Punk Will Never Die for Artificial Dissemination 2

2012-01-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

PHANTOM HAND is doing a show based around propaganda posters called "Artificial Dissemination 2: Propaganda to Popaganda." For this, I chose to use an image of the detained punks in Indonesia. If you're not familiar with the story, Indonesian police raided a punk fest, and put all of the punks in a camp to convert them to Islam, after a week in the camp, a reporter was there and one of the punks exclaimed "Punk will never die!" I felt that was a good rally call for them, and this story hasn't gotten much coverage. I actually don't know if they're still in the camps or not.
The painting was done in my usual spray paint and stencil style, on a 13"x19" poster frame. I sprayed the black, then taped off the border, so that the square in the center would be crisp. Unfortunately since I had to spray the white letters like 5 times, there was some overspray. I then re-assembled the frame, so it looks more like a framed poster, but is indeed an original.

Artificial Dissemination 2: Propaganda to Popaganda Opening Reception
604 South Street, Philadelphia, PA
Friday, January 27, 2012
6:00pm until 12:00am

Mummy Boy for Super7's Mummy Mania contest

2012-01-10T21:40:00.002-05:00

Super7 is having a contest to paint their mascot, Mummy Boy, called Mummy Mania! To coincide with this, they released a large and pocket sized unpainted flesh tone toys for people to buy and paint. The winner in each category will be produced, which is a pretty rad prize.
I wanted to keep the paint somewhat simple, using a style similar to what they've done before, but using spray paint and a paint marker. I went with a somewhat realistic mummy color scheme, and followed the detail lines with a paint marker. Usually when I do this style of toy, I like to use a clear base and paint the inside, so I was a little worried about going too thick on the paint. Also, my paint marker died early on, so I had to do some improvising. He will be exhibited and for sale at the Mummy Mania! Customs from the Crypt Show on Saturday, January 28th, 2012, at the Super7 Store (1427 Haight Street, San Francisco, CA 94117). Doors open at 6PM Pacific.

UPDATE:
Featured on Super7's blog
On sale (via Super7) HERE

Best of 2011

2011-12-08T14:43:00.009-05:00

Best 7"s of 2011

1. Waste Management- Power Abuse (Painkiller Records)
2. Cülo- Toxic Vision (Deranged Records)
3. Stripmines- Sympathy Rations (Sorry State Records)
4. Death Evocation- s/t (Quality Control Records)
5. School Jerks- Control (Cowabunga Records)
Ok, so the Waste Management EP came out as a tape last year, but it was awesome to get these songs for real. Seriously, if there's not a pack of angry dogs singing backup on "power Abuse, I'd call you a liar. Fuckin-A, Culo's 3rd 7" is by far their best. Excellent balance of hyper fast and mid-paced punk. Fuck, it was a real hard choice between 1 and 2. Stripmines are a band that don't get enough credit. I was lucky enough to catch them twice, and they're even better live. Death Evocation is some sort of mysterious side project, but they play 80's sounding heavy metal just the way I like it. School Jerks also dropped their 3rd record this year, hopefully they do an LP next year; it will be a top contender for the best of 2012.

Best LPs of 2011

1. Omegas- Blasts of Lunacy (Parts Unknown)
2. Night Birds- The Other Side of Darkness (Grave Mistake Records)
3. Void- Sessions 1981-1983 (Dischord Records)
4. Vacant State- Fill the Void (Deranged Records)
5. Razor X Fade- s/t (Not Normal Records)
Omegas channeled the sound of their demo, and released a killer LP. Night Birds had a handful of 7"s, but knocked it out of the park with this LP. The Void stuff was mostly not formally released, so I'll count it as new. Sue me. Vacant State is Canada's best kept secret, people need to stop sleeping on this band. Razor X Fade had a hell of a follow up to their demo, then unfortunately seemed to call it quits immediately afterward.

Best demos of 2011

1. Birth Deformities
2. Beware
3. Stab
4. Sick Charade
5. Black and Blue
Ok, so maybe I'm a little biased on the Birth Deformities demo, since I re-released it. But you know what? I put my money where my mouth is, because it's fucking incredible. Beware will be a band to watch next year, my favorite band in PA now. Stab I think will have a 7" soon, and hopefully it's just as raw and crazy. Sick Charade is a new band from Canada with the singer of Reprobates. Just got it, so I haven't reviewed it yet. Black and Blue did a cool demo of Wasted Time sounding HC, hopefully an EP this year?

Reissues:
Citizens Arrest- A Light In the Darkness: One of the best NYHC records ever. This gets reissued on colored vinyl with 2 extra songs (from comps). This was reissued in a few different LPs over the years, but this is the first on a 7".

Ripcord- The Damage is Done: The first Ripcord record I heard, so I always regard it highly. While it's more raw than their later records, it's still great. This originally came out as a flexi, so this is it's first shot at real vinyl.

Authorites- Puppy Love + Soundtrack for Trouble: Another one of my favorite underrated 80's punk bands. No excuse to not check them out now. I recommend Puppy Love since it has the Soundtrack for Trouble songs anyway. Perfect 80's California punk.

Cock Sparrer: Classic UK punk band gets the proper thick colored vinyl reissue treatment. I've seen past reissues and bootlegs, but they looked like crap. I always loved the Shock Troops LP, so many hits on there. Never listened to any of their other records, but they also got reissued.

No Comment-Common Senseless + Downsided: These powerviolence masterpieces are back in their original vinyl form. I hated that mishmashed discography LP from the 90's, so this is a way better way to appreciate one of the greats. Downsided is my favorite, but you need both.

Anticipated Releases in 2012:
Boston Strangler LP- They released a 3 song promo tape this year, but the LP should be out very soon. In fact, it leaked to the net recently and is incredible. Seriously, I listened to it all day on repeat.

No Tolerance- "No Remorse, No Tolerance"- A limited version of their 7" came out at the Youngblood Showcase, but sold out before I got there. Streaming HERE, it's fucking ridiculous. I will make this the #1 7" of the year if it comes in at the buzzer before the year's end.

GISM reissues- I heard from a very reliable source that all the GISM records were remastered and being re-released this year. You heard it here first kids...

LPs: Rival Mob, Stripmines, Culo, Birth Deformities. Most of these are recorded already, so hopefully we'll see something before spring.

Discharge singles- Havoc is currently offering a package of all 5 right now. How cool i that? Plus they'll be releasing an LP with all 5 singles later this year.

Life's Blood discography- Still waiting on that Prank...

United Mutation and Mecht Mensch discographies- Coming out on More Than a Witness (the same label that did the CIA discography), both with unreleased songs!

Altered Boys demo- New band from NJ that kicks ass. If you dig the Shark Attack and Knife fight style of Boston influenced HC, you'll love it. Best demo from an NJ band in a long time.

Predictions for 2012:
More bands influenced by 80's NYHC/ early REV bands- Seems like I've seen a lot more youth crew/NYHC covers lately. I love that shit, so no complaints here.

Grunge is cool?- Bands with members who were in hardcore bands, but sound more like Soundgarden. Saw Give and Devotion a this year, and thought I was listening to my walkman in 1992. Not into it. Probably going to be more bands with long hair and wah wah pedals in 2012.

Boston & Chicago- I seriously feel like 90% of the good new bands I've heard are from either of these places, and I'm sure there will be some new as well as established bands releasing some killer shit this year.

Guest vocals- Seems like a lot of bands have been having guest vocal parts in songs. I'm way into it, scene unity and all that shit. Way cooler than just having the guitar player yell in one song, call up your buddy.

Pointless reunions- Without a doubt there will be band reunions that will make you scratch your head. Please for the love of god leave the fedora hat at home this time.

UPDATE 12/29:
I decided to upload a mixtape of sorts, which has a song from each release, plus 3 bonus tracks of releases that will be out in early 2012 that I really like. Download it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?bexw38518px75qe

Record Reviews (late summer/ fall 2011)

2011-11-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

So late summer was a little slow in terms of record buying, at least new records. Did score a handful of great old records at Double Decker and Celebrated Summer Records. Went to a handful of shows, (including This Is Hardcore and Tsunami Fest) but didn't have enough new records for a sizeable post until now. Also I've been busy releasing/ distributing the Birth Deformites tape, which is almost gone. The next reviews post may be the Best of 2011 post, so get stoked.

7":

Alert- Find Your Way (Six Feet Under Records)
Alert is a band from MA, who did a pretty cool demo a few years back. Their sound is very west coast straight edge hardcore sounding. The vocals are more sung than yelled, giving it a very Uniform Choice sound. The recording is very clean, as well as the layout. Not many bands are playing this approach, so it's pretty cool, but I think it could definitely be pushed further into Ignite territory. Pretty good record, definitely check it out if you're into other modern edge bands. Includes a digital download.

Picked Clean- s/t EP (Six Feet Under Records)
I had seen Picked Clean years ago, and they were ok, then about a year ago they broke up and released a final demo, which was better. I guess they got back together shortly after that, because this record just came out. Musically I get an early 2000's vibe like Knife Fight, but there are some mosh parts thrown in as well. The sound kind of bridges the gap between Tear it Up and Mental, if that makes sense. I absolutely hate the artwork though. Pretty boring front cover with the band name and some pixelated tears. The back cover is just one of those square that you're supposed to scan with a smart phone, no song titles or label info. I don't have that app, so I have no idea what it does. The inside is just a bunch of lyrics, again no song titles. The labels are blank except for a SFU stamp, so basically the songs have no names unless you download the mp3s or scan the little phone code (I guess). The music is ok, but the layout isn't exactly winning me over. Includes a digital download.

Kicked In- In Session (Thick Skin Records)
Remember when that Lockin Out shit was huge like 6 or 7 years ago? Kicked In does! They sound more like Stop And Think and Mental, who were some of the better bands on that label. Their lyrics are a lot better, which is where I think a lot of those Loc bands fell flat (Rampage/ Crunch Time). If you like shit like Outburst with plenty of mosh parts, give this a spin. If they were from Boston, they'd already be huge. I kind of wish "Crampin' My Style" from the 3 song promo was on here, that song rules.

Stick Together- No More Games (Back To Back Records)
Stick Together is a band that's gotten some hype recently,but that fype of thing usually makes me not want to.xheck our a band. I however got to see ST a few times over the summer, and they're all the real deal. They play a style of straight edge hardcore like Floorpunch or Fastbreak (when they were good obviously). When I saw them, the singer actually had some good things to say between songs, and they played real tight. Their theme song is definitely the live hit, and get the kids finger pointing and moshing. I know they recently recorded a new 7", and they played a lot of those songs live. I expect that one to be even better.

Cider- 3rd Reichord (SPHC Records)
So Cider's been a band for about 20 years, but only released 3 records. Containing members of the Inmates and Darvocets, they fit with those type of Cleveland bands. Cider's thing in the past has been singing in fake British accents, and writing kind of dumbed down punk songs. On this record, they drop the fake accents, but recorded the whole thing live with just drums, guitars and vocals. Boasting no overdubs, but it sounds thin and shitty. I kind of wish they did the redneck album like they promised, but this is kind of a step down from their last record.

Crowd Control- s/t (Disposable Culture Records)
I knew nothing about Crowd Control other than that they're from the UK. I saw the tracklist included covers of my favorite songs by Bastard and Citizens Arrset. SOLD! The music reminds me of Ringworm, in that it's heavy but fast. Not my favorite genre, but good. The covers are pretty decent too, but obviously the originals still slay. Not bad, heard they broke up though.

Death Evocation- s/t (Quality Control Records)
So remember when Metallica wasn't a joke? When metal bands played metal, and weren't rapping or had dreadlocks. Death Evocation does, and they play faithful real ass 80's style heavy metal. Very similar to Sacrilege, since they also have a female singer. But very metal punk, like early Slayer. This band is a collaboration between people from Boston and the UK, so you'll probably never see them live, but do whatever you can to get this record. If I were a betting man, I'd say that DFJ plays drums, since he seems to play in every band from Boston. Though there's only 3 songs on there, they have a lot of substance, and changes to keep you flipping the record for hours. "Bang the head that doesn't bang!"

Boilerman- Yield The Ghost (Cowabunga Records)
This is Boilerman's 2nd 7", and despite a recent member change, it sounds pretty similar. I always got a Dillinger Four vibe from these guys, mixed with a more modern No Idea/ The Fest quality. Odd that this is on Cowabunga, and is nowhere near the early 80'strain hc/powerviolence styles that the label normally does. I like that though, because I think a lot of people will pick this up, who normally wouldn't. A very good record, hopefully you caught them on their recent US tour.
*Though it's not available yet, it should be in the CBR store by the end of the year. I got mine from the band.

Noose- The War of All Against All (React! Records)
So this record isn't out yet, but my dogg Joey Noose hooked me up with the React Showcase version of this, which was the test pressing. I liked their demo, but was a little worried that the new 7"on would be real clean sounding. No worries, everything is real distorted, even the vocals. The song writing has evolved, yet still keeping that Confront/ Brotherhood vibe, all while being the most militant XVX band this side of the 90's. Great follow up to an awesome demo.
*These will hopefully be out for real in a month or so, but you can pre-order it now.

Crisis Of Conformity- Fist Fight (Drag City Records)
So if you love the internet like I do, or for some reason still watch SNL, you may be familiar with the sketch of the punk band playing the wedding. If not, WATCH IT HERE. Someone had the genius idea to have them make an actual recording of the song, and put it on a record with another song. Unfortunately the recording doesn't sound as raw and chaotic as the live performance. I kind of wish there were the group vocals and a more raw recording quality. I'm not sure what the lineup is for this record, but Fred Armisen is definitely still singing. The b-side song is ok, nothing special. I like how the layout looks very much like an early 80's hardcore punk record. I do like novelty records, so this is up my alley even if it isn't great.

12":

Weekend Nachos- Worthless (Deep Six Records)
I think by now if you haven't gotten past Weekend Nachos' goofy name, they you're just blowing it. Over the past couple of years, they've evolved into a minute solid power violence band with elements of grind and sludge. I think a lot of people (me included) were a little weary after the Bleed EP, but this is more a follow up to the Unforgivable LP's sound. WN can combine fast and brutal like few others can. I'd love to know who the song "Jock Powerviolence" is about.

Void- Sessions 1981-1983 (Dischord Records)
You know who Void is right? Obviously. So Dischord has been re-pressing a lot of their old releases with colored vinyl, download codes and some with updated cover art. They've also been kind of re-seizing records that only existed as bootlegs. This LP combines songs that were on the Condensed Flesh 7", Hit and Run demos and a live bootleg. There's some unheard extras too. I always thought the Hit and Run demos were awesome, compared to the Condensed Flesh stuff. Probably more for the die-hards, since some of these songs are repeated and others appear on the Faith split. I wish the cover art was more interesting, but seeing all of those of pictures inside in color is really cool. Definitely a worthy pickup. Includes a digital download.

Vacant State- Fill the Void (Deranged Records)
Imagine an alternate reality where instead of Henry Rollins, Black Flag tapped Choke to sing on My War. That's where Vacant State is coming from. I loved their 2 7"s, so naturally I was stoked to see what they'd do on an LP. They always balanced fast, mid paced and slower hardcore songs, while still sounding fierce. I was a little skeptical when the first song, "Dying World" started out real slow. Luckily it's just about a minute long, and they kick into high gear. I think a lot of people compare these guys to Cardiac Arrest (which is not a bad thing), though I think by varying their pace, it stays a lot more interesting. Definitely an awesome LP. Includes a digital download.

Teargas- The Way Of All Flesh (Hardcore Victim Records)
I loved the Teargas 7", it reminded me of Death Side, so I was stoked to check out the LP. Unfortunately it doesn't nearly live up to their previous efforts. The LP is ok, but there's definitely a lot more melodic crust and less "Jap-core" thrash. I was hoping to see these guys over the summer, but both area shows were with Tragedy (yuck). At least the cover art is really cool.

Rational Animals- Bock Rock Parade (Katorga Works)
Rational Animals are a weird band, look at the cover of the record...goats. Their name isn't even on the front cover. They play a style of hardcore similar to the un-popular era of Black Flag/B'Last...weird. Their 2 7"s prior to this were definite sleeper hits, and they're always tight as hell live. That being said, they kind of step into an even weirder territory on this LP. Fusing more stoner rock influences along with their previous stoner punk influences. It's good, but some of the songs get on the longer side, and lose the interest of this elder edgeman.

Authorites- Puppy Love (Get Hip Records)
Puppy Love is a reissue of an unreleased LP, plus their classic 7" songs. The Authorities were an early 80's punk band, similar to fast more punk CA bands like Angry Samoans. I always liked this collection, and am glad to finally be able to get it on vinyl. Mine didn't come with an insert, which is real disappointing, as I feel like something like this warrants lyrics and some sort of bio of the band. Since this is a reissue of their discography made in the early 2000's, it would maybe have been nice to include a more complete discography with those "Burbon Decay" songs and a demo or something. Great record regardless, pretty essential.

Dark Ages- Can America Survive? (Sorry State Records)
Dark Ages' demo and 7"on were great, so I was real stoked to hear this LP. I was a little skeptical since there was kind of a big gap between records, and a lineup change. Musically, it's similar in that it's some fast early 80's mid-west sounding HC/ punk. Drawing influences equally from Die Kreuzen as early Replacements. I feel like their demo and 7" were better, though this is pretty good too. They seem to favor a lot heavier on the slow/ mid-paced parts here. The artwork is kind of boring, despite the gigantic poster inside. The art on their previous records had business man monkeys and crazy priests, so this was kind of disappointing. Includes a digital download.

Night Birds- The Other Side of Darkness (Grave Mistake Records)
Night Birds is one of the few local bands I actually like. I wasn't really into their demo, but their 7"s had some real good songs, but this LP really knocks it out of the park. I was somewhat expecting it to have some of the more slow to mid-paced songs on their previous releases, but this LP is all fast. A lot of their lyrics are based on horror movies, similar to Angry Samoans. Musically it continues the kinda Agent Orange surfy punk vibe, but there's definitely some Dead Kennedys sound creeping in there too. This LP is great, definitely a must have for 2011.
Fun fact: the photo on the front cover was taken at the Forum Theater in beautiful downtown Metuchen, NJ. Includes a digital download.

Weekend Nachos- Two Things at Once (Cowabunga Records)
As the cover may suggest, you're getting 2 record re-pressed onto one record. First up is their first 7", Torture. Sounding good years later, and you don't have to flip sides in the middle. The lyrics were a little juvenile, but the music is on point with the Weekend Nachos sound of power violence. The B-side is the Bleed 2 song LP. I skipped this one when it came out, since a 2 song LP holds no appeal to me. The songs are way sludgy. WN always had some doom parts in songs, but 2 slow doom songs aren't my cup of tea, though the 18 songs on the A side more than make up for it. It's also kind of a neat juxtaposition to get WN's 1st and 4th records. The layout is pretty straight forward, in tribute to those "valu-pack" CDs which has 2 LPs on on CD (particularly, the Descendents one).

Timebombs- I Belong in Hell (Cowabunga Records)
One the last Timebombs record I got they were going for the more No Way Records/ early 80's sound. However when I saw them 2 summers ago, I noticed a more evolved sound. On this record they're channeling the same paths as Cult Ritual and Total Abuse. I think they avoid some of the more artsy/ indie rock trappings of those bands though. So basically it's a fast feedback drenched hardcore record. It may throw off fans of their earlier records, but this sound works a lot better for them. The version I have has a different cover than the one above, but I like mine a lot better.

demos/tapes:
Boston Strangler- 3 song promo (tape)
I was lucky enough to catch Boston Strangler in NYC a few weeks ago, and picked up this tape. I loved their demo, so naturally I was real stoked to check this out. As the named might suggest, it is a 3 song promo tape for their upcoming LP. It kicks off with "Primative" which has an intro that builds up kind of like "Get It Away" and is catchy as fuck. I feel like the new stuff is channeling a bit of a Slapshot influence, which fits in their all Boston HC influences. This LP is going to destroy, hopefully it comes out before the end of the year.

Brain Slug (pro-tape)
Brain Slug is a new band from NYC, that actually takes influence from NYHC (not shitty artsy mysterious shit or boring crust). The vocals are real harsh, sort of like a Citizens Arrest or United Mutation quality. Musically there are some fast and slow parts. When they play fast, I get a total YDI vibe, which rules. When I saw them they played a bunch of new songs, which were awesome. Stoked to get their new 7".

Living Laser- Ragged Glory (Trip Machine Labs) (pro-tape)
Living Laser is a new band from NY. Their sound is somewhat melodic, mainly due to the vocals. It has a Kid Dynamite mixed with early AFI vibe, in the best possible way. Melodic, but definitely not pop-punk. The slick cover art that's heavy on the yellow reminds me of the Bad Brains ROIR tape, which is definitely not a bad thing. Pretty cool. Includes a digital download.

V/A- Youngblood Records 2011 (Youngblood Records) (pro-tape)
At TIH Fest, Youngblood had this sampler tape of their upcoming releases. It wound up being the only piece of music I bought at the fest, mainly for the No Tolerance song. No Tolerance kicks it off by being the best current sXe band, with another raw fast hard moshy number from the new 7". Face Reality play some pretty good youth crew, similar to early Turning Point. Give I don't get. I feel like a lot of people I know like them, but they just sound like a 90's grunge band to me. Police and Thieves I didn't realize were still together, but they bring a new song off their LP that's very Dag Nasty/Swiz sounding. Sacred Love sounds like bad era Bad Brains. Mob Mentality kinda have a scrappy NYHC quality, but not terribly tight. I'm definitely ordering the No Tolerance 7" as soon as it'll be available, and will probably pick up the Face Reality 7" as well when I do. I like that in 2011 this was a cassette promo, and not a free download on some site.

[BE-03] Birth Deformities demo repress out now!

2011-10-31T21:52:00.001-04:00

Birth Deformities is a new band from Chicago, consisting of members of Culo with Nick (Cowabunga Records CEO) on vocals. Taking influence from early 80's NY/NJ bands, similar to the approach of Omegas and Culo (obviously). This is probably one of my favorite demos of 2011, and I'm stoked to get to re-press these. Fans of cult hardcore shit like Chronic Sick and Fatal Rage will dig it, uptight PC idiots will hate it.

Limited to 100 copies with re-designed cover art on pro duplicated cassettes with screened shells. (7 songs)
Preview the first track here:
http://bleedingedges.bigcartel.com
**I also threw up a package deal with the remaining Phibes tapes

ALSO AVAILABLE FROM: Cowabunga, Sorry State, Grave Mistake, Vinyl Conflict/ No Way, Deranged, Trip Machine Labs, Video Disease

Record Scores: Cro Mags- Age of Quarrel

2011-10-26T22:42:00.000-04:00

So a lot of people will tell stories of finding pretty decent records in thrift store, but I don't think you'll find a better thrift store hardcore story than this. So when I was unemployed, I made it a point to go the Goodwill in town every Monday. They would have put out all of the good stuff from the weekend, and everything was 25% off. A lot of days I turned up with nothing, but one day as I'm walking out I see what looks to be a somewhat punk layout. It turns out to be Anti-Nowhere League's "we Are The League" LP. Cool, so I keep digging, hoping for a deposit of punk records. I find some mediocre 80's metal, a Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) solo record, an old Posh Boy Records comp I'd never heard of and The Adolescents' laughably bad "Balboa Fun Zone" LP. Then I come across the holy grail, a copy of the Cro-Mags' "Age of Quarrel" LP! This record had been out of print until recently, and was an early pressing with the CENSORED sleeve art. Unfortunately the corner was cut off, which indicated that it was a promo copy originally. Still it was in amazing condition. I went to the register and asked how much the records were, and the cashier said $1, though with the sale- 75 cents each. I quickly went back and grabbed the Posh Boy comp, the Adolescents and Anti-Nowhere League LPs as well. So there it is, the story of how I got a copy of "Age of Quarrel" for 75 cents.

Incredible Hulkster for Comix Gone Rogue

2011-10-10T13:22:00.004-04:00

COMIX GONE ROGUE is a project organized by my buddy Edwin Vazquez where artists not associated with the comics do art on the covers of blanks. I got the Incredible Hulk, and I immediately thought of doing him in a classic Hulk Hogan pose. I was a little worried with the detail in the face getting lost, but I think the over-spray almost doubles as shading. Check out the other pieces on the blog too, it'll make for a sick show one day.

Custom Rumble Monsters toy

2011-10-05T10:29:00.004-04:00

I scored a Rumble Monsters Damnedron toy on eBay cheap recently. I decided to do it in a somewhat Hedorah style, giving him a kinda sludge/oil slick look. I painted the inside with black, which through the milky clear vinyl looks dark gray. Then masked out the detail for the eyes and teeth, and painted the mouth with a paint marker. For the body, I sprayed kaiju style whisps of yellow, and masked off my trademark X's and a biohazard symbol. After that I did a rub of light green to give it a kind of grosser look.

More pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bleedingedges

Classic Comps vol. 4- The Master Tape

2011-10-05T09:25:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I did one of these comp reviews, and this is a good one to come back with. The Master Tape was compiled by a member of the Zero Boys, and sadly does not get the credit it's due, most likely because it's been out of print for like 25+ years (time for a reissue?). If anyone knows anything about the bands I didn't know as much about, please feel free to school me in the comments. I found a download of the comp HERE, but if anyone wants to sell/trade me a copy of the vinyl, get in touch.

1. Toxic Reasons - Mercenary
2. Toxic Reasons - Drunk and Disorderly
Toxic Reasons starts things off awesome with "Mercenary." Their sound was definitely similar to other USHC bands, but heavily influenced by the UK bands of the same time. "Drunk and Disorderly" is a total oi-influnced barroom anthem. Definitely track down their LP called Independence, which got reissued a few years back on Beer City. The sound on the LP is somewhat clean, but these songs are raw and dirty.

3. Slammies - Frustrated
4. Slammies - P.U.S.
5. Slammies - Manager Breakdown
Slammies are a band I know absolutely nothing about, however I do know that these 3 songs are really really good. They have an almost light-hearted Adrenalin O.D./ Detention vibe, where there is a bit of melody, but at the same time some force behind it. "Manager Breakdown" is a perfect song to listen to on the way to a job you hate. Definitely some catchy shit here.

6. Battered Youth - New Patriot
7. Battered Youth - We'll Love You When You're Dead
Battered Youth is another mystery to me, name rules because I hate children. The vocals have a kind of raw screaming quality to them, but the music is sort of mid paced. "..When You're Dead" has the better hook for sure, but the songs have a kind of monotone quality, though there's some potential if they had other stuff recorded.

8. The Delinquents - Bible School
9. The Delinquents - Systems Pressure
Another band I don't know, though "Bible School" is easily one of my favorite songs on this comp. It's really really good. Seriously, the chorus is so damn catchy. Almost has a California punk quality, like Battalion of Saints maybe. Their other song is also real good too, I need to hear more of this stuff.

10. Zero Boys - High Places
11. Zero Boys - Human Body
12. Zero Boys - Mom's Wallet
Hopefully you're familiar with the Zero Boys by now, if not their Vicious Circle and Livin In the 80's records are mandatory pick ups. They were from the mid west, but had the melody and punch of a band from California. These songs are of the caliber of the Vicious Circle LP, and are even tacked on as bonus tracks on some pressings of it. "Mom's Wallet" is probably the best of the bunch, but an overall strong showing. These are definitely noway comp tracks.

13. Articles of Faith - Buried Alive
14. Articles of Faith - False Security
Articles of Faith is another band I hope you're familiar with. If not, Alternative Tentacles released a 2 CD discography a few years back. These songs are more along the lines of their earlier/ faster material, unlike their more slowed down DC influenced sound later down the road. "Buried Alive" is my favorite of the 2.

15. The Repellents - Think for Yourself
16. The Repellents - Livin' Like an Animal
Never heard of the Repellents, but the songs to me aren't very memorable. "Livin Like an Animal" is a bit more intense, but still falls flat compared to the other bands.

17. Learned Helplessness - Vegis
This is a kind of weird one, a female fronted band singing a pro-vegetarian song. It kind of reminds me of the Putrid Girls from the We Got Power: Party Or Go Home comp, though much better. Not too great, but at least it's got a catchy hook.

18. The FU's - CETA Suckers
19. The FU's - Death Wish
FU's was a killer band from Boston, notably on the Unsafe At Any Speed and This Is Boston, Not LA comps as well as their own classic LPs- Kill For Christ and My America. These songs seem to be early ones, like from around the time of the comps (which "CETA Suckers also appears). The FU's are definitely a band you need to check out for sure, killer tracks.

20. The Pattern - Unnatural Silence
21. The Pattern - Michelob
The Pattern is another that I don't know; their songs are mid-paced and the vocals are pretty forcedful. "Unnatural Silence" has a real weird chorus, I can't describe it, but I kinda like it. "Michelob" is definitely a throw away track that's like 5 seconds long.

22. Die Kreuzen - On the Street
23. Die Kreuzen - All White
24. Die Kreuzen - Fighting
Die Kreuzen was an awesome band from Wisconsin, their Cows and Beer 7" and s/t LP are both amazing, and both recently reissued. These songs all appear on their LP, though these were earlier recordings, and sound different. Their sound is a sort of balance between fast and disjointed, maybe similar to Void, but all their own. These versions lack some intensity, but are still killer for sure. "All White" would have made a cool droning closing track for the comp, just sayin'...

Rodney Dangerfield for Iconoclastic Dead

2011-09-13T21:06:00.006-04:00

I did this stencil painting of Rodney Dangerfield for The Autumn Society's Iconoclastic Dead art show. The idea for the show is to do a portrait of a hero of yours in a Dia De Los Muertos style, so I titled this one "Sin Respeto," ("No Respect" in Spanish). This piece is a 4 stencil spray paint on 8" x 10" canvas board, with a painted frame.

The show will run from October 1st at 6:00pm - October 31st at:
Gurú Tienda Galería
Colima 143, LA ROMA
Mexico City, Mexico

Record Scores: Youth of Today- Can't Close My Eyes LP

2011-08-12T08:23:00.009-04:00

In honor of getting to see Youth of Today tonight at This Is Hardcore Fest, I thought I'd post this. This was the first "rare" record I ever got. I remember it being around 1998, when Rev had done the reissues of their 3 LPs with the newer covers. The new cover for CCME was the worst. I found this in Curmudgeon Records in NJ for about $20, maybe less. The original pressing of this was a 7", this is the 2nd pressing on an LP, which was on Schism and Caroline. This is the first pressing of the LP which is determined by the white labels and insert (which mine unfortunately didn't come with). I remember back then thinking it was so cool to own something on Schism. This of course was the days before eBay, now all you needed was persistence and a high credit card balance to snag old records. I love this record, it's just fast and angry. Their other stuff is good, but this is my favorite.
I always thought this cover ruled. I'm pretty sure it's the same photo from the 7" version, just un-cropped. In doing that though, you can see the buggy eyed kid, and the sweet graffiti. Don't know why they never covered that up, but it clearly says "Meat Rules" and "Fuck with HIV Seeeeee!" Ridiculous.

Custom Tripus toy

2011-07-26T10:51:00.001-04:00

I had gotten this clear Tripus by Max Toy Co. a while ago, and kind of stared at it, not wanting to ruin it until I had the right idea. It's about 9" tall, and has 7 parts. I based the colors off the Kraken from the old Clash of the Titans movie. After taking it apart, I noticed that the face tentacles were glued on, and not a part of the head. I had to cut a hole, and use a straw to paint the inside. Once I painted the inside green, I made masks out of tape on the chest and legs for the gold spray paint. I was a little worried, since the vinyl is a little different than what I'm used to, but the paint stayed perfectly. For the arms and top of the legs I went a little more free form, and did a more Kaiju style spray. For the face, I used a gold paint marker for the horns and eyes. Once painted, I went over it all with a black rub technique. This really brought out a lot of hiding detail, especially in the scales. I couldn't be happier with how this came out.
More pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bleedingedges/sets/72157627161316251

Record/Zine Reviews (early summer 2011)

2011-07-20T18:40:00.006-04:00

The bulk of this batch or reviews post is going to be zines, since I picked up a bunch recently. In today's instant gratification culture, it's real good that people are still making zines. Also, you may notice that I changed the format of my reviews slightly. I want people to go out and buy the good releases for sure, and support new bands releasing demos. After being basically called an elitist on a local message board for wanting to wait until I got a record in the mail before passing judgment on some mp3s, I feel like actually buying releases is more important. Downloading is convenient, but it devalues the efforts of the bands you claim to like. Before publishing this, I came across a (self-proclaimed) hardcore blog where the write said "I'm not a fan of the physical format." Fuck off asshole, I actually own all of the things I review. If this is the future of the HC scene, what's the point of even dropping out? What will you do, delete your hard drive?

7":

Waste Management- Power Abuse (Painkiller Records)
So these songs came out last year on a cassette, which also had a live set. These new songs were too good to fade into obscurity. If you have ears, you no doubt loved their first record, which blended SSD with early AF. The new record has that, but adds some Discharge elements. "Too Much Unity" is about keeping hardcore for the weirdos, which I can definitely support. The cover art is a crazy full color illustration that reminds me of Agnostic Front's Cause for Alarm LP. If you only get one record this month, it should be this. Includes a digital download.

Ripcord- The Damage is Done (Boss Tuneage Records)
So to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ripcord's first 7", the fine folks at Boss Tuneage were cool enough to re-press this record. The original was on a flexi, so even if you found an original, it probably is in some rough shape. The re-press is on a nice thick piece of vinyl, so it will last another 25 years. This is Ripcord at their most raw. Their sound was heavily influenced by the early 80's USHC, though filtered through Discharge's raw intensity and anger. Some of these songs were re-recorded later, but I prefer these versions better. The version of "Furder" is by far superior w/o the opening mosh part being ruined by a sample. 3/4 of Ripcord now play in Violent Arrest, who are also awesome.

Night Fever- Transparent (No Way Records)
I LOVED Night Fever's New Blood LP, so not only was I psyched to get this new 7", but I get to see/play with them twice on their US tour. In the past, I described them as Youth of Today mixed with Guns N Roses. This new 7" has 3 songs, which display a bit more Thin Lizzy style rock n roll vibe, though the lyrics are still hateful and vocals still ridiculous. Hopefully you caught them on their US tour, pick up this record for sure, and get the reissue of New Blood if you don't have it already.

No Statik- Clarified, Distilled, Recomposed b/w We All Die In The End (Iron Lung Records)
Picked this up based on the ex-members of What Happens Next? and Look Back and Laugh, expecting it to be pretty good. Unfortunately this 2 song single is insanely boring. The A-side is an ok song, but pales in comparison to LBAL. The B-side is some boring instrumental that turns into some techno crap. I don't know if their LP on Prank is any better, and frankly I don't want to find out.

Criaturas- Aranas En El Corazon (Lengua Armada Records)
Cariaturas is a band from TX, who are female fronted and sing in Spanish. I believe there's some Deskonocidos members involved in this. The music is a melodic early 80's punk, sort of like a Spnish version of the Comes. The vocals are screamed, while the music is a reverb drenched D-beat. Not too bad, into it.

Poison x Planet- Bleed For Me (Third Party Records)
Here's a record I'm sure was fun to make. For Poison Planet's recent European tour, they decided to release a 7" consisting of 2 Dead Kennedys covers that they recorded with their last 2 EPs. Unfortunately for us, the lyrics of both of those songs still hold true today as much as they did in the 80's The government is still underhanded, and nazi punks still need to fuck off. Nick sings in his own way, and doesn't try to emulate Jello's signature style. The lyrics are printed inside along with how they relate to us almost 30 years later. If you like Poison planet and Dead Kennedys, then this is a fun release. If not, then you're fuckin' up. I would have like the see a PxP take on the old DK logo for that B-side label though.

Remission -Winds of Promise (React! Records)
Reission is a band from Chile, a country not generally known for their hardcore output. Not really knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised. Their sound reminds me of the mid-80's DC sound like Dag Nasty and Swiz, however not treading into pop-punk or boring indie rock. The songs have a lot of punch to them. Coincidentally, they have a split with Police and Thieves that just came out, and I feel like both bands play a similar style. This 3 song 7" definitely left me wanting more. Includes a digital download.

Street Sweeper- s/t (Shoe City Records)
Street Sweeper is a new band from MA who plays a style of HC more like bands from NY. I get a Leeway or Killing Time vibe from this. The music is mid-paced and heavy, however straying from metal guitar tone in favor of heavy riffing. While not my favorite style, this is actually done very well. My only peeve is that the songs don't flow into each other, it seems like the feedback could have easily been blended between songs without a break. That may just be something I notice, but an overall impressive debut.

Villain- Trouble At Home (Shoe City Records)
Villain is another band from MA, who also play a harder style of HC, similar to bands like Think I Care and Tarpit. They balance the slower mosh parts with the faster HC/punk parts. I kind of wish there were more fast parts, as I think they're more interesting. I could see someone into the Ceremony style being into this. Includes a digital download.

12":

Soul Swallower- Devoured (Painkiller Records)
Soul Swallower was a side project that released a 7" back in like 2005, that sort of flew under the radar when it was released. Though it was good, Mind Eraser related bands have a lot more interest nowadays. Musically, the LP is a bit more dark, taking cues from Taste of Fear, and mixing black metal elements with fast hardcore. There's a good balance of fast and heavy parts here. Would have been nice to have a lyric sheet, but it's pretty decent. Includes a digital download.

Poison Planet- Ugly Truths Vol. 1 (Carry the Weight Records)
Another Poison Planet record to coincide with their European tour. This LP compiles their first and second 7"s, along with 2 covers and some new songs. Since I've already reviewed their 7"s, I'll keep it brief. Poison Planet is a politically conscious vegan straight edge band, who plays hardcore similar to bands from the early 80's. I thought it was interesting that they chose to cover Get It Away and Cold Shoulder, 2 bands from recent years that are local to them. One of the new songs, "Who's to Blame" takes the intro to "Eyes Wide Open" and has an animal rights speech that sounds like it's through a megaphone. Kinds reminds me of the LP version of "Furder" by Ripcord. However both songs open each side of the LP, so the A and B sides both start with the same music. This LP is a good way for newcomers to PxP to catch up on their releases, and get some new stuff.

Pure Hell- Noise Addiction (Welfare Records)
This reissue came out like 2 years ago, but was recorded in the 70's, so it's still relevant in my eyes. Remember the Death LP that everyone went crazy for? Here's another all African American punk band from the 70's who's material went largely unreleased. Pure Hell's music is more along the lines of the New York Dolls and Sex Pistols, with a lot of attitude.

Get The Most- s/t (React! Records)
I had never checked out Get The Most before, but this LP compiles their 2 7"s and demo, so it's a perfect refresher course. I was really surprised, because this is a pretty faithful youth crew style HC, complete with Ray of Today style growls. More bands need to do that, you can say it's goofy, but you're wrong. The main riff in "Pass It On" reminds me of the mosh part in the A-Team TV show theme song, which is not a bad thing for sure. They also cover my favorite Abused song on here. Unfortunately the band is breaking up soon, and now I feel stupid for sleeping on them this long. Includes a digital download.

CD:

Villain- It’s Rough
This is Villain's first release, and while not as good as their recent 7", it's not too bad either. Lyrically is seems a lot less serious, while musically it's not as fast. I kind of liked how their 7" had a balance of fast and mid-paced mosh parts, but this isn't very fast. A bit too much focus on the mid-paced mosh for my liking. Not a bad debut, but I prefer the direction that their 7" is showing.

Snake Face- Ignorant Youth
From what I can tell, Snakeface is a band from Australia. The CD packaging has some of the worst art I've ever seen, and I thought it'd be some sort of ironic hipster indie rock crap. Thank god they had that crude drawing of a dick on the inside cover instead of, oh I don't know, lyrics/contact info? Musically though it's pretty fast/heavy hardcore in the same style as bands like Ceremony. Most of the songs clock in under a minute, but it's not enough to hold my interest.

Demos:
Stab (tape) (Painkiller Records)
I had seen a write up about Stab on a blog that referred to them as a UK straight edge band that sounded like Ripcord. Welp, I was sold. Lucky for me, Painkiller re-pressed it and had copies in the store (now sold out) when I placed my order. No false advertising here, I get a definite Ripcord, where it's fast, but not venturing into grind territory. The production is real raw and distorted, like Discharge. Overall an awesome demo. Also, it turns out that I met some of these dudes while in the UK, and this was the band they told me about. Wish I was able to see them.

File 13- Generation Lost (pro-tape)
File 13 is a new band from Richmond, VA. Their sound reminds me of recent bands like Wasted Time, Crispus Attucks or Rations; in that they play fast but with a heavier/ thicker sound. The vocalist also reminds me of No Justice. Not enough bands play this style, and I think it makes them stand out. Smart lyrics and a cool cover graphic make this a demo worth your time. Definitely looking forward to what they do next.

Beware (tape)
This is a new band from PA, with the former singer of Let Down and some other folks from other bands. They remind me a lot of Mouthpiece, or Chain Of Strength w/o the fast parts. The music is somewhat mid-paced, but powerful. When I saw them they covered my favorite Turning Point song, so that rules. This will be a band to keep an eye on for sure.
*I should note that I had to review this based on mp3s, since my tape had the first song repeated 3 times. It starts about half through the song, then repeats twice and cuts off in the middle of the 4th time. I don't even know how this could happen, who was dubbing these? Bands: just pay the extra money to get your tapes pro-duplicated, so we don't have these problems. Thanks!

Zines:
Got Myself #5
This is a zine based out of VA, which I've picked up before. The inside layout is some top notch cut and paste. Not too sloppy and easy to read, but the layout has no boring white spaces. There's interviews with Wasted Time Double Negative and Night Birds. I like that there's more than just a page of reviews, I wish more zines dedicated 1/3 of their content to reviews. The writer also makes numerous references to how much they hate VA. I hear ya dude, try living in NJ.

Seven Inches to Freedom No. 9
SITF is a nice little half page zine from FL. The inside layout looks like it's been run through a photocopier from the 80's, but is very clean and easy to read. The content is similar to MRR in that there's a good amount of guest columns, interviews and reviews. I'm not really into any of the reviews or interviews, but some of the articles a real interesting. The how-to guide to creating a successful straight dge band, ot crust band was funny. The retrospective look at Sound Idea records was good as well. My old band wound up playing our last show there. Great store. Pretty cool zine overall, but probably wouldn't pick up another.

Litmus Test Issue 2
Picked this one up on a whim, I figured a straight edge zine may be cool. Not really into Bracewar or Let Down, so the interviews weren't of much interest and the reviews were very minimal and mainly focused on Richmond bands. The article on women in straight edge was kind of interesting, though I would have liked to see more quotes or interviews with actual women. Oddly, I found the political writings more interesting (which isn't a good thing). Clean computer looking layout, but not really anything special. Did the thanks list really require the whole back cover?

Punks! Punks! Punks! Volume 3
This zine reads like it was written for the high school newspaper. The layout is an ugly computerized look, but trying (and failing) to look cut and paste. Did you really ask one of the Casualties about what's punk or not? Did you really reference Have Heart in the Ian Mackaye interview? The best part is when the singer of Reckless Aggression tells him these are the worst questions he's ever read. This reads like the B9 board or the Youth Attack jerkbooth. .

Chunks Issues 2+3
Town of Hardcore was arguably the best zine of the 00's, but Chunks just became my top contender to carry their torch. I picked up issues 2 and 3 recently, and loved them. There's well written interviews with good questions, short and to the point reviews (I don't need 3 paragraphs on a 7 minute record) and packed with photos and a cut and paste layout. The interviews are probably the best part, since they read like someone who knows the bands personally and genuinely gets them. They stray far from the typical "who's in the band," "tell us about your touring plans" type boring questions. These 2 issues have interviews with Waste Management, Reckless Aggression, Rival Mob and Omegas- you you know they're good. Both zines are kind of thin, but are packed with nothing but quality material. Not for the weak, hardcore zine for the hardcore.

Counterfeit Garbage #5
Another great issue of this zine, a little thinner than the previous issue, but still high quality for sure. Good interviews with No Class and Devour, as well as reviews and rants. The highlight for me is Matt's review of a terrible show he went to in China, where he talks about hating white people numerous times. Great zine, probably the best in the states.

Social Hardcore Issue 2
This one's interesting, an Australian zine, but written based on a trip to the good ol' USA. It's kinda cool to see a foreign take on the bands we maybe take for granted. There's a focus on the NYC and Boston bands. The zine is only 8 pages (2 pages folded,) and the inside is all photos. Not the best photos, but cool bands for sure. Pretty cool despite its size. Would pick up again.

custom Skulloctopus toy

2011-07-01T01:59:00.002-04:00

I had gotten this clear Skulloctopus by Plaseebo a while back to paint. I painted the inside of the bottom and did black rub, which gives it a bright yet gritty look. I treated the head a little different though. I sprayed the front white with a little ivory, and left the back clear. I painted in the metal components with a paint marker, and did a black rub all over. I also got some fake eyes and drilled holes inside the eye sockets. It gives it a much creepier look than just painting them black. Lastly, I got a handful of glow in the dark snakes off eBay, and filled the skull with them, so that they glow would appear in the unpainted part. Unfortunately the snakes don't glow very brightly (w/o the aid of a black light), so I may replace them w/ some pink worms to look more like brains.(click to get a better view of the turn around)

Record Scores: WarZone- DFTS,DFTS

2011-06-19T13:06:00.000-04:00

WarZone was one of those bands I discovered from the NYHC: The Way It Is comp. They did a bunch of crappy later records, but I liked the early stuff. By the time I got into them around 2000, even the CD with Don't Forget The Struggle, Don't Forget The Streets and Open Your Eyes was out of print and hard to find. In the early days of Napster, I remember downloading a few songs off this record and loving them. I made it a mission to find it on vinyl, only to find out they were going for a lot more than I could afford as a 20 year old. Luckily one boring Sunday I went to my favorite local record store, Curmudgeon Records (RIP), and there it was at the top of the LP wall. Not behind glass, or anywhere special, just on the wall with other records of note that had come in used. I really wanted it, but being not the tallest dude in the world, I couldn't reach it. At the time 2 other hardcore dudes were talking about it, and I figured it was a lost cause. Those 2 would go on to do a high profile record label, and book the majority of good shows in NYC. Luckily they decided to pass on it that day, and my friend at the time Brian was working there. Dude's like 7 ft tall, so he got the record with no problem. It was marked at $20, which was amazing, and was also in awesome condition.
After a little bit of research, I found out that I had scored a first pressing copy of this record. Holy crap, right? The major difference is the song titles on the back cover. This is referred to as the "graffiti lettering," as opposed to later pressings' computer lettering. However, keep in mind in the late 80's computer lettering was extremely pixelated, and looks like garbage. Another difference was that later pressings are on Caroline, and this is on Fist Records. I wonder if that label did anything else... This was one of the first rare records I ever owned, and it definitely holds a special place in my collection.
Also check out that thanks list... WarZone: God warriors.

Chairman Mouser for Shell Shock art show

2011-05-27T09:35:00.001-04:00

The Autumn Society has put together a tribute art show to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles called "Shell Shock." Here is my piece for it, as you can see it's a Mouser. It was done with stencils and spray paint. I made a pattern of rats for the background in metallic silver and gold paint, using one stencil and tiled. I think it kind of looks like camouflage. The blue in the mouser is also metallic, but looks more electric blue.
You are invited to one of the most EPIC pop-culture art shows we've ever put together! The Autumn Society & Brave New Worlds Comics (Old City, Philadelphia) join forces once more to bring you SHELL SHOCK (A TMNT ART SHOW & TRIBUTE).
Please join us in celebration to these heroes in a half shell that made our childhoods and the past 25+ years radical! Not only will the event be filled with most outstanding TMNT art, but we will be visited by Brittney Schneck's TURTLE VAN!!! Other super-rad surprises are planned as well.
You do not want to miss this one! COWABUNGA DUDES!
For updates on SHELL-SHOCK, CLICK HERE

*Side rant: Why were they called Mousers when they were clearly designed to kill rats.

Record Reviews (spring 2011)

2011-05-25T23:05:00.006-04:00

So this post took longer than I expected. Between getting busy with work and life, and getting too many records in a short period of time. Lots of killer releases, particularly Omegas and Culo. If those 2 don't end up on my top 5 of 2011, I'd be shocked. I made sure to pick up 3 of the new Lengua Armada Records releases, since they seem to be hard to find and sell out real quick. Unfortunately only one of them is worth tracking down. Sorry if some reviews are shorter than others. there were a lot to get through.

7":

Citizens Arrest- A Light In the Darkness
CA had these 7"s made to coincide with their recent (and subsequent) reunion shows. This is maybe the 3rd or 4th time these songs were reissued, but to my knowledge the first on its original format. As an added bonus, you get 2 bonus tracks from the same session that were used on comps. The layout has also been updated to a gatefold, which looks great. For anyone not familiar with Citizens Arrest, they were a HC band from NYC in the late 80's/early 90's. They played fast hardcore influenced by the early 80's bands, but played way faster and harder. More similar in style to Infest than Madball. Available on 3 colors of vinyl for the collector scum, and absolutely mandatory NYHC.

Authorites- Soundtrack for Trouble
One of my favorite early 80 punk 7"s gets reissued with 2 bonus tracks? Sign me up! I love the Authorities, who I first discovered through the first Killed By Death comp. All 4 of the songs from the original 7" are hits for sure. "I Hate Cops" and "Radiation Masturbation" are the best. The artwork is an exact copy of the original, adding the 2 bonus tracks of course. One of the 2 were on the Puppy Love LP, while the other is new to me. In all honesty, they're not as strong as the others, and probably could have been left on the cutting room floor. However it is cool that it's got more music for your buck. Someone sell/trade me a copy of the "Puppy Love" LP.

Cülo- Toxic Vision
Some bands slow down and fall into a pattern after a few 7"s... Not Culo. This is by far their best 7". The recording quality is good, it's faster and just overall a fucking killer record. They even slow it down to a Zero Boys pace on "Toxic Vision." I love this shit. Funny story, when they played in NJ last year, I missed the show because I was baking a wedding cake. That cake sucked, I should have gone to the show.

Sorry Excuse- s/t
I liked Sorry Excuse's previous record, so I jumped at pre-ordering the new one. They play a fast almost Infest speed of hardcore, though not straying into power violence territory. More just fast as shit HC with gruff vocals. The recording is a lot more raw, and faster than their first 7". Their sound is almost like a tougher version of Coke Bust. Try to check em out on their summer tour w/ Kicked In (who also rule).

Reckless Aggression- Demo
This is Reckless Aggression's demo pressed to vinyl. Seemed like a lot of people had this record on their best of 2010 lists, and after getting it in my hands, I can see why. They are a skinhead band from Australia, and play oi influenced hardcore, not unlike 86 Mentality. The best thing about this is that there's 9 songs (one's a 4-Skins cover), so it's not one of those lame 4 song demo 7"s. Definitely try to find this quick, because there's only 500 pressed. Includes a digital download.

Vacant State- Internal Conflict
I literally know nothing about this band, or when this record came out. I read a writeup in a distro, and it seemed cool, so I gave it a shot. Boy am I glad I did, this thing is incredible. It starts out fast and raw hardcore, reminiscent of Cardiac Arrest of Black SS in the vocals. As the record goes on, the music slows down more an more, ending in a slow dirge that takes up the whole B-side. At times it's like Slapshot, other times My War era Black Flag. This is apparently their 2nd 7", so it looks like I have to hunt down the 1st now. Don't judge it on the weak cover art, check this out, because it's fucking awesome.

Born Bad / Duress
It's a shame these 7"s didn't come out in time for their tour over the summer, because now both bands are dead. Born Bad's sound is more focused, and some of their best songs.I remember hearing that they recorded an LP worth of songs, but decided to break them up into a 7", a tape and this split. Duress's side is ugly feedback drenched fast hardcore. With only 3 songs on here, it's over before you get a chance to catch your breath. I always loved Duress, so it's kind of a bummer that this is the last new songs to come out.

School Jerks- Control
I loved School Jerks' previous 2 7"s, so I was psyched to pick this up. SJ really nail that early Black Flag vibe, complete with a raw 80's style recording quality. On this record, I get a Necros vibe as well. Funny how the record is called "Control," but there's only lyrics to one song, and it's not "Control." Considering their other 7"s had no lyrics at all, I guess it's better than nothing. Hopefully they do an LP soon.

Slobs- Look Busy, Do Nothing
I had seen the Slobs last year with the Omegas (who they share a member or 2 with), and didn't think much of them. This EP however is a big improvement. I get a vibe of the Fix and Necros, mixed with good era Career Suicide. Pretty cool.

Sweet Tooth- Japanese Void
I know nothing about this band, I just ordered all of the new Cowabunga releases. This is some really fast distorted HC, somewhat similar to Duress. Great debut EP. The Mid-West continues to crank out awesome HC bands.

Not Sorry- Our Choices
I had liked Not Sorry's first 7", so I ordered their follow up. They've definitely progressed as a band, and they definitely nail that late 80's west coast straight edge sound. I always got a strong Chain of Strength influence from these guys. I feel like there's a lot more intensity in the vocals and playing. Their first 7" was their demo, plus 2 new ones, so they've had some time to get comfortable playing together. Fans of the straight edge and youth crew won't be let down that's for sure. Includes a digital download.

Common Cause- s/t
I saw these guys when I went to Europe, and they played an Edge Day show in Sweden. I liked them, so when I got home I ordered this record. It's pretty good late 80's youth crew influenced, but definitely not by the numbers. At times I get a more Supertouch/ Burn vibe, in some of the more heavy riffs, but only in small doses. Definitely spans the early REV catalog for influence. The last song has a kind of groovy breakdown, that would make the Bad Brains proud. I actually think ending the 7" on a slower groove is awesome. I'd like to hear their other records for sure. Includes a digital download.

Noose- It's Your Time.
I know I already reviewed their demo HERE, and this is their demo on a 7". I just wanted to add that for this they recorded a 2nd guitar track, which makes the recording sound way more full. If you liked the demo, get this! If you didn't get the demo, get this! Includes a digital download.

Night Birds- Midnight Movies
Night Birds' first record for No Way is a lot faster than their previous record. "Midnight Movies" is the clear hit of the record, similar to "Prognosis Negative" from the previous. The 3 songs on the b-side are a faster as well. "Bad Biology" has a catchy chorus that will get stuck in your head. Similar to the Ergs, they play all of their songs 2x faster live, which I think makes them better. Excellent 7", bring on the LP!

Much Worse- Absolute Nightmare
I liked Much Worse's first 7", it combined 80's style US HC, with the huge tight loud sound of Japanese HC. This new 7" is also really good. Somewhat similar in approach to Stripmines, though maybe nodding more to the Fix than Negative Approach. I also get a vibe of almost a more stripped down version of Raw Nerve as well. I'm not really into the cover art, but the inside type layout rules. Pretty cool record overall.

Porcodio- Nessun Posto Per Me
This is a kind of weird project, half of Government Warning plus the drummer of Anti You on vocals. The songs are sung in Italian, and they're going for that Italian HC sound. It's no Indigesti or Negazione clone, but it is real fast and killer. The vocals have this high pitched whine to them, kinda like HR (Bad Brains). This is a really cool 7", but being as it's on Lengua Armada, it probably sold out months ago.

Totsugeki Sensya- Chain Of Tragedy
Another record I took a chance on being on Lengua Armada and Japanese. Pretty good hardcore in a style similar to early DSB. Nothing amazing, but pretty decent.

Vaccuum- s/t
I had no idea what to expect from this record, I just bought it because usually the Lengua Armada releases don't stay available very long. Now I'm all for a raw recording, but holy fuck I can't hear anything. The recording quality is that of a live tape, or practice tape. You can barely make out any music, aside from a few guitar leads, but otherwise it's a solid wall of noise. Fuck you Vaccuum, fuck you Lengua Armada, I want my $5 back.

Murder-Suicide Pact- Do It Or Don't
Remember these guys? An ex-Failure Face band from FL, who was more productive in the late 90's/early 2000's. Last year they recorded a demo, which had 12 songs. Those songs were released as this 7" and another. Murder-Suicide Pact play HC along the lines of My War era Black Flag, but unlike a lot of artsy weirdos jocking later Flag, these guys sound meaner. Most of the songs are mid-paced, but they're powerful. Give it a shot.

The Shirks- Cry, Cry, Cry
I actually have no prior knowledge of the Shirks, but got this from Grave Mistake. Based on the illustration on the cover, I was expecting a more indie/ power-pop sound, but it's actually a bit more garage rock. The song "Prostitution Summer" on the b-side reminds me a lot of The Kids. This is actually a real good 7". Probably more for fans of The Ladies and Night Birds in the Grave Mistake catalog. This is really good, and apparently they have 3 other records out there. Includes a digital download.

10":

Short Fast & Loud 10 Year comp
This comp comes with the new issue of S,F & L, and has some of today's higher caliber fast bands. Coke Bust, Extortion and Seein Red are the real standouts. A lot of the songs kind of blend together, but overall I think Fastcore freaks will love it. The zine is also awesome, and it's priced so cheap that it's almost like the zine is free.

12":

Cock Sparrer- Shock Troops
Pirates Press is where all the labels go to press their records when they need some crazy printing or vinyl color. Now Pirates Press has taken the task of re-pressing the Cock Sparrer discography, and doing a killer job at it. The cover is a nice thick stock, the dust sleeve is embossed, and the vinyl (2nd press) is a tri-split of red, white and black. Since this record is like 25+ years old, I won't go too in dept on the music. They play a mid-paced style of British punk, similar to Sham 69. "Watch Your Back" has always been a particular favorite. This would make an excellent upgrade to an old beat copy, or a great opportunity to get this on vinyl if you don't have it already. I hope Pirates Press doesn't do a camo patterned vinyl, because I'd have to buy it again.

Omegas- Blasts of Lunacy
I absolutely LOVED Omegas' demo, but thought the 7" wasn't as good, so I had high hopes for the LP. Luckily I wasn't let down, and the LP seems to fit more with the demo sound than the 7". They've perfectly captured the sound of obscure early 80's NY and NJ hardcore/punk bands. A perfect soundtrack for riding dingy NYC subways. The songs vary pace- some fast, some slow, some long, some short - the perfect way to write an LP. The cover art looks like some sort of Euro techno LP, but I guess it fits the simplified circular art of their other releases. This will easily be a top contender for best LP of 2011.

Slang- Life Made Me Hardcore
I missed Slag on their recent tour of the US, and after this LP, I'm really kicking myself. Apparently their earlier stuff is more along the line of Madball, but this record is basically Burning Spirits style with breakdowns. I suppose balancing the NYHC with Japanese style HC to give them their own unique sound. Luckily I like both styles. I got the European pressing, which has a different (better) cover and gatefold with lyrics inside. This is real good, damn good in fact.

Vaaska- Ruido Hasta La Muerte + s/t
This record was on a lot of people's top tens last year. Luckily I was able to snag the Hardware pressing, which has the new LP and first LP all on one 12". Vaaska play a style of fast D-beat with Spanish vocals, and have a cool guitar tone. I believe they have members of Desconocidos or BSA, as they are from TX. The first 7" is a bit more raw, but also killer. This record is fucking awesome, try to track down the Euro pressing to get both LPs at once, but get it any way you can.

Shards- s/t
I saw these guys on tour a few months ago, and picked up this LP. Prior to this they did 2 tapes, which I slept on, so this is my first exposure to NC's Shards. Their sound is a mix of No Idea style folky punk with doubled up vocals, mixed with early 80's California goth punk. It has a dark atmospheric feel to it, and the cover art is real obscure. I think there are members of Sorry State Records alumni Whatever Brains, Logic Problem and Crossed Eyes. The LP is pretty cool, but I liked them more live. Includes a digital download.

CD:

Night Birds- Fresh Kills vol. 1
This compact disc contains Night Birds' 3 7"s and demo. Since I already reviewed their s/t 7" HERE, and their "Midnight Movies" 7" above, I'll focus on the other releases. The CD starts out with Killer Waves, which was on a 2 song 7". The song is real good, and I thought their decision to start the CD with the A side of that 7", and end the CD with the B side. The demo I felt doesn't have the same punch of their EPs, and the surfy guitar isn't as present. For those new to Night Birds, this is a perfect way to catch up before their LP comes out. The hits on here are Killer Waves, Midnight Movies and Prognosis : Negative. Between the B side of the s/t 7", the demo and the instrumental, the CD ends a bit slower. I am glad that the more recent songs I like the most though. I like the cover art, it looks like someone's dirty floor who's really into Night Birds.

demo/tape:
Birth Deformities (tape)
I LOVE this demo. Members of Culo and Nick (of Cowabunga Records) belt out 7 fast hardcore/ punk tunes. Taking influence from early 80's NY/NJ bands, similar to the approach of Omegas. This is probably one of my favorite demos, and gets a lot of spins around here. I liked it so much, I offered to re-press it, but the band opted to continue making their own copies. Definitely track this down though.

Black and Blue- Make Way (tape)
It seems like every post I'm mentioning some killer new Chicago area band, but I'll be damned if there isn't a steady stream of awesome bands coming from there. This band has current members of Noose, RazorXFade, and Thought Crusade; but remind me more of Wasted Time. The music is fast, but heavy, and the vocals are intense in a Poison Idea sort of way. Before this tape was released, a version was on the internet with some samples, but the tape rages straight through. Keep an eye on these kids.

X=- Seeing Grey (tape)
Damn, let me first talk about this crazy packaging. It comes in a ziplock bag w/ dots, which came from punching holes through the eyes of the faces on each panel of the wrap around cover. The holes line up to the spools of the cassette, and a screw and bold hold the whole thing together with a tiny lyric booklet stapled to the inside. Art4Punks has a nice writeup about the cover, but it makes me feel like I need to step up my design ASAP. The band is a studio side project between 2 people, but the music is killer. Musically it sorta reminds me of OFF, in an old dudes playing fast punk kinda way. It's really good, I look forward to future releases, but mainly to see how they'll top that packaging.

RazorXFade- tour LP (tape)
I got this tape of the RXF LP when they came through on tour. I'll do a full review once I get the LP version, but I can say that if you liked the demo, this will blow you away. If you didn't like the demo, this will make a believer out of you. Pre-order it HERE, it should be out in July.

Curmudgeon Records RIP

2011-05-21T11:53:00.005-04:00

In a modern day where any record you want can be either downloaded or ordered online, the record stores are slowly going extinct. One of those stores to add to the list now is Curmudgeon Records in NJ. As a kid growing up, and getting interested in hardcore and punk, Curmudgeon was crucial in giving me a place to buy these weird records and CDs at good prices. If there wasn't someone you knew from shows there, the staff was always friendly and knowledgeable. In High School, my friends and I were there almost every Friday. There would always be flyers for upcoming shows, and every local band would have their records for sale there. I remember when my first band released our first record, it was awesome to walk in and see it on the new release wall.

As time went on, they opened a new bigger store about a half hour away. When I went away for college, that one was closer, but occasionally I would go to both. Each store had different used bins, so I had to scour each one. Eventually the original location closed, leaving the new one, which was ok. They had room to have shows there, and some awesome ones went down. My old band played there, and I even booked one or 2. When that location closed, they had one last show. They third and final location was in a town with a lot more foot traffic, and they also started focusing more on used vinyl. Unfortunately due to the economy, and the rising availability of free music on the internet, sales were declining. The store relied more heavily on used stock, and didn't have as many new releases. I went there on Record Store Day, and things were looking grim. I wasn't surprised when they announced they were closing, but was still saddened to hear it. Yesterday I went there one last time to drop off some flyer and take advantage of the clearance sale. They're having shows there until they close, and the sale keeps increasing, so go check it out one last time. Cheers to Bill, Mike and everyone who's worked there over the years. You will be missed...

Record Scores: SOA- No Policy

2011-05-04T13:34:00.000-04:00

Welcome to a new feature that I've decided to add to the blog. As a record collector, I like hearing stories about how people found their cool records. Seems nowadays it's too easy to just buy what you want on eBay and Discogs, and the fun stories of the hunt are lost. Thisd will also serve for me to review some great records, as well as brag a little (j/k). SOA was one of those bands I discovered early in my hardcore days, and just latched onto. Obviously loving Minor Threat and Black Flag, SOA was kind of a combination of the 2. I own the No Policy EP in various formats: "1981: A Year in Seven Inches" comp CD, "Four Seven Inches on a 12" LP, a recent SOA bootleg discography LP, and this original 7" version.
The story starts out kind of boring, I was bidding on this 2nd press autographed version of the 7" on eBay back in 2004. The auction had a reserve that was not met, but I was the top bidder. After the auction, I e-mailed the seller, and he said I could have it for $68 ppd. Which was below my bid, but seeing as there's a tear in the top,the seller thought that was a fair price. The insert was a photocopy from the 12" version, but I later got a photocopied original version from a friendly German. The differences between all 3 pressings is that first pressing on green vinyl, 2nd on black, 3rd on black w/ Black Flag bars drawn on Henry's arm. As for the autograph, you generally don't see many hardcore records autographed, which could have accounted for the low amount of bids. I would say that the autograph was during Henry's Black Flag days, as he refers to himself as Rollins (not Garfield). I love the simplicity of the cover and lettering, and the back cover is a perfect cut and paste/ rub on lettering look. At the time, this was a great deal, and now it's probably worth double. Easily my favorite in the collection.

Smurf Munny

2011-04-24T14:01:00.004-04:00

Kidrobot is having a Munny custom contest this month, so I decided to use a Munny I got for X-Mas, and do a simple custom. At work I've been working on the Smurfs Cereal, so staring at Smurfs all day gave me the idea. I had bought a crappy Mighty Mugs rip-of Smurf a while back on clearance for $2, So I chopped off his head, and gave the Munny a hat.
I based the design off the Purple Smurf cartoon/comic, so he'd be a little different than just doing a generic smurf. Voting for the Munnyworld contest ends this month, so please vote for me HERE!

3B Art Show

2011-04-11T22:45:00.000-04:00

3B is an art show organized by Autumn Society head honcho, Joe "Chogrin" Game. For the show, each artist would do 3 pieces each relating to Back to the Future, Beetlejuice and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. All of my pieces were done with spray paint and stencils as usual.
My Back to the Future piece is based on the scene where Marty puts the headphones on his father to wake him up. I titled it "Eruption," after the Van Halen song that plays in the walkman.

My Beetlejuice piece is of the creepy little priest that Beetlejuice tries to get to marry him and Lydia. I've titled it "I Now Pronounce You..." Since their wedding ceremony was never completed.

For my Bill & Ted piece, I wanted it to look like a gig poster for their band, Wyld Stallyns. Instead of a canvas, I painted it on the backer to a poster frame, which will be reassembled for the show. It's titled "Wyld Stallyns Rule!"

The show will premiere at 7pm on Thursday, May 5th @:
Gallery 1988 Venice
214 Pier Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90405

http://www.theautumnsociety.com
http://gallery1988.com

click here for some previews:
http://www.theautumnsociety.com/search/label/3B

Record Reviews (winter 2011)

2011-03-06T18:42:00.002-05:00

Happy new year to my blog readers who just follow for the record reviews. We've got a handful of stragglers from last year this time around, as well as some early '11 releases. A handful of these come courtesy of Grave Mistake Records (thanks Alex). GM will be re-releasing the new Coke Bust 7" shortly, and I highly recommend picking that up as well. I'll probably be doing another reviews post toward the end of March/early April, since I've been trading a lot, and been getting a bunch of new records over the past month. Bands/labels: send me shit!

7":

OFF!- First Four EPs
If you were trying to create the perfect Black Flag rip-off band, here's some pointers: Kieth Morris on vocals, Raymond Pettibon artwork, name the band after an insect repellent. OFF managed to do all of these things. The music is more in like with Morris-era Flag than it is with any Circle Jerks material. This 4 7" box set compiled all 4 of their EPs, however only the first was released individually. I feel like it listens better in mp3 form, since it flows more like an LP, and you don't have to flip a record every 3 minutes. It's good to see some new music from Kieth Morris, as I'm more interested in this than anything the Circle Jerks have done since Group Sex. The music is cool, but ultimately I feel like it falls short. Maybe Vice readers who used to listen to punk will check this out and be impressed, but I'd rather listen to a band like Government Warning play this style better.

No Comment-Common Senseless
No Comment-Downsided
Man, when I heard these 2 were getting a ptoper reissue, I made sure to order them right away. No Comment is a band I always thought was overlooked due to their shit being out of print for so long. For those not familiar, they were one of the early power violence bands, in the same league as Infest. They played fast as hell, and the singer actually sang instead of growling or grunting. I'd say No Comment was more a ridiculously fast hardcore band. Downsided is my fucking shit man, if I had to pick a favorite, start with that one. "Dead Stare For Life" is such a perfect song. Was never a fan of the slower last song though. Common Senseless is just as good, though Downsided was always my favorite. The reissues look and sound great, the only thing that I didn't like was the addition of the Man Is The Bastard myspace link. Lame, make a NC one, or list an e-mail address. Regardless, these are mandatory for fans of fast hardcore.

Negative Approach- Friends Of No One
Before I write about the music, I want to talk about how this is the fucking worst cover art I've ever seen. It's poorly drawn, poorly colored, poorly composed and looks like total shit. It's unreleased NA shit from 1983, find a photo and make it look like an 80's HC record. Also no lyric sheet or liner notes. Chances are there's a story about this recording session, and why it was lost for all of these years. Musically it's demo quality, but still clear. The unreleased songs are killer, and John's voice sounds more vicious than past NA recordings. There's even an awesome cover of "I Got a Right" by the Stooges. Great record, shitty half-assed package.

Manipulation- s/t #2
I loved Manipulation's demo and first 7", so I was real psyched that they had another 7" coming. Like the first 7", they re-recorded some demo tracks along with some new jams, and the recording is just as raw. Musically is sounds like Gauze covering early Discharge. The layout is very dark, which fits the mood of the music, and has a bright red obi strip. Fucking awesome, maybe do an LP next?

Stripmines- Sympathy Rations
Raleigh, North Carolina drops another megaton explosion of hardcore punk on you fucks (Bruce Roers RIP). Stripmines' demo was killer, but didn't match their intensity live. This 7" is everything I wanted it to be, plus they even re-record "Failsafe." There are blazing fast parts, balanced with more harder mid-paced parts. Their music is a perfect balance of Japanese power and American rage. I can't recommend this higher, you need to take a chance on this record. Fuck...

Troops Of Tomorrow- T.W.W.L.
I loved the Troops demo, so I was psyched that the new stuff finally made it to vinyl. Unfortunately there's only 3 songs, but luckily they're all good. They play punk with a UK82 vibe mixed with a Boston HC 82 burliness. The layout is pretty clean, and I don't really like the cover. It seems to be made to look like a single for TWWL, however omitting the lyrics from the B-side songs. The B-side is just as good though. Would love to have some more new songs by these guys ASAP.

Much Worse- Proper Execute
Don't know much about these guys, other than they're from Minneapolis and that No Way is doing their next record. Thought I'd give it a shot based off that. Musically it kinda reminds me of Born Bad a little. They seem to be playing a style of US hardcore with a Japanese raw big production. Glad I gave this a shot, because it is killer. Just got their new record on No Way, and psyched to give it a spin.

Young Republicans- s/t
This is an interesting little lost and found record. Young Republicans were a punk band from CT in the early 8o's, who kind of remind me of other bands from the area like like CIA, 76% Uncertain or Vatican Commandos. Most notably though is that members of this band went on to form Youth Of Today years later. Oddly enough some of the riffs in these songs were later re-used in YOT songs ("Stabbed in the Back" and "Expectations"). The song "High School Rednecks" was later turned into the anthem "Straight Edge Revenge," if you can believe that. These songs are demo quality, though sound pretty good for something that was thought lost for almost 30 years years. The music is actually pretty good despit the novelty of being a pre-Youth of Today band. I feel like youth crew types won't like it and find it a novelty, but fans of obscure early 80's HC/punk will probably enjoy this.

The Ladies- Six More Reasons to Hate...
Well if you're looking for some reasons to hate the Ladies, the topless nazi girl on the cover would be a good place to start. There's also some nazi bondage, on the back. I think it rules. Musically though, you get some killer garage/punk/rocknroll here. I liked the other 7"s of theirs that I have, and this was certainly no let down. I actually like this more, and on top of that, more songs than the previous records too. The only downside is that there's no lyrics, but I guess that adds another reason to hate the Ladies.

Brain F- So Dim
Don't know too much background on Brain F other than they released a demo last year as Brain Flannel, have a member of Logic Problem and are from NC. Musically, it reminds me a bit of Gorilla Angreb, but with a more weird distorted sound. Most of the parts have male/female vocals singing at the same time. I tend to like my punk rock a bit more straight forward, but this is pretty cool. The layout is a real cool dark look, with various type in different languages. Looks weird, sounds weird...

Backslider- s/t
Backslider finally release their first solo record. Stylistically not much has changed from their lo-fi 2 piece power violence/grindcore sound. I've always gotten a heavy Lack of Interest vibe from them. Fastcore fans are gonna flip their shit for this. The only gripe I have it a lack of lyric sheet. I feel like printed lyrics legitimize the pv/grind scene for not just being a bunch of grunts and 20 second songs. Otherwise the record looks and sounds great!

Nightfall- Fucking Noise Addicts
From the ashes of Dissystema and SPG, Nightfall goes from side project to full time band. They did a 7" way back in 2005, but obviously within 6 years they've improved. They play a raw punk style of HC, in the vein of bands like Anti-Cimex and the Shitlickers (who they cover). The lyrics cover your standard crust topics of war and death, as well as a dark layout with some skulls. Came out on a German label, so it may be tricky to find in the US right now. Definitely worth checking out for your raw punk/d-beat fix.

Outlast- Take Control
Outlast is one of my favorite local bands; they remind me of the youth crew revival bands from around 1997 when I was first getting into HC. Outlast plays music similar to band slike In My Eyes or Floorpunch, with something to say. The recording and layout are very clean, which looks nice, but doesn't really capture the HC energy. There's enough sing along parts to make me miss my bleach blonde posi-top. If you're into modern bands like Mindset, or the rest of the React Records roster, you need to check these guys out.

No Comply- It's Getting Hot
No Comply is a newer band from TN, not the FL band or Atlanta band of the same name. I had heard that this band had a member of Deathreat, or one of those family of bands. Sounds similar to Bury The Living, but it kind of falls flat in the end. Cool screened cover, but I'd pass on this one...

12":

H100's- Live
Live albums are usually crappy, this one however is not one of those. This must have been recorded off of a soundboard, because it sounds really clear. What you get is a live set from 1995, where you get the H100's at their loud distorted snotty obnoxious best. The between song banter is pretty great as well. There's also some little kid backups during "Agitate," which are awesome. They basically play the hits from the 3 7"s, which are pretty mandatory in my opinion. Wish there was some sort of insert with info on the show or a more legible back cover, but it's probably the best live LP you can find. RIP Chard.

No Class-Keine Klasse
A friend of mine recommended this record to me, saying it was "a very Jeff record." Not sure what that means, but he was right that I'd like it. The music is pretty basic distorted American hardcore. I really like the singer's delivery, and it gives off a real snotty attitude. The cover art however doesn't match the music, and looks like some mysterious guy crap. Is that trend dead yet? This rules though, check it out.

Night Fever- New Blood
Man, I've had mp3s of this record for a while, so I was real psyched that Vinyl Conflict had copies on vinyl. Someone once described them to me as 80's hair metal mixed with youth crew hardcore. That may sound terrible to some, but I had to hear them based off that. Holy fuck, am I glad I did. Basically it's faster US style HC (they're from Denmark), with the vocalist actually singing kinda like Danzig (but way more snotty). The sung parts are kinda weird at first, but everyone I've played this for agrees that it grew on them. Apparently they're planning to come to the US in the summer, I will be moshing. Someone sell me their 4 Song live EP please...

Low Threat Profile- Product #2
Unless you had your head under a rock, you know that Low Threat Profile 7" from last year was killer. If you did have your head under said rock, LTP is a band that contains No Comment, Infest and lack of Interest members, which was started in the early 2000's. This LP was recorded probably around that same time as their 7", but the vocals just recorded recently (kinda like that last Infest LP). The music isn't as distorted sounding, but is obviously still blazingly fast. There's definitely 2 guitars in the mix, but I can't hear much bass if there is any. I'm also not sure how I feel about the skit at the end of the first side at the end of "Product #2," it's cool at first then seems kinda cheesy on repeated listenings. Hopefully now that they started actually releasing records, maybe they'll start doing new stuff.

Deep Sleep- Turn Me Off
After a trio of 7"s, Deep Sleep finally release their first LP. I feel like more melodic/poppy bands really shine better on LPs than singles, and this is the case. What do you get when a bunch of dudes who played in hardcore bands get way into the SST back catalog, and grew up listening to the Descendents/ALL? Probably the fastest pop-punk record you'll get this year. I liked Deep Sleep's first 7", but thought their other EPs fell a little short. This LP however captures the speed and intensity of that first record, and is way faster than I expected. I like the layout, and theme they've had across all of their releases of colored high contrast photos as well, and this continues that theme. Real good LP for sure.

Mindset- LIVEset
So first off, the label that released this put up pre-orders for this in May, and didn't send the records until February. I mean at least I got the record at all, but it severely tainted my excitement to get this. What you get here is a live set of Mindset's from A Time We'll Remember Fest in 2009. There's songs from their 2 7"s, plus Agent Orange and Minor Threat covers. Some between song banter about the standard posi-core topics, but I prefer the H-100's banter (see above). The sound quality is pretty good compared to some other live albums I have, but this is probably mainly for people who already like the band.

This Comp Kills Facsist Vol.2
It's always real hard to review compilation LP, especially ones like this. Here you get 2 LPs of fastcore/power violence/grind/hardcore music, clocking in at 74 songs and around 20 bands. Since I don't get paid to do this, and I didn't receive a promo copy, here's the short review. The comp has some highs (Lack of Interest, Extortion) and some lows (like 90% of the rest), but definitely introduced me to some new bands that I will have to check out for sure. The whole package looks great, with some full color collage work that will make Winston Smith jealous. Each band gets a small square on the gatefold for artwork, but most chose not to print their lyrics unfortunately. Fastcore freaks will probably appreciate this more than me. I almost wish I had it on CD, so I could skip tracks, but it's overall a solid comp.

demos/tapes:
Korova- Demonstration #7089 (pro-tape)
Korova sent me this tape, so I don't know much about them. They hail from Alabama, and I honestly can't think of a single other band from AL (past or present). They play a very noisy chaotic style of HC, not too unlike Sex Vid or some of the Youth Attack bands. Sounds like it was recorded in a garage, but the music is good enough to shine through. I like that they use samples between songs as well. The B-side is a live set, which is equally noisy, but not as well recorded and kind of hard to distinguish songs. The covers are printed with silver ink on black paper, which looks real slick (reminds me of the Left for Dead discography CD). With a studio recording though, I think these guys will sound really killer.

Callous (tape)
Callous is a new band with members of Chainsaw to the Face, Backslider, I Hate This and others. As opposed to their previous bands, this is heavy, slow and dark. De (IHT) and Dave (CTTF) share vocal duties, meaning you get Dave's growling voice juxtaposing with De's more yelled vocals. I get a real Man is the Bastard or maybe like a Crom vibe. Usually sludgey heavy music like this is reserved for stoners, but that's not the case here. You get 4 songs, which probably clock in around 10 minutes. I usually don't listen to stuff like this, but it's done well.

zines:
Future Breed #1
If you're not familiar with FutureBreed.com, it's a website of show photos mostly centered around the Boston scene. The photos are great, but this isn't a photo zine. Instead, it focuses on a lot of other behind the scenes people in the scene, such as HateFiveSix (video) and Manny Mares (photo), as well as band interviews. It's good to see people get recognition for video taping and photographing shows, as I think it makes for an important document of the scene. The band interviews with Bane and Reach the Sky aren't my taste, but he does ask questions other than the basics, which shows a genuine interest in the bands. The zine is real thick for a half page zine too. The layout is very clean, not the usual cut and past punk zine look. It makes for an easy read, I've had punk zines that were impossible to read because the writers were too pre-ocupied with the punk aesthetic. There is a lot of white on the page, maybe get some borders of backgrounds in issue 2. All in all a great start for a new zine.

Birthday Blog 2011

2011-03-02T09:29:00.004-05:00

So if you're a regular to my blog, every year I do a Birthday Blog about what's going on with my life currently. Due to the magic of technology, I've set this to post on the morning of my B'day. However, today I will be snorkeling in Great Stirrup Cay. My girlfriend and I will be on a cruise until the 6th.
So over the past year, I lost my job at the startup arts and crafts company, but have been freelancing at a place in NYC. I do production work, but it's for Post Cereals and Nabisco mostly, which is pretty cool. I've also been working with a company doing device skins with the World of Warcraft license. Never played the game, but the graphics are pretty cool. We're very close to being finished, so hopefully they hit stores by the summer.
Musically, I had a productive year. Wormeaters had our 3rd (and I'd say best) EPcome out on one of my favorite labels, Sorry State. We're playing with Weekend Nachos in a few weeks, which makes our first NJ show in over 2 years. I guess my blacklist from the scene has expired. Bloodtype released 2 7"s, which were both extremely well received. Cowabunga released our s/t 7", and may do a second if all goes according to plan. We also had a split 7" with INJ/SYS from FL, but unfortunately our tour plans over the summer fell through. I also released a tape on my own Bleeding Edges records, which had songs from both 7"s and a Black Flag cover. Unfortunately Bloodtype's been on a hiatus due to members moving to other states, but "Scabtype" is playing a show in a few weeks with Noose and RazorXFade.
Lately I've been focused on a new/old band Phibes. The band started as a Wormeaters side project 2 years ago, then got shelved until the summer when we recruited Mike to sing. The music is very early 80's California punk sounding. It's fun to play a little slower, and with more complex song structures. It gives me a chance to flex my bass skills a bit. I released the tape on my label, and have started distro-ing it already. Initial reviews have been real good so far.
Probably the most exciting this I did over the past year was tour Europe with Coke Bust. I had never been on a tour longer than 10 days, so a 3 week European tour was huge. We went to the UK, and across northern Europe. I had a lot of fun selling shirts/records and singing a cover song or 2 every night. Here's a video of me singing a Youth of Today cover.
Some other awsome things to happen this past year was that I adopted a cat (which I named Kat Champion- KC for short), my sister got married (meaning I gained a brother in law), and my best friend Laura got married as well. I haven't taken any more baking classes, but maybe if the job market tanks again I will.
2010 turned out to be really cool, hope 2011 can compete.

Jinxed HeArt Show

2011-02-17T21:05:00.003-05:00

This is a painting I did for the HeArt Show @ Jinxed/ Toothless Cat Gallery in Philly. Artists were given these wooden hearts to paint whatever they wanted for the show. For mine, I wanted to go the cheezy valentine route. I stenciled an illustration of the Fonz, and glued a lace ribbon with pearls around the edge. I titled this "Happy Valentine's Eyyy!"

custom Ghost Trooper toy

2011-02-02T10:30:00.004-05:00

I had gotten a clear Ghost Trooper toy recently off someone on the Skullbrain board. The toy is a collaboration between Death Climax and Super7, basically taking the existing Space Trooper body and adding a new head by Brian Flynn. For this custom, I painted the inside of the body brown and taped off and spray painted the red. Once that was done, I did a black rub, to make the details pop and give it weathered look. I painted the inside of the head with a glow in the dark paint, which was hard to work with, but looks great. I like painting the inside of clear toys, because from an angle, you can still see the clear on the surface (especially in the skull on the chest). Super7 had a custom show this weekend, and after seeing all those cool customs, it motivated me to finish this.

PHIBES tapes OUT NOW!!! (BE-02)

2011-01-29T00:03:00.000-05:00

PHIBES is a new punk band from NJ with the same assholes who brought you Wormeaters, Bloodtype and Rip It Up. Don't expect it to sound like those bands, this is heavily influenced by early 80's California punk. Fans of bands like Adolescents, Germs, Battalion of Saints, TSOL and the Nardcore bands won't be disappointed. The songs are melodic, but pack a hard punch to the face.
Limited to 250 tapes with full color covers, screened cases, great recording and shrink-wrapped. The whole package looks as good as it sounds. (5 songs)

http://phibes.bandcamp.com
http://bleedingedges.bigcartel.com

*Labels get in touch for trades and wholesale rates. I will update this with distro information as it becomes available.*

**I also threw up a package deal to get rid of the remaining Bloodtype tapes

Best Records of 2010

2010-12-28T09:39:00.010-05:00

2010 was an interesting year for me personally- had 3 jobs (and still have 2 of them), Bloodtype released 2 records, Wormeaters released a 7", my new band recorded a demo (more on that later) and I got to tour Europe with Coke Bust. Here's some records I really enjoyed this year. Obviously there's more than just these on my list that I'd recommend checking out, but these get my highest recommendation.

Best 7"s of 2010

1. Duress- Indifference
2. School Jerks- s/t #2
3. Manipulation s/t #1
4. Culo- Nuke Abuse
5. Male Nurses- s/t

I loved Duress' demo, and their 7" was no let down. Fucking fast and furious, angry and hard. Killer cover art w/ a Japan style obi strip. School Jerks released another short 7" this year which is probably the best early Black Flag/ Germs sounding band this side of the 2000's. New 7" or an LP this year hopefully? Manipulation's demo was pretty killer, and their 7" was even more raw and fast. Reminds me of a Japanese band playing the early Discharge singles. Culo came out of nowhere and was a total surprise hit for me, definitely be a band to watch this year. Male Nurses did a demo like 2 years ago, which was ok, but not too memorable. This 7" on the other hand is fucking great. Hopefully they don't wait as long to do another record.

Best LPs of 2010

1. Insubordinates- s/t
2. Night Fever- New Blood
3. No Class- s/t
4. Extortion- Loose Screws
5. Anti You- Two-Bit Schemes And Cold War Dreams

I honestly had a hard time compiling a list of my top 5 LPs for this year. The Insubordinates LP was my hands down favorite, it was so musically diverse, while remaining interesting. No clue if the night Fever LP came out this year or last, but it's fucking killer. A lot of people I know think it's goofy or weird, but fuck them, because it rules. No Class released a killer demo, and and even better LP this year. Haven't gotten my hands on the vinyl yet, so a full review will come later. "Loose Screws" isn't Extortion's best, but after a few listens it really growns on you. It's a lot heavier, but still fast as fuck. Anti You released a bunch of 7"s, and finally comes out with an awesome LP after being pretty quit last year.

Best demos of 2010

1. Boston Strangler
2. Night Prowler- Crime Wave
3. Boiling Over- Barriers
4. Noose
5. Rations- Anger and Disgust

Boston Strangler seriously nailed it with this demo. Fuck, nothing came close. If it was a 7", it'd be the best 7" of 2010. The Night Prowler demo really hasn't gotten talked about at all, which is a shame because it's awesome. Boiling Over broke up this year, but before they left, they released a tape (and later a 7" of this), which is their best songs. You guys are dumb. The Noose demo I liked, but then once winter hit, it's perfect music for angrily walking through the city in the cold. Getting pressed to wax by React in January. Rations is a new DC supergroup of sorts with members of Coke Bust, Sick Fix and Time to Escape. Damn good demo, hopefully an even better 7" will happen soon.

Honorable Mentions:
Rival Mob- Saw this band a bunch, and even got a "Raw Life" tattoo this year. Hardcore for Hardcore was awesome, but hopefully they do another LP and tour this year. They're one of those bands that really stand out in the more "mainstream" HC bands that play all the big fests, and have their merch sell for ridiculous ebay prices.
Coke Bust- After seeing this band every day for 3 weeks all over Europe, I'm still not sick of this band. Their new 7" is great, and they're always killer live. Hopefully they'll let me tag along on more tours, because it's always a lot of fun.
Free Spirit- their demo ruled, as did their 7", they were a definite contender for the list. Really hope they do another 7" and tour more.
Urban Blight- Another top contender for the best 7"s, their Total War EP was a perfect follow up to their More Reality LP last year.
Low Threat Profile- A project band that recorded a 7" back in 2001 just had their 7" finally released, and it fucking shreds. When you have members of No Comment, Infest and Lack of Interest at the helm, it's hard to go wrong.

Reissues:
Antidote- I would without hesitation say this is my favorite HC 7" ever. I have2 different bootlegs of this, and now an official press on green
Chronic Sick- Seriously blown away that this actually happened, but No Way did a great job on these 2 reissues. Get em both, no reason to have to choose.
C.I.A.- God, Guts, Guns is a fucking killer 7", coupled with some demo and unheard tracks, a crucial LP.
Welcome to 1984- Awesome international 80's hardcore comp back in print through MRR.
F- The best 80's FL hc/punk band. Way underrated, You Are an EP is as good as any 80's CA punk band.
Negative Approach- Their classic 7" finally had a legit reissue, but with awful cover art. A 7" of lost tracks was also released this year with even worse cover art.
Dischord- I guess they realized they haven't released anything good since the 80's, and have been reissuing everything on colored vinyl w/ download codes. In all honesty, why not keep the label afloat based on your killer back catalog. SST does it, Mystic does it, Lookout should have done it.

Anticipated Releases in 2011:
No Tolerance 7"- Their demo fucking ruled, but it was 4 songs and came out 2 years ago. It's recorded, what's the holdup Youngblood?
Waste Management 7"- Already released as a tape as Waste Taste 2, it will be out on Painkiller soon.
Stripmines 7"- Best new band for sure, this should be out any day now on Sorry State. I hear they will have a split LP this year as well.
Omegas LP- This will be on parts Unknown,a nd I have no doubts that it will be killer. SLAM SKANK!
No Comment reissues- I already pre-ordered the 2 7"s, fuck yea!
Extortion- I'm sure they'll have at least a few splits this year. Also doing a US tour in some capacity this summer.
Life's Blood discography- Prank's doing this, which will have the 7"s, comp tracks, demo and live set. I'm sure it will be killer.
Hoping for good 7"s from the good demos this year, and good LPs from the good 7"s this year.

Predictions for 2011:
- Hopefully the "mysterious guy hardcore" trend dies. None of those artsy lame bands have brought anything good to the table, and have only inspired more trend jumpers and imitators. Maybe this time next year we can all laugh about this phase, and the Youth Attack web store updates won't sell out within 10 minutes.
- Seems like the 90's are back. Bands are playing more slow, metallic, boring style of HC that I hated int he 90's too. Also bands are going in a more alternative/grunge direction, like Give and Blacklisted. Nirvana sucks, Negative Approach rules... fuck this.
- I do like some of these oi-influenced demos I've heard lately like Reckless Aggression, Skrapyard and Troops of Tomorrow. Them and Criminal Damage will hopefully inspire more bands to lace up their boots, and play some non-shitty oi sounding hardcore.
- As if the reunions haven't been excessive enough, seems like any mediocre band from the past 20 years has been doing reunion shows. Even if they try to write new shit, it's still terrible. Start a new band, and preserve the legacy of your old band. If you've heard that 2 song single that the Gorilla Biscuits did a few years back, you know what I mean.
- More crappy stoner/black metal influenced HC bands
- Still waiting for the next youth crew revival...

Record Reviews (late fall/ early winter 2010)

2010-12-25T19:30:00.006-05:00

This reviews post is real long, but between going to Europe and getting a bunch of records there, and then coming home back to work and accumulating more records. I also wanted to get as much reviewed as possible before my annual Best Of the year post. That should happen probably after X-mas. I also added zine reviews, as I seem to have accumulated a few lately.

7":

Right Idea- Right Way
I liked Right Idea's previous releases, but I feel like this lacks some of the intensity they had before. This was released to coincide with a European tour, so maybe it was rushed. The songs seem slower, and the lyrics seem even more posi. My version is the US pressing w/o a lyric sheet, but maybe that's for the best. The US pressing cover is also way uglier, so don't feel bad that you missed out on it, and get the Refuse pressing. The song "United Front" seems like an attempt at an Oi-inspired song, but just sounds like a song from Sesame Street. The record ends with a slowed down instrumental of their song "If You Cared," which is really crappy. I feel like this band could benefit from a raw recording, and I hope they haven't peaked already. Probably more for fans of the youth crew style, but too clean for me.

Extortion- Demo
Demos pressed to vinyl are usually hit or miss, especially if the band recorded the demo w/o the intention of it seeing light as a record. This actually sounds pretty good, certainly not studio quality, but about the same as "Terminal Cancer." A few of these songs were re-recorded, and you get a sweet Black Flag cover. This is really only for the super fans, but sounds good. This is almost out of print, so hurry up, or cry later.

Culo- Military Trend
I liked their Nuke Abuse EP, so I picked up this. The sound quality isn't as blown out on this record, but still fast early 80's styled HC/punk sounding for sure. I didn't realize from their last record, but they have 2 guitars and no bass. What gives guys? Maybe since the recording isn't as raw, it's more noticeable on this record. Maybe it's just noticeable to me being a bass player. This record is good though, check this out.

Slang/ Mind Eraser
I missed these 2 on their recent tour, and I heard Slang was cool, so I got this. Slang is indeed pretty cool, almost an American influenced Burning Spirits style of Japanese HC. Unfortunately, there's only 1 song on their side so it's over in like a minute. Mind Eraser brings 2 songs of their style of fast heavy hardcore. Their songs are on the long side for bands of that style, both topping a minute, but not very memorable. The whole record is like 3 songs in 4 minutes, but I'm left wanting more, especially from Slang. I would only recommend this if you're already a fan of both bands.

Chronic Sick- s/t
Man, I thought this would never see the light of day. This is CS's second record, so I went more in depth on the LP review. These 3 songs are a perfect follow up to those songs. I always loved the cover art, I even made a stencil for a shirt of it. My band Bloodtype is even named after the song "Bloodtype X" from this record. A classic piece on NJ hardcore. I do wish it came with a lyric sheet, though I don't know if the original did. No Way did a great job on this.

Nails- s/t
No, this isn't the Nails from CA, this is Nails from Germany. These guys remind me a lot of the Pedestrians, but with way better riffs and hooks. The first song, "One Fix" was definitely stuck in my head for a while. I remember first coming across them when MRR's blog posted a video link, and made sure to keep an eye out for a record. This may be hard to get in the US, but if you see it, pick it up.

Coke Bust- Degradation
I may be a bit biased on this record considering I just went on a 3 week tour with them, and probably sold over 100 copies of this record. As you know if you read my blog, I really like their Lines in the Sand LP from last year. Degradation picks up where that left off, and has a more raw recording. They even slow it down a bit in "Deathbed," where you can tell what a great drummer Chris is when he's not playing fast as hell for a change. If you liked their previous records, you'll love this. The first press on Refuse is already sold out, but a 2nd press is coming, and a US pressing on Grave Mistake is coming any day now.

Vile Nation- s/t
After being pretty quiet last year, VN return from the void with this short 4 song rager. It sounds pretty different from "No Exit," but that record sounded different from their demo 7". They still play fast as hell, like the Neos, but the recording is more raw than before. The guitar also has a real different, almost an echoey garage) tone, which is pretty interesting. This record is real good, but is over in like 3 minutes.

Urban Blight- Total War
Man, if you've been under a rock for the past year, you know that Urban Blight came back from obscurity last year with an amazing LP. This 7" is pretty similar, with an even more blown out recording. The cover art looks like a Crass or Discharge record, with a fold out poster cover. This is a fucking perfect follow up to their LP. It may be hard to find in the US, but worth tracking down.

Sick Fuckin-O- Sex Cell$ EP
With a name like Sick Fuckin-O, its safe to assume you're gonna get a heavy Infest influence here. However, they pull off the Infest worship, perfectly (similar to Extortion). It also doesn't hurt that this band is fronted by the singer of Voorhees. The 7" was recorded about 2 years ago, but is awesome. When I saw them in Nottingham in Oct however, they were fucking killer. I'm sure whatever they do next will destroy this, but definitely don't pass on this one.

Ruidosa Inmundicia- Demo-04
Ruidosa Inmundicia- Hellas De Odio
RI was probably one of, if not the bast band I saw while in Europe. They would just play real hard and fast, and rage with no breaks. They are Austrian, but have a female Spanish speaking singer. Los Crudos would be a good place to start, but there's an Raw Power element in the mix, with some female/male alternating screams. Their 04 demo still sounds great 6 years later, and the sound quality is not like a crappy demo. While is is older material, it's maybe a little less complex than their other records. Still it fucking blazes, and it's got 11 songs. Hellas De Odio is their brand new 7", which I think was closer to what they sound like now. They have a new guitar player, so I'm sure they'll be doing a new record soon that will fucking destroy. I know they'll be touring Japan and Australia next year, so definitely keep an eye on these guys (and gal).

Ohlo Seco- Botas Fuzis Capacetes
This is a repress of Ohlo Seco's 7" from the 80's. All I know about them is that the sing Nada from the A-side was on MRR's Welcome to 1984 comp, and is a ripper. The band is probably the first Brazilian punk band. Their sound is similar to early Discharge. Nada's a great song for sure, and the other 2 on the B-side are cool too. If you're a freak for Latino punk, you need to check this out, but "Nada" is the clear hit on here.

Deskonocidos/ Sacred Shock
This 7" had come out when the 2 bands went on tour 2 summers ago. I really liked Sacred Shock, and wanted to hear this record. Unfortunately it's not a very memorable song on their side, and most likely a leftover from LP track. Desconocidos' side however is actually real good. I saw them in Germany and liked them. They play a mid-paced style of punk and sing in Spanish. The cover are reminds me of an old Lengua Armadas Records cover, in 3 pieces on different colored papers.
BANDS: blank labels on a split 7" is a stupid idea, thanks.

Cold World- Hands Off Our Music
No, not that band from PA, this Cold World is from Austria and have been around since the late 80's. I stayed at their guitarist's place in Austria, and he hooked me up with this record (thanks Dierk). First of all, the packaging is awesome, it's printed on brown thick paper, and has a Japanese style obi strip with a foil stamped logo. The music is fast and heavy, but too punk to be considered crossover styled. The record ends with 2 S.O.B. covers, which rule. These songs were apparently recorded in 1995, but sound fresh, and these were certainly no throw away tracks. For my first Cold World record, I'm impressed, and it won't be the last for sure.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed/ Total Fucking Destruction
First of all, this cover art is fucking awesome. Florian does it again with some 80's skateboard style art. It's almost worth getting for the cover art. This is my first exposure to either band, and both are 2 piece grindcore bands. Agoraphobic Nosebleed are my favorite of the 2, and there's good amount of songs on their side. Total Fucking Destruction is a little weird, there's some electronic drum noise and then an Expoited cover. Kinda funny, but probably wouldn't track down anything else by them. ANB though, I would be interested in hearing more.

Confines- Withdrawn
Boston, Mass must really be the rippinest town. Seems like evey month there's a killer new release from there. This band contains half of Failures on different instruments, as well as members of other notable Beantown bands. The music is heavily later-era Black Flag influenced, while remaining somewhat more mid-paced. The 7" isn't as fast as their demo, but they do re-record my favorite song from the demo, "Downward Harmonization." The record also has a real cool 3-panel cover.

Seein Red- s/t
Seein Red have been at it for a while, 20 years in fact. To honor that, they did an all covers 7", where they pay tribute to some of their favorite Dutch bands. I'm not familiar with the majority of these bands, so I can't say how faithful to the originals they are. I actually didn't realize it was a covers 7" when I got it, but will probably check some of these bands out.

Poison Planet- Undermine
Poison Planet's gone through some changes since their last record, most notably the entire lineup aside from the singer is different. PxP 2010 now contains ex-members of Boiling Over and Cold Shoulder, as well as current members of Raw Nerve, RazorXFade and Skrapyard. I think a lot of Poison Planet's strength lied in Kyle's guitar tone and style of sloppy/technical. The new songs are good, but lack some of that older style. You get 3 new songs, a re-recorded demo song, and a DYS cover (best/only good song off Fire & Ice). Artwork looks like a crust record, but this is some old fashioned HC here. Some may say they should have changed the name, but it's a good record regardless if it sounds different.

Free Spirit- Free Yourself
I absolutely loved their demo, so I was very excited to get their 7". First of all, I HATE the cover artwork and labels. The music is heavily influenced by bands like Straight Ahead and early SOIA, so why not make the cover art look like an 80's NYHC record? Anyway, I have a huge soft spot for those 80's NY bands, so the music is way up my alley. The vocals have a distortion on them, which works for some bands, but I think takes a little getting used to on this record. Despite being on Lockin Out, this record is pretty punk sounding, hopefully they don't take a year to do the next record. Includes a digital download.

Teargas- s/t
I heard this at someone we stayed with's house in Austria. Man this thing is killer! Very Japanese sounding HC, something like Death Side. The record comes from Australia, but I'm not sure if the band does as well. Either way, you get 4 raw bursts of noisy fast hardcore. I got mine through Havoc, which seems to be the only US distributor. GET IT!

Love Potion- Ejaculator
Man this is a case of don't judge a book by its cover if I ever saw one. The cover is a pink old timey looking painting of a kid eating soup, but it's colored white...terrible. However, the music on here is brutal Japanese influenced hardcore that're heavy and fast as fuck. It reminds me a lot of Severed Head of State or World Burns to Death (when both bands were at their peak). With a record called "Ejaculator," you can be sure they're not all serious, but this record seriously rules. This came out last year, but you can probably still find it. They have a new record out, which I need.

Perdition- s/t
Perdition is a band from NYC, which plays a very raw style of punk rock. I would say it's more in a Finnish style, but maybe with some Discharge heavily in the mix. This style is generally very loose, but I feel like on a record should be more tight. This is very good, but could be better. Great live band for sure though.

Sotatila- Viukis Meni
This band consists of 3/4 of Ruidosa Inmundicia, and the drummer of Riistetyt on vocals, and play a Finnish style HC. I really didn't know what to expect before getting this, but this fucking floored me. They play fast as hell crust influenced HC, but therezks some more mid-paced songs thrown in th balance things out. I've honestly listened to this record more than any other this month. Total sleeper hit. You know Havoc's just been doing reissues for the past few years, that when they release a new band, it's gotta be good. They have an earlier 7" out that I need to track down.

12":

Chronic Sick- Cutest Band in Hardcore EP
Fucking finally! I didn't think I'd see the day that this LP got reissued. Chronic Sick is one of my absolute favorites from my home state on NJ. Some of their songs, particularly "There Goes the Neighborhood," are pretty offensive. I was real glad that there's a lyric sheet in here, as well as a poster collage. Musically it really stands on its own, maybe slightly similar to other NJ Mutha abnds like the Worst. There's some 70's rock guitar leads, which I think at the time were considered metal, but by today's standards still punk sounding. There's seriously so many good songs on here, all killer, no filler for sure. I love that No Way did these as an LP and a 7", like the originals, though both are essential.

Meatlocker- s/t
I don't know how this happened, but this band boasts the singer of Voorhees and the drummer of Extortion. I would assume it's a side project since the UK and Australia aren't exactly close by each other. From the member's other bands, you can assume it's not going to be something weak. What you get is some more straight forward Negative Approach-esque hardcore. I would expect somethign just straight forward fast HC, but it has some mid paced breaks in there too. I had been looking for this in the States for a while with no luck, so you may need to get it from someone in Europe, but it's worth it.

Short Fuse- Burnout
I saw this band in Germany and Poland while on tour, and they were one of my favorites for sure. They really reminded me a lot of 86 Mentality, which is obviously a good thing. I know they have a bunch of other records out, but this is their most recent LP, and it's killer. The cover art is real minimal, and so is the music. Basic by the numbers burly, no frills HC/Punk. Will be looking for their other records now for sure.

Taste of Fear- s/t
Taste of Fear was Daryl from Citizens Arrest's band after CXA broke up. If you're familiar with CA's Colossus album, it's similar to that. More dark, heavy and metallic, while still having some of that CA intensity. This abnd definitely gets overlooked, but it's damn good. Interestingly, the record says it was supposed to be released in the early 2000's, but was delayed for legal reasons. There's a story to be told there...

Draize- s/t
Draize has been around for a few years, but were pretty quiet last year. After 2 demo tapes and a member change, they've come out with this monstrous LP. While the cover art looks more like a modern Youth Attack release, the music is a throwback to the 90's. Mixing the heavier Cleveland sound of bands like Integrity/Ringworm with the 90's power-violence bands like Dropdead and Crossed Out. I think in the past I've called them a crusty version of Left For Dead. The lyrics are more punk, and I can see them fitting on a show with Tragedy, as well as a show with Pulling Teeth. Definitely check this out if you're into heavier HC.

Direct Control- Bucktown Hardcore
This compiles basically everything that DC recorded that didn't make its way to vinyl yet. On the A side, you get their incredible demo. The majority of the songs from the demo made their way to their first LP, while others were on the Nuclear Tomorrow 7". The B-side has various comp and demo songs. The coolest is the "War All the Time" demo, which was DC's name early on. The DC demo was actually supposed to be for a WATT split LP. While a lot of songs repeat, and are on other releases, this is perfect for the die hard completists. Also, the A side demo is a perfect introduction to this awesome band. Rad splattered colored vinyl too.

V/A- Welcome to 1984
They don't call it a classic HC comp for nothing. This is a repress that Maximum Rock N Roll recently released, of an international HC comp they compiled in the early 80's. A lot of these songs were re-recorded or released on other classic records, while some bands faded into obscurity. Back in the days before the internet, the best way to find out about bands outside of your scene was the compilation, which sadly no longer is the case. Some of my favorites are Raw Power, BGK, NOTA, Stalin, Upright Citizens and Ohlo Seco. Similar to the old P.E.A.C.E. comp, it's an awesome look at the international HC scene of the early 80's.

Demo/Tapes:
Boston Strangler (pro-tape)
After hearing about this band for about a year, it was nice to finally hear this band. Fuck, was the wait ever worth it. This is some straight up early 80's Boston style HC worship. I can't think of any other band that reminds me of Impact Unit more (in a good way), with a little SSD, DYS and Deathwish in the mix. Some of these songs are just perfect, especially "If I was You," "Outcast," and "The Truth." If you think this isn't the best demo of 2010, you're just straight up wrong. I hear they just recorded a 7", which I will be eagerly awaiting.

Green Beret (pro-tape)
Green Beret is a new band from Boston with members of Social Circkle, but playing more Totalitar style. The music has a definite early Discharge, kind of mid-paced d-beat feel to it. It's real fucking good. The art is a real cool screen print and stamped cover as well. I hope they all wear berets when they play, it'd be a good look for sure.

Sick Sensation/ Stripmines/ Devour/ Coke Bust (pro-tape)
This is a cool release, it's basically like being at a show that happened in Raleigh back in May (which I happened to be at). Instead of just picking and choosing a few songs from each band, you get each band's whole set. There's a LOT of music on here, man. First up is Sic Sensation, which was actually their first show. Not a bad set, kinda early 80's influenced hardcore, but nothing that really stands out. Not sure if they're still together, but they had the drummer of Logic Problem. Stripmines sis definitely a band to keep an eye on for sure. Their demo was ok, but the few times Is aw them live they destroyed. This set was one of those times. Fuck, their 7" on Sorry State will be out literally any day now, and it will be mandatory. They play a fast Japanese meets USA style of raging fast HC/Punk. This was Devour's record release show for their "Insect Circuitry" 7" (which I still highly recommend), so they played that whole EP, and a few songs from the LP. The power kept going out during their set, which is why there's some weird breaks where people yell. This band rules, and is very underrated. Last up was Coke Bust, who played 2 new songs that were later recorded for "Degradation." They played real good at this show, and end their set with a cover of "Serve and Protect" by Citizens Arrest (with vocals by yours truly). Overall the sound quality is about bootleg quality, with one mic capturing it all, but not too bad. If they had set up a bunch of mics to record alive album, the quality would have been better. The tape also has no info or set lists from each band, which I would have liked. It's a real cool release though, and proves that the Raleigh, NC hardcore scene is better than your crappy scene.

Cyborg (tape)
Cyborg is a new band with a member of Weekend Nachos from Chicago. Similar to WN, they play blazingly fast. The music is a bit more similar to Hellnation, and is recorded a lot more raw. While there's some spots where it's not as tight, with some time I think this could be a fucking killer band. There were 100 tapes, all with a different cover. Mine has Steve Buscemi on it, which is perfect. The sound quality on the demo was fucking terrible, and I couldn't even listen to it, but I had the mp3s, so I'm basing it off that.

zines:
Counterfeit Garbage #4
Counterfeit Garbage is probably my new favorite zine. They pull no punches when it comes to reviews and rants, and I like that. I really liked the Waste Magement interview, but I'm not into Fucked Up (sorry Matt), and never heard Nukehammer. Some great reads here, I think Matt went our of his way to burn his bridges before moving the China, so the hate meter is way high on here.

Milkshake Fanzine #4
We had copies of this zine on tour, and sold them all within a week (mostly in the UK). It's a great, real thick zine from Belgium. This issue however mainly focuses on the Washington DC HC scene, along with interviews with Rival Mob and No Tolerance from a show they played in DC this year. This thing is huge, and full of cool photos and interviews. I can be seen singing along to No Tolerance. This thing is thick, and well written, definitely try to find a copy.

Not Of This World #1
This zine is a real cool 1/2 sized zine w/ interviews with Omegas, Free Spirit, Sex/Vid and some others. My main complaint is that the interviews are kinda old, while still good, talk mostly about things that happened already. There are some cool illustrations/cartoons of some classic HC covers and photos to break up the pages. Most notable is a 3 page in-depth track for track review of the NY Wolfpack LP. I love that LP, even have a "Pack of One" tattoo. Only a few pages of reviews too, but I hope issue 2 will happen for sure.

Ack Ack Ack #2
This is a photography zine, based out of CA. The photos are from over the past 5 or so years ago. While most are older, the awesome quality and awesome bands make up for it. There's a real life to all of these pictures, capturing a moment in time. It's awesome to see bands like Cut The Shit, Tear It Up and the Rites- all favorites of mine from the early 2000's. Very light on the text; it might have been nice to have a little story about each show, but the photography is the main purpose.

Localized Noise #1
Localized Nose is a new project by Nick, who does Play it Loud blog. Each issue will focus on a particular scene, this first one being Chicago. Seeing as Nick is from NJ, but chooses to focus on Chicago maybe just shows that all the shit I talk on NJ is justified. You get interviews with Weekend Nachos, Raw Nerve, Poison Planet and Iron Rain. While all bands play different styles, they all come from the same area, which links them all together. The zine is well written, though some of the questions int he interview are the same. I would have liked to see a scene report, like the ones in MRR. Something with a list of bands, venues, records stores, show contacts, etc would be a good addition for future issues. The zine ends with 2 pages of short reviews. Pretty good for a first attempt. Also, check the photo of me in the PxP interview from when I filled in on tour.

Stuff I Got In The Mail

2010-12-07T21:24:00.002-05:00

Since I love the internet, I've decided to make a Tumblr page. Inspired by what seems to be a thread on every message board that I post on, I decided to make a blog dedicated to what I get in the mail. I'm into unusual stuff, so I tend to buy stuff via mailorder a lot. Most of what you will see is Hardcore/ Punk records and vinyl toys.
http://stuffigotinthemail.tumblr.com

Grenade art show + some more Kaiju Customs

2010-11-28T15:51:00.002-05:00

This grenade is for an art show at Finder's Creepers in IA, where every artist customizes a grenade in their own way called "Fire In The Hole!" I decides to paint mine like a clown, which I've decides to call "Rambozo the Clown." As usual, I painting the whole thing with spray paint, then added a black rub to get the darkness in the detail. While painting it, I had some issues with the paint flaking off, but I think I was able to conceal it a bit. I added the arms from a crappy old action figure, to give it a more ridiculous character look.

Because I'm such an exciting guy, I decided to spend my Saturday finishing up some other toys I started. First is yellow vinyl Blowfish by Brian Flynn/Super7. I wanted to try a new idea I had, where I cut out some circles with painter's tape and placed them inside. I then painted the inside blue, so that it would look green, and peeled off the tape circles, leaving clear yellow dots. It came out pretty cool, and looks real good when in some direct light. I also did a dry rub, but it was so round, that it's very subtle.

Next I painted a clear vinyl RealXHead Ashira, which is a version of the one eyed fortune cat that I love. I painted the inside light green, then taped off the robe and flower to spray paint pink. The black rub gives it a look of a weathered jade statue.

Lastly, I had this Chaos head from the Glyos Custom Corp for a while. The body it came on wasn't nearly badass enough for it, so I made this for him, but had it un-painted for months. Again, not badass enough. So in my painting last night, I decided to try a white rub, and added the detail to the glow pieces with a fine point paint marker. Finally, think he looks badass enough.

Mermaid painting for A Sailors Grave

2010-11-08T22:18:00.006-05:00

Here is my piece for the "A Sailor's Grave" art show @ the Sailor Jerry Store, opening Friday (11/12) at 8. I wanted to do something that had Sailor Jerry's simplistic detail, and used the traditional tattoo colors of black, green and red. I sketched out what I wanted to do, then broke out 3 stencils for each color. Rather than using solid colors, I went over areas, then added light sprays of black for shading. I think it has a lot more depth than my usual work. Once that was done, I went drew in the detail with a fine point paint marker. I'm extremely excited for this show, and I hope to see a lot of familiar faces at the opening.
FUN FACT: we originally wanted the show to be called "Booze, Broads, and Boats," but SJ decided to change it.

I couldn't be more excited about this, as Allyssa and I co-curated this show. Please come, drink some free rum and check out what I"m sure will be some amazing artwork!

UPDATE: Some photos from the opening can be found HERE.

Things I Learned in Europe

2010-11-05T09:08:00.013-04:00

Last month I accompanied Coke Bust on their first European tour. I had a great time, met a lot of cool people, went a lot of cool places. I kept a journal with me, and wrote about each day. Rather than bore you with a long Tour Diary post, here's a list of things I learned abroad.

-Europeans think I'm fat
-Coke Bust covering Youth of Today with me on vocals was better than the "real YOT" which toured Germany the month before
-Squats in Germany are better organized than some legit venues
-The food we got for free that people made for us at shows was better than the food we paid for in restaurants
-Poland is 10% on fire at all times
-Most stereotypes I had of Europeans were all absolutely true
-Hostels aren't as creepy as I assumed they would be, and were actually quite pleasant
-European punks take things more seriously, and there are a lot more older people at shows there.
-The ban we have on indoor smoking in the USA is a good idea
-British people have a real snarky attitude, which rules
-Breakfast of bread and various spreads is common
-Soda tastes way better there, since they use sugar instead of corn syrup.
-Jubert can lose all of his clothes, and come home with nicer ones for free
-In Poland, prostitutes hang out in the woods wearing coats in the afternoon
-The hookers in the Red Light District are mediocre looking at best
-Sheep are more common than trees in the UK
-Pizza in northern/ eastern Europe is terrible (corn? really?)
-Nico is the coolest guy in all of Europe
-Dierk has the coolest stuff in all of Europe
-The British really are into tea (with milk and sugar of course)
-"Brown Sauce" is a staple in a proper British breakfast; it goes well with beans on toast.
-If regular haggis is as good as vegan haggis, I wanna try it
-Belgians will make you waffles if you ask nicely
-There aren't many skin byrds in the UK
-Don't brag about you encounter with a skin byrd on Facebook, it makes your girlfriend very mad.
-Coke Bust severely overestimated the European straight edge scene from a t-shirt sales perspective.
-Jubert loves soda, and gets real sassy after 2
-Germans love to play kicker (fooseball) at shows
-The phrase "Good Night White Pride" can be funny when said like "Good Night John Boy"
-Some European urinals are like a horse trough
-Some European toilets have the "poo shelf" which keeps the poo out of water, and keeps it stinky. Not backed
-Burritos in Germany are just as bad as you'd assume they'd be
-German rest stops expect you to pay .70 Euro to use the toilet, but you can pee outside for free
-It's way easier to steal stuff in Europe
-UK showers have no water pressure
-Fish and Chips tastes just like I assumed it would: greasy and delicious
-Donner kabob (sort of like a gyro in the US) is pretty damn tasty
-Schnitzel is pretty damn shitty
-Robert Refuse is the Nick Baran of Europe
-Europe has a much better selection of bootleg LPs
-The landscape of most of Europe looks like northern Pennsylvania
-The Czech Republic has a tourist trap rest area similar to South of the Border
-The Anti-Fascista movement is 90% stickers
-Eastern Europe really over compensates for the whole nazi thing
-There are 5 black people in all of Europe, which makes the white pride movement even more ridiculous
-Top 3 bands we played with: Ruidosa Inmundicia, Sick Fuckin-O, Short Fuse
-Top 3 songs of tour: "Bed Intruder Song," "Ba Ba Americano," "Teenage Dream"
-Nico used to mosh hard at shows, and earned the nickname "the Butcher" in the pit
-South Park is possibly the best American export
-Hearing English people talk with American accents is hilarious
-"Handy" and "Blowy" are (or at least should be) new British slang for sexual acts
-Nico is a better wingman than Nicktape
-Swedish people like to talk about how cold it is, or will get
-Most European shows take place in bars, or places with bars, which maybe gives the sXe stance more meaningful there
-Bands get paid better, and treated nicer in Europe than America
-Punks carry tote bags to shows for their records; I support this
-Vita Cola is the best soda in Europe, followed closely by Mezzo Mix. Both are orange flavored cola
-Sleeping on a tile kitchen floor is just as uncomfortable as you would think
-Chris at all times travels with at least 4 layers of clothing
-There are no fat people in Amsterdam
-Most of Amsterdam travels by bicycle, including women in short skirts. BACKED
-Seeing Coke Bust 21 days in a row didn't get boring
-Germans love David Hasselhoff

Krazy Kaiju Kustoms

2010-10-06T02:15:00.000-04:00

I had gotten these 2 RealXHead unpainted clear pieces (Mini Hone Borg and Mini Ichibonboshi Ryusei Ninja)way back last December when Super7 had a big sale. They sat unpainted for a while, then I did my usual spray painted detail, and paintign the inside of the clear figure. It came out ok (see below), but was lacking something. So they sat in my basement for a few months until recently. I decided to be bold and try a black rub technique. Basically what I did was painted the area with black paint, then rub the surface lightly with a paper towel. This leaves paint in the detail, and adds depth to the paint. I really liked the way these came out, and the technique saved some otherwise mediocre custom paint jobs.

Next we have a clear Mini Borugogon by Monstock. I painted the inside with acrylic craft paint to resemble one of the old McDonalds Fry Guys from the old 80's commercials. The piece has a ridiculously detailed texture, which was perfect to do the black wash. The toy had 2 red eyes, which fit perfectly in the divots, but I thought some old school googley eyes would be more fun.

Record Reviews (late summer/ early fall 2010)

2010-10-05T19:37:00.001-04:00

Hello loyal reader (I mean that in a singular tense, since I assume only one person tops reads this blog), I did another massive reviews post of some of the end of summer records I got. I generally don't get free records to review, but this time around I'm psyched that I got a bunch of cool free records from Mad World, Black America, Chainsaw To The Face/Backslider and Half The Battle. If you like my short 3-4 sentence profanity laced reviews, get in touch and I'll review your crummy band.
7":

The Rival Mob- Hardcore For Hardcore
A much anticipated follow up to their "Raw Life" LP, which was awesome. This record is a little different, maybe a little more HC and less punk. Lots of divebombs into breakdowns, which there's absolutely nothing wrong with. Best lyrics of this release are "Nobody loves you, you've got the HIV, I don't care." Fuck. The cover art is a ridiculous painting of tigers attacking dudes on horses. The Rival Mob lives up to their current hype, god bless em. Includes a digital download.

Antidote- Thou Shall Not Kill
This here's a no-brainer. "Thou Shall not Kill" is easily one of the top 5 hardcore 7"s of all time. For those un-educated, Antidode was a NY HC band in a time before tough guy HC was considered the NY sound. Bands like Antidote, Urban Waste and the Abused were playing HC similar to the DC bands, but faster and angrier. Antidote's 7" always had a real clear recording quality, and the vocals are more screamed than grunted. Fuck, I already owned 2 bootlegs of this, but I said if B9 reissues this on green, I'm buyin' it! They did. Seriously, not a single lame song. "Foreign Job Lot" seriously has my favorite breakdown of all time, plus PC assholes find it offensive. "Something Must be Done," fuck, if a band covers this you're moshing. The sound quality is excellent as well compared to the shitty bootlegs or mp3 rips. The layout is an exact reproduction, and there's even a little background story by the guitarist. Essential hardcore for sure! Includes a digital download.

Knife Fight- Isolated
Knife Fight returns from the dead with a new record. I thought their last LP, "Crisis" was kind of a let down, so I was a bit apprehensive about this. It's definitely way better, and faster. Sound wise fits between their 2nd 7" and the faster LP songs. The lyrics are definitely a lot more dark. The cover art becomes a crazy 6 panel full color poster, which is cool, but too bright to fit the music and the bleak lyrics. Not bad, but I still prefer their early 7"s.Includes a digital download.

Knife Fight- Demo 2002
This was a limited re-press of Knife Fight's old demo, which I LOVED. These sold out pretty fast since there was under 200 of these bad boys for sale with "Islolated." I remember when this was originally released, and was real psyched on this band. Sorry to taunt you by talking about how good this record is, and you'll never get a copy. Go download it or something, because this was a killer demo of Negative Approach/FX sounding HC.

Vaccine- Human Hatred
Fuck "Human hatred is right, the hate just oozes through the grooves of this record. It's fast as hell, and over before you get a chance to catch your breath. Musically it is similar to fast as hell bands like Crossed Out, but with pissed off angry straight edge lyrics. I'm into it, and you should definitely be into it. Highly recommended!
Includes a digital download.

Cülo- Nuke Abuse
All I know about Culo is that they're from Chicago, and that "culo" is Spanish for butt. If this record sucked, I could easily say it "sounds like culo." Luckily for the sake of comedy it doesn't. On the contrary, it's quite good good fast thrashy 80's sounding hardcore. The music and art remind me of Direct Control, which is obviously a-ok in my book. I was definitely pleasantly surprised by this record, definitely give it a spin. Their next 7" will be on Deranged if that's a selling point for you.

Night Birds- s/t
Night Birds are from my home state of NJ, who features members of the Ergs, For Science and Hunchback (also 1/2 of SNAKEBiTE). Somewhat of a NJ pop-punk super group, though playing music more akin to Agent Orange, Angry Samoans, Adolescents, etc... The first song, "Prognosis: Negative" starts off w/ a real surfy guitar, and has a pretty good hook (also an obscure Seinfeld reference). The guitar and bass really know how to shred, which keeps things interesting throughout. The B-side has a pretty boring song and an instrumental. It kinda ends on a bad note, but I think the A side hits at some potential for this band. Overall, it comes off as a badass Dirtnap release, but a tame Grave Mistake release. Includes a digital download.

Bad American- s/t
Bad American is a new band from PA, with members of Carpenter Ant and Rancor. I was pretty psyched to check this out, since PA hasn't been cranking out too many quality bands lately. Their sound is somewhere between Wasted Time and the Rival Mob. It straddles the heavy punk with some mosh parts thrown in for good measure. One of the songs seems very close to a Verbal Abuse song, but hey- that's a good band to steal a riff from (ask Acid Reflux). This record is probably the best record to come out of PA in quite some time; I'd like to see them live some time soon.

Libyans- Paralyzed
This was a teaser release before their LP came out. It has my favorite song from the LP, "Paralyzed" and "Keep Waiting" which is exclusive to this release. The cover is a see through envelope, and the lyrics are etched on the B-side. Overall a cool looking record as well as a good sounding one. Now that the LP is out, these may be harder to come by, but if you do, check it out.

Mad World- s/t
I got this record without knowing much about the band, but this is awesome. My first thought based on the name Mad World is that they probably really like Corrosion of Conformity. While I get a slight COC vibe, it's not Animosity, but more an Eye For An Eye sound. It's fast when it needs to be fast, and slow when it needs to be slow. With a name like Mad World, you'd hope it's super pissed off sounding too, which they also deliver on. Kangaroo Records has a good reputation for putting out quality records, and this is no exception. Hope to be hearing more from these guys for sure.

Chainsaw To The Face- s/t
CTTF have been a band for a while, and somehow this is their first (and last?) solo release (aside from demos). CTTF play a crazy mix of powerviolence/grind that stays away from metallic sounding crap. The artwork/ layout is very dark, which fits the music/lyrics. This record I would say is the best possible end for the band, if you have any of their other records then this won't disappoint.

Government Flu- Demo 2008
Government Flu is another band I know nothing about, but I traded the label for a copy and it rules. For a demo 7", the quality is really good. Musically they remind me of Anti You, in that it's kinda an early 80's punk sounding, mixed with early 2000's thrash bands. Real good cover art as well, definitely gonna track done some more records by this band.

Sorry Excuse- Listen With Prejudice
The latest midwest HC sXe band to release some vinyl. On a side note, the midwest seems to be a hot bed of some raging HC and is definitely an area to keep an eye on. Sorry Excuse are no slouch for sure, they play fast angry sXe. Their singer has a real awesome brutal voice, where he could easily sing for an Integrity worship band, but this shit's much better. I have the tour press, but already they win the award for most X's on a record cover.

Boilerman- s/t
After a demo earlier this year, Boilerman made the jump to wax before their summer tour. Continues with their brand of pop-punk that's got a real No idea Records sound to it. It's got that borderline folky vibe, but stays pretty punk in a Dillenger Four kind of way. I could easily see this band playing the Fest in Gainsville. Great band to keep an eye on for sure.

HRT- Confrontation
I was familiar with HRT from the South Will Rise Again comp on Cowabunga Records. The song was real good, but I never heard anything else from the band. I guess the track was from this 7" session, which went un-released for a few years. Then a label in France, of all places, decided to release it as a 1 sided 7". Musically it fits with the vibrant VA scene of a few years ago, mostly Socialcide. A pretty cool record, don't know if the band is still together though.

Lackey Die- s/t
This is a pretty cool reissue of a band from VA's 2 demos from the early 80's. The A side is simialr to other VA bands from the area like Graven Image, God's Will or Honor Role. The B side reminds me of the NJ band Detention, in that it's a bit more quirky. The cover art is screen printed, and compliments the music well. This one's for the HC historians, and a cool document of a long forgotten band.

Chainsaw to the Face/ Backslider
This is possibly the fastest record I've gotten recently. Chainsaw to the Face in my book is the most underrated band in NJ. Their new stuff is faster than ever, bordering on possibly too fast (if that's possible). They're definitely more on the grid side than the power violence influenced side of things. It's really good, and I'm glad they have a bass player now. Backslider has improved by leaps and bounds since their demo. Their playing has gotten a lot tighter, and Logan must have finally hit puberty because the vocals are a lot more deep. Much like CTTF, Backslider plays fast HC somewhere between grind and power violence. Each band crams 10 songs on their side, so you're really getting your fastcore money's worth here.

LP:

Double Negative- Daydreamnation
After recording the damn record 3 times, DN's sophomore LP finally is out. Expectations were certainly high on this one for sure. I had seen them a few times, so I kinda knew what the new stuff was going to sound like. They've definitely gone into a more weird direction, than some of the straight HC of their first LP. Mainly the guitar is all over the place, which leaves the bass and drums to hold things together. The vocals are a little low in the mix, but it still sounds good. I think fans of bands like Pollution and some of the "mysterious guy HC" bands will be way into this. It's good, but I think I preferred their first LP a bit more. The overall package is awesome though, with the pink mirrored embossed cover. Includes a digital download.

Libyans- A Common Place
Libyans's second 12" takes a turn for the more poppy side that they hinted at in the past. Compared to their demo, this is a big departure, but the band had been slowly building into this direction. There's a definite power pop sound, while still staying on the hc/punk side of the spectrum. Some of these songs will definitely get stuck in your head, but I do miss the fast stuff. Includes a digital download.

C.I.A.- God, Guts, Guns, & More
CIA was a band from CT in the 80's. Some of these guys went on to later form 76% Uncertain, but I like CIA a lot better. This LP combines their 7", comp tracks and demo on an LP. I always liked this band from the old mp3s I had, but never heard the non-7" tracks. I will say the 7" is the best, but the other stuff rounds out the discography well. Awesome that this band got the re-press treatment, as I always thought they were underrated. Check it our for sure.

Raw Nerve- s/t
I really liked Raw Nerve's demo and 7", but was a bit skeptical with the band doing a release on Youth Attack. I generally hate the whole YA mystique of black artsy layout, and overpriced records. Unfortunately this is no exception to that, and the record cost me $16 and really doesn't seem like anything more special than any other record. It comes w/ a poster, which is just a photograph that doesn't even say the band name on it. Musically, the A side is pretty damn good fast HC, but with a lot of reverb, but overall sounds a bit muddy. The B-side however is a lot of noise and jibberish, and honestly doesn't even warrant a second listening. If this record was a 7", I think it'd make a lot more sense. I feel like this band would be good live, but they need to cut the artsy BS and just release a regular fucking HC record.
*EDIT: it was brought to my attention that the noise track is the "C Side." I guess there's some sort of double side on the back. Either way, fuck them for doing that too.*

Insubordinates- s/t
Holy crap, if this isn't the best LP of 2010 I'll be shocked. The Insubordinates have a sound that's similar to Agent Orange, the Adolescents and other KBD bands from the early 80's. They released a really cool 2 song single last year. The LP starts off with an instrumental, which I think makes a lot of sense on an LP (as opposed to an EP). The songs w/ vocals are a lot better, and vary in pace from mid to fast, to slow. The songs have some real hooks, and is complimented by the fact that all of the members really can play. There's some great guitar leads/solos as well as complex bass lines. Some of the songs even feature saxophone parts. The record ends with "Rockin' Rochester USA," which is more or less a Jerry Lee Lewis- style rock and roll song. For a band who lives nowhere near a shore, they really pull off the surf influenced punk sound well. It's just as much a hc/punk record as it is a straight old style rock n roll record, right down to the simplistic layout.

Half the Battle- What We Have
HTB is a band from the Philippines, who has a sort of modern youth crew sound. I know nothing about the scene there, so I'm not sure if this style is typical or not for that area. I can probably guarantee that this is the only band from the Philippines in my collection. The band actually features an American singer, so the songs are in English with good grammar (as opposed to many foreign bands that sing in English). It kind of reminds me of early Bane or Champion, and there's even a Rancor cover (yea, really). Overall the playing could be a bit tighter, but it's pretty cool. The art features a bunch of anime kids beating up a robot. Maybe the robot was a drug dealer, either way robots are cool.

Cobra- Hits, Rarities and More
Cobra is an Oi band from Japan, with some heavy british punk influence. Some of the other stuff I'd heard was almost bordering on new wave, but stayed in the Oi genre. This collection however must be from their later period, because it's way more new wave sounding. I'm not really into it. Someone needs to reissue/bootleg "Oi Oi Oi," because that LP rules.

The Comes- No Outsider
This is a bootleg of their classic "No Side" LP along with their songs from the Outsider comp. The Comes were a Japanese hardcore band that played blisteringly fast with a female vocalist. None of the songs are in English, but it doesn't matter because the riffage was top notch. They seriously had some great music here. I would compare more to a mix of the Stalin and Gauze. If you're down with the Japanese stuff, and haven't heard this, you owe it to yourself to get it. If you've already listened to the mp3s of this a million times, the LP is an extremely good quality, and worth actually owning.

CD:

Black America- The Process of Bitching Out
I got this CDr from the band, and was really surprised at how good it was. They said it was basically a free download/ free CDr give away release. The quality though is good enough to be put to wax, and it's not their demo. Musically it kind of reminds me of Warkrime in it's offensive nature, but being able to back it up w/ good music. They have a sort of RKL vibe. Apparently they're doing a new 7" soon, hopefully that gets the proper treatment. Go to the band's Myspace page and download it for yourself.

Demo/Tape:
Rations- Anger and Disgust (pro-tape)
Rations is a new 5-piece (not 4 like the cover says) DC sXe band with members of Coke Bust, Sick Fix, Time to Escape, among others. This band however is not as fast as those bands, and has a heavy quality. Not heavy like Trapped Under Ice, more heavy like Feel The Darkness-era Poison Idea. Really good demo here, I just wish it came with some lyrics.

Night Prowler- Crime Wave (tape)
I bought this on a whim after it was described as a mix between 86 Mentality and Wasted Time. I hear that, but there's a heavy early 80's Boston sound to it, and some songs remind me of Last Rights and Negative Approach. If you're gonna bite riffs from any band, those are good ones to do it from. I listened to this demo a lot, and really want to see more from this band. The layout is nice and clean, and made to look like old cassettes w/ the LP artwork.

Noose (tape)
Noose is the newest sXe band from Chicago with ex-members of Poison Planet and Boiling Over (current members of Duress and Boilerman). Musically it leans more towards Poison Planet, which makes sense since Kyle wrote all the music on the demo and 7". It also has a somewhat harder edge like Judge or Confront, but still on the punk side. They lyrics are angry and hate-filled, just like I like it. I don't know what's in the water in Chicago, but their scene's been consistently churning out awesome bands.

Last Laugh (CD-R)
So when I got this CDr it wouldn't play in my CD player. Tried it in a few different ones, and nope wouldn't work. So I went against my own policy and found the mp3s, so I' reviewing them basically. The artwork looks dark, and the music is like Tear It Up ran through some crusty kinda filter. I think the band features some members of Criminal Intent from Nova Scotia as well. This demo is damn good, but you guys owe me $2 for that blank CD you sold me.

Why Didn't KISS Have a Video Game?

2010-09-18T01:55:00.009-04:00

Seriously, KISS whored out their name to anything, why not a video game? I decided to make the universe right again by making a KISS video game cartridge. I illustrated an Atari looking KISS logo and portrait of Gene Simmons, then glued it to the cartridge. I also thought if KISS did have a game, it may as well be silver (kinda like Legend of Zelda was gold). The screen image was re-drawn based on the Journey game (which for some reason exists).
This was supposed to be for the Game Core Con- Art on Atari Cartridges show, but my work schedule did not allow me to get it done in time. =(

UPDATE: This piece was also featured on ALBOTAS.

Turning Japanese art show

2010-08-03T00:00:00.007-04:00

Here is my piece for the Autumn Society's Turning Japanese art show. My piece is entitled BP Hedorah, and is based on a Godzilla villain. The Godzilla movies, aside from being goofy, usually had some sort of political statement. Since Hedorah was a living pollution monster, I decided to dedicate this one to BP. Thanks for ruining the Gulf, jerks!
This was done with spray paint, using stencils and masks to give it a kaiju toy style look.
More info on FACEBOOK

Record Reviews (late spring/early summer 2010)

2010-07-12T15:15:00.002-04:00

This reviews post was another one months in the waiting. Busy with some art shows, as you can see from my blog. I also started a label, and have subsequently started a distro. That means large amounts of records coming to my doorstep. Like delivering drugs to an addict I say... Also, I apologize for the large amount of Extortion and Pollution reviews. Both bands rule, fuck you.
There's also a large chunk of Rochester, NY bands reviewed here. My band, Wormeaters, recently went up there for a weekend tour, and that places rules. It's like someone transported the early 80's California scene to upstate NY in 2010. Lots of young kids circle pitting, and some real good bands.

7":

Extortion- s/t
I had heard good things about Extortion for a while, but hadn't checked em out until now. Now I feel stupid, because this rules. This is a re-press of their first record, and what you get is traditional power violence hardcore. Their sound is like No Comment meets Lack of Interest, and doesn't fall into the grindcore or metal trappings that most bands playing this revival fall into. I literally went to Deep Six's webstore and ordered everything I could by this band recently, it's that good.

INJ/SYS [Injustice System]- Spoken Word
I loved Injustice System's demo, and this 7" picks up right where it left off. Their music is heavily influenced by the early 80's NYHC bands, they even cover Antidote and The Abused on this. The song are fast and to the point, with a cool screen printed cover with Pettibon inspired artwork. Great debut 7"! Look for a split 7" w/ my band Bloodtype to be out very soon.

Born Bad- Tie One On
Born Bad is one of those bands I thought was good, but kind of fell short on their recordings. This record is the vinyl pressing of their demo, and it's killer. I think the raw recording really highlights their sound. I like this way more than their other 2 7"s, so hopefully their new material is recorded like this.

Low Threat Profile- s/t
The word supergroup doesn't get thrown around in hardcore a lot, but what else would you call a band comprised of members of Infest, No Comment and Lack of Interest? It's really the best sum of all parts, just fast fucking hardcore. This was recorded before 9/11, and for reason went unreleased for almost 10 years. I honestly couldn't recommend this high enough, if this had come out on time it'd already be a classic.

Devour- Insect Circuitry
I've been a big fan of Devour from the first second I heard their LP, and after going on tour w/ them I'm an even bigger fan now. Devour play a somewhat D-beat/ crust/ Japanese-influenced hardcore, but don't tread into the crappy stereotypes that genre produces. These new songs I feel like have a sort of Swedish/UK crust influence, or some early 80's metal influenced HC. Either way it fucking rules. The A side has 2 kinda slower tracks, where Side B is a full scale HC assault. "Laugh Track" is such a good song, that I usually listen to the B side first.

Manipulation- s/t
Their demo was a killer, so buying this 7" was a no brainer. The sound is even more raw and distorted on this, which I was pleasantly surprised. Their sound has a Japanese quality to its delivery, but the songs give me an early Dicharge vibe. They re-record "secrets" and "choking man" from the demo, but with more ferocity. It even looks cool, with a white ink on black paper silkscreen. Don't be stupid, get this!

Talk is Poison- Rage to Infinity
Talk is Poison is one of my favorite late 90's hardcore bands, and I heard they played some shows recently. It wasn't until after Chaos in Tejas Fest that I found out that they recorded and released a new 7", so i scrambled to find a copy. The music unfortunately doesn't live up to the high standard that TIP set for themselves. I think it's maybe not fast enough. It's still good, but doesn't really live up to the name. Maybe I'm being unfair, but if this was some new band I'd probably be into it, it just doesn't sound like the same old Talk Is Poison. The overall package is cool with a silk screened cover on a brown board.

Pollution- n.s. Drugs
Pollution return with a new 7", which picks up where their LP left off. The sound quality is very similar, and these songs are just as good. It's really hard for me to describe this band, it's got elements of hardcore, metal, alternative and god knows what else. The result is this heavy loud wall of sound. I would recommend this if you're new to the band, as an LP may be a bit much on first listen, and this will give you an idea of what you're in for. There's a cover of "Downer" by Lush if that means anything to you, I've never heard of em...

Insubordinates- 1968 b/w Rendezvous
The Insubordinates is a never band from Rochester, who play very Adolescents influenced punk. "1968" is real good, as is "Rendezvous" which is an instrumental. I don't know if it's a good idea to have your first release be a 2 song 7" w/ 1 of those songs being instrumental, but what do I know. Very cool vintage 45 single looking layout too. They have an LP that should be out any day now that's killer, definitely check that out as well as this.

Bad Taste- I Was a Teenage Jack the Ripper
I saw Bad Taste almost 2 years ago, and they were a scrappy young early 80's influenced HC/Punk band. They've since matured a bit, and are a little less raw, but still real good. Treading into a weird place, it's got a KBD HC sound. They also cover the old song "Summertime Blues," which is actually pretty cool. I saw them recently, and their new material is more like early Pissed Jeans. Make of that what you like.

Rational Animals- Distorted Temptation
Rational Animals play a style of HC similar to a lot of bands who worship later era Black Flag. If this was on Youth Attack, people would be going crazy for it, but it's way better than most of those bands. They really have their own sound, which is really cool. Just as good as their first 7", if not better. Awesome silkscreened covers with some great art by Scott Bentz.

Cannomen- Science Studies the Black Hole
This band features 3/4 ex-Life Trap members, but sounds nothing like that band. These guys are more melodic/ garagey punk. Similar in style to bands like Deep Sleep, it borders on pop-punk, but stays in a more 80's California sound. Not bad, cool layout- I like the triangle insert.

UX Vileheads- Catch 22
This is a new band with members of a lot of the cooler recent Swedish bands, but I'd say stand son its own. It's probably way faster than those other bands that the Umea scene is known for too. There's a melody hidden under some fast raw hardcore punk music, and some of these songs will get caught in your head. The guitar tone is also spot on, with a few well placed leads. Definitely worth checking out.

Extortion/ Septic Surge
My recent obsession w/ Extortion brought me to this split. The Extortion side opens up like a punch in the face. The first song is so ridiculously good, it barely even has a chorus and rages like hell for under a minute. Usually split bands use for throw away songs, this is certainly not the case. A side note, I threw this on at 33rpm at first, and it sounded hard as hell, like good era Integrity. Septic Surge sounds like Man Is The Bastard/ Bastard Noise, which isn't really my thing. Great artwork on both sides.

Capitalist Casualties/ Lack Of Interest
What year is it? Seriously, who'd have thought in 2010 we'd get new songs by both of these bands. Capitalist Casualties have always been a band I liked and owned many records of, but really kinda never stood out for some reason. These songs are good, but I was more interested in the LOI side. Lack Of Interest is kind of inconsistent, due to having different singers on their releases. This vocalist sounds like the same from their last LP, which is ok but not my favorite. The stuff on here is real good, but not "Trapped Inside" good. Both bands really do sound good, and for $8ppd you get this split 7" and Short Fast and Loud zine. Most 7"s with shipping will cost you close to $8 anyway, might as well get a cool zine with it.

LP:

Anti You- Two-Bit Schemes and Cold War Dreams
I liked Anti-You's previous releases, and even did a show for them on their US tour. If you didn't know any better, you'd think Anti You was from America, as their sound is heavily influences by early 80's US HC. This LP I like more than their last 7", and they really stepped it up a notch on this. They play super fast, but there's a hint of melody like early Circle Jerks. The LP art is done by the same artist who did their previous records, and I like the overall look of their records.

No Friends- Traditional Failures
This is No Friends' second record, but my first of theirs. If you don't know, they feature Tony of Municipal Waste on vocals. If you're a devout Waste fan, you'd probably not be into this though... unless you like pop-punk. No Friends play a style of melodic hardcore, very similar to Kid Dynamite. I could see this band going over big with the Gainesville Fest crowd, but feels kind of thin to me. Pretty solid for a side project though, and the layout is real cool.

Extortion- Loose Screws
This is Extortion's most recent release, which is obviously great. The recording quality is not as raw as their previous record, but somehow they make up for it by playing faster and tighter. They make the start and stop song structure seem easy, I don't know how they pull it off. This is basically an LP, it just happens to be a 10".

Pollution- ® SMUT
Pollution come back with a vengeance on this new LP. Their other 2 records were recorded a while back, and were originally just cassette tapes. It may seem like Pollution has been cranking out records lately, but it's just because people are starting to realize how good they are. This LP really showcases where the band's at now. Still fast, still raw, still noisy as hell. I get a slight Sonic Youth vibe in its overall noisiness, but mixed with a heavy dose of later era Black Flag still in the mix. You should probably get this too...

CD:

Hummingbird of Death- Show Us The Meaning OF Haste
The only other HOD record I had was their split w/ I Accuse, which I think may have been their first release. They've definitely come a long way since then, because this LP is really good. A lot of bands that play fastcore can't pull off a good LP, because their songs are so short. Hummingbird of Death proves me wrong with a mix of short blasts, and longer mid-paced dirges. Who would have thought this kind of music would come from Idaho? Cool tattoo flash looking cover art, but the rest of the layout is fairly standard.

HookHands- The Dead Hate The Living
Hookhands sent me this CD a while back, but I jsut got to it now (sorry dudes). The cover art looks like a kind of nu-metal band, but actually the music is a lot more like good 80's crossover thrash. You like Slayer and Exodus? Of course you do, then you should check this out. There's a lot of bands that play this style and make it a joke, but their lyrics are pretty cool. A lot of horror/gore influenced lyrics, which I'll take over pizza party BS any day. Some of the solos could be tighter on the metal side, but there's also a definite HC influence (as shown by the CroMags cover). I was definitely surprised by this.

Extortion- Degenerate
I never buy CDs, I like Extortion so much that I bought this. This was their first LP, and has a more raw quality. I like this a lot, and sounds very similar to approach on their first record. Have I mentioned how I love the art on all of their albums, it's violent and dark. There's bonus tracks on here, one being a song called "Forced Down Your Throat," which I was extremely bummed to find wasn't an SSD cover.

DEMO/TAPES:
The Rival Mob- Hardcore For Hardcore (tape)
This is basically a teaser for their new 7" "Hardcore For Hardcore," since both of their records are out of print. The title track is really good, typical RM style, which raises my hopes for their new 7". Next is a cover of "Positive Scene" by Crippled Youth. I've seen them do this live, and it's killer and way faster than the original. Next is kinda weird, a remix of "Mind Closed For Life" from the demo. It's the same recording, but with piano and horns overlayed in the mix. Cool, but strange. Finally a live cover of "Better Man" by Pearl Jam. What the fuck right? They nail it like any bar band would, playing it faithful to the original... go figure. There's also some funny samples between songs, which kinda showcases the band's sense of humor (if you've ever seen them live, you know what I mean).

Mob Mentality (pro-tape)
The cover has a skinhead looking dude stomping through a city with an American flag shirt, I'm sold already. Mob Mentality is from the DC area and plays a style of HC which is similar to early AF/WarZone, but with a bit of Side By Side. An overall good demo, though could be a little bit better. I heard they got a new singer and second guitarist recently, so maybe that will give it that extra punch.

Narcs (CDr)
The Narcs are another new Rochester band, who have an 80's punk influenced sound. Definitely have a snotty skate punk sound to them, but with more of an obscure Killed By Death band sound. The vocals are very distorted, but there's definitely some cool guitar and bass playing here. A record by these guys will no doubt be real good.

Pollution- 120608 (pro-tape)
The first side of this tape is from a live set in Brooklyn, which is a sampling of songs from their 1st LP and 7". The other side has a covers of Black Flag and Honor Role, both good. The live set is a decent recording, though a bit drum and bass heavy. Pollution super fans need this. The overall look of the tape is cool. It's a photocopied cover on this crazy shiny gold paper.

Omegas- Joyboymix (tape)
I ordered this from the band recently. It's got a few Omegas outtakes and a live set, and some other bands they're friends with or used to be in. There's 2 of their former bands' songs that later became Omegas songs, which is really cool. Another highlight are the songs by "Boner Hogan," which are songs that were used in porno movies apparently. Pretty ridiculous is an understatement. The inclusion of the "Hoagieman" song is even more ridiculous, and I'm sure anyone not from the PA/NJ area will have no clue what's going on. There's some cool songs on here, and some throwaways. The live set is real good- it opens up w/ an Offspring cover (seriously), and ends with an SSD cover and "Gimme Oblivion." I like that this tape is actually long, and while some songs I'd wanna skip it's overall real cool.

All Hands on Deck

2010-07-07T19:31:00.002-04:00

Here is my piece for the All Hands on Deck art show in Philadelphia. The show is sea themed, so I chose to do a shark stencil painting. It's 5 layers done with spray paint, which I named after the Shark Attack EP- "Blood in the Water." It will be displayed in a wooden frame, which I splattered with a little red paint.

In July 2010, in America's birthplace of Philadelphia, 30 emerging young artist of diverse skill sets have enlisted their services in riding the waves of discovery in effort to provide new additions of pictures to provide visual dialogs of mankind's fascination with the sea.
Opening reception:
Friday July 9th 2010 7:00 PM - 10:PM
Chapterhouse Cafe and Art Gallery
620 South 9th Street (between south and Bainbridge)
Phialdelphia, PA

http://www.myspace.com/chapterhouse
event on Facebook

80's Toys Art Show

2010-06-30T14:55:00.006-04:00

Here are my 2 pieces for the Autumn Society 80's Toys Art Show. The art show will go from July 2- Aug 4 @ Brave New Worlds in Philly. More info can be found on Facebook.

This painting is based off of the original crappily sculpted Stormtrooper action figure from the Star Wars line. I know the toy initially came out in 1977, but they re-packaged these through the 80's. Ever since I was 3, I was hooked on Star Wars, and after getting the Super Shogun Stormtooper recently, the old toys have been dancing though my head. It's a 2 color stencil, with the background made up of various colors of the black layer.

This second piece was kind of last minute. I had this weird long canvas, and had the idea to do a toy based off M.U.S.C.L.E., which were these crazy pink Japanese wrestling characters. This guy is Terry Bull, who if I recall was the leader of the bad guys. This was also done with spray paint and stencils.

FinnMunny for Munny Munth

2010-06-27T23:11:00.004-04:00

In honor of Munny Munth over at KidRobot, I decided to do a custom on their Trikky Mini-Munny platform. The design is based on Finn, the main character from Adventure Time. I sculpted the backpack out of a new sculpting compound called Zubber, which didn't work as good as I would have hoped. Still it was a fun little piece, and adds to my 2 other Adventure Time tributes HERE and HERE.
Vote for my Munny custom here! I'm not gonna win, but it literally takes 2 seconds to click "Like."

Zine Reviews!?

2010-06-20T22:48:00.002-04:00

When Duress came through town, I had a conversation with their singer Matt about zines. I had made a post and flyer saying that zines suck, and I think the zine scene has suffered greatly over the past 10 years. I still occasionally check out new ones, but was never compelled to review them. Here's a handful of zines I picked up so far this year.

Mindless Mutant: #5
Over the past few years, for my money, Mindless Mutant was the best fanzine. I believe this is the final issue, and it's just as good as the rest. Inside you get tour diaries from Born Bad and Harms Way as well as a farewell interview with Punch In The Face. There's also an in depth review of the last Repos show, as well as other show reviews. No record reviews this time, leave your house for a change. Great pictures, and great cut and paste layout.

Distort / Counterfeit Garbage
I've gotten split fanzines before, but this reads like a collaboration. The issue focuses on the best of the decade, which makes me think maybe the 00's weren't so bad after all (way better than the 90's). They cover shows, demos, EPs, LPs and some other odds and ends. This is real cool, and something for old farts like me to look back on a decade of HC. It also works for the young kids just getting into it, to use this as your bible and get hunting on some records you missed out on. I can't say I agree w/ everything, but I all all of these guys' taste in music.

Counterfeit Garbage: #3
If Counterfeit Garbage was a band, it'd say "ex-Mindless Mutant" on their flyers. But they're not, so it doesn't. The zine starts off with a story about a flyer w/ Hitler on it that got a lot of people's panties in a bunch. I agree w/ the writers that punk bands have always appropriated nazi and other political images for their powerful aesthetic. The main feature is an Inmates interview that was rejected by Maximum Rock n Roll. I guess MRR's editor objected to them making fun of her name, it's a dumb name... get over it. There's also an interview with Canada's Omegas, and an in depth review of a CroMags show in Chicago. It ends with some music and zine reviews. Clean cut and paste layout, I'll be looking forward to more issues.

Screaming At A Wall: Issue 3
I had gotten SAAW #2 last winter, so I was glad to see it come back w/ issue #3. Interviews with The Rival Mob, Waste Management, Alert, No Minion and Troops of Tomorrow. Some of those are kinda newer up and coming bands, but worth your time. The Rival Mob interview really shows a lighter/humorous side that you get from their live shows, but not on record. I like that he also asks questions about the members' personal lives, as well as has a column about comic books. There's some pictures throughout, and some reviews at the end. The layout is a little sloppy cut and paste, but easy to read. I hope there's less than a year break before the next issue.

Effort Fanzines: #2
I got this zine through React! Records, so I figured it focused on the more youth crew side of HC. While I like some of that, a lot of it doesn't hold my interest. The layout is extremely well done, and professional looking computer graphic design. Very well written interviews with the First Step and Justice which look back on the history of both bands. There's also an interview w/ Anthony Pappalardo about his Radio Silence book (which I still need to check out), and his time in In My Eyes. Also a cool interview w/ Mindset. Really cool zine from Sweden, even if you're not into the style they do, it's very well done.

Thinking Cap: #1
I was given this at the Mindset record release show. The zine is only a single folded tabloid sheet of paper, and only features an interview with the singer of the band Praise. On the cover it states that the purpose is to "spread the word about Praise." However I think the interview is written as if you already know about them, and as far as I can tell they only have a 7" that just came out last month. I would have liked to have learned more background on the band rather than about their lyrics, since when I got it, the record wasn't even out yet. Good effort, solid design, but didn't really serve its purpose.

Severed Ties: #1
This zine is from Europe, and has interviews with Blank Stare and Coke Bust. It's pretty short, but they cram in 2 interviews and some reviews, along with some photos. In the BS interview, it states that they're going to release a new 7". If only that were true... The Coke Bust interview is worth it for Jubert's answers alone. The layout was done on a computer, but still retains a punk look. Good first zine, I wish it were longer.

Noise Reduction: #2
I got this zine from Paul (Give Praise Records), and from what I can tell it's a collaboration between him, Will (To Live A Lie Records) and Nick (Cowabunga Records). All of those labels specialize in some fast hardcore, so that's what I'd expect covered here. Interviews with Coke Bust, Bruce X Campbell, The Revilers, Bloody Phoenix and contains the standard reviews and articles. There's part 1 of a California scene report that's very long, which makes sense since it's a huge state. I would have liked to see more reviews, and I'm not familiar w/ most of the bands being interviewed. Nice computer layout, but still looks pretty punk.

Circus Punk for Clowntastrophe

2010-06-19T10:53:00.002-04:00

I painted this Circus Punk for the Clowntastrophe Art Show in Philadelphia. The show will feature artwork of Paul Palcko, as well as 30 artists' paintings on these Punks. For mine I decided to go kind of simple, I wasn't sure how the Punk would take spray paint, since it was basically stuffed canvas. I sketched out the design on tracing paper (not a computer!), and then cut out some tape masks to spray paint.
The show is Sat. June 26th, 2010; 6-9pm. At Delicious Boutique Sideshow, The Piazza at Schmidt's, 2nd and Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19123.

It Smells Like Fish In Here

2010-06-01T19:58:00.003-04:00

Here is my painting for the Autumn Society 90's show. It's a scene from the movie Dirty Work, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. In the scene, they're playing a prank on some mobsters by putting dead fish all over their house, but are interrupted when they arrive home early. As always, the painting was done with stencils and spray paint.
Here's the original sketch I made in Illustrator before cutting the stencils:

BLOODTYPE- Bringin' More Stuff Down tape out now! (BE-01)

2010-05-17T21:36:00.003-04:00

So in a futile effort to promote my own band's releases/tour, I decided to start a record label. This is my first official release, though I've had experience releasing/ distribution demos and records before. Maybe this will be the first of many, maybe just a flash in the pan, either way, here it is BE-01!
Bloodtype is a Straight Edge hardcore punk band from NJ. Influenced by 80's HC bands like the Abused, Straight Ahead, SSD, and early AF/WarZone. They play fast, pissed off, no BS hardcore. This tape contains 2 songs from their upcoming 7" (Cowabunga), a song from their split with INJ/SYS (No Reprieve), and a Black Flag cover exclusive to this release.
Professionally duplicated red cassette tapes, limited to 100. $4.50ppd (in the USA)

http://bleedingedges.bigcartel.com
http://myspace.com/bloodtypexxx

Summer tour w/ Injustice System:
July 29- Raleigh, NC
July 30- Richmond, VA*
July 31- Washington, DC
Aug 1- Brooklyn, NY*
*=not confirmed
http://www.myspace.com/injusticesystemhc

*Labels/distros-get in touch about trades/wholesale rates*

EDIT- I'm all sold out, but check out: Cowabunga, Sorry State, Punks Before Profits, To Live A Lie, Give Praise, Grave Mistake and No Way Records. The band also has copies left.

Qeeology 2.5 show

2010-05-10T23:37:00.005-04:00

Recently I was asked to be a part of Toy2R's Qeeology 2.5 art show. They sent me a blank 2.5" Qee to customize any way I wanted for the show. I tried something a little different, but overall like the finished product. Notice the 7 Seconds logo on the chest, and various X's and No symbols. I decided to name him "Drug Control" after the 7 Seconds song.
Pictures and a recap of the show can be found HERE. I'm glad to have been a part of it.

Finn the Human

2010-05-02T13:28:00.003-04:00

So about a month or so ago I did a stencil painting of the Ice King from Adventure Time. The shows creator liked it, and suggested I do similar paintings w/ the other characters. Who am I to argue, so I made a stencil of Finn. Maybe someday I will do one of Jake the Dog.

Record Reviews (late winter/early spring 2010)

2010-04-26T21:22:00.001-04:00

Man, I've been buying a lot of records lately. After being unemployed for the better half of 2009, I did some catching up recently and made some distro orders. I've also had the chance to see a lot of bands over the past month since it was spring break recently. I'd also like to comment on how cool it is that bands have finally caught onto cassette demos again, it makes me real glad to have gotten so many tapes recently. I also decided to make note when a record includes a digital download. While I think HC purists may find it dumb, I usually end up looking for a download after I get a record anyway. This way its more convenient and I'll get the mp3s without having to search. It took me a long time to write all of this, but hopefully you find it a good read.

7"s:

School Jerks- s/t #1 & s/t #2
It seems like almost every band tries to say they sound like Black Flag or the Germs, but few actually sound like them. School Jerks on the other hand nail that sound perfectly. Combining the First Four Years of Black Flag with the sloppiness of the Germs (the singer sounds very similar to Darby), and a pinch of garage rock. Half of School Jerks played in Terminal State, and while there's some similarities, this is more early 80's sounding. The first record has 3 songs, and is more raw; while the second has 4 songs and is slightly better recorded. Both records are killer though, and you need both. Unfortunately when they were supposed to play my area, we got hit with like a foot+ of snow. I made up for it by ordering these 2 from the band, and am glad I did.

The Ladies- s/t
After checking out the Ladies EP on Cowabunga, I really wanted to hear their first record. Luckily Grave Mistake repressed it last year. This record is a bit more raw, but I really like it. Their sound is definitely more on the punk side of garage rock. The songs have this snotty attitude. When I saw them a few years ago, the singer threw a beer in the air during the first song. It hit someone, then the guy next to him picked it up and drank from it. He then threw it, and another guy picked it up and drank from it. I feel like that story pretty much sums up this record.

Logic Problem- No Center
Unfortunately Logic problem broke up after their summer tour (which I wasn't able to see them on), but luckily they released a few records before calling it a day. No Center has 4 songs that are pretty different. There's still the foundation of early 80's mid-west influenced hardcore, but there's a layer of complexity to it. It stays fast, but has a little something extra to keep it unique but doesn't cross into the Youth Attack genre. Good band, RIP.

Mind Eraser- The Prodigal Son Brings Death
I liked Mind Eraser's first LP a lot, but wasn't as into "Glacial Reign." Their next record was a 2 song, which I wanted nothing to do with. When I saw that their new 7" had 10 songs on it, I figured it would be worth checking out. It's definitely much faster, along the lines of the first LP. I think it's good, but nothing is really reaching out and grabbing me. The lyric sheet was all hand written, but I'll be damned if I can read any of it...

Mindset- Time and Pressure
I had seen Mindset a few times and enjoyed them, but thought their 1st EP didn't capture that intensity. This new record however sure does! After a lineup change, and some touring under their belt, Mindset will be the force to be reckoned with in the straight edge scene in 2010. The opening riff reminds me of "Time We'll Remember" by Youth of Today, and they nail the '88 era HC sound. Everything is perfect on here- Great lyrics, solid breakdowns, good recording. If my prediction for a youth crew revival come true, these guys will be leading the charge. Includes a digital download.

Crow- Flock of Beast
First of all, I don't think it even says Crow anywhere on this 7", luckily I recognized the cover photo. Crow are Japanese HC old timers, whose sound reminds me of Judgement. There's no insert, and the lyrics aren't translated. Both songs have the same title, but are different. The A-side is a heavy thrash metal sounding song, with a weird bass groove breakdown. The B-side is similar, and reminds me of some 80's thrash metal like Megadeath or some shit. Pretty cool, but I'd prefer a new LP.

V/A- No Bullshit vol. 4
The No Bullshit comps are usually pretty solid representations of good current bands doing the early 80's sound. The stand out on here is Violent Arrest doing a Ripcord cover, which is cool since 3/4 of the band was in Ripcord. The Born Bad song is good as well, If their new stuff is this good, I'm sure it will be a rager. The songs by Citizens Patrol, Anti You and Insomnio are pretty forgettable though. I would say this is the weakest of the series, but still pretty solid.

Bukkake Boys- 2nd EP
I don't really know much about the Bukkake Boys, so their 2nd record is my first encounter. They play early 80's influenced HC, similar to something that No Way Records would release. They remind me of Citizens Patrol a bit. It's pretty fast, and raw sounding recording, but nothing's really reaching out and grabbing me.

Syndrome- s/t
This is Brandon from No Way/GW/DC/MW/etc.. new D-Beat band. Their sound is similar to a more 80's Scandinavian sound. It's pretty punk, but I feel like the crusties will love it. The guitar tone is a bit thin, but it kind of grows on me as the record goes on. Pretty good, but I think I would like this more live.

Burial/ Antimob
I love Burial, but their side only has one track, which was probably a throw away track from the Speed at Night LP (reviewed below). I'd never heard of Antimob before, but after this I don't plan to in the future. Both bands are from Europe, and are trying to emulate the Japanese style. Real weird crappy anime looking cover art too, definitely skip this one.

Thieves- Positive Vibrations
The record kicks off with some weird lazer beam noises, but then charges into some Bad Brains sounding HC. I would say post "Rock For Light" era BB, since it's kind of mid paced with a little bit of groove. Sort of like if Burn or Underdog were more punk sounding. The ad inside the record says Poison Idea, but I don't get that at all. The vocals have a lot of reverb, and aren't as present in the mix. The guitar I also feel got lost as well, but overall it's a big progression from the demo. I think with a bigger production, and maybe a second guitarist they could be onto something.

Duress- Indifference
FUCK, there's really no reason to buy any other record this year, because it won't be better than this! I loved Duress' demo last year, but this 7" blows it out of the water. Duress plays fast as hell HC, which reminds me of the greats like Seige and Deep Wound. Idiots will say it's power-violence, but it's just really fast early 80's influenced HC with short songs. The lyrics are pissed off, and hateful. I know that only 300 were pressed, and I'm sure these are almost gone. Maybe a 2nd press will happen, but I got mine, so it's your problem now.

Fired Up- Doomed To Repeat
Fired Up's first 7" and demo were such a guilty pleasure of mine. It's real by the numbers youth crew, but the songs have these real good hooks and catchy choruses. This was a posthumous release, which is a bummer because this 7" is just as good as their other stuff. The singer looks like a total frat boy on the cover with his baseball hat on, but fuck it this record's good. I feel like I shouldn't like this, but I really do.

Cursed- The Last Session
Cursed was one of those bands that I was aware of, but just never got around to checking out. I was a fan of a lot of the other Chris Colohan bands, so I figured I'd get this. It was recorded live on their last tour, so I figured it'd be kind of a greatest hits with songs from all of their records. The recording is really good, since I guess it was recorded in a radio studio. There's no insert in my copy, and there's no info on the cover, so I really am not sure. Musically it seems more similar to the Swarm, but has it's own sound. Not sure if I'll back track and get their other LPs, but I like this.

Omegas- Sonic Order
I loved the Omegas demo, so I was real excited for this to come out. Their sound is somewhere between the sleazy early 80's sounds of Urban Waste and Chronic Sick, with heavy influence from other NY/NJ bands. The first track "Street Meat" is by far the best. The demo had a lot of standouts, and I feel like this record didn't have that same spark. I think the main problem I have with this is that the bass is way too high in the mix, and covers up the guitar (which I think had a pretty unique sound on the demo). Still a good record that's worth your time. Includes a digital download.

GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten)- Seattle Crew
I know nothing about this band, but I threw it in my cart when i ordered the new Mindset from React! From what I can tell, this is their demo pressed to a 7". Their sound seems influenced by harder edged late 80's NYHC, and maybe a Brotherhood influence by location. I like that the recording is a lot more raw than most stuff on React, and there's 8 songs on here, so you get your money's worth. Will be looking for a proper release from these guys. Includes a digital download.

Harms Way- No Gods No Masters
It's been some time since I listened to Harms Way. I remembered their sound being influenced by bands like Carcass and Repulsion, but with a more tough guy NY hardcore style. This record has a thinned out lineup, and a more Integrity influenced sound. There's a lot of heavy guitars and double bass drums, so this isn't really my style. The cover art is awesome though. Includes a digital download.

Bankrobber- Vultures
My band played w/ these guys in NJ, and they have a heavy 90's influenced HC sound. The lyrics are socially conscious, and I could easily see these guys on a label like Deathwish after some more touring. It's not really my style, but they do it well.Includes a digital download.

Southside Stranglers- Too Much TV
The Southside Stranglers boast 3 members of Government Warning, but don't sound like them really. There's a lot more rock influence in here, mixed with some late 70's punk like the Damned. I kinda feel like this is more suited for like a bar rock/punk band, or something on a Punk-O-Rama comp. Not really into it. Includes a digital download.

the Ergs!- Thrash Compacter
This release was years in the making. I remember hearing these songs years ago, but knew that The Ergs had wanted to record more songs for a second side, but didn't and broke up. The majority of these songs were recorded in 2003, and 1 in 2007. The fabled "Trash Compacter" EP was a bunch of short fast song that the Ergs did to sound more like early 80's hardcore. There's a heavy Adrenalin OD sound in here, but is definitely mandatory if you're a fan of the Ergs' early (faster) material. The original session had 2 songs which were omitted due to their cheeziness, but I kinda wish they were included for posterity's sake. I'm sure you can find them online like everything else in this world. I also wish they used older photos of the band from around the time this was recorded, but what can you do? The layout is all high contrast photos, like an 80's hc/punk record. Great record, now someone needs to release the "Digital Endpoints" demo on a one sided LP. Includes a digital download.

12"s:

Paintbox- Relicts [singles collection]
This collects Paintbox's 7"s and comp tracks onto a convenient LP. If your only experience w/ Paintbox is their most recent LP, this is a whole lot less weird and a way better starting point. I was always a fan of the song "Cry of the Sheep," and the 7" version is much better. Their other records were only released in Japan and hard to get a hold of in America. This is also worth it for their weird track from that Poison Idea tribute comp from a few years back, and the Super Mario breakdown in one of the songs.

Madmen- s/t (demos)
There's a bit of mystery surrounding this record, supposedly it's a boot, but the sound quality is great. If you don't know the story with this, its Jonah Falco's (Career Suicide/Fucked Up) solo project where he plays every instrument. Kinda a weird concept, but if you didn't know that, you wouldn't think there was anything weird about it. This compiles the 2 Madmen demos on one record. I will say I like the first demo (side 1) better. The sound is similar to CS in a more early 80's KBD influence, but without the whiny vocals vocals. This is certainly better than anything Career Suicide or Fucked Up are doing currently, but I really wouldn't go out of my way to get a copy.

Ripcord- Live At Parkhoff Alkmaar Holland 18/09/1988
I have no clue when this came out, but I LOVE Ripcord, so I'll give it a mention. First of all, it's on a awesome clear speckled vinyl. There's also some covers on here with the vocalist of Napalm Death, and Ripcord really are in their prime here. Live albums are generally for the die hards, but damn do they rip on this one. It says in the liner notes that it was recorded towards the end of a tour, and it shows because they're tight as hell. Definitely need this to complete your Ripcord collection.

Systematic Death- Systema 6
I was fortunate enough to catch Systematic Death at one of their reunion shows last year, and they were phenomenal. Usually when a band breaks up, the reunites and releases an LP it's hit or miss. I can assure you that this is definitely a hit. This is seriously up there with their older records like "Final Insider." I guess much like Gauze, they didn't lose their touch. Seriously, hearing is believing, and this is definitely worth your time.

DSB- Useless System Abuse
I was a big fan of DSB's earlier releases, and was bummed that they got denied last year and couldn't tour. After listening to this release though, I'm significantly less bummed. All of the press I saw for this said it was their most intense release since "Wings Continue to Strive..." and that's just a plain lie. This is terrible, I paid $13 for a 5 song LP and a DVD. They should have skipped the DVD, press this at as a 7" and saved everyone $8. Or better yet, just break up, because this is fucking terrible. Sorry you couldn't get into my country illegally for a tour, maybe make the effort to file the proper paperwork next time...

The Rival Mob- Raw Life
FUCK, I really slept on this band. Their sound is similar to some more heavy NYHC bands (think the first Madball 7" or "Cause For Alarm" era AF), but is devoid of metal distortion or double bass drum. The lyrics to "Raw Life" are so great, and are about simplifying your life, cutting out all of the bullshit of modern convenience. The songs are hard and fast, with perfectly placed breakdowns. I normally stay away from stuff on Lockin' Out, but this is the real deal shit. Their new record is going to be great! "Mob Rules All!"

Burial- Speed At Night
Awesome, a new Burial record! It's an EP, but at the size (and price) of an LP. It definitely picks up where the last LP left off, with some dead on Burning Spirits influenced Japanese style HC. They've got the right balance of HC power, with a good balance of metal riff-age. This is really good, as should be expected if you have any of their other records. Unfortunately it's only 6 songs, making it an EP.

Organism- Hope
This is really great, authentic sounding Japanese HC from Japan. It really reminds me of early DSB, or maybe Warhead. Shit's real real good! This came out as a CD a while back, but this is the reissue on vinyl by Hardware Records in Europe. They unfortunately changed the cover art, which sucks because I liked the original art I saw.

DEMOs:

CCP- Red Alert (cassette)
This is a real good demo from a new VA sXe band. Similar to modern bands like Coke Bust or Shark Attack (who I assume they got their name from), with maybe a Crippled Youth vibe to the vocals. Definitely a part of the rising sXe scene of bands that are more influenced by angry early 80's bands, more than posi youth crew type stuff. This is a real promising demo, and I can see a real good EP coming from these dudes.

RAZORXFADE (pro-tape)
A new band from the Chicago area similar to Boiling Over or Poison Planet (who's drummer has coincidentally played in). There's a rawness to the recording, similar to a more stripped down version of Blank Stare. The music has a real Boston crew sound (SSD, Jerry's Kids, etc...) to it. The vocals are distorted, and there's a lot of feedback throughout. I feel like the snare drum really dominates the mix since it's got a high pop to it, but overall a very good demo.

Boiling Over- Barriers (pro-tape)
Damnit, Boiling Over records their best stuff yet and decides to break up. If you liked their 7", this is way better. If you didn't like their 7", maybe this will change your mind. The songs are played with more ferocity than before, and the vocals have just the right amount of distortion (think LBAL). Seriously this shit is fierce, fuck you guys for breaking up.

Boilerman (pro-tape)
Boilerman coincidentally features a member of Boiling Over (dude loves to boil shit), but sounds nothing like them. Their sound is more akin to modern pop-punk bands, as opposed to the early Lookout style. If you're into stuff on No Idea or Don Giovanni type labels, you should probably check this out. I get a little bit of a Ringers vibe, in the rough recording quality.

Stressed Out- Dudes Don't Die (pro-tape)
I was expecting this tape to be more metal sounding after having seen Stressed Out somewhat recently. The second the first note hit, I thought the guitars sounded like Slayer- Reign in Blood tone. On their split w/ Rip It Up they had a more early 2000's era thrash sound, but now it looks like they completely changed into a late 80's crossover thrash band. The guitars are definitely metal (I guess that's what happens when "Metal Pete" and "Metal Joe" are in your band), but the song structure is definitely more on the HC side (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-breakdown-etc). I think if they just went straight thrash metal, and ditched any scrap of hardcore they'd be onto something there. I wish there were lyrics included, since a lot of bands like this tend to have terrible lyrics. This is way better than the average Municipal Waste rip-off band though.

Duress- Live (tape)
Duress rules, nuff said. This has a mixture of 7" and demo songs, plus one new song. The set is from a radio station, so it's well recorded, and is over in like 10 minutes. Short and sweet, leave the crowd wanting more. Perfect for a live set, but in tape form I'm left wanting more. Mission accomplished boys (and girl).

Sacred Love (CDr)
This is a new band from MD with some members that also play in Mindset. The songs have a more mid-80's DC sound, mixed with some post-Rock For Light era Bad Brains. The CD starts off kind of fast/mid-paced, then slows down, and picks up again. It's not really my thing, but I would recommend it if you like other modern DC area bands like Police & Thieves or Lion of Judah.

Stripmines- Failsafe (tape)
Now this is the shit right here! I was lucky enough to catch this band's first show. Members of Devour and Thieves playing some heavier d-beat/Japanese influenced HC. Their sound stays way more on the HC side than any sort of crust leanings. The vocals are fierce, and the lyrics are angry and negative (just the way I like it). I wish the recording quality was a little better mixed/recorded, but I think this band will release a killer record when the time comes.

Thieves- demo/live 2009 (tape)
This tapes has their demo on one side, and a live set on the other side. Their sound is rooted in 80's HC; there's some brief fast moments, but overall somewhat mid paced. Maybe a little bit of Heresy is in there too. There's no lyrics, and with songs like "Black President" and "Harry Pothead," I kinda wanna know what's going on. The live material on the B side is pretty poorly recorded, and just kind of sounds like a mess. Maybe if I knew the songs better, something may stand out.

Plague (pro-tape)
Plague has a real southern sound to them. There's a real Corrosion Of Conformity sound, but I imagine every southern band hates being compared to COC. I'll say that they remind me of Slipknot (the 80's Rev band, not the shitty nu metal band). What you get is a hybrid of 80's HC, mixed with some southern rock influence. The vocals almost have a quality similar to Filth. Pretty damn good, I could see someone into Annihilation Time being way into this.

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2010-04-15T16:23:00.002-04:00

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Custom Skully for PVC art show

2010-03-16T20:55:00.004-04:00

The folks over at Delicious Drips are having an online art show/contest with custom DIY Skully vinyl toys. I submitted a new piece, which is a glow in the dark Skully with some spider imagery. I also submitted an older design I did, which was featured in the promotional video. As of now my pieces are on page 2, please vote for me since I have some pretty low ratings right now.

"Fuck your popularity contest, I'd rather see a murder contest" -Left For Dead

Birthday Blog 2010

2010-03-02T02:00:00.001-05:00

This year I turn the big 3-0. I was dreading turning 30 for the longest time, and a few month ago I finally accepted it. So back in like 2004, I got the idea to get an XXX tattoo for my 30th birthday. For those not in the know, XXX is roman numerals for 30. A man of my word, 6 years later and here it is! I think the best component to this story is that the tattoo was a gift from my awesome girlfriend, who is also straight edge. I am also getting another tattoo (as a present to myself), which is a Wolfpack themed design.

I've been pretty busy w/ my art lately. My website is still down, due to my own laziness, but I've been doing a lot of art shows and design work. Over the past year or so, I've done numerous art shows with the Autumn Society, with many more to come this year. I'm most excited to be doing a show at Gallery 1988 in California later this year. I was also fortunate enough to have custom painted toys in the Yoka show, It Came From Skullbrain II, SDCC, and a few more. I also collaborated with Sandtastic Toys on a few limited hand-casted toys, where I designed the header cards. There's some plans for other toys this year, but more on that when the time comes. As a graphic designer, you don't get to do much art that doesn't have to be approved by a client. It's nice to break away from the computer sometimes...
Work-wise, I've been fortunate enough to be working for a new company called WeVeel, which is a new arts and crafts company. I get to work from home, which at first was kinda weird, but I've grown to really like it. The job is a lot more creative than my last job, which is great. I get to work in packaging, which I always enjoyed, and it doesn't look like work will be slowing down any time soon. I also got to go to Toy Fair in NYC this year w/ the company. As pathetic as it sounds, it had always been a childhood dream to go to that one day. It was what I expected- a gigantic corporate event with toys. I had fun, and was being paid to be there.
Last year when I was unemployed, I was looking into other options career-wise, and came up w/ Cake Decorator. I enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts program at Middlesex County College. I took Baking Fundamentals last semester, and am taking Cake Decorating currently. I already learned a lot, but I'm not sure if I will continue to pursue the certificate. I do enjoy the classes, and am always up for learning new skills.

I'm still playing bass in Wormeaters, and we will be releasing our third EP on Sorry State Records next month. This will be the first record w/ PJ on vocals, and I may be so bold to say it's our best yet. The plates are at the plant now, but I still need to work on cover art. It's getting there, don't worry. We still don't play often, but hopefully we can get some weekend tours in once the new record drops. Last year I started up a new band called Bloodtype, where I sing and write all of the music. It's pretty much the closest thing I'll come to a solo project (haha). We recorded a demo over the summer and played 2 shows, then took a hiatus for other band members' bands tours. We started practicing again, and have new songs that we'll be recording some time soon for 7" and split 7" w/ FL's Injustice System. Hopefully both records will be out in the summer, and we can also do some weekend tours. I've also been playing w/ some people in a new band, but more on that another time... It will be loud and fast, I haven't gone soft in my old age.

So here it is, I'm 30. I have a stable job that I like, an awesome girlfriend, my art is getting some recognition, I have money saved for new tattoos and to finally move out of my parents' house, learning how to bake, playing in good hardcore punk bands, etc...

The Ice King Cometh

2010-02-20T23:25:00.004-05:00

Here is my tribute to the new TV show Adventure Time, which premieres on Cartoon Network in April. This was done with one stencil by layering various colored sprays over each other.

Record reviews (winter 2010)

2010-02-20T15:48:00.001-05:00

Happy 2010 everyone, obviously it's too early in the year to have any new releases, so these were all stragglers from 2009. A chunk of these come courtesy of Nick @ Cowabunga Records (thanks dude!), who does a great label with lots of quality releases. I also want to point out that the 3 demos I'm reviewing here are incredible, and give me hope for some great releases in 2010.

7"s:

Bad Brains- 171A Sessions
A new Bad Brains bootleg has surfaced recently, and it's awesome that these haven't been released after all of these years. Legend has it that these were recorded for a compilation that was never released. The A side (Black Dots/ Send You No Flowers/ Redbone In The City)all appeared on the Black Dots LP, but these versions are much better. The B side is a reggae jam, which I could do without. The songs still lack the ferocity of the ROIR sessions, but this definitely fills a hole in your BB record collection. Track it down now, or cry later; bootlegs these days are pretty scarce.

Needles- Desastre
I LOVED Needles' first 7", which seemed to sell out and go out of print immediately, so I made sure to buy this online as soon as I heard it was released. I hate to say that I was a little bit disappointed. It's not a bad record by any means, but I think it lacks the raw intensity of their first record. It's a bit less distorted/ blown out than the first 7", but flows well and it's still a ripper. Maybe I'm judging it a bit harshly because that first 7" was so good, definitely don't pass up this record.

Right Idea- demo
I was recently turned on to this Cleveland sXe band. They musically similar to Straight Ahead (they're named after one of their songs after all) and No For an Answer, but the vocals have a slight Uniform Choice vibe. The lyrics are pretty posi, but the music is enough for the hardcore crowd to be into as well. The flow of the record kinda slows down in the middle, but I'm sure "Right Idea" and "On Edge" are awesome to see live. This is their demo pressed to vinyl, so if you're like me, this is a good place to start.

Not Sorry- Moving On
Not Sorry is a new sXe band from Seattle (by way of upstate NY). This 7" is their demo plus 2 newer songs. I had downloaded their demo online a while back and liked it, so I made sure to get this. The songs are influenced by the older youth crew era of HC, with a heavy Chain of Strength influence. I also get a more modern vibe, w/ some parts reminding me of early Bane releases. I could see this appealing to a broad range of HC fans, but I prefer my HC more straight forward. Definitely looking forward to their next 7" on React!

High Life- Drink Yourself to Freedom
I think these guys like to drink beer... based on the album title, band name and insert illustration. I like this band more than I like drinking beer (which is not at all). I was half expecting another dumb party band, but instead I got some raw and angry 80's influenced hardcore. I almost get a Cleveland vibe, like the 9 Shocks Terror associated bands. This was definitely the surprise of the bunch, definitely give this a chance.

The Ladies- Trashed
I had seen the Ladies at No Way Fest 2, but this is my first Ladies record. This thing's great! Reminds me of the Shemps, but more raw. They do the mixing of punk and garage rock way better than most other bands these days attempting that style. There's only 3 songs on here but they're all hits. I need to track down their other releases now.

Video Disease- Make Me Pure
I liked Video Disease's first 7" and demo, so i was psyched to get my hand son this. The sound is a bit more polished, but still raw (the other recording were raw as shit though). I think you can hear all of the instruments a lot better than their previous releases, but I could see someone saying it lacked the same intensity. Unfortunately the band is now broken up, so their LP that they were working on will never be released. Either way, this is a real good 7" in its own right. I will also note that the cover art looks almost exactly like the cover of a 7" by a band called Blackbirds, which was released maybe 3 years ago.

Funeral Shock- Paint Thinner EP
I recall getting Funeral Shock's first 7" years back because they boasted an ex-Spazz member. It was ok, but this is way better. There's a heavy Black Flag influence, maybe B'Last (through weren't they just a later era Flag rip off anyway). Seems like a good balance of slower and faster parts.

Stressed Out/ Rip It Up
This is a split between 2 NJ bands who have toured together in the past. Stressed Out kick things off playing thrashy hardcore similar to Cut The Shit or Bones Brigade. I seem to remember their demo having a little bit more metal/crossover influence. Aside from one (poorly) overdubbed solo in "Deer Blood," it's pretty much a straight thrasher. The lyrics are more socially conscious than the average party thrash band, which is really nice to see. On the flip side Rip It up kick things off with a really moshy intro. I kind of wish their songs were more along the lines of this intro, as the rest of their songs are more fast. I think musically, this reminds me a lot of the first Suicidal Tendencies LP. Overall, the songs could be a little tighter, but I think if they have some potential. A solid split by 2 newer local bands.

12"s:

Direct Control- Farewell
Possibly the last DC album, or just a tribute to Mikey Offender. This LP was recorded a while back, but finally came out recently. The music is as fast as previous recordings, but the guitar parts seem a little bit more complex. They re-record "Public Safety" from the MRR comp, but I prefer the original. They close out the LP with an instrumental, which was written by Mikey Offender (who sadly passed away, and filled in on bass for DC's Euro tour in 2005). I think overall, it doesn't compare to Direct Control's early releases, but continues what you'd expect after the Strung Up split LP. Hopefully this isn't their last recording.

Total Fury- Ears Go Deaf
This was a super limited release (500), that was only available on their west coast tour last year. I finally got a copy off eBay recently and figured I would review it. Over all it doesn't live up to the high standard they made for them self with 13 Songs and Committed to the Core. I like this better than some of their other recent split 7"s though. It's good, but I wouldn't go crazy to find it.

demos:
Manipulation (pro-tape)
Damn, even though it just turned 2010, I think this demo will be hard to top. A new Chicago band with members of Pedestrians, Cardiac Arrest, Chronic Seizure and more... Musically it reminds me of the early Discharge singles, which were a bit more rock influenced, but still rage hard. A great demo, that's long enough to have been an EP.

Troops of Tomorrow (pro-tape)
Wow, this demo is fucking great, I must've listened to it 4 times in a row the first day I got it. Troops of Tomorrow is a new band from DC, who plays a Oi influenced hardcore. Modern comparisons to 86 Mentality and Set To Explode seem obvious, but fitting. There's a heavy early 80's Boston style here, maybe Slapshot and DYS (who they cover on here) mixed with somethign like Blitz. The vocals are very rough, and the lyrics are negative- just how I like it. This is a band to watch in 2010 for sure.

Injustice System (cassette)
INJ/SYS is a new band from FL. Musically they're heavily influenced by the good NYHC bands. I get a heavy early Cause For Alarm and early Sick Of It All influence, mixed with the early 80's NY bands like the Abused or the Mob. This type of stuff is right up my alley, and make for a killer demo. Real good, real fast, real stripped down HC- perfect. I recently got mp3s of their new 7", and I assure you that it will be a ripper as well.

Skuttle custom for It Came From Skullbrain II show

2010-01-04T14:11:00.007-05:00

This is my custom Skuttle toy, which I did for Super 7's It Came From Skullbrain II art show. The show consists of artists customizing Japanese vinyl toys. Genereally Japanese toys are painted with an airbrush in small busts of color to highlight the sculpt. I chose a clear Skuttle by Tuoma, and painted the inside then added the details outside w/ spraypaint. By painting the inside, the color is a bit more subtle, and still shows some clear when viewed on an angle. I named my piece "Slices" after the record by the band of the same name w/ a turtle on the cover.

Jan 16th 2010 from 6pm - 10ish.
Super7 retail outlet
1628 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94115
http://www.super7store.com
http://www.skullbrain.org

*flyer coming soon?*

Best Records of 2009

2009-12-22T11:14:00.007-05:00

Best 7"s of 2009

1. Brain Killer- s/t
2. Quick Fix- 6 Song EP
3. Dark Ages- Vicious Lie
4. Slices- s/t #1
5. Boiling Over- Trash City

Brain Killer released an amazing demo and 7" this year, and I expect big things for them in 2010. They remind me of bands like Deathreat and No Parade, which for my money, not enough bands do. Quick Fix released a 1 sided 7" with little fanfare, but I probably recommended that record more than anything this year. Dark Ages followed up their demo from last year with a killer 7", which I think was criminally underrated. I caught Slices at a show in Pittsburgh on tour, and they blew me away with their unique sound. It's like they took the guitar/bass tone of power violence and applied it to the Black Flag blueprint. Boiling Over really brought it with their "Trash City" record, and I definitely gave this baby quite a few spins in 2009.

Best 12"s of 2009

1. Coke Bust- Lines In the Sand
2. Hjertestop- Vi Ses I Helvede
3. Urban Blight- More Reality
4. Sacred Shock- You're Not With Us
5. Paintbox- Trip Trance & Travelling

I always liked Coke Bust, but I definitely found myself saying "holy crap, when did Coke Bust get awesome?" This LP really destroys their previous records, and has all the elements of a great hardcore record. For some reason it seemed like a lot of people were hating on the Hjertestop LP, but I really loved it and thought it was just as good as their EP. They were great live on their summer tour as well. Urban Blight was another band that put out an OK record a while back, then really killed it on this LP. Sacred Shock had a great 7" last year, and followed it up with an equally great LP. I heard they broke up, which I hope is false. Paintbox released a ridiculous LP this year after not releasing anything since the Cry Of The Sheep 7" in 2004(?). It's pretty wild, but I'm into it.

Best demos of 2009
1. Duress
2. Omegas
3. Sick Fix
4. Nomos
5. Outlast

After getting the Duress demo from a friend at the end of last year, then losing it and having to get another I was in love. It's fast, angry and full of rage. I can't wait to see them live and get their 7", which will no doubt be making an appearance in the best of 2010 list. Omegas from Canada released a great demo (which got repressed as a 7"), which really has the 80's NJ Shore-core sound to it. Possibly due to a former NJ resident in the band; another band I'm expecting big things from next year. Sick Fix finally released a new recording as a demo before they went on tour this summer. I think it really captures where they're at now, as that 7" came out almost 2 years ago. When I first got the Nomos demo, I liked it, but I grew to like it more the more I listened to it. One of the best local (tri-state) bands. This was also re-presssed as a 7" on Deranged this year. Outlast is my favorite current NJ band, which bring be back to when I was 17, and the youth crew thing was big. It's cool to see a band like this now, where by 2000 the youth crew revival grew tiresome. This was also re-pressed as a 7" recently. I should also mention that all of these demos I own on cassette, which I love to see.

Honorable Mentions:
No Tolerance- their demo came out last year, and was awesome, then got pressed to vinyl this year. I felt weird listing it as a top 7", but it really was worthy of the nomination.
Free Spirit- their demo also came out last year, but was probably the best Straight Ahead worship I've heard in a long time. All 4 songs on the demo clocked in just over 2 minutes. They're doing a 7" on Lockin Out in '10, which will be the first Lockin Out release I've ever looked forward to.
Punx Don't Drink comp- I was really glad to be a part of this compilation of sXe bands who all played faster/early 80's inspired hardcore. The record release show was some of the most fun I've had at a show in a while. Not just because I got to sing "Straight Edge Revenge" with Sick Fix.

Reissues:
MK-Ultra (I didn't buy this since I have most of these records already, but it's good to see the band get their due)
The Insults (great forgotten mid-west HC)
Death (unreleased amazing LP by this mid 70's proto punk group)
Groinoids (finally had the rest of their tracks from the Boston, Not L.A. session released to vinyl)
Mouthpiece (one of the few 90's style HC bands I like found a permanent home @ REV)
Citizens Arrest (Colossus 2xLP which has the 7" and comp tracks/demo. Even thought it was already reissued like 8 years ago, this is essential shit that should never go out of print)

Predictions for 2010:
-Looks like the bands ripping off early 80's hardcore "trend" is done. I love early 80's HC obviously, but I've seen way too many third rate thrash bands cover Black Flag to be really too excited about a lot bands. Seems like the new thing coming is to do an 80's style HC band, but throw in weird parts ala the Youth Attack bands (which I mostly hate).
-Seems like there's another resurgence of youth crew/ Straight Edge bands. The last big boom was around 1997, when I was first getting into hardcore. Maybe it's a reaction to the party thrash/ Municipal Waste type scene that's growing strong. Personally I'd take sing a longs and mosh parts over neon shirts and boogie boards in the pit.
-The pop-punk revival will be much bigger. I seems like more and more of my HC peers have jumped ship for the pop-punk/alternative thing. No thanks, I did that in the 90's. I'm too old and bitter for pop music.
-More pointless reunions
-Crewneck Sweatshirts > Hooded Sweatshirts

Record Review- early winter

2009-12-20T22:34:00.000-05:00

Hey kids, this is going to be the last reviews post before the epic best of 2009 post. It's a quick one, but I wanted to clear the slate before the last post of the year. I should mention that I reviewed the new Nitad 7" on No Way a few months ago, and commented on the cover art looking like a black metal cover. Luckily the regular pressing has different cover art, which I really really like. It doesn't look like a typical HC cover, and is full cover and I'm real into it.

7"s:

Government Warning- Executed
Recorded at the same time as Paranoid Mess, this 7" seems kind of like a few throw-away songs and a Battalion of Saints cover. "Executed" starts out slow, then gets fast, then goes back to slow, then speeds up right before the end with nothing all that interesting in between. It's not bad, but definitely not in the same league as their previous releases.

Deathrats- s/t
Deathrats are an awesome new band from DC who have a somewhat 90's vibe to them. Musically it reminds me somewhat of Severed head of State mixed with Los Crudos, and all of the covers are screen printed. The vocals remind me more like current bands Punch and Sick Fix, since they're more screamed than sung (and female). The music is very powerful d-beat influenced hardcore. It's a real great record, and I hope to hear from more from these guys and girls soon. I should also mention that it doesn't say Deathrats on the cover anywhere, so hopefully it doesn't get passed over because of that, because it's really worth your time.

Foreign Objects- s/t
Foreign Objects are a relatively new band from Boston with members from Conversions, Ampere, Positive Reinforcement, Libyans and I'm sure others. Their sound is a sort of mid-paced late 70's punk in a Dangerhouse kinda way (X comes to mind). The vocals alter between singing and shouting, which keep things flowing nicely. Pretty cool.

12"s:

Government Warning- Paranoid Mess
For my money, Government Warning's "No Moderation" LP was one of the best HC LPs of the past 10 years, and set the bar extremely high for a follow up. The recording quality is a lot more blown out, lo-fi then their previous efforts. There's some raging fast songs, and some solid mid-paced songs. I think some of the songs lack the hooks that "No Moderaton" had, but it's still worthy of a few spins.

Wasted Time- Futility
After seeing Wasted Time at No Way Fest 2 as a 5 piece, I had high hopes for this record. The music is a lot heavier/fuller sounding. Kinda brings to mind "Feel the Darkness" era Poison Idea. I would say the songs aren't as fast as their previous releases, but still good. I could see this band going into a more Motorhead style in the future.

Pollution- Nasty.DNA
Pollution are a band from NYC that I've had the pleasure of seeing multiple times, and was blown away every time. It's almost impossible to describe their sound, which is a good thing. At times sounding like From Ashes Rise then like the Melvins. There's also some stoner and death metal influence int here as well. All I know is that it's loud as hell, it doesn't sound like anything you've ever heard before, and that it fucking rules. This is a vinyl pressing of a cassette release the band self-released. Expect big things from these guys if they ever escape from NY.

Social Circkle- City Shock
After 2 very short 7"s, a proper LP by Boston's Social Circkle is finally out. This release's line-up has yet another change, making the band 1/2 of Blank Stare (RIP). If you've never heard SC's other records, they play a pretty mid paced style of early 80's/late 70's punk. This record sounds pretty similar to their last record. They re-recorded "Drunk Cop" from their demo, though I think it lacks some of the punch of their demo. Pretty good, but I think I was expecting a little something faster.

Hellboy art show in Philly

2009-12-03T00:04:00.006-05:00

Here is my piece for the Hellboy show. I did it on an old skateboard that I found in a thrift store. I wanted a real skate graphic influenced piece. I figured what says Hellboy like the right hand of doom and some random tentacles. I had some issues while painting it, I guess the cold and spray paint don't get along and there was some bubbling.
As a bonus to my blog readers, here's a rejected idea I had for the show. I thought of maybe making a print of this also, but I never was the most entrepreneurial artist.

Because nothing says Happy Holidays like the beast of the Apocalypse, The Autumn Society invites you to celebrate both the 15th anniversary of Mike Mignola's Hellboy and the December holiday season, with an exclusive Hellboy show only at Brave New Worlds Comics! So come out for a "Hell" of a time at our last show for 2009!

Check out sneak peeks of some of the work that will be featured at the show here: http://www.theautumnsociety.com/search/label/Hellboy

Custom Yoka for D-con

2009-11-05T15:34:00.004-05:00

Here's my finished YOKA custom for Designer Con. He needs a name, any ideas? The coloring pattern was based on my gf's Boston Terrier. The Yoka platform toy is great because it looks good standing, but even better sitting. I am extremely humbled to be a part of this show, from what i hear there will be 300 artists involved. Thanks to DKE Toys and Dylan Evans for giving me this opportunity.

*UPDATE: his name is "Mopey"*

Fall 09 record reviews

2009-11-02T22:16:00.001-05:00

What we have here is a chunk of records I got at the end of summer/ early fall. I used to do a lot more reviews posts, but my budget for records has been a little tighter lately. That combined with maybe not as many good recent releases, and not as many good touring bands playing in Jersey. The next reviews post will be close to the end of the year, before the annual Best Of 2009 post.

7"s:

Dark Ages- Vicious Lie E.P.
Whatever you're listening to, turn it off and go buy this record. If you're a fan of the No Way/ Grave Mistake/ Sorry State type of releases, this will blow you away. I was impressed by Dark ages demo 7", as well as seeing them live twice last summer. I really get an early Articles of Faith vibe from these songs, but filtered through the speed of the early 80's DC HC bands. It's got a slight melodic tint, but it's fast as shit. Seriously, I couldn't recommend any 7" I've gotten recently any higher.

V/A- The South Will Rise Again
Cowabunga brings you a compilation focusing on HC bands from the southern part of this great nation. My main gripe is that the back cover just lists the bands, but isn't in the right order. The insert is also inconsistent in terms of each band's art/layout. The standouts are Logic Problem, Socialcide and Cult Ritual bringing just what you'd already expect from those bands. Some new bands I found through this were High Life (guess I wrote them off as a party thrash band) and HRT (never heard of em, but they rip). It's really cool that a label from CA would highlight a scene so far away, so you know they're not playing favorites.

Video Disease- s/t
I liked Video Disease's demo, but I think they really improved vastly on this record. The recording quality is still really blown out, and the music is raw, ugly and fast hardcore. Cool layout w/ the info being on an obi strip. I just went to the band's Myspace page, and it seems they're breaking up; I still need their 2nd 7".

Dirty BS- Line of Fucking Fire
I really liked Dirty BS' first 7", so when I saw this in a distro I was surprised since I assumed the band broke up. Apparently this 7" is limited to only 300 and contained out takes from the 7" recording session. I hate to say it, but I'm not that impressed. The songs lack the same fury that the 7" had. It's out of print though, so my opinion doesn't matter since you can't get it anyway.

Migraine- s/t
Kinda similar to Ecoli, this CA band blasts out a ripper of a 7". There's some distorted vocals, (hell distorted everything) and some blazing fast parts. There's an overall heaviness to it, kinda similar to the Slices 7"s, but a lot more straight forward. This record is really good, give it a shot. They have a new record on deck which will be on Cowabunga.

Force Fed- 5-Song EP
Painkiller brings you the debut EP from PA's Force Fed. While it's not as hard hitting as PK's usual releases, it's similar to fellow PA band Let Down's earlier material. They play no frills hard and fast straight edge hardcore. It's got an early 80's meets modern fast HC sound. Pretty good, check it out.

Ecoli- Judas Cradle
Ecoli had a 7" that came out last year that totally came from nowhere and totally ripped. Their sound was similar to faster early 80's bands like Neon Christ, Koro and the Neos. After the first listen I wasn't as into it, but giving it another shot I really started to appreciate it. On this record there's a slight lineup change, but they don't lose any of the ferocity. At times the songs are more structured, at other times they're more frantic and loose. I'd maybe compare it to Die Kreuzen, but either way you need this in your life.

Libyans- Crash Course
This was apparently recorded at the same time as their LP, but is structured more like the Welcome to the Neighborhood 7". There's a longer song ("Crash Course") on the A side, and a shorter song ("Erased") on the B side. Crash Course is certainly not as good as Welcome to the Neighborhood, but it's still catchy. I would almost say Erased is the better song, since it's a bit more punchy. A good and short 7", but I want more fast songs.

Death Crisis- s/t
Out of the ashes of Life Crisis come Death Crisis, with 3/4 of the final lineup. They continue along the same lines with their Dr. Know sounding hc/punk with metal leads and solos. It's very early 80's California sounding, but a bit more ballsy. There's a few songs with Spanish lyrics, but my basic Spanish comprehension was able to get what they were talking about. The cover art is a bad Photoshop collage, which looks like a bad black metal cover, but don't let it deter you.

the Insults- Thrasher Go Home
Finally, a legit reissue of the classic Detroit band's 7" from the 80's. I hadn't listened to this in a while and forgot how good this 7" was. It's similar to Verbal Abuse in that it's fast HC/punk with metal tinges to it. Similar to their Michigan brothers in the State, this is some essential authentic early 80's HC. Good job Punks Before Profits for resurrecting this beast.

No Tolerance- Boston Straight Edge
I had downloaded No Tolerances demo a few months ago, and was psyched to finally get a real copy pressed to vinyl. From the same masterminds behind Mind Eraser, DFJ and CC this time bring you a late 80's straight edge sound. I hear a heavy Brotherhood influence, as I'm sure that's where they got their name from. I guess this started as a side project, but now they have a full band assembled and will be doing a 7" on Youngblood soon. The somewhat militant sXe lyrics will turn off some, but I think this is real good!

Judgement- Just Be...
This was repressed to celebrate Judgement getting back together to play Chaos in Tejas fest. I was lucky to find this in a distro, but I know they sold out fast. This was Judgement's last (and some might say worst) release, which only had a CD release previously. I would say it's not as strong as their earlier material, but seriously it's impossible to top that stuff. Follows the same Judgement formula of Burning Spirits styled HC with a heavier focus on guitars. It's fucking great, go find it.

Burial- Hungry Wolves
I had a couple of Burial's other releases, but this one had eluded me for a while. It's not new, but this 4 song 7" is perfect. This German band can emulate the Burning Spirits Japanese hardcore style of the greats like no other. Imagine Tragedy w/o the boring cello or piano interludes. This rips, and I just found out they have a new 12" out... gotta find that!

Obliteration- This Is Tomorrow
I liked Obliteration's first 7", and was glad they were doing another so soon. Obliteration is basically the singer of Knife Fight, but with Mind Eraser as his backup band. They play a distorted crust/d-beat influenced hardcore similar to Crucifix or Anti-Cimex. It lacks some of the cliches of the average crusty band, but that's a good thing. I kinda liked the first record better, but this is good too.

Brain Killer- s/t
Boston's Brain killer play with the distorted fury of Japanese bands like Disclose and Framtid, but the vocals remind me a lot of Deathreat. There's a lot of feedback throughout this record, which ads to its all over raw sound. I would imagine this band plays loud as hell live. This is fucking great!

Brain Killer- s/t (demo)
This is a re-pressing of Brain Killer's demo on vinyl, which I had downloaded a while back and loved. Musically it's very similar to the 7", but as you could imagine a bit more raw. Get this as well as the s/t 7" and you won't be disappointed.

Middle Class- Out Of Vogue
Released in 1978, some might say this was the first hardcore record, and I would agree. This was way faster than everything else from that time. Songs like "Out of Vogue" (which was featured in American Hardcore) and "Insurgence" laid the groundwork for American HC, while being influenced by UK punk. Frontier reissued this at the end of last year, and it's about damn time. Mine came on blue vinyl too, sweet!

12"s:

Urban Blight- More Reality
Back in 2004 Urban Blight released a pretty good 3 song 7", 5 years later they release this amazing 12" EP. Their sound has matured a lot in that time, and I think this 12" is a huge step. The recording is real blown out, which totally works, and gives it that authentic 80's HC sound. The music is very early 80's NYHC influenced, think early AF, early Warzone, etc... Real good, and a huge step up from their previous releases. The cover art is kinda weird, I guess they wanted it to look like a DJ's single, which I don't think works.

Death- For the Whole World to See
You may have read the stories about this band online, but basically this is a relatively forgotten band from the 70's that is just now seeing a proper release. Not to be confused with the metal band of the same name, Death were 3 African American brothers who were playing punk in a style of the Stooges, the Buzzcocks or the MC5. This LP is really good, and well recorded for something over 30 years old. Some of the songs are fast, almost early Bad Brains sounding. "Politicians In My Eyes" and "Freakin Out" are like unheard classics. Seriously, this is a great record, with some great authentic 70's looking cover art to make a great overall package.

Paintbox- Trip Trance & Travelling
So this album was years in the making, and after listening to the whole thing I can see why. Judging by the psychedelic cover art, I knew it was gonna be kinda weird. There's their signature rock n roll meets burning spirits style, mixed with some more psych influence and a good amount of trumpets. There's a lot of great guitar parts by Chelsea (RIP), and some female vocals mixed throughout. They really went all out on this one, and while it may seem weird to some, but the only word I can use to describe this is EPIC. Paintbox really likes to straddle the line between traditional punk/HC sounds, and something a bit more experimental. If you're already a fan, you're not gonna be let down, but may be a bit much for a first time listener.

Mouthpiece- Can't Kill What's Inside
In honor of Edge Day recently I got a real craving to listen to some Mouthpiece, but had foolishly sold all of their records when I was getting rid of all my youth crew type stuff. Luckily Rev has re-pressed their discography on vinyl, and I was able to rectify my mistake. Mouthpiece existed in a time after the youth crew style bands, but before the heavy 90's HC sound really took shape. They sound more like bands like Inside Out and Burn, but have a bit of a harder edge like Judge. At the time they were considered a fast band, but by today's standards not so much. It seems like there's a good deal of hype around bands from the early 90's scene, and a lot of them reuniting for the Burning Fight show this summer. With that, it's nice to see Mouthpiece get some recognition. Personally, I kinda have to be in the mood for this style of HC, and I could see why I sold off my Mouthpiece records originally (not to say I don't regret it). I saw them twice in 2001 @ their reunion shows, and they were great. NEW JERSEY STRAIGHT EDGE!

Trick Art Treat show pieces

2009-10-25T16:02:00.002-04:00

This is a piece I did for the Trick Art Treat art show. I find dogs in Halloween costumes hilarious, so I montaged a photo of a dog in a devil costume with a photo of my girlfriend's Boston terrier, Lelo. As with all of my other pieces, it was drawn out in Illustrator, then cut into stencils and spraypainted on a canvas. The piece is entitled "Devil Dog (aka: S.T.D.)," as I've affectionately nicknamed her "Shitty the Dog."
I cut out a stencil of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein for the b/w flyer for the show, so I figured I would make it into a simple stencil piece for the show as well. The piece is entitled "Frankie Says Relax."

Misfits Tubby, Couch Slouch Qee & Kaiju Gwin

2009-09-29T18:54:00.004-04:00

I've been working on a bunch of toys lately, and haven't had a chance to post them, here's what I've been working on for the past month or so,,,
This was originally a vinyl toy of Tubby from the Little Lulu comic. I got a few of these and decided to paint it up in a style of Bounty Hunter, hence the logo on the back. It was mainly influenced by the Misfits fashion sense.
This started out as a blank Pigee Qee, and I turned it into a lazy balding dudes who I call "Couch Slouch" (after the DRI song). He's so depressed he just sits around the house watching TV in his underwear and flippy floppies. Poor guy... I painted it pink first, then gave it some light sprays of ivory to lighten him up in spots.
This was a Gwin that I made as an experiment to try painting the inside of a clear toy. I left him blank, but decided I should finish him off w/ some simple details. I was influenced by the minimalistic kaiju style paint jobs from Japan.
This Gwin was mine for the Custom Gwin Trade on the October Toys forum. The concept was that the Gorilla had a banana peel on his head, which made use of the penguin shape's flaps. My trade partner got this Gwin along w/ a custom painted Zombie and header card. I had gotten the Zombie free in an order and was just playing around w/ paint markers one night. The arms are from a Dunny and are drilled in so they still move. My trade partner was very happy with it and I eagerly await his custom to come in the mail.

hardcore/punk toys?!

2009-09-22T16:32:00.004-04:00

Collecting vinyl rules. Whether that vinyl is playable or shaped into a cool toy is your choice. What some of my usual blog readers may not know is that a lot of punkers are involved in the toy world. I did a post a while back about the Gorilla Biscuits toy, but did you know that CIV did a Dunny design in their tattoo series?
Suicidal Tendencies had a Be@rbrick design as a pattern. I was lucky enough to score one of these on the first try. It's made to look like a blue bandanna, and is a part of the pattern series. Medicom recently released a larger "400%" version of this design. They've also done Sex Pistols themed Be@rbrick in the past.
Kidrobot recently did series of pieces depicting their mascot as a punk rocker called Kidpunk. There were 3 different versions- 1977 (Sex Pistols), 1980 (Dead Kennedys), 1984 (Black Flag). I of course got the Black Flag looking one. Each one came with a record and cover parodying the band's classic album that was released in that particular year. I thought it was pretty clever, and shows that someone working there knew something about the actual music, and not just the look.
Everybody knows Pushead for doing tons of awesome album covers, but he's become popular in the toy scene as well. His toys are kinda hard to come by, so I still don't have any in my collection yet. Hopefully soon... He recently did a signing at the NY Comic Con with Secret Base out of Japan, that I heard was packed. Secret Base also has produced toys for Napalm Death and Balzac. Mike Sutfin who you may know from bands like Charles Bronson and Killers also had customs for sale at NYCC. He has his own toy coming soon from Reckless Toys, which is reminiscent of the old Corrosion of Conformity logo. Amos Toys recently released a character called Martin X, which has X's on his hands and makes references to the character being Straight Edge.
Also, make sure to check out a great documentary DVD called Toypunks, focuses on the rise of designer toys, and the parallels to punk culture. There's even a song by Deep Sleep used in the movie.
There's even a huge DIY movement within the designer toy scene. People hand mold and cast their own toys out of resin and sell it themselves. A lot of toy companies sell blank toys, which encourage customization. So you see, the hardcore/punk scene stretches far into nerd culture than most people would like to admit.

*this is a post I was working on back in February/March, and never finished until now.

Dia De Los Muertos

2009-09-18T17:44:00.002-04:00

This is my piece for the Autumn Society's Dia De Los Muertos show entitled Esqueleto Con un Monopatín, which translates to "Skeleton with a Skateboard". It was done on an oval shaped 9"x12" canvas with stencils and spray paint. The character was heavily influenced by Posada's prints.

"Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead), is typically a Mexican celebrated holiday, in which families bring offerings (such as food and mementos) to remember and celebrate their loved ones that have passed away. The holiday is celebrated between October 31st through November 2nd.
The show will consist of 40+ pieces of art from the Autumn Society's finest artists, each interpreting "Dia de los Muertos" in their own unique way.
So come and celebrate on First Friday, October 2nd, and don't miss out on some fantastic original artwork, music, and sugar skulls!"
Proximity Gallery
2434 East Dauphin Street
Philadelphia, PA

BLObPUS custom contest

2009-08-20T14:54:00.003-04:00

Here are some pictures of my Blobpus custom for the contest via Lulubell Toys. I poured red acrylic craft paint on the inside, then did some sprays in black and silver w/ spray paint, then added the details w/ paint markers. This was my first kaiju style paint job, and I'm pretty happy w/ it.

For reference purposes, here's what it looked like originally, you can see the vinyl was clear.

Record Reviews (summer edition)

2009-08-06T16:56:00.000-04:00

It's summer, which means there's a lot more bands touring. That also means there's a lot of records you should be buying to support these bands. Go see: Coke Bust/ Sick Fix, Shitty Limits/ Logic Problem, I Hate This/ Backslider, Zhenia Golov/ Plague Bearers, Rip It Up/ Stressed Out, Punch, and Guilty Faces who are all still on tour through August.

7"s:

Waste Management- Get Your Mind Right E.P.
This came out a while back, but I wish someone had clued me in on this band earlier, holy shit. The vocals are almost a dead ringer for Springa (SSD), and the music has a real early 80's Boston feel to it. This has a perfect balance of raging fast parts, and slow mosh parts. Some of the lyrics seem to be straight edge oriented, but the band isn't very up front about it. Great 7", hopefully they have more in the works.

Boiling Over- Trash City
I had only known Boiling Over from the Punx Don't Drink comp, but much like Cold Shoulder their own EP is way better. "Humanity is Fucked" kicks off this beast, and sets the tone of a bleak world view for the rest of the record. My favorite song is "These Colors Don't Crust" which has a pretty memorable chorus of "We have been wronged, we have been lied to." I love bands like this that are sXe, but don't use it as a marketing ploy from some watered down cartoon version of hardcore. This straight up, no BS early 80's inspired HC. The record also comes w/ an mp3 download, which is always convenient.

I Hate This- s/t
Released just in time for their US tour, IHT drops their first solo 7". After a lineup change (one of those changes happened to be the primary song writer), they don't let up on the fastcore fury. The music is more in a Charles Bronson direction, taking old style HC structure and speeding them up. Pick a copy up from the band as it hasn't made its way into distros yet.

The Shitty Limits- Here Are the Limits
The Shitty Limits are a band from the UK, who are currently on tour in the US. Their sound is some sort of mix of garage rock and late 70's punk. I could see them fitting in well on a show with Jay Reatard or one with Regulations. "Here Are The Limits" opens up the record with a bullhorn scream, which is a pretty good introduction to the record and the band itself. The songs on here are a real bouncy mid pace. The guitar tone is undistorted, and matches perfectly with their style.

The Shitty Limits- Espionage
This is basically a single for the song "Espionage," backed with 2 faster songs. The music is almost 60's British rock influenced, which I guess makes some sense since they're from the UK. The B side offers 2 more tracks with a slightly different sound, "We Had a Gang" is probably the better of the 2. This record is ok, but I prefer the "Here Are the Limits" E.P.

No Man's Slave- Siege Mentality
I saw these guys in NJ, and picked up this there. For a band named after an Infest LP, I thought I knew what to expect. I got a real Ruination feel from them, which was confirmed by the Left For Dead cover at the end of the record. They somehow cram 14 songs on this record without feeling like they just threw a bunch of crap together. The music is fast as hell, but with a moshy heaviness to it.

Nitad- Ge Oss Mer
This is a reissue of the band's 2nd 7", which I believe was limited originally. Honestly the artwork was what really attracted me to this record, it's like 60's poster art. The music is early 80's upbeat punk sounding, but sung is Swedish. Sounds pretty similar to fellow Swedes Masshysteri or Regulations, but with a lot more punch to it.

Nitad- s/t
Despite the cover art on my version looking like a Bathory 7" (I have the tour pressing, so the cover may be different when it's released for real), this is a definite punk record. This record doesn't deviate too far from the sound on their previous efforts. It does seem a lot tighter and angrier (the lyrics are still in Swedish, so i have no idea). Definitely pick this up once it's properly released.

Drag the River- ...Has A Way With Women
I got this because I heard it was Chad Price's (of ALL fame) new band. The songs seem to have been recorded a while back, and are more demo quality. I would say there's a real country vibe to these. It's pretty cool, but I doubt I'll play this more than a few times.

Zhenia Golov/ Botox Party
NJ's Zhenia Golov bring us 2 new songs of politically influenced crusty thrash. Botox Party play more folky pop-punk, that almost Propaghandi sounding. It's a pretty strange balance for the 2 band to do a split, but somehow it works as both bands have played together often before. I should note that there is a Botox Party song at the end of the ZG side. I'm not sure why they did this (as well as having blank labels), but I know I'm guilty of only listening to one particular side of a split record.

Mirrors and Wires- Colorized Audio Transmission
This is not surf punk, but it is punks playing surf (mixed with a little bit of psychedelic rock). M&W are an all instrumental group w/ members of some local HC/Punk bands. The A side offers 3 short musical bursts, while the B side has one long more psychedelic song. I definitely enjoyed the A side way more personally. It's definitely something different, and makes for some feel good background music.

Ugly Law- s/t
I love the recent rise of old dudes playing in hardcore bands, and one of these dudes was in Unseen Force. My band did a weekend tour w/ this dudes back in May, and I got this then. They play a mid/late 80's crossover hardcore sound. Kinda reminds me of Animosity era COC at times. They seem to take similar influences to COC, blending southern rock with faster hardcore sounds. This was self-released, and apparently they have another record recorded.

12"s:

Coke Bust- Lines in the Sand
After an good demo and a really good 7", Coke Bust come out with this amazing LP. I seriously think this blows everything they did previously out of the water. "Countdown to Death" is my favorite song (also their longest), and has a great slow mosh which reminds me of SSD. "Leave Me Behind" also has a great 2 second hard mosh at the end of it. I think if you wrote off Coke Bust in the past, this will change your mind. The song writing and lyrics have matured into on amazing HC record. Also, GO SEE COKE BUST ON TOUR!

Punch- s/t
I had heard great things about Punch since their last tour, so I decided to check em out at their Philly show. Boy was I impressed. The music is somewhere along the lines of Scholastic Death type thrash, mixed with some youth crew influenced mosh breakdowns. The mosh buildup in "Ol' Factory" rules. They manage to pack 16 songs into 20 minutes of hardcore fury. Not to make it a selling point, but Punch are a female fronted hardcore band. That doesn't let up any of the fury here, as she can belt it out with the best of em. Definitely try to catch them on tour!

Bad Antics- Tour LP
I wasn't a huge fan of Bad Antics' last record, but picked this up after seeing them in NJ. It's more a step back to the California punk influence that the first 7" had. The songs are kind of mid paced and slower (and therefore longer) than their older stuff. It kinda reminds me of those later Adolescents and DI albums that nobody really listens to. Honestly I'm more impressed with the cover art, which is stenciled and spray painted, so each one is different.

CDs:

Just Die!- Garages and Basements
Musically NC's Just Die! seem to take the Kid Dynamite approach, but faster... and I mean WAY faster. The music has some melodic parts, but the vocals are harsh and screamed. Saw this band on a whim in NJ a few weeks ago and was very impressed, they were super nice dudes too. This is the CD version of a 7" that wasn't ready in time for tour.

demos:
Sick Fix- Nothing Else Mattered No one Else Mattered (tape or CDr)
Sick Fix decided to record a new demo before their tour w/ Coke Bust this summer, and it's about damn time. I thought their 7" was good, but didn't really do any justice to how they sound live. Michelle's vocals have gotten a lot more brutal sounding since then as well. Here you get 4 new song and a re-recording of "One Third" (from the 7"/demo) with a way slower breakdown (in a good way). "Liberty Lost" has the new intro, which they've been playing live for the past year, and boy is it heavy. My favorite song on here is "Boudica." Hopefully this is a demo for a new record in the works, whether it be an EP or LP I'm sure it will be a monster.

Backslider (tape)
The idea of a 2 person fastcore band sounds about as appealing to me as a turd sandwich, however somehow this defies my expectations. There's a good balance of grindy parts, power violence style breakdowns, and of course short songs. The way the songs are mixed, it's almost like one giant song with stops. I feel like for a 2 person band things should be a lot tighter, but it's just a demo so I'll cut em some slack. The new stuff on their website has a more Lack of Interest sound, and blows this stuff away. This band also comprises 1/2 of I Hate This, and are on tour w/ them now.

Outlast (tape)
Outlast are a new youth crew sXe hardcore band from NJ. If you read this blog, you know I have a real soft spot for this type of stuff. It reminds me of the late 90's sXe revival bands like In My Eyes and Better Than A Thousand (there's even some Cappo style growls). The recording quality is really clean for a demo, and apparently it will be re-pressed on vinyl soon. Bands like this were a dime a dozen like 10 years ago, but now I miss this type of stuff. The lyrics cover your typical posi topics such as change, unity, helping each other out, and of course being straight edge. Awesome!

Teenage Whore-Moans- Moan All Nite Long (pro-tape)
Teenage Whore Moans play some low-fi garage influenced pop-punk. The low quality of the recording kind of ruins it for me, and maybe a better studio recording would have been a little easier on the ears. I guess with "garage" styled stuff you can get away with that. Otherwise it's some poppy songs about girls ...not my thing.

8-Bit and Beyond show pieces

2009-08-04T17:22:00.005-04:00

Megaman & the Robot Masters
MOONWALKER RIP
Metroidz
The Autumn Society's tribute to video games "8 Bit & Beyond" opens on Friday (8/7) @ Brave New Worlds Comics in Philly, PA. This is going to be a great show, and I encourage anyone in the area to check it out! All of my pieces were drawn in Illustrator, then printed and cut into stencils, then spray painted on canvas. I also did an interview over at Gamervision.com about my Metroid piece.

Mallows @ SDCC

2009-07-23T14:27:00.005-04:00

I was recently asked to do some customs on this new platform toy by Shocker Toys called Mallows. These 2 designs will be on display at the Shocker Toys booth (#3849) @ San Diego Comic Con, and at an after party hosted by Shocker. The figure is made from plastic, not vinyl, but has 10 points of articulation. It's pretty cool, hope to see some good things coming from it. The zombie looking one is called "Hipster Holocaust," and was mainly done in spray paint, with some detail drown in w/ markers. The tattooed one is named "Just Say No," and all the details were drawn in w/ markers. I wanted to texture on him to resemble old flash sheets at a tattoo shop.
I also designed/illustrated this logo to be used on a custom toy set for October Toys only available at SDCC. This will be on the chase figure, and the button set. You can pick up your Evil Gwin @ the October Toys booth (#4838).

interview on Vinyl-Toys.com

2009-07-20T22:48:00.003-04:00

I recently did an interview about my custom toys for Vinyl-Toys.com, which you can check out by clicking the link. I was quite honored since I've only been customizing toys for a short period of time, massive thanks for the encouragement.

Golden Age art show pieces

2009-07-10T16:11:00.002-04:00

A little behind on this but, here's my submissions for the Golden Age show. I was actually working on another piece, and had an idea to do a quick Felix piece. It turned out WAY better than the piece I was working much longer on. With Joe's encouragement, I did another piece in the same style for Chilly Willy. They're on 8"x10" canvas boards, and have custom painted frames.
The opening part was a success, and we have another show coming at the same place on Aug 7 entitled "8-Bit & Beyond" (a video game themed show).

BLOODTYPE: NJ Straight Edge Hardcore/punk

2009-06-30T17:40:00.007-04:00

My new band recently recorded a demo in my garage with the help of Metal Pete from Stressed Out. The new band is called Bloodtype, and it's my first time being the singer in a band. It's more of a side project with other people from other local bands. The idea had been kicking around to do the band for a while now. I remember talking w/ the drummer about that Repos LP where they covered Youth of Today, and talking about doing a straight edge band that raged like that. Some time went by without anything happening due to not finding a guitar player. During that down time however I had been writing music and ideas for lyrics. By the time we had our first practice I had a bunch of songs written, which made things come together a lot quicker than most bands I had been in. We had about 3 or 4 practices before our first show, where we played 4 songs and a Cro-Mags cover.

Being a singer in a hardcore band is very different from being a bass player. As a bass player, I have to bring all my equipment, get my sounds right and play the songs. The singer has to write lyrics, and remember said lyrics, as well as being somewhat engaging as a front man. It's way more physically demanding for sure, but I do like not having to carry heavy amps down basement stairs though.

we have demo tapes available for order:
PAYPAL $3.50 ppd in the USofA to bleedingXedges[at]gmail.com
(int'l orders get in touch, and we'll work something out)
...or you can just download it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?tnmetnyoo1l

Classic Comps vol. 4- Flex Your Head

2009-06-14T18:02:00.000-04:00

This is kind of a no-brainer, I always loved the DC hardcore scene. After doing the NYHC comp last time, I felt I dropped the ball by not doing Flex Your Head sooner. I like how each band has multiple songs each. Dischord's been re-releasing a lot of their records on colored vinyl with download codes lately. Not that they were out of print, but some got remastered, plus it's cool to see these releases on color. Flex Your Head came on 4 different covers, the one displayed is the one I own, but I obviously prefer the XXX cover. I would also recommend tracking down the Dischord 1981: a Year in Seven Inches LP or CD, as it has the proper releases of some of the more prominent bands on here.

1. Teen Idles - I Drink Milk
2. Teen Idles - Commie Song
3. Teen Idles - No Fun
The Teen Idles were basically the reason Dischord Records started, which was to release their first 7". "I Drink Milk" is a pretty juvenile, song, but kinda catchy in its monotone nature. "Commie Song" has a little more punch, but not as catchy. "No Fun" in a pretty good decent Stooges cover. These songs overall are good but not great, however they laid the groundwork for what would be a thriving hardcore scene.

4. Untouchables - Rat Patrol
5. Untouchables - Nic Fit
6. Untouchables - I Hate You
The Untouchables were fronted by Ian MacKaye's younger brother Alec, and all the members went on to do notable bands later on. I really like the Untouchables, but unfortunately this is all that's available by them. I hear rumors that a 7" was recorded but never released... "Rat Patrol" kicks it in with a pretty good hook in the chorus and the singer's raspy voice. Some people may recognize "Nic Fit" from Sonic Youth's shitty cover. This song's pretty bare bones start and stop hardcore, not much to it, but what else would you want? "I Hate You" is a little more mid-paced, but has a chorus that's all sing a long.

7. State Of Alert - I Hate The Kids
8. State Of Alert - Disease
9. State Of Alert - Stepping Stone Party
SOA's one of my favorites from this era, and probably most notable for being Henry Rollins' first band. "I Hate The Kids" if the best song out of these 3. Pretty good riff, and sing a long chorus, just fast and simple. "Disease" is a short blast, but not the best. Apparently it was a thing in DC to cover "Stepping Stone." Minor Threat, SOA, the Untouchables and Government Issue have all recorded versions. The SOA version's a little more chaotic, and it doesn't seem like they knew the words and just made them up.

10. Minor Threat - Stand Up
11. Minor Threat - 12XU
Minor Threat were probably one of the more important early hardcore punk bands. They had the speed of hardcore and actually had somethign intelligent to sing about. "Stand Up" is sort of a call to arms type song, and fits along with the rest of their classic discography. "12XU" is a Wire cover, which rules. I kinda feel like Minor Threat gets written off being a band that a lot of people get into early, but over 10 years later they sound just as good to me.

12. Government Issue - Hey, Ronnie
13. Government Issue - Lie, Cheat, & Steal
Government Issue was always a band that I liked but never loved. Musically similar to Minor Threat, but maybe a little slower. Hey Ronnie" is obviously directed at the then president, and has a great sing along intro. "Lie, Cheat, & Steal" is about the same pace as the previous track, and has a catchy chorus. GI released a hell of a lot more records than any of these other DC bands, most of them were real good aside from a few later releases

14. Youth Brigade - Moral Majority
15. Youth Brigade - Waste Of Time
16. Youth Brigade - Last Word
Youth Brigade was a great band, and this is way better than the band of the same name from CA. They featured the former singer of Teen Idles, and some others who went on to bigger things. "Moral Majority" is just a straight up classic hardcore song. "Waste Of Time" is pretty good, but the weaker of the 3 songs. "Last Word" is a little slower, but is pretty anthemic in a good way.

17. Red C - Jimi 45
18. Red C - Pressure's On
19. Red C - 6 O' Clock News
20. Red C - Assassin
Red C is a band that basically had a demo and these tracks. "Jimi 45" is a skipper, pretty lame instrumental. "Pressure's On" is one you'll want to get to as soon as possible. You may recognize it from being covered by Citizens Arrest (on their demo) and more recently by Ceremony. Great song! "6 O' Clock News" has a real lame verse, but the chorus part is kinda thrashy and way better- probably another skipper though. "Assassin" is a better/shorter song, but not nearly as good as "Pressure's On."

21. Void - Dehumanized
22. Void - Authority
23. Void - My Rules
Void is a band that kind of brought somethign a little different to the table. They bordered on chaos, but were able to keep it together just long enough to get the song done. The guitar work is insanely good, but retains the simplicity of punk. All of these songs are fucking killer! "My Rules" was later re-recorded for their split LP w/ the Faith

24. Iron Cross - Wargames
25. Iron Cross - New Breed
26. Iron Cross - Live For Now
Iron Cross has the distinction of being one of the first American bands to be more Oi inspired. The recording quality is a little weird, where the vocals are real low in the mix. All 3 songs are about the same mid tempo pacing with nothing really standing out.

27. Artificial Peace - Artificial Peace
28. Artificial Peace - Outside Looking In
29. Artificial Peace - Wasteland
Artificial Peace I always felt was way under appreciated, aside from these 3 songs they had a discography LP on Lost and Found back in the 90's that's killer. "Artificial Peace" has a weird jam band solo in the middle, and starts out weird but rips somewhere in the middle. "Outside Looking In" is a pretty great song, and probably one of the best examples of start/stop hardcore song writing. "Wasteland" is pretty fast at the start, but the chorus is more slow in a good way.

30. Deadline - Stolen Youth
31. Deadline - Hear The Cry
32. Deadline - Aftermath
Deadline is another band that didn't do much aside from a killer demo, which Dischord recently repressed on CD. Hey Dischord, do a vinyl version and I'll buy it! "Stolen Youth" is a great slow song. "Hear The Cry" is a great song, and way faster to the typical DC style of this LP. "Aftermath" closes out the comp on a kind of slow tempo, it gets a little faster towards the end, but not the best way to end the record. Deadline's other stuff is better I think.

Chewbacck Obama and some Munnys

2009-06-03T14:24:00.004-04:00

Here's a bunch of stuff I've done over the past few weeks:This was a dumb idea I had, more so just the name Chewbacck Obama, popped in my head for some reason. In order to get it out of my brain I drew this up and stenciled it on a 8"x10" canvas board.

Here's a Munny I made as a gift to my tattoo artist who's been hooking me up w/ some sweet free tattoos over the past few months. I wanted it to look like an old timey strong man w/a sweet mustache (made of craft foam). I gave him traditional styled tattoos which I drew on with Sharpies. Here's what he looks like from all angles.

This is a Mini Munny body which I attached a TV accessory from a regular sized Munny. The basic concept is "TV rots your brain." The Munny body was pink, and I masked out a brain pattern and then sprayed the whole thing red. The TV screen I painted w/ a textured gray to look like static.

This is a flyer for a show my new band BLOODTYPE is playing. If anybody's gonna be in the area and wants to see me sing in a band, this would be your chance.