Along with the smaller CBGB, Max’s Kansas City was a club that became an incubator for New York City’s punk scene by the mid-’70s. Both venues released compilations showcasing their regulars; Max’s was first out of the gate with its 1976 album. Max’s Kansas City: 1976 & Beyond includes the contents of the original LP plus an assortment of rarities by bands associated with the club in its golden years. The sonic palette is broad, from the power pop of The Fast to the name-dropping camp of Wayne County and reggae by The Terrorists. Especially outstanding all these years later is anything by the electronic duo Suicide, whose doomy tracks sound like burglar alarms going off in an abandoned warehouse district.
