Brain Damage

The story of The MD’s (Los M|dicos) from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is truly unique. They were the first-and in fact the only-group in the entire Caribbean influenced by new wave and punk, not only in Puerto Rican music but in the entire region. At a time when Spanish-language rock was overshadowed by salsa and disco, and before MTV existed, they still managed to listen to Devo, Oingo Boingo, Adam Ant, The Police, The Specials, Madness… It was a rough time in Puerto Rico with many fights between cocolos (fans of salsa music) and rockers. The MD’s were formed in 1979 when the band members were still teenagers. They rehearsed three or four days a week in the school cafeteria, as an extracurricular activity project, under the influence of a new English teacher, Richard D’Lima, who had recently spent a considerable amount of time in New York. There, he had the good fortune to experience and immerse himself in the new wave music scene of the late 70s. One of the band members’ father-the band’s fixer-donated some surgeon’s scrubs that provided the look and name of the group. Recorded and mixed in just three days in early 1980, “Brain Damage” was released on their own label, Surgeon Records. Its 10 original songs offer an interesting and fresh mix of punk, proto-hardcore, and new wave influences, raw rhythms, with the prominent and effervescent presence of the minimoog synthesizer and catchy lyrics perfect for singing along. No fillers. It received radio support for over a year and achieved great general acclaim, especially within the burgeoning underground rock scene on the island. The group’s members dropped out in ’83 to focus on their studies at the University leaving behind this rare gem that is now part of Puerto Rico’s rock music history. First time reissue, including an insert with previously unseen photos and notes.