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What's up Sorry Staters?

If you've been keeping up with our recent posts here on the Sorry State page, you'll know that our new format for blog posts requires each member of the SSR team to individually respond to the same topic of discussion.  Time for topic #2!  This round, we're talking about records that were "game-changers" for us, or that broke our preconceived expectation of what a record might sound like.

I was racking my brain trying to figure out an album that would suit this prompt.  I feel like there have been several albums I've discovered along the way that were fresh and exciting, but not many that shattered the foundation of my musical palate.  For instance, everyone knows I hate the saxophone, and it's not as if hearing X-Ray Spex made me appreciate squanky sax -- it's still the worst instrument.  That said, when I think of a record that blew my mind and redefined what sounds I could expect out of a punk record, I can think of no better record to talk about than The Damned's Machine Gun Etiquette.

If you were to take a narrow glance at the era when The Damned emerged alongside their contemporaries (Sex Pistols, Ramones, etc.), a lot of these bands' records were reinterpretations of rudimentary rock'n'roll. They're great records, don't get me wrong!  I had already heard early material from The Damned like "New Rose" and even songs like "Problem Child" from the 2nd LP before I dove deeper.  And to me, even though Damned Damned Damned is groundbreaking in its own right, I sort of marginalized the album and lumped it in with milieu of classic "77 punk" or whatever.   Needless to say, I had no idea what I was in for when I finally gave the 3rd Damned record a listen.

 If I understand correctly, guitarist Brian James leaving the band is what allowed for the new direction on Machine Gun Etiquette.  This album captures a dynamic shift in the band's songwriting where it seems nothing was off the table in terms of experimentation.  When you look at photos of the band, the eccentricities of the individuals involved is fairly obvious.  Only two years after their debut, The Damned made a daring and adventurous record, exceeding many efforts by their contemporaries in terms of style and substance.  The broad incorporation of sounds and influences alludes to records from the psychedelic era, where Machine Gun Etiquette is almost like a punk Sgt. Peppers. The opening track "Love Song," as well as the title track, open the record at a blazing pace, which mind you, precedes hardcore considering this was 1979.  Even with Rat Scabies' manic drive on these first two songs, a sullen mood and atmosphere is just beneath the surface.  This vibe is set up perfectly by "I Just Can't Be Happy Today," which is a jarring left turn of a song, introducing organ as the primary instrument and some handclaps for good measure.  The sequence of the record is like a journey, ebbing and flowing, incorporating the use of acoustic piano, ancillary percussion and even bizarre, eerie carnival music on "These Hands."  All of these elements are still digestible because they are carried by such a strong sense of melody and structure.  Captain Sensible also has amazing lead guitar playing all over this record, but he seems choose his moments very tastefully.  Lyrically, Dave Vanian delivers lines that are witty and tongue-in-cheek at times, but also scathing at other moments.  Some songs like "Anti-Pope" or the spoken section in "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" are politically confrontational, taking on religion and also painting a picture of the social climate in England in the late 70s. I think this record is a masterpiece top to bottom and really opened my mind to punk's musical possibilities. 

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Alright, now let's talk about some new rippers in the distro:

Urchin: Peace Sign 7" - 2nd release from this NY-based hardcore band that features ex-members of Razorheads and Bloodkrow Butcher.  Roach Leg's own personal description mentions Stoke-On-Trent and Gothenburg as origins from which Urchin draw their sound.  They also self-identify as "troglodyte hardcore" -- so while there are clear Cimex vibes going on, this band's delivery is authentically vicious and primal.  This is seriously some like froth-at-the-mouth hardcore.  Packaged in a b&w sleeve printed on normal printer paper with the lyrics and liner notes all kind of jumbled together, it's clear that these dudes just don't give a FUCK.  I'm all about it.

Permission: S/T 12" - Debut release from this UK hardcore band.  I'm not absolutely certain, but I'd wager that this is the new project from ex-members of DiE and No.  For one, the slightly out of tune guitar sound is unmistakable.  Also though, the aforementioned bands both just had this pounding, almost boneheadedly raw aggression.  Sonically, Permission is no different, and from the second this 8-song LP starts, the energy is palpable and explosive.

Rashomon: Demo 2017 7" - I feel certain that I had already written a description when we first carried the cassette of Rashomon's demo, but here we go again!  When hearing these songs refashioned for a 7" platter, more power and clarity are brought to what I thought was an already stellar first release.  I feel like even within the confines of the sound Rashomon is going for, there are some unique musical qualities at play.  There's some d-beat influences, sure, but the drums do a lot of things that are rhythmically interesting.  The slower number, "Corpse Syndrome," is carried by this intricate single-note guitar melody that really stands out.  Of course the major noteworthy aspect of Rashomon are Kohei's vocals, and I don't think the band would have the same ferocity if wasn't for his snarling in Japanese.  I think I remember hearing that this band broke up and only had this demo recorded.  It's a shame, would've loved to hear more from these guys. (edit: I confirmed that Rashomon has not broken up; maybe Jeff was thinking of Kombat? --Daniel)

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So I think by the time everyone else is posting their next blog posts I'll be getting ready to hop in a van for a month.  At this moment, I still feel severely unprepared, but I'm excited!  If anyone who reads these comes to one of our shows, please come say hi!  Here's a not-so-great photo of our tour poster:

I think that'll do it for this round. Thanks for reading!

'Til next time! (it'll be a while!)

-Jef Lep

What's up Sorry Staters?

So as you might have noticed, the concerted effort to deliver consistent blog posts has sort of faltered from most of us over here at Sorry State.  For me, this lack of blog content is due in part to it being such a busy summer, both at the store and in my personal life.  Also though, I feel like when I sit down to write these things that I want to have a theme or focused conversational piece in mind beyond just reviewing records.  At our last staff meeting, Daniel made the suggestion of providing "prompts" for each blog post, in which each of us write our own take on a topic.  I'll be honest, the suggestion of adding structure like that to my blog sort of makes me feel like I'm writing essays for college again and like I have an assignment to complete. But who knows? Maybe doing things this way will give me the kick in the ass I need to knock out these blog posts.

So what's our first prompt?  Perhaps you're familiar with Damian from Fucked Up's podcast Turned Out A Punk, in which Damian interviews different musicians and personalities about how they got into punk.  We figured everyone here at SSR could do the same, and we could each contribute our own little narrative about how punk music totally ruined us!  Totally kidding, but I'm not going to sit here and pretend my own story is nearly as interesting as Mackie from Blitz or Fat Mike or something... Still, I'll try to make my journey into punk not too long-winded and hopefully you'll get a kick out of it.  Here we go:

 I. Hair Metal Beginnings

My dad circa the early '80s.

When I think about the reason I got into punk, it's not as if one particular life event or epiphany occurred that left me forever changed.  I think it's been a gradual plunge deeper and deeper into understanding why adopting "punk" as an identity or cultural perspective has always been attractive to me.  Without sounding overly dramatic, I think punk resembling something socially subversive has always sort of vibed with my natural disposition.  But it wasn't always that way, and that's not to say I didn't have help from significant people in my life.  For starters, I always grew up around music.  My dad (Jeff Sr.) is also a guitar player, but his sensibilities sort of fall more under the umbrella of the era when 70s hard rock slowly started morphing into 80s heavy metal.  Ozzy's first couple solo records with Randy Rhoads were drilled into my brain as a major staple and mark of excellence as it related to progressing on guitar. Which is cool, don't get me wrong!  But I can clearly remember discovering some of the heavier CDs in my Dad's collection and gravitating toward them.  In my middle school years, I soon abandoned Motley Crue and Dokken and was much more into Metallica and Slayer.  

II. The Peak of Good Living

As much I'd like to say I grew up in Raleigh, I actually lived in Apex, NC, which is a suburb about 20 minutes away.  I remember attending Apex High School and realizing I'd already committed social suicide by not wearing boat shoes or a North Face jacket.  For whatever reason, the peer group I ended up identifying with were the future delinquents and burnouts of Apex High.  I think I fit in with some of these kids because I was into skateboarding, which I viewed as an even further extension of my social otherness.  At this point, I was about 14 and had become pretty familiar with a good portion of the Epitaph catalog, mainly through skate videos and because bands like The Offspring were still putting out new CDs.  I think myself and a lot of these freakier kids were bored in a town like Apex.  And while the town's motto is the "peak of good living," my adolescence in Apex is chock full of some juicy suburban legend.  Across Highway 64, within walking distance of my house, there was an abandoned, run-down Winn Dixie grocery store that remained vacant for years.  A lot of my "friends" that I previously mentioned broke into the building, designating it as a place to hang out.  Lots of these kids would skip school and go inside the abandoned building to go have sex or do drugs.  I still vividly remember walking inside for the first time and there being a dusty, old futon and used condoms littered on the concrete floor.  So what did my skater friends and I do?  We would hang out and skateboard there all the time.  A big pastime in this germ farm was to spray paint on the walls.  I still can visualize the image of a previous graffiti artist's adorning the wall with four huge black bars. My naive 14-year-old self would not learn that it was a Black Flag logo until some time later.

III. My Partner In Crime

Me at about 15. 

Sorry to give so much background, but here's where it all starts: one of my skate rat buddies in the group mentioned above was my best friend in high school.  Randy was the kind of friend who wouldn't ask if he could come over, he instead would just follow me inside my house after school -- no questions asked.  I don't think the conversation was as simple as, "Hey, wanna be punks, dude?", but I cite Randy's importance because we got into punk together.  I'm not sure if we discovered punk bands through Tony Hawk's Pro Skater or what, but it is funny revisiting now and realizing how crazy it is that "Lexicon Devil" by the Germs is in a fucking video game.  At the time bands like The Casualties and A Global Threat were still really popular and played locally fairly often.  The first time I went to a "street punk show," for lack of a better classification, Randy and I both still had shaggy hair and wore baggy skateboard shirts.  Not long after absorbing the atmosphere of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder uniformed with charged hair and studded-out clothing, Randy and I quickly got our hands on some secondhand leather jackets.  With our limited resources for discovering new music, Randy and I would kind of egg each other on with a fun competition of, "Dude, how have you not heard this band yet?"  I feel like some of my formative musical discoveries occurred just sitting around with Randy.  We would clumsily sew and stud our leathers and other clothing, alternating between punk bands we'd never heard, and then listening to The Specials and other selections from Randy's dad's reggae record collection.  My punk makeover was more or less fully realized over one summer. I showed up with my new look for the first day of sophomore year of high school and most of my delinquent friends would no longer talk to me. Posers!

IV. Some Old Punks Wear Sweaters

At about 15 years old, which was when my interest in punk and change of fashion sense became a worrisome discussion amongst my family members, is when my uncle (also named Jeff) confided in me that he was a punk rocker in the late 70s.  To which I of course responded, "Yeah right!"  Mind you, my Uncle Jeff is now a sweater-wearing state employee working with the NC art museum department.  But when he revealed to me that he still had a small chunk of his punk record collection hidden away somewhere, I was proven wrong.  Perhaps one of the more significant turning points in this story is that my Uncle Jeff proceeded to graciously give me his entire punk record collection.  It would take me a while to digest everything he gave me that day in the months to come.  While I personally think he looks back not so fondly on his punk days, I loved pretty much everything I heard from that stack of records.  Uncle Jeff lived in Ohio during his punker phase and was therefore a huge Dead Boys fan.  He had the first two Dead Boys records, a lot of staples like Sex Pistols and Clash records, but also had records that would take me time to understand like Wire's Pink Flag, which is now one my favorite records.  He also gave me the leather jacket I'm pictured wearing in the photo above (it was a plain black jacket when I got it.)

V. DIY Made Me Shave My Mohawk

 By about 2006, Randy and I would still frequent street punk shows.  Neither of us could drive at the time and most of these shows weren't nearby, sometimes happening at clubs in cities like Charlotte, which was 3 hours from us.  We also had no awareness that a DIY punk scene in Raleigh even existed at the time.  Randy and I were the only punks at Apex High who looked the way we did, but we did meet other kids at our high school that we later found out were part of a forum group called NC Punk Online.  A lot of these kids seemed more like general weirdos and hippie types than they were uniformly punk.  One of those kids later invited me to see this new movie American Hardcore that was playing at an indie theater in North Raleigh.  I had no idea what "hardcore" meant at the time, but needless to say, this movie opened a whole new world of interest for me.  I remember watching the documentary and finding the parts with SSD offputting and Jack Grisham talking about his grave-robbing being really scary, but I was totally transfixed.  After seeing that movie, I immediately ran out to Coconuts Music.  All on the same day I bought CD's of the Minor Threat discography, Black Flag Damaged, and the first Bad Brains and heard them all the way through for the first time.  That was a good day.

For a short period, I still made no real distinction between the street punk shows I went to and the hardcore punk I was becoming obsessed with.  I remember I still rocked my leather jacket, but it now had a Minor Threat back patch (which is still on there).  But this new group of freaks I had met would tease me about attending street punk shows relentlessly!  Eventually I was convinced to go to smaller shows in Raleigh.  I remember some of the first shows I went to were at a place called Sadlack's (RIP), where the bands would play outside beneath an awning and anyone off the street could just walk up and watch.  More than I remember the bands, I mainly recall being approached by an overwhelming group of new faces wanting to meet the "fresh meat," i.e. ME. A lot of the people who played in the bands and helped book the shows in Raleigh are still my close friends, and the idea that this small group of people was making these gatherings happen was a revelation to me.  Even though I liked the music, I realized that a lot of these "punk" shows that were in clubs I had been attending were really just like going to a hard rock show.  

Double Negative at some house show. Daniel and I are right next to each other but I don't think we had even met yet.

I had gone to a handful of shows in Raleigh, but some of the most memorable shows I went to that were proper hardcore shows were at this retro-fitted bike shop in Durham called Bull City Headquarters, or BCHQ.  Granted, I was late to the game. I didn't see Daniel's band Cross Laws for the first time until their last show, and I believe Wasted Time also played that show.  At my first few hardcore shows, I had no idea what band I would be watching at any given moment -- it was all an exhilarating blur, but I remember being blown away.  I probably stuck out like a sore thumb because I was still transitioning out of my decidedly-punk-looking phase.  One particular show at BCHQ that really stands out was in late 2007.  I rode in the back of some older street punk's car along with Randy and my friend Arwen in the back seat.  I was 16 and never met the dude driving before, and I remember feeling nervous when we stopped to get beer on the way.  The flyer for the show had only 4 bands listed, which were Born Bad, Socialcide (who had Brandon Ferrel on drums that night), Double Negative, and it was Devour's first proper show.  I don't know if it was just a killer show and the energy in the room inspired spontaneity, but other bands just randomly played, including Logic Problem and then Government Warning played a surprise set, who I had never heard before.  GW opened with "Arrested" and the crowd exploded. A minute in, I caught an elbow to the face and blood poured down my face.  I had an instinct to run back to the bathroom, but instead I got caught up in the mass of bodies and just raged with my bloody nose.  

Crowd photo at BCHQ.  I'm off to the left, try and spot me!

I decided not long after attending a few shows that this type of punk was what I was looking for, so I immediately retired my leather jacket and shaved my head.  I also wanted a piece of it. After I graduated high school in summer of 2009, I had a mission to start a hardcore band that was at least close to being on par with the great bands I'd witnessed.  Stripmines started playing shows a couple months later.  Pre-every killer hardcore record being on Youtube, meeting people in the scene after Stripmines started playing shows is how I was exposed to a lot of more obscure punk.  I remember Matt from Stripmines showing me Bastard for the first time and losing my mind.  And I would just be blown away by bands that my new friends would show me constantly!  It was exciting.  

Here's a video of Stripmines at our last show, still one of the funnest sets I've ever played.  Good view of my sober butt in shorts:

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Welp, I guess it was kinda long-winded after all.  I don't have too much more to say.  I've continued to play in band after band since Stripmines, and the pattern continues!  I don't really know what else to do with myself!  

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Alright, now let's talk about some records:

ISS: Endless Pussyfooting 12" - I'm not sure if I didn't properly digest this LP upon first listen or if shifting the medium from cassette to vinyl allowed me to listen more attentively, but I'm only now realizing how fantastic this record is.  What's funny is that I imagine if someone were to pitch to me the concept behind ISS to for the first time, which is a two-piece collaboration who makes new compositions out of punk drum samples, I would probably naturally respond with, "That sounds terrible!"  Well, lemme tell ya, this crow tastes pretty good.  I feel like listening to this Endless Pussyfooting from start to finish is an enveloping experience.  The sonic experimentation, use of sampling, dynamics, and especially the sequencing of tracks are all right on the nuggets.  Also, while I think the songwriting is catchy and top-notch, everything about ISS is genuinely pretty funny.  PS, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure the pick slide in "Endless Drip" is from lifted from the beginning "Hit The Lights" by Metallica.

Suck Lords: Demo CS - Super raw, super fast, super pissed first release from this new Portland hardcore band.  This demo definitely falls under the category of my recently adopted motto of "I'm so glad bands are playing fast again."  This recording is honestly pretty sloppy, but I kinda like that.  It has urgency.  Somewhere between the speed of Deep Wound and the snottiness of JFA, I'm digging Suck Lords' vibe.

U-nix: Demo CS - What the fuck is up with Portland lately?  I used to mainly associate that region with crusty raw punk bands, but between this and Suck Lords it seems like there's a new crop of kids that just want to crank out classic, ripping USHC.  U-nix seems like maybe they've ingested some of the midwestern hardcore sensibilities, kind of reminding of bands like Ooze.  There are moments on this demo that get really noisy and chaotic that also kind of make me think of the Void demos.  Killer.

Silverhead: S/T 12" - Let's face it, sometimes you just need some old fashioned rock 'n' roll!  If any of you read one of my earlier blog posts, you'll know that I had been on a 70's glam rock kick as of late.  I think I find this era of rock so addictive in part because of the lush vocal hooks, and Silverhead is no exception.  I had never really heard of Silverhead until Daniel informed me that we would be getting the reissue of their first record in our next Forced Exposure shipment.  Since hearing it recently, I've been spinning to this LP constantly. It's funny because Silverhead was part of the whole UK glam scene, but more than some of their contemporaries, I detect a healthy dose of southern rock flavor.  Not unlike T. Rex, some of the slower songs straight up sound like they could be Skynyrd ballads -- choir-esque backup vocals and all.  Some serious hot tracks on this under-the-radar rock record.

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Not much else to talk about.  Hopefully I'll get in another post or two before Skemäta sets off for tour.  While I'm here though, I have a new project called Scarecrow with Daniel and our first show is coming up.  Check it out:

10/7 - HAIRCUT @ THE BUNKER

That'll do it for this round.  Thanks for reading!

'Til next time,

-Jef Lep

What's up Sorry Staters?

So I'll be straight up, I did not stay true to my word and missed my blog post last week.  I'm gonna try to get back on track with getting these written every other week, but it's just been busy with shows in Raleigh lately!  I mainly just want to talk about records because so much killer stuff has come into Sorry State since my last entry.  Here's a few things I wanna talk about on the personal front though: 

My new band Vittna put out our demo tape since last time I wrote for the blog.  I brought a few tapes to sell at the store and thanks to everyone who's picked one up!  We're sold out, but I'll bring some more in soon.  Daniel was nice enough to write a little blurb about it in his last blog post, but just in case, you can check it our here:

Another update: Skemäta and Drugcharge are going cross-country! We're doing a full-US tour starting mid-October.  We've already contacted a lot of people about booking shows for most of the dates.  We're still looking for someone who books shows in Albuquerque/Santa Fe and a couple other places.  I'll list the dates below, and please get in touch if you can help out!  Hit us up: skematapunx@gmail.com

10/15 - Atlanta, GA

10/16 - Gainesville, FL

10/17 - Tallahassee, FL

10/18 - Birmingham, AL

10/19 - Hattiesburg, MS

10/20 - New Orleans, LA

10/21 - Houston, TX

10/22 - Austin, TX

10/23 - Denton, TX

10/24 - Oklahoma City, OK

10/25 - Albuquerque, NM

10/26 - Tempe, AZ

10/27 - Las Vegas, NV

10/28 - Los Angeles, CA

10/29 - Bakersfield, CA

10/30 - Oakland, CA

10/31 - San Francisco, CA

11/1 - Medford, OR

11/2 - Portland, OR

11/3 - Boise, ID

11/4 - Salt Lake City, UT

11/5 - Denver, CO

11/6 - Kansas City, MO

11/7 - St. Louis, MO

11/8 - Iowa City, IA

11/9 - Minneapolis, MS

11/10 - Chicago, IL

11/11 - Bloomington, IN

11/12 - Columbus, OH

11/13 - Cleveland, OH

11/14 - Pittsburgh, PA

11/15 - Charlottesville, VA

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We don't have it at the store yet, but I also want to mention to check out the new LP from Bareclona's Lux!  I'll do a more refined description in a later blog post once we have the records for sale at SSR.  Listen here: 

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 Alrighty, now let's talk about some records.  Lots of ragers this time:

Impalers: Cellar Dweller 12" - I'm sure for the majority of people who are keeping tabs on their new hardcore releases that this is a no-brainer.   Me and everyone at the shop have discussed that somehow after all of their releases, Impalers still manage to out-do themselves.  Especially because stylistically, in the motor-charged/d-beat/whatever field, Impalers still manage to stand out.  The songwriting this time around takes a lot interesting twists and turns, changing tempo and feel on a dime.  To me, the standout feature of this new record is Ulsh's vocal performance, weaving between throat-shredding growls and deranged, monotone spoken parts.  Also, the choice to make the third iteration of the title track just shred lead for the whole song is a bold, but solid choice.  I feel certain that with this new slab Impalers will make their way to a lot of people's best of 2017 lists. 

Katastrof: S/T  7"- Admittedly being the biggest Totalitär fan at Sorry State, it was pretty obvious I was going to love this record.  That said, even compared to Poffen's previous project with the same guitar player, Institution, the execution on this record is even more raw and savage.   If you want some real deal, undiluted Swedish hardcore punk, this record is a must.

Innocent: Power Hungry and Mindless CS - New project out of Boston featuring the mighty Ryan Abbott on drums.  The way this tape was hyped to me was that it sounded like early Sacrilege.  Honestly, I really don't think it sounds like that, but it is really great.  The reason I say this is really because the songwriting is much more punchy and rhythmically complex than it is Discharge sounding.  This is really just a super tight, riff-filled assault on the ears.  The high-pitched soaring vocals really make it too.  Killer stuff.

Criaturas:Ruido Antisocial  7"- Latest and greatest release from Austin staples Criaturas.  I would say that especially after not releasing anything for 4 years that this new EP sounds really fresh and may even be their best material.  Dru's vocals on previous Criaturas releases sort of weaved between melodic and harsh, but on this it's all aggressive all the time.  I also really like the sound of the recording, the drums are super punchy, the bass is grimey, and there's plenty of soaring rock leads.

Kombat: In Death We Are All The Same 7" - While I had heard their demo tape a while back, something about the songs on this 7" are next-level.  The drumming is raging fast and the chorus-drenched guitar work is shredding all over the place.  Kombat's style really seems like everything could fall apart at any minute, but never quite reaches the brink.  This comes across seeing them live too, because while this EP is killer, it's only a taste of how explosive they are in person.

Blank Spell: Miasma 12"- Debut full-length from this Philly punk band.  While it's got some UK82 style pogo beats going on, there is also a twinge of goth punk in Blank Spell's sound.  That said, I would still describe them as a hardcore band.  The wailing vocals really stand out and totally enhance the rhythmic complexity of the music.  It also is worth noting that this band sounds super powerful for a 3-piece.  

Also, might as well take this space to mention that Blank Spell is playing in Raleigh later in August.  Check it out here: BLANK SPELL/HALDOL/NURSE IN RALEIGH

Testa Dura: Lotta Continua  7"- New band featuring Sorry State family Törsø's drummer on vocals.  Giacomo, originally from Italy, sings over top music that really does bring to mind classic 80s Italian hardcore.  The recording is lo-fi and organic sounding and only makes the raw, unhinged quality of the music more authentic sounding.  Total ripper.

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I think that'll do it for this time.  I'll put together a list of upcoming NC punk shows in my next post.  Thanks for reading!

-Jef Lep

What's up Sorry Staters!?

Welcome to the third edition for my blog #LiveFastJeffYoung.  As promised, I'm going to try and get these put up every other Saturday from now on.  You may have noticed that Seth, rather than adding another entry for Outta Style, created a new blog entitled Strange Obsessions.  His first entry was all about punk compilation albums, and it's super cool!  If you haven't read it, then go check it out.  My own comment on Seth's blog: I love the PEACE/WAR comp as well, but my own honorable mention is the Master Tapes Vol. II comp.  Killer midwest bands on there, but I also gotta give some hometown love for No Labels!

I thought the whole concept for a "Strange Obsessions" blog was a great idea.  Still, rather than forming a plan of action for a well-thought-out blog post, I'll instead ask that you indulge me on some disorganized ramblings about some strange obsessions of my own:

If there's one thing about me and the way I listen to music, it's that I go through phases of obsessive listening to a particular era or genre.  I've discussed with Daniel about how we differ in our digestion of records.  Whereas he fears over-listening to something good and growing tired of it, if I gravitate toward a certain band that I think is particularly good, I will listen to them over and over and still love it!  Sometimes for me, I latch on to even a single track and commence over-consumption.  At the store, I've discussed with customers about tracks that stand out to me from classic records that I think are "hot tracks" and their reactions are often like, "Well duh, that's the hit off that album."  To which I respond, "I knew I liked it for a reason!"

Lately, I've been listening to a ton of melodic glam rock from the early-to-mid 1970s, particularly bands from the UK.  This of course includes David Bowie, T. Rex, and a lot of the staples, but I've also been listening to Brian Eno's first two albums a lot.  Like I was talking about above, one of those tracks I've began to frequently listen to is "The True Wheel."  It's interesting, because it's not really an A-B-A-B pop structure, but is still super hooky.  I'm honestly a n00b when it comes to Eno, so it might be that everyone thinks I'm an idiot and knows that this track is one of his best.  Still, maybe you all should over-fill those ear holes with this too:

Another band that has warranted frequent listens is Sweet, most importantly their album Desolation Boulevard. Obviously, everybody knows tracks like "Ballroom Blitz", and thanks to the film Guardians of the Galaxy, now "Fox On The Run" is back in the mainstream consciousness as well.  But seriously, this album from top to bottom is an amazing listen.  There are some tracks on this record that I would even describe as super heavy and ahead of their time.  This album came out in 1974 I believe, and a track like "Set Me Free" sounds like it should be on an Iron Maiden record.  Pretty fast, soaring vocals, harmony guitar leads, it blew my mind the first time I heard it.  On a weird note, Vince Neil of Motley Crue covered this song on his first solo record?  But then contextually, it makes total sense that Motley Crue was a fan of this band in the early 80s.  Sweet has the heavy edge when they need to, but also the glittery look and pop melodies that were accessible for radio.  The influence to me wouldn't have been quite as obvious without hearing the deeper, heavier cuts from this Sweet album.  Here's that Vince Neil version:

Also, a fun little side note, this Vince Neil album also has the track "You're Invited But Your Friend Can't Come", as you might remember from the Encino Man soundtrack.  This song sounds exactly like a transition from the 80s to the 90s.  Plus, Pauly Shore hams it up in the music video:

Also, if anyone has suggestions for some more obscure glam rock tunes I should start over-listening to, feel free to leave a comment letting me know.

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Alright, now let's talk about some new records we've gotten in at Sorry State:

Celtic Frost: Morbid Tales 12" - So it appears that every blog post I'm just going to feel the need to talk about reissues first.  Maybe subconsciously it means they're the records I'm most excited about?  Regardless, Celtic Frost is an important point of discussion.  I will admit that I've never even held an original copy of this amazing debut album in my hands, let alone listened to it, but I will say after only hearing this album on mp3 that the sound of this reissue blew my mind.  Very punchy and huge sounding.  When discussing this band's importance and the impact they had on bands that followed, most of my metal friends talk about how important they were to early black metal. I understand this on an aesthetic level, but sonically I always thought Celtic Frost sounded more like a heavy punk band.  Firstly, a track like "Into Crypts of Rays" is the opening track by which all other first songs are measured, but to me it also just kinda sounds like Discharge.  And sure, maybe Celtic Frost is more aptly defined by their slower moments.  I remember listening to an interview with Shane Embury saying that Napalm Death's sound was basically them trying to play faster than anyone else, but with "Celtic Frost breakdowns."  Pretty interesting knowing Napalm Death's connection to 80s punk also.  Instead of just posting a track from the album, I decided to post this video which is a German television appearance.  I'm also not sure if its pantomimed? Check this out:



The Bug: Humbug, or So Many Awful Things 7" - New tracks from this hardcore punk band based out of Chicago (I'm pretty sure).  I remember seeing this band live 2 nights in a row and just being flabbergasted at the explosion of energy and noise being thrown at me.  Listening to this new record, that experience has sustained.  The tracks between the two sides of this record are divided up in an interesting way.  The A-side just barrels with some all out, raging fast songs that are border on being pure chaos and rarely breach a minute.  The B-side, while still explosive and noisey, has a few more mid-paced and brooding numbers with catchy, untiring basslines and dissonant, yet complimentary guitar work.  I don't know how this band writes songs, but they must be drenched in sweat and questioning the blandness of reality every time. Take a listen:



Various: My Meat's Your Poison 12" - Yet another reissue to talk about? Here we go: Fanclub edition of this late-80s hardcore punk/thrash compilation featuring a solid shortlist of bands from Japan. The era of punk in Japan where it moves away from the noisier, 4-track sound of bands like Zouo or Gai from the early 80s and morphs into huge production with metallic guitars played blazing speeds is really interesting.  More notable bands like Lip Cream and SOB are on here, but this comp is worth it alone for the less well-known bands like Chiken Bowels and Outo.  Check out the Outo stuff here:



Mark Cone: Now Showing 12" - Brand new full-length solo record from the Urochromes frontman.  I'll preface my thoughts on this record by saying that the sheer lack of guitar is a rare characteristic of the music I typically listen to.  While lo-fi, Casio keyboard-dominated synth punk usually wouldn't be my thing, I feel like this record is hard not to talk about.  I think there's something about the way this LP is put together that is bold and infectious.  While the Screamers would be a good reference point in terms of sonic influence, the punchy, in-your-face drum machine and unorthodox percussion reach almost hardcore punk speeds and bring to mind more current bands like Hank Wood. The organ-esque keyboard sounds also project a cavernous, spooky atmosphere, almost like they were recorded with the intention to suit a low-budget Dracula movie.  Still, I don't know if I'm getting this impression from the sound of the vocals, but there is something very dramatic, and dare I say Vaudevillian, about the songwriting. This vibe comes across in particular on a track like "If The Cone Fits." How appropriate for a record entitled Now Showing that comes with a poster adorning the performer's name on a theater marquee.  

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As part of my ongoing update about punk shows in Raleigh and the surrounding area, I've relisted all of the upcoming shows that I know about as of this blog's being posted.  Plan for this to be a regular thing!  Since my last blog post, I've added a couple shows to the list and updated info/links for some of the gigs that I mentioned last time.

- July 6th: SKELETON (TX) + SKEMATA LP RELEASE! @ THE BUNKER

- July 8th: WILD ROSE (VA) @ THE BUNKER

- July 14th: KOMBAT/GAZM @ THE BUNKER

- July 20th: ELIX-R / PERVERTS AGAIN IN GSO

- July 21st: MUTUAL JERK @ THE BUNKER

- July 25th: INSTITUTE (TX) @ NIGHTLIGHT

- August 1st: GUILT PARADE IN GSO

- August 18th: NURSE (ATL) / BLANK SPELL (PA) / HALDOL (PA) - TBA

- August 24th: SHEER MAG / HARAM @ KINGS

- August 27th: RIXE (FRANCE) @ NIGHTLIGHT - MORE TBA

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That about wraps things up.  As always, thanks for reading!

'Til next time,

-Jef Lep

What's up Sorry Staters?

Welcome back for my second edition of #LiveFastJeffYoung.  I hope y'all enjoyed my last entry.  A little update: some of you may have noticed in my last blog I said that I would be regularly be posting my blog every other Friday, but then actually posted it publicly on Saturday.  Since we typically post a "Friday New Release" blog post on Fridays, we decided to move my day for posting a personal blog to Saturday.  Anyway, let's talk about some records:

Subhumans: From the Cradle to the Grave 12" - I started with my last post talking about Voivod reissues, so I thought I'd stick with the theme.  Recently, we got in a whole batch of the UK Subhumans records in stock.  I think these were originally reissued a few years back, but all of them sound great and come with some swanky packaging.  Hearing these records after not revisiting them for a while has really re-invigorated my interest in this band.  When I was a young teenager I loved all of the Subhumans' EPs and the first record The Day The Country Died.  I decided to talk about From the Cradle to the Grave because it's a record I wasn't as familiar with when I was younger.  A 16+ minute punk epic?  When I think about this band's contemporaries, it seems like a totally ambitious and insane idea.  That said, the way the arrangement is put together is like several small sections that flow seamlessly.  I think the "song," if you can call it that, is put together really tastefully and doesn't come across as corny.  The end product seems really honest and natural.  And while my younger self might have thought, "16 minute punk song? FUCK that," I'm finding myself totally captivated the entire time.  

Paranoid: Praise No Deity 7" - Latest 3-song slab from these Swedish punk-metal crushers.  When looking at the sonic umbrella that Paranoid seems to fall under when described as a "noisy" d-beat band, I definitely think compared to many other current bands that they are basically the elite example.  I also think that if their Cover of the Month record was any indication, they incorporate just as much Sepultura or Darkthrone as they do Disclose.  In referencing that covers record, it is interesting digesting the first batch of new material from this trio in a while.  The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the opening track is a total "motörcharged" influence, and really has more of a rocked out swagger than previous releases.  Also, the production on this new EP still has the noisy, trebly texture we've come to expect, but to me sounds way thicker and punchier.

Hyena: Demo 2017 CS - First release from this Atlanta band that features ex-members of Bukkake Boys and more recently Mercenary.  As one might expect when mentioning the people involved's previous bands, this is some vicious and relentless hardcore punk.  A lot of these songs are at a barreling pace, where the feel of the drums along with the heavy guitar sound totally brings to mind the heavier end of Japanese hardcore.  Think Bastard, or to my ears, Hyena sounds a lot like Nightmare!  But still, with Ruby's recognizable vocals, it still has the hardness and aggression of US hardcore.  This is a total rager, looking forward to hearing more from this band.

Also, just because I brought them up and I haven't gone on as many tangents as my last blog post, here's some Nightmare:

Piss: II 7" - The first word that comes to mind when I think about Piss is disgusting (and not just because of the band name).  This German raw punk band does fittingly sound super raw, but still thick and punishing.  Hard to believe it's just 3 people.  Much like some of the other records I'm discussing in this blog post, this new EP also has visually pleasing, interesting packaging.  The logo for the band screenprinted in white on the plastic sleeve looks slick and really ties together the two-tone, red/white imagery.  I've said it once and I'll say it again: black and white with one spot color is the hottest look.  I unfortunately missed them when they played in NC, but much like the 4th track on this EP, I'm sure this band elicits behavior that is "Ignorant and Destructive." 

Tarantüla: S/T 7" -  First proper vinyl release from this Chicago-based band that I believe is made up of 3/4's of Cülo. With the addition of a bass player (crazy, right?) and chorus-y guitars, Tarantüla manages to carve out their own identity separate from their previous band. The main thing that stands out to me is the strong songwriting, chock full o' hooks!  The presentation on the record also is attention-grabbing.  I love the bright pink cover with sick artwork, and the addition of the hype sticker is also a classy touch.  Whereas I thought maybe Cülo should've had their own Saturday morning cartoon, Tarantüla has really come of age with content for much more mature audiences, like pinup photos that provide each character with his own cool nickname. Looking at the insert, the band has a twisted sense of humor lyrically -- Tarantüla wins the "funniest song titles in punk" award hands down.  There’s just a sense of fun and levity that is refreshing with this band.  Still, you'll be pumping your fist the whole time. 

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As promised in my last blog post, I have a more comprehensive list of shows coming up in NC.  Some of these are featured on our BUNKER PUNKS page, but I've got some shows other friends are taking care of that are worth mentioning on here too.

Firstly, I started my list with some shows in early July, but my new band Vittna is playing with Worse from NYC at this gig:

- June 25th: WORSE @ THE NIGHTLIGHT

This gig is a matinee, and there's a benefit show the same night. Hoping people will go to both!  Here's that benefit show along with a longer list of shows in NC:

- June 19th: BAD EXAMPLE IN GSO

- June 23rd: VANILLA POPPERS IN GSO

- June 25th: J20 BENEFIT - THOU @ THE PINHOOK

- July 6th: SKELETON (TX) + SKEMATA LP RELEASE! @ THE BUNKER

- July 8th: WILD ROSE (VA) @ THE BUNKER

- July 14th: KOMBAT/GAZM @ THE BUNKER

- July 20th: ELIX-R / PERVERTS AGAIN IN GSO

- July 21st: MUTUAL JERK (ATL) @ THE BUNKER - MORE TBA

- July 25th: INSTITUTE (TX) @ NIGHTLIGHT

- August 18th: NURSE (ATL) / BLANK SPELL (PA) / HALDOL (PA) - TBA

- August 24th: SHEER MAG / HARAM @ KINGS

- August 27th: RIXE (FRANCE) @ NIGHTLIGHT - MORE TBA

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A lot of these gigs are still being sorted out, but I'll have more updates in my next blog post.

I think that'll do for now.  Thanks for reading!

'Til next time,

-Jef Lep