Rock & Roll Don't Come From New York

When Dale Lawrence and Billy Nightshade took over the reins of Bloomington, Indiana's Gizmos in 1978, the band became one of the earliest (and one of the best) Midwestern punk rock outfits. Taking their cues from the first wave of British punk (the Jam, Sex Pistols, especially the Vibrators), these new Gizmos combined raw energy with a classic pop sensibility. Their songs had a keen ear for melody, with lyrics that were concise and funny, equal parts youthful alienation ('Pay,' 'Tell Me Why'), regional pride ('Rock & Roll Don't Come From New York,' 'The Midwest Can Be Allright'), and reflection upon rock itself ('Progressive Rock,' 'Reggae Song'). The Gizmos force-fed the new punk sensibility to a befuddled Midwestern college town throughout 1979. Frustrated by perpetual outsider status in Indiana, they relocated to New York in 1980, recorded their most ambitious material, and broke up a year later. Cassettes of live shows circulating back in Bloomington would prove to be the group's most lasting legacy, inspiring a generation of Hoosier musicians, including future Blake Babies John Strohm and Freda Love. The somewhat rootsier tinge of the band's New York recordings foreshadowed things to come: Lawrence would go on to front the Vulgar Boatmen, whose repertoire still includes several Gizmos titles ('Heartbeat,' 'Cry Real Tears,' 'Tilt-A-Whirl'), while guitarist Tim Carroll established an alt-country presence in Nashville, penning tunes covered by the likes of John Prine and Robbie Fulks. With 25 tracks recorded from 1979 to 1981, ROCK & ROLL DON'T COME FROM NEW YORK is the first comprehensive compilation from the latter-day Gizmos. Included are highlights from their 1980 split album with Dow Jones & The Industrials, HOOSIER HYSTERIA, and many never-released favorites culled from live tapes.