Take a ‘B.A. Walk’ Down Memory Lane With Spahn Ranch

Shhh ... Can you hear that eerie, dissonant roar off in the distance? That's the sound of the Detroit Underground coming back to life, and I'm not talking about KISS, MC5 or the other denizens of Detroit Rock City. I'm talking about Spahn Ranch, a criminally overlooked post-punk band active in the late ’80s who were among the first to join art-punk's angular paradigms and drone's sublime chill in unholy, chaotic matrimony (and frequently get mixed up with the L.A. industrial band of the same name).

The short-lived trio's discography wasn't exactly extensive, but they made their statements count: 1986's Thickly Settled LP and its follow-up tape No Scraps for Fat Dogs remain hidden No Wave gems on par with anything Swans and Killing Joke had to offer. Before splitting up the following decade, the group toured with heavy hitters like the Jesus and Mary Chain, along with the aforementioned acts. Then they drifted off into the ether.

Thirty years after Thickly Settled — and eight years after the untimely death of frontman Bob Sterner, who also fronted post-punk cult icons Grief Factory — Dais Records is returning to Spahn Ranch with Back to the Wood, a collection of highlights and rarities from the band's two-release discography, along with some never-before-heard cuts. Remastered and overseen by surviving members Odell Nails and Brad Horowitz, the compilation comes packaged with photos and other Spahn Ranch ephemera. Back to the Wood drops September 30 in digital and LP formats (act quick if you want that vinyl, though — they're only pressing 500 of those bad boys).

To help us all get hyped, Dais has unveiled "B.A. Walk," a previously unreleased cut that opens the forthcoming release. Check it out below — especially if you haven't heard these guys before — and peep the artwork and track list.

SPAHN RANCH - BACK TO THE WOOD TRACK LIST

1. “B.A. Walk”
2. “Lo & Behold”
3. “Atonement”
4. “Thickly Settled”
5. “So Be It”
6. “Withering Rye”
7. “Ten Percent"
8. “Countdown (Original Version)”
9. “She Came to Know”
10. “Each Time Centered”
11. “Dissipation (It’s Only a Game Version)”
12. “Wonder and Perish”