It’s another Throwback Thursday and this time we have Stanley. Maybe you’ve never heard of them and maybe you have but regardless, New York City stalwarts Stanley were relentless. Whether the band was playing for 5 people or 500, they always gave a strong and hearty performance. The group’s first album Clobbered (Triple Crown Records but the band doesn’t even warrant a mention on its site) was well received and mirrored the group live. You don’t know what you’re going to get from that first track, the lone guitar opening “Redeem Your Weathered Soul” sets the tone and shifts dynamics with a reckoning as explosive as the next coming. This is where they would suck many fans in. Phil Doucet’s guitar was augmented by cacophonous rhythm section made up of bassist David Kramer and maniacal drummer Mark Levy.  Other tracks like “Fat,” and “Spreader” would capitalize on Doucet’s gritty hollered vocals but the group was more than just dissonance and howled vocals. “Cal Jammers” fucked you up when after the initial barrage, the members got a little more melodic but then burst back into pummeling your eardrums.

The band explored things a little bit more with the follow-up The Decorator (Triple Crown Records) but received very little, if any promotion. I think I got a hold of a copy back in ’97 but that’s my best guess. The band varied things up from hard-edged tracks like the title track that slowly beat you into submission, into heavy rock influenced jams like “Answer Me” and “Shovelhead,” but the band struck gold with “Queen Of Heat Transfer.” The band’s love of 70s rock and melody filled speakers here with this one. Kick out the motherfucking jams because when the needle dropped on that track I was nothing more than a dancing fool. You probably won’t find this one anywhere unless someone uploads it like Clobbered.  Ideas…

But currently you can find Phil Doucet playing in Hy Irons and Mark Levy beating those skins in Ranges, both bands very different from their earlier rooted works.