Strange Notes!

A Germs Cover Compilation (Bitzcore)
by Joshua Brown

This one’s a surprise winner, taking into account the current glut of mostly annoying tribute albums. The songs of L.A.’s legendary late ’70s punk iconoclasts the Germs are performed by a host of hardcore greats: Zero Boys, DI, Mung, The Freeze, Final Conflict, etc. My personal fave is “We Must Bleed” as interpreted by Deutscheland’s obscure but influential Slime. All the songs sound like they could’ve been written by the bands covering them. That’s because the Germs had more to do with paving the way for modern hardcore’s existence than just about anybody else. Another bonus is that you finally get to hear what Darby Crash (RIP) was growling about all along, and the lyrics reflect a mature but apocalyptic outlook.

Get the Germs stuff first, then this compilation will be an important addition to your punk history archives.