BEEX/L'AMOUR SPLIT 12" Vinyl

Long before punk and hardcore were staples of Richmond, Virginia's music scene, a small but vital label known as Zero Degree Records was born. Beginning in 1979, “Tommy the Rock” Applegate set out on a mission to put Richmond on the map. And so it began...with Zero Degree releasing the Sunglass Party / Someday 7” single by L'amour, featuring Applegate on both lead guitar and vocals alongside David Stover on rhythm guitar and shared vocal duties. Fast forward to the next wave of Richmond punk, 1982. Applegate is now part of Beex, fronted by the ferocious Christine Gibson. Their Butch / Empty House 7” is Zero Degree's second release, a slashing punk single that scores well regionally. ZD would continue to highlight the nascent punk/hardcore scene in Richmond with releases from The Prevaricators and White Cross before closing the door on their vinyl run with Beex's final 12” single in '86.
With both the Beex and L'amour discographies having seen reissue treatment from the esteemed Beach Impediment label in the past few years, and both groups still gigging actively, it only makes sense to hear more from each of 'em! And our old friend Tommy the Rock has stepped in to do what any reasonable punk rocker would – issue a Beex/L'amour split 12” on the newly resurrected vinyl division of Zero Degree. It spins loud and true at 45 RPM, kicking off with four from L'amour on Side A. Applegate and Stover remain the core of the band, backed by a speedy new rhythm section. L'amour's side flys by in under five minutes, featuring the lost classic “Shitty Job” (twice!). Beex step up to the plate with four of their own – and while the lineup has seen some changes over the years, the guitars remain loud, the strum'n'thrum are both loose and captivating, and the message is clear: rock and roll can still save us – even if just for the thirteen minutes and thirty-eight seconds that Zero Degree bring us some forty-odd years since the inception of Beex and L'amour.

Each record comes in a sturdy jacket featuring art by Kelly Alder on the L’Amour side and Tom Rodriguez on the Beex side. Pressed at Blue Sprocket in Harrisonburg, VA and limited to 300 copies.