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What’s up Sorry Staters?
The month of March has begun. Kinda hard to believe. Even with our additional Leap Year day, February still felt too short. Pretty soon, it’s gonna start getting warmer, the flowers will be blooming, and a thick layer of pollen will obscure my windshield. I had kind of a weird weekend, honestly. Hopefully, in the next few days I’ll be able to avoid bullshit and soak up some vitamin D. Anyway, no more needless exposition as I tend to do. Let’s talk about records:
If there’s any record that captures the feeling of absorbing sunshine with a cloud of doom and gloom looming overhead, then it’s this Bloodstains LP. It feels kinda silly to write about this record for my staff pick. Only because there was so much anticipation surrounding its release, and Sorry State’s copies sold out so quickly. But whatever, I can’t help it. I really like this record and wanna give Bloodstains some attention, even if the allure of this record is a bit obvious.
I read one description of this record as, “Orange County punks playing Orange County punk the right way.” There is something about Bloodstains where it feels like nothing is beyond the pale. I know I’ve chatted with the singer Cesar about records on social media, and he seems to be an expert and historian on all things southern California punk. This record is almost like an exercise in synthesizing the elements of early 80s OC punk into its purest form. In a way, I respect that. Especially because I can’t really think of any other band in recent memory that has attempted to achieve this sound and totally nail it with authenticity. First impressions when dropping the needle, the opening instrumental “The Last Rites” kicks in and I just remember thinking how great the production sounded. Super clear, sharp, and punchy. Glassy, organic and bright guitar sounds. Once the intro track finishes, Bloodstains launch right into “Public Hanging,” and once the guitar player starts doing those octaves, it’s like okay… Agnew has entered the building. Maybe I’m projecting, but there is something about early punk from Los Angeles and Orange County that sounds more “produced” and glossy than other 80s punk and hardcore. Like something seems more musician-oriented and professional than the raw 4-track, shoot from the hip records that might have emerged out of the Midwest or East Coast.
I don’t know what it is about punk from California. Even though punks are right by sunny beaches and their brand of hardcore tends to be more melodic and song-based, there’s still an unexplainable veil of darkness. When I think of Agent Orange or The Adolescents, and of course the death rock stylings of TSOL… It doesn’t necessarily have to with the production, but there’s an intangible, hazy fog of moodiness that creeps its way into the sound. I will say that if Bloodstains nails anything with their love letter to SoCal punk, they absolutely capture this intangibly dark atmosphere. If there’s any song that is like Bloodstains giving us a TSOL moment, then it’s the intro to the first song on side B, “When Men Were Men” with its ominous, satanic ritual by candlelight style arpeggiated guitar. They revisit their song “Anti-Social”, which also appeared on their demo as well as the 7” single from last year. Hey, I mean if the band think it’s their hit, then I don’t blame ‘em for including it once again.
It’s funny though, I remember riding with Daniel up to Richmond for a gig that Scarecrow was playing. On that car ride, Daniel played the Bloodstains record off of his phone, and that was the first time I listened to the record all the way through. As we were listening to the first few songs, I remember saying to Daniel, “Man, the only thing this record is missing is some Adolescents-style ‘ah-ah’ backup vocals.” Funny enough, right at the end the last couple songs “Suburban Suicide” and “Stray Bullets” scratch that itch. “Stray Bullets” is the final cut off of the record, and probably favorite. The chanted refrain, “Stray bullets! Stray bullets!” followed by the lead vocal, “in the sky-eye-eeeeyyye…” is standout moment for me.
What can I say? The boys in Bloodstains made a record that’s close to home for them, but it’s also right up my alley. Enough with all treble noise cranked on your EQ pedal. I want more Agnew guitar influence in my punk. Hopefully Bloodstains will repress this LP since clearly people are hungry for it. Anyway, that’s all I’ve got.
‘Til next week,
-Jeff