Saturday, September 15, 2007

Logo #45: The Contractions

A power punk trio from the San Francisco of 1979, The Contractions recently reunited to observe the passing of Dirk Dirksen (August 25, 1937 – November 20, 2006), former operator of avant San Francisco venue Mabuhay Gardens and the "Pope of Punk." I wonder if he's hanging out with Esther Wong (August 13, 1917 - August 14, 2005), former operator of weird Los Angeles club Madame Wong's and the "Godmother of Punk". Contractions apostrophe logo: Mary Kelley, singing guitarist, 1979. I realize that the logo is an excerpt from a larger image. I just contracted it. Contractions bassist and singer Kathy Peck founded H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers), which helps musicians who didn't think to use earplugs and are now dancing in their heads to the grim soundtrack of tinnitus, forever and ever. She blew her hearing out when The Contractions opened for Duran Duran at the Oakland Coliseum in 1984 - but where's the high end on "Friends of Mine"? I can understand when the girl says YOW! at the end of "Hungry Like The Wolf," but sheesh. The Contractions have one of the best band names ever, and one of the simplest and most effective - if almost satanically underutilized - logos ever. That H.E.A.R. needs and rightly deserves the support of anyone who has ever played music is the most massive understatement since "Water is wet." Currently they're looking for a manager. I'd so totally do it if I weren't already consumed with all my schemes to improve the world. Hey, I paused "Twilight Zone" by Golden Earring just so I could hear what they sounded like. They're good!

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