The Atomic Brains 7” EP
(Blahll! Records)

The great thing about the Jackson punk scene is that, as bands may come and go, many leave behind recorded output of their music that serves as a document of our fair city’s scene. Just throw on the Workin’ Muthas LP and you’ll be taken back to the ‘80s heyday of W.C. Don’s. Give The Comas’ Anything For Kicks EP a spin and recall the house shows and fly-by-night gigs that characterized the Jackson of the late ‘90s, when few bands had steady places to play. Listen to Ed Nasty and the Dopeds’ 1977 “You Sucker” 7” and realize that Jackson was a punk rock town even when punk was in its infancy.

So enter the Atomic Brains’ self-titled 7” EP on the local Blahll! Records imprint, sure to serve as a fond reminder of sweaty nights spent in the packed back room (or is it the front?) of Martin’s Lounge. All the members of the Brains have served time in other punk rock outfits – bassist Daniel Welch and guitarist Lindley McKellar fronted The Raw Deals (whose only recorded output, sadly, was a demo CD); guitarist Jason Sickle was a founding member of The Eunuchs (who put out two 7” records on his own Blahll! imprint, and an LP on a Illinois label); and drummer Woody Conwill also plays drums in John Black Attack (who have released a slew of homebrew recordings).

The Brains’ sound is classic Jackson punk – no frills, amped-up rock ‘n’ roll. The four songs on the EP represent the diverse styles of the bands’ three principal songwriters – there’s the angry, in-your-face punk of Welch’s songs (“Chains” and “Chump”), the subdued, Supercharger-style rock of McKellar (“Don’t Wanna Be Friends”) and the Nuggets-influenced ‘60s-style rock of Sickle (“You’re Goin’ Down”).

Unfortunately, in the true transitory fashion of Jackson punk, the Brains experienced a lineup shakeup in the time between recording this record and its release – Conwill quit the band, and Welch left soonafter (he can be seen slingin’ the bass for the Tuff Luvs). Sickle and McKellar soldier on as the Atomic Brains, with a new drummer and promise to return to local clubs soon with a vengeance. Nonetheless, Jackson rockers owe it to themselves to pick up a copy of this record to have a lasting memory of all those hazy, smoky, beer-soaked nights in Jackson spent rocking out to the Brains.
( Three and a half out of five stars)

Appeared in the now defunct Planet Weekly publication