Churn -  Heated Couplings In The Sun (5-Song Indie Compact Disc)

It didn't matter that snow was piling up outside The Rock last Friday night, keeping most Newport patrons home by their clickers. Churn turned in another fine gig.

While headliners One Ton Shotgun brought the full-on punk stranglehold, Churn opted for the whip, with singer Rick choosing his moments, usually hopping mad like some irritated Zorro, curling the weapon over your head three times before nicking you right above the eye with a final snick delivered almost as an afterthought.

The power they wielded as The Proletariat lives on, as do their nods towards their heroes. They're still down with Gang Of Four in case you missed the title. Frank's reverb-drenched guitar and a sneaky, slammin rhythm section (even with a borrowed drumkit) prevailed once more, snow or no snow.

The Churn "sound" if there is one, has been frequently aped since their Beantown heyday, but ain't nobody done it better yet, which is why some drives in snowstorms are rewarded with some fine rock music. Check Rick's lyrics on Couplings and it's evident that their fierceness - and their ironclad rule of calling a spade a spade - has not been diluted. "What Passes For Normal" and "Media Whore" are ticklers for ears and consciences. Plus one live track from the Middle East in Cambridge, even.

Rips!

-The Providence Phoenix, Section Two,  February 23, 1996

Excerpt from "Rare Air"

CHURN -  Live at Babyhead, Providence, RI 3/18/95

Churn, conversely, tore it up at the 'Head. Obviously intelligent, they're also keenly aware of the detrimental effect of becoming too shrill and self-aggrandizing while trying to send home the message. Of course, That's what made The Proletariat (whom they essentially are, with Jack Prascovics replacing Prole drummer Tom McKnight) a cut above the Beantown HC crew of the 80's. Usually it's quite annoying when a guitarist with enough onstage (special) effects to give Steve Spielberg a tentpole has tech problems, but Frank Michaels is one slashing, exciting player. Since they're "new", expect great, not good things from the quartet. Flagg, you're uglier than Mott, and I'm a media ho'.

- Michael Caito, The Providence Phoenix, 3/24/95