OSTIA PUTA - Un Cuento Particular / La Caja Tonta

Sometimes when I spot a record I've never seen before, my gut says "buy it." As long as the price is low, of course. I came across this single on my first day of record shopping in Barcelona last fall and my gut ordered me to pick it up. Turned out to be a pretty good find thanks to some nice singalong choruses and the urgent and snotty a-side. Maybe comparable to other Spanish bands like LA POLLA RECORDS, especially in the more light-hearted sounding moments. Don't know what to make of the cover other than they must not have taken themselves too seriously. 

OSTIA PUTA

BRZYTWA OJCA LP

Reviewing records at MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL has it perks. Sometimes I get stuck reviewing awful and soulless modern clone bands with a mere penchant for regurgitating aesthetics. Sometimes it's a long lost demo limited to 30 that no one cared about then, and frankly no one should care about now either. Other times I get assigned reissues of brilliant but little known bands such as BRZYTWA OJCA. Just when I think I've collected up all of the best Polish hardcore there ever was from the 80s, I'm reminded that I don't know it all. These guys formed in 1984 and this recording is from their 1988 tape. Liner notes explain they shared the stage with the likes of DEZERTER, THE CORPSE, ARMIA, KSU, NADZOR, etc... Their sound is bouncy and urgent punk very much in the tradition of their aforementioned contemporaries. Being introduced to bands like this is definitely a huge upside and privilege to being on the MRR reviewer team, but the downside of that is many times foreign submitters can't afford to include a copy for the reviewer (I  get assigned a lot of the Eastern Euro stuff). Luckily I made it to Poland last fall and kept a keen eye out for this reissue, and thankfully it wasn't too hard to find. Recommended for fans of Polish (or just good) punk!

BRZYTWA OJCA!

V/A - H'ARTCORE Compilation LP

Another great compilation from the early 80s, this time from the German label H'art Musik, which was responsible for classic albums by UPRIGHT CITIZENS and HASS. This one contains many exclusive tracks and many bands that don't seem to appear anywhere else. Right off the bat CORNY VARIOUS lights things up with a blazing bass-chord ripper, leaving me wondering what else they may have left behind to be discovered. German punk enthusiasts will no doubt already be familiar with the likes of BLUTTAT and UPRIGHT CITIZENS, both of whom contribute memorable rippers here. More pleasant surprises are brought by CLOX, N.D.R., and the charming SUFF, who makes me think of the Dutch band THE NIXE.  

H'ARTCORE LP

V/A - RAPTUS Compilation LP

A good mix of rough and primitive punk and oi from Italy circa '83. Some of it is a bit unimaginitive, but the spirit is in the sound. Stand-out material on here for me are the fast and early USHC inspired WOPS tracks, the groovy 77 punk by PETROLIO, and of course the early RAW POWER recordings. I'm pretty sure most of the material here was not officially released elsewhere, so listen and learn!

RAPTUS VOL 1

ps - I've been after a copy of Raptus vol 2 for quite some time. I'm happy to pay a reasonable price if anyone out there is selling one!

OUTSIDER - Inside LP

A super rarity today - Georgia's (the country, not the US state) first punk record from 1992! I actually don't know much about OUTSIDER, so I'm not gonna act like I do, but it's a great album! I did find some helpful info on someone's Youtube channel though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XOSCoI5p7U

Outsider Is Georgian band which was formed in 1989 in Qutaisi by Robi Kukhianidze. Robi doesn't considers himself as punk or alternative musician (so called alternativshik), though his band Outsider has both punk and alternative elements in it. He dislike when someone calls him father of Kutaisian rock or father of Georgian alternative music, moreover he don't likes such conditional titles.

He considers Peter Mamonov, well-known Russian underground musician, as one of his biggest teacher. The Outsider recorded its first album "Inside" in Mamonov's studio, Moscow in 1992.

By the way this album was the first Georgian vinyl among Georgian rock-band albums which was recorded abroad. Outsider was the only Georgian band which took part in 1991 first in Talin and then in Moscow international alternative music festivals.

Front man, vocals and Guitar player of Trio Outsider, Robi Kukhianidze moved from Kutaisi to The capital in the year 2000. Despite this, his music was well known in Tbilisi from 1996 when he won a prize on festival "Margarita 96" as a best Georgian alternative musician.

INSIDE LP

V/A - Belgrade X · 0 · 19 Tape

Awesome compilation of punk and hardcore from Belgrade circa 1986. 10 bands, 26 tracks. A few of these bands never officially released anything and only appeared on other compilations. Others only are featured here on this tape, as far as I can tell. Rather than typing out a detailed account of all the bands, just download and set aside an hour to get down with some rare, crude ex-Yugo punk excellence. Bands are: FORWARD TO THE PAST (NAPRED U PROSLOST), THRASHAGAIN, CODEX O.D., TOTAL DESTRUCTION, CRIST, K.Z.V., LESSON, N.B.G., WHITE RABBIT BAND, D.L.H.

BELGRADE X.0.19

6000 CRAZY / DETESTATION - You Can't Evict The Spirit split Tape

Here's for all the other Norwegian hardcore completists out there. 6000 CRAZY was a German hardcore band in the 90s fronted by Norwegian punk forefather Gunnar Nuven. Their only other release, as far as I can tell, was the split 7" with ANKER that I posted a while back. I'm not really sure what sort of pedigree exists with other members in the band, but the guitar playing and songwriting is unmistakably heavily influenced by Norwegian bands like SO MUCH HATE, BANNLYST, etc. On here they do covers of NEGATIVE APPROACH and KAFKA PROSESS, as well as a track called "Andre Veiar" that I recognize but can't place where I've heard it. Most of you probably know DETESTATION, as they released a slew of records and toured extensively in the 90s. Released by Trujaca Fala, this tape was released as a benefit for the long-standing Berlin squat KOPI (a friend just reminded me that this year is KOPI's 25th anniversary!) Both live sets were recorded in German cities in 1998, and the sound quality is pretty great! 

You Can't Evict The Spirit