Even Worse was an American,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

band, formed in 1980. Drummer Jack Rabid (who founded the music magazine ''

The Big Takeover ''The Big Takeover'' is a bi-annual music magazine published in New York City since May 1980 by critic Jack Rabid. History Establishment Jack Rabid and Dave Stein began publishing ''The Big Takeover'' in May 1980 as a fanzine dedicated to New ...

'', also in 1980) was the only constant, as the band lineup changed numerous times over the course of the band's four-year existence. Other members included vocalists John Pouridas, John Berry, Garth Ripton, Rebecca "R.B." Korbet and Ken "Tantrum" Tempkin; guitarists Dave Stein, Robert Weeks,

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running ...

and Steve Waxman; and bassists Nick Marden (later of

the Stimulators The Stimulators were an American punk rock band from New York City. Although they have a limited discography, they are notable for being consistently cited as an important transitional band between the late-1970s New York City punk rock scene a ...

), Eric Keil and

Tim Sommer Timothy Andrew Sommer (born March 5, 1962, in New York City) is an American music journalist, musician, record producer and former Atlantic Records A&R representative. Sommer was the bass player for the slowcore/ dreampop band Hugo Largo. ...

History

Even Worse was formed in April 1980 by

Summit, New Jersey Summit is the northernmost City (New Jersey), city of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located within the New York metropolitan area. Situated on a ridge in north Jersey, northern–central Jersey, centra ...

punk rockers, Rabid and Stein, along with bassist Marden, as the direct result of the Stimulators needing an opening band for their May 1980 show at New York City club Tier 3. With singer Berry (later of the Young Aborigines and

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

), the teenage quartet performed at various Manhattan clubs, opening for the likes of

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music. They are also an ade ...

. Eventually, Marden left to join the Stimulators and Berry and Stein likewise departed. Rabid recruited vocalist Korbet, bassist Keil and guitarist Weeks. This 1981-82 lineup of Even Worse performed at prominent New York City punk concerts and made their recorded debut with two songs on ''

New York Thrash ''New York Thrash'' is a hardcore punk compilation album released by ROIR in 1982. Considered a definitive document of the early New York hardcore and late 1970s punk scene, ''New York Thrash'' features rare and otherwise unreleased recordings, ...

'', a legendary document of the early '80s New York City punk and hardcore scene issued only on cassette by

ROIR ROIR (pronounced "roar"), or Reachout International Records, is a New York City-based independent record label founded in 1979 by Neil Cooper. Background ROIR was founded the same year that the Sony Walkman launched, and initially, the label ex ...

. The tape also featured their contemporaries the Stimulators, Bad Brains,

the Undead The Undead is an American horror punk band formed in 1980 in New York City's East Village by Bobby Steele (vocals and guitar), Chris "Jack" Natz (bass) and Patrick Blanck (drums). They were one of the pioneers in the New York hardcore scene. ...

Heart Attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

and

Kraut ''Kraut'' is a German language, German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as an List of terms used for Germans, ethnic slur for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. Its earlier meaning in English wa ...

. Even Worse also recorded an entire studio album in November 1981, which went unreleased until 2002. This most well-known version of the band broke up in early 1982, leaving Rabid to put together another totally different lineup including Tempkin, Waxman, journalist/DJ Sommer and Moore (the latter played guitar in the band during 1982-1983 while concurrently in

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

). Their first 7" single, "Mouse or Rat?", recorded live in August 1982 at

City Gardens The City Gardens was a nightclub located at 1701 Calhoun Street in Trenton, New Jersey. It opened in 1979 and closed in 2001. History Early years The Nalbone family of Trenton and Lawrence Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, Lawrence, New Jersey ...

in Trenton, featured the Rabid/Moore/Sommer/Waxman/Tempkin lineup, but was not issued (on their own Worse than You!?! label) until 1984. A second single from this period, "Leaving", released in 1988, featured Rabid (on drums and vocals), Sommer and Stein on the

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...

, with Rabid, Sommer, Moore and Tempkin on B-side "One Night Stand". After his 1982-84 stint in Even Worse, Sommer went on to found Hugo Largo, and later served as a host for

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

and

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

and as an

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

A&R representative. Rabid later formed post-punk trio Springhouse (who released two albums on

Caroline Records Caroline Records is a record label that was founded in 1973. Founded in the United Kingdom to showcase British progressive rock groups, the label ceased releasing titles in 1976 and then re-emerged in the United States in 1986. The label rel ...

, 1991's ''Land Falls'' and 1993's ''Postcards from the Arctic'') and Last Burning Embers. Springhouse reunited to record a third album, ''From Now to OK'', issued in 2008 by Independent Project Records. The "classic" 1981-82 Even Worse lineup of Rabid, Korbet, Weeks and Keil reunited in 2002 to perform at the ''New York Thrash'' reunion concert at

CBGB CBGB was a New York City music club opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal in the East Village, Manhattan, East Village in Manhattan, New York City. The club was previously a biker bar and before that was a dive bar. The letters ''CBGB'' were for ''Cou ...

, coinciding with the Grand Theft Audio CD release of ''You've Ruined Everything''. The disc contained the entire 13-song unreleased album recorded in 1981, as well as a live set recorded in August 1981 at

Max's Kansas City Max's Kansas City was a nightclub and restaurant at 213 Park Avenue South in New York City, which became a gathering spot for musicians, poets, artists, and politicians in the 1960s and 1970s. It was opened by Mickey Ruskin (1933–1983) in Dece ...

(the infamous "We Suck" from this recording appeared on several 1980s

Mystic Records Mystic Records is an American record label and music production company specializing in hardcore punk, crossover thrash, underground music, vintage and cult records. It is owned and operated by Doug Moody. The label was first established in Hollywo ...

compilation albums).

Discography

Studio albums

*''You've Ruined Everything'' CD (2002, Grand Theft Audio)

Singles

*"Mouse or Rat?" 7" (1984, Worse than You!?! Records) *"Leaving" 7" (1988, Autonomy Records)

Compilation appearances

*''

'' cassette (1982,

) includes: "Emptying the Madhouse" and "Illusion Won Again" *''You Cant Argue With Sucksess'' LP (1982,

) includes: "We Suck" and "Contaminated Waste" *'' Mystic Sampler #1'' LP (1984, Mystic Records) includes: "We Suck" *''The Sound Of Hollywood - Du BEAT-e-o'' LP (1985, Mystic Records) includes: "We Suck" *''

'' reissue CD (1998, ROIR) includes: "Emptying the Madhouse" and "Illusion Won Again" *''CBGB Punk from the Bowery'' DVD (2003, Music Video Distributors) includes: "Major Headache" *'' Mystic Sampler #1 & 2'' CD (2006, Mystic Records) includes: "We Suck"

External links

Even Worse official site

Even Worse at Discogs

Even Worse page at BeastieMania
*'' King of Punk'', a documentary featuring Jack Rabid {{Authority control Punk rock groups from New York (state) Musical quartets from New York (state) Musical groups established in 1980 Musical groups reestablished in 2004 Musical groups disestablished in 2006 Musical groups from New York City