RED THREAD - 2 Tapes - 2006

    When it came time to write about this rad Boston band, I realized that I didn't know too much about them. Rather than write down some half-assed stuff about how great this band was, I decided to track down my first (and hopefully not last) guest writer for this blog and get their thoughts on the band instead. My friend, Terry sings for the completely unfuckwithable FOREIGN OBJECTS and happens to be bandmates with an ex-member of RED THREAD. I took a wild guess about Terry's feelings concerning this all-lady punk band and asked her if she wanted to write about them. She was happy to and here's what she had to say:

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   I grew up in Connecticut in the 80s and 90s. With the exception of a small group of bands, it was boy-city at most of the shows I went to in middle school and high school. It's like that 80's movie "Just one of the Guys" except it's bad hardcore, not papers or whatever that was about. When I moved to Boston in early 2000, I was more than stoked to see so many women at shows and playing in bands. One of my favorite bands from back then was 40 WATTS, 4 women playing fast, charming punk that made everyone want to shake it. I still love this demo to this day, both because it's awesome and because it reminds me of better, more fun times in Boston punk. 3 of the members from that band went on to form RED THREAD; still fast, more pissed, and so fucking good. They did a couple of tapes and an ep (which I'm pretty sure you can still find around). The thing about RED THREAD when they played was that not only was it super fun just to watch these ladies play, it was a guaranteed chance to shake it in a crowd of punk women all singing along to songs that were about shit that really mattered to THEM. Jen's voice and stage presence could kill you and Wendy would play guitar on your fucking grave. Not that their songs can't be for everyone, but goddamn it's nice to have something you can relate to in between the crowds of boys beating each other to a pulp at whatever shitty hardcore show happened the day before. The East coast has a bad habit of those kinds of shows/bands. Maybe that sounds cheesy. It's hard to explain if you never saw this band. But we live in a world where rape culture and street harassment are rampant, where every woman I know who plays music has been harassed at one point or another on stage or told that their band is pretty good "for a chick band". Get fucking real. If I had a little sister I would want her to be listening to a RED THREAD tape and hearing that she doesn't have to be ashamed of her body, that she is allowed to have a say, that SHE decides how to take care of herself. In fact, I'd want my little brother to listen to them too. Am I ranting? But seriously people. It's bands like this that make being a woman in punk worth it; or being a punk period. 

    This tape has Kyle playing bass, who was also in 40 WATTS and now lives in the bay, but after she moved Kristen joined the band and played in the later half of the band. They've all moved on to awesome new bands, and last I heard Jen is in another all female band that will hopefully play soon. I can't count on 2 hands how many time I saw RED THREAD but the majority of the times I saw them were at a long ago Boston house called the Cuntry Club. That basement will forever live as what I wish Boston punk was still like. I wish I remembered more of their last show, but beer had its way. I do remember all the bruises I had the next day from the dance party. If you can track down their other tape, do it. "Stay Fat" will always be my favorite RED THREAD song

   When I asked Terry to write this, I only intended to post the first demo, but after reading what she wrote, I realized I should put up both of the tapes, so here they are! Enjoy and RIP RED THREAD!

Download RED THREAD

These two tapes are on loan from Barker Gee.