Forgotten Album of the Month: Infectious Grooves

Forgotten Album of the Month: Infectious Grooves

Infectious Grooves will always be known as the kid brother of Suicidal Tendencies but that’s not the way it should be. Infectious should be looked upon as their own separate entity and with the release of 1994’s landmark Groove Family Cyco, this will be entered as the first piece of evidence.

The major thing to talk about when mentioning Groove Family Cyco is the rhythm section: Robert Trujillo, also pulling double duty in Suicidal and a teenage Brooks Wackerman, years before he joined Bad Religion. At the time of recording, he was about 16 or 17; once hearing the record, it’s impossible to think that Trujillo had played with any other drummer, the two are in the pocket the whole time and never let up.

From the very beginning, with “Violent & Funky,” inexplicably edited when the rest of the record isn’t, the band is at the top of their power and also picking up the weaknesses from the previous albums and strengthens them. Gone from the past are the interludes and the character of Sarsippius, which all work to the album’s absolute strength.

All over the album, guitarists Dean Pleasants and Adam Siegel play their asses off and Mike Muir’s vocals are the strongest for possibly the last time as his voice has aged as much as he has in recent years. While at some points, particularly on “Die Lika Pig” and “Boom Boom Boom,” the band is treading on Suicidal territory, lyrically but all over the music is just ready to blow your fucking mind and snap your neck at the next minute. The writing is brutal and all true. The best example is by far the stand-out, “Do What I Tell Ya!” which is a pointed ‘fuck you’ to the hypocrisy of Rage Against the Machine, including lyrics like “Let’s not forget the evil corporations, so why is Sony the sponsor of your presentation? Bitch!”

All in all, this is one of the hardest, loudest, funkiest releases of the ‘90s, the fact that critics weren’t as kind to it as the previous records just shows that all critics don’t know good music when they first hear it. But as the years roll on, the record continues to get more and more attention, all of which it rightfully deserves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7-0yatN1gc (Violent & Funky)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRAS2yOoras (Cousin Randy)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An Interview with Too Much Joy

Image
Back in the late 80s, goof-pop was everywhere, thanks to the likes of the Dead Milkmen, early Ween and New York's own Too Much Joy. Songs like "If I Was a Mekon," "Making Fun of Bums," "Take a Lot of Drugs" and the immortal "Clowns." Bands like this did not come around that often and when they did, they usually didn't stick around long. Fortunately for TMJ, their songs and legacy have endured because of their website, http://www.toomuchjoy.com/ and through the work of frontman Tim Quirk, who now works for Rhapsody. The following are two interviews conducted in about 2008 with Mr. Quirk as well as drummer/former NYC cop Tommy Vinton. Tim's Interview: What was it like when you guys got started? Depends what you mean by “it.” The business was radically different – it was a lot more difficult (and expensive) to record quality-sounding material, but since that meant there were fewer other releases to compete with, it was much easier than ...
Read more

The Wondertruck Crashed: The Tale of Mary's Danish and David King

Image
             Mary’s Danish were one of those bands that never made it. They were popular in the L.A. scene in which they were spawned but through a variety of reasons they never hit it big like their friends in Jane’s Addiction or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. What follows is a sad tale of unfortunate errors and mistakes that doomed a really great band to the dustbin of obscurity.              The band formed in the mid-‘80s by a group of friends: singers Julie Ritter and Gretchen Seager, guitarists Matt Colleran and David King and bassist Chris ‘Wag’ Wagner. The band were a little bit of everything including indie rock, alt rock, some surf influences and loads of funk to go around. They blended all of these together in a tasty stew that soon began to attract attention. After working with a series of drummers, Nick Ziegler was drafted in and the band began to attract a heavy fanbase throughout California. The band eventu...
Read more

In Rapture: A Conversation with Chadwick Salls (Seed/Color)

Image
Seed Discography: ling  (Mechanic/Giant, 1994) Color Discography: Are You With Me? (Melisma/Arista, 2001) Following-up with notable musicians I've chatted with previously has become a new favorite thing to do. Up next is Chadwick Salls, best known as the bassist/singer in two different bands, Seed and Color. While neither band lasted very long, caught in the wheels of major label indifference, they managed to carve out their path and establish notable fanbases. Salls has gone on to establish his own career on his own terms and was happy to take a fuller look back with me at both of his bands and where he is now. Pete Crigler: When did you first become interested in music? Chadwick Salls: As far back as I can remember! I was under 5-years-old and I remember reaching up as high as I could to hit the keys because I couldn't get up on the bench. The verse of "It's Only Love" by The Beatles was the first thing I picked out by ear and after teaching for so many years,...
Read more