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45 Grave: Autopsy LP (Restless, 1987)

You might remember Jeff and I, along with some other friends, did a 45 Grave cover set this past Halloween. When I’ve done other Halloween cover sets, it’s been with a band whose discography I knew backwards and forwards, but 45 Grave was a little different. I always liked them, but mostly I wanted to do the cover set because it fit the Halloween theme and because I thought my wife Jet’s singing voice sounded a lot like Dinah Cancer’s. As you might expect, learning a bunch of their songs deepened my appreciation for and understanding of 45 Grave, and my fascination has continued long past the spooky season.

Coincidentally, this past Halloween, the same day we played our cover set, the Goth 101 YouTube channel posted a detailed history of the band. While learning the songs deepened my appreciation for 45 Grave’s music, this well-researched video helped me understand the ins and outs of their complex discography. The main 45 Grave records I was familiar with were the Black Cross 7” and the Sleep in Safety LP, but there’s a lot more out there. 45 Grave formed in 1980 and didn’t release their debut full-length, Sleep in Safety, until 1983. As the YouTube video mentions several times, the members of 45 Grave feel that, by waiting so long to release their first album, they both missed a boat they could have ridden to wider popularity and failed to document the most creatively vital era of the band. Whether getting a record out earlier would have made them more successful is debatable of course, but but thankfully there is some recorded evidence from the band’s earlier era.

The album Autopsy, released in 1987 on Restless Records on CD, cassette, and LP and never reissued since, is the closest you can get to a 45 Grave album from what the band considers their prime era. Autopsy’s packaging is short on info, so it’s not clear when and where these tracks were recorded, but the songs on the a-side clearly come from an earlier era of the band when they were playing primarily at hardcore tempos. Some songs—“Anti Anti Anti” and “Consumers”—are repurposed from guitarist Paul Cutler’s old band the Consumers (whose All My Friends Are Dead collection on In the Red Records is a must-own), and drummer Don Bolles is playing with the same hyperactive power he displayed on the Germs’ album. But while the music is blisteringly fast, it has all the intricate detail and memorable melodies of their later material. In fact, these songs are even faster than contemporary SoCal classics like the Adolescents’ first album and TSOL’s first 12”, and if you’re a fan of those records, these songs are 100% essential.

I suspect the songs on Autopsy’s b-side were recorded later, as they’re notably slower and some of them feature keyboards, presumably from the Screamers’ Paul Roessler, who joined the band later (he’s not mentioned on the jacket, even though the person who played the squeaky toy on “Riboflavin” gets a credit). Later guitarist Pat Smear (Bolles’ bandmate in the Germs) is credited as guitarist, though it’s unclear which tracks on Autopsy he plays on. These b-side tracks include two of 45 Grave’s most well-known songs, “Partytime” and “Riboflavin,” and while they’re mostly a notch or two slower than the a-side tracks, they’ll still worth owning if you love Sleep in Safety.

As I mentioned, Autopsy has never been reissued, and vinyl copies are scarce. This one sat on my want list for a few months before a reasonably priced copy turned up. You can listen to it on YouTube (it’s not on streaming services either), but hopefully we see a fresh reissue at some point. Most of the other significant titles Restless released in the 80s have seen reissues (even if some of them, like the Dead Milkmen’s Big Lizard in My Backyard, are still impossible to find), so hopefully someone out there will navigate whatever rights issues stand in the way and get this one back in the world. When and if that happens, you know we’ll stock it at Sorry State.

Scumraid: The End 7" (Crust War Records) We last heard from Seoul, South Korea’s Scumraid in 2018 when they released Control, and the six-year break seems to have served them well. Like their tour-mates in Physique, Scumraid elevates the crasher crust sound without reinventing the wheel, their powerful playing, dynamic performances, and adventurous production making the genre sound invigorated. In fact, I’d say The End is by far Scumraid’s best material. I love the format of The End—eight short blasts of raw punk fury—and the production is crisper than on their previous record, Control, with ear-splitting high frequencies and a command of textural dynamics akin to D-Clone’s. One of my favorite things in this style of crasher crust is when it feels like it’s blazing along at the absolute maximum intensity, then suddenly a new frequency leaps from the shadows and plows into you from an angle you didn’t know existed. The End is full of those moments, avoiding the stretched-out psychedelic end of the crasher crust spectrum in favor of short, fast, loud, and bludgeoning. It’s also worth noting that, as of now, this EP is only available as a Japanese import and isn’t streaming online anywhere, so you’re going to have to trust us when we say how hard it rips. But I can’t imagine anyone who’s plugged into the DIY hardcore network enough to lay their hands on a copy will be disappointed.

What’s up Sorry State readers, I hope everyone has had a nice week. We got faked out by some snow as usual here in Raleigh this past week. It’s starting to feel like we’ll never get a real good snow ever again. Maybe I should consider us lucky for not having to deal with it, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love a good snow day. Anyways, last week we had our year end lists here at Sorry State and it was awesome to get to read everyone’s list. I’m lucky to have coworkers with such awesome taste in music. This week I’d like to talk about a record I had mentioned in my list actually, The Soul Jazz Records compilation Punk 45 - There is No Such Thing as Society (I’m gonna just go ahead and shorten it to that) which features UK underground punk and post-punk from ‘77-‘81. I picked this up when I was over in London at Sounds of the Universe, which I was really excited to visit on my trip over there. It’s always interesting to listen to music from the end of a decade going into a new one. I feel like you can really hear certain sounds and ideas taking shape before they’re really fully formed. This compilation is particularly great as you get so many styles on here, from the more garage sounding stuff like The Users’ Sick of You, to more dancey/electronic stuff like 23 Skidoo’s Last Words. One thing all these songs have in common, though, is that they’re catchy as fuck and they’re all kinda just lighthearted and seem to not be taking themselves too seriously on tracks like The Shapes’ Wot’s For Lunch Mum? These British lads are all cheeky as hell. You get some real punk rock bangers on here too though, like Puncture’s Mucky Pup, which I believe Sorry State still has some 7” singles of a recent reissue if you wanna pick that up. I think all the Soul Jazz Punk 45 compilations are great and give you a bunch of info about all the releases they include, but I really love this one particularly. Definitely check it out if you haven’t before.

Hello and thanks for reading. We’ve got this ripper from Greece in stock, a debut from ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ (PLEKTANI), and I wanted to write about that a bit. However, as you can see the photo I have taken for this week’s staff pick is not of this record. That is cos I have also written a bit about my scores of 2024, since I didn’t take the time to mention any personal record scores in our last newsletter.

So ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ is from Athens, Greece, but I hear a lot of Swedish influence in there. We also had a small restock of the ΠΥΡ ΚΑΤΑ ΒΟΥΛΗΣΗ (PYR KATA VOULISI) 12”, but it has sold out. While ΠΥΡ ΚΑΤΑ ΒΟΥΛΗΣΗ also takes a huge influence from Sweden, these bands have different approaches to it. ΠΥΡ ΚΑΤΑ ΒΟΥΛΗΣΗ leaned more into the catchy side of things, reminding me of bands like HERÄTYS. While ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ rips in a similar fashion, the riffs are less rocked-out and delivered with a bit more DISCHARGE. It’s hard to describe what I mean exactly cos I am not the best writer, but I often find myself thinking of INFERNÖH when jamming their record. ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ aren’t religious to the d-beat formula though, with some bouncy pogo parts and breakdowns here and there. I don’t hear a ton of bands from Greece, and this one instantly caught my attention. Definitely check this one out, especially if you were into that PYR KATA VOULISI 12”.

Alright, let’s talk about the heat in the photo. I buy a lot of records. I love to buy new releases just as much as “collectable” old records. I guess often I find that older pressings tend to sound better than the records I come across that are manufactured these days. They are typically cut louder at least. Anyways, I seriously consider each record in the photo a score of a lifetime. When I say it like that, I can’t believe I landed three of those in one year. Now, one of these I was not actually looking for, as I did not know it existed. I will save that one for last and start with the VARAUS 12”. I previously wrote about this record when I landed it a few months ago. I explained how this is the most expensive record I have ever bought. Yep, it was more expensive than the test press up in the photo too, which is kinda nuts to think about. Maybe it just means I got a great deal on the test though, haha. I won’t take more time with VARAUS though, cos you can just hit that link and read what I previously wrote.

Moving onto the WRETCHED / INDIGESTI split 7”. Oh baby...I have been dying for this one for a long time now. It’s sick that Daniel and I both got a copy this year, haha. I tried to buy this record a few years ago online, and I got ripped off. I paid out the ass and never got the record. It was some elaborate Discogs scam where a reputable seller with thousands of positive feedback got hacked temporarily. Who knows if their story was true, but I am lucky enough to have gotten all my money back from PayPal. This copy of the split ain’t a top copy like that one I originally tried to buy, but I am just as happy to have it in the end. Sometimes it’s kinda nice to get a rare record for a bit cheaper cos it’s a little beat up. I don’t stress as much about handling it, and of course I know there will inevitably be surface noise, pops and ticks. I absolutely hate it when I am playing a record that has always played super clean, and then one day I have a pop in there. Ugh.

Alright, let’s wrap this up with the ELECTRIC DEADS: Mind Bomb 7” TEST PRESS!!! What the fuck!!!! Still speechless about this one. I got this copy from a guy in the US I’ve known for a while now. He mentioned he was thinking about selling it and I couldn’t get it outta my mind. I didn’t even know one of these existed. I have no idea how many were made, but he told me he got it from a guy who helped release the record. I should probably ask him some more questions to see what else I can learn, haha. I love collecting test presses… but never has it been a test from the ‘80s!! I almost bought a HEADCLEANERS test for $300 and I talked myself out of it. I still think about that day often, sucks. Especially now cos the same guy who once was trying to sell it for $300 now has it for sale for like $1,200… Jesus. Alright, I am about to be late on the submission deadline for my staff pick, per usual. Thank you for reading, and thanks to everyone for your support. Check out ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ!

Hey there Sorry Staters. We hope you are all safe and well out there. Here in North Carolina, we had a minor ice storm the other night and have been experiencing some cold weather, but our hearts go out to any of you in areas affected by severe weather and particularly right now the dreadful fires in California. Just so sad to see so much devastation and poor folks losing everything they have. I get broken up thinking about all the animals killed or now displaced that might not end up living. We obviously had a tragedy here last year with the flooding, so to be seeing communities being wiped out again so soon is doubly hard to take. Just like then, it appears that a certain shit ball and his followers are using the fires to score political points. What a bunch of scumbags. Anyway, fuck them, and much peace and love to those suffering.

We hope that our 2024 round up newsletter last week made for interesting reading. I always enjoy seeing what my colleagues write about and what they rated. I wonder how much or not you agreed with us. I must stress again that all of us felt we had forgotten something or felt bad about leaving an artist, album or single off our lists. Apologies to anyone we didn’t include or mention. We weren’t trying to make definitive statements, but rather just celebrate music and the arts in general and support the scene that supports us. Music hits us all in different ways and what works for one may not work for the other. All I conclude each year when we do these things is that a lot of music is made each year and it’s only possible to listen to a fraction of it and each of our tastes are different.

A quick mention about a record that we just got in before I get into my “pick” for this week. Technically it’s a 2024 release, but for us and most folks, this year will be the first we are hearing about the group Gossip Collar and their debut LP Spinning Silk For Parasites. They’re a post-punk group from Boston and should appeal to anyone that enjoys a Deathrock edge in their music. I’ve been spinning this one and liking it. Check ‘em out.

Okay, this week I am going to write about an artist whose records I had not heard about until last week, even though they have been making music since the late 1990s. I feel almost embarrassed that I was unaware of these records, as the sound is right up my proverbial alley. Just goes to the show that the more you know, the more you find out you don’t know. The artist I am referring to here is Matt Rendon, talented multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and main man behind the Tucson, Arizona Garage band The Resonars.

My main love, music-wise, will always be guitar-based made in the golden era of Rock And Roll that was 1957 through 1977. From Elvis to The Sex Pistols, those twenty years saw the best of the best. Rock ‘N Roll, Rockabilly, Country, Blues, R & B, Merseybeat, British Invasion, Garage, Psych, Soul, Funk, Glam, Bubblegum, Prog, Krautrock, Reggae and Punk. So much quality music and those tags only scratch the surface. I particularly love that period of the mid 1960s where groups in the UK who were inspired by earlier US groups and artists were now influencing the current crop of musicians in America and then how quickly they, in turn, were again inspiring the Brits (and the rest of the world) and changing their sounds. Things progressed at such a rapid rate during that period. But I’m not here to give a history of music. You all know how it went down and have the internet to tell you more if you’re interested. The point is, I love original 1960s music and culture and all the subsequent waves of revival that followed. Any band that plays a 60s inspired style of music will always get my attention. Some I like and some I like less so, but if I see a record with a 60s Mod aesthetic and the band have a good look and there’s at least one Rickenbacker in sight, I’ll give them a listen.

So, at the store last week I was going through the bins and boxes of records we have on the back shelves, looking for titles that hadn’t sold or might get a better shot if listed online, and I came across a record that instantly caught my eye. It was the 1998 self-titled album by The Resonars on Star Time Records. It has a very 60s psych inspired look and l felt like it might be a decent Garage record. My hunches were confirmed the moment I put the needle on the record and the music burst forth. Total 60s garage pop-psych with vocals that recall a few British Invasion bands, but particularly The Hollies. Great tunes and songs, all written by Matt Rendon apart from a choice cover of The Peanut Butter Conspiracy’s Dark On You Now. I was hooked instantly and played the record at least two more times, asking myself why I had never heard of it before. As I started to research, I learned that the group was essentially Matt Rendon and assorted other players and band members rotated over the years, and that the records were mostly recorded at his own studio, Coma Cave Studios, that he has been steadily building these past twenty-odd years. I also learnt that there were a lot of records made since that 1998 debut, and that they were all good. We had a few here. Sorry, but I have snagged them. Hey, I don’t like to be one of those record store clerks who do that, but locals had a few months to buy them and although we sold one or two, these others were still here.

I’ve been playing them these past few days and have been enjoying them all. The sound on the records might change a little due to players, better equipment and instruments, and in a couple of cases different studio locations, but essentially, they stick to the blueprint of pop-psych garage. If you love The Hollies, The Who, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Byrds, The Electric Prunes, Big Star, Badfinger and all the rest of the Nuggets type groups then you probably will like The Resonars. If you like the kind of bands talked about in Bomp! Magazine and the bands who had records released on Big Beat, Get Hip, Norton, Dionysus, Sundazed, and Voxx, to name a few labels as examples, you’ll probably like The Resonars.

I admit I fell down a rabbit hole as I read more and more about Matt Rendon and listened to the records. For a fellow that has kept a regular job during most of his bands’ lives, he sure keeps busy. Not only writing, playing, recording and producing for his own band, but also doing the same with other local groups in the Tucson area and having a few side projects and other groups going at certain times too. He was in a band called The Knockout Pills that played a punkier style of music that has correctly been compared to the sound of Australian punk legends The Saints. That band released two albums in 2003 and 2004. Jeff and I listened to both in the store the other day and thought they were both good. I scored the first one online cheaply and easily, but the second one called 1+1+Ate might take a bit more work to find. If anyone reading this is from Tucson (or anywhere else) and can find me a copy for a reasonable price, get in touch.

I went nuts on Discogs and have now bought several Resonars albums, along with another of the side projects called The Butterscotch Cathedral, which was a one off, more psychedelic record but essentially The Resonars under a different name, plus a couple of records by a group called The Marshmallow Overcoat, who Matt was in for a while and who are part of that same Arizona scene. That last group has an interesting documentary made about them called ALL YOU NEED IS FUZZ: 30 Years In A Garage Band. Click here to watch a trailer. The Overcoat was yet another name unbeknownst to me, despite having hits and worldwide success. I really like their album from 1993 called A Touch Of Evil, which has a more of a darker, Goth-like sound to it. On that one, they dropped the marshmallow and are just The Overcoat.

If that wasn’t enough new-to-me music to discover, there are still yet other bands that Matt Rendon is or was involved with for me to check out. There’s one called Lenguas Largas who, since 2011, have four albums and a bunch of singles to their credit. This band plays in a psychedelic garage punk style with Indie Rock leanings from what I have heard so far. I’ll need to investigate further, but will most likely be seeking at least one or two of their records once I’m done.

He’s also in Freezing Hands, playing drums, who since 2014 have released four albums, described as psychedelic Garage/Power Pop, along with one of his bandmates from The Knockout Pills. As I write this, I have only listened to a few songs and watched some live video clips. I liked what I heard.

Additionally, he played in a Garage group called The Vultures, who have an album from 2004. He played in a one-off psychedelic project from 2020 called The Green Children and has recorded and appears on records by The Exbats. Then there are lots of other groups that have recorded at his studio where he produces, engineers and/or adds vocals and instrumentation. Like I said, a busy chap.

Who knew there was such a great vibrant scene coming out of Tucson? Err, lots of people Dominic, not least the good folk that live there. I am joking of course. The city of Tucson and the rest of the State of Arizona have produced countless great artists and bands throughout the years. Green On Red comes to mind straight away. I like them. Didn’t the pre- Alice Cooper garage band The Spiders come from Phoenix? Linda Ronstadt, Meat Puppets, Gin Blossoms, the list goes on.

There’s a good interview with Matt Rendon done by It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine that I would recommend you reading. In it, he briefly talks about each of the records and some of these other projects. Click here for a link.

I still need to track down copies of the last two full lengths from The Resonars, along with a few 7” singles that are out there. I’m sure I’ll get to those at some point. I’ve given them a listen to online and they all sound good. Then there are those other bands, such as Freezing Hands, whose records it would be cool to have. Maybe I’ve gone too deep down the rabbit hole, but who cares? It’s a fun trip and recommended. I would be hard-pressed to pick a favorite record quite yet, but the self-titled debut is a good place to start. I liked That Evil Drone from 2008 and Nonetheless Blue from 2007 and Bright And Dark from 1999. All three have good, well produced, catchy tunes. You should also for sure check out The Knockout Pills albums from 2003/4 for a more pop-punk sound. Bottom line, Tucson has a great musical heritage and if you want to travel back to a place where it’s always 1967, then choose The Resonars as your soundtrack. They’ll deliver.

Cheers and happy listening - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

After last week’s epic newsletter, what could any of us possibly have left to talk about? I got a lot of positive feedback about the chaotic mess I crammed together for my personal “year in review” write-up last week. Thanks to everyone who reached out for the kind words!

Not much to mention about what’s going on in my life since last week. Got a couple outta town gigs coming up, both of which are benefit gigs that I’m happy we got invited to come and support. Firstly, January 18th in Richmond is a benefit for M.A.D. RVA, which stands for Mutual Aid Distribution. I’m stoked to see Yankee Bastard, will be my first time. Then the following weekend, Public Acid is making a trip up to Baltimore for a Palestine benefit gig at Ottobar. If you’re reading this living in Richmond or Baltimore and will be attending one of these events, I look forward to seeing you at the gig!

This week, I decided to write about this LP by Slevy. Sorry State stocked this record for the distro along with our most recent order from Discos Enfermos. I’m pretty sure these copies are left over from a pressing back in 2017. For those unfamiliar, much like I was, Slevy is a one-man recording project from this dude based out of Basque Country. Titled Vol. 1, I’m pretty sure this LP is the first edition of a 2 LP discography, collecting Slevy’s recordings dating back from the mid-00’s onward. The grey artwork is misleading, this record is super bright and catchy punk!

The recordings sound super lo-fi DIY style. I’m pretty sure all the drums you’ll hear on the record are from a programmed drum machine. Either that or an electronic drum kit. Super clean guitars, very dry, boxy sounding production. It often feels like the dude is just goofing around and messing with weird sounds and instruments for a laugh. Moments in the vocals are super funny. The songs basically come across like they were recorded in the guy’s bedroom. But once I got past the no-frills aesthetic of the record, I realized that this dude is actually a very skilled songwriter. The songs are SO good. A super melodic style of punk, but his influences seem incredibly broad, ranging from raging guitar-forward ’77 garage bangers to slow, brooding post-punk with layers of synth. The songs are so anthemic, they demand backup vocals sang in a gang-like chant, so the dude must have just doubled his own voice a bunch of times. From one song to the next, the sounds of each instrument sound kinda different and the fidelity really varies too—almost like when inspiration struck, dude just set up microphones wherever he was sitting in his bedroom at that particular moment. As a result, this album almost listens like an all-Spanish Bloodstains or Killed by Death compilation, but of course all recorded by the same dude.

At certain moments, mainly on the more brooding songs, the vocal delivery reminds me a bit of Paralisis Permanente… I mean, I guess? Like the less gothy, toybox version. For a more contemporary reference, something about the super melodic almost-but-not-quite-Oi! DIY sound with that toybox instrumentation kinda reminds me of Pura Manía? But then the more up-tempo jangly clean guitar KBD-style songs remind a bit of Tiikeri, though not sang in Finnish, obviously. The further I get into these songs, the better and better it gets. I find myself easily listening to the whole record and flipping it over and over again. A track like “No Lo Sé” on the B-side is definite standout track, leaning more toward pop punk, with this guitar melody underneath the vocals that reminds me of “Talk To Me Summer” by Screeching Weasel. I don’t know if this record really sounds like any of those things haha. Just imagine all those elements thrown in a blender.

That’s all I’ll say for today. Do yourself a favor and take a gamble on this under the radar Basque punk banger. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

For those of us with big record collections, it can be a challenge to dig deep into the stacks rather than just repeatedly playing the same records that are physically and/or mentally accessible. One strategy I’ve been using lately is using the “random item” function on Discogs to suggest things to listen to. I’ll hit that button a few times and make myself a stack of under-appreciated records to listen to over the next few days. Often they get one play before they get re-alphabetized, but sometimes this process gets me stuck on a record I’ve been neglecting. Such was the case with this debut LP from Brazil’s Cólera. I can’t remember the last time I listened to this record, but when I spun it last week, it blew me away. I’ve been playing it constantly since then.

São Paulo’s Cólera is one of the most well-known punk bands from Brazil, starting all the way back in 1979, their lineup coalescing around the brothers Redson (guitar and vocals) and Pierre (drums). They contributed tracks to the essential Brazilian punk compilations Grito Suburbano (1982), SUB (1983), and O Começo do Fim do Mundo (1983), but didn’t release their own record until this one, Tente Mudar o Amanhã, in 1985. While I’m sure this record’s release was a big event, Tente Mudar o Amanhã quickly got overshadowed by the band’s second album, Pela Paz Em Todo o Mundo, which came out a year later in 1986. Pela Paz Em Todo o Mundo not only became Cólera’s best-known album, but one of the best-selling Brazilian independent releases of all time. Cólera released a flood of material in the second half of the 80s, the band apparently remaining creatively vital; there are nearly forty excellent tracks just on those first two albums, and material continued to spill out generously in the years after. They were also the first Brazilian punk band to tour Europe in 1987.

Listening to Tente Mudar o Amanhã, it’s easy to understand why Cólera is so well regarded. As you might expect from a band that started in 1979, there’s a healthy dose of catchy 70s punk influence in Cólera’s sound, but they also seemed determined to match the frenetic energy of the emerging hardcore scene. They construct their songs tightly, with hooky instrumental parts and explosive dynamics, performing them precisely at near-manic tempos. Just this morning it occurred to me that Cólera reminds me a lot of D.O.A. Maybe it’s that both bands are three-pieces, but they both have this perfect interplay between the instruments and vocals. For both bands, the instrumental tracks sound like they would be explosive on their own, but the vocals come in at strategic points that always bump the energy level up a couple of notches. It’s rare to find a stand-alone vocalist with such a perfect sense of how their parts should fit in a song. For a perfect example, see Cólera’s “São Paulo,” perhaps my favorite song here with its brisk tempo, big riff, and mega catchy chorus.

I can’t remember exactly where I got this original copy of Tente Mudar o Amanhã, but I’ve had a couple of good Brazilian scores over the years. I remember in the early years of the store we got an email from someone from Brazil who wanted to buy some current releases from Sorry State and offered to trade us 80s Brazilian vinyl for them. I can’t remember why we didn’t nail down something more specific, but I remember sending him what he wanted and basically saying, “send me back something cool.” One record I remember he sent was an original copy of Sarcófago’s I.N.R.I., which I was totally unfamiliar with at the time. Then a few years ago I had another big Brazilian score when a guy emailed me to say he was a professor from Brazil who was doing research at the University of North Carolina, and he was hoping to subsidize his trip by bringing some rare vinyl from Brazil to the US. I told him Sorry State specialized in punk and metal, and he really came through for us with multiple original copies of the Sepultura / Oversplit split LP, another original I.N.R.I., and a bunch of other cool records. I picked the records up from his office at UNC, just across from a building where I used to teach when I was a grad student there. I remember he offered an original copy of the As Mercenárias LP, but I thought it was too expensive. I kinda regret that.

If you’re into tracking down original Brazilian vinyl, though, you’d best be prepared to loosen your standards on condition. Brazil is sort of like the opposite of Japan, where grading standards are strict and beater copies are few and far between. This copy of Tente Mudar o Amanhã is what I’d call “Brazilian VG+.” It looks pretty decent aside from where a previous owner has customized the band’s logo with a ballpoint pen (I’m not sure what they were going for there), but like nearly every record I’ve ever gotten from Brazil, it smells kind of musty, like it’s spent too much time in a very humid environment. Most of my other Brazilian records look like they’ve spent a chunk of their lives buried underground, been fought over by wild dogs, and otherwise used and abused. I kinda like that, though… the idea that a record has been through some real shit before it found its way into my hands.

So yeah, give it a listen. Tente Mudar o Amanhã is on all the streaming services and it’s been reissued on vinyl and CD numerous times, so it’s easy to hear and well worth your time.

Plektani: Kallitechnikés Anisychíes 12” (Cháos & Antikomformismós) Kallitechnikés Anisychíes is the debut record by this hardcore punk band from Athens, Greece, and it’s a total onslaught of top-notch käng. Musically, Plektani (ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ in Greek… it’s worth having a look at the word’s definitions on Wikipedia as they’re quite evocative) reminds me a lot of Deletär, with a similar two-guitar attack and a riffing style involving left hands dishing out power chords at insane speeds and bursts of metallic leads, all delivered with total precision. While the guitars are nimble, the rhythm section is the perfect balance of agile and heavy. The vocals also give Plektani a lot of their character, the singer’s hoarse shout sounding more desperate than ferocious. The production is pitch-perfect, and I also love the artwork, which keeps a toe in the classic aesthetic while steering wide of cliches. I can’t imagine anyone not getting a buzz from songs this energetic and exciting, but folks following ever expanding threads of Totalitär’s influence will get the most out of this one.

Happy New Year Sorry Staters! What a wild ride 2024 was. I hope everyone had a great year! For me, I always like to reflect and think about the new experiences I went through during the year, whether it be new foods, new places I traveled or, most importantly, new music that I have listened to. I am grateful that working at a record store/label offers the opportunity to listen to stuff that I would never find on my own. Also, working with an eclectic group of folks helps too! My list is quite like my brain at any given moment—all over the place—but I would not have it any other way. This list is in no particular order and if you haven’t checked any of these out, I hope you do!

Chat Pile – Cool World
This record was so hyped when it came out, and it definitely lived up to it. This noise rock band from Oklahoma City continued where they left off with 2022’s God’s Country. From the start, the tracks are just heavy riff after heavy riff with punishing vocals, which cover the horrors of modern human suffering.

Dan Spencer – Return To Your Dark Master
Black metal influenced country music. What more could you ask for? Dan Spencer has been blowing up this tour non stop and for a very good reason. This record rules and has some fun songs about vampires and other evil shit.

Zorn – Endless Funeral
Evil, dark metal-punk from Philly, PA on Sorry State. My favorite Sorry State Records release this year by far. I unfortunately have not seen them live, but I hear they put on one hell of a live show.

The Dogs – Total Dog Shit
This record caught me by surprise one day while randomly clicking on records to listen to on Bandcamp. The Dogs are a drum machine backed oi/punk band from the UK and as you guessed it all the tracks are about dogs. This record is super fun and super catchy.

Poison Ruin – Confrere
This record quickly became one that I play consistently play at work when it came out. This record is has tons of catchy hooks and medieval imagery just makes it that much more fun.

The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World
It would surprise me if this record was not on many people’s end-of-year list. It took Robert Smith a long time, but he finally released this masterpiece of an album this year. I can’t say anything you didn’t already know about this record. It’s quintessential Cure from beginning to end. The record is beautiful and melancholic. It almost plays out like a dream sequence to a movie you have seen a thousand times before. If I had to put my list in order, this would easily be at number one.

Nala Sinephro – Endlessness
London, UK based ambient jazz that will make your brain tingle. I went back to this record a lot over this year when I need something to listen to help clear my mind and to get my mental creative juices flowing. The music throughout the record seems to go in and out of consciousness with really great highs and really great lows. One of my favorite modern jazz records of this year.

SIKM – Now I Must Comply
Everything about this album I love. It’s infectious and full of great riffs, and the cover art by Jeff Polen is one of my favorites of the year. You can hear the French oi influences on this one, which made it a top record for me. It was hard to pick my favorite oi album this year, and it was hard not to have a list full of them.

Chain Cult – Harm Reduction
Dark, gothic influenced punk done so very very well. This band never seems to disappoint from release to release. This record has some heavy T.S.O.L. vibes, which is probably why I love it so much. I’m a sucker for anything dark, fast and heavy as you can tell with my previous pick of the new Zorn record. If you are living under a rock and have not checked this out yet, please do so.

Underage: Afri Cani 7” (Attack Punk Records, 1983)

It’s been a while since I featured an obscure 80s hardcore record as my staff pick, so I’m righting that wrong today with this 1983 EP from Italy’s Underage. It goes without saying that I’m a huge fan of classic Italian hardcore. After filling in on guitar for Golpe for a few gigs, I even consider myself something of an honorary Italian. (Since those shows, I’ve noticed my spaghetti tastes more authentic). That peninsula produced (and continues to produce!) so much great punk, much of it with a distinct flair you don’t get from anywhere else in the world. There’s also something romantic about the original vinyl from this scene. I remember when I was first hearing this stuff, records like Raw Power’s You Are the Victim or Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers’ 400 Fascists seemed unattainable, but I’ve tracked down copies of both over the years. I still don’t have a Wretched / Indigesti split, though! What I couldn’t have known until I held these artifacts in my hands was that the packaging and design was often just as distinctive as the music, typically handmade and packed with text and graphics, in keeping with the anarchist values so many in that scene held.

Back to Underage. Underage was from the Southern Italian city of Napoli. While I’m no expert, I am aware of the cultural divide between Northern and Southern Italy, the North being richer and more connected to European culture, while the South is poorer and more connected to the Mediterranean world. I wish I knew enough Italian to glean more from the dense insert booklet that comes with Afri Cani, particularly the essay on the back page by Jumpy from Attack Punk Records. It starts with the words, “Africani, Marrochini, Terroni”—Africans, Moroccans, and Terroni (a racial slur referring to people from Southern Italy and/or of Southern Italian heritage)—and the words I can make out paint a picture of a turbulent environment rife with injustice. There’s clearly a lot to be said about that topic, given that most of the classic, best-known Italian hardcore bands came from the more affluent North.

Musically, Underage is—like so many other Italian bands—most notable for their idiosyncrasies. They clearly take Discharge’s raw and primal hardcore as a big influence, but the charmingly shaky drumming, piss-raw production, and (most of all) the truly bizarre guitar sound are the aspects of Afri Cani that I find the most interesting. The EP’s highlights include “Thanks U.S.A.” with its Void-like pitch-shifted backing vocals, and “Entro Domani,” which captures something of Discharge’s sinister tone on Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, albeit without that record’s huge production. Both politically and aesthetically, Afri Cani feels like a radical statement, which is in keeping with Attack Punk’s other releases by raw bands from under-appreciated scenes like Spain’s MG15 and Yugoslavia’s U.B.R. It’s clear from the 9(!)-song track listing and the dense insert booklet that Underage had so much they wanted to say to the world.

While I couldn’t find much info about Underage in English, I discovered their drummer, Davide Morgera, wrote a book about his time in the band and the scene called Africani, Marrochini, Terroni, though it’s in Italian and also appears to be out of print. The one anecdote I found about Underage presumably comes from that book. 1983, Underage was offered an opening slot for the Exploited in Bologna, and after traveling all the way from Napoli to Bologna for the gig, the band Bloody Riot (whom I also like) jumped on stage and played instead of Underage, bullying the band out of their prestigious opening slot. After traveling dejectedly back to Napoli, the guitarist quit the band, effectively bringing Underage to an end.

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season and end to 2024. I can’t believe it’s already that time again. Another year in the books and time for a year end roundup. I hope everyone else had a great year like I did. I discovered a ton of great music, saw a bunch of amazing live shows, and got some good traveling in as well. The following, in no particular order, are ten of my favorite records I got this year. A note that not all of these are records that came out in 2024, but new to me this past year.

Homemade Speed - Faster is Better 7”
This record just rips straight up. Definitely one of my favorite hardcore releases of the year and I love the Keith Caves cover art as well. Killer from start to finish. I would love to see these guys live one day.

Cicada - Wicked Dream 7”
After an amazing demo, this Richmond band struck again with this incredible release. Only bangers from start to finish. I’m really looking forward to more music from this group.

Tiikeri - Tee Se Itse 7”
I can’t help but smile when I listen to Tiikeri. It’s just fun music to listen to. Everything this Finnish band puts out just seems so fresh and full of life. Definitely always a hit amongst us here at Sorry State.

Public Acid - Deadly Struggle 12”
Hell yeah Public Acid! Another ripper from start to finish. It feels like a lifetime ago when this came out in February; I had to double check this came out in 2024. Right up there with one of my favorite bands to see live, they always bring the house down.

Various - Punk 45: There Is No Such Thing As Society - Get A Job, Get A Car, Get A Bed, Get Drunk! - Vol. 2: Underground Punk And Post-Punk In The UK 1977-81 12”
Quite the title, huh? Originally released on CD in 2013, I picked up this bad boy on my recent trip to London at Sounds of the Universe as I saw it fitting to commemorate my trip across the pond. There are so many catchy songs on here, but the Notsensibles I’m in Love With Margaret Thatcher has been stuck in my head since I heard it.

Various - Studio One Dub 12”
Another record I picked up in London. What can I say? I love a good compilation and this is about as good as they come. A great one to just throw on and relax. I could easily just listen to a bunch of dub compilations all day and never get tired of it.

Various - The Roots Of Chicha (Psychedelic Cumbias From Peru) 12”
Okay, one more compilation I swear. I picked this one up when I was over in Seattle this past summer. I discovered my love of Peruvian music this past year thanks to Dom and am thankful for it. If this record doesn’t make you wanna shake them hips around you got a problem.

Jimi Hendrix - Songs For Groovy Children (The Fillmore East Concerts Highlights)
This record came out this past Black Friday, and I had to snag it. This is just a few songs picked from his Filmore East shows on December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970. I’d love to get the whole box set one day, but this is a much cheaper option. They did a great job of selecting the songs they put on this one. I love this version of Izabella and I could listen to Jimi rip up Machine Gun for 24 hours straight and not get tired of it. All hail Jimi.

Doc And Merle Watson - Never The Same Way Once - Live At The Boarding House - Thursday, May 2, 1974
You bet your ass I was gonna get some bluegrass on here. Honestly, I think I could safely say this is my favorite record I own. I love Doc Watson, and I love live albums and this one truly makes it feel like you’re stepping back in time and you’re right there in the crowd listening to Doc and Merle pick on some classics. If I could ever go back in time and see an artist live, it would be Doc, so this is about as close as I’m gonna get and I ain’t complaining. Thank you Owsley Stanley for this incredible recording (and everything else).

Billy Strings - Live Vol. 1
You know I had to get my boy on here. I’ve said so much about Billy and his live shows in past staff picks, but I really can’t emphasize how great this band is live. I’ve had so much fun at shows with friends and family both and it’s so awesome to have that experience captured on vinyl. I’m already eagerly anticipating Vol. 2 and know it won’t disappoint. The next show is always the best one.