam, Sam Tjioe and Wally Van Middendorp started Plurex: a label to release their own independent music and release other like-minded acts. The diversity of the acts grew as more acts released music on the label."

Around the same time that Plurex began, Hanje Joustra started the label No Fun.  I Don't Care (The No Fun And Plurex Singles) is a compilation released in 2015, with a wonderful cover image by Joost Swarte (see above). In 2024, From Punk To Ultra: The Plurex Story was released on LP and CD.  Some of the early Plurex releases are available on Bandcamp from the Smikkelbaard label.  Minny Pops' albums (including their 2019 comeback LP, Stockholm 1974) are also on Bandcamp via the Blowpipe label.  

Richard's compilation is unique in that it contains all of the singles and EP's released by Plurex from 1977 to 1980. "All early singles and epees are here collected and ordered according to catalogue numbers. A few catalogue numbers were used for albums, and Plurex 0015 is unissued." Otherwise the collection is complete from PLUREX 0001 through 0019.

Having compiled singles discographies from several record labels of the same era, I find Plurex similar in spirit to Rough Trade and Subterranean.  These labels were started to release early independent punk singles, and they quickly embraced a wide range of adventurous music. Many thanks to Richard for sharing the early Plurex catalog.  With the exception of Minny Pops, all of these artists were new to me.

Stop Me If You've Bought A Bridge Before

Vic Godard with Bid in 2017

This blog has featured collections of singles from the labels Subterranean Records and Armageddon Records. The thought of compiling Rough Trade singles seemed overwhelming until I decided on a set of cover versions.

Rough Trade did it themselves for their 25th anniversary, and there are two cover albums devoted to the seminal Rough Trade compilation LP Wanna Buy A Bridge? I would love to hear Brücke Kaufen and Rebuilding The Bridge if any kind reader can oblige.

I wish I could have found a Blue Orchids cover. Three songs from their 1982 debut album The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) have been covered by other artists, but none were songs released as Rough Trade singles.

Speaking of the Blue Orchids, this past year Martin Bramah & co. released the world's first concept album comprised of cover songs.  (One of them, "Addicted To The Day", is actually an unrecorded Mark E. Smith lyric that Bramah set to music.) 

While we're on the topic of cover albums, Scarred For Life by Medicine is new and highly recommended. It's great to hear Annette Zilinskas' voice again. And on the topic of voices: Marquis Smith appears (from the bleedin' choir invisible) on a new track from Jan St. Werner called VS Cancelled! Holy Von Südenfed, Batman!

Danke schön to Why Do Things Have To Change for Der Durstige Mann, Futures & Pasts for the A-Lines, Gurkasaki for Mummy The Peepshow, and Zero G Sounds for The More Extended Versions. Photo of Vic and Bid borrowed from www.themonochromeset.co.uk. The Monochrome Set will tour the US in May 2020 in support of their 2019 album Fabula Mendax; Vic Godard also released an album in 2019 called Mum's Revenge, and he continues to write and perform. Vic has recently collaborated with The Nightingales and with Helen McCookerybook.

SAN FRANCISCO PUNK: First Wave, Part Two (1979-80)

Frankie Fix and Johnny Strike of Crime

Some SF punk bands didn't record until late, and some broke up before their best-known records were released. The Avengers split shortly before their second EP came out in 1979. The Nuns broke up in 1980 (Jennifer Miro left before the '79 single), but they reunited to record their self-titled LP (a joint release by Posh Boy and Bomp! Records).  

The Mutants didn't release a record until 1980. UXA's debut album (also on Posh Boy) came out in 1981. The Offs' album was released in 1984, a year after Don Vinil's death. Crime broke up in 1982 with only three singles to their name. VKTMS also split up in 1982, but reunited in the 90's. VKTMS singer Nyna Crawford died in 2000.

Subterranean Records didn't exist yet when The Tools made their first single, but the No Alternative EP was one of the label's earliest releases. This set also includes the second and third Breakouts singles. (Check the comments for No More, the Breakouts' 12" EP from 1983. Thanks, Nathan!)

Avengers (Jimmy Wilsey on the right)

Johnny Strike (last surviving member of Crime, and a successful novelist) died in 2018, as did Avengers bassist Jimmy Wilsey (who was better known as lead guitarist for Chris Isaak).

In happier news, Penelope Houston will lead the Avengers as opening band on this year's US tour by Stiff Little Fingers.

First Annual Report

Started this blog a year ago. The most popular topic (in terms of page views) is America's sweetheart, Pearl Harbour! 

The blog has also featured the songs we learned from the impeccable Tav Falco;

The homemade records of Stinky Le Pew (America's other sweetheart);

The singles released by Subterranean Records (and other San Francisco treats);

Guest appearances by Hollie Cook and Iggy Pop on other artists' records;

The guitarists Gareth Sager and Gareth Liddiard (whose band Tropical Fuck Storm has released a new single);

The late and lamented composer Hardy Fox; 

plus and also Hypnolovewheel, The C*nts, and a whole lot of white crap about The Fall (whose fearsome leader would have turned 62 yesterday).  

My sincere thanks to everyone who has visited, commented, and added a link from your blog to mine. Special shout out to my three followers, who have bravely chosen to ignore the words of Pearl Harbour: Don't follow me, I'm lost too.