The Axiom Compilation came out in 1989 as a combined effort between Nick Cooper (of Sprawl & Rastaman Work Ethic) and JR Delgado (of The Axiom & The Party Owls/Sugar Shack) featuring ten different bands from the greater Houston area. While many different styles and genres are represented, the one common bond between the bands included is that they were all something that you might see on any given night of the week at the Axiom.
The Axiom is/was a special place to me - it's where I really cut my teeth as a show-going youngster, seeing so many incredible shows, meeting so many fucking absolutely crazy people, and ultimately having so many really memorable times. I saw almost every band on this compilation within the walls at 2524 McKinney St - some of them many times, others only once or twice (if at all).
Listening to this for the first time in many years, I'm shocked by how varied it is - something I didn't remember from when I purchased it when it came out. Then again, the bands that drove me to purchase this LP in the first place upon it's original release in 1989 was most definitely limited to The Party Owls, Dresden 45 and Dead Horse, so it's likely that I didn't give much of the other more "rock" flavored bands much of a chance at the time.
The blurb on the back of the LP does a better job of summing this up than I could ever hope to do:
"Nick Cooper, J.R. Delgado and Rastaman Work Ethic Productions in conjunction with The Axiom present ten bands that have shaped the current sound of Houston's underground.
The Axiom, Houston's only alternative venue provides the only territory for artists and musicians in an otherwise pathetic wasteland of desolated emptiness and roaming barbarian tribes.
The Party Owls (now called Sugar Shack) started a sound that influenced all the other bands on this album. Toho Ehio, the musical travelers from a distant suburb, and Sprawl, Rice University's speed gospel sound, grapple with groove while fleeing the evil demands of the corporate music industry. Dresden 45 and Dead Horse are the hardest heaviest and fastest speed metal / hardcore bands around. The Cinco Dudes are the nice guys of the local scene, and they stand for everything good. The Van Goghs and 400 Blows have a lot in common; they both play groove conscious roots rock, they both are local winners of the Snickers New Music Search and their names both rhyme with suppose. F.S.U. and Monster Zero both throb out their hard rock sound unrelentlessly. Turn it up loud and do the belly-button crawl. Special thanks to: Kevin Bakos, Creative Sound, Houston Records, John Kitses, Mark Lacy, Chuck Roe, and the audience."
I didn't take very good care of this record when I was younger, so these mp3's all have much surface noise and pops throughout. Amazingly, this LP is STILL AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE for $10 bucks from the Rastaman Work Ethic page right here. If you download this, you should absolutely go over there and buy a vinyl copy. Since it's still available, this will only be available to download here for a short time. If the link is down, then go buy yourself a copy from Nick at the link above.
1989 Rastaman Work Ethic/The Axiom
Track Listing:
1. Party Owls - "Teen Scene"
2. Toho Ehio - "Rat Lady"
3. Sprawl - "Big Ass Jewel"
4. Dresden 45 - "Briar Patch"
5. The Van Goghs - "Comin' Down"
6. Cinco Dudes - "Another Song About Rain"
7. Monster Zero - "Subatomic Mind"
8. Dead Horse - "World War Whatever"
9. F.S.U. - "Blue Sandcastles"
10. 400 Blows - "Mudbone Wetfish"
DL: Various - "Axiom Compilation" LP (via MF)
Thanks for this, I still got my copy and no way to transfer it. Keep up the good work. I cut my teeth there too.
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ReplyDeleteDelgado also played with Doomsday Massacre, one of the pioneering Houston HC bands along with The Hates, D.R.I. and Really Red. By the way: your blog is great on documenting the Lone Star State underground activty of the old days. :-)
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