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Record of the Week: Yellowcake: Can You See the Future? 7"

Yellowcake: Can You See the Future? 7” (Not for the Weak Records) Virginia’s Not for the Weak Records brings us the vinyl debut from Arizonan d-beat powerhouse Yellowcake. Yellowcake features Mike from Extended Hell and Urchin on drums, and, frankly, if Mike is playing drums in your d-beat band, your d-beat band is really fucking good. Certainly the drumming is a highlight here, as Mike retains his ability to hold a rock-solid groove and kick the ever-loving hell out of that bass drum while keeping the fills fresh and just a little spicy. The rest of the band is killer too. Yellowcake’s guitarist does that thing where there’s one guitar track with a beefy sound and another that’s fried with noise, and that works really well. On the riffier, Totalitär-influenced parts, your ear gravitates towards the cleaner sound, while the Cimex / Framtid parts hit with the impact you want them to. The ensemble playing is great too… check out that perfect little hiccup pause before the breakdown in “Weaponized Mania…” a chill-inducing moment. The singer’s delay-drenched howl sounds desperate, as befitting the lyrics focusing on the horrors of war. Competition is stiff in this micro-genre of Swedish-influenced d-beat and there isn’t room for anything under-developed or half-assed. Even within a crowded field, though, Yellowcake is at the front of the pack.

Record of the Week: Powerplant: Grass 7"

Powerplant: Grass 7” (Static Shock Records) London’s Powerplant were eclectic and interesting from the drop, but their last release, 2022’s Stump Soup—an hour-long dungeon synth foray meant to soundtrack a Dungeons and Dragons module the group designed—proved the best approach to any new Powerplant record is to expect the unexpected. While Grass isn’t as out there as Stump Soup, the group remains eclectic and progressive here, returning to a more familiar synth-punk sound, but from moment to moment being as forward-thinking, exciting, and confounding as they’ve ever been. Grass is difficult to describe because it doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before, despite working with a familiar palette of guitar / bass / drums / synth / vocals. Much of that is because of the songwriting and arrangement; rather than traditional, repetitive pop arrangements, these tracks sound like they’re built on a shifting foundation, and even when a musical motif repeats, something above or below it has always shifted, casting it in a different light. That sense of instability is apparent not just from part to part, but from track to track as well, as the way the instruments fit together and harmonize with one another floats in unexpected directions, never changing dramatically, but shifting in ways that keep my ear interested, even if I’m often left wondering how we got from point A to point B. But while Powerplant’s music on Grass always sounds unfamiliar and novel, it’s still packed with appealing melodies, textures, and rhythms… they never seem self-consciously experimental, just stylistically nomadic. Grass feels like a puzzle, one I may never figure out, but that I’ll enjoy tinkering with forever.

Record of the Week: Institute: Ragdoll Dance LP

Institute: Ragdoll Dance 12” (Roach Leg Records) Over four albums and several EPs, Institute has firmly established themselves as one of underground punk’s preeminent bands. Each record is a joy when it comes out, and their entire discography remains in constant rotation for me… they’re a band I can always listen to, and that I never seem to tire of. After a run of strong records on Sacred Bones, Institute has moved to Roach Leg Records (in the US) and La Vida Es Un Mus (in Europe) for their new album, and they sound artistically reinvigorated on Ragdoll Dance. While the last couple of records on Sacred Bones—Subordination in particular—seemed to lean into the more straightforward, almost hardcore elements of their sound, Ragdoll Dance sounds to me more open-ended, almost playful. If you like Institute singer Moses Brown’s solo project as Peace de Résistance, you’ll love Ragdoll Dance, as that project’s take on high-minded yet gritty art-pop bleeds into Institute’s sound here, particularly on the track “Wonder,” whose dark, chiming guitars bring to mind Siouxsie and the Banshees at the height of their creativity. That being said, “Plateau of Self” and “Uncle Sam’s Hate” are straightforward, go-for-the-throat rockers that keep Ragdoll Dance in the record store’s punk section. Raw and real production and performance, great songs, ambitious aesthetics… Ragdoll Dance has it all.

Record of the Week: Collate: Generative Systems LP

Collate: Generative Systems 12” (Domestic Departure Records) We love Portland’s Collate here at Sorry State—we’ve named two of their previous releases (2018’s Liminal Concerns and 2019’s Communication) Record of the Week—and with Generative Systems, they score the rare Sorry State hat trick. Collate’s music is grounded in the original post-punk sound, but unlike so many groups infatuated with this era, they sound vital, contemporary, and punk as fuck. Collate is a 3-piece and they do that Gang of Four thing where the bass holds down the melody while the guitar functions as more of a rhythm instrument. While the guitarist is fond of Andy Gill-style stabbing, the bass and drums are lithe and rubbery, reminding me of ESG’s ability to lock into a simple, danceable groove. Slick production can pull the life out of this style, but Collate recorded Generative Systems on a cassette 8-track and it has the gritty, lo-fi charm of records like the Fall’s Dragnet. And as with the Fall, there’s an air of menace to Collate’s music that runs counter to how straightforward and danceable it is. The lyrics are as spare as the music, working with Discharge-level word counts and often employing jargon in this threateningly fuzzy way, which I find poignant… as a former academic, I’m sensitive to the ways rhetoric is weaponized in order to reinforce or upset social pecking orders. While the analog recording and debts to 70s post-punk mean Generative Systems doesn’t exactly sound contemporary, it also doesn’t sound retro. I even hear hints of Fugazi in places (particularly on the songs Collate’s guitarist Jason sings)… I suppose Fugazi took a lot from Gang of Four themselves, but I think that comparison comes to mind because of the powerful ensemble playing and the music’s vitality. Musically powerful, lyrically astute, and just fucking coolGenerative Systems is another essential record from this brilliant band.

Record of the Week: 偏執症者 (Paranoid): S.C.U.M. 12"

偏執症者 (Paranoid): S.C.U.M. 12" (Beach Impediment Records) The latest 12” EP from Swedish d-beat veterans 偏執症者 (Paranoid) signals a significant shake-up in their sound. In many ways, though, it extends what 偏執症者 (Paranoid) has been up to for the past several years, continuing to widen their music’s scope, which takes in d-beat, noise, heavy metal, black metal, Japanese hardcore, and plenty more. It’s hard to deny, though, that S.C.U.M. includes more raw, straightforward hardcore in the mixture than the past few records. 偏執症者 (Paranoid) sounds aggressive as fuck here, playing hard and fast and generating fucked-up tones that, like the best noise-punk, push past grating into the terrifyingly sublime. S.C.U.M. is hardly a back-to-basics record, though, as the sonic hallmarks of their past several records are all over this new EP, which has plenty of rocked-out riffs, soaring melodic lead guitar, and ambitious song structures… they’re just served on a plate of sandpaper. I’m sure plenty of people will say S.C.U.M. is the best record 偏執症者 (Paranoid) has made in years, and if you’ve lost touch with them over the past few albums, it’s time to check back in. And if you’ve been along for the entire ride, you’ll love how S.C.U.M. synthesizes sounds from across the band’s ever-growing discography.

Record of the Week: Avskum: En Annan Värld Är Möjlig LP

Avskum: En Annan Värld Är Möjlig 12” (Prank Records) The world may be objectively worse than it was 20 years ago, but on the plus side at least Prank Records is still putting out new Avskum albums. I fucking love Avskum. It’s a pretty incredible achievement for a band that has been around for as long as they have, but I like each of their albums a little more than the previous one (comparing their albums to their earlier EPs and demos is kind of apples and oranges… I’m on the side of “it’s all awesome”). While En Annan Värld Är Möjlig is still sinking in, I think the trend might continue. This album has everything I love about Avskum. It’s fucking relentless in that Swedish käng style that just never lets up, with everything at maximum intensity all the time. The vocals are perfectly shredded and perfectly placed, and the guitarist just assaults you with riffs. I’ve always loved Avskum’s guitar style, which is full of dense, dark chords, drawing on an aspect of Bones’ style that few other guitarists pick up on. En Annan Värld Är Möjlig is full of all that stuff (I mean really full… it’s 17 tracks!) and not much else, so if this is the shit that cracks your brain up, don’t miss it.

Record of the Week: Puffer: S/T 7"

Puffer: S/T 7” (Roach Leg Records) The more I listen to this debut EP from Puffer, the more I’m convinced it’s a modern punk classic. Puffer has incredible, memorable songs, a ripping lead guitarist, a high-energy rhythm section, and a presentation that’s gritty and tough as nails. Their songwriting is the biggest of these many strengths. A song like “Iron Hand” is straightforward in its structure, built like a 60s garage tune with a big guitar hook at the top, a tension-building verse, and a big vocal hook in the chorus. All these hooks are great, and the song’s arrangement deploys them eloquently, with a bridge section coming right when you need a change of pace and a double chorus at the end to make sure the hook isn’t coming out any time soon. All four tracks are strong, but if there’s a standout, for me it’s “Sister Marie.” The intro riff on that one is a straight up classic, and I love how the vocal and lead guitar melodies (of which there are so many) are darker and moodier. Puffer is just a great fucking band, and they’re even more charming because they bathe their greatness in so much grime… this is on Roach Leg, after all, and its sound isn’t a departure from the label’s typical aesthetic. (Speaking of which, is it fair that Roach Leg gets to be the best raw punk label and the best pop label?) This EP has it all, and if classic 70s punk and raw 80s hardcore are the sounds closest to your heart, I think you’ll agree.

Record of the Week: Black Uniforms: Faces of Death LP

Black Uniforms: Faces of Death 12” (Unrest Records) Unrest Records gives us the first ever official vinyl reissue of this Swedish metal/hardcore monster. Black Uniforms is most famous for featuring Cliff, Anti-Cimex’s guitarist during the 90s, whose distinct riffing style shaped Absolute Country of Sweden and Scandinavian Jawbreaker. If you like those records (or Cliff’s later band Driller Killer), you should check out Black Uniforms, as his style is fully on display here, including a few licks that later make their way into the Cimex oeuvre. While there’s a lot of thrash metal influence in the riffing, the harsh vocals and the drums’ relentless d-beat, which rarely breaks the rhythm with fills or accents, keep things sounding very punk. (Also helping punk up Faces of Death is a medley of Moderat Likvidation songs that closes the record’s a-side.) Faces of Death is similar to the records English Dogs and Broken Bones were making in the mid-80s, and I think the songs on it are just as great as great as the ones on all-time favorites like Forward into Battle and Bonecrusher. Unfortunately, though, the production on Faces of Death is murky. I only knew this record from downloading crappy vinyl rips, so I was curious if this official reissue offered a big improvement in sound. It certainly sounds a lot better than any of those rips in terms of fidelity, but I still think the guitar-forward mix blunts the rhythm section’s impact. With a stronger mix, I think Faces of Death would be in the “all-time classic” category, but even if it falls a notch lower than that, it still fucking smokes. I certainly jumped on the opportunity to grip this record for less than several days’ wages, and if you like any of the aforementioned groups, you won’t regret following my lead.

Record of the Week: Enzyme: Golden Dystopian Age LP

Enzyme: Golden Dystopian Age 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Surely every punk with a social media account knows Enzyme just completed a triumphant North American tour. These Aussies are so damn cool-looking and photogenic that the algorithm loves them, and I feel like I saw classic-looking photos of their live antics daily while they were here. While the attention on Enzyme’s live show is deserved (they slayed at the date I caught in Richmond), I haven’t seen as much chatter about how fucking great their new album is. Seriously, Golden Dystopian Age is a face-melter, intense yet mind-bending, and with hooks! Enzyme’s sound takes a lot from the Confuse / Gai family tree, and that style can go either way for me… bands who add little to the formula are a dime a dozen, but there are bands like Lebenden Toten and D-Clone who make that sound the foundation of some of the most innovatively warped music in the entire underground. Ezyme belongs in the latter category… across Golden Dystopian Age you’ll not only hear a wide range of different distortion tones and textures, you’ll also get disco beats, electronic sequencer rhythms, and epic intros and outros. You never know what crazy sound will come at you next, and the wildness of it is so over the top I grin with delight when I listen. For all its progressiveness, though, it never feels like Enzyme is forcing you to listen to “experiments…” the songs are packed with hooks, with memorable moments like the wild drum pattern in “Chewing the Fat,” the infusion of disco in “Masquerade,” and the chanted choruses, which feel as firmly lodged in my brain as classic Steve Ignorant diatribes. Golden Dystopian Age is highly compressed, jamming so many ideas into its brief fourteen minutes it feels like it’s bursting with creativity. Its brevity also makes it extremely replayable, which only makes the hooks sink in deeper. Far more than just a souvenir from a memorable tour, Golden Dystopian Age should go down as one of punk’s most exciting triumphs of 2023.

Record of the Week: Physique: Again LP

Physique: Again 12” (Iron Lung Records) The new album from Olympia’s Physique on Iron Lung Records is (as I expected) a total steamroller, but I had no idea it would blow me away as thoroughly as it has. On Again, Physique strikes this incredible balance between being blindingly raw and pissed, but still making room for subtlety and creativity at every turn. Again is steeped in the history of d-beat and raw punk—from the band’s new, Doom-inspired logo, to the way they end the album with a stretched-out, psychedelic reprise of the leadoff / title track, to the numerous beats, riffs, and musical motifs that reference this music’s long tradition—but the point isn’t just homage, but rather to use that music’s power as a spark to ignite something more original and exciting. When I first listened to Again, I didn’t really grasp that subtlety though, because the bulldozing power took a while to wrap my ears and brain around. As the logo change hints, this time around there’s a nod to Doom and their bottom-heavy, slightly groovier take on Discharge’s sound. And Physique are fucking great at channeling that… their drummer is so deeply in the pocket that all I could do on the first several spins was pump my fist and get lost in that relentless, pummeling groove. However, as I started to get a handle on the songs, Again’s lush sonic world revealed itself to me. Where Physique really excels on Again is in their explorations of rhythm and texture, which have a psychedelic intricacy that makes me think of Can’s best records. The d-beat never stops pounding, but the drummer, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist weave in and out of that rhythm, sometimes embellishing it with polyrhythms that pull it in different directions, sometimes chopping it up and reconfiguring it with brutal stops, starts, and accents. And then there are the tones and textures, which are equally as exciting. In much the same way the rhythm never loses sight of its pounding d-beat core, the tones are always harsh and fucked, but pull from a large library of distortion tones and effects. Sometimes the excitement comes from whiplashing between these different sounds, and sometimes it comes from layering them on top of one another, as on the closing track “Again (reprise),” which wrestles with the title track’s main riff for more than seven minutes, hammering on that motif as the band conjures a psychedelic whirlwind of multitracked madness. Inspirations like Discharge’s “Why? (reprise)” and Disclose’s “Wardead” are easy to spot, but if you think that’s all you’re meant to hear or understand, you’ve missed all the best parts of Physique’s music. So turn the stereo up loud as fuck and let this wave of brutality crash over you.

Record of the Week: Chin-Chin: Cry in Vain LP

Chin-Chin: Cry in Vain 12” (Sealed Records) I’m not sure what my official “song of the summer” for 2023 is, but I am 100% certain it’s on this brilliant retrospective album from Switzerland’s Chin-Chin. Sealed Records dropped Cry in Vain early in July, not quite the beginning of the summer, but early enough for the album to provide the soundtrack as I made my way up and down the US’s east coast several times this summer, its propulsive beats and huge melodies keeping me awake and alert on late night drives with the windows down and the stereo blasting. Chin-Chin is so good that it makes me wonder how, after over two decades of being a total music fanatic who adores high-energy pop songs, I hadn’t come across them before. The group started in Switzerland in 1982, taking inspiration from the poppy punk of the Ramones, Generation X, and Blondie and melding that sound with the sweet harmonies of 60s girl groups. While their bio notes the members’ lack of experience, you’d never know it from listening to Cry in Vain… not only is the playing powerful and confident but also the band displays a total mastery of pop song craft. Each song is a masterpiece, so immediate you wonder if you’ve heard it before, but with enough sophistication and tact you can play it over and over without losing any impact (and trust me, I’ve played these songs a LOT!). While Chin-Chin predated the UK’s wave of punky pop referred to as the C86 scene (with bands like the Shop Assistants, the Pastels, and the Rosehips), that crowd fell in love with the still-active group, and 1987 saw a Chin-Chin compilation released on the seminal label 53rd and 3rd. Chin-Chin also recorded a 4-song BBC session with host Janice Long in 1988, and those tracks appear here for the first time… so even if you’re cooler than me and you already own every Chin-Chin record, you’ll still need Cry in Vain for those songs. I’d call the BBC session tracks highlights, but Cry in Vain is a record that’s all highlights, with nary a moment that doesn’t directly target my brain’s pop pleasure center.

No streaming link available for this release :(

Record of the Week: The Hell: S/T LP

The Hell: S/T 12” (Not for the Weak Records) “This one goes out to the bad boys” is inscribed at the bottom of the insert for the Hell’s debut LP on Not for the Weak Records. It’s the only information aside from the lyrics on the record’s layout, but it says what you need to know about this group from Cleveland, Ohio (the bad boy’s natural habitat). While the Hell plays at hardcore tempos, they remind me more of a nasty, Dead Boys-inspired punk band, with snot-crusted vocals and riffs that strut like a dirtbag gakked to the gills. A stark contrast to the militaristic and ritualistic intensity of hardcore descended from the Minor Threat branch of the family tree, this makes me think of New Jersey’s the Worst, Boston’s Vile, the Dwarves circa Blood, Guts & Pussy… bands that sounded like hardcore because it annoyed the norms, but if too many hardcore kids liked them, they’d find a way to alienate that audience too. While a true bad boy might take this record as a holy scripture, even a dweeb like me can thrash to the Hell… I just probably won’t invite them to stay at my place after the gig.