Post by gravemistake on Aug 14, 2013 8:42:06 GMT -5
Emailed this out last week but never did my messageboard rounds, so here we go ...
GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS AND MAILORDER
LABEL AND WEBSTORE UPDATE - 08.09.13
Hello! It's been a little while since you've heard from me (and over a month since my last proper Webstore Update), so as always I'm going to try and keep this as short as can be but there is a bunch of news since the last month so thanks in advance for reading!
First off NIGHT BIRDS "Born to Die in Suburbia" LP news! Well as you may have noticed, we had a few delays and shot past our expected July 9th "release date" by three weeks or so ... the good news is that, despite unforeseen delays with the release, ALL of the preorders have shipped and this month you will begin seeing it pop up in your favorite store/distro/website if you haven't picked it up yet. Thanks to everyone for your patience, and hopefully the delay doesn't keep you from checking it out because it truly is an incredible LP, and the best NIGHT BIRDS record to date (which says a lot!). NIGHT BIRDS will be hitting the road with the one and only ZERO BOYS later this month for a quick tour, you can check out the dates here: www.facebook.com/events/542863959089319
The BIG EYES "Almost Famous" LP is finally available again! The first pressing sold out in less than a month, and despite a few more plant delays (see a trend here?) we've finally got the second press in our hands!!! You can pick up the record in the webstore as well, we've also got those killer package deals running if you need to grab and of the older BIG EYES releases as well! Speaking of represses, the SCHOOL JERKS LP and THE SHIRKS LP are also back in print! We've also repressed the awesome SOCIAL CIRCKLE "City Shock" LP on No Way, that record is just too good to go out of print!
On the upcoming release front, we were able to get advance copies of both the COKE BUST "Confined" 12" and RED DONS "Notes on the Underground" 7" for their respective tours, and we are now looking to have both of those releases officially out this September! If you were lucky enough to grab a tour version of either release, be sure to tell your friends how awesome these two releases are! We've still got the 86 MENTALITY LP and STRIKING DISTANCE LP vinyl sitting here with no covers, BUT one day this month I will fix that and these records WILL see the light of day this fall (although I said that in the spring too). I'm just building anticipation ... I've got a few more releases to announce shortly, but I'll save that for another time.
Finally, the second release on the new VINYL CONFLICT LABEL is now available! The debut three song 7" from Richmond's own DEVIL'S HAND. Check the description below and order the 7"! You can also stream the full EP here: gravemistakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-the-slaughter
I believe that's all on the Grave Mistake news front for now, if I remember anything after I send this, I'll be sure to tell you about it next week. Now, onto the webstore update ...
GRAVE MISTAKE WEBSTORE:
www.gravemistakerecords.com/catalog/
WHAT'S NEW FOR 8/9/2013:
www.gravemistakerecords.com/catalog/products_new.php
A ton of new stuff since the last webstore update ... I've got the newest additions w/ descriptions listed first below, then we have a few killer titles that have been in the store since JULY however never got mentioned properly in an update. First of is the new DEVIL'S HAND 7" ... total ripper so be sure to pick it up! Then, the highly anticipated new LP from CRIMINAL DAMAGE! I spun this thing on repeat most of yesterday, it does NOT disappoint! I think it's taken a good 3-4 years to see the light of day, and trust me it was worth it! Also from Feral Ward is the debut LP from LONG KNIFE. We've got the brand new LP from TX's Criaturas, plus a few new Deranged titles including new LP's from YOUTH AVOIDERS and VOIGHT KAMPF, and new 7"s from NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS, WASTOIDS, NEGATIVE DEGREE, and SMARTBOYS (Featuring Jonah and Mike from FUCKED UP). I have also finally restocked on the new CULO LP - and this time I've got some limited COLOR VINYL that Deranged was nice enough to hook me up with for you collector scum.
In other new release news, grabbed all of the newest 540 releases (ALL of which are highly recommended) Including the FINAL CONFLICT and FRAMTID Demos LPs and a reissue of the BIG BOYS classic FUN FUN FUN; picked up the singles LP from Chicago's NOOSE, stocked up on a few titles from Olympia's PERENNIAL RECORDS including both MILK MUSIC LPs, the newest 7" output from MN's CONDOMINIUM, the debut 7" from Richmond VA's AR-KAICS (killer 60's garage featuring members of THE SHIRKS), the new GAG 12" with incredible cover art and an even more incredible title; plus a handful of killer demos from Atlanta's MERCENARY, Boston's SAVAGEHEADS and CONTINGENT, SEMPER EADEM which is the newest brainchild of 86 MENTALITY frontman Steve Clark, new BRAIN SLUG tape and more!
There is a good amount more, but I'm going to cut it here so check the list below and buy some new records!
Thanks for reading and thanks for the support!
Alex / GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS
SITE: www.gravemistakerecords.com
STORE: www.gravemistakerecords.com/catalog
BANDCAMP: gravemistakerecords.bandcamp.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/gravemistakerecords
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/gravemistakerex
NEW IN THE WEBSTORE FOR 8/9/13:
CRIMINAL DAMAGE "CALL OF DEATH" LP (FERAL WARD)
It's been a long sinuous road but their third LP sees light of day afterall. Recorded in a few sessions over 4 years, it's more of the same timeless anthemic punk as on their previous releases. Criminal Damage is punk band from Portland, Or that features the drummer of Tragedy playing guitar. This third release definitely does not disappoint ... guaranteed to have you singing along and fist pumping in minutes!
CRIATURAS "ESPIRITU DE LIBERTAD" LP (RESIDUE)
The masters of Unholy Rock n’ Roll are at it again with their 2nd LP of insanely driven punk hysteria! An amazing 4 piece punk band crawling out of Austin, TX (featuring members of VAASKA, IMPALERS, KURRAKÄ, SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, SIGNAL LOST etc.) feature Dru’s intense rapid fire vocals and Victor’s ripping guitar… this record just drives a steak through your heart with its dark, haunting, catchy, and brilliant energy! This is what punk should sound like with a UK82 Punk feel mixed with classic Spanish hardcore… totally raging, intense, and beyond simple punk stereotypes. By far one of the best records to come out this year!
GAG "THIS PUNK SHIT IS COOL BUT I HOPE TO BE ROB ZOMBIE WHEN I'M 28" 12" (BEDSIDE)
Debut 5 song, one sided LP from this Olympia band. This LP hits with maximum impact, the sound is raw, distorted, and wild hardcore with heavy delay on the vocals and weird changes throughout. If you like bands like GISM, Church Whip, or United Mutation not just for their aggression but also for their weirdness as well, you'll flip for GAG. Incredible cover art on a heavy tip-on style jacket with 18”x24” fold out poster. This great band has no signs of slowing down.
LONG KNIFE "WILDERNESS" LP (FERAL WARD)
New Poison idea inspired Portland band's first release. Tense uptempo hook-filled hardcore avoiding modern clichés. No raw punk, no goth, no metal, just simple catchy hardcore.
CULO "MY LIFE SUCKS AND I COULD CARE LESS" COLORED VINYL! (DERANGED)
Second Pressing on limited COLORED VINYL! "Okay, 1st off, the LP is NOT called 'The Return of Culo', look at the spine of the LP for proof of that. But in a sense, its almost a return record since the guys took a good amount of time prepping it. This LP was recorded over a weekend in mid March 2012 with their man of choice Kevin up in Lansing MI. This is definitely not a concept record, but it can almost be called a 'time and place' record since the album is a reflection of everything in the band's life when writing it, but what bands don't? If you only loved the fast stuff the band has done before, that's still present on tracks here but also the band offers more variety then ever before. To be blunt, the fast songs are faster, the mid tempo tracks are more punchy and the the rest are just downright catchy as hell. I see the 'Ramones songs made ugly' as a comparison nowadays made about a select few, and finally someone's pulls it off, even though the boys go for their own thing but that certain band is a large influence. This is a true PUNK record. And damn John's voice almost is an exact cross of Jerry and John Brannon, its so eerie the semblance. This album was just meant to happen and even if its release experienced a few delays, it's a timeless record. Nothing was spared from the record down to the look, layout and quality and what you get sounds excellent. So sit back, grab something to drink (or supply to any other habit you may have) and enjoy all that is Culo.''
NOOSE "THE MORAL LAW" LP (REACT)
The Chicago Vegan Straight Edge returns to REACT! Records, this time to take a moment, pause and look back upon the twisted path of shocked, offended and alienated witnesses left in their wake. Compiling “It’s Your Time” (REACT!), “The War of All Against All” (REACT!), “Depraved Indifference” (REFUSE) and obscure compilation tracks, THE MORAL LAW is the definitive collection of NOOSE’s recorded output to date. 20 tracks of vegan fueled, hate-filled philosophical rants you probably strongly disagree with or at least feel uncomfortable admitting to in public… cruelty-free (for the animals, at least). Hardline vegan straight edge played like it completely missed the 90’s.
VOIGHT KAMPF "S/T" LP (DERANGED)
Voight-Kampff began as Run Down in 2005 when Sulier and Swanson-White came together due to a shared love of darker moodier punk. After both had been in hardcore bands they decided to try something a little weirder. A 2 song 45 was done after passing songs back and forth and was belatedly released in 2012 on Baltimore’s Firestarter Records. At this point the songs were already written for their debut full-length and the two decided to make a clean break from RD with a name change and stripped down format which would involve only the two of them for recording purposes. VK has played roughly a show a year since 07 recruiting different friends to flesh out live line-ups including Doom Town’s Ashley Hohman and Tom Valli, Bryan Clarkson and Shaun Morrissey from The Humanoids, Matty Coonfield of Bug Chaser and Tone Rodent, Phil Schwarz of Rock Bottom Records, Ted Howard of the 86’ed, and Brad Stiffler of Condominium. The duo is currently at work writing for their second LP and has plans to finally tour and increase their activities. Razorcake “Not at all what you’d expect from a long distance project involving members from Minneapolis’ Formaldehyde Junkies and St. Louis’s the Breaks: this is some compelling dark punk ala the current crop of Northwestern bands, such as the Estranged, Criminal Code, and the Red Dons. Speaking of Red Dons, I’m hearing a lot of the Observers’ magic with the in-your-face vocals and the way the guitar hooks weave in and out of a driving rhythm section. Perfect for punks who aren’t precious about where they shelve their Joy Division records. Voight-Kampff have apparently been collaborating for over seven years now and have more releases lined up, including a 7” on Firestarter under their previous moniker, Run Down. If this cassette is telling of what’s in store, then I offer to you my highest possible recommendation.” –Juan Espinosa from Terminal Escape “It’s no secret that punks have taken to looking to the dreary sounds of decades past, but the nucleus of VOIGHT•KAMPFF have been working on these sounds since the last millennium and their efforts will reward your earholes with music dripping with dark basement sounds. Far from a goth punk rehash, this project leans heavily on guitar driven post punk, so much so that it’s easy to overlook the superb brooding vocals and even to miss the subtle keyboards and concentrate on the gloriously simple guitar leads. The two fellows at the center of VOIGHT•KAMPFF know exactly what they are up to and are no strangers to killer sounds (one dude from CARDIAC ARREST and one from FORMALDEHYDE JUNKIES/DAMAGE DEPOSIT), but this is easily their finest work to date. Easily (though mistakenly) lumped in with both Swedish melodic sounds like VICIOUS or with the current ‘80s dark punk resurgence, this is one of the few fortunate bands who sound instantly familiar and fiercely original at the same time. There’s vinyl coming soon, and I couldn’t be happier.”
YOUTH AVOIDERS "S/T" LP (DERANGED)
After a very well received EP and two US tours, YOUTH AVOIDERS return with their first full length album. For fans of hardcore punk, this will be without a doubt, the best hardcore punk record to come from France in a LONG time. Part hardcore reminiscent of Career Suicide’s punchy delivery and part punk with a frantic guitar work that brings to mind Royal Headache. Loads of catchy hooks delivered at high velocity makes this a real stand out record.
SETE STAR SEPT "VISCERAL TAVERN" LP (SPHC)
This is Sete Star Sept's finest effort to date. Which is to say, it's the best grind record of the year, maybe the last few years. The A-side sees them playing raw grindcore that straddles the line with noisecore yet remains song-oriented enough to stay cohesive. Smiles all around. The B-side sees them diving into an exciting, forward-thinking new style that draws upon the famous improvisation and stream-of-consciousness performance aspects of their live shows. Everybody's scratching their heads.....and we're all still smiling.
MILK MUSIC "BEYOND LIVING" LP (PERENNIAL)
Wild prayers of humanity that blur the line between Hardcore and Rock. The new Vibe for the new era. Slow crashing waves of low tones that shiver across your being. Om Mani Padme. Bright beams of sound. Alien Abductions. You are far above what you thought was your body, but you can still smoke weed. You are receiving it now. God's Radio. You are receiving it now. It jams in the space behind your face. Beyond Living. greatest hits. 6 tracks. For people and dogs of Earth. Made in the USA. 45RPM.
BROKEN WATER "WHET" LP (PERENNIAL)
A re-release of the debut LP by Olympia Washington three-piece BROKEN WATER. Consisting of former SISTERS (Parts Unknown Records) and CELEBRATION members, Broken Water's sound seems to resound in the rainy coastal woodlands that they are surrounded by. Dense walls of slow swirling distortion breath out into moments of cold syrupy magma and reverb drenched beauty. Droning post punk bass grooves build foundations for constantly evolving guitar riffing and somber vocal passages, a subtle psychedelic sound as heavy as it is lite, as dark as it is colorful, and as deep as it is wide. Broken Water's dreamy take on hazy pastoral sonic exploration is as unique as it is nostalgic and provides endless amounts of killer listening.
BROKEN WATER "PERIPHERAL STAR" 12" (PERENNIAL)
There's a lot of images that come to mind with water, one drowning, weightlessness, creation, distortion...distortion in the way you look at something through the water and it's all weird; the light is all bent. what if you could manipulate that? taking the light and bending and bending it. what would you do? 5 tracks. 45 RPM
BROKEN WATER "SEASIDE & SEDMIRKASKY" 12"
This is a two-track 12" self-released by Broken Water in early May 2012, with two extended jams from the Tempest sessions that were kept separate from the full-length LP but intended as a companion piece of sorts. "Seaside" is a 16 minute epic that features Lori Goldston on cello; "Sedmikrasky" was inspired by the Czechoslovakian film Daisies.
WEIRD TV "S/T" LP (PERENNIAL)
“Following up a killer demo and 7”, Olympia’s Weird TV goes long(er) with six new songs that showcase strong musical development and renewed charisma, the kind of music that stares you down even from the comfort of your own home. In a refreshing role reversal, the men in the band are relegated to the rhythm section, while the women handle vocals and guitar, shredding as hard as the situations warrant. Lyrics are once again in Spanish, and the band’s respect for and inspiration from Latino punk, particularly its history in Southern California, is vetted in full solely by way of deed. I got a test pressing, so no lyrics (or song titles, for that matter) are evident, but in the tradition of their previous single, Weird TV has a way of making your classic Pac-NW feminist punk sound more vicious and hectoring than almost anything else in the past 10-15 years, to the point where a few of these songs sound like a curse bestowed upon the unjust who happen to stumble upon this release – these people will make you pay.”—Doug Mosurock
SON SKULL "WIPED CLEAN" LP (PERENNIAL)
“Second record from this Olympia, WA band, and one of the most interesting and consistent punk scenes in this country, parts of which has been well-represented by local label Perennial. Everything they’ve released so far KILLS, and this Son Skull EP is no exception, the band growing further out of the reckless, raspy, rusty sounds of their debut into some surprising and sensitive directions (’Weeping Hole,’ with its folk-style vocal and separated, spare guitar, sounds like it could be found in between Greg Sage’s Straight Ahead and the Pearl Jam documentary), while giving guitarist Hayes Waring the chance to open up on fuzz wah solo rippage elsewhere, like on the title track. Son Skull definitely shares a lot of the qualities of some of the other records reviewed here on this day, December 20, 2011—a sense of picking up and gently fucking with the continuum of punk and underground music as it’s existed for years and years, and getting the requisite kicks out hard. But the promise of new direction evident on Wiped Clean brings with it a level of anticipation, of this whole scene shifting into something bigger and truthful than had existed before. Way rockin’ and worth your while.”—Doug Mosurock
GATEWAY DISTRICT "OLD WILD HEARTS" LP (IT'S ALIVE)
Sometimes the best way to find strength is to be mindful of your weaknesses. Sometimes the best way to move on is to commit your past to memory so you can stop reliving it and progress. Old Wild Hearts plays like a note to self on how to grow strong and move on. Lyrically it can read as a total downer, but through the music its message is transformed into an empowering motivation to make a change for the better. Gateway District continue to do just that with this, their third full length album. With each new record they get better and move on. The familiar patterns of the past are still present, but only those that make way for improvement remain. Strengths are reaffirmed and expanded upon. Weaknesses are cast aside. Perfection is in sight, but perfect's gonna fail... but maybe not this time.
DOPAMINES "VICES" LP (IT'S ALIVE)
The Dopamines have a reputation of being a “party band,” but Vices is no party. It's a hard pill to swallow, and not the fun kind that leaves you falling down the stairs. If Expect The Worst was the raging party last night, this record is the long, hard look in the mirror the morning after. This time around, The Dopamines are dealing with the shit they got fucked up to forget about. And the list of shit to get fucked up to forget about flows longer than the Ohio River. Yet, somehow, the record doesn't sound dark. It's full of catchy tunes, and only when you get them in your head and start singing along do the pieces all start to come together. This record is a paradox, and a damn catchy one. Hooks reveal themselves to be full of terrible thoughts, inescapable and growing louder. Herein lies the real trick to Vices, what really sets The Dopamines apart from their peers. They make the darkness sound appealing by sweeping it under a rug of harmonies and melodies. And by the time you know the record's secrets, you can't walk away from it. Everything on Vices works together so well. It amazes me how a group of dudes with so little going for them can make a record with so much going for it. And before you know it, it's over. You start it up again, catching a buzz during your first listen. By the end of the second, you're wasted, pants around your ankles, pop punk perfection blasting out of your stereo, completely unaware that this might actually not be an appropriate group of songs to party to. But who cares? Life is shit. So, we expect the worst, because it's all we have experience dealing with. It's all we know, it's all we have, it's what we are. But whether slowly through the years or quickly with a handful of pills, we have an awesome new record to jam while we kill ourselves.
CONDOMINIUM "CARL" 7" (SUB POP)
On “Carl”, St. Paul’s Condominium churn out three tracks of their trademark blend of hardcore punk and mutated, art-damaged heaviness. This is Condominium’s sixth vinyl release, after four long-sold out 7"s and the Warm Home LP, all of which made the underground rock cognoscenti drool all over their Flipper shirts. All three tracks are new and exclusive to this release.
WASTOIDS "S/T" 7" (DERANGED)
Bottle chucking youth-punk from Toronto, Ontario; Wastoids rip an early 80s Boston vibe with an Oi! influenced stomp. The culturally sanitized wasteland of the west end of their city breeds boredom and socially fucked mutants who puke in your venues and ruin scenes.
NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS "BIRTH RIGHT" 7" (DERANGED)
Neighborhood Brats, lead by vocalist Jenny Angelillo (the Orphans), are a punk rock band from Los Angeles by way of San Francisco. Their debut EP, recorded after only 5 initial rehearsal sessions in 2011, became an instant classic in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the band honed their sound and became known for out of control, spastic live shows. After releasing two subsequent, well-received singles, Angelillo and guitarist George Rager relocated the band to Los Angeles in late 2012. Birth Right is their debut EP on Deranged and features 3 new ragers and a cover.
NEGATIVE DEGREE "S/T" 7" (DERANGED)
Colorado boys who say they want to sound like Formaldehyde Junkies or Government Issue and then they go and cover Discharge. Their bassist is probably the only dude to ever wear a bandana or flip up hat that you don't feel like throwing your drink at. There may or may not be some fingerless gloves going on.
SMARTBOYS "RSVP" 7" (DERANGED)
Mike Haliechuk and Jonah Falco from Fucked Up team up like Jonesy and Paul Cook to tap the melody and simplicity of what they already know about writing music and fire it even further into the endless prism of the late 70s. Ribbony Bowie-esque vocals over big guitars and heavy drums nodding to Northern Ireland, Northern England, and other anachronistic punk pleasures.
AR-KAICS "SHE DOES THOSE THINGS TO ME" 7" (SPEAKERTREE)
Debut single from Richmond's AR-KAICS! Patty, Kevin, and Johnny make troglodyte, teenbeat garage-punk with enough primitive grit to rival your favorite pebbles, nuggets, and back-from-the-gravers. Their debut single unleashes two essential scorchers into the wild. "She Does Those Things to Me" delivers a catchy 4-chord foundation before pummeling you with buzzsawing guitars, pounding drums, and a full-on throaty wail. B-sider "Don't Need Your Love" is just as catchy, coated in lo-fi snarl with enough sentimentality and twang to really mean it. "Richmond band The Ar-Kaics look towards the direction of purism to the form. Yet, by some intense restraint on their behalf to not be dipshits, and refocusing of that energy towards catchy songwriting and a developed sound that’s both authentic and grimy, they totally fucking kill it. Both of these songs are simple, four-chord stompers with fuzz to spare, a crazed Anglophile singer spazzing out on the mic, and curiously, no bass – a pet peeve of mine that doesn’t even seem to register in the presence of good songwriting and a believable performance. Producer Nikhil Ranade is no stranger to varying styles of band crossing his path, and he plays up the manic elements while muting the rest, to the point where it sounds like some wild motherfuckers teamed up with Heather from Beat Happening and got her to play drums in their awesome band. This single made me briefly rethink my stance on American garage bands of this decade, which was not an easy thing to do" - Doug Mosurock
FRUSTROS "S/T" 7" (MUTANT)
Frustros is a band from Lyon, France - Elizabeth, Alex, Julien and Xavier. After a bolt-from-the-blue six track demo of menacing yet urbane post-punk, Frustros have warmed their tone a little on this new set of songs, which are readied for an eventual vinyl release but are here first on tape for their UK tour with Good Throb. All nervous bite and spirited Francophone anguish, for comparisons these songs summon both the darker spirit of Magazine, and the winsome guitar work of The Clean, transplanted from NZ to the fifteenth floor of a leaking tower block. This is fully-formed, baleful and engaging punk that's cold yet catchy. Frustros are the dissatisfaction soundtrack to a vengeful stomp through the crumbling banlieues.
CRIMINAL CODE / BIG CRUX - SPLIT 7" (BEDSIDE)
A momento of friendship between two great bands from the Northwest. Both bands bring their unique sound in contrast with each other but working wonderfully to keep you flipping the record over and over. 200 Pressed.
NUDES "SKIN" 7" (BEDSIDE)
Gross, fast hardcore from Seattle, WA. Personal and painfully honest lyrics and a unique hardcore onslaught close in on you. 300 Pressed.
CABBAGEHEADS "S/T" 7" (SPHC)
Drums that barely hold together, guitar that lives purely in the moment without regard to song or melody, bass that pops and bounces along at a million miles an hour, and vocals that reflect some very 'hardened cynical bastard' stylings, summing into a fun-loving high-energy 'what's going on? who cares anyway' atmosphere. Cabbageheads are the brightest young stars of the American noise punk landscape. From the same crew that brought you CloudRat and Scum comes everybody playing on the wrong instrument and doing it well enough to qualify as “songs” but poorly enough to still be appealing. Their keen ability to write good songs mixed with their amazing inability to play them correctly made them an instant smash hit at the SPHC headquarters. Their tireless work and dedication to improving their local scene and making punk happen generated an instant kinship with us too. This band is cool, important, and above all, very fucking noise.
TERVEET KADET "PIINAAVA NAUTINTO" 7" (SPHC)
Terveet Kadet is one of the greatest hardcore bands ever. They blew everybody's minds on their recent American tour with Lotus Fucker. They're world champs with similar qualities as other world champs: 20 songs, 25 minutes, all the classics with a couple new bangers, no breaks, no slow, just pure tight-as-hell nonstop hardcore barrage. This new EP is their best record in 20+ years in my opinion. A flawless, effortless example of the style they created and for which they are world-renowned/worshiped/copied. Six songs, four minutes. Brief, bombastic, exploding, demented hardcore punk. Unmistakable, authentic, beautiful.
FORMBY CHANNEL "SAUCEY SEASIDE" 7" (SPHC)
Three of my favorite people in the UK, nay the whole world, return with their genius fun-and-games project band. While the first 7" felt like (/was?) a collection of inside jokes taken to their farthest (and that's no complaint, the first 7" was great), this feels like a more fully-encapsulated mid-tempo rocking noise punk experience akin to hopping along a nude beach with a giant boner and a huge grin on your face. Stronger songs, stronger sound, more universal concept, more ukulele, and that layout......
CLEARSIGHT "NOT ASHAMED" 7" (REACT)
Ukraine’s Youth Crew bruisers are back after a brief hiatus, with a killer follow up to the demo we released a few years ago. Continuing REACT!’s history of finding the most crucial bands from all over the world, CLEARSIGHT drops 9 youth crew anthems, guaranteed to inspire high dives, low skanks and positive change in the hearts of true coremen and women regardless of race, color, or national identity. Grounded firmly in an appreciation of classic and current bands like Youth of Today, Straight Ahead, Stop and Think and True Colors, CLEARSIGHT adds their own twist to the genre with speed, intensity and plenty of groove.
MEAN JEANS / UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND - SPLIT 7" (IT'S ALIVE)
I have been chasing down both of these bands for a record since they first hit the scene. That's the better part of a decade for Underground Railroad To Candyland. But I guess a wait like thatis to be expected when the guys in the band also split time in Toys That Kill, Stoned At Heart and some other bands I probably don't even know of yet. For Mean Jeans it's been less time, but these guys have been down right prolific with the amount of records they've churned out to melt the faces of me, you and anyone else around who knows was sup. It was no easy feat getting these bands on board for a record. These fellas are hard to get and for good reason. Everyone wants a piece of the best bands around! Lucky for us all this shit finally came to be. What you get are two new tracks from two killer bands doing what they do best. Underground Railroad To Candyland continue down their poppy, surfy, slightly psychedelic trip with "I Dunno What I'm Sayin'" and "Alright." Mean Jeans get rad and rip it up with their pogo punk quintessential party jams "Possessed To Party" and "Terminally Twisted."
CRUSADES "PARABLES" 7" (IT'S ALIVE)
Crusades are a band that have made fans of strangers. Their music is not so far off from what It's Alive has released in the past that they don't fit in with or don't make sense sandwiched between bands like Chinese Telephones and The Dopamines. But they are far enough from our center that they have reached the ears of people who wouldn't usually look to us for new music to get into. Those people now come looking for more and find something different, yet similar enough to take interest and give it a chance. Some become fans of what we are doing and the records we are putting out. For that we will forever be stoked to have released Crusades debut album The Sun Is Down And The Night Is Riding In. With their second album already set to be released by No Idea Records, we wanted to do at least one more 7" before their send off. Certainly with the hopes of partnering up again in the future. Parables is a perfect summary of Crusades. It has build up, power, melody, pop punk appeal, masterful guitar shredding and each of the three vocalists gets time on mic to showcase this bands vocal versatility. Lyrically it presents worthwhile questioning of conventional belief as I am sure all Crusades material forever will. Stoked again.
FED TO THE WOLVES "S/T" 7" (LAY ME LOW)
Fed to the Wolves debut 7" 5 songs of dark, heavy hardcore. Limited to 300 copies on black vinyl. Hear it at www.fedtothewolves.bandcamp.com
CONTINGENT - DEMO TAPE
New band from Boston, featuring members of Koward, Who Killed Spikey Jacket?, The Combat Zone, etc. French and UK influenced Oi!/Punk with absolutely solid hooks and riffs. Think Komintern Sect crossed with Criminal Class. Comes with insert.
RITUAL CONTROL - DEMO TAPE
"Demo tape from this new Bay Area, CA band featuring members of No Statik, Condition, and Effluxus. I dare say that if you put those three bands into a blender, Ritual Control is pretty much what you'd expect to come out... beastly, very fast and slightly crusty hardcore that seems heavily influenced by Japanese bands like Gloom and Framtid, but with a slight USHC edge to keep things propulsive and catchy. Pro-printed tapes in a very swank all-black package." - sorrystaterecords.com
SEMPER EADEM - DEMO TAPE
New band from DC featuring Steve from 86 Mentality on vocal duties once again!!! Four Tracks of DCHC with a heavy dose of Oi! influence. 200 made.
BRAIN SLUG - 2013 TAPE
New York's Brain Slug returns in 2013 with their sophomore release, the CREEP//Annihilate Me three-song-single; a manic blast of ancient NYHC wisdom (Straight Ahead, Krakdown) spiked with a hefty dose of noisey punk (Discharge, et al.). Wrapping things up is their vicious take on Christian Death's "Spiritual Cramp." Limited to 200 copies on pro duplicated red cassettes, with screened red shells and a glossy cover.
SOCIAL DAMAGE - DEMO TAPE
This Indianapolis straight edge, three song demo is a slammer. It's short and sweet, clocking in at just under three minutes this demo leaves you wanting more. The demo definitely gives praise to Straight Ahead/80s straight edge, along with early Agnostic Front vibe. Highly recommended for those who love hardcore.
HASHTAG HARDCORE ZINE - ISSUE #2
Second issue of this rad zine out of europe DEDICATED to the core. Content is quite diverse;interviews with Darkside NYC, Vvovnds, Kickback, Citizens Patrol, Bad Brains ('82 reprint), Stikman (Fury Of V), Kirby Michel (Length Of Time), Spoiler (Omega's), Mike Dijan (you know him), Chris Peers (True Colors). Plus shorter interviews with JR Glass (Next Step Up), Sike (Not Afraid), Jeff perlin (Breakdown). Plus Tons of record-, zine-, and showreviews. Plus some columns and a lot of awesome pictures, including Hands Tied, Sheer Terror, Breakdown etc etc etc etc ... a good mix of stuff, it's cool to see hardcore-centric zines that aren't pigeonholed into one niche / trend genre ... maybe not for everyone, but if so then you probably aren't hardcore enough for a Stikman interview anyways.
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #363 - AUGUST 2013
Another illustrious issue of Maximum Rocknroll hits the streets! In MRR #363, the August 2013 issue, we have tons of great interviews including SUDOR from Toledo, Spain, discussing their recent US tour and punk in their corner of the world. The epic TERVEET KÄDET from Finland gives us the details on the band’s evolution and recent activity, and the ladies from LAS OTRAS discuss punk politics and their local Barcelona scene. We talk with the folks at Toinen Vaihtoehto, one of the longest running punk zines in the world, about the inner workings and history of their classic Finnish publication, and Japan’s BLACK AND WHITE gives us a quick interview about their recent activities. We’ve got Bay Area punk noise merchants STILLSUIT, Bay Area weirdo/freak/queer/punk zine Baitline!!!, punk veteran and unsung hero Taquila Mockingbird delivering some insight and history of early L.A. punk, and Punk magazine’s John Holmstrom talks about the late punk artist Arturo Vega and his history with the most famous punk band in the world. RUINED FAMILIES from Athens, Greece talk about their punk scene and the state of their surroundings; Bi-coastal assault R.O.T.T.E.R. discusses their sounds, scenes and inspiration; San Jose, CA’s NO MISTAKE talks about their brand of USHC; and four-piece Vancouver punk outfit SIREN SONGS discusses all things Canadian punk. To top it all off we have a Yorba Linda, CA scene report, guest columns from Luke Haas of Tian An Men 89 Records and Christina from Australia’s Stitches in My Head zine, photo spreads from Steven Rudd at Chaos in Tejas and Ian Absurdo from ABSURDO’s US tour, all the zine, demo, books reviews you want and the most extensive punk review section of all time!
ALSO RECENT NEW WEBSTORE ADDITIONS SINCE JULY:
SAVAGEHEADS - DEMO TAPE
Think No Future/Riot City with a slight Deutschpunk influence. Members of the incestuous gene pool of Boston/Lowell bands (Bloodkrow Butcher, Subclinix, No Sir I Wont, etc., etc.). Comes with lyric insert.
MERCENARY - DEMO TAPE (SCAVENGER OF DEATH)
Atlanta HC raw-rager featuring wild riffage, frantic d-beat drumming, and the pummelling heaviness you'd expect from, say, Framtid. Vocals are like a neanderthal's battle cry: intimidating. 6 tracks, including one mid-paced fightstarter. Not quite raw punk, but it's dis close (get it?).
PROSECUTORS "I'VE GOT A MESSAGE" 7" (SCAVENGER OF DEATH)
Straight reissue of a little known punk platter out of Milwaukee circa 1980. The A side ("I've Got A Message") is a great lost-in-time punk/hard-rock slow burner with strangely ethereal backup vox that take the song to another level. The B-side picks up the pace with the rough-but-hooky proto hardcore of "Dead Man" (also sporting those ghostly backups) and the live cut "Prosecution Rests" (supposedly chosen in place of another studio track due to an insecure drummer). Some time after this record was released, band leader Kevin "Kinney" Gerard picked up stakes and moved to Atlanta, eventually achieving fame with southern rockers Drivin N Cryin. A scarce record known to fetch megabucks, now it can be yours for a nominal fee (with the even scarcer picture sleeve and insert included).
NO SIR, I WON'T "THE DOOR" LP (FRAMEWORK)
NO SIR, I WON'T return with a new EP of unique and complex hardcore punk. Featuring members of BRAIN KILLER, LIBYANS, and SURRENDER; NO SIR, I WON'T draws inspiration from all corners of the punk spectrum to create a wholly unique and refreshing sound not often heard in today's punk scene. Comprised of 6 songs, and clocking in at over 20 minutes in length, "The Door" is a dynamic album that mixes the anger of CONFLICT with the melody of early CHUMBAWAMBA. All copies on yellow vinyl with download card.
PROXY "SOMETHING WE'VE ALL SEEN BEFORE" LP (INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL)
UK IMPORT. Debut vinyl offering from Montreal's finest. Co-released between Imminent Destruction and Inflammable Material. 7 tracks that draw influences from classic UK punk like Blitz or The Partisans but underpin it with the steel of early Motorhead/GBH/Toxic Reasons. Timeless catchy, but equally powerful, modern Punk from ex-members of Inepsy and Kontempt. Full colour jackets with double sided lyric inner, pressed on 150 gram red vinyl.
VIOLENT END "S/T" 7" (LENGUA ARMADA)
This band out of Chicago, IL smack us in the face with four stomping tracks that will crumble your world. Be warned, this is for fans of hardcore. Features members of Vile Gash, Manipulation, Chronic Seizure, and Repos, just to name a few.
DAYLIGHT ROBBERY "DISTANT SHORES" 7" (DIRT CULT)
Dark and melodic punk rock from Chicago. This three piece often gets compared to X (LA) with a bit less of that bluesy rock n roll vibe. And while I'd say that's a cop-out (yeah yeah, dualing male-female vocals), it's incredibly accurate. This is a split release with Poison City for the band's Australian tour in July. Printed on 3 different colors of vinyl.
BRAIN ATTACK "S/T" 7" (DIRT CULT)
Absolutely raging female fronted "old-school" hardcore from Austin. Members of Wiccans, Sex Advice, Rats & Birds, Debt, Hairdos on Fire and more. Limited to 330 on black.
FINAL CONFLICT "NINETEEN EIGHTY FIVE DEMO" LP (540)
"Aaaarrgggh! Raging Madness strikes with this ferocious demo. New hot young band from the L.A. area who scorch out the speed and extreme rawness in the vein of ICONOCLAST and early FINAL WARNING. Intense lyrics with a boisterous shouter, backed by thrashing metallic grinds melting into overdrive. This grabs for the blast" -- Pushead - 1985. Before "ashes to ashes" was this amazing demo that is put to vinyl for the first time in a gatefold cover mastered by enormous door.
FRAMTID "CONSUMING SHIT AND MIND POLLUTION - THE EARLY DEMOS 97/01" LP (540)
Life has few certainties. Everything seems to change, usually for the worse. Death is inevitable, though when it will come can rarely be predicted. Amidst all the flux here is a certainty: Framtid plays ripping d-beat raw punk, and they will never change. At the same time as their new album is released, the first in over a decade, 540 Records presents a vinyl collection of their four early demo cassettes. Most remarkable is how consistent Framtid’s vision has been, since first set down on a rehearsal tape in 1997. There is no chaff, nothing extraneous: just short, sharp bursts of feedback, noise, distortion, pummeling drums, and memorable råpunk riffs. This LP’s release accompanied their first visit to the United States, some years after border authorities had halted a previously planned one. What many suspected then became clear in 2013: Framtid is the most powerful live hardcore band on the planet, playing with ferocity unmatched by their peers (particularly drummer Takayama, who it seems barely survives the all-out effort he gives). After first seeing them in Japan a friend remarked to me that the sensory experience was like living through trench warfare. Perhaps outsiders will never grasp how fans of a deeply anti-war outfit, whose lyrics barely stray from that single message, can crave such an experience. But for the initiated, it makes perfect sense. At last, the initiated legion (and others!) can easily obtain the band’s crucial cassettes. The versions on this record, none ever before on vinyl, also include some songs that appear nowhere else. The band’s third demo, in particular, was produced in a micro-edition. This LP’s packaging is lavish, with a gatefold cover and a booklet of extremely difficult-to-find flyers, photos, and other material. -- Stuart Schrader.
EGO SUMMIT "THE ROOM ISN'T BIG ENOUGH" LP (540)
I can almost remember the day that Rep sent me the first issue of this LP. Taking it out of the package I glommed the title, looked at who was participating and snorted appreciatively. Ego Summit – perfect! Don Howland, Jim Shepard, Ron House, Tommy Jay and Michael Hummel were all guys whose impact on the world of music (as it is known) was questionable, but all of them were well-known at the sub-underground level, and it was damn certain they all felt like kings! Between them they had created sounds and records that were legendary and influential, but the fact that they were all bums dedicated to living in Columbus, Ohio made the reality of their impact something that was hard to appreciate if you lived further away than Dayton (home of GBV). But as the years peeled away, oddball record collectors (and perhaps, even, the women who love them) have come to appreciate the insane form-moves this cabal of record collectors was up to. By the time of this release, they’d been putting out records for years, with bands as diverse as Gibson Bros, Bassholes, Vertical Slit, V-3, Great Plains, Mike Rep & the Quota, True Believers (OH), and in various solo incarnations of one form or another. Each had evolved a dinstinctive sound, redolent of every goddamn record he’d ever heard – from Ramblin’ Thomas to the Twinkeyz to Armand Schaubroeck Steals to Destroy All Monsters, and they were ready to roll it all out. Ego Summit functions like a download of everything they’ve ever really loved, from the VU’s Live ’69 to Quicksilver’s cover of Buffy Ste. Marie’s “Codine”, all piled up in a beautifully loose garage band jumble. I’m never sure whether my fave track is Ron House’s “Rise Sherry” (with its lazy approximation of the original Contortions’ slide guitar/bass dualism), Jim Shepard’s abosultely blown talling-blues, “We Got It All” (the best experiment in the form since the Minutemen’s “History Lesson Part Two”), or Don Howland’s “Wife Blues” (a track that makes every motion by Spencer’s Blues Explosion extraneous), but the whole goddamn thing is great. A totally superior listen, by a bunch of clowns who were their own best fans. And knew why. Now you do too. --Byron Coley
BIG BOYS "FUN FUN FUN" LP (540)
If you were to find a person unfamiliar with the Big Boys, they would be one lucky son of a gun because they would be about to have their whole trip turned inside out. Fun, Fun, Fun... is the gateway to whole new world of empowerment. Anything in life is possible as long you have a positive attitude and this 12" to sing along to. You wanna skate ditches? Let's go! You wanna paint outside the lines? Do it loud! You wanna rock? Go start your own band! Fx3s got all the things to move your ass, a short HC ripper, a couple funk numbers (complete with horns - necessary) and the oh-so-important infectious anthemic tracks that tie the whole scene together. Part Kool & the Gang, part Angelic Upstarts, Black Flag and John Coltrane, they drew from a wide vein of musical inspiration in their quest to open minds and instill a creative, uplifting, socially aware ethos. All that being said they did the whole thing with a smile the size of Texas itself.
BAD SKIN "S/T" 7" (BAD VIBRATIONS)
"The best no-nonsense hardcore punk band you've never heard unless you're from Toronto? Posthumous release of the 4 song EP we corralled them into recording in Luke's basement before they broke up. Jay now sings in TOHC gods HASSLER. "They were the closest thing this city has seen to real, honest, raw punk in decades...As it stands, I still have no idea what a single one of their songs is called, and I probably couldn't string two words of their lyrics together if you paid me, but that's the way it should be. They were faster, harder, and more dangerous than most before or since. Their collective members frequently flew too close to the flame. Out-of-tune guitars. Broken, blood-covered cymbals. 2-song sets. Flying shoes. Ranch dressing. BAD SKIN." - Gabby (Bad Skin Guru/Reprobates)"
RULE OF THIRDS "S/T" 7" (VIDEO DISEASE)
Debut 7" from this incredible new Australian band. Rule Of Thirds have crafted 3 perfect death rock songs that have an amazing dark pop slant to them. While so many bands attempt this style, many of them are hardly original nor could they write anything memorable. Rule Of Thirds surpass their contemporaries by crafting expertly written songs that have incredible amounts of depth and layers. Expertly recorded and mastered to capture the bands amazing talent and song writing ability, this debut 7" is a strong statement that will resonate in the underground and will make all other bands playing this style seem obsolete. Packaged in a lush 7" glue pocket sleeve with a custom inner sleeve with beautiful artwork laid out by the band.
FLEX, THE "SCUM ON THE RUN" 7" (VIDEO DISEASE)
Debut 7" from devastating UK hardcore band The Flex. After a great demo The Flex had a bit of a lineup change. Adding a 2nd guitar and recruiting living legend Tom Pimlott (Violent Reaction, Sectarian Violence) to play drums, The Flex have become an unstoppable machine bent on world domination. Six songs of boot to the gut, fist to the teeth HARDCORE. The Flex have created the perfect hybrid of Boston '82 and NYC '87 but putting their own original twist on the tried and true formula. Instead of just being a simple copy of their favorite bands as so many bands do today, The Flex are one of the best and most original bands in the UK and the world today. Mastered by Dan Randall at the highest volume possible to capture the true raw energy of the band. Pressed on to cherry red vinyl housed in a black dust sleeve with an expertly crafted fold over sleeve with intimidating artwork throughout, this is the ultimate way to truly experience the power of The Flex. Members of Violent Reaction, Sectarian Violence, Perspex Flesh and more!
OCCULTS "S/T" 7" (NO PATIENCE)
Proving once again what a hotbed of creativity the sweaty musical underbelly of Queensland can be, this is the exciting debut offering from Brisbane 3 piece, OCCULTS. A swampy, downer, rock and roll sound reminiscent of groups like FEEDTIME and THE BIRTHDAY PARTY meets the swagger and sex of THE CRAMPS. Fantastic male / female dual vocals mix with pounding drums and bass, and a fuzzed out yet melodic guitar sound to create a real sonic presence. This record is a strut through the dark and muggy streets of Brisbane suburbia. A real sunglasses after dark kind of affair.
LOWER "SOMEONE'S GOT IT IN FOR ME" 7" (540)
Hailing from Denmark, featuring members of Youth Attack's Sexdrome, and palling around with the same crew as Iceage, Lower bring a very dark style of punk to this 7", bringing to mind bands like The Cure, Echo And The Bunnymen, and Joy Division.
SEX PRISONER "STATE PROPERTY E.P." 7" (BAD TEETH)
"STATE PROPERTY" is the fantastic 2nd E.P. from the Southwest's greatest hardcore sensation. 10 brand new songs of purely demented powerviolence in the vein of Crossed Out and Despise You with a healthy portion of Merauder on the side. Forget what you heard from any of the bullshit over-hyped bands of this genre...SEX PRISONER do it best from their hometown of Tucson, AZ. Pick this up or die trying.
NEW FLESH, THE "REALITY" LP (NEW FLESH)
Oakland's The New Flesh LP "Reality" is dark, aggressive and melodic . It draws from circumstances such as anxiety, uneasiness and the disconnectedness as a result from over stimulation. It has eight contagious songs that range from the prodding moodiness of early Killing Joke to the melancholic pop of early New Order. It is driving and punk and manages to escape the trappings of certain revivalist bands that The New Flesh are often compared to. There are layers of melodies that require several listens to fully appreciate beyond the instant hooks. This record comes on marbled vinyl.
VILE, THE "PROVOCATION" LP (HAVOC)
The Vile is a new audio assault which consists of Rat (varukers/discharge) on vocals Tezz (ex discharge/broken bones) on guitar along with Ben (ex Disorder) and Sean (Braindance) on Bass. The band was put together to incorporate elements of the members previous bands, but to kick up the aggressive attitude a notch with a more in your face UK punk sound. The Vile are irreverent, obnoxious raw two fingers in the air punk rock from some seasoned veterans of the UK scene. "Punk Disorder Chaos Destruction!" Health Warning: any one of a nervous disposition steer clear of this release you have been warned
SPOKENEST "WE MOVE" LP
Debut LP from this new California band that plays gnarly, complex, and progressive punk. The guitar riffs are really quirky, reminding me of a tradition of punk bands that spans from early Wire through the Minutemen all the way up to bands like Drive Like Jehu, but it's all filtered through the DIY punk. Features Adrian and Daryl of God Equals Genocide. A really cool, catchy, LP, and limited to only 330 copies.
FROM ASHES RISE "REJOICE THE END" 7" (SOUTHERN LORD)
From Ashes Rise is a legendary punk/hardcore band that along with bands like Tragedy and His Hero Is Gone has helped pioneer what is defined as modern crust punk. This 7" is the band's first release since 2003's "Nightmare."
NAILS "ABANDON ALL LIFE" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
Recorded with Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studio, "Abandon All Life" continues to push their sound into more extreme territory as they throw elements of bands like Suffocation, early Nasum and Celtic Frost into their hardcore/death metal hybrid.
NAILS "UNSILENT DEATH" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
"Unsilent Death" consists of 10 unrelenting and unapologetic songs with a sound not unlike the late '80s Earache Records catalog mixed with early power violence. Recorded during the cold winter of 2009 at Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio. Westbrook said: "It sounds like Entombed covering Napalm Death and Drop Dead."
BLACK BREATH "SENTENCED TO LIFE" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
Southern Lord is proud to unleash the second album from Seattle s barbaric wrecking crew that is Black Breath! Sentenced to Life is the highly-anticipated follow up to the band s raging 2010 debut album, Heaving Breathing. The new album projects an even more vile, metallic sonic attack than it s predecessor....with a bit less rock and roll swagger and more full-on crushing death metal rage. This is a product of furious creativity jammed into a short span of time, written in the seemingly endless Winter after returning from their November 2010 European tour. Bearing 10 thunderous tracks in just under 33 minutes, Sentenced to Life, features such smashing Black Breath hits as Feast of the Damned, Doomed, Forced Into Possession, Home of the Grave and of course the title anthem, Sentenced to Life. The band once again recorded at God City Studios with Kurt Ballou and had the finished product mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side. Easily the band s most thunderous recording to date, Black Breath sentence every listener to a life of headbanging after spinning this one!
WOLFBRIGADE "DAMNED" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
Sweden's pioneers of melodic, metallic D-beat return with their first LP for Southern Lord, delivering 12 devastating anthems in 35 minutes complete with crunching guitars and the occasional burning spirit melodies thrown in.
RESTOCKS FOR 8/9/13:
ALTERED BOYS - CASSETTE SINGLE
ANTI-CIMEX - RAPED ASS 7"
AUS ROTTEN - FUCK NAZI SYMPATHY 7"
BIG EYES - HARD LIFE LP
CULO - MY LIFE SUCKS AND I COULD CARE LESS LP
DISCHARGE - DECONTROL 7"
DISCHARGE - FIGHT BACK 7"
DISCHARGE - NEVER AGAIN 7"
DISCHARGE - REALITIES OF WAR 7"
DISCHARGE - STATE VIOLENCE, STATE CONTROL 7"
GIVE - BOOTS OF FAITH 7"
GIVE - HEAVEN IS WAITING 7"
HARD SKIN - ON THE BALLS LP
HARD SKIN - WHY DO BIRDS SUDDENLY APPEAR LP
KAAOS - NUUKE 7"
KREMLIN - DRUNK IN THE GULAG LP
LOTUS FUCKER - FOREVER MY FIGHTING SPIRIT LP
MARKED MEN - ON THE OTHER SIDE 7"
MILK MUSIC - CRUISE YOUR ILLUSION LP
MINDSET - EP COLLECTION LP
MINDSET - LEAVE NO DOUBT LP
PROTESTI - 8 TRACK EP 7"
SPINE - SUBHUMAN 7"
WARXGAMES - 9 TRACKS/NO NIGHTMARE 7"
GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS AND MAILORDER
LABEL AND WEBSTORE UPDATE - 08.09.13
Hello! It's been a little while since you've heard from me (and over a month since my last proper Webstore Update), so as always I'm going to try and keep this as short as can be but there is a bunch of news since the last month so thanks in advance for reading!
First off NIGHT BIRDS "Born to Die in Suburbia" LP news! Well as you may have noticed, we had a few delays and shot past our expected July 9th "release date" by three weeks or so ... the good news is that, despite unforeseen delays with the release, ALL of the preorders have shipped and this month you will begin seeing it pop up in your favorite store/distro/website if you haven't picked it up yet. Thanks to everyone for your patience, and hopefully the delay doesn't keep you from checking it out because it truly is an incredible LP, and the best NIGHT BIRDS record to date (which says a lot!). NIGHT BIRDS will be hitting the road with the one and only ZERO BOYS later this month for a quick tour, you can check out the dates here: www.facebook.com/events/542863959089319
The BIG EYES "Almost Famous" LP is finally available again! The first pressing sold out in less than a month, and despite a few more plant delays (see a trend here?) we've finally got the second press in our hands!!! You can pick up the record in the webstore as well, we've also got those killer package deals running if you need to grab and of the older BIG EYES releases as well! Speaking of represses, the SCHOOL JERKS LP and THE SHIRKS LP are also back in print! We've also repressed the awesome SOCIAL CIRCKLE "City Shock" LP on No Way, that record is just too good to go out of print!
On the upcoming release front, we were able to get advance copies of both the COKE BUST "Confined" 12" and RED DONS "Notes on the Underground" 7" for their respective tours, and we are now looking to have both of those releases officially out this September! If you were lucky enough to grab a tour version of either release, be sure to tell your friends how awesome these two releases are! We've still got the 86 MENTALITY LP and STRIKING DISTANCE LP vinyl sitting here with no covers, BUT one day this month I will fix that and these records WILL see the light of day this fall (although I said that in the spring too). I'm just building anticipation ... I've got a few more releases to announce shortly, but I'll save that for another time.
Finally, the second release on the new VINYL CONFLICT LABEL is now available! The debut three song 7" from Richmond's own DEVIL'S HAND. Check the description below and order the 7"! You can also stream the full EP here: gravemistakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-the-slaughter
I believe that's all on the Grave Mistake news front for now, if I remember anything after I send this, I'll be sure to tell you about it next week. Now, onto the webstore update ...
GRAVE MISTAKE WEBSTORE:
www.gravemistakerecords.com/catalog/
WHAT'S NEW FOR 8/9/2013:
www.gravemistakerecords.com/catalog/products_new.php
A ton of new stuff since the last webstore update ... I've got the newest additions w/ descriptions listed first below, then we have a few killer titles that have been in the store since JULY however never got mentioned properly in an update. First of is the new DEVIL'S HAND 7" ... total ripper so be sure to pick it up! Then, the highly anticipated new LP from CRIMINAL DAMAGE! I spun this thing on repeat most of yesterday, it does NOT disappoint! I think it's taken a good 3-4 years to see the light of day, and trust me it was worth it! Also from Feral Ward is the debut LP from LONG KNIFE. We've got the brand new LP from TX's Criaturas, plus a few new Deranged titles including new LP's from YOUTH AVOIDERS and VOIGHT KAMPF, and new 7"s from NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS, WASTOIDS, NEGATIVE DEGREE, and SMARTBOYS (Featuring Jonah and Mike from FUCKED UP). I have also finally restocked on the new CULO LP - and this time I've got some limited COLOR VINYL that Deranged was nice enough to hook me up with for you collector scum.
In other new release news, grabbed all of the newest 540 releases (ALL of which are highly recommended) Including the FINAL CONFLICT and FRAMTID Demos LPs and a reissue of the BIG BOYS classic FUN FUN FUN; picked up the singles LP from Chicago's NOOSE, stocked up on a few titles from Olympia's PERENNIAL RECORDS including both MILK MUSIC LPs, the newest 7" output from MN's CONDOMINIUM, the debut 7" from Richmond VA's AR-KAICS (killer 60's garage featuring members of THE SHIRKS), the new GAG 12" with incredible cover art and an even more incredible title; plus a handful of killer demos from Atlanta's MERCENARY, Boston's SAVAGEHEADS and CONTINGENT, SEMPER EADEM which is the newest brainchild of 86 MENTALITY frontman Steve Clark, new BRAIN SLUG tape and more!
There is a good amount more, but I'm going to cut it here so check the list below and buy some new records!
Thanks for reading and thanks for the support!
Alex / GRAVE MISTAKE RECORDS
SITE: www.gravemistakerecords.com
STORE: www.gravemistakerecords.com/catalog
BANDCAMP: gravemistakerecords.bandcamp.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/gravemistakerecords
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/gravemistakerex
NEW IN THE WEBSTORE FOR 8/9/13:
CRIMINAL DAMAGE "CALL OF DEATH" LP (FERAL WARD)
It's been a long sinuous road but their third LP sees light of day afterall. Recorded in a few sessions over 4 years, it's more of the same timeless anthemic punk as on their previous releases. Criminal Damage is punk band from Portland, Or that features the drummer of Tragedy playing guitar. This third release definitely does not disappoint ... guaranteed to have you singing along and fist pumping in minutes!
CRIATURAS "ESPIRITU DE LIBERTAD" LP (RESIDUE)
The masters of Unholy Rock n’ Roll are at it again with their 2nd LP of insanely driven punk hysteria! An amazing 4 piece punk band crawling out of Austin, TX (featuring members of VAASKA, IMPALERS, KURRAKÄ, SEVERED HEAD OF STATE, SIGNAL LOST etc.) feature Dru’s intense rapid fire vocals and Victor’s ripping guitar… this record just drives a steak through your heart with its dark, haunting, catchy, and brilliant energy! This is what punk should sound like with a UK82 Punk feel mixed with classic Spanish hardcore… totally raging, intense, and beyond simple punk stereotypes. By far one of the best records to come out this year!
GAG "THIS PUNK SHIT IS COOL BUT I HOPE TO BE ROB ZOMBIE WHEN I'M 28" 12" (BEDSIDE)
Debut 5 song, one sided LP from this Olympia band. This LP hits with maximum impact, the sound is raw, distorted, and wild hardcore with heavy delay on the vocals and weird changes throughout. If you like bands like GISM, Church Whip, or United Mutation not just for their aggression but also for their weirdness as well, you'll flip for GAG. Incredible cover art on a heavy tip-on style jacket with 18”x24” fold out poster. This great band has no signs of slowing down.
LONG KNIFE "WILDERNESS" LP (FERAL WARD)
New Poison idea inspired Portland band's first release. Tense uptempo hook-filled hardcore avoiding modern clichés. No raw punk, no goth, no metal, just simple catchy hardcore.
CULO "MY LIFE SUCKS AND I COULD CARE LESS" COLORED VINYL! (DERANGED)
Second Pressing on limited COLORED VINYL! "Okay, 1st off, the LP is NOT called 'The Return of Culo', look at the spine of the LP for proof of that. But in a sense, its almost a return record since the guys took a good amount of time prepping it. This LP was recorded over a weekend in mid March 2012 with their man of choice Kevin up in Lansing MI. This is definitely not a concept record, but it can almost be called a 'time and place' record since the album is a reflection of everything in the band's life when writing it, but what bands don't? If you only loved the fast stuff the band has done before, that's still present on tracks here but also the band offers more variety then ever before. To be blunt, the fast songs are faster, the mid tempo tracks are more punchy and the the rest are just downright catchy as hell. I see the 'Ramones songs made ugly' as a comparison nowadays made about a select few, and finally someone's pulls it off, even though the boys go for their own thing but that certain band is a large influence. This is a true PUNK record. And damn John's voice almost is an exact cross of Jerry and John Brannon, its so eerie the semblance. This album was just meant to happen and even if its release experienced a few delays, it's a timeless record. Nothing was spared from the record down to the look, layout and quality and what you get sounds excellent. So sit back, grab something to drink (or supply to any other habit you may have) and enjoy all that is Culo.''
NOOSE "THE MORAL LAW" LP (REACT)
The Chicago Vegan Straight Edge returns to REACT! Records, this time to take a moment, pause and look back upon the twisted path of shocked, offended and alienated witnesses left in their wake. Compiling “It’s Your Time” (REACT!), “The War of All Against All” (REACT!), “Depraved Indifference” (REFUSE) and obscure compilation tracks, THE MORAL LAW is the definitive collection of NOOSE’s recorded output to date. 20 tracks of vegan fueled, hate-filled philosophical rants you probably strongly disagree with or at least feel uncomfortable admitting to in public… cruelty-free (for the animals, at least). Hardline vegan straight edge played like it completely missed the 90’s.
VOIGHT KAMPF "S/T" LP (DERANGED)
Voight-Kampff began as Run Down in 2005 when Sulier and Swanson-White came together due to a shared love of darker moodier punk. After both had been in hardcore bands they decided to try something a little weirder. A 2 song 45 was done after passing songs back and forth and was belatedly released in 2012 on Baltimore’s Firestarter Records. At this point the songs were already written for their debut full-length and the two decided to make a clean break from RD with a name change and stripped down format which would involve only the two of them for recording purposes. VK has played roughly a show a year since 07 recruiting different friends to flesh out live line-ups including Doom Town’s Ashley Hohman and Tom Valli, Bryan Clarkson and Shaun Morrissey from The Humanoids, Matty Coonfield of Bug Chaser and Tone Rodent, Phil Schwarz of Rock Bottom Records, Ted Howard of the 86’ed, and Brad Stiffler of Condominium. The duo is currently at work writing for their second LP and has plans to finally tour and increase their activities. Razorcake “Not at all what you’d expect from a long distance project involving members from Minneapolis’ Formaldehyde Junkies and St. Louis’s the Breaks: this is some compelling dark punk ala the current crop of Northwestern bands, such as the Estranged, Criminal Code, and the Red Dons. Speaking of Red Dons, I’m hearing a lot of the Observers’ magic with the in-your-face vocals and the way the guitar hooks weave in and out of a driving rhythm section. Perfect for punks who aren’t precious about where they shelve their Joy Division records. Voight-Kampff have apparently been collaborating for over seven years now and have more releases lined up, including a 7” on Firestarter under their previous moniker, Run Down. If this cassette is telling of what’s in store, then I offer to you my highest possible recommendation.” –Juan Espinosa from Terminal Escape “It’s no secret that punks have taken to looking to the dreary sounds of decades past, but the nucleus of VOIGHT•KAMPFF have been working on these sounds since the last millennium and their efforts will reward your earholes with music dripping with dark basement sounds. Far from a goth punk rehash, this project leans heavily on guitar driven post punk, so much so that it’s easy to overlook the superb brooding vocals and even to miss the subtle keyboards and concentrate on the gloriously simple guitar leads. The two fellows at the center of VOIGHT•KAMPFF know exactly what they are up to and are no strangers to killer sounds (one dude from CARDIAC ARREST and one from FORMALDEHYDE JUNKIES/DAMAGE DEPOSIT), but this is easily their finest work to date. Easily (though mistakenly) lumped in with both Swedish melodic sounds like VICIOUS or with the current ‘80s dark punk resurgence, this is one of the few fortunate bands who sound instantly familiar and fiercely original at the same time. There’s vinyl coming soon, and I couldn’t be happier.”
YOUTH AVOIDERS "S/T" LP (DERANGED)
After a very well received EP and two US tours, YOUTH AVOIDERS return with their first full length album. For fans of hardcore punk, this will be without a doubt, the best hardcore punk record to come from France in a LONG time. Part hardcore reminiscent of Career Suicide’s punchy delivery and part punk with a frantic guitar work that brings to mind Royal Headache. Loads of catchy hooks delivered at high velocity makes this a real stand out record.
SETE STAR SEPT "VISCERAL TAVERN" LP (SPHC)
This is Sete Star Sept's finest effort to date. Which is to say, it's the best grind record of the year, maybe the last few years. The A-side sees them playing raw grindcore that straddles the line with noisecore yet remains song-oriented enough to stay cohesive. Smiles all around. The B-side sees them diving into an exciting, forward-thinking new style that draws upon the famous improvisation and stream-of-consciousness performance aspects of their live shows. Everybody's scratching their heads.....and we're all still smiling.
MILK MUSIC "BEYOND LIVING" LP (PERENNIAL)
Wild prayers of humanity that blur the line between Hardcore and Rock. The new Vibe for the new era. Slow crashing waves of low tones that shiver across your being. Om Mani Padme. Bright beams of sound. Alien Abductions. You are far above what you thought was your body, but you can still smoke weed. You are receiving it now. God's Radio. You are receiving it now. It jams in the space behind your face. Beyond Living. greatest hits. 6 tracks. For people and dogs of Earth. Made in the USA. 45RPM.
BROKEN WATER "WHET" LP (PERENNIAL)
A re-release of the debut LP by Olympia Washington three-piece BROKEN WATER. Consisting of former SISTERS (Parts Unknown Records) and CELEBRATION members, Broken Water's sound seems to resound in the rainy coastal woodlands that they are surrounded by. Dense walls of slow swirling distortion breath out into moments of cold syrupy magma and reverb drenched beauty. Droning post punk bass grooves build foundations for constantly evolving guitar riffing and somber vocal passages, a subtle psychedelic sound as heavy as it is lite, as dark as it is colorful, and as deep as it is wide. Broken Water's dreamy take on hazy pastoral sonic exploration is as unique as it is nostalgic and provides endless amounts of killer listening.
BROKEN WATER "PERIPHERAL STAR" 12" (PERENNIAL)
There's a lot of images that come to mind with water, one drowning, weightlessness, creation, distortion...distortion in the way you look at something through the water and it's all weird; the light is all bent. what if you could manipulate that? taking the light and bending and bending it. what would you do? 5 tracks. 45 RPM
BROKEN WATER "SEASIDE & SEDMIRKASKY" 12"
This is a two-track 12" self-released by Broken Water in early May 2012, with two extended jams from the Tempest sessions that were kept separate from the full-length LP but intended as a companion piece of sorts. "Seaside" is a 16 minute epic that features Lori Goldston on cello; "Sedmikrasky" was inspired by the Czechoslovakian film Daisies.
WEIRD TV "S/T" LP (PERENNIAL)
“Following up a killer demo and 7”, Olympia’s Weird TV goes long(er) with six new songs that showcase strong musical development and renewed charisma, the kind of music that stares you down even from the comfort of your own home. In a refreshing role reversal, the men in the band are relegated to the rhythm section, while the women handle vocals and guitar, shredding as hard as the situations warrant. Lyrics are once again in Spanish, and the band’s respect for and inspiration from Latino punk, particularly its history in Southern California, is vetted in full solely by way of deed. I got a test pressing, so no lyrics (or song titles, for that matter) are evident, but in the tradition of their previous single, Weird TV has a way of making your classic Pac-NW feminist punk sound more vicious and hectoring than almost anything else in the past 10-15 years, to the point where a few of these songs sound like a curse bestowed upon the unjust who happen to stumble upon this release – these people will make you pay.”—Doug Mosurock
SON SKULL "WIPED CLEAN" LP (PERENNIAL)
“Second record from this Olympia, WA band, and one of the most interesting and consistent punk scenes in this country, parts of which has been well-represented by local label Perennial. Everything they’ve released so far KILLS, and this Son Skull EP is no exception, the band growing further out of the reckless, raspy, rusty sounds of their debut into some surprising and sensitive directions (’Weeping Hole,’ with its folk-style vocal and separated, spare guitar, sounds like it could be found in between Greg Sage’s Straight Ahead and the Pearl Jam documentary), while giving guitarist Hayes Waring the chance to open up on fuzz wah solo rippage elsewhere, like on the title track. Son Skull definitely shares a lot of the qualities of some of the other records reviewed here on this day, December 20, 2011—a sense of picking up and gently fucking with the continuum of punk and underground music as it’s existed for years and years, and getting the requisite kicks out hard. But the promise of new direction evident on Wiped Clean brings with it a level of anticipation, of this whole scene shifting into something bigger and truthful than had existed before. Way rockin’ and worth your while.”—Doug Mosurock
GATEWAY DISTRICT "OLD WILD HEARTS" LP (IT'S ALIVE)
Sometimes the best way to find strength is to be mindful of your weaknesses. Sometimes the best way to move on is to commit your past to memory so you can stop reliving it and progress. Old Wild Hearts plays like a note to self on how to grow strong and move on. Lyrically it can read as a total downer, but through the music its message is transformed into an empowering motivation to make a change for the better. Gateway District continue to do just that with this, their third full length album. With each new record they get better and move on. The familiar patterns of the past are still present, but only those that make way for improvement remain. Strengths are reaffirmed and expanded upon. Weaknesses are cast aside. Perfection is in sight, but perfect's gonna fail... but maybe not this time.
DOPAMINES "VICES" LP (IT'S ALIVE)
The Dopamines have a reputation of being a “party band,” but Vices is no party. It's a hard pill to swallow, and not the fun kind that leaves you falling down the stairs. If Expect The Worst was the raging party last night, this record is the long, hard look in the mirror the morning after. This time around, The Dopamines are dealing with the shit they got fucked up to forget about. And the list of shit to get fucked up to forget about flows longer than the Ohio River. Yet, somehow, the record doesn't sound dark. It's full of catchy tunes, and only when you get them in your head and start singing along do the pieces all start to come together. This record is a paradox, and a damn catchy one. Hooks reveal themselves to be full of terrible thoughts, inescapable and growing louder. Herein lies the real trick to Vices, what really sets The Dopamines apart from their peers. They make the darkness sound appealing by sweeping it under a rug of harmonies and melodies. And by the time you know the record's secrets, you can't walk away from it. Everything on Vices works together so well. It amazes me how a group of dudes with so little going for them can make a record with so much going for it. And before you know it, it's over. You start it up again, catching a buzz during your first listen. By the end of the second, you're wasted, pants around your ankles, pop punk perfection blasting out of your stereo, completely unaware that this might actually not be an appropriate group of songs to party to. But who cares? Life is shit. So, we expect the worst, because it's all we have experience dealing with. It's all we know, it's all we have, it's what we are. But whether slowly through the years or quickly with a handful of pills, we have an awesome new record to jam while we kill ourselves.
CONDOMINIUM "CARL" 7" (SUB POP)
On “Carl”, St. Paul’s Condominium churn out three tracks of their trademark blend of hardcore punk and mutated, art-damaged heaviness. This is Condominium’s sixth vinyl release, after four long-sold out 7"s and the Warm Home LP, all of which made the underground rock cognoscenti drool all over their Flipper shirts. All three tracks are new and exclusive to this release.
WASTOIDS "S/T" 7" (DERANGED)
Bottle chucking youth-punk from Toronto, Ontario; Wastoids rip an early 80s Boston vibe with an Oi! influenced stomp. The culturally sanitized wasteland of the west end of their city breeds boredom and socially fucked mutants who puke in your venues and ruin scenes.
NEIGHBORHOOD BRATS "BIRTH RIGHT" 7" (DERANGED)
Neighborhood Brats, lead by vocalist Jenny Angelillo (the Orphans), are a punk rock band from Los Angeles by way of San Francisco. Their debut EP, recorded after only 5 initial rehearsal sessions in 2011, became an instant classic in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the band honed their sound and became known for out of control, spastic live shows. After releasing two subsequent, well-received singles, Angelillo and guitarist George Rager relocated the band to Los Angeles in late 2012. Birth Right is their debut EP on Deranged and features 3 new ragers and a cover.
NEGATIVE DEGREE "S/T" 7" (DERANGED)
Colorado boys who say they want to sound like Formaldehyde Junkies or Government Issue and then they go and cover Discharge. Their bassist is probably the only dude to ever wear a bandana or flip up hat that you don't feel like throwing your drink at. There may or may not be some fingerless gloves going on.
SMARTBOYS "RSVP" 7" (DERANGED)
Mike Haliechuk and Jonah Falco from Fucked Up team up like Jonesy and Paul Cook to tap the melody and simplicity of what they already know about writing music and fire it even further into the endless prism of the late 70s. Ribbony Bowie-esque vocals over big guitars and heavy drums nodding to Northern Ireland, Northern England, and other anachronistic punk pleasures.
AR-KAICS "SHE DOES THOSE THINGS TO ME" 7" (SPEAKERTREE)
Debut single from Richmond's AR-KAICS! Patty, Kevin, and Johnny make troglodyte, teenbeat garage-punk with enough primitive grit to rival your favorite pebbles, nuggets, and back-from-the-gravers. Their debut single unleashes two essential scorchers into the wild. "She Does Those Things to Me" delivers a catchy 4-chord foundation before pummeling you with buzzsawing guitars, pounding drums, and a full-on throaty wail. B-sider "Don't Need Your Love" is just as catchy, coated in lo-fi snarl with enough sentimentality and twang to really mean it. "Richmond band The Ar-Kaics look towards the direction of purism to the form. Yet, by some intense restraint on their behalf to not be dipshits, and refocusing of that energy towards catchy songwriting and a developed sound that’s both authentic and grimy, they totally fucking kill it. Both of these songs are simple, four-chord stompers with fuzz to spare, a crazed Anglophile singer spazzing out on the mic, and curiously, no bass – a pet peeve of mine that doesn’t even seem to register in the presence of good songwriting and a believable performance. Producer Nikhil Ranade is no stranger to varying styles of band crossing his path, and he plays up the manic elements while muting the rest, to the point where it sounds like some wild motherfuckers teamed up with Heather from Beat Happening and got her to play drums in their awesome band. This single made me briefly rethink my stance on American garage bands of this decade, which was not an easy thing to do" - Doug Mosurock
FRUSTROS "S/T" 7" (MUTANT)
Frustros is a band from Lyon, France - Elizabeth, Alex, Julien and Xavier. After a bolt-from-the-blue six track demo of menacing yet urbane post-punk, Frustros have warmed their tone a little on this new set of songs, which are readied for an eventual vinyl release but are here first on tape for their UK tour with Good Throb. All nervous bite and spirited Francophone anguish, for comparisons these songs summon both the darker spirit of Magazine, and the winsome guitar work of The Clean, transplanted from NZ to the fifteenth floor of a leaking tower block. This is fully-formed, baleful and engaging punk that's cold yet catchy. Frustros are the dissatisfaction soundtrack to a vengeful stomp through the crumbling banlieues.
CRIMINAL CODE / BIG CRUX - SPLIT 7" (BEDSIDE)
A momento of friendship between two great bands from the Northwest. Both bands bring their unique sound in contrast with each other but working wonderfully to keep you flipping the record over and over. 200 Pressed.
NUDES "SKIN" 7" (BEDSIDE)
Gross, fast hardcore from Seattle, WA. Personal and painfully honest lyrics and a unique hardcore onslaught close in on you. 300 Pressed.
CABBAGEHEADS "S/T" 7" (SPHC)
Drums that barely hold together, guitar that lives purely in the moment without regard to song or melody, bass that pops and bounces along at a million miles an hour, and vocals that reflect some very 'hardened cynical bastard' stylings, summing into a fun-loving high-energy 'what's going on? who cares anyway' atmosphere. Cabbageheads are the brightest young stars of the American noise punk landscape. From the same crew that brought you CloudRat and Scum comes everybody playing on the wrong instrument and doing it well enough to qualify as “songs” but poorly enough to still be appealing. Their keen ability to write good songs mixed with their amazing inability to play them correctly made them an instant smash hit at the SPHC headquarters. Their tireless work and dedication to improving their local scene and making punk happen generated an instant kinship with us too. This band is cool, important, and above all, very fucking noise.
TERVEET KADET "PIINAAVA NAUTINTO" 7" (SPHC)
Terveet Kadet is one of the greatest hardcore bands ever. They blew everybody's minds on their recent American tour with Lotus Fucker. They're world champs with similar qualities as other world champs: 20 songs, 25 minutes, all the classics with a couple new bangers, no breaks, no slow, just pure tight-as-hell nonstop hardcore barrage. This new EP is their best record in 20+ years in my opinion. A flawless, effortless example of the style they created and for which they are world-renowned/worshiped/copied. Six songs, four minutes. Brief, bombastic, exploding, demented hardcore punk. Unmistakable, authentic, beautiful.
FORMBY CHANNEL "SAUCEY SEASIDE" 7" (SPHC)
Three of my favorite people in the UK, nay the whole world, return with their genius fun-and-games project band. While the first 7" felt like (/was?) a collection of inside jokes taken to their farthest (and that's no complaint, the first 7" was great), this feels like a more fully-encapsulated mid-tempo rocking noise punk experience akin to hopping along a nude beach with a giant boner and a huge grin on your face. Stronger songs, stronger sound, more universal concept, more ukulele, and that layout......
CLEARSIGHT "NOT ASHAMED" 7" (REACT)
Ukraine’s Youth Crew bruisers are back after a brief hiatus, with a killer follow up to the demo we released a few years ago. Continuing REACT!’s history of finding the most crucial bands from all over the world, CLEARSIGHT drops 9 youth crew anthems, guaranteed to inspire high dives, low skanks and positive change in the hearts of true coremen and women regardless of race, color, or national identity. Grounded firmly in an appreciation of classic and current bands like Youth of Today, Straight Ahead, Stop and Think and True Colors, CLEARSIGHT adds their own twist to the genre with speed, intensity and plenty of groove.
MEAN JEANS / UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND - SPLIT 7" (IT'S ALIVE)
I have been chasing down both of these bands for a record since they first hit the scene. That's the better part of a decade for Underground Railroad To Candyland. But I guess a wait like thatis to be expected when the guys in the band also split time in Toys That Kill, Stoned At Heart and some other bands I probably don't even know of yet. For Mean Jeans it's been less time, but these guys have been down right prolific with the amount of records they've churned out to melt the faces of me, you and anyone else around who knows was sup. It was no easy feat getting these bands on board for a record. These fellas are hard to get and for good reason. Everyone wants a piece of the best bands around! Lucky for us all this shit finally came to be. What you get are two new tracks from two killer bands doing what they do best. Underground Railroad To Candyland continue down their poppy, surfy, slightly psychedelic trip with "I Dunno What I'm Sayin'" and "Alright." Mean Jeans get rad and rip it up with their pogo punk quintessential party jams "Possessed To Party" and "Terminally Twisted."
CRUSADES "PARABLES" 7" (IT'S ALIVE)
Crusades are a band that have made fans of strangers. Their music is not so far off from what It's Alive has released in the past that they don't fit in with or don't make sense sandwiched between bands like Chinese Telephones and The Dopamines. But they are far enough from our center that they have reached the ears of people who wouldn't usually look to us for new music to get into. Those people now come looking for more and find something different, yet similar enough to take interest and give it a chance. Some become fans of what we are doing and the records we are putting out. For that we will forever be stoked to have released Crusades debut album The Sun Is Down And The Night Is Riding In. With their second album already set to be released by No Idea Records, we wanted to do at least one more 7" before their send off. Certainly with the hopes of partnering up again in the future. Parables is a perfect summary of Crusades. It has build up, power, melody, pop punk appeal, masterful guitar shredding and each of the three vocalists gets time on mic to showcase this bands vocal versatility. Lyrically it presents worthwhile questioning of conventional belief as I am sure all Crusades material forever will. Stoked again.
FED TO THE WOLVES "S/T" 7" (LAY ME LOW)
Fed to the Wolves debut 7" 5 songs of dark, heavy hardcore. Limited to 300 copies on black vinyl. Hear it at www.fedtothewolves.bandcamp.com
CONTINGENT - DEMO TAPE
New band from Boston, featuring members of Koward, Who Killed Spikey Jacket?, The Combat Zone, etc. French and UK influenced Oi!/Punk with absolutely solid hooks and riffs. Think Komintern Sect crossed with Criminal Class. Comes with insert.
RITUAL CONTROL - DEMO TAPE
"Demo tape from this new Bay Area, CA band featuring members of No Statik, Condition, and Effluxus. I dare say that if you put those three bands into a blender, Ritual Control is pretty much what you'd expect to come out... beastly, very fast and slightly crusty hardcore that seems heavily influenced by Japanese bands like Gloom and Framtid, but with a slight USHC edge to keep things propulsive and catchy. Pro-printed tapes in a very swank all-black package." - sorrystaterecords.com
SEMPER EADEM - DEMO TAPE
New band from DC featuring Steve from 86 Mentality on vocal duties once again!!! Four Tracks of DCHC with a heavy dose of Oi! influence. 200 made.
BRAIN SLUG - 2013 TAPE
New York's Brain Slug returns in 2013 with their sophomore release, the CREEP//Annihilate Me three-song-single; a manic blast of ancient NYHC wisdom (Straight Ahead, Krakdown) spiked with a hefty dose of noisey punk (Discharge, et al.). Wrapping things up is their vicious take on Christian Death's "Spiritual Cramp." Limited to 200 copies on pro duplicated red cassettes, with screened red shells and a glossy cover.
SOCIAL DAMAGE - DEMO TAPE
This Indianapolis straight edge, three song demo is a slammer. It's short and sweet, clocking in at just under three minutes this demo leaves you wanting more. The demo definitely gives praise to Straight Ahead/80s straight edge, along with early Agnostic Front vibe. Highly recommended for those who love hardcore.
HASHTAG HARDCORE ZINE - ISSUE #2
Second issue of this rad zine out of europe DEDICATED to the core. Content is quite diverse;interviews with Darkside NYC, Vvovnds, Kickback, Citizens Patrol, Bad Brains ('82 reprint), Stikman (Fury Of V), Kirby Michel (Length Of Time), Spoiler (Omega's), Mike Dijan (you know him), Chris Peers (True Colors). Plus shorter interviews with JR Glass (Next Step Up), Sike (Not Afraid), Jeff perlin (Breakdown). Plus Tons of record-, zine-, and showreviews. Plus some columns and a lot of awesome pictures, including Hands Tied, Sheer Terror, Breakdown etc etc etc etc ... a good mix of stuff, it's cool to see hardcore-centric zines that aren't pigeonholed into one niche / trend genre ... maybe not for everyone, but if so then you probably aren't hardcore enough for a Stikman interview anyways.
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #363 - AUGUST 2013
Another illustrious issue of Maximum Rocknroll hits the streets! In MRR #363, the August 2013 issue, we have tons of great interviews including SUDOR from Toledo, Spain, discussing their recent US tour and punk in their corner of the world. The epic TERVEET KÄDET from Finland gives us the details on the band’s evolution and recent activity, and the ladies from LAS OTRAS discuss punk politics and their local Barcelona scene. We talk with the folks at Toinen Vaihtoehto, one of the longest running punk zines in the world, about the inner workings and history of their classic Finnish publication, and Japan’s BLACK AND WHITE gives us a quick interview about their recent activities. We’ve got Bay Area punk noise merchants STILLSUIT, Bay Area weirdo/freak/queer/punk zine Baitline!!!, punk veteran and unsung hero Taquila Mockingbird delivering some insight and history of early L.A. punk, and Punk magazine’s John Holmstrom talks about the late punk artist Arturo Vega and his history with the most famous punk band in the world. RUINED FAMILIES from Athens, Greece talk about their punk scene and the state of their surroundings; Bi-coastal assault R.O.T.T.E.R. discusses their sounds, scenes and inspiration; San Jose, CA’s NO MISTAKE talks about their brand of USHC; and four-piece Vancouver punk outfit SIREN SONGS discusses all things Canadian punk. To top it all off we have a Yorba Linda, CA scene report, guest columns from Luke Haas of Tian An Men 89 Records and Christina from Australia’s Stitches in My Head zine, photo spreads from Steven Rudd at Chaos in Tejas and Ian Absurdo from ABSURDO’s US tour, all the zine, demo, books reviews you want and the most extensive punk review section of all time!
ALSO RECENT NEW WEBSTORE ADDITIONS SINCE JULY:
SAVAGEHEADS - DEMO TAPE
Think No Future/Riot City with a slight Deutschpunk influence. Members of the incestuous gene pool of Boston/Lowell bands (Bloodkrow Butcher, Subclinix, No Sir I Wont, etc., etc.). Comes with lyric insert.
MERCENARY - DEMO TAPE (SCAVENGER OF DEATH)
Atlanta HC raw-rager featuring wild riffage, frantic d-beat drumming, and the pummelling heaviness you'd expect from, say, Framtid. Vocals are like a neanderthal's battle cry: intimidating. 6 tracks, including one mid-paced fightstarter. Not quite raw punk, but it's dis close (get it?).
PROSECUTORS "I'VE GOT A MESSAGE" 7" (SCAVENGER OF DEATH)
Straight reissue of a little known punk platter out of Milwaukee circa 1980. The A side ("I've Got A Message") is a great lost-in-time punk/hard-rock slow burner with strangely ethereal backup vox that take the song to another level. The B-side picks up the pace with the rough-but-hooky proto hardcore of "Dead Man" (also sporting those ghostly backups) and the live cut "Prosecution Rests" (supposedly chosen in place of another studio track due to an insecure drummer). Some time after this record was released, band leader Kevin "Kinney" Gerard picked up stakes and moved to Atlanta, eventually achieving fame with southern rockers Drivin N Cryin. A scarce record known to fetch megabucks, now it can be yours for a nominal fee (with the even scarcer picture sleeve and insert included).
NO SIR, I WON'T "THE DOOR" LP (FRAMEWORK)
NO SIR, I WON'T return with a new EP of unique and complex hardcore punk. Featuring members of BRAIN KILLER, LIBYANS, and SURRENDER; NO SIR, I WON'T draws inspiration from all corners of the punk spectrum to create a wholly unique and refreshing sound not often heard in today's punk scene. Comprised of 6 songs, and clocking in at over 20 minutes in length, "The Door" is a dynamic album that mixes the anger of CONFLICT with the melody of early CHUMBAWAMBA. All copies on yellow vinyl with download card.
PROXY "SOMETHING WE'VE ALL SEEN BEFORE" LP (INFLAMMABLE MATERIAL)
UK IMPORT. Debut vinyl offering from Montreal's finest. Co-released between Imminent Destruction and Inflammable Material. 7 tracks that draw influences from classic UK punk like Blitz or The Partisans but underpin it with the steel of early Motorhead/GBH/Toxic Reasons. Timeless catchy, but equally powerful, modern Punk from ex-members of Inepsy and Kontempt. Full colour jackets with double sided lyric inner, pressed on 150 gram red vinyl.
VIOLENT END "S/T" 7" (LENGUA ARMADA)
This band out of Chicago, IL smack us in the face with four stomping tracks that will crumble your world. Be warned, this is for fans of hardcore. Features members of Vile Gash, Manipulation, Chronic Seizure, and Repos, just to name a few.
DAYLIGHT ROBBERY "DISTANT SHORES" 7" (DIRT CULT)
Dark and melodic punk rock from Chicago. This three piece often gets compared to X (LA) with a bit less of that bluesy rock n roll vibe. And while I'd say that's a cop-out (yeah yeah, dualing male-female vocals), it's incredibly accurate. This is a split release with Poison City for the band's Australian tour in July. Printed on 3 different colors of vinyl.
BRAIN ATTACK "S/T" 7" (DIRT CULT)
Absolutely raging female fronted "old-school" hardcore from Austin. Members of Wiccans, Sex Advice, Rats & Birds, Debt, Hairdos on Fire and more. Limited to 330 on black.
FINAL CONFLICT "NINETEEN EIGHTY FIVE DEMO" LP (540)
"Aaaarrgggh! Raging Madness strikes with this ferocious demo. New hot young band from the L.A. area who scorch out the speed and extreme rawness in the vein of ICONOCLAST and early FINAL WARNING. Intense lyrics with a boisterous shouter, backed by thrashing metallic grinds melting into overdrive. This grabs for the blast" -- Pushead - 1985. Before "ashes to ashes" was this amazing demo that is put to vinyl for the first time in a gatefold cover mastered by enormous door.
FRAMTID "CONSUMING SHIT AND MIND POLLUTION - THE EARLY DEMOS 97/01" LP (540)
Life has few certainties. Everything seems to change, usually for the worse. Death is inevitable, though when it will come can rarely be predicted. Amidst all the flux here is a certainty: Framtid plays ripping d-beat raw punk, and they will never change. At the same time as their new album is released, the first in over a decade, 540 Records presents a vinyl collection of their four early demo cassettes. Most remarkable is how consistent Framtid’s vision has been, since first set down on a rehearsal tape in 1997. There is no chaff, nothing extraneous: just short, sharp bursts of feedback, noise, distortion, pummeling drums, and memorable råpunk riffs. This LP’s release accompanied their first visit to the United States, some years after border authorities had halted a previously planned one. What many suspected then became clear in 2013: Framtid is the most powerful live hardcore band on the planet, playing with ferocity unmatched by their peers (particularly drummer Takayama, who it seems barely survives the all-out effort he gives). After first seeing them in Japan a friend remarked to me that the sensory experience was like living through trench warfare. Perhaps outsiders will never grasp how fans of a deeply anti-war outfit, whose lyrics barely stray from that single message, can crave such an experience. But for the initiated, it makes perfect sense. At last, the initiated legion (and others!) can easily obtain the band’s crucial cassettes. The versions on this record, none ever before on vinyl, also include some songs that appear nowhere else. The band’s third demo, in particular, was produced in a micro-edition. This LP’s packaging is lavish, with a gatefold cover and a booklet of extremely difficult-to-find flyers, photos, and other material. -- Stuart Schrader.
EGO SUMMIT "THE ROOM ISN'T BIG ENOUGH" LP (540)
I can almost remember the day that Rep sent me the first issue of this LP. Taking it out of the package I glommed the title, looked at who was participating and snorted appreciatively. Ego Summit – perfect! Don Howland, Jim Shepard, Ron House, Tommy Jay and Michael Hummel were all guys whose impact on the world of music (as it is known) was questionable, but all of them were well-known at the sub-underground level, and it was damn certain they all felt like kings! Between them they had created sounds and records that were legendary and influential, but the fact that they were all bums dedicated to living in Columbus, Ohio made the reality of their impact something that was hard to appreciate if you lived further away than Dayton (home of GBV). But as the years peeled away, oddball record collectors (and perhaps, even, the women who love them) have come to appreciate the insane form-moves this cabal of record collectors was up to. By the time of this release, they’d been putting out records for years, with bands as diverse as Gibson Bros, Bassholes, Vertical Slit, V-3, Great Plains, Mike Rep & the Quota, True Believers (OH), and in various solo incarnations of one form or another. Each had evolved a dinstinctive sound, redolent of every goddamn record he’d ever heard – from Ramblin’ Thomas to the Twinkeyz to Armand Schaubroeck Steals to Destroy All Monsters, and they were ready to roll it all out. Ego Summit functions like a download of everything they’ve ever really loved, from the VU’s Live ’69 to Quicksilver’s cover of Buffy Ste. Marie’s “Codine”, all piled up in a beautifully loose garage band jumble. I’m never sure whether my fave track is Ron House’s “Rise Sherry” (with its lazy approximation of the original Contortions’ slide guitar/bass dualism), Jim Shepard’s abosultely blown talling-blues, “We Got It All” (the best experiment in the form since the Minutemen’s “History Lesson Part Two”), or Don Howland’s “Wife Blues” (a track that makes every motion by Spencer’s Blues Explosion extraneous), but the whole goddamn thing is great. A totally superior listen, by a bunch of clowns who were their own best fans. And knew why. Now you do too. --Byron Coley
BIG BOYS "FUN FUN FUN" LP (540)
If you were to find a person unfamiliar with the Big Boys, they would be one lucky son of a gun because they would be about to have their whole trip turned inside out. Fun, Fun, Fun... is the gateway to whole new world of empowerment. Anything in life is possible as long you have a positive attitude and this 12" to sing along to. You wanna skate ditches? Let's go! You wanna paint outside the lines? Do it loud! You wanna rock? Go start your own band! Fx3s got all the things to move your ass, a short HC ripper, a couple funk numbers (complete with horns - necessary) and the oh-so-important infectious anthemic tracks that tie the whole scene together. Part Kool & the Gang, part Angelic Upstarts, Black Flag and John Coltrane, they drew from a wide vein of musical inspiration in their quest to open minds and instill a creative, uplifting, socially aware ethos. All that being said they did the whole thing with a smile the size of Texas itself.
BAD SKIN "S/T" 7" (BAD VIBRATIONS)
"The best no-nonsense hardcore punk band you've never heard unless you're from Toronto? Posthumous release of the 4 song EP we corralled them into recording in Luke's basement before they broke up. Jay now sings in TOHC gods HASSLER. "They were the closest thing this city has seen to real, honest, raw punk in decades...As it stands, I still have no idea what a single one of their songs is called, and I probably couldn't string two words of their lyrics together if you paid me, but that's the way it should be. They were faster, harder, and more dangerous than most before or since. Their collective members frequently flew too close to the flame. Out-of-tune guitars. Broken, blood-covered cymbals. 2-song sets. Flying shoes. Ranch dressing. BAD SKIN." - Gabby (Bad Skin Guru/Reprobates)"
RULE OF THIRDS "S/T" 7" (VIDEO DISEASE)
Debut 7" from this incredible new Australian band. Rule Of Thirds have crafted 3 perfect death rock songs that have an amazing dark pop slant to them. While so many bands attempt this style, many of them are hardly original nor could they write anything memorable. Rule Of Thirds surpass their contemporaries by crafting expertly written songs that have incredible amounts of depth and layers. Expertly recorded and mastered to capture the bands amazing talent and song writing ability, this debut 7" is a strong statement that will resonate in the underground and will make all other bands playing this style seem obsolete. Packaged in a lush 7" glue pocket sleeve with a custom inner sleeve with beautiful artwork laid out by the band.
FLEX, THE "SCUM ON THE RUN" 7" (VIDEO DISEASE)
Debut 7" from devastating UK hardcore band The Flex. After a great demo The Flex had a bit of a lineup change. Adding a 2nd guitar and recruiting living legend Tom Pimlott (Violent Reaction, Sectarian Violence) to play drums, The Flex have become an unstoppable machine bent on world domination. Six songs of boot to the gut, fist to the teeth HARDCORE. The Flex have created the perfect hybrid of Boston '82 and NYC '87 but putting their own original twist on the tried and true formula. Instead of just being a simple copy of their favorite bands as so many bands do today, The Flex are one of the best and most original bands in the UK and the world today. Mastered by Dan Randall at the highest volume possible to capture the true raw energy of the band. Pressed on to cherry red vinyl housed in a black dust sleeve with an expertly crafted fold over sleeve with intimidating artwork throughout, this is the ultimate way to truly experience the power of The Flex. Members of Violent Reaction, Sectarian Violence, Perspex Flesh and more!
OCCULTS "S/T" 7" (NO PATIENCE)
Proving once again what a hotbed of creativity the sweaty musical underbelly of Queensland can be, this is the exciting debut offering from Brisbane 3 piece, OCCULTS. A swampy, downer, rock and roll sound reminiscent of groups like FEEDTIME and THE BIRTHDAY PARTY meets the swagger and sex of THE CRAMPS. Fantastic male / female dual vocals mix with pounding drums and bass, and a fuzzed out yet melodic guitar sound to create a real sonic presence. This record is a strut through the dark and muggy streets of Brisbane suburbia. A real sunglasses after dark kind of affair.
LOWER "SOMEONE'S GOT IT IN FOR ME" 7" (540)
Hailing from Denmark, featuring members of Youth Attack's Sexdrome, and palling around with the same crew as Iceage, Lower bring a very dark style of punk to this 7", bringing to mind bands like The Cure, Echo And The Bunnymen, and Joy Division.
SEX PRISONER "STATE PROPERTY E.P." 7" (BAD TEETH)
"STATE PROPERTY" is the fantastic 2nd E.P. from the Southwest's greatest hardcore sensation. 10 brand new songs of purely demented powerviolence in the vein of Crossed Out and Despise You with a healthy portion of Merauder on the side. Forget what you heard from any of the bullshit over-hyped bands of this genre...SEX PRISONER do it best from their hometown of Tucson, AZ. Pick this up or die trying.
NEW FLESH, THE "REALITY" LP (NEW FLESH)
Oakland's The New Flesh LP "Reality" is dark, aggressive and melodic . It draws from circumstances such as anxiety, uneasiness and the disconnectedness as a result from over stimulation. It has eight contagious songs that range from the prodding moodiness of early Killing Joke to the melancholic pop of early New Order. It is driving and punk and manages to escape the trappings of certain revivalist bands that The New Flesh are often compared to. There are layers of melodies that require several listens to fully appreciate beyond the instant hooks. This record comes on marbled vinyl.
VILE, THE "PROVOCATION" LP (HAVOC)
The Vile is a new audio assault which consists of Rat (varukers/discharge) on vocals Tezz (ex discharge/broken bones) on guitar along with Ben (ex Disorder) and Sean (Braindance) on Bass. The band was put together to incorporate elements of the members previous bands, but to kick up the aggressive attitude a notch with a more in your face UK punk sound. The Vile are irreverent, obnoxious raw two fingers in the air punk rock from some seasoned veterans of the UK scene. "Punk Disorder Chaos Destruction!" Health Warning: any one of a nervous disposition steer clear of this release you have been warned
SPOKENEST "WE MOVE" LP
Debut LP from this new California band that plays gnarly, complex, and progressive punk. The guitar riffs are really quirky, reminding me of a tradition of punk bands that spans from early Wire through the Minutemen all the way up to bands like Drive Like Jehu, but it's all filtered through the DIY punk. Features Adrian and Daryl of God Equals Genocide. A really cool, catchy, LP, and limited to only 330 copies.
FROM ASHES RISE "REJOICE THE END" 7" (SOUTHERN LORD)
From Ashes Rise is a legendary punk/hardcore band that along with bands like Tragedy and His Hero Is Gone has helped pioneer what is defined as modern crust punk. This 7" is the band's first release since 2003's "Nightmare."
NAILS "ABANDON ALL LIFE" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
Recorded with Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studio, "Abandon All Life" continues to push their sound into more extreme territory as they throw elements of bands like Suffocation, early Nasum and Celtic Frost into their hardcore/death metal hybrid.
NAILS "UNSILENT DEATH" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
"Unsilent Death" consists of 10 unrelenting and unapologetic songs with a sound not unlike the late '80s Earache Records catalog mixed with early power violence. Recorded during the cold winter of 2009 at Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio. Westbrook said: "It sounds like Entombed covering Napalm Death and Drop Dead."
BLACK BREATH "SENTENCED TO LIFE" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
Southern Lord is proud to unleash the second album from Seattle s barbaric wrecking crew that is Black Breath! Sentenced to Life is the highly-anticipated follow up to the band s raging 2010 debut album, Heaving Breathing. The new album projects an even more vile, metallic sonic attack than it s predecessor....with a bit less rock and roll swagger and more full-on crushing death metal rage. This is a product of furious creativity jammed into a short span of time, written in the seemingly endless Winter after returning from their November 2010 European tour. Bearing 10 thunderous tracks in just under 33 minutes, Sentenced to Life, features such smashing Black Breath hits as Feast of the Damned, Doomed, Forced Into Possession, Home of the Grave and of course the title anthem, Sentenced to Life. The band once again recorded at God City Studios with Kurt Ballou and had the finished product mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side. Easily the band s most thunderous recording to date, Black Breath sentence every listener to a life of headbanging after spinning this one!
WOLFBRIGADE "DAMNED" LP (SOUTHERN LORD)
Sweden's pioneers of melodic, metallic D-beat return with their first LP for Southern Lord, delivering 12 devastating anthems in 35 minutes complete with crunching guitars and the occasional burning spirit melodies thrown in.
RESTOCKS FOR 8/9/13:
ALTERED BOYS - CASSETTE SINGLE
ANTI-CIMEX - RAPED ASS 7"
AUS ROTTEN - FUCK NAZI SYMPATHY 7"
BIG EYES - HARD LIFE LP
CULO - MY LIFE SUCKS AND I COULD CARE LESS LP
DISCHARGE - DECONTROL 7"
DISCHARGE - FIGHT BACK 7"
DISCHARGE - NEVER AGAIN 7"
DISCHARGE - REALITIES OF WAR 7"
DISCHARGE - STATE VIOLENCE, STATE CONTROL 7"
GIVE - BOOTS OF FAITH 7"
GIVE - HEAVEN IS WAITING 7"
HARD SKIN - ON THE BALLS LP
HARD SKIN - WHY DO BIRDS SUDDENLY APPEAR LP
KAAOS - NUUKE 7"
KREMLIN - DRUNK IN THE GULAG LP
LOTUS FUCKER - FOREVER MY FIGHTING SPIRIT LP
MARKED MEN - ON THE OTHER SIDE 7"
MILK MUSIC - CRUISE YOUR ILLUSION LP
MINDSET - EP COLLECTION LP
MINDSET - LEAVE NO DOUBT LP
PROTESTI - 8 TRACK EP 7"
SPINE - SUBHUMAN 7"
WARXGAMES - 9 TRACKS/NO NIGHTMARE 7"