GLOOM-Vokusatsu, Seisin, Hatansha

Hey everyone, remember me? I forgot my gmail password for 3 months or more, but I have it again and I've got a lot to share.

Here's the band that burst my crasher crust (blown out Japanese d-beat) cherry and still remain my favorite practitioner of the genre. Listen to Wargasm and Decay and pump your fist.

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AT THE DRIVE-IN - RELATIONSHIP OF COMMAND

I listened to this gem of poppy, spaced-out post-hardcore for the first time in about five years today and it has not aged as poorly as I assumed it would have. The guitar playing still sounds like beacons from distant satellites, the melodies still worm into your brain like robotic-insects intent on harvesting your sanity, and the rhythm section still drives the songs but the heaviness of the drums and bass was lost on my younger self... Oh yeah, the vocals are FUCKING PERFECT! I don't know how to accurately describe them but for this type of music, it's exactly what I want. 'One-Armed Scissor' is still the jam

HERE

BAD BRAINS- S/T

I know this album doesn't need to be discussed among people who already love hardcore but there are people that aren't crazy about hardcore who probably haven't heard this. Some say this is the best hardcore album ever recorded. Some say this is the best album ever recorded!

If you play guitar, bass or drums and you haven't listened to this album before, then you need to right now. These guys were one of the few hardcore bands that actually PLAYED. They didn't just show up, plug in, count to four and hope for the best. The consensus among hardcore fans from the early 80's seems to be that The Bad Brains were right up there with Black Flag as the best live band on the planet in their heyday and the few early live videos don't indicate otherwise. You seriously need to listen to this if you never have because it may change the way you think about punk, your instrument or technical-proficiency in music. Also, it just fucking slays. Even the reggae tracks are A+


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Hermetic-Civilized City / Painted Youth discography

Eric Axen is a good dude, and all the bands I'm aware of him playing with are great. From Hermetic, who just released their debut LP (peep their bandcamp) to Sightlines, Paper Lanterns (he only played guitar for them on their last show. Whatever...) and finally: Painted Youth, who easily land in my top 3 BC bands ever. Loud interesting punk with great lyrics. I wish I got to see them when I was younger, I wish I got to see them at all. (Keep your ear to the ground about the possible Alf House anniversary reunion...)

Photo by Erin Green

Because I don't want to throw Hermetic's brand new album online for free, here is the Painted Youth discography as complete as I have it. Apparently there are a few splits floating around. A 5 song demo and their full album, which never got released, unfortunately.

check out Hermetic's "Civilized City" HERE

DOWNLOAD the Painted Youth stuff

NUCLEAR FAMILY- S/T

This is some great punk right here. Nuclear Family broke up and finding info on them is tough because, at least according to Discogs, there are seven other bands by the same name and I'll bet at least one of them plays punk. To help distinguish this I will say that it has super melodic female vocals that remind me of Kathleen Hanna's singing (not screaming) and that really nice not-quite-distorted-but-still-dirty-sounding guitar sound that colors every good punk record released between 77-79. LOTS of minor chords! It's only eight tracks and they all rule. This might be hard to find on file sites but it's available for cheap from the label's Discogs page!!!

BUY


STEAL

Ampere / Funeral Diner Split

High res album art of this is elusive, so here's a photo of the record because it's badass.

Two crushing songs from Ampere on the A side, total 90 seconds. Ampere is a really fast and violent band that has Will Killingsworth from Orchid in it, these songs are two of their best. I've always found it odd that I prefer only hearing about a minute of music from a band that fast, you'd think you'd be hungry for more but no.

The other side of this is one of my favourite songs, though it's pretty teenage in hindsight. It's called I Was The Sword by Funeral Diner, a band that broke up in summer 08 as I recall. Sounds like it's a song about Seth Babb's ex girlfriend, but it's spiced up with that tragic hero mythological bullshit that you find in emo music. I mean I like it, but maybe you know what I'm talking about. Seth Babb is the singer of Funeral Diner.

Download HERE

Ghostlimb / Fischer Split

Ghostlimb is a pretty popular (I think) band from LA. They're made of the living singer of Graf Orlock and 2 other guys. Super good emo/hardcore type stuff, their half of this split is good. The reason I'm posting this, however, is Fischer. They don't seem to have much material, in fact the dark side of this record is the most they have in one place.

Basically Fischer is a 2 piece emo band. They have really good guitar playing with some melodies, but the singing is the angsty shouting I like. Think Tiny Hawks but less noodly guitars and less screaming, or 1994! kinda. One of those two piece bands that you don't realize is only two guys and then when you do you go WHOAAAA.

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BIG BLACK- RICH MAN'S EIGHT TRACK TAPE

If you are like me and came of age in the late 90's or early 2000's then you no doubt bought CD's when shopping for music. Why wouldn't you? They were fairly cheap (depending on how dedicated you were to buying music and looking for good deals) and basically the only way to obtain the majority of releases. I never gave much thought about why CD's had replaced vinyl or cassettes and my naive little brain was quick to assume that it must be because CD's sounded better than vinyl!

So fast forward to about 2005: I was finding that a lot of music I wanted to buy was either not available unless I got it specially ordered and if it was available, it was really expensive. Black Sabbath CD's were only $7.99 but other bands' albums (like Big Black's) were as much as $20... I bought the Rich Man's Eight Track Tape on CD for $22.99 because I had only heard Jordan Minnesota and knew this was a band I needed to know inside-out. Keep in mind, this was before I could just go online and find a download of any album in about two minutes. When I got home and removed the shrink wrap and the annoying-as-fuck security stickers Touch-and-Go loved to put on their jewel cases I popped it into my stereo and was instantly pleased. I began reading the love-letter to CD's Steve Albini had penned inside the insert:

"THIS COMPACT DISC, COMPILED TO EXPLOIT THOSE OF YOU GULLIBLE ENOUGH TO OWN THE BASTARDLY FIRST-GENERATION DIGITAL HOME MUSIC SYSTEM, CONTAINS ALL-ANALOG MASTERS. COMPACT DISCS ARE QUITE DURABLE, THIS BEING THEIR ONLY ADVANTAGE OVER REAL MUSIC MEDIA, YOU SHOULD TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SCRATCH THEM, FINGERPRINT THEM AND EAT EGG AND BACON SANDWICHES OFF THEM. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THEIR LONGEVITY AS PHILLIPS WILL PRONOUNCE THEM OBSOLETE WHEN THE NEXT PHASE OF THE MARKET-SQUEEZING TECHNOLOGY BONANZA BEGINS."

All analog? Real music media? By now I was not only interested in the mind behind this writing but what he was getting at. I was introduced to the mind and music of Steve Albini from there on. Needless to say, it changed the way I viewed the music industry, music production and obviously, music media. And oh yeah, the music was punishing, fucked up and really catchy.

HERE

CONFLICT- THE UNGOVERNABLE FORCE

 

Poor Conflict. No doubt there are thousands of punks out there right now with a Conflict patch on their vest or maybe a copy of one of their records but in comparison to CRASS and Discharge, Conflict are sort of an afterthought to most people. However, I think Conflict are musically so much better than both of those bands. They combine the tendencies of CRASS's avant-garde fixations with Discharge's rawness without forgetting that they're a punk-rock band. Every Conflict recording I've heard has been pretty damn good, ESPECIALLY the Serenade is Dead EP, but in terms of meaty full lengths, this is the one to hear!

HERE

Romantika

Most Vancouverites will know of Chad Loewen through his output in In Stride.

"Come on you stupid fuckers... Bow to me!"

But since their offical "break up" in 2005, he's gone on to preform in many stylistically diverse acts. Citizen Grade, Dichotomy, and most recently Consequence Crew.  

Though one has gone on without much recognition: Romantika.
Chad does vocals, "two Australian hippies" did vocals and bass and drums, Daniel from Siren Songs, and Daryl from Lush Veg played guitar.

Its really groovy, Eastern European style punk. Think Anders Angest and Svart Framtid with a goth tinge.

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INFEST

Infest are one of my favourite bands and even before I really knew much about them or had heard more than one song, there was this mysterious pull they had. The ultra-gritty xeroxed covers, the howling singer who sounded like John Brannon with the rage-knob on eleven and the fact that a punk band was willing to play such agonizingly slow breakdowns. Once I heard Slave, I knew I'd finally found the hardcore band I had been fantasizing about! Of course this band is insanely popular and I'm sure for most punk fans it's hard to hear something like this and see it as any different from the countless other bands that played this way... but that's beside the point!

Infest did this first. Siege? Sure, they were playing this fast in 84' but not with this precision, intensity or conviction. As far as I'm concerned, Infest were the final death rattle of american hardcore. After them there is nothing truly innovative or genre defining (maybe Feel the Darkness). There are countless great hardcore bands from the 90's and beyond but game-changing, they are not. This is where hardcore terminated. Infest killed it and they did so in the most glorious way possible. I hope I haven't set the bar too high but if you've never experienced Infest, you must do so ASAP. I've included links to my favourites of their catalog.

p.s. Don't talk to me about Fucked Up because I don't care

SLAVE LP

MANKIND 7"

NO MAN'S SLAVE LP

PAILHEAD- TRAIT

Cold saturday, sitting at home watching playoff football after walking to the gym with my dad only to realize it closes at four on saturday. Somehow along the way, the intro to Pailhead's "I Will Refuse" got stuck in my head, probably because I've watched Misled Youth about a million times... and musically speaking, the coldness of that song matched how my body felt while wearing shorts in three-degree weather

For those who don't know, Pailhead was a one-off collaboration between Ian Mackaye and Al Jourgensen... but do not fear, this isn't any of that "Jesus Built My Hotrod" bullshit Jourgensen is known for. This sounds more like Ministry's "Stigmata" with Ian Mackaye and a lot of reverb. Six songs and it's done so even if you hate it (which is likely) you won't feel like you could have spent your precious minutes listening to some Japanese hardcore or some shitty garage-rock.

HERE

MINUTEMEN- WHAT MAKES A MAN START FIRES?

D. Boon died in a tragic car accident on this day in 1985. The Minutemen and Boon will always be remembered for their incredible heart and dedication to their craft. Why else would a band who's favourite influence was CCR, played a lot of funky seventh-chords and featured extensive live jams be so loved and revered by the hardcore community? Do that nowadays and you'll be judged out of punk so hard, dude.

Anyhoo, This is their second full length and to most, it's simply just the record that came before Double Nickels, but I honestly like this just as much as that LP. A bit faster, a bit angrier and slightly less-varied (It's also not a double-album so duh!) but still hits all the sweet spots. It also has 'Anchor,' which Watt refers to as their epic! Good music to beat the winter blues

HERE

EXIT STANCE- WHILE BACKS ARE TURNED

Just some good, kind of gothy anarcho-punk for you to enjoy. It's got throbbing bass, really weird guitar playing and reverberated-to-shit drumming... the vocals are cool too. I don't hear this band mentioned very often, especially over lesser anarcho bands like Poison Girls, Anthrax(UK!) or Zounds... shame because this record is really cool and more than just some tinny guitar playing a 1-3-5 progression and some dude with charged-hair yelling about rich people. Did I mention it was kind of gothy?

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BLACK FLAG- 82 DEMOS

Procrastination. Definitely supposed to be studying for an art history exam right now but the idea that some people may not have heard this popped into my head and became infinitely more important.

After the release of Damaged, the flag got wrapped up in a legal dispute with their distributor and sadly, weren't allowed to release any material from 81-83. Oddly, this seemed to fuel Ginn to write his best batch of songs ever, in my opinion. The songs on these demo recordings would go on to make up My War, Slip It In and Loose Nut but the versions here, with the almighty Chuck Biscuits on the kit, are so much better than their official counterparts. Pounding bass, manic drumming with oh-so crisp snare fills and the cherry on top: two guitars! Dez hadn't yet left the band so we get a second guitar that allows Ginn to get a bit more comfortable within the songs and really go crazy. If you ask me, this was their peak. Listen to this version of 'Slip it In'... chills every time

HERE

BLACK FLAG- LOOSE NUT

I am posting this because I think it's still maligned as a shitty album by even some very serious fans but I am here to try and convince you otherwise! Now, Black Flag are great, obviously, but how long they stayed great is one of the most divisive arguments among fans. Me, I think this is it. This is truly the last great, yet awkward grasp at making a defining album that would cement the band's legacy.

Now obviously people consider Damaged or My War to be that defining album but hindsight is 20/20... I'm sure in 1984 when Ginn was writing this material that the notion of those albums going on to be anything more than blips on the radar was probably laughable and anyone who's read about Ginn knows that he loved the Grateful Dead way more than he ever liked punk... what came was a weird, boneheaded, proto-crossover album with some real tough sounding riffs and the usual awesomeness of 80's Rollins/Ginn. I guess he thought this would really push them to the next level. Instead it's really just the beginnings of their breakup. Why do people hate this album though? Because it sounds nothing like Black Flag! Maybe it's not as good as the classic material but hey, stop shitting on it. It sounds like a revelation when you listen to it after some of the later Bad Brains stuff...That is definitely not to say that on the right day, this album is exactly what you need! That day will likely involve a nice mixture of shitty weed, cheap beer, warm weather and a desire to not think at all...

HERE

THE WIPERS- FOLLOW BLIND

I know, I know. "only the first three Wipers albums are good!"... whatever. People who only like the first three records are like people who think 'TV Party' is Black Flag's best song. The Wipers first three records all sound different, have no significant similarities in the songwriting and I will never understand why people like to lump them together as the only good records the band ever made. Don't get me wrong, I adore Is This Real? and Over the Edge but the fourth, fifth and sixth records are actually more cohesive than Youth of America, an album marred by uneven songwriting yet consistently adored by people... definitely something wrong with me!

On to this gem. Follow Blind is the band's sixth album and boy, is this some sad, subdued and spooky shit. Sage definitely tones down the distortion and rage on this one and goes for a more introspective/DEPRESSED theme. His guitar playing really carries this one, whammy bar in full effect for those nice subtle dives... this is a perfect record for those days when you wake up and realize that no matter what you do that day, nothing will make you happy!

HERE

DYSTOPIA- SELF TITLED

This record is the ultimate in filthy, harrowing and disgusting hatred/depression. Those two emotions are the ones chiefly at play here and Dystopia have mastered them like no one else. Musically this is super depressing sludge, a la Grief, clashing head on with Disfear. Now sure, that doesn't sound entirely compelling but the song structures, riffs, shared vocals and use of samples really make this stand out from other bands who wander the same sonic wasteland. Another thing going for this band is their mastery of tension/release. The intro of 'Learning With Intent to Fail' demonstrates this quite wonderfully.

This is not one to play at parties or for a loved one... unless you are trying to send a message... one that says "you are all scum and nothing will be right in the universe until the human race has been eliminated entirely"

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SHOPPERS- SILVER YEAR

ugh. Fuck school. This is the debut from Shoppers and amidst the sea of shit we call music these days, this band does something both new and good. It's very hard to describe using comparisons, so I won't. Essentially, this is very loud and very noisy but underneath the volume and static are these really driving and simple punk songs. Ok, so maybe that description immediately makes you think of Japanese hardcore and you're thinking "uh, this isn't new and original at all then..." but believe me, I say 'punk' songs because that's the only way to describe the structure and melodic approach. This sounds different than whatever my description may conjure. Maybe it's the intentional layers of static, maybe it's the female vocals, maybe it's some sort of cosmic force... only Shoppers know!!!

This record is the best one I've heard all year and unfortunately, no one seems to give a shit about it. I can't find it anywhere other than online so I'll have to buy it that way and you should too but if you're poor and would buy it if you could afford it, then here it is for free but please! support this band. Music this good no longer grows on trees

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MASSHYSTERI- S/T

This is swedish and much like their international hockey team's jerseys, landscapes and educational system, it rules.

Masshysteri formed out of the breakup of punk masters The Vicious and lets just say that not a whole lot changed! We should consider ourselves so lucky that we have more of this fast-riffing and snottier than a communal handkerchief punk! This time around though, instead of having those hard-driving songs like 'The Pigs' the band has favoured an approach that... well... ok so this sounds like the Vicious mixed with the Wipers (and I don't use this comparison lightly!)

Again, its swedish so if you like No Hope for the Kids, Gorilla Angreb or yeah, The Vicious, then this is definitely for you!

p.s. All songs are sung in swedish. Normally that would turn some off BUT I urge you! the melodies are so awesome that you won't even realize it.

HERE