Hit and Run

Could there be a modern cult object more perfect than a comprehensive reissue from a band that broke up before releasing a full album? This two-disc set gives an essential art-skronk band from mid-1970s New York its due, down to an oral history in the liner notes. The studio demos, rehearsal performances and random experiments collected here are memorably wild, but accessible enough to make for an enjoyable listen. Jack Ruby's peers were skewed proto-punk acts like the Gizmos, Chrome and Suicide: Lead singer Robin Hall sneers his lyrics just so, and Chris Gray's guitar bursts out of nowhere, one feedback blast after another.