MX-80 Sound – Big Hits / Hard Attack (1976/1977)

MX-80 Sound, or just MX-80, were one of those very unique 70s bands that are often overlooked and always remain underrated. Formed in the early 70s in Indiana, their first influences were Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, The Stooges. They managed to release EP "Big Hits - Hard Pop From the Hoosiers" on their own in 1975 or '76, when they were a five piece band with two drummers. That led Island Records to take an interest in them, but sadly their first proper album "Hard Attack" (1977) was never realized in USA, only in England. Later, they hooked up with The Residents in San Francisco and released next two albums on Ralph Records: "Out Of The Tunnel" (1980) and "Crowd Control" (1981). These were more in the vein of post-punk, but too hard-rocking for the punk crowd.

This is a 1995. CD release that merged Big Hits EP and Hard Attack. The music here is so unique in its eclectic ways that no wonder they were so confusing to the listeners and labels at the time. It’s almost impossible to classify them. They’ve been called post-punk, proto-punk, art-dada-heavy metal, art-prog-punk, psych-hard rock, pre-punk noise rock, etc. All these terms sound even crazier than the band. The best one I’ve heard is Acid Punk, and that’s what I’m going to use. The sound was an unlikely marriage of hard rock/metal riffs and solos, prog-rock shifts, changes and odd time signatures and punk immediacy, simplicity and energy, all accompanied by a deadpan vocal delivery a la Jonathan Richman of Modern Lovers - like a cross between Television/Modern Lovers and Captain Beefhaert/Motorhead. Just imagine a punk band that not only knows how to play instruments, it also does it with such a virtuosic quality, but is never afraid to lose itself in a wall of sound, the grooving energy and a unique sense of humor are never compromised.

I suspect that MX-80 Sound’s music had a certain influence on noise rock of the 80s – Sonic Youth, Butthole Surfers, Jesus Lizard etc, especially on the latter two. At their time they couldn’t exactly find an audience. They were too complex and hard rocking for punks, too simple and energetic for prog-heads and too out there for hard rockers/metal-heads. Hopefully, now, in these times of post-this and post-that they'll be more appreciated. So, punks and prog-heads, this is something for both of you.

Big Hits (1976)

1 Train to Loveland/You Turn Me On/SCP/Till Death Do Us Part

2 Myonga Von Bontee/Boy Trouble Girl Trouble/Tidal Wave

Hard Attack (1977)

3 Man On The Move

4 Kid Stuff

5 Fascination

6 Summer '77

7 PCB's

8 Crushed Ice

9 Tidal Wave

10 Theme From Checkmate

11 Facts-Facts

12 You're Not Alone

13 Civilized/Demeyes

14 Afterbirth/Aftermath

Bonus Track

15 Sad Girls

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Mars-The Complete Recordings NYC 1977-1978

Mars is some weird motherfucking noise/no wave, that just kinda grows over you like a fungus

"Mars is best known in noise circles as the one band on Brian Eno’s No New York compilation that had no musical experience whatsoever. Mars first appeared on the New York noise radar in 1977. Originally called “China”, and formed in 1975, the band that would become Mars would play only a handful of shows in their short career and would be limited to a handful of recorded tracks. The band was headed for split up in 1978 — regardless of their appearance on No New York — but managed to stay together long enough to record material for an EP, a self-titled affair, posthumously released in 1980."

awesome, dudes

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Alvin Lucier-I Am Sitting In A Room (1970)

Alvin Lucier is an American Avant Garde composer. The man is also a genius. I Am Sitting In A Room is one recording of a few sentences explaining the album, it is played into the room until it becomes distorted and eventually is just a drone sound. The album was obviously pretty influential. Lucier recorded more albums which are also rather interesting but for me this is the best. Music On A Long Thin Wire experiments with what you can do with a single piece of 50 foot wire and a magnet, while Music For Solo Performer revolves around brain waves. I wasn't expecting much when I downloaded this, but I was shocked. This is what Avant Garde music should be like challenging,  interesing and completely original.

At first it's just a normal recording, Mr. Lucier explains the purpose of the experiment and how it works. Gradually the recording gets more distorted as it's played and eventually just becomes an ethereal drone.

I rate this album 5 stars because it's so different, there's not any other albums like this one.

Download it guys, and if you like it support the artist.

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