Stick Men With Ray Guns

***On the heels of End Of An Ear’s well received Grave City compilation of studio recordings, 12XU is releasing two live albums from Dallas’ incredibly influential and fucked-before-their-time STICK MEN WITH RAY GUNS, Property Of Jesus Christ (recorded in 1984 at Houston’s Lawndale Art Annex) and 1000 Lives To Die (recorded in 1987 at Dallas’ Theatre Gallery during the band’s final show). Recordings have been restored / beefed up by JACK CONTROL of Enormous Door Mastering, and lacquers cut by MATT BARNHART at Chicago Mastering Service, befitting these crucial documents of one of US punk’s most fearless outfits at the peak of their powers. Though the material has been available on CD and digital download previously, this is the first time these performances from the foursome of BOBBY SOXX, CLARKE BLACKER, SCOTT ELAM, and BOB BEEMAN have been issued on vinyl. Has any American band before or since come close to making antagonism an art form? I’m sure your short list is fascinating, maybe even worth arguing over. But I’d rather play these albums again. Short of a time machine, it’s as close as you’ll come to being in the thick of unique moments in band vs. audience history that’s unlikely to be matched by anyone in 2016, try as they might. 
 
“I fondly remember Bobby Soxx on his back porch…chopping bibles with a meat clever and throwing a color television at a Mexican family. This band murdered Dallas.”—Gibby Haynes