Hand Grenades

***In 1979, the HAND GRENADES unveiled their debut (and subsequently only) single, “Demo to London,” to little public notice except from some European record store owners who were mailed promotional copies containing prints seemingly the work of Andy Warhol. But despite the shenanigans (and threatened legal action from Warhol), the band failed to gain much of any notoriety. The Hand Grenades eventually became the SPONSORS and put an album out on Dutch label Plexus that got only slightly more recognition. Fortunately, longtime dustbin excavators Last Laugh Records have resuscitated the Hand Grenades’ lone artifact and evidence of the band’s existence and paired it with two unearthed recordings never pressed to wax before. The original A-side, “Demo to London,” sounds like a long lost Fast Product side, while its flip, “Comà Dos,” could be an early Wire cut if they took themselves a little less seriously. Meanwhile, the two new tracks, “Cocoon” and “Murder,” perhaps point the way towards what the Sponsors would become, pairing angular guitar hooks with a more melodic bent. Despite any similarities to their contemporaries, what’s obvious is that the band was well on its way to forging a distinctive set of sonics, which fortunately can now finally be heard.