Drive Like Jehu

Yank Crime (1994)

Jeremy Rogers

In college, there was this kid, Mike, who lived down the hall from my girlfriend. We were into similar music, so we started hanging out, going to shows, etc. But unlike anyone I knew (or have known, for that matter), he completely scrapped his entire CD collection everytime he ventured into a new genre of the ever-expanding punk universe. He had every CD having anything to do with FACE TO FACE one week and then the entire Dischord catalogue the next. Yeah, kind of wierd, but whatever.

Anyway, everytime his collection made the old switcheroo, there were two constants: his JAWBREAKER cd's and DRIVE LIKE JEHU's 'Yank Crime.' I never forgot that.

I finally picked up my own copy a couple years later and began to fully understand why it was imperative that that particular cd (along with the JAWBREAKER, of course) be present in every incarnation of his collection.

These are the best nine songs of pure post-everything noise-rock EVER. Think FUGAZI with less groove or maybe a lo-fi, punk-bred TOOL. But more guitars, talked/yelled/screamed vocals, even more guitars, lots of the quiet/loud dynamic, some feedback, and nine minute songs. Yes, nine minute songs.

My favorite tracks would have to include 'Here Come the Rome Plows' with it's seriously evil sounding intro bass and siren attack guitars. And the instrumental 'New Intro,' a slow, dirge of a song, with it's nearly clean-toned, two guitar interplay. And it's follow-up 'New Math' is just fucking awesome, the band at it's most rocking.

A great, if not completely original, vocal delivery, HUGE, noisy guitars, cool time signature/rhythmic change-ups, and some great bass/drums interplay make this a fucking brilliant cd.

The 7 inch on Merge is equally amazing.

Oh yeah, this band had some famous people in it, but that doesn't matter.