Bum Kon: Drunken Sex Sucks

Bum Kon were an early ’80s punk/hardcore band in Denver who named themselves after a Korean mass murderer. Very punk rock. Apparently the band released full albums in ’83 and ’86 (so out of print they aren’t even listed at allmusic.com), with the Drunken Sex Sucks 7″ in between. That single included five songs, but this release collects the full recording session, 20 songs in all plus five alternate takes of the songs that made the 7″.

Musically, it’s about what you expect from early ’80s punk. Maybe a little better. A vocalist who mostly shouts his way through the songs, but occasionally attempts to sing a melody. A drummer who sloppily beats the hell out of his snare drum but manages to keep time pretty well. The guitar and bass lock in together most of the time, though, and come up with some pretty cool riffs and leads. Lyrically, the topics range from the title track to “Gay Rodeo” to “Reagan Sucks”. It’s nothing particularly insightful, but if you have a hankering for Black Flag-esque punk that’s more silly than angry, Drunken Sex Sucks might be worth a look.