Hickey - Hickey (1995 - 320kbps)

Hickey was a great punk band from San Francisco by way of Florida. I could probably write columns about Hickey, their history & adventures, personal anecdotes from their many live performances, the bittersweet tale of Matty Luv...but I think as with all great musick, the songs themselves speak more eloquently & more succinctly than can any words.

Suffice it to say that the first time I met Matty & drummer Aesop Dekker, they were still the F’Boyz (the F stands for Fuck). They were playing a party on the rooftop stage at the Dinuba Embassy in San Jose,CA. Even though it was some years prior to the Naked Cult of Hickey, they were indeed, as often, naked (well, actually Matty had a rubber chicken hanging from his schlong, but it was Halloween). When the F’Boyz folded, Hickey followed quickly in their wake adding Chubby on bass (formerly in Schleprock).

Hickey (mostly self-) released many 7“ers during their three-year lifespan, but it is this full-length album that really captures the essence of their musick for me. Aaron Muentz of Probe ‘zine was a fan & friend of Hickey’s & released their album on his own Probe Records label. There are11 songs in a brief 37 minutes. The first side is ten of these tunes in just over thirteen minutes. Then the second side is one 24 minute song encapsulating the history of the world.

Interpunk says about the band, “Hickey was a band, a political movement, a naked cult, & an uncomfortable force to be reckoned with. They were only here for a little less than three years but the mark they left on the San Francisco bay area & DIY punk scenes in general can still be felt. The UCLA Daily Bruin placed Hickey right along side such diverse bands as Nirvana, Radiohead, U2, They Might Be Giants, & Wesley Willis as the greatest artists of the 90's.”

Matty Luv died in October, 2002. There is a great memorial site with all kinds of information, guest comments, artwork & much of their (as well as F’Boyz & other associated bands) musick available here.

Aesop currently plays drums with Ludicra & Agalloch. He also does the fantastic blog Cosmic Hearse.

Year of Release: 1995
Label: Probe Records 05
Genre: Punk

Tracklist:
Side A -
Believe
40oz of Bad Karma
Basic Tips for Squirrel Hunting Success
Sean's Mohawk
California Redemption
Her Prosthetic Hands
Stupid Sun
War of the Supereogs
Treadle of the Loom
Sleepin' Cowboy (not listed on record label)
Side B -
In the Beginning

Download: Hickey - Hickey
Download Size: 85.3MB (ripped from vinyl at 320Kbps)