About Scratch Acid

Scratch Acid was an Austin, Texas post-hardcore/noise rock group formed in 1982. When they first began, their lineup was Steve Anderson (vocals), David Wm. Sims (guitar), Brett Bradford (guitar), David Yow (bass), and Rey Washam (drums). Anderson was kicked out of the band before the band ever recorded an album, prompting Yow to move to vocals and Sims to move to bass. Scratch Acid's first two albums were releases by Texas indie record label Rabid Cat, the third and final release, Berserker EP by Touch and Go Records. A posthumous compilation CD entitled The Greatest Gift, was released by Touch and Go Records in 1991. Their genre is not too easily defined, but contains elements of post punk, and harder elements from garage rock and noise rock and perhaps punk and 80s hardcore. They would fit under the very broad and general umbrella term for much of this kind of musical activity in the mid to late 80s U.S. Underground "post hardcore", but this term can cover a wide range of artists from that time, many quite dissimilar, but with roots in the hardcore scene and its fringes, and has since been used to include many other artists after this time. In the book 'Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Underground 1981-1991', music journalist Michael Azzerad referred to an "aesthetic cabal of sorts" (Azerrad, 255)[3] called pigfuck which included contemporaries who were ultimately friends existing in the same circles at the same time and generally, though not always, in 'Middle America', such as Big Black, Killdozer, Butthole Surfers, etc., and Scratch Acid were clearly close to this 'camp'. After developing a reputation as a crazy, noisy punk band, Scratch Acid disbanded in 1987. According to the liner notes of The Greatest Gift, the band members never received compensation from either Rabid Cat or Fundamental Records (who distributed their releases in Europe). Brett Bradford went on to form Sangre De Toro and play with Areola 51. Washam went on to perform with many other bands, including the Big Boys, Ministry, Helios Creed, the Didjits, Lard, and Tad. In 1987, Sims and Washam joined Steve Albini in the band Rapeman, which disbanded three years later. Sims reunited with Yow in 1989 to form The Jesus Lizard. All of the original members of the band appeared at the Touch And Go25th anniversary celebration taking place in Chicago, Illinois on September 8-10, 2006.