The Index Masters

iTunes Review

Coming on like a ragtag pack of film noir wiseguys, Wall of Voodoo traded in a kind of industrial punk-rock that set them apart from their early ‘80s peers. The beginnings of this curious L.A. combo are exposed on The Index Masters, a compilation of their first two EPs along with some previously-unreleased live cuts. Deliberately low-tech in sound, the group mixed minimalist synthesizer lines with junkyard guitar riffs and a battery of percussion effects. Singer Stanard Ridgway applied his quavery vocal panache to lyrics depicting grimy city scenes and desperate characters. What redeemed it all was their sense of humor — check out “Long Arm” and “Can’t Make Love” for a sample of Ridgway’s skewed vision. The band knew how to select the right cover tunes as well — their creepy rendition of “Ring Of Fire” burns into the mind. On stage, Stan and his crew were prickly, provocative and darkly funny, as tunes like “Red Light” and “Call Box” reveal. The band went on to release two albums on I.R.S. before losing Ridgway and sputtering out in the late ‘80s. The Index Masters preserves their peculiar mojo just as it was ripening into full potency.