Teenage Jesus and the Jerks October 8, 2009

TEENAGE JESUS AND THE JERKS (10/8) - Lydia Lunch was baptized as a confrontationist when at the age of 16 she formed the radical No Wave "anti-everything" Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Beyond minimalism and atonality into what Lunch proudly called "aural terror"; the band cranked up a musical death knell over which she tortured her guitar, screaming lyrics of fear, pain and horror.

The most radical of the four groups showcased in 1978 by Brian Eno's production of the seminal recording "No New York" which also featured Mars, The Contortions and DNA, Teenage Jesus created a stark and brutal dissonance which would inspire the next wave of noise outfits such as Swans and Sonic Youth.

The raging urgency which defined the music's brutal vision is the subject of Byron Coley and Thurston Moore's recent book "No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York. 1976-1980." It was under Thurston's urging that Teenage Jesus reformed to celebrate its release. With Thurston on bass, Lydia on guitar, and original bass player, now drummer Jim Sclavunos (Grinderman, Bad Seeds) as the re-animated trio, Teenage Jesus thrashed New York City's Knitting Factory in June 2008 creating a horrendous ruckus of glorious din and repeating this outrage at their follow up appearance at All Tomorrow's Parties December 2008.

Atavistic Records lent assist in spreading the aural assault with the recent release of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks' "Shut Up and Bleed," a retrospective of the collected releases and rare live recordings from No Wave's original noise terrorists.

October 2009 sees the latest mutation of what Lydia refers to as the No Wave "Retro-Virus." The corpse of Teenage Jesus will be resuscitated, kicking and screaming in a final hideous death knell, before it is buried back underground. Special guest Algis Kizys on bass (Swans, Glenn Branca, Foetus) will join Lydia and Jim Sclavunos, assuring that the last incarnation of Teenage Jesus will indeed be the most brutal.

With the airwaves filled with watered down rock-stars - their controversy used merely as a commodity, silly females in leotards singing bad rehashed disco, lousy dumbed-down rap and the atmosphere of political chaos the timing has never been more apt to re-animate Teenage Jesus and Jerks.

Official Website: http://www.slims-sf.com/UpComingShows.shtml