The punk artifact you never knew you needed.
In a seismic ripple through punk history, Ian MacKaye and Henry Rollins are unearthing a lost Cramps album.
Recorded with Big Star’s Alex Chilton in 1977, Gravest Gravy was shelved for decades, until now.
The project traces directly back to a legendary 1979 DC show where a teenage MacKaye and Rollins (then Garfield) witnessed the Cramps’ gothic rockabilly frenzy, inspiring their own hardcore trajectories.
Rollins, alongside MacKaye’s trusted ears, meticulously restored seven original reels, with Poison Ivy Rorschach blessing the release through the revived Vengeance label.
The collection features primal covers and early versions of Psychedelic Jungle tracks, including Chilton on organ.
“Sheer brilliance committed to tape by a band plugged into the rock ’n’ roll mainline,” Rollins writes.
Out August 21, the album arrives with official merch, curated by two punk legends finally giving the Cramps their long-overdue due.
