Thee Headcoats "Beach Bums Must Die" 1995

Thee Headcoats were mainly Billy Childish (Git/Vox) Bruce Brand (Drums) and Johnny Johnson (bass), they formed in 1989 after Billy's previous band Thee Mighty Caesers gave up the ghost. By 1992 they had already released something like 6 albums and 15 singles one of which was Damgood 1, a split single with Thee Headcoatees…ok, so billy childish has recorded who knows how many records and you're wondering where to start given that an output that large has got to have clunkers here or there. yeah, that plus the fact that the man seems to have no sympathy for those poor buggers without record players -- you'd think he'd be on the side of the poor but no matter -- and so you don't know that the records you've overheard your buddies playing have what you heard on cd or what. well, if that's your situation and you're looking for a solid start but the record you heard way back when doesn't look like anything in the offing at amazon, then i'd say "beach bums must die" is a good start. i for one wish that they offered that record with the gun on the cover with the epitaph "ripping off the stars of yesterday, influencing the stars of tomorrow" but it looks like they don't and this record is very solid billy c. given what i've heard of his output. for me the cd really starts going around song 8, the best tunes being "headcoat on backwards", "the case of the thundering dunderhead", "give me that apple, eve", "she's got a strange attractor" and their cover of chuck berry's "jaguar and thunderbird". a couple of years ago i saw them at s.o.b.'s and the crowd wacked out when they hit strange attractor. good stuff.
if, on the other hand, you've never heard any headcoats before and you're wondering whether this is a good place to start, i'd say yeah. the headcoats are kin to the gories, the mummies and any number of punk rock groups that build off their 60s garage band predecessors. but they're in the top of their league. recommended. - By I. Gimlettrax:

01 Youngblood 02 You Broke My Very Mind 03 The Strangler of Boston Town 04 Beach Bums Must Died 05 A Town Named Squaresville 06 Slide 07 That Special Kind Of Clay 08 Headcoat on Backwards 09 Murder in The Moors 10 All My Feelings Denied 11 Pow Wow 12 Ain't Never Found 13 No Such Animal 14 In Your Hand 15 The Case Of The Thundering Dunderhead 16 Give Me That Apple, Eve

ripped from CD in glorious monoloudarama!