Ama-Dots were amainstay of the early 1980s Milwaukee alternative music scene, and are mostoften given the overly broad label “post-punk.” Perhaps that’s fitting, becausepost-punk was a term coined by a music press for bands that weren’t easilycategorized and Ama-Dots’ strikingly original sound defies neat categorization.Driven by Lisa Wicklund’s propulsive bass lines and colored by Gary Strasburg’sabrasively inventive guitar, Ama-Dots music sounds surprisingly fresh some 30years later. This collection is highlighted by the band’s best-known song “HitGirls,” but other tracks such as “The Cease Is Increase” and “Luxury With Her”stand out as well. Hints of what would become industrial music abound. Thebelated vinyl release of their music demonstrates why the band is remembered sofondly by so many of its fans.
