The Sleepers - Painless Nights The Sleepers were a tragedy of circumstances, and like many of the albums that appear here, they never got the credit they were quite due. The band's sole album is a cross-section of punk, post-punk and the odd psychedelic touch
of production. The band came out of the San Francisco, Mabuhay Gardens scene of punk but they're definitely a different animal than other bay area punkers like The Germs or The Avengers. The album has a loose, narcotic feel to it and there's definitely a feeling that the whole thing could slide off the rails at any moment, but the band keep their performances spot on and underneath the chaos there beats a heart of innovation. Adding to the chaos was the fact that vocalist Ricky Williams often times improvised lyrics in the moment, which sometimes leads the lyrical directions of the songs into strange corners. The band broke up a few times, with members going on to play in Crime, Tuxedomoon and Flipper. The album itself was recorded after a break up and reformation that lasted about as long as it took to record and get the record out. After Williams passed out on the second date of an East Coast tour the breakup stuck. Still this album does capture a moment in that Bay Area punk movement that may have never full realized itself, but thankfully its captured in the grooves for posterity. Listen: Support the artist, buy it HERE