Pitchfork

If I was old enough to say so, I would say that I miss the days when bands like the Birthday Party were around with their splintering, sacrilegious chants, some sadomasochism here and there, turning angels into scarier-than-Satan demons. That kind of passion and commitment to darkness and mindfucking, particularly when compressed into a relatively short band life, deserves some kind of tribute. If it were possible for Rhino Records to outshine all those Monkees compilations they've given the world, I'm sure they would step up to the plate.

Thankfully, that won't be necessary. On April 4, Release the Bats: The Birthday Party as Heard Through the Meat Grinder of Three One G will be available from - you guessed it - Three One G Records. Nick Cave's early-80s band will be covered by Rah Bras, Numbers, Some Girls, The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower, Ex Models, and many others on the compilation.

Quoth the press release: "On this compilation you can hear your favorite bands recreating, or maybe just butchering, your favorite Birthday Party songs." They said it, not us!

The album will feature artwork by former Mark McCoy of Charles Bronson/Holy Molar/The Oath and will also be available on limited edition colored vinyl.

Release the tracklist:

01 The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower - "Pleasure Heads Must Burn"
02 Das Oath - "Friend Catcher"
03 T Cells - "Deep in the Woods"
04 Cattle Decapitation - "Sonny's Burning"
05 Year Future - "Blundertown"
06 SSION - "Nick the Stripper"
07 Ex Models - "Mutiny in Heaven"
08 Les Georges Leningrad - "Riddle House"
09 Rah Bras - "Mr. Clarinet"
10 Melt-Banana - "Faint Heart"
11 Chinese Stars - "The Plague"
12 Celebration - "King Ink"
13 Kill Me Tomorrow - "Junk Yard"
14 Get Hustle - "A Dead Song"
15 Numbers - "Cry"
16 Error - "Wild World"
17 Daughters - "Marry Me (Lie Lie)"
18 Some Girls - "Release the Bats"

* Three One G: www.threeoneg.com