New tribute album honors Phoenix punk legends Sun City Girls

In the robust canon of Phoenix music, Sun City Girls occupy a rather peculiar place.

"In the circle of folks and friends I have, they're just held in such high regard," says Dimitri Manos of Tucson band Golden Boots. "But I do think that they're one of those bands that if you brought them up to other folks, they might not even know them. They're super influential, but it does feel really underground at the same time."

It wasn’t just the music, though. Phoenix musician Harrison Hufman explains that the band had a unique creative approach/attitude that made them so singular.

"I like the grassroots thing of just recording and releasing everything, which is a very awesome thing because I do that, too," Hufman says. "No matter what it is, just put it out so that you're constantly creating. Their ethos and the way they work is fucking insane, but very versatile."

So it's easy to see why the Sun City Girls would be so polarizing and/or so beloved in a rather certain context. From the late '70s to mid-2000s, the band — composed of Charles Gocher and brothers Alan and Richard Bishop — pushed the boundaries of punk and carved a path of complicated, confrontational art like few others. It was all deeply important to the foundation of Phoenix culture in the last 50 years, but it's not always so readily digestible.

"It's just very provocative and kind of unexpected from somewhere like Phoenix, I guess," Hufman says. "But at the same time, it just absorbs all of (Phoenix's) weirdness."

All of this back-and-forth feels extra relevant as Hufman, Manos and a collective of local musicians and SCG faithful recently joined forces for a brand-new tribute compilation, "The Language of After Death and Before Birth." Even the album title feels very on-brand for SCG.

"My dad (Jay Hufman) saw Alan, I think, do some Q&A," Hufman says. "Someone asked, 'What is the language that you guys use in your songs?’ And Alan said, 'It's the language of after birth and before death.'"

But there's no denying that the resulting 14-track offering isn't great. In addition to Hufman and Manos, the record features No Stones, Forest Floor, JFUNK/Jerusafunk, Josué Kinter and many more. It's a record born out of not just Phoenix music history, but a thread from more recent creators/sonic provocateurs.

"It was actually not originally my idea. It was the great Andy Warpigs, who passed away a few years ago," Hufman says. "He had this idea kicking around with a few Phoenix musicians. It felt like a good thing to do for him and for just because. I mean, they deserve it. They’re pretty recognized and well known, but maybe just bring another spark into what they do and keeping them relevant, which I don't think is a hard thing to do."

It was also another chance for Hufman and Manos to collaborate.

"Me and Harrison had done some stuff," Manos says. "We worked together in this really small anti-label that I run. It's pretty much just so friends can hear other friends' music."

But while Hufman and Manos were the project's leads, the process of creating the comp became something else entirely.

"People would step up with different ideas or help facilitate this thing happening," Manos says. "It was amorphous; there's no one really in charge of the whole thing. Everyone's just making sure it gets done right collectively."

Adds Hufman, "With Dimitri's help and help from (JFUNK's Jessie Demaree), it really kept everything together. Like, I can't solely say it was all me. Jessie got the songwriting credits from Alan for me. And, of course, Dimitri processed everything and made the CDs and everything."

That collaborative, deeply intimate energy informed so much of the actual music, too. Hufman's contribution, a cover of "1000 Pounds of Black Olives," was a deeply personal affair.
"It's just that riff and that weird raga thing they always do. It felt like a good example of that aspect of their music," says Hufman. "Plus. I had the CD, 'You're Never Alone With a Cigarette.' I lost it, but it was my favorite song on the record. It's just a pretty killer instrumental track. I mean, they have a lot of awesome instrumentals, but that one definitely sticks out to me. My dad played bass on it, and I feel like he did a good job. I needed help with that riff. That bassline is really weird and sneaky. So he helped me out."

Similarly, Manos says that his cover of "Vine Street Piano" is, much like the Warpigs connection, a celebration of great music and greater friendship.

"I've always loved that original," Manos says. "I remember my friend Peter G. Mattsson had a pirate radio show here in Tucson for a while in the mid-2000s. And I remember that that was the first tune I'd heard from him. And he's passed now, but he turned me on to a lot of their records and also ended up giving me a bunch of his records. I always think of Peter with that band, and so that song's just special for a lot of reasons for me."

This overarching sense of community even extends to the album artwork.

"The art was given by my good friend, J.D. Saari, who was actually friends with the Sun City Girls way back," Hufman says. "He's actually credited on the ("330,003 Crossdressers") album; he did the inside art. The cover picture is by this individual named Wayne, who is kind of a mystery. But he just felt it was very in tune to the Sun City Girls' name itself and was very attached to the vibe."

But perhaps the best realization of this community spirit is how much support everyone received with their respective covers.

"I gave them full creative freedom for anything and whatever came out," Hufman says. "Like, No Stones' 'Dreamland by the Sun City Girls,' it was pretty much just a noise track. I thought it was interesting. It diversifies the album a little bit."

He adds, "I really enjoy Marshall Good's cover of 'I Protect You from Me.' That one really stands out. The Jerusafunk cover is super amazing. I mean, they really poured all into that one."

And that's not just about being a good collaborator; that spirit is very much in Sun City Girls' own creative wheelhouse.

"Their version of 'CIA Man' by The Fugs is just completely rewritten, and it's amazing," Hufman says.

So, now that it's out in the world, do the comp's creators think the record can introduce Sun City Girls to a new audience and/or generation? That's the plan, at least.

"I'm hoping it reaches some kind of audience. If it's someone's introduction to them, that's great," Hufman says. "There's always got to be some kind of gateway. A lot of the songs on here are more ... some of them are pretty fucked, but maybe some are more accessible."

Still. at least one of the right people already appreciates the efforts of this ragtag crew of super fans.

"It's being promoted by Alan Bishop," Hufman says. "He said he's going to share it around and stuff."

But if nothing else, this whole experience has been quite profound for its creators.

"It's definitely made me appreciate them even more," Hufman says. "I mean, I already really enjoy them, but to see how many people really enjoy this band is really awesome. Knowing they're appreciated is good enough for me."

Adds Manos, "For me, it was always just that idea of a tribute. People that just love the band and also were intrigued to become involved ... (they)just wanted to offer some recognition of them personally. I did it for myself in that regard."
Maybe someone who does pick up the comp eventually becomes a super fan. Or, maybe they'd rather listen to some other local legends. If there's one running theme and lesson across this comp, it's that you won't know until you just listen to the damn thing.

"It's an awesome band because anything adjacent to them, I think you could listen to the stuff," says Manos. "If you find something that's not for you, I guarantee that if you randomly grab another thing, it might be your favorite record. They have so much diversity with that band. It's rare to find a band like that. And I would say the best advice I’d give to somebody is just enjoy that unique fact about them. Jump in and see what happens."

"The Language of After Death and Before Birth" is available now via Compact Disc Records.