THE DEGRADS - The Degrads [USA punk rock, power pop 1983] 2015 Cameleon Records, Double legs Records CAME 23, DL-007

The Degrads LP Rochester, NY circa 1983. A bunch of youngsters get together to make some joyful noises. Bits of punk, bits of power pop, bits of cheap art, a touch of Chuck Berry, and many tongues stuck deep into cheeks, all stapled together in pure DIY mode. They sing about science ("Transposable DNA"), politics ("Car Conspiracy"), society decadence ("Don't Play Rock'n'Roll Music") and love ("I Don't Care if She Smells"). "I Saw Bobby Sobbing in the Lobby" would have been at home on Bomp. "What's My Problem?" belongs to the same world as Swell Maps' "Read about Seymour". "Fun with a Porpoise" shows a strong Doors influence. "Do I Sound like This?" even deserves a garage tag. The Degrads' sound was a patchwork, but remains coherent. They wrote forty originals in the two years they were together: now ten of them are graved in wax to be enjoyed on your home hi-fi. The band later evolved into The Silly Pillows, before guitarist Sam Elwitt turn up in the Sea Monkeys (among others). His latest work is producing and backing up Miriam Linna on her excellent solo material.

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