A vicious hardcore punk LP from Guadalajara, Mexico circa '88. Along with bands like MASACRE 68 and ATOXXXICO, SEDICION was one of the most intense punk bands in Mexico in the late 80's/early 90's, and addressed social/political topics in their lyrics. The vocals are consistently huge and commanding, and the rhythm of the drums is always simple but compelling. I read somewhere that through connections with LA POLLA RECORDS, they toured Spain in the early 90's, and I doubt that touring abroad was common among Mexican punk bands at the time. 300 more copies of this scorcher were made a couple years ago by Bambam and Cryptas Records. If "Lideres" doesn't get you pumped, you need to check your punkness.
New awesome LA band alert! BLAZING EYE spews forth four bursts of bouncing hardcore fury on this new cassette, rife with catchy basslines and sickly vocals. The beat is always 1-2-1-2 and the riffs are always memorable - the vocals akin to something like KURO or GHOUL...or some other crazy Japanese band. Features folks from MATA MATA, TUBERCULOSIS, CONDITION, RAYOS X...what the fuck are you waiting for???
A pretty random hardcore EP from Iowa from 1987. An internet search tells that they also had an LP a year earlier, and members went on to IOWA BEEF EXPERIENCE - I've heard neither. All I know is that side a is instrumental, "I'm Allright" is hard to fully support because of the opening drumbeat, but "In A Groove" is an unsuspecting blazer of a midwest hardcore treasure. And look at this guy airborne on the back cover! Intriguing, mildly exciting.
I'm back! Had a blast playing shows from Tijuana all the way up to Vancouver. All around success aside from the stubborn border pigs who tried to keep us out of Canada, but to no avail. Fuck the pigs, up the punx...
So, with my return I bring you a gem from the southernmost Greek island of Crete. SARKA formed in Heraklion in '89 and to this day was one of the only punk-ish bands from the island. I was given this 12" as a gift by my gracious host Nikolas at the end of my 3-day stay in Heraklion last year. He explained to me that a box of these turned up a couple years ago (it was released in 1993), mostly without covers, and that he had managed to track down a band member to get permission to help distribute them. The 12" is comprised of six hypnotizing and dark punk songs with vocals of the melancholic and desperate variety, memorizing basslines, and noise-rock styled guitars filling in all the empty space. A truly unique punk record from a truly isolated place. If you ever get a chance to visit Crete, I suggest spending a couple days in the old and seemingly lawless towns of Heraklion and Hania, and renting a car or motorbike to travel south though small villages and find free camping on the beaches, far from the touristic-beaten path. Oh and Nikolas, I know you prefer to remain off the radar, but I never got to thank you and would love to hear from you....
Heraklion, Crete
I'm gonna be gone for the next week and a half, so no posts for a bit! If you live on the west coast, come say hi - I'm touring with one of my bands THE NEW FLESH. The dates:
JULY-
11th - Los Angeles, Ca. (East 7th w/ Stoic Violence)
12th - Tijuana, Mexico (El Tigre Bar)
13th - Santa Barbara, Ca. (The Hard to Find w/ ACxDC, Become)
14th - Sacramento, Ca. (Axewave Manor w/ Rad)
15th - Portland, Or. (The Punx Place w/ Defect Defect)
16th - Olympia, Wa. (TBA)
17th - Vancouver, Canada (The Alf House)
18th - Tacoma, Wa. (The Practice Space w/ Owen Hart)
19th - Seattle, Wa. (TBA)
20th - Portland, Or. (Blackwater Records w/ Arctic Flowers, Vivid Sekt, and Dead Cult)
Classic comp with some early Hungarian punk/hardcore, released by NEW WAVE Records outta France. Don't know much about the early Hungarian scene aside from bands like BIKINI and AURORA, but this comp leads me to believe there's some fascinating stuff to discover from there. Also, if anyone has a lead to a copy of the CPG 7" reissue that came out a couple years ago, pleeeease get in touch! Totally slept on that one...
Incredible and impassioned punk rock from Kazakhstan. I posted another cassette by Адаптация (Adaptation) a couple months ago, but this one is superior. За Измену Родине has some of the same dark and melancholic elements as Джут, but with more straightforward and driving rhythms and basic song ideas. Every song contains the key elements: a gloriously mournful chord progression, a heart-wrenching guitar lead, and a beautifully fervent vocal delivery in Russian. A soundtrack to both move to and feel moved by, and comes with my highest recommendation. If anyone has more material by ADAPTATION, please don't hesitate to send it over!
Just saw these lovely Spaniards two nights in a row, and shit have they improved with age! I already liked LA URSS when I saw them on their last tour and in Spain, but they've really become a band not to miss! Thus, I was inspired to share their first EP with you today. The opening track, "Europa," is an instant classic, and still sits comfortably in the middle of their set 6 years later. Great fucking EP from a great band doing a great melodic Spanish punk style. Great great great! If you're in the US, do not miss them this summer!
Here's a great random find plucked out of a daunting and unorganized bin of 7"s at Rockaway Records in LA back when I lived there. I mean, look at the cover...if you were digging through hundreds on non-punk records and came across this, you would pick it up for 99 cents just to see what it's like, right? You wouldn't? Okay, I don't blame you, but I had to leave the store with something, and as it turned out, this single is fucking great. Two strong, insanely catchy, gruff and melodic Japanese punk songs. I never would have even thought of any Oi/Skin connection based on the sound - but the art and photos say it all. "Mad Chess Play The Fasten Ghost" ??? Puzzling, but soooooo good
Great new stuff coming outta Lyon, France. PARANORMAL's eight-song cassette is brimming with reverb-drenched, gloomy punk, accentuated by impassioned and slightly off-key vocals. Comparisons to the melodic punk coming out of Scandinavia are undeniable, but PARANORMAL has it's own special charm. Dare I say they even have bits that remind me of some of the better French Oi bands of the 80's? Specifically WUNDERBACH or KIDNAP, but with tuneful vocals. Other cool Lyon bands to check out include TELECOMMANDE and DEFAITE - both have great tapes out.
