Black Velvet Flag Come Recline CD

One of the funniest records released this year. Remember the CIRCLE JERKS dressed as lounge entertainers, crooning an insipid Borscht-Belt version of "When the Shit Hits the Fan," in the '83 movie Repo Man? And the punk at the table says, "Damn, I used to like these guys." Well New York City tuxedo trio BVF obviously got the joke. Here they cover some of the angriest late '70s/early '80's L.A. hardcore songs as if Esquivel wrote them for Dean Martin. In addition to the Circle Jerks' "Group Sex," classics by BLACK FLAG ("Wasted," "No Values"), ADOLESCENTS ("Amoeba), GERMS ("Media Blitz"), FEAR ("I Don't Care About You"), T.S.O.L. ("Code Blue"), SUICIDAL TENDENCIES ("I Shot JFK," "Institutionalized"), and THE MONKEES ("Stepping Stone," by way of the SEX PISTOLS, S.O.A., and MINOR THREAT) are all covered in a variety of cocktail jazz/bossanova/Latin styles that suggests lamé suits, smaltz, and Trini Lopez. The seething, pithy lyrics sound hysterically funny this way, and this "live at CBGB" LP is further augmented by witty stage patter, and spot-on sendups of the talking parts on the Decline of the Western Civilization, Vol. I soundtrack LP. That film, which largely brought the original bands to public attention, is further lampooned via the LP title and the hilarious cover shot parody of the Germs' DARBY CRASH comatose on the floor. Have a martini, and mellow out while you hate your hypocritical parents and staid society, maaaannn. ~ Jack Rabid

Their catch phrase -- Groove the Mellow Angst -- should be enough to clue you in to the fact that this self-proclaimed "loungecore" trio likes to talk softly and carry a big shtick. In short, Black Velvet Flag is three indie rock nerds in cheezy tuxedos who write generic, schmaltzy lounge Muzak, then add the words from songs by punk rock legends like Black Flag (on whom their name is an obvious parody), Fear, the Circle Jerks, and Suicidal Tendencies. The singer is often so off-key that it's more painfully excruciating than funny, the beats are provided by a poorly programmed drum machine named Ringo, and the lounge/punk fusion might be amusing as a three-minute comedy sketch, but the joke wears thin -- very thin -- before the second song is over. Recorded live to only a few embarassed titters and sparse, sporadic applause, you'd think Black Velvet Flag would've realized that the joke is on them. ~ Bret Love

Debut album form the NY lounge trio. Includes covers of punk classics from TSOL, Fear, Circle Jerks, Black Flag and others.

Recorded live at CBGB's, New York on September 16, 1994.

Black Velvet Flag: Fred Stesney (vocals), Jason Zasky (guitar), Jeff Musser (bass, maracas).

Background vocals: Juditta Musette, Beth Heller.