The Walrus - Music With Big Fuckin' Teeth!

05/02/2008

80's Power-Poppers: 'The Trend' Never Caught On

Daddy's clothes are totally Trend-y.

The Trend were a three-piece power-pop group from Syracuse, NY. Much like The Undertones, Gary Valentine, and The Ramones before them - this band of punk rock pranksters didn't take subject matter too seriously.

The fact that they recorded all of their music while still in high school, explains their adorably amateur repertoire. Tracks like "Band Aid" leave nothing to the imagination. It's about (you guessed it) searching to find a band-aid for a bloody wound. Fascinating.

"Electric Chair" features comedic nihilism similar to that of The Ramones. Lead vocals crack with charming pre-pubescence: "I'm gonna fry in the electric chair, I haven't even became a man yet!" It's not lame – it's teenage and it's punk. The difference here is it’s DIY ethic and care-free honesty.

"She's Hi-Fi" delightfully likens the idea of high-quality sound reproduction to someone who has "got the face a women and the brain of a girl!”

Seriously, these songs deliver pure pop satisfaction. The Trend's material is super rare to find, aside from Italy's Hate Records re-issues and a couple tracks on the Numero's top-notch Yellow Pills compilation, which you can buy from them directly.

Big thanks to Break My Face for the great info about The Trend!