News

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Here’s to another morning where I’m working on getting heavily caffeinated and writing about records for all you fine people out there. Many cool things to announce on the personal front in the weeks to come. Firstly, Public Acid is finally announcing our record release part for our new 12” entitled Deadly Struggle, coming out in February on Beach Impediment. The record release party is on February 16th in Richmond. I’ve been playing in the band for almost 3 years already (holy shit), and this is the first proper new recording with me playing on it. I play guitar on the Beat Session tape that came out a while back, but I’m stoked for everybody to hear a fresh batch of new Pub Ass tunes. A lot of work has gone into this record, and I just hope everyone who hears it is stoked on it. Bunker Punks has some exciting news in the weeks to come as well, but I won’t spoil anything just yet.

Anyway, onto talking about records we’ve got here at Sorry State. Really, just in the last couple days, a TON of boxes of new releases have been landing at our doorstep. Iron Lung has a fresh batch of new stuff. I’m sure everyone will be jumping on that new Physique 7”. What really grabbed my attention from this new spread of Iron Lung releases is this Bog People record. I’d never even heard of Bog People, honestly. I assumed the record was just a new release. Upon further inspection, I come to discover that this recording session is from waaaay back in 2010. How appropriate that I’m writing about a band from Portland on this dreary ass morning in Raleigh. It sure fuckin’ looks like Portland outside. Apparently, the Bog Peeps from Portland were around for a couple years in the late 00s/early 2010s and basically only ever released tapes. Maybe there was a split 7” or something? I can’t remember. The band’s existence seems to be shrouded in mystery—a “boggy fog”, if you will. A bit of detective work on the good ol’ Discogs led me to find out that members of this band were in several Portland bands I’ve heard of, like Arctic Flowers, Bellicose Minds, Frenzy, Nerveskade, etc. But now, thanks to the fine folks at Iron Lung, The Bog People finally release their eponymous debut LP.

I feel like Bog People were kiiiiiinda doing what bands like Subdued are doing now. The description “UK82” doesn’t really do it justice. Bog People to me sound more like the anarcho-inflected side of early 80s UK hardcore. Maybe this is due in part to the heaps of chorus on the guitars, which is kind of a symptom of that 2010s timeframe I feel like, but in this case it totally works. Bands intermingling in that era of Portland punk do seem to have a cloud of doom and gloom that hangs over and infuses its way into the sound. One thing I will say though, is that this Bog People recording sounds convincingly old and authentic. Like seriously. I mean, come on, the band released a tape called ’81 in ’09. Pretty bold. But if I were to shut my eyes, and you were to try and convince me that this recording was from 1981 without any previous knowledge, I might believe you. What is also pretty convincing is my dude’s attempt at a British accent when he sings haha. There’s this one track on the record where after the band stops playing, you hear the singer say “I fucked that all up.”—and I was just laughing, thinking, “Yep, he’s definitely American.”

What can I say? I feel like fast songs sound like Legion of Parasites, AOA or Anti-System. Then there will be a couple slower, dirgey sounding tracks that sound like Part 1 or something like that. And I know making these comparisons it could sound like I’m just blowin’ smoke. Like, “oh sure, another band from the 2010s imitating UK82” *eyeroll*. I really think Bog People nailed it though. There’s this video of them playing on Youtube, and with the exception of the computery Windows Moviemaker title card at the beginning, the footage looks analog and grainy in a way that looks like it was recorded a loooong time ago. Then again, 2009 was 15 years ago, so I guess it has been a long time.

Welp, that’s all I’ve got to say about Bog People I think. Fack off, mate.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’m once again writing this a little late. Whereas most of my fellow Sorry State crew probably had their staff picks written on Thursday or Friday, here I am on the Sunday before we release the newsletter trying to finish up last-minute. Classic. At first I thought that I might write about that new Ultimate Disaster tape, because I’ve got a couple buds in the band and people seem stoked on it. A surgical approach to Discharge-influenced hardcore, and they kill it. But it’s already sold out! Then I thought about writing about that new Comes live LP… But it’s already sold out! I don’t know why, but for some reason those records not being available discouraged me from doing a write-up for all you readers.

So yeah, I just ended up going in a totally different direction. As much as I am still digesting as much new punk and hardcore as I can, my attention has been diverted to some other types of music lately. I’ve been trying to dive into January with a positive attitude because I had just been feeling so bummed the last few months of 2023. Sorry for TMI. But there’s some used records coming through the store and Dom will just throw them on from time to time when we’re working together. Like right now I’m listening to this beater copy of a Cyamande record as I’m writing this. But for the most part, I’ve been gravitating toward The Meters a lot lately. What can I say? I want the funk, baby. From what I’ve checked out, I’ve enjoyed every record by The Meters so far. I just find them totally infectious. “Tippie Toes” is a killer instrumental track off of their Struttin’ album. Most recently though, a copy of their album Rejuvenation came through the store, and I just had to grab it. It’s a bit of a beater copy, so we priced it pretty cheap. But hey, I ain’t complaining. I feel like Meters records are meant to be partied on. I catch myself just singin’ along with “Peeeeeople say!” without consciously realizing I’m doing so. I feel like The Meters ride that line of down-to-earth, sweet sounding 60s soul on some tracks, but the dirtiest, funky grooves you’ve ever heard—like that wah-wahed out guitar riff that starts “Just Kissed My Baby”? Dude, it makes my hair stand up on end. On that track “Hey Pock-Away,” my man’s just singin’ “feel good muuuuusic!” It rules. You can catch me playing that track and dancing real badly while I’m cleaning in my kitchen or whatever. It’s hard to be in a bad mood while listening to The Meters. I’m jammin’ it on heavy rotation.

I guess this is a pretty short one this round. If you’ve been feeling down, I highly recommend throwing on some Meters. PS, if you were questioning, my picture this is week is definitely not Photoshopped. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

After the hours I spent constructing the epic “year in review” newsletter last week, it seems funny sitting down just to write a normal-length one o’ these bad boiz. I wish I had more to report on the personal front this week. 2024 is off to a decent start I’d say. Vibes are pretty good. Many fun things to look forward to in the months to come.

Anyway, let’s get into it. Not too long ago, Sorry State stocked this new record by Jerry A from Poison Idea in which he commissions a backing band, and they call it Jerry A & The Kings of Oblivion. This 6-song 12” EP, titled Life After Hate, features a handful of original tunes, and several cover tunes. So of course, speaking of “kings of oblivion”, they do a pretty killer cover of “City Kids” by the Pink Fairies. And of course, I love Jerry’s gnarly vocals in Poison Idea, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by his cleaner vocal approach and singing ability. He sounds great! My dude Jerry’s got some pipes.

But really, this Life After Hate record isn’t really what I actually wanna talk about. Ready for a smooth segue? The 4 dudes who act as the backing band for Jerry are a bunch of younger Dutch guys. Follow my lead, here. The first track on this record is also a cover tune, but I didn’t recognize it. The song is called “Degeneration,” and I was like damn man, I really like this song. Catchy as all hell. After some detective work, with Dom’s help of course (thanks man), I discovered that this song is a tune by an old band from Amsterdam called The Blitzz – yes, with 2 “Z’s” haha. I looked the band up on Discogs, and turns out that The Blitzz was short-lived, and only released 2 singles in 1978. These 2 singles were even released on a major label, EMI Holland. Crazy that the band even with a record deal never managed to release a full album. Kinda cool in a way. It only adds to the mystery. I come to find out that “Degeneration” is actually the B-side on The Blitzz’s first single entitled “So Free”. So, what I did I do? I immediately ordered a copy overseas from a seller in Holland. The single wasn’t even very expensive. Perhaps in the used bins in record stores in Amsterdam, this single is pretty easy to come by. But for someone like me, living in Raleigh, North Carolina, I was willing to pay up for the international shipping and add this banger in my stack of 7”s.

If I hadn’t known any better, I would have guessed that The Blitzz were English. For my money, The Blitzz sounds like one of those bands that could have shifted out of more of a power pop or “pub rock” kinda sound into the emerging punk rock movement. Almost like Chelsea or a band of a similar vein. I mean it just sounds like it should be filed in your “sound of ‘77” punk bangers bin. High energy, big, jangly rock’n’roll guitar sounds, and huge choruses. It rules. The singer’s voice has that slightly deeper, gruffer tone, which reminds me of Buzzcocks songs that Steve Diggle would sing lead on, like “Harmony In My Head” or other bangers. And though The Blitzz is devoid of any reggae influence to my ears, I could cite The Ruts as a pretty good comparison as well. “Degeneration” is just one of those tunes that I can’t believe I didn’t absorb into my consciousness before now. It RIPS, dude. When it gets to that refrain, “Everybody’s talkin’ about DE- GEN- A- RAAATION!” it stretches the corners of my mouth into a shit-eaten grin. But I gotta say, the A-side track is a total banger as well. “She’s so free! So Free! So Free! So Free!”

I feel so stoked that listening to this new Jerry A record, which functions almost like a loveletter to early punk and proto-punk, exposed me to a great classic punk tune I had never experienced. If any of you readers have never heard The Blitzz and my write-up sounds up your alley, I highly suggest checking them out. The songs are on YouTube. The other single sells for a significantly higher price point, but I’ll inevitably need to lock down that record as well.

Welp, that’ll do it for this round. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

2023 has come to an end. Ooooooh and what a year it was. I was reflecting on all the dumb shit I got myself into and all the records I listened to this year, and you know what? Not too shabby. I always have my ups and downs, and SURE, there’s been some speed bumps along the way, but there’s also been plenty over this past year to smile about.

Here’s my Top 10 of 2023. Forgive me for the overly long write-ups about records I’ve probably already talked about plenty this year. Maybe it’ll be worth your time to read what I have to say. Or if you end up scrolling past a whole bunch of it, shiiit, I don’t blame you haha. I decided to not even mention anything released on Sorry State. Surely GUN, Sirkka, Mutant Strain, and even Koro would be mentioned.

Whatever, here we go:

1. Personal Damage: Apathy & Entropy 12” - Easily one of my favorite records of the year. When Personal Damage first emerged onto my radar a few years back, they caught my attention immediately. It seemed like they became prolific right out of the gate, beating me over the head with a tape, then a 7” flexi, then another tape, then a proper 7” EP. I was curious how well the band would make the leap to the full-length format, and they did not disappoint. You can hear the influence of early 80s LA hardcore like Circle Jerks or The Stains, but Personal Damage has their own thing going on too. Catchy, snotty, memorable, not to mention amazing sounding production and beautiful packaging. Killer.
   
   
2. Electric Chair: Act Of Aggression 12” – I think I may have mentioned the pre-release cassette version of this LP in my end of 2022 review and said something like “this will surely end up in my best of 2023” haha. So yeah, I’d already been listening to this record a lot for over a year now, but it was exciting when the vinyl version finally dropped earlier in 2023. The band’s first full-length LP took their already frenetic style of hardcore and added even more craziness to the mix. Insane shredder leads, weird sort of trippy, psychedelic passages in songs like “Security Camera” – it’s wild. But still the same awesome, outta control, catchy songwriting you’d expect. Electric Chair really got around this year. Even myself, I saw them multiple times, in Minneapolis for the Thrasher event, in Philly for Something To Talk About Fest, at Sorry State 10th Anniversary, and on Halloween in Richmond. I don’t know what it is about Electric Chair. All the dudes are funny as fuck, and there’s something cartoony and silly about them. But they are also undeniably one of the most dead serious, potent, explosive and raging hardcore punk bands out there. They rule.
   
   
3. Tozcos: Infernal 12” – This record snuck its way onto my list right at the tail-end of the year, but it had to be included. First non-NY band to be released on Toxic State? Tozcos have been active for over a decade now I believe. Infernal is their 2nd LP, and it is worth the wait. Tozcos brings an element of “song-based” hardcore punk that I think is sadly missing at the moment. There’s a really thoughtful, dare I say, almost “pop-oriented” attitude toward their constructing of songs. I don’t even speak Spanish very well, but I find myself continuing to sing the vocal hooks after I’m done listening to the record. Not to mention the monster musicianship in the band. Limon’s razor-sharp guitar tone, Corrina’s super in the pocket, pounding, groovy drumming… Also, Kevin’s gotta be one of the best bass players in the game. Walkin’ all up and down that neck. When I heard the bass break intro in the teaser track “Presos”, I was like “deeeeeeyum”. And Monsé’s vicious vocal delivery brings it to the next level. What a great record made by genuinely cool people. This is the real shit right here.
   
   
4. Sick Thoughts: Born To Blitzkrieg 12” – So, I will admit, I was way late in discovering Sick Thoughts. Even over the years with Drew releasing a TON of records, I just assumed I wouldn’t really be into it. I’m choosing this 2023 EP in part because I feel like an idiot for not even giving 2022’s Heaven Is No Fun a chance until way into 2023. I surely would’ve included it on my best of 2022 list, but it feels like I experienced it all in 2023. But Born To Blitzkrieg is so great too. There are 4 songs on this bad boy, and surprisingly, it opens with an eponymously titled ripping hardcore tune. What I discovered is that beyond Sick Thoughts’ sort of silly, crude presentation and lyrical content, my dude just writes great songs. “(I’m A) Hellraiser” is like somewhere between Generation X or Blitz mixed with some random raw, rockin’ KBD tune or something. The classy title of “Schoolgirls in Chains” is almost like early GG Allin, but then breaks into some straight up harmonized Thin Lizzy guitar leads? So sick. Then this EP ends with an unexpected tender moment with “My Heart Is Breaking Over You.” Consider me converted. I love Sick Thoughts.
   
   
5. Pyr Kata Voulisi: Thymata Eirinis 12” – I try my best to pronounce this band’s name NOW, but when we first stocked this record, I remember everyone referring to them as, “You know uuuh, the Greek band!” Haha. An unexpected ripper for me this year. It sounds like these Greeks take some cues from Swedish hardcore, namely I hear a little bit of Herätys influence in the riffs. Just a great hardcore record. I remember them getting some buzz this year amongst the true heads. I hope this band records something new in the not-so-distant future.
   
   
6. The Hell: S/T 12” – These Cleveland boys teased a few tracks from this LP on a cassette back in 2022. Putting the “punk” back in hardcore punk. Direct, to the point, raging. Clean guitars pumping out riffs like a machine. Snarling, aloof vocals somewhere between Stiv Bators and Danny Spira. Tight, fast drumming. 10 songs in 12 minutes. What more do you want? I hear rumors that they’ve got something new geared up for 2024. Can’t wait.
   
   
7. Deletär: S/T 12” – France’s finest, if you ask me. Deletär released a few records before this LP, but I think they really just nailed it on this round. From the moment you drop the needle, your face will melt immediately. Not unlike Pyr Kata Voulisi, Deletär definitely tips their hat to raging käng-style Swedish hardcore. The production on this LP is super dense and intense. Great guitar tone. And just one fist-pumping killer riff after another. Some of the guitar leads approach Skitkids territory. But for me, I like that Deletär have that heavier edge to their sound, but don’t quite cross into crust territory. They kinda remind of a band like Infernöh sort of. I saw Deletär at K-Town back in 2022, but I look forward to seeing this band live again soon. Also, there might be some cool news about this LP soon ;)
   
   
8. Nuovo Testamento: Love Lines 12” – This might be a surprising choice against some of the other records on my list. But if I’m being honest with myself, I listened to this record a whole bunch this year. I don’t know anything about Italo-Disco, really. I know that’s what Nuovo Testamento is going for with the name and all. But when I listen to this record, I just think about 80s NRG and freestyle synth-pop like Stacey Q and Samantha Fox. Maybe I don’t know what I’m talking about. What I do know is that I’ll throw this record on when I’m in my kitchen and shake my tail feather while I’m cooking dinner. It rules.
   
   
9. Tiikeri: Punk Rock Pamaus!!! 12” – Funny how a record with cartoon tigers and anarchy A’s inside of hearts made such an impact this year. The Finnish songsmiths were at it again this year with their first full-length. Maybe I live in a bubble, but a lot of people were super into this record this year, right? I’ll use the word I’ve used many times when I’ve described Tiikeri: INFECTIOUS. That’s the thing, it’s hard not to like it. When they make the cute battle cry of, “Okay, let’s punk!” You’re like, yeah I’m down. Saccharinely sweet poppy punk tunes about how “punk is love” and all that kinda stuff. A welcome positive distraction from the awful things happening in this world. Authentic late 70s Finnish KBD or Green Day? I’ll let you decide.
   
   
10. The Massacred: Post-Mortem 7” – Wow, the only 7” on my list this year. I had to pick at least one. Funny enough, Public Acid played New Year’s Eve of 2022 in Toronto. Then, our next show on that trip on January 1st, 2023 was in Boston and it was the record release for The Massacred’s first 7”. So technically, this record just barely made it in time to qualify as a 2023 release. What a great way to kick off the year. This band rips. An almost militaristically tight approach to hardcore punk. The Massacred definitely have some UK82 influence going on with big, chanted sloganeering style vocals. But then, a friend mentioned to me that the riffing reminds him of Headcleaners. Now I can’t unhear it. Soooo, like a tough as nails, stompy version of Headcleaners? Sign me up. Awesome packaging on this record too. I remember Usman and I gushing over the hand-stamped dust sleeves.

-----Honorable Mentions-----

-Golpe: Assuefazione Quotidiana 7" – I almost feel guilty not including this 7” in my top 10! I love me some Golpe. Them sweet Italian boys. Part of the Sorry State family, this new 7” offering on Beach Impediment has some the band’s heaviest, stompiest songs yet.

-Yellowcake: Can You See The Future? 7” – This band came onto my radar this year out of nowhere. I think they’re making a big impression in general. Not For The Weak did a great job with this 7”, but I think seeing this band live is really what did it for me. So powerful. The drummer is insane.

-Bloodstains: Anti-Social 7” – Orange County, baby. I love that this band is bringing back that melodic side of early 80s California punk. The sleeves on these 7”s look great too. Thanks again for hooking me up with a copy, Cesar. Gimme more Agnew, people!

-Fairytale: Shooting Star 12” – Another record that probably should’ve made my Top 10. This LP is just insane. For bands doing the “d-beat” style or whatever, I always thought Fairytale were a unique, kinda spaced out, psychedelic take on the sound. Lulu’s vocals on that track “Possible to Grow,” so killer.

-Nukies: Can’t You Tell That This Is Hell 12” – Another ripper that I digested in tape format first. Nukies from Sweden play super riffy, almost rocked out hardcore that’s often stompier and groovier than it is ripping mangel style. Great stuff.

-Factory City Children: S/T 7” – Mateo from Warthog transforms into a demon and wreaks havoc on the streets of NY. Nasty, raw, blown out but catchy punk tunes recorded over a drum machine.

-People’s Temple: I’m With The... 7” – When a dude from Orange County infiltrates NY and brings that catchy style of hardcore from one coast to the other. There’s things I liked and kinda didn’t care for with this record, but the first track “Think For Me” really stands out.

-Destruct: Cries the Mocking Mother Nature 12” – Had to mention my Richmond homies. Seriously one of the deadliestly (is that word?) tight bands playing Japanese-inspired hardcore at the moment. Those tom rolls, dude. Makes the kids go nuts.

-Hez: Panamaniacs 12” – Even though I know we had stocked previous records by this band a few years back, John Scott actually turned me onto this record. Totally raging hardcore from Panama. Kinda raw but also atmospheric like Destino Final or bands of that style.

-Class: If You’ve Got Nothing 12” – Another band that, for me, appeared out of nowhere and all the sudden was super prolific with their releases. I never really checked them out until much later in the year. I heard such positive endorsements from people around me. I finally gave Class a shot and now I totally get it. I feel like the term “power pop” gets a bad rap. Class just writes great, jangly vintage sounding punk tunes. I really love the track “Behind The Ball” on this new LP.

-Chueko: Tools of Oppression 7” – I think I just talked about this 7” in the last newsletter, but it’s continued to grow on me. Great hardcore punk from Portland by members of Suck Lords, Alienator, etc.

-Secretors: Comparing Missile Size Vol.1 7” – Another release from later in the year. I feel like this EP is just a barrage of intense, heavy hardcore that definitely has a couple nods to Japanese punk classics. Great riffs on this record.

-Laughing Corpse: Demented Thoughts Posed As Dark Comedy cassette – New band out of DC. I think this tape is really cool. My homie Connor killing it on drums, as always. Funny enough, I detect a bit of COC and Double Negative influence in the songwriting. Totally Raleigh-biased over here, and of course I’m so here for it.

Certainly, there are several other records released in 2023 that I could talk about. But I tried to narrow it down to a few choice favorites, and I still feel like I wrote too much. I didn’t even mention REISSUES! That’d be a whole other verbose series of ramblings.

Alright, more generally speaking, here’s a “Top 10” list of my favorite and most eventful moments this year:

1. Sirkka gig weekend – I just remember this weekend being really fun. It was toward the end of April. Public Acid played in Norfolk on a Friday. Then on Saturday, Usman and I spent the whole day Saturday in Richmond. I remember hanging with a big group of friends, we got breakfast, went to a skatepark by the river, got margaritas, and it was just nice having the crew together. Then on Sunday, both Public Acid and Scarecrow played with Sirkka. Sirkka ripped so hard. That was a great gig. It was great seeing Sanja again after Scarecrow had met her in Germany on our European tour back in summer 2022.

2. Public Acid Thrasher gig – People who regularly read the newsletter might be aware that skateboarding was super important to me when I was younger. It was super cool to get invited by Thrasher Magazine to go to Minneapolis, watch some skateboarding, and then rip a gig with Electric Chair at the afterparty. A no brainer. We were hosted by Will from Desolate and it was awesome. I got to meet Tony Trujilo, one of my favorite skaters. We hung with the Electric Chair dudes and, you know, went and rode a giant wooden mechanical wiener at a sex shop. The usual stuff. Then after the gig, all of us in Public Acid and Electric Chair went to a swimming spot by a lakeshore at night with some Minneapolis locals.

3. Shomo Fest 2023 – I know the fest is called Something To Talk About. I call it Shomo Fest affectionately. Jim put together one hell of a fest. If it wasn’t already killer in 2022, he really upped the whole shebang this past year. It was my first time playing the First Unitarian Church in Philly, which has been doing punk and hardcore shows for a loooong time. And seeing Vaaska and Warthog was killer. The Saturday shows at Foto Club were a blast, too. The Wanted, Invertebrates and Mutant Strain killed.

4. Meat House Tour – Even though this run of dates we did was short, this was easily one of the funnest tours I’ve ever been on. Meat House went out and played some Midwest gigs with Mutant Strain, and it was great. Even more than I remember the gigs, I remember just laughing and hanging out. Rolling up to a White Castle, making Shrek Juice™ out of bright green soda and tequila and actin’ a fool for hours. I’ll never forget those cool local dudes we met at the liquor store who asked if we were on Spotify and then wanted to take a group picture with us, and then the one dude preceded to pull out his gun to pose with for the photo.

5. Scarecrow / Vidro Tour – The Swedes invaded! Vidro are the coolest. So stoked we got to tour together. Scarecrow and Vidro did 10 days in a van together up the east coast and dipped our toes into the Midwest a bit too. There were many highlights. Staying with Andy and Elise in Worcester ruled, where their house had horror movie ephemera in every corner and Andy showed us his many wares and special herbs grown on the property. Loved getting to hang with Trevor in Cleveland and I also got a sick tattoo from Lia. Also in Cleveland, we went to check out the Great Lake and there was trash and dead rats on the beach. Awesome. The Richmond show was great; it was fun hanging at Chubb’s after the gig and jamming Ramones records. Our last night in DC, we involuntarily spent 2 hours in a tiki bar and then went and danced at a goth club. I can’t wait to see Vendela, Lucas, Staffan, and Melody again soon. Perhaps back on their home turf sometime ;)

6. Hangin’ with Tozcos in a graveyard on my birthday – This was yet another Thrasher magazine event where they recruited punk bands to play. This time, it was Scarecrow that played, and it happened right in our backyard in Charlotte. We got to the skate park too late to see the skating, which I was bummed about. But the gig we played later was with Tozcos! The gig was on August 19th, so it was my birthday right when the clock struck midnight. We all got cases of beer and celebrated in the graveyard TSOL style – Well, actually NO, not like that.

7. Sorry State Anniversary weekend – This should be number 1 on the list. The coolest thing that’s happened in Raleigh in all the years I’ve lived here. 2 days of pure punk bliss, thanks to our Lord Commander Daniel. A lot of planning and work went into organizing our 10-Year Anniversary, and I’m so happy it went well. Thanks again to all the bands who came and played and all the people who helped out. I’ll never forget it.

8. Tampa – Generally speaking, I’ve never been the biggest fan of visiting Florida. But prior to actually arriving, Mike from Warthog/Heaven’s Gate picking me up at the airport and driving me into Ybor, I didn’t realize I’d never been to Tampa. I must admit, I had a pretty awesome time. Seeing mofos roll cigars fast as fuck in the windows of local shops and seeing wild chickens roaming around, it was a cool vibe. The gig Public Acid played was cool obviously, but moments like drinking Aperol Spritz at fancy hotel pool with palm trees while Chubb wore a cowboy hat—that and going to this huge, famous S&M goth club were the best moments in my mind.

9. Screaming Death – Me and Usman’s label, Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes, released a record I’m really proud of this year. It was a project that was in the works for a couple years: a 4-way split featuring our band Scarecrow, Destruct, Rat Cage, and Dissekerad. The final product came out amazing, and we’re really stoked on the positive response we’ve gotten from the release. Thanks everybody!

10. This year in record collecting – So last but not least, I managed to score some records this year. Pretty much all the records worth mentioning are of the miniature variety. Not so many full-size platters, but I crossed off some of my major bite-size wants. I always convince myself I didn’t go too too crazy. Whoops! The SOA was a huge one for me, of course. I’m also so stoked I was able to lock down an original Zmiv 7”. I didn’t know if I’d ever see one. The Damned Stretcher Case was a record that eluded me for years too; I guess they were given away at gigs in the late 70s? Wild. Thankful that Colin from Sit & Spin in Philly brought that down with him while being a vendor at the Sorry State anniversary. Hell yeah.

There are several more things I could drag on about, like the Krigshoder/Indre Krig gig in Richmond, the Halloween show where I dressed as Captain Sensible and barely anyone got it, the under the bridge show with Nosferatu, Subdued, and Tower 7, seeing Appendix… the list goes on and on. I think I’m gonna try to wrap it up here.

2023 definitely had plenty to keep me busy. Seems like 2024 is already shaping up to be just as, if not MORE, busy than last year. Thanks to all you readers who have supported us here at Sorry State. Here’s hoping 2024 ends up being a good one.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Happy Holidays, everybody! Hope everyone is curling up by the fire with some bourbon-spiked vegan eggnog and the soothing sounds of depressive Satanic black metal. Or Bing Crosby. Whatever floats your boat. Me personally, I do all I can to avoid your typical played-out Christmas music that cycles ad nauseum on the radio and in grocery stores. There’s nothing worse than a white dude playing electric blues guitar while gruffly crooning about Santa Claus. Makes me wanna puke even more than the aforementioned spiked ‘nog. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t hate this time of year or anything. I just care more about the wholesome family time and couldn't care less about the whole colorful lights and Jesus part of it. Anyway, I won’t drag on about the holidays. I’m sure any of you Sorry Staters reading this on Christmas Day could use a welcome break from all that.

This week, I decided to write about the new 7” from Chueko we just got in stock. Chueko are from the Portland area, and I’m pretty sure the band has folks from Alienator, Suck Lords, and other bands from that whole crew. A buddy actually gave me a copy of Chueko’s demo tape back in 2022. I guess he’s chums with them, so the band hooked him up with a few copies. I immediately loved it. To my ears, it sounded like a pretty raw 4-track recording. Pretty clean, almost jangly guitar, but with a heavy, groovy rhythm section. This is such a corny adjective, but Chueko is just SLAMMIN’, dude. Stompy, punchy UK82-style punk would be my lazy description. But the singer has this gnarly, vicious voice and sings mostly in Spanish, which is rad and makes the band really stand out.

But now they’ve got this new EP, courtesy of Black Water. The production on this new 7”, titled Tools Of Oppression, is decidedly more blown out and noisy sounding. It’s funny, incredibly more-so than the tape, the bass player is totally killing it on this new EP. Like… SHREDDING it. Because the guitar sound is much more gritty, the bass sounds really pronounced in the mix and honestly comes across like the lead instrument haha. Fuck playing the bass heavy on the low notes to support the guitar riffs. Are you kidding? I’m talkin’ bout combing out that wild hair and rippin’ it up on them high strings, baby. It’s killer.

I did reference UK82 earlier, and the intro to the song “Stupid People” is like a direct homage to “Knife’s Edge” by GBH. But in a killer way. I was like, “oh fuck yeah.” One of the many strengths of Chueko is that they can write a catchy ass tune. I’m gonna sound like a total hater, but in recent years, I feel like punk bands coming out write a series of heavy riffs and stitch them together in a composition that technically qualifies as the benchmark for “hardcore tune.” But rarely these days do I feel like bands write actual SONGS. Sometimes, I’ll listen to newer bands and I just feel like the record just kinda… happens TO me, like a barrage of noise just washes over me. But for my money, Chueko have that knack to write these catchy sing-along choruses. There are gang vocal parts all over this record, and I’m absolutely here for it. It’s easy to imagine this band playing a gig and the crowd piling on top of one another to bogart the mic when the time comes for everyone to sing, “OUT TO GET YOU!” But even with the chanted vocals, I would not say this band comes across as “tough” exactly. The label affectionately describes the 4 characters in this group as a “cluster of weirdos,” which I felt like I could sense immediately. Chueko is queerer, weirder and more ripping than all you punk-ass mofos. Highly recommend.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this time. Catch our end-of-year wrap-ups next round. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next YEAR,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Things have felt kinda hectic around SSR HQ lately. As for me, I just can’t believe we’re right smack dab in the middle of the holiday season. December really crept up on me this year. I’ve already seen some people posting online about their “best of 2023” lists, and I’m like: “WTF?? ALREADY???” I’m not even close to feeling prepared to even think about that yet. I’m still trying to figure out where the last few months have gone. It’s a weird feeling, being unprepared for the coming new year. Whatever.

I’m writing my addition to the newsletter late this round. I’m sitting behind the counter at the store and it’s raining. Another quiet, dreary ass Sunday. But at least there’s a new Tiikeri release! Damn, have I written in the newsletter about every Tiikeri record since we’ve started stocking them here at Sorry State? Whoopsie. I don’t know what it is, man. Especially around this time of year when it starts getting colder, I just gravitate toward listening to easily digestible jams that put me in a good mood. I mean even right now, I’m listening to the first Kim Wilde record as I’m opening the store! (a new wave banger top to bottom, but that’s for another newsletter). But Tiikeri has definitely fallen into that “puts me in a good mood” rotation as of late.

Now, even though I’m a fan, one of the criticisms I’ve made about Tiikeri’s sonic brand of punk and style of songwriting is that they could easily fall into the “way too pop punk for me” category. Have they finally reached a new stratosphere with this new batch of tunes? I guess it’s a weird move to have a “staff recommendation” and kick it off with a judgement. I’m just curious to see if other fans of Tiikeri agree with me. I mean, tell me I’m wrong: When I was listening to the 2nd track “Punk Rock – Hitti!!!” they do this one chord change where I found myself scratching my head. Then, they repeat this same motif a few times in a row at the end of the song… Then, it instantly clicked. I blurted out loud, “FUUUUCK, it’s Green Day.” The way they do the ending sounds just like “Basket Case.” (Chubb, you readin?) It can’t be a coincidence. They did that on purpose. It honestly made me chuckle. These Finns with pop songwriting chops know exactly what they’re doing. 70’s KBD MY ASS!! Nah, I’m just kidding. The songs are still really good and have that enthusiastic, uplifting peculiarity that keeps me interested.

Shit, I’ve blabbed on about Tiikeri for so long that I failed to even mention that this is a split 7”! The band on the flip-side of the record is called Vänsuut. Musically, this band sharing a platter with Tiikeri is a match made in heaven. Very fitting combo. But Vänsuut is maybe a little rougher around the edges. Their songs are certainly still super tuneful, but maybe a little more out of tune, a little more raw, and just generally less squeaky clean than their buddies on the other side of the record. For me though, I find the Vänsuut side very refreshing after the sweetness of Tiikeri. I’m not sure I prefer Vänsuut side exactly, but now I feel like I’ve got a new band to seek out other releases by. And actually, they might be even more authentically vintage KBD sounding than Tiikeri, if I do say so myself. Funny enough, even though they’re certainly trying to emulate early Finnish punk like Ratsia or something, it was a big surprise to find out that they’re Japanese! Pretty cool. Good work fellas.

Anyway, I’ll wrap it up. Not sure if Daniel will want us to an “end of 2023” roundup in the upcoming newsletter (or the one after?), but I need to start reviewing what records I even remember listening to this year. Hoping to jam some Tiikeri and Vänsuut and keep the spirits positive while having a nice holiday. Hope all of you readers do the same. Cheers.

As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Here I am at the end of the week, and it just seems like a lot has been going on. What else is new? Like last week, and into the weekend, it just seems like there was a show every other day. I might’ve talked about this last week, but I was in Richmond on Halloween night where Public Acid played with Electric Chair, Golpe, and Zorn. Then, Zorn played Raleigh the following Thursday. And then, I went back to Richmond that Saturday on the 4th where Scarecrow played with Languid. AND THEN, Languid played again in Raleigh again this past Monday on the 6th. Oof, I’m feeling pretty gigs-hausted at this point. It was cool to go kick it and drink some bevvies with Mike from NY and the Canadians, along with the homie Eric and the Hardy Boys, after the gig on Monday. Seeing that crew of people at our classy local watering hole, The Ugly Monkey, was something to behold. We got a little bit toasty and likely too rowdy for the regulars.

This newsletter will go out after the show happens live, but I’m once again going to appear on the Analog Attack show on YouTube. This round I’ll be joined by my dude Mateo from Warthog, so I’m stoked for that. Hopefully I’ll eloquently discuss some cool records and use more of my vocabulary than just “dude” and “killer”. Check it out here if you care to do so.

Speaking of YouTube, the other day I went down a video rabbit hole and stumbled across a playlist of a bunch of 80s goth and death rock stuff I’d never heard before. There were some obvious choices of course, like Siouxsie, Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, etc. But for example, I had never heard that band Voo-doo Church, a Los Angeles death rock band from the early 80s who seems like they’d fit right in on a bill with 45 Grave and Christian Death. Looks like their EP from 1982 fetches a hefty price tag these days. Dammit, now it’s in my wantlist. I had also never really checked out Super Heroines, even though we stock their reissues here at Sorry State. It’s funny, Super Heroines’ first 2 LPs came out on Bemisbrain, which was Jimmy Bemis from Modern Warfare’s label. An odd fit, I would say. Muy interesante. On this same playlist, there was also this cool live clip of Paralisis Permanente doing their track “Quiero Ser Santa.” They look so awesome.

As I continued to binge videos, there seemed to be a healthy balance of US and European stuff. I was amazed to see how many of these bands from this era had music videos, even if the band’s records were relatively obscure. I definitely had to wade through some tracks that, for my money, kinda sucked ass. Not sure where exactly I fall on the goth spectrum, but I guess maybe I’m more of a casual creature of the night.

One band I’ve always liked in this vein though is Skeletal Family. One of my favorite tracks by them is their banger single “Promised Land”, but I had no idea there was a music video! The video for this song is kinda goofy. Seems like it was filmed pretty low budget, where we see the band miming along to the track, playing their instruments outside in a field by a windy hillside. Vocalist Anne Marie Hurst comes across rather disinterested being filmed on camera. She has this super funny and awkward posture as she kind of reluctantly mouths along to the words and aimlessly gazes around, never really making eye contact with the camera. At one point, she makes eye contact with the bass player and starts cracking up. Her vibe is clearly like, “what the fuck are we doing?”

Interestingly enough, we recently stocked these reissues from Radiation that’s a Skeletal Family compilation. The record is titled Eternal: Singles 1982-1984. The only record I own by Skeletal Family is their LP Futile Combat from 1985. I’ll be honest, most of the band’s earlier material I wasn’t super familiar with. It might be that for some goth/death rock aficionados that songs like “Trees” or “The Night” are defining songs of the Skeletal Family’s catalog. But for me, it’s almost like as this compilation continues to play, the songs just get better as you delve later into the band’s discography. Maybe that’s a generalization, but I feel like as you get more into the mid-80s era, the songs just get more tuneful and catchy. Less brooding, perhaps, but that’s cool with me. Songs off of the Recollect 12” EP are great, like “Waiting Here” or “She Cries Alone”. But my question is, you cover their releases from 1982 to 1984… Why stop there?? Kinda funny that the record I’m most familiar with came out literally the year after the stretch of what they decided to include on this compilation. I dunno man, they probably could’ve left off their cover of the Batman theme to make room for “Promised Land,” but maybe that’s just me talking. Still though, I feel like this LP is a good glimpse of this underappreciated 80s goth/death rock/post-punk/whatever-the-fuck band.

Anyway, I’ll leave it at that. If you need me, I’ll be drinking blood red wine by candlelight in the dark. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

It feels like I was writing one of these just a few days ago. Well really… I guess I was? October was a crazy month. Dom was gone and visiting his family in England for a while. Sorry State’s 10-Year Anniversary came and went like a spontaneous combustion. And at the time that I’m writing this, Usman is still driving Golpe and Electric Chair on tour. I’m not even sure what day he’s returning to Raleigh.

The celebration of all things Halloween is behind us. I think I feel sad about that a little bit. I’m still a bit fried from once again making the trek up to Richmond. Public Acid played a show on Halloween night. Even for a Tuesday, I was overwhelmed by how many people showed up to this gig. Most people didn’t even recognize me… Let me explain: first of all, I guess with my poofy hair hidden, no one knew who the fuck I was while in costume, let alone the fact that I was clearly dressed as Captain Sensible. A few homies knew who I was dressed as immediately, but one friend asked me what my costume was, and then said, “Too deep a reference.” For real? Not in my universe. I was under the impression most people at a punk show would be familiar with The Damned. Whatever. I’ll be honest. I left the Halloween gig in Richmond not in the best mood. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it’s because while I was surrounded by friends, I didn’t feel like I got to spend enough time enjoying their company because the event was just too oversaturated. Maybe I had some internal emotions I wasn’t addressing while in the midst of trying to force myself to be in the Halloween spirit and party sufficiently. Who knows? Anyway, as Wayne Campbell would say, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dump on ya.”

I will say that nothing makes me happier than accidentally stumbling into a record I used to love, revisiting it, and getting stoked all over again. A little blast of nostalgia never hurt anyone, but then it’s also a cool feeling to think to yourself, “Damn, this still rules.” In this case, I’m talking about the debut LP by The Briefs, Hit After Hit. What an appropriately titled record. This record originally came out in the year 2000 on Dirtnap. But along with many of the reissues we stock from Radiation, this record was repressed in this lord’s year 2023 on German imprint Wanda Records. Was this LP out of print for a long time? Sure seems like it to me. Maybe there was some other reissue in the 2010s? I dunno.

Personally, I first discovered The Briefs from when the opening track on this record and all-time banger “Poor and Weird” was featured as the song for Patrick Melcher’s part in the skate video Blackout from Black Label. Amazing skate video, which made an indelible mark on me as a young teenager. I mean, it was also the first time I heard “Waiting For the Blackout” by The Damned – but I digress. Patrick Melcher was a ripper, but more than that, the tune during his video part always gripped me. As a young punker in-training, I remember thinking, “who is this band?” Those pounding drums in the intro, and in a Ramones-esque fashion, the song opens with the repeated chant, which goes: “I’m poor and I’m weird, baby. You got no time for me.” I was hooked.

Immediately fun and energetic, there was something about The Briefs that was so infectious upon my first listen. And then lyrically, it was clear that these dudes didn’t take themselves too seriously and had a warped sense of humor. There’s a line from that same seminal track “Poor Weird,” that at one point says something like, “I see a little purple man disappearing in the street.” What drugs are you taking, bud? Call them KBD-influenced. Ramones? Buzzcocks? Whatever you’re thinking, it’s all down strokes and all badass. The band is a bit quirky and a bit silly. In some ways, the zany, snotty and slightly over-the-top vocal approach of main lead singer Steve E. Nix (again, hilarious) always reminded me a lot of Leonard Phillips from The Dickies. All things melodic, catchy, and full of attitude find themselves somewhere in The Briefs’ formula. I guess you could bill them as “pop punk,” but to me The Briefs don’t come across as sickeningly pop punk sounding as say Screeching Weasel or The Queers or bands of that ilk. The band has much more of that ’77 rock’n’roll punk edge.

If you want the quintessential looking cool and yet silly wearing sunglasses and leather jackets type of punk, then look no further. In terms of presentation, The Briefs incorporate a bit of that 70s pop art flair, which I totally dig. I tried my best to look the part in my staff pick photo above haha. But when I was revisiting this record, what struck me is how great the songwriting is. Song after song, The Briefs know how to write some killer hooks. To the point where I was thinking about this record coming out in 2000 and thought to myself… “Wow, current bands don’t write songs like this anymore.” As I mentioned before, “Poor and Weird” is an amazing opening track. The 2nd track “Run The Other Way” has these vocal inflections where my dude doesn’t just sing a word like “eyes” as just one syllable… Oh no, it’s “eye-ah-ah-ah-eyeees.” So awesome. “Gimme gimme danger, gimme something I can talk about.” I believe I personally identify with this message on a regular basis. Then next up is “Silver Bullet.” You know the Silver Bullet Band? Well, The Briefs would rather take a bullet and “Kill Bob Seger right now!” A beautiful proclamation. I also identify with this message. Someone’s probably gonna be like, “Dude, Bob Seger System is a good record. Yeah sure, whatever. But “that old time rock’n’roll is something we could do without.” The next song slows the tempo down a bit and I find myself immediately singing along: “Rotten rotten luh-uh-ove.” And as you keep listening to the record, the hits just KEEPS COMING LIKE THAT. The whole record is insanely catchy. A few of the tracks ramp up the tempo from driving Ramones pace to damn-near hardcore speed on songs like “Sylvia” and “Big Dog.” Then the final track on the record is a 30-second sing-along. Dalai Lama? Dolly Parton? What’s the difference, right?

A beautiful balance of clever, yet irreverent lyrics and amazingly catchy and hooky songwriting. Real punk. Yeah, I said it. What more could you ask for? I think you need to jam some Briefs. Scoop one of these reissues before they’re all gone.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. It’s fuckin’ cold in my apartment. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up, Sorry Staters?

In theory, this newsletter will be delivered to you readers on the day before Halloween. Man, crazy how my favorite month of the year has just whizzed past me. This is surely due in part to my brain being fully immersed in preparations for the Sorry State Anniversary weekend. Which, to reiterate from myself personally, I couldn’t be more happy with how the event turned out. Thanks to everyone who attended, all the bands who played, all the vendors, and just everyone who made our 10-year celebrations feel so special. It fuckin’ ruled.

So, speaking of the season, every time the Eve of Samhain comes kicking’ around, I always try to hype myself up and force myself to engage in holiday-appropriate activities. Honestly, I haven’t done a whole lot of that this year. I went with a group of homies to a pumpkin patch and had a jack-o-lantern carving party. I stayed in and tried to watch as many horror movies as possible. Last night, I went to a Halloween party at Raleigh’s local Long Leaf Lounge where my friends were bartending and DJ-ing. It was pretty low-key, but fun. There was a costume contest which had me laughing my ass off and I had an appropriately bright orange Aperol spritz or two.

What I am incredibly excited for on this Tuesday, Halloween night, is the show that I’m driving up to play in Richmond. Public Acid is planning on doing some special cover tunes. I really want to spoil them in this write-up, but I’ll save it. Golpe and Electric Chair are also playing, cycling their way back on their current East Coast/Midwest tour. But also, locals Destruct will rip it, and then Zorn from Philly will surely bring some proper theatrics on this All Hallows Eve. One thing I will spoil, my plan is to dress up like Captain Sensible from The Damned for my costume. Too obvious? What can I say? I love The Damned and the Captain’s guitar playing. I wish I could provide photographic evidence to show off for this edition of the newsletter, but I’m scrambling to get all the pieces together. Hoping the outfit comes together like I’m imagining.

Speaking of Captain Sensible, I’ve got a conveniently relevant idea for my staff pick. We recently acquired a collection from this dude who had just about a complete run of the Crass Records catalog. Soooo many singles, some of which are the more fringe avant-garde/electronic releases on Crass that I’ve never really taken the time to listen to. But one record I always forget about is the 3-song solo single by Captain Sensible on Crass, This Is Your Captain Speaking. While I don’t necessarily deem The Damned or the Captain as ideologically far-removed from bands I would expect on the Crass label, it still just seems so strange that this little moment happened. It’s just kinda… odd.

Reading the liner notes, it seems like this single came about as a result of a collaboration between the Captain and Penny Rimbaud. They share songwriting credits. Penny backs up the Captain on drums, and Captain sings and plays guitar, and I assume several other instruments possibly. But for me, what was a super cool discovery is that you can hear an incredibly harmonious chorus of female backup singers, and I only found out as I’m writing this that it’s Dolly Mixture doing the backup vocals! Especially interesting, considering Dolly Mixture has been floating around constantly in the Sorry State consciousness as of late because of all these newer reissues coming out on Sealed Records.

Musically, the songs on this single are bouncy and upbeat and super melodic, but also just totally out there. Boisterous and bombastic at certain moments, then dark and meditative at others. When I think about that this single was probably written and recorded around the same time as The Black Album and Strawberries, it was surely when the Captain was going through a musically bold and adventurous period. You can hear those psychedelic influences coming through, but also sort of medieval organ choral singing? Yeah, it’s pretty weird, but I’m totally here for it. It seems like a record Syd Barrett would probably be proud of. Then there’s also spoken word samples that seem to be referencing the Soviet missile crisis, so there are some political aspects to the record as well. I’m particularly partial to the final track “The Russians Are Coming” myself. Brilliant guitar playing. It’s a ripper.

Anyway, while my actual staff pick wasn’t particularly spooky, I made it relevant to my personal Halloween experience haha. Hope you all have rad plans for Halloween, even if it does fall on a Tuesday this year. The Silver Shamrock jingle “one more day til Halloween” is ringing in my brain over and over. Can’t believe it will all be over shortly. There’s always next year! Well, you know, hopefully.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

’Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Lemme tell ya, it’s been a busy week this week. Between trying to squeeze in a practice for my bands almost every night and getting together all the last-minute preparations for the Sorry State anniversary, now I am WIPED. I can’t wait to get home after working at the store tonight where I you’ll find me crushing a big ol’ tub of Chinese food. All that said, I think everyone who has gotten a weekend pass for the big event will be stoked on all the goodies we’ve been working hard to put together. Weekend passes are sold out by now, I think? If you still wanted to experience the event on the 20th and 21st and have still been debating getting tickets to the individual shows, you should just go for it at this point.

By pure coincidence of demonic bliss, Friday The 13th happens to fall in the month of October this year. It’s kind of a shame that we release the newsletter on Monday now, because it’s currently Thursday the 12th as I’m sitting here writing this. So all of you readers will be consuming my Friday-themed staff pick after the fact. Oh well. What more appropriate record could one talk about on a particularly spooky occurrence of this date than The Damned’s Friday 13th EP? It’s funny, the other day I was talking about how Poison Idea is probably my favorite band, and Angela called me out and said something like, “Oh really? I’ll inform The Damned.” Haha. Who actually declares a definitive favorite band? For me, it changes on a day-to-day basis. In actuality, The Damned is right up there and compete for the number 1 spot at any given moment.

Friday 13th feels like a transitional record for The Damned. It’s like the perfect in-between moment sandwiched right in the middle of the Black Album and Strawberries. I love this early 80s period of the band. They start incorporating some 60s-inspired psychedelic influences into their songwriting, but also begin to drift slowly more into the macabre with their aesthetic and presentation. Thankfully, they haven’t reached the melodramatic “Phantom of the Opera” goth vibes of Phantasmagoria quite yet (don’t get me wrong, I fuck with that on occasion as well, hehe). But this EP just feels like a perfect little moment. Over the years, “Disco Man” has become one of my favorite Damned tunes. A lot of the songs on the first Damned album are based around Stooges-esque bluesy riffing, and I would say a song like “Disco Man” is a pretty far cry from that sound in terms of songwriting. The melody writing and chord changes feel so refined and sophisticated by comparison. The meandering, haunting repetition of the refrain of “Are you ready?” that closes the song gives me chills.

The next song “Limit Club” opens with some straight up Transylvanian atmospheric organ and falls into this creepy, moody groove shrouded in a cloud of smoke. But then the smoke clears once you realize the gods are “la-la-laughing”. Then “Billy Bad Breaks” is possibly one of the Damned’s catchiest tunes they ever wrote with the SICKEST bassline from my man Paul Gray. In a way, this song feels like a sister song to “Smash It Up,” but maybe even more urgent and upbeat. Makes you wanna clap your hands with a group of people dancing all in a row like dorks. It’s some serious 80s movie school dance scene hours and I’m totally here for it. And to close out, they do a reworking of the Stones’ “Citadel” from their appropriately most psychy record, Their Satanic Majesties Request. The Damned do a great version, giving it a good kick in the ass and punching up the energy in the song. For a long time, I just assumed it was a Damned tune. Just sounds like a song they might actually write.

Anyway, I’ll take advantage of any opportunity to talk about The Damned. I’m gonna try to avoid walking under any ladders and steer clear of black cats this weekend. I’ll probably just stay safe at home and curl up with some films featuring Jason Voorhees.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’m writing this a little later in the week than I do usually. Just got back from a quick visit to the beach this weekend to celebrate my buddy Mike’s birthday. I think I’ve still got sand between my toes, and it definitely still feels like there’s a couple bottle’s worth of Modelo in sloshing around in my belly. But I had a great time; I wish I could have stayed longer. Now I’m behind the counter at the store, doing my usual Sunday shift in a foggy state of mind. Good news is that after a warm weekend at the beach, this morning it was so chilly outside that I had to throw on my denim jacket. As the air gets cooler and you see people cluttering their yards with Halloween decorations, I know it’s getting to be my favorite time of year. Speaking of which, the Sorry State 10-year anniversary is less than 2 weeks away! (Holy shit). If you’ve been debating getting tickets last-minute, now would be the time! Don’t sleep.

In other news, me and Usman’s label Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes just put our latest release up for sale on our website! Screaming Death is a compilation, or “4-way split” as we like to say, featuring exclusive new tracks from Dissekerad, Rat Cage, Destruct, and our band Scarecrow. This project has been in the works since early 2021, and we’re so excited it’s finally seeing the light of day. All the recordings from each band came out amazing, and we wanted to make the presentation just as special as the tunes on the LP. Joe B did the incredible cover artwork, which is printed on a heavy weight reverse board jacket. The record also comes with a double-sided insert and a huge foldout full-color poster that I personally was hoping would come across as reminiscent of the posters that came with 80s Pusmort releases. For now, Screaming Death is only available on our website, but I’m sure we’ll stock copies at Sorry State very soon. Hope everyone checks it out and is as stoked on it as we are!

As I said, the shift in season around October is my favorite time of year. I’ve written about this in the newsletter in years prior, but I love to try and binge as many horror or trashy exploitation flicks as I can leading up to Halloween. This staff pick doesn’t really have much to do with punk, or records in general I guess, but I thought I’d change it up and talk about a movie. The other night, I rewatched Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. I watched 2nd installment as well, and it had been a looong time since I’d seen that one. So wild, all the alternate dimension labyrinth stuff. But I still think I prefer the first movie.

For those that are interested and perhaps unaware, the plot of the movie involves a character named Frank who unlocks a mysterious puzzle box which summons these demonic hell-spawn beings called “Cenobites”. The Cenobites crave suffering, and basically torture and reduce Frank to a bloody pulp. Later, the character Julia discovers Frank (or what’s left of him) in the attic of the house that she and her husband just moved into. Frank is her husband’s brother, whom Julia had a secret affair with. She begins luring men into the house and murdering them to sacrifice for Frank so that he can drain their life and become “whole” again. And there’s a lot more that happens, but I’ll leave the synopsis at that.

What struck me about the movie after having not seen it in quite a while was how amazing the practical effects look. The bloody, drippy flayed corpse version of Frank slowly gaining more and more skin looks so insane. Totally disgusting, yes, but also quite impressive. I can’t imagine what the “goop” budget was on this movie. So many frames of goopy, drippy, shiny crimson. And sometimes, with gross, gory effects in movies, if the visual looks kinda cheesy or just not well-done, the suspension of disbelief is kinda ruined. It can totally take me out of it and cause me to not take a movie seriously. Then again, sometimes I love low-budget movies where the vibe is totally campy. But with a movie like Hellraiser, I find myself totally immersed and transfixed. The scene where Larry is being pulled apart by chains and delivers the classic line, “Jesus… wept,” gets me every time. There’s definitely an element of titillating, yet horrifying sexuality thematically on display in this movie. Sure, it’s demons from Hell torturing people, but it’s also basically just extreme sadomasochism. Interesting ideas to digest while watching this thing.

To tie it back to punk, I remember the last time I watched this movie was when Scarecrow and Vidro were on tour together. After our show in Boston, we drove a little bit to Worcester to stay with Andy from Innocent and his partner, Elise. I had a blast hanging out there and was stoked to walk into their living room and see it decorated with horror ephemera everywhere. Hellraiser was already playing on the TV, so I only got to see bits and pieces of it. What was really funny was to watch Vendela, the singer of Vidro’s reaction to the movie. She had this look on her face looking at me kinda like, “you actually enjoy this?” Haha.

Anyway, I’m hoping to chime in with more spooky season themed staff picks in the weeks to come. But for now, that’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

’Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Sorry to all you readers that I skipped writing one of these last week. I usually try to bust some writing out on Thursday morning before the weekend and prior to Daniel sending out the newsletter on Monday. I remember showing up to the store last week and just feeling too busy and too overwhelmed to write anything down. But I’m back baby!

I’m sure you all have been noticing our updates about Sorry State’s 10th anniversary weekend. As I’m writing this, this coming weekend is the last few days of September, which means the fest is only 3 weeks away? Aaaagggh crazy! Make sure you get your tickets NOW. I think weekend passes are almost sold out. It’s gonna be wild. Can’t wait to see everybody and RAGE like barnyard animals.

Speaking of the Anniversary Weekend, one aspect that I’m not sure if I drilled into everyone’s brains properly so far is that we are planning on doing a HUGE drop of used records during that weekend. Lots of rare and original punk and hardcore. A few of these records we acquired years ago, and we’ve had them set aside in anticipation for the big event. But just the other day, we bought a collection from this local dude who had a bunch of cool punk stuff. In his collection, he mostly had a bunch of 80s UK punk stuff, like some Oi! and stuff on No Future. But he also had a bunch of classic LA punk stuff, most notably stuff on Posh Boy.

For whatever reason, as I was pricing this dude’s records, I was digging through his boxes and decided to throw on one of those Rodney On The ROQ compilations. I had never really checked out these comps too in depth before. But in this box, he had ROTR volumes 1, 2, and 3, and I was surprised at how captivating I found them and how much I enjoyed listening to these records. I sat there and listened to all 3 records all the way through. Rodney Bingenheimer seems to be a rather eccentric character. I know that in Los Angeles he was quite the socialite. And because of that, I guess I always associate him with sort of more the 70s glam era, when all the cool celebrities bedazzled in glitter and feathered boas would be binging blow all night at night clubs on the Sunset Strip. So the fact that Rodney was a huge factor in ushering in and championing the emerging LA punk and hardcore scene is so puzzling and interesting to me. On his radio show, Rodney’s personality seemed so gentle and mild-mannered. I’m sure for him to have the Germs on the air was pretty terrifying haha. But hey, he made it happen!

What’s so cool about these comps is that they feel like a real snapshot of what was going on in the LA music scene in general. These compilations were released on the Posh Boy label in conjunction with Flipside Magazine. Each record comes with a fanzine that’s basically like a truncated version of an issue of Flipside and contains interviews and information for each band featured on the comp. With each Rodney On The ROQ compilation, I’m pretty sure Rodney was heavily involved with the curation of songs and liner notes. The format and sequencing of all the bands has a pattern that must be totally intentional. Side A is always loaded with killer early 80s LA hardcore bands like Black Flag, Agent Orange, Adolescents, Shattered Faith, etc. Then the B-side on each volume is much more new wavey stuff and silly novelty songs. Like Volume 2 has the classic new wave hit by Gleaming Spires, “Are You Ready for The Sex Girls?” Which, when this song came on, I just giggled because I remembered first hearing that song on soundtracks for movies like Revenge of The Nerds and stuff like that. Both the 2nd and 3rd edition’s B-sides are front-loaded with tracks by the band Unit 3 With Venus, a new wave band with a pre-teenage girl lead singer. Clearly, this band must have been one of Rodney’s favorites. I mean “Pajama Party” is a rager, for sure. The juxtaposition between the A-side and the B-side makes for a really fun listen. You get all worked up raging to Channel 3 and Ill Repute, and then flip the record over and cool down with some David Hines doing “Land of 1,000 Dances.”

For all the lighthearted innocence perceived from these comps, there is also an underlying element of kinda greasy sexuality. I mean, each record basically has pinup style 60s beehive schoolgirls lookin’ saucy while jamming the hot new tunes. I’m sure it’s all in good fun, just a bit cheeky. One really cool thing I was trippin’ on when reading the fanzines is the interaction between the new wave bands and the hardcore bands. The Bangles are featured on Volume 3, and in the interview, Rodney asks them if they were scared of the “hardcores” being mean. I guess he was referring to a show where The Bangles opened up for Social Distortion. Susanna Hoffs says something like, “We were really nervous they were gonna spit on us, but they were really nice! The guys from Wasted Youth were like tugging on my dress and were drooling over Debbie’s skin-tight pants, but they seemed really cool.” Horny hardcore boys, what can I tell ya?

Welp, I’ll leave ya with that haha. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff