Hammer Damage - Laugh/Automatic Lips 7″
March 25th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Just incredible! Laugh = 3:14 and I don’t want it to stop. Total killer punk complete with loud guitars and snotty vocals. Listen to the background guitar how it builds up from a low chugga chugga on one string up till the chorus. And the Ha! Ha! Ha! parts oh my… The solo works too. It’s a complete dorky rock solo but fuck me if it dosen’t blend in perfect. Automatic Lips ain’t as bad as it’s reputation. A little quirky powerpop song that suits me just fine. Actually I think Automatic Lips is great. Give it some spins.
How does their 12″ from 1982 sound? Anyone?
Country: USA
Year: 1979
Label: Broken
Format: 7″
Songs:
Laugh.mp3
Automatic Lips.mp3
March 25th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
“Laugh” is one of the eternal great moments in music. Incredible song - like a giant dose of power being rammed up your arse.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
This is brand new to me so I guess I should be ashamed. Anyway, the “ha ha ha ha” part is really amazing! Bra jobbat Sweden!
March 25th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Funny you commented Martin since I’m sitting here ripping the AWESOME Lognhalsmottagningen 7″ you sent me :).
March 25th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
The B side sounds like the Cars. Yuck.
March 25th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Anyone know the connection to Rubber City Rebels who covered this tune (Laugh). They came from the same state but…
March 25th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Me says: this rips!!!!!!!
March 25th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
“The Rebels moved to Los Angeles in 1978, minus Pelton (who was replaced on drums by Mike Hammer) and Sake (keyboards were deemed unnecessary for the band’s change to a “heavier” sound),…”
March 26th, 2008 at 4:49 am
http://www.clepunk.com/bands/hammerdamage/index.htm
March 26th, 2008 at 4:53 am
http://www.cleveland.com/music/index_story.ssf?/music/more/local/timeline/1980/1980newwave.html
“Formed in 1978 as a Rubber City Rebels spin-off, Hammer Damage quickly became Akron’s best draw as well as the house band at the notorious downtown club, The Bank. Looking to pick up another band before relocating with the Rebels to L.A., drummer Michael Hammer and bassist Scott Winkler hooked up with guitarist George Cabaniss and singer Dave Zagar, a move that led them to quit the Rebels and stay in Akron to play with Hammer Damage. The hard pop foursome released a 45, “Laugh,” in ‘78, before Cabaniss left to join the Dead Boys. The band continued without Cabaniss, releasing another EP in ‘82, before breaking up that same year.”
March 26th, 2008 at 11:34 am
“Laugh” is an amazing song!!! I was blown away when I first heard it on KBD #9 many years ago. “Automatic Lips” has “grown on me” over the years, it’s kinda catchy in some parts but then some of the guitar licks on it are wimpy rock. The Hammer Damage 12″EP from 1982 is fucking garbage, really bad!! Avoid it!!! Ugly Things zine had a great 2 part Rubber City Rebels story in the 2006 and 2007 issues. If I remember right from that story, Mike Hammer and Donny(?) Damage moved to L.A. with the Rubber City Rebels (RCR) in like ‘77 and then moved back to Akron, OH in 1978 to form Hammer Damage. I grew up in Cleveland, OH which is about a 1/2 hour from Akron. Like Cleveland, Akron had a bunch of bands come out of there in the late 70’s like the RCR, Devo, Bizzaros, etc. FYI- Akron was called Rubber City because Firestone Tire Company used to be based out of there. Speaking of the Rubber City Rebels, a lot of their stuff was too rock for me but they managed a few great songs like “Young and Dumb” (the 7″ version). Their cover of “Paper Dolls” on the same 7″ is tits too. The first RCR LP on Capitol Records in 1980 has a cover of “Laugh”, but the Hammer Damage version is about 20 times better!
March 26th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
As always thanks for the info Tony :).
March 27th, 2008 at 11:44 am
i got their second release on ebay last year. cost me $40. it was a 12″ 3 song single. nice to own but not as good as the first release, that release. (msg for the poster: email me if you want it on mp3, i just ripped it, it’s sitting on my lap and i found this post cause i was looking for the proper name to name it.. i knwo it’s named after one of the songs on there but i don’t wanna get it wrong.. doesn’t have any label on it so it’s not very aparent to what the official name of the single is.. anyways.. let me know)