Featured Release Roundup: August 9, 2018

Various: Greek Punk ’82-’91 (Fan Club) Latest in a series of incredibly well-done compilation tapes resurfacing rare, vintage punk rock from around the globe. This series (which is unnamed… someone didn’t go to school for marketing!) is like a modern version of the old BCT Tapes, but the availability of basically everything on the internet means that the bar has been raised. We expect even more obscure bands and certainly better sound quality, both of which are present here. While I’ve always heard that Greek punk and hardcore is a thing, I’ve never really investigated it before. I was familiar with a few of the names on this compilation (Stress, Ex-Humans, and ANTI), but by and large I’m hearing everything on this compilation fresh. While there isn’t enough information for me to say for sure, it sounds like the compilation proceeds somewhat chronologically. Most of the bands on the first side have a classic Eastern European punk sound that I associate with Pekinska Patka, while hardcore (primarily of the noisy and raw variety) takes over on the b-side of the tape. Unfortunately my inability to read or type the Greek alphabet prevents me from being more specific (or, indeed, from researching many of these bands further, which is one of the chief joys of an enterprise like this), but if you like going down YouTube rabbit holes or scouring Soulseek for the most obscure 80s punk you can find this comp and the others in the series are all essential.

Various: South American Punk 81-90 cassette (Fan Club) As I’ve mentioned, this series of top-notch international compilations collects obscure tracks that you’ve most likely never heard, and it does so with excellent sound quality and thoughtful curation. If you’re a fan of the old BCT Tapes or compilations like Killed by Hardcore this is going to be your kind of thing. While I’ve heard a few of the bands on this compilation of 80s South American punk (Los Violadores, who are a personal favorite, as well as G3, Los Invasores, Leuzemia and a couple of others) there’s still so much here that wasn’t on my radar, which is all the more impressive because the quality here is astounding. While the Greek compilation that I also wrote about this week gave us a loose narrative of the transition from punk to hardcore, this cassette (with a couple of exceptions) sticks largely to one style, but it’s a style that I can’t get enough of. I don’t know if there’s a name for it aside from just “punk,” but these South American bands seem to be more influenced by British punk than bands from other parts of the globe. In particular, it seems like they might have been listening to lots of Rezillos, Stiff Little Fingers, and maybe even Asta Kask as most every track here has a fast, bouncy, and pogo-able rhythm and an instantly catchy vocal hook or two. If you’re looking for d-beat you’ll be bummed, but those of us whose tastes lean a little more toward the ’77 set will flip out at the degree of quality here. If you don’t find yourself looking up at least half of these bands on YouTube or Soulseek after listening to this tape I have doubts about whether you’re a true punk lifer.

Deseos Primitivos: demo cassette (self-released) Three-song demo cassette from this new band out of California. Deseos Primitive have a super catchy, mid-paced punk sound with big, catchy vocal hooks. My mind immediately springs to contemporary bands like Juanita Y Los Feos or Rata Negra, but comparisons to catchy old Spanish punk like Eskorbuto or 70s UK bands like the Rezillos, the Adverts, or even the more melodic Vice Squad songs are also appropriate. The recording is clear and powerful and all three songs are top-notch. The only bad thing I can say about this tape is that it’s a total tease… the world needs a full-length from this group as soon as possible!

Beyond Peace: What’s There to Be So Proud of? 7” (Slugsalt) Second EP from this band out of Iowa. I quite enjoyed their first self-released EP (which, as of this writing, we still have in stock). I find that there’s often something special about hardcore bands from outside the major metropolitan centers. Like older bands such as Clitboys and Mecht Mensch, there’s something slightly left of center about the way that Beyond Peace approaches hardcore, and I’m always drawn to bands like this. Nowhere is this more apparent than the record’s short and sweet opener, “Burn It Down,” which is built around quirky, lunging rhythms that come at you like a deranged person with a rusty knife. I also really like the whiplash tempo changes on “What’s There to Be Proud of?” and the noisy guitar chords that pop up in “Staring Problem.” If your idea of hardcore is a bunch of kids banging away in a basement in Nowheresville, USA trying to play as fast as possible, you should check out this record and get your annual reminder that the spirit is alive and well.