P.E.D.

Like the Shock Mommies, P.E.D. was a hardcore-ish punk band with a wiseguy comic delivery. Unlike the Shock Mommies, P.E.D. leader Sam Shiffman took his band just seriously enough to brand it and solicit an army of followers (the Shock Mommies' contingent was disorganized by comparison). And it worked, sort of. P.E.D. never broke out of the Jersey scene, but were a significant part of it for several years. Jim Testa, writing in Jersey Beat, overstates the case when claiming "Sam pretty much carried the New Brunswick indie/punk scene on his back" during that time, given P.E.D. almost never played the Court Tavern. That suited Shiffman, who thought the Court more crypt than tavern, and expected to die every time he saw a show there. But P.E.D. played many NB-area shows (especially benefits, where the underage following was welcome), and came up with the resources to release some vinyl during their tenure. They were also featured on the NB comp Mental Floss.

P.E.D.'s presence was ubiquitous even when they weren't playing. Their army plastered New Brunswick with stickers, and Xerox For Yugoslavia, a 7" EP (complete with label art) from 1987 (and from which this site steals its name), received generous airplay on Rutgers' WRSU. The Soulside/P.E.D. flyer was snagged from Shiffman's dropbox, which has an extensive collection of band-related esoterica, including all of P.E.D.'s music. Worth your time to wander through only if you have the time; the folder organization is scattershot at best. Navigate to the bottom of this page for details.

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