A HUGE update today, since we haven't had one over here in over a month :( New stuff has been streaming in since February, so here's an extensive recap of all of those bangin' new records. Some of these are already running low, so act fast! I'll make my run down of what's new as brief as I can ...
RED DONS "The Dead Hand of Tradition (Euro Press)" LP (Taken By Surprise Records)
Five years after their seminal "Fake Meets Failure" LP, Red Dons return with their junior album "The Dead Hand of Tradition," set to be released August 10th on Taken By Surprise Records in Europe and later this summer by Deranged Records in North America. A lot has happened in those five years. Two of the band's core members Douglas Burns and Hajji Husayn left their hometown Portland, Oregon behind, for Chicago and London. They recorded and released a slew of singles on labels like Grave Mistake and Dirtnap (including a collaboration with TV Smith of UK punk legends The Adverts). Despite the distance between them, they’ve managed to tour regularly in North America and Europe. In January this year they reconvened in Portland to record "The Dead Hand of Tradition" at Buzz Or Howl Studios, the same establishment where they recorded the album's predecessor. "The Dead Hand of Tradition" features ten new tracks of their signature dark, driving, melodic punk rock sound. The formula of their distinctive songwriting hasn't changed, but has matured as a result of having five more nomadic years under their belts. These new experiences have only added to the themes of alienation, emigration, and loss present in their music. With Red Dons stalwart Richard Joachim on drums and recent recruit Ruby Sparks of The Stops (Dirt Cult Records / Sabotage Records) on guitar, the band just finished a Midwest / Canadian tour including an appearance at the Ottawa Explosion Fest last month and is returning to Europe for five weeks in the fall.
SHEER MAG "III" 7" (Wilsuns Records)
"Well, here’s a nice surprise! The Philly band Sheer Mag, who sound like Thin Lizzy if Thin Lizzy were DIY basement punks, have a brand-new EP out right now. Last month, the band shared a kickass new song called “Can’t Stop Fighting,” and that song is the first of four on their new 7″ III. Sheer Mag released their first two EPs on Bandcamp in similar fashion, but that was before they racked up the sort of buzz that has them playing Coachella next month, so it’s cool to see them sticking to what brought them here. The EP is as raw and hooky as we’d hope from this band." - stereogum
RUZ "S/T" 7" (Lumpy Records)
Ripper of an EP from this St. Louis group. Ragin HC no bs.
GLITTER "S/T" 7"(Lumpy Records)
Excellent deranged hardcore from Calgary.
UROCHROMES "S/T" 7" (Lumpy Records)
The classic hits "TOAP", "I don't wanna be like me", "Ugly", "Two Men" + 2 more, pressed to wax. Don't think you can top that cover.
CHROMA "Cuerpos Dociles" LP (Hysteria Records)
Chroma is a new band from Barcelona consisting of 3 ladies who formerly and currentyl played in Las Otras, Rakta, Invisibles, Siega and others. Churning, mechanically, repetitive, primal, haunted-factory music. Too punk to fit the mold of their industrial influences -Dripper World.
SIN MOTIVO "El Desierto" LP (Not Normal Tapes)
True Believers, allow a moment of vulnerability from the venerable. I've dreaded this moment, this release for some time, not because there was any chance of it being a bumbling bargain-binner, quite the opposite; I knew that my attempts to describe this long-awaited long-player would inevitably fall short. Where you start with this Texas five piece, a group that has consistently defied expectations and flouted attempts to whittle them down to just these three influences, that same old x,y,z? They're certainly heirs to their Texan lineage, that weirdo strain that counts rock 'n' roll maniacs like Roky, Soxx, Floyd, Kerr, Biscuits, Really Red, Mydolls, the Stains, etc among its number. There's that Is This My World-ian wall of guitar, that disorienting, Shatter-Loosian blend of wonder mixed with contempt. But what's past is past, and Sin Mo is here, a dazzling future given shape for feeble present tense minds.
HELTA SKELTA "Beyond the Black Stump" LP (Deranged Records)
Helta Skelta is the newest face of Australian punk - there I said it. Granted they already have an album and a few singles under their belt, Beyond the Black Stump sounds very different from previous outputs and believe this is the album people have been waiting for them to write. It's hands-down their strongest batch of songs, and the recording does them complete justice. The various elements of this album have always been there, swirling in the soup of varied influences and ideas these guys soak in, but this album smacks of a band getting its ducks in a row. In particular, Jon's vocals have mellowed from an earlier, more aggressive hardcore delivery into a brilliantly snarky, deadpan, sardonic drawl that draws easy comparison to EDDIE CURRENT SUPPRESSION RING or X. The guitars are tight, choppy and bright, the bass and drums pin the beat down with straightforward but rock-solid rhythms.
CRETINS "Meat" 7" (Deranged Records)
CRETINS rear their ugly heads yet again with six new cuts of destructive hardcore punk on "Meat". This is a completely savage recording that harnesses the pure hatred of Poison Idea and depraved genius of Cleveland's finest into one crushing EP. This is not the safe, easygoing, or experimental garbage that has crept into HC punk in recent years. CRETINS' approach here is simple - hard hitting and forceful songwriting with lyrics that espouse a clear distaste for humanity. Executed much faster and tighter than previous material, if there's one CRETINS release to end it all to, "Meat" surely wins out.
DESGRACIADOS "Humanidad en la Obscuridad" 7" (Deranged Records)
Talk about left field – a blazing Spanish hardcore punk band from Calgary/Vancouver – who knew? Absolute scorching hardcore punk – no frills no gimmick. A solid 4 song EP that will definitely please fans of international hardcore punk. Art by Matt Bellosi
OAF "S/T" 7" (Deranged Records)
Debut 7” from newish Vancouver hardcore band. Evil riffs, raw tone, driving beats and manic vocals. Expressing the stress anxiety and rage of living in an insane world. Stuck in a web of violence and oppression, on the bottom of a hierarchy where capital is the sole representation of power and influence. Seeing the game for what it is and understand that in a dying world you must CHEAT 2 SURVIVE.
TENEMENT "The Blind Wink" LP (Deranged Records)
The repress of Tenement’s second album, The Blind Wink courtesy of Deranged Records. Their first album Napalm Dream was heavy on the high octane catchy punk, and definitely great but The Blink Wink is where the band found their confidence and compiled a very distinct and mixed sounding album’s worth of material. From the Replacements, the Descendents, and the Lemonheads, the influences are obvious and the delivery spot on. I am not sure how a band that is so deeply rooted in hardcore punk ends up creating such a diverse and strong album so early in their ‘career’ but Tenement have managed to comfortably move beyond the confines of the punk song and keep us captivated.
WAVELESS "Spirit Island" LP (Deranged Records)
WAVELESS is a three piece living in MPLS, playing layered reverberating music. Finding inspiration in the likes of Slowdive, Neil Young, and Sonic Youth, “Its moody without being saccharine and sincere without being self-indulgent.” Previously playing together in the short lived noisy punk band TOTAL TRASH and forming in it’s demise.
TV FREAKS "Bad Luck Charms" LP (Deranged Records)
As fans of TV FREAKS might expect, "Bad Luck Charms" offers the perfect marriage of blistering hardcore and ear-splitting garage. It's a relentless record that just might burn some calories if you listen to the whole thing. The brain-busting anthems were also given the ultimate treatment before reaching wax. The 13-track LP was recorded by the Sadies/Career Suicide member Dallas Good, mixed by Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet's Don Pyle and mastered by Total Control's Mikey Young.
LA SERA "Music for Listening to Music" LP (Polyvinyl Records)
The title of La Sera's fourth album says a lot by saying so precious little: Music For Listening to Music To. So, in other words, "music." After the punky heft and wildness of 2014's Hour of the Dawn, an LP that thrashed against expectation, Katy Goodman returns with a set of songs that double down on solid simplicity — the power of wry lyrics, glorious guitar, driving backbeat, and the occasional pump organ groove. And as the record cover gives away, Goodman isn't alone. La Sera is a duo now — that's guitarist/cowriter/new husband (!) Todd Wisenbaker standing up there. And Ryan Adams joins to produce the fruit of their union, La Sera's first live-recorded analog album, featuring 10 tunes about good love, bad love, dead men, and confused kids.
GANG GREEN "Sold Out / Terrorize" 7" (Taang Records)
Debut 7" from this seminal Boston band."Prior to a long tenure as one of the globe’s leading celebrants of unbridled alcohol intake, metal-tinged skate-punks Gang Green existed as a trad hardcore outfit, with their strongest attribute the exhibition of almost ludicrously blistering speed. That velocity is crucial to “Sold Out,” easily the crown jewel from the original lineup. It alternates parodic yet appealing elements of melody with stabs of breakneck momentum, and “Sold Out” stands as one of the best HC songs (which were frankly at a premium) of its period."
LAST RIGHTS "Chunks / So Ends Our Night" 7"(Taang Records)
"Featuring legendarily notorious vocalist Jack “Choke” Kelly after the dissolution of his first band Negative FX and before the rise of the apparently still extant Slapshot, Beantown HC nuts surely know Last Rights well, and those cuckoo over indie-rock might actually recognize them for “Chunks,” a song fellow Massachusetts act Dinosaur Jr. tackled on the flip of their “Just Like Heaven” 12-inch (Last Rights’ sole gig was with D.Y.S., Outpatients, and Deep Wound, the latter the HC unit of J Mascis and Lou Barlow pre-Dino). Given its marriage of density and gargantuan hard-rock riffing, it’s no surprise “Chunks” ended up in Dinosaur’s book of covers. Not nearly as strong but still agreeable (i.e. a solid b-side) is “So Ends Our Night,” which succeeds mainly due to the sing-along elements of its chorus being enveloped in ample guitar residue. Like “Chunks,” its lyrical concerns do point to the testosterone-soaked sensibilities that caused many to leave HC behind, but “So Ends Our Night” persists as quite effective, and it completes a killer one-shot 7-inch."
NEGATIVE FX "VFW" 7"(Taang Records)
Five tracks from their LP. Negative FX was a hardcore band from Boston, formed in 1981. Though the band lasted only a short time, playing a total of five shows (six flyers exist), the band was well known for their involvement in the local straight edge scene of the early 1980s. Along with members of the bands DYS and SS Decontrol (SSD), Negative FX was part of the "Boston Crew", a group of social friends who traveled around the country with SSD and other Boston hardcore bands. Negative FX played fast and unmelodic hardcore punk that often featured shouted gang vocals on the songs' choruses. The band members consisted of Patrick Raftery on guitar, Rich Collins on bass, Dave (Bass) Brown on drums, and high-profile vocalist Jack Kelly, who frequently went by the name of "Choke". Kelly went on to form the bands Last Rights and Slapshot.
LEMONHEADS "Laughing All the Way to the Cleaners" 7" (Taang Records)
"The Lemonheads’ “Laughing all the Way to the Cleaners” EP was first issued on vinyl through the Huh Bag/Armory Arms label, though TAANG! was involved in the record’s distribution and signed them properly shortly thereafter. And before they became a big alternative deal, the Lemonheads were but one in a serious influx of ‘80s acts unthinkable without the precedent of The Replacements and especially Hüsker Dü. Sounding better now than they did circa ’87, a time when many of us were experiencing intense Mats/Dü fatigue, the songs comprising their debut EP are far from carbon copies (some might disagree), with great gobs of punk snot torpedoing around the four tracks. In particular, the snarling riffs of “I Like To” and the heaving libido purge of “I Am a Rabbit” turn “Laughing all the Way to the Cleaners” into a retroactively appealing proposition."
WOOLF "Posing/Improvising" LP (La Vida Es Un Mus Records)
It's been four years since Woolf unleashed their debut album, The Right Way to Play also on La Vida Es Un Mus and described as a “pungent spit on the face of musical normality”. Now they're back with a dystopian revision of feminist queer punk. Born out of South London's squats and social centres, all but erased in recent years by the Tory government, the four-piece have produced an album conveying alienation and activist fury, the opening track “Civilisation” setting the tone with the (rhetorical) question “is this what they call civilisation?”. Wall of sound guitar distortion provides a backdrop for a commanding, minimalist bass and insistent drums, with vocals that straddle the line between anxiety and paganity. It’s 11 unsettling songs in 11 uncompromising minutes, recalling the experimentation of no wave bands such as UT distorted by a raw punk aesthetic. (Melissa Steiner) The black & white sleeve has been designed by singer Colette and the record includes a insert with song lyrics as well as a download code._
ORDEN MUNDIAL "El Nuevo Sonido Balear" 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus Records)
Tour EP originally released in time for the ORDEN MUNDIAL November 2015 USA/Canada mini tour. Three new songs following ORDEN MUNDIAL'S template of high energy hardcore with insanely huge punk riffs, a massive rhythm section and angry, to the point vocals. Two hardcore bangers on the A side and a massive stomper on the flip which proves yet again that there is much more in the Balearic Islands than Ibiza and soft techno.
BRASS, THE "Desperation" 7" (Sydney Town Records)
With one boot firmly planted in an urban setting of industrial decline and the other kicking through a landscape of desperation and loss, THE BRASS deliver 4 tracks of some of the best oi! to come out of NYC in a long time. Picking up where their Rugged Cross demo left off, this bruising debut EP takes everything you like about the savage growls of early Boston hardcore and combines it with the tough, dark melodies of French oi! bands like CAMERA SILENS. Clay’s unrestrained vocals compliment a brutish soundtrack that is appropriately unhinged, on edge and ready to pull you out of your safe apartment and throw you into the dark streets of New York City.
SODA BOYS "Burgers & Fries" 7"(Total Punk Records)
Top notch American rock n roll, in the spirit of the almighty Gizmos and Dictators, from the world’s #1 Soda Pop band. Two tracks off of their self titled demo on Lumpy Records about burgers and fries, girls, and doghouse regret. Shredding guitars, vocal hooks galore and 100% TOTAL PUNK.
LANDLORDS, THE "Fitzgerald's Paris" LP (Feel It Records)
Long before it began sprouting Americana bands on every corner, the sleepy college town of Charlottesville, VA boasted a punk rock scene whose ferocity belied its small size. The Landlords, along with Lackey Die and the Beef People, stood at the epicenter of the action. After releasing the highly regarded Hey! It's A Teenage House Party! LP in 1984, The Landlords returned to the legendary Inner Ear Studios over the next few years to record their second album, Fitzgerald's Paris. Restored from the original master tapes and released after almost 30 years, Fitzgerald’s Paris offers seventeen tracks of pure rock and roll mayhem. Fusing musical influences as varied as Black Flag, Chuck Berry, and Motörhead, side A’s avalanche of epigrammatic money-tunes showcases The Landlords at their peak. Side B’s plunge into the jungle of noise builds on the intense dissonance of Scratch Acid, Live Skull, and The Landlords’ own infamous spinoff duo, Happy Flowers, all the while remaining rooted in hardcore punk. No matter the style, all the tunes on Fitzgerald’s Paris are destined to delight America’s next generation of alienated youth, while infuriating school boards, police departments, and town councils everywhere. Packaging includes an 11"x22" insert containing lyrics, flyers, and unpublished photos plus a free MP3 download of bonus studio material and a live set recorded off the board at CBGB's in September 1985.
NASA SPACE UNIVERSE "70 AD" 12" (Feel It Records)
Santa Ana, CA's NASA Space Universe have spent the last decade or so careening wildly through space, both inner and outer, to bring us undeserving scumfucks the most intense, unorthodox hardcore this side of the solar system. Alas, the mighty starship NSU has gone the way of the Challenger Space Shuttle, exploding gloriously upon this, their final launch. What remains, culled from the wreckage, are the ten songs that make up 70 AD, their final EP. Ten scorched, sweat-drenched paeans to paranoia, bad trips, and brute force, an unholy amalgamation of all the disparate strands of punk/hardcore that you dig (be it Japanese/Swedish hardcore, early SST, later SST when everyone was smoking dope and listening to Deep Purple, fringe shit like No Trend, you name it) filtered through the manic mindsets of four literate, completely reprehensible dudes who could give a fuck what you dig. 70 AD eschews the studio sheen of some of their past releases for what could serve as a perfect encapsulation of the NSU live experience, minus the potential for missing teeth and bloodied beaks. Essential listening that serves as both a fitting send off and a stern rebuke to those who slept on this mighty, mighty band of reprobates.
NASA SPACE UNIVERSE "The Stars My Destination" LP (Self Released)
Self-released collection of outer-limits hardcore punk from these SoCal degenerates. Compiles the “EGM” EP from 2014 and “Ice” EP from 2012, twelve tracks in total. Some of NSU's best work to date.
NASA SPACE UNIVERSE "The Two Stigmata of NSU" LP (Self Released)
Self-released collection of outer-limits hardcore punk from these SoCal degenerates. Compiles the “S/T” 7” from 2007, “Brainrailers” 7” from 2009, and one previously unreleased track. Remastered for the 12” format and sounding better than ever before.
QUITTER "S/T" 7" (Blow Blood Records)
From the ruins of Baltimore, QUITTER give us four tracks of synth-driven weirdo punk in the vein of Killed By Death meets too many B-grade 80’s mutant flicks. Think of Street Trash (1987) with all the characters played by punks and DEVO does the soundtrack but all the members are zombies on crack. Confused? Buy the record and listen for yourself, then it'll make sense. They're just as strange live as this record is too, this band is highly recommended in all formats!
MOTHER'S CHILDREN / MANDATES Split 7"(Taken By Surprise Records)
"When I heard that Mandates and Mother's Children were doing a record together, I absolutely couldn't wait for it to come out! A Mandates/Mother's Children split struck me as an incredibly great idea. Here you've got two of the best bands out there - friends, tour mates, and leading players in a Canadian punk/powerpop scene that's been setting the world on fire the last few years. Really, the only way this collaboration could have failed would have been if the bands had contributed sub-par material. But come on: did you really think Taken By Surprise Records was going to sign off on a release that wasn't absolutely killer?! On the heels of a recently completed Mandates/Mother's Children European tour, TBSR presents a vinyl team-up of these two superb bands. Each group contributes an A-side caliber slice of power poppin' rock n' roll goodness. If you're a fan of one or both of these bands, you will not be disappointed. And if for some reason you're not familiar with these fine Canadian outfits, this split serves as a perfect introduction to what they're all about. Warning: this is highly addictive music. Be prepared to go buy everything that Mandates and Mother's Children have ever recorded!" -
http://fasterandlouderblog.blogspot.com/MANDATES "Suspicion" 7"(Taken By Surprise Records)
Newest single by Calgary’s finest powerpoppunk band following up their great debut LP we repressed earlier this year! Recorded by Teledrome’s Ryan Saddler and mixed/mastered by power pop genius Pat Kearns at Perma Press Studios in Portland!
MANDATES "In the Back of Your Heart" LP (Taken By Surprise Records)
"In the Back of Your Heart features 12 more pristine punk anthems from the outfit, demonstrating their penchant for quick, peppy pop and rip-roaring guitar work. If anything, it's an improvement on their past work in that the album sounds simultaneously more polished and more urgent. " -
exclaim.caMOTHER'S CHILDREN "Lemon" LP (Taken By Surprise Records)
From the mean sour streets of Ottawa, Canada comes the second full length of MOTHER'S CHILDREN aptly entitled: LEMON! 12 new tracks of stompy and glammy powerpop with that old wham-a-lam-bam-thanks-ma'am attitude that we're used to from those four mouseketeers. Get your fix of Vitamin MC from the sweetest fruit that grows in Canada.
NARCO ESTADO "S/T" 7"(Going Underground Records)
Narcoestado is a punk band from Mexico City playing dark Melodic Punk / Oi! in a unique style and fashion. Blending some of the best influences from the Uk and Spain Punk scene of the 80's and bringing back into vogue today. "No disco beat, no pretension, no pseudo darkness, just power chords, real lyrics and proper punk drumming. Narcoestado is by punks for punks and from the 3rd world, a disappointmenting, anger inducing and frustrating world. These losers play in bands like Tercer Mundo, Muerte, Mujercitos, Ratas del Vaticano, etc. All good rock and roll bands from Mexico Df." Vinyl issue of there quickly sold out demo tape. 400 Copies pressed on black. Hand stamped center labels, glued pocket sleeves.
ISOTOPE "Midnight Soldier" 7" (Rust and Machine Records)
Debut single by Oakland's ISOTOPE is finally seeing the light of day. ISOTOPE has already completed 3 tours of US covering the West and East coasts as well as hitting parts of Canada with nothing but a demo tape, yet they have already created quite a commotion and their first time on vinyl represents them at their best. Blasting, hard hitting, gutteral "burning spirits" style hardcore punk with heavy nods to Japanese greats such as DEATH SIDE and BASTARD, yet with their own nasty spin on the genre of course. this record is LOUD. Recorded by Phil Hasha and mastered by Jack Control at Enormous Door with cover art by the great Hal Rotter. Members are some Oakland vets that already played in some of your favorite bands and this one is no exception.
SPLIT VEINS "S/T" LP (Godzilla Records)
Debut album bu 2/3rds of NAILBITER picking up where they left their previous band. 8 Distorted hardcore punk tracks with lots of delay which takes BOTH the golden era of Japanese and Sweden hardcore as template. One of the best London releases in a long time.
SOUL CRAFT "The Legacy" 7"(General Speech Records)
5 fresh tracks of traditional Japanese Hardcore from Soul Craft, who have been the HC stalwarts of Kumamoto City, Japan for the last 17 years. Fast and tight hardcore with even faster ripping solos, gang choruses and all the trappings of traditional 90's Japanese HC style. This is their first full EP in 10 years since their Reverse Sorrow EP on Bloodsucker, and it does not disappoint! 7" + free pro CD version
JAVLA "S/T" 7"(Society Bleeds Records)
Brand new 7" from DC D-Beat outfit, JÄVLA. Band features members of Pure Disgust, Red Death, Stand Off, and Protester.
STERILE MIND "S/T" 7"(Self Released)
Hailing from the Bay Area, Sterile Mind delivers their debut EP drawing on a variety of influences that range from traditional d-beat to the meandering, angular, fucked up breakdowns and articulated political venom of the '90s heavyweights to forge their own brand of fast, stripped down hardcore that plays outside of trend or convention. No overplayed production tricks or reliance on gimmickry, just fast intentional hardcore played with a sense of urgency.
DAILY RITUAL "S/T" LP (Sabotage Records)
DAILY RITUAL coming from a small DIY hcpunk community in the Island city- (police)state of Singapore. Started in 2013, making simple,melodic,dark and catchy political punk music influence heavily by 80's punkrock and anarcho punk. DAILY RITUAL could be perceived as their own escape from their other existing bands like Vaarallinen,Snaggletooth,
Pazahora,Yumi etc. DAILY RITUAL lyrics are mostly about dealing with the anxiety of living in a modern totalitarian state. A demo tape was released in January 2014 followed by 'Depressed State' ep 7" on 4490 records. Coming up next will be a split 7" with THE STOPS (pdx) and the full length LP, both on Sabotage records and 4490 records.
NO///SE "Lower Berth" LP (Man in Decline Records)
After delivering one of the best records of 2012, ИO///Sé returns with their sophomore LP, “Lower Berth”. Lower Berth is comprised of songwriting prowess backed by killer riffs, infectious melodies, an impervious rhythm section, and absolutely no filler and fluff. The final product is 13 tracks of stick-in-your-brain groove that varies from stomping anthem (e.g., "One Step Behind") to DANGERHOUSE or BUZZCOCKS-esque pop genius (e.g., "Buried Alive"). Unlike many bands that are currently hyperfocused on copying one particular band or sound, ИO///Sé mixes a wide array of disparate influences and creates something familiar but original. There are elements of old classics like WIPERS and X (Australia) along with newer bands like RED DONS, THE ESTRANGED, and MARKED MEN. If you are familiar with the first LP, Lower Berth will feel like a natural progression. If you’re new to the band, welcome and enjoy. For those keeping track, NO///Sé contains ex-members of YOUTH BRIGADE, GLASS & ASHES, and YOUNG LIVERS.MID023
NO MORE ART "Sorrows of Youth" LP (Man in Decline Records)
Finally! No More Art delivers a much-anticipated full-length LP after tempting us with a handful of fantastic 7″s (including the split 7" with DOOM TOWN released on MAN IN DECLINE RECORDS). For those unfamiliar, No More Art plays dark, driving melodic punk that embodies the spirit of THE WIPERS and combines it with the execution of THE AVENGERS, and old LA band, THE BRAT. Guitarist Will Kinser spent some time playing in RED DONS, which comes through in the songwriting and execution, and they also share a kinship with bands like MASSHYSTERI and VANNA INGET. Pick this up if you like downstroked classic punk with minor chords and strong female vocals.
AGENT ATTITUDE "Deranged Realities" LP (Man in Decline Records)
Sweden has a long history of producing amazing hardcore with a distinct sound that often veers toward the heavy and down-tuned. This tradition continues today with amazing bands like DISSEKERAD and INSTITUTION continuing the trajectory of the Swedish sound. Recently, a few Swedish hardcore bands (e.g., DAMAGED HEAD, with whom Agent Attitude shares members) have broken tradition and have begun to draw from U.S. hardcore influences with great results. AGENT ATTITUDE is perhaps the longest-running, most prolific, and hardest touring of these U.S. style-hardcore bands. To date, they have released a demo, three 7"s, and an LP and they have toured Europe extensively along with the U.S. east coast. Their second full-length LP, "Deranged Realities", serves as a testament to their talent and exudes all the handwork that has proceeded this new release. Each song builds on the last and they seamlessly weave mid-tempo punk bangers with all out fast attack in a way that should make other bands study and take notice. On Deranged Realities, singer, Jakob, seems to be channeling BLACK FLAG-era Rollins (both in tone and anger) without trying to ape the style. Musically, there are nods to early LA hardcore like CIRCLE JERKS, ANGRY SAMOANS and non-LA bands like POISON IDEA and URBAN WASTE. In short, if you like your hardcore with a heavy dose of punk and nihilistic despondency, this record will fit nicely in your collection.
MASSENGER "Peeling Out" LP (Burger Records)
Esteemed independent record label Burger Records is pleased to present Massenger's killer new album Peeling Out. Featuring eleven crazy good garage punk hits straight out of Ventura, California recorded by Joel Jerome (Cherry Glazer, Peach Kelli Pop, Dios). The excellent album artwork comes courtesy of the amazing Dale Dreiling.
BRATMOBILE "Pottymouth" LP (Kill Rock Stars Records)
The first and only full-length album Bratmobile released during its initial period of activity -- in the '90s, the indie music scene was really all about the 7," the format on which Bratmobile made the most of its abilities -- 1993's Pottymouth neatly encapsulates everything Bratmobile was about. At heart, this means that Pottymouth is about the early-'90s indie scene, about the D.I.Y. life in the post-Nirvana age where it seemed like anything could happen. Like many bands formed around the Olympia scene, the three members of Bratmobile were as much or more fans as they were musicians: it is not an insult to say that any three committed punk rock fans in and around the K Records/Kill Rock Stars orbit could have made this album, but merely an affirmation that these edge-of-chaos blurts of upfront sexuality, rancorous anger, and -- occasionally -- goofy humor sound like diary entries from the early '90s, when punk rock was just on the verge of taking over the world.
RIPCORD "Fast 'n' Furious" 2xLP (Boss Tuneage Records)
For the first time, UK Hardcore Punk legends RIPCORD have all five of their recorded demos compiled as a stand alone release (including their second demo, which has never officially been released until now). Featuring 42 tracks of classic UK Hardcore punk, this is a must for all collectors of mid to late 80s hardcore punk. All tracks digitally remastered by Baz and John from the band at the legendary Whitehouse Studios in January 2014. To make this release ultra special, the strictly limited edition pressing is on coloured vinyl, with a 24 x 12" insert featuring unseen photos and liner notes and lyrics from the band, plus the CD version (with bonus track!) also included in a PVC wallet. Coupled with the wonderful artwork by Welly (Artcore Fanzine) this is a must own for any fans of the era, archiving recordings that are almost three decades own into a wonderful, must own package! STRICTLY LIMITED EDITION DOUBLE COLOURED VINYL LP IN HEAVYWEIGHT SLEEVE, WITH 24 x 12" PRINTED INSERT, CD IN PVC WALLET - FIRST PRESSING LIMITED TO JUST 500 COPIES WORLDWIDE AVAILABLE IN TWO VARIANTS!
STUCK PIGS "Bleed Like …" Demo Tape (Out For Blood Records)
New HC out of DC! Frantic hardcore ffo Koro and Void
GAS RAG "Discography" Tape (Doomtown Records)
European Import. In their short existence as a band, these four Chicago punks blended classic Scandinavian & Midwestern hardcore influences in a very refreshing and interesting way and left behind a few killer EP's, all of which are collected on this little plastic fucker. Perfectly executed powerful riffs filtered through a sharp guitar tone, well structured fast and short songs, lyrics filled with nihilism, mind-melting drumming and a Touch & Go-ish aesthetic backed with some nice drawings. It was really exciting to follow the releases of a band that merged the raging spirits of my fave classic hardcore EP's like Pick Your King, Jan's Room & Vengeance, Raped Ass and Swedish hardcore giants - Totalitär. This ultimate collection of golden hits is pressed on 150 pro-dubbed tapes in yellow, black and red color. Each tape comes with a two-sided foldout J-card insert. Grab 'em now or regret later!
COUPE GORGE Demo Tape (Brain Abuse Records)
Part of the new group of killer Hardcore influenced Oi coming out of France right now. Coupe Gorge join the likes of Rixe, Syndrome 81, and Traitre'. Six tracks of hardcore influenced Oi. Equal parts speed and stomp with a good dose of gang vocals. Extra bonus track on this tape not on the self released band version.
MIND TRAP "Dresden Sessions" Tape (Brain Abuse Records)
The Mind Trap boys are back with a new tape to stomp your boots to. The boys rip through 6 new tracks that effortlessly jump from boot stomping anthems to breakneck speed. An all out offensive that proves Mind Trap are Europe's finest. 50 percent German, 50 percent Russian, 100 percent pissed off hardcore. USA version on Brain Abuse Records. Black tapes limited to 100 copies.
CONTRA Demo Tape (Brain Abuse Records)
Contra come stomping out of Budapest with a five track demo of Oi! influenced hardcore. While they hail from Hungary this demo could easily come out of D.C. as their sound fits somewhere in between 86 Mentality and Pure Disgust. Pissed off mid tempo hardcore. No bullshit. Limited to 75 copies on Gray tapes.
REPTILOIDS "ЦИНК" Tape (Brain Abuse Records)
These mad men from Moscow rip through these three songs with a punishing assault of crust infused d-beat. While I'm normally not a huge fan of reverb in vocals, in Reptiloids case it just seems to add ferocity to the entire recording. What keeps this demo from being lumped in with every other d-beat band you will hear is the hardcore influence. This isn't surprising considering Reptiloids share members with our favorite German/Russian band Mind Trap.
CHUD "Orange Barrels" Tape (Not Normal Tapes)
Bloomington's most prolific sons dropped two turds and named one rock and the other roll. Perfect if you love the Gizmos or the Pagans, not so much if you're a boring adult.
G.L.O.S.S. "Girls Living Outside Society's Shit" Demo Tape (Not Normal Tapes)
Ripping five song demo from this Olympia band!
SPUTTER "Demo II" Tape (Not Normal Tapes)
Last transmission from this fast, stupid hardcore punk band from Chicago. Sputter kicked around their brand of strange magic for a good year before calling it quits, delivering a much need sense of levity during a rather dour, dismal time for CHC. Hands down one of my favorite local bands from the past year with some primo art designed and screened by the Black Sheep himself, Brian Galecki. Get this shit! FFO: Early Adrenalin OD, JFA, Poison Idea
WRONG, THE "Technology" Tape (Not Normal Tapes)
What can I say about this band that I haven't already lavished upon them before? Contrary to what they'd have you believe, they were the best, a bright shining beacon in a murky sea of bullshit. A flamboyant, raucous, irreverent, nihilistic cure for your hardcore ennui! True believers, basements shook when the Wrong stepped up so here's your chance to bring summa that home. Comes with one "Wrong" brand prophylactic and screen-printed J-card. FFO: The pogo.
SEM HASTRO 2016 Promo Tape (Contra Scam Records)
Newest material from this Brazil / DC project - promo tape for an upcoming 7" on Hysteria Records.
XM2 Demo Tape (Commodity Tapes)
Hailing from Barcelona, XM2 delivers fast, noisey and furious hardcore similar to that of the Italian and Spanish hardcore tradition. Members of Absurdo and Otan.
NIEGALO TODO "Absurdo Escepticismo Superficial" Tape (Commodity Tapes)
Mexican punks from the small town of Tuxtla Guiterrez playing hardcore that dragging at times and rapid at others. Noisey and pissed.
SYNDICATE Demo Tape (Commodity Tapes)
Catchy and dark punk with melodies that will get stuck in your head for days. Along the lines of No Hope for the Kids and Crisis. Member of Morpheme.
STITCHES IN MY HEAD #9 Zine (Zine)
Top notch new issue of SIMH after a move from Cleveland to Toronto. This issue is heavy on the Clevo coverage, featuring an interview with PERVERTS AGAIN, top fives with Paul Schlacter, and reviews of some recent Cleveland punk films. Also included are interviews with MUFF DIVERS, DIGITAL OCTOPUS, and VOICE FROM INSIDE TAPES, a rock'n'roll radio feature, tour diaries from ROYAL HEADACHE and SCAB EATER, plus a heaping of reviews, photos, and more.
LIFE STINKS, I LIKE THE KINKS Zine #4 (Zine)
The fourth issue of a mag about listening to The Kinks. A ritual of degradation. Harm is inherent in extended reflection. I submit to the fantasies incited in their songs. The placation of their harmonies betrays grim depth. Provokes ruin. Writing on: "Wicked Annabella", "Animal Farm", "A Well Respected Man", "Tired of Waiting", and others. This is the last issue. Artwork by Avi Spivak. North American edition with red cover, printed by Feel It.
NUTS ZINE Issue #18 (Nuts)
Nuts! kicks off 2016 with another newsprint blast. This time MOMMY converse about mental health facilities and speed, Emmy from Ohio gives us his top three musical discoveries of the past year, Jeff Caffrey of Gag details his 86 (count 'em!) punk tattoos, Aaron Cometbus contributes a fascinating run-down of vintage hardcore/punk business cards, and the usual striking visuals are here in full force with a heaping of live photos, comics, and a full-color poster.
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #394 - Mar. 2016 (MRR)
Here comes Maximum Rocknroll #394, the March 2016 issue! This issue features a massive bilingual interview with Korea’s noizepunks SCUMRAID in advance of their sure-to-be devastating visit to the US this Spring. Former coordinator Golnar Nikpour got a chance to sit down with Hannah Lew of San Francisco’s COLD BEAT to discuss their new record, Hannah’s label Crime on the Moon, and how to navigate nostalgia and capitalism as a band on the fringes of punk and pop. Scotland’s CLOCKED OUT talk about their influences in Clevo HC and the current state of Glaswegian hardcore, and the LANDLORDS (“true hardcore weirdos” of mid-80s Charlottesville, Virginia) discuss their history and their long-lost second LP. Also: CONSTANT INSULT offer up a Minneapolis punk basement tour and a Minnesota punk ethnography; Helsinki hardcore band DARFÜR talk about Finnish DIY projects; a trip down the psych-punk wormhole with Buffalo’s UTAH JAZZ; a scene report from the United Arab Emirates; and a photo spread from January’s This Is Austin, Not That Great fest. Of course this all comes with a massive reviews section and all your favorite columnists—in this issue, Not Normal Tapes impresario (and singer in Chicago HC outfit The Bug) Ralph Rivera contributes a brand-new music column to the MRR “PC Hate Vision”. This issue also introduces new content co-coordinator Brendan Wells, who just moved in from Minneapolis to help run the very magazine you hold in your hands each and every month. What a time to be alive.
BIG ZIT "Electric Zit Vol. 1" 7"
BLAZING EYE "S/T (UK Pressing)" 7"
CULO "Military Trend" 7"
FRAU "Mira" 7"
FRIED EGG "The Incredible Flexible Egg" 7" Flexi
FUCKED UP "Police" 7"
GAS RAG "6 Song EP (Euro Press)" 7"
GAS RAG "Human Rights (Euro Press)" 7"
GAS RAG "On the Beach (Euro Press)" 7"
LIFE CHAIN "Uniformed Cowards" 7"
LOS CRUDOS "Cobardes" 7"
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 3" 7"
MAJOR DAMAGE "S/T" 7"
MAJOR DAMAGE "Sheer Mayhem" 7"
MISLED YOUTH "S/T" 7"
NIGHT BIRDS "Maimed for the Masses" 7"
NO COMMENT "Live On KXLU 1992" 7"
RED DONS "A Forced Turning Point" 7"
RIXE "Coups et Blessures" 7"
S.H.I.T. "Generation Shit" 7"
SHEER MAG "I (UK PRESSING)" 7"
SHEER MAG "II (UK Pressing)" 7"
SIN MOTIVO "Laberinto b/w Tierra Del Deseo" 7”
SUPERCRUSH "I Don't Want to be Sad Anymore (Canadian Press)" 7"
TOTAL ABUSE "Looking for Love" 7"
URBAN BLIGHT - S/T 7"
URBAN WASTE "S/T" 7"
WEEKEND NACHOS / LACK OF INTEREST Split 7"
A HEADS, THE "Discography 1982-2009" LP
ANASAZI "Nasty Witch Rock (UK Press)" LP
BANNER PILOT "Collapser" LP
BARCELONA "Extremo Hihilismo en Barcelona" LP
BELLICOSE MINDS, THE "The Buzz or Howl Sessions" 10"
BIG EYES "Hard Life" LP
BLOOD PRESSURE "Need to Control" LP
CAREER SUICIDE "Attempted Suicide" LP
CARRY ON "It's All Our Blood" LP
CHROMA "Cuerpos Dociles" LP
COLLEEN GREEN "I Want to Grow Up" LP
CONCRETE SOX "Your Turn Next" LP
CRUDE SS "Killing for Nothing" LP
CRY, THE "Dangerous Game" LP
DAMAGED HEAD "Tunnel Vision" LP
DILLINGER FOUR "Civil War" LP
DISCLOSE "Tragedy" LP
DISCLOSE "Yesterday's Fairytale, Tomorrow's Nightmare" LP
DYS "Brotherhood" LP
ERGS, THE "Dorkrockcorkrod" LP
EXTORTION "Degenerate" LP
EXTORTION "Sick" LP
FRAMTID "Under the Ashes" LP
FUCKED UP "David Comes to Life" 2xLP
FUCKED UP "The Chemistry of Common Life" 2xLP
HURULA "Betongbarn" LP
INSTITUTE "S/T" 12"
JERRY'S KIDS "Is This My World?" LP
JUANITA Y LOS FEOS "Nueva Numancia" LP
LA MISMA "Kanizadi (UK Press)" LP
LA SERA "Sees the Light" LP
MANDATES, THE "S/T" LP
NERVES, THE "One Way Ticket" LP
Our buds Night Birds have a brand new full length, Mutiny at Muscle Beach, coming out October 2nd on Fat Wreck Chords! You can check out the new track "Blank Eyes" off of that upcoming LP here. It's great!
