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Hello fellow Sorry Staters! Not too much going on in my world, except the obvious that I seem to mention every week. It just seems to continue to get more daunting to process and think about the political climate of the world, so sometimes I just need to shut down, turn it off, and get off of social media for a little while to give my brain and anxiety a little break. They recently announced a festival with a handful of dates called Slide Away Festival. I mention it because I’m very excited that Hum is reforming after the drummer’s death to play these festival dates. Shows are happening in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. I will probably make the trip to New York to see them in Brooklyn with none other than the Swirlies supporting the show. I am very excited!

I have been having a bit of writer’s block when it comes to picking out a record and talking about it. So I just randomly picked a CD out of my collection this week, and it just so happened to be a record I am really fond of. Mainly because I looked up to this band member throughout all of my teenage years discovering punk for the first time and then later discovering what punk could be in my 40s. I pulled out the CD, The Evens—Get Evens. This is the second album out of the three that they have recorded so far. Looking back at older reviews of this album when it first came out, folks did not give it very good reviews, stating that it was lazy and not as groundbreaking as the first self-titled album. Once I revisited this record, I just could not agree with those statements. Yes, the first self-titled album is really really good, but the second one just shows them mature into their odd indie folk-rock sound. The guitars sounded like they had more depth, and Ian MacKaye’s wife, Amy Farina, the drummer in the band, sounded way tighter and more intentional in what she was playing. Together, it finally came into a really tight and cohesive project. Maybe folks like the first album better because of the lo-fi grittiness of the recording, which most of the time is what I prefer, but this album found them at their best musically.

That is all I have for this week folks! Just a reminder since you made it to the bottom of the newsletter (thank you!) we have been listing a HUGE grindcore collection we picked up a week or so ago, and ya’ll are eating it up. We are listing things daily, so please continue to check the webstore if that is your thing.

What’s up Sorry State readers? Happy October! I can’t wait for the weather to cool off and for some fall festivities to commence. I’ll probably end up writing a staff pick or two on a horror movie… who knows? This week though, I’ll be writing about a cool record I found in the store. Whenever I’m working the counter and it gets busy and I need to throw something on real quick, the world section is usually the first spot I’ll consult and just grab whatever is the coolest/most interesting-looking thing. We’ve gotten a ton of great stuff in recently, but one record I’ve particularly been enjoying a lot is this compilation by the Ethiopian jazz artist, Mulatu Astatke: New York - Addis – London. This double LP compiles tracks of his ranging from 1965-1975 and they’re all fantastic. Just very chill and relaxing tunes to throw on, but still interesting enough to keep you hooked and listening. There’s also some more upbeat, dance-y numbers on here too, like Asiyo Bellema. There’s a wide mix of influences on here honestly and all kinds of different styles, like some tracks with a Latin jazz influence or Afro-Cuban. I think you’d be hard-pressed to listen to this and not find a track on here that you love. I’m a big fan of the final track, Tezeta. It sounds like such a fitting final track and almost sounds like you’d hear it roll in the credits of some cool-ass old foreign movie or something. Check this one out for sure!

Hi and thanks for reading. I went and saw MASTER last night here in town. I was on the fence cos I don’t like going to metal shows. I don’t really even like metal; I think it’s corny shit. Of course, I love SEPULTURA. I also think SUFFOCATION’s Human Waste EP is a masterpiece. And, I do like every DARKTHRONE record I have ever heard. My friend got me into MASTER sometime during the pandemic. Their 1990 LP is excellent, if you ask me. I hoped they would play some tracks from it, and they sure did. Recently I discovered their unreleased demo from 1985, and that shit rips as well. The show was thirty bucks, another reason I didn’t wanna go. I lucked out and walked in with the right person though, cos the door guy let me in for free. So sick. At first, I thought the band was a bit too cheesy. The drummer would stand up often after songs. The guitarist would point the neck of his guitar at the crowd with his legs spread. He and the guitarist both would stick their tongues out and make mean metal faces. But after some time, I could see they were just having a good time. In between a few songs near the end, they would jam out on some silly riffs, and I could see their band dynamic was wholesome and not super serious. This was pleasant to see. The crowd was stiff. But still, I had to throw some beer cans at the band. I wasn’t sure how they’d take it, but who cares. The drummer gave me a tongue of affirmation though, hahah. One can landed on his little splash cymbal, and he loved it. After the gig was over, I saw what I thought were two people approaching the bassist/vocalist separately and asking him for the set list on his amp. He would just shake his head and turn his back to them. I waited a few minutes and then asked him if those guys had asked for the set list. He confirmed that happened, and then I asked him why he wouldn’t give it up. He said he didn’t wanna have to write a new one, haha. Well, I still asked him for the set list, politely. He turned me down at first, but I said I would even write him a new set list if I could keep the original. Not sure if it was the punishing or the charisma, but he surrendered it to me in the end. Score, hehe.

Alright, onward to my staff pick - LAMA!!! This record is essential for any record collection, easily. The Svart description nailed it perfectly, and you can read that in the product description on our website. I did a bit of LAMA nerding a few months ago when I wrote about the LAMA box set that Svart also did, so I really don’t have a lot to say today about their LP. If you still haven’t picked one of those box sets up for some odd reason, you seriously need one. Their LP was originally released on Johanna, just like all their EPs. The LP was released in 1982, after they did three of the four 7”s. It kinda sucks I can’t find the LP online anywhere streaming, but there is some sick live footage of them playing a track from the LP. If you haven’t heard this LP, just trust me that it’s good as I say and you need a copy, haha. This is the second time Svart has pressed it; the first time was back in 2011. Those actually became kinda hard to come by, so it’s great that Svart put it back in print! Oh yeah, if you don’t have that double-disc compilation that Stupido did a few years ago, maybe you haven’t heard these demo recordings from 1980! It’s mostly just the Totuus Löytyy Kaurapuurosta EP, however there is a song that I don’t think they ever recorded again, and it only appeared in that demo session. I saw the same youtube channel has a live recording of LAMA from 1981, and they play a good chunk of the LP songs. I know live recordings that are just audio with no video can be boring for some, but I think it was still cool listen—check it out! Alright, I think that’s all I have for today. Cheers and thanks for reading, and thanks for your support!

Hey there everyone, what’s up?

Thanks for checking in with us. I missed the newsletter last week as I visited Norfolk, Virginia to attend the Johnny Marr gig. He was over here stateside with his band making a whistle-stop tour of a few cities before heading back for a more extensive European tour. It was fantastic seeing him again. A true legend and the nicest and coolest guitar slinger around. The show gave me a chance to catch up with some old friends and provided a welcome break from all the madness happening here in America currently. Shout out to local band Community Witch, who supported and got the crowd warmed up. Nice one.

Talking of good shows, I didn’t get a chance to mention the fun time we all had seeing Modem from Finland the other week. Despite a less than sold-out crowd, they gave us the full Monty. We were entertained to say the least. Kudos to their support Clear Channel from Washington D.C., who were ace. If you like ESG-like funky bass lines and Go-Go influences in your pop music, then check these guys out. We still have a couple of their records for sale. Check them out.

I’ll be listening to and watching more live music this weekend as I return to Shakori Hills for the first time since the pandemic. It’s a small bespoke festival that takes place twice a year here in North Carolina and always has good vibes. Musically, it’s billed as grassroots and dance. The lineups have everything from bluegrass to Afrobeat, and I always end up hearing something cool that I wasn’t aware of or expecting. My local DJ buddies and I will be at the Vinyl Lounge tent all weekend spinning records before, between and after bands play. It’s always a good hang and laugh. I haven’t camped in a while, so hope I can remember all my boy scout knots. LoL.

Here at the store, we have been processing several cool collections. Lots of different styles of music to cover a lot of different tastes. One I was pricing had some cool jazz records that are on the floor currently. A few heavy hitters and a lot of nice clean represses of some classics. One that I have in my personal collection is a record by Larry Young called Larry Young’s Fuel. It’s a cool, funky jazz fusion record from 1975 and recommended listening.

Larry Young left the world prematurely, aged just 37, dying from pneumonia. I’ve had that and just made sure I got my vaccine the other week. It’s no joke. The Fuel album came out in 1975 and was released on the Arista label, his new label after a one-album deal at Perception and an almost decade-long residency at Blue Note. His Unity album on Blue Note from 1966 with Joe Henderson is considered a classic and a signpost recording for progressive jazz. Not quite free jazz, but moving in that direction. The Coltrane influence is apparent. Young was an organist primarily, although he played piano too. His style was initially influenced by Jimmy Smith, but he soon developed a unique style and sound of his own. Either as a leader or sideman, his name is on some of the best records that Blue Note released during the sixties. He even turns up on a recording with Jimi Hendrix that surfaced after the guitar hero passed. His contributions to Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew cannot be underestimated, nor can his work with Tony Williams Lifetime. His jazz credentials are firmly established.

At Arista, Young cut two albums. The follow-up to Fuel came out the following year in 1976 and was titled Spaceball. I like that one too. The pair of records could be described as prog-jazz, jazz-fusion, jazz-funk or space-funk. The tags are all accurate. Obviously, Spaceball would fit the last category. Interestingly, the first album is credited to Larry Young, whereas the second artist’s name is Larry Young’s Fuel. I imagine after the first album he considered the group a project and so Spaceball was credited to the group and not him singularly. Maybe? There is a third album, called The Magician, that has a lot of the same musicians and producers, which was recorded in New York but only released in Germany in 1977. He sadly passed the following year.

On these records, Larry Young not only plays the organ and piano but incorporates Moog synths and Fender Rhodes electric keyboards into his repertoire. There are also vocals on the records, making them more soulful, and the rhythm section is definitely funky. Spaceball even has a guest appearance from guitar ace Larry Coryell, who was in the midst of making his own funky fusion records with his group Eleventh House. Another name that might be recognizable is that of Julius Brockington. He was a keyboardist also and an arranger and released a couple of cool soul-jazz records on the Today label a few years prior. Today was a sister label to Perception and part owned by producer Terry Philips, who exec-produced the Larry Young’s Fuel albums. Connect the dots.

These records might not please jazz purists, taking on as they do a very commercial approach much different to his earlier work, but to the modern ear, I think they hold up very well. A big part of that might be the vocals from Laura Logan, who has been described as giving the record a similar vibe to the ones being made by Betty Davis. The production style is much more modern sounding too, and proved tempting for hip-hop producers to sample. The drum and keyboard sounds are both tight and futuristic, yet based on a solid foundation of soul and funk from the past. It’s a shame that Larry had to leave us so early, as based on these outings he was far from over as a musician and artist.

If mid 1970s funk and fusion is your thing and you haven’t listened to Fuel and Spaceball, I would highly recommend you do. We have a copy of Fuel here at the store for anyone interested. Great thing too, not expensive. Another cool record that punches above its weight. Check it out here. Don’t forget to Turn Off The Lights.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry State fiends and ghouls?

Wow, October 1st already? I must say, this is my favorite time of the year. Seems just as of the last couple days, all of a sudden there’s a bit of a chill in the air. Around my neighborhood, I’m already seeing people adorn their lawns with cheesy decorations, whether I casually encounter skeleton legs sticking out of someone’s garden, people pumping up their collection of giant monster inflatables, or something as simple as just a couple pumpkins plopped out in the grass. As corny as I know it can be, I always try to make a concerted effort to get excited about “spooky season,” as it were. I haven’t been feeling as energetic or motivated about… well, really anything lately. But hopefully some fun Halloween-related activities will reveal themselves in the next couple weeks and I’ll force myself to have rad and eventful October.

The major thing I get excited about once October comes around is binging a bunch of horror movies. Just down the street from me, one of our local movie theaters the Alamo Drafthouse here in Raleigh often hosts a bunch of cool specialty screenings of October-appropriate flicks. There are certain things I don’t like about how Alamo conducts business, like how you’re required to reserve your seat in advance, they’re strict about making too much noise during the movie, blah blah… But I’m sure I’ll try to catch a few movies at the theater over the course of this month. But beyond going out and seeing movies in theaters, I love building excitement and making an excuse to reach for a bunch of my VHS tapes. Because the first day of the month falls on our usual newsletter day, I potentially have 5 opportunities to talk about movies as my staff pick rather than records. Aren’t you excited, Sorry State readers? Mwahahahaha.

The other night, basically functioning as my early dose building anticipation for spooky season, I revisited the movie Popcorn. Since I was just talking about wanting to go see movies at the Alamo, I thought Popcorn would be a cool choice because a majority of the movie is set inside a movie theater! For those unfamiliar, this movie was originally released in 1991, and is basically a slasher, but with a really creative backdrop for the killer. The tone of the movie rides a fine line between actual scares, but also dark humor and clever pop culture references. There’s some serious laugh-out-loud moments.

The plot of Popcorn surrounds a group of film students who decide to rent out an old theater and host a triple-feature horror film festival. Now hold up—let me see if I can verbalize this in a way that makes sense… what I think is so awesome about Popcorn is that the 3 movies shown at the theater (the movies inside the movie) at first glance appear like they could be old black & white 50s horror classics. In actuality, all 3 films are completely fictional and created specifically for Popcorn. They’re basically parodies, clever spoofs of actual films that seem familiar, but are basically riffs on the genre. This is also several years before Scream, which was famous for referencing horror clichés within the movie. I think it’s brilliant that the filmmakers actually had to go out and film and create fully realized concepts for fictional movies that seem convincing while functioning as background for the actual plot.

Another big aspect so cleverly utilized in Popcorn, which is also referential to classic horror movies, is the use of in-theater gimmicks to sell the movie to the audience. This was a big pop culture moment for late 50s/early 60s horror. For example, the first movie of the triple-feature is Mosquito, which is a riff on giant insect movies from the 1950s, and this movie is shown in 3D, so you see all the audience members wearing 3D glasses. Also, the film students rig a giant animatronic mosquito to fly across the audience inside the theater whenever the mosquito on screen attacks. The second movie is called Attack of the Amazing Electrified Man. The audience doesn’t realize that their seats are rigged with a “buzzer” that shocks them when someone gets electrocuted on screen, which is a reference to a 50s movie called The Tingler. Then finally, the third fictional film is called The Stench, which they (for no reason) decide to make into a dubbed movie, fashioned after imported Japanese films like Godzilla or whatever. Its accompanying gimmick, pouring repulsive gas into the audience, is an obvious variation of Smell-O-Vision, the gimmick used in a 1960s movie called Scent of Mystery.

I wanted to get all that information written down, just because I think it’s interesting, but I really don’t wanna spoil the movie if you haven’t seen it. Just know that the killer utilizes the screams of the audience in the theater environment and all the accompanying “gimmicks” from each film to achieve some rather creative kills while the “audience” within theater remains completely unaware or assumes it’s part of the show. There’s some other weird film-related side plot that I won’t get into. But yeah, I fucking love this movie. Quick side note: what’s pretty funny is that Popcorn came out in 1991. But I guess before this, there was never actually a giant killer mosquito movie? Then in 1994, a movie called Mosquito was released… which, you must assume that someone saw Popcorn and thought, “Damn, that’s actually not a bad idea!” Hahaha.

Anyway, prepare for future blabbing about movies over the next several weeks. Tonight, I’m going to see The Shrouds, which is the new David Cronenberg movie. I’m stoked.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

I’m running way behind on the newsletter, so I’ll try to keep things relatively brief this week. That shouldn’t be hard, as I know more or less nothing about my pick for this week:

Agitate Power: Noise Distraction 7” flexi (self-released, 1990)

According to Discogs, Agitate Power formed in Tokyo in 1987, and this 1990 flexi is very much of its time, featuring six blazing hardcore tunes and an instrumental intro (charmingly titled “Intoro”). I’d describe Agitate Power’s sound as skate thrash, and if the photos on the inside of the sleeve are any indication, they had the look to match. While there were strong connections to other scenes, this vein of skate thrash seemed like a very Japanese phenomenon, branching off from the established hardcore scene over the second half of the 80s. The music was still hardcore, but more hyperactive and less groove-oriented than earlier iterations of Japanese hardcore, with bands employing super fast paddle beats that segued into mid-paced mosh parts at semi-regular intervals. Anthemic choruses with gang vocals were another very prominent feature of the style. As for the fashion, spikes and studs were out, as many bands grew their hair long and adopted skate culture’s streetwear aesthetic… shorts, neon colors, hi-tops, bandanas, etc. Bands like Heresy, Ripcord, and Lärm were doing something similar in Europe, but as is often the case, the Japanese iteration of this sound and style turned everything up to eleven.

While I don’t know much about the people who were part of this scene or how it operated, I imagine its popularity was tied, at least somewhat, to the band S.O.B., who’s 1986 7” Leave Me Alone and 1987 mini-album Don’t Be Swindle got a lot of attention both internationally and within Japan when they were released. S.O.B. weren’t really skate thrash, but they were super fast and their colorfully illustrated album artwork looked like it came from the design crew behind Zorlac Skateboards. As skate thrash coalesced into a distinct strain of Japanese hardcore, some groups that had been around for a while—among them Deadless Muss, Rose Rose, and Outo—started to resemble the new thrash bands in their sound and aesthetic, while a new crop of younger bands put down skateboards and picked up guitars and drumsticks. For whatever reason, this style isn’t very fashionable nowadays, so a lot of these records (especially ones by lesser-known bands) can be found cheap… the Discogs median on this Agitate Power flexi currently stands at $8.50 USD.

I’ve had this flexi on my want list for a couple years (a reasonably priced copy from a US seller prompted me to pull the trigger), but since it arrived, it seems like Japanese skate thrash keeps popping up in my world. Yesterday Usman posted the first edition of Hardcore Knockouts for some time, and the records he chose were two of my favorite late 80s Japanese records, the Chicken Bowels 7” (which I wrote about as my staff pick a few years ago when I finally found a copy) and the Half Years 7”. Half Years was the short-lived band formed by guitarist Zigyaku after he left Gudon and before he formed Bastard (and after that, Judgement)… Zigyaku also produced the Chicken Bowels 7” (and, if my ears aren’t mistaken, contributed some wicked guitar leads). We were talking last night, and I guess Usman doesn’t consider either Chicken Bowels or Half Years skate thrash, but that might be because he likes those bands and he thinks skate thrash sucks. (The market agrees with him… while I mentioned cheap skate thrash records above, Chicken Bowels and Half Years will set you back a pretty penny if you can find them.) I think both bands definitely have elements of the style, though, and if the singer’s shorts on Half Years’ Discogs profile image aren’t a smoking gun, then I don’t know what is.

I’ve also been thinking about Japanese skate thrash thanks to the big grindcore / fastcore / hardcore collection that I mentioned last week. I’ve been listing 7”s from that collection to the used section of our website most every day, and there’s a lot of what I’d classify as skate thrash in there, though mostly from the late 90s and 2000s. While that late 80s / early 90s thing seemed like mostly a Japanese phenomenon, the sound and aesthetic eventually migrated east, leaving a big impact on the “bandana thrash” bands of the early 2000s. I have a feeling that the OG Japanese bands were a big influence on American groups like What Happens Next?, Life’s Halt, Scholastic Deth, and Gordon Solie Motherfuckers. One key labels from that scene was 625 Thrashcore, who has carried the torch for this brand of skate thrash longer and further than anyone. Alongside his other focus on west coast power violence, Max from 625 continues to release small-run records by Japanese thrash bands to this day.

There’s a whole world of this stuff out there, but sadly I’m not the person to guide you through it (at least not yet). This Agitate Power flexi definitely punches above its Discogs median, though, so pick it up if you have the opportunity. It’s also on the meaner / tougher end of the skate thrash spectrum, so it might be a good entry point if you’re still in the process of acquiring a taste for this unique style. Also, shout out to my friend Markku for introducing me to this record and Judd from Sex/Vid, who was the US seller I bought my copy from. I first traded records with Judd nearly 30 years ago, so it’s a trip to see his return address on a package in 2025.

Hello fellow Sorry Staters! What a wild fucking time we are living in right now. Why can’t all the reasonable, kind-hearted people just be blasted off into space to start a new colony on Mars or something?! I hope everyone continues to make the best of this horrible timeline. Therapy has been doing wonders for me to get past it all, but damn does it still feel heavy.

Black metal has always been a genre that has kinda been adjacent to punk for me. I have always been intrigued by it and have always thought it was so daunting trying to figure out where to start, but like everything else I just jumped in with what was being talked about the most. This has never really steered me wrong, but this past week I have been going down a hole consuming a lot of raw black metal and dungeon synth… well mostly dungeon synth. I can’t help but love something I can just have on in the background while doing mundane chores around the house while imagining that I’m on my way to fight some big-ass dragon like I’m a character in Skyrim.

Old Nick is one of those raw black metal / dungeon synth acts that when you first hear it, you can’t help but scratch your head and wonder if they are being serious or not. Old Nick released their first album in 2020 and have released plenty more in the five years they have been together. Some sound completely the same, and some that take on a whole new meaning to raw black metal and dungeon synth. Often using lo-fi dancey type beats at the beginning of songs to using a melodica and a mandolin in most others. In the album Crisp Winter Dawn Of My Night Moon, the track Haunted Broom comes out of the gate with a thumping synth that sounds like some evil dream sequence. It’s a great EP from start to finish, and everything in their catalog is totally worth checking out.

Hi Sorry State readers! It’s me again. I hope to get on here from time to time, particularly if I’m super stoked to write about a record. This is one of those weeks.

First, how’s everyone doing? It’s a hot and gross day out, and the grass feels like straw. But I hear it’s gonna rain this week. I can’t wait for it to be real fall. Hey, it looks like October has us covered with some sick shows in Raleigh. Rigorous Institution is on tour and swinging by Raleigh on the 19th, and Golpe (also on tour) is hitting up Raleigh on the 20th! Trust me you do not want to miss either show. I saw Golpe at Sorry State Fest a few years back, and they did not disappoint.

Okay, so my pick is a no-brainer for me. It’s the latest installment in the Dark Thoughts catalogue! Brought to us by Stupid Bag in the US and Drunken Sailor in the UK. It’s their fourth album, Highway to the End, and it’s their first LP since 2018. Lemme tell ya, It was well worth the wait.

This one is 11 songs in 16 minutes, and maybe their fastest record yet? The opening track, Slept till 2, is the perfect opener. It’s super short, but it’s a great way to say “we’re back!” It’s fast and punchy and the perfect teaser for what’s to come. The second track, A Different World, is one of my favorites on the record. Hell, it’s one of my favorites in their whole catalogue. The rhythm, melody, and vocal delivery are perfection.

I’ve written a staff pick on the debut Dark Thoughts album, so I’m not gonna go into it, but there are times I’m listening to this new record that I’m reminded of that masterpiece. Maybe it’s the speed and vocal flow that brings me back, but this new one is more guitar-centered and a bit less poppy.

Each Dark Thoughts record brings something different, but while staying within the boundaries of what makes Dark Thoughts, Dark Thoughts. I hate to use the word, boundaries. That’s such a dumb industry word. I hope you know what I mean, though. So yeah, it’s fast and high-energy, hooky and addictive like its predecessors. But I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge its darker and more reflective themes.

Some songs are obviously deeply personal, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to address lyrical content I have no clue about. But the following lines from the song Off the Rails resonated with me: “it’s ok to fall off the rails for a little while. Everybody falls off the rails for a little while. Fallin’ off the rails again.” That made me think that I don’t even know if I’ve ever been firmly planted on any proverbial rail. If there’s a rail, I’m usually just hanging onto it and hoping for the best. I just got a flashback from that scene from Lost Boys where all the vamps and Michael (minutes away from becoming a vampire) were hanging onto the rails under the train tracks, and then they each fall into the darkness. Anyway, back to reality.

There is also a ballad on this new album called Please Don’t be Lonesome. This was an unexpected addition for me. I gotta say it grew on me, but it took some time. The first half is pretty different for Dark Thoughts, then about halfway through they speed things up. It maintains a gloomy but hopeful vibe throughout the track. I find that while the album is somewhat darker than the previous albums, overall, there is a hopeful undertone peeking through.

I gotta mention this little part at the beginning of the last song, Sweet Success, when Amy says, “ok stay where you are, we’re gonna do one more.” I don’t know what it is about Amy’s voice, but it adds something to the dynamic that I can’t really explain. So, I will just say this. I’d love to hear Amy sing on a Dark Thoughts song. There’s something about her voice, and when she does her thing, you just want to hear more. And come on… Daniel Cox just can’t miss on drums. Fast and tight, perfect rhythm, etc. This Philly trio has their shit all the way together.

Dark Thoughts mastered the Ramones formula in a way that still feels fresh and exciting. In a way that feels way more than just a Ramones-inspired band. They definitely adopt the Ramones three or four chord, hooky, fun, high-octane sound, but they flesh out that blueprint in their own way. In a way that makes me stop wanting to call it Ramones-core.

Personally, it’s hard for me to rank their four albums. The debut will always be number one in my heart. After that, it gets tough, so I’m not gonna do it. I will say you need all four, as each one truly brings something new to the table. In the first three albums, you get some snotty, dancy, poppy, and light-hearted lovey moments. And the latest album adds something more guitar-driven and a little more serious to the recipe. But like every album before it, Highway to the End is a banger. It’s exciting and fresh and never ever boring. I will forever look forward to new Dark Thoughts music. Get yourself a copy now!

Thanks for reading!

Angela

Hi and thanks for reading. I have been blasting records for a change. I have also been getting blasted drunk every night for like three weeks, and my body is without a doubt feeling it. Instead of writing about records I have been listening to, I am going to write about the 185 Miles South podcast Daniel was just featured on this week. I guess I’m not really writing about the podcast too much, but more about VORKRIEGSPHASE, who is pictured above and talked about a bit in the podcast.

So, I can’t tell you how many times I yelled out, “Oh my god…” while listening to this podcast. My opinions differed so often from what was being said. Not every time, of course, but goddamn sometimes I was like, “What the fuck?” haha. But that tracks, cos I think that SOA 7” they praised in passing pretty much sucks, so it makes sense we’d have significantly different opinions on hardcore. I know it came out in 1981, and stuff coming out that early usually means something to me, but in this case it does not. Now something like the KAAOS/CADGERS split 7” that also came out in 1981, that is right up my alley… straightforward, raw and pissed off, with political lyrics and not Henry Rollins’ buff ass singing about wanting to die, straight edge, or girl problems. I don’t mean to dog the podcast, so I hope it doesn’t come off that way. It was a good listen, and I appreciated the shout-out in the beginning.

I kinda wish I was there to interject with some nerdy trivia, and that brings me to talk about VORKRIEGSPHASE here today. So, when talking about VORKRIEGSPHASE, like most people I encounter, they raved about the insane guitar tone. Something I find so funny about that is how the band’s master did not sound like that, and it was Rock-O-Rama that changed the sound, to the band’s disliking. In the podcast they talked about the LP and EP, and they weren’t sure which came first. If I was there, I would have interjected and let them know the LP and EP are from the same session, and they were released on ROR at the same time (they are just one catalogue number apart). They actually mentioned this bootleg with their demos that came out a few years ago, and inside that bootleg the insert has an interview with Frank, the guitarist from VORKRIEGSPHASE. At some point I learned where this interview was originally published, but I can’t remember for the life of me where that was. I can’t type out the entire interview here, but I will add these few bits that I found the most informative.

Q: So, tell us about this legendary guitar sound of yours—how did you manage to play your guitar with so much distortion? What effects did you use? What guitar sound did you try to re-create, if any?

Frank: I used a tube screamer and distortion and had a Marshall amp, plus Ariana pro II guitar with DiMarzio pickups. And yes, I liked to create a powerful distorted guitar sound that sounded mean while playing fast.

Q: I’m assuming the biggest influence on VORKRIEGSPHASE sound was the golden bands of UK82 (i.e. DISCHARGE, CHAOS UK, DISORDER, and G.B.H.) What bands did you listen to at the time? What was the inspiration for the unique VORKRIEGSPHASE sound?

Frank: DISCHARGE, BAD BRAINS, and MDC were some of my favorite bands at that time and they were a big influence. We did want our own unique sound and so our drummer had a big impact on this regard.

Q: In retrospect, it is very tempting to group VORKRIEGSPHASE with other hardcore bands from the early 80s with similarly distorted guitar sound such as CONFUSE, GAI/SWANKYS from Japan, or the chaotic sound of Italian bands like EU’s ARSE, IMPACT, and WRETCHED. Or the “DISCHARGE” bands from Sweden like SHITLICKERS and ANTI-CIMEX, or indeed the bands from Finland like TERVEET KÄDET, KAAOS, TAMPERE SS etc. Were you aware of these specific bands at the time?

Frank: Ha ha ha, “SHITLICKERS?”… Yikes… haha… no I did not listen to any of these bands.

Q: OK, so how did the Rock-O-Rama thing come about? Did you send demos to Herbert Egoldt or did he “discover” you? Did you sign a formal contract with him?

Frank: We did send a demo and yes he liked it—yes we had a contract… we sold our souls haha.

Q: As the story goes, Hebert Egoldt remixed your studio recording “behind your back” and this ended up on the records. What really happened?

Frank: Yes—the master tape we listened to at the end of the recording session was different from the final album release. He added some kind of overdrive to the guitar sound, too much buzzzzz for my taste—I love crazy distorted guitar sounds, but there is no point in creating a sound that eliminates the chords we played. An example is “Neue Heimat”—listen to the start of the song, that’s exactly how I liked the way the guitar mixed. The drum sounds pale, it’s kinda lost…

Alright, I’m outta time, and I don’t have it in me to type out any more tiny text haha. I will try to find the source of this interview and where it was published originally. Check out the podcast if you have not yet! They talk about a ton of killer records. Cheers and thanks for reading.

I wanna mention really quickly that last-minute I got asked to appear on Analog Attack’s What Are You Listening To? podcast this Friday (September 26th). Tune in if you’ve got nothing better to do!

I might need to keep my staff pick brief this week. Brain is running on fumes. We’ll see how this goes… While it’s blazing hot outside today, there have been hints of the autumn season approaching. October is always my favorite time of the year. Pretty soon, I might annoyingly wanna only talk about movies rather than records. But speaking of the seasons changing, does anybody else operate in this way where you have records that you save to listen to until certain times of the year? You say shit like: “It’s just the perfect record for summer!” Perhaps this impulse is a rather dorky way to approach listening to music, but I’m definitely guilty of categorizing records in this way.

One record I’ve been listening to recently and that I always reach for when it’s particularly gloomy and grey outside is For Ever Grounded by The Effigies. Funny enough, a little birdy told me that Daniel might also be writing about a beloved punk band from Chicago this week. It’s funny to think about that this is technically the first Effigies full-length album. Following several great EPs, For Ever Grounded was released in 1984. While those post-punk influences were always detectable even as early as their first EP in 1981, on this LP they dive headfirst into that sound. Some people might consider this to be a major departure for the band. Maybe there was something in the air at this point in the mid-80s? But I feel like there’s several mid-period records by hardcore bands I lump into this category—like, bands who shift into more moody, melodic and contemplative songwriting. Obviously, Within These Walls by Toxic Reasons comes to mind… except for maybe the reggae song. Even Social Unrest on SU-2000 with a song like “There’s A Stranger Inside”. But For Ever Grounded is maybe one of the most intentional seismic shifts from a band’s early material into creating something different altogether.

Firstly, let me say before I joke around in a cheeky manner that I love this record dearly. But from the moment you drop the needle on the first track, you know you’re not about to hear “Body Bag - Part II”. The effect-laden, majestic and meandering guitar intro on “Smile!” with its droning, almost Eastern-influenced melody makes you feel like you’re about to hear something more like “She Sells Sanctuary” by The Cult. And to some degree, this is not far off. The second track, which is one of my favorites, “A Tight And Blue Cut” opens with a jaggedly funky bass riff totally drenched in chorus. The song then breaks into a totally angular marching 4-on-the-floor drum pattern, like a frantic, meth-fueled disco groove. The juxtaposition and separation between the propulsive bass groove and the melodically and rhythmically opposing high-pitch guitar work sounds so cool. Very otherworldly and unique. We even get some obviously artificial and canned-sounding hand claps mixed super loud, which also happen at the most catchy and opportune moments.

This record has so many great songs, just one banger after another. The next couple tracks sound more like the early Effigies records. Songs like “Silent Burn” and “Coarse In Vein” are much more riff-forward with big guitar chords and a driving drum beat more akin to hardcore. But then the final track, “Something That…” is a moment of pure pop goodness. The sweetness of the groovy, major-key bass line sounds like something that could be plucked from a mid-80s New Order record. The vocals on this song, with their bouncy, almost rap-like rhythmic cadence, come across more like Depeche Mode than a hardcore punk band. That said, The Effigies do decide to record a reprisal of their classic anthem “Mob Clash”, which originally appeared on their debut Haunted Town EP. Now, I love the original version from 1981, sounding very timeless and organic. But this re-recording on For Ever Grounded has a bit of an 80s production sonic makeover and is played at a faster tempo, which in some ways captures the band sounding much more confident. Even originally, “Mob Clash” had a bit of a funky disco hi-hat groove, and the way the band repurposes and reinterprets the song makes it feel like it gels perfectly along with the rest of the forward-thinking material on this LP.

If any of the disparate musical influences I’ve mentioned appeal to you… or if you’re even a fan of the early The Effigies material and you’ve resisted checking out this record, I highly suggest giving it another shot. You might need to go in with an open mind. Just realize that this classic melodic Chicago punk band is also good at writing a pure 80s pop song. Then again, maybe you’ll hate it. Oh well. I love it, personally.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Next week I’m sure I’ll be talking about subjects more-so related to Jack-O-Lanterns and Jason Voorhees. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Last week we put up a preorder for new reissues of the classic Naked Raygun albums. After a few years of licensed vinyl pressings on Haunted Town Records, Naked Raygun’s catalog is returning to Quarterstick Records, the Touch & Go subsidiary that handled the first round of Naked Raygun CD reissues in 1999. I don’t know if there will be anything particularly new or special about these pressings, but I’m stoked to have the essential albums by one of my all-time favorites back in stock. The other day I was driving home from Greensboro after picking up a collection for the shop. The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot (a rarity in North Carolina), and the day seemed to beg for some singalong punk. That’s when I decided I’d celebrate these reissues by listening to the entire Naked Raygun discography and putting together a quick user’s guide to the band’s catalog for those of you who might not know them well or haven’t checked out everything. I also put together a YouTube playlist featuring all the key tracks I call out below, which functions as a nice audio primer on the band.

If you’re a total Raygun novice, the first thing you should know is that Naked Raygun is from Chicago. Not only are they from Chicago, but they’re a particularly Chicago-y sounding Chicago band. For many people, it’s Naked Raygun and their peers the Effigies who defined the Chicago punk sound with their big vocal melodies and tough, but slightly somber-sounding, chord progressions, echoes of which you could hear in the city’s home-grown takes on pop-punk and emo that came long after NR and the Effigies’ heyday. Chicago’s scene was somewhat unique among American cities in that its bands (and Naked Raygun and the Effigies in particular) took a lot of influence from 70s UK punk. The Buzzcocks and Stiff Little Fingers seem to have been held in particularly high regard in Chicago, so if you love that sound—big guitars, big vocal melodies, a driving rhythm section—Naked Raygun is going to be right up your alley.

Naked Raygun’s first record was 1983’s Basement Screams, though it’s not the place I would recommend starting if you’re digging into Naked Raygun for the first time. Even though the band had been bumping around for several years (they formed in 1980 and contributed an early version of “Bomb Shelter” to 1981’s Busted at Oz compilation), Naked Raygun hadn’t quite found their voice on Basement Screams. You can hear glimmers of their later melodic punk stuff (particularly on “I Lie”), but the record draws more from UK post-punk bands like Gang of Four, Wire, and Joy Division. Naked Raygun would always have quirky, arty moments on their records, but the scales tip in that direction on Basement Screams. While I wouldn’t rank it among Naked Raygun’s strongest records, Basement Screams certainly has its moments, and for people whose tastes lean toward artier sounds, it might be the only Naked Raygun record you really like. I’ve always been partial to the song “Tojo” with its upbeat, Fall-esque rhythm, big chorus, and odd lyrics. If you take a liking to this era of the band—and many people do—check out reissues of Basement Screams, whose bonus tracks flesh out the picture of this first iteration of Naked Raygun. Key tracks: “I Lie,” “Tojo.”

Collector Nerd Sidebar: In 1984, Ruthless Records previewed Naked Raygun’s debut album with a 3-song 7” called Flammable Solid. This record has never been reissued. The versions of “Surf Combat” and “Gear” on the b-side are exactly the same as the album versions as far as I can tell, but the a-side track, “Libido,” sounds to me like an alternate mix that shaves about a minute off the song’s runtime and adds some electric organ overdubs. This release is for nerds only, and super-duper nerds will also need it with the vellum lyric insert and sticker. My copy actually has 3 stickers, 2 of which have different Naked Raygun stamps, so I guess that makes me a super-duper mega turbo nerd.

Naked Raygun’s first proper full-length was 1985’s Throb Throb, which saw guitarist John Haggerty join the band, an important moment because—along with Jeff Pezzati’s soaring vocals—Haggerty’s beefy guitar sound was Naked Raygun’s most identifiable sonic hallmark. The earlier, art-punk Naked Raygun is still here on tracks like “Gear” and “Libido,” but “Rat Patrol,” “Metastasis,” and especially “I Don’t Know” (that lead guitar part!!!!!) find the core element’s of Naked Raygun’s high style falling into place. Another standout is “Surf Combat,” which fits in that art-punk bucket structurally, but is so kinetic and boisterous that it’s kind of hardcore. With all that energy and the band’s leanest, most direct-sounding recording, Throb Throb is a lot of hardcore fans’ favorite Naked Raygun album, and a great place to start if you love 80s American hardcore but don’t really know Naked Raygun. Key tracks: “Surf Combat,” “I Don’t Know.”

For me, though, Throb Throb’s follow-up, 1986’s All Rise, is Naked Raygun’s best album. I think most fans would agree it has the best production, with a clear, bright, and heavy guitar sound, hefty bottom end, and the band delivering an energetic, locked-in performance. Stylistically, this finds them at a fruitful intersection of their art-punk and melodic punk periods. Tracks like “Mr. Gridlock” and “The Peacemaker” have a similar sort of tension as early Killing Joke, but they’re songs I can’t imagine anyone other than Naked Raygun doing. But the melodic songs are undeniably the album’s highlight, with “Home of the Brave,” “Knock Me Down,” “I Remember,” and “Those Who Move” all delivering the combination of power and beauty that I think of as Naked Raygun’s thing. And there’s also “New Dreams,” another canonized Raygun classic, which sounds like it was ripped straight off Pink Flag with its aggressive yet artfully minimal attack. All Rise is an utterly singular record, and for my money one of the great American punk albums… there’s just nothing else out there with its unique combination of characteristics. Key tracks: “Home of the Brave,” “New Dreams.”

Here I must interrupt my run-through of Naked Raygun’s full-lengths to highlight the band’s 1987 non-album single “Vanilla Blue,” which came out between All Rise and its follow-up Jettison, self-released on the band’s own Sandpounder Records (the label’s only release). I mentioned earlier that Naked Raygun took a lot from UK bands, and they must have been mimicking the singles-oriented approach of those bands in putting out “Vanilla Blue” as a stand-alone 7”. God knows that releasing your band’s best song this way was a perverse gesture in the United States circa 1987, when general interest in 7” singles seemed to be at an all-time low. But fucking SHIT, “Vanilla Blue” is a banger. Starting with a kitschy but credible surf intro, it blossoms into the definitive Raygun tune, Haggerty doing little more than bashing out the chords but sounding like a million bucks doing it, while Pezatti delivers the song’s soaring melody with a stoic cool that, Sinatra-like, hints at a world of feeling beneath the surface. Thankfully, “Vanilla Blue” has been tacked onto some reissues of Jettison, but I don’t know if it gets lost in the shuffle of this latest catalog reissue… that would certainly be a shame. The original pressing isn’t hard to lay your hands on, though. Oh, and if you’re wondering what’s on the B-side, Naked Raygun made another perverse choice in backing their best song with their worst song, the novelty tune “Slim.” Key track: “Vanilla Blue.”

In 1988, Naked Raygun was coming off a pair of brilliant records, poised to make their artistic triumph, and… I wouldn’t say they whiffed, but they didn’t fully connect. On the band’s third album, Jettison, the Buzzcocks-style melodic and driving songs that had provided their earlier records’ highlights come to dominate the runtime. “Soldiers Requiem” is a Naked Raygun classic and among their very best songs. It’s so simple, too… John Haggerty bangs out the song’s classic-sounding chord progression over a driving punk beat while Pezzati totally abandons the English language for the track’s brilliantly whoa-tastic chorus. Even the way they balance those driving passages with the more musically expansive instrumental breaks is so Buzzcocks, the band having absorbed every drop of wisdom from Singles Going Steady. As great as the songs and performances are, though, Jettison is plagued by a tinny recording that blunts their impact. The guitar sound on Jettison is like Hüsker Dü’s on New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig, and as with those records, I can’t help but wonder what Jettison would have sounded like with All Rise’s perfect balance of warmth, heft, and crispness. The album’s sequencing accentuates the feeling of bathos, ending with a live cover of “Suspect Device” that’s fine, but feels like an afterthought. Even with these flaws, though, Jettson is a brilliant album and well worth spending a lot of time with if you develop a taste for Naked Raygun’s unique style. Key tracks: “Soldier’s Requiem,” “The Mule.”

Naked Raygun returned in 1989 with their fourth album, Understand?. Understand? has a much stronger recording than Jettison, with Haggerty’s trademark guitar sound back in full effect. Again, there are some great songs. “Wonder Beer” is like raw meat tossed into the packs of hungry Raygun fans, its massive chorus calling back to the band’s most anthemic moments. “Treason,” which the label promoted with a pink vinyl 12” single, also has its place on the list of Naked Raygun’s best songs. Its four-note lead guitar riff is punk rock elegance personified, the simmering tempo shows off how great Naked Raygun was at holding teeth-grinding tension, and by this point you know there’s a fucking great vocal hook in the chorus. As great as some moments are, though, the band just sounds tired on Understand?. The songs have this torpor about them, like they’re deliberately pulling back the tempos, and when they apply that approach to a slow song on “Vagabond Dog,” it’s downright turgid. I still like that song and I love Understand?, but it’s missing a certain spark when you compare it to the band’s other albums. As with the Beatles’ Let It Be, it’s an example of great musicians operating at not exactly the height of inspiration. Key tracks: “Treason,” “Wonder Beer.”

I don’t know if guitarist John Haggerty indeed felt uninspired when the band recorded Understand?, but he left Naked Raygun sometime after recording it, forming the brilliant Pegboy, whose first album Strong Reaction rekindles the spark that was missing on Understand?. As for Naked Raygun themselves, they replaced Haggerty with guitarist Bill Stephens and soldiered on, releasing their fifth album, Raygun… Naked Raygun in 1990. Obviously, losing a key member like Haggerty is going to affect the band’s sound, but I think Raygun… Naked Raygun often receives derision from people who just assume it isn’t any good. Personally, I think it’s a better album than Understand?. The band doesn’t sound sluggish like they did on that album, and they’re still churning out classic songs. The album’s opening track, “Home,” continues Raygun’s pattern of opening their albums with a classic track, and the next song, “Fever Island,” nails what Jettison should have sounded like. Stephens proves a capable stand-in for Haggerty, to where I wonder how much of this material was worked up before Haggerty left. The Buzzcocks-esque one-note guitar part on the chorus to “Home” and the way Stephens cranks out the chords on “Fever Island” are textbook Haggerty. If Stephens came up with those parts, it’s a testament to how perfect he was for the job. (Also, don’t miss the b-side of the “Home” single, a cover of Chelsea’s “Last Drink” that fits Naked Raygun’s sound perfectly, particularly since it works as a kind of sequel to “Wonder Beer.” There are also two Buzzcocks covers from around this time that appeared on a tribute compilation… these are also worth hearing.) Key tracks: “Home,” “Terminal,” “Last Drink.”

While Raygun… Naked Raygun sounded like a step in the right direction to me, it proved to be the last album in Naked Raygun’s original run. The band fizzled in the early 90s, though they came together sporadically in the years after, apparently unable to develop much momentum. A temporary reunion in 1997 led to a recording session with Steve Albini that went unreleased at that time, but eventually came out as part of a collection called Last of the Demohicans. While that recorded is padded out with a bunch of live stuff, the 1997 tracks are excellent. In some ways, these four songs sound like a different band—it seems like Stephens really finds his own voice as a guitarist here rather than emulating Haggerty—but they feel creative and exciting in a way the last few Naked Raygun albums didn’t. As you might expect, Albini’s recording is also one of the best the band ever got. Another shoulda coulda moment in a catalog that has too many of them. Sadly, The Last of the Demohicans isn’t part of the current reissue campaign, but the Chicago label Dyslexic Records did a vinyl pressing a few years ago that shouldn’t be too hard to find. Key track: “Off the Edge.”

So that’s Naked Raygun’s original run as a band, and then some. Eventually Naked Raygun got back together for real, releasing a series of 7” singles on the Riot Fest label (I think one of Riot Fest’s early coups was promoting a well-received Raygun reunion show) and eventually moving to the seminal Wax Trax! label for their only post-reunion full-length, 2021’s Over the Overlords. These releases all have a more modern sound, and they’re not as good as the records the band’s classic lineup did, but they’re solid melodic punk records packed to the gills with Jeff Pezatti’s unique songwriting and singing. Once you’ve digested the classic material, any of these records (as well as the assorted live records that have come out) can give you the Raygun fix you can’t get anywhere else.

If any of this piques your interest, you can preorder Naked Raygun’s catalog at Sorry State and listen to our Naked Raygun Key Tracks playlist here.

Hello fellow Sorry Staters! This week will be a short one for me. I have been getting ready for my vacation coming up and my brain has become mush trying to fit everything in and trying to not forget anything for my trip. If I take a trip longer than a couple of days I get nervous that I will forget something, and having a slight phobia of flying doesn't help much either. At least I am heading to sunny Orlando to see some top notch haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios. One record I have been digging a lot since we got it in is the new Dark Thoughts record, Highway To The End. Dark Thoughts is from Philly, PA with members in other bands such as Delco MF's, Kinetic Orbital Strike and Condumb. Right off the bat, the cover is iconic, using a silhouette of the Ramones' Road To Ruin record. Caught my attention immediately seeing it! What can be said about this record? It's really fast, fun Ramones style punk with the same down stroking guitars and fast repetitive drums that people love with this style of punk rock. A must listen if you like Teenage Bottlerocket or The Lillingtons. Dark Thoughts’ singer’s voice sounds very familiar, and that is not a bad thing at all. As always, we have been working hard at listing some really killer used records and CDs and have a ton of really great new stuff to check out. Also, pre-order the new Home Front if you haven't already!