Razorcake Podcast #737 with When Horns Are Okay V with Ethan and Todd
Welcome to the fifth round of When Horns Are Okay, where we explore punk songs with horns in them that we don’t think suck.
This podcast is dedicated to the memory of Jack Terricloth, a brave, inspirational force who was taken from us far too soon. The World/Inferno Friendship Society track is played in his memory.
Ethan got fancy and made themed blocks: the Belgian Block and the Quirky Block. I embraced Bill Pinkel’s Q And Not U recommendation and tried to make the transitions not too abrupt and pants-shitting.
If you know of any really great contemporary Belgian punk bands, please let us know. Both Ethan and I drew a blank and wish there were some on our radars.
Some notes on this episode:
I really do think my brain is jettisoning a lot of information I had stored up there. Where to start? The other contemporary band that Smarts reminded me of is Knowso, especially their Specialtronics Green Vision LP. During the podcast, the only word that came to my mind was “green.” I also couldn’t dredge up where from Australia Smarts hail from: Melbourne.
I also misattributed the song “Johnny Are You Queer” to Nikki And The Corvettes, but Ethan classily and seamlessly corrects my flub that it was Josie Cotton. To be fair, the cover comic book illustration style of those two records and Bucks Danny are all similar.
Ethan shamelessly plugs his band.
Up until I saw Ethan’s track listing a week back—so for well over thirty years—I thought Plastic Bertrand was French. He’s Belgian. Go figure. Also, the actual words to “Ça Plane Pour Moi,” are totally bonkers.
Total aside: If you’re in the market for any Big Boys vinyl, Ethan has some he might be willing to sell at a reasonable price. Hit him up through the site.
–Todd Taylor
Tracklisting:
Smarts, “Smart Man” / “Smart Theme,” Who Needs Smarts, Anyway? (Zenith)The Observers, “Expiration,” So What’s Left Now? (Vinyl Warning)
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BELGIAN BLOCK
Stagebeast, “Belgium Ain’t No Fun No More,” Belgium Ain’t No Fun No More 7” (International Bestseller Company)
Jet Staxx “I’m Gonna Be the Best Guy,” I’m Gonna Be the Best Guy 7” (Sing Sing)
Johnny Palermo, “Silly Old Songs,” Silly Old Songs 7” (Hans)
Bucks Danny “Head First,” Stick to You 7”
Plastic Bertrand, “Ça Plane Pour Moi,” Ça Plane Pour Moi 7”(RKM)
- - -
Pere Ubu, “Laughing,” The Modern Dance (Get Back)
Fugazi, “Version,” Red Medicine (Dischord)
UV Race, “Bad Egg,” Racism (In The Red)
Q And Not U, “Soft Pyramids,” Different Damage LP (Dischord)
- - -
QUIRKY BLOCK
The Piranhas, “Cheap and Nasty” (Peel Session)
Chris Knox, “The Hell of It,” Beat LP (Flying Nun)
Moths, “Driving Bores Me,” Magazine Look 7” (Kakoon)
Essential Logic, “Wake Up,” Wake Up 12”
Anti, “Five Downtown,” Defy the System LP (New Underground)
- - -
The Stranglers, “Hey (Rise of the Robots),” Black and White, LP
World/Inferno Friendship Society, “Hothouse Flowers,” Red-Eyed Soul LP (Chunksaah)