from Dusted Magazine

Church Police were from Concord, CA in the early 80s. If you know them at all, it was probably from their appearance on Maximum Rock 'n' Roll's Not So Quiet on the Western Front hardcore compilation ("The Oven Is My Friend," covered by Sebadoh), which stares a hole right through side 4 of that collection. Looks like RRRon Lessard did a single at some point in the '90s on Stomach Ache, too. Regardless, you haven't seen those around in a while. This single collects three more tracts, unflatteringly detuned dirge caterwaulings that belie a certain melodic randomness and complexity that trained musicians would fail to accomplish. The whole thing is just so loose, low, and lost. Gothic elements can be detected in the chanting on "Gilligan's Wings" but those get pushed out of the way by psychedelia, via a wash of delay and reverb all over the tracks. Gentler than Flipper, but along those same give-a-shit vibes, and definitely of its own kind. Chromosome-damaged remembrances from the past, drooling all over today's shoulder like the big Benjy it is. Edition of 300 numbered copies, and it will go fast.

from Siltblog

As you may've gleaned from the article in the debut edition of Z-Gun magazine (out now!), San Francisco was one of the main cities to bypass the Punk-to-Hardcore formula w/a dazzling array of diverse.......well, Artpunk. If you ain't seen said article in question, well, get a copy! It cuts a broad swath but you will learn somethin, that's for sure. And we all know how Flipper broke the mold by seemin to inexplicably fuse Punk/Art/Industrial into an uncatagorizable & feral racket that is still singular to this day. For what any of us knowed, no one ever gave'em a run for their money. But little by little, it seems Church Police may've been the 'Funhouse' to Flipper's 'Raw Power' when it came to dolin out the plodding, downer-core sludge. Anyone who ever talked to that voice on the other end of the phone at Subterranean/Thermidor way back when & asked about Church Police was told 'tape's exist' & they was 'somewhere' but that's as far as it ever got. If you wrote to the address listed for'em on the MRR 'Not So Quiet' comp, them letters came back stamped 'RTS' & unopened. Then a few yrs back Stomach Ache released some stuff on a 7" from an unknown source & now this ep on Skulltones is out & it's pretty great for backin up everything I just pontificated about. Maybe it's me, but I think these guys was darker than Flipper. Could be cause I don't think they gave a shit-let's face it, 1 track on a H/C comp released 25 yrs ago ain't really the work of careerists-but could be cause I just ain't heard enough of their catalog to be sick of it yet. Church Police bring on the bum-out like Flipper only WISHED they could. When it comes to ruinin the vibe & drainin the fun, these guy's do it w/the elan of early Kilslug & any band that had Bobby Soxx as a member. Not sure how Skulltones got the call to do this, but here's hopin they's up to doin more. http://www.skulltones.com/

from Apples and Heroin

Speaking of old punkers, Skulltones just released a Church Police 7" with unreleased demos of a surprisingly good fidelity. The band is situated somewhere between Circle X and Flipper on the hardcore spectrum and their songs exploit the horrific monotony of everyday life. Their "Oven is my Friend" cut for the first Maximum Rock'n'Roll comp still inspires goons worldwide to end their lives because they will never create something of such a raggedly beautiful ilk. The thuggish ass blaster is in a limited edition of 300.

from Marble Stature

I picked up an sneak-peak copy of this, the latest release from one of my favorite new labels Skulltones. Now, I got this after Rusted Shut played, so I am pretty amazed that this was still playable after the Pissed Jeans' incited beer-showers, dudes with rat tails and moustaches moshing outside of the ring and the occasional drunk "I can't believe that your here too!" hug, BUT IT DID! I had no idea what it would sound like so I put it on Sunday morning while Meghan was in the shower (I was in the doghouse that morning after stumbling up the stair piss drunk at 3am, clutching on to a beer-soaked 7" like my life depended on it, so the last thing I wanted to do is be caught listening to what could've potentially been a black turd pressed to vinyl). I was really pleased with what I heard, soaring one-note lead guitar leading the slowly descending punk jam- sounding like something off of Slanted and Enchanted, but undoubtedly one of the many sounds that inspired the landmark album. The most obvious comparison would probably be Flipper, but I think that they're more in the company of The Puddle. After a bit of searching I found out that these guys have another EP that was put out on RRRecords but I have yet to track it down, but give me some time and you can bet your two cents that it'l end up in my bins eventually. This is a usual Skulltones editon of 300, I'd say to move quick, but it'll sell out even if this ain't your bag, what's a recommendation anyways?