Jed Whitey - 'Mongoloid Cage Match'

[Kevin]

Band: Jed Whitey
Album: Mongoloid Cage Match
Format: CD
Label: High Beam
Time: 28 Minutes
Year: 2002
Track list:

Are you Ready to Hate Us?
My Own Private Altamont
I’m OK – You’re Fucked
The Butler Did It
One Trick Pony
I Am Spasticus
Yes? No!
Uncontrollable Urge
My Band’s Better than Your Band
We Used Your Record as a Beer Coaster

Label Site and Cover Photo: www.highbeammusic.com/

Jed Whitey remind me of the kid that always stole everyone’s lunch money in school, then ran into a tree while looking over his shoulder for the principal. Their music hovers around the year 1980, give or take a few years, and is loaded with sneering punk attitude, 70s groove, and enough of that Ramonesy smart/dumb thing to keep you grinning.

Hailing from Perth, Australia and formed in 1998, Jed Whitey’s work has gone from a more downtuned stoner groove on their earlier work ca. the ‘Alrighty’ EP to a more up-tempo, late 70s/early 80s punked-out flava on ‘Mongoloid Cage Match.’ This smooth – yet perceptible – evolution has been made possible, I suspect, by an increase in musical ability coupled with more money for recording costs. ‘Mongoloid’ starts off with ‘Are you Ready to Hate Us?” which gives you a taste of what they’re all about: a late 70s Ramones feel, melodic vocals, and a ripping guitar solo. All their tunes are full of hilarious lyrics, too many to mention, really. You’ll just have to get the disc to hear what I’m talking about. ‘One Trick Pony’ sounds like nothing so much as ‘Two-Tub Man’ off of the immortal ‘Go Girl Crazy’ by the Dictators, from 1975. And check out their punked-out cover of the fantastic ‘Uncontrollable Urge,’ off another 70s must-have, Devo’s first album. There’s also a strong Bon-era AD/DC feel to the album, particularly in the vocals. ‘I’m OK – You’re Fucked’ is a prime example.

Jed Whitey are not out to push musical boundaries. They’re content to mix up the smart/dumb sleazebag thud of the Dictators, Ramones, or Angry Samoans with a dash of early 70s underground bands such as ‘What a Bunch of Sweeties’ era Pink Fairies and some AC/DC rawkin’. If you like your music heavy on the energy and with enough nudge-nudge pissed-off attitude to irritate everyone but you, then Jed’s got just the treat for ya.

Kevin McHugh

[FGM]

"Jed Whitey remind me of the kid that always stole everyone’s lunch money in school, then ran into a tree while looking over his shoulder for the principal." Man you crack me up Kevin. Such a cool way to describe Jed Whitey. ;D

[Kevin]

;D

[Jeb]

BEAT MAGAZINE
By Dieter Kraus

Wondering who will be the next band to save rock? Dont care about the hype? Looking for something to air-guitar to with party sentiment? Then Jed Whitey may have something to consider. Home grown talent with a live reputation to back up this their latest release. Guitar franticness sets the tone early on with an unaviodable appeal. There are distinct traces of Ac/Dc meets Radio Birdman on the tracks My Private Altamont and I`m OK- You`re Fucked . There is also a light weight comic feel to much of this recording but it is delivered with power and conviction. In a current atmosphere of seriousness in rock it`s a refreshing sentiment to have the tunes to back up the party intention. I Am Spasticus continues the guitar lead frenzy with chant along vocal styling and sharp rifforama. High paced punk old school flavour comes on strong with Yes? No! . All is tight and high action through-out this release. Last two tracks deal out the sarcasim with comic intent and frenzy. There is much in the gag value but the fact remains that the songs maintain an appeal of their own as well. The band is able to bring a smile to the listener, that compliments the scissors kicks and general banananess.

[Jeb]

I94 Bar
By The Barman

It's loud and dirty and bombastic and childish and I love it.
"Mongoloid Cage Match" - in its unmastered, pre-release form - lobbed in the Bar about a year before its official release and it's been a constant favourite on the shitty car sound system. Now its mastered version is here and it's bouncing out of the proper sound system speakers like foam out of an epileptic's mouth midway through a really bad attack. Few local bands (these guys are from Perth) have managed such a high-energy, in-your-face, full-length debut.
Musically, Jed Whitey manage to mix in the best bits of speed metal, hardcore, punk and Detroit and produce a riff-packed package of laugh-a-minute, guitar gross-out. The lyrical themes consciously border on silliness but the playing is top shelf with the rhythm section in particular deserving mention.
"Cage Match" is packed with the sort of offhanded insults that a younger Leyton Hewitt used to bandy about to occasionally upset the country's disabled population ("I Am Spasticus"). Alternating between cocky bragging ("My Band is Better Than Your Band") or fuck you put-downs (the 20-second long "The Butler Did It" - an inspired piece of anti-hippy commentary) this truly is an album with something to upset everyone. Ultimately, though, they're taking the piss out of themselves, as only great bands can. And their cover of Devo's "Uncontrollable Urge" fits better than you might expect.
It's not isolated from the style of vulgarity that the Hard Ons used to peddle (and it's fitting, then, that Ray Ahn should contribute the cover art.) You don't like it? These guys undoubtedly give as much of a flying fuck as the Hard Ons did when the mainstream music press called them sexist yobbos - proof that Perth and Punchbowl are not far apart. For mine, though, where some Hard Ons long players were fleshed out with filler (and the boys flirted a little too closely with h*avy m*tal), the energy levels of the Whiteys never slacken. Production leaves 'em for dead, too.
This is a disc that deserves a wider audience. Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke.