The Ellen Degenerates at Dallas venue, Three Links.
By Juan “Johnny” R Govea
Fort Worth punks The Ellen Degenerates (T.E.D) have released a single from their first album, Mouth Breather, entitled “Watch Your Back.” While the single was made available on Bandcamp last November, the full Mouth Breather album will be released and made available digitally and in physical copy CD Dec. 16.
The former 1919 kids of T.E.D. Will Colley (drummer), Tim McAnally (Guitar), Ray Wood (Bassist/vocals) and Damon Henderson (Lead Guitar/vocals) recorded their 12-track album with Michael Briggs producer at Civil Audio in Denton, TX earlier this year marking it as the first album release by the group.
Forming in January of this year after holding off on the group’s earlier attempt at forming. The hardcore band T.E.D reemerged as a somewhat spin-off of The Buzzkills featuring punk sounds from Colley, McAnally, Alex Weymier and Louis Lopez.
As of now T.E.D. is currently not on any label, but Colley states the group will be performing with veteran punk legends The Dead Kennedys Dec. 16 at The Rail Club in Fort Worth.
“Dead Kennedys liked the record so much that they added us to the show,” Colley says.
With a last minute booking from The Rail, T.ED.’s submitted album was favored over other last minute submissions for Dead Kennedy’s opener, Colley says.
Carrying the punk hardcore genre with influences such as Suicidal Tendencies and Descendants, Colley states the group gives omage to major label punk bands such as Gwar and rock ballads from Black Sabbath, as well Doom Metal, and Nardcore groups such as Dr. Know and Ill Repute.
With tracks influencing political upheaval associated with the genre Mouth Breather does not lack in intensity.
“Death Before Decaf is kind of a omage to the Descendants coffee songs we all grew up with and we’re coffee fanatics and Touch Of Texas is a really hard hitting song about a pilot from Texas who fought Nazis in WW2,” Colley says.
T.E.D. Plans on taking a weekend Texas tour Jan 26-28 hitting spots like Austin’s Kick-butt Coffee featuring Splatter and Worm Suicide, and San Antonio at Franks Tire and Auto shop with Dead Weight on the bill.
With the help of Mike Trotter of DIY productions, Austin’s You Tube blogger Dave TV and a Facebook post by Colley, the tour was planned and scheduled in one day.
Fort Worth punk is definitely not dead. While it may be subcategorized or underground Surf-Punk, Skate-Punk, Hardcore, etc. the politically vindictive genre arising from the late ’70s has kept its head above water treading along to generations keeping its ‘expletive deleted’ tune.
https://theellendegenerates.bandcamp.com/releases
