Both label (Test Tube released 45s by the Zeros and pre-Youth Brigade band The Extremes) and band have deep roots in Los Angeles’s punk scene, and seeing as both haven’t released much in a loooooooong time, this also signifies a return to form for both. Both songs date back to 1979, when Nervous Gender was wreaking havoc on unsuspecting punk audiences, but the versions presented here were recorded in late 2009 with most of the founding members in attendance (Gerardo Velasquez passed away in the early 1990s). If you’re thinkin’ there is no way in hell this could hold a candle to previous classics like the Music From Hell LP and their tracks on the Live at Target compilation, rest assured the tunes here showcase a group that has not softened a whit with age. Time, experience, and three decades of technological advances may have allowed them to organize the parts a wee bit better, but the chaos, flailing synthesizers, and blunt vitriol of their attack remain in full display both on wax and live, as those who have seen their recent performances can attest. They remain one of the best and most criminally overlooked bands Los Angeles has ever produced, and this release is fan-fucking-tastic. Here’s hoping a full-length isn’t too far behind this.
–jimmy (Test Tube, testtuberecords.com)