TMA

Disciples of the 1978-81 California hardcore movement, New Brunswick's TMA delivered short bursts of the real, unmitigated thing, the kind of music that made a 23-year-old feel old. BLAM, and a minute-plus later on to the next song. Apparently conceived by Tom Emanuelem, Mike "Wattage" Demko, and Al Rosenblum (follow the first name initials to the band name — Wattage would claim it stood for "Too Many Assholes" in an interview with Eric Gladstone), it was with vocalist David Oldfield that the band was featured on the Hardcore Takes Over comp (which also included Genocide and The Mad Daddys). After which they made the classic What's For Dinner LP on Jimboco Records in 1984, an exceptionally well-made and packaged indie release. But the cover artwork suggested a new wave rather than hardcore outfit, and so future biomechanical tattoo genius Guy Aitchison provided new art for the cassette. Someone in the band had money to spare, or good credit. Following Oldfield's departure, TMA made Beach Party 2000 as a trio in 1987. That LP's "Miserable" led off WRSU's Mental Floss comp.

I thought the first flyer here was Aitchison's work, but in fact was done by Demko (see also his cover design for Mental Floss). And you can ID the one next to it as as a hardcore fest from a mile away. Not exactly from the image, which helps, but more the haphazard, no-frills lettering — not at all the jaunty, angular look of a new wave event. Of course, it might help that the word "hardcore" was included, but basically anyone should have known what they were getting for the $3 door cover.

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