News

Golpe: Aussuefazione Quotidiana 7” (Beach Impediment Records) Aussuefazione Quotidiana is the second record from Italy’s Golpe. Sorry State released their first record, La Colpa È Solo Tua, and we remain huge fans even though we didn’t put out this new EP. In fact, I think Aussuefazione Quotidiana is an incredible record, distilling everything that was great about La Colpa È Solo Tua into an even more potent concentration and adding a few new wrinkles to the sound. For my money, Golpe writes some of the most memorable songs in hardcore. Even putting aside the quality of the riffs, beats, vocal lines and other building blocks, Golpe’s songs are arranged so they seem like they’re always building in intensity. I don’t know how they do it, but every time you think the band has achieved an impossibly high climax, there’s an even bigger one around the corner. The riffs are just phenomenal, with a larger-than-life quality… I mean, listen to the (mostly) instrumental “Un Nuovo Inizio” and try not to imagine a giant room full of people going the fuck off. Another thing I love about Golpe is the playing. It still seems impossible to me that Golpe’s mastermind Tadzio records all the instruments himself because the ensemble playing sounds so natural and organic (I find a lot of other one-person projects robotic and one-dimensional). Some of the groovy parts are so slinky they almost sound funky, though rigidity and looseness is one of the many dynamics Golpe manipulates… they can certainly bash when they want to. I should also mention the lyrics, which sidestep punk cliches and self-referentiality to engage directly with the world’s most pressing problems with real thought and feeling, something the band actively encourages their listeners to do too. There’s so much to take in with this EP and I love it all. Bravo, Golpe!

Hello Sorry State friends! Hope you are all doing well! And I hope you enjoyed our year-end beast of a newsletter. I always have fun reading the picks of my esteemed colleagues, and they did not disappoint! If I'm remembering correctly, there was a little more overlap between our top new releases from the year prior, but I like that we all had the new Personal Damage on our lists. Just to let you in on some hot internal gossip, another one of our staff had this record in his 2023 top picks but forgot to include it in his picture, and being the detail-oriented person he is, he wanted to maintain consistency. Coincidentally, the record was in my top 10 list but not in my photo, and we couldn't just borrow one from the store for the shot because it sold out the day prior! Oh well. Missing from our pictures, but not from our hearts.

My staff pick for this week was among my favorite reissues in our year-end newsletter! It's the 2023 reissue of the Dark Thoughts single, Do You Dream? It was originally released in 2019 ahead of their full-length album, Must be Nice. It includes an alternate 7” only mix of Do you Dream? And an exclusive to this single b-side called It's Too late. The original record was released in 2019 on black, with a small amount on opaque pink wax. This time around, we got two super cool variants: a pink with black splatter (100 copies) and coke bottle green (150 copies). In my photo for the last newsletter, the color of my coke bottle green looked really off. But you can see the true color in our website listing. It's one of my favorite wax colors.

I didn't see this record when it first came through, so it had already been shelved by the time I saw it. I squealed with delight when Jeff came around the corner with it in his hand. He either asked me if I got it yet, or if I’d seen it yet, which I don't remember because I was too locked in on the words Do You Dream? in big pink letters. I was actually late to the game on Dark Thoughts and am grateful to Sorry State for making the band accessible to me, as they quickly became one of my favorite bands of the last couple years.

Directly inspired by the Ramones, these Philly punks do Ramones-style punk better than everyone else, after the Ramones. I just can't imagine anyone not liking them, unless they just don't like cool music. If you don't already know this band, they are massive Ramones fans and they wanted to form a band to play Ramones-inspired music. So they did. They even choose their color schemes for each LP to mirror the main colors used for Ramones LP's, and in the same order. So, their third album, Must be Nice (the album from which this single comes from) uses pink and black to align with the colorway of the Ramones’ third album, Rocket to Russia.

Do You Dream? clocks in at almost a minute and a half. And what a minute and a half it is. Fast and fun, melodic, catchy power pop style o' punk that you'll want to play back to back to back. I love the b-side, It’s Too Late. The guitar is louder and more dominant than the first song, with more aggressive vocals and lots of "WOAH OAH OAH's." Jim Shomo’s flowmo is so damn catchy as he belts out the lines “…bite my tongue and take my time… gonna hold my breath and take what’s mine… gonna quit this town.. take my place.. pack my bags and leave this place.” I mean, every punk band that's worth its salt has an “I’m gettin’ outta this town!” song, and Too Late checks that box.

Hey, I just looked and we have only three or four (there may be one going out as we speak) copies of this single left, so you better hop on it if you want it! You'll either get the pink and black splatter or the coke bottle green. I don't know how many are left of each one, but you will be happy either way! I hope they aren't gone by the time Daniel posts this. I can say with 100% confidence that if you like the Ramones, or just fun and catchy punk, you won't be disappointed. Ok, I'm gonna call it a day. Thank you for reading, and until we meet again....

-Angela

Shit I am not ready for this week’s staff pick. There’s this new record out on Iron Lung that I am pretty into, but I will wait to bust that out until we have our copies in stock. There is also this killer reissue Mäkitie 8 is distributing in USA, but I will also wait to write about that til we have it in stock. We do have this pretty cool reissue from this ‘70s band named BLAST from Belgium in stock now. This has been reissued once before in 2015 and it was getting some high dollar amounts on Discogs in the recent years. I am not sure how I heard this record originally, but it was not from that reissue. I only heard the band recently, and it certainly stuck out in my head cos of what year it was. I don’t listen to like any 70s music. What I typically look for in music did not translate into what I like until the 80s. Haha. Don’t get me wrong, I am exaggerating, and I do listen to more than just hardcore. Here is a great example of some 70s music I really enjoy. The love of my life got me into this. Anyway, what makes this BLAST record special is that they are playing d-beat! Of course, it’s not like a straight up DISCHARGE song or these guys would have been legends, but the drummer is playing a proper d-beat. Everyone used to say BUZZCOCKS used it first in 1978; well we were wrong. I’m guessing everyone has heard this BLAST reissue by now, as I’ve seen it online a ton. If you haven’t though, you can hear their d-beat it here. I think this record is quite expensive for being a 7”, but I will say it has pretty nice packaging. I really like the silver and red center labels, and the full color booklet is nice. If it wasn’t for the A side with the DISCHARGE beat, I probably would not give a shit about this record. The B side sounds like some hippy shit.

Moving on but keeping the DISCHARGE beat, this week I am going to write about VERDICT. I’m writing about this record as I’m listening to it for the first time(s). I remember buying their first LP, or at least spinning it a few times. I also know it’s a member or two of bands I really enjoy, but I’m not gunna take the time to look that far into it as I just want to write a bit more candidly. I am not sure why I ended up listening to a copy of this LP, but I’m glad I did. I knew about it cos I saw the release details online, but I didn’t think much of it. I think the artwork and color scheme is not that great. The artwork has this cool cut-n-paste vibe, but it comes off as totally digital. I’m sorry for hurting anyone’s feelings, but that’s just my take and I am not an artist or graphic designer by any means. The album title is also kind of funny, it reminds me of that movie with Mr. Bean. But whatever, this is coming from a guy whose band is named after a John Mellencamp song. Anyway, I think this record rips! It has an excellent blend of fast and slower songs. I’m really enjoying the pulled back songs especially; the drummer has an excellent groove, and the riffs are especially catchy when they slow it down just a bit. I don’t remember liking the first LP as much as this one, but I am definitely gunna visit it again tonight. I just realized this LP is 14 tracks and it blew right by. That is pretty sick if you ask me. It’s hard to make an LP with a good number of tracks AND not get too boring. Or alternatively, bands these days make 12”s with eight to ten songs. I guess ten songs is fair, and they cut it at 45rpm, blah blah. My band had to talk me down from making like a twenty song LP. (I think we settled on fourteen.) To me, there is nothing like a fuckin hardcore record that just gooooes. Here are three excellent examples; one, two, and three.

Alright I should get going, Thanks to everyone for reading and thanks for your support! Oh yeah, you can check that banger VERDICT LP out here. See ya next week.

Greetings guys, how’s it going? Thanks for taking time to read the ol’ newsletter. We had a lot of fun looking back at our favorite releases from 2023 in our last one. Hopefully you enjoyed reading and it served some purpose. If just one of you found something new to you that you are digging, then we can be satisfied, but hopefully there are a few more of you than just one. I know I cast a wide net in my tastes and some things might not be for all, but variety is the spice of life and all that. I know I left a bunch of things out and that certainly wasn’t because I didn’t like them, but I figured my colleagues might pick some of them and we set our limits to just ten. I chose not to include our own label releases, but damn we are proud of everything that sported an SSR catalog number last year. 2024 is already beginning with a bang, with our two newest releases hot off the presses and in store. Click for more details on Deletar and Fugitive Bubble and get ‘em in your lives.

Alright, back to this newsletter and what the heck to write about? We are not (always) trying to hype stuff to sell you, but rather take pleasure in just talking about music and steering you in the direction of interesting stuff and this week will be one of those from me. I tend to write about things that are resonating with me at the time rather than just pull random “cool” records off the shelf and try to come up with something just for the sake of it. I’ve never been able to plan DJ sets in advance because of the way my brain works like that. I make decisions in the moment based on the current vibe and circumstances, which for me makes it fresher and more interesting. It also means having to bring a lot more records to gigs to select from, and with my aching back that’s not as easy anymore. I can see why a lot of folks went digital. Vinyl gets heavy.

So, I enjoy watching old movies. A lot. I pay for cable TV primarily to keep getting the Turner Classic Movies channel as that’s almost all I watch. I particularly like Westerns and WWII films and Film Noir. Robert Mitchum is one of my favorite actors. Another favorite, due to watching him with my Dad, is John Wayne. I know both guys wouldn’t pass the PC police these days, and there’s no doubt Wayne said some dodgy shit and people certainly have their opinions on whether he should have served during the war, but as an actor portraying a character, there’s no denying his charisma. Over the past few weeks, I’ve watched films about Pearl Harbor, one of my favorite Christmas films, Three Godfathers and last night another western with him and Mitchum. A film called El Dorado from 1966 which was produced and directed by the great Howard Hawks. It’s a decent movie with Mitch and Duke being the reason to watch rather than a great plot, but interestingly some scenes of Wayne from this film were reused in his final film The Shootist as flashback scenes.

Anyway, this morning I woke up and fancied listening to some reggae and flipped through a few things I had to hand and stopped at one by John Wayne called Boogie Down. Naturally after just watching Wayne the gunfighter, I had to hear Wayne the DJ, backed by Sly & Robbie with The Aggrovators and produced by Bunny Lee. LoL. Obviously not the same Wayne a.k.a. Marion Morrison but rather the Wayne known to his mother as Norval Headley from Jamaica.

This album Boogie Down is a top-notch rub-a-dub reggae record. Released in 1983 on the Vista Sounds label out of the UK, it’s the only full length credited to Wayne, but he had a career lasting through the 90s and is on a ton of singles either solo or with other performers.

With the pedigree present on this album, it had to be good. Sly & Robbie with The Aggrovators in their prime and Bunny “Striker” Lee at the controls. It’s a fun album in the rub-a-dub style and cut right before the digital era, so retains the feel of a classic 70s reggae record. If you see it, I highly recommend picking it up. There is a recent reissue out there, but otherwise just that original pressing.

As I was listening to the record, sipping my coffee, I attempted to continue reading a book that Daniel lent me ages ago and which I had left unfinished. It’s a book on The Clash which delves into the political climate of Britain and America during their time, and it’s fascinating reading. The historical aspect really interests me, and the author gets into the true nature of Thatcher and Reagan’s relationship and talks about how particularly Reagan’s whole presidency was pure theatre and a massive PR exercise with the White house fully concentrating on keeping whatever narrative that served them going and spending almost all their time doing that instead of doing actual helpful shit. Sound familiar? Pretty much the Republican playbook ever since.

The irony of the US Republicans who drape themselves in the flag and talk about the constitution and conservatism is that they are now the opposite of that. It’s all show and a distraction and deflection from what they are up to. Which is of course a huge problem and threat on democracy and the very foundations on which America was founded upon.

After the reggae record finished, I stuck on an album that I have by the actor John Wayne where he gets all patriotic. I think he was being sincere on it, but in the post MAGA world now, all these overtly patriotic, flag waving type of things come off badly. Which is a shame because the American dream should be a good thing. Normal patriotic citizens who are proud to be American shouldn’t have to feel ashamed or feel that by displaying Old Glory on their porch makes them a Trump supporting racist. I’m an immigrant to America who came to chase the dream too. I’m finally going to try and get my citizenship this year. A few hurdles in my path over the years stopped me. As I listened to the Duke reading the poems that looked mostly to be written by his son, I couldn’t help but get a little emotional myself. I believe in the true America and want to be a part of the rebuilding and uniting part of the population. Becoming a citizen will give me a vote and I can use that to be a part of the solution and not the problem.

Wasn’t intending on getting into a political conversation with my staff pick, but there you go. We live in charged times. What can I say? Fuck Trump. Listen to good reggae records and watch western movies. Thanks for your support and see you next time.

Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

After the hours I spent constructing the epic “year in review” newsletter last week, it seems funny sitting down just to write a normal-length one o’ these bad boiz. I wish I had more to report on the personal front this week. 2024 is off to a decent start I’d say. Vibes are pretty good. Many fun things to look forward to in the months to come.

Anyway, let’s get into it. Not too long ago, Sorry State stocked this new record by Jerry A from Poison Idea in which he commissions a backing band, and they call it Jerry A & The Kings of Oblivion. This 6-song 12” EP, titled Life After Hate, features a handful of original tunes, and several cover tunes. So of course, speaking of “kings of oblivion”, they do a pretty killer cover of “City Kids” by the Pink Fairies. And of course, I love Jerry’s gnarly vocals in Poison Idea, but I was actually pleasantly surprised by his cleaner vocal approach and singing ability. He sounds great! My dude Jerry’s got some pipes.

But really, this Life After Hate record isn’t really what I actually wanna talk about. Ready for a smooth segue? The 4 dudes who act as the backing band for Jerry are a bunch of younger Dutch guys. Follow my lead, here. The first track on this record is also a cover tune, but I didn’t recognize it. The song is called “Degeneration,” and I was like damn man, I really like this song. Catchy as all hell. After some detective work, with Dom’s help of course (thanks man), I discovered that this song is a tune by an old band from Amsterdam called The Blitzz – yes, with 2 “Z’s” haha. I looked the band up on Discogs, and turns out that The Blitzz was short-lived, and only released 2 singles in 1978. These 2 singles were even released on a major label, EMI Holland. Crazy that the band even with a record deal never managed to release a full album. Kinda cool in a way. It only adds to the mystery. I come to find out that “Degeneration” is actually the B-side on The Blitzz’s first single entitled “So Free”. So, what I did I do? I immediately ordered a copy overseas from a seller in Holland. The single wasn’t even very expensive. Perhaps in the used bins in record stores in Amsterdam, this single is pretty easy to come by. But for someone like me, living in Raleigh, North Carolina, I was willing to pay up for the international shipping and add this banger in my stack of 7”s.

If I hadn’t known any better, I would have guessed that The Blitzz were English. For my money, The Blitzz sounds like one of those bands that could have shifted out of more of a power pop or “pub rock” kinda sound into the emerging punk rock movement. Almost like Chelsea or a band of a similar vein. I mean it just sounds like it should be filed in your “sound of ‘77” punk bangers bin. High energy, big, jangly rock’n’roll guitar sounds, and huge choruses. It rules. The singer’s voice has that slightly deeper, gruffer tone, which reminds me of Buzzcocks songs that Steve Diggle would sing lead on, like “Harmony In My Head” or other bangers. And though The Blitzz is devoid of any reggae influence to my ears, I could cite The Ruts as a pretty good comparison as well. “Degeneration” is just one of those tunes that I can’t believe I didn’t absorb into my consciousness before now. It RIPS, dude. When it gets to that refrain, “Everybody’s talkin’ about DE- GEN- A- RAAATION!” it stretches the corners of my mouth into a shit-eaten grin. But I gotta say, the A-side track is a total banger as well. “She’s so free! So Free! So Free! So Free!”

I feel so stoked that listening to this new Jerry A record, which functions almost like a loveletter to early punk and proto-punk, exposed me to a great classic punk tune I had never experienced. If any of you readers have never heard The Blitzz and my write-up sounds up your alley, I highly suggest checking them out. The songs are on YouTube. The other single sells for a significantly higher price point, but I’ll inevitably need to lock down that record as well.

Welp, that’ll do it for this round. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

No Security / Crocodile Skink: Split 7” (1995, D.I.Y. Records)

Last week work was kind of getting me down… too much to do, too little time, which meant that every night when I got home I was exhausted and grumpy. Sometimes when I feel like that, I try to pull my mood in the other direction with music that’s on the gentler side (for me, at least), but often I just want to blast hardcore, having it overwhelm me to the point where I can’t think about anything else. I was on one of those kicks the other night, and pulling 7”s to listen to, I ended up spinning a whole bunch of Swedish stuff. I thought about writing about several of the records I played, but this is the one I landed on, both because it rips and because I think it’s a little more under-the-radar than some of the other slabs I jammed.

Even though it’s side B according to the labels, I’ll start with No Security, since their side is the reason I bought this record. None of No Security’s records have been in print for many years (as far as I know), so I’m not sure how well-known they are nowadays. They started in 1985, and I’m not clear on when they split up. Discogs says this EP came out in 1995, but No Security’s tracks were recorded in 1990. I wonder if perhaps the record just took a long time to come out, because on the insert No Security refer to themselves in the present and even tease an upcoming LP on which these three tracks were slated to appear. Unfortunately, that LP never happened. I haven’t heard it, but it looks like No Security recorded six songs for this session and the other three are available on the Lost and Found Records compilation CD When The Gist Is Sucked From The Fruit Of Welfare (The Ugly Faces Of Truth Show). I may have to track that down.

As for the music, No Security contributes three rippers that any fan of early Totalitär is bound to love. No Security featured Jallo on drums, who went on to play for Totalitär on Sin Egen Motståndare and all the records after that. It’s interesting that these tracks, while they have a similar grooviness to that Totalitär stuff (which makes sense as it’s the same drummer), they’re also rougher-sounding, with a loose, chaotic edge to them that makes them even more exciting.

It would be cool if there were an easily-available No Security collection (aside from the Lost and Found CD, there was also a 2019 collection CD on a Peruvian label), but I think there’s something cool about the way their discography is spread across all these split records. I could be wrong, but I think an EP’s dose of No Security is the right amount. Plus, if you track down all these splits, you get to hear a bunch of other interesting bands. Case in point, Japan’s Crocodile Skink.

While they slightly interrupted the flow of my Swedish hardcore night, Crocodile Skink is a great match for No Security, as their two contributions here are similarly blazing and riff-oriented, but with a crustier, more bottom-heavy sound. The vocalist is great too, with a mean-ass bark that sounds a little like Tokurow from Bastard, but with a freer (or maybe just worse) sense of rhythm. The lyrics are in English and they’re inscrutable in a really interesting way, though the animal rights message behind the line “you wear the steak” certainly comes through. Oh, and like No Security (and a lot of 90s bands, I suppose), Crocodile Skink has a very split-forward discography.

So yeah, pretty cool record if you can find it. If anyone has a spare complete collection of No Security and Crocodile Skink splits, get at me.

Tozcos: Infernal 12” (Toxic State Records) I have to start by saying how much I love this record. I’ve been listening to it non-stop since it dropped in late November; it’s now mid-January and I’m still listening to it daily. Santa Ana, California’s Tozcos hadn’t put out a record since 2018, so I imagine Infernal took a lot of people by surprise. I kinda knew it was coming, though. Last summer Thrasher magazine flew Tozcos out to North Carolina to play, and by then I had heard through the grapevine their next LP would be on Toxic State. This felt particularly special and exciting because Tozcos would be the first band on Toxic State not from New York. So I had an inkling that Tozcos had something special in the cooker, and they confirmed that at the Thrasher gig, where their new songs blew me away. I feel like I had the riff from “El Vacio” stuck in my head for the entire three months between that set and when I finally got to listen to Infernal. When I sat down with the record, it was all I’d hoped it would be and more. Tozcos’ style is unique, their rhythm section rooted in UK82-style punk with its grooving, driving beats and hooky bass lines, but with harsher, more hardcore-style vocals, and while the guitarist can lock into the rhythm section’s groove, he also has these great-sounding lead parts that provide many of Tozcos’ most memorable hooks. While it’s not an obvious reference point for Tozcos’ sound, the guitar-playing reminds me of John Haggerty from Naked Raygun… huge-sounding, but with a leanness to it and a knack for crafting earworm lead lines. And while Infernal feels inspired, it also feels crafted, its exquisite production balancing power and immediacy, the songs intricate without feeling over-worked, and the packaging and presentation thought through in every detail (a meticulousness you can also see in the video for “Presos”). Honestly, though, just listen to it. Infernal is, as its cover hints, an electrifying record that will grab you from the first note and not let you go until the last.

What’s up Sorry State readers and Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a nice holiday season and a good start to the new year. I can’t believe it’s already 2024. I feel like the last half of this past year really just flew by, but I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling that way. 2023 was a great year of music for me between a ton of amazing live shows, new releases, and some great reissues too. I don’t think I’ve ever consumed more music in any year than I did in 2023. Here’s hoping there’s even more in 2024! Today, I’d like to highlight some titles that came out last year that I really enjoyed, some brand new and like I mentioned earlier, some reissues of older material. In no particular order, here are some of my favorites from 2023:

Delco MF’s - 100% Complete and Total Motherfuckers 12"
This record is a collection of the first year of material from Delco MF’s and what a great year it was. Every track on here is ripping, but what really solidified this as a favorite of mine was seeing them destroy their set at the Sorry State 10th Anniversary fest. No beer can was safe. If you haven’t already checked this one out, do yourself a favor and hop on it.

Tožibabe - Discography 1984-1986 12”
As you may gather from the title, this record compiles material released by the band between the years ‘84 -’86 as well as some recordings of live performances that honestly sound pretty good for what they are. This is a prime example of why I feel so lucky to have a job where I get to learn about so much different music and branch out. Without working at Sorry State, I probably never would have discovered an 80s all-female hardcore band from Yugoslavia on my own. I love this record though and I find myself wanting to run it back from the top whenever it’s finished.

Ida E Os Voltas - Demo 1986 12”
Another 80s banger, this one comes out of Brazil this time. This record features the only recordings of the short-lived post punk band on vinyl for the first time. This record is just so catchy and fun to listen to the whole way through. Warning: These songs will get stuck in your head.

Haunted Mansion - S/T 7”
Okay, how about something that actually came out this year. This thing is short, sweet and to the point at four songs. Favorite track on here is Your House is Mine. Not for the faint of heart if the sounds of a spooky haunted house and witches cackling scare you.

People’s Temple - I’m With The People’s Temple 7"
I am fully with the People’s Temple out of Brooklyn. There’s some seriously catchy guitar riffs all throughout the jam-packed eight track 7”. I’ve enjoyed revisiting this one throughout the year, as it came out in February. Only you can decide which side you stand on with this band. Hopefully you don’t share the same sentiments as the gentleman at the beginning of the track Nuclear War Obsession.

Frantix - My Dad’s A Fuckin’ Alcoholic 7”
Disclaimer: My dad isn’t a fuckin alcoholic but I’ve been around enough alcoholic dads to enjoy this one. Sometimes music can just be dumb and fun and forty years after this originally came out, it’s still just as fun to listen to. Plus, how can you not like that cover art?

Legal Weapon - Death Of Innocence 12”
I’m looking at this now and I actually think this reissue came out in ‘22 and not ‘23. Maybe it came out closer to the end of ‘22? Regardless, it’s close enough, and I listened to it a lot this year, so we’re gonna roll with it. Pretty sure everyone here at Sorry State is a big fan of this record, so I’m sure anyone reading this is familiar. There’s really nothing not to love about this one.

Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels - The Last Roundup (Live From The Bijou Café In Philadelphia, 3/16/73) 12"
I just wrote about this one for my last staff pick so I don’t have too much else to say about it that I didn’t already say there. Of course, I had to sneak this into my end of the year list amongst a sea of punk. If you get the chance to, listen to this incredible live show. It just might save your soul punk.

Various - Screaming Death 12"
Holy smokes! What more can you ask for than four ripping bands kickin ass all over twelve inches? Always one of my go-to’s when someone comes into the store saying they wanna listen to some new shit. Maybe I’m biased cause the always-gnarly Scarecrow is featured on here with four pummeling tracks, but don’t get it twisted, every other band on here (Destruct, Rat Cage, Dissekerad) brings their A-game, which culminates in one incredible project from start to finish.

Meat House - S/T 12”
I had to get one Sorry State release in here, and I’m sure it’s one you all know and love. Hardcore noise to melt your face, delivered to you at blistering speeds. If you don’t like it, keep it to yourself, nerd.

Hi Sorry State fam! What a year it’s been. I tried to avoid any cliche “boy where does the time go?” openers, but 2023 felt like it lasted 3 months tops. Maybe as I’m getting older, it feels like time is going by much faster because I’m much more cognizant of time, existentially speaking. On the bright side, I had a pretty good 2023 and time flies when you’re having fun. So much for avoiding cliche statements. But to prove 2023 was indeed 12 months long, I scrolled back through my photos to remember and reacquaint myself with the past year, and it looks like I had a lot of fun. I don’t want to jinx myself, but the past year was relatively low key and drama-free. I went to a ton of shows, did a little traveling, and made a concerted effort to take better care of myself. You know, all that preventative stuff that adults are supposed to do to be alive longer.

It was also a really fun year here at Sorry State, and speaking of Sorry State, it’s that time of year again where we look back at the last year and try to narrow down a list of our favorite releases. Originally, I had about 17, but I had to be brutal and narrow it down to ten. Well, no one was forcing me to do that, but Top 10 has a nicer ring to it than Top 17. I’m probably trying to squeeze another one into my honorable mentions as we speak. Ok, so here’s the plan. First, I’m gonna jump into my top picks for 2023. I will preface this by saying that a set of strict criteria had to be met in order to get into my top 10. It had to be 1) released in 2023 and 2) not be a reissue. Then I’ll expand on my 2023 favorites a little further and include some honorable mentions, some reissues I was excited about, and favorite shows of the past year. So without further ado…. and in no particular order!

My Top 10 2023 New Releases

Cherry Cheeks - CCLPII
No surprise here. I have loved everything Cherry Cheeks has put out. CC has been the solo project of Kyle Harms, but recently he got himself a band and they’ve started playing live! Their second LP had big shoes to fill because their debut album is one of my favorites. But I gotta say, they did not disappoint at all. Same big energy, great hooks, layers upon layers of weird noises and synth, and a balance of humor and seriousness. Pure Power steals the show for me as the top track on the album, and one of my favorite CC songs, period. Hard Stancing, Bunny Does Ice, DATA, and Ad Shark are some other favorites.

Display Homes - What if You’re Right and They’re Wrong?
A fantastic post-punk album that leans poppy in a wonderfully weird and dynamic way. It’s mid to fast tempo the whole way through and it keeps you on your toes. Simple yet effective beats that are perfectly locked in with every word. Perhaps that is easier to do when the singer is also the drummer, but nevertheless it sounds really clean and sharp. I love the raw, loud, and erratic vocals on this album. There are some great boppy, melodic bass riffs that really stand out and become (for me) one of my favorite and most memorable things about the album. Favorite tracks are CCTV, Background Check, and Proofread.

Screaming Death Compilation
One of the most exciting releases of the year, for sure. Sixteen brand new tracks by four killer hardcore bands: Destruct, Scarecrow, Dissekerad, and Rat Cage. It’s just pure, raw, blistering hardcore. Some of the highlights include some of the sickest, fastest, drums I’ve ever heard, courtesy of Destruct. Check out the fills in the song Omnicide. Holy shit. Scarecrow’s new tracks are insane. The main riff in the song Compensation is so good that I find myself singing it. And I live for the drum breakdown in Space Race, which is followed by an explosive array of meaty bass and clean razor sharp guitar riffs. I wrote a whole staff pick on this record, so I need to shut up now. But, you need this record.

Illiterates - No Experts
I was so embarrassingly late to the game on this record and it was literally put out by Sorry State. In my defense, it can be really hard to keep up! I love this record. It’s one I put on if I need a kick in the ass. Self-described as the “dumbest band in hardcore” but the album is everything you’d want from a hardcore record, so they did something right. The songs are short, fast, and catchy, with killer hooks, and animalistic-style vocals. They also played a killer show at SSR Fest! I love the songs L.B.T.C., Happy to be Here, and No Experts. Top to bottom, this one is a banger.

Divorcer - Espionage
This EP is just so damn likable and it grew on me more and more. It’s fun and catchy and all that good stuff, but it’s also witty and clever. It is very pop-heavy, but it feels substantial. The first track, Tiny Devil, sucked me right in. It’s absolutely infectious as the vocals waffle between sweet and taunting. The vocals are sharp and sometimes breathy, with lovely harmonies. They seem to draw inspiration from a popular alt-rock formula with its quiet verses and loud crashing choruses. It’s a really well-rounded, albeit rather short, EP. The stand out tracks are Tiny Devil and Bug.

Lafff Box S/T
I totally dug the Lafff Box EP they put out in 2022, so I was really looking forward to a full-length album from them. The band is comprised of members of Liiek, Ex-White, and Lassie. It’s mostly mid-tempo, and the sound is manic, fast, fresh, and modern. The singer’s snarling, distorted vocals and dual guitars create a pleasantly chaotic sound. A good balance of mosh-worthy punk and melodic gems. I would call it off the rails power pop, which is right up my alley. The song Master is a great example of that description. I really like the song Just a Fool. It’s a bit more structured and formulaic placed right in the middle of the much more chaotic tracks. A wise choice. It’s a high-energy album that is just a lot of fun to listen to.

Meat House S/T
A supergroup, if you will, Meat House is made up of some of the finest punk musicians in the area (and a little further out). After only a few practices, Meat House went straight to recording (with Shaved Ape) and gave us these seven songs. This is some good ole’ 80s style American hardcore right here. Fast, straightforward, no frills hardcore with mean vocals and lotsa great riffs. I’m glad to have caught a couple of their gigs. Let’s just say they know what they’re doing. Looking forward to more from MH. My favorite tracks are Punk Star and Slimy Enemy (killer intro!).

Knowso - Pulsating Gore
I know this record is pretty brand spankin’ new, but it was love at first listen. Knowso is in a class by themselves. The best I can come up with is demented post-punk, although it feels like it transcends post-punk. It’s quirky, catchy, and creative, with lyrics that are sarcastic, funny, clever, and even intellectual at times. It’s weird but not too weird, but it’s weird enough to make it difficult to draw comparisons. You will have to listen and see what you think. My favorite tracks are Do the Work, Heavy Hauling, and Drink From the Lake.

Personal Damage - Atrophy & Entropy
This is one killer band. I’ve liked everything they’ve put out, so a full-length album was highly anticipated! If you’re into early 80s Southern California punk like Circle Jerks or the Adolescents, this is the band (and album) for you. Fast, snotty, raw, American hardcore. This is a high energy album front to back with lots of great hooky melodies and singalong style vocals. It was super exciting to get to see them play at Sorry State fest and one of the bands I was most looking forward to seeing! Favorite tracks are Head First and End of the Last (the opener and the closer!)

Lothario - Drunk Fuck/Black Hair
I would be remiss not to mention a record with two of my favorite songs from 2023 because I played the shit out of them both. Two of the catchiest songs of 2023, maybe even the catchiest songs of 2023. Lothario is the brainchild of Annaliese Redlich, and let me tell ya, she has a knack for writing a melody. Immediately ear-catching. It’s electric, fun, dynamic, gritty garage punk with clean, infectious beats and powerful vocals. Both are mid-tempo and melodic with razor sharp riffs. I love the vocal flow on Black Hair, and the subtle bending of the notes on the guitar parts really add some great dimension. The overall sound is dynamic and checks all the boxes. I’m really excited to hear a full-length, which I hear is in the works!

Honorable Mentions for 2023

Sluggo - S/T
Rough Kids - The Black and White and Gray
Abi Ooze - Julia’s Apartment
Delco MF’s - 100% Complete and Total Motherfuckers
Sirkka - Viivyttely
Cel Ray - Cellular Raymond
Rat Cage - Savage Visions

Top 2023 Reissues/Other Stuff

KORO

Legal Weapon - Death of Innocence

Minor Threat - Out of Step Outtakes

Dark Thoughts - Do You Dream

SSD - The Kids Will Have Their Say

Primal Screamer (book by Nick Blinko, Rudimentary Peni)

Favorite Gigs (oldest to most recent)

Bikini Kill (Asheville, Orange Peel)

Subhumans (Chapel Hill, Cat’s Cradle)

Reckoning Force (Raleigh, Kings)

Pixies (Raleigh, Red Hat)

Alienator (Durham, the Fruit)

Headkicker (Durham, the Fruit)

Scarecrow (Durham, the Fruit)

Scarecrow (Raleigh, Rumah)

Vidro (Raleigh, Rumah)

Pavement (Raleigh, Hopscotch)

Meeting Stephen Malkmus (Raleigh, Hopscotch)

Sorry State Fest (Raleigh, Everywhere)

As for Sorry State Fest, the whole thing was my favorite show this year, with special shout out’s to the performances of ISS and Public Acid. I know ISS has only played live a couple of times in the years they have been a band, so I was so damn excited to finally see them play. I was so curious how their sound would translate to a stage, and I was so pleasantly surprised. I could tell that some of the crowd didn’t know what to think, as they are so different from pretty much every other band there with respect to their style. But they’ve become one of my favorite bands, and I wish they would have done 20 hundred more songs. Also, there was something about Public Acid’s performance (besides it just being super sick) that stood out to me in a unique way. A new and different kind of energy swept over the room, and it was wild. By that point I had moved toward the back to chill with Dom in the DJ area, so I got a different perspective of the crowd, and it ruled. Finally, Tadzio’s (Golpe) “speech” was really cool and heart-warming, in the most hardcore way possible of course.

Ok, that’s a wrap……almost. Couldn’t end this without showing you my favorite record acquisition of 2023!

Anyway, thank you for reading and for supporting and for being so cool. Happy New Year to everyone. I hope 2024 is your best year yet!

-Angela

Hello, and thanks for reading. In this week’s newsletter, we are recapping 2023 with our “best of” lists. Unfortunately for me, I’m thinking about this for the first time as I am writing this. As a result, I’m sure I will miss a few records I enjoyed this year. It seems all the records from my “Top 10” are ass beaters, but that is no surprise, is it? Rather than going in order of which one I like the most or which is my favorite (cos I could not distinguish that), I am going to go in order of when it was released. I will also drop links to listen at the beginning of each release, in case you need or want to peep it. Before I write, I wanted to mention the SIRKKA Viivyttely 7". This record was not on my list this year, only because it was on my list last year. “Technically” it was released January 19th of 2023, but this came out at the end of 2022 if you ask me. I think this record is phenomenal and honestly, I think the sound of this band in the 2020s is profound. Sorry State repressed this record not too long ago, on clear vinyl. If you’re reading this and actually like hardcore but don’t own a copy, don’t think and just buy one now.

BLOODY FLAG: self-titled CS
https://bunkerpunks.bandcamp.com/album/bloody-flag
Actually, I do have a favorite release of the year, so I will write about that first. It doesn’t take much thought for me to know this is my favorite release of the year. It was a total honor that Jeff and I were able to release this debut on our label. The sound on this tape is just perfect. It really doesn’t get better than this. We wished it could have been a record, but the mastermind behind BLOODY FLAG is a bit too modest in my opinion, hehe. I’m not really gunna take the time to describe this shit. If you haven’t heard it, you can stream it from the link I dropped. I know there will be a follow up cassette at some point, and there has been talk of doing a small run of this self-titled cassette at that time as well. Alright, I will move onto my proper year end list now.

Πυρ Κατά Βούληση: Θύματα Ειρήνης 12"
https://pyrkatavoulisi.bandcamp.com/album/
God damn. This was released at the very beginning of 2023. It came out of nowhere for me, as this was the band’s debut and I have no idea what the members did previously. This record hits the spot for me. I guess all the records are going to have that effect on me, haha. While this band is from Greece, the sound is like a contemporary Swedish band like LARMA or NUKIES. I really like the vocals, and I especially like that the lyrics are in Greek rather than English. The guitar playing is just so damn good. The riffs are super catchy yet raging. The drumming is super locked in. The record sounds powerful; it’s nice and punchy. I also love that the jackets are screen printed. Damn, I thought this record was sold out, but it looks like we still have copies from when we restocked it. I remember the first time we had it, they sold out in like 15 minutes. If you missed it, you can grab a copy here. I think this record is excellent and I would love to see this band live.

DESTRUCT: Cries The Mocking Mother Nature 12"
https://gravemistakerecords.bandcamp.com/album/cries-the-mocking-mother-nature
Do I need to introduce or even describe this shit at all? If you haven’t heard them, don’t be misled by this cover that looks like it could be a 2000s CONTRAVENE record or something. I think DESTRUCT is one of the best bands active in USA right now, and their live performances are some of the best I have ever seen. I used to think they were the best band I have ever seen in my life, until this year when I saw another band (who I will mention later). Anyway, we don’t have this in stock anymore, but you can get a copy from Grave Mistake here. If you don’t own it, I wouldn’t sleep. None of their stuff seems to stay in print.

ELECTRIC CHAIR: Act of Aggression 12"
https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/act-of-aggression-lungs-213-2
Technically, this was a 2022 release, cos it was a cassette first. The LP came out in early 2023, though. I’m sure you know Sorry State had our own exclusive color. Everyone and their mother knows this band. Everyone likes this band. I’ll tell you what though, it’s not just hype. This band is simply magical. I truly didn’t know until I organized/drove their tour with GOLPE earlier this year. I had seen ‘em live a fair amount of times, but it was always so crazy with people flying everywhere and shit. On this tour, I had a chance to witness them up close, and it was then I understood how good they are. They are also the silliest mofos ever, and it’s amazing how well they treat each other and how dedicated they are to their band. If you don’t own this for some odd reason, you can scoop it here.

SALVAJE PUNK: self-titled 12"
https://toxicstaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/salvaje-punk-lp-2023
This record is absolutely fucking nuts. It’s like LOBOTOMIA meets MOB 47 or NO SECURITY. I love the mix and master. I don’t make any adjustment on my stereo for this record. I always EQ shit a bit, namely scoop the bass out a bit and turn that treble up. This record is the definition of an ass-beater. No bullshit, just raw ass beating. I don’t think this record is for everyone. The speed and pummeling intensity is probably too much for the fainthearted. We don’t have copies in stock anymore, but it looks like Toxic State does. In Toxic State tradition, everything is screen printed in the packaging, including a sick ass foldout poster with art from guitarist, Mateo. I don’t personally own a lot of releases from Toxic State, but this is the first time I’ve got a record from them that wasn’t just standard black vinyl. I wonder if this was the first time they did that? Everything about this record is so sick.

PHYSIQUE: Again 12"
https://ironlungrecords.bandcamp.com/album/again-lungs-232
If I remember right, this came out as a cassette before it was an LP. PHYSIQUE was a band I slept on until I saw them live. I don’t think their previous records really did them justice. There was always something here and there I didn’t quite like, but I did overall enjoy the releases. This LP though, is the shit. Funny enough, I remember seeing the artwork around for a while online before I actually stopped to read what it said. I kept looking past it cos I took it for another rip-off band, with that DOOM-esque font that had been done many times before by other bands. They also start the LP off with a slower song and end it with a reprise of the same song. They aren’t doing anything new, but there is something that makes this band seriously stand out from the rest. I can’t wait to see them live again. If you missed this LP, we have it in stock.

FAIRYTALE: Shooting Star 12"
https://toxicstaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/fairytale-shooting-star-lp
I’m not really sure what this means, but I can’t remember the last Toxic State release I bought before this year. So, it’s insane to me that I have two of their releases in my list here. I think this label is sick, and I absolutely love the packaging of pretty much every release, but I typically don’t pick up the stuff. Oh, shit yeah this is on color vinyl too. Maybe cos it’s a cooperation with QCHC in UK? The record sounds really damn good too. Anyway, FAIRYTALE first came on my radar when they released the flexi. I remember something about the flexi didn’t hit me quite right, but holy fucking shit, live they absolutely blew me away. Sometime after that, they released their debut onto a proper 7", and I thought this was a top-notch follow up. If I remember right, Jeff and Daniel were super into it as well. Same with this LP. When these came in, we were super stoked. All the vinyl for USA actually came to Sorry State from the pressing plant overseas, since it was a cooperation with a label we already deal with heavily and this is a standard procedure for us. I remember unpacking these boxes to forward boxes of discs to Toxic State, and I saw the FAIRYTALE center label. I had no idea there was an upcoming release for them, but I knew only one band would have that name and that font, haha. Fuck it’s so good. I especially like that there are things I consider unorthodox about the record. The sound is not boxed in by any means. I mean yes, it does sound a lot like ANTI-CIMEX and DISCHARGE, but whatever. We don’t have this one in stock anymore, but you can pick up a copy direct from Toxic State here.

DELCO MOTHERFUCKERS - March of the MF’s 7"
https://delco-mfs.bandcamp.com/album/the-march-of-the-mfs

I wrote about DELCO MFs really briefly on two occasions, when they dropped each EP. I mentioned before this band started as Jim doing everything, but on this EP he had a proper line-up, and he just took care of vocal duties. I think this is an excellent follow up to their first EP. It is so pissed off and raging. It sounds like it was recorded on an old tape, and that really adds to what is happening. I appreciate that the label (aka Jim and the bassist Jakey), are sticking to small runs of these records. I know they could easily sell more, but fuck it. Static Shock in UK did a compilation of both EPs this year, and that shit sold out super quick too. Anyway, I think this EP was killer, and it really captured their live intensity. If you missed it, I am sorry cos you’re probably not going to find a copy.

G.U.N.: self-titled 12"
https://sorrystaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/g-u-n
There seem to be a lot of people talking about this record, and for good reason. I think this is a masterpiece. The full color artwork is ballsy, but they pull it off. The songwriting is so catchy; the songs will bounce around your head for days. Some of them I enjoy so much, it feels like it’s a cover song… I’m not sure if that will make sense. I didn’t know shit about this band. Usually, I make the test press covers for SSR releases, and I hadn’t heard these songs at all before the tests showed up. Naturally, I put on a copy as I whipped up the covers. Man, it hit me hard. I really like the vocals, too. I’ve legit spun this record so many times this year. This bad boy is sold out at the moment, but I’m sure it will be back in print in no time. Be ready if you missed it, it’s so good.

KINETIC ORBITAL STRIKE: The True Disaster 7"

https://kineticorbitalstrike.bandcamp.com/album/the-true-disaster
Alright, remember earlier when I mentioned there was a band who I saw this year who might be the best band I have ever seen? Well, it’s K.O.S. I saw them the first time in Richmond with ENZYME. I could not believe how good they were. They were locked tight, with explosive power that was carefully orchestrated into perfect song structures. Fuck. The second time I saw them was in Philly, and they played a cover set comprised of ANTI-CIMEX and SKITSLICKERS. They probably played those EPs better than either band ever did. They dropped a debut on cassette late last year that was re-done as 7" earlier this year. The songs from both records were actually done at the same time, and naturally I couldn’t tell you which record I prefer. I think they are both top-notch hardcore, and you can grab copies here if you’ve been sleeping.

There were A TON of 2023 releases I would call “honorable mentions,” but I don’t see the point in listing all those. How worthy is my honor, anyway? There were also a ton of killer reissues this year. I love it! Again, I don’t want to list all those, but I will just share this photo of all of them compiled together. And again, I could be missing some. I love the good old “replica” type reissue where it’s just a repro of the old shit on the same format. I also love when reissues go all out and compile as much as they can onto an LP. Unfortunately, in my opinion some of these bigger reissue labels don’t do the bands justice. They put out too much shit with the same basic formats. I know some of these labels will compromise the quality of the content, just to seemingly have the most deluxe shit out there too. Anyway, here are the reissues I was most stoked about this year. I know MISSBRUKARNA has been done by this same label before, but I like it so much I am including the 2023 reprint.

Besides a bunch of killer new releases and reissues, I certainly spent a good portion of my paychecks on ‘80s records from my want list. I crossed off some serious wants, one of which I never thought I would actually ever own. Sometimes I score a record in person at a shop, or through Sorry State, and that is the best feeling. But often I end up buying shit on the computer, and that just is what it is. I am happy that my major want came via a pen-pal reaching out to me, but of course the internet still played a role, haha. Anyway, instead of focusing on records I got this year from my want list, I am going to share the printed materials I got this year that I am really excited about. I have bought some flyers online before, but not much. A lot of my flyers are just recent photocopies that a friend has made, and that is pretty much just as cool as an original to me, plus it doesn’t cost me like $50+ or whatever insane amount someone is trying to charge. I have a good number of original flyers etc. that came from friends or pen-pals, and that is really special to me. Two of the things in this photo I bought online. One of them is the VARAUS poster sleeve. That record is so rare. Another top want I will more than likely never have, but I am absolutely thrilled to say I have the foldout sleeve at least and it is framed on my wall! If maybe someone reading this has a copy for sale (with or without sleeve), you know where to find me. The TOXIC REASONS poster was a birthday gift from my friend Eric (thanks dude, I love you.) The Swedish stuff (besides the BLACK UNIFORMS flyer) was a gift from my friend Anders. I’ve actually mentioned him before, and his photos from the Egg-Mangel gig. Hello Anders!!! And finally, the Finnish stuff was a gift from my friend Marko. If you’re reading this, hello my friend and I hope you are well :) This stuff I really hold close to my heart. The booklet from the first RIISTETYT LP is already rare enough, but in the photo is also a booklet which compiles lyrics from VAURIO’s LP and RIISTETYT’s Raiskattu Tulevaisuus LP. I didn’t even know this was a thing, and it blows my mind. What blows my mind even further is this TAMPERE SS fanzine. Alongside the fanzine, I also got an original cassette with their demo, and it includes a song that was never released. I’m sure you can understand how blown my mind is, and I feel honored to even have this stuff. I guess technically I paid Marko for that TAMPERE SS stuff, but whatever haha. OK I think that about sums up my year-end review. The years go by faster as I get older it seems. I am grateful to play a role here at Sorry State, and to be so tapped into something I am passionate about. I feel so lucky. Before I go, I want to say that I am grateful to be able to enjoy these records, posters, and all the other things and people I love in life. While this year has been good to me, the year has ended in unfathomable horror for others. I cannot sit here and write about records and not acknowledge the blatant U.S.-funded genocide that is taking place as this very moment in Palestine. It is a privilege that my life and loved ones are not suffocating slowly beneath the rubble of an airstrike in Gaza. If there is a God, I pray for the people of Palestine. Thank you for reading, and thanks to everyone for your support. Take care of each other.