The Parasites: Last Caress 7" (1990)

MRML's been on a bit of a Parasites jag (see HERE). After all, any band who goes from covering The Beatles to The  Misfits is right in our wheel house.

This 1990 single features the  band (then with with Ronnie Parasite on bass and Rob Goellner on drums) doing a cover of their fellow New Jersey-ite, Glen Danzig's shock-horror classic, "Last Caress" and a demo of "Fool For You" with Dave "Nikki" Parasite playing all the instruments. Whereas Metallica made the song heavier, The Parasites play up the pop to ridiculously ironic effect.

 


Hey Parasites partisans! let us know what you think of this pop-take on the 'Fits classic in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Last Caress 7" link).

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The Parasites: En Homage Aux Beatles 7" (1991)

Since MRML's last Parasites post (see HERE), I've been on a real Parasites jag. This nifty little single, which features two pop-punked-up Beatles covers and a Beatlesy original by Dave "Nikki" Parasites is great reason why you need to start your own Parasites jag!

From back sleeve:
This record is a tribute to the Beatles on the twenty-fifth anniversary of their final American tour. Paperback Writer was the Beatles last number one hit before their concert retirement. Both Paperback Writer and I Feel Fine were performed at the final Beatles concert August 29th, 1966 at San Francisco's Candlestick Park.

Tracklist
    Love Me Too     2:40    
    I Feel Fine     2:24    
    Radio Ad     0:39    
    Paperback Writer     2:49    

 

Hey Parasites partisans! Our last post on the Parasites generated 117 downloads and four comments (insert boooo here). If you appreciate this drastically under-appreciated band speak up here in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the En Homage Aux Beatles 7" link).

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The Parasites: Hang Up (1997)

The Parasites (more HERE), spent much of the nineties being recklessly prolific, sporadically brilliant and sadly marginal. The1996 single, Hang-Up did get released by big-time pop label Lookout Records (more HERE) but that never brought the band the audience it deserved. This single was another criminally neglected three-song e.p. where Dave Parasite channeled the ghosts of Joey, Dee and Johnny to create a pop music with guts.

 

Tell us what you think of the work of these here Parasites in the COMMENTS section (which is where you'll find the Hang-Up 7" link).

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Interpunk

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iTunes

Vinyl Parasites

The Parasites (see here), spent much of the nineties being recklessly prolific, sporadically brilliant and sadly marginal. Their 1996 single, Hang-Up did get released by big-time pop label Lookout Records but that never brought the band the audience it deserved. That single was another criminally neglected three-song e.p. where Dave Parasite channeled the ghosts of Joey, Dee and Johnny to create a pop music with guts.

Perhaps it's harder to build an audience when you release two tribute records in one year, one for the Beatles and one for the Misfits. But you, the audience of MRML, are too discerning a music obsessive to be anything but intrigued by such a curious juxtaposition.

Samples are here, download links are below the cover images and comments (y'know free speech) may be added at the bottom of the post.

Download Hang Up

Download Last Caress

Download En Homage aux Beatles

Parasite Time

Dave Parasite is man out of time. While Dave has lead an ever-mutating line up of the Parasites, (a California via New Jersey pop-punk band and not the thieving little organisms) for twenty years, little about the band ever changes. When Dave straps on his guitar and takes on the mike, it's Parasite Time - a little 1989, a lot of 1979 and, hell, even some 1969. Dave's contemporaries are late eighties bands bands like Sloppy Seconds and Screeching Weasel, all of whom worship the Ramones' 1979 LP Rocket to Russia but beyond that he's a classical pop song-writer who, when reaching back in time for covers, leans on such sixties tune smiths as the Beatles, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchel.

This 1992 single may still be the purest distillation of his work. Each song is a perfect shard of pop and...fuck it...just listen - it's all right here in glorious 192 kbps sound.

Download Paramania

Thanks to skutchy for the images

For further context here's an early comp they appeared on, their first album, another walloping single and and a witty and wistful band memoir that everyone who loves the spirit of D.I.Y. needs to read.

The new album is a devastating return to form and certainly the best full-length of the band's career. As an inducement to go and buy some new Parasites material, here's the sledgehammer pop of "Gonna Get You Back" from the brand-spanking-new Solitary.