27 Aug 2009

Children In Adult Jails

Children In Adult Jails were a New Jersey band originally formed by Pseu Braun – guitar/bass/vocals, Diane “Kamikaze” Faris – drums/vocals, Christen Clark – guitar/vocals, Laurie Es – bass/drums/vocals, and Tom Shad – bass.

Children in Adult Jails flyer

“Throughout the years 1986 to 1995 the band recorded several songs and practiced hundreds more while trends like neo-sothern rock, concepts like grunge and marketing terms like 'alternative' seemed to have destroyed any vestige of artistic expression in the 'underground'. To admit to being in a band was like admitting to a murder, to be viewed as just one more piece of driftwood waiting to be fashioned into a puppet of the corporate music army. For CIAJ, to not be heard from was like having all the perks of invisibility. It was also seemingly imperative for their collective mental health to stick together.”

Children in Adult Jails

During their whole existence, the main core of the band was Pseu and Diane, both ladies deeply involved in the underground music scene, doing since long time ago great radio shows on the cult WMFU Radio.

Diane and Pseu

By the way, Pseu is still playing bass nowadays with the band Daughters Of Atlas


Children In Adult Jails – Brick House
You can download the whole album here.

“This song is one of a few early and seminal works of punk deconstruction of pop. It's entertainingly stupid, racist and features special guest Skippy the Sea Lion intermittently belching out the word 'House'. Recorded on 8 tracks in Caldwell, NJ back in 1984 I guess.” Pseu


Children In Adult Jails – Ebeneezer [Unreleased song]

26 Aug 2009

Malcolm's punk pics

Yes, Malcolm Riviera took this shot.


Please, visit his site here. Plenty of amazing pics!

Wurm Baby / Grand Mal

Grand Mal was just Wurm Baby with a different name. It started out circa 1982 being part of the amazing early 80s harDCore scene, sharing gigs with bands like Government Issue, Marginal Man, Second Wing and Bloody Mannequin Orchestra. The band was formed by Joey Aronstamn – voice, Malcolm Riviera – guitar, Don Diego – bass, and Linda LeSabre – drums.

Wurm Baby / Grand Mal, 1983. Pic by Cynthia Connolly

Recently, I had the chance to get in touch with Malcolm via email, and he was so extremely kind to share with me some early Wurm Baby / Grand Mal songs. I do think “Silent Scream” is really great, and it's a shame there was no Wurm Baby release back in the day.

“That was an early song that never made it to record, only demo. I think it set the tone for future Wurmbaby/Grand Mal songs: inner angst, negative emotions, that kind of stuff. The darker side of pop music. No love songs on the Wurmbaby set list! For some silly reason we didn't consider it high quality enough to release, but listening to it these many years later, it's really not bad and I wish now that we'd done a Wurmbaby 7" at least.” Malcolm Riviera


Grand Mal – Silent Scream [Demo song, recorded @ Inner Ear Studios, 1983]


Grand Mal – Binge Purge [Demo song, recorded @ Inner Ear Studios, 1983]
It appeared on the Grand Mal's Binge Purge LP, released by Fountain Of Youth Records in 1985.

23 Aug 2009

“Political Song”


Starvation Army – Political Song / Fun! (Live @ The Dale, 1983)

The definitive political song ever written. Period.