Patty Duke Fanzine #4/Various

This has been a fun series of releases, with consistently nice packaging (the records come with the zines), and prior bands including Buck, Rose Melberg, the Gore Gore Girls, and Gaze. While I like the concept of bands covering Patty Duke songs to go with the fanzine, I don't really dig the electronic wanking direction the songs take on this release. Teenbeat impresario and former Unrest front-man Mark Robinson seems to grow weirder with age, Panicsville does some distorted drum machine number, and the Delta Waves do a computer man vocal thing that is not very listenable. Steward has a more upbeat drum machine beat, but they're also dicking around with computer vocals to annoying effect. The W-Vibe take two-and-a-half minutes to get the song started, with Mr. Roboto chirping in again. Once they do start, there is a nice airy soundscape. Frankie & the S.E.M.M. contribute two-and-a-half minutes of abrasive channel and frequency switching. Picture the beginning of WKRP in Cincinnati but with harsher noise and no Loni Anderson after it’s done. I would hardly call myself a Patty Duke purist, but these are a little far past recognisable.