News

Record of the Week: Straw Man Army: SOS LP

Straw Man Army: SOS 12” (D4MT Labs) I love so much music that I rarely have a definitive album of the year, but Straw Man Army’s first LP, Age of Exile, was that for 2020. That album sounded so fresh, its impact intensified by landing during one of the scariest parts of the pandemic, when everything suddenly seemed so real and terrifying. Punk has such a long, complex, and exciting history and many of us are so immersed in it that contemporary bands can seem strangled by context. Maybe it’s the way the bands present themselves or maybe it’s just the way I listen to them, but thinking too much about how a band fits into punk’s history or where their allegiances lie within today’s complex scene politics can get in the way of actual communication, of an artist sending an important idea to their listeners through this potentially magical medium. Somehow Straw Man Army got around all that on Age of Exile, making music that sounded important and relevant, like someone whispering something into your ear that you know is going to change your life forever. And they keep that magic going on their second album, SOS. Things are a little different this time, though. We know Straw Man Army a little better (we also got the Her Majesty’s Ship OST in 2021, which showed the band at their most daring and experimental), and they reveal even more sides of themselves on SOS, most potently on the climactic track “Beware,” which finds their urgent and confrontational anarcho punk drifting toward gentle and melodic pop. Their lyrics feel as real and as important as ever too, a portrait of a planet and a species in turmoil, unable to push back against their histories’ relentless momentum. This is why we’re here folks, for records like this.

Sorry State Records Newsletter: April 21, 2022

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Hello and welcome to another edition of the Sorry State Records newsletter! I’m pretty sure I was exhausted last week and hoping things would get better this week, but they haven’t. I’m still working my butt off for y’all. Fortunately, this week we got on top of our massive queue of online orders to fill. Most of you expect your order from Sorry State to ship within a day or so, but with the rush of orders we’ve gotten that turned into four or five days for a while . We’re caught up for now, but I’m sure a lot of you will grab Record Store Day exclusive releases from us when they go online Sunday morning (see below for more info on that). Don’t worry though, we’re ready for you this time!

Straw Man Army: SOS 12” (D4MT Labs) I love so much music that I rarely have a definitive album of the year, but Straw Man Army’s first LP, Age of Exile, was that for 2020. That album sounded so fresh, its impact intensified by landing during one of the scariest parts of the pandemic, when everything suddenly seemed so real and terrifying. Punk has such a long, complex, and exciting history and many of us are so immersed in it that contemporary bands can seem strangled by context. Maybe it’s the way the bands present themselves or maybe it’s just the way I listen to them, but thinking too much about how a band fits into punk’s history or where their allegiances lie within today’s complex scene politics can get in the way of actual communication, of an artist sending an important idea to their listeners through this potentially magical medium. Somehow Straw Man Army got around all that on Age of Exile, making music that sounded important and relevant, like someone whispering something into your ear that you know is going to change your life forever. And they keep that magic going on their second album, SOS. Things are a little different this time, though. We know Straw Man Army a little better (we also got the Her Majesty’s Ship OST in 2021, which showed the band at their most daring and experimental), and they reveal even more sides of themselves on SOS, most potently on the climactic track “Beware,” which finds their urgent and confrontational anarcho punk drifting toward gentle and melodic pop. Their lyrics feel as real and as important as ever too, a portrait of a planet and a species in turmoil, unable to push back against their histories’ relentless momentum. This is why we’re here folks, for records like this.

Valtatyhjiö: Lukko cassette out now on Sorry State

We teased our latest release last week. Now it’s time for the full reveal! Lukko is up for sale on our site right now and streaming on our Bandcamp page. Gitchu some!

Sorry State is proud to present a US pressing of Lukko, the debut cassette from Joensuu, Finland’s Valtatyhjiö, who caught our ear here at Sorry State with their wild and original sound. While Valtatyhjiö’s vocals have the trademark snarl we love to hear in Finnish hardcore, their songs (on the first three tracks, at least) are rooted in Swedish mängel, with insanely fast tempos and a wild, careening sense of rhythm that makes their take on this classic sound truly exciting. The drumming, however, might be the star of the show. Double bass drumming is taboo in many hardcore circles, but Valtatyhjiö proves it can work, integrating crazy, Dave Lombardo-style kick drum rolls into a frantic explosion of hardcore percussion whose only point of reference might be Jerry’s Kids’ Is This My World?. After three tracks with the pedal to the floor, Valtatyhjiö close out Lukko with “Pahat hahmot,” an anthemic mid-paced track that wouldn’t be out of place on a classic record by Kaaos or Lama.

This edition is 150 professionally duplicated cassettes with pro-printed j-cards and paper labels.

Record Store Day 2022 at Sorry State

This Saturday is Record Store Day! We’ve always participated in Record Store Day here at Sorry State and we’re glad to do so again this year. Record Store Day can have a bad reputation among the hardcore record nerds we love the most, but there are always some cool releases. Case in point, see below for what some of SSR’s staff is buying this year.

Click here for more info on Record Store Day 2022 at Sorry State and a full list of items we’ll be carrying. If you’re in the Raleigh area, we open at noon on Saturday. Our remaining stock of Record Store Day exclusive releases will go online at 8AM Eastern US time on Sunday morning. If you want to be extra prepared, bookmark this page, where the vinyl you covet will appear at the appointed time.

I always end up taking home a big stack of vinyl on Record Store Day, and this one is no different. Here’s what I’m buying this year: the Speed, Glue, & Shinki LP (my second favorite 70s Japanese rock LP... this will replace my gray market bootleg-y copy), the first official vinyl release for Wire’s EMI demos, and Voivod’s hard to find 6th LP Angel Rat.

While I most likely won’t be lining up to secure my copy of the Taylor Swift 7”, there always ends up being some release for Record Store Day that makes me go “Ooooh I want that!” For RSD 2022, I had to look no further than the Ramones: The Sire Albums 1981-1989 box set. I’m not a Ramones apologist per se, but I am one of those people that thinks that there is no bad Ramones album. Even with the later 80s records having cheesy production and tons of gated reverb on the drums, there are always at least a few excellent tracks on each record. The band’s albums from this era are also difficult to find nowadays! For my money, Animal Boy from 1986 in particular is an unsung gem with bangers like “Bonzo Goes to Bitburg,” and also tracks where the Ramones crank the tempo and dip their toes into a bit of 80s hardcore influence. I even have a soft spot for tracks like “Pet Semetary” off of 1989’s Brain Drain. There’s also a bonus 12” with B-sides and rarities! Do yourself a favor and cough up the dough for this badass collection of LPs!

Brian Bennett: Voyage (A Journey Into Discoid Funk). LP⁠

For those music lovers and record collectors of a certain age, the name Brian Bennett may be familiar. He was the drummer in The Shadows, the UK group who backed singer Cliff Richard in the early sixties. During the late sixties and seventies, he worked tirelessly as a session musician and appears on countless music library albums for labels such as KPM, Bruton and Themes. In addition, he released records under his own name, Voyage being one that came out in 1978 on the DJM label. Juicy, funky, spacey music of the highest order. DJ’s and hip-hop producers have made this a sought-after gem and rightfully so. Sports an awesome spaceship cover too.⁠

Johnny Marr: Spirit, Power & Soul (Vince Clarke Remix). 12” ⁠

The coolest man on the planet doesn’t need any introductions. This RSD release takes two tracks from his most recent album Fever Dreams Pts. 1-4. Spirit, Power & Soul has been given a remix by Vince Clarke, another name that should be familiar to 80s music fans. Raleigh missed out on seeing Johnny play here on his last tour due to band member visa troubles, which was a bummer, but he is touring here in the US this coming autumn. Witnessing him play a guitar in person is one of life’s great delights and I highly recommend it. Having his records in your collection, also highly recommended.⁠

Next up for featured items for Record Store Day at Sorry State is The Uneventful Vacation by Commander Venus. To commemorate its 25th anniversary, this is the first time the vinyl has been reissued! If you don’t know this already, the rather short-lived band included Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Tim Kasher (Cursive), and Todd Fink and Matt Bowen (The Faint). I guess you could, retrospectively, call Commander Venus an indie supergroup. If you’re a Bright Eyes fan in particular, it’s a must have.

Spread Joy: II LP Pre-order

I was a big fan of Spread Joy’s first album for Feel It Records, and this week we’ve launched a pre-order for their second album. I gotta say, having heard the whole thing, II is even better than Spread Joy’s first. We have both coke bottle clear and black vinyl options available on the Sorry State site, and hopefully these will ship well before the official release date of May 13, 2022.

Spread Joy may as well be their own musical genre. An immediate flavor and mercurial ‘Qu’est-ce que c’est?’ begin their second album with the 45 second opener “Ow”. Coincidentally, the album spins at 45, just like Spread Joy’s self-titled 2021 debut. The Chicago group came out of nowhere, mid-pandemic, with a stunning ten track LP on Feel It. Returning to the warm analog environment at Jamdek Recording Co., Spread Joy have truly honed their craft across these 17 minutes and 17 seconds. This is the kind of punk-forward music that is made to be heard and felt, far from the distorted mirror of the web. A group living free, moving at their own speed, and making music that will be remembered - that’s Spread Joy, folks!

LPs from Invalid, Woodstock 99, and Hüstler Coming Soon on Sorry State

Speaking of upcoming Sorry State releases, the vinyl just showed up for Sorry State’s next three LP releases! We’re still waiting for the print so these won’t be for sale for a minute, but look forward to new releases from Invalid, Hüstler, and Woodstock 99! As you can see, we made limited color versions of each and they make a nice set.

It’s a Peel Sessions matchup on this week’s edition of Hardcore Knockouts. I’ve been on a bit of an E.N.T. kick, yet I have to admit I’ve never listened to their Peel Sessions, so I had to abstain from this one. Doom’s Peel Sessions slap though, no question. Speaking of which, we still have copies of Doom’s Peel Sessions LP in stock!

Cast your vote in the next edition of Hardcore Knockouts on our Instagram stories next Tuesday!

My pick from Sorry State’s Discogs listings this week is the Petroleum Man 7” by Civic Progress. While Civic Progress doesn’t get the attention of Government Warning or Career Suicide, for me they were one of the strongest bands of what we call the “No Way era” around here. CP vocalist Scott Plant, of course, has gone on to projects like Broken Prayer, Droid’s Blood, and now solo recordings under his own name. This copy of Petroleum Man is super cheap even though it comes with a limited sleeve numbered out of 100 copies.

Remember, you can always combine your order from Sorry State’s Discogs site with your order from our webstore and save on shipping!

LASSO EU TOUR - MA7 12 - 29

MUTANT STRAIN IN BIRMINGHAM - APRIL 28

MUTANT STRAIN IN LEXINGTON - APRIL 30

SCALPLE IN PHILLY - MAY 19

SCARECROW IN VA BEACH - MAY 20

ILLITERATES & INVERTEBRATES IN VA BEACH - MAY 26

SCALPLE, ICD10 & SCARECROW IN PHILLY - JUNE 16-18

SCALPLE & WOODSTOCK 99 IN NYC - JULY 2

ILLITERATES IN TN - APRIL 23

VALTATHJIÖ IN JOENSUU - APRIL 29

HUSTLER & ICD10 IN PHILLY APRIL 30

LASSO IN ERICA - MAY 12-14

ZORN IN PHILLY - MAY 20

LASSO IN ANTWERP - MAY 14

ILLITERATES IN PITTSBURGH - JUNE 4

GOLPE & PUBLIC ACID IN DENMARK - JUNE 24-26

MUTANT STRAIN AND INVERTEBRATES IN ROANOKE - JULY 16

GOLPE & SCARECROW IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC - JULY 28-31

  1. Straw Man Army: SOS 12” (D4MT Labs)
  2. Rutto: Ilmastoitu Painajainen 7” (Final Doomsday Records)
  3. Rutto: Ei Paluuta 7” (Final Doomsday Records)
  4. Peace de Résistance: Bits and Pieces 12” (Peace de Records)
  5. White Stains: Blood on the Beach 7” (Neon Taste Records)
  6. Invertebrates: demo cassette (Sorry State Records)
  7. Varaus: Tuomittu Elämään 7” (Larmattacke Records)
  8. Erupt: Left to Rot 7” (Static Shock Records)
  9. Torso: Sono Pronto A Morire 12” (Sorry State Records)
  10. Klonns: Crow 7” (Iron Lung Records)

Here are the top 10 seller at Sorry State for the past 30 days! Not a bad one in the bunch. Congrats to all of you on your good taste.

Besides the new Spread Joy album going up for pre-order, this week Feel It also has two new releases that are shipping now. We have the debut from Cincinnatti’s Crime of Passing (dig that sick artwork by Cassidy McGinley) and a cassette collecting a bunch of EPs from Australia’s Delivery.

This week Germany’s Static Age Musik brings us the debut LP from Pitva, an arty hardcore band whose members are split between Berlin and Prague.

We have two new ones on the almighty Total Punk Records this week, including the new LP from the Retail Simps and the new Inkstains Across Atlanta compilation featuring a bunch of Total Punk singles from Atlanta bands along with some cool bonus material. We also restocked recent Total Punk releases from Predator and Smirk, so grab those if you missed them the first time.

Years ago, we carried an interesting demo of out there hardcore from Canada’s Surveillance (amazingly, we still have copies in stock!), and now they’re back with a cassette album full of wild sounds.

Superior Viaduct has been reissuing the recorded works of Dutch anarcho punks the Ex, and the latest record in the series is 1983’s Tumult.

One of the Melvins’ most loved records, their Eggnog EP, has been reissued as a 12” on Boner Records (the original was a 10”), and we have it in stock now.

In case you missed Jeff’s staff pick above, we also have the Various: Back Up: Mexican Tecno Pop 1980-1989 12” compilation on Dark Entries Records.

SSR Pick: Angela: April 21, 2022

Hi Sorry State readers! So this week I felt compelled to write about the Wet Leg release. I was initially very intrigued and confused by the hype surrounding it. I couldn’t help but notice that people across different demographics with very different music tastes were touting this album all over Instagram. Not to mention, Wet Leg had already been gaining commercial recognition as a front runner in the UK billboard race.

And I gotta say, I really like it. Wet Leg S/T is a bratty, humorous guitar pop album with catchy hooks, and riffs and fuzz reminiscent of indie rock’s past. It also feels retro at times. It’s not super groundbreaking, but it’s super fun.

I’m really into riot grrrl type shit, and Wet Leg isn’t that, but it still has enough edge to keep me engaged. The confidence with which they deliver their lines is pretty infectious. It’s probably the Gemini in me, but I’m attracted to the unapologetic emotional confusion present in the songwriting. It’s like telling someone “fuck you! I hate you!” but motioning for them to call you later.

And given that it’s an indie album, you’re for sure getting some “adulting is hard” content, whether it’s sincere or making fun of the young millennial stereotypes. You hear this in the lines “I went home all alone. Checked my phone. Oh no. Oh my God. Life is hard. Credit card. Oh no. You’re so woke. Diet Coke.” Yeah, it’s silly, but it’s still funny and pretty on point.

I will say that the album’s tempo can be a little samesy in the first half of the album, but there are a couple gentler, wispier ballads toward the latter half to break things up. Personally, I happen to like an album that you can depend on to keep the same high energy, and won’t just abruptly bring you down just as you’re gaining the momentum to do things.

Chaise Longue is the big hit on the album but check out Angelica, Loving You, and Piece of Shit. Songs like these may help to ensure that Wet Leg isn’t buried in the one hit wonder graveyard anytime in the near future.

So again, why is this album, in a sea of indie releases, getting so much attention? The best that I can come up with is that it’s not just a fun album. It’s a fun album that just happened to come along at the right time, and timing really is everything.

Link to one of my faves (Angelica), the fourth single from Wet Leg:

https://youtu.be/8qWHthLQ1Uw

SSR Pick: Usman: April 21, 2022

Hello and thanks for reading. Today I will be here with the quickness for real as I am writing mad last minute. With Rachel leaving, me getting Covid, and training our new team member Angela I found myself deeper in the weeds than ever before. Luckily Daniel came to motherfucking rescue and whooped ass at everything fulfillment related. Anyway, today I write about INSTRUCT. A month or so ago I was writing with someone I haven’t talked to in ages. (If yer reading this, what up Devin!) We both used to live in the Midwest and moved to separate coasts. I was obsessed with his Kansas City band NO MASTER so naturally I was very excited to check out INSTRUCT when Devin mentioned he had a new band. The styles aren’t really the same, aside from being filthy fuckin’ hardcore punk. INSTRUCT has a definite metallic edge, while NO MASTER was pretty much on-the-nose DISCHARGE style. It appears INSTRUCT are just making music they want to, rather than what seems “cool” or hyped now days. I guess what I mean is it rules to hear some disgusting, not-give-a-fuck crust amidst all the contemporary hardcore releases coming out these days that all have the same formulas. While I am here to write about INSTRUCT, I would check out the NO MASTER link I dropped as well, both tapes rule. Thank you for reading, and thanks for everyone’s support. Peace!

SSR Pick: Dominic: April 21, 2022

Hey there one and all. How are you? Thanks for clicking on our humble newsletter once again.

You join us this week neck deep in Record Store Day releases, besides the other new releases and great used stuff that keeps coming in. Busy, busy, busy.

So, with that said there’s just enough time to tell you about a nice little record that arrived at my door the other day. Full disclosure, I am online friends with the artist and my liking of this record is heavily influenced by that but there is no payola here at Sorry State. We are under no pressure to write about anything that we don’t care about. We just love music and evangelizing about it and pointing you towards records we feel you might like.

The Gentle Cycle: Landslide Eyes. 300 Mics

The Gentle Cycle from Los Angeles, California follows up their self-titled debut from five years ago with this terrific album of psychedelic niceness. Their vein of psych being a mostly sixties inspired and a West Coast one. The group is led by Derek See, guitarist and vocalist with Roger Brogan on drums and Scott Bassman playing bass on most tracks. Keyboards and other instrumental touches are also added by Derek and Roger on most tracks. The group is essentially the brainchild of musician, writer, guitar guru, DJ, record nerd and all-around nice guy Derek See. What this man doesn’t know about a guitar, records and music from the sixties would make a very small list. It’s that knowledge and love that comes through in his music.

I was introduced to him via the mod girl-group he had called The Bang Girl Group Review a few years back and have followed his career since. We are Facebook/IG friends and so I get regular updates on his latest projects, and I can tell you he keeps busy. In addition to The Gentle Cycle, Derek plays in 60s Garage legends The Chocolate Watchband, 80s Paisley Underground torchbearers The Rain Parade and with Luna & Galaxie 500 main man Dean Wareham. He has performed with Country Joe McDonald and was guitar tech for James Williamson of The Stooges, which is so fucking cool. Derek also played on the Careless Hearts LP with Williamson from 2009. Whilst not performing Derek finds time to write about music and records for a host of magazines including his own blog Derek’s Daily 45 plus sells records online and repairs and restores vintage guitars.

I’m glad he found time to record these tunes that are the Landslide Eyes album. Derek has said that he wanted to make the type of album that harks back to that late 1960s through early 1970s period where records were played and listened to as a whole experience, and I think he has managed to pull that off. From the opening notes of side one to the close of side two, the listener is pulled into the Gentle Cycle universe and kept there. Although using vintage equipment and pulling on the past for inspiration, the record is far from just another retro garage affair. Far from it, the song writing is too good for that and the playing even better.

I just received my copy in the mail recently, a beautiful clear lavender vinyl pressing and have had it on the turntable frequently. Hard to pick an outright favorite track yet, but opener Like December Is Bold sets you up nicely for what’s to follow. Derek’s vocal style comes off as somewhere between that of Arthur Lee and Gene Clark, two heroes whose influence can’t help but rub off on any self-respecting Californian music lover. Throughout the record there are subtle nods to groups like Love, The Byrds and more obscure sixties bands, but also to the aforementioned Paisley Underground psych of the 80s and the next psychedelic revival of the 90s and early 00s. All beautifully molded together and brought up to date for modern ears, albeit those ears with an appreciation for the past, but not slaves to it.

There is nice balance and contrast to the songs too. Rocking anthems like cover of 70s Memphis power pop group The Hot Dogs’ Let Me Look At The Sun sit next to moody instrumentals and softer love songs like Ivy all seamlessly. The links to those last two tracks have videos for them and they are two excellent examples of what The Gentle Cycle is all about.

For those of you who celebrate 4/20, this might be an excellent listening experience. Just saying.

Okay, I must get back to work, but thank you for reading. I hope you have a great Record Store Day and get yourself something nice. Of course, your local record store needs your business all year and we here at Sorry State sincerely thank all of you great customers and friends who help us keep the lights on with your support. Thank you. See you next time - Dom

SSR Pick: Jeff: April 21, 2022

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Every now and then, a record outside of my wheelhouse comes into the store and based purely on the title and how it looks I think to myself: “That’s gotta be good.” This was exactly the case with this comp we just got in stock called Back Up: Mexican Tecnopop 1980-1989. Dom and I decided to crack open the shrink on a copy here at the shop and as we were listening we just kinda realized… wow, every song has been really good so far. That label Dark Entries compiled and released this compilation, and they always seem to be thoughtful with their releases and often put out quality synth-drenched records. As certain songs would play that I particularly liked, I decided to look up whatever information I could on each band. It seems like a lot of these synth-pop/post-punk bands out of Mexico only released music on cassette, all of which I’d imagine are incredibly hard to find. To my surprise, many of the recordings sound like really high-quality studio recordings, but then of course, some of the recordings sounded like the bands made music using whatever tools they had at their disposal haha. Heavy use of corny Casio keyboard sounds. As we were listening, Dom and I would both shout out what artist each band was clearly ripping off. New Order, Depeche Mode, Siouxsie & The Banshees… you name it. The influence of every major new wave group is accounted for. My favorite track is the 2nd track on the record, which is “Cambios En El Tiempo” by a band called Vandana. It’s super melodic and catchy. Vandana is yet another band like I mentioned that only released one cassette in their existence. It has no sales history on discogs.

Short and sweet this week. But if you’re in need of a super well-compiled bunch of catchy new wave/post-punk/whatever songs that you’ve probably never heard before, then I highly recommend this record :)

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

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

SSR Pick: Daniel: April 21, 2022

Visitors: Electric Heat 7” (1979, Deep Cuts Records)

I don’t have much info for you about this single, which I struck from my want list last week. It had been there for many years courtesy of my friend Shane. Unfortunately for me, Shane moved back to his hometown of Portland a few years ago, but while he was in Raleigh, we would hang out every so often. We’d always play records for each other. He’d show up with a big stack of vinyl that I’d never heard before, and all of it would be on my want list by the end of the night. Such was the case with this 1979 EP from Visitors.

I haven’t been able to dig up much info about Visitors. I know they were from Edinburgh, Scotland, and the title track’s lyrics and the snowy photo of the band on the cover are right in line with what I imagine that city must be like in winter. I can’t find any info about any of the members’ other projects, though Visitors released a second single in 1980 and a third in 1981. I found a YouTube stream for the third single and it had a lush, 60s-influenced sound that reminded me of the Teardrop Explodes. Very different vibes than these three tracks. These the tracks have been compiled several times, so maybe one of those comps has liner notes that shed a little more light on Visitors?

As for Electric Heat, it’s a great single, certainly worthy of being comped several times. Standing on the verge of synth-punk, the title track’s lumbering post-punk combined with the primitive synth sound makes me think of Dub Housing-era Pere Ubu, but much starker, more primitive, and DIY. The second track, “Moth,” is cut from a similar cloth, while the b-side, “One Line,” is a waxing and waning number whose build-ups remind me of the Stranglers. Not a dud among the three, and when you throw in a snazzy pic sleeve, you have a very exciting single.

April 14 2022

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Hello and welcome to another edition of the Sorry State Records newsletter! This week’s edition was a little tougher to get together because Usman has been out sick all week and I’ve been trying to cover his responsibilities besides my own. I’ve also been training a new team member this week. Angela has joined us as our new mail order fulfillment person and gives us her first staff pick this week, too. Doing mail order at Sorry State is a big job, so please make sure she knows how much you appreciate her work! As far as records, we have the phenomenal debut album from Peace de Résistance, a much anticipated new EP from Neutrals, and plenty of other stuff to tell you about. So let’s do it!

Peace de Résistance: Bits and Pieces 12” (Peace de Records) I actually wrote the “official” blurb for Peace de Résistance’s debut LP so you can consult that for my super objective take on the record. For the Sorry State newsletter, though, I can let my guard down and effuse about how much I love this record. I’ve been listening to Bits and Pieces for months (a perk of helping them with distribution), and with each play, I only love it more. I’d been a fan of Moses’s previous projects and the things I loved about those bands—his lyricism in Institute, the rawness and intensity of Glue—are there in Peace de Résistance’s music, but the framework is totally different. When I say that Bits and Pieces sounds like glam rock I don’t mean the more formulaic bootboy glam that’s been a minor trend in the underground for a few years. Instead, Bits and Pieces reminds me of the more fleshed-out and self-consciously artistic sound of landmark 70s rock records like David Bowie’s The Man Who Sold the World or Lou Reed’s Transformers. This isn’t someone cracking the code of a particular sound or style and reiterating the formula with minor adjustments; these are songs, and great ones at that. But despite how sophisticated the songwriting is, the record is also raw as fuck, with blistering tones on all the instruments and the same sort of DIY charm that we in the underground need to hear in order to take something seriously. I love Moses’s lyrical approach on Bits and Pieces, which avoids cliches and generalizations, summoning a straightforwardness that the Clash would envy. I’d never guess you could write a great song about a tax form, but “Don’t 1099 Me” proves you can. Oh, Peace de Résistance’s secret weapon might be Moses’s bass playing. Maybe it sticks out more to me because I play bass, but the grooves behind every song are so powerful and infectious. I’m sure he’s a busy guy, but someone should get him in as a ringer on the bass. Maybe I’m crazy and this is just striking some particular chord with me, but I’ve already listened to Bits and Pieces so much that it’ll be inextricably tied to this part of my life. Maybe you’ll like the album that much, or maybe you won’t. If you don’t, I hope you can find something else, because to love an album like this is what it’s all about for me.

Record Store Day 2022 at Sorry State

Yes, it’s that time of year again! Record Store day 2022 is Saturday, April 23, and Sorry State is participating once again. As usual, we’ll have a big smattering of Record Store Day exclusive releases, some of which this newsletter’s readers will care about and a lot more you won’t. You can see a list of everything we ordered here. If you’re in the area, we’d love it if you stopped by, but if you aren’t, we put all our remaining inventory of Record Store Day exclusives online at 8AM on Sunday, April 24.

Straw Man Army: SOS LP Out Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the official release date for Straw Man Army’s second album, SOS, on D4MT Labs! We’ve been shipping the vinyl for a minute now, so the official release date doesn’t mean much to the diehards, but I assume the rest of you will be able to listen to SOS in its entirety starting tomorrow. Enjoy, because this album is a stunner.

Valtatyhjiö Tape Out Soon on Sorry State

We’re not ready to put it up for sale yet, but I thought we’d tease Sorry State’s next release: a US pressing of the Lukko cassette from Finland’s Valtatyhjiö! The original Finnish version sold out and few, if any, copies made it out of the country, so we’re excited to share this release with a wider audience. You can listen to the whole thing on Valtatyhjiö’s Bandcamp site, and you’ll be able to order the tape from Sorry State soon.

LPs from Invalid, Woodstock 99, and Hüstler Coming Soon on Sorry State

Speaking of upcoming Sorry State releases, the vinyl just showed up for Sorry State’s next three LP releases! We’re still waiting for the print so these won’t be for sale for a minute, but look forward to new releases from Invalid, Hüstler, and Woodstock 99! As you can see, we made limited color versions of each and they make a nice set.

LPs from Invalid, Woodstock 99, and Hüstler Coming Soon on Sorry State

Sorry State is proud to distribute Final Doomsday Records’ reissues of both 7”s by 80s Finnish hardcore punk band (T.H.E.) Rutto. Both reissues are in stock now, and they included expanded liner notes and bonus tracks. If you run a store or a distro, note that Sorry State is the main US distributor for this release, so hit us up for copies!

This has to be one of the biggest blowouts in the history of Hardcore Knockouts. It would take a mighty opponent to take out United Mutation’s first EP, but c’mon… this is fucking Pick Your motherfucking King we are talking about here.

Cast your vote in the next edition of Hardcore Knockouts on our Instagram stories next Tuesday!

My pick from Sorry State’s Discogs listings this week is Forward’s 2014 LP, Against Their Insanity. Forward has a lot of records, but you can’t go wrong buying any of them. As the years go on, Forward’s records only get harder and faster, which is something I can get behind. Like a lot of Forward’s records, this one is pretty cheap, so if you don’t have it already, grip it now!

Remember, you can always combine your order from Sorry State’s Discogs site with your order from our webstore and save on shipping!

LASSO EU TOUR - MA7 12 - 29

MUTANT STRAIN IN BIRMINGHAM - APRIL 28

MUTANT STRAIN IN LEXINGTON - APRIL 30

SCARECROW IN VA BEACH - MAY 20

INVERTEBRATES IN VA BEACH - MAY 26

SCARECROW IN PHILLY - JUNE 16-18

SCALPLE & WOODSTOCK 99 IN NYC - JULY 2

MUTANT STRAIN AND INVERTEBRATES IN ROANOKE - JULY 16

GOLPE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC - JULY 28-31

SCALPLE IN NYC - APRIL 20

MUTANT STRAIN IN CHARLOTTE - APRIL 20

ILLITERATES IN TN - APRIL 23

HUSTLER IN PHILLY APRIL 30

LASSO IN ERICA - MAY 12-14

LASSO IN ANTWERP - MAY 14

ILLITERATES IN PITTSBURGH - JUNE 4

GOLPE IN DENMARK - JUNE 24-26

  1. Straw Man Army: SOS 12” (D4MT Labs)
  2. White Stains: Blood on the Beach 7” (Neon Taste Records)
  3. Rutto: Ilmastoitu Painajainen 7” (Final Doomsday Records)
  4. Rutto: Ei Paluuta 7” (Final Doomsday Records)
  5. Invertebrates: demo cassette (Sorry State Records)
  6. Varaus: Tuomittu Elämään 7” (Larmattacke Records)
  7. Peace de Résistance: Bits and Pieces 12” (Peace de Records)
  8. Mercenary: Demos Collection 12” (Beach Impediment Records)
  9. Erupt: Left to Rot 7” (Static Shock Records)
  10. Peace Decay: Death Is Only… 12” (Beach Impediment Records)

Hardcore punk is the order of the day on Sorry State’s list of best sellers for the past 30 days. Don’t you folks ever get bored with hardcore? Why isn’t there ever an acid folk or flamenco record at the top of these charts? Are you narrow minded or something?

Angela

We’ve been fielding questions about when the new Neutrals 7” on Static Shock Records, Bus Stop Nights, would hit our shelves. Now is the time! Our initial order sadly got cut down, so these aren’t likely to stick around long.

I’m always stoked when a new issue of Maggot Brain arrives, and when Lux and Ivy from the Cramps are on the cover that’s cause for extra celebration. Get your copy now!

The ‘ol fan club brings us a few items of dubious origin this week, including represses of a couple later Ramones albums that are impossible to find on vinyl, a reissue of the Plugz’ great first album, Electrify Me, and a vinyl pressing of Slayer’s covers record Undisputed Attitude, on which they try their hand at several punk and hardcore classics.

We’ve been carrying all the Earthless reissues that have come out, but it seems like people are particularly excited about Sonic Prayer, which is in stock now.

SSR Picks: Angela - April 14 2022

Angela

Hi! So my pick for this week was a no brainer. I’ve been listening to Car Seat Headrest for the last couple weeks to prep for their show that was supposed to happen a few days ago, but their singer got COVID. That one hurt, but after 25 months of this shit I think one develops an immunity of sorts to COVID-related disappointment.

Given that I can’t gush over how great their show was, I will take a minute to gush about their 2016 release, Teens of Denial. First, I think it’s interesting and also kind of painful (for them, not me) that CHR (which was really just a very young Will Toledo at the time) had put out 12 full albums on Bandcamp before getting signed to Matador in 2015.

Teens of Denial isn’t easy to describe. It’s not just another indie rock album. It’s a much more dynamic and experimental indie rock album. There are a ton of different song structures, and sometimes that structural change happens within the same song. The Pixies-esque brash drums coupled with careful use of horns also help to add dimension to the album. I’m pretty sure they took these twists and turns to distract us from the fact that the album is 70 minutes long. But I didn’t even complain about that until I found out many listens later, so that’s not even a legitimate complaint.

It’s on this record where we start to hear Toledo’s vocals push out over the instruments, which is great when the lyrics are totally worth overpowering the instrumentation. And they are. Teens of Denial is so lyrically strong in its wit, intellect, and word play, that I found myself honing in on what Toledo was saying and less on what the band was playing (for at least the first few plays). For me, mediocre or even kinda shitty lyrics are not a deal breaker. It really depends what kind of band you are. BUT, if you’ve got some really smart, clever lyrics, I will probably fall in love with you.

One of my personal favorite lines is in the chorus for “Fill in the Blank” where Toledo laments “you have no right be depressed, you haven’t tried hard enough to like it.” And so much more where that came from. Toledo definitely has that Stephen Malkmus “lyrics that are funny to smart people” vibe going on. Although I don’t really think CHR sounds like Pavement as a band, I think that if you DO like bands like Pavement, Neutral Milk Hotel, early Modest Mouse, Cursive, etc. you will probably like this record.

Like I said, the album isn’t easy to describe. It would be a cop out to say this album sounds like insert 90s indie album here. Sure, every band is built on the backs of some existing foundation. It’s obvious that foundation for this album happens to be 90s indie rock. BUT, the songwriting that went into this album is easily some of the best I’ve heard in the last 10-15 years. Plus, Daniel said he really liked it. So there.

Thanks so much for reading!

Angela

If you want to check out Teens of Denial, I’ve provided a link to one of my favorite songs below:

SSR Picks: Rachel - April 14 2022

It’s a weird week. But, as Dom always says, we have records to rely on to make us feel better! As we finished up pricing the collection Daniel went to Denver for, I somehow found even more ‘grail’ items I had to take home. I keep making a joke that me and that collector are the same person. Doom/stoner/sludge metal, international folk music, sound effects, old country records… everything I love.

But what got me the MOST excited (besides the David Lynch record I wrote about a few weeks ago) are the few Harvey Milk records I found in the collection. I think Harvey Milk was one of those bands I found on an old Blogspot page and have loved ever since. They are a very doomy, slow, noisy experimental metal band from Athens, GA. They were mainly active in the early 90s and their discography isn’t huge. What a bummer. I could listen to so many more albums of theirs. From what I can glean on the internet and the liner notes of the reissues I picked up, they were a well loved band when they were around and I can only imagine a big portion of it has to do with their live sets. I love the music on the internet or a record, but live must’ve been a totally different beast.

It’s also kind of full circle that I found some Harvey Milk records at Sorry State because I have a very vivid memory of missing out on one of their releases a few years ago. Anyone that shops in store knows the struggle of picking out some amazing stuff throughout the store and then, as you check out, you dig through the rare bins and find something with a hefty price tag that’s almost too good to pass up. That happened to me… I decided to grab the records in my hands instead of the rare Harvey Milk record that was worth my entire total. I thought, who the fuck knows this band? It’ll be here in a few weeks! Lo and behold, my boss at the time (shout out to Danny from Holy Mountain and his amazing record collection) posted a picture of the Harvey Milk record, saying he picked it up from Sorry State a day after I put it back. UGH. But now I have not one, but THREE of their records in my collection thanks to the guy I lovingly call The Denver Dude. If you’re not familiar with Harvey Milk, you best get to listening!

SSR Picks: Usman - April 14 2022

Hello, and thanks for reading.

I am out sick from work unfortunately, but I will still pay my dues here with a brief Staff Pick. Over the weekend I rode with DESTRUCT up to NYC and Philly for some gigs they were playing. LIFELESS DARK was originally on the NYC bill but was replaced with CHURCH CLOTHES after they dropped. I had yet to listen to CHURCH CLOTHES, but I recognized the name from packing up dozens of their EPs for mail-order. This is a common theme in my life, unfortunately. Why don’t I just spin the damn record when I am packing countless copies? When I learned I was going to see them, I had no idea what to expect. Well, I got my fuckin wig split. They blew the doors off the club. They were the first band to play, too, so I find all this even more impressive. I have yet to listen to the EP still haha, regardless I certainly look forward to seeing them again. Seeing DESTRUCT two nights in a row was fucking excellent. I already thought they were one of my favorite bands from the States currently, and this weekend did nothing but reinforce this belief. DESTRUCT is a well-oiled machine. They are hardcore perfection. I can’t wait til their next LP is out. I was lucky enough to hear the tracks from said LP, but they have since released a new cassette with some live recordings where two songs from the upcoming LP are featured. We had a nice stack of these, but sold em all already. I know the band has a few copies left on the bandcamp I linked and Grave Mistake has some as well. Alright that’s all for this week. I hope everybody is taking care, and thanks for reading! Peace.

SSR Picks: Dominic - April 14 2022

Hi everyone, thanks for clicking on our newsletter again this week and for your support. We appreciate it. Lots going on here at Sorry State as per usual. We are preparing for Record Store Day, processing used collections, shipping orders, selling in-store and all the other fun stuff that goes with connecting folks with great music. Talking of which, have you all checked out the new SSR single we have out by Brazilians Lasso? It’s a banger. How about the Peace De Resistance LP? Highly recommended. One of my favorite recent releases and one we are proud to back here at Sorry State.

As music lovers, it is always hard to hear of the passing of any musician, artist or icon, but the sad news this week of the death of Chris Bailey, front man for Australian punk legends The Saints, has hit us particularly hard. I’m sure like u s you have been rocking your copies of Eternally Yours and (I’m) Stranded extra loud in honor of Chris.

For my staff picks this week, I thought I might switch styles a little and talk to you about some soul records. Particularly modern soul records with a retro feel by female singers that perhaps you may have missed. In recent years, there have been some quality albums made in this genre by new and older artists alike. Obviously we all know and love the late and great Sharon Jones; her success at Daptone Records helped to inspire a global interest in old school style funk and soul. Other labels sharing the Daptone ethos such as Colemine Records have now become almost household names. They have scored success with many releases, the Durand Jones albums being the most known. Small labels here in America and around the world are all contributing to a continued interest in authentic soul music that is new but with a retro feel and played by actual musicians and sung by proper singers. There is a place for computer generated music and vocal effects to hide real talent, but for many of us that isn’t enough. We want to hear actual playing and real singing. I feel so blessed to have been living in New York during the late 90s and early 00s when the retro soul and funk scene was in full swing. To have seen those early Daptone artists like Sharon Jones in the beginning was a real privilege and so much fun. The ripples from those explosive shows and records are still being felt around the world.

So, with that said here are some examples of those kinds of records. In no particular order and ranking and just the tip of the iceberg.

Gizelle Smith & The Mighty Mocambos: This Is Gizelle Smith. Mocambo Records. 2009

London based singer Gizelle Smith teamed up with the Mocambo crew from Hamburg, Germany to cut this nice slice of neo-funk and soul. The Mocambo label does a great job releasing breakbeat heavy funk on 45 and LP and this album was cut at their studio in Hamburg and at Goldhawk Studios in London’s Shepheard’s Bush. I love this record. It has such a great vibe with every track a winner. The first single taken from the album, Working Woman, was a big hit in the soul and funk world and was given a nice remix by Kenny Dope for his Kay Dee Records label. Other highlights include The Time Is Right For Love and Snake Charmer, but these are just three gems out of the twelve on offer. Ms. Smith has gone on to release two other full lengths since then with the most recent being last year’s Revealing on Jalapeno Records. I unfortunately haven’t seen her perform live, but am assured by those that have that she brings it.

Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators: Keep Reachin’ Up. Timmion Records. 2005

New Yorker Nicole Willis has had a full career going back to her beginnings in 1984. She has worked with everyone from The Brand New Heavies to Curtis Mayfield. She married Finnish musician and artist Jimi Tenor and relocated to Finland where she cut several records in the early 00s. Keep Reachin’ Up was the first of those. The Timmion label is another fine purveyor of class music and I have yet to hear anything that I didn’t like from them. The Soul Investigators are the label house band and do a stellar job of backing Nicole Willis on this set. Again, it’s the sound of actual musicians playing and a vocalist who can really sing. No duff tracks on the set but the two openers, Feelin’ Free and If This Ain’t Love (I Don’t Know What Is) are worth the price of admission alone.

Lady Wray: Queen Alone. 2016, & Piece Of Me. 2022 Big Crown Records.

Two from Big Crown and Nicole Wray aka Lady Wray. She has been on the scene since the late nineties. Her first record, Make It Hot, came out in 1998 and was an RnB record more in tune with the times. That single was a hit, but the subsequent album of the same name less so. Wray was under the guidance of Missy Elliott at the time. She had been featured vocalist on her Supa Dupa Fly album and toured as a backing singer for her. A second album was begun in 2000, but due to a falling out with Elektra Records it was shelved. From there, Wray worked with Ol’ Dirty Bastard and was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, where a single came out. She was working on another album called Lovechild, in-between times which she was moved to Def Jam and then to Dame Dash Music Group. That label folded and her album went with it.

In 2012, she teamed up with English singer Terri Walker and formed an act called Lady. Signed to Truth And Soul Records, they recorded one self-titled album and served as the singers for soul singer Lee Fields on his tour. The style of this music was strongly in the retro soul style and well received. However, her partner in the group decided to leave and pursue solo ventures and Nicole renamed herself Lady Wray and found her way to Big Crown Records, the Brooklyn based label run by the ace Leon Michels.

The two records she has made for Big Crown are terrific. Great songs, great production and fantastic vocals from Lady Wray herself. I don’t know where I have been all this time, but I only recently became aware of these albums, and they have both been on heavy rotation since. I remember her from those earlier records and am very aware of the great work El Michels and the Big Crown label are doing, but came late to this party. My apologies to Lady Wray and Big Crown. Of the two, Queen Alone arguably has the stronger retro soul sound, whereas Piece Of Me is a little more current. What unites the two though, and the records we talked about already, is the sound of real musicians in a studio with a genuine vocalist. You can’t fake that.

All three of these ladies are the real deal. They have put their time in and paid their dues, as the saying goes. Highlights on the Lady Wray records are many, but from the most recent you should check out Under The Sun and Where Were You and from the earlier album I like the songs Guilty and Let It Go.

Last time I looked we had copies of both Lady Wray albums in stock should you care to own them.

Okay, that’s my lot for this week. Thank you for reading and hopefully one or two of you out there will find as much enjoyment in these records as I do.

Cheers - Dom