For fans of Bum Kon (named after Korean mass murderer Woo Bum Kon), one of the best hardcore bands in the early '80s, it is time to rejoice. 25 years after this Denver based band recorded their only single, Drunken Sex Sucks (released by Local Anesthetic and recorded by Bob Ferbache), the best hardcore record from '83 that was never released can finally see the light of day. Now, instead of spending $150 on eBay for this sought out single, fans can finally listen to these songs and twenty more unreleased gems for a fraction of the price. And it's safe to say that some of the tracks that did not make the single are arguably better than the ones that did.
For those of you unfamiliar with Bum Kon, the band was central to everything punk and hardcore in Colorado in the early '80s. Whether it was at Kennedy's Warehouse, the Mercury Cafι, the Grange in Fort Collins or any number of clubs, gay bars, garages, warehouses or cramped houses, Bum Kon rocked with total abandon. Larry Denning (RIP), Erik Oberhausen, Mark Thorpe and Bob McDonald were full of that loose, dirty energy of the '80s - the kind of energy that could rule any scene, anywhere, at anytime.
Bum Kon earned respect in the Colorado punk scene quickly, and went on to share the stage with Motorhead, Swans, Butthole Surfers, and TSOL. Known for their intense, amazingly energetic performances, they've been compared to legends like Circle Jerks and MDC.
Released this past April, Drunken Sex Sucks continues to embrace subculture and laugh it off at the same time, even after years of silence. Running down a list of songs that touches on everything from rebellion ("This is Art" and "Locked Away"), the clichι ("Nancy Reagan Fashion Show" and "Reagan Sucks") and tongue in cheek obscenities ("Drunken Sex Sucks" and "Gay Rodeo"), Bum Kon's legacy wasn't out of self-importance or to show off the band's less than fashionable zip code, but simply to rock as hard as they possibly could every time out.
They were smart, they were quick, they could play very well and they meant it, but Bum Kon wasn't destined to become hardcore legends like early Black Flag, Circle Jerks, MDC or D.O.A. Instead, they've become immortalized punk youth few outside of Denver knew about the ones that got away.
Track Listing
1. Giving In
2. Drunken Sex Sucks
3. The Draft
4. Fighting Yourself
5.Nancy Reagan Fashion Show
6. Forced Away
7. Visions of Hate
8. I See
9. Wasted Mind
10. Slow Death
11. This is Art
12. Old Woman
13. Questions
14. Reagan sucks
15. Locked Away
16. Go Die
17. Signals in my head
18. Better than you
19. Bum Kon
20. Gay Rodeo
21. Giving In
22. This is Art
23. Better than you
24. Gay Rodeo
25. Visions of Hate