Due to the hectic nature of the holiday season, i really haven't had the time to sit down and post as much as i'd like. Certainly have way too much to do and too much going on, including a trip home to the east coast for a bit. Expect more posting early in the new year when i get back. Until then, maybe you should be spending your time digging around in the dollar bins. Here's a few things i recently scored for no more than 2 bucks a pop...
Professionals - Join The Professionals lp (UK)
Demics - Talk's Cheap 12" (Canada)
Teenage Head - S/t lp (Canada)
CH3 - S/t 12" (USA)
Asexuals - Be What You Want lp (Canada)
Oh and if anyone is looking for the perfect gift for me, i've realized that i've been living in sin for not owning Agent Orange's "Bloodstains" single. I'm sure this gift idea with surely transform into a new year's resolution though. See you in a couple weeks...
They don't make em like they used to. When was the last time that you heard a hardcore lp that was 100%, balls out, all killer and no filler? Maybe you did hear one recently, but let's get honest here, such a thing doesn't come around every day. Hell, most bands can't even put together a half decent ep it seems!
To me, there couldn't have been a better time for the Bastard full length to come out. 1990 wasn't exactly 'prime time' for punk around the world and for bands like Bastard and Death Side to carry the flag and keep the sound of traditional Japanese hardcore alive in these dark times, well, i just feel they don't get enough credit for their work in that department. Wind Of Pain is flawless. I would even argue that one can't possibly have a decent taste in punk music unless this ranks high on their list. Yes, it's that good and most folks with half a brain have not only realized this, but have also shelled out the bucks for an original copy of this already legendary platter. I've had friends who have gone to japan with one goal in mind and that was to find the Bastard lp. Expensive little trip, but if you've ever been, you know that you can find most anything you want...for a price. Some cases i would disagree, but i'd have to say that this IS one of those records that people need, regardless of cost.
Why exactly do i speak so highly of this record? To begin with, i've always had a taste for japanese bands but that was amplified ten fold after going on tour there for almost 2 weeks, where i was able to see some amazing bands, enjoy the culture and pick up the occasional record. When i arrived home, my interest grew and i found myself indulged in many of the country's older bands. One of the things that i had picked up on the trip was Bastard's "No Hope In Here" cd, an official discography put out by the band to combat the bootlegs that were floating around. The Wind Of Pain tracks on this were the standouts for me and like so many other records, it got added to my ever growing want list. All 8 songs are perfect burning spirits style. If I was trying to explain to someone traditional japanese hardcore, this would be what i would direct them to. It's heavy and it's hard. Not too clean but not too dirty. The constant raging of this record never ceases even at it's slowest and mid tempo'd parts. Just listen to the intro to To The Stumped Underdogs. That shit is hard as nails and the breakdown that falls later on in the song, just takes it to the next level. That's not even mentioning Zigyaku's INSANE guitar work on this, which blows my mind everytime. Still not convinced? Give Misery a spin and prepare to flip some furniture in your living room.
I just got this a couple days ago in the mail and it's left my turntable once, just for it's pretty picture. As it would turn out, a gent from the states wanted a my copy of the Riot 303 7" and though i didn't really want to part with it, i figured i'd have more of a chance at finding one of those again before i would a copy of this. As you can imagine, i'm pretty content with said trade which worked out good on both ends of the deal. Most copies of this that i've seen recently have gone for over 100 bucks, which seems to be a bit more than what it's been going for in the past, but i wouldn't be surprised if this just kept on increasing in price. I'd say that if you're planning on adding this to your collection, you'd be wiser to get this now or pay the price down the road. As with most records, they're not getting much cheaper.
I should also mention that any fans of Bastard would be wise to look into Zigyaku's band which followed Bastard, Judgement. All 4 singles pick up where Bastard left off and are not to be skimmed over...
I've been neglecting making a few posts a week on here, but i assure you, it's all due to time management. This week the newest 45 on Sewercide (Genetic Angry) arrived, so i've been busy packing those up to get em out to distros and mailorder folks and there hasn't been a whole lot of time to rant and rave about some killer discs that i've been getting. Boo hoo, who really gives a fuck. But honestly, anyone who knows me will tell you that i'm quite the fanatic of international punk rock, particularly Scandinavian and Japanese though it's certainly not limited to that. I'm not going to pretend i know oodles and doodles about every country's punk rock history, but i'd like to think that i know at least a thing or two about most. One place that i'm not all that in the know about would be south america, spare a few killer bands from Brazil and Peru. One of said killer bands from the area would be at my number one though, that of course being Brazil's Olho Seco (which if i recall correctly means 'Dead Eyes'). Such an ultimate and brutal hardcore force, totally under appreciated by most and rarely talked about. Though later records take a turn for the worst with these guys, their Botas, Fuzis, Capacetes single from 1983 is the real masterpiece.
This had been on my want list for a while now. I downloaded Welcome To 1984 many years back and though i had heard what i deemed 'strange and weird' hardcore from various countries (at the time of the Y2K thrash BS, i was listening to strictly american hardcore/thrash and various OI for good measure), i really liked what i was hearing. This was probably my first exposure to these guys. Later, when i became more into collecting older records and had heard the rest of the single along with their second ep, i hoped that i'd cross paths with a copy someday. Released on Brazilian label Punk Rock Discos, it didn't seem highly likely that i was going to come across a copy here in the frozen north and with few copies surfacing on ebag (and also going for steep prices) and the rest being in hands of collectors, my search seemed long and pointless. However, i wasn't expecting that a friend across the country was going to email me recently in regards to trading for one. After a few emails back and forth ( i still don't know how he managed to get this in the first place) we settled on a deal that the two of us deemed fit and though i gave up two records that i would have liked to held on to, their combined musical/financial value and rarity was less than this monster hardcore beast. Obviously, i had to bite.
And what a monster this thing is. Sounds like these guys were highly influenced by Discharge and a mix of other UK82 greats, but they put their own spin on it (as opposed to some swedish bands who just did it faster, louder and more distorted) and helped create what i've heard some refer to as the 'Brazilian sound'. Low budget recording, those gruff snarled vocals and damn, is this thing heavy for it's time! One of the best things about this recording is the constant ride cymbal, which the drummer rarely leaves. Maybe they just didn't have a pair of high hats, but this whole single is done without them, something i've heard on very few hardcore records. Also, i'll make a note that the beginning of Muito Obrigado might just contain one of the earliest attempts at a blast beat that i know. Very cool stuff.
Copies of the single that were sent outside of Brazil contained an insert which has the english translations of the songs. It lists that each song was written at a different time over the period of 1980 - 1982. I imagine that by the time that this was released in 1983, the band had been trying to release a record for many years and probably picked the best of the best to go on it. Certainly, doing a punk rock record there and then was no easy feat. With all that was going on politically at the time in most of south america, few bands were able to release records and some were even censored by the government (ie Inocentes 7", this is on my want list by the way!) to the point where they were told which songs they could and couldn't release. The fact that Olho Seco were able to get this out there is pretty amazing. Some folks would like to debate the lyrics and story behind Nada, but for this post, i'll leave them up to everyone's own interpretation.
For those still in the dark, Peter has the entire single up for download at KBD records. http://www.kbdrecords.com/2008/07/15/ohlo-seco-st-ep-7/
While last time around i was confessing about the lack of hardcore i'd been posting here, it hasn't taken me long to come back to the poppier side of the punk rock world. This would be because recently a turned up a copy of a record that i have been searching quite some time to find and i just can't resist saying a few words about one of my favorite non hardcore releases from the NYC area. By all rights, the Nasty Facts should have been bigger than big or at least done well enough for themselves to release another record. Perhaps then we would have gotten more than these 3 fine songs to remember them by. Nevertheless, such is not the case and this IS all we have, but what a great batch of songs to have attached to your name. Not only that, but have them all included on the same record.
Many years ago after moving to Toronto, i took a job working at a local rep cinema where myself and a friend of mine, Mr. Mark Pesci spent most of our shifts together shooting the shit about music and bands etc. Being a job with lots of downtime, there was always time for this or watching whatever was on the screen. Even with that though, being a job with low pay and few hours, i somehow managed to survive on it for a few years even if every night i was eating popcorn and drinking soda water as my dinner. But that's another story. The point was that over the years i picked up on some names of bands off Mark as i usually did and searched them out when i felt convinced that it was going to be something that i might like. This ended up being the case when i discovered the Nasty Facts 45, which after i downloaded, ended up getting quite a bit of play on the ipod shuffle that i was borrowing.
One of the things that i love the most about the record is that the vocals are so androgynous and sound amazing. At times you can think that it's a guy singing but seconds later it sounds like it could quite possibly be a girl. It borderlines gender to the point where many people have mentioned to me that they simply just don't know. Pretty rare for that to happen with a band, but the bottom line is that the singing on this record just sounds great. To my understanding, the majority of the lead vocals are done by female bassist and songwriter Cherl Boyze who from most accounts was a bit of a 'tom-boy'. Who knows. Musically, the songs are just simple catchy punk songs with a very poppy and melodic feel to them that should even induce pogoing in the most bitter and jaded folks. I wouldn't label this quite powerpop, but i could see how many probably would. One of the things i like the most about these recordings are how the snare, bass and tom drums all sound. Very thick and heavy, they seem like they'd be out of place with the songs, but it give it a very strong backbone. Giddy up.
I don't actually know many folks that have a copy of this, but here's a bit of info about the pressings. The first and original release was done with Jimboco records out of NYC. As far as i can tell, they did two different pressings, one of which has a large center hole and one that has a small. Though the label designs on these two are different, they're both printed on the same light blue colored paper. A year or so later after it's release, a UK (or french, depending on who you talk to) press was done on the 5th Column label. These are easy to differentiate from the US press as the labels are orange and the sleeves contain not only the 5th Column logo, but also a "5C2" in the upper left hand of the front cover. Apparently the UK press is much easier to find than the US one and as far as i can tell, goes for a bit less. That's not to say that you'll be able to find one for under 20 bucks in a shop, BUT stranger things have happened.
This is one of those records that i always wanted to pick up but just never saw a copy besides being listed on the online marketplace, going for much more than i was willing to shell out. Eventually, one did come my way for an offer that i deemed fair and the 'cheque was in the mail' so to speak. I wish i could have picked up a few other tempting things from the same fella, but alas it just wasn't meant to me. And really, i did get the best of the pile so what's there to complain about? Time to spin this platter another couple of times...
Oh and for those who always insisted that it was a fella behind the mic, i found this while doing a bit of looking around on popsike. It almost looks like this COULD be the cover and honestly, i kinda wish it was. Looks like my friend's crazy Uncle Jesus!
To me, there couldn't have been a better time for the Bastard full length to come out. 1990 wasn't exactly 'prime time' for punk around the world and for bands like Bastard and Death Side to carry the flag and keep the sound of traditional Japanese hardcore alive in these dark times, well, i just feel they don't get enough credit for their work in that department. Wind Of Pain is flawless. I would even argue that one can't possibly have a decent taste in punk music unless this ranks high on their list. Yes, it's that good and most folks with half a brain have not only realized this, but have also shelled out the bucks for an original copy of this already legendary platter. I've had friends who have gone to japan with one goal in mind and that was to find the Bastard lp. Expensive little trip, but if you've ever been, you know that you can find most anything you want...for a price. Some cases i would disagree, but i'd have to say that this IS one of those records that people need, regardless of cost.
Why exactly do i speak so highly of this record? To begin with, i've always had a taste for japanese bands but that was amplified ten fold after going on tour there for almost 2 weeks, where i was able to see some amazing bands, enjoy the culture and pick up the occasional record. When i arrived home, my interest grew and i found myself indulged in many of the country's older bands. One of the things that i had picked up on the trip was Bastard's "No Hope In Here" cd, an official discography put out by the band to combat the bootlegs that were floating around. The Wind Of Pain tracks on this were the standouts for me and like so many other records, it got added to my ever growing want list. All 8 songs are perfect burning spirits style. If I was trying to explain to someone traditional japanese hardcore, this would be what i would direct them to. It's heavy and it's hard. Not too clean but not too dirty. The constant raging of this record never ceases even at it's slowest and mid tempo'd parts. Just listen to the intro to To The Stumped Underdogs. That shit is hard as nails and the breakdown that falls later on in the song, just takes it to the next level. That's not even mentioning Zigyaku's INSANE guitar work on this, which blows my mind everytime. Still not convinced? Give Misery a spin and prepare to flip some furniture in your living room.
I just got this a couple days ago in the mail and it's left my turntable once, just for it's pretty picture. As it would turn out, a gent from the states wanted a my copy of the Riot 303 7" and though i didn't really want to part with it, i figured i'd have more of a chance at finding one of those again before i would a copy of this. As you can imagine, i'm pretty content with said trade which worked out good on both ends of the deal. Most copies of this that i've seen recently have gone for over 100 bucks, which seems to be a bit more than what it's been going for in the past, but i wouldn't be surprised if this just kept on increasing in price. I'd say that if you're planning on adding this to your collection, you'd be wiser to get this now or pay the price down the road. As with most records, they're not getting much cheaper.
I should also mention that any fans of Bastard would be wise to look into Zigyaku's band which followed Bastard, Judgement. All 4 singles pick up where Bastard left off and are not to be skimmed over...
This had been on my want list for a while now. I downloaded Welcome To 1984 many years back and though i had heard what i deemed 'strange and weird' hardcore from various countries (at the time of the Y2K thrash BS, i was listening to strictly american hardcore/thrash and various OI for good measure), i really liked what i was hearing. This was probably my first exposure to these guys. Later, when i became more into collecting older records and had heard the rest of the single along with their second ep, i hoped that i'd cross paths with a copy someday. Released on Brazilian label Punk Rock Discos, it didn't seem highly likely that i was going to come across a copy here in the frozen north and with few copies surfacing on ebag (and also going for steep prices) and the rest being in hands of collectors, my search seemed long and pointless. However, i wasn't expecting that a friend across the country was going to email me recently in regards to trading for one. After a few emails back and forth ( i still don't know how he managed to get this in the first place) we settled on a deal that the two of us deemed fit and though i gave up two records that i would have liked to held on to, their combined musical/financial value and rarity was less than this monster hardcore beast. Obviously, i had to bite.
Copies of the single that were sent outside of Brazil contained an insert which has the english translations of the songs. It lists that each song was written at a different time over the period of 1980 - 1982. I imagine that by the time that this was released in 1983, the band had been trying to release a record for many years and probably picked the best of the best to go on it. Certainly, doing a punk rock record there and then was no easy feat. With all that was going on politically at the time in most of south america, few bands were able to release records and some were even censored by the government (ie Inocentes 7", this is on my want list by the way!) to the point where they were told which songs they could and couldn't release. The fact that Olho Seco were able to get this out there is pretty amazing. Some folks would like to debate the lyrics and story behind Nada, but for this post, i'll leave them up to everyone's own interpretation.
For those still in the dark, Peter has the entire single up for download at KBD records. http://www.kbdrecords.com/2008/07/15/ohlo-seco-st-ep-7/
This is one of those records that i always wanted to pick up but just never saw a copy besides being listed on the online marketplace, going for much more than i was willing to shell out. Eventually, one did come my way for an offer that i deemed fair and the 'cheque was in the mail' so to speak. I wish i could have picked up a few other tempting things from the same fella, but alas it just wasn't meant to me. And really, i did get the best of the pile so what's there to complain about? Time to spin this platter another couple of times...