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Arse: Primitive Species 12” (Erste Theke Tontraeger) Debut vinyl from this Australian band. Discogs says the band originally released this as a limited edition cassette, but Erste Theke did the right thing by getting this on vinyl because it’s a killer release. I like bands that fall on the dividing line between noise rock and hardcore, and Arse are right in that pocket, using pogo beats, wild and noisy guitar solos, and a nihilistic vocal bark that will appeal to fans of Geld, Gay Kiss, Walls, and other bands that trace their lineage back to Black Flag’s My War. Far from just a copycat band, though, Arse strike me as more artsy and ambitious than any of the aforementioned groups. I hear this in the guitar solos (which are particularly unhinged, like Ginn and Hendrix on a bunch of bad drugs), but even more on the two songs that end each side of the record. These aren’t so much songs as abstract noise / electronic pieces that flesh out the world hinted at in those guitar leads into a full-on post-apocalyptic soundscape. Far beyond your typical “dude stringing together a bunch of guitar pedals and hitting them at random,” these intricately composed pieces scratch the same itch as Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream. That this recording began its public life as a limited edition of 40 cassettes makes me hope that Arse get even more ambitious once they realize the world is listening. In the meantime, though, this album is fascinating.

Dark Web: Clone Age 12” (Erste Theke Tontraeger) Debut vinyl from this Philadelphia group. The label describes them as “goth-tinged post-punk,” but I don’t really hear that. It’s dark, but instead of post-punk I hear the dark garage-punk sound of Jay Reatard or the Adverts, cut with the irreverence and the sing-song quality of Citric Dummies (who are on the same label, so it makes sense why this caught Erste Theke’s ear). With twelve tracks (it’s amazing how few punk 12”s these days have that many songs) Clone Age goes a lot of different places, which makes for a record that will stick around your turntable longer than more one-dimensional releases. My favorite track is “Life of Crime,” which is one of the most Jay Reatard-esque songs on the record. The interplay between the bass and guitar is great here, with the bass player working a simple, two-note riff while the guitar player circles around it, switching nimbly between more melodic and more dissonant harmonies. If the aforementioned references pique your interest, you’ll no doubt find a lot to love on Clone Age.

Crazy Bull: The Past Is Today 12” (self-released) I can’t think of a more apt title for the debut full-length from this Philadelphia band. As you can tell by their logo, artwork, and their music if you give them a listen, they’re going whole hog on the retro 70s rock thing, though you can still hear punk in the band’s fast tempos and high energy level. Aside from the obvious points of comparison like Annihilation Time and North Carolina’s own Mind Dweller, the band that keeps coming to mind when I listen to Crazy Bull is Sir Lord Baltimore. Their Kingdom Come LP is one of my favorites, and just like that album The Past Is Today is a non-stop barrage of heavy, blues-inflected rock riffage. If you aren’t familiar with Sir Lord Baltimore, Crazy Bull also have a ton of Black Sabbath in their DNA, but they don’t have any parts I’d describe as doomy. If Sabbath had an entire LP that was nothing but fast and frantic songs like “War Pigs” and “Hole in the Sky” it might sound like The Past Is Today. While some might dislike how hard Crazy Bull leans into the retro rock aesthetic if you love classic rock riffs I can’t imagine you wouldn’t love this album.

C. Memi & Neo Matisse: No Chocolate 7” (Bitter Lake) Bitter Lake continues their project of reissuing cult Japanese music with this 1980 7”. You may recognize C. Memi’s name from Bitter Lake’s previous release, a reissue of her Heavenly Peace EP, but this earlier recording finds her working in a more punk / rock milieu with her previous band. Listening to this single, you’d think Japan was at the exact mid-point between New York and Germany (maybe it is if you take the long way around?), as this sounds like the early CBGB scene smashed together with the more experimental tendencies of the original Krautrock bands. On the a-side the former influences take center stage, and if you’re a fan of Television or the Talking Heads (“No Chocolate” even sounds like “Psycho Killer” in places) it’ll get your toe tapping with its big, angular art-rock riff. Over the course of the song, though, the band’s experimental side comes to the surface as they add a vocoder effect on the vocals and a wild, Alice Coltrane-esque piano solo takes over toward the end of the track. It’s a strange ride, but an exhilarating one. The b-side is more meditative and more Krautrock-sounding with its minimal yet propulsive beat and cosmic-sounding tape manipulations. I would love to hear a full album (or even a recording of a live show) as it feels like this single only scratches the surface of what this group was capable of, but the wealth of ideas on display here will keep this single from getting filed away any time soon.

Inmates: Government Crimes 7” (Ultra Sonido) I’m surprised it’s taken someone this long to reissue Government Crimes, as it’s right up there with the H100s’ Dismantle EP as one of the most infamous records from an infamous scene. While bands like the Inmates, H100s, 9 Shocks Terror, and Gordon Solie Motherfuckers didn’t reinvent the wheel when it came to making hardcore music, what they did (and do!) better than just about anyone else is embody a spirit of undiluted nihilism. Government Crimes is hardcore as a shamanistic ritual wherein you summon the combined spirit of Darby, Sid, Jerry A and Sakevi, surrender your body to them and hope you wake up with all of your limbs intact. Trying to intellectualize this record is useless, as listening to it is like standing in the middle of a wild bar fight when you’re too drunk to understand what’s going on around you, let alone escape or defend yourself. If that’s your vibe and you don’t already own an original of this, you know what to do…

Compressions: demo cassette (Residue) Demo cassette from this killer new band out of Chicago. They have a long ex-members list, but if you’re a Sorry State fan you’ll recognize Jordan from Manipulation on vocals. I’ve always thought Jordan sounded like Dez from Black Flag, and he’ll be hearing that a lot more since Compressions obviously take inspiration from ‘Flag. There are countless bands out there that imitate superficial aspects of the Black Flag sound, but the members of Compressions have put in the work to nail those off kilter, yet locked in rhythms that were a trademark of the Black Flag sound. Compressions are far more than just a tribute or soundalike band though. In much the same way that Disclose saw Discharge’s music as a kind of language they could manipulate and expand upon, Compressions use Black Flag’s quirky rhythms and wild leads as a jumping-off point. “Rapid Eye” is a perfect example. The track starts with a jazzy rhythm that wouldn’t be out of place on In My Head, but segues into dense and frantic hardcore that reminds me of Los Crudos. And then there’s “War Prayer,” which doesn’t sound like Black Flag at all, but rather a tougher version of Toxic Reasons circa Kill by Remote Control, or (more to the point) Direct Control circa Nuclear Tomorrow. If you know anything about my taste in music, you realize that these aren’t comparisons I throw around lightly, and indeed I’m pretty smitten with this demo. Thrown in near-perfect production (crisp, clear, and heavy, yet still organic-sounding) and you have one of the best demos of 2018, hands-down.

Jeff chose this week's Record of the Week, which is the new LP from UK hardcore band Permission. Here's what Jeff had to say about it:

Paranoid: Jikangire 12” (Konton Crasher) Three-song 12” single teasing this Swedish band’s upcoming full-length. The a-side track is from the album and the two songs on the b-side are exclusive to this release. If these three tracks are any indication, we can expect that their upcoming album, Heavy Mental Fuck-Up!, will be different from their first one, Satyagraha. On that record Paranoid seemed fascinated with the swirling layers of feedback and dramatic dynamic shifts of Disclose’s later records, but these three tracks find them moving toward a more straightforward hybrid of anthemic crust and Burning Spirits-style Japanese hardcore. Speaking of which, “Jikangire” is more or less a reworking of the song “Mirror” by Death Side. Paranoid have borrowed rather famous riffs before (one track on their Praise No Deity EP cribbed from “Into Crypts of Rays” by Celtic Frost) and their many cover songs make no secret of their indebtedness to their influences. That’s far from uncommon in today’s punk scene, but “Jikangire” borrows more flagrantly than most. The two tracks on the b-side are in a similar vein, with a heavy, metallic crust sound that reminds me of Doom or State of Fear. These tracks are cool, but fans should know they’re rather different from the old stuff. Still, I’m looking forward to hearing the full articulation of this new direction on the upcoming album.

Wonder Bread: Complete Solid Gold Hits 7” (Digital Regress) Debut vinyl from this one-person project. Four of these five songs represent the cream of earlier cassette releases (none of which I’ve heard) and there’s one exclusive track, “My Dad Was in a Hardcore Band.” It’s funny that this 7” arrives at Sorry State the same week the Egg Punk / Chain Punk meme(https://i.imgur.com/lzChCbg.png) took over the online punk world because one could interpret the central conceit of “My Dad Was in a Hardcore Band” as an egg punk critique of chain punk. Maybe that’s a stretch, but I thought it would be a funny line to include in this description. Anyway, Wonder Bread remind me of projects like Spodee Boy, BB Eye, and Race Car, i.e. bedroom recording projects by people who are into Devo, but were weaned on hardcore and/or Ramones-based punk, which smoothes out some of Devo’s art-ier edges. Wonder Bread are good at the sound, and if you’re a fan of the aforementioned groups, you’ll like what they do. However, more than their music, the defining aspect of Wonder Bread is their irreverence. Three of the five songs (at least) are spoofs of “the scene,” their primary target being that most parody-able of foibles, pretension. Interestingly, though, my favorite track here, “1011,” is the EP’s least irreverent moment. The interplay between the instruments is something special, reminding me of how the Australian band Brando’s Island uses a vibraphone to create an unsettling atmosphere. Complete Solid Gold Hits is a strong debut and I hope it’s not the last we hear of Wonder Bread.

Drux: S/T 12” (Static Age) Debut LP from this hardcore band out of Leipzig, Germany. Drux take influences from 80s US hardcore, but they sound European, mostly because their music isn’t as pretentious or as beholden to its influences as most American bands. It doesn’t sound like Drux are trying to recreate another band’s sound. Instead, the only prerequisites are that the music remain loud and fast, and every other tenet of the genre is liable to alteration and/or improvement. This isn't an avant garde record, though; it’s straightforward but the songs are full of touches that sound like no one but Drux. The closest comparisons I can think of are Amde Petersens Arme and Mülltüte, two other European bands who sound like they’re inspired by the best of USHC, but committed to making it their own. This is too smart to become a hype record, but if you think hardcore is still an artistically viable genre I recommend checking out this record.

Cruelster: Riot Boys 12” (Lumpy) Second 12” from this Cleveland band. They share members with Perverts Again, Bulsch, and Roobydocks, so if you’re following that scene this is already on your “to-buy” list, and rightly so. This group of people is making some of the most innovative, interesting, and contemporary-sounding punk I’ve heard, and Riot Boys is an essential piece of the puzzle. However, even if you can hear how interesting, important, and great it is, it will still try your patience. That’s because, while other parts of the punk scene try to create a kind of punk (or, more broadly, liberal) utopia, Cruelster engage with the shit the rest of us do our best to ignore, and it’s fucking ugly. Nowhere is that clearer than on the lengthy sample that starts the album. The narrator reads a letter to the editor of a Captain America comic book, and as the letter unfolds we gradually understand the writer is a nut. The letter continues to get weirder until it culminates in a series of death threats against the editors. Of a fucking Captain America comic. This is the perfect segue into “Crisis in Local Government Part III,” whose chorus (insofar as you can call anything in a Cruelster song a chorus) is “I want to see American Sniper / I want to see Bradley Cooper as Chris.” While their music is jagged, awkward, and interesting, what’s unsettling about Cruelster is how they dig deep into this mentality, pushing past the Fox News caricature and getting at the mundane—and human—thought processes behind it. It’s a place most punks won't go, and for that reason it’s worth going there. That Cruelster marry this aesthetic to weird, interesting, and powerful music is either the cake or the icing, depending on your perspective.

Shipwrecked: We Are the Sword 12” (Foreign Legion) Shipwrecked’s debut LP received a ton of hype a few years ago, but I never heard their releases so I’m coming to this one fresh. My first impression is that it makes sense that Shipwrecked were hyped in 2012 because their brand of Boston hardcore worship is similar to the first Boston Strangler LP, which also came out that year. Once you get past this LP's long intro (it takes up nearly the entire first side) you get a big helping of meat and potatoes hardcore that sounds like SSD and the FU’s thrown into a blender. The label’s description mentions that metallic influences creep in on this record, and aside from a few guitar leads that would fit well in a Battle Ruins song I’m not sure I hear much of that. While I tend to prefer hardcore that’s less straightforward, I understand why Shipwrecked get so much attention as they know their way around a hardcore tune.

Dark Thoughts: At Work 12” (Stupid Bag) Second 12” from this Philadelphia band that wears their Ramones influence on their collective sleeve. However, Dark Thoughts has always seemed like a hardcore band playing melodic, Ramones-inspired punk rather than a true pop-punk band, as evidenced by the Negazione and Betong Hysteria shirts members often wear when they play live. I’ve always said that dressing like you’re from one scene but playing music in the style of another is a sure path to success, but in actuality Dark Thoughts’ secret sauce is their incredible songwriting. At Home, while sounding very similar to their great first LP, strikes me as an improvement. The songs feel snappier and more direct (the LP also feels shorter, but I haven’t checked whether it is) and the Ramones influence is closer to the surface. Dark Thoughts don’t just ape superficial aspects of the Ramones’ sound, though. The big riff (and even bigger vocal melody) in “Psycho Ward” sounds like it could have been a deep cut hit off Halfway to Sanity or Brain Drain, while “Don’t Wanna” is just as clear an homage to Leave Home as the record’s artwork. As someone who was never hardcore enough to sell off my Screeching Weasel records, I’m right in Dark Thoughts’ key demographic. If, like me, you thought that the pop-punk section of your record collection was no longer accepting new entries, I suggest you board this bandwagon.

Contrast Attitude: 12 Track Compilation 12” EP 2018 12” (Distort Reality) Just like the title says, this record compiles material released between 2010 and 2014, including their Black & White EP, splits with See You in Hell, Aspects of War, and Final Bombs (the latter on vinyl for the first time), and their contribution to a CD compilation called Heal. Even though this LP covers a few years worth of releases, the sound here is consistent, more like a proper 12” EP than a compilation. If you haven’t heard Contrast Attitude, it’s safe to say that they’re acolytes of Disclose; they even thank Discharge, Disclose, and Kawakami on the insert. While they don’t have that extra magic that places Framtid on the top of the heap, they’re masters of the style, and better than 95% of the bands attempting anything similar. If you follow labels like Brain Solvent Propaganda and Distort Reality (which this is on) you’ll want to nab this.

Coupe Gorge: Troubles 12” (Offside) After a few cassette and 7” releases here’s the debut 12” (though it’s one-sided with a cool screen-printed b-side) from this French oi! band. Most oi! bands nowadays (at least the ones worth listening to) have some hardcore in their sound, and Coupe Gorge are no different. I’d place their sound in the part of the spectrum that’s more oi! than 86 Mentality, but more hardcore than Rixe. Their songs are short and to the point, with not a single one over two minutes and a couple under one minute, so this 8-song EP begs you to play it over and over. It’s also expertly sequenced, stringing together a bunch of rippers that remind me of the Negative Approach LP, climaxing with the melodic, Blitz-esque “Mise á Mort,” and then closing things out with the big mosh riffs of “J’Avance Seul.” Fans of Dead Stop, Crown Court, LP-era Negative Approach, and 86 Mentality take note.

Donkey Bugs: S/T 12” (Lumpy) Debut release from this new Cleveland project, and while Cleveland is a city that produces a lot of head-scratcher records, this might be the head-scratchiest of them all. Donkey Bugs build songs around sparse drum machine rhythms and vocals with other instruments (mostly synths, from the sound of it) weaving in and out, but it would a big stretch to call this synth-punk. The label’s description mentions the Residents, and that’s the closest comparison that I can think of. Like the Residents’ music, Donkey Bugs’ songs feel deconstructed, with anything familiar or conventional purged, leaving only a weird, distorted skeleton of a song. The melodies and lyrics are also bizarre and surreal. They remind me of the songs that I make up when my partner goes out of town and I get three or four days into being alone. At that point I go a little crazy and make up strange little songs about my cat or what I’m making for dinner or whatever, and at their weirdest they might resemble something on this record. I hesitate to mention it because no one out there might agree, but something about this record reminds me of Royal Trux in places, though Donkey Bugs’ music is far more sparse (as the description mentions, it’s even dub-y in places) and less chaotic. If you’re looking for punk or hardcore you won’t find it here, but if you’re a Cleveland punk mega-fan (particularly the weirder stuff from that scene) or you’re the person who seeks the weirdest, most surreal music you can find this may be something you can hang with.

Gee Tee: S/T 12” (Goodbye Boozy) Debut 12” from this Australian band who you may remember from previous 7”s on Neck Chop and Goodbye Boozy. It’s rare that Goodbye Boozy releases an LP, but I’m glad they upset their rhythm of short-run 7” releases for this record. I enjoyed the previous two Gee Tee records, but they really shine on this LP, as the longer format gives the different aspects of their sound room to breathe. Gee Tee have two basic modes: a scuzzy garage-punk mode with an Australia-by-way-of-Detroit vibe and a more melodic side with a stoned-at-the-beach vibe and big, memorable melodies that would be at home on an early Flying Nun release. The overall vibe reminds me of Jay Reatard’s final LP, but looser in execution and with near shit-fi level noisy production. One might say that this LP is a glimpse into an alternate universe where Watch Me Fall was recorded with the rawness of the mid-era Reatards records. Gee Tee’s songwriting warrants the comparison too as these twelve songs have more hooks than most bands can muster in their entire career. My favorites are the more laid-back numbers like “1970s Chicks” and “No Pressure,” but the wild, Eno-esque synth solo in “Exhaust Sniffa” is another highlight. I’ll admit that a lot of Goodbye Boozy releases hold little interest outside of die-hard garage turkey circles, but this LP deserves a wider audience. If you’re constantly searching for that perfect balance of hooks and rawness, pull out your scales and see how this one stacks up.

Trash Knife / Dumb Vision: Split 7” (Kitschy Spirit) Split 7” pairing Philadelphia’s Trash Knife with Madison, Wisconsin’s Dumb Vision. Trash Knife are a known quantity around Sorry State as I’ve loved all of their previous releases. If you haven’t heard them before, they play snotty, hardcore-y punk that reminds me of the Avengers, but with melodic, Buzzcocks-type leads peppered throughout the songs. That formula remains intact for their three songs (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!), but there are two key differences. First, with three songs crammed onto one side of a split 7”, these songs are shorter and more to the point than previous Trash Knife songs. Second, the production here is piss raw, super noisy and blown out. I would have been skeptical that such raw production would work for Trash Knife since there’s so much going on in their music, but the nastiness brings out the band’s acerbic side and makes for a thrilling listen. As for Dumb Vision, this is the first time I've heard them. They’re more of a pop-punk band than Trash Knife (who always struck me as hardcore-meets-77-punk) and remind me of early Lookout!-era Queers or the first Lillingtons LP. However, their recording has just as much noise and filth as Trash Knife’s side, and while I’m not a big pop-punk guy the spoonful of vinegar helps this medicine go down. This is just the kind of no-nonsense punk split you don’t hear much anymore.

Mint: Demo Two cassette (Slugsalt) Second tape from this Philadelphia band. We carried their first one, which reminded me of poppy anarcho punk like Crisis or Zounds, but they sound rather different here. My first impression is that the singer’s voice reminds me of Kathleen Hannah; like Hannah, their pipes sound huge and carry big, broad melodies that beg you to sing along. The guitar riffs also remind me of riffy Bikini Kill songs like “I Like Fucking” (or, alternately, riffy Bratmobile songs like “Not in Dog Years”), but despite those two similarities Mint doesn’t sound like a riot grrrl band at all. They sound like a punk band making music without worrying too much about what they sound like, but rather taking riffs and melodies and working them into fully realized songs that someone would want to listen to. By contrast, Mint make it clear how many other bands are way too beholden to their influences, which holds many of them back from developing their voice as effectively as Mint has across their two tapes.

Mujeres Podridas: Sobredosis cassette (Todo Destruido) Second tape from this ripping punk band out of Texas. Their first one was good enough to get a vinyl pressing on Symphony of Destruction, but this one is even better. You probably know their vocalist Dru from her other bands Criaturas and Kurraka, but she has a different style in Mujeres Podridas. Usually I think it’s a bad idea for a singer to be in more than one group because vocals are so individual and so central to a band’s sound, but Dru has such flexibility and inventiveness as a singer that she can make all three bands sound distinct from one another. She has this one move she does on the first track where she expels all the air from her lungs at once in a way that’s not quite a yell or a scream… it’s somewhere between a scream and a hiss, and the only vocalist I’ve heard do something similar is Chitose from the Comes. On this tape you get four tracks, two blistering hardcore rippers and two more mid-paced songs. The first mid-paced song, “Misterio Planeta,” leads with the bass and approaches the catchiness of Agent Orange circa Living in Darkness, while the last song, “Golpe Tras Golpe (Desechables)” is more anthemic a la the Avengers or Ultimo Resorte. I’m a huge fan of every band that this group of people starts, but with this release it seems like Mujeres Podridas has found their voice and established themselves as just as important and vital as the members’ other bands.

Syndrome 81: Béton Nostalgie 12” (Black Water) Discography-to-date collection from this French oi! band. When most Americans hear the phrase “French oi! band” their mind probably jumps to Rixe, but Syndrome 81 don’t sound much like Rixe at all, at least most of the time. Sure, there are similarities (particularly on their earlier tracks, originally released on cassette way back in 2013) as both bands are steeped in their native country’s long tradition of oi! music. However, while Rixe seem like perfectionists, whittling down each part of the song until it fits into the Rixe aesthetic, Syndrome 81 are more willing to go out on a limb with their songwriting. By the third track on this release, “Recouvrance,” the band is experimenting with criss-crossing melodic lines on the guitar and bass and more melancholic, minor-key chord progressions. While oi! has a reputation for being restrictive as a genre (one might even say dumb), Syndrome 81 incorporate a wide range of sounds, tones, and textures. It always still sounds like oi!, but oi! in wide screen. In this respect Syndrome 81 reminds me of the Beltones, another band who wasn’t afraid to expand the oi! formula to incorporate dark, melodic pop in the Leatherface vein.

Cremalleras: Mercado Negro 12” (Thrilling Living / Cintas Pepe) Second LP from this two-piece hardcore punk band out of Mexico, and while I don’t believe I heard their first record, the Thrilling Living seal of approval piques my interest. Dropping the needle on this I find raw, wild, and expressionistic hardcore that finds a perfect spiritual home on a label run by someone who plays in Mozart and Neon. Cremalleras aren’t as art-y as either of those two bands, but they share a visceral explosiveness. This is music that comes from the gut and the heart rather than the brain. It doesn’t sound like Cremalleras spent much time fussing over the details, but what they do well is let loose, and like Wretched, Negazione, or Void, their music seems to reach inside your body, grab you by the intestines, and force you not only to listen but more importantly to feel what they’re playing. I’m sure some people will nitpick details like the recording quality (which is very lo-fi), but if you open yourself to hearing this record, it’s difficult to deny its power.

Den: Deep Cell 12” (Paradise Daily) Perhaps the weirdest release of this update comes to us from Australia’s Den. I’ve been struggling to describe it to people, which is always a good sign for me. The pithy description I’ve come up with is “Total Control meets symphonic black metal,” but that only tells, at best, part of the story. The label’s description mentions Christian Death, and while I haven’t spent a ton of time with those later Christian Death records, I think there’s a similar vibe here. Den’s music is dark, but there’s a spirit of celebration… it’s the sonic equivalent of the new romantic fashion for painting your face like a corpse but dressing in frilly, ornate Victorian finery. Death is coming, so live for today. The label’s description also mentions Magazine, and I hear that too. Like Magazine, Den’s synth lines have a Wagnerian grandiosity, though they make me think of Dimmu Borgir just as much (hence the “symphonic black metal” tag in my description). I’m sure that many people will hate this, but I’m charmed by Den’s baroque boldness.

The Fits: Bored of Education 7” (Ugly Pop) Ugly Pop dips their bucket back into the well of 70s Canadian punk and comes up with this noteworthy single from Toronto’s the Fits. The real hit here is the title track (curiously, on the b-side), which is a blistering proto-hardcore burner that would have fit right in on the “Screaming Fist” single by fellow Torontonians the Viletones. While “Bored of Education” is the hit (and I’m surprised it hasn’t been comped more often), the other two tracks are solid too. While they don’t reach such blistering tempos, their grimy, nihilistic sound reminds me of a one-off single from that grey area between second-wave UK punk and UK82, music by people who weren’t so much jazzed on punk’s artistic potential, but rather its ability to articulate the grinding pointlessness of young adulthood. As is usual with Ugly Pop, you get liner notes that add historical context and top-notch reproduction of the original sound and artwork.

Preening: Nice Dice 7” (Fine Concepts) Latest in a spate of recent releases by this no-wave band from Oakland, California. As on their previous releases, the quirky rhythms and skronky saxophone abound. While Nice Dice is a brief single, Preening goes several different places in its 7-ish-minute run-time, from the mutant funk of “CPD” to the anti-rock “Effigy.” I’m sure I’ve said this in descriptions of their previous records, but I’m still struck by how free and alive Preening’s music sounds. Having grown up listening primarily to more straightforward hardcore and punk, I always thought making music is like following a recipe… you might tweak the mix of spices or add or subtract an ingredient or two to suit your individual taste, but the basic recipe is stable and familiar. However, Preening don’t sound like they’re following a recipe… they sound like they’ve taken the ingredients, thrown them into the air, then rolled around in the mess on the floor. That might sound like a backhanded compliment, but it’s not. Preening’s indulgence in this transgressive joy is what I need to (Calgon) take me away from a life filled with worry, anxiety, and frustration.

Rapid Dye: Nurture or Destroy 7” (Paradise Daily) Debut 7” from this Australian hardcore band… I thought I remembered reading that there were notable “members of,” but I’m not able to find that information. Or maybe I imagined it. Anyway, when I was listening to this record, I wrote a note to myself that it sounds like it could have come from Toronto, and then I look back at the label’s description and indeed they compare it to Urban Blight (who were definitely from Toronto) and Violent Minds (who I think were kinda-sorta from Toronto, at least for a time). The title track is the hit with its thick, meaty, oi!-infused main riff that could slide right onto a record by masters of mosh like Glue, Bib, or the aforementioned Urban Blight. They pick up the pace for the rest of the record, going for more of an early Agnostic Front / Abused type of vibe, but the riffing remains sprightly and interesting. Rapid Dye are a competent, even exceptional, hardcore band, but the most striking thing about this record might be the production, which swirls with as much noise and feedback as a Confuse record. Combining that production and the band’s songwriting makes listening to this record feel like fighting a swarm of bees with a burlap sack over your head. Oh, and it's limited to only 200, so this one won't stick around long enough for you to figure out whether the cool guys will like it.

Slumb Party: Happy Now 12” (Drunken Sailor) After an earlier 7” on Erste Theke Tonträger, here’s the debut LP from this UK band. It’s an ambitious record that resists classification, evidenced by both the all-over-the-place label description and the string of off-the-wall comparisons I’m about to throw at you. Since I can’t sum up Slumb Party’s music, I’ll list some of the things that I was reminded of while listening to Happy Now: Sauna Youth’s snappy punk; Downtown Boys’ ecstatic, sax-fueled punk; the skronk-punk and mutant funk of no wave groups like the Contortions; Andy Partridge from XTC’s plaintive, melodic vocals; Voodoo Glow Skulls’ jittery, manic ska-punk; Madness’s inventive and very British horn melodies and arrangements. Another listener may hear none of those things, but the point I’m trying to make is that Slumb Party’s music feels free of rules and boundaries. They aren’t a band who has honed their sound and focused all of their attention on doing one thing perfectly, but rather they’re an orgiastic musical free-for-all that darts around like a startled rabbit. I’ve listened to this record four or five times and I still don’t feel like I have a handle on it, but it keeps pulling me in. Obviously not everyone will have the patience to engage with a record that demands so much from you as a listener, but those of you willing to invest your attention will love this utterly singular record.

The Cool Greenhouse: London 7” (Market Square) I’ve come to look forward to every new release on the Market Square label, which is run by Paul Messis of Suburban Homes. While Messis has a background in retro 60s garage (and Market Square started out releasing records in that vein), lately he’s been taking the label in the UKDIY-influenced direction of his Suburban Homes project. The latest release is this debut from The Cool Greenhouse, whose vintage Casio keyboard tones, blatant Fall-isms, and defiantly British approach are tailor-made to tickle this anglophile’s fancy. The a-side, “London,” sounds like the music was made entirely on a vintage Casio (including the just-on-the-verge-of-goofy rhythm track), reminding me of the way the mechanical and human rhythms fight for dominance within the track’s arrangement in the Fall’s “Lie Dream of Casino Soul." Over top, the vocalist speak-sings a sarcasm-drenched account of his move to London, and as is often the case (see, for instance, “Strange Town” by the Jam) he has rather mixed feelings about it. The flip takes a similar tack, with its darker melody reminding me alternately of “TVOD” by the Normal or (not to repeat myself) circa ’81 Fall. While a lot of current bands have similar influences, no one puts them together in quite the same way as The Cool Greenhouse. Further, rather than sounding like mere pastiche or tribute, The Cool Greenhouse use the framework of UKDIY to articulate their (his?) thoughts on life in the here and now. All of this adds up to a single I can’t stop flipping over, so if this sounds like your type of thing I’d smash that buy button because this one-and-done pressing is already well into the process of disappearing from the shelves.