The more I listen to forgotten garage rock bands, the more I see their impact. These were the kind of bands that didn't really chart but taught their local scenes what rock n' roll was really all about with their ferocity. These are the bands that make the coming of punk seem completely natural. Many bands are often given a lot of credit for influencing punk even though their releases were relatively obscure at the time they came out.. While they may not have directly influenced the bands that would become the face of punk rock, they were certainly and oracle of what was to come

	The Sonics - Here Are the Sonics!!! What they lacked in notoriety at the time, the Sonics have certainly made up in recent years. With more and more material being released on CD this band continues to prove that it deserved its reputation as one of the Northwest's most raw and aggressive
garage bands. Singer Gerry Roslie sings with an inflection of fifties soul and then tears it apart with wild scream that makes the hair stand up on your neck and helps you to understand the true nature of youthful release that rock n' roll was capable of. Their originals are fair contenders and their handling of garage staples makes many others simply seem to lack the necessary energy. Their debut is still as ferocious today as it was then. Absolutely an essential record. Download: [MP3] The Sonics- Psycho [MP3] The Sonics - Have Love Will Travel
	The Monks - Black Monk Time This band of U.S. GIs stationed in Germany made an impact on the European scene with their notoriously raw songs and penchant for actually dressing as monks during performances. Their music was minimal and stripped down with a
sneering attitude and dark almost nihilistic themes. Despite being one of the stranger garage bands in history their aggression and minimalism struck a chord with a European audience and seemed to predict the sentiment and style that would soon take their vision even further. Full of stomping beats, sinister organ and the odd inclusion of electric banjo; this is another record that is worth owning for the multitude of great songs it contains and not only its place in musical history. Download: [MP3] The Monks - Complications [MP3] The Monks - Shut Up