Janitor Joe...

While I am a fan of a lot the bands that graced the AmRep roster over the years, Janitor Joe is pretty high on that list as one my favorites. Their debut album Big Metal Birds, released on AmRep back in 1993, absolutely floored me when I first heard it. Immediately upon hearing that first blast of distortion on “Early Retirement” I knew I was about to hear something completely raw and unrestrained, it was like a warning shot. I however didn’t take cover and had 13 tracks rip through my eardrums like a fucking buzzsaw. I definitely don’t regret it.

While Janitor Joe fits snugly in with the whole noise-rock deal, one thing that I loved about them was that their music was much more, for a lack of a better description, “rock ‘n roll”. It was completely filled with energy and an overall vibe that just felt down right rowdy. While they were no strangers to distortion and squealing guitars, they also had a very catchy side to them that really caught my attention as well. They were maybe not one of the more popular choices on the roster, but definitely one of the best in my opinion.

Big Metal Birds:
Janitor Joe – Limited Edition [MP3]
Janitor Joe – Big Metal Birds [MP3]
Janitor Joe – Head [MP3]

Bullethead 7”:
Janitor Joe – Bullethead [MP3]
Janitor Joe – KCL [MP3]

Sadly the band came to an end in 1994 after bassist Kristen Pfaff passed away due to an alleged heroin overdose. The music that the band left behind is no doubt in my mind some of the best material to be released on AmRep. I do highly suggest picking up any of their releases that may be had over at Amazon or wherever else people see fit.