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Various: Systeemi Ei Toimi 7” (P. Tuotanto, 1982)

A few weeks ago, Usman was purging some duplicates from his collection and I picked up a few things. Bangers only, of course, but the one that really surprised me was this 1982 Finnish compilation. It’s funny, I could be remembering wrong, but I think didn’t actually ask to buy this record… Usman just brought it to work one day and told me the price and that I should take it. He was 100% right. I had no idea there was a Systeemi Ei Toimi-sized hole in my collection, but Usman saw it and fixed it up like the good friend he is.

I can’t remember ever listening to Systeemi Ei Toimi before, though I’m sure I’d scrolled or read past it on lists of 80s Finnish punk records. The compilation originally came out in 1982 on Vote Vasko’s label P. Tuotanto, which also released several of the rarest and most essential early Finnish hardcore records, including the Kaaos / Cadgers split 7” and Riistetyt’s first EP, Laki Ja Järjestys. Systeemi Ei Toimi features four tracks each from three bands: Kaaos, Laahaus, and Vapaa Pääsy. Since it’s only three bands and each has so much material, it doesn’t have the scattered feel of a lot of compilations. It’s more like a three-way split, as each band’s contribution feels roughly the length of one side of a 7”. I much prefer comps like this where you get a few tracks from each band… you get more of a feel for what each band is about rather than everything just whizzing past you faster than you can process.

Of course, everyone knows Kaaos rules, but the surprise here was the two other bands, both of whom were compilation-only bands whose only vinyl release was this compilation (Vapaa Pääsy also appeared on a couple of other cassette comps). Laahaus (“Dragging”) has a very down-the-middle Finnish hardcore sound that any fan of the classics will love, but their songs here are distinguished by being just a little more ragged and primitive than you might expect. The way the opening guitar riff to “Keskiluokan Painajainen” kicks off the record by punching you in the face and the simple tom accents on the chorus to “Mun Elämä” both remind me of S.O.A…. very straightforward, all impact. Their other two tracks are a little more punky, like a more stripped down Appendix. It all rips.

As for Kaaos’s tracks, they are gnarly as fuck. Usman can correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe these tracks are exclusive to this compilation and otherwise only appear on the Totaalinen Kaaos collection. Listening to them just after Laahaus’s tracks, it’s remarkable how fast and vicious they are. Laahaus are ripping (I don’t just blithely hand out SOA comparisons!), but Kaaos takes it up several more notches. The guitarist’s right hand is so fast and relentless that it sounds like it’s going to buzzsaw right through the strings and into the body of the guitar, and the rhythm section is blistering fast, riding right to the edge of the cliff where it feels like at any second they could tip over into complete chaos. Jakke sounds like a wounded, snarling animal. It’s so fucking punk.

Vapaa Pääsy (“Free Admission”) holds down the back end of the compilation and changes up the vibe a little. Their first track, “Pakaluokka,” has a thin and scratchy guitar sound, a classic punk-inspired riff, and multi-tracked vocals that are a mix of hardcore snarl and punk snot. Something about this track reminds me of old Italian punk… perhaps it’s the punkiness of it mixed with how over the top the vocals are. Their other three tracks have a similar production, but the guitarist speeds up his strumming to hardcore tempos, which the lack of distortion really accentuates. These tracks remind me of Peggio Punx, but Amdi Petersens Armé fans are gonna be 100% on board, too. Vapaa Pääsy’s songs are a great way to end the comp… nearly as intense as Kaaos’s contributions, but coming from a slightly different direction.

The 1982 pressing of Systeemi Ei Toimi is a super rare and expensive record, but P. Tuotanto repressed it in 1990 on green vinyl, which is the version I have. Two other Finnish labels, Ratbite and Rock ’n’ Roll Bullshit, teamed up to repress the record once again in 2012, and this version is probably the easiest to find. It looks like the same two labels teamed up again in 2015 for an official reissue of Pohjasakka’s Maailma Täynnä Vihaa EP… I’ll have to keep an eye out for a copy of that so I can upgrade my bootleg, though I wouldn’t be bummed if an original crossed my path first…

Hello Sorry Staters! The weather outside is warming up and I can finally work in my garden planting some vegetables for the summer. There is something calming about just planting flowers and vegetables while it starts to get warm outside. It’s definitely good for my metal health. It’s also hockey playoff season and the Carolina Hurricanes are walking all over the New Jersey Devils. Let’s hope it’s the Hurricanes year this year! So happy playoff hockey time for all of those that celebrate!

For my pick this week, I decided to chat about a band that always makes it in my rotation at least once every few weeks. This record clocks in under 30 minutes, but to me it’s some of the best garage punk ever recorded. It’s catchy and lyrically it just does not give a fuck. Jay Reatard’s Blood Visions is an onslaught of snotty garage punk that is catchy, fun and just overall a front-to-back non-stop listen.

The one and only time I saw Jay Reatard live was when he was touring on the Blood Visions album in 2007. It was at Kings in downtown Raleigh with Heads on Sticks and Double Negative opening. (Also my first time seeing Double Negative, one of the greatest local Raleigh, NC bands) I remember hearing a lot of crazy things about how Jay acted on stage and would just get pissed off and try to fight people in the crowd. None of this happened that I can remember, but it was one of the wildest, most fun shows I have ever been to. I would probably put it as my second best show I’ve ever seen, next to seeing Dillinger Four at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC.

After this show, I followed Jay’s releases and other projects until his passing in 2010. A lot of bands tried to copy what the Reatards had and tried to capture Jay’s energy, but I just have not found a band as special to me as Jay Reatard and more specifically the Blood Visions record. I was lucky enough to grab a copy of the RSD reissue that was released in 2016 with a 7” of demo tracks for the album.

Be nice to yourself and others! Go outside and plant some veggies! Take your dog/cat for a walk!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice two weeks. Mine have been phenomenal. Last weekend Billy Strings came to Koka Booth Amphitheater here for three nights of pickin and grinnin, and it was too much fun. Dom even tagged along the first night and we had an absolute blast boogying to some bluegrass. It wouldn’t be an NC show either if there wasn’t a bunch of Doc Watson played and the boys even got an Ole Slew Foot. It felt like a minute since I’d been to an outdoor show and the weather was beautiful, so we really lucked out here. A good time was had all around. Then, this past Sunday was my birthday, and I had a very relaxing day spending time with my love and going on a hike and getting a delicious French meal over in Durham. Even got some herbs planted in our little garden. So I’ve been happy as a clam lately and embracing the arrival of Spring and all the greenery returning again. When you’re feeling good, you need the music to match, and a record I got this past RSD has been filling that role: I’m Not Made of Iron by Chrissy Zebby Tembo & Ngozi Family. A Zamrock banger from the 70s, this thing is straight heat from start to finish, with kickin drums and that sweet sweet guitar fuzz. Side note: this goes to show why I appreciate physical media, cause this wasn’t available online till this release, and they totally botched it on streaming services with the tracks all mislabeled. This release also contains an awesome booklet with information galore and a bunch of cool photos from back in the day. My favorite song on here has to be the title track. I’ve had it stuck in my head since I heard it, and it’s just a great track. Definitely check this one out, but not on streaming cause you’re gonna be very confused with song titles.

Hi and thanks for reading. I wanted to take the time and space to announce a release I am working on with some friends, but first I will mention a few other things. Over the weekend, SCARECROW went up north to Norfolk to play AXON’s record release gig. No surprise, they were killer. This band is mostly comprised of the NFTW crew, with the addition of Alex from MEAT HOUSE on drums. If anyone has seen Alex play, they know he’s an incredible drummer. The songwriter behind AXON is the vocalist, Joey. In the recent past, you would typically see him behind the drum kit, namely with RECKONING FORCE. Oh yes, he also was behind the mic and songwriting in LETHAL MEANS. AXON sounds significantly different than any other band NFTW has released, reminding me a lot of mid-90’s Japanese hardcore with some modern hardcore tendencies that keep it exciting. If you haven’t listened to that record yet, check it out. The track “Separate” stood out to me a lot. It also sounds the most burning spirit-y as well, haha. I wouldn’t really say the band sounds like a burning spirits band, though. When they played live, I heard some more tracks that gave me some more insight into the band’s influences; including a mid-paced banger that was reminiscent of GISM’s “Death Exclamations.”

For most of the show, I stood kinda far from the stage. Norfolk kids go hard as hell, and I am getting older, haha. I watched INVERTEBRATES from pretty close though, and they were phenomenal, per usual. INVERTED CROSS opened the show up. I think I have seen them before, but I can’t remember off hand. I could be crazy, but I think someone from INVERTED CROSS was in AXON as well. They covered a SVART FRAMTID song, and I thought that was fucking sick. This band features members of HOMEMADE SPEED, whose 7” stood out to me a lot. The bands don’t sound similar at all, though. I was talking to Jordan (CEO of NFTW) about the HOMEMADE SPEED recording session a bit during the gig. He told me everything was recorded live, including the vocals. He also said every song but one was recorded in one take. That is some incredible old school shit. They didn’t mention this on the insert at all, and I wanted to be sure to make note of it for all the nerds out there.

Alright, I’m gunna wrap this up with the DESTRUCT / SVAVELDIOXID split 7” that will be coming soon on PRESCRIPTION. I launched that label recently with the ABSOLUT tape, and I think I will continue to release some more raw punk on the label. This release is a co-operation with Flox from Fight For Your Mind Records over in France. He’s got a new label as well though, Children of the Grave Records, and this will be his second planned release as well. I’m hoping to have these out in mid-June. Of course, Sorry State will have copies, so you can secure your copy here if you need one! I won’t promote it online at all, but there will be a special mail order version with a bonus sleeve as a surprise. So if you are reading this and care about that kinda shit, be sure to order directly from me. And when I say me, I mean the BPDT website cos I am not going to take the time to make a new website haha. So, DESTRUCT are huge fans of SVAVELDIOXID. They used to play a SVAVELDIOXID cover live. Covering a contemporary band (as a contemporary band yourself) is not something I see commonly. As I am big fan of SVAVELDIOXID as well, I loved that DESTRUCT covered them. In the making of this split, both SVAVELDIOXID and DESTRUCT recorded cover songs of the opposing band, but in their own native language. Some people may not really care about that, but I think it’s super cool and a special way to commemorate the split release. Alright that’s about it for today. Cheers and thanks for reading.

What’s up Sorry Staters? Good to be with you for another SSR newsletter. I’m writing whilst battling a severe headache, unfortunately. It is something that has just started being a problem. It’s my eyes and looking at screens that does it, so after five decades of perfect vision I am going to have to see about getting my eyes checked and glasses. So, writing anything this week is a struggle, and I will not be giving you all a long ass review on anything. It was so bad yesterday I couldn’t even go down the pub and celebrate Liverpool winning the league. I’ll make sure I’m with people for the final day and trophy lift, though. Fantastic win and I’m made up.

There have been a ton of cool records come through the store these past few weeks, both new and used. We also just got over Record Store Day and I have to say there were a lot of worthy releases this year. Depending on your tastes, of course. Mine are broad, so it cost me this year. I feel guilty and almost ashamed to brag about anything that I got because I really should not be spending so much on records. Before anyone gets their panties in a wad, I didn’t take anything that we didn’t get multiple copies of, and the last thing I grabbed was left unsold at the end of the day, so I didn’t feel like I took it from anyone that had lined up outside all morning. I can promise you we would not do that to you, our customers. That would be lame.

Since RSD there have been plenty of good new releases, I thought. I’m a big fan of The Liminanas, and their new album Faded is them at their best still, after a dozen plus years of solid albums and singles. This one features vocal guest appearances from Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream and also Jon Spencer, he of Blues Explosion. Kudos to adding another great cover of Louie Louie to the books. Sounding more like Serge Gainsbourg if he was having a go himself. Great stuff.

Daniel told me to check out Craneo, an L.A. punk garage band, and I liked the record a lot. Good time rock and roll riffs in the vein of Oblivians and The Dirtbombs, etc. and sung in Spanish. If that’s your bag, check them out.

Arriving the same day was another record Daniel said I might like, and that was Robert The Record. We got a few reissues of this one that originally came out in 1986. The record is credited to Robert, but is the work of ?Fog. They were from Auckland, New Zealand and were an arts collective also known as ?Fog Enterprises. The question mark is intentional and correct. Just like so much cool music that comes out of NZ, these guys sound familiar and have detectable influences, but also sound unique and ahead of the curve. The sound here is Alternative Rock with an Indie twist and some Post Punk for good measure. Hard to pigeonhole, which is always a good thing in my book. The reissue comes with a decent size booklet with interviews, photos and relevant info. I can see why Daniel appreciates this record, as there is a Fall-like approach to their music and the fact that they were members of an underground community. Always full marks for that. Investigate.

We had a cool midweek show this week where locals Paranoid Maniac and Scarecrow warmed the crowd up for Jail, visiting from Detroit, as part of their southern tour. A show they almost didn’t make, as their van broke down just a few miles out of town. Luckily, a hero who goes by the name of Larry swooped in and saved the day and helped the guys get to the venue on time to play a kick ass set. The lads dropped off a couple of copies of their long player, which we might already be sold out of, but go see them if they are in your town.

John Scott and I were jamming several of the reissues of South American Cumbia, Garage and Post Punk that came in this week. I would definitely steer you towards Mercenarias from Brazil if you like more experimental DIY Post punk. They were around in the 80s. We’ve had reissues of their stuff before and there’s a cool collection on them from Soul Jazz Records. The one we got in has a bunch of demos and live recordings.

Los Saicos from Peru recorded a handful of cool garage singles in the mid-1960s that sounded as if they could have come out of the Pacific Northwest and been part of the scene with The Sonics and The Wailers, etc. These recordings have been reissued before, but this edition comes with a nice booklet containing lots of unseen photos.

We will hopefully start to add more titles like this one from Vampi Soul, Cumbia Cumbia Cumbia!!! It’s a banger start to finish and delivers exactly what the title promises. Like Los Saicos, all these artists are from Peru. You’ll never find half of these records as originals, so a compilation like this is essential.

Okay, I can barely look at the screen anymore. No joke. Damn stupid aging body.

There was one Record Store Day release that both John Scott and I had our eyes on and wanted, and that was the mystery-colored Easter Egg shaped vinyl limited to 1500, Peanuts’ The Easter Beagle. I mean, who wouldn’t want that? With a cool picture of Woodstock in his pad chilling and listening to his funny looking Hi-Fi as artwork, hell yeah! Anyway, with the internet already listing said record for $300 before the actual day and knowing it would be popular, JS and I did the right thing and did a little catch and release, making at least two people happy. There was also a full length of alternate recordings to Vince Guaraldi’s Jazz Impressions Of A Boy Named Charlie Brown album. That was cool. To ease the feeling of missing out on those gems, I went home and pulled out my Peanuts related records and put on one called Good Grief! It’s a nice collection of some of the more popular Charlie Brown themes and was released originally back in 1968, but kept in print throughout the 1970s and 1980s. At the time, though, this was one of only a few vinyl records where fans of the Peanuts specials could hear some of the themes heard on the shows. It wasn’t until the late 1990s and the CD reissue era when we could hear more of the music. More recently there have been a whole series of vinyl reissues of the various specials, which we have stocked, and I know I and John Scott have talked about here in the newsletter. You really need these for the tons of great music that are on them and all the cool photos and information that each came with.

So yeah, that’s all I got for you this week I’m afraid. Back to lying down in the dark for me.

See you around these parts or at the store next time you’re passing through.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Life can be exhausting, don’t ya think? I don’t know how many of you newsletter subscribers out there even read my (more or less) weekly entries very closely. I feel bad sometimes that I’m always complaining about how tired I am. Wah, cry baby. It’s always for good reason. Last week, we didn’t even do our own personal write-ups for the newsletter. So here’s what I’ve been up to the last couple weeks:

A couple of weekends ago, I flew out to Salt Lake City for this punk fest that Meat House and Shaved Ape played. I’d visited SLC before, but I must have not ventured very far or otherwise had totally forgotten what the city actually looked like. I was blown away by how beautiful the landscape of the city was, sat within a valley with amazing mountainous views in every direction. Also, I didn’t realize that the neighborhood where the fest took place was in a big Mexican/Latino community, so there were bangin’ taquerias on just about every corner. Ate killer food, and probably had a few too many margaritas. Conrad and his partner Vaenka, who put the fest together, did a really great job and took good care of us. Hardcore bands should go play SLC.

This past Saturday (the 26th), I spent a collective 10 hours of that day in a car. Drove to Richmond to go practice with Public Acid. Then drove to Norfolk to go play a gig with Scarecrow. Then drove home to Raleigh after the gig that same night in order to work at Sorry State on Sunday morning. Totally psycho. But I do these things to myself. But needless to say, burning that candle at multiple angles has me feelin’ burnt. Then this Friday, I’m taking the train to Washington DC to go see The Damned at the 9:30 Club. Can’t fucking wait.

One of the bands that played the gig in Norfolk was this band Inverted Cross. Inverted Cross has a few of the dudes from Homemade Speed, and the first time I saw them, it was just guitar, drums and vocals—no bass player. But more recently, Felix from Cicada has joined the band on bass. Inverted Cross opened the gig, and I was just smiling ear to ear watching these young dudes tear it the fuck up. A new crop of young (or at least younger than me) bands has been popping up in the NC/VA region. It seems like the dominant mentality of these bands is that raw, fast as fuck hardcore is the coolest shit that there is. This literally brings a tear to my eye. Gives me hope. I’m exaggerating for dramatic effect, of course. But several of these bands are what I’m most excited about in the current landscape of punk and hardcore. Whether we’re talking the scene of bands in Norfolk, like Inverted Cross who I mentioned above, or bands in Charlotte like Corrupt Faith, for example. To me, what’s bridging the gap between these few different cities and helping me keep track of this new group of bands is this label Sex Fiend Abomination, which has been just putting out great stuff.

Speaking of Sex Fiend Abomination, the latest release on the label is this debut tape by Richmond’s No Victim. I saw this band a few times in Richmond before the tape came out. And as much as I thought they totally ripped live, I just think they nailed this recording. It’s one of those things that when I first heard it, I was like, “Holy shit.” The hair on my arms just stood up on end. It sounds oldschool 80s hardcore in a way that I’m sure thousands of bands WISH they could have captured. Pounding fast drums. Immediate and explosive. Baylan, the singer, has this somewhat groaning and detached vocal delivery that reminds me a lot of the vocals on Anti’s I Don’t Wanna Die In Your War. Intense, yet also careless and unhinged. But there’s also these chanted along gang vocals at random moments. I wish I knew the lyrics so I could shout along. I hear earnestly delivered yet also aggressively barked lyrics like, “I don’t wanna live in this fucked up world. Every day just makes me sick.” Probably my favorite song on the tape is called “Short Haired Rednecks”. I don’t know exactly what’s being sung about, but I’m sure it’s a criticism of the southern experience that I’m all too familiar with. “Speed, speed, speed! That’s all I need!” I think that’s what they’re saying? Hell yeah.

I remember first meeting the guitar player Chester before he moved to Richmond, while he was playing in a band from Texas called Stunted Youth. To me, his guitar playing is the star of the show. He plays non-stop, ripping fast with this total furious tenacity that reminds a lot of the chaotic strumming in like the early Gang Green recordings. (They also sneak in a hidden Gang Green cover right at the end.). That said, there’s also so much attitude in Chester’s playing. Like, I just love that the band is ripping so fast, that he just can’t even be bothered to make sure he’s in tune on every song. Who fuckin’ cares? It just makes the recording sound so much more intense and gnarly. Even so, the catchiness of his riff-writing comes through.

So yeah, that’s what I’ve been stoked about lately. Hardcore rules. Hopefully Sorry State will stock a few more tapes by them. Can’t wait to see what they do next. Hope they at least record a 7” before they break up. Also hope they don’t fuck it up by getting too slick and perfect on their next recording. Chances are that won’t happen.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Steröid: Chainmail Commandos (Crypt of the Wizard, 2025)

I would be lying if I chose anything other than Chainmail Commandos, the debut full-length from Sydney, Australia’s Steröid, as my staff pick this week… I have been obsessed with this record since I heard it last week. I’ve been listening to it constantly, playing it over and over more than just about any new release I can think of for the past several years. It’s one of those records I like so much I almost find it puzzling… I keep asking friends to listen to it in order to find out if I’m insane for liking it as much as I do, but aside from Danny no one has given me their impressions. I guess choosing it as my staff pick is really laying down the gambit, so hopefully I will hear from more people about what they think of this album. I’m really curious.

Basically, Steröid is the fusion of New Wave of British Heavy Metal and egg punk you never knew you wanted. If that sounds like a weird combination of sounds, that’s because it is. I found out about Steröid through the Punk This Week podcast, which is brought to you by Evan Minsker and his See Saw website. (You should definitely pay attention to See Saw, particularly if your tastes fall more toward the melodic and/or egg punk end of Sorry State’s focus.) I was washing dishes and listening to Punk This Week and Evan was talking about Steröid, describing their sound and aesthetic, and as I listened, I thought to myself, “this band sounds completely fucking bananas.” I can’t remember the last time I did this, but I turned off the podcast and immediately went over to Steröid’s Bandcamp to have a listen. My first reaction was that, yes, this band is just as weird as Evan had promised.

I should pause here to say that egg punk and NWOBHM are both subgenres I’m more or less ambivalent about. Regarding egg punk, I think it’s hilarious that some people are so hung up about it… like, there are people who seem mad egg punk exists. Who fucking cares? Personally, I think it’s cool that a new style of punk has emerged in recent years that sounds like absolutely nothing that has come before and caters primarily to young punk. I want punk to feel relevant, and it doesn’t stay relevant by rehashing the same sounds from four or five decades ago. There are great egg punk bands, mediocre ones, and bad ones. (I will admit that, as with any style generating a lot of media attention, there are a lot of lame, nondescript, or bad ones, particularly when you’re looking at releases that only come out digitally or on small-run tapes.) I think the Coneheads and D.L.I.M.C. are seminal bands, and I think Prison Affair, Gee Tee, and Snooper are all really good. That’s pretty much how I feel about NWOBHM too. I know people who base their entire lifestyle around this genre, but I’m OK with just the highlights. I think the early Diamond Head and Def Leppard records are essential, but this compilation I have called New Wave Of British Heavy Metal ‘79 Revisited (compiled by Lars Ulrich!) has more than enough good tunes to satisfy me if I get a hankerin’ for some NWOBHM.

So yeah, I never would have thought a band who combines these two styles would do it for me, but Steröid’s songs are so fucking great. The first track I heard, “Warzone in the City,” knocked me out. It starts with a cool riff and builds from there. First you get a cool little melodic lead guitar lead-in, then a brief verse before a pre-chorus that does exactly what a pre-chorus does, which is build tension and anticipation for the chorus. More and more I think the pre-chorus is the fulcrum of any great pop song, as that magical moment when the pre-chorus’s tension is released in the main chorus is the most exciting moment of the song. The chorus itself is solid and anthemic, just four words that anyone can join in singing the second time it rolls around. After another run through the verse/pre-chorus/chorus, you get a cool little bridge part where the guitars introduce an exciting new variation on the melody, then a guitar solo that offers a few moments of flash before boldly restating the song’s main melody. Then one more run through the chorus and we’re done. All killer, no filler. What a great fucking song.

They just keep coming, too. The next two tracks, “After Dawn” and “Chainmail Commandos,” are nearly as strong as “Warzone in the City,” and further into the album “Nowhere to Run” and “Desert Storm” provide another pair of high points. The entire album is very much of a piece, with the band mixing and matching instrumental and vocal hooks that are just different enough from one another to keep things interesting while maintaining a steady vibe. Chainmail Commandos is a no-skips experience for me.

As I mentioned, I’ve done a lot of pondering why Chainmail Commandos hits so hard for me when it doesn’t really map onto my usual musical preferences. Even more, though, I wondered how this thing could exist at all. If you are this good at writing songs and playing heavy metal guitar, why would you make a record that sounds like this? Why wouldn’t you just make something that sounds like a NWOBHM throwback? It would be better than 99% of the bands going for that, and you’d probably have a permanent meal ticket playing European metal festivals every summer. These songs feel like they could be huge, but not sounding like this. But really, that makes me love Steröid even more. Chainmail Commandos may not be in my stylistic wheelhouse, but “great songs played and recorded badly” is a vibe I have always had a lot of time for.

My first listens to Chainmail Commandos were delightfully free of context, but I’ve since learned a little more about the project. Apparently Steröid is a collaboration between people from the bands Gee Tee and R.M.F.C. and the person behind the dungeon synth project Quest Master. So obviously there are a lot of talented people in the room, but I still find it remarkable that those people have combined their respective strengths so effectively. Also, the record’s artwork, which perfectly articulates the music’s aesthetic, was done by Tin Savage, so clearly it’s not too far from our DIY punk world.

If you’ve checked this out and fallen for it like I have, you’ll probably want to know about a physical version. It looks like the UK label called Crypt of the Wizard released a vinyl edition of 250 that is already listed as sold out on their website. Of course, I emailed to see if there are any floating around that we could get for Sorry State, but I am doubtful. I found a pre-order for the album at Rough Trade US, so I made an order for myself. Fingers crossed it actually gets fulfilled. Maybe this record will sink without a trace and we’ll never hear about it again, but if there’s a repress at any point, you can bet I’ll load up for SSR and remind y’all about how awesome I think it is.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. As I’m sure most of you are aware, this past Saturday was Record Store Day. Definitely our busiest day of the year, but luckily everything went very smoothly and most everyone seemed to get what they were looking for. I’m glad we’re not one of these record stores that makes a huge deal of RSD and opens up at like 6 AM or something, but to each their own. I hope if you participated this year, you got all the titles you were looking for cause there were definitely some good ones. Of course I had to get in on the fun too. I picked up a copy of Mingus At Monterey, a live album of Charles Mingus’ 1964 performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. I’m always a sucker for live albums, and RSD always seems to deliver the goods on that front. What really hooked me on this was reading the notes on the back of the cover written by Mr. Mingus himself on the performance. It’s really awesome to read about it from his perspective and what was going through his head during the whole performance. My favorite part is when he talks about what was happening during the song “A Train.” He felt heart palpitations and thought his own death was imminent and looked up to the sky and said “Well, here I come, baby. Lord, I guess this is it” and that energy translated into his playing. Obviously, he didn’t drop dead during this performance, but I can only imagine how wild that must’ve felt. This record also sounds amazing. You can really hear that bass thumping throughout the whole thing. It’s hard for me to say what my favorite song is on here cause it seems silly to reduce the performance to individual songs rather than just view the performance as a whole. That probably sounds dumb and snobby and fake sophisticated lol, but if I wanna listen to this, I wanna listen to the whole thing, not just a certain song or part. I guess you could say that really about any album, but I guess I especially feel that way about live jazz records. Maybe what I’m really trying to say is I love all of it. If you come across this one and you didn’t already snag one this past weekend, I’d definitely recommend you snag it. Throw it on and just pop a squat in front of your record player, close your eyes and imagine yourself in that crowd in Monterey in 1964.

Hi and thanks for reading. I feel like we are swimming in hot new releases at the moment, and it was hard to pick just one to write about. Even though I had absolutely no anticipation for this debut cassette from UNIFORMED SERVICE, I have decided to write about that today. When I say I had no anticipation, I just mean I knew nothing of this band before we got their tape in stock. It initially caught my eye when I was filing away hold piles and I kept seeing the UNIFORMED SERVICE demo tape pop up in orders. The j-card had a pretty old school feel to it. The way they outlined shit on the flaps and left the back flap blank felt especially classic to me. The insert looked like a HEADCLEANERS rip to me for some reason. It looked cool. Now, just cos something is a hot seller, it doesn’t mean I am going to like it. I usually end up checking shit out we are selling like mad, but I often think it’s just some overly hyped band that I have no interest in. Sorry to be so blunt. Anyways, the tape struck up some interest, but still not enough to check it out, haha. I’m stupid like that. Later that day, I saw Al Quint had posted some pictures online from a gig. I didn’t read the caption from the post, so I had no idea what bands I was looking at. He often posts old pics, too, so I really had no idea. As I flicked through the photos, I see Brian from SAVAGEHEADS / BKB holding a guitar. I’m a huge BKB fan (like most), so went to the caption, and I discovered it was pics of UNIFORMED SERVICE. Damn. No wonder why so many people were grabbing this, haha. I made my order for the tape like immediately and looked for a rip on YouTube.

So, if you know SAVAGEHEADS you know what you’re in for when it comes to UNIFORMED SERVICE—catchy hardcore played in an anthemic UK82 fashion. While the songwriting is simple, it’s the execution that really makes this tape stand out. I am especially a sucker for recordings that are made with the 80s in mind. This tape was recorded by Mark from Active-8/THE MASSACRED, but if you didn’t know that, you might be fooled into thinking you just stumbled across some old ‘80s band. I think the sound of the kick drum is perfect, which is one of the hardest things to get to sound nice and natural when you’re recording drums. The tape was released by X-Ploit Tapes; I’m guessing this is Brian’s label, but I have no idea. They did a few releases like 10 years ago, and he was in most of the bands. I don’t think the demo tape is something that will die, as long as hardcore punk is around. I know I am getting older and there have been one or two, shit maybe even three, waves of young punks since I felt like I was one of them myself. And the thing about getting older is that things change. The young punks do some shit so different than I would. Some things I don’t agree with, but who cares? It seems young punks are much less about gatekeeping, which is great. When I was a kid, it was like you had to endure a hazing from the older punks to be accepted. Anyways, the youth may approach things differently as time goes on, but I still see demo tapes being released like mad. The quality of the tape always varies, but it means a lot to me that they are keeping the demo tape alive. I even see some kids making bootleg mixtapes and shit like that. It’s so cool.

Now, when I say the quality of tapes these days varies, I mean a lot of things. Of course, there is the super shitty sounding home-dubbed demo tape that was likely made in a rush before a weekend tour. These are great because they really capture the time and place of the band. It was made by them, by hand, in a small number. Sometimes these tapes end up being like historical artifacts, haha. Personally, I hate it when I buy a tape and it sounds like shit. It doesn’t have to sound like that. Now there’s the flip side—when everything is way too pro. I see so many tapes now that are shrink-wrapped. What the fuck? I mean, I get like you made a tape version of your LP or something, and maybe you shrink-wrapped that? Maybe? Haha. Maybe I am too critical, but to me a tape seems like a pretty DIY thing, so when your production is so professional that the end result is shrink wrapped, it seems like an oxymoron or something. I can go on forever about how I think a tape should be made, but I am just gunna stop while I am ahead, haha.

I should probably wrap this one up, but there are a few more things I wanted to point out. First, the tape itself sounds good. I bought one and played the hell out of it. It’s single-sided, so I’m guessing it was a home-dub? Home-dubs are some of the best in my opinion. The equipment just needs to be in nice working condition, and your original/master obviously needs to sound nice and clear. So, one thing that really stuck out to me in the pics from Al Quint was that Brian was singing and playing guitar at the same time. That’s no easy task, and I have a lot of respect for bands that really maximize what they can do with fewer people. I was chatting with Mark from Active-8 briefly, and he told me he was gunna join the band on guitar later this year. While the 3-piece look will be ruined, I’m guessing the intensity of the band will be amplified, as Mark is a beast. The last thing I wanted to point out is this tape is only $5. Wow, haha. That is so sick. That means they sold em to us for so cheap. Like cost? We sell SCARECROW tapes for five bucks at the merch table, and there’s like room for one dollar in profit or some shit. The $5 tape is an endangered species with everything getting more and more expensive each year. This was just another reason for me to love this tape. When I began writing this, we had like 15-20 in stock still, but I just checked and now it’s like 5 or less. I’m sorry if you’re reading this and it’s sold out. If not, better buy fast! Cheers and thanks for your support.

The song that’s been playing on a loop in my head all week has been the Velvet Underground’s “Foggy Notion,” mostly because it mentions calamine lotion, which I’ve been swathing myself in every few hours for the past week. Last Sunday the weather was super nice, so I did some yard work, and I guess I touched some poison ivy. I’ve always had sensitive skin, and I remember breaking out in mysterious bumps and rashes all the time when I was a kid. It hasn’t been too much of an issue in adulthood, but around ten years ago I was exposed to poison ivy for the first time as an adult and it was pretty bad. This exposure isn’t quite as bad, but it is highly unpleasant. The weird / frustrating thing about it is that the pain and itchiness comes in waves. I’ll go a few hours without really thinking about it, then it’ll come on and my skin will feel like it’s burning from the inside, or like bugs are trying to crawl out through my arm and leg hair follicles. Actually, I think I’m manifesting more itchiness by writing about it right now, so let’s move on to another topic…

I mentioned in a previous staff pick that I’d been listening to a lot of old John Peel radio programs on YouTube, and one thing I love about so many of his shows is how much reggae he plays. Reggae has been sounding better and better to me lately… or maybe it’s just that I’m finding more of the stuff I really like. John Peel was a big fan of the London reggae group Misty in Roots, and he played them often. Misty in Roots’ name had been on my radar for a long time thanks to their association with the Ruts, but I knew little about the band or that connection until hearing them on Peel’s programs prompted me to investigate further. After sampling some of their albums, I decided the one I needed to start with was their first: 1979’s Live at the Counter Eurovision 79.

Musically, Misty in Roots played in a heavy roots reggae style (surprising, I know) built around massive bass lines and a distinctive, spooky-sounding organ. Unlike the more pop and soul-influenced end of reggae, Misty in Roots’ sound was darker and less melodic, but still very soulful and intense. Their intensity reminds me of Bob Marley in places, but there’s something grimy and confrontational in Misty in Roots’ sound that makes it sound of a piece with punk rock to me.

Another very punkish element of Misty in Roots is their confrontational politics. Like so many punk groups, the members of Misty in Roots were squatters, avowed radical leftists, and enthusiastic participants in the Rock Against Racism movement. They even, echoing Crass, at one point decamped to a farm in Zimbabwe to establish an intentional community according to their political vision. They also operated as a collective, with members rotating in and out of the group, and the collective also ran their in-house record label, People Unite, which released records by Misty in Roots, several other reggae artists, and the first single by the Ruts, the all-time punk classic “In a Rut” b/w “H-Eyes.”

The Ruts song “Jah War” is another connection to Misty in Roots, with the song’s lyrics telling the violent story of a police raid on Misty in Roots’ squat in Southall, West London. The National Front held a demonstration in Southall, and members of the Misty in Roots collective counter-protested. Tensions built, and a riot erupted, with police perpetrating acts of heinous violence, mostly against the Indian and West Indian communities who called Southall home rather than the National Front members who started the incident. Misty in Roots’ manager Clarence Baker (whose name you’ll recognize if you’re familiar with the Ruts’ song) had his skull fractured by a police truncheon and was in a coma for five months.

Given the political and social conditions in late-70s London—the same conditions that gave rise to punk—it’s hardly surprising that Misty in Roots’ music is soaked in darkness and intensity. If, like me, you’re a punker who dabbles in reggae, check out Live at the Counter Eurovision 79. Sadly, it’s not on streaming services, but it’s pretty easy to dial up a vinyl rip on youtube, and the vinyl is a relatively easy find (particularly in the UK and Europe), though not quite dirt cheap.

Hello Sorry Staters! It’s a rainy gloomy today, so I have been listening to some gloomy but poppy tracks from a Philadelphia, PA band called Full Body 2. FB2 combines shoegaze with some really great drum & bass techno beats. It really does not sound like it would work, but it definitely does. The last album they put out was Infinity Signature in 2023 and besides them doing Audiotree Live on YouTube, not much new has come out from the bad. The band’s music follows the line of shoegaze, but you can tell they want to do something different, and that is where the drum & bass / break beats come in. It almost sounds like if Aphex Twin and My Bloody Valentine had a baby. It’s simple, fuzzed out shoegaze with a twist. The phyiscal copies are hard to come by as they are all self released, but check them out on bandcamp!

On another note, we have been getting in some killer new records that I hope everyone will give a listen and check them out! The new Nisemono LP, the new Ultimate Disaster LP, and of course Necron 9! I continue to list used CDs daily, so as always keep an eye out on our used section for some killer CDs if that is your thing. Until next week!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone had a great week. As expected, the show this past week at The Pour House was amazing. All three bands (Scarecrow, Homemade Speed, and Paprika) absolutely killed it and it was a great way to spend a Wednesday night. Always a hoot. I’m pretty sure the next show in Raleigh will be on the 24th at Neptunes and Scarecrow will be ripping it up again with Jail and Paranoid Maniac, so mark your calendars! This past week we got a bunch of heat at the store with a bunch of different orders from various labels, so it was a dangerous week for the wallet. I ended up grabbing both Varaus reissues we got in: the 7” and the 1/2 LP. I’m sure most everyone reading the newsletter is familiar with these records, but they’re new to me and they both quickly grabbed my attention. Another reason I’m always grateful for working at Sorry State is cause I’m always introduced to sick shit like this that I’m fairly positive I never would have discovered on my own. I don’t have much of my own thoughts to share on these other than they totally rip and if you don’t own these, I highly recommend snagging them while we have both in stock. Obviously I’m a fan of both, but I’ve had a slight lean towards the 7”. Maybe cause it’s just four tracks, so it’s a little easier to digest while listening for the first few times. If I had to go with a favorite track, I’d say track one on the B side, Tuhoava Voima. Anyways, that’s it for this time, I hope wherever you are you get some great spring weather this week!