Thursday, August 21, 2014

Blotter - Under Armour '77

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Here's another record I was waiting forever to get my hands on. I finally got a copy from Jason in LA on Gag tour. So pumped because I'd wanted to hear new Blotter since the demo tape. The 7" does not disappoint it's such a shame the band is done. Jason also pays homage to Nay's style on the La Misma demo maybe subconsciously with the opening 'coo'. Pictured first is the American press of the record and second is the European press. Long live the Under Armour and I feel it'd be a shame to not plug Nos at least once.

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Institute - Giddy Boys 7"

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Adam you need a secretary man, this was a record I was waiting for forever in the mail. Pumped I finally have it! The new Institute record is great. You can definitely feel a more new wave influence on this one but its still touched with those anarcho/post punk sentiments you know and love from the demo tape. Institute is a great band.

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PMS 84 - Demo CS

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PMS 84 is made up of some members of Life Form and when I first saw them I had no idea what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. It was really good stuff. Great live band. Life Form was much more noisey and wild and this is a lot more straight forward and almost oi, more street punk influenced. "Boots Keep Laughing" is the standout track for me. Give me lyrics Tyler!

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Muerte - Demo CS

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Now here is a band I'm really excited about, Mexico City's Muerte. I had no idea that Dave and Yecatl were in this band but they gave me a demo cs and a t shirt when I found out while I was on Tercer Mundo tour with them. I was so excited. Muerte, Crimen and Tercer Mundo are my top three Mexico City bands for sure. The scene down there is inspiring, super hard working, tons of great bands and a lot of extremely invested individuals. Muerte is a dark and brooding band, the tape opens up with chorus on a dark bass lead and the guitar almost sounds like a synth at times. Has a very dark, post punk feel to it until "Santa" when the guitar solo starts burnin'. I think "Me Urge" is my favorite track. This stuff is infectious!

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Sterilized - Zero Sum Game

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So it is often the case with "D-beat" bands, especially contemporary ones, that the artwork is amazing and the record is either awful or just boring. In the case of Sterilized the artwork is absolutely amazing and the band is also incredible. Sterilized is just the right blend of US hardcore and UK d-beat. Check out the 7" here, I'll put up the second one soon! At the time of this record James (long time Olympian soldier from The Crazies, Outlook, Insubordinate, etc. etc.) fronted the band but some lineup changes are due soon from what I hear. Perfect artwork, menacing music.  photo Sterilizedlyrics_zps7c598f2e.jpg 
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Busted Outlook - Plague Hoarder

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Fuck yes. First Caged Animal and now this. What I'm particularly excited about with this band is that it's coming out of Oakland. This style of hardcore isn't necessarily characteristic of its location. That coupled with the fact that Rich is fronting it and is, of course, the perfect frontman for it (not to mention will write challenging lyrics and not more boring drab hardcore cliches) and also that Jeremy is the axeman gets me super pumped. Keep it coming boys.

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Beta Boys - Demo CS

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This was one of the bands I was most impressed and surprised by at the OHC fest. With members of Nuke Cult and Trevor fronting both bands it's easy for stuff to get redundant but Beta Boys had so much to offer. The bit of chorus and surfy feel along with some particularly wild vocal delivery made Beta Boys quite its own incarnation of all that is KC mosh soundtrack. These boys killed it. Can't wait for more in the future. Thanks Gabe for backlining your floor tom when mine busted haha.

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Mind Control - Demo CS

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I got mailed this cassette and while looking at it saw that it was recorded by my good bud Eric Mayer. Realizing it was friends of friends made me that much more excited to rip and review it. A new contemporary Midwest band? Yes please. The music is heavy and punishing and lo fidelity. Recorded in true punk demo cs fashion over some goodwill cassettes. Catchy, tasteful riffage and short concentrated blasts of songs. Thanks for the tape guys!

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Bad Blood - Limited Promo CS

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So you may remember my boy Ralphy from such posts as the Welcome to 2013 Comp, Strangers Demo, or any of the Adjustment stuff. Ralph is one of the hardest working and invested dudes I know which is rare to find with people in general nowadays. Usually disenchantment with hardcore comes on early but some are so passionate about what they do you can just feel it talking to them. Ralph is one of those people and I'm so excited I finally got to do a band with him. On Gag's full US Ralph and I toyed with the idea of doing a long distance project together. Some riffs and songs I had for Adjustment and Scary Man were thrown together and I recorded a rough demo of nine songs all on my own which I originally intended to vocals on. The songs were rerecorded with the help of my friend Mirce on drums and the almighty Capt. Tripps Ballsington in Olympia. We then sent the tracks off to Ralph who recorded vocals over them. Some issues came up and Ralph was only able to record vocals for three of the eight songs we sent him before the fest and tour so this limited cassette was released. Be prepared for a full cassette coming soon. We played the fest OHC I booked and did a short West Coast tour with our friends in Tercer Mundo. More to come soon from this band, I have some shirts and tapes left from tour so email me and I can send you some if you're interested!

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The Sentenced - S/T 7"

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Basically a repost of the Demo CS, this 7" is the tape on vinyl. I got a copy from James when GAG was in Texas. We were fortunate enough to play a few shows with THE SENTENCED while we were down there. Good stuff, really excited to hear DRUG DOGS.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

GAG - Locker Room 7" Single

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We're recording for a new LP and here is one of the songs off of it. The B-Side is a Dehumanized cover we did on the fly. Download the Dehumanized stuff off my blog! I miss that band. The cover of this record is terrifying.

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Glue - S/T 7"

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We got to gig with our buddies in Glue on our last GAG tour this summer and I was absolutely blown away by how fucking sick their new songs were. We played with Glue and Impalers on Gag and Back to Back tour July 4th at Cheer Up Charlies right next to a Pentagram gig. The show was absolutely insane. Security dude's nose got broken, my eye got busted open again, fireworks, flying sandwiches, and full beers were all to be dodged among pitting. Then our boys came to the Northwest and we gigged with them in Portland, Seattle, and Olympia. The shows were absolute pandemonium. So much fun and so wild. We all took a nice little trip to Mt Rainier and a large hole was left in my heart when they had to leave. Also Harris recently beat my cream flips record so I'm pissed. Miss you boys.

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The Brass - Demo CS

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Damn, this shit is fucking good. Jakob told me he was in a new band but I still have yet to see it or hear it... until now. He sent a cs down for me with the Skin Colour guys on their tour with American Hate. I put it in my cassette deck and couldn't believe it. The first track is so menacing and just blasts into a brooding vocal attack that'd have the biggest stage potato pitting instantly. The second track picks it up and gets a little 'brighter', starts on with the old 'oi' vibe. There's even a tiny bit of synthesizer on the fifth track. The tape gets polished off with a Cock Sparrer cover that of course I was apprehensive of at first (I have never heard a good recorded Cock Sparrer cover) but goddamn these boys did it. The style gelled real well and such a great song to choose. This tape is great. Somewhere between hard ass 80's USHC and a street punk Sheer Terror record if 'Love Songs' wasn't downtuned.

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Turtle Neck - "Skate Rat" Music Video

So Turtle Neck finally recorded six songs! We did it all on a four track in the garage but are planning a skate trip/tour out to Idaho to record with one of Mirce's friends and have it sound a little nicer. Here is the rough cut of the first track on a soon to be limited cassette. Full length VHS skate video demo coming soon. Filmed at our friend's movie shoot/bbq/skate jam. Olympia Skate Punk the likes of which haven't been seen since Red & Black.

V/A - Cool Bands 2 CS

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 Alright boys and girls the insanity is over. Ooze and Big Zit tour is over, Gag tour is over, Tercer Mundo Bad Blood tour is over, the fest is over, the HIV record is in full production, shit is starting to "chill" out. I feel like this cassette would be a great way to pop off a return to the blog. I had the honor of coordinating my good buds journey to the Northwest to play the OHC fest I booked which was fucking amazing. Always mind blowing to see the Northwest Indy bands. Among Mark Winter's endless list of musical endeavors is this follow up to the "Cool Bands" CS, aptly named "Cool Bands 2". Twenty Three tracks from Indiana's finest including some creative and goofy musical interludes of Mark's own. Those Dan Interludes are sick. The cassette is absolutely 110% worth it for the Zit, Ooze, and CCTV tracks alone. Some previously unreleased stuff and re-recorded stuff. This shit is absolute gold. Love you boys.

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