Tuesday, October 23, 2012
BORN/DEAD Live at the Oakland Metro 10/20/12
BORN/DEAD Live At The Oakland Metro 10/20/12. Born/Dead will play the Metro Again on 11/3 W/ Strung UP, Deadfall and Scurvy Dogs!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
EFFLUXUS- Tracks from Upcoming "Devoid" EP on Prank
EFFLUXUS "devoid" Ep out December . Effluxus are playing 10/18 W/ Iron Lung, The Process and Hunting Party at The Knockout iN SF, as part of the SUBVERSION fest in December at the oakland metro 12/8 and then touring in the spring with INFERNOH out to Chaos in Tejas.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Best of the 90's DIY Hardcore: Top 100.
In 1990 the final installment of Pushead's legendary PUSZONE column in thrasher Magazine published a list of 100 Best hardcore records of the 1980's. It's a great list that focuses on some of the great music of the decade, but of course has arguable omissions and debatable releases by the bands listed depending on personal perspective.
Pushead did a similar, but maybe less focused list of 90's bands I can't locate, but I felt I wanted to make my own list, as the 1990's is often unfairly maligned decade, because the central narrative thread that dominated the 1980's unravelled into an explosion of micro-scenes, styles and ideas, and indeed that splintering of culture presaged the world We currently live in.
Depending on where you or your local scene was or was focused, you could have positive or negative views of the time, I have a really favorable view of the 90's because a lot of the things that were great about DIY hardcore I was involved with on some level - powerviolence, the start of Japanese bands coming to the US, and Sludgy down tuned hardcore. In doing this list, I think there are many more, generally consistent and better made records that came out in the last ten years, but I feel there's definitely more uniquely distinctive and creative bands from the 90's.
I omitted some of the great Punk stuff of the time ( Bikini kill, Garage stuff) from the time as well as Emo-y Fugazi and sub pop stuff. The 90's is hard decade as music splintered into all these different subsects, genres and scenes. There's a lot of mosh metal from this decade I side stepped completely in my personal listening..... There are some 80's bands that indeed, have better records in the 80's.
Anyway, I have done this list in similar spirit to Pushead's list: One release per band, IN NO ORDER:
BEST OF 90's
1) JUDGEMENT- NO REASON WHY 7" ( HG Fact)
2) IN/HUMANITY - The Nutty Antichrist -LP ( Passivfist, 1996)
3) HIS HERO IS GONE - 15 Counts of Arson-LP ( Prank 1996)
4) CROSSED OUT- S/T- EP ( SLap-a-ham, 1991)
5) NO COMMENT - Downsided- 7" ( Slap-a-ham Records, 1992)
6) BORN AGAINST - Nine Patriotic Hymns For Children- LP ( Vermiform, 1991)
7) LOS CRUDOS - La Rabia Nubla Nuestros Ojos... ( Lengua Armada, 1994)
8) WARHEAD-Cry Of Truth ( Self released, 1991)
9) NEANDERTHAL - FIghting Music-Ep ( Slap-a-ham, 1990)
10) DROPDEAD - S/T - LP ( selfless, 1993)
11) TOTALITAR - Sin Egen Motstandare- LP ( Finn Records, 1994)
12) DEATHSIDE - The WIll Never Die- 7" ( Devour Records, 1994)
13) FROM ASHES RISE - S/T- ( Great American Steak Religion, 1999)
14) FILTH / BLATZ "shit Split" LP ( Lookout, 1991)
15) SAIRAAT MIELET - Tippa Tappa- 7" ( Self released, 1991)
16) WOLFPACK - Lycanthropunk ( Distortion, 1997)
17) ANTICIMEX- Absolut Country Of Sweden ( CBR Records, Sweden 1990)
18) GLOOM - Speed Noise Hardcore Rags- 7" ( Crust war, 1994)
19) DEATHREAT - Severing Of The Last Barred Window- LP ( Partners in Crime, 1998)
20) KRIGSHOT - Maktmissbrukarne - LP ( Sound Pollution, 1999)
21) POST REGIMENT - Czarly- LP ( Skuld/ wai aye, 1996)
22) COPOUT - S/T- 7" ( Team Murder USA, 1993)
23) TALK IS POISON - Straight To Hell- 7" ( Prank, 1998)
24) HEROIN- S/T-12" ( Gravity/Vermiform, 1993)
25) CITIZEN'S ARREST - A light In The Darkness 7" ( Wardance, 1990)
26) GAUZE - 面を洗って出直して来い - LP ( xxx, 1997)
27) EXTREME NOISE TERROR -Phonophobia ( Vnyl Japan, 1991)
28) RORSCHACH - Remain Sedate - LP ( Vermiform, 1990)
29) NAUSEA - Extinction- LP ( Profane Existence, 1991)
30) NICE VIEW - S/T- ( Answer Records, 1997)
31) NEUROSIS - Word As Law LP ( lookout, 1990)
32) LOGICAL NONSENSE - Soul Pollution LP ( bun length / Tee Pee, 1995)
33) ELDOPA ( 1332) S/T -LP ( East Bay Menace, 1997)
34) MAN IS THE BASTARD - Thoughtless -LP ( Gravity Records, 1995)
35) DISCORDANCE AXIS- Ulterior- LP ( devour records, 1995)
36) GORDON SOLIE MOTHERFUCKERS - Chairshot Politics -7" ( River on Fire, 1998)
37) INTIAL STATE -Abort The Soul- LP ( Clearview Records, 1994)
38) SPAZZ - Dwarf Jester Rising- LP ( Clearview Records, 1994)
39) CAPITALIST CASAULTIES -Raised Ignorant- 7" ( Slap-a-ham, 1993)
40) THE GAIA - Kick Up Ass! CD ( sunshine Sherbert, 1994)
41) ECONOCHRIST - Trained To Serve- LP ( Vermiform,
42) SEEIN' RED - Marinus - 7" ( ebullition, 1994)
43) HEALTH HAZARD - S/T- 10" ( FLat Earth Records, 1994)
44) SCATHA- Respect, Protect, reconnect - LP ( FLat Earth, 1994)
45) DISCLOSE - Tragedy- LP ( Overthrow Records, 1994)
46) ORCHID - Chaos is Me - LP ( Ebullition, 1999)
47) EUCHARIST S/T ( Mountain, 1996)
48) DAMAD - Rewind/Manmade- 7" ( Bacteria Sour, 1997)
49) ANTISCHISM - Still Life -LP( Allied Recordings, 1991)
50) BUZZOVEN - Sore -LP ( Roadrunner Records, 1994)
51) INTEGRITY - System Overload- LP ( Victory, 1994)
52) DISFEAR - Soul Scars - LP ( Distortion, 1995)
53) KORT PROCESS - 1994 -EP ( Heartfirst, 1994)
54) UNION OF URANUS 2x7" ( Great American Steak Religion,)
55) JIN'RIK'SHA - End Present- 2X7" ( Heartfirst, 1999)
56) SO MUCH HATE - Lies- LP ( X-MIST, 1993)
57) MOSS ICON / SILVER BEARING - Split LP ( Vermin Scum, 1991)
58) UNIVERSAL ORDER OF ARMAGEDDON - City- 7" ( Vermin Scum, 1993)
59) JOHN HENRY WEST- John Henry West- 7" ( Gravity, 1994)
60) BASTARD - WInd Of Pain 12" ( Blood sucker, 1992)
61) V/A- STARVING DOG EATS MASTER- LP ( Blood Sucker, 1991)
62) INSANE YOUTH - Not Give A damn - EP ( Blood Sucker, 1994)
63) S.D.S. - Scum System Kill - 7" ( Mangrove, 1996)
64) ARMIA - Legenda- LP ( Wifon, 1991)
65) ASSUCK - Anticapital- LP ( Sound Pollution, 1991)
66) UNCURBED - Peace, punk, love , life and other stories...LP ( Sound Pollution, 1998)
67) DAMNATION A.D. - No More Dreams of Happy Endings - LP ( Jade Tree, 1995)
68) FRAMTID - 8 Track -Ep ( Crust War, 1999)
69) THE PIST - Ideas Are bullet Proof - LP ( Elevator Music, 1995)
70) CHRIST ON A CRUTCH - Crime Pays When Pigs Die- LP ( New Red Archives, 1991)
71) UUTUUS - Systeemin Rattaissa- EP ( Genet, 1994)
72) AUS ROTTEN - Fuck Nazi Sympathy - 7" ( Havoc records, 1994)
73) GRIMPLE - Up Your Ass! - LP ( M&E, 1994)
74) NAILED DOWN - VIolent Distortion- 3" CD ( Profane Existence Far East, 1995)
75) HELLNATION - Colonized - LP ( SOund Pollution Records, 1993)
76) OTTAWA / JIHAD -Split LP ( Council Records, 1994)
77) OUT COLD - S/t- LP ( Lowell Records, 1994)
78) DOOM - "Rush Hour Of the Gods" ( – 教祖ラッシュ) LP ( Flat Earth, 1996)
79) POISON IDEA - "Feel the Darkness" LP ( American leather, 1990)
80) BURN - S/T -7" ( Revelation Records, 1990)
81) DEAD AND GONE -S/T 7" ( Vinyl communications, 1994)
82) SCROTUM GRINDER - S/T -7" ( Burrito Records, 1997)
83) DEFORMED CONSCIENCE - Constant Strife- EP ( Adversity records, 1993)
84) BATTALION OF SAINTS A.D. - Hells Around The Corner 7" ( Taang, 1995)
85) C.F.D.L. - Atrocity Exhibition- 7" ( Standard of Rebellion, 1990)
86) CHARLES BRONSON - Youth Attack! - LP ( Lengua Armada, 1997)
87) EXTINCT GOVERNMENT - Wankers 7" ( overthrow Records, 1997)
88) COLLAPSE SOCIETY - EP ( Overthrow Records, 1994)
89) NINE SHOCKS TERROR - Zen And The Art OF Beating Your Ass- LP ( Devour, 1998)
90) DEVOID OF FAITH - Slow Motion Enslavement- EP ( Coalition, 1997)
91) CRESS - Monuments- LP ( Flat Earth Records, 1998)
92) DISRUPT" Unrest" CD ( Relapse, 1994)
93) EXCRUCIATING TERROR - Expression of Pain - CD ( Theologian, 1996)
94) V/A- START A RIOT -LP ( CLean Plate Records, 1995)
95) CROW - Door To The End 12" ( Crow records, 1998)
96) D.S.B. - Wings Continue To Strive With Unchanged Mind - LP ( BLood Sucker Records, 1998
97) D.S. 13 - aborted Teen Generation 7" ( Busted Heads, 1998)
98) CHAIN OF STRENGTH - What Holds Us Apart 7" ( first Strike records, 1991)
99) MEANWHILE - Road To Hell - CD ( we bite records, 1996)
100) STATE OF FEAR - Wallow In Squalor- 7" ( Profane existence, 1995)
Thanks to folks at Secret punk rock Mssg board for a few Suggestions.
I really need a longer list for the 1990's, too many worthy records, bands and people. Apologies for any omissions and please suggest good records. Back with a 00's list soon.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
VICTIMS and the 00's revisited.
Starting My A.M. With a pot of coffee and a Copy of the First VICTIMS LP "Neverendinglasting" which is a record I've been meaning to re-listen to for awhile, as I remember it being a really savage template for what the band would do over subsequent great records on Havoc and Tankcrimes , but as per many many bands over the course of Swedish Hardcore punk, the earliest record has the rawest edge and the advantage of an initial explosion of pent-up ideas. There's little atmosphere, just one raging track into the next.
I picked up this U.S. Press last night at Amoeba for $5 Mainly because of the Stellar Color Vinyl - a purple with subtle splatter when held in light, which is kind of the ONLY color choice on the US color press ( the Euro Version is Black and white) that works as the rest of the packaging is a haphazard selection of different reds, oranges, gloss black, light blue.
It's pretty much Open War on late 90's / early 00's punk records right now and kind of reminds me of the late 80's/ early 90's where the explosion of hardcore yielded so many great bands but was followed by so much imitation and a glut of releases that it dulled the focus of the music and ideas. For the Casual listener, it became hard to pick out of the 200+ piece Mystic Records catalog what was actually good and worthy of their $3, and almost en masse people lost interest and moved on to different ideas and music, or the generational wave had passed. Now Like then, the economy was bad and the fatigue manifested itself in people just DUMPING stuff...and suddenly you can buy some of the Era's best records ( or like I've been doing, upgrading to the limited versions I was too lazy to mailorder) at rock bottom Prices. Indeed, my last trip to Amoeba yielded a Limited DIRECT CONTROL album for $3! It's not quite the level of buying Classic early 80's European hardcore singles for $2 in 1991, but the pattern at least is similar.
Most Records in that Nineties period were pressed in the thousands- and big DIY hardcore records from the time would easily sell 10,000-20,000 + copies. Even in the early 00's Records would be pressed multiple times, something that seems to rarely happen now as records transition- for most people outside of collectors and older fans- to an adjunct collectible representation of a download , and are seemingly pressed around a break even point of 500 copies. THe micro-pressings of 300 to me seem like the most insane thing, where there's not even an outreach to try to reach a broader audience - which does require a bit of effort- so it's basically like the Records don't even exist. Same time, the broad availability of downloads, youtube and other sources completely alters the equation. I've never been able to fathom the idea of making your music hard to get / ultra-limited as a promotional means, as it seems counterintuitive to the entire spirit of hardcore, which was to spread ideas, infect people's minds with them and take over.
However, one thing that completely fueled the surging wave of 00's hardcore - particularly interest the stripped down 80's hardcore, European Thrash and Japanese harcore was the music finally became broadly distributed beyond having to write some one overseas with a tape or record trade and wait a month or two to hear it or dig through record bins for a few years to finally find a copy. Finally all this Great music was available for people instantly. It does poses a broader question of fatigue of having such a cultural overload of music that will ALWAYS be available, piled on 30 years of punk history of a genre, with an easy template to continually produce more. Anyway, Pot of coffee's almost gone and Better get on it.
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