BORIS
Smile
(Southern Lord)

HELLBLOCK 6
Nuclear Age
(World Eater)

AHLEUCHATISTAS
Even in the Midst...
(Cuneiform)

GLOOMY SUNDAY
Beyond Good and Evil
(Solitude Prod)

SQUALORA
S/T
(Wantage)

BUSH TETRAS
Very Very Happy 

(ROIR)

POPULATION
REDUCTION
At the Throats of Man Forever

(Tankcrimes)

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The two previously commercially unavailable tracks included in this latest release by New York’s Bush Tetras are clearly distinguishable from the rest. “Nails” and the live cut “Motorhead” are guitar oriented hard indie; not much unlike the good work of Throwing Muses, Romeo Void and even some of the Pixies, it follows a marked path of quiet opening, sweet verse and silence shattering heavy guitars. By sheer song structure, these cuts defer from the rest, most of which are re-recorded versions of some of their old no wave/post punk classics.  The Bush Tetras were around back when most of us were either toddlers or didn’t exist. They emerged in the early 80’s in New York City and were formed by vocalist Cynthia Sley and guitarist Pat Place; who had been a guitarist for the semi-famous No Wave band The Contortions. The influence and learning that Sley got from that experience certainly rubbed all over the sound of the Bush Tetras who specialized in a peculiar sort of punk rock with semi spoken lyrics and flat or angular guitar lines. Their influence in the broad spectrum of rock music may be obscure; but I hear a song like “Page 18” and I can hear much of Joey Santiago’s (Pixies) guitar wailing or the seemingly unmoved melodies of the great Romeo Void.

By the end of the 80’s the Bush Tetras had put out about six recordings and following a brief reunion in the late 90’s it would be until 2005 that they started gigging around again. Very Very Happy then serves as a warm up recording of sorts with the band presenting newly recorded version of old classics along with some old recordings.  Like is not the case of many albums of this type, the re-recorded versions produced by Hector Castillo (Brazilian Girls, Bjork) update the band’s sound and make no use of artifices, simply resorting to the band’s original talents of cutting guitar lines and half-spoken/half-sung lyrics. The best of the bunch can be found at the core; “Punch Drunk” and “Stare You Down”. Even more enticing are the old live recordings of true Post Punk gems like “Point That Gun” and “Das Ah Riot” with its dub drum echoes and psychedelic guitar effects. The mere constitution of Very Very Happy guarantees that this is an uneven recording; their cover of Iggy Pop’s “Sister Midnight” reminds of Concrete Blonde, but is clear document that no matter what year this is; these New Yorkers are still willing to challenge the listener.  

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