Clit 45 - Self-Hate Crimes

Genre rock Publisher BYO Records External Links BYO Records

I hardly ever leave my garage anymore. I've got a recliner, and mini-fridge and a quarter pipe out there, so there's nowhere else I need to be. I don't have a radio in the garage, just an old tape deck. I've only got about twenty tapes, and they are all older punk rock. For my twelve-pack, nothing beats that old Lookout Records release, The Shit Split. The second side of the tape is Blatz, a bunch of art-school punks who were into the shit before it turned to shit. Side one is dedicated to Filth, my favorite punk band of the nineties and maybe even all time. I can listen to side one of The Shit Split all day and night and never get bored with it. It's perfect for leaning back in the recliner and reading old issues of Penthouse or for sessioning my ramp into the wee hours of the morning.

My point here is that every punk band I listen to has to stand up to the Filth test. Now a band with a name like Clit 45 clearly isn't looking for radio play, which gets a hearty slap on the back. Unfortunately, like a lot of newer bands with their porcupine hair, torn clothing and girlish posture, they sound like a poor man's Rancid. That's not such a bad thing, I guess. Clit 45 also has some Guttermouth tendencies which are appreciated. But I noticed that when I was listening to Self-Hate Crimes while skating my quarter pipe, I couldn't land a single fucking trick. It's not like the lyrics aren't distracting--they're mostly snotty chants and wails combined with occasional pub chants--so that wasn't the problem. I think that subconsciously some of the song titles were rubbing me the wrong way. I don't really dig on embarrassingly earnest punk-rock philosophizing. Songs with titles like "Killed by Life," "No Sanctuary Insanity," "Kids Aren't Alright" and "Just Exist" make me blush. That stuff's just fucking silly. Now Filth, on the other hand, has got the guts; there is a subtle difference between song titles like "Hate," "You Are Shit," "Night of Rage," "Violence is a Solution" and "Banned From The Pubs."

I'm not against the idea of DIY punk rock, but if I bail three frontside rock and rolls in a row, something's rotten in Denmark.

Dudes, you've got to keep it simple, earnest and a little less obvious. Especially when you're clearly paying close to $100 for those hair cuts and highlights.