RON MARTINEZ, FINAL CONFLICT VOCALIST, 46 SHORT AND SERIAL KILLING 101 BASSIST, CHAIN REACTION BOOKER, PUNK ROCK PAIN IN THE ASS, AND CRAWLSPACE RECORDS CO-CONSPIRATOR
Mr. Bungle. "Saw them in November, and it was one of the best times I've had in ages. These guys can and will play anything, Pet Sounds pop to Frank Zappa weirdness. Their last full-length came out in July, and I still play it constantly. Brilliant."
Bizarre. "The only magazine I subscribe to. Articles on strange music, movies, art and especially strange human behavior. From serial killers and amputee fetishists to pornographers and strange religious practices, Bizarre covers it in lurid detail. Their slogan says it all: 'More balls, less bollocks.'"
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. "I can listen to him no matter what mood I'm in. Goddamn, that man can croon. No wonder the ladies like him so much."
Le Shok. "Never a boring show. Beneath all the spit and insults the band dishes its audience, there's a clever group of musicians. Their new album, We Are Electrocution, is a catchy dose of low-fidelity, no-wave punk rock. Hot Rod Todd is destined to be a bona-fide star—if someone doesn't kill him first."
Zeke. "Trailer park, Camaro-driving punk rock & roll. The new Dirty Sanchez is a killer dose of some of the best punk Epitaph has ever released. Any band that can make a Fleetwood Mac song sound listenable is tops in my book."
The films of Alejandro Jodorowsky. "A mad genius. Some of the most beautifully disturbing imagery I have ever seen can be blamed on this man. Santa Sangre is by far my fave, and the soundtrack is great as well. Violence, midgets, transsexuals, armless murderers and various real-life human anomalies—all the things that make for a great motion picture!"
The Clash. "The very week the re-mastered CDs came out, I purchased the good ones (meaning not Combat Rock)—even though I already had them on vinyl. Sure, I'm a geek, but damn, they sound better, and I had almost forgotten what brilliant albums Give 'Em Enough Rope and London Calling are. The Clash were angry and passionate, everything punk is supposed to be. They helped forge the ideals and politics that I still embrace today. Thanks, guys."
The Ramones. "The anthology CD rocks. I saw Rock and Roll High School at the Los Cerritos Center when I was 14, and that changed my life forever. Anyone who doesn't like the Ramones is an ass."
Gehenna. "Uncompromising, ugly and vicious metallic hardcore, Gehenna are the real deal. Live shows have resulted in punched faces, broken noses and hurt feelings. This band has no interest in kissing ass to win scene points. They remind me of the early days when the hardcore scene had a bit of danger and excitement to it. If you like it heavy and brutal, look no further. And they will have a new LP/CD out on Crawlspace soon . . . plug, plug."
