News

Hey there everyone. How’s it going? Are you enjoying your summer? Or winter for those readers on the other side of the equator. There’s certainly been plenty of news and sport to keep us occupied besides the music we’re listening to.

Firstly, I was shocked and saddened by the news out of Southport, Merseyside this week. Any violent attack is a tragedy, but when it’s kids, it truly is shocking. Even more sick was the violence afterwards when far right fucks hijacked the vigil all hyped up on conspiracy and fear mongering. Dumb shit fascists exist in jolly old England just like they do in France and here in the US. Fuck all of them.

Currently, I am trying to catch as much of the Olympics as possible. It has been great so far. So glad I’m not a fuckwad far right Christian Maga loon because if I was, there would be nothing to enjoy watching the Olympics as it’s all about things they hate. Different cultures, nationalities, religions, sexual identities, you name it. All the things they are against. Still, they have Kid Rock, Hulk Hogan and Chachi to keep them entertained. Losers.

My Liverpool FC are currently stateside too, which is cool. I unfortunately haven’t been able to attend the games this visit, although I was holding out for a possible ticket to the game in South Carolina. At least I have been able to catch the matches on TV. It’s all friendly, pre-season stuff, but a good opportunity to see some new signings and younger lads play. Looking forward to the start of the new season which will be upon us before we know it.

Cool new records continue to get released and I’m currently really liking the new Peace De Resistance record. It ticks a lot of boxes for me. Not to oversimplify the artistry going on in the record, but if you dig 70s era Lou Reed, David Bowie and Iggy Pop, then you should give this one some consideration. We are very excited to be the exclusive US distributor for this slab. Get yours now.

Occasionally here at Sorry State we may feel as though we haven’t had as many “good” used record buys as we would like, but just like waiting for buses, eventually several turn up one after the other. That seems to be the case right now as we sit on so many good used records. Each week Jeff ponders what to tempt you with for our Friday used arrivals drops. The bins are almost too full right now. Those making extra pocket money mowing lawns or life guarding this summer should beeline to the store and get to digging.

A couple of collections that we bought recently also came with compact discs. We don’t sell them in our store (mainly space reasons) but have begun listing them on our webstore. If you are into CDs and looking for titles that are tough to find on vinyl and, in some cases, on any format, you might see something you need in the weeks to come as we add more titles. One of the collections had a cool four CD set that the British music magazine Mojo put out in the early 00s called Acid Drops, Spacedust & Flying Saucers and I would like to make that my pick for you this week.

For those that read Mojo, you’ll be more than aware of the quality of writing that has gone into each monthly issue. I used to be a regular subscriber and had every issue from number one. When I moved from the UK to America, sadly my paper collection didn’t travel with me. I had tons of old Record Collector, Mojo, NME, Sounds, Melody Maker and so on in my parent’s loft that my Dad was worried would fall through the ceiling and so took to the dump one day. Sigh. Something that he did on more than one occasion with my old stuff. I would regularly come back from stints working on the ships to find he had decided to throw out my shoes or t-shirts or whatever else because he thought I didn’t need them anymore. LoL. In fairness, it was their place and if I needed to keep my shit I guess I should have bought my own house to store it all in. Anyway, I digress. Suffice to say, I dig Mojo magazine. Their cover mounted CD was always good, especially when it had a certain theme or when they would do a covers one.

For the Acid Drops set they made a special four CD box which was sold separately from the magazine. They selected 72 tracks of 60s UK Psychedelic music and included a few known names, but mostly kept it to the obscurities and the type of records that would set you back a good amount of dough to score as an original. The set came with a nice booklet that had information about the tracks and the bands, and photos and essays from Jon Savage, the music journalist of choice for project. Whilst in New York I was fortunate to have met Jon as he travelled there frequently, and he would invariably pay a visit to the store I worked in. Top, top chap.

The music on this set spans the years 1965 to 1969 and has a few names that you’ll be familiar with. The Who are on there, so is Syd Barrett. The Kinks are there along with The Small Faces and The Hollies. So are Traffic and Spencer Davis Group and one or two more well-known groups. After that, the compilers dig a lot deeper and include a host of rare records that only the hard-core sixties head would be familiar with. By the early 00s I was fully into the rarer side of sixties psych, beat and garage and was working at a store whose owner, a Greek American, knew more about UK psych records than most people around and basically built his store around that focus. My time working at Rockit Scientist was a genuine learning experience, and like college for record collecting. I learnt so much from John and got to hear, see and handle so many cool and rare records. I also got to meet many of the country’s top dealers of psych and garage who, when in town, would always stop by the store for a chat, shop and to sell us records. John would get some amazing stuff from these guys and gals, and occasionally I snagged one or two for myself. By the time this Mojo set came out, I was aware of almost all the songs on it and so probably didn’t feel the need to buy one. It also wasn’t the only compilation of such sounds available, and with the CD era still in full swing, rare music from the 60s and 70s was seeing the light of day faster than most could keep up with it. I believe around about the same time the famous Nuggets set had been expanded into a four CD box and a second volume had also been released, which concentrated on the British Empire. I couldn’t recommend those collections more highly for those with a thirst for sixties psych and garage. Nuggets even went into a third set that focused on the second-generation garage and psych groups from the late 70s and early 80s. That’s a good one also.

On the Acid Drops collection, each of the four discs has its own name. We begin with Down To Middle Earth, then to Gandalf’s Garden, moving on with Mushroom Soup and finishing with Roundhouse Ghosts. UK psychedelic records could be heavy like their American cousins, but tended to take inspiration from whimsy and Lewis Carroll poems rather than political turmoil and revolution. So, throughout the set there are plenty of very British sounding records. The perfect soundtrack for looking at old Victorian photographs or reading Alice In Wonderland. Not that there aren’t some heavier sounding records here. Check out The Accent and their Red Sky At Night, which for 1967 was on a par with anything Cream and Hendrix etc. were doing. That cut might have been comped a few times, but it is a killer tune. By the time this set was put together, there had been a good dozen plus years of obscure sixties records getting the compilation treatment. The Rubbles series is essential, so are the Chocolate Soup For Diabetics sets and many, many more. What Acid Drops has over many of these is superior sound quality. As much as possible, original tapes were used and the whole set was remastered at Abbey Road. I own plenty of compilations that are needle drops, where the music is taken from actual records. Original master tapes were either non-existent or inaccessible to the compilers depending on how legit they were. Not that that stops actual record labels releasing music taken from records because they don’t have the master tapes anymore. That happens more often than you would think. If the consumer knows what they are getting, it isn’t so bad, but often that information isn’t forthcoming.

I could go on for pages and pages telling you about each of the seventy-two tracks here, as they are all winners in their own way. However, I feel part of the fun of listening to music is discovering it on your own terms. Those curious about this genre of music should just let it play and take note whenever a track comes up that you like and then explore that group or artist and learn what they were about. Having the liner notes of course helps, but nowadays in 2024 the internet is a lot more than it was back in 2001 and makes falling down rabbit holes a lot easier.

I’ve added YouTube links above for each of the discs so that you can begin your trip. Sugar lumps and herbs are highly recommended but not entirely necessary. Bon voyage and have fun.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

We’re back again! Sorry for the lack of newsletter content over the last couple weeks. I’m sure you missed us! What’s new in Jeff world? I dunno. Public Acid drove up and had a nice weekend in Long Guy Land last weekend. We played with Integrity. Kinda funny. Highlights include me getting totally hammered and attempting my best spineless HB strut while raging to Invertebrates with no sense of self-preservation. I’m still a little sore. They played an after show at this tiny, brightly colored, 90s-themed Nickelodeon dive bar in Long Island. A wild time indeed.

There’s a gig in Raleigh on August 12th with Argh all the way from Chile and also a new band from NY called No Knock, which has members of Fairytale and 80HD. Scarecrow is also playing. Spread the word! Hoping it’ll be a rager. Then that same week, Scarecrow will head up to Pittsburgh to play Skull Fest. Hope to run into some homies there. Can’t wait to see Meanwhile play.

And speaking of Swedish hardcore, my staff pick is this Neu-Ronz 7” we just got copies of at the store. I think I already wrote about this record for a staff pick a few years ago. But shiiit, I don’t care. Here we go again! Do people know about this record? To me, it seems like a record that kinda flew under the radar when it first came out. The always reliably killer Adult Crash label released this EP back in 2015. Crazy that the record is already almost 10 years old. But honestly, I don’t think I ever heard it when it first came out. I remember showing Daniel at work one day, and having not heard the record either, he similarly flipped the fuck out and was like, “This RIPS.”

Right after hearing it, it became my mission (and Daniel’s as well) to track down a used copy of the Neu-Ronz 7”. I figured that since the record was on Adult Crash and seems relatively inexpensive on the second-hand market, it wouldn’t be too terribly difficult to track down. Over the years, I would check the used bins whenever I would visit punk record stores out of town. Whether it was Vinyl Conflict in Richmond, or Sit and Spin in Philly, or wherever, I just could NOT find a copy. Not only that, but I would ask the clerks at the record stores and people seemed to have no idea what band I was talking about haha. My difficulty finding the record only heightened its allure for me. I guess its scarcity makes sense. The EP is the sole release by Neu-Ronz, and it was only released on Adult Crash in Europe. So really, the only way the record would have made its way over here is if distros had imported copies. Maybe people would know the record better if it had a US pressing a decade ago?

Okay, so let me talk more about the story with this record and what it actually sounds like. How I first heard about Neu-Ronz is several years ago, my buddy and I were talking about Regulations and how those records from the early 00s are still totally killer. He then asked me if I had ever heard the Neu-Ronz EP, to which I responded, “Nah, what’s that?” He billed it to me as Otto singing in a band with dudes from Nitad and Raped Teenagers. He sent me a YouTube link back then those couple years ago and as soon as it started playing, it knocked my fuckin’ socks off. A Swedish supergroup of sorts, you might say? For any skeptics, let me just emphasize to you readers: this record RIPS. It’s like a lost gem. 6 songs, all about a minute flat or less. The immediacy with which the band launches into these songs will rip off your lid right off your dome. If you’re familiar with 80s Swedish ragers Raped Teenagers, you’ll hear that these folks are involved because all the riffs have this catchy, while also a signature wonky quirkiness and off-kilter rhythm about the way they play. Still, this record is a focus of turbulent rage, and of course is topped with Otto’s hooky vocals that we all know and love. It’s an explosive combination. If you’re anything like me, once you grab this EP, you’ll play it over and over ‘til you puke.

Funny enough, I finally locked down my copy of this 7” when me and the dudes from Public Acid went record shopping in Portland while on our west coast tour earlier this year. We went to Blackwater, and I went straight to the 7” used “N’s” section. And there it was… like a golden nugget glowing in the bins. I think it was like $3. I was so stoked. No one in Public Acid knew anything about the record either haha. Then, only a few months later, Scarecrow played K-Town festival and Jakob from Adult Crash had a table where he was selling the titles on his label. Come to find out that he had several dead stock copies of Neu-Ronz 7” available. My first reaction was like… “Are you KIDDING me?” I was sneaky and bought a copy for Daniel while he wasn’t looking. Talking to a bunch of Swedish friends at K-Town, Neu-Ronz was not just a recording project, and the band did in fact play shows. Apparently, they only played around 10 gigs. Lucas from Vidro told me they would count in the first song super fast, and then would just tear it up for like 7 or 8 minutes without stopping. That would be the whole set every time. Perfection.

All this exposition is to draw attention to the fact that I guess Daniel discussed with Adult Crash that next time Sorry State ordered their new titles, that we’d also like to get a fat stack of dead stock Neu-Ronz 7”s. We got ‘em, baby. So, now’s your chance! If my glowing endorsement isn’t enough, the record also only costs $5. Shit, ya know what? Grab that Instängd Konkret Och Brutal 7” while you’re at it.

That’s enough. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

The Stranglers: The Raven LP (United Artists, 1979)

Compared to most of the other ‘77-era UK punk bands, it’s been a long road with me and the Stranglers. As I’ve mentioned before, my earliest education in 70s UK punk came from the many books about the scene (particularly the Clash and the Pistols) that came out in the mid- and late 90s, and certainly the Stranglers got mentioned in all those books as an important band in that first wave of punk. I’m sure I checked out Rattus Norvegicus a few times during my teens and early 20s, but two things kept me from embracing the record fully: misogyny and mustaches.

To a kid like me, for whom Kurt Cobain’s words were the keys to the underground kingdom, there were hardly two things less cool than misogyny and mustaches. No doubt influenced by the feminist Olympia punk scene that shaped his politics, Kurt Cobain made it clear you should take women seriously... artistically, intellectually, and in every other way that a human being deserves to be heard. I’m not sure how I absorbed this message so throughly, but I did my best to put it in practice (imperfectly, I’m sure). The lyrics to Stranglers songs like “Peaches,” “London Lady,” and “Bring on the Nubiles” all gave off the impression these guys were creeps… leering at, mocking, and brazenly sexualizing women. It reminded me of the misogynistic antics of bands like Guns N Roses and the Rolling Stones, and it was a vibe I just couldn’t hang with.

Obviously facial hair is a lot less important than the marginalization of half the world’s population, but it’s hard to overstate how deeply out of fashion mustaches were in the 90s. While even Kurt himself occasionally sported a goatee, the mustache had become the symbol of the politically regressive 70s burnout. The word “mustache” rarely appeared without the modifier “porn star” preceding it, which invoked the deepest kind of chauvinism. Of course, Nirvana had the song “Mr. Moustache” on bleach, and while the lyrics were opaque, I felt like I knew what Kurt was getting at. And then on the cover of Rattus Norvegicus was Stranglers keyboardist Dave Greenfield’s soup strainer, loud and proud. It made the record look like a relic from another era, more Foghat or Bad Company than the angular, futuristic fashions of the Sex Pistols and the Buzzcocks. Greenfield’s keyboards themselves also evoked a bygone era, linking the Stranglers’ music with the prog era that punk notoriously reacted against. That was particularly hard to hear in the 90s, which was, after all, the era when huge-sounding electric guitars reigned supreme.

Sometime around a decade ago, though, I heard Black and White, the Stranglers record that broke the ice for me. I think I happened upon it when I was falling in love with the more glam-influenced end of the ‘77 spectrum, and bands like the Only Ones, the Rich Kids, early Cock Sparrer and the like were dominating my listening. While Black and White has a lot of that proto-punk sound, it also has hugely catchy, energetic songs. “Tank,” “Sweden,” “Toiler on the Sea,” “Death and Night and Blood...” it’s an unstoppable album, its meticulous major-label production only enhancing its charms. “Nice N Sleazy” called back to the band’s earlier misogynistic vibes, but it didn’t feel like that dank, smoky atmosphere pervaded the entire record as it did on the Stranglers’ earlier material. After falling so thoroughly in love with Black and White, I went back and spent due time with Rattus Norvegicus and its follow-up, No More Heroes, which I like even more. While the creep factor still gives me the willies, I have to admit I’m now fully on board with the music.

Then, a year or so ago, after a late-night listen to No More Heroes, it occurred to me I should probably check out the record after Black and White. I dialed up The Raven on streaming and my immediate thought was, “this is really fucking good.” I waited to immerse myself in the record until I could find a copy on vinyl, which I figured wouldn’t be too long. We’ve had many copies in the store over the years. However, as always seems to happen, once you look for something, it’s nowhere to be found. Eventually this summer, while in LA for Lie Detector, I visited Radiation Records and found a later pressing without the 3D cover. I was quite happy with that, but then within the next several weeks we had 3 copies come in at the store, and I think all of them had the cool 3D cover. I think we still may have one or two of them if anyone reading this is local and wants a copy for themselves.

As I mentioned on my last appearance on What Are You Listening To?, I’ve really been enjoying what Mike calls “Sunday night punk.” So much of the music I listen to as part of my Sorry State duties is abrasive and/or primitive, so when I’m winding down at night I like I find music that still has some of punk’s energy and liveliness, but also has subtler textures and a broader tonal range. The Raven certainly fits the bill. “Nuclear Device” and “Sha Sha A Go Go” are energetic singalongs that would have fit nicely on Black and White, but they anchor more out-there moments. On “Dead Loss Angeles,” the Stranglers go “Big Bottom,” with Hugh Cornwell putting down his six-string and teaming up with JJ Burnell for a gnarly two-bass attack. “Don’t Bring Harry” is a swirly piano ballad about heroin, and “Duchess” is a bona fide chart single. The other songs are even weirder, but the album has a perfect sense of balance that keeps me engaged the whole way through.

Join me in a few years when I take the next step on my Stranglers journey...

Subdued: Abbatoir 12" (La Vida Es Un Mus) I was a huge fan of Subdued’s first full-length, Over the Hills and Far Away, but this follow-up is a major leveling up, and it’s without a doubt one of the most exciting and essential underground punk records of 2024. While Subdued’s sound is still based on the heavy, chugging anarcho-punk of early Amebix and Exit-Stance, they lean into their strengths on Abattoir, crafting a sound that is distinctly their own. Rhythmically, the band has a unique command of dynamics, every song imbued with cycles of push and pull that seem so natural and organic as to be almost imperceptible, but keep the songs consistently interesting. Atop this foundation, two guitarists weave spiderwebs of dark and delicate arpeggios and sinewy melodic lines, occasionally locking into the heavy underlying rhythms for a bulldozing chug-fest. The lyrics and vocals are fantastic too, and while they give you all the sloganeering you’d want from a dyed-in-the-wool anarcho band, they’re not cliches but compelling, poetic assessments of society’s ills. Abbatoir is dense with memorable lyrics, but you’d be hard-pressed to disbelieve anything Subdued’s singer says, because he delivers every line with a force that makes it feel like truth is being wrenched violently from his guts. Clocking in at a brisk 22 minutes, Abbatoir has no room for moments that are anything short of thrilling. If you like the music we like here at Sorry State, this record should be on your radar.

Another week, another pick! Thanks again for reading week by week and supporting Sorry State records! This week has been super busy catching up on all the orders that came in over the 4th of July holiday week. Y’all have definitely been keeping us busy. We have tons of great new releases that have come in this week! We got in the new Prison Affair/Snooper split for all the egg punk fans out there and a great hardcore release from Subdued on LVEUM. Definitely something for everyone! This week I decided to continue on my shoegaze/dreampop month with one of my favorite shoegaze adjacent bands, Hum, and their 2nd full length album, You’d Prefer An Astronaut.

Hum is one of those bands that is hard to pin down an exact genre on them, let alone shoegaze or even dreampop for that matter. A lot of bands in the early 90s leaned on what was becoming popular at that time, which was heavy alternative and grunge. Hum blended the heavy guitar riffs of the grunge moment and matched it so perfectly with the ethereal melodies that have made the shoegaze genre famous. Frontman and lead singer, Matt Tallbot’s, lyrics play with themes of love and longing and jump to thoughts of existentialism.

You’d Prefer an Astronaut is a timeless album that continues to resonate with listeners decades after its release. I feel like this album is finally getting the love it deserves with this new wave of shoegaze that is happening in the states. All three records in the Hum catalog have been re-released via Polyvinyl Records after waiting years for a proper repress. The band joined back to do some shows throughout the last few years, but unfortunately, the drummer, Brian St. Pere, passed away in 2021. Since then, the band has not played any new shows, nor have they mentioned anything about finding a new drummer.

Hum’s You’d Prefer An Astronaut, for me, is one of those albums that have made it into my desert island top 5 picks. I always find my way back to this record and it always blows me away like I am hearing it again for the first time. If you came across this record, or hell, any of their records buy them, you will not regret it! I was lucky enough to find an original pressing of this album and it is my pride and joy in my collection. Thanks again for reading!

Hello Sorry State readers! I hope all is well! It has been sweltering here, absolutely sweltering. I feel like we are 10 feet from the sun when I go outside midday. I’m definitely not a summer type of girl. I’ve always hated the summer. Unless I’m in water, I want to be inside. I’ve been checking out a lot of new releases and revisiting my collection. I feel like I’m getting the itch to make a splurge on a record. The kind of splurge that makes you feel uncomfortable for a couple days, and then you get over it. The last splurge was several months ago, and I usually limit them to twice a year. But I’m weighing my options and you will be the first to know when I’ve pulled the trigger. Let’s get into it shall we?

My pick this week is the new 7” released by the band Pyrex, called Bozo. This is my first time listening to the band, but the Brooklyn-based punk trio emerged a few years ago with a debut EP, and released an LP on Total Punk last year. Like I said, I don’t know a whole lot about them, but I’m always happy to take a noisy garage punk record for a spin, so this is me dipping my toes in the Pyrex pool. And I like what I hear! I like to start with a really general description of the music and then get into the weeds a little bit. The record is kind of a blend of ‘77 punk, KBD, post-punk, with glimpses of no wave. More specifically, I’d describe them as raw and noisy, chaotic garage punk. They have a primitive garage style sound, but there are several sonic deviations that make the music more interesting to me.

The vocals are really raw and kind of unhinged in a Greg Ginn type of way. There are three songs that are fast tempo for the most part with some mid-tempo shifts, a lot of rock and roll riffs, played with hardcore-style speed. The drums pound with intensity and there are some ripping riffs. It makes me feel a little anxious at times, but there are layers of interesting sounds and textures that add some welcomed dimension. It’s not for the faint of heart! But I don’t say that because it’s super heavy or ferocious. There’s just a lot going on all at once, but in a way that doesn’t bury or suffocate the melody. I’m a sucker for some melodic punk, so I kind of need it to enjoy what I’m listening to. It took a few listens for me to loosen up, unclench my fists, and enjoy the ride. I really like the first song, Bozo. It opens with a pretty simple mid-tempo riff but speeds up very quickly, and when the beat drops, I’m all in. There is also an ever so subtle surf rock vibe in there too, which sort of whizzed by and was over before I could be sure.

So yeah, after about the third spin, I found myself paying less attention to the vocalist’s raw and unfiltered vocals and more on how much I was enjoying the beat and the unpredictable nature of the song arrangements. Nothing too crazy, but nothing too common, either. The second song, Viper, is faster and meaner, with abrupt tempo shifts and pure chaos. But the third song, Muscles, might be my favorite. Again, I like the way they open up with a simple mid-tempo riff and then throw everything they’ve got at you before pulling back so you can catch your breath. And then dialing things all the way back up and ending abruptly. The three songs play very well together and I like the way they sandwiched the meaner and more agitated song in between the two that are a little more fun. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to really noisy music, and I really enjoyed this one. Give it a go!

Thanks for reading as always. Until next time!

-Angela

Hi and thanks for reading.

I’m leaving work early for the weekend, so this one is probably gonna be pretty short. Some of my friends convinced me to go up to NYC to catch the FEROCIOUS X gigs. I was on the fence cos going to New York is seemingly always a pain the ass, but at least I don’t have any gear to haul or a set to play. I’m sure it will be a good time, and this is like a once in a lifetime opportunity to catch this killer band from Osaka. Anyway, this week I have been heavily spinning the new MASSACRED 7” that was just released on Active-8 Records. In between their first 7" and this one they released a promo cassette that featured a few tracks from this EP, some live shit, plus four demo versions of songs that will be on a LP. I picked one of these up when we played Boston with VIDRO last year, and I have been really looking forward to hearing the real deal 7". I am a big fan of THE MASSACRED so I am always eager to hear what they release next. Their debut 7" was delayed like two years, and I think that has backed the band’s releases up. I say that cos this EP was recorded all the way back in June 2021. I also know they have the proper LP already recorded and coming at us sometime in the future. The demo versions of the LP songs on the cassette are sick. I really can’t wait for the proper release. They sample some songs with their usual straight-forward, catchy UK82 tracks. But they also dish out this song called “Extermination” that takes us deeper in the bowels of UK82, straying away from the traditional DISCHARGE formula. This track reminds of exactly something THE EXPLOITED would do on Horror Epics or Death Before Dishonour. I love the later ‘80s EXPLOITED shit, so this track really got me going. Anyway, I’ve seen THE MASSACRED live twice now and they do not disappoint. They are so tight; like a well-tuned, oiled up fucking machine. And on the records, you can really hear how tight they play together. The guitar picking is so involved and intentional, it seriously sticks out. Mark, the guitarist, has also recorded all THE MASSACRED material to date. The records especially sound so damn good. The drums sound perfect. I asked him how he recorded their stuff and he said he uses a 1/2" 8-track. No wonder it sounds so good... he’s taking the time and effort to record in the most classic of ways, straight to tape. The time they take with their band really shows I think, with their live performance, the recordings, and especially with their packaging. I love the 7" pocket sleeve with the tabs glued on the outside, classic. I also love that they take the time to stamp the inner sleeve not just once, but twice. I think this is a killer record from a contemporary band pulling off a classic style that is kind of hard to emulate without sounding cheesy. If you haven’t heard ‘em yet, check them out! I’m sure you will wanna grab a copy of the EP. Alright that’s all for today. Cheers and thanks for reading.

Hey there Sorry Staters, what’s up?

We’re crankin’ along here at SSR trying to get through another week of either unbearable heat or heavy thunderstorms. Today as I write it’s coming down so hard, I could have sworn I saw Noah and his Ark sail by. Honestly, I’ll take the rain when it cools things down over the triple digit temps any day. God, I must be British, always talking about the weather. Ha.

So, a quick correction and disclaimer before I go any further. Last week in the newsletter Dr. D wrote in his stellar piece on the mighty Only Ones that I had instructed him on how the Spooky Tooth album Ceremony was the only Tooth record worth F’ing with. That was true for Daniel, but not for other folk and not my opinion on the merits of other Spooky Tooth records. Their first couple of albums are fine late 60s blues rock and before they were Spooky Tooth, the guys were in a cool Mod band called The V.I.P.’s, who released a few singles, including the nugget Straight Down To The Bottom. That band transformed into Art, who released a great psych album on Island called Supernatural Fairy Tales in 1967 that as an original will set you back some change. So yeah, I dig Spooky Tooth, have nothing against them, and think they’re fine musicians and people. Just didn’t want anyone getting the wrong idea. LoL.

Okay, moving on. Just like buses, you can wait forever for a good collection call, but then they come three or four in a row. That has certainly been the case of late and local customers are being treated to some terrific records hitting the bins, with plenty more waiting in the wings. Several of our locals and indeed the staff are currently shopping their kidneys around. I’ll probably mention something cool that I picked up at some point, but tend not to like to brag and flex about records I’ve scored, ‘cos you know? Instead, this week I just want to make you’ll aware of a fun little reissue that we recently stocked.

Vince Guaraldi: It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown

This is the long-awaited issue of the music and cues used for the 1969 TV special created by Vince Guaraldi and his crack group of musicians. There’s a lot to like here if you are a Peanuts fan as I am and if you love the music that went along with the Charlie Brown specials. You’ll recognize the big tunes such as Linus and Lucy, but you’ll also notice the different arrangements and musicianship going on with these takes. The most obvious is the use of flute on the recordings, which is makes them sound even jazzier. Growing up in the 70s both my sister and I loved Peanuts. We had Snoopy dolls, figures, all the comic book collections, and like everyone else watched the TV specials each year. The Christmas and Halloween ones get shown often, but the summer special sometimes gets overlooked. I have a few of the soundtrack records in my collection and at Christmas time here at the store, we almost can’t have enough copies of A Charlie Brown Christmas. I didn’t have this one though, as I believe it is the first time the music has been officially released. There was an RSD pressing earlier in the year, but now a more widely available version on blue vinyl is out there. Although there are thirty-two tracks on the album, it plays at 45 RPM and doesn’t outstay its welcome. The package includes a four-sided insert full of great information about the music and the special and there are plenty of cool images from the show. Well worth it for fans. I just picked my copy up so haven’t read them all yet. Instead of repeating them here parrot fashion, I’ll let you guys read them for yourselves.

Okay, short and sweet this week, but hopefully somewhat appropriate for the time of year. Have a great summer for those north of the equator and we’ll see you around here next time. Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another week, another barrage of bleak and depressing news in this fucked world. Some good moments too, of course. “I Shot The Devil” by Suicidal Tendencies has sounded pretty good lately *winkwink. I wonder… what’s the campaign budget for squibs? Who cares.

Hey! I’m booking a show here in Raleigh on August 12th. ARGH is coming all the way from Chilé, and also No Knock from NYC, which I believe has couple of the same members as Fairytale. The show’s at RUMAH. Hoping at least some of you newsletter readers are local, and I can spread the word through this channel. Come to the gig!

Public Acid heads to play with Integrity in New York on July 27th, but the same day NFTW recording artists Bato are playing in Raleigh as well. Don’t miss that. Then Scarecrow plays Skull Fest. Then Public Acid plays Unlawful Assembly. AAAAHHH.

Sorry to start off so negative. Maybe it’s because I’m also listening to this new Subdued record on repeat ad nauseum. But trust me, I have nothing negative to say about this new record. The other night, I was once again a guest on the Analog Attack show What Are You Listening To? The host Mike beat me to the punch talking about the new Subdued on the podcast. So now’s my opportunity to further express my thoughts.

Obviously, I was also way into Subdued’s previous 12” Over The Hills and Far Away. I’ve even been lucky enough to catch them play live a couple times: once on stage in Copenhagen, and the other time was outside, under a bridge in Richmond. But I gotta say, when I first threw this new record Abattoir onto the turntable, it really blew me away. I was like holy fuck, this is a great record. For me, easily their best yet. Whereas I feel like the anger represented in current hardcore can either feel like performative posturing, or if earnest, perhaps a bit corny?... Subdued just feels DEAD serious. Almost in a way that I can’t explain. The vocalist Jack feels less like he’s yelling, and more like he’s pontificating from a pulpit, delivering observations of vile realities in a manner both poetic, and simultaneously like a frenzied stream of consciousness. When the record gets into the third track “Vulturemen,” the lyric delivered so bluntly as “Living in a world with evil bastards who are always wanting more.”—A simple enough sentiment, but spat out with such a palpable feeling of disgust that you believe every word. Even just hearing the repeated refrain of “Nothing good can survive. It dies. It dies.” I just sat there listening, staring at my turntable going, “FUCK.”

Clearly, the band’s influences are rooted in UK anarcho punk. I’ve heard people compare Subdued to Icons of Filth or Exit Stance, which I hear, I suppose. But musically, I feel like I hear the band merge a lot of disparate musical ideas. Slow, dirgey mid-paced riffs with tribal rhythms. Melodic, yet eerie and spider-weaving arpeggiated guitar work. And then brutalist explosions of speed and intensity. The heavy slow parts aren’t too metal. The melodic parts aren’t too cheesy. And the fast parts aren’t too reminiscent of all other “raw or d-beat or whatever.” I love the intro to the track “Children of God” that opens with this lone, trudging bass and when the guitars enter, they play this unexpected “lick” I’d guess you’d call it? It’s so killer. And all these theoretically opposing musical sections don’t clash or feel unfocused. They are blended smoothly and seamlessly, like a natural extension of the band’s unique vision. This record isn’t just a mirroring of the English anarcho punk sounds of yesteryear. It’s like a bleak reflection in its own right—like a cold, psychedelic nightmare.

Most of Subdued is based out of London. But now Cody, who plays in Nosferatu and I’m sure many other bands, has joined on 2nd guitar. Nicky Rat makes the commute to play in Nosferatu, and now Cody makes the commute to play in Subdued. Why not, right? Interesting punk world we live in these days. But I think the recording of this record was split between London, but was mostly recorded at D4MT Labs where the likes of Tower 7 and Straw Man Army do their recordings. The sonic signature of D4MT recordings really suits Subdued, I’d say. 8 songs is the perfect length as well. 12” EP, best format. The peaks and valleys you journey through over the course of Abattoir feel like the perfect amount of sickness for one to stomach. All ending with the grand finale: a pulsing monotonous build into nothing, with the echo of “WE DESERVE ANARCHY NOW.” We do, don’t we?

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Another showstopper from La Vida Es Un Mus. Who woulda thought? You need to hear this new Subdued. It’s really great.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Various: Pohjalla 12” (Love Records, 1978)

My staff pick this week is a record I picked up while Scarecrow was on tour in Finland. It’s always great to find records in their country of origin, and this was part of a big haul I picked up at a small record fair our friends Markku and Kerttu took us to while we were in Turku. I knew basically nothing about Pohjalla (which I believe translates to something like “from the bottom”) before I picked it up, only that it was a compilation of 70s Finnish punk, but when I got home and listened to the stack I bought on tour, I had a hard time taking this off the turntable to make way for the next record.

Pohjalla came out in 1978 on Love Records, perhaps the most important Finnish record label of the 1970s, releasing much of the country’s best rock and prog from that decade. While Love Records released several important early Finnish punk records, they went bankrupt in 1979 just as the scene was taking off. After Love Records’ dissolution, founder Atte Blom started the better-known (among punks at least) label Johanna, which absorbed Love Records’ roster and went on to release a slew of classic records until Johanna, in turn, went bankrupt in 1984.

I haven’t been able to find much information about Pohjalla, but I know it was meant to be a sampler of some of the best new Finnish punk bands of the time, and that all the bands involved recorded tracks especially for the compilation. While I’m not sure since all the credits are in Finnish, it sounds like the bands recorded at the same studio, giving the LP a very uniform sound. Compilations can be spotty, but this one is consistent, with the only real outlier being Se’s track “Peilit,” and even that is a welcome change of pace, coming three quarters of the way through the record.

Pohjalla starts with a track from a group called 1978 with the track “Elektroninen Xtaasi.” Given this is the only track 1978 released and the songwriting credits feature many of the same names as the other tracks on the record, I’m guessing this was a pickup group that formed in the studio to record this song. I also wonder if it was always planned to be included, since the song isn’t listed on the back of the jacket, only on the record’s center label. That really threw me for a loop… it’s hard enough keeping track of what song you’re listening to on a compilation record in a very unfamiliar language without curveballs like that coming at you.

While the other four bands on Pohjalla contribute multiple tracks, the songs are all mixed together. I can’t think of many other compilations that do that, but it works here since the bands and the recordings are so similar. The sequencing works really well, and honestly it sounds more like a cohesive album than a lot of records by single artists.

Now for the bands. Problems? contribute four tracks of intense, rootsy punk. While their songs are upbeat and energetic, there’s an old rock and roll / rockabilly feel to the guitar and bass paying that makes me think of the Rezillos or the Lurkers. I particularly like the big chorus on “Roitsikka Oot.” Sehr Schnell also contributes four tracks and has sound that’s similarly influenced by 70s UK punk and old rock and roll, with highlights being the wild fuzz guitar solo on the album-closing track “Värinää” and the staccato groove on “Juho Vanha Natsi.” Next up is Pelle Miljoona & N.U.S., who also contribute four tracks and share the 77 UK and roots rock influences of their comp-mates, though their rougher guitar sound and loose and wild vocal approach help their contributions stand out. Speaking of standing out, Se is the odd band out with only two contributions. It seems like they’re more of an eclectic new wave band than straightforward punk, but I love the tense, post-punk-ish intro to their track “Ei Asfaltti Liiku” and the wild prog/psych break that comes in the middle of the otherwise Elton John-ish “Peilit.”

So yeah, that’s Pohjalla. I’m sure my band-by-band run-through was too boring to read, but your takeaway should be that this is an excellent 70s punk comp that scores particularly high in the consistency and replay-ability departments. And better yet, all the bands (except 1978) have other records to explore. Actually, Puke N Vomit just released a compilation from Problems? that we have in stock, so if this tickles your fancy, that might be a great way to dive to the next level.