Banned 37 – Banned 37

Cracking just two months into the year and we’re already hitting pretty heavy with the essential archival material. This one comes from the good folks over at Primordial Void. The Athens scene has been worked over pretty hard in the reissue market, with Love Tractor, Pylon, Oh-Ok, and as of this year Is/Ought Gap getting reissues. Still, some gaps remain and the Void picks up one of the forgotten gems from the era. Banned 37 were local favorites and found themselves in rotation opening for Alex Chilton and Love Tractor and lodging a few singles at WUOG. The band recorded seven tracks at at John Keane Studios (R.E.M., Indigo Girls, Widespread Panic) but, unfortunately, broke up soon after their completion.

Local bands come and go, but rarely do the ones that burn out so quickly also burn this bright. The studio tracks here shine. They capture a welcome cross-section of ‘80s jangle and dB’s power pop, but also a bit of Southern charms that fold a slight flash of country into the mix. The band is at times as tumultuous as the Dü and as riddled with pop potency as Rain Parade or Permanent Green Light. There was certainly something supernatural in that well that fed the Athens faucets, and the band captures the same melting pot magic that found contemporaries turning disparate influences into something lasting. The set is rounded out with seven additional tracks recorded live at 40 Watt Club Uptown in 1984. The live cuts show a harder edge and enigmatic spirit to the band, and it helps flesh out the story that the studio tracks begin. The band feels like they could have pushed themselves outside of the local bubble given time, but time’s not always kind. The fact that this pristine document exists is a blessing, and it’s certainly great to see this set released. Athens heads take note, janglers dig in.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.