(the) C*nts - Why Baby?

Name: (the) C*nts
Album: Why Baby?
Year: 1995
Style: Alternative-Garage-Pop-Punk
Similar Bands: Dead Milkmen, Ramones, King Missle, Animal Bag
"One Word" Review: Juvenile-Pop-Punk-Dirt
Based Out Of: Chicago
Label: Disturbing Records

Why Baby All Artwork

Why Baby (1995)

1. Swim 3:36
2. Psycho Garage Thing 3:14
3. Why Baby? 2:21
4. Why 2:37
5. What Cannot Be 3:02
6. Big Mistake 2:40
7. All Messed Up On You 2:27
8. Dog With Human Head 2:55
9. Man Hanging Off Cliff With Pants Leg On Fire 2:34
10. Ivan's Cha Cha 3:47
11. Abstract Salamander Dilemma 3:51
12. Societys A Drag 2:20
13. Pop Song 1:56
14. Jet Fuel Spill 4:01
15. Fun 3:03
16. Sad Thing 3:54
17. The Crown 3:33

Album Rating (1-10):5.5

Members & Other Bands:
Mike Pocius - Vox (churchbus)
Alan Lerner - Guitar
Frank Brodlo - Bass
Al Scum - Drums
Rick Gallo - Keyboard
Jerry Solo - Engineer
Matthew Owens - Bagpipes
Ivan Stankowicz - Ivan's Cha Cha
Image Innovators - Concept & Design

Unknown-ness: I know I got this at Siren records, the place in Doylestown where you can listen to a CD before you buy it. Knowing that, I have to assume I did this and liked the CD whenever I got this album. It looks very homemade, and they call it a Psych-garage experience, so what's not to believe with the multiplying imagery of the female face around like a kaleidoscope. On the CD, they tell you to have fun always. The back says that this is a limited edition of 1000 copies, so that makes me feel special.

Album Review: The album begins with “Swim,” featuring fuzz guitar at a slow drunken pace. The vocals are bored and somewhat mocking in a sing-song tone. There are a couple of nice noise elements and distortion used in the song. “Psycho Garage Thing” Starts out with whiny guitar chords. The vocals have two different sounds, the first is similar to Firewater/Cop Shoot Cop & Cows and the second, during the follow-up to the chorus, is like Alice in Chains. The song ends with a guitar solo. The title track “Why Baby?” is three chord noise guitar punk. The structure is simple and repetitive. It ends quickly and feeds right into the next song, “Why” which begins with a dancy drum & cymbal interlude, and then it picks up with the same fuzzed out guitar and singing structure as in “Why Baby.” “What Cannot Be” is a haunting, ambient, echo-mist soundscape of instrumental music. A gradual increase of noise and fuzz starts “Big Mistake.” It has lots of great garage punk energy wrapped around anarchist propaganda, saying everything on their list is a big mistake. “All Messed Up on You” carries the energy and tone of Big Mistake without skipping a beat. The only difference is the lead, whining guitar set in the background throughout the song. “Dog with a Human Head” starts off like a poppy, catchy alternative song, like the Ramones yet lyrically silly like the Dead Milkmen. It also has elements of bands like Dramarama.

“Man…Cliff…Pants…Fire” features the bagpipes throughout the entire song, and the vocals are that of a sullen chant. It features a lengthy metal guitar solo. “Ivan’s Cha Cha” is introduced by generic alternative guitar. The dark tone is played by the organ and melody of the vocals. There is a underlying surf element to the dark music as well. The end of the song features dialogue that is very reminiscent to King Missile. “Abstract Salamander Dilemma” feels like 70’s metal. The guitar is similar to the sound from Dire Strait’s “Money for Nothing,” but the vocals are rough and sharp like that of many classic 70’s metal bands, some of which I have already reviewed (Accept, Axe). It is in this song that we hear the idea of their slogan: “Remember, Have Fun Always.” “Society’s A Drag” starts out with unsure drums at first, and then launches into a quick paced, megaphone distorted vocals, over driving drums and guitars. Again, this is another song that reminds me of Stroker Ace by Ween. “Pop Song” is a four chord, Ramones style pop-punk song. Like any pop song, as the name denotes, the chorus is catchy and memorable. It is an easy song to follow along with melodically. “Jet Fuel Spill” comes in with jazzy drums, then bass is added at a very low level, and two guitars are added on: one rhythm and one droning. This is a jammy tune, which meanders along the repetitive rhythm guitar’s pace. The vocals are almost an after thought, sounding like an ambulance siren in its cadence. “Fun” is a song that promises just that: an up and down, bouncy song, covered in distortion and fuzz. More guitar solos draw the song out, and the basic, simple song structure makes it sound very juvenile. “Sad Thing” feels like an Animal Bag song as it begins with dreary, slow moping, three-chord Nirvana progression. “The Crown” ends the CD, on an up note, starting with an organ and bluesy upbeat lead guitar licks. This is another Jazzy number, and it immediately reminds me of Firewater with the way the vocals are sung. It even ventures out into rock-a-billy & country & western territory. This is an odd song to end with as it is a departure from every other stylized song on the album.

The songs on this album are that of two sets, metal and prog garage, or alternative stylized pop. For the most part, the songs have a half-assed feel to them, like they were not developed or thought about for too long before going into the studio to record. But they are juvenile in nature and composition, and it works well with the noise and fuzz overlapping. They classify themselves as a “Psycho-Garage Experience.” I can see plenty of the garage elements, and even the psychedelic side at times, so perhaps this is a sufficient title for them to take on.

Stand Out Track:Dog With Human Head

Links:C*nts - allmusic page
The C*nts - real Wikipedia listing
C*nts - listing
C*nts - Greatest Hits review
C*nts - Posting
C*nts - myspace