Chewing Pine

The Functional Blackouts – The Very Best of the Monkees/The Severed Tongue Speaks for Everyone (Dead Beat, 2007)

Over about a five year period of recorded activity, The Functional Blackouts were able to create a trebly mixture of punk and noise that knowingly could only have culminated in a break up. Well, that’s what happened, but if some other avenue would have been explored, listeners may not have been privy to The Very Best of the Monkees. Not necessarily a “Best of…” compilation, this collection aims at bringing unreleased versions of album and singles tracks to a full length format.

The bands’ entire first single is represented here, which betrays the groups initial leanings towards a more garage inflected sound. However, since we are talking about the FBs, the overwhelming surge of disheveled punk overshadows the precedings. Somewhere between Bedroom Disasters by the Reatards and Erotic Grit Movies by the Piranhas, the FBs belie a Midwestern sound. Thrown in is a Cabaret Voltaire cover as well as a song titled “Frustration”, which may be considered lacksidasical based upon the fact that the one hit (that term being applied liberally) from SF’s Crime holds the same title.

Similarly, “Stab Your Back” from The Severed Tongue shares its’ name with the first British punk single by the Damned. Regardless of that, this, the second FBs full length, originally released on Chicago based Criminal IQ in 2006 and repressed by Dead Beat, continues in roughly the same direction. The production quality, while still remaining in proximity to the basement improves on Monkees efforts. Musically this disc incorporates more explorations of noise. “Heavy Breather”, getting two treatments, clocks in at more than half of the forty-five minute slab and offers at best a difficult listening journey through experimental noise. The FBs being label as an experimental punk band though, or whatever genre name may be applicable, seems to be a misnomer if compared to Pere Ubu, Devo or any other early punkers with penchants for a shambolic rock. What the FBs do best is play primitive punk for the modern loser. Stripped down guitar lines, horrific if not occasionally ridiculous lyrics and painfully screamed vocals enrobe this disc.

Understandably, playing straight punk can at time become tedious, but listening to faux sonic avant-punk can be just as trying. The songs offered up amidst their last album are as rewarding as any other punk release circa ’06. Unfortunately, listeners can only hope that the Daily Void improves to the point where there isn’t a distinction between their recorded past and that bands’ future.