G.F.Y. was an Anchorage based punk band who formed out of the ashes of Kaos AK sometime in the mid-to-late nineties. They suffered a few line-up changes during their reign of terror, the most definitive of which consisting of Jason Pavia on guitar/vocals, Keith Winfield on drums/vocals, and Justin Ober on the bass. The following clips were recorded on January 20, 2001 at Café Pax on Spenard. Crypto Fascist Clowns, Hug-A-Mutha, and the Anchorage Police Department also shared the bill…
Here’s a link to a draft of Jenn Ink’s aforementioned scene time line. She’s probably a little busy as of late, but drop her a line if you have any info to contribute.
In honor of Van Halen’s recent antics, Hug-a-mutha gives you “Panama.” The ending is cut off (aw, damn, the tape ran out, kid) and the playing is a little sloptacular, but give a listen and try to tell me this isn’t the most charismatic 2 minutes and 30 seconds you’ve heard all day. This is what happens when you pull your shit-faced friend on stage and force them to sing: FUCKING MAGIC. Circa 2003.
Rex’s (Liquid Bandade) zine, which starts in Alaska and travels all over the place, ending up in Seattle by way of Pensacola. US travelling through the eyes of an Alaskan punk…good stuff. Most of the issues are available online.
The Strangers were active during the Indica Haus/Cafe Pax era, sometime between 2000 and 2002. The band was fronted by Jake Sly, usually clad in leather and spitting. When Jake wasn’t talking shit he was vomiting and falling over, but in a good way. Think Iggy Pop meets your little brother. The last I heard he was dating a model and getting deported from Australia. Fuckin a.
P.S. Gabe Castro recorded this. 2002?
Josh Medsker (ex-Anchorage zinester punk) wrote a two part article for the Anchorage Press in 2000 detailing the origins of the local underground scene. Josh is a talented writer, and put out a zine called Noise Noise Noise in the early 90’s (see AK Ink article). he also founded the (now defunct?) austin zine library, perhaps the most academic of punk rock endeavors.
The article only covers up to 2000, so here’s a very abridged version of 2001 – 2007: rec centers, house shows, Mead’s Cafe, AUTV, Cuddy Park, AK Ink, house shows, Bitoz, house shows.
Decline of Northern Civilization:
Stubby’s Crack Co play jazzy, dirty, arty, bluesy, folky punk rock music. Folk as in “by and of the people,” not that other kind. Known for their craft fetish and indulgent live shows, they are simultaneously Anchorage’s most ambitious and least pretentious band. They’re also one of Anchorage’s longest running punk bands, and the contrast of these early recordings to their current work manifests the band’s evolution.
Oh, and sorry about the recording quality, my fault. Lots more where that came from.
Artist: Stubby’s Crack Co
Title: 2003 Demo
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01 – Jerry’s Kids
02 – Antler
03 – Walking On The West Bank
A little late, but Gizmodo has apparently called for a boycott of the RIAA for all of March 2007 to protest their heavy handed anti-piracy scare tactics. This means that you should only buy music from bands on indie labels. Going to shows and buying merch directly from any band is still ok, but no iTunes. If you need a better online mp3 store, go with eMusic. They’re cheap, specialize in small labels, and have no DRM.
Ak Ink is Jenn Ink’s now deceased 20 issue Anchorage punk rock zine. Believe it or not, Anchorage had a thriving zine community stretching back to the late 70’s that dried up sometime in the late 90’s. Ak Ink filled the punk print void for a few years, and served as the only documentation of local DIY activities. Part of the zine’s success was due to Jenn’s ability to motivate various others to contribute, creating a unique and often intoxicated set of perspectives. Some of the articles have been archived on Ak Ink’s website.
The last I heard Jenn was putting together an Anchorage punk time line…
Some favorites:
Cosmo covers CFC in the ultimate expression of Anchorage musincest. Recorded by Jason Torino in a chaotic basement on January 12, 2007.