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Leatherface
Posted by Laila Hanson on 04-Jun-08 @ 02:07 PM|
FILE UNDER: Unknown Legend YEARS OF EXISTENCE: 1989-1993, 1998-present RECORD TO START WITH: Mush (Roughneck, 1992) AFTER THAT, CHECK OUT: Dog Disco (BYO, 2004), Boat In The Smoke DVD (Punkervision, 2004) and A Tribute To Leatherface (Rubber Factory, 2008) GO DOWNLOAD: "Springtime," "Do The Right Thing," "I Want The Moon," "Fat Earthy Flirt," "Eggbound," "Hops And Barley," "Diddly Squat," "Shipyards," "I Can't Help Falling," "Postwar Product Of A Fat Man's Wallet" THE MUSIC, THE MESSAGE: For every punk fan who already owns the new Leatherface tribute album, there are thousands of others who'd find it more plausible that 39 bands from eight countries would pay tribute to Leatherface, the character in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, than a band called Leatherface. Leatherface the band don't deserve their obscurity, but that in itself hardly makes them unique in the cruel history of punk rock. The thing is, Leatherface really don't deserve their obscurity. Imagine if the Clash or Crass were still around and playing pubs. If your imagination doesn't stretch that far, take a trip to Leatherface's native Northern England and witness vocalist/guitarist Frankie Stubbs rasp his heart out in 300-capacity rooms. Or just pick up the first great album by Leatherface, 1991's Mush, or their last one, 2004's Dog Disco. You'll hear a rare band who've not only lived up to their perennial comparisons-Hüsker Dü and Motörhead-but grown beyond them. Drummer Andy Laing is a human atom smasher, and Stubbs' soulful melodies and Tom Waits-ish grumble are an antidote to the empty contrivances that dominate punk. Leatherface survived an early encounter with the major label meat grinder, a breakup in '93, a death (bassist Andy Crighton in '88) and a defection (second guitarist Dickie Hammond didn't join the '98 reunion) to keep their international-but-tiny cult fed with some of the most influential-but-underappreciated rock albums of the past 20 years. PUNK ROCK RELEVANCE: The sound of Leatherface-particularly Stubbs' vocal fatigue and catchy, geometrical guitar leads-is echoed in Richmond, Virginia's Avail, Montreal's Sainte Catherines, Wales' Four Letter Word, Australia's A Death In The Family, Finland's Manifesto Jukebox and the scene surrounding the Japanese label Snuffy Smile. The Leatherface cult's major concentration, though, is in a certain Florida college town: With Hot Water Music, Grabass Charlestons and so many of its other resident bands owing at least 75 percent of their DNA to Stubbs & Co., Gainesville may as well rename itself St. Leatherfaceburg. CURRENT WHEREABOUTS: Since reforming in '98 for a split LP with Hot Water Music, Leatherface have recorded two albums for BYO Records and are rumored to be demoing new material. Stubbs is now a father and record producer, and if the half-assed Leatherface official site is any indication, he's not exactly desperate to expand his audience. Still, it's never too late to jump onboard. -Andrew Marcus |
