I've mentioned before that I borrowed an unlabeled mix tape off of a co-worker of mine when I was an intern. I found so, so many bands from that one tape. Some I'd heard of, many I hadn't. I couple I just didn't get into, but others I just loved.
One of the ones I loved was Infra-Riot, based on this one song, Catch-22.
Trouble on the streets means trouble in the home. Trouble in the home means there is no where to go.
Short and angry and awesome. It sounds like The Stiff Little Fingers crossed with Sham 69 fronted by Mick Jones.
Here I am twenty years on, and it's still a chore finding their stuff. I've found a full album video, which is excellent:
But for a long, long time I almost felt like I was imagining this band. Couldn't find them. Record store owners didn't recognize the name (clearly, I went to the wrong places.) The one that did didn't have any (The Record Exchange). Years later I found a mention of them in a punk-related book and thought, "Yes, I'm not crazy! That guy wasn't just humoring me!" Then I found "Emergency" and "Catch-22" again, finally.
But it was Catch-22 that grabbed me.*
* Probably didn't hurt that I love punk and loved the Joseph Heller novel. It's why I know what Callypigian means.
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