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What’s up everyone? How was your week? Hopefully good. Another rollercoaster one for me which saw me crying into my cornflakes in despair over my life one minute and then crying with joy the next as the Reds notched up another impressive victory. Wild mood swings for sure, which demand vastly different soundtracks.

Here in the store, I have been enjoying listening to some of the hip-hop albums and 12”s we recently bought. There are still lots more good titles to snag if that’s your bag and you are local. Besides the hip-hop 12”s, check out some of the disco singles we have too. I love a 12” single personally. They seem to be somewhat under appreciated by the wider record buying public, but I always found them great value for money and an indispensable DJ tool. You typically get at least two versions of the main tune, maybe a non-LP B-side and the best part, an instrumental version. Particularly for hip-hop, I often find myself loving the beat but not liking the rap. Language and use of certain words being the prime reason. Often with 12”s you’ll also get a clean or radio mix included, especially if it’s a promo. With prices on albums ever climbing, a closer look at whether there is a 12” single might be an option and a way to get some of the music you are looking for. I used to suggest to people on a budget to look for a cassette version of records that were getting expensive, but even that doesn’t seem to be much of a help these days. Prices on in demand albums are high for tapes too. We scored a small collection of cool things recently and there were some good tapes in amongst them, including a Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique which we played in the store yesterday. Sounded great too.

We had a bunch of cool things come in the last week or two. Some have already sold out, so I don’t want to talk about them here but if we restock this Cumbia compilation called Sonido Tumi Vol. II ever again, then join me on grabbing a copy. We got in just a few and Jeff and I were digging listening to it in the store. We had the first volume a while back and as of now, just like that first volume, the track listing on the second is a mystery. I believe someone at Mississippi Records is behind compiling these comps. I understand the mystery and under the counter nature of things, but it would be kind of cool knowing who the artists were and what the song titles are.

I’ve been digging the 45 from London’s Violin that is out on Iron Lung. Good sounding HC. We have an album from them on La Vida Es Un Mus and I believe the “group” is essentially a one-man band with a drummer. Good tunes and well recorded and still currently in stock if you fancy checking it out.

It’s no secret that I am a big Jimi Hendrix fan and never need an excuse to listen to his music. We recently bought a collection that had a lot of Jimi and have sold a good amount of them already. In amongst the sealed copies of Electric Ladyland girls cover albums were quite a few of those quasi-legit live records and studio outtakes. After his death, until his family finally got control of his estate, it was the wild west as far as Hendrix records were concerned. So many different versions of the same thing with different covers and varying quality. During his lifetime, Jimi recorded constantly. Whether it was in the studio or at home or live on stage, there was tape running. Before he became famous in his own right, he played as sideman for several top R&B and soul artists, including the Isley Brothers.

One artist that he played with was Curtis Knight, and it was with him that several studio recordings, known as the PPX sessions, were recorded by producer Ed Chalpin in late 1965 and early 1966. It was the legal repercussions of signing a deal with Chalpin before moving to England that resulted in The Band Of Gypsys album being recorded and given to Capital Records as settlement for that earlier contract. Jimi and the group with Curtis Knight, called The Lovelights and later to switched to The Squires, were also captured on tape playing live in Hackensack, New Jersey at a club called George’s Club 20 at the end of December 1965 and in January 1966. Just a few months before Chas Chandler saw him and whisked Jimi off to London, England and stardom. These live recordings have appeared in many forms over the years with different covers and track listings and more recently were given a redux by Hendrix’s main recording engineer Eddie Kramer for Experience Hendrix’s sub-label Dagger Records. It’s cool getting the performances properly packaged with correct liner note details etc. Kramer cleaned up the sound a little and removed audience noise, some of which were dubbed after the fact, and the studio postproduction that Chalpin did at the time.

In among the albums we bought in the collection was a German version of the George’s Club 20 tapes and to my ears it sounds great despite all its technical limitations and “crappy” sound. The show itself is killer and may or may not have been recorded on Boxing Day (December 26th) 1965, depending on which source of information you take. The set is Blues and R&B numbers. Great versions of Driving South by Albert Collins, I’m A Man by Bo Diddley, and Killin’ Floor by Howlin’ Wolf. Jimi is already the star of the show and throws in a lot of his party tricks, playing with his teeth, behind his head and delivering blistering solos. The second side finishes up with covers of Ray Charles’s What’d I Say and Bright Lights, Big City by Jimmy Reed. Like most bands playing club gigs like this at the time, their sets would be mostly covers of current hits and classics. Curtis Knight sings most of the tunes, but Jimi (or Jimmy as he was still known as then) can be heard joking and providing backup vocals. It’s easy to see why Chas Chandler and everyone else for that matter were so blown away by Jimi. His playing, looks and personality were unmistakable and so unique.

When the remastered version of the George’s Club 20 tapes was released a few years back, I wrongly assumed that I had all these recordings already and didn’t need them. Even some reviewers seemed less than enthusiastic and talked about the sound quality etc. Sure, the quality isn’t studio level and there are better sounding live recordings out there, but as a document of his pre-fame era, this stuff still kicks ass. If you are a fan, you should check them out. Here’s a link to hear Driving South. Then if you liked what you heard and you see one of these records titled Early Hendrix or Live In New Jersey in your record store, you’ll know what you are getting. I’ll be on the lookout for the Dagger Records version now as I want the songs left off my single disc version and to hear them without the overdubs. Plus, the superior packaging with photos and liner notes.

As we celebrate African American History month this February, there’s plenty of great music to get inspired by and to enjoy, but for a taste of a typical Friday or Saturday night, mid 1960s, in a club there’s probably not a better example than these recordings.

Thanks for reading. Cheers and see you next time.

-Dom

R.I.P. Wayne Kramer

What’s up Sorry Staters?

As I’m finishing up writing this, I’m gearing up to make the drive I’ve made soooo many times in my life, a good 2.5 hours on I-95 up to Richmond. It’ll be the first full Public Acid practice we’ve had in what feels like a very long time. I’m feeling stoked as we’re gearing up for our record release party in a couple weeks. That said, forgive me if my intro is a little brisk this week! Here’s my staff pick, a record I was excitedly anticipating:

It’s always weird when I put some energy out into the universe, and I’m rewarded with a totally coincidental reward in return. I revisited the matched pair of singles by Pura Manía from way back in 2014 a few months ago. These 2 7”s, La Estafa Musical and Música Para Gente Fea, were basically released back to back, and I remember them being a huge favorite amongst the crew here at Sorry State whenever we first stocked them. It had been years since the last time I listened to Pura Manía, and I just remember thinking, “Goddamn, these records are STILL so killer.” I even talked about them on Analog Attack’s podcast What Are You Listening To? back in November. And then, like a message delivered by angels descending from the heavens, I found out through the grapevine that Pura Manía had a new EP coming out on Roach Leg. What are the chances? 10 years later, I guess they decided it’s finally time. I didn’t even know how bad I wanted a new record from them until I found out it was happening.

First of all, this new record Extraños Casos De La Vida Real does not disappoint. I remember before I even had the chance to listen to it, Daniel described it as sounding pretty much just like their old stuff. Which I was like, if it does happen to be the case that they didn’t change much at all, then that’s cool with me! But now, having listened to it, I think Daniel might have undersold it for me a little bit. When you first drop the needle on the A side, it opens with an introduction of dramatic, atmospheric piano that reprises the guitar melody from the opening track on their LP, Cerebros Punk. I think making a callback to one of the band’s previous melodies that is immediately recognizable was super clever. Like a soothing blanket of familiarity. But then, like an unexpected, startling jump-scare, the band launches into the first track “El Viaje Al Interiro Del Cuerpo,” which kicks off with this Rezillos-esque walking bass line. What struck me right off the bat is that the production sounds much less like a raw, 4-track recording, unlike their previous releases. They make some buck wild, off the wall choices with the FX, dude. Experimental ideas, that perhaps with other bands, I’d think to myself “This is whack.” I mean, the bass is loud in the mix and drenched in chorus, which I would already expect for that New Age-era Blitz sound I assume they’re influenced by. But holy shit, on the intro to the 2nd track “El Mundo Al Revés”… it sounds like drums have like a crazy phaser effect on them. The drums do this heavy, pounding fill and then the super reverbed out choir of lads comes in. “Whoa oh oh ooooh oh oh.” Reading this, you might not get it, but this gang of burly dudes repeats this refrain for basically the whole song. It’s pretty cool haha.

They also do a cover by The Screamers… ahem, excuse me, “Los Screamers.” “122 Hours of Fear,” or “122 Horas De Miedo” in this case, is such a fitting cover for Pura Manía to choose. They totally nail the creepy intro. Then there’s that big break where the vocals cue the band to kick back in. I’m used to the original version, so hearing a Screamers tune sang in Spanish makes it sound totally rad and fresh to the ears. Pura Manía does have that kinda Oi! thing going on, but like I find with a lot of Latino punk, a bit of death rock creeps its way into the vibe of the sound. And somehow, early LA punk seems right at home for Pura Manía as well. Dom even commented, “Sounds like the bass player was listening to The Cure a lot before they made this record.” Haha. Side note: Funny enough, there was a short-lived band from Raleigh called Crete who covered this same Screamers tune. Brought a smile to my face thinking about both Crete and Pura Manía having good taste, each band bringing their own style to the table covering the Screamers.

I don’t know man, I guess you could argue this new record sounds similar to their previous material. I think in terms of musical style, sure, maybe they haven’t deviated drastically. Personally, I think that’s an indicator of a band’s signature sound more-so than they’re rehashing. In many ways, I think Extraños Casos De La Vida Real is an adventurous, yet refined enhancement of the Pura Manía we were already familiar with. It just feels more ambitious, more anthemic, heavier, denser. The band always had catchy guitar leads, but on the last track “Las Locas Aventuras De Horacio Gómez,” there’s like a proper, real deal Rikk Agnew style guitar SOLO. The musicianship and approach to constructing to this record just about makes me feel envious. I don’t know if “matured” is the right way to describe this new record. Let’s face it, the artwork is still a bottle of booze with a label that reads “punk” pasted onto it, which is pouring all over the band’s logo. It reminds of movies like Repo Man where the cans in the fridge just say “BEER” on them haha. This cartoonish, almost absurdist imagery on all the band’s records with goofy, borderline dumb pop art aesthetic is so attractive to me. It’s like… punk as all hell, dude. Staring at cartoon brains with sunglasses and Rat Fink lookin’ critters while the band is bangin’ out these killer, musically sophisticated, over the top but still raw and hooky classic sounding punk tunes? YUH, it fuckin’ rules.

Anyway, I’ll quit gushing. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Screeching Weasel: Snappy Answers for Stupid Questions 7” (Selfless Records, 1992)

This week I completed a 25-year journey. It was kind of a stupid journey, and I can’t say I’m proud to have completed it, but it’s done. And hence I shall memorialize it here. I have obtained the last Screeching Weasel record on my want list.

Likely the oldest item on my want list, Snappy Answers for Stupid Questions has been on the list as long as I can remember it existing. I loved Screeching Weasel when I was a teenager, and when I got online in the late 90s, I learned they had a bulging discography of 7”s. I knew most of the songs on these 7”s from the Kill the Musicians compilation, but the original artifacts intrigued me. I guess not much has changed.

One of the first purchases I can remember making via the internet is when Ben Weasel auctioned off a bunch of out of print vinyl on the Screeching Weasel website. If I remember correctly, the site was called Weasel Manor, and a fan actually made it, but Ben Weasel—newly online himself, I’m sure—quickly sniffed it out and took an active role. (Eventually and predictably, there was drama.) This is before I’d ever heard of eBay, and I’d never took part in an auction of any sort. I emailed my bids to Ben Weasel himself from my new Virginia Commonwealth University email address, which I accessed via the lab in my dorm because I didn’t own a computer. I was stoked to win dead stock copies of both Punkhouse and Radio Blast, both of which had been out of print for several years. I went to the post office to buy a money order, mailed it out, and some weeks later I got my 7”s, new and crisp and not looking anything like five-plus years old. It was magical.

I can’t remember when I composed my first want list, but there were a bunch of Screeching Weasel records on it. This is many, many years before Discogs, so I’m not even sure how I knew what was out there. Maybe Weasel Manor had a discography section, or maybe I was just trying to get all the original records whose tracks were compiled on Kill the Musicians. Over the years, I learned about other Screeching Weasel records and chose not to add them to my want list. There was the 1987 split 7” with the Ozzfish Experience, which was to be Screeching Weasel’s debut record, but the pressing plant went out of business after making only two test pressings, though sleeves were printed and circulate among fans. There was also a sleeveless, promo-only split 7” with Moving Targets that held little appeal for me. In 2000, the band released the double-disc compilation Thank You Very Little, which rounded up all the compilation tracks, outtakes, and other detritus that didn’t make it onto Kill the Musicians. I remember being really disappointed when I listened to Thank You Very Little, and if Kill the Musicians was an argument that I needed to pay attention to 7”s because they contained many of the band’s best songs, Thank You Very Little indicated that, at a certain depth, it’s best to just stop digging because what you find won’t be that exciting.

I’m not sure why Snappy Answers stuck around on my want list so long. Certainly if I had come across a copy in a store, I would have bought it, but I saw many copies pop up on Discogs over the years and didn’t pull the trigger. While Snappy Answers wasn’t compiled on Kill the Musicians, I knew the songs well because a friend had taped them for me in high school. Said friend told me the songs were recorded at the King’s Head Inn, the long-running punk club in Norfolk that my bus route passed every day on the way to school (which sadly closed before I got to see a show there). In reality, the songs are from a set performed live in the studio at WFMU in New Jersey.

Anyway, the other day a reasonably priced copy of Snappy Answers popped up from a US seller, and they even had another record from my want list in stock for a similarly reasonable price. So I bought it. Honestly, I haven’t even listened to the record yet. It’s just sitting on my coffee table, vexing me. I’m sure I’ll listen to it, but what I really want to do is slide it in next to the other Screeching Weasel 7”s in my collection.

As you can probably tell, my feelings about all this are conflicted. I guess I should feel some sense of satisfaction or accomplishment from crossing a 25-year-old item off my to-do list, but I’m having trouble mustering any feelings that resemble that. Maybe it’s that my feelings on Screeching Weasel are so conflicted. I still listen to their peak-era records from time to time and enjoy them, but it’s difficult to really ride for them given everything that has transpired since the days when I first started listening to them.

Actually, after taking the photo for this staff pick, I realized I might have to do a little more work on my Screeching Weasel collection. I was surprised I have 1999’s Emo, which I think is a pretty crappy album. I guess I have it because I pre-ordered it (I also still have the autographed poster that came with the pre-order), but I remember being so disappointed with that record after how killer Major Label Debut was. And I don’t have a copy of 1998’s Television City Dream. I like that album OK, but it’s not nearly as good as Bark Like a Dog. I should probably own it, though, right? And while I like the fact that my Screeching Weasel collection doesn’t touch the 21st century, I know there are some people who ride for Teen Punks in Heat. After that, though, I'm out.

Hi Sorry State readers! I hope you are all doing well! I was at a point last week where I wasn’t feeling all that inspired by anything I was listening to, old or new. Which is kinda weird for me. Then literally about 10 minutes after I said that to Daniel, I came across a record that instantly and surprisingly became staff pick worthy. I’ve listened to it several times, and it’s just a really great listen. It’s weird when you aren’t in the mood for anything and then you see something bright green to your left, throw it on, and really like it. Now that I think about it, the same thing happened to me last week with my Grazia staff pick! Something about me and bright green jackets, I guess.

Ok without further ado, the record I’m talking about is Public Interest’s Spiritual Pollution LP. This is the second album from the Oakland band, who seems to be the solo project of Chris Natividad (of the band Marbled Eye, most notably). The music is kind of dark, synthy, post-punk with really standout guitar lines. In fact, the guitar is probably the most memorable part of the music. The vocals are deep and kinda dark, but not as dark as an Ian Curtis, Peter Murphy, or Dave Gahan. But in a similar vein. But there’s a track or two where the vocals are dialed down, softer, dreamier, and even approaching shoegaze territory. For example, the song Burden of Time, which is one of my favorites on the record.

Anyway, this is an interesting album partially because of the length. Eight songs that total about 27-28 minutes long. I think this was a wise choice. If the record were any longer, it may have overstayed its welcome. At least for this particular style of music. Several times I had to “rewind” a song because I was being reminded of something I’ve heard before. I never pinpointed it, but I’m gonna go with parts of The Cure’s Head on the Door. A time in Cure history where the band poked their heads up out of the ground a little further, brightened things up, dialed down the weirdness, and made some poppier tracks with big exciting intros. I’m not saying this is that, but there are moments on this record where I’m reminded of that Cure era.

A great example of this sound, and my favorite song on the record, is Falling Ash. It has some really warm guitar tones with some poppier parts. The sound combines moody guitar riffs and bright, boppy, and melodic bass lines. It’s really easy to get lost in the masterful guitar lines. Falling Ash is just a damn sexy song. I don’t want to oversell it, so I feel the need to qualify some of my opinions, which is stupid. There’s no right or wrong here.

I think if it weren’t for the well-timed brighter tones peppered into the music, the songs would fall a little flat. And yeah, it’s a little synthy, and there are some random weird noises in the background, but the takeaway from this record for me is definitely the guitar lines. When I read somewhere that the record was “dark synthy post-punk”, I was expecting it to sound something like Poison Ruin (who I really like) or Powerplant (who I also really like). But this Public Interest record has a more accessible sound, and it’s catchier in a more straightforward way. Simply put, it’s not very weird.

I think if you like any of the bands I’ve mentioned, you would like this record. Or if you like Straw Man Army, and maybe even Home Front. Public Interest doesn’t have the anthemic, gang-style vocals that Homefront has, but the common denominator is that all of these vocalists sing in that statement-making style.

Maybe give it a shot? It’s a really easy listen. Ok well, I’m gonna wrap things up. As always, thank you for reading! Until next time!

-Angela

Hello, and thanks for reading.

You would think since I write a staff pick like every week this wouldn’t be much of a challenge, but I still find it difficult to get my thoughts into writing. If I am prepared, I begin to write more than a few days in advance. I start by outlining the thoughts I want to cover and noting important bits I don’t want to forget. Even though I outline, I still find myself going on about random shit and I end up removing text I spent a lot of thought on. I use WordPad to create my document, and it doesn’t have spell check. So, I have to paste all the text somewhere else to make sure there are no mistakes. I have to look up words in the dictionary more than you’d expect. I search for synonyms sometimes cos I don’t quite know what word I am looking for, and I don’t think I really understand grammar. I’ve come to learn I love run-on sentences. Luckily Daniel is an English major, and he proofreads everything we write. While the newsletter usually comes out on Monday, our staff picks are supposed to have been submitted to Daniel by the Thursday before. Usually, I would delete something like this before I submit my staff pick to Daniel, but this week I am going to just leave it in. So anyway, I saw today we restocked that 100% ass beater SALVAJE PUNK 12". I assumed it was a repress, but Daniel explained Toxic State had just found another box. If you missed this LP the first time, I would suggest you don’t even think and buy this LP right now. Who knows if or when it will be available again. I wrote about this LP recently in my year end review, and I wrote about it before that in a staff pick so I‘m not gunna get into it again. I do wanna mention again, it comes with a fucking sick poster!!!

PHYSIQUE recently released a new 6 track EP, Overcome By Pain. It feels like it came super quick after their latest LP. I wonder how soon after the LP they recorded this material. There is no recording information on the new EP, but Iron Lung mentioned it was recorded on unceded Nisqually & Squaxin land by Captain Tripps at High Command and mastered by Shige at Noise Room. Inside the gatefold of Again, it has the same exact credits, but it also says it was recorded March 2022. Talking to Daniel, I began to wonder if the EP was from the same session as the LP and they were just waiting to release the EP after the LP finally came out. But after listening to Again again (haha), I don’t think it’s the same session. There are some similarities in sound, but this new EP sounds even better if you ask me. I think the best parts about their noise come through. The record sounds kinda heavy and thick, but there is still a certain clarity about it. It would be hilarious if I was wrong and these were from the same session. I mail-ordered this EP directly from Iron Lung when it came out. Often I wait until Sorry State gets copies of a release, but I did not want to wait for this record. I didn’t even bother streaming the EP digitally before buying it. After hearing Again, there was not a doubt in my mind that I needed this record. As time goes on, I find myself more and more impressed with PHYSIQUE. I think I saw them live the first time in 2018 and they blew the doors off that club. I am actually re-visiting this 12" from 2018, and it is a monster. While PHYSIQUE is obviously under the influence of DISCLOSE, there is a bit more going on here. Besides picking up the pace a bit and playing overall much faster than DISCLOSE, I think a major characteristic is how tight the instruments are through transitions. The drummer often does rolls into punches, or vice versa, but he always keeps it fresh. Honestly, the insanely tight and creative transitions this band pulls off in the midst of the speed is what I find so impressive about them. I can’t wait to hear what they do next, and I really look forward to catching them live again next month. I heard a rumor that PHYSIQUE and ELECTRIC CHAIR were going to do a split. Maybe I shouldn’t say that, but whatever, I doubt many people are reading this. You know what fucked me up today? I discovered that Trae from Electric Chair played bass early on in PHYSIQUE, whoa haha. Check out their first tape if you want to hear it. OK, that is all for today. Free Palestine.

Hi folks! What’s going on? It’s been another fun filled week here at Sorry State Industries. We’ve been buying some good used records, including a nice collection of hip-hop records that will hit the bins this week and next. There have been a bunch of new arrivals and restocks from some of our favorite labels. Then there has been the legendary North Carolina weather. From pipe freezing temperatures in the teens to short sleeves and 70s within a couple of days. Nice.

I’ve been dealing with the struggles of life recently and it’s been affecting my mood. Thankfully, I have work, music, and football to keep my mind occupied and distracted. That always does the trick. There’s never a dull moment here at SSR and my Reds are still top of the league and have already booked a trip to Wembley for a cup final in what will now be our manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season. However, this past week, the news of two music legends passing saddened me. In case you didn’t hear, we lost soul and jazz singer Marlena Shaw and lead singer from sixties girl group legends The Shangri-Las, Mary Weiss. Both ladies are cultural icons and their contribution to popular music cannot be overstated.

Marlena Shaw recorded for the Chicago based Cadet/Chess label in the late sixties, releasing the classic The Spice Of Life album in 1969, a Charles Stepney and Richard Evans production that has her great version of California Soul on it and the immortal Woman Of The Ghetto among others. Sounds that hip-hop producers would use years later. In the 70s, Shaw switched to Blue Note and released a series of credible and entertaining jazz-funk records before moving labels again to Columbia where she recorded some good disco influenced albums. Marlena continued to record and perform throughout the 80s and 90s and her live album from 1987 helped relaunch the new era of Verve Records. Like a lot of people of my generation, I discovered her music through samples in hip-hop. When DJ Blue Boy had a hit with Remember Me in the late 90s, everyone knew Marlena Shaw’s name. That record sampled her singing from the original Cadet record and a later live recording captured at Montreaux.

I’ve found most of her records in the wild over the years, including the Spice Of Life album and the key singles from it. There is still one of the 70s Blue Note albums I need though. Fingers crossed it will find its way to me soon. Fingers also crossed I can find the copies of the records that I do have. My storage has gotten a bit out of hand recently and finding records I know I have has become a problem. I couldn’t find all my Marlena records, but they’re there someplace.

Mary Weiss’s career in music began as a teenager in Queens, New York in the early 60s, where with her sister Betty and friends, twin sisters, Margie and Mary Ann Ganser, they formed the Shangri-Las. With the help of Brill Building songwriters and producers like Shadow Morton, they notched up a series of hits between 1964 and 1966 on Red Bird Records. Songs like Leader Of The Pack, Remember (Walkin’ In The Sand) and Give Him A Great Big Kiss literally helped define the Girl Group sound. They switched labels in 1966 to Mercury and continued with lesser success until 1968, when they broke up. The musical landscape was changing so fast in the 1960s and successful formulas dated very quickly. Not that the Girl Group sound and the legacy of the Shangri-Las ever diminished. The music is timeless, and it doesn’t matter what age you are, these teenage melodramas about love are still relevant.

After the breakup of the group, Mary Weiss, still barely out of her teens, switched gears and professions. Through her husband she got into interior design and industrial furnishing, something that she made a successful career at. There were a couple of one-off reunions over the years, but essentially from 1989, Mary did not sing at all. As she herself said, not even to the radio in the car. Then, a few years into the new millennium, she was coaxed out of retirement, resulting in 2007’s Dangerous Game album that was released on Norton Records, the perfect label for her comeback. On the album she is backed by The Reigning Sound and main man Greg Cartwright contributes on song writing duties also. Respectfully keeping an authentic “retro” feel to proceedings, the resulting album is a real treasure and a terrific comeback. Despite not having performed for years, Mary sounds fantastic, and the record not only has The Reigning Sound backing her but also features Miriam Linna and Billy Miller on some backing vocals. It was on Norton after all.

I was still living in New York then and remember the excitement surrounding this record coming out. For fans of the Shangri-Las and the girl group sound, it was a big deal having Mary back. I recall going to one of the early shows, which may or may not have been at the awesome venue Magnetic Field. My memory is a little foggy. I left the city shortly after, but will always associate this record with my living there and my experiences, especially with it being on Norton, a label dear to the hearts of all record collectors of a certain disposition. The album serves as a love letter from a previous time.

I’ll admit it had been a while since I last played the album, but I’ve listened to it a few times this week, including twice here in the store where it received a thumbs up from both Jeff and John Scott. So, if you don’t trust my cloth ears you might take their word for it. LoL.

As always, thank you for reading and thank you for your support.

Cheers, Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Here’s to another morning where I’m working on getting heavily caffeinated and writing about records for all you fine people out there. Many cool things to announce on the personal front in the weeks to come. Firstly, Public Acid is finally announcing our record release part for our new 12” entitled Deadly Struggle, coming out in February on Beach Impediment. The record release party is on February 16th in Richmond. I’ve been playing in the band for almost 3 years already (holy shit), and this is the first proper new recording with me playing on it. I play guitar on the Beat Session tape that came out a while back, but I’m stoked for everybody to hear a fresh batch of new Pub Ass tunes. A lot of work has gone into this record, and I just hope everyone who hears it is stoked on it. Bunker Punks has some exciting news in the weeks to come as well, but I won’t spoil anything just yet.

Anyway, onto talking about records we’ve got here at Sorry State. Really, just in the last couple days, a TON of boxes of new releases have been landing at our doorstep. Iron Lung has a fresh batch of new stuff. I’m sure everyone will be jumping on that new Physique 7”. What really grabbed my attention from this new spread of Iron Lung releases is this Bog People record. I’d never even heard of Bog People, honestly. I assumed the record was just a new release. Upon further inspection, I come to discover that this recording session is from waaaay back in 2010. How appropriate that I’m writing about a band from Portland on this dreary ass morning in Raleigh. It sure fuckin’ looks like Portland outside. Apparently, the Bog Peeps from Portland were around for a couple years in the late 00s/early 2010s and basically only ever released tapes. Maybe there was a split 7” or something? I can’t remember. The band’s existence seems to be shrouded in mystery—a “boggy fog”, if you will. A bit of detective work on the good ol’ Discogs led me to find out that members of this band were in several Portland bands I’ve heard of, like Arctic Flowers, Bellicose Minds, Frenzy, Nerveskade, etc. But now, thanks to the fine folks at Iron Lung, The Bog People finally release their eponymous debut LP.

I feel like Bog People were kiiiiiinda doing what bands like Subdued are doing now. The description “UK82” doesn’t really do it justice. Bog People to me sound more like the anarcho-inflected side of early 80s UK hardcore. Maybe this is due in part to the heaps of chorus on the guitars, which is kind of a symptom of that 2010s timeframe I feel like, but in this case it totally works. Bands intermingling in that era of Portland punk do seem to have a cloud of doom and gloom that hangs over and infuses its way into the sound. One thing I will say though, is that this Bog People recording sounds convincingly old and authentic. Like seriously. I mean, come on, the band released a tape called ’81 in ’09. Pretty bold. But if I were to shut my eyes, and you were to try and convince me that this recording was from 1981 without any previous knowledge, I might believe you. What is also pretty convincing is my dude’s attempt at a British accent when he sings haha. There’s this one track on the record where after the band stops playing, you hear the singer say “I fucked that all up.”—and I was just laughing, thinking, “Yep, he’s definitely American.”

What can I say? I feel like fast songs sound like Legion of Parasites, AOA or Anti-System. Then there will be a couple slower, dirgey sounding tracks that sound like Part 1 or something like that. And I know making these comparisons it could sound like I’m just blowin’ smoke. Like, “oh sure, another band from the 2010s imitating UK82” *eyeroll*. I really think Bog People nailed it though. There’s this video of them playing on Youtube, and with the exception of the computery Windows Moviemaker title card at the beginning, the footage looks analog and grainy in a way that looks like it was recorded a loooong time ago. Then again, 2009 was 15 years ago, so I guess it has been a long time.

Welp, that’s all I’ve got to say about Bog People I think. Fack off, mate.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

WAX: Punk Och Kärlek cassette / 7” (1983, self-released / 2016, Smutstvättrekårds)

Usman could probably tell you more about my staff pick this week than I can, since he’s the one who showed this band to me, but I’ve been spinning this record a bunch since I got it, so I’ll give it a go. WAX was from the small city of Gävle in Sweden and existed from 1982 until 1983, when they released this cassette, Punk Och Kärlek, themselves. Aside from contributions to a couple of obscure cassette comps (to which I assume they simply contributed tracks from this session), Punk Och Kärlek was WAX’s only release, though Discogs notes some members went on to the group Los Bohemos. I gave Los Bohemos a listen and their hard rock-adjacent melodic punk didn’t do much for me, but it’s not terrible.

I think it was 3 or 4 years ago when Usman played WAX for me. Maniac collector that he is, he had just gotten an original copy of the cassette, so my first impression of WAX was probably as strong as it could have been in terms of sound quality. WAX’s music struck me right away. Rather than the Discharge-influenced hardcore so many of their Swedish peers were honing at the time, WAX’s songs are quite punky, with particularly strong vocal melodies. While they weren’t after the same heaviness as the early Swedish d-beat bands, they were clearly pushing themselves to play at super fast tempos, and Punk Och Kärlek is blazing, just as fast and agile as anything on seminal early hardcore comps like P.E.A.C.E. or Party or Go Home. That combination of a US hardcore-style rhythm section with a woman who could carry a tune on vocals makes me think of Denmark’s Electric Deads, and if you like that band’s first couple of EPs, you’re probably going to dig Punk Och Kärlek too.

When Usman played the tape for me, he also told me about this 2016 7” reissue, which I quickly added to my want list. There were only 300 copies of the reissue, and Usman warned me they rarely pop up. That’s OK… I’m patient. In the meantime, a decent rip of the original cassette someone posted to YouTube could tide me over. Finally, a few weeks ago a copy of the 7” popped up on Discogs and I bought it immediately. It turned out the seller was my buddy Nicky Rat, who handed it off to Paco at La Vida Es Un Mus to include in one of the many shipments he sends to Sorry State. Oddly enough, while I was waiting for the 7” to arrive, I finally started perusing the recent Råpunk book, where the WAX cassette was featured as a key early Swedish hardcore release.

Now that the 7” is in my hands and I’ve been playing it a bunch. Honestly, I think the rip of the tape on YouTube sounds a little better than the 7” version… there are 12 tracks crammed onto this 45rpm 7”, so it’s cut rather quiet, and there’s a noticeable amount of surface noise when you crank it. However, I love that the 7” package reproduces the entire cassette j-card layout, and it also adds an insert with an interview and some other info. It’s all in Swedish, and maybe one day I’ll run it through a translator, but I haven’t done that yet.

So yeah, that’s my pick. I wish I had more info to share with you, but if you’re intrigued, dial up that YouTube rip.

What’s up Sorry State readers, I hope everyone is having a nice week. This week I’d like to talk about a record my girlfriend gave me for Christmas, Johnny Cash: At The Carousel Ballroom - April 24, 1968, adding to the already long list of live records I’ve written about. I love this record but I hardly ever buy records online and never came across it in person, so I was excited to receive it. The sound quality is amazing on this, thanks to it being recorded by the legendary Owsley Stanley. If you’re not familiar with The King of Acid, just check out his wikipedia page for a good rundown of the man of many talents. This show takes place just over a month after Johnny and June Carter got married, which would explain why he seems in such a good mood throughout the whole show. This show starts off hot with Cocaine Blues followed by a more somber Long Black Veil. He gets things kickin again though with Orange Blossom Special, cause what show would be complete without a train song? Gordon Lightfoot is even in the crowd and makes a request for Forty Shades of Green, which then gets played for him. A little over halfway through the show, June Carter joins in for a couple duets before performing a solo medley of Carter Family songs. The whole show flows very nicely and has a good mix of slower songs and more upbeat ones. It also comes with a booklet that has a lot of cool pictures, the poster for the show, and notes from other artists like Bob Weir. All in all, this is a great release and a great addition to anyone’s collection who’s a Johnny Cash fan.

Hi Sorry State fam! How is everyone doing? Hope you had a great weekend! It was brutally cold here, which means it was in the mid 20s and sunny till late morning. For some of you, that’s nothing, I know. I still tried to get outside and go for walks in the late mornings, but hot damn my fingers were about to fall off. You know how they make gloves that still allow you to type on your cell phone? Those never freakin’ work. I’ve tried three different pairs and I give up. I actually use the time when I’m taking a walk to do some of my administrative life responsibilities, and I find this is such a good time to do stuff like that because you’re getting the dopamine hits to kick start motivation, and usually you’re getting the sunlight to signal to your brain that it needs to be in productive mode. Oh, and the whole Vitamin D thing. For me, this works and I get shit done. So when I don’t go (like today, because I ate way too much last night and woke up feeling like shit), I not only feel less energetic throughout the day, but I am also less productive. I guess the moral of the story is, even if it’s cold, or you don’t feel like it, just force yourself to take a walk. I promise it helps make the day suck like at least 50% less. And it’s a great time to write a staff pick!

Anyway, the debut EP from the London band Grazia caught my eye and my ears this week! The EP is called In Poor Taste and is brought to us by Feel It Records. I was packing orders and came across a few of these colorful sleeves, which inspired me to take one for a spin. I guess you can file this EP under power pop and garage pop. I learned a new punk/post-punk sub-genre today, called trash pop. It’s one of the hashtags on Grazia’s bandcamp, so I thought I’d mention it. I don’t know what bands are considered trash pop or what you have to do sonically different to be called trash pop, but it sounds like a cool genre that I would like.

So this Grazia record has four songs that are all fairly equally enjoyable and make for a nice and cohesive EP. If you liked that Wet Leg LP from 2022, which was really hot and heavy for a few months, you will like this. If you liked the last Divorcer EP (unfortunately out of stock at the moment, and also one of my top 10 new releases of 2023), you will like this. If you like Abi Ooze, you will probably like this. Grazia does not sound as produced or as crisp as Wet Leg, nor are they as loosely structured as Divorcer, and they don’t have as much attitude as Abi Ooze. But none of these things make the music less enjoyable. And I may be reaching a little bit with the next comparison, but there is something about the second side (particularly the song Thistle) that reminds me a little bit of the Raincoats, but not as artsy. Grazia’s vocals remind me of some of the prettier, breathier sounds of Lush (e.g. the songs 500, Single Girl). So although they bring their own flavor, they are in excellent company. I love making comparisons. I can’t help it. It’s the first thing my brain wants to do when I hear something new. I am not sure why I need to do that, but maybe on some level I need to make it make sense to myself that I like it. I’m probably reading to much into it, but I can say will full confidence that the more I hear this record, the more I really like it.

Something else that made me take notice of this band is their video for the song Cheap. Check it out on YouTube. It’s very low budget (fitting for the song title) and low brow, with a Rocky Horror artistic quality to it, but in a much more colorful, new wave, 80s way. Picture a colorful character with sloppily applied bright pink or red lipstick that also ends up on their teeth. Someone like Iona’s character in Pretty in Pink. The music sounds like that visual, to me at least. Campy and poppy, retro, with a flair for the dramatic.

Good news, we have a handful of these left. We received the copies with the neon green and the neon pink sleeves. But apparently they also made some bright yellow. We mostly have the green left, which they only made 100 copies of compared to 300 of the pink. To my knowledge we didn’t get any of the yellow. To clarify, they are all on black vinyl. OK, I’m gonna make this one short and sweet for today. I hope you have a splendid week, and thank you so much for reading! Until next time..

-Angela

Hello, and thanks for reading. I mentioned previously I would write about a killer reissue next time I wrote, but I spoke too soon. This week I am writing about THE COMES, specifically this recent live 12” Ballroom of the Living Dead. I assumed pretty much everyone reading this knows THE COMES. If you haven’t ever really listened to them, then you should stop reading this right now and listen to their 1983 debut No Side. This album is excellent. I don’t think excellent is a strong enough word, but I think it is safe to say a copy belongs in every single collection. If you like this record and don’t own it for some odd reason, you can pick up this nicely done reissue we have in stock. I think a big reason this LP stands out so much is cos it came out pretty early on for Japanese hardcore. Some of the most popular Japanese bands like THE STALIN, GAUZE, or GISM (whose debut was also on the same label as THE COMES) were also active 1982, but most of my favorites like ZOUO, CONFUSE, THE SEXUAL, HEADLESS, ANTI-SEPTIC, etc did not exist until the years that followed. Aside from existing early on the hardcore timeline of Japan, the vocalist of THE COMES was a woman. I guess a part of me feels silly to point this out, but I think it is significant for the time and place. I’m not super well read on Japanese hardcore, but I know a bit of this and that. When trying to think of 80s bands with women, almost none come to my mind. NURSE would be an obvious one. That band it was all women. Holy shit, we have this in stock too, very sick. NURSE’s debut was also in 1983, actually. It is definitely a cool release, but it certainly does not rip like No Side. GAS is another one that comes to mind. Their 1982 flexi No More Hiroshima is so good. Insanely good. Damn, I never really thought about how early this record it is, and how DISCHARGE the sound is. That’s probably why the flexi sells for like $2k, haha. Oh yeah, but important note; their first flexi doesn’t have the line-up with a woman in it; it is the following one where she takes over vocals. Oh yes, there is also OUTO SYOJODAN. This shit is pretty cool. It also seems pretty obscure. It’s later 80s and the band is all women. My boy Rich showed it to me. (What up Rich!!!) Too bad this rip kinda sounds like shit with a low rumble like the entire time. Maybe Rich could hook me up with a better one, hehe. Okay, I think that’s all that is really coming to mind right now for women in 80s Japanese bands. I’m probably forgetting one or possibly two I might know. Anyway, THE COMES’ sound is super original to me. The songs (on No Side) are a nice mix between hardcore rippers and very slightly pulled-back catchy ones. When I really think about what they sound like, it kind of reminds of THE STALIN around Stop Jap, but more hardcore sounding. I have never once thought this before, but I think I hear some elements of USHC in there too. Am I crazy? Maybe I am just high. I think what really elevates their sound is the vocalist. I’m not sure what she does, but it sounds so unique and pissed off at the same time, it’s too good. They follow No Side in 1986 with Power Never Die. I think this record is sick, but if you compare it to No Side, you are going to be disappointed. The vocal style and song writing are completely different, but it’s still a great record. On this LP, it is the original vocalist and drummer alongside a new bassist and guitarist. I wonder why it’s never been reissued. Does the band think it sucks? (Like that KALASHNIKOV 12" that will probably never be reissued, haha).

Alright, I need to start talking about the live LP. It’s sold out, that sucks. I still wanted to write about it, though. This thing was pretty expensive at $40. I mean a higher retail price is always to be expected when dealing with Japanese imports. However, often Japanese releases are some of the nicest ones. The first thing I noticed was the badass tip-on sleeve. Hell yes. Isn’t there like one place in the world that makes these still? Inside, the thick ass jacket is a very nice booklet that’s printed in full color. Oh man... I’m not sure where to start with this. They give you a timeline of every show THE COMES played in their existence. I had no idea they were playing so many gigs in 1982! But I guess duh that makes sense. Bands usually gig a fair amount before their first record comes out. It’s also pretty insane their first gig is with GISM, GAUZE, and EXECUTE! Wow. Honestly, tons of the bills you see on the flyers in the booklet are just nuts. Alongside the flyers and timeline, this thing is loaded up with photos. I read Tom from General Speech said that a lot of these photos are unreleased. There is a lengthy interview with the bassist and drummer included as well. The band started with childhood friends, and slowly they grew from playing rock like QUEEN or KISS to shit like DISORDER, DEAD KENNEDYS, and DISCHARGE. I could be mistaken but I think they said the vocalist was super into glam shit and SOUXIE AND THE BANSHEES, but they were all exposed to hardcore punk via one member traveling to London. I could have totally misread that though, but they definitely mentioned London and punk, haha. Maybe they just meant punk fashion? They talk about the history of the band more or less, but I’m not sure why they broke up. They may have covered it and I just missed it. I got all this info from using a shitty translator, haha, better than nothing though. Yeah, the interview is in Japanese only. Going back to Tom from General Speech, he did a great job describing what kind of live audio we get here. “Well done archival live audio document...A side captures the band early in 1982 with a 17 song live set with several rare and unreleased tracks from before the No Side era. The B Side captures the band a year later and a bit more mature, but still early era and sound. The audio on both sides is above average quality audience recordings, not soundboard quality, and for those keeping close tabs, these are different, and in my opinion better live sets than the ones documented on the reissue live CDs 10-15 years ago.” Given that this isn’t studio sound, if you aren’t that familiar with THE COMES then I would definitely suggest checking out No Side first. But if you think THE COMES rip, then you are gunna be stoked about these tracks! They aren’t soundboard, but man they hit the spot for me. Their live performance fuckin’ rips. It sounds like they don’t stop once the entire set. Damn. Three of these songs have actually already been released on the Outsider compilation, I think. I think the sound is maybe a bit better than what you hear on that compilation. Side 2 has a handful of the same songs as side 1, which I think all appear on No Side, but the band’s playing is noticeably different. They seem tighter yet groove more. It’s cool to hear the evolution in sound, and especially the unreleased tracks from side 1. Overall, I think this is a great release. I am really loving the booklets labels have been going all out with. Yeah, sucks if you missed out, I’m sorry. I have no idea if we will be able to get more. I hope they will repress it! Alright it’s getting late I should go. Thanks for reading and thanks to everyone for your support!

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’m once again writing this a little late. Whereas most of my fellow Sorry State crew probably had their staff picks written on Thursday or Friday, here I am on the Sunday before we release the newsletter trying to finish up last-minute. Classic. At first I thought that I might write about that new Ultimate Disaster tape, because I’ve got a couple buds in the band and people seem stoked on it. A surgical approach to Discharge-influenced hardcore, and they kill it. But it’s already sold out! Then I thought about writing about that new Comes live LP… But it’s already sold out! I don’t know why, but for some reason those records not being available discouraged me from doing a write-up for all you readers.

So yeah, I just ended up going in a totally different direction. As much as I am still digesting as much new punk and hardcore as I can, my attention has been diverted to some other types of music lately. I’ve been trying to dive into January with a positive attitude because I had just been feeling so bummed the last few months of 2023. Sorry for TMI. But there’s some used records coming through the store and Dom will just throw them on from time to time when we’re working together. Like right now I’m listening to this beater copy of a Cyamande record as I’m writing this. But for the most part, I’ve been gravitating toward The Meters a lot lately. What can I say? I want the funk, baby. From what I’ve checked out, I’ve enjoyed every record by The Meters so far. I just find them totally infectious. “Tippie Toes” is a killer instrumental track off of their Struttin’ album. Most recently though, a copy of their album Rejuvenation came through the store, and I just had to grab it. It’s a bit of a beater copy, so we priced it pretty cheap. But hey, I ain’t complaining. I feel like Meters records are meant to be partied on. I catch myself just singin’ along with “Peeeeeople say!” without consciously realizing I’m doing so. I feel like The Meters ride that line of down-to-earth, sweet sounding 60s soul on some tracks, but the dirtiest, funky grooves you’ve ever heard—like that wah-wahed out guitar riff that starts “Just Kissed My Baby”? Dude, it makes my hair stand up on end. On that track “Hey Pock-Away,” my man’s just singin’ “feel good muuuuusic!” It rules. You can catch me playing that track and dancing real badly while I’m cleaning in my kitchen or whatever. It’s hard to be in a bad mood while listening to The Meters. I’m jammin’ it on heavy rotation.

I guess this is a pretty short one this round. If you’ve been feeling down, I highly recommend throwing on some Meters. PS, if you were questioning, my picture this is week is definitely not Photoshopped. Anyway, as always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff