About this no wave trio–and Kim Gordon favorite–the NME once opined, “It isn’t rock anymore.” That’s not quite true. Formed in New York in 1978, Ut were as much a rock band as LiLiPUT or the Slits, and provided a bridge between their unhinged noise and the more controlled chaos of Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney–and have also been compared to Live Skull, Big Black, and Pussy Galore. Maybe it wasn’t rock in the traditional sense, but the threesome worked with the usual tools of the trade. They may have been coloring outside the lines…but the lines were still there. While Jacqui Ham pounded away on the bass and Nina Canal (and guest drummer Charlie D.) propelled the mêlée forward, Sally Young pulled sonic splinters from her guitar (though the three were known to switch instruments). Vocals were mostly divided between Ham and Young: the latter sings in a sweet, if agitated voice (sounding a little like Babes in Toyland’s Kat Bjelland), while the former proffers a more forthright style (somewhat reminiscent of Patti Smith or Chrissie Hynde). Engineered by Steve Albini, 1989’s Griller follows Conviction and In Gut’s House. It’s a fine effort, though slightly less effective than their 1988 predecessor (also reissued by Blast First/Mute), as Albini buries the vocals to the extent that you can barely hear the lyrics (his usual method at the time). At that point, Ut had been based in London for eight years, had become favorites of John Peel, and had toured with the Fall, the Birthday Party, and the Raincoats–though they never achieved even their modest degree of fame. It’s tough to be ahead of the times–even if it’s just by a few years.
