The Other Ozark Underground

Forgive me for getting non-punk for a moment, but I don’t know how this website has escaped my attention for so long. The Underground Ozarks is a way cool webpage with accounts and photos from people who have explored some of the forbidden places around SW Missouri. They cover some sites I was familiar with already (Albino Farm, the Acid Tunnels [pictured], and my old day camp Ritter Springs) along with some that were unknown to me (the MSU Tunnels, Phenix). The site hasn’t been updated in a while (although the message board is still active), but it’s still a great resource on a little known part of the Ozarks.

Walking Octopus-Unreleased Demos 1986-1992

Walking Octopus was an early Springfield punk/garage act that played out from the mid 1980’s to the early 1990’s. They fused rock n’ roll and punk with a somewhat goofy and upbeat lyrical style. They were a regular at the old Commercial Street Club, and had a decent fan base back in the day. Members of the band later turned up in other acts such as Dunce Cap, the Cheerleaders, and Unteen. Despite their relative popularity and frequent recording sessions, the band never released any music. The cuts here are taken from a mishmash of recordings made from 1986 to 1992. The sound quality is excellent, as are the performances on the tapes. It’s a shame they were never heard publically at the time of the band’s existence, but it’s good to know that at long last they’re now available to anyone who wants to hear them.

1. Lynching at the Hoedown
2. Gone Are the Days
3. Draining Out
4. Shithead
5. Jellybean
6. Moving
7. Sex With A Russian Spy
8. Insects Inherit the Earth
9. Blueshead
10. Changes Come
11. Stupid
12. Untitled Instrumental

Enjoy