***This combines two of the finest of L.A.’s ’70s punk/new wave outbreak, the garage/’60s pop-oriented THE LAST (still existing), and THE URINALS (ditto)—later 100 FLOWERS. The Last’s keyboardist VITUS MATARE and Urinals’ guitarist KIEHL JOHANSEN were and are principals, having released 1986’s superb Poison Summer, before becoming TROTSKY ICEPICK with 1989’s… Poison Summer. (Now it’s their label. If you’re not confused yet, TI is also back, with an LP imminent.) 2019 D&tD adds two more Last alumni, drummer JOHN FRANK and guitarist JOHN ROSEWALL; another Urinal, singer JOHN-TALLEY JONES; bassist TOM HOFER of third La-La incredible, THE LEAVING TRAINS (I drummed for a 1986 LTs tour just after he left); plus S.F.’s SLOVENLY's TOM WATSON. Jukebox sounds like 100 Flowers’ clipped, Wire/Velvets/Minutemen scratch given The Last’s love of a jukebox hit, and it’s consistently superb, especially 'Ballad of Bobby Fuller,' evoking the 'I Fought the Law' star’s unsolved Hollywood murder, with the harmonies that made The Last cult famous. It certainly meets all’s high standards—forever young, 'Every Summer’s Day.'”—Jack Rabid (The Big Takeover). Edition of 300 colored vinyl copies with bonus 7-inch.
LP+7" $17.75
06/21/2019