Blatz
A Touch Of Blatz

In 1986, in Berkeley, California, the 924 Gilman Street movement came to life, also known as the "Alternative Music Foundation." This was a major hub for many artists of the L.A. Punk scene. Bands collaborated with each other, striving to expand their thoughts and work to enrich the punk rock scene of the time. The dream of the Alternative Music Foundation was an independent scene that could move on its own. Among the bands that made their way on 924 Gilman Street, we find Blatz, and with them a list of groups so vast that I don't have the time to name them all.

The members of Blatz were prominent figures in the underground punk scene of the time, with Robert Eggplant from the magazine "Absolutely Zippo" on guitar, Marshall Stax, one of the DJs from KALX, on bass, and Jesse Luscious, editor of the zine "Berkeley Sucks," on vocals. The band later introduced two female vocals: Annie Lalania and Anna Joy. Occasionally, as a second guitarist, they had Armstrong (yes, the one from Green Day), but only for concerts. Known as a band that didn't hold back from criticizing everything and everyone, also thanks to the journalistic experience of its members, Blatz managed to provoke reflection through their raw and humorous lyrics. "A Touch of Blazt" is a sarcastic poetic work of hatred towards everything.

The album is musically noisy, composed of ever-changing rhythms, enhanced by impactful and easily assimilable musical scores. A very good recording, based on harsh distortions accompanied by a powerful bass and a decidedly driving drum, is only the minimal part of the sound wall emanated by the vocal line made up of three singers. The voice of Jesse Luscious is the vocal base, while the throat-straining screams and choral accompaniments of the vocalists give the magical touch to the album. At points, I can roughly trace Blatz back to the Crass, perhaps less hypnotic and more musical, but in the same way, their singing is almost free of pauses, but a continuous flow of words that suffocate musical patterns. Wicked lyrics, based on sexual, self-destructive, countercurrent arguments, ridiculing the very themes of underground punk, especially the straight-edge type "let's put beer in the Minor Threat mugs and throw away the coffee."

Blatz seem to take very few things seriously, just consider their performances sometimes done completely naked. One might wonder if they are typical foolish excited kids when listening to "Fuck shit up": "tonight we are the punx, let's burn the cars of Nazi cops, loot the shops, eat the rich because we are the poor," but with songs like "Lulabye" they truly hit the mark, demonstrating their "sensitivity" even if still raw. Listening to the record for the first time, I thought they were just a bad copy of a mix between X-Ray Spex and Crass, but putting into practice the famous principle of re-listening, I discovered that Blatz are one of those groups that I like. Brazen, uncomfortable, and ironic. The peculiarity of Blatz is certainly given by the singers Annie and Anna, who with their screams at the limit of the possible, manage to be truly convincing, making everything particularly original and very interesting.

Among the tracks I appreciate the most, I can list "Berkeley is my baby....." fantastic text, "Fuk New York" simply engaging, "Dolly" where the sounds are well-researched, and just to be banal, the famous "Nausea."