Hello and welcome to another edition of the Sorry State Records newsletter! Last week’s edition felt a little slim on content, but we make up for it this week with a real behemoth. Whether you’re looking for a lot of words to read or a lot of great records to hear, you’ll walk away satisfied this week. Check out that LP by the Drin… I think it’s pretty special. And grab the Terveet Kadet book and the Socialcide discography tape quick if you want either of them! We’re also launching preorders this week for TWO new releases on Sorry State and a new release we are distributing exclusively (and very, very stoked on). Alright folks, let’s get into it.

The Drin: Engines Sing for the Pale Moon 12” (Drunken Sailor) I’d noticed a few people I trust hyping up this record by the Drin on Drunken Sailor, and I’m glad I took the time to check this out, because it’s a fantastic record. Originally released in a small cassette edition, Drunken Sailor plucked this gem from potential obscurity and gave it the wider release it deserved. Describing the Drin’s sound is difficult, because they don’t sound quite like anything I’ve heard before. I’ve seen a few people (including Will Fitzpatrick in the label’s official blub) mention Joy Division, but I feel like that does the Drin a disservice because they sound so completely different from the legions of Joy Division wannabees that have populated the punk scene for the past forty-odd years. Thankfully, you won’t hear any faux-Ian Curtis baritone vocals here, but you will hear a couple of tracks that have chord progressions that are familiar from Joy Division songs as well as some of the subtler elements of Joy Division’s sound, such as the heavily processed drum sounds and the steady motorik rhythms that powered so many of their greatest songs. But there are other ingredients in the stew too. I hear plenty of UKDIY pop in the Drin’s scrappy but accessible sound, and there’s a palpable (and non-cheesy) reggae influence that you hear in some of the heavy bass lines (see the standout track “Down Her Cheek a Pearly Tear”) and the frequent use of the melodica. It all adds up to a record that’s dense with distinctive atmosphere. Engines Sing for the Pale Moon really transports you to another place, and it’s a place I’ve been addicted to visiting ever since the first time I put this record on.

We are stoked to launch a pre-order today for the next release on Sorry State: the debut cassette EP from Raleigh’s Headkicker. While this is technically a pre-order because the tape doesn’t come out until March 25, the cassettes are in stock and shipping NOW with no wait. If you’re in the Raleigh area, Headkicker is playing a gig on March 26 at the Wicked Witch that will serve as the release show for the tape. Check the description below (and note the awesome packaging, which the band designed themselves) and head over to Sorry State’s Bandcamp site to hear a track.

Sorry State is proud to present the debut cassette EP from Raleigh, North Carolina’s Headkicker. Headkicker’s intense yet eclectic sound glides elegantly between several different punk styles and scenes. Opening track “The Law” is built around a sinister bass riff, the song’s punk rock snarl recalling Hank Wood & the Hammerheads’ garage bounce, while “Future” is a furious pogo tailor-made for Raleigh’s chaotic basement shows. Standout track “Televise” recalls classic 77 punk bands like the Saints and the Damned with its meaty, driving riff and infectious chorus hook, and the pop jangle of “Crafty” serves as a respite from the non-stop intensity. Through all the subtle variations in style, Headkicker’s confident playing and the EP’s crisp, warm production keep the energy level in the red, just where you want it to be. Like the best bands from Raleigh’s long tradition of punk and hardcore, Headkicker stitches the best parts of their inspirations into a sound that is classic yet wholly their own.

The Headkicker cassette is professionally duplicated with an imprinted silver cassette shell and features a lyric insert, full-color j-card, and an obi strip embossed with the band’s name in braille. Limited to 100 copies.

We are also very stoked to be handling distribution for the debut LP by Peace de Résistance, the solo project from Moses Brown of Institute and Glue. There’s one track streaming on PDR’s Bandcamp site now, but I’ve heard the entire record and it’s a total stunner… I have been listening to it constantly since Moses sent it to me and I am completely in love with it. Read the full description (written by me) below, and head to Sorry State’s site to place your pre-order. Vinyl should ship well before the official release date of April 13. Also, Sorry State is handling all distribution for the record, so if you have a shop or a distro please get in touch with us for wholesale copies.

Moses Brown of Texas punk bands Institute and Glue released his first cassette under the name Peace de Résistance - a solo project where he plays all the instruments - in October 2020. That cassette found Brown bouncing his growing songwriting chops off the fuzz-drenched Zamrock sound of Paul Ngozi, Witch, and Amanaz. However, Bits and Pieces - Peace de Résistance’s first full-length and first vinyl release - has a wider vista. Brown describes the sound as “demented glam rock,” and while you can hear remnants of the Zamrock influence in the sinuously melodic fuzz guitar, the more pertinent frames of reference are Diamond Dogs -era Bowie, 70s Lou Reed, and Iggy’s The Idiot and Lust for Life. Bits and Pieces recalls those records’ potent combination of artistic ambition, street-level rock and roll swagger, and pop charm, but filtered through the DIY punk aesthetics of Brown’s previous work. Lyrically, the album documents life on the fringes in a hyper-surveilled 2020s America, with songs like “Don’t 1099 Me,” “We Got the Right to Be Healthy,” and “Exploitation” wrenching plainspoken poetry from an existence that will be all too familiar to anyone at odds with capitalism. After nine timeless art-rock songs, Bits and Pieces lets us down gently with “Sitting in Disguise.” This motorik-inspired instrumental offers a rickety, dilapidated update of Neu!’s seamless futurism, implying that the only appropriate response to our predicament is to keep moving forward.

Next Friday, March 18 is the release date for Amuo, the second EP from Brazil’s Lasso. The vinyl is en route to us now and we’re hoping to have it by next Friday’s release date, but if not it should be very soon after. You can listen to a track on Sorry State’s Bandcamp site now and pre-order the record (we have copies on limited white vinyl) here.

Less than a year after their debut, Brazil’s Lasso returns with their second EP. While Lasso’s razor-sharp riffing and songwriting remain intact, this time around the sound is thicker and meaner, as if what was presaged in the first EP’s foreboding, ominous sound has finally come to pass. Indeed, as the world has slid into previously unthinkable depths of darkness and brutality, Lasso’s sound has evolved to match, a hard-won sense of steadiness now augmenting the anguish so palpable on their first record. Lasso also introduces a few new musical wrinkles here. A surf-y, Dead Kennedys-esque lead guitar elevates tracks like “Fechado Em Copas” and “Atarantado” to even higher levels of catchiness than their already-infectious debut, while “Mendaz” closes the record with an apocalyptic, mid-paced stomp. Desperate times call for desperate music, which makes Lasso the perfect soundtrack for 2022.

Lasso will be touring Europe in May 2022. Look for a full announcement with dates soon!

Zorn’s big South / Midwest tour continues! Tonight they’re playing with Sheer Mag at the Empty Bottle in Chicago, though this newsletter will arrive in your inbox too late to tip you off for that show. There are still a few more dates, though, so don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the best live bands in today’s underground!

That’s right, Sorry State is hiring! We’re looking for a full-time employee to work primarily in our mail order department. Responsibilities will include:

• Packing and shipping online orders
• Responding to customer support requests
• Managing inventory at our warehouse and retail store
• Sharing your love of music through Sorry State’s social media and email newsletter
• Other duties as assigned (we’re a small company so everyone pitches in with everything)

Our ideal candidate will:

• Work 40 hours / 5 days per week (we’re somewhat flexible on the exact hours / days, though)
• Have strong attention to detail (this is VERY important for this position!)
• Have strong basic computer skills (email & office apps)
• Have strong communication skills (in person and electronic / written)
• Have reliable transportation
• Be able to lift 30 pounds
• Contribute to a positive, upbeat work environment

Since you’ll be working mostly in our mail order department, which primarily sells punk and hardcore, it would be great to find a candidate who is passionate about that music.

Starting pay is $12/hr.

To apply, email a resume and cover letter to sorrystate@gmail.com. Either in the cover letter or the body of the email, please tell us about some of your favorite music (of all time or just lately).

We will accept applications through Sunday, March 20. Sorry, you must be in the Raleigh area to do this job!

My pick from Sorry State’s Discogs listings this week is the debut 7” from Pittsburgh’s EEL. We carried a version of this record with a Mind Cure Records generic sleeve when it came out, but this is the version with its own custom sleeve. EEL was such an insane band. Sadly, I never got to see them live… seems like it was a trip.

Remember, you can always combine your order from Sorry State’s Discogs site with your order from our webstore and save on shipping!

1. Rudimentary Peni: Death Church 12” (Sealed Records)
2. The Chisel: Retaliation 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus)
3. Golpe: La Colpe É Solo Tua 12” (Sorry State Records)
4. Terveet Kadet: 1980-1984 photo book (Finnish Hardcore)
5. Rudimentary Peni: Great War 12” (Sealed Records)
6. Low Life: Dogging 12” (Alter Records)
7. Superchunk: Wild Loneliness 12” (Merge Records)
8. Chain Whip: Two Step to Hell 12” (Neon Taste Records)
9. Various: Rapsodie En France 12” (World Gone Mad)
10. Illiterates: S/T 12” (Kill Enemy Records)

Wow, this week’s chart of Sorry State’s best sellers shows quite a shake-up from last week. Some older titles have gotten a new wind, and local celebrities Superchunk even make it into the rankings with a version of their new LP only available in North Carolina record stores (of which we are one). Oh, and if you missed that Rapsodie En France reissue (a predicament you share with a few of Sorry State’s employees), we’ll have more copies in stock next week!

This week we got in the new Terveet Kadet photo book on Finnish Hardcore Records! The book is beautiful, with great design and reproduction of these photos, which offer a glimpse into the scene in their hometown of Tornio in the far north of Finland. The book even features text in both English and Finnish. These are already flying off the shelves, so I encourage you to jump on it now if you want a copy.

Speaking of flying off the shelves, we only got a few copies of the discography tape from Virginia hardcore legends Socialcide on Not for the Weak Records. We’ve sold more than half our allotment already, so these will be gone soon. Fun fact: Sorry State would have released the next Socialcide record, but the band broke up before that happened. Besides the discography cassette, we also have a few more dead stock copies of Socialcide’s Unapproachable LP. All the copies have corner dings and light storage wear, but they’re super cheap.

Besides this week’s Record of the Week from the Drin, we also have another new release on Drunken Sailor Records: a reissue of the self-titled record by Australia’s Stiff Richards.

We have three new cassette releases on Chicago’s Foreign Legion Records. We cover the Nabat and Cenobite tapes in the Featured Releases section below, and we also have a demo cassette from Society’s Bane.

Poland’s Refuse Records has two new releases: a discography LP from 80s German punk band Skeezicks and a demo collection 80s Polish punks Rekrut.

We have a few copies of the new Mikey Young LP, Curtains, on Australia’s Lulu’s Sonic Disc Club. Of course you know Mikey from his bands, Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Total Control. Our copies are even on limited blue vinyl!

Tomorrow sees the release of the new Star Party LP on Feel It Records. That will go live on the site tomorrow. While we were picking up the Star Party LPs, we also restocked a ton of older Feel It Records titles and those are all on the site and ready to order now.