Hope Defeated Demo 2010

A few months back, I got a package in the mail from a friend. He included an EP on his label that he thought I’d enjoy. And not only did he send me one, but he also sent me the special blog nerd edition. Which is fitting, in a few senses. I read both blogs, Endless Quest Records and We Will Bury You (very nice rev sneaker pick ups, Doug). I also read another members blog, hardcoreshirt.com. It’s not exactly a vinyl nerd blog, but pretty nerdy. And I also run another site called VinylNoize. So yeah, I’ve got nerd covered.

The band is Hope Defeated, and I’m glad I got a copy. I kept meaning to order it, but never got around to it. I’m kicking myself for the possibility that I never would have heard it. It’s definitely worth a listen. The comparison is going to sound completely outrageous, but it reminds me of pick one up. But if you are looking for the blog nerd press, you’re out of luck. Your only hope is Chain Of Strength with early Dwid singing. Or maybe it’s just the record nerd cover staring at me. It’s definitely hardcore. But hard to pin down. In fact, Endless Quest describes it as this:

Throw the vocal rage of Striking Distance & 108 over the chugging groove of bands like Snapcase & Burn, mix in a strong straight edge influence

So yeah, my comparison is sounding less ridiculous, right? Either way, these dudes have something good going on. And sure, it’s just a side project / break from adult life, but it’s a solid listen. I highly suggest you go pick one up. But if you are looking for the blog nerd press, you’re out of luck. Your only hope is Ebay now. These are long sold out.

Making A Scene: New York Hardcore 1985-1988 Revisited

I remember coming across an original copy of Making a Scene: New York Hardcore many years ago. Even back then, I felt slightly hollow. I remember older dudes talking it up HARD, but upon seeing it, I was pretty let down. I mean, I have read zines with more pictures than this book. Granted, the work that Bri Hurley put into it was AMAZING. It was a great book with some awesome photos. But there were less than 100, and the book wasn’t cheap (still isn’t. Check some of the prices on amazon, yikes!). You always knew a hardcore kid owned it properly because the book binding was always broken to open immediately to the Steve Reddy pic. The other issue, the short interview snippets didn’t hold much with me. I had no idea who Ralphy Boy was, and I know Diego was an OG member of Agnostic Front, but his name was foreign to me too. Gavin’s name was, of course, familiar. But they didn’t resonate with me. Where was Raybeez, Jimmy G, Ray Of Today, Jules, …? Where were any of my hardcore heros? A great book, but it was a little off.

Thankfully, Chris Daily felt the same way as me. It turns out, Bri Hurley felt the same too. Apparently her original printing company stiffed the first time author and edited the crap out of her original work. But in 2011, it has been revisited. And it’s truly worth it. There are now 3 times as many pictures as the first version. There are a ton of great interviews too. From Jeff Perlin to Sammy, Neil Robinson of Nausea to Steve Mcallister of Damage, … the list goes on and on. This one is awesome. Such a great work.

If you are looking for the best take away, the item that stands out the most, you’ll find it on page 4 & 5. The introduction by Freddy Cricien (aka Freddy Madball) is off the charts amazing. He seems to encapsulate the entire birth of the scene through the eyes of a child. A child that grows with the scene. Three pages and you are hooked. It makes me hope he does write his own book.

You need this book. It’ll look smart on your coffee table. Go order it now. Check their homepage for information about upcoming book release gigs. Don’t miss them, they look dope.

PS. why can’t I find any real pictures of the new cover? The new cover also says “revisited by Chris Daily.” He definitely deserves plenty of credit here. Kudos to him.

.

Live… Suburbia by Anthony Pappalardo and Max G Morton

A few years back, AP (or IME) hit us up with his book Radio Silence. That book was awesome. It had everything a young hardcore kid (or an old hardcore kid) could ever want: rare tshirts, old flyers, quotes from big names in the scene, stellar pictures … It was perfect.

This time around, with Live…Suburbia, AP and Max G. Morton do something a little different. This one is more introspective. It’s more personal, really. There are a ton of old pictures, but if you are expecting wall to wall Mags and Insted pics, you’ll be out of luck. This one is much broader than Hardcore. There is talk of skateboarding, bmx, metal (lots of metal), skinheads and getting in trouble in the mid 80s. Anyone who grew up during this time will have an immediate feeling of nostalgia. And anyone who has ever met AP will recall his great story skills. These are brought to the forefront in this book. More words this time around.

And that’s a good thing. I mean, I recall hearing APs story about a certain wild fire in the woods near his home, but I had never heard the WHOLE story. This book has it. And it’s worth reading. I’ve never met Max, at least I don’t recall, but after reading the stories in the book, you can tell he’s a kindred spirit. He lived the life we all lived back when we were teens. You’ll see.

Order your copy of Live…Suburbia now. It’s worth the read.

Kid Liberty – Give Up. Give In.

Kid Liberty just released an album called Give Up. Give In. It drops today, to be exact. And I’m sure I’m not the first one to point out the obvious, but I hope to beat it into the ground. The album is called Give Up. Give In. That’s right, no shit. Give Up. Give In. I’m not sure which band member (or more likely, management) came up with this genius title, but I think it’s an incredibly bad idea. The door to terrible puns has been kicked open and is being held wide open. Give Up. Just Give Up. Imagine if this album flops or if this album sucks. Think of the mileage reviewers can get off that simple title. They might as well just name their kids Ben Dover. But let’s get into the actual review, as I’m sure you are all dying to hear what I have to say on this one.

This one is a four song ep. Bullet Tooth Records (post Trustkill Records). There is one new song, two acoustic tracks and a Cee Lo Green cover song. Yes, that’s right. A Cee Lo Green cover. Fuck You. Wow. Before even listening to the EP, I said to myself, “oooooooffff.” That dude had his 15 minutes of fame about 6000 internet lifetimes ago. And now Kid Liberty record and release the song? Wow. Terrible idea, just awful. Give up. Plus, the original is shit. It’s just awful so you can only imagine how “entertaining” the cover song is. It’s been appropriately mall punkified for easy listening. Ugh. The acoustic songs will appeal to your skinny jeaned, warped tour little sister. Maybe. She might also get into push pitting over the new track. It was not for me. I could not give in to these songs. Not even close. This album’s saving grace? In reverse alphabetical order, it’s immediately followed by Kid Dynamite. Yeah, I had to stretch for the positive. Sorry.

If after my review (because we all know how shit awful my reviews are), you are still interested, you can pick this album up on amazon or your local record store. For older merch, check Ebay. Good luck.

Kicked In – Kansas City Straight Edge – 2010 And Beyond

A while back (ok, a real long time ago), Taylor sent me this cd of all the Kicked In material. He wanted to send a demo, but they had sold out. I can see why now. After listening to this off and on for the last few months, it’s really grown on me. Great straight edge vibe and plenty of central US love. At times, I even get a distinct Rzl Dzl sound, but that could just be some Lockin Out nods in the music. Solid short songs (some of those 3 syllable lines are a little TOO short for me) that you can mosh to. What more do you want?

Turns out these boys are playing “The Bitch Pit” in Boston, Mass tomorrow. I have never heard of this venue / living room / basement / back alley, but now I’m interested in checking it out. If you got the info, hit me up. I suggest you hit up Kicked In’s facebook page. You can download most of all their material and form your own living room mosh. Good look.

Plus. Look at that drawing. That’s just good stuff, folks. Who says skins always win?

Late To The Party: A Pickup Post

This pickup has been a long time in the making. I actually scored these a few months back, but am just now getting around to mentioning them. Before I get into the actual items, let me start with a few stories.

Back in 2001 or 2002, I was hot on the hunt for a Bane test press. I was pretty much looking for any one I could find. Back then, I had very few options. 3 EPs, a split with Adamantium, and two LPs. Those were my options. I dug deep but no one was giving up a Give Blood test press, and I couldn’t find an It All Comes Down To This test press anywhere (who’s got one??). The EPs were even harder to find. I knew a few friends who had the first one, but they didn’t seem to want to let them go either. AT that point, I had pretty much given up. That is, until my friend Bob started talking about them. It was at this time that I decided I would get one for him. He’s a good friend, loves Bane and could use one in his collection. Around the same time, I also learned that Steve Neale had a test press for the first EP. I called Steve up one day and told him how I wanted to give one to Bob. He was definitely into it. He really dug that camaraderie. When I asked him how much he would want for it, he told me I could have it for FREE as long as I gave it to Bob. That’s right. FREE. And that’s what happened. A few days later, I drove to Steve’s house, he gave me the EP, I gave him a hug, we chatted, and I left. Incidentally, that was the last time I saw Steve. He tragically died a year later in a car accident. We miss you, Steve.

Fast forward a few years. I had basically given up record collecting. This was probably 2009 or 2010. I wasn’t actively looking for any records. But then Marcus (of endless quest records fame) asked me if I could help him out. Turns out someone had tracked HIM down offering to sell him a Bane test press. Yes, you read that right. Marcus had posted about wanting one, and the seller had googled Bane test press … Boom. Match made in heaven. Marcus was a little suspicious and asked if I would be willing to middle man this transaction. I of course, agreed. The dude lived in Boston so it was no big deal. Then he revealed that the seller was Dickie Cummings. This one blew my gourd. 10 years back, I bought Dickie’s entire record collection, or so I thought. Obviously, he held a few special items back. Bummer for me because that test press would have been a great score in that record collection. Regardless, I met up with Dickie, handed him some cash, and he handed me the Bane test press. Of course, this was a test press for the first EP (if you are keeping count, that’s two that I have handled without keeping). I shipped it off to Marcus and he shipped me some Nikes. Win-win. You can read the story from Marcus’s view here.

Now Marcus had the Bane test press market pretty much cornered. EPs, LPs, splits, comps. He has it all… I’m just a little bit jealous … Fast forward another year, and two things happened: a) Bane released a ridiculous amount of EPs in every color of the rainbow, distributed from every continent and b) vinylnoize.com was kicked off. I was posting daily about records, and started getting the bug again. I wasn’t going deep on old records, but I pre-ordered a few EPs and even hooked up my record player. It had been unplugged for 3-4 years at that point. Those Bane EPs really filled out my collection. The same with the Holding This Moment repress on LP. I was psyched to get all of those, when one day, it occurred to me that I could probably score some test presses.

And that’s what I did. With a little hooking and crooking, I grabbed some test presses. I’m not in Marcus territory yet, but I’m working my way there. Real happy with these.

The collection continues to grow. Now I need to track down those older EVR and Life Record test presses. If you got them, let me know.

Take Your Shot Fanzine #4

I’m not going to lie. My knowledge of foreign hardcore is close to nil. I can’t name any Japanese bands that I listen to regularly, and would have a hard time naming any if it wasn’t for Jaybil. The same can be said about Norway, Brazil, Poland, Mexico, … You see where I’m going there. My knowledge of international hardcore pretty much begins with Larm and ends with True Colors. Sad, I know. This is where Take Your Shot Fanzine broadens my horizons. This zine is ALL about foreign hardcore. Not one band interviewed is from the US (ok, Setback is, but that’s only one ninth of the interview section. Talk Shit, Get Hit). Not only that, but it’s the PMA issue. And if you know me, you know I’m big on the PMA.

The interviews in this zine are cool. Fairly standard questions but super genuine. The combination of bands interviewed is also refreshing. There’s everything from hard mosh, to near metal to positive hardcore. It’s a sweet little mix. And the last two pages are devoted to guest columns and thoughts on the current scene. Most of the words ring true, which is chill considering this dude lives thousands of miles away. Different culture, same core. Diggin that.

If that sounds like something you can get into, check out the online site where you can find order information, and plenty of new interviews and reviews. It’s updated pretty regularly so you’ll always have a reason to go back for more. #PMA

Joyce Manor – S/T – 6131 Records #027 – 2011

I’m not going to lie. I’ve been sitting on this review for a while. But it was for a good reason. My initial reaction went straight to fanboy. I wanted to sit with it for a while hoping to even out my reaction. It didn’t work. I’m still a Joyce Manor fanboy. This LP is sticking to my record player and not leaving. Favorite song: Constant Headache, no doubt. I’ve been on a bit of a pop punk kick lately, and this band fits the bill. Think Title Fight, think Transit, think west coast punk rock. This has the definitive Californian vibe to it. Picture vans eras with long tube socks. I don’t picture a lot of stage diving, but I bet the sing alongs can get pretty intense.

Despite being a band since 2008, these dudes are taking their first full US tour this summer, and I’m really looking forward to it.
They are coming through NY, Philly and Mass. I’m definitely hitting up the Mass gig. You won’t be able to keep me away.

Go over to hellfish to pick up the lp. I promise you, it is worth it. And if you need that old merch, check Ebay. I need to snag a shirt.

Record Store Day Previews

I just got this note from Talia at Independent Label Collective PR. Some good stuff coming up for Record Store Day (RSD).

The Independent Label Collective will release six titles for Record Store Day 2011 in collaboration with a selection of their labels. Labels participating this year include Dr. Strange Records, 6131 Records, Init Records, Red Scare Industries, and a special arrangement with one of New York City’s best independent music retailers, Generation Records.

“We at Independent Label Collective are extremely proud to be participating in Record Store Day 2011 with what we consider to be a great selection of titles from some awesome bands,” said Sean Patrick Rhorer, General Manager for ILC. “Anything we can do to help encourage record store culture we feel to be totally worthwhile and Record Store Day continues to demonstrate it’s an event that does just that.”

This marks the ILC’s second year of participation in RSD, and the number of labels involved has grown significantly, from one to six. “I think it is important to have a large scale celebration that not only draws attention to the music at hand but to the brick and mortar stores who give these physical products a place to be sold out of,” asserts Tracy Wilson, Head of Sales for the ILC. “It’s refreshing to have one day a year where we can remind the world that there is still a small army stores all over this planet selling music and plenty of records to fill them.”

The offerings include the following:

Black Market Baby / Potential Suicide / 7″ / Dr. Strange / Limited to 200 Copies
Bouncing Souls / Live at Generation Records / LP / Generation / Limited to 1000 Copies
The Frustrators / Griller / 7″ / Dr. Strange / Limited to 200 Copies
The Menzingers / Chamberlain Waits / LP / Red Scare / Limited to 300 Copies
Touche Amore / To the Beat of a Dead Horse (All-White Art Edition) / LP / 6131 / Limited to 250 Copies
William Elliott Whitmore/P.O.S. / Split / 7″ / Init / Limited to 1500 Copies

For more information on any of these releases, or any media inquiries, please contact Talia Miller at the Independent Label Collective at talia@ilcdistro.com

About Independent Label Collective

The Independent Label Collective took shape in early 2009. We are a group of independent record labels, musicians and individuals who work together to create a one of a kind DIY distribution system. Since the inception of the ILC, we have worked hard to provide worldwide physical and digital distribution for our label roster and their artists from around the world. In early 2010 we extended our services to merchandising, mechanical licensing, and PR and our primary goal is to provide everyone involved with some of the best services possible.

ILC is exactly what our name states; a group of independent labels taking matters into their own hands.

I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for that Touche Amore record, that’s for sure. Love 6131 Records.

Life Is Good — My Other Projects

Lately, I’ve been neglecting this site, and for that, I apologize. I’ve kept up steadily on Swap pages, but not enough on reviews and interviews. Don’t worry, I have a few lined up. But you probably want to know why I’ve been so out of touch. Here’s why:

Along with autonoize.com, sportsnoize.com, absurdnoize.com, … All part of The Noize Corp Network. I’ve been busy pushing these sites. Hopefully, you’ve been reading some of them. And if you didn’t know about the rest, hopefully, you’ll give them a chance too.

I’ve also been busy over at isitvegan.com. You can say I don’t like being bored.

Let me know what you think. I’m interested in your feedback.