It's that time again! Here's the latest Grave Mistake webstore update for you - jam packed with all of the newest hc/punk hits! Some rad new releases in stock this month, take a look below to get the full scoop.
Before we get to that, I need to bump some upcoming releases from some Grave Mistake alums ...
Primal Rite recently posted up a brand new track from their upcoming LP, due out on Revelation Records early next year. You can stream Antivenom on the band's bandcamp page now. Grave Mistake released their Complex Life of Passion EP around this time last year, so be sure to check that one out as well along with their Sensory Link to Pain EP which came out earlier this year on Revelation.
Red Death have also posted the title track from their upcoming LP, Formidable Darkness, which is due out on Triple B Records this December! For the uninitiated, their debut LP, Permanent Exile, was released on Grave Mistake back in 2015, so be sure to check that out along with their Detterence EP, which came out on Lockin' Out last year.
Both Primal Rite and Red Death will be playing at Not Dead Yet fest this weekend in Toronto, with the likes of Trapped Under Ice, Lebenden Toten, Krimewatch, S.H.I.T., Inmates, Glue, Fury, Harley Flanagan, and MANY more!
WEBSTORE UPDATE for October 12, 2017 - New Releases from NEANDERTHAL, URCHIN, EEL, BARCELONA, and MORE!
For quick browsing of recent additions to the store, you can check out all of these titles mentioned below in the New Arrivals and Recent Restocks sections!
This month's update is guaranteed to please all of you lovers of raging hardcore punk!!! We've got a handful of killer new vinyl releases in stock this month, including the Urchin Peace Sign 7" (their second EP, also restocked on their debut How to Make Naplam 7" as well); the first vinyl output from NY's Extended Helland a new EP from Sweden's Glorious?, both out on Brain Solvent Propaganda; the brand new LP from Pittsburg's Eel courtesy of Beach Impediment; some new slabs from La Vida Es Un Mus, including the latest LP from Barcelona, newest EP from Orden Mundial, and the debut LP from London's Permission; a 7" version of the demo from DC newcomers Rashomon; the debut EP from United Void out of the Pacific Northwest; a couple of awesome new tapes including a hot demo from RVA's newest, Deviant, and the latest tape from Philly's Enamel; not to mention, an intense discography 12" from power violence legends Neanderthal.
Picked up a few copies of the awesome Neon 7", a rad single fresh out of the Swiss punk vaults and featuring members of Liliput (highly recomended for fans of Kleenex/Liliput and post punk of that ilk); the latest from conteporary hc heros Freedom and Forced Order, both on Triple B; picked up a few copies of the rad Krimewatch flexi that came out earlier this year, along with a restock of their demo 7" (UK pressing); finally nabbed a few of the incredible Life's Blood reissue LP; and the awesome LP from Marked Men/Radioactivy project band Lost Balloons.
Restocked on three of this summer's hits - the Sheer Mag Need to Feel Your Love LP, Limp Wrist Facades LP, and Glue S/T LP, along with a slew of classic titles from Poison Girls, Discharge, Broken Bones, Disclose, The Dicks, No Coment, Sin 34, Kaaos, and many more ...
Alex / Grave Mistake Records
New Titles in the Grave Mistake Webstore for October 12, 2017:
(Click the title to view the release in the webstore)
NEANDERTHAL "A History of Violence" LP (Deep Six Records)
The long lost Neanderthal discography finally emerges from it’s cave to see the light of day. Eight anthems of destruction (5 tracks from the 1990 “Fighting Music” 7” on Slap A Ham, 2 tracks from the 1990 Neanderthal/Rorschach split 7” on Vermiform, and one track from the 1991 “Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh!” compilation 7” on Slap A Ham). Without Neanderthal there would be not Powerviolence. Nanderthal was Eric Wood (Man Is the Bastardand/Cross Out) and Matt Domino (Infest). A must have for anyone interested in Infest, Man Is The Bastard, Charred Remains, Weekend Nachos, or Lack of Interest. This is a discography of all released recordings. One sided with Neanderthal etching on B side. Let the games begin!
EEL "Night Parade of 100 Demons" LP (Beach Impediment Records)
Polish Hell, Pittsburgh's EEL have once again crawled out of a dimly lit basement a few blocks from Gooski's to offer up their most forceful effort yet. "NIGHT PARADE OF 100 DEMONS" is the culmination of a band spending half of a decade perfecting their particular interpretation of the microcosm that is punk. The end result is eleven tracks of violent and destructive commotion that seems to mirror the world that has always surrounded us but is becoming far more apparent as of late. Once again, these freaks of nature achieve their prime objective - bombarding the listener with a relentless barrage of their rust belt style noise drenched hardcore punk... an all out aural assault. Each record features stunning black and white cover art by the legendary Japanese hardcore artist Kazuhiro Imai accompanied by a stellar piece on the reverse by Luke Kislak. Limited to 500.
BARCELONA "Un Último Ultrasonido Nació Y Murió En Barcelona" LP (La Vida Es Un Mus)
“Un Último Ultrasonido Nació Y Murió En Barcelona” is BARCELONA’s sophomore 12” of pure sonic nihilism.. A band of highs and lows: High concept in performance and lowbrow in execution. In my eyes, BARCELONA is simply a genius project, capable of creating their own universe then vomiting all over it. Their formula is distortion to the max, total free-ness and improvisation, with regurgitated bass lines and repetitive primitive beats, topped with the sharpest and nastiest lyrics on observations of our own futility and misery. In their universe, you can find HERMANN NITSCH and the entire catalogue of ESP DISKS hanging out with MANOLO KABEZABOLO and ESKORBUTO. Probably without them even being aware of it. All of the above is what you’ll find in the 13 songs on this disturbing record that comes wrapped in artwork by the last true artist on earth Oriol Roca. Comes with download code.
PERMISSION "Contagious Life" LP (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Storming debut by London's Permission. An LP full of cut corners, but not the kind that diminish impact or relinquish effort to what could of been, bur more the kind of oblique angles and low sharp ceilings that cause the head that does not bang to bang, lesion, swell, and never clot. Forged in the tattered die-cut of the contemporary edges of hardcore but thoroughly punched clear out of the factory, thanks to the now legendary edge of guitar player Ralph Simmond’s stereo detuning, alongside tight turns and sharp time changes. Big moves pin this LP far beyond expectation and straight onto a great punk hit. Move or be shoved. Absorb or be locked out. Somewhere between a hi-fi Rudimentary Peni and if Saccharine Trust was a rugby team. Contagious Life comes housed in a heavy weight reverse board sleeve designed by Ralph Simmonds and has a lyric insert and download code._
ORDEN MUNDIAL "Porque Las Drogas Son Veneno" 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus)
“Porque Las Drogas Son Veneno” is a limited 7” released on time for ORDEN MUNDIAL USA/Colombia Tour including some of the songs that will be in their next LP. Their EP recorded analog in Berlin with Tobias Lilli displays the chaos and sonic venom that this Mallorca outfit have us accustomed to. Four existentialist tracks of distorted hardcore tracks joined together which bring to mind the most out of control parts of UNITED MUTATIONS or VOID with the in unapologetic attitude of WRETCHED or SHOTGUN SOLUTION. Look in the mirror, what you see is what you hate. Limited to 300 copies with artwork by Bernat Mundial.
URCHIN "Peace Sign EP" 7" (Roachleg Records)
NYC’s Urchin follows up their excellent debut 7” with the superior Peace Sign EP. Troglodyte hardcore, like that from Stoke-On-Trent and Gothenburg. Definitely one of the best new NYC hardcore punk bands around. Ex and current members of Bloodkrow Butcher, Razorheads, Narcopleptics, etc. Highly recommended!
NEANDERTHAL "A History of Violence" LP (Deep Six Records)
The long lost Neanderthal discography finally emerges from it’s cave to see the light of day. Eight anthems of destruction (5 tracks from the 1990 “Fighting Music” 7” on Slap A Ham, 2 tracks from the 1990 Neanderthal/Rorschach split 7” on Vermiform, and one track from the 1991 “Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh!” compilation 7” on Slap A Ham). Without Neanderthal there would be not Powerviolence. Nanderthal was Eric Wood (Man Is the Bastardand/Cross Out) and Matt Domino (Infest). A must have for anyone interested in Infest, Man Is The Bastard, Charred Remains, Weekend Nachos, or Lack of Interest. This is a discography of all released recordings. One sided with Neanderthal etching on B side. Let the games begin!
EEL "Night Parade of 100 Demons" LP (Beach Impediment Records)
Polish Hell, Pittsburgh's EEL have once again crawled out of a dimly lit basement a few blocks from Gooski's to offer up their most forceful effort yet. "NIGHT PARADE OF 100 DEMONS" is the culmination of a band spending half of a decade perfecting their particular interpretation of the microcosm that is punk. The end result is eleven tracks of violent and destructive commotion that seems to mirror the world that has always surrounded us but is becoming far more apparent as of late. Once again, these freaks of nature achieve their prime objective - bombarding the listener with a relentless barrage of their rust belt style noise drenched hardcore punk... an all out aural assault. Each record features stunning black and white cover art by the legendary Japanese hardcore artist Kazuhiro Imai accompanied by a stellar piece on the reverse by Luke Kislak. Limited to 500.
BARCELONA "Un Último Ultrasonido Nació Y Murió En Barcelona" LP (La Vida Es Un Mus)
“Un Último Ultrasonido Nació Y Murió En Barcelona” is BARCELONA’s sophomore 12” of pure sonic nihilism.. A band of highs and lows: High concept in performance and lowbrow in execution. In my eyes, BARCELONA is simply a genius project, capable of creating their own universe then vomiting all over it. Their formula is distortion to the max, total free-ness and improvisation, with regurgitated bass lines and repetitive primitive beats, topped with the sharpest and nastiest lyrics on observations of our own futility and misery. In their universe, you can find HERMANN NITSCH and the entire catalogue of ESP DISKS hanging out with MANOLO KABEZABOLO and ESKORBUTO. Probably without them even being aware of it. All of the above is what you’ll find in the 13 songs on this disturbing record that comes wrapped in artwork by the last true artist on earth Oriol Roca. Comes with download code.
PERMISSION "Contagious Life" LP (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Storming debut by London's Permission. An LP full of cut corners, but not the kind that diminish impact or relinquish effort to what could of been, bur more the kind of oblique angles and low sharp ceilings that cause the head that does not bang to bang, lesion, swell, and never clot. Forged in the tattered die-cut of the contemporary edges of hardcore but thoroughly punched clear out of the factory, thanks to the now legendary edge of guitar player Ralph Simmond’s stereo detuning, alongside tight turns and sharp time changes. Big moves pin this LP far beyond expectation and straight onto a great punk hit. Move or be shoved. Absorb or be locked out. Somewhere between a hi-fi Rudimentary Peni and if Saccharine Trust was a rugby team. Contagious Life comes housed in a heavy weight reverse board sleeve designed by Ralph Simmonds and has a lyric insert and download code._
ORDEN MUNDIAL "Porque Las Drogas Son Veneno" 7" (La Vida Es Un Mus)
“Porque Las Drogas Son Veneno” is a limited 7” released on time for ORDEN MUNDIAL USA/Colombia Tour including some of the songs that will be in their next LP. Their EP recorded analog in Berlin with Tobias Lilli displays the chaos and sonic venom that this Mallorca outfit have us accustomed to. Four existentialist tracks of distorted hardcore tracks joined together which bring to mind the most out of control parts of UNITED MUTATIONS or VOID with the in unapologetic attitude of WRETCHED or SHOTGUN SOLUTION. Look in the mirror, what you see is what you hate. Limited to 300 copies with artwork by Bernat Mundial.
URCHIN "Peace Sign EP" 7" (Roachleg Records)
NYC’s Urchin follows up their excellent debut 7” with the superior Peace Sign EP. Troglodyte hardcore, like that from Stoke-On-Trent and Gothenburg. Definitely one of the best new NYC hardcore punk bands around. Ex and current members of Bloodkrow Butcher, Razorheads, Narcopleptics, etc. Highly recommended!
EXTENDED HELL "4 Track EP" 7" (Brain Solvent Propaganda)
Debut EP from NY's EXTENDED HELL. Total Totalitar influenced punk with a bit of a straight forward hardcore vibe in the mix. Members of Urchin, Scalpel, Narcoleptics. Comes in a pocket sleeve with a double sides insert.
GLORIOUS? "Neverending Butchery" 7" (Brain Solvent Propaganda)
New 4 track ep from Sweden's Glorious?
RASHOMON "Demo" 7" (Society Bleeds Records)
Rashōmon are perhaps the most exciting new band to emerge from the latest wave of DC hardcore. Out of all the NWODCHC" tagged groups, I felt like most have lacked any kind of endearing sound and have felt like projects to exercise a take on a particular sub-sub genre. That feeling aside, Rashōmon have been turning heads with this excellent four song demo, and for good reason. The group incorporates a few older DCHC heads (guys from Aghast, Sick Fix, etc. - though hardly any of that sound is present) with younger folks from Kombat and Misled Youth, fronted by the energetic Kohei Urakami. The sound here isn't precisely Japanese, nor by the numbers hardcore, also incorporating some metallic guitar licks that don't overpower the beat. A truly exciting demo one of the best new bands currently operating out of DC." - Sam Richardson
MISLED YOUTH "Excuse for Existence" 7" (Society Bleeds Records)
MISLED YOUTH "Excuse for Existence" Return of the Misled Youth! Angrier than ever, embracing the legacy of 00's DCHC, while showing influences from bands like Poison Idea and YOT with their angry, fast riffs and breakdowns that kill. "Deceive/Exploit/Follow the Trend/Whatever it takes, Just a Means to the End" -- That says it all. No trend, no fashion, just pissed kids shreddin' fast and loud. Split release with Caught Up Records and European press on Refuse Records.
UNITED VOID "Doomsday Clock" 7" (Babysworld Records)
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, United Void features members of Dirty Work, Macho Boys and Criminal Code. Drawing influence from the canon of 80's US hardcore punk, United Void blasts out eight tracks of raw and nasty stripped down knuckle-dragging anthems on their debut 7" Doomsday Clock that will make you want to kick a hole in your wall. 500 pressed with Risograph printed covers.
DEVIANT Demo Tape (Demo)
New hcpunk band from Richmond, VA featuring members of MAD EXISTENCE and HAIRCUT.
ENAMEL "Complete the Lie" Tape (Demo)
Second tape from this raging philly hcpunk band.
FREEDOM "Never Had A Choice" 7" (Triple B Records)
Hard to the core. With a new dialed in sound, "Never Had A Choice" serves as Freedom's most musically adventurous take on the honored and lovingly imitated NYHC sound. Think Henderson and Dijan rhythms keeping the songs fast but grooved out. Any fan of Set It Off or Freedom's "USA Hardcore" will leave this EP satisfied.
FORCED ORDER "One Last Prayer" LP (Triple B Records)
ONE LAST PRAYER is the latest offering from Southern California’s FORCED ORDER. Their first release on Triple B continues where their last full-length VANISHED CRUSADE left off, wasting no time by leading off with the intense opening title track. Like the pioneers in metallic hardcore before them, Forced Order combine the crushing power of Hatebreed with the manic fury of Integrity to create an entirely new chaotic sound.
KRIMEWATCH "Machismo" 7" Flexi (Boss Tuneage Records)
Krimewatch hail from New York and this is the follow on recordings to their debut demo/7” released in 2016. Two hard hitting angry punk songs , recorded the tail end of 2016. The first release on new label Flexipunk brought to you by the folks at Boss Tuneage, a label purely for cheap price DIY punk flexidiscs, taking back control of this great iconic punk format.
KRIMEWATCH "S/T (UK Press)" 7" (Static Shock Records)
New York City's KRIMEWATCH are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from hardcore in the last year. The five tracks on this EP are a combination of Japanese punk and early NYHC; keeping it simple with shouted vocals (in both Japanese and English) and driving beats. This 7" is the bands first recordings, now remastered and pressed on vinyl to coincide with their just completed UK / Euro tour.
NEON "S/T" 7" (Water Wing Records)
Lost Swiss Punk Treasure! Two Song 7”EP by all female foursome NEON. The band featured Astrid Spirig (vocals), Dagmar Heinrich (guitar), Loredana Zandonella (bass), and Gitta Gsell (drums). Astrid was the third singer of LILIPUT and sang on both LILIPUT full length LP’s. NEON practiced for 6 months and wrote 6 songs. They played their first gig on Nov 1st 1978 at the Club Hey in Zurich. In December of that year, a live performance on Swiss television took place for a program about "women in show business.” The band wasn’t happy with the experience and disbanded a few months later only performing a handful of gigs. Fast forward to 2016, Dagmar finds an old cassette at her home with the recordings of the two songs "Neon" and "Nazi Schatzi." These were produced for the ill-fated television appearance and are the only recorded NEON songs in existence. Covers and inserts printed by Stumptown Printers.
LIFE'S BLOOD "Hardcore A.D. 1988" LP (Prank Records)
LIFE'S BLOOD were a legendary short lived band from New York City. Formed in 1987, The band played 20 shows and recorded two radio shows, a demo at Don Fury, one 7-inch, "Defiance," released on Combined Effort Records and appeared on the seminal New Breed tape comp in 1988. In these short 14 months as a band they left an indelible mark on the history of hardcore punk, as their sharp, earnest, and challenging lyrics backed with remarkably sturdy, dissonant and distorted hardcore songs emerged at a time where the focus of underground hardcore had been blurred by commercialism, crossover and violence. Hardcore A.D. 1988 collects 27 songs from their Defiance EP, demo tape, compilation tracks, their posthumous split EP with Sticks And Stones, WFMU and WNYU recordings and live tracks, Members went on to play in BORN AGAINST, MENACE DEMENT, SINKING BODY, MEN'S RECOVERY PROJECT COLLAPSE and MY RIFLE. Features new liner notes from guitarist ADAM NATHANSON, extensive band notes compiled by bassist NEIL BURKE and a ton of photos and flyers. The LP comes in a Stoughton tip-on gatefold with a 11x22" insert and download card.
LOST BALLOONS "Hey Summer" LP (Dirtnap Records)
Texas and Japan team up for a trans-pacific, two-man summertime pop explosion! Lost Balloons are Jeff Burke (Radioactivity, Marked Men, etc.) and Yusuke Okada of Japan’s incredible Suspicious Beasts. Hey Summer is their second album, following 2015’s self titled debut on Germany’s Alien Snatch Records. The two play all the instruments (although there is a live lineup as well) and split singing / songwriting duties. It works fantastically well as an album, meant to be listened to from start-to-finish. Wistful, sun-shiny ’60s-inspired pop with a bit of ’80s college rock jangle and even a little modern garage / Americana twang, this album represents a pretty big departure from a normal Jeff Burke project (and although it’s sonically a little closer to Okada’s Suspicious Beasts, it veers farther afield of his normal songwriting comfort zone as well). Burke says that this album is probably the least “punk” record he’s ever done. It confirms what everyone has long suspected: these two can master any genre they tackle, and make it fully their own.
NAPALM RAID "Wheel of War" LP (Rust and Machine Records)
The longest output and the heaviest best material by Canada's NAPALM RAID. Originally hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, the band is now spread out across the country. Balancing more influences than ever before, Rust and Machine is proud to have been working with this band since their beginning, and I am happy to say this is their strongest release, showing progression in style. Over time Napalm Raid has become the premier crust band of Canada, with multiple tours over the years taking them all over the world including Europe, Canada, USA, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Ending track is a revisit to their live hit "Dead Cities" which originally appeared on their debut 7" "Corruption of their little minds"
VIOLENT PARTY "Sinusoidal Limitations" 7" (Rust and Machine Records)
VIOLENT PARTY of Portland, OR have taken their noisy entourage to outer space on this latest single 'Sinusoidal Limitations'. The record features two brand new blistering tracks (Oncogene / Earth Spins Again) on circuit bent fuzz, shrilling vocals, and paranoid lyricism that leaves you without hope. It's pressed onto black vinyl that spins at 45rpm and comes neatly packaged in an extremely durable glossy pocket sleeve. While the noisy trio are busy gearing up for their 2017 European Summer tour, Rust and Machine Records have released a limited pressing of 200 copies of 'Sinusoidal Limitations' that is available now!
SHEER MAG "II" Tape (Wilsuns Recording Company)
In 2014, Sheer Mag seemingly came out of nowhere with what was probably our favorite release of the year, debuting, straight to vinyl, their brand of hard rock-inspired power pop perfection. This time around, expectations are unreasonably high, but guess what? Sheer Mag don't care! Out from under this table, these Philly miscreants return stronger than ever, this time toning down (ever so slightly) the power pop undertones that got them comparisons to the Shivvers (female vocals?) and putting the rock in the forefront. Still, the band could pass as the Jackson 5 re-imagined as a punk trash compactor and this record stands tall as what will definitely be the hard rock record of the year.
SHEER MAG "III" Tape (Wilsuns Recording Company)
Sheer Mag return with another four tracker of all killers and no fillers on Wilsuns RC / Static Shock Records. Nothing has changed on this record at all - it's all epic riffs, a lo-fi and compact production, hooks galore and that soulful and gritty voice you already love. 'Can't Stop Fighting' is three and a half minutes of power pop meets classic rock and sits somewhere between the Shivvers and Thin Lizzy if such a place exists. 'Worth the Tears' is a little cleaner, mellower and soulful. Side two opens with the scuzzy and dense 'Night Isn't Bright' before the standout cut 'Nobody's Baby' - which sounds a 1978 classic rock hit that hints at Judas Priests' 'Living After Midnight' and Kiss in their prime. It's an instant pop nugget that sounds like a time long gone. (Sean Forbes)
LACK OF INTREST "Trapped Inside" LP (Deep Six Records)
"Trapped inside" was the 1999 debut full-length from Los Angeles' LACK OF INTEREST who took influence from INFEST, NO COMMENT and CROSSED OUT, and carried the torch for the power-violence hardcore scene in the '90s and '00s. Out-of-print for some years - now available again
ANDROIDS OF MU "Blood Robots" LP (Water Wing Records)
The Androids Of Mu were a noisy all-girl early post-punk band that emerged from London, UK, in 1979, alongside the likes of The Slits and The Raincoats.Legend has it they had been androidised by Atlantean scientists, and sent forward to us by the Timelords of the ancient Utopian Civilisation of Mu, programmed with messages to help us avoid our own self-destruction, following the northern galactic alignment of 2012.They crash-landed early, all over Europe, in the mid-1970's, and met up in the wild squatter-lands of west London. Suze the Blooz, Corrina, Cozmic and Bess became immersed in the local counter-culture. They grounded themselves in psychedelic synthesizer and guitar music, playing with Planet Gong and Here & Now, and musicians from Hawkwind. When they finally got hold of a cheap synth and a noisy guitar of their own, they used them, at full volume, with fat bass and bouncing drums, to record an album expressing the remembered fragments of the Mu-an messages - in the form of their new, colourful and zazzy reflections of life, from under the long dark shadow of puppet Thatcher's Corporate New Britain. Recorded at lo-fi cult studio Street Level in 1979, this was their only ever album, and they have purposely had it suppressed until now. Because now - it is foretold.. Now, cruel world, it is time for you to receive it.. (The 2013 release has been carefully remastered from the original tapes. It contains large insert with early photos and complete songwords).
POISON GIRLS "Hex" LP (Water Wing Records)
Poison Girls were a force of nature. Spat out of the belly of the UK punk scene, Poison Girls paired up with a band down the street called Crass. The two bands played 100 shows together in the span of three years.They bonded on a conceptual and artistic way to approach punk. Poison Girls were fronted by Vi Subversa, who was a child in the East end of London during the 2nd World War, an evacuee during the Blitz, became part of the Soho anarchist scene of the 50s, took part in the original CND march to Aldermaston, then a counter culture drop out of the 60s, finally found herself in the mid 70s, aged 40, with two children, living in Brighton. Vi, along with Richard Famous, Lance d'Boyle and Bernhardt Rebours released HEX in 1979 on the bands own Xntrix label. It was a 12” 45rpm mini album and was released with the help of Small Wonder (Bauhaus, The Cure, Crass), a local independent record label. HEX was later reissued by Crass Records in 1981. Recorded at Southern Studios, produced by Penny Rimbaud, and engineered by John Loder, HEX is an extraordinary punk record which featured the group's lineup that was to last for the following 2 years. Cameo appearances included Vi Subversa's offspring Pete Fender and Gem Stone of Fatal Microbes and Eve Libertine of Crass. The album lays out the band's concerns, in Vi's searing lyrics, against a backdrop of deep, beautiful and sometimes scary music. Vi channels the anger and frustrations of any single mother living in what was (and still is) a mans’ world. From the opening salvo “If I had my time again, I’d like to come back as a man!” to the final “Reality Attack Reality Attack Reality” the record bristles with a fiery passion and intensity. The lyrics explore the expectations of normality, political correctness, pressures of conformity, pain and mental illness and the horrors of war. The music is diamond hard but with a tender edge, and the whole soundscape is overlaid with ‘found’ recordings of everyday life. Reissued for the first time in over 30 years with a sturdy tip-on gatefold cover.
POISON GIRLS "Chappaquiddick Bridge" LP (Water Wing Records)
CHAPPAQUIDDICK BRIDGE, the bands first full length LP, was originally released on Crass Records in 1980 and featured the same lineup as HEX. And like Hex, it shared the producer/engineer team of Penny Rimbaud and John Loder. This record sees Poison Girls at their most experimental stage. The songs dig deeper into the connections between the personal and political. Starting with an uncredited version of ‘State Control’ (one of the bands punkiest crowd pleasers) done in an ‘unplugged’ style, and ending with the similarly stripped down ‘Tender Lover’, this album broke all the rules of what a ’punk’ album should sound like. The songs are long. There are extended sonic workouts and codas, using synths, abused studio effects, electric violin, acoustic piano as well as ‘random’ electric guitar sounds and vocals. The mix has thundering drums up front that power the songs, and help create a barrage of rich sound.The lyrics speak of love, power, sexual politics, war and peace and most things in between. This is Vi at her most poetic, but with a razor sharp insight, and not holding back on using it. A truly original album. If it was removed, lost or destroyed, your original copy of Chappaquiddick Bridge came with a one-sided flexi disc containing the anthem "Statement". This 2014 reissue also includes "Statement" as a proper one-sided 7" vinyl. Sturdy tip-on gatefold cover.
POISON GIRLS "Where's the Pleasure" LP (Water Wing Records)
First released in September 1982 on their own Xntrix Records label, 'Where's The Pleasure' was described by Johnny Waller in Sounds as "The last great punk record". The record came out of a period of change for Poison Girls. A new house, a new bass player, a completely new set, and, with it, a determination to challenge the expectations of their audience. What resulted is an outstanding collection of songs. Vi Subversa’s lyrics seamlessly make the personal political, and the political relevant to everyday life. The music bristles with inventiveness. What we hear is a band at the top of their game, exploring different styles and enjoying themselves in the process. It is Poison Girls flexing their musical muscles, rediscovering their roots, and connecting with the true spirit of punk, which is of course, unbridled, messy and adventurous creativity. ‘Where’s The Pleasure’ is a truly wonderful achievement by a truly unique band.
JUNGLE NAUSEA "S/T" LP (Water Wing Records)
Jungle Nausea formed at the dawn of the 80s when some members of SMEGMA recruited other Portland new-music enthusiasts (including poster artist Mike King) for a project that would combine punk, new wave, American roots music, and a sense of humor. They weren't much like the other local bands of the era, but that wasn't what they were going for. Instead they found their own twisted path, playing the heck out of their mix of conventional and homemade instruments and getting unintended sounds out of their rhythm machine. The live shows were few, but incredibly memorable. This release combines their 1982 EP in its entirety, and a whole side of unreleased live and studio tracks. All tracks engineered by the legendary Mike Lastra of SMEGMA.
Y PANTS "S/T" LP (Water Wing Records)
In the late 70s and early 80s everyone had very fluid art identities. One day you were a filmmaker, the next day a musician, and Y Pants was very much a part of it… The lyrics are ironic without being callous, the voices are sultry, the music is repetitive and trance-like… [with] a sense of urgency--like something being driven out. – Kiki Smith. Y PANTS was a three-woman New York band: Barbara Ess, Virginia (Verge) Piersol and Gail Vachon, all visual artists. They played in clubs, galleries and performance spaces between 1979 and 1982. They were “as idiosyncratic, edgy, minimal, wry and literate as post-punk no wave got. Furthermore, the fact that these were three ferocious and formidable females was not to be overlooked.” – Wolfgang Staehle, thing.net. Gail found a toy piano on the street and started jamming with Barbara on the ukulele. When they were invited to play a few weeks later at TR3 (the short-lived but influential downtown NY music club), they electrified their instruments and recruited the neophyte drummer Verge for percussion on a children’s drum set. Their first gig met with an unexpected wildly enthusiastic reception. The instrumentation was then rounded out with Barbara’s bass (former bands Daily Life and The Static), an African thumb drum, and a Casio keyboard for Gail. Verge’s initial Mickey Mouse toy kit soon fell apart and she cobbled together a modest trap set. They gained a following and soon recorded a four song EP produced by Glenn Branca for 99 Records. They often shared the stage with label mates the Bush Tetras, ESG, Liquid Liquid, Branca and other NYC “downtown” bands. This release includes their four-song debut EP and two songs never before available on vinyl: Magnetic Attraction (previously released on Tellus Audio Cassette), and the mysterious Kung Fu. In a NY Times review, John Rockwell wrote”…what really makes Y Pants a success is the actual sound of the instrumentals—raw and driving yet exotic and imaginative in terms of timbre and minimalist structure.”
Y PANTS "Beat it Down" LP (Water Wing Records)
After the success of their debut EP, post-punk art rockers Y Pants performed regularly in NYC and other East Coast venues. In 1981 they toured Europe for six weeks and upon return went into the studio to record their only LP, “Beat It Down,” released in 1982 on Neutral Records (Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca et al). The album extends the band’s signature pared down rollicking minimalism. The 10 songs are varied, using surprising and inventive instrumentation. The music is at once filled with a sense of longing and a fierce ironic rebellion. With exuberant precision they brandish their “toy” instruments and plaintive vocals in emotive expressions of female resistance. In dustedmagazine.com, Seth Watter wrote of the album, “I love the sprightly keyboards of ‘The Fly,’ the gentle lyricism of ‘Lulu,’ the anger of ‘Beat It Down’ that comes through in the music’s shambling, atonal jangle. The songs covered a huge range of emotions with an entirely new syntax.”
DESPERATE BICYCLES "Singles" LP (Fanclub Release)
Collection of Desperate Bicycles singles.
MODERN WARFARE "Complete Recordings and More" LP (Rerun Records)
MODERN WARFARE were one of the unsung heroes of the early '80s So-Cal punk scene. Coming from Long Beach, playing fast n' furious punk from 1980-1983. This isn't by-the-numbers generic hardcore, it's well executed, manic speed punk with some of the best frantic guitar leads and vocals of the era. Side one collects both of their rare 7" EPs, along with their songs from classic compilation albums Hell Comes To Your House, American Youth Report and Life Is Boring So Why Not Steal This Record. This is the first time their complete vinyl output has been collected in one place. Side two compiles three melodic punk tracks from 1979 by pre-Modern Warfare band THE MODERNS. The side finishes with three later home demos from band-leader and Bemisbrain Records founder JIMMY BEMIS. One peppy punk number, right in line with the Moderns and two rootsy songs that remind us of '80s L.A. wasteland rock that you might hear in an Alex Cox film. Rerun went over budget on this one to make sure we could put together the ultimate discography once and for all. All audio has been newly remastered by original, legendary producer GEZA X. The LP comes with a foldout 12"x36" double-sided poster insert with lyrics, illustrated discography, previously unpublished photos and a killer collection of gig posters. Free download code also included.
CRASS "The Feeding of the 5000" LP (Crass Records)
New pressing created from the original vinyl master tapes (no remix!). Wrapped in the original iconic fold-out black and white poster sleeve. Includes a code for a free digital download in the format of your choice. The Feeding of the 5000 is the first album by Crass, released in 1978. The record came to be made when Pete Stennett, owner of Small Wonder Records, heard a demo that the band had recorded. Impressed by all of the material, he decided that rather than release a conventional single by the band, he would put all of their set onto an 18 track 12 inch EP. However problems were encountered when workers at the Irish pressing plant contracted to manufacture the disc refused to handle it due to the allegedly blasphemous content of the track "Reality Asylum" (referred to as "Asylum" on the record sleeve). The record was eventually released with this track removed and replaced by two minutes of silence, retitled "The Sound Of Free Speech". This incident also prompted Crass to set up their own record label in order to retain full editorial control as well as political and legal responsibility for their material, and "Reality Asylum" was shortly afterwards issued in a re-recorded and extended form as a 7 inch single. A later repress of The Feeding Of The 5000 (subtitled The Second Sitting) released on Crass records in 1981 restored the missing track. The song "They've Got A Bomb" also features a period of silence within it, inspired by John Cage's "4'33"". The band have acknowledged the influence of Cage, and said that the idea of the space in the song, when performed live, was to suddenly stop the energy, dancing and noise and allow the audience to momentarily 'confront themselves' and consider the reality of nuclear war. According to band founder and drummer Penny Rimbaud, who wrote in 1986: "We named the album The Feeding Of The Five Thousand because 5000 was the minimum number that we could get pressed and some 4900 more than we thought we'd sell. Feeding is now only a few hundred short of going golden, though I don't suppose we'll hear too much about that in the music press".
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #414 - Nov 2017 (MRR)
Are y’all ready for Maximum Rocknroll #414? Our November 2017 issue will teach you a thing or two all about the History of Alabama Punk! This issue features the first of a two part series all about the DIY scene throughout Alabama, with this part focusing on Birmingham. But our focus on Alabama is not entirely retrospective; BAD EXAMPLE will catch everybody up to speed on current happenings in Birmingham. We also hear from Bay Area heartthrobs MIDNITE SNAXXX, who run through their tour of Alabama and a slew of other snacky tidbits We also catch up with not one, not two, but three bands as they begin their tours throughout the United States: São Paulo’s CANKRO talk about being an intercontinental band, Chicago’s C.H.E.W. finally reveal the meaning behind their name, and the nomadic Period Bomb unleashes a treatise about the contemporary DIY scene. For international coverage, Sweden’s BRING THE DRONES discuss their supergroup status, Budapest’s PADKADOSRA dissect just what it means to be a Hungarian band, and New Zealand’s UNSANITARY NAPKIN find ways to resist Trump from the other side of the world. We also hear from the friends of Victoria Scalisi from DAMAD who tell us about her kindness and strength in the wake of her passing. And somehow after all of that, we still managed to fit all of the columns and reviews that you’ve come to expect from Maximum Rocknroll! You don’t want to miss this jam-packed issue.
Restocks for October 12, 2017:
AUS ROTTEN "Fuck Nazi Sympathy" 7"
BLITZ "Time Bomb (Early Singles Collection)" LP
BROKEN BONES "A Single Decade" LP
CHAOS UK "S/T" LP
DICKS "Kill From the Heart" LP
DISCHARGE "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" LP
DISCLOSE "Tragedy" LP
DISCLOSE "Yesterday's Fairytale, Tomorrow's Nightmare" LP
GLUE "S/T" LP
KAAOS "Nukke" 7"
KAAOS "Ristinnaulittu Kaaos" LP
KATASTROF "S/T" 7"
LIMP WRIST "Facades" LP
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 1" 7"
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 2" LP
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 3" 7"
MOB 47 "Karnvapen Attack" 7"
NO COMMENT "Downsided" 7"
POWER TRIP "The Armageddon Blues Sessions" 12"
SHEER MAG "Compilation" LP
SHEER MAG "Need to Feel Your Love" LP
SHEER MAG "I" 7"
SHEER MAG "III" 7"
SIN 34 "Do You Feel Safe?" LP
TRAGEDY "S/T" LP (Tragedy Records)
URCHIN "How to Make Napalm" 7"
VARUKERS, THE "Another Religion Another War" LP
WARCRY "Maniacs on Pedastals (Euro Press)" LP
Debut EP from NY's EXTENDED HELL. Total Totalitar influenced punk with a bit of a straight forward hardcore vibe in the mix. Members of Urchin, Scalpel, Narcoleptics. Comes in a pocket sleeve with a double sides insert.
GLORIOUS? "Neverending Butchery" 7" (Brain Solvent Propaganda)
New 4 track ep from Sweden's Glorious?
RASHOMON "Demo" 7" (Society Bleeds Records)
Rashōmon are perhaps the most exciting new band to emerge from the latest wave of DC hardcore. Out of all the NWODCHC" tagged groups, I felt like most have lacked any kind of endearing sound and have felt like projects to exercise a take on a particular sub-sub genre. That feeling aside, Rashōmon have been turning heads with this excellent four song demo, and for good reason. The group incorporates a few older DCHC heads (guys from Aghast, Sick Fix, etc. - though hardly any of that sound is present) with younger folks from Kombat and Misled Youth, fronted by the energetic Kohei Urakami. The sound here isn't precisely Japanese, nor by the numbers hardcore, also incorporating some metallic guitar licks that don't overpower the beat. A truly exciting demo one of the best new bands currently operating out of DC." - Sam Richardson
MISLED YOUTH "Excuse for Existence" 7" (Society Bleeds Records)
MISLED YOUTH "Excuse for Existence" Return of the Misled Youth! Angrier than ever, embracing the legacy of 00's DCHC, while showing influences from bands like Poison Idea and YOT with their angry, fast riffs and breakdowns that kill. "Deceive/Exploit/Follow the Trend/Whatever it takes, Just a Means to the End" -- That says it all. No trend, no fashion, just pissed kids shreddin' fast and loud. Split release with Caught Up Records and European press on Refuse Records.
UNITED VOID "Doomsday Clock" 7" (Babysworld Records)
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, United Void features members of Dirty Work, Macho Boys and Criminal Code. Drawing influence from the canon of 80's US hardcore punk, United Void blasts out eight tracks of raw and nasty stripped down knuckle-dragging anthems on their debut 7" Doomsday Clock that will make you want to kick a hole in your wall. 500 pressed with Risograph printed covers.
DEVIANT Demo Tape (Demo)
New hcpunk band from Richmond, VA featuring members of MAD EXISTENCE and HAIRCUT.
ENAMEL "Complete the Lie" Tape (Demo)
Second tape from this raging philly hcpunk band.
FREEDOM "Never Had A Choice" 7" (Triple B Records)
Hard to the core. With a new dialed in sound, "Never Had A Choice" serves as Freedom's most musically adventurous take on the honored and lovingly imitated NYHC sound. Think Henderson and Dijan rhythms keeping the songs fast but grooved out. Any fan of Set It Off or Freedom's "USA Hardcore" will leave this EP satisfied.
FORCED ORDER "One Last Prayer" LP (Triple B Records)
ONE LAST PRAYER is the latest offering from Southern California’s FORCED ORDER. Their first release on Triple B continues where their last full-length VANISHED CRUSADE left off, wasting no time by leading off with the intense opening title track. Like the pioneers in metallic hardcore before them, Forced Order combine the crushing power of Hatebreed with the manic fury of Integrity to create an entirely new chaotic sound.
KRIMEWATCH "Machismo" 7" Flexi (Boss Tuneage Records)
Krimewatch hail from New York and this is the follow on recordings to their debut demo/7” released in 2016. Two hard hitting angry punk songs , recorded the tail end of 2016. The first release on new label Flexipunk brought to you by the folks at Boss Tuneage, a label purely for cheap price DIY punk flexidiscs, taking back control of this great iconic punk format.
KRIMEWATCH "S/T (UK Press)" 7" (Static Shock Records)
New York City's KRIMEWATCH are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from hardcore in the last year. The five tracks on this EP are a combination of Japanese punk and early NYHC; keeping it simple with shouted vocals (in both Japanese and English) and driving beats. This 7" is the bands first recordings, now remastered and pressed on vinyl to coincide with their just completed UK / Euro tour.
NEON "S/T" 7" (Water Wing Records)
Lost Swiss Punk Treasure! Two Song 7”EP by all female foursome NEON. The band featured Astrid Spirig (vocals), Dagmar Heinrich (guitar), Loredana Zandonella (bass), and Gitta Gsell (drums). Astrid was the third singer of LILIPUT and sang on both LILIPUT full length LP’s. NEON practiced for 6 months and wrote 6 songs. They played their first gig on Nov 1st 1978 at the Club Hey in Zurich. In December of that year, a live performance on Swiss television took place for a program about "women in show business.” The band wasn’t happy with the experience and disbanded a few months later only performing a handful of gigs. Fast forward to 2016, Dagmar finds an old cassette at her home with the recordings of the two songs "Neon" and "Nazi Schatzi." These were produced for the ill-fated television appearance and are the only recorded NEON songs in existence. Covers and inserts printed by Stumptown Printers.
LIFE'S BLOOD "Hardcore A.D. 1988" LP (Prank Records)
LIFE'S BLOOD were a legendary short lived band from New York City. Formed in 1987, The band played 20 shows and recorded two radio shows, a demo at Don Fury, one 7-inch, "Defiance," released on Combined Effort Records and appeared on the seminal New Breed tape comp in 1988. In these short 14 months as a band they left an indelible mark on the history of hardcore punk, as their sharp, earnest, and challenging lyrics backed with remarkably sturdy, dissonant and distorted hardcore songs emerged at a time where the focus of underground hardcore had been blurred by commercialism, crossover and violence. Hardcore A.D. 1988 collects 27 songs from their Defiance EP, demo tape, compilation tracks, their posthumous split EP with Sticks And Stones, WFMU and WNYU recordings and live tracks, Members went on to play in BORN AGAINST, MENACE DEMENT, SINKING BODY, MEN'S RECOVERY PROJECT COLLAPSE and MY RIFLE. Features new liner notes from guitarist ADAM NATHANSON, extensive band notes compiled by bassist NEIL BURKE and a ton of photos and flyers. The LP comes in a Stoughton tip-on gatefold with a 11x22" insert and download card.
LOST BALLOONS "Hey Summer" LP (Dirtnap Records)
Texas and Japan team up for a trans-pacific, two-man summertime pop explosion! Lost Balloons are Jeff Burke (Radioactivity, Marked Men, etc.) and Yusuke Okada of Japan’s incredible Suspicious Beasts. Hey Summer is their second album, following 2015’s self titled debut on Germany’s Alien Snatch Records. The two play all the instruments (although there is a live lineup as well) and split singing / songwriting duties. It works fantastically well as an album, meant to be listened to from start-to-finish. Wistful, sun-shiny ’60s-inspired pop with a bit of ’80s college rock jangle and even a little modern garage / Americana twang, this album represents a pretty big departure from a normal Jeff Burke project (and although it’s sonically a little closer to Okada’s Suspicious Beasts, it veers farther afield of his normal songwriting comfort zone as well). Burke says that this album is probably the least “punk” record he’s ever done. It confirms what everyone has long suspected: these two can master any genre they tackle, and make it fully their own.
NAPALM RAID "Wheel of War" LP (Rust and Machine Records)
The longest output and the heaviest best material by Canada's NAPALM RAID. Originally hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, the band is now spread out across the country. Balancing more influences than ever before, Rust and Machine is proud to have been working with this band since their beginning, and I am happy to say this is their strongest release, showing progression in style. Over time Napalm Raid has become the premier crust band of Canada, with multiple tours over the years taking them all over the world including Europe, Canada, USA, Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. Ending track is a revisit to their live hit "Dead Cities" which originally appeared on their debut 7" "Corruption of their little minds"
VIOLENT PARTY "Sinusoidal Limitations" 7" (Rust and Machine Records)
VIOLENT PARTY of Portland, OR have taken their noisy entourage to outer space on this latest single 'Sinusoidal Limitations'. The record features two brand new blistering tracks (Oncogene / Earth Spins Again) on circuit bent fuzz, shrilling vocals, and paranoid lyricism that leaves you without hope. It's pressed onto black vinyl that spins at 45rpm and comes neatly packaged in an extremely durable glossy pocket sleeve. While the noisy trio are busy gearing up for their 2017 European Summer tour, Rust and Machine Records have released a limited pressing of 200 copies of 'Sinusoidal Limitations' that is available now!
SHEER MAG "II" Tape (Wilsuns Recording Company)
In 2014, Sheer Mag seemingly came out of nowhere with what was probably our favorite release of the year, debuting, straight to vinyl, their brand of hard rock-inspired power pop perfection. This time around, expectations are unreasonably high, but guess what? Sheer Mag don't care! Out from under this table, these Philly miscreants return stronger than ever, this time toning down (ever so slightly) the power pop undertones that got them comparisons to the Shivvers (female vocals?) and putting the rock in the forefront. Still, the band could pass as the Jackson 5 re-imagined as a punk trash compactor and this record stands tall as what will definitely be the hard rock record of the year.
SHEER MAG "III" Tape (Wilsuns Recording Company)
Sheer Mag return with another four tracker of all killers and no fillers on Wilsuns RC / Static Shock Records. Nothing has changed on this record at all - it's all epic riffs, a lo-fi and compact production, hooks galore and that soulful and gritty voice you already love. 'Can't Stop Fighting' is three and a half minutes of power pop meets classic rock and sits somewhere between the Shivvers and Thin Lizzy if such a place exists. 'Worth the Tears' is a little cleaner, mellower and soulful. Side two opens with the scuzzy and dense 'Night Isn't Bright' before the standout cut 'Nobody's Baby' - which sounds a 1978 classic rock hit that hints at Judas Priests' 'Living After Midnight' and Kiss in their prime. It's an instant pop nugget that sounds like a time long gone. (Sean Forbes)
LACK OF INTREST "Trapped Inside" LP (Deep Six Records)
"Trapped inside" was the 1999 debut full-length from Los Angeles' LACK OF INTEREST who took influence from INFEST, NO COMMENT and CROSSED OUT, and carried the torch for the power-violence hardcore scene in the '90s and '00s. Out-of-print for some years - now available again
ANDROIDS OF MU "Blood Robots" LP (Water Wing Records)
The Androids Of Mu were a noisy all-girl early post-punk band that emerged from London, UK, in 1979, alongside the likes of The Slits and The Raincoats.Legend has it they had been androidised by Atlantean scientists, and sent forward to us by the Timelords of the ancient Utopian Civilisation of Mu, programmed with messages to help us avoid our own self-destruction, following the northern galactic alignment of 2012.They crash-landed early, all over Europe, in the mid-1970's, and met up in the wild squatter-lands of west London. Suze the Blooz, Corrina, Cozmic and Bess became immersed in the local counter-culture. They grounded themselves in psychedelic synthesizer and guitar music, playing with Planet Gong and Here & Now, and musicians from Hawkwind. When they finally got hold of a cheap synth and a noisy guitar of their own, they used them, at full volume, with fat bass and bouncing drums, to record an album expressing the remembered fragments of the Mu-an messages - in the form of their new, colourful and zazzy reflections of life, from under the long dark shadow of puppet Thatcher's Corporate New Britain. Recorded at lo-fi cult studio Street Level in 1979, this was their only ever album, and they have purposely had it suppressed until now. Because now - it is foretold.. Now, cruel world, it is time for you to receive it.. (The 2013 release has been carefully remastered from the original tapes. It contains large insert with early photos and complete songwords).
POISON GIRLS "Hex" LP (Water Wing Records)
Poison Girls were a force of nature. Spat out of the belly of the UK punk scene, Poison Girls paired up with a band down the street called Crass. The two bands played 100 shows together in the span of three years.They bonded on a conceptual and artistic way to approach punk. Poison Girls were fronted by Vi Subversa, who was a child in the East end of London during the 2nd World War, an evacuee during the Blitz, became part of the Soho anarchist scene of the 50s, took part in the original CND march to Aldermaston, then a counter culture drop out of the 60s, finally found herself in the mid 70s, aged 40, with two children, living in Brighton. Vi, along with Richard Famous, Lance d'Boyle and Bernhardt Rebours released HEX in 1979 on the bands own Xntrix label. It was a 12” 45rpm mini album and was released with the help of Small Wonder (Bauhaus, The Cure, Crass), a local independent record label. HEX was later reissued by Crass Records in 1981. Recorded at Southern Studios, produced by Penny Rimbaud, and engineered by John Loder, HEX is an extraordinary punk record which featured the group's lineup that was to last for the following 2 years. Cameo appearances included Vi Subversa's offspring Pete Fender and Gem Stone of Fatal Microbes and Eve Libertine of Crass. The album lays out the band's concerns, in Vi's searing lyrics, against a backdrop of deep, beautiful and sometimes scary music. Vi channels the anger and frustrations of any single mother living in what was (and still is) a mans’ world. From the opening salvo “If I had my time again, I’d like to come back as a man!” to the final “Reality Attack Reality Attack Reality” the record bristles with a fiery passion and intensity. The lyrics explore the expectations of normality, political correctness, pressures of conformity, pain and mental illness and the horrors of war. The music is diamond hard but with a tender edge, and the whole soundscape is overlaid with ‘found’ recordings of everyday life. Reissued for the first time in over 30 years with a sturdy tip-on gatefold cover.
POISON GIRLS "Chappaquiddick Bridge" LP (Water Wing Records)
CHAPPAQUIDDICK BRIDGE, the bands first full length LP, was originally released on Crass Records in 1980 and featured the same lineup as HEX. And like Hex, it shared the producer/engineer team of Penny Rimbaud and John Loder. This record sees Poison Girls at their most experimental stage. The songs dig deeper into the connections between the personal and political. Starting with an uncredited version of ‘State Control’ (one of the bands punkiest crowd pleasers) done in an ‘unplugged’ style, and ending with the similarly stripped down ‘Tender Lover’, this album broke all the rules of what a ’punk’ album should sound like. The songs are long. There are extended sonic workouts and codas, using synths, abused studio effects, electric violin, acoustic piano as well as ‘random’ electric guitar sounds and vocals. The mix has thundering drums up front that power the songs, and help create a barrage of rich sound.The lyrics speak of love, power, sexual politics, war and peace and most things in between. This is Vi at her most poetic, but with a razor sharp insight, and not holding back on using it. A truly original album. If it was removed, lost or destroyed, your original copy of Chappaquiddick Bridge came with a one-sided flexi disc containing the anthem "Statement". This 2014 reissue also includes "Statement" as a proper one-sided 7" vinyl. Sturdy tip-on gatefold cover.
POISON GIRLS "Where's the Pleasure" LP (Water Wing Records)
First released in September 1982 on their own Xntrix Records label, 'Where's The Pleasure' was described by Johnny Waller in Sounds as "The last great punk record". The record came out of a period of change for Poison Girls. A new house, a new bass player, a completely new set, and, with it, a determination to challenge the expectations of their audience. What resulted is an outstanding collection of songs. Vi Subversa’s lyrics seamlessly make the personal political, and the political relevant to everyday life. The music bristles with inventiveness. What we hear is a band at the top of their game, exploring different styles and enjoying themselves in the process. It is Poison Girls flexing their musical muscles, rediscovering their roots, and connecting with the true spirit of punk, which is of course, unbridled, messy and adventurous creativity. ‘Where’s The Pleasure’ is a truly wonderful achievement by a truly unique band.
JUNGLE NAUSEA "S/T" LP (Water Wing Records)
Jungle Nausea formed at the dawn of the 80s when some members of SMEGMA recruited other Portland new-music enthusiasts (including poster artist Mike King) for a project that would combine punk, new wave, American roots music, and a sense of humor. They weren't much like the other local bands of the era, but that wasn't what they were going for. Instead they found their own twisted path, playing the heck out of their mix of conventional and homemade instruments and getting unintended sounds out of their rhythm machine. The live shows were few, but incredibly memorable. This release combines their 1982 EP in its entirety, and a whole side of unreleased live and studio tracks. All tracks engineered by the legendary Mike Lastra of SMEGMA.
Y PANTS "S/T" LP (Water Wing Records)
In the late 70s and early 80s everyone had very fluid art identities. One day you were a filmmaker, the next day a musician, and Y Pants was very much a part of it… The lyrics are ironic without being callous, the voices are sultry, the music is repetitive and trance-like… [with] a sense of urgency--like something being driven out. – Kiki Smith. Y PANTS was a three-woman New York band: Barbara Ess, Virginia (Verge) Piersol and Gail Vachon, all visual artists. They played in clubs, galleries and performance spaces between 1979 and 1982. They were “as idiosyncratic, edgy, minimal, wry and literate as post-punk no wave got. Furthermore, the fact that these were three ferocious and formidable females was not to be overlooked.” – Wolfgang Staehle, thing.net. Gail found a toy piano on the street and started jamming with Barbara on the ukulele. When they were invited to play a few weeks later at TR3 (the short-lived but influential downtown NY music club), they electrified their instruments and recruited the neophyte drummer Verge for percussion on a children’s drum set. Their first gig met with an unexpected wildly enthusiastic reception. The instrumentation was then rounded out with Barbara’s bass (former bands Daily Life and The Static), an African thumb drum, and a Casio keyboard for Gail. Verge’s initial Mickey Mouse toy kit soon fell apart and she cobbled together a modest trap set. They gained a following and soon recorded a four song EP produced by Glenn Branca for 99 Records. They often shared the stage with label mates the Bush Tetras, ESG, Liquid Liquid, Branca and other NYC “downtown” bands. This release includes their four-song debut EP and two songs never before available on vinyl: Magnetic Attraction (previously released on Tellus Audio Cassette), and the mysterious Kung Fu. In a NY Times review, John Rockwell wrote”…what really makes Y Pants a success is the actual sound of the instrumentals—raw and driving yet exotic and imaginative in terms of timbre and minimalist structure.”
Y PANTS "Beat it Down" LP (Water Wing Records)
After the success of their debut EP, post-punk art rockers Y Pants performed regularly in NYC and other East Coast venues. In 1981 they toured Europe for six weeks and upon return went into the studio to record their only LP, “Beat It Down,” released in 1982 on Neutral Records (Sonic Youth, Glenn Branca et al). The album extends the band’s signature pared down rollicking minimalism. The 10 songs are varied, using surprising and inventive instrumentation. The music is at once filled with a sense of longing and a fierce ironic rebellion. With exuberant precision they brandish their “toy” instruments and plaintive vocals in emotive expressions of female resistance. In dustedmagazine.com, Seth Watter wrote of the album, “I love the sprightly keyboards of ‘The Fly,’ the gentle lyricism of ‘Lulu,’ the anger of ‘Beat It Down’ that comes through in the music’s shambling, atonal jangle. The songs covered a huge range of emotions with an entirely new syntax.”
DESPERATE BICYCLES "Singles" LP (Fanclub Release)
Collection of Desperate Bicycles singles.
MODERN WARFARE "Complete Recordings and More" LP (Rerun Records)
MODERN WARFARE were one of the unsung heroes of the early '80s So-Cal punk scene. Coming from Long Beach, playing fast n' furious punk from 1980-1983. This isn't by-the-numbers generic hardcore, it's well executed, manic speed punk with some of the best frantic guitar leads and vocals of the era. Side one collects both of their rare 7" EPs, along with their songs from classic compilation albums Hell Comes To Your House, American Youth Report and Life Is Boring So Why Not Steal This Record. This is the first time their complete vinyl output has been collected in one place. Side two compiles three melodic punk tracks from 1979 by pre-Modern Warfare band THE MODERNS. The side finishes with three later home demos from band-leader and Bemisbrain Records founder JIMMY BEMIS. One peppy punk number, right in line with the Moderns and two rootsy songs that remind us of '80s L.A. wasteland rock that you might hear in an Alex Cox film. Rerun went over budget on this one to make sure we could put together the ultimate discography once and for all. All audio has been newly remastered by original, legendary producer GEZA X. The LP comes with a foldout 12"x36" double-sided poster insert with lyrics, illustrated discography, previously unpublished photos and a killer collection of gig posters. Free download code also included.
CRASS "The Feeding of the 5000" LP (Crass Records)
New pressing created from the original vinyl master tapes (no remix!). Wrapped in the original iconic fold-out black and white poster sleeve. Includes a code for a free digital download in the format of your choice. The Feeding of the 5000 is the first album by Crass, released in 1978. The record came to be made when Pete Stennett, owner of Small Wonder Records, heard a demo that the band had recorded. Impressed by all of the material, he decided that rather than release a conventional single by the band, he would put all of their set onto an 18 track 12 inch EP. However problems were encountered when workers at the Irish pressing plant contracted to manufacture the disc refused to handle it due to the allegedly blasphemous content of the track "Reality Asylum" (referred to as "Asylum" on the record sleeve). The record was eventually released with this track removed and replaced by two minutes of silence, retitled "The Sound Of Free Speech". This incident also prompted Crass to set up their own record label in order to retain full editorial control as well as political and legal responsibility for their material, and "Reality Asylum" was shortly afterwards issued in a re-recorded and extended form as a 7 inch single. A later repress of The Feeding Of The 5000 (subtitled The Second Sitting) released on Crass records in 1981 restored the missing track. The song "They've Got A Bomb" also features a period of silence within it, inspired by John Cage's "4'33"". The band have acknowledged the influence of Cage, and said that the idea of the space in the song, when performed live, was to suddenly stop the energy, dancing and noise and allow the audience to momentarily 'confront themselves' and consider the reality of nuclear war. According to band founder and drummer Penny Rimbaud, who wrote in 1986: "We named the album The Feeding Of The Five Thousand because 5000 was the minimum number that we could get pressed and some 4900 more than we thought we'd sell. Feeding is now only a few hundred short of going golden, though I don't suppose we'll hear too much about that in the music press".
MAXIMUMROCKNROLL #414 - Nov 2017 (MRR)
Are y’all ready for Maximum Rocknroll #414? Our November 2017 issue will teach you a thing or two all about the History of Alabama Punk! This issue features the first of a two part series all about the DIY scene throughout Alabama, with this part focusing on Birmingham. But our focus on Alabama is not entirely retrospective; BAD EXAMPLE will catch everybody up to speed on current happenings in Birmingham. We also hear from Bay Area heartthrobs MIDNITE SNAXXX, who run through their tour of Alabama and a slew of other snacky tidbits We also catch up with not one, not two, but three bands as they begin their tours throughout the United States: São Paulo’s CANKRO talk about being an intercontinental band, Chicago’s C.H.E.W. finally reveal the meaning behind their name, and the nomadic Period Bomb unleashes a treatise about the contemporary DIY scene. For international coverage, Sweden’s BRING THE DRONES discuss their supergroup status, Budapest’s PADKADOSRA dissect just what it means to be a Hungarian band, and New Zealand’s UNSANITARY NAPKIN find ways to resist Trump from the other side of the world. We also hear from the friends of Victoria Scalisi from DAMAD who tell us about her kindness and strength in the wake of her passing. And somehow after all of that, we still managed to fit all of the columns and reviews that you’ve come to expect from Maximum Rocknroll! You don’t want to miss this jam-packed issue.
Restocks for October 12, 2017:
AUS ROTTEN "Fuck Nazi Sympathy" 7"
BLITZ "Time Bomb (Early Singles Collection)" LP
BROKEN BONES "A Single Decade" LP
CHAOS UK "S/T" LP
DICKS "Kill From the Heart" LP
DISCHARGE "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" LP
DISCLOSE "Tragedy" LP
DISCLOSE "Yesterday's Fairytale, Tomorrow's Nightmare" LP
GLUE "S/T" LP
KAAOS "Nukke" 7"
KAAOS "Ristinnaulittu Kaaos" LP
KATASTROF "S/T" 7"
LIMP WRIST "Facades" LP
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 1" 7"
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 2" LP
LOW THREAT PROFILE "Product Number 3" 7"
MOB 47 "Karnvapen Attack" 7"
NO COMMENT "Downsided" 7"
POWER TRIP "The Armageddon Blues Sessions" 12"
SHEER MAG "Compilation" LP
SHEER MAG "Need to Feel Your Love" LP
SHEER MAG "I" 7"
SHEER MAG "III" 7"
SIN 34 "Do You Feel Safe?" LP
TRAGEDY "S/T" LP (Tragedy Records)
URCHIN "How to Make Napalm" 7"
VARUKERS, THE "Another Religion Another War" LP
WARCRY "Maniacs on Pedastals (Euro Press)" LP