Flux of Pink Indians were probably one of the most ignored punk bands in history. They released countless albums during the 1980s and were hugely responsible for the continuation and growth of both hardcore punk and Oi!, yet receive nearly no recognition. Strive to Survive was their first full length and stands as the most accurate portrayal of this weirdly intriguing band.

Their name most likely turned off legions of punk followers, not really because it comes across as homosexual, but because it just sounds -nothing- like a punk band's name. Despite that, this band was probably more punk than half the bands they shared their scene with in England during the 1980s.

Seconds into Strive to Survive you'll notice striking similarities to numerous bands, most of which came after this group had already disbanded. Most importantly, Operation Ivy shares a lot in common with this band (well, except there's no elements of ska, but you can see where it could easily be placed in with the music and be pulled off), mostly because of the vocals and the bad recording quality. They also sound quite like The Business and Reagan Youth (both of which formed around the same time as this band), making Strive to Survive a pretty interesting listen.

All of the tracks on this album are classic examples of 80's punk rock, so it's hard to pick the best. "T.V. Dinners" is as great a march song as they come, however, and "Charity Hilarity" stands out as being one of the best tracks this band has to offer. The rest of the album really rings of the same tune, but that was okay during punk's hayday because it never sounded rehashed or forced. Even if it was forced, the band did a great job of concealing it -- and Strive to Survive is one of the 15 best punk albums of all time because of that.

[This album is long out of print, but it was re-released in 2000 by some small label. I don't know how you can get it, but if you're a true punk fan you'll find a way. Hell, I doubt the band would even care if you downloaded it or stole it, so go try either. And once you do, sit back and enjoy the riot.]