This Ain’t Bubblegum

I’ve wanted to post some Bazooka Joe for quite some time. Their two 7” eps Pastor of Muppets & Send in the Klowns are both great energetic political punk from 1988-1989. I saw them at a house party in West Oakland with some of the same bands on the compilation featured here today. I got to hang out with the band & the two Darryl (or Darel)s were super cool. I got a cloth patch from them that has adorned many long-gone pieces of apparel, yet the patch lives on. 

Bazooka Joe are from Myrtyle Beach, South Carolina. The band’s members were deeply involved in the punk scene in Myrtle Beach & the Carolinas, bringing some of the first touring punk acts to their area. Formed in 1987, they play throughout the South & also did three national tours before disbanding in 1991.

I knew that the Joes had re-grouped a few times in the ensuing years. I just found out that they played at the annual Rockers Reunion this past Thanksgiving, are now planning on recording some new material, & might be re-releasing their first two eps. In the hopes that it might be true, I won’t post up that material, but will give you all a taste of their sound anyhow. They have appeared on a few compilations, most notably Maximum Rock’N’Roll ‘zines They Don’t Get Paid, They Don’t Get Laid, but Boy Do They Work Hard &  Very Small Records/Too Many Records What Are You Pointing At?, the latter which I’m posting up today.

Very Small Records was a very cool Bay Area (CA) independent record label formed in 1989 by David Hayes, also co-founder & former co-owner of Lookout! Records. In 1994 Hayes changed the name to Too Many Records but then in 1997 changed it back to Very Small Records. Very confusing/ Too many names.

Bazooka Joe are: Darel Watts – vocals; Darryl (Derelict) Cook - guitar; Sean Sheely - bass; & Mark Holt – drums.

All the other bands on this comp. are excellent. I posted Econochrist here before & everyone is surely aware of Screeching Weasel & Dissent, if not the rest. I am not ignoring them or selling them short…this just happens to be about Bazooka Joe.

Various Artists - What Are You Pointing At?, Too Many Records, 1994.

Second pressing – black & white cover, black vinyl, 1770 issued in1994 on Too Many Records, which is just Very Small Records by a different name.

Decryption code in comments

Side A:

Take

Tooth Itch - Econochrist

I Wanna be a Homosexual

Kamala’s too Nice – Screeching Weasel

Die Robot Die

11:40

Rich Boy – Vapor Lock

Side B:

Peanut Butter

Punching Bag

Governmental Parasites

Chamba – Schizoid

Typical

Meathouse – Dissent

Do What You Can

Ignorance

Morals – Bazooka Joe

Outro

Enjoy,

NØ