Saturday, December 22, 2007

Upcoming NJ shows in January



Jan. 2 @ the Bread Box in New Brunswick, NJ

Blank Stare- ridiculously good Boston HC
(too cool for the internet)

Sick Fix- female fronted sXe Infest worship HC
http://www.myspace.com/sickfix
http://sickfix.dead-city.org

Coke Bust- sXe thrash w/ youth crew parts and blast beats
http://www.myspace.com/cokebust

WORMEATERS- for fans of NA/AF and government conspiracies (ex- Snakebite/Kanamits/S.I.T.W.)
http://myspace.com/wormeaters

I Hate This- female fronted power violence/ thrash (ex-Common Enemy/Chainsaw to the Face)
http://www.myspace.com/wehatethis

e-mail bleedingXedges (at)gmail.com for the address

the 3 touring bands are all Straight Edge, and have records out on Third Party Records
http://www.thirdxparty.com




Jan. 5 @ the Popoff in New Brunswick, NJ

Ramming Speed- Boston pizza party thrash metal
http://www.myspace.com/officialrammingspeed

Guilty Faces- CT punk (2/3 Ratbyte)
http://www.myspace.com/guiltyfaces

Reprobates- awesome HC/Punk from Toronto (1/2 Terminal State)
http://www.myspace.com/reprobateshc

Killin It- New Brunswick thrashers
http://www.myspace.com/killinitson

contact Killin It for info, I only helped Reprobates and Guilty Faces get on the show. I can't even go due to a family wedding =(



Jan. 10 @ the Breadbox in New Brunswick, NJ

F.P.O.- political sXe thrash from EUROPE
http://www.myspace.com/fxpxox

CANCELLED!!!

e-mail bleedingXedges (at)gmail.com for the address

Friday, December 14, 2007

Best of 2007 and some reviews

I felt that I should augment the annual "best of" post with some reviews of recent record purchases. I added a best demos category this year, and got rid of comps. A lot of the great demos from last year got re-pressed or re-recorded on vinyl recently (Socialcide, Sick Fix, Total Abuse, Civic Progress). What weighs heavily on my decisions is when bands surprise me with an awesome first release or by overshadowing their previous releases.

Best 7"s of 2007

1. Life Trap- Bleak Reality
2. Wasted Time- No Shore
3. Episode- s/t
4. Government Warning- Arrested
5. Socialcide- Burn in Hell, Bundy

It was a tough choice for the #1 spot, but I went w/ Life Trap just because that record came out of nowhere and hits you like a ton of bricks. Wasted Time's 2nd 7" is even better than their first, and I mean I loved the first, but holy shit does this rule. Episode's another band that came out of nowhere (actually the same "nowhere" that Life Trap does), and just released an amazing 7" w/o playing a show or anything. Government Warning's follow up to their LP is a good one, but some of the songs lack the pure catchiness of their LP. Socialcide followed up their awesome demo with an equally awesome 7". It should be noted that 3 of the bands are from VA and the other 2 are from TN, and all but Episode played No Way Fest. The south shall rise again!

Best 12"s of 2007

1. Double Negative- The Wonderful and Frightening World of...
2. Repercussions- 11 Song EP
3. The Vicious- Alienated
4. Criminal Damage- No Solution
5. Severed Head of State- Power Hazard

The best LP was a no brainer, and I knew nothing could possibly top the Double Negative LP after first listening to it. They went from demo to LP, and shocked everyone outside of the North Carolina area. Repercussions also came out of nowhere with a raging hard fast LP, and then disappeared. Hopefully they'll tour or something eventually, because this LP is just too good. The Vicious LP squeaked in the last week of December last year, but I'm counting them for this year. Super catchy early 80's sounding punk, and I'm glad I caught them 3 times on their tour (and am bummed they broke up). Criminal Damage followed up last year's awesome LP with a newer equally awesome LP. It lacks some of the hooks of the first LP, but is still great. Severed Head of State has been getting better with each release. This LP is their most recent output, and it's no different to that trend.

Best Demos of 2007
1. Civic Progress
2. Guilty Faces
3. Reprobates
4. Bad Advice
5. Kanamits

Not too many great demos, but these really stood out and I look forward to more. Civic Progress surprised a lot of people at No Way Fest, and rightfully so. Their demo is raw, fast and they actually have something good to say. Guilty Faces rose from the ashes of Ratbyte, and have a real early 80's California sound. The Reprobates demo squeaked in at the last minute, playing awesome hardcore punk from Toronto. Bad Advice's demo came out at No Way Fest, but unfortunately most people missed them. It's real cool, and I'm looking forward to more from them. The Kanamits were a local band, and their second demo was being recorded for a 7" that will never be released. I may be a tad biased on this, but I loved this band. Annoy one of the members and get them to send it to you.

7"

V/A- No Bullshit Vol. 3
If for some reason you've been sleeping on the No Bullshit comp series, get your head out from under a rock. The third volume most definitely does not disappoint. It kicks off w/ a new one from Life Trap, and damn is it a rager. I would almost say it's got some melodic elements to it, but still keeps the speed and anger of their awesome 7". I've probably listened to this song more than the rest. Socialcide's contribution sounds a lot noisier and chaotic than some of their other stuff. Double Negative's song also sounds a lot more stripped down than their LP stuff, but is still great. I always forget how awesome Out Cold is, and all these years later, they're still kicking ass; their song is great. Acid Reflux contributes the song from their demo tape that was missing from their 7", so of course it's great. Chronic Seizure closes it out w/ more of the same fast old sounding hardcore punk rock. If you're not familiar w/ the bands from their previous releases, this will introduce you to some new great bands. If like me, you were already into these bands, then this will just give you more to listen to.


Citizens Patrol- Sick Routine
Citizens Patrol are from the Netherlands, and they play real fast old style HC similar to modern bands like Civic Progress and Nightstick Justice. I had downloaded their demo a while back, and really liked it, and this record has a lot of those songs re-recorded. Good stuff, you know you'll like it.


Anti You- Pig City Life
Good stuff from this Italian hardcore punk band. My only gripe is that there's only one side to this record, but they're able to cram a bunch of songs and a Discharge cover. The Discharge cover is real cool because it's not done in the traditional D-Beat sorta way, and is much faster. Musically it's like if the Circle Jerks were faster and meaner sounding.


The Bloodreds- Mister Mess
I got this at one of their shows and enjoyed it, then put it back in my stack of records. I recently gave it another spin, and it hasn't left my record player all week. The songs are catchy and poppy, but have a lot more balls to them than any pop-punk bands. I saw them w/ Ringers, and I suppose that'd be a good comparison. Street punk influenced melodic punk, which would appeal to fans of Cocksparrer and No Hope For The Kids. Awesome!


the Flash Attacks- Revenge of the Fruitflies
I was pleasantly surprised by this NJ band also. The cover art is really cool and brightly colored, but the music is dark and heavy. Musically, I'd say a mix between Discharge, later Poison Idea and some Sabbath heaviness. I found myself humming "Revenge of the Fruitflies" the other day, which is always the mark of a solid record.


In Defense / Guns N Rosa Parks
I found this in a used bin recently. I had been meaning to check out In Defence, and Runs N Rosa Parks is a pretty cool name. Musically In Defence plays really good sounding youth crew influenced thrash. It's the cool sing-a-longs and breakdowns, but the lyrics leave a bit to be desired (kinda like Damage Deposit). GNRP plays a similar style with maybe a little less youth crew, and more of a Tear It Up sounds. Probably wouldn't pick this up again.

12"

Punch In The Face- At War With Everybody
First of all the cover art for this is really cool, and doesn't look like the typical punk cover art. It's done by Mike Sutfin, who's probably more known for his art on Magic cards. I had been looking forward to this record for a while since those 2 7"s they had out were great. I was a bit disappointed that the PITF I grew to love slowed it way down. It's not a bad record, but they're definitely not playing at the break neck speed they were on previous recordings. It kinda reminds me of Dead Stop, which isn't a bad thing, but I was expecting something different.


Bombs Away 10 Song EP
This is a reissue of a record that came out a few years ago. All I know is that it had William (from Talk Is Poison/ Copout/ Suicide Party) on vocals. While it's no Talk is Poison, it's still a pretty damn good record. Similar to the related bands, it's pretty fast heavy hardcore. I'd recommend checking it out if you're a fan of any of those related bands.


Ringers- Curses
This is Ringers' first record, which I actually picked up second (oops). I think I ike Detention Halls a little better, but this record is real cool. Definitely catchy and melodic if you're into that sorta thing. Personally I've gotta be in the right mood or it, but this is good stuff.

I have 2 shows in January that I'm working on, and going to This Is For You Fest again this year in Daytona, FL.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

TV Party- Annihilate all week long

So the new TV season is in full swing, and unfortunately with the writers strike, may be over soon. I'll let you know what I've been watching, as if you care...



MONDAY
At 8pm on CBS is How I Met Your Mother, the premise behind the show is of a father telling stories to his kids about his friends and how he met their mother (who they still have yet to introduce). The show's really funny, and is basically a cross between Scrubs and Friends (before it got terrible). Pretty much the only thing on CBS worth watching.
When I was working in NYC, there were huge billboard for 2 new shows: Chuck (on NBC) and the Big Bang Theory (CBS). I've given both a shot, and neither are really all that great. Chuck starts at 8, but I just flip to the last half hour before Heroes comes on. The premise of that one is that a nerdy dude happens to get an e-mail w/ government secrets in it. Now he works with the FBI and done some crazy James Bond type shit. Big Bang Theory is about nerd who live next door to a hot chick, yawn.
Heroes is on NBC at 9, and is probably my favorite show on TV now. I know I've talked about it before, but it's basically a comic book in a live action setting. Unlike 90% of the comic movies that have come out recently, it's totally not crap. The most recent Season adds new characters, and puts some of the prominent ones from last season into the background. The mid season cliff hanger in 3 weeks may be the season finale, and I read that they made an alternate ending just in case. Fox's 24 will have some tough competition for the 9pm slot.
After Heroes at 10 is a new show on NBC, JourneyMan. It's somewhat similar to Quantum Leap, except the guy jumps into the past in his own body, and has to fix the future. It's not bad, but by the end of the hour I start losing interest. I'll probably keep with it until the end of the season, but if it changes time slots, I probably wouldn't follow it.

TUESDAY
The only thing I really watch on Tuesdays at 9 is House on Fox. Dr. House is an unorthodox doctor, who always has some sort of crazy diagnosis. This season however, he needs to find a new team since his last team abandoned him last season. It started out interestingly enough with an American Idol style weeding out of people, but it's still not decided who the new team is. It's still entertaining, but it's becoming more like CSI and Law and Order, where each episode is basically the same.

WEDNESDAY
An interesting new show on ABC is Pushing Daisies, which is like a crime drama mixed with a Dr Seuss book. There's a narrator which follows the storyline, and gives background information. Pretty cool, and probably the only thing I watch on ABC.
9-10 is kind of a bust until LOST starts again (if it starts again). I've been watching Kitchen Nightmares, where a chef goes to disgusting restaurants and tells them what to change to stay in business. Definitely not something to watch while eating, but it's funny to see him make fun of these dumb owners.
At 10, Comedy Central's been showing the new season of South Park, which for some reason is still just as witty 10 years later. Obviously you get the same satirical gross out humor, but there's been a lot of political shows and shows where they just make fun of a celebrity for a half hour.
The Sarah Silverman Program is a relatively new sitcom. Sarah plays herself as a character who's extremely juvenile and annoying. The supporting cast consists of her sister and her boyfriend, and her 2 gay neighbors. Pretty good off the wall humor that I'd take any day over Mind of Mencia.

THURSDAY
Thursday's a pretty big day, where I stick to NBC. At 8, it's My Name is Earl which is kind of different this season, since Earl is in prison. Normally it revolves around Earl traveling around with his brother Randy. The supporting cast of his ex-wife, the crab man and the maid at the hotel where they live are also great. Unfortunately the dynamic of the characters has been a little off this season, but I hope Earl gets out of jail soon, and they get back on track.
At 8:30 I usually watch 30 Rock, which is basically a sitcom about the making of an SNL stlye sketch comedy show. It stars SNL alumni Tina Fey (former writer), Tracy Morgan (former cast member) and Alec Baldwin (frequent guest). It's an alright show, but hardly the best of the lineup.
The Office has been a favorite of mine for a while. It took a little while to click, but the dry awkward humor is perfect for on the job based comedy. The show is set up like a reality show, and is based on a BBC program of the same name. This is by far my favorite comedy right now, and it even has a soap opera aspect to it.
This is the final season for Scrubs, and while I enjoyed the show since its beginning, it's the right time. The show's still funny, but the characters are changing, and the show's seemed to have lost it's stamina. JD just had a baby, Carla and Turk also have a baby, Elliot called off her engagement, and they killed off Laverne. It just doesn't have the same spark as it did before. Don't get me wrong, it's a great show, but I'd stick to the re-runs.

FRIDAY
I'm rarely home on a Friday night, but if I am, Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet is pretty awesome. Occasionally Discovery Channel will have Mythbusters reruns on, and that show is amazing.

SATURDAY
As big a loser as I am, I don't watch anything on Saturday.

SUNDAY
Sundays have been dominated by Fox for me because of theSimpsons. However at this point, it's more a force of habit since the show hasn't been funny in about 10 years. It's kind of ridiculous how long that show's been on TV. I remember when it started, me and Bart were both in the 3rd grade. Of the almost 20 years the show's been on TV, it maybe had 5 or 6 truly great seasons. The jokes now seem extremely forced and predictable. I'll occasionally watch it, and it has gotten better than it was, but still not at the level of its hey day. The Simpsons movie was surprisingly decent though.
I think King of the Hill is on after that, but that is seriously the WORST show. I have no idea who watches that crap, probably the same people who like those redneck comedy shows.
Family Guy got resurrected from the dead a few years ago, and I honestly wish it hadn't. Originally it was fresh how they had little non-sequitor parts would break up the story. Maybe it loses its charm over time, but the tired pop culture referances and lack of plot really lose my interest now. South Park had a good episode which tore into the fact that their jokes cover up the fact that they have no plot.
American Dad is done by the same pople as Family Guy, and relies more on plots than pop culture jokes. It revolves around a right wing CIA agent and his wacky family. It seems to only get by when placed before/after Family Guy, but probably couldn't stand on its own.

ALL WEEL LONG!
Cartoon Network's Adult Swim programming has been reigning supreme over my late night TV viewing since it started up. During the week it runs from 11-12:30, then the Anime starts, and I go to bed. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report on Comedy Central are usually good for more high brow / low brow humor. During the 11pm-12am block of time, Adult Swim has Futurama and Family Guy (both of which I own on DVD), so I'm not really missing much if I decide to miss those. Adult Swim has original programming which airs in mass on Sunday. Great original shows like the Boondocks, Metalocalypse, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Harvey Birdman, and old shows like Sea Lab 2021 and Space Ghost are ridiculous and great. The Adult Swim style of humor is usually pretty offensive, and sometimes ridiculous. I still don't get why anyone watches Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job.

Monday, October 29, 2007

11/17 in New Brunswick



HARDCORE GIG VOLUME #74:

Saturday November 17th, 2007

GOVERNMENT WARNING (RVA hardcorepunkrockers, first NJ show in over a year)
http://www.myspace.com/governmentwarningrva

DUSTHEADS (NYC stoner-core)
http://www.myspace.com/dustheadsnyc

Guilty Faces (CT punk- like Darby Crash singing for the Adolescents, ex- Ratbyte)
http://www.myspace.com/guiltyfaces

Killin' It! (retro early 2000 style thrash- new 7" out now!)
http://www.myspace.com/killinitson


@ the Popoff
New Brunswick, NJ

$5 / 7pm

E-mail Hardcoregigvolume(at)yahoo.com for address & and do not post it on the internet

I'm just helping out w/ this show, but feel free to ask me for the address if you need it.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

records < food

It's about that time again... I've started working again, so I've had more money to spend of records! A good chunk of these all come from the Sorry State Records web store and Celebrated Summer Records in Towson, MD.

7"s:

Civic Progress- Petroleum Man
I loved their demo, and they ruled at No Way Fest, so I was stoked to help them out with an NJ show. This record is most of their demo songs just re-recorded. The playing is a little tighter, and the production isn't as muffled. The band shares members with Cardiac Arrest, and have a similar early 80's raw hardcore punk approach. The lyrics are more political though, but not in a preachy kinda way- more in a Dead Kennedys kinda way. It rules, and should hold you over until the new 7" comes out.


86 Mentality- Final Exit
I guess this is supposed to be 86 Mentality's last record(?), and it's a great way to go out. It starts with an Outro that's slow and brooding, then kicks into their raw fast sound. They always reminded me a lot of SOA and Negative Approach since the songs have a real monotone rawness to them. No real evolution here, just more of the same great stuff they've been doing all along. Pay your final respects, and get this.





Cross Laws- Behind the Curve
Cross Laws- Ancient Rites
Cross Laws released 3 7"s (one of those being a demo) within a short amount of time before breaking up recently. "Behind the Curve" seemed to sell out immediately, maybe since it was limited to 300- maybe because it rules. By the time I heard it was out, it was already gone, luckily I happened to find one at a shitty record store by me. This record picks up where the demo left off with real stripped down early 80's style HC in the style of mid-west bands like the Fix and Negative Approach. Ancient Rites, which was their final release has that same raw sound, but with a lot more melodic parts that are similar to early Articles of Faith. By no means is it any less raging, just a little different. This band broke up way too quickly, but hopefully we'll see some new noise from these guys soon.


Bored To Death- s/t
Bored to Death are a new band from Japan who play a more American style of early 80's hardcore (DC), almost like Total Fury. The recording sounds like it was run through an old boom box, and sounds real gritty (which is a good thing). The songs are real good and catchy, and naming your band after a Government Issue song helps too.


Crossed Eyes- Rattled
This is a little different than the average Sorry State Records release, and is a lot more pop-punk sounding. Luckily it's the kind of pop-punk that I like (not the border line emo or alternative sounding stuff). Similar to bands like the Observers, but with a more blown out recording sound. There's a lot of sing along parts, and I could totally see these guys going over well at a New Brunswick basement show.


Christian Club- Final Confession
I know this band shares a member with life Crisis, and share some of their blistering fast thrash influences. Sounding similar to early Poison Idea and maybe even Citizen's Arrest, and not pulling any punches on their stance against religion. Another band that broke up too soon.


Episode- s/t
This 7" seems to be surrounded with mystery, but they're apparently from TN. It comes in a printed dust sleeve with the insert stuck inside and hard to get out. It seriously sounds like Systematic Death and other Japanese classic, and I wouldn't joke around about that. All the songs sound different, but all fucking RAGE! Seriously, when was the last time you heard a band from America pull off Japanese Hardcore style well? This record will most likely disappear quickly, and is hard to come by even now, so find it now. I seriously can't recommend this any more.


Bad Dirty Hate- s/t
Bad Dirty Hate was the sleeper hit from "No Bullshit Vol. 1," and finally have something out. I had downloaded some of these songs as their demo, so I'm assuming that it was based on 2 recording sessions. If you read this blog enough, you know I have a huge soft spot for Japanese Hardcore. This stuff is just real fast and insane thrash like Systematic Deth or something like that.


Time to Escape- s/t
I guess this was recorded a while ago, and is just now seeing the light of day. The band had been broken up, but with the release of this 7" seems to have begun playing shows again. There's a big picture of the Capitol Building in Washing DC on the cover, and that's a pretty good way to describe how this sounds. They sound a lot like the Faith and other DC pre-Revolution Summer bands. Maybe we'll see another record from them in the future.


Regulations- Different Needs
I was kinda on the fence about this since the "Electric Guitar" LP was mediocre. This new 7" really didn't change that unfortunately. There's a few decent songs on here, but aren't nearly as good as the stuff on their s/t LP. It's not terrible, but I'd recommend their earlier releases more.


Let Down- Sacrifice Me
Let Down's back w/ another 4 song 7" of pissed off straight edge hardcore. Their sound leans more toward bands like Shark Attack, No Justice and Panic. Similar to their last record, but maybe a little more emphasis on the mosh parts. In a time when most edge bands are jocking shit like Biohazard, it's good to see a more stripped down sounding band in the mix.


The Ergs!/ Lemuria
Yet another new Ergs record, I think that makes 5 so far this year... I prefer the faster Ergs stuff, but this is a bit more like the mid-paced songs on the new LP. They cap off their side w/ a cover of "Hey Jealousy," which has been a staple live song for a little while now. They do the song somewhat faithfully, but add their own spin without sounding like Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies. Lemuria I've seen before in New Brunswick. They play some mid-paced female fronted pop-punk somewhat similar to Discount mixed w/ some late 80's/ early 90's power-pop. No too bad, and a perfect split to commemorate their US tour this summer.


Nightstick Justice- s/t
I'm not sure if they're named after the Negative Fx song or the N.O.T.A. song, but either are great bands to be associated with. I'd say it closer resembles NFX though. This is just NJ's demo repressed on vinyl, but damn is it killer. Aggressive pissed off raw early 80's inspired hardcore punk for CA. Should have a new record coming soon.


Upstab- W/ Report
Upstab's back w/ their 2nd and last(?) record of ripping Clevo style hardcore punk. Fans of bands like Cider, the Inmates and GSMF probably already love this. The singer also used to be in H-100's, who were great. That's all I can say, that scene is a genre all to itself.


Killin It!- s/t
NJ's Killin It unleash their first record of party thrash. Musically, I'd say they have a lot in common w/ Tear It Up, What Happens Next and Life's Halt, but pull it of a lot better than a lot of crappy boring thrash bands who fail at that style. Lyrically however, they're more in tune w/ bands like Municipal Wast, and have (multiple) songs about partying and pizza. It's a little goofy, but too many bands take themselves too serious these days anyway. As a long time edgeman, I'm not one for partying, but even I can get down with this.

LPs:

V/A- Four Old Seven Inches
This is also referred to on CD as "1981: A Year in Seven Inches," but has 2 extra Minor Threat 7"s. This was recently just repressed on clear vinyl, so I figured it was time to get the vinyl version. I wasn't sure if it would be remastered, but it's not. There is a little bit different art on the insert. If you're not familiar w/ this release (and you should be), it features the CLASSIC 7"s from Teen Idles, S.O.A., Government Issue, and Youth Brigade. Without going into a history lesson, these band were all peers to Minor Threat, so if they're one of the few bands you know of that scene, there would make a perfect companion. I'd also like to add that the S.O.A. 7" is probably my favorite HC record.


Talk Is Poison- Condensed Humanity
I'm still kicking myself for not getting into this band when they toured around here, but I've since fallen in love with all of their records (and related bands). This LP compiles all of their releases (2 7"s and a split 7" w/ Deathreat). I was hoping that I was missing out on a comp song or some demo stuff, but nope. Either way, all their releases have been out of print for a while, so maybe this will get some more people to check them out. Members went on to various other bands, but Look Back and Laugh sounds most similar to the TIP sound. They just did 2 shows on the west coast, and I hear they're starting to play more shows!


Deep Wound- Discography
Fucking Deep Wound! Yes, that classic hardcore band from MA. This is a discography LP which contains their awesome 7", demo stuff and some comp tracks. Members of this band went on to be big in bands like Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, but those bands sucked. Obviously I loved that 7", but hadn't heard the other stuff until now, and it's all great. I was a little hesitant based on the import price on this, but I had some record store credit to blow. These guys were more like Siege, and weren't in with the Boston HC scene, but made some loud noise that made people take notice. The cover art's kinda weird (mine is different from the one above).


The Blinds- On Our Own
I like this a lot more than that 7" that came out recently. This is more tuned into the same Angry Samoans / Circle Jerks sound of their demo, they even re-record some of the tracks from that. I hear these guys are all around the age of 15, which makes this rule even more. They're from Sweden, and fit in with bands like Regulations and the Vicious from there. May be a little tricky to get since it was pressed on a European label, but worth the hunt.


Gouka- Program
I found this used, and all I really knew was that they're from Japan, and toured around here a year or so ago. The music reminds me a bit of Forward, but the vocals are a lot more distorted. Heavy on the D-beat, but more interesting than most crust bands.


Jay Reatard- Blood Visions
Not something I would normally check out, but the songs I heard were real catchy, so I gave it a try. It's got a cool mix of Buzzcocks styled punk mixed with garage punk and some catchy indie type rock. The production on here is real rough, which adds some rawness to these catchy pop tunes. I'm not familiar w/ his stuff in the Reatards, but I can see this straddling the lines between punk and indie rock crowds.

CDs:

Ringers- Detention Halls
This is Ringers' second release. I don't have the first one, but had heard a lot of good things about them, so I snagged this from a used bin. It's poppy, but it also has a real mid paced British punk sound to it as well. It's kinda like Dillinger 4 mixed with the Clash (minus the reggae crap). It's really catchy, and I like the singer's gritty voice. There's some hand claps, catchy sing along parts and I'm sure people into the more recent pop punk scene will be way into this.


the Shemps- Spazz Out with...
I've seen the Shemps a few times, but finally got their CD, and it's pretty cool. Despite having Artie (Millhouse/ Celebrity Murders) on vocals, they sound a lot more like a garage punk band. There's some catchy sing along parts, and some good guitar riffage. Real dirty old Rock N Roll quality to the recording too.

demos:
About To Snap (cassette)
About to Snap aren't new, but this tape is a discography which was made for their last show. It contains their new songs, an unused demo, their "Already Dead" 7", their demo 7" and a live set. Unfortunately they couldn't hold it together, because those new songs are real good. They always reminded me of bands like Voorhees and 97a who took angry early 80's HC, and put a more modern spin on it. Great band- R.I.P.

I Hate This (CDr)
I Hate This is a 3 person thrash/ power-violence band from PA/NJ. They sound real similar to Sick Fix (female singer), and are heavily influenced by bands like Infest. The recording quality is good, but the guitar needs some work to compensate for their lack of a bass player. This fits in well with the recent resurgence of bands playing in the old Slap A Ham records style.

Dead Tired (CDr)
Dead Tired is a new band from the NJ shore with a sound that seems to be a mix of Kill Your Idols with some Faction style skate rock guitar parts. There's some sorta fast parts, but then there's also some real slow parts. There's a mix of styles in there, but they don't melt well together yet. Shows potential though.

Vermefug (CDr)
This was just handed to me at a show, so I don't know much about them. The members all seriously look like Guns N Roses circa 1988, and their sound is very 80's crossover sounding. I mean hell, I grew up on shit like Anthrax and Exodus type stuff, so I'm surprisingly into this. They also have a song about the movie Street Trash, which is pretty cool in my book.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

At the Movies

I've recently caught 2 horror movies in theaters, one being Rob Zombie's interpretation of Halloween,the other being Hatchet. Halloween is pretty much showing everywhere, but Hatchet was only playing in 1 theater in the tr-state area.
While I'm not a fan of more recent horror movies, and even less a fan of remakes, I saw Halloween anyway. I had seen Devil's Rejects, and thought it was ok, so I figured Rob Zombie might do a decent job. The original Halloween movies were pretty awesome, but the last few were terrible. In this one, they try to go more in depth with the origin of Michael Myers and Dr. Loomis' relationship. In reality, they waste a good 45 minutes to establish that Michael just kills for no reason... As if I couldn't figure that out already. They show his affinity for masks, and how he obtains his trademark jumpsuit. There's plenty of blood and nudity, which all self respecting horror fans love. Zombie naturally cast his usual cast of characters to play cameos in this as well. The best casting decision was to cast Danielle Harris (Halloween 4/5) as one of Laurie's friends. The ending seemed so forced that by the end of the movie I really didn't care anymore. It seems like they added an extra half hour just for a chase scene through the house. Hopefully there won't be any sequels, which I don't think they planned since Michael and Loomis seem to be dead.
Hatchet is promoted as "old school american horror," which is basically referring to classic slasher gore. The movie follows a group of tourists who find themselves stranded in the woods of New Orleans when their boat tour crashes. The woods are inhabited by Victor Crowley, a deformed man who was thought to have died in a fire. Or maybe it's a ghost, either way the dude's huge and violent. The special effects are all makeup and no CGI (thank god), and the gore is top notch. The story kin dof falls apart, since you don't really see much of Victor aside from when he's mutilating people, and the tourists are all annoying and un-funny. This movie had a lot of potential, but could have been a lot better. If this had the support that Halloween did, maybe they would have put more development into it. Even though it was kind of disappointing, it was still way better than most recent horror movies by far.
I did see a really good horror movie recently, which was the straight to DVD movie, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. It started off as a sort of documentary of a reporter following a man in trainign to be a killer. In this reality Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Freddy Kreuger are all real people. They follow his training, finding his target and setting traps in a house. In the end, the reporter and camera crew find themselves in the main event. In a way it's similar to Scream how they talk about horror movies in a horror movie, but didn't completely suck like Scream did. This movies is a horror movie for horror fans. It's got loads of cameos, humor, gore, nudity and a damn good story. I highly recommend giving this one a spin, I found it on DVD real cheap on Amazon.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Sweet Jesus, it's...



Sunday September 16th

THE DEGENERICS (NJ hash/thrash zombies)
http://www.myspace.com/thedegenerics

SPLITTING HEADACHE (Jersey shore all-stars)
http://www.myspace.com/splittingheadache

CIVIC PROGRESS (St. Louis Hardcore- members of Cardiac Arrest/the Breaks)
http://www.freewebs.com/civicprogress

STARING PROBLEM (Jersey shore bros)
http://www.myspace.com/staringproblemnj

Killin' It! (retro early 2000 style thrash- new 7" out!)
http://www.myspace.com/killinitson


@ the Popoff
New Brunswick, NJ

$5 / 6pm

e-mail bleedingXedges(at)gmail.com
http://bleedingedges.net

Saturday, August 25, 2007

My claim to fame


Back in 2002, I won a design contest to do a t-shirt for a horror movie website. I got some free shirts, but that's about it. The site was cool enought to put my contact info on the page for the shirt. Occasionally I'll get fan mail from people who were just really into the design.


A few years ago my old band, SNAKEBiTE, played with another local band called Scream Hello. I was looking at their merch at the show, and saw a sticker with some familiar artwork. I guess they saw the shirt design online and liked it. As an artist and a punk, I've stolen tons of movie images for flyers; it's pretty flattering to have the punk scene steal my art.


When I went down to Richmond for No Way Fest a few months ago, and I ran into someone with the same art tattoo'd on their arm. I was shocked and excited that someone thought it cool enough to get permanently inked on their body.

This weekend I was at the Monster Mania convention, and saw a vendor selling that same shirt design. I guess it's cool to create something of quality that is still being produced. It would've been nice to get a cut of that, but it's just cool to have been a part of something like that.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Ramen Noodles

Being as I've been unemployed for the past few months, I've fully embraced the lifestyle. I've been going to the local library pretty regularly, and eating a lot of Ramen Noodles (8/$1.00!!!). I've taken the liberty of suggesting a new recipe, since the one on the back of the packaging is totally wrong. The most glaring problem being "serve immediately for best results."
their incorrect directions

1. Boil 2 cups of water (that's the only thing they did right). For god's sake don't add any salt to make it boil faster.

2. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the flavor packet. I recommend "oriental" or "beef." The packet should dissolve instantly.

3. Place brick of noodles in water without breaking them up. Let them sit in there and soak up the broth.

4. Once the noodles begin to soften, lower the heat, and unfold the noodles. You can see the difference in color, so make sure to stir it around.

5. Let the pot sit and cool for around 15 minutes. There should be little broth left, and the noodles should be brown colored.

I recommend putting the whole pot in a large bowl and eating it with a fork (or chop sticks if you're so inclined). Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Overdue record reviews- pt. 2: 7"s / demos

Ok, so here's the rest of the stuff I got recently. I've gotten a lot of demos lately, which is great. 7"s seem to pile up a lot quicker than anything else, and there's a lot of future classics out there. Some of there are still unreleased officially, and I was just lucky enough to snag tour pressings.

7"s:

Government Warning- Arrested
So the new Government Warning EP is finally out. They'd been playing the song "Arrested" for a little while now. It's kind of more mid paced, but just as catchy. The rest of the songs are more in the faster GW style. Government Warning are the best current band going, so obviously you're going to get this record.


Wasted Time- No Shore
If you thought the last Wasted Time record ruled, you're in for a treat; this new one is even better. Still fast and aggressive in a Poison Idea kind of way, but there's an almost Deathreat style heaviness to it all. They're really improved a ton over the past year since Brandon (Direct Control, Gov't Warning, Municipal Waste, etc) has been drumming for them. Even if you were kinda on the fence about the last EP, this is really great and should make more people take notice.


Life Trap- Bleak Reality
This came out of nowhere, the demo songs online were cool, but holy shit! These guys are all pretty young; but play faster, tighter and better than most bands twice their age. Fast songs about frustration and rage. At No Way Fest they covered Koro and Articles of Faith, and I can't think of a better comparison.



The Ergs- Blue
The Ergs/ Grabass Charlestons
The Ergs' new record assault continues. "Blue" is a song from an old demo that's finally seeing the light of day on a 7" that's got a blue cover and blue vinyl w/ a B-side being a cover of the song "Blew" by some crappy 90's alternative band. If you're a fan of the earlier Ergs stuff, the song Blue is more of the speedy pop-punk you'll love. The Grabass Charlestons I was never too keen on, but these songs sound cool I guess. The Ergs side has a few songs they've been playing live for a while. I'm glad all these Ergs songs they've had demos of for a while are finally seeing the light of day with official releases.



Socialcide- Sick of the Pressure
Socialcide- Burn in Hell, Bundy
Sick of the Pressure is a reissue of the demo, which I loved and already reviewed. If you missed out on that, I highly suggest you get this then. In the time that passed since recording the demo, Socialcide had a few lineup changes, and sound even better. The new record picks up where the demo left off, and will leave your head spinning. I don't know what's in the water in Richmond, VA; but there's a ton of awesome bands down there.



Forced March- Wasted Existence
Raiser/ Forced March
Forced March play some raging fast heavy hardcore, in a similar way to bands like the Holy Mountain, Deathreat or From Ashes Rise. Pretty fast for the crusty crowd, but there's political lyrics. The Wasted Existence EP has some cool art with one of those obi strips. The layout on both records is a little plain. Raiser is from Spain, and play a somewhat similar style, but with some more metallic guitar tone.


Fighting Dogs- s/t
Fighting Dogs were a band from Philly up until recently. They have a female/male vocal attack, with some raw crusty metal music. I was lucky enough to snag this EP at their last show, but the real pressing isn't out yet. They revisit "the Witching" from their demo, and add some more guitar parts. Bands like this always seem to be lacking on a 7" format. Their songs are pretty long and complex that I wish they had an LP worth of material. Unfortunately they are no more, but if you're into crusty Japanese influenced punk metal, check em out (RIP).


Total Abuse- Sex Pig
Remember the Snobs? Well they grew up, and are playing some awesome retro sounding hardcore punk again. They sound more like Koro and Negative FX than the Dischord worship of the Snobs. It's real fast tight noisy hardcore punk, and it's damn good.


Life Crisis- Churchstate
Ever wondered what would happen if you crossed Poison Idea with DRI and the Circle Jerks? The answer is Life Crisis. They play some fast raging California styled thrashy hardcore, it has a skate punky feel like RKL. Some smart political lyrics to boot about religion and government.


Sex/Vid- Tania
I suppose they're sorta hyped in certain circles, not around here though. Sex/Vid play some really cool low-fi hardcore punk in a similar way to bands like Career Suicide or Terminal State. It's pretty noisy and the sound quality isn't great, but most of my favorite 80's hardcore records sound like crap too. Good luck finding it, their first EP sold out in no time.


Ecoli- Rape
I saw this listed in a distro described as "for fans of Koro and Neon Christ," and that's a hell of a sales pitch. It doesn't let down either, this is some fast shit here, but doesn't tread into the crossover or power-violence genre. This seems to be a part of the ever growing younger California thrash scene. Good stuff for sure.


The Blinds- s/t
I LOVED that demo they put out a while back, so I was excited to see that they recorded again. The songs are a little more complex than the demo songs, and it's not bad. I was just expecting the same raw sound of the demo, but it's still got a fast tight Angry Samoans style sound. The cover art looks like it should be in color (mine's in black and white), and there's no insert or lyrics. I hear their LP is good, but I haven't picked that up yet.


Destroy L.A.- Vandalize
This kinda reminds me of early DRI mixed with some Nardcore, but the singer's voice kind of reminds me of Grimple a little. Pretty good thrashy stuff here.


Sick Fix- s/t
Sick Fix re-visit last year's demo, and re-recorded the whole dang thing. Since I loved the demo, I needed no convincing to pick up this. The guitar tone sounds a lot heavier, it could be from a better recording quality. It almost sounds like it's a different tuning maybe. Either way if you're into heavy power-violence type stuff with sXe lyrics, you win. Musically it reminds me of Infest and Failure Face, but the vocals are similar to Look Back and Laugh.


0DFX (Zero Defex)- War Hero (1983 demo)
For those not down w/ 0DFX, they were a hardcore band from Cleveland, OH in the 80's. I would categorize them in the same league as mid-west greats like Negative Approach, the Fix, Mecht Mensch, etc. Great to see more stuff by them becoming available. Another demo 7" is coming out shortly.


V/A- Demolition Series #1
The first of hopefully many Demolition compilations compiles 4 7"s of bands' demos (get it... DEMO-lition). Each record is limited to 200 ever, and the set is limited to 155. Obviously since the bands recorded this stuff as demos, the sound quality varies, but is surprisingly good. Rabies- Before the Disease compiles a few demos they did before the Disease-core EP. The A side is a little rough, but the B side is a lot more like the Rabies we know. Cross Laws- Can't Sleep is a 1 sided 7" with some good early 80's mid-west influenced old style hardcore punk. This record is probably my favorite in the set, and I still need to track down the new EP. Despite the sloppy cover art, the Vile Nation- s/t record is pretty raw and has a sweet NegFX cover. Chaotic Mess- Bloody Fetus in the Toilet looks and sounds like a California thrash record, like Suicidal Tendencies. Good luck finding this bad boy, it was pretty much a mail-order only type deal.


V/A- Mass Confusion
This record came with issue 3 of the Big Hurt fanzine. The zine is a great companion to this record, since it has interviews with every band on here. Most of the bands seem to be from the Chicago/ Toronto area. There's a good variety of punk and hardcore on here. My favorite song is the Terminal State one. I'm not sure if the rest are previously unreleased, but I know the 86 Mentality one was on their last record. I don't think the record and zine stand alone well, but make a great pair.

demos:

Bad Advice (CDr)
Sweet new band with some familiar faces from VA (Government Warning/ Direct Control members). This is pretty fast, but more straight up punk than hardcore sounding. This kinda reminds me of Battalion of Saints. There are some mid-paced upbeat songs, and the last song's actually kinda slow, but really good. It says inside they're going to do an EP on No Way Records, so you know you're gonna like it.

Civic Progress (tape)
Some members of Cardiac Arrest play some pretty ripping hardcore. Sound reminds me of Negative FX a lot, pretty fast early 80's Boston style HC. Pretty similar to other St. Louis, MO bands like Cardiac Arrest (obviously) and the Breaks. They have a song on her that bashes Crimethinc on here, which is pretty cool.

Guilty Faces (tape)
Some good old sounding punk with ex- Ratbyte members. This has a more mid-paced sound kinda like the Adolescents or the Faction. The singer, Tommy's voice is really raspy, which gives it an added edge. There are a lot of cool guitar leads, which is pretty cool. Kinda similar to the Bad Advice demo, someone do a split 7".

Life Crisis- Political Religious System (CD)
This is the pre-release for the new 7", which wasn't ready in time for their tour. The CD looks to be pro-printed, which is kinda cool. This is a little heavier, in a DRI sense, than their last record. It's still ripping fast, with short songs. A little lineup change, but still fits in the same style as the previous EP.

Retard Strength (tape)
I got the limited edition "Jeff DeSantis" pressing of this demo, so I don't now if this is the same thing they've been selling. I know they just recorded for a split 7" with Concrete Facelift. Despite the silly name, Retard Strength actually plays some pretty awesome hardcore punk, which reminds me of some of the bands on the "Not So Quiet on the Western Front" or Middle Class. Pretty low-fi fast hardcore punk with a spastic singer (with the best vest ever). Keep an eye out for these guys.

Zhenia Golov (CDr)
Zhenia Golov, from NJ, with members of some other local bands, but this is much better than their past efforts. The sound reminds me more of heavier crusty hardcore punk bands like Wolfbrigade with politically minded lyrics. Some good raw distorted crusty hardcore here, which very rarely pops up around these parts. The guitar sounds a little low, but I think they just recorded for a 7", so I'm sure the quality on future releases will be more evenly mixed.

Always Aware (CDr)
Some pretty generic sounding youth crew straight edge type stuff here. I think they have a member of Expired Youth, which were kinda similar. I could see people stage diving and finger pointing to this, but it's really nothing new. It reminds me of the late 90's youth crew revival, but I guess bands like that are a little more scarce these days.

Pitfall(CDr)
Despite having an S.O.A. cover and a bunch of samples, I can't say I'm too into this. While it is kinda fast, it's got some almost metal breakdowns. I'm not too into that stuff, but it kinda sounds like early Cro Mags I guess.

Plead the Fifth(CDr)
They were sending these out for free, so I suppose I can't complain too much. The recording quality is pretty good, but the packaging leaves much to be desired. I guess this would be considered more like faster modern hardcore- something like Ceremony, with fast parts and mosh parts.

Hit the Books- Read Fast, Die Young (CDr)
OK, Scholastic Deth did the whole thrashy punk about books and stuff years ago. These guys play some fast thrash punk with most songs clocking in around a minute. The playing and recording quality needs to get worked on, but I'd rather hear this than most jock metal core that's big these days.

Oh, and my band, Wormeaters has a split demo tape w/ the Kanamits out. Get in touch w/ me if you want to order one. Both bands share members and both play fast hardcore punk. The Kanamits play some early 80's California style fast hc/punk with a female singer. (For fans of Sin 34, No Thanks, I Object) Wormeaters play a more aggressive angry style of early 80's influenced hardcore with dystopian political lyrics. (For fans of Negative Approach, Mental Abuse, YDI, Agnostic Front)
http://myspace.com/kanamits
http://myspace.com/wormeaters