3.17.2006
And the winner is....
Avant Gardener s/t 7" (Virgin, 1977)
Too often overlooked in the DIY punk sweepstakes is the Okehampton band, Avant Gardener. According to Punk 77, these smelly lads, got their one record by winning a Virgin Records sponsored talent contest. How and why they won remains a mystery. Sure, Virgin had a rep for introducing difficult music to the world, but the Avant Gardener seems a but too rough around the edges & utterly without radio pop sense to win a record company talent contest. Not that I object. I would be overjoyed if something like Avant Gardener spoiled the stage of American Idol. My god, that would be a dream. Even better if the whole show was stocked with bands like Avant Gardener. Imagine that! This week Avant Gardener goes up against Stickmen with Ray Guns, Tampax, the Godz, and Sheer Smegma. I would love to see Paula Abdul try to cough up possitives about the Stickmen's rousing rendition of Scavenger of Death. And what would Simon say about UFO Dictator? American Idol: Punk Edition would be the show for the ages! I know it will never happen, but as you listen to Okehampton's finest, just imagine them on the Idol stage, a thousand tools in the audience doing the wave to Strange Gurl in Clothes.
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