Postscript
While digging out my old Constantines records, I happened upon a fondly remembered blast from the same period of my life: The Sympathy Girls' self-titled, metal-adorned CD-R EP. The band, if it ever was one, was one of the guys who runs Die! Venom records (not sure which) singing and playing guitar and a few other people people doing a few other things. The EP is six songs in ten minutes and is nearly subliminal, but it's good stuff, particularly "Speakext" (the closest thing to a "song" you get). I saw them once more after seeing them in the basement of the Constantines' house and this time they had a guy with a keyboard and a drummer (... I think) and they were even better, but as far as I know nothing else ever came out. I'm really fucking glad the CD-R didn't get lost in a move or anything.
