REALLY RED (NEW STRINGS FOR OLD PUPPETS E.P.)

This is definitely one of my favorite records. All of Really Red's records are great but this one holds a special place in my heart. I found this article on their myspace and thought it was really good, so here you go . Really Red was one of Houston's first Punk bands in the late 70's, along with others like Legionaire's Disease, Plastic Idols, and the Hates. Their roots can be traced as far back as the 60's when Ronnie and Kelly had a high school band called The Lords, who played original songs. A few years later they met up with John Paul and established themselves as shit-disturbers in the oppressive pre-punk days of the early-to-mid-70's. As a band, they had existed for years under various names, doing mainly covers, until they were stunned by their first Legionaire's Disease gig. They evolved into Houston's most prominent Punk band of that era. Their sound developed into something unique and distinctive, while never straying too far from it's loud, fast, aggressive roots. Back in those days punk only had one rule, and that was "make your own rules". It was an amazing time to be alive. The formulas and cliches that have been plagueing punk for years now at that time had yet to taint it's original vision, and the ground was fertile for new sounds, new attitudes, and new ideas. Really Red delivered in spades on all three of those angles. As a band they built on the new sounds. They brought all kinds of influences to bear on the example from England. Just like Austin's Big Boys and The Dicks, they made something specifically Texan out of punk rock. Their left-wing politics embraced their lone star legacy. The result was inventive, multi-faceted, and powerful. They left behind memories of countless awesome, passionate, high-energy shows, and a legacy of classic recordings. Along with a few other groundbreaking local bands, they helped kick-start the early punk scene in Houston and spread their message further by taking to the road and playing with other such pioneering acts as DOA, the Avengers, and Dead Kennedys to name but a few. In Houston, they helped make the local scene explode and created a sense of community like no other local band has done previously or since. They worked as hard as they played, and they thrived on the DIY ethic, starting their own C.I.A. label. As well as fronting Really Red, lead singer U-Ron hosted the "Funhouse" radio show on Pacifica's KPFT, cracking open many a young suburban Houston mind to punk and other new underground music. Their contributions to the early Houston and Texas underground scene cannot be overstated yet due to historical inaccuracies has been overlooked for some reason. Really Red broke up in 1985 after releasing 2 albums, 2 singles, 2 EP's, and tracks on various compilations. Their classic '81 LP "Teaching You The Fear" has recently been re-issued on Empty Records.

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REFERENCES - MYSPACE http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=55222035
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C.I.A. RECORDS 1982
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1. I REFUSE TO SING
2. NO MORE ART
3. SUBURBAN DISEASE
4. I WAS A TEENAGE FUCKUP
5. ODE TO KURT KREN
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