Carey's Problem - Arena Of Shame

So when I was like 16 I had this Cattle Decapitation s/t LP on cow print vinyl that I probably only bought cause it was on cow print vinyl (this was before I realized I actually hated most of that threeoneg shit). I was eventually persuaded to trade the LP for 2 other records. One was a copy of ‘Hunky Dory‘ and the other was a record I’d never seen before, by a band I’d never heard of. That record was called ‘Arena of Shame’ by a super-rare early 90’s outfit called Carey’s Problem. CAREY’S PROBLEM RULES, and I still have the record somewhere…I think I googled the band a few years back and found like ONE mention of them on a CMJ chart from like 1991 – they were pretty much absent from the rest of the internet. But when I got back into town a couple weeks ago they popped into my head, and this time my googlesearch was much more fruitful.

‘Arena of Shame’ is a pretty disturbing (and slightly gimmicky) art-punk concept album about teenage depression, sexual abuse, incest, bulimia and other fun topics. The first track, “Led Zeppelin,” is a stone cold classic, and my personal fave. Shrill-voiced Lisa Jenio deadpans her way through a teenage girl’s laconic praise of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and the rest of the boys – Satan included. The rest of the album hardly stays on the same novelty note as the opener. “Doctor, please help me, my baby’s hurt!” is the delusional rant of an abusive parent who shakes, burns, and beats his crying baby into silence. “Food Is Feeling” is a teenage girl’s account of all the things she throws up in a day’s time: from the food in her lunch to the various hypocrisies of the adult world. A cult classic, and worth looking for – but you probably won’t be able to find it.

Carey’s Problem – Major Psychic Trauma