Saturday, May 30, 2009

Stism - Coping wth Society - Reloaded




I don't know a whole lot about this New York band who have a 77 punk sound not far from the sound of The Sex Pistols or fellow New Yorkers The Dead Boys but this album is a largely unknown gem.

Allmusic guide wrote: When punk rock took the music world by storm in the late '70s, punk bands ranged from angry socio-political agitators like the Sex Pistols, Sham 69, the Dead Kennedys and the Clash to bands with fun, goofy lyrics such as the Ramones, Stiff Little Fingers and the Dickies. Twenty years later, punk bands still ran the gamut -- some were angrily political, while others just wanted to have fun. Stisism, an East Coast punk band, favored the fun and the humorous on Coping with Society, which first came out on Intensive Scare and was reissued by Man's Ruin in early 1999. Recalling the Pistols, the Buzzcocks and others, Stisism brings a lot of exuberance and bratty aggression to this engaging album. The Pistols have had a heavy influence on Stisism, although their influence is musical more than lyrical. The singing and playing is Pistols-influenced, but lyrically, Stisism has a lot more in common with Stiff Little Fingers and the Ramones. Nutty humor is exactly what you can expect on "It's Not My Fault You Left Your Hair at Home, Dude," "Formaldehyde Baby," "Mr. Slawson and the Teenage Dolls" and other items. Drawing on Peggy Lee's "I'm a Woman" and the Muddy Waters hit "Mannish Boy," the catchy "Bacon Man" starts off as a stop-and-start blues tune before turning into fast, hyper punk. Coping With Society is an album that punk lovers should definitely be aware of. ~ Alex Henderson.

Alex Henderson may have listened to this album but I doubt he's ever listened to Stiff Little Fingers or read their lyrics. This album contains a punked up cover of the Beach Boys' song Vegetables. A few of the songs of this album appear on Stisism's my space page.

Get Stisism - Coping With Society

Kick yourself if you didn't grab it last time round then hurry up and get it this time around.

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