SAVAGING THE FAKE SAVAGES.......Some pretty harsh reality poured on Estrus Records and in particular, preening posuers THE MAKERS over at a new site called LETTERS HAVE NO ARMS, written by one Phil Honolulu. I like his moves and I like his style. He tears the erstwhile retro-garage label a new one, a pretty fat target to be sure, and one that I'm now so far removed from that I asked someone the other day if they were still around. I guess they are. Now, let it be said that I have no beef with Estrus or its management, so this is more for giggles and titters than anything else. The Makers, though -- open season. I love their one S/T record (1995? '96?) with the middle finger extended, no matter what Honolulu has to say, but everything before that was boring 1980s-style 60s garage revisionism, and that which came after that, good lord. I lived in Seattle for a couple years, and the main prancer used to strut around town with a cane (despite no noticeable leg or hip ailments), wore dark sunglasses even when it was 40 degrees and raining (which in Seattle is to say, all the fucking time), and sauntered around like the most obvious preen-in-front-of-the-mirror rock star imaginable. And then named an album "Rock Star God", presumably about themselves. From screaming garage punk lords to absurb prancing AOR bores in two years flat. Take a gander at what Phil says and have a big larf with me & him.

posted by Jay H. at 4:22 PM