Back in 1986, new University of Hawaii dorm residents Mike Ailes and Dylan Magierek were introduced by a mutual friend who insisted “they had to meet”. And why not? They shared musical tastes and hair that was much too long for the Honolulu climate. They started out as a trio under the name Yank with dorm buddy Lance Helgeson on drums. Lance was a Resident Advisor and had keys to a storage room at the top of the Hale Ilima dorm on campus. This tiny wedge-shaped room was just big enough to fit a three-piece band and served as both rehearsal space and recording studio. After several equally lousy band name choices (Trampled Under Foot, Travesty...), the relocation of Lance to the Mainland, and the addition/resignation/addition/eventual loss of Shane Ushijima on drums, the remaining duo began working on a collection of original pop songs. After enlisting the help of energetic bass player-turned-drummer Lars, they set about recording five tracks in a shitty section of historic Pearl City, Hawaii. The songs deal with topics such as as the ongoing destruction of the environment (Seeing Green), the desire to leave’s one’s life behind in search of a new start (The Equator) and the true story of a child murdering his parents (The Night We Talked). Magierek’s sister actually had a conversation with the killer in “The Night We Talked” while unknowingly standing over the freshly buried bodies of his parents in the front yard. While the topics are heavy, they are delivered in a pristinely crafted pop format not reflected in the band’s original name, Excommunication. Originally recorded on a 4-track cassette machine in 1988, here is their 2009 digital debut.