Fleshies

by Johnny LoftusOakland, CA's Fleshies first launched themselves out of their dingy practice space in 1999. Banshee vocalist Johnny No Moniker led Vonny Bon Bons (bass), Mattowar (guitar), and Hamiltron (drums) into on-stage battle, leaving actual songcraft behind in favor of drunken violence and a love of loud amplifiers. While their frequent gigging didn't calm the craziness, it did focus the Fleshies' sleazy art punk enough to find some songs within the revved-up noise. Appearances on numerous compilations and split 7"s were released between gigs and tours, but a full-length wasn't available until summer 2001, when Kill the Dreamer's Dream was issued by Alternative Tentacles. A 10" picture disc for Adeline followed; naturally, both were promoted with incessant and insane live shows. In early 2003, Fleshies returned to Alternative Tentacles with The Sicilian. Nothing had changed -- typically subtle song titles like "Maelstrom of Whirling Bullshit" and "This Is the City Where All the Dirty Assholes Are Safe" proved that -- but the album provided an even tastier version of Fleshies' freaky-ass garage punk stew. Guitarist Yvan Kawecki came aboard somewhere along the way, and in early 2004, following an impressive 133 shows in 131 days, the band added a new Fleshie to their ranks, bassist Brian Plaskett, who replaced Bon Bons. An album of B-sides entitled Gung Ho! also appeared on Life Is Abuse Records before the band began work on a new record -- one that they would take their time in creating, rather than bust out in the span of a week. A year and half of being holed up in Hamiltron's Oakland studio eventually produced Scrape the Walls for Alternative Tentacles, released in June 2006.