Demo Parade

Indecent XPosure are a four piece, hard core punk band. They formed in 1992 and have played around Dublin and London. Pissin’ in the Liffey is the title of this, their second tape.

‘Introduction’ opens the proceedings in a totally uncompromising way. It’s a pummelling assault on the senses and then it’s gone. Short, effective, but certainly not sweet.

‘Whipped and Hand Cuffed’ is slower and heavier with an awesome guitar sound. Little Deco’s bass work is to be applauded here also, for the effectiveness of its sparseness. ‘Pissin’ in the Liffey’ opens in a Pogues like manner before driving headlong into its punishing riff. ‘Subhuman’ comes dangerously close to being catchy with its great chorus and repetitive riff. ‘Execute the Musick Industry’ pretty well speaks for itself and says it loud.

Like hardcore rap and techno, this music is not to everyone’s taste, but if the likes of Conflict, Paranoid Visions or Crass are your thing, check out Indecent XPosure. Pissin’ in the Liffey is currently available in Comet, Borderline, Freebird etc.

From Athy, Co. Kildare come Seersucker, a four piece guitar pop group. Their two song tape opens with the delightful ‘Juniper Loser’. This is a lovely frothy pop song with a devilishly catchy chorus and na-na-na-na refrain.

It reminds me vaguely of something by Donovan but that could simply be the Juniper connection. ‘Servo Crucifix’ (enigmatic titles or what!) is totally wonderful too. We are talking about a songwriter with a severe knack with melody here. The chorus is uplifting and seems to just keep getting more and more exciting until it climaxes. Two pretty excellent songs from Seersucker. Hopefully there’s more where they came from.

Headwreck, from Dublin, are a four-piece rock group and rather good they are too. They play a sort of up-dated traditional rock, not unlike Extreme. ‘Web’ is the first of four and it’s well memorable. Adrian O’Connell has the type of voice that is tailor-made for this music – low and growly or high and screechy – he sounds the business. The rest of the band are no slouches either and the addition of backing vocals from bassist Keith Farrell are a welcome bonus. ‘Earth, Skies and Sun’ has a great vocal melody and a more shuffly rhythm. ‘Delusions of Grandeur’, on the verses has O’Connell sounding a tad like a metal Sting, to great effect, as it leads into the heavily effected vocal sound on the chorus. This has big time crowd pleaser written all over it! ‘Pray’ is a funkier take on their highly commercial sound and it’s another winner.

Sphyncter Boy were all set to scoop the prestigious ‘Name of the Issue’ award when I noticed that, blow me down, it’s our old china Bead. So he’s back with a slightly extended line up (Homeboy on lead guitar and Bead on vocals/guitar), new name and four new songs. The sound is a lot different however, with Dave McCann supplying bass, percussion and additional guitar.

‘Superman’ has a shuffly dance rhythm, grungey guitars,

a great urban alienation lyric and the brilliant “I don’t know what you’re talking about” sample. Quirky and very interesting. ‘Fall Apart’ has a more conventional rocky ballad feel to it but its warm melody, fine lead guitar work and Bead’s voice lift it higher. Mariah Carey may not be looking over her shoulder but Bead has a great, emotive voice. ‘My World is Black’ is a beautifully manic-depressive ode until it leaps about 10 beats and heads off in manic country rock style, into the sunset. ‘You Don’t Have to Worry’ is a reggae tinged dollop of sweet but confused optimism. It’s a wonderful song which actually mutates into Bob Marley’s ‘No Woman No Cry’ and just about gets away with it. No mean feat I would say!

Bead’s songwriting is coming along in leaps and bounds and the new fuller sound shows this well. It can’t be long now, eh?