Canty, besides founding the incredible DIY band Fugazi,
noted for their ethical stance, manner of business practice and contempt
towards the music industry, as well as the band Rites of Spring, has produced
records for Ted Leo, The Make Up, and the Thermals, and made films for Wilco,
Eddie Vedder and Death Cab for Cutie.
With Jerry Busher (Fugazi, French Toast) on drums and
vocals, and Mark Cisneros on bass, the chemistry in this Deathfix is
simply untouchable.
These guys play it volatile and untwisted, and they truly
represented retro in the same manner as the two most important American
psychedelic hard rock groups ever formed. Immediately, Deathfix reminded me of
the MC5. But as I paid deeper attention, Deathfix more resembled the early,
harsh-sounding Pink Floyd with Syd Barrett on lead. The experience and wisdom
in Deathfix (and their soundman) culminated into a timeless set that was
perfectly loud, monstrous, trippy, mean and dirty. The instrumental tones were
sublime, each song lent itself to the next, and the songwriting was all of the
very best of the mid '60's anti-establishment psychedelic power rock that has
been so poorly convoluted by so many other bands. The audience at the Stick
clearly knew it as well as I did. It was an absolutely stunning set- this is
what American psychedelic post-hardcore rock should look and sound like.
Six out of four stars. You gotta get this recording.
Michael Welchans
