10 March 2012

MY LAI


One of the many bands unfairly stacked in the dollar bins of the world, saddled with the mystifying "hardcore sucked in the '90s" burden. An entire punk generation gets skipped over so frequently simply because it has the stigma unfairly associated with a particular decade, a decade that was fukkn packed with original and phenomenal bands, not to mention the solidification of the DIY network as we know it today. Chicago's MY LAI released a few EPs and one devastating 12" platter in the middle of that decade, and every one of those releases stands proud when blasted today. This three song teaser features one song each from the 12", the 3.16.68 EP on Divot and the Question Of Image EP on Lengua Armada. Pointed, forceful and pissed, MY LAI pulled of an intensity that could not be faked, nothing here was contrived and the passion was light years away from the manufactured by-the-books recreations of far too many of today's internet darlings (and they were crushing live). Pure, honest hardcore punk that sounds just as good - maybe better - this morning than it did 15 years ago. While I remember the one sided banger from '99 as their finest work, these songs are so damn good I might just spend my entire day buried in that magical lost decade...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for posting this. My Lai never got the respect they deserved. Got to see them live once with Reversal of Man and the saw kicked ass. You are right, the 12" smoked. Fuck it takes me back... Cheers mate.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much for posting this. My Lai never got the respect they deserved. Got to see them live once with Reversal of Man and the saw kicked ass. You are right, the 12" smoked. Fuck it takes me back... Cheers mate.

Anonymous said...

saw them in california with kungfu rick and cattle decapitation, also in chicago with charles bronson and hatewave. this band was absolutely a force live, and i never understood why they didn't get more known of. good to see them represented.

Justin said...

Hi,
Do you know any other the lyrics to the EP "3.16.68" please? I'm working on project about songs that deal with the My Lai Massacre and William Calley. See my blog. Thanks

Jamie said...

The first time my band played with them i was blown away. Everything i thought we did that was good or special My Lai had it and WAY more of it. They were AMAZING!
Thankfully we got to play with them a few times over the years and they always killed. It sucks more people don't know about this amazing band.