RECKLESS - "Taking A Beating" - Tape - 2010

   I'm just gonna go ahead and put this out there. I've only ever said this to my friend, Alex because it's just hella embarrassing and misleading, but the first time I heard RECKLESS, I thought they sounded sort of like THE DISTILLERS (p.s. I like THE DISTILLERS). Now, becoming more acquainted with the band, I don't hear that at all anymore, but I just thought I would get that weird tidbit out of the way.
  Anyhow, RECKLESS are real, living, breathing punks...not fake posers who look the part and put out records on major labels. They play melodic, driving punk that loosely connects with the (unfortunately-named) sub-sect of crust-pop that permeates the Pacific Northwest, like SNUGGLE, COUCH WAR (sorry, that one is really obscure if you're not from Seattle) and SOMETHING'S WRONG. The first time I saw them was at a pretty boring bar show in San Francisco, but when they played, a ton of punk kids busted through the doors, started wildly dancing and throwing each other all over the place. It made it a lot more fun and the band sounded great. I have since seen them play better shows in record stores and on the street in SF.

Here is the band somewhere. Photo by someone.

   This tape was the band's first recording and they put the sounds to tape in the living room at the FBK, one of the USA's punkest punk houses. It was late, muddy and rainy. The band was drunk and laughing. There was a moment when Chainsaw (vox/guitar) was doing the vocal tracks in the gross-ass bathroom and she started puking, mid-song. The band could not stop laughing at her. I wish that moment was on this tape, but unfortunately, it isn't. 

FBK bathroom. Photo by Alex Turner.

   RECKLESS went on to put out an LP that got a horrendously uninformed and unfair review in Maximum Rock N Roll. I'm convinced that the reviewer did not listen to the record on the right speed and never noticed, somehow. The record is great though! Then, the band went on a US tour, Chainsaw moved to Mexico City and the band broke up. You can now find their guitarist, Craig playing in KOHOSH and setting up bad-ass DIY shows in Seattle. Their bass player on this recording, (Godamnit) Pat moved to Kansas City, MO and played in STREET LEGAL until they broke up (or I think they broke up...don't quote me on that). I have no clue what their drummer is doing. As mentioned before, Chainsaw moved to Mexico City and has the cutest puppy known to humankind. It's too much.

Download RECKLESS - Updated Sept 2018

Radio, the puppy
Thanks to Craig for info.