Feb 10, 2016

Workday review: Unity & Uniform Choice

Much like starting your day off with the inquisitive "who dis?" email, catching a co-worker subtly banging his head to "Wayward Son" yesterday in a work training session is equally incredible.

Unity :  I'll never understand why this band wasn't talked about more.  Before Uniform Choice, before No for an Answer, there was Unity - the progenitors of west coast straight edge.  Let me just get this out of the way - Unity's "You Are One" EP smokes the Uniform Choice demo.  They were really on another level for their time.  Wishingwell Records #1.  Attached below is "You Are One"

Unity : You Are One

Side note : When Unity broke up, and before Uniform Choice got started, there was Winds of Promise.  No recordings ever saw the light of day from this project, but according to Joe Foster the sound was "super DC'ed out" and served as the premise for the "Screaming for Change" record.  Would kill to hear this tape.

Uniform Choice :  Yes, their demo paled in comparison to the Unity EP.  Yes, this band would eventually turn the corner into questionable butt rock territory, and yes, they were slated to release a split 12" with N.W.A...and they also put out a groundbreaking LP, "Screaming for Change".  This was Orange County's answer to Minor Threat, and it was an absolute game changer.  I can't help but wonder though, how fucking rad it would be to hear "Straight & Alert" and "Gangsta Gangsta" on the same piece of wax with a Wishingwell stamp on the sleeve.  Fuck.  Really though, it probably would've been "Staring into the Sun" material and sucked.  Attached below is the "Screaming for Change" LP.

Uniform Choice : Screaming for Change