In Huxley's Brave New World, you take a "soma holiday" when you want to drug yourself and forget there's a world around you. In the real 1984, you can take The Proletariat's Soma Holiday as an antidote.
This year's pollwinners for best local band, The Proletariat, make no compromises-either in their driving, confrontational music, or in their do-it-yourself approach to distribution. "As far as major labels go, we're not interested," said guitarist Frank Michaels. "We'd rather have control over everything, and makes sure it gets done the way we want to do it. If there's any mistakes, we know where the blame goes. When you lose control, you start compromising yourself. But I don't see us ever getting a major label offer, so I don't think we even have to worry about it.
"For every one person that likes you, there's probably 50 out there that hate your guts," he said of the band's popularity. "Take this reader's poll-we have no control over that, so we just take things as they come. And I think that applies to any independent band, even a successful punk band. There's so many people that hate that kind of music, so you can never be really popular. You might be popular in the punk scene, but in America, the effect you have is minuscule."
That sounds oddly pessimistic from a band of political idealists. "We thought we could change the world when we first started, but I think I've grown up a bit. Now I think the most important thing we can do is to create a public exchange of ideas. You might get people to start thinking a little more, to open up their spectrum of ideas. Just having that in public is a good situation-because it isn't done that often, and it isn't something that the government wants you to do."
The next Proletariat record, aimed for an August release, should take a more personal slant in the lyrics. "We still address national and international issues, but the lyrics are related to ourselves a little more. There's definitely a change, but I wouldn't say it's a Clash or Gang Of Four type change where all of a sudden it's real funky and the guitars are gone. It's nothing that dramatic, just a process of keeping ourselves interested. We don't want to keep doing the same songs over. The first record was really a cross-section of three years-that's why the it's a little strange-but the next one should be more focused."
-Brett Milano
BOSTON ROCK READERS' POLL
BEST LOCAL GROUP OR ARTIST
1. The Proletariat
2. The Neats
3. November Group
4. Del Fuegos
5. TIE: SSD
New Models
Til Tuesday
The Proletariat were the clear winner, but runner-up votes were nearly close enough to be a six way tie. Last year's winners, November Group, took a slip eve after a well received EP. Other contenders: Lou Miami, Boy's Life, Lyres, Mission Of Burma (RIP)
BEST NATIONAL GROUP OR ARTIST
1. Talking Heads
2. X
3. R.E.M.
4. The Proletariat
5. Violent Femmes
Longtime faves make a great album and top the poll, even though their summer tour seemed to hit everywhere but Boston. Last year's winners, X, made a close second. Everyone else debuts in this category. Surprising turn: no placement for the Cars or J. Geils, either here on in Best Local Band.
BEST RECORD OF 1983
1. U2, War (Island)
2. The Proletariat, Soma Holiday (Radiobeat)
3. R.E.M, Murmur (IRS)
4. Talking Heads, Speaking In Tongues (Sire)
5. Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes (Slash/Warners)
U2 made their most popular album this year, and The Proletariat-the only local band to turn up in the national category-strike again. This year we combined albums, singles, and EP's into one category, but nearly all votes were for albums. The highest-rated EP was a runner-up, Echo & the Bunnymen. Last year's album winner, Elvis Costello, got no votes this year for Punch the Clock. Last year's other winners: Mission of Burma, "Trem Two" single; November Group EP.
BEST LOCAL RECORD
1. The Neats (Ace Of Hearts)
2. The Proletariat, Soma Holiday (Radiobeat)
3. Native Tongue, Yowl (Modern Method)
4. The Lyres, I want to Help You Ann (Ace Of Hearts)
5. Tie: New Models, Sight and Sound (PVC)
November Group, Persistent Memories (Braineater)
SSD, Get It Away (X-Claim!)
Another strong showing for The Neats and The Proletariat. November Group are still a contender, although their second EP didn't match the popularity of their debut. The bands with the biggest radio hits-Sex Execs, Digney Fignus, Berlin Airlift, Reflectors-didn't do as well. Last year's winner: Mission Of Burma, Vs.
THE PROLETARIAT
Soma Holiday
Radiobeat/Non-U Records
The Proletariat blurs the distinctions between punk/hardocre/heavy metal/protest; fueled by fits of guitar discord, Soma Holiday is a crisp, hard record. Most of the material here plays like a honed version of their Distortion cassette, and those track are included. The political slant sometimes reduces the lyrics to sloganeering, and the band's strident approach can promote tedium over 18 (count 'em) songs, but The Proletariat's foundations are strong enough to withstand these sidetracking obstacles.
-Tristam Lozaw, Boston Rock, 1983