The Teen Idles - Anniversary: E.P. (1996)

*Released in 1996 to commemorate Dischord Records 100th release. Contains practice tapes and early demos recorded from 1979-1980. 5 tracks total.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hardcore Punk
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© 1980-1996 Dischord Records
AllMusic Review by Jack Rabid
The 100 means this is Dischord's 100th release. Teen Idles, label co-owner Ian MacKaye (later of Fugazi) and Jeff Nelson's band before Minor Threat, released the first Dischord single in 1980. So this EP is fitting. It's culled from their first two demo tapes, from February and April 1980, and is actually better than the proper (now legendary) single that ignited the D.C. hardcore scene. How? This is Teen Idles as a punk band, at merely really fast tempos, before they opted for the blinding thrash rush that (along with the Untouchables and S.O.A., led by Henry Rollins when he was Henry Garfield) led to such speeds becoming the stupid staple of hardcore. Goerdie Grindle's guitar is thus given room to actually riff, and Nathan Strjcek can form a rhythm in his singing, instead of just screeching like a hamster in a rushing wheel to keep up. Like their then-D.C. friends the Bad Brains (as heard on the Black Dots demos LP from that time), only half as good, Teen Idles were actually a budding punk pleasure in their pre-hardcore days.

tags: the teen idles, teen idles, ep, anniversary, 1980, 1996, flac,