Past Present Comp – Revelation Records #150 – 2010
Oh shit. This one has been in the pipeline for years. I can't believe it's finally dropping! I've heard whisperings from Revelation Records, but nothing leaked in advance. Not a track. In the last 3 or 4 years, I hadn't even caught a track listing. Come November 4, you'll all be able to listen to it too. And you should, there are some great songs on this album!
For those not aware, this is a cover album. You have some of the hottest bands of the last 4 years doing covers from some of the hottest Rev bands of 25 years ago. You have to admit, that's a pretty cool concept. You get Terror covering Side By Side, Set Your Goals covering Gorilla Biscuits, Down To Nothing covering Judge. Just some smart pairings. And don't worry, some later Rev bands are covered too. This Is Hell even does a Movielife cover! But where's the In My Eyes cover? Not one to be found. Bummer. And with every comp, you have your share of stinkers too. Death By Stereo covering Youth Of Today? That's just reprehensible.
Thankfully, my favorite part, which all you collectors will also appreciate, is the amazing concept layout. I seriously love this idea. Back in the day, Revelation Records would trade limited vinyl for 12" GI Joe figures. Seems weird now. Can you imagine trading a Together Comp with Batman stamp for a 12" Duke? I don't think so. But that's what they did. And this layout then displays ALL those figures. Yeap, all those GI Joes are arrayed for this comp. But they aren't fighting COBRA or smashing terrorists -- they're playing a club that could be CBGBs. Stage diving, moshing, finger pointing .. even vacuuming. This layout has it all. Even Barbie taking photos!
The cd drops on the 4th. You will have to wait until the 18th for vinyl. I suspect that layout will be even better than the CD. We'll see. The comments and interviews are pretty cool. Definitely worth checking out. And if you want to get the originals, you just need to hit up revhq.com. I don't think you can get away with trading GI Joe figures for that real old shit, but you can always find some choice items on eBay. Spin this one while digging through your old Rev vinyl. Worth the trip.
United Youth – Demo 2010
United Youth is a straight edge hardcore band in the vein of Crippled Youth. I say Crippled Youth because these kids are YOUNG. When they say YOUTH, they mean it. Honestly, I think one of these kids is Sweet Pete's grandson or perhaps Al Quint's great grandson. But don't let their age trick you. Much like Crippled Youth, they bring the heat. This 4 song blazes through. I've listened to it 4 times in a row, and it didn't even take 10 minutes -- Ok, that's a lie. 4 listens took 12 minutes ... That's 12 minutes of solid living room mosh though.
When I think of United Youth and this demo, I can't help but think of the Free Spirit demo. Both have that in your face smash, and give nods to Straight Ahead. Fuck Your Standards is a perfect example. Straight to the point. I'm feeling it.
I'm guessing Back To Back Records will be doing something with these dudes soon. The flyer I have is labeled with the Back To Back crew logo. I'm not sure what they have for tees. Kicking myself for not picking up that Uniform Choice rip tee that Uriah of Dead End Path drew. I guess I'll have to troll Ebay until one pops up. I'm patient.
Pain Runs Deep – Whispered Truths EP – The Essence Records – 2010
Whoa, pretty sure Pain Runs Deep is Polands answer to fortydaysrain. I've heard comparisons to Burn and Conviction, but this band is fortydaysrain. I expect their drummer to be formerly of the Polish Incite and to be a dude who is constantly pinging FSC Lublins. Dumb if he doesn't. The music is hard, no doubt about that. Lots of early 90s references and nods. And there are times when the vocals are so growled & shouted such that I can't determine if the lyrics are polish or english. It's hard to figure out and place.
I'm pretty happy that Adam sent me the EP because the packaging is of the utmost quality. No skimping here. Vellum inserts, credit card style download cards, thick card stock and super professionally screened sleeves. The packaging is tight, no doubt. You can pick up a digital download over on bigcartel. I'm guessing the vinyl may have already sold out. The Essence Records keeps a pretty limited run. Check Ebay if you slept.
Blacklisted – No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me – Deathwish Inc #100 – 2010
I never quite got Blacklisted. I've seen them a ton, I've had plenty of opportunities to get into them. But they never clicked. I've watched kids in Philly and Boston lose their shit to them multiple times, but like I said, it's never clicked for me. Something never sat right. The live gigs were always excellent. George is an animal on stage. The whole band takes it to another level.
When I first received this album, I sat on it for a while. And then I started to play it and replay it and replay it and replay it ... Now this album speaks my language. This is the album for me. I know lots of kids were turned off by this album. "It's not hardcore" "I can't finger point" "I can't kickbox." Whatever. This album is the one that is turning me on to Blacklisted. Holy shit, it's good. So fucking good. And the kids are right, it isn't your typical hardcore album. It's fucking weird. So fucking awesomely weird. Trumpets, noise, heavy drums, thick bass, flutes, violins, acoustic guitars, tambourines, ... Seriously, that's some out there shit. And that's just ONE song... If hard rock is your thing, this album is for you. Think Sabbath, Blind Faith and even a little Black Francis ...
I highly suggest you go pick this one up. If you read the same book I read, this is the album that will change your mind about Blacklisted. I now have to go back and revisit all their albums because I know I've missing something amazing. If you slept too and need that old vinyl (or merch), you'll probably have to resort to Ebay. But as always, buy direct from the band or the label first. Do it.
End Of A Year – You Are Beneath Me – Deathwish Inc #104 – 2010
I read this interview with Pat Kindlon of End Of a Year where he mentioned how Deathwish Inc let them to be as weird as they wanted to be. This is totally true. I'm sure Tre gives them a super long leash, and it probably has weird spikes and amulets hanging off of it. But it has worked out successfully for them because this album is a banger. I don't know how they did it, but the band somehow managed to modernize the greatest sounds of mid 90s Western Mass hardcore. Think Dive and Bound (yes, Winchendon is so far north in Massachusetts that it is actually part of Western Mass. You know it's true. Then again, Albany is just west Western Mass, right? Just kidding, jeesh). Like Sebadoh meets Motorhead meets Sonic Youth's Dirty. It's on a whole other level. Pat's vocals skitter the line of yelling and talking. It's almost so un-hardcore that's it only hardcore. You know what I mean? Like it's so right of right that it's left. Yeah, like that. And the music bangs. You probably won't catch people finger pointing, but I can see plenty of sing alongs and thrashing. If this band tours with Lion Of Judah and Give, the venues will erupt in weird metal mosh freak outs. It would be a sight to see, this is certain.
I strongly suggest you go pick up this record. Run, don't walk over to Deathwish Inc. Great label, great dudes. Hook it up. And if that isn't enough to wet your whistle, head over to Ebay to pick up that merch you slept on all these years.
Deception Of A Ghost – Speak Up, You’re Not Alone – Bullet Tooth Records #3 – 2010
Deception Of A Ghost ... oh boy. Here we go. I know this is on Josh Grabelle's new label. No longer Trustkill, but now Bullet Tooth. Granted, I've never been the Trustkill dude. You know me. Schism, Revelation, EVR, Bridge 9, ... that's my bread and butter. Trustkill was the other side of the tracks, on that metal tip. Deception Of A Ghost continues that heritage. Except this time around, throw in some singy Just Surrender-esque parts. It literally blows my mind. I don't get it. Perhaps to fully enjoy it, I need to pick up some neon tees, neon silly bands, neon sneakers and tight black jeans. That might help my outlook because from where I sit in my crucial tee and loose cotton shorts, this album is a hot mess.
If any of this sounds like your jam, go ahead and pick it up. And if that selection isn't enough for you, have a gander at Ebay. You can find some stellar tees over there.
If you'll excuse me, I have to go wash out my ears with Youth Of Today now.
Kid Liberty – Fight With Your Fists – Bullet Tooth Records #2 – 2010
Kid Liberty hails from Texas. They do everything a little bigger in Texas. I keep expecting a pop punk album, but then it gets bigger. Double kick, lyrics about jealousy or stalking (I can't quite tell), and lots of yelling (yes, that makes me sound like a 90 year old grandpa talking about his grand kids music. Maybe for a good reason). I was also expecting more of a Set Your Goals or A Loss For Words vibe. In a sense I was right. You know those songs on the latest SYG album that are a little ... out there? You know, the one that feature a dude from Turmoil ... Yeah, that's what this WHOLE album sounds like. But throw in some autotune, high pitch yells and Simple Plan. Yeah, it's sort of a mess. The thing is, I bet these dudes KILL it at Warped Tour. No idea if they played Warped Tour, but they should. As for me, I can't quite hang. Wish I had seen them at Transmission Fest. That would have helped cement my feelings on this whole vibe. I know my feelings are biased by the album title. Seriously? Fight With Your Fists? That's just bullshit "shelf candy." Anything to sound edgy on that endless Hot Topic rack. They might as well call the album Eat Dinner With Utensils or Jog With Running Sneakers.
If this sounds like something you can get into, go head over to the new Bullet Tooth Records site. You can find links to downloads and album purchases. You can also find their merch on MerchNow. And if you are looking for some gems long gone by, there's always Ebay. You just never know.
Hostage Calm – Hostage Calm – Run For Cover Records #021 – 2010
I've seen Hostage Calm play a few times. They are Connecticut Brotherhood so I've had a bunch of opportunities over the last few years to see them. Plenty of gigs to get into their brand of music. I've enjoyed their sets but somehow it never happened. It never clicked. It's probably my fault. I just never stopped to fully appreciate them. But after listening to this album non stop for the last few days, they have won me over.
Literally, my socks have been blown off. I'm not sure how it happened. I honestly don't recall this band sounding anything like this. I always recall a punk hardcore band. This ... this is different. This sophomore album is something else all together. This is more on an indie rock tip than hardcore. Think easier Title Fight, or maybe Can't Slow Down. It's definitely on that tip. Lots of earnest rock, right up my alley lately. It feels like they should be opening gigs for The Kooks or The Shins or some other The band. Seriously, so good.
Of course, if you are expecting a hardcore act, I'm suggesting you dig back into your collection for your favorite Youth Of Today cd. This is not hardcore. No diss on these kids. They love hardcore (Fred's got enough hardcore cred to pass any minimum requirement tests, this is certain).
I've been sleeping on these dudes. Now I feel it is my duty to scour Ebay for old tees so I can pretend like I've been down since day 1. But if you want to buy this LP (and there is no reason to NOT buy this lp, it is THAT good), go hit up Run For Cover Records. And do it now. Don't wait.
Liferide S/T LP – Take It Back Records #002 – 2010
Every now and then, I get a cool package from Take It Back Records. Christian Unsinn seems like a cool dude, no matter what some anonymous people have to say. This time around, he sent me the Liferide LP. Feeling it.
Liferide has a real throwback vibe. Like I could picture any of these songs leading into Backtrack or Dissed And Dismissed or even Fade To Black. These guys play a strong hardcore very reminiscent of late 80s New York Hardcore. I dig it.
I also dig the limited nature of the vinyl. 300 total slabs. 200 on black, 100 on some color vinyl. This is hardcore vinyl for the real fans. Either you snap it up, or you miss out completely. React Records does something very similar. No need to flood the market. And thanks to torrents and the internet, the music will get around. Courtesy of being great music, these tracks will DEFINITELY be heard by a wide swath of people. Good for them.
So if you missed the vinyl, your best best is Ebay. Who would have guessed? You can probably still snap up some black vinyl here. No promises, but give it a go. You won't regret it.
Lewd Acts – Black Eye Blues – Deathwish Inc – 2009
I moved to Worcester in 1997 where I would end up hanging out a lot at 34 John St. A guy lived there named Tre McCarthy. Pretty good dude. One time I saw him acid drop off his couch in the middle of a phone call. The phone (cordless phone, not a cell phone. This was 1998 afterall) smashed everywhere. He put it all back together, and somehow the person on the other end of the line was still there! Also, one time I was riding with him to his new apartment. To make room in his car, he had to push a tennis racket out of the way. Yes, a tennis racket. Can you picture Tre playing tennis? Still a mystery to this day.
Years later, Tre would co-start Deathwish Inc. Jake and him would release a ton of albums over the years. In the beginning, Tre would send me a lot of their releases, but that tapered off over the years. That's fine. We both realized that I would rather NOT review something than give it a less than stellar review. And everyone knows generic straight edge is my bread and butter. Obviously, DWI needs to release more of that ... I think the last package Tre sent my way was the Curse I LPs. Yeah, a while back.
So when Tre hit me with the new Lewd Acts release, I knew I was in store for something awesome. And I was not disappointed.
This LP rips. It's not my normal fare, but I dig it. It gives me an Integrity (less scary) / American Nightmare / Lion Of Judah (minus the wigger mosh, space trip hop bit) vibe. Overall, a quality vibe. I can envision lots of kids slow moshing for this band, plenty of head banging, that's for sure. I've seen the tees everywhere. Never knew why the hype was so big. But after listening to this album, I'm a believer.
I'll probably swing over to Ebay to see if I can find some deals on tees. Otherwise, definitely go hit up Deathwish Inc for this album. Support the bands, support the label.
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