False Alarm / Youth Gone Mad
Tell Me Who I Am / Frogman (From Mars)
False Alarm Reocrds

Calforninan old-school punksters (influenced by the Ramones, Dead Boys, Black Flag, Angry Samoans, Social Distortion, Reagan Youth, etc.) False Alarm founded way back around 1982, by brothers Paul and Floyd Aragon. The following year they broke up (according to wikipedia the band 'the band wasn't well organized, and consisted of various members, including Fat Mike later of NOFX'). In 1996 Floyd announced a reformation, which only lasted some three years. This version of the band had (besides Floyd Aragon), Paul Aragon (lead vocals), Brent Alden (bass), Dylan Maunder (guitar), and Art Chianello (drums) in the line-up. Before the break-up they put out a 7-song mini-CD (Learning Is Impossible, 1998, including new songs plus a 1983 track feat. Fat Mike on vocals). In 2001 a new reformation (and a different line-up) saw the light of day. Punks never die. Or, at least they die hard.

Recordings started, for an album entitled Fuck 'Em All We've All Ready (Now) Won!, a record with a cover painted by Paul Aragon in collaboration with Dee Dee Ramone. However, the album was delayed, and wasn't released before 2006 in the US (in Europe Italian label Nicotine put it out two years ago). The band attracted Cheetah Chrome (ex-Dead Boys and Rocket from the Tombs) as a fan, and a participator. This split single (it's not often we receive 7" singles here at LK HQ nowadays, so I guess it doesn't matter this is a 2 year old release) presents False Alarm feat. Cheetah Chrome performing "Tell Me Who I Am", a classic, vintage-styled catchy punk rock song. Short and too the point. The old-timers do pretty well.

The flip-side presents Youth Gone Mad's "Frogman (From Mars)". Youth Gone Mad (YGM) is a three-piece (?) formed in California, based in NYC, more in the Capt. Beefheart swampy, bluesy vein. But, some other of their songs (on their myspace-site) unveil primitive punk attitude as well. YGM describe themselves as electronica/new wave/punk band, which is, well, a tag good enough. However, I'm not sure their material is strong enough to hold my interest. Btw, they've also collaborated (musically) with Dee Dee, on Youth Gone Mad featuring Dee Dee Ramone, also including a song co-written with brother Joey R.

Copyright © 2011 Håvard Oppøyen