Looters - Flashpoint


Looters, Flashpoint, not sure which one is Hapshash or which one's flying West, but this is a vibe album. No doubt about it, the voice of Coincidence is practically screaming this is the opposite of Supertramp and Starcastle in pretty much every possible way. Compy's been teaching me some deep web spelunking techniques, so now i know that they have basically the exact same origin story as Metallica. Someone from New York heard their demo EP and went well out of his way to sign a band from the other side of the country immediately, and that's why Flashpoint by Looters exists. 

Ok, so you don't name your band Looters and your debut album Flashpoint unless you're making a serious socio-political statement. NWA, UB40, Gov't Mule, they all tell you who they are by adopting what normally represents some derogatory stereotype as an ironically defiant form of solidarity. If we're at the bottom of the ladder, here's what we see looking up. I expect this will be quite prescient and good, whatever it actually turns out to be. 

Damn! That's some funky bass and some high quality noir. If War Drums is indicative of the whole album, then we're in for a special treat. Oh yeah, the volcano in Nicaragua, the Japanese internment camp Manzanar. How can you tell me to just ignore all the evil and injustice i see? How can living in peace and happiness be bad? 

This is totally 80s across the board, like Red Rider, Duran Duran, early Faith No More, and Miami Sound Machine all at the same time, but highly substantive. It's funky with blended Latin/Reggae flavors, emotionally varied, and catchy as hell. If the rest of the 80s had been this good, we'd be a whole lot happier right now, i can tell you that. I'm actually sad Side A is over, but i can't wait for Side B. 

Holy crap, that's a gnarly intro and some serious dark funk. I can see why these guys didn't get the radio play they deserved, but that just makes it all the more powerful. They literally thank Jello Biafra and give the P.O. Box number for his No More Censorship Defense Fund. I don't know how else to describe it, you have to have to have to go check out Flashpoint by Looters. All i can find are live videos on youtube (because UMG doesn't want you to hear its back catalogue for less than exorbitant licensing fees), but it's on amazon music and probably itunes or wherever. If you've ever wished for the sound of 80s mainstream synth-noir without all the embarrassing leotards or surrealist jibber jabber, then Looters' Flashpoint. Seriously, this is total fire. Can't recommend it enough.

https://youtu.be/hete15LzgC8

Marshall Crenshaw

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