Back in 1988, I caught an Amnesty International benefit show at the Towson Armory in Towson, MD. Having seen locals Black Friday a few months before, I was anxious to catch them again along with Pearl Fishers, Sunday Cannons and the Unknown. While the latter was fairly rotten (one of the few bands whose set I walked away from), the other three were all very good. Sunday Cannons were so good, in fact, that I bought Red to the Rind the following week.
I pulled the album off the shelf a few weeks back and found that this punk/alt/psych material still appealed to me 20 years later, perhaps even more than it did at the time. It’s true that there were plenty of bands in this vein in the late 80s underground, but Sunday Cannons are a fine example of that time and place. Perhaps some of the appeal for me today is nostalgia, but there’s more to it. It’s not just about a sound, but a vibe that still finds it’s way into good music today.
Thanks to Mike Lane (now of The Lanes) for permission to make the album available for download.