Four of these folks date back to the late-'70s L.A. punk explosion. Two-thirds of
the Urinals (nee
100 Flowers), singer
John Talley-Jones (bass for that older band), and guitarist
Kjehl Johansen, one-fifth of
the Last, guitarist
Vitus Matare (keyboards for that older band, famous underground producer), and one-quarter of
Middle Class, bassist
Mike Patton (later
Cathedral of Tears with
Jack from original
T.S.O.L..). Quite a pedigree, wouldn't you say? Enough background. With this, their sixth LP,
Trotsky Icepick have now released more albums in six years than those three bands combined (not counting the two
the Last have made since they re-formed without
Matare). They never change much year after year, 'cause they don't have to; their
Wire/early
Mekons/
Gang of Four/
Scars-ish
harsh, eccentric pop never runs out of new places to explore -- here
they even try a quasi-ska beat with success on the LP's most convincing
track, "Home Surgery." Using harsh, changing rhythms (white funk,
four/four rock, dance beats, you name it), pop choruses that build on
scattershot verses, and that frugal, penurious, piercing guitar attack,
Trotsky
skirt the borders of art rock, thinking man's rock, and the best of
highbrow, but primal post-punk aggression like those early English
Fast Product days, or more precisely, much like
100 Flowers used to. Keep those carpetbomb riffs coming; the players are aging, not their music.
Tracklist
