Killy Kill

[Kamtin Mohager]

Swami Records to reissue Rocket From The Crypt's Circa Now! Head to the replies section for the full press release.

[Kamtin Mohager]

SWAMI RECORDS TO REISSUE

ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT’S CIRCA NOW!


ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT’S Circa Now! was first unleashed on the public circa 1993. The band’s sophomore outing was a culmination of post-hardcore delineations, recent affections for pre-punk and punk forefathers, and blasting baritone skronk glazing over a twin guitar assault. Circa Now! signifies a starting point in terms of momentum for the band. Constant touring, lots of media coverage, college and commercial radio play and even support from MTV (back when they played videos) of both the “Ditchdigger” and “Sturdy Wrist” videos as well as on air interviews and live performances, made Circa Now! one of the most recognizable records in the Rocket From The Crypt catalogue.

Recorded at West Beach Recorders in Hollywood while on martial law lockdown during the Rodney King Riots in April 1992, Circa Now! captures Rocket From The Crypt before they had clarity. A snapshot of impulsive reactions taken during a surreal moment. This period of the band predates the era of militant rehearsal regimes, their synchronized dress sense and was before they committed themselves to a lifestyle that would have them entertaining the globe.

After Circa Now! was originally released, their efforts toward world domination attracted the interest of multi-national conglomerates. It was the Big Boom of ‘93 and majors scoped them hard. After a full on bidding war, Rocket signed to Interscope Records for a whopping 70 MILLION DOLLARS. Interscope was anxious to get fresh product on the street pronto, so they bought Circa Now! off Cargo for 32 MILLION. They then requested that RFTC go back into the studio and cut more tracks for their Circa Now! release. Unfortunately their patience did not permit that they wait for their completion, and unbeknownst to the band at the time, they moved forward without the extra songs. The four bonus songs on this Circa Now! reissue are the finished versions of those songs which were recorded in San Diego nine months after the initial release of Circa Now!

Swami head honcho overlord maximus has wrangled this gem from the powers that be and resuscitated this release with improved vigor. This reissue of Circa Now! boasts better mastering off of the 1/4 inch transfers, improved packaging with more photos of the band during this era. For those who prefer the prepubescent inclinations of Rocket, this is the album that speaks to them. Soaring riffs are complimented by the majesty and foghorn-like presence of the saxophone. At this point, Rocket was mostly taking their cues from The Saints Eternally Yours, The Ramones End of the Century and Live and Let Die era Wings. “More is more” was the mantra of the day, as layered guitars and bass stood upon a brassy foundation. Some of the sounds, songwriting and aesthetics on this record are a bit dated. Although Rocket From The Crypt surely wasn’t the first band to employ the distorted vocal technique, it certainly wasn’t the national past time that it would soon become. For some Circa Now! was the first time they heard of Rocket From The Crypt and because of this they, and the band, have a special affection for it.

CIRCA NOW! + 4
Swami Records
July 6th, 2004

1. short lip fuser
2. hippy dippy do
3. ditchdigger
4. don’t darlene
5. killy kill
6. hairball alley
7. sturdy wrist
8. march of dimes
9. little arm
10. dollar
11. glazed

bonus tracks
12. lamps for sale
13. crazy talk
14. flight of the hobo
15. over the rail

[venus/bacchus]

it really doesn't get much better than RFTC if you want straight up rock