Few things spark nostalgia in me like a good compilation tape/CD/LP. Technological advancements in regards to music consumption peaked with the advent of the punk comp, and you’ll never be able to convince me otherwise. The Cat That Wouldn’t Die is an ambitious project that looks, feels, and (sometimes) sounds like these treasured collections of our youths, but is also tailored for those of us whose parameters for classifying something as punk have widened to the point of almost being unrecognizable. If you randomly select a track off of here, chances are it’s not going to scream punk to you (though it does have its fair share of straight forward rippers, like those offerings from The Obsessions and 100KICKS). Dissecting microgenres of music always feels cringey, but there are all sorts of freaky branches of the punk rock tree represented here. In the case of this release, there are branches that fell off, got infected with spores of some unclassified fungi, and became something entirely novel. Meaning, some of the shit on here is WEIRD (looking at you, Malgrupp and Sekuu). One moment you might be listening to hardcore, then lounge music, spoken word, hip-hop, and the next you’re hearing what sounds like someone slowly letting air out of a balloon. This probably reads like a knock, but it isn’t. I loved every minute of this monster.
Forty-five artists (admittedly, none of whom I had previously heard of) from thirteen different countries playing such different styles of music could be a case of biting off more than you can chew in lesser hands, but TCTWD is executed so well that it pulls it off. A couple of things make it easy to navigate and enjoy. First of all, it was released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the regionally legendary The Dog That Wouldn’t Die cassette only comp that contained tons of Texas punk/industrial bands from the early ‘80s, including PainTeens, My Dolls, Culturcide, and many more. Cool backstory, interest piqued. Next, all the songs included are (give or take a few seconds) two minutes long. Bite sized, making it easy to consume large quantities. Also, it comes with a full-sized book. Each band was given a full 12” x 12” page to submit along with their song, resulting in a nice, tactile roadmap accompaniment to the music. It was also put out by C.I.A. Records, which is run by Bob Weber, drummer of early ‘80s Houston punk legends, Really Red. I have such a soft spot in my heart for progressive, confrontational Texas punk bands from this era like Big Boys, The Dicks, MDC, and the aforementioned Really Red, so this added detail makes it all the more enticing.
Being a double LP (both transparent, one green and one orange), huge book, and cool artwork puts it among my favorite additions of the year. It also lends itself to repeated listens, as there’s so much art here to unpack. Maybe you’re a busy adult like me who has limited time to unpack art, but TCTWD is a nice reminder that making the effort to spend time with a release like this really is worth your time. I don’t want to give too much away, but instead encourage you to experience it mostly blind the way I did. The more we can listen to music like the internet doesn’t exist, the better. Highly recommended.
Zach Nellis-Tessmer