The Contact High Five

Austin, Texas punkers The Contact High Five claim to have received an email from none other than Seth Putnam stating they are his favorite band. It makes sense this grind legend from AC (Anal Cunt) would make such a statement. Although TCHF displays very little elements of grind, the group’s sense of humor and brief songs are in line with Putnam’s AC.

The Texan’s 7-inch record “Thrills, Chills & Bone-Crunching Spills” contains seven tracks of dry, often grotesque humor. The title track makes light of the monster truck industry that is so rampant in America. The album cover recreates the title track’s tale of an out-of-control giant robot similar to Megasaurus or other giant, metallic beasts, making sweet love to the tail pipe of a dodge conversion van.

“School’s Out, Let’s Study,” copies the choral formula of the classic Black Flag tune “TV Party,” except this version is about drinking drug-laced tea. Vocalist Jon’s gruff voice sounds especially painful during a disgusting little ditty called “Pink Sock.” After their outrageous performance in Austin, the front man explained a “pink sock” is a prolapsed anus. Ouch!

“Thrills, Chills & Bone-Crunching Spills” is a humorous punk rock album by a band full of true entertainers. Not every one will understand or embrace The Contact High Five’s humor, but fans of rude-and-dirty 1980s punk should enjoy it, regardless of the imagery implanted into our brains of a “pink sock!”