News

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. Last week I wrote about my favorite movie director, Stanley Kubrick, and this week I’m writing about my other favorite director, David Lynch. Well not exactly, but an album that he produced alongside frequent collaborator Angelo Badalamenti, Floating Into The Night by Julee Cruise. This album was released in 1989 and some of the songs on here would be featured on the Twin Peaks soundtrack the following year. The whole album has that same dream like flow and feel to it that a lot of David Lynch’s work has. It always gives me a kind of melancholy feeling whenever I listen to it, but sometimes that’s nice. One song in particular I really like on here is Rockin Back Inside My Heart. It’s just a very pretty song. I remember the first time I heard it was in a scene in Twin Peaks where Julee Cruise is performing it. It was stuck in my head after hearing it, and then I looked it up and was led to this album and was like, “oh shit I’ve heard a bunch of these songs in the show.” Anyways, good album to check out even if you’ve never watched the show or anything.

Hi and thanks for reading. Today I will be writing about this MERCENÁRIAS reissue. I apologize, as I write there are only 2 copies left in stock, one of which I will be taking. Oh update, Daniel got the last copy, haha. So, my photo above won’t make any sense until you get to the bottom of my staff pick. Daniel was the one who originally introduced me to MERCENÁRIAS, via Cadê As Armas? I remember then, as well as now, he was surprised I dig them, haha. I guess this band is categorized as post-punk? I don’t know anything about that genre really. There are probably a lot of bands that sound similar to MERCENÁRIAS, but I don’t think they’d really grab me like these guys do. I guess I shouldn’t say guys, cos the band was comprised of all women! I was telling Daniel I didn’t wanna sound stupid (aka sexist) but MERCENÁRIAS remind me of THE SLITS, or FITNESS WOMXN. He told me that FITNESS WOMXN actually covered MERCENÁRIAS! I had no idea, though. I love FITNESS WOMXN, but I did not know who MERCENÁRIAS was back then. It wasn’t until we got that 2021(?) reissue of their LP in stock that I was introduced to them via Daniel. I guess I should specify, it was their first LP Cadê As Armas? I didn’t know they had another LP that came out 1987, as well as this demo from 1983 that I should probably start talking about already.

This demo was previously reissued by Nada Nada Discos ten years ago and Sorry State had copies. Again, I had no idea who they were back then, so I did not get a copy. Nada Nada teamed up with Munster Records for this most recent pressing. I probably would have missed this one too honestly. I had fulfilled some orders and that’s when I realized we had some MERCENÁRIAS shit in stock. This probably sounds awfully silly since I work here, but we stock so many titles it’s hard to keep track of everything coming in. Alongside the demo 7”, we got this 1983-1987 LP that compiles outtakes from both LPs, some live stuff, and another studio session that was never released. I checked this one a little bit, but it doesn’t quite keep me hooked like their LP or this demo. I will have to give it a more in-depth listen. If you’re curious to hear this one and don’t know where it’s streaming, check the label’s bandcamp page.

I remember Daniel telling me the band’s live performances were really raw and intense compared to the studio recordings. I think that sound is captured on their demo. I mean that obviously makes sense; there are like three years between those two releases. On the LP it sounds like they’ve improved at their instruments, and their songwriting flows more like what I imagine post-punk to sound like. I love how the demo sounds kinda rigid/janky, and the vocals really caught me by surprise. They almost don’t fit the music, making it even more sick to my ears. For some reason the first thing I thought was UNITED MUTATION; they don’t really sound anything like that but maybe you know what I mean. They shed this style when it comes time for their debut and grew into more palatable singing. I originally heard “Policia” on the LP and it stood out as one of my favorite tracks. I was so stoked to hear this song on the demo as well. When that song came over my speakers I made my order immediately, haha.

OK before I go, I wanted to mention this tape I bought this week that we do still have in stock – LOTTI BIGOTTI. It’s funny this week I am writing about two releases that are not hardcore at all… what’s happening? I saw a friend of mine with good taste made an order this week, and this tape was in the midst of the stack. It was one of the only titles I didn’t recognize, and I realized we had just gotten it in stock. I don’t have a tape player at work, but I was able to stream the demo on bandcamp. I think I was two songs in and I had already made my order, haha. I have no idea what style of music this is. They say “dark punk” on their bandcamp. It definitely has some goth-y vibes, but they are subtle. Maybe reminiscent of MUSTA PARAATI at times? It’s certainly on the punk side of the fence, though. I also find them reminding me of TOŽIBABE with the dissonant elements of some songs. And then at times it reminds me of some anarcho stuff too, like maybe PART 1? Oh duh, “deathrock.” That must be what they are going for, right? Haha. This band is from Budapest, which is another thing I think is super cool about it, as I know virtually no bands from Hungary. I’ve mentioned before, but I won’t write about a tape unless I have bought it too since tapes are not so cheap these days. I’ve heard bands that sound similar, but they usually get boring fast for me and/or the vocal style is awful. I think this tape is excellent and you should buy it, too. Alright, that’s it for today. Cheers and thanks for reading.

Hey there everyone! Thanks for clicking on the SSR newsletter again this week. It gets worse by the hour here in America so I won't try to keep up with the latest lawless and fascist moves our government is making, but suffice to say it's bad.

What to pick this week? We've had a bunch of cool new records and tapes come in this week along with some tasty used titles. If you hadn't heard, the store currently has a lot of in demand video game soundtracks and a whole bunch of pop punk records from the late 90s and early 00s. Not my bag personally, but a lot of people were geeking out hard on these over the weekend. Stop by and take a gander if you are in town.

The kind of early 2000s pop punk I like is the kind made by a band that I know many of you reading will know and love dearly. I'm talking about The Exploding Hearts, the terrific but tragically short lived band from Portland who effortlessly combined punk and power pop so well.

Again, I have Jeff here at SSR and our always homie Eric Chubb for turning me on to these guys. When a copy of Guitar Romantic came into the store, their first and only album, back when I started working here, we jammed it and I instantly fell in love with record. I'm not sure whether that was an original pressing or a reissue, but finally a couple of years ago the album was reissued in a remastered and expanded edition, and it's that version which I now have. Such a great record. So many hooks and earworm riffs and sing-along choruses. If they were trying to sound like a cross between The Clash, early Scientists and Buzzcocks, to name three potential influences, then they nailed it.

The story about the band is a tragic one though, and very sad. Poised on the brink of major success, everything came to an abrupt end when traveling home from a triumphant gig in San Francisco in late July 2003. They were involved in a horrific accident that took the lives of three of the band members. Adam, Jeremy and Matt were all still in their early 20s. My heart goes out to their family and friends and everyone else that knew them. I can't imagine how hard it was to hear that news, and I'm sure it hasn't got any easier. RIP guys. For the world they left behind we have this album, some singles and a great collection of unreleased mixes and demos plus hard to find singles collection called Shattered. That collection recently came into the store and I had to exercise my record store employee privilege and snag that bad boy. It's brilliant and has their awesome single (Making) Teenage Faces on it, which if you can find a copy will cost you a fair penny.

Luckily there is also video footage of the band available if you dig around the internet. These clips and the records will ensure they won't be forgotten. Their legacy will live on. If you already know then you know, but for those late for the party like me then I would highly recommend you seek out Guitar Romantic and Shattered asap in whatever form you consume your music. Obviously we all prefer vinyl, but until you can get yourself a copy go stream 'em.

I've had to write this on my phone as my computer decided to act weird, so I can't leave links, but you're all smart people and know how to use the Internet.

Okay, that's going to have to be it for me. Have a great week and see you next time.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another Monday… (or is it Tuesday?) I can’t keep up anymore. This time next week, all you readers won’t be hearing from me like usual. Come Monday, May 19th, I’ll be on a plane flying over to the UK. Public Acid is about to embark on our month-long European tour. Do I feel prepared for that adventure at this moment? Uuuuuhhh, I’ll get back to ya on that. How I really feel is totally INSANE. Haha, this trip really snuck up on me. Of course, I’m super excited. Honestly, a change of scenery sounds really nice at the moment. Can’t help but feel pumped to get the fuck out of this country for a while. Stoked to play rad gigs, visit a few countries I’ve never been to, and most all, to finally get to visit with friends in person who live far away. I need to buy some fucking socks.

Before I leave though… This Wednesday (May 14th), Scarecrow is playing at Kings in Raleigh with The Adverts! I just love The Adverts. Stoked to have an opportunity to jam out to TV Smith and the gang. It’ll be fun to be behave like a bunch of bored teenagers for one night.

I don’t really have a great staff pick lined up for this week. I do wanna give a little shout out to another local shop in town called the Pour House. Recently, they acquired a pretty killer 80s metal collection, apparently some dude who just casually walked through the door one day. Definitely heavy on thrash metal. Megaforce pressings of Metallica records, Megadeth, Slayer, etc. Rachel (who some of you may remember used to work here at Sorry State) gave me heads up about the collection. I darted over there as soon as the records were available for sale. The main record I wanted and was so stoked to grab was the under the radar THRASHterpiece Power And Pain by the mighty Whiplash! This record has been on my wantlist for YEARS. But I refused to buy it from some punisher on the internet for way overblown price. Rachel hooked me up big time.

Whiplash is a New Jersey band, and Power And Pain came out in 1985. So pretty early on in the thrash game! Unlike the operatic vocal stylings of other East Coast thrash staples like Overkill and Anthrax, I always thought Whiplash had a way more aggressive style. Everything about their sound is just the most extreme, the most shredding, the most ridiculous… in the best way possible. If I remember correctly, I think one of the dudes from Whiplash had a hand in helping Agnostic Front write the Cause For Alarm record. So yeah, the crossover record. And funny enough, even though the collection at Pour House was mostly straight metal, the dude also had Cause For Alarm in his collection. For me, just throw on the beautifully titled track “Power Thrashing Death,” and you’ll get what Whiplash is all about. Highly recommend.

That’s all I’ve got for this week. And yall won’t hear from me for several more weeks. International friends reading this, below is Public Acid’s tour schedule. If there’s a gig nearby you, I hope you come out to the show and say hello!

21/05 - Bristol, UK
22/05 - Newcastle, UK
23-24/05 - NOISE ANNOYS - Sheffield, UK
25/05 - London, UK
26/05 - Antwerp, Belgium
27/05 - Paris, France
28/05 - St. Etienne, France
29/05 - Bordeaux, France
30/05 - Zarautz, Basque Country ES
31/05 - Barcelona, Spain
02/06 - Athens, Greece
04/06 - Uppsala, Sweden
05/06 - Umeå, Sweden
06/06 - Helsinki, Finland
07/06 - Tampere, Finland
08/06 - Turku, Finland
10/06 - Stockholm, Sweden
11/06 - Oslo, Norway
12/06 - Gothernburg, Sweden
13-15/06 - K-TOWN HARDCORE FESTIVAL

As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til June,

-Jeff

HR: It's About Luv 12” (Olive Tree Records, 1985)

I’m feeling alright today since I just got back from a weekend in the mountains celebrating my wife’s birthday. Whenever I get away, I realize how much stress I accumulate and hold onto in my daily life. As I get further away from work (both spatially and temporally), I feel my muscle fibers loosen and my mind calm and widen. I have strategies like meditation and exercise that I use to cope with stress on a day-to-day basis, but at the end of the day I think the only real cure is time. You have to put in the hours in a space far away from your stressors, engaging instead with things that bring you peace and joy… nature, family, art, good food, etc. If only society encouraged us to set up our lives around these things rather than money, status, and all the other things that weigh us all down…

I didn’t listen to any records this weekend, but flipping through my recent arrivals stack, I realized I hadn’t written about HR’s first album, It’s About Luv, which I’ve been listening to regularly for the past couple of months. I’ve mentioned the Bad Brains a few times in my Staff Picks lately, and I guess I’ve had them on my mind. Mostly that’s due to reading H.R.’s biography and having the arc of his life and musical career come into clearer focus in my mind. I don’t think I realized, for instance, that It’s About Luv came out in the window between Rock for Light and I Against I, during the Bad Brains’ first (I think?) significant breakup. After getting super into that 1987 Bad Brains footage I wrote about a while back, I knew full well that H.R. still had it in 1985 when It’s About Luv was released, so I added it to my wants list. It wasn’t too long before a cheap copy popped up on Discogs and I nabbed it. I must not have been paying too much attention when I bought it (it was really cheap, after all), because when it showed up I was surprised to find that it was a sealed copy. Furthermore, the seller had listed it as the SST repress, when it was actually a sealed original pressing on Olive Tree. Not exactly the score of a lifetime, but I thought it was pretty neat. I felt like I’d drawn one of those Monopoly cards that says “bank error in your favor: collect $10.”

I’d always heard that a big source of the instability in Bad Brains was that H.R. wanted to get away from playing punk rock and focus on reggae. Given that, one might assume It’s About Luv is a reggae album, but it’s really not… there’s not much reggae on it at all, in fact. Having learned a little more about this period of H.R.’s life in Finding Joseph I and from listening to the SST Records-focused podcast You Don’t Know Mojack (where they researched and dissected each H.R. album at length and in great detail), I have more appreciation for where this album was coming from. I once saw someone refer to this as H.R.’s “military fatigues” era. With the Bad Brains having broken up, he was living in a collective house in DC, I believe with most or all the members of the H.R. band, and the environment was extremely counter-cultural. The vibe I got was that the group was living well outside mainstream society, focusing entirely on music and their deepening commitment to Rastafarianism. It seemed like H.R. was deep into a mission at this point in his life, and the H.R. band was a big part of that mission, aiming to be both culturally and musically revolutionary. The label Olive Tree Records was another part of this mission, and since the label was funded by a wealthy benefactor, the group could focus on the music rather than mere survival. The pieces were in place for something creative and exciting to happen.

My many hours listening to You Don’t Know Mojack made me curious about the guitarist on this record, David Byers, who seems to have been H.R.’s main musical foil during this part of his life. Byers had been in an early DC punk band called the Enzymes and numerous other projects that existed at the edges of the better-documented Dischord Records scene we all know, and by all accounts he was an enormously talented person. Of course nothing can match the uncanny chemistry of the Bad Brains’ original lineup, but the H.R. band is formidable too. Byers could shred, and It’s About Luv is full of blistering lead runs that aren’t totally unlike what Dr. Know was doing, but there’s something really unique about Byers’ melodic sensibility. His playing has an off-kilter jazziness to it, as he tends to play notes that aren’t quite the ones you expect. It’s kind of like if you took Greg Ginn’s unique tonal palette and filtered it through Dr. Know’s inhuman speed and precision. You can tell the H.R. band was using Bad Brains’ style as a jumping-off point, but Byers’ musical voice ensured they weren’t just a retread. The big guitar hook in “Let’s Have a Revolution” is a great example of what I’m talking about… it’s as heavy and as intense as the Bad Brains, but also doesn’t sound like anything Dr. Know would play.

Honestly, that’s kind of the vibe with It’s About Luvas a whole. I don’t think it’s as great as Bad Brains, but it makes up for that by being interesting and taking the sound places you wouldn’t expect it to go. The songs are stylistically diverse in a way that’s perfectly in step with H.R.’s vocal and lyrical idiosyncrasies. This makes moments like when he shouts “give me back my marijuana!” over and over or when he gives a detailed account of being busted for selling pot in “Happy Birthday My Son” (I’ll never forget that he had precisely $270 in his pocket) really pop and stick in your head. And while the slightly murky production mutes it somewhat, the band’s performance is blistering. Earl is still on drums, after all, and as I mentioned above, H.R. still very much had it in 1985.

I don’t know that I’d recommended everyone run out and buy this album immediately, but if you’ve digested all the Bad Brains’ classic material, It’s About Luv is well worth a listen.

Hello Sorry Staters! The spring/early summer allergies and sickness hit me over last week and over the weekend. Living in North Carolina, the seasonal allergies/sickness never seems to end. It has given me time to dig into some reading that I have been meaning to do. Recently, I have gotten into reading Manga and digging through so many manga artists and writers trying to find some art and stories that really stick out to me. Since my daily life revolves around art and music, I found a manga that was right up my alley.

Shinichi Ishizuka’s Blue Giant is about a guy named Dai who lives in rural Japan and dreams of becoming the best saxophone player in the world. The story revolves around Dai questioning what he needs to become the best sax player in the world. Talent? Effort? Or a lucky break? Think of the movie Whiplash, but a lot less cruel and mean and a lot more showing that kindness and being enthusiastic can bring you success. So if you are into feel-good stories about Jazz and love Japanese art, this is a great series.

As far as music goes this past week, a lot of really great preorders have started for albums that I have really been looking forward to. Béton Armé’s new single and pre order has dropped on the Sorry State site as well as the new Puffer 12”. We have been posting a lot of new and used stuff every day, so check out the site!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone has had a nice week. This past Sunday I went and saw Stanley Kubrick’s film Barry Lyndon in theaters. I’m a huge Kubrick fan, but admittedly this was my first time watching this one. I think it’s because the time period it’s set in, the 18th century, honestly isn’t of huge interest to me. Not to mention its long run time of just over three hours. Don’t get me wrong, I love a long movie, but I think just the combination of those two things kinda put me off of it. I tried to watch it once a while back when I had Covid, but I think my brain was just really foggy and I was kinda dozing off and on and just stopped after a bit, so I was excited to have the opportunity to see it in theaters where I could really lock in and focus on the movie. The movie is the story of a young Irish lad’s aspirations and dizzying ascent to join the upper echelon of English society by any means necessary. You can’t help but find Redmond Barry, as he’s known in the first half of the movie, to be endearing in his cunning ways. After a series of different professions and schemes, he meets a rich countess, Lady Lyndon, who’s married to a rich and titled elderly man, Sir Charles Lyndon. After seducing her, he basically gives Sir Charles a heart attack by hitting on his wife so hard and not giving a fuck when confronted about it. They end up marrying and this is when our dear protagonist becomes Barry Lyndon, who soon is corrupted by wealth and greed and turns into a real dick. The second half of the movie is about how all the opulence and excess that comes with wealth will destroy the human part of someone and ultimately be their downfall. I absolutely loved every minute of it. This is probably the most beautiful film I’ve ever seen. So many shots look like incredible paintings that you’d see in massive gold frames hanging in museums in Europe. It truly feels like you’re watching a master of his craft just having a field day setting up incredible shots and scenes and nailing every single one. When I woke up the next morning after watching this, it was still racing through my mind. I had a similar experience when I watched 2001 A Space Odyssey. I could not stop thinking about what I had just watched and how incredible it was. I remember getting home afterwards and staying up till like 4AM reading all I could about it. Damn, I love Stanley Kubrick. I guess to end this I would say if you’ve put off watching this film, do yourself a favor and do it, especially if you can find a theater near you that happens to be showing it.

Hi and thanks for reading. I am sitting down to write this week with nothing in particular in mind, but I will briefly mention a few things I bought for myself today. I also wanted to mention that last week or so, we went through and marked down some more stuff. We’ve been doing this occasionally if you haven’t noticed. There is some middle of the road type shit each time we do this. But there is also always some heat waiting to be scooped up. I noticed we marked down these SISTEMA EN DECADENCIA 12”s.

This record, Nuestro Legado, is a pure ass-beater. While they are from Australia, they take obvious influence from the noisy side of Japanese hardcore, similar to classic bands like FRIGORA, or more modern stuff like D-CLONE. If you haven’t heard this one and love noisy stuff or crasher shit, I would definitely check it out!

So I heard about these PUNK JUNK VHS tapes little while ago, and I have been anticipating getting copies since. I know there are probably a lot of readers who think VHS tapes are silly, just like audio cassette tapes. To someone like me, I think it’s super cool to release something on this format. It’s much cooler than burning DVDs or just uploading the footage to YouTube. I don’t think every band on the tape is like super sick or something. There are actually a few I have never listened to. It’s the fact that this tape was done with pure passion that really draws me in. To me it just takes one glance to see this thing was made by the punks and for the punks. That sounds cheesy kinda but I’m not sure how else to say it. I think Baño from PERSONAL DAMAGE filmed all the footage himself. It looks like he’s credited Austin (BLAZING EYE) for some help with art, as well as Bungee from PERSONAL DAMAGE. I haven’t watched mine yet cos I just grabbed it, but I look forward to viewing it tonite.

We got a few different zine/mixtape combos with the PUNK JUNK stuff. While I think they all look cool, I had to limit myself to just one, and I chose the La Ciutat No Es Per Mi mixtape. The printing on this one looked especially cool, but the real reason I selected this one was for the bands. I feel like usually I’m grabbing stuff with bands I am familiar with, but in this case I was looking for something totally new. I recognize like maybe four out of these 20+ bands. On the front of the zine, it says the bands are punk & new wave, and from all over the world. I don’t really know anything about new wave really, so I look forward to Baño taking me to school (or whoever the hell made the track list, haha). Alright that’s it for the week. Cheers and thanks for your support.

Hey, what’s up everybody? I hope you are all surviving out there in this very strange time. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find the joys in life when there is evil in the world causing so much pain and suffering. I know it’s always been that way, but I think it’s come as quite a shock to many Americans to see their own government do such unspeakable cruel things and quite so brazenly and openly and with such pride and assurance. Yesterday was May 4th, Star Wars Day for the nerds, and this prick we have as a leader posted a picture of himself with a red light saber. They can’t even get that right and think that they are the rebels and anyone non-Maga represents the Empire. Really? Have you watched the films? Have you seen yourselves in the mirror? Maga, Republicans and the Christian right are most certainly the Empire if you were going to use Star Wars as a metaphor. Like I said, strange times.

Today is Cinco De Mayo and I must imagine those same fuckwits I mentioned above will not be celebrating. No more cerveza, tequila or tacos for you guys now that you support a regime that is actively targeting the Latino community and blaming them for all the so-called problems the country is experiencing. Shameful. What do hateful white supremicist Christian Nationalists eat and do now? They hate the whole world, so what kind of food is left for them? What kind of music can they enjoy now? What kind of culture is left for them? They probably feel emboldened and powerful and think they can just plunder and appropriate at will, but those days won’t last long. It’s Springtime for fuckers right now alright.

Anyway, this morning on Worldy, the radio show I do with my partner Matt, we played a full two hours of cumbia, pop, rock and psych from Mexico and South America to sort of celebrate the day. The intention was to give a fun, fiesta like soundtrack to the day, but not necessarily making it all about Mexico. I think we achieved that, but we weren’t helped by the weather, which has been decidedly dark and overcast and not giving off tropical vibes. Although you do get the heavy rainstorms in the tropics, so perhaps it wasn’t so untypical. Anyway, once I got home and in out of the rain, the dark skies above didn’t really scream sunshine music. So I ended up throwing on a record that I haven’t played in a while, but absolutely love. It fitted the mood, and so that’s going to be my pick for you this week.

Modern English: Mesh & Lace 4AD 1981

I think everyone is aware of this UK band who had the worldwide smash hit single I Melt With You. That song appeared on their 1982 album After The Snow and could be found in any bargain bin for a fiver, although in recent years, as people have come to realize they are more than a one hit wonder, the price has rightfully gone up for a nice copy. Modern English are far from a one hit wonder band, but like a lot of MTV era UK bands, most people know them for that song. In all honesty, it wasn’t until the 1990s that I was made aware of the band having way more gems in their discography. My ex-partner at the record store I had an interest with back in England was a fan and introduced me to their first album and couple of singles, which immediately got my attention when he played them for me. The sound on these recordings from late 1979 through 1981, which ended up on the Mesh & Lace album and the singles Gathering Dust and Swans On Glass, are to my ears and many others, the more interesting.

At this point in their career, the band are much more post punk than pop and sound like a cross between Joy Division, Killing Joke and Wire, with some doses of Magazine, Tubeway Army and John Fox era Ultravox for good measure.

Yeah, for real. That’s the vibes you get from Mesh & Lace. It’s a great album with a dark and moody atmosphere, great songs, fantastic drum and guitar sounds and overall production. It took me several years to own a vinyl copy and, if I am remembering correctly, it was Daniel who gifted me this Canadian pressing. Sounds like the super cool kind of thing he would do. My memory is full of holes like Swiss cheese so I could be forgetting. Thank you Daniel. I probably already wrote about this record in a staff pick before. Woops. Oh well. Did I? Maybe. LoL. So good, it deserves a second plug.

Seriously though, if you dig that early 80s, slightly Goth/Darkwave sound then this is a record you should check out if you aren’t already aware of it. Honestly, while you are at it, you should give their other albums a second listen. After The Snow has several cool songs on it and so does their third 4AD album from 1983 called Ricochet Days. The Gathering Dust single is one of my favorite tunes of theirs and was always a good DJ spin at the Indie Disco.

I mentioned it took me a while to finally own a vinyl copy of Mesh & Lace, and that’s because you don’t see them that often in the bins, especially here in the States. A quick look at Discogs confirmed folks are willing to pay good money for a copy and for those early singles. A worthy investment if you see them at your local record shop.

Okay, the headache is starting, and deadline is approaching. I’ll sign off here, but thanks for reading and your support.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Anyone ride Amtrak on a regular basis? Man, it had been a while since I’d taken the train anywhere. All things considered, I really enjoyed the trip. I definitely ran into some colorful characters on the train. Overheard some wild ass conversations while I was posted up in the café car. The 6 hours back from DC were pretty brutal, but at least I didn’t have to drive a car. Not sure if I mentioned my weekend plans in the previous newsletter, but I went up to Washington DC to see The Damned play at the 9:30 Club this past Friday night. I gotta say, it was incredible. The Damned are probably my favorite band, and they did not disappoint. I was like… emotional. So happy I finally got to see them. I guess I can finally cross that off the ol’ bucket list.

The Damned’s set list covered pretty much every era of the band’s catalog. And for being a bunch of dudes in their 60s, they all looked great and healthy, not to mention that they sounded totally amazing. I overheard a few of my lady friends (who are my age, mind you) saying that Dave Vanian still looks hot. Haha. When they played “Eloise”, you could feel an overwhelming sense that all the goth moms (and let’s face it, goth dads too) were totally swooning in the audience. I was just happy to hear some deep cuts like “Limit Club”. I also was blown away that they played “Curtain Call” for the encore, and then smoothly transitioned right into “New Rose”. So killer. Very diverse collection of weirdos in attendance at the show. A bunch of my punk friends from Richmond were there, whom I was very happy to see. But also, random people literally dressed as vampires going to a wedding, like tuxedoes and white dresses covered in blood stains while wearing fake vampire teeth. I was standing pretty close to the front of the stage, and it was pretty cool to gaze over at the balcony right above the side of the stage and see Ian MacKaye lurking. Ian was also about 2 feet away from me outside the club when he walked up to say goodbye to a friend of mine, but was clearly trying to escape this drunk punisher literally running to chase after him haha. Pretty cool. ‘Twas a wonderful night.

Needless to say, when I got back home I was ready to chill. Luckily, on Sunday night I was able to curl up on the couch and pop this Punk Junk VHS into the VCR. Is the concept of the “video fanzine” a lost art in our current era? I dunno. Who cares? Personally, being a fiend for secondhand VHS, I’m stoked this thing exists in our post-modern era. The footage looks totally crisp, and the sound is great too. No static-y black lines running across the screen like on my tapes from the 80s haha. And watching this Punk Junk tape, it really feels like a labor of love, and that’s a beautiful thing. Gives me a little hope and warm feeling in my gut that someone took the time and effort to put something like this together.

Along with the help of several other SoCal punks, this tape is primarily a project compiled and stitched together by my dude Baño, who you may know from Personal Damage, Abuso De Poder, and other great bands. The footage features a song or 2 from a killer compilation of bands. Lots of great SoCal bands like Tozcos, Blazing Eye and, of course, Personal Damage. But then also, bands like Rixe, Delco MF’s and Vaaska. Some of the footage looks like it was shot at venues in Los Angeles, but then some of it looks like the bands are recorded in a rehearsal room, doing a “studio sesh” recorded specifically for this video. The footage of the bands is interspersed with sometimes gnarly and disturbing footage of war, police brutality, old buildings on fire… which adds a layer of intensity. There are also moments of levity, like random goofy footage. The collage of various footage and images really reminds me of the old Flipside videos, which I totally loved and devoured when I was getting deeper into hardcore. The footage of Iconoclast on that one Flipside video fanzine remains one of my favorite punk artifacts, and this Punk Junk video gives me the same feeling.

I feel almost guilty because I don’t wanna spoil anything… But oh well, here we go: Right when you think the video is already over, there’s a section that comes up with a graphic that says “bonus footage”, which mainly features a handful of the bands doing cover tunes. Tozcos does an absolutely killer rendition of “Who Is Who” by the Adolescents. Then there’s footage of Krigshoder absolutely destroying “We’re Only Gonna Die” by Bad Religion. Ugh, be still my beating heart. So rad. Then more spoilers: The very end of the video has a little teaser for Punk Junk video VOLUME 2! I love the idea that you wouldn’t otherwise know the next tape is coming unless you watched this first VHS until the very end. Well, I guess thanks to my blabbermouth, now you do.

If you’ve got a functioning VCR, then this Punk Junk tape is an absolute must. One of the coolest projects I’ve seen in a long time. I truly find it inspiring. I wish someone amongst my direct circle of friends was putting energy and creativity into something like this. Hell yeah.

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

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

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!