Hair Police and Why I Love Them

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Man, I just got my package from SNSE--the first Mammal LP, which I really missed the boat on the first time around, and the Viki/Hair Police split LP. Amazing packaging first of all--silkscreened sleeve, matching vinyl, complimentary posters from the label.

The Hair Police side is even further away from the short blasts of feedback and harsh noise on Blow Out Your Blood than their last 7" did. Some focus on beats (rarely), but things seem less energized--if they seemed like they were on meth before, they've opted for heroin this time around. Dirty, dirge-like drones mixing with the occasional piercing tone or distorted screeching. Having less in line to do with rock than ever before; they just keep moving closer towards Prurient & Emil Beaulieau.

Amazing amazing amazing.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 2 October 2003 05:45 (twenty-two years ago)

the hair police! they live on top of my head (on top of my head)!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 2 October 2003 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

sorry

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 2 October 2003 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

More please.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 2 October 2003 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

More please.

Eh?

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 2 October 2003 05:54 (twenty-two years ago)

the hair police are a sound and a fury signifying nothing -- a talentless lot making a racket and relying on empty shock in their live performance. they have no ideas or sense of anything. utterly pointless.

― jack cole (jackcole), Thursday, 2 October 2003 06:40 (twenty-two years ago)

i saw them on their first west coast tour last summer (same as jack cole above), they were REALLY annoying during the earlier bands (mammal, neon hunk) and then when they came on, there was nothing happening, sure they made a lot of racket and jumped around all over each other but they couldn't turn it into something worth remembering.

i did see them the next night and they were much more improved but still the least favorite of the three bands. there's a review out there with my name on it somewhere in the interether...

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 14:01 (twenty-two years ago)

p00p

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm in this picture

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 14:05 (twenty-two years ago)

RE: Hair Police being nothing but a bunch of racket:

I don't know if I buy that. Sure, they're noisy and harsh and into jumping around, but the feeling of total scumminess and evil I get from their music is amazing; beyond that, I enjoy it because it /is/ so fucked up and formless--I love Wolf Eyes to death, man, but they can be a little bit predictable.

Also, RE: Crack:WAR, as discussed in gygax's review:

I saw these guys a few weeks ago in Providence; they weren't so good. Fucking electroclash for the noise kids. I get the same feeling from them I do from Pod Blatz--they're trying too hard with the fancy costumes and "craziness" to do anything interesting or daring musically.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Thursday, 2 October 2003 16:11 (twenty-two years ago)

a talentless lot making a racket and relying on empty shock in their live performance.

yeah, but "mortuary servants" is a great record. live performances are overrated anyways, they're for rock critics and exhibitionist beer drinkers.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:08 (twenty-two years ago)

live performances are overrated anyways, they're for rock critics

i 10000% disagree and suchly have come to the conclusion that you are living in bizzaro world X.

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:10 (twenty-two years ago)

i've always suspected i was.

― your null fame (yournullfame), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm in this picture

Oh, you are SO that tall guy in the foreground.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

...

And your silence speaks volumes.

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)

actually the tall guy in the foreground is in hair police. i am lurking in the background, apparently still gazing at the wonder that is neon hunk (note they are not playing in that picture).

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

the guy next to the tall guy in the foreground (trucker hat and maroon satin jacket) is indeed the enigma M@tthew St. Germ@ine

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

then in that case you are the guy by that guy's right ear, between him and the guy who appears to be wearing headphones (who you most certainly are not)

― adaml (adaml), Thursday, 2 October 2003 20:00 (twenty-two years ago)

hehe, the guy wearing the headphones is the lead singer of xbxrx (i think he's like 20 now).

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 2 October 2003 20:07 (twenty-two years ago)

A Hair Police show is always a fun show. That's what I like about them more than anything. They jump in and thrash around and are generally disruptive to all the kids standing still with their arms crossed. Some think this is annoying, I say it's fun.

Robert got after me once for saying that their music is formless. They are very adamant about all their tracks having structure.

I hear Mike's getting married and moving, so the Hair Police might not be doing as much in the future.

― Dale the Titled (cprek), Friday, 3 October 2003 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Trevor just sent me a friendster saying that he is also getting married. however, i don't think that the hair police will be breaking up anytime soon. things are just now getting big for them. ditto on their shows always being fun.

― Emilymv (Emilymv), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 04:26 (twenty-one years ago)

the hair police! (police! police!) the hair police! (police! police!)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 05:45 (twenty-one years ago)

sorry

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 8 October 2003 05:46 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

"Probe Cutting," the new tape on Gods of Tundra, came in the mail today. Less balls out rock/noise, more Wolf Eyes-esque droning, pounding and monolithic throbbing. Peppered with high squeals and oscillator tweaks--sometimes the sounds of processed, muffled screaming; the sounds of a burn victim thrusting their flaming hair into the sink. What's interesting is that it was recorded live.

Goddamn, I'd love to see the Hair Police again. I saw them oh, last winter sometime--February I think. I'd love to see them destroy my ears with this kind of stuff rather than the feedback and thrashing they did then.

Two thumbs up.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 06:21 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

xxx

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 23 January 2004 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I think this band lives in my city.

― Adm Michel (adam michel), Friday, 23 January 2004 01:56 (twenty-one years ago)

sometime assholes make good music :(

― Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 23 January 2004 02:00 (twenty-one years ago)

FWIW: they're touring in April with Prurient & Kites. You should go. not sure of dates yet. they'll be on the load site & hospital productions site.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 23 January 2004 02:01 (twenty-one years ago)

They are definitely not breaking up (tho Mike and his new wife are currently living in Michigan). There's a new band called Miscarriage that features members of Wolf Eyes and Hair Police and they are sure to rule. Great guys. Kickass live and on record (and on tape).

Some trivia for you: Mike Connelly is prominently featured causing a ruckus in the Andrew EWK video "We Want Fun" or whatever its called, from the Jackass soundtrack.

― roger_adultery, Friday, 23 January 2004 04:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Some trivia for you: Mike Connelly is prominently featured causing a ruckus in the Andrew EWK video "We Want Fun" or whatever its called, from the Jackass soundtrack.

as is twig harper (nautical almanac) and m@tthew st. g3rm@ine (freedom from)

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 23 January 2004 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Andrew WK is the most amazing man ever. EVER.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 23 January 2004 05:55 (twenty-one years ago)

six years pass...

Q from someone who is generally ignorant of the noise music scene esp. in places where it is actually hip (I live in Atlanta and the two noise shows I've been to have been performed to a fairly low-key audience): are the hecklers/bottle throwers in this vid most likely 1) actual hecklers being dicks, 2) pretentious noise/hardcore dudes to whom this sort of cynical chaotic nihilistic activity is a vital & necessary part of the soul-blackening concert experience, or 3) friends of the band fucking around?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlJWcvlHu0E

― The Black Keys - white boys can still throw down (crüt), Monday, 21 June 2010 06:04 (fifteen years ago)

perhaps "confrontational" is a better superfluous adjective than "cynical"

― The Black Keys - white boys can still throw down (crüt), Monday, 21 June 2010 06:06 (fifteen years ago)

pretty sure it's friends of the band fucking around - i think i recognized the voice of a friend of mine.

― sarahel, Monday, 21 June 2010 08:18 (fifteen years ago)

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