Pezcore, Less Than Jake’s debut full length was released in the US, 30 years ago today. The first release was via Dill Records, the predecessor to Asian Man Records, both run by Mike Park, formerly of San Jose, California ska band Skankin’ Pickle (keep reading for more on him!).
I’m enjoying revisiting these Less Than Jake albums for their milestone anniversaries and sharing memories from around the time of its release. There is a slight problem in that I only got into the band in 2000 and three of those records were released well before then, including this one.
On Tuesday 22nd August 1995 in my own life, I was 7 years old, living (shockingly) with my parents in Hamworthy, I was enjoying the last week or so of the Summer holidays before starting the final year of my first school the following month. My favourite things in the world were the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Sonic The Hedgehog (still are). This was still a year before the Spice Girls happened, so my music taste probably consisted of whatever my parents played and the theme tunes to my favourite TV programmes (genuinely, I had two cassette compilations of them).
It was around this time though that my friend had a German student staying with them who left behind a cassette labelled ‘Offspring – Smash’. We put it on and ran around the room in circles, not knowing what the hell it was, or what we were doing. I’m classing that as my first ever circle pit.
I finally came to own a copy of Pezcore on Saturday 28th December 2002. I remember this because it was my 15th birthday. I bought it on a venture into town with two of my best friends of the time, Jim and Phil.
This version was the remaster put out by Golf Records in the UK for the band’s 10th anniversary. To this day I’ve still never heard the original master in full (maybe I should remedy that as part of this series). I think this version does a great job of capturing the spirit of the band’s live show.
I do believe the band have continually pushed their songwriting prowess with each new record, but listening to this today I was surprised to be reminded at how much of what’s at the core of their newer material can still be heard on this first outing.
There is, of course, the obvious Pez connection with this record’s title and artwork. Both Vinnie and Roger from the band were collectors, and vintage Pez branding and imagery was used extensively on this release. The name Pezcore is a play on the use of ‘..core’ in genre labelling such as ‘hardcore’ and ‘skacore’. Although I probably was eating Pez in 1995, my fandom of the band inspired my own Pez collection, seven years later in 2002.
In 2007 I got to see the album played live in full as part of their London residency. This would be the first and only time I’d hear many of these songs performed, whereas others are still included on most of their set lists today. In 2008 I bought the reissue with the updated artwork and bonus DVD of the Pezcore album show in Florida from Square Records in Wimborne. As of this year, and thanks to the EU label Rude Records (who we collaborated with as Saint November Records on our LTJ Live From Astoria release), I finally have a copy of the album on vinyl.
Favourite track: Short On Ideas/One Last Cigarette (does this count as one?)
This year is also the 30th anniversary of an album Less Than Jake contributed to, led by the aforementioned Mike Park, The Bruce Lee Band’s self titled debut.
The Bruce Lee Band (sometimes stylised as The B. Lee Band for obvious copyright reasons) is one of Asian Man Records’ founder Mike Park’s many projects. The band is still active today, albeit with a different line up of musicians “backing” Mike. I’m sure die-hard fans will be aware of LTJ’s early involvement with this project, but it may have slipped under the radar for others, given the US only release.
It’s well worth a listen if you’ve never heard it because it sounds just like LTJ from this era (Chris even sings lead vocals on Standing Up For Justice). I listened it recently for the first time in years and still remembered each song note for note. It’s easily accessible on streaming platforms, so go check it out and spare a thought for me, unable to find it for love nor money back in 2004.
Well that’s not strictly true, I did manage to procure a copy in 2004, but involved a trip to London and a venture out to Camden’s All Ages Records, a legendary, specialist punk rock record shop, which I’m pleased to report is still going strong today. The day I bought this, my girlfriend at this time bought a compilation from the same shop called ‘Emo Is Awesome. Emo Is Evil’. I don’t think we were ever meant to be.
Mike’s other seminal third-wave ska bands Skanin’ Pickle and The Chinkees were equally impossible to get hold of back in the early 2000’s pre-streaming world, so I never gravitated towards the earlier part of his career. Instead I got into Mike’s, less ska more singer-songwriter albums released under his own name, via Sub City Records, which had much better distribution in the UK.
In November 2005 I got to see Mike open for Alkaline Trio at Southampton Guildhall, something I never expected to happen. A couple of years later in February 2008, I got to see him again in Southampton at a place called ‘The Homestead’. (I liked it for the Star Wars reference alone, of course). This venue was actually the conservatory of a shared house, a short walk outside of the city centre, where one of Southampton’s own legends of ska, Matt Reynolds of the band Howards Alias lived. Also on the bill was Sundowner, a.k.a Chris McCaughan from The Lawrence Arms.
That might be the most DIY punk story I have for you.
Favourite track: Gerry Is Strong
Liam Toms 