This is an auction for a set of 2 NEW never played, music cassettes on the Toxic Shock label for fans of american alternative rock from the northwest and Iowa
First up, is HOUSE OF LARGE SIZES "heat miser" , from Iowa power trio, who sound like a Midwest crossbreed of PIXIES and the Minutemen
Next HULLABALOO. "Beat until Stiff" a great Boston area pig f#ck band
On Toxic Shock records.
Hullabaloo was a grungy, loud, tuneless, f#cked up and yet one of the greatest of all bands on Musical Tragedies/Toxic Shock. They existed for years in many configurations, but their trademark blaring trumpets, overly distorted guitar and gruff vocals remained intact through all their incarnations. Always controversial, it seems as if every release they did in some way was insulting to someone and got us in trouble, either with their cover art or musically. Their home base was Boston, but they toured extensively through the USA, shared stages with NIRVANA. Cows and others of the "grunge" generation. The sound should appeal to fans of The Butthole Surfers. Certainly a cool item and a must for any US outsider/grunge/hardcore fan.
Leftover stock from the infamous punk store TOXIC SHOCK. Be on the lookout for the autobiography book Assassin of Mediocrity,a Story of Love, Loss and Loud Music by Bill Sassenberger. loaded with tons of rare photos, flyers and illustrations. Coming to better book and record stores near you!
Bill Sassenberger opened his first Toxic Shock record store in Pomona, CA in 1980. He specialized in underground punk records from independent labels. He expanded to mail-order soon after by advertising in music magazines. In 1983, he and wife Julianna Towns released Noise from Nowhere, a 7", 33rpm EP featuring four local underground punk bands: Kent State, Modern Industry, Manson Youth and their own band Moslem Birth (whose name was a parody of Christian Death). Noise from Nowhere featured cover art by Pushead. With this release, Toxic Shock Records was born.
Singles from Modern Industry, Peace Corpse (the renamed Moslem Birth) Massacre Guys, Red Tide, and much later Seattle's Skin Yard followed, as well as albums by Italian punkers Raw Power, Decry, Stupids, Corrosion of Conformity, th'Inbred and the Dayglo Abortions. In 1988 Bill and Julianna moved the label and the store to Tucson, AZ. From Tucson, they released albums by Hickoids, Hullabaloo, House of Large Sizes, Jesus Chrysler, Sloppy Seconds and Treepeople.
They also re-established the Noise from Nowhere' 7" EP as a series. Noise from Nowhere Vol. 2, released in 1989, featured cover songs performed by label bands Hullabaloo(Highway Star), Hickoids (Green Acres), House of Large Sizes (Half-Breed) and Sloppy Seconds (Candy Man). Eight more Noise from Nowhere volumes would follow, featuring label bands as well as one-off recordings by other up-and-coming bands, including a rare split single by /Gods Acre and Green Magnet School. Noise from Nowhere Vol. 10 was the last record released under the Toxic Shock imprint featuring, appropriately, four underground local Tucson bands.
They released a few more CD's under a new name -- Westworld -- including the Fells, Rhythm Pigs and Feast Upon cactus Thorns. plus the Decade of Disaster compilation chronicling the Toxic Shock years,but soon reverted their energy back into running the record store specializing in obscure, underground music, now renamed "Toxic Ranch Records since the move to Arizona..
Some bands that played Toxic ranch in-stores over the years include Alice Donut, Calexico, My Dad is Dead, Alice Bag, Andrew Jackson Jihad, F#ckemos, Hickoids, My Dad is Dead, Supernova, RAMBO, Doo Rag. the Fells, Feast Upon cactus Thorns, Grandaddy, Millencolin, Sex Prisonor, Lenguas Largas, Resonars, Smears, Swing Ding Amigos, Pork Torta, Drags, Bar Feeders, and many m