Weekend at Mooster's #2: Moral Crux

Welcome to my [sorta] regular column/blog post. I wanted to make a place where I could share bands that have influenced me and Mooster Records in any way. Basically, I wanna share some bad ass bands with you. I don't intend for these posts to be complete in anyway, but more of a jumping off point. It's the weekend, so welcome to WEEKEND AT MOOSTER'S

Moral Crux is from Ephrata, Washington and have been playing since 1983. The original line-up featured James Farris on vocals, Jeff Jenkins on guitar, Jody Kimmell on drums and Justin Warren on bass. James and Jeff are still in the band to this date with Jamie Jaspers and Scott Rozell manning the backbeat. Moral Crux plays a styled up '77 version of melodic pop punk with politics as a large theme. Moral Crux played all around Washington and Oregon in the 1980's and released their S/t debut in 1987 on Velvetone Records(reissued by Jailhouse in 2008) and a followup on Polemic Records called "Side Effects of Thinking"(reissued by Lookout!/Panic Button in 2000).

The first record of Moral Crux's that I got was 1993's "And Nothing But The Truth"  Allmusic says "Songs like "Soldier Boy" (an antiwar screed about men in uniform "dying for the president's image") and the self-explanatory "Tienanmen '89" prove that not all political punk needs to sound like Crass in order to be effective" and they are pretty right on.

  Once their song "Breakdown" was included on the "Punk USA" compilation, alongside Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Pink Lincolns, The Vindictives, Face to Face, Jawbreaker and tons more, people began taking more notice. The release of "I Was A Teenage Teenager" in 1994(reissued by Jailhouse in 2011) just added to this.

Followed by a slew 7"s and split 7"s with the likes of Boris the Sprinkler and Motherload and a "Greatest Hits" CD on Monitor Records, as well as, an excellent single for Mutant Pop Records "Victim of Hype"  MC trudged through the grunge and sludge of the 90's

Later on, Panic Button Records and Lookout! Records released two full lengths "Something More Dangerous" and "Pop Culture Assassins". On "Something More Dangerous" the more polished of the two records, James Farris' disdain and urgency for a better country really seeps through and is, in my opinion, best relayed on the song "Bomb for the Mainstream" desperation and anger turns to activism and with great thought comes great music...

Moral Crux continues at it today, 30 some odd years after they started, mainly keeping tours to the West Coast and still cranking out singles. 2015 will see the release of new material on the "Revolution(Shouldnt Be So Hard)" 7" on Mooster Records later this year. 

We caught Moral Crux live for the first time in 1999 at Indienet in Nashville, TN with the Teen Idols and again in 2013 at AwesomeFest. They have never skipped a beat and dont plan to. Below is a teaser of the title track for their new 7" out on Mooster Records in September, you wont wanna miss this on limited purple vinyl!

MORE FROM MOOSTER IN 2015:Next week we will be running pre-orders for the debut CDEP from STILETTO BOMB a great new band from Jay Prozac, followed by the debut full length LP from the CRISTY ROAD fronted THE HOMEWRECKERS called "I, Statements" that will be a split with NERVOUS NELLY RECORDS. Following later will be the followup from baseball punks THE UECKERS, MOOSTERMANIA V,  a super special 20th anniversary LP release, and a super duper special Christmas release! STAY TOONED xoxo brandon/mooster