Singles, 45's and Under: Chuck Dukowski Sextet-"My War:

How many teeth has this headstock seen?

For every year the Rolling Stones exist and by definition begin dismantling their legacy, there is another example of an artist-let’s call them of an “older” age-that’s still able to maintain credibility and relevance even when the hairs go grey or start to come out entirely.

That was one sentence, by the way.

I don’t know what the fuck Chuck Dukowski was doing since he was in the band SWA. And SWA was such a shitty band that I really didn’t mind not knowing what Chuck Dukowski was doing musically.

Years past. These characters get brought up again when you’re reading some old remembrance by a former SST Records associate and you think: “Chuck Dukowski! What the fuck!”

And that’s when you seek out a split single of two former SST alumni, one of which is covering a great Black Flag tune.

Dukowski slaps a fancy word for six on his name and takes up bass duties again, while his wife, Lora Norton, steps in to become the lead mouth of the Chuck Dukowski Sextet.

To say her gender had me concerned when tackling such a brutal song wasn’t the case at all. In fact, it made me put this on my top “mustfind” list during Record Store Day.

Recorded in one take with no overdubs, the Chuck Dukowski Sextet transforms “My War” into their own, while doing the impossible by taking an iconic hardcore anthem and turning it into a brilliant revision.

The age drops off everything; there’s no hint of Dukowski’s d.o.b. And Norton gruffs up enough anger, with her frequent shouts of “Oh, Mother Fucker!!!!”, that she could easily pacify a buffy Hank Rollins in a fair fight.

The song takes on a new resonance, particularly considering such notable cases of violence or bullying that have made our news recently. “You’re one of them! You say that you’re my friend! But you’re one of them!”

It’s awesome.

Worth every dime.

But wait! There’s more!

Ol’ beardo Mike Watt brings together the Missingmen moniker and picks his old favorite Roky Erickson for another cover, “Sweet Honey Pie,”

It sounds like a soundboard recording, which could be my way of saying the recording is charmingly rough. And Watt’s such of softie and he’s picked such a charming Roky song that you’ll play it a few times and delegate it to side B.

Not that this is a bad thing, it’s just that the CD6 flip is so much more awesomer that you’ll find yourself burning up the grooves.