Circle X
(Insolito) LP $21.00
Formed 1978 in New York, Louisville’s first punk rock band was born out of the ashes of No Fun and the I-Holes. Once the lineup solidified, Circle X lunged headfirst into weirder, artier territory. Unique, mysterious, and unheralded, they went to France for nine months to tour, write new material, and get noticed. An untitled four-song EP saw the light of day in 1979 -- a lurching, squalling monster identified only by a spray-painted circle with an "X" through it on the cover (the spelled-out name first appeared in '83). Tony Pinotti's vocals screech against Bruce Witsiepe and David and Rik Letendre's bass-less, barely contained distorto-blare. The hatred and rage on this thing is palpable. They arrived in New York at the tail end of No Wave, when equally ornery bands like Swans and Sonic Youth were getting revved up. Circle X are every bit as distinctive and attitudinal as Throbbing Gristle, PiL, Theoretical Girls, DNA, or Mars, yet they don't much sound like any of them. Limited to 500 copies, 180-gram vinyl, tip-on jackets, liner notes.