News

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone had a nice week. Last Friday, March 3rd, would have been Doc Watson’s 100th birthday, whom I’ve talked about many times here in the newsletter. To celebrate the life of such an amazing artist and North Carolina legend, Billy Strings performed two nights in Winston-Salem here in North Carolina, about an hour and a half from Deep Gap, the town where Doc was born and spent most of his life. The first night (Friday) was a tribute to Doc and the music he loved to play, featuring lots of guests, including some pickers that used to play with him back in the day. It was an incredible show, three and a half hours of straight flatpicking, no set breaks or anything. He ended up playing 45 songs the first night, which blew my mind. I could have listened to him play 100 of them though… I was having such a great time. I got to hear so many songs I’ve only dreamed about being able to hear live, like Otto Wood the Bandit, the true story of a one-armed bandit from North Carolina who escaped jail over ten times till they finally locked him up in Central State Prison here in Raleigh, just down the road from Sorry State, where he escaped four separate times before finally being shot down by the sheriff the final time he escaped on December 31st, 1930. That’s why I love folk and bluegrass music so much, cause there’s so many songs that tell crazy stories about stuff that happened right down the road from where you. Another favorite of mine that was played the first night was Tom Dooley, an old, true story about a man who was hanged for killing his mistress, but many people believe it was his wife that killed her and he was framed for the crime. North Carolina had some crazy shit going on back in the day and it’s so cool to hear someone still perform these songs and tell these stories to an arena full of thousands of people. The second night was also a great show, more of a return to a regular Billy show, but was mostly his own original music since the night prior was all covers. The encore, though, is what really did it for me, when he busted out Tony Rice’s old 1935 D28 guitar and he and the band all gathered around one mic and played a couple of Tony Rice tunes. All in all it was a great trip, but I’ve gotta say that first night was probably my favorite show I’ve ever been to and it’ll be hard to top it. Thank you for your music Doc Watson, here’s to 100 more years of it.

Hi Sorry State readers! Hope everyone is having a good week. Things are pretty good on my end. It’s been a really good couple of weeks for music listening, so it was hard to narrow it down to one record this week. I just realized I haven’t even written about the Koro release, which is absurd because I’ve played it a ton. So I’m going to honorably mention it because you absolutely need it. I’m convinced it will never sound better.

That said, I chose to go a different direction this week and write about the new release from Rough Kids. Rough Kids is a consistently good LA power pop/punk band that should probably be more widely known than they are. Their third LP, The Black and White and Gray, is on Dirt Cult Records, and it does not disappoint. I popped it on right when we got it, but it didn’t quite get its hooks in me until the second spin a few days later. And now I’m sold.

The album is very guitar-driven with some great guitar leads, and the rhythm section is really tight and focused. It’s very obvious that they mean business with this album. The songs are reminiscent of ‘77 punk, but I also hear a good amount of more modern sounding post-punk. I like the diversity in vocal styles throughout the album because it changes the feel of the songs and just makes the album more fun and unpredictable. It feels like Rough Kids get a little more intense and more focused with each album. While you're at it, check out their second LP on Sorry State Records.

From top to bottom, the energy of this album does not wane. Don’t Blow it Away and Breakdown are two standout tracks for me. Both are pretty straightforward, mid- to fast tempo tracks with razor sharp riffs and simple yet super catchy beats. She’s All Gray is another one of my favorites and a good example of the diverse styles on the album. This one has a more emotional tone and sense of urgency, with some killer guitar solos. The guitar work is really the star of the whole album.

This is just one of those albums you throw on when you just want something high energy and fun to listen to. It may help pull you through the last part of your shift, or keep you motivated while you clean your house. Or, more realistically, while you organize or re-sleeve your record collection. Give it a try!

Anyway, thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

-Angela

Hello and thanks for reading! I wasn’t too sure what to write about this week. DESTRUCT’s new album is now available for pre-order and streaming, but only the special record release gig version of the LP has circulated. SCARECROW played this gig, and DESTRUCT was off the charts. I’ve seen them a lot and I think this was the best I have I yet to witness, god damn… I think the LPs they had at the gig sold out before they even played, haha. I thought it might be best to wait and write about the LP until Sorry State gets our copies, since the limited blue vinyl quickly sold out on pre-order from Grave Mistake. I’ve been playing this LP for a while now since I am lucky enough to have a test press, and it is fucking killer. Just wait until you hear their split tracks on the upcoming ‘Screaming Death’ 4-way split LP...

I haven’t really mentioned this to anyone, but since my brand new label has released something this week I thought I would mention it! This label will be focusing on reissues only, beginning with this SEKAANNUS 7”. Sorry State will definitely be getting copies of this once the covers arrive next week, so there’s no need to order from my site if you are interested. Well, I do have some color vinyl available still that’s only available direct from Mäkitie 8... SEKAANNUS had a demo tape before their split with MASSACRE. The tape is quite rare, but luckily there have been some digital rips shared over the years. The band plays much more raw and raging hardcore during this time, instead of the more pulled-back, groovy song writing that came later on the “Kutsu” EP. I enjoyed that EP a lot, but there’s nothing that beats raw Finnish hardcore, haha. I am happy this demo has finally made its way to a reissue and I love that they still did the cover in the classic Finnish cut-and-paste style!! This 7" is actually the second release for Mäkitie 8. The KAAOS 12" that was supposed to be the label’s debut is still at the plant, but it should be released soon! The KAAOS 12" is a live recording, super early in the band’s formation. It’s got a ton of unreleased songs and actually has Kake on vocals instead of Jakke, like the split with CADGERS. Both of these are co-releases with the Finnish Hardcore label, and Sami is the one doing all the work. He has some other plans ahead that I am very excited to play in a role in as well. To simply put it, it’s an honor to have this small hand in releasing some old raw Finnish hardcore!! Alright, back to work then. Thanks to everyone for reading and thanks loads for the support here at Sorry State, cheers!

Hey there everyone! I hope all is well. Our apologies for missing you last week here in newsletter land. No slacking, just too much going on. That’s a good thing though, and we love being busy with the business of music and records. We’ve certainly been working hard on scoring some killer collections of used records. There will be plenty of good reasons for store visits if you are local or visiting Raleigh. I’m still halfway through a great collection of 1970s prog and weirdo electronic type records that has yielded some real gems. Lots of cool UK pressings of stuff. We also scored another nice Jazz collection that we’ll be adding to the bins over the coming weeks, and just yesterday I bought a small collection containing some cool US 60s Garage records. That had a couple of rarities in it that will blow someone’s mind soon. I couldn’t be in a better place, surrounded and almost buried by amazing records. It makes me so happy thinking about these great records being taken home by our loyal and fabulous customers and enhancing their lives with the music held in the grooves. Records rule!

As for me personally, the other week I was all down in the dumps over a game of footie and now this week it has all been turned around and I’m as happy as can be, again over a game of football. For those not following or caring, I’ll catch you up. I support Liverpool FC and last Sunday we beat our biggest rivals Manchester UTD 7-0. That’s right, I’ll say it again, seven nil. That’s an incredible score line. You don’t see games like that very often. Maybe it was a freak result. Whatever, it happened, and it was amazing. Liverpool have been having a difficult season this term. We’re struggling to get in the top six, let alone top four, but are on a good run of form more recently. UTD on the other hand have been doing great and playing well. They just won the League Cup to secure silverware and certainly came into the game as favorites. If we get nothing else out of the season, we at least have this historic result to keep a smile on our faces and will have a “sit down” card to play against UTD fans for some time to come. It’s up to them to try and do it to us next. Or maybe we’ll spank them again. Who knows? That’s all part of the joy and misery of following and supporting a team. If you know you know.

Still, this isn’t a sports blog or ESPN, and I can imagine there is a good swath of you reading that couldn’t give a crap about any of it, and so with that in mind let’s talk about music and records. I only brought all of that up because it made me so happy and changed my mood and took me to my happy place. It reminded me of being a kid in the 70s and 80s and my first experiences of supporting my team. That, in turn, got me thinking about the music that I first got into when I was younger and how it has stayed with me all these years and still has the effect to take me to a happy place. For me, it was the original rock and roll from the 1950s that was my big obsession when I was a kid. Not surprising, as the 50s revival was in full swing during the 1970s and early 1980s. So, I was all about Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Sun records, Gene Vincent etc. and particularly Eddie Cochran. I really gravitated towards him. My small local record shop in my town was run by an old Teddy Boy and so he had lots of great rock ‘n roll records and rockabilly stuff. Rockabilly was my youth cult back then. He turned me on to lots of great records, but one that has always remained as an all-time favorite song to this day is the track Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie by Eddie Cochran. Originally released on Liberty Records in 1958, you’d be hard pushed to find a better example of rock ‘n roll from the era. Eddie was a terrific and inventive guitar player, and his solo in this song is pure fire and makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up every time. Sadly, Eddie was taken from the world far too soon. He died from injuries sustained in a car accident whilst on tour in England. In the car with him was another legend, Gene Vincent. He survived but compounded an existing injury to his leg and the pain from that and losing his friend tortured him for the rest of his life.

I’ve had the Jeannie track on various Eddie Cochran compilations and albums over the years but for one reason or another have never had the actual 45 until literally last week, hence me becoming reenergized by the song again this week and fitting in perfectly with my sense of nostalgia for my connections with music that I was digging back then. As I loved this song so much and was getting more and more into the rockabilly youth cult during this time, it was just perfect that my favorite band from that period, The Stray Cats, covered Jeannie on their debut album. Just like Eddie, Brian Setzer is an amazing guitar slinger and his playing and solo on the Cats’ version of the tune is just as hot. He nails it and does what any good cover should do, matching the energy of the original whilst making it their own. Hearing them cover that song cemented my love for The Stray Cats that is just as firm to this day. Their first couple of records are great and they were so good live. Amazing energy from a simple three-piece group. I can put on their records and be in my happy place instantly. That’s the power of music. It’ll affect you and stay with you forever. I love it.

So yeah, love your music. Play those records that bring you joy no matter what they are and how “cool” or not they may be. Fuck anyone that tries to tell you different. I would thoroughly recommend you investigate the life and music of Eddie Cochran if you are not familiar, and I would encourage you to take a listen to that first Stray Cats LP when you have a chance. I’ll leave you links to the two versions of Jeannie to compare and hope that some of you will find them just as joyous and fun as I do. One last point of interest is how the spelling of Jeannie varies. Mostly the Eddie Cochran version is spelled with two Ns, but sometimes you’ll see it spelled with just one, whereas the Stray Cats version uses just the one. Okay, back to work and processing all these other killer records that are stacking up around me. Thanks for reading and indulging me. See you here next time. Cheers, Dom.

Eddie Cochran – Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie

The Stray Cats – Jeanie, Jeanie, Jeanie

What’s up Sorry Staters?

You got your leather chaps ready? I know you coffin-dwelling freaks are waiting with bated breath for that new Zorn record. You can pair your leather wears with a fresh new Koro shirt on its way to you now. So yeah, we’re back after skipping the newsletter last week. As always, we’re slammed busy over here at Sorry State HQ and also, Scarecrow went to go gig in Richmond with our homies in Destruct for their LP release gig. Jah bless our buddy Kestrel for helping out lately. I’m still feeling wiped out. I’m hoping this weekend I get to recuperate just a little bit. I’m tryna see that Cocaine Bear flick. Any of you seen that movie yet? Is it any good? Sounds insane.

Anyway, let’s talk about stuff I’ve been listening to:

It’s funny, the other day I found that we had a Dr. Strange compilation reissue of Symbol Six that we’re selling brand new for $8. 8 BUCKS? I was spinning that a bunch in the store and I was like fuck it, I’ll buy this. I’ve been on an 80s SoCal punk kick for a while anyway. And recently, I’ve been jamming this new SoCal’s Parishioners tape. Y’all heard this band yet? We had the band’s previous tape also, which I think I only listened to briefly. But for whatever reason, this new one called The Big Blast… From SoCal! really gripped my attention. Honestly, the tape is pretty lo-fi, which might just be a rough sounding home dub. But actually, that almost kinda adds to the experience because it sounds OLD. These dudes totally nail that oldschool, early 80s, slightly melodic Orange County hardcore sound. But not unlike Symbol Six or Shattered Faith or bands of that ilk from Southern California, SoCal’s Parishioners totally sound like a band that could’ve been on Posh Boy in like 1981. Cool riffs and ripping guitar playing, Soto-esque walking basslines… but really, this band just writes catchy as fuck songs. Also, the lyrics are great. The singer nails that aloof, snotty, sorta irreverent vocal delivery. The first song “I Don’t Know” is killer, but it also cracks me up. The chorus goes something like, “I don’t know what’s going anywhere. Indonesia? Italy? I don’t care!” Homie doesn’t give a fuck, it’s so awesome. I’m pretty sure the lyrics not only mention skateboarding, but like multiple instances across the 5 tracks on this tape. Also, the way the band members are credited, Dagger on vocals, Mr. Flames on guitar, The Kid on bass… They’re like a gang. So rad.

We’ve still got a good stack of copies of this tape. If my endorsement makes people pay a little more notice to this band, then I’ll be stoked. I really think these dudes are killing it. Makes me wanna put on Thrashin’. Members of SoCal’s Parishioners are here to remind you that “breakin’ is a memory.” Haha.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for ya this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Hatfied & the North: The Rotter’s Club LP (Virgin, 1975)

I’ve often said that “when it rains, it pours” is the most useful cliche in the record world. I always think of the time when we had three copies of the infamous Beatles “butcher cover” in stock at one time. I found them all in the wild, close enough together that I wondered, “is this record even rare?” Of course I haven’t seen another one since, so I’ll chalk that up to coincidence. The last few months have been slow for us in terms of used stuff coming in, but the floodgates opened over the past couple of weeks and the vinyl gods have inundated us with cool stuff. Our used drops should look pretty good for the next several weeks. Of course I kept a few items for myself, which leads me to this week’s episode of the synchronicity files.

I was on a house call where this guy had an amazing collection. His entire basement was full of packed shelves of CDs, vinyl, and books, and even as someone who has spent a lot of time looking at people’s music collections, it was impressive. When I got back to the store, I told Dominic it looked like the guy had bought just about every reissue reviewed in Mojo and Ugly Things since the 80s. We were chatting about our favorite records, and he told me his all-time favorite record is Soft Machine’s Third, and that he was a big fan of the Canterbury scene, including bands like Soft Machine, Caravan, and Hatfield & the North. I know a little about that music, but not a lot. I wrote about Caravan’s In the Land of Grey and Pink as my staff pick a few years ago after hearing a track on the BBC 6 program The Freak Zone (actually, I swear that I did, but now I can’t find the post to link it), but Canterbury is a world I’ve brushed up against, not dove into. Anyway, when someone who has 20,000 records in their basement tells you what his favorite record is, the smart thing to do is to listen to that record, so I listened to Soft Machine’s Third. It is excellent, and you shouldn’t be surprised if I write about it for my staff pick somewhere down the road.

I was looking at that collection on a Saturday, then on Monday I got to work and started getting settled in, and Jeff sends me a message that someone called the shop about selling some records and that it sounded promising. I had a moment, so I called the guy back, and since my next few days looked pretty busy and he was available, I went straight out to look at his records. It turns out the guy had a killer collection full of experimental music from the 70s and 80s, including a lot of UK imports, and you’ll see those records popping up on our Friday Instagram posts over the next several weeks. Oddly, this collection included many of the records I had just been talking about at the other guy’s house two days earlier… many of them records I’ve never seen or seen only once or twice. This happens a lot… I’ll buy two collections at more or less the same time and think to myself, “these two people should be friends.” I’ve never actually made a record love connection, but when the universe rings me up I try to answer, so I skimmed copies of Soft Machine’s Third and Hatfield & the North’s The Rotter’s Club off the top of that buy and brought them home.

For whatever reason, The Rotter’s Club is the record I keep coming back to. I think this might be a signal that I’m developing a taste for Canterbury. I may be speaking out of turn here because I’m a neophyte rather than an expert in Canterbury, but here’s a quick rundown. The scene gets its name because it was centered near the English town of Canterbury (the same Canterbury from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales). Scene fulcrum Robert Wyatt’s mother owned a 15-bedroom Georgian mansion near Canterbury, and many of his musician friends rented rooms there. Musical connections formed, people came and went, projects formed and splintered… it’s a whole long story I’m not qualified to tell, so look it up if you’re interested.

To my ears, Canterbury music brings together three musical styles: whimsical, often absurdist pop; sophisticated classical composition; and incantatory psychedelic improvisation. Those elements were all in the air in late 60s and early 70s Europe, but they didn’t come together anywhere in quite the same way they did in Canterbury. Critics often compare the whimsical pop element to Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, but Floyd were contemporaries of the Canterbury scene, not influences on it, and the Soft Machine often played the UFO Club alongside Floyd in both bands’ early days. The playful lyrics, filled with absurdities in the vein of Edward Lear or Lewis Carroll butting heads with low-brow jokes and puns, often garner comparisons to Monty Python. However, these playful passages sit, perhaps slightly awkwardly, next to complex, classical-influenced compositions that would coalesce into prog (many of the Canterbury bands formed before prog stalwarts like Yes and King Crimson had released anything). And even these proto-prog passages might drift away from the tight compositions and arrangements and do some free-form psych improvising for a few minutes. It’s a mixed bag, and it makes it harder to find your way into this stuff because if you’re interested in only one or two of those elements, the others may grate on your nerves.

The Rotter’s Club is a prototypical mix of these elements. I’m still not sure I’m 100% sold on the opening track, “Share It,” but from there I’m on board. And who can’t get behind song titles like “(Big) John Wayne Socks Psychology On The Jaw” and “Your Majesty Is Like A Cream Donut?” Actually, there are probably a lot of you out there who can’t, and if that’s the case, then you can ignore this whole corner of music history. The same goes if you hate early Yes and Crimson, or you can’t stand German progressive rock (aka “Krautrock”). I guess you have to have a pretty open mind to like this Canterbury stuff, or maybe you just need to be a middle-aged Anglophile who spends way too much time and money on music. Either way, they got me.

Brain Tourniquet: An Expression in Pain 12” (Iron Lung Records) While I don’t listen to too much contemporary power violence, I was a big fan of Brain Tourniquet’s first two EPs. Their debut 12”, though, is something else, a record so distinctive and powerful that it transcends that microgenre. An Expression of Pain has a gritty recording that might remind you of the OG power violence classics and the songs feature blastbeats and sludgy slow parts, but everything about the way Brain Tourniquet deploys those elements is inventive and electric. That’s true from the record’s first seconds, when the leadoff track, “Little Children Working,” sounds like hell opening up and demons escaping, reminding me of early Swans with its relentless industrial rhythm. Much of An Expression of Pain recalls Black Flag when they were at their slowest and most musically adventurous, bending Sabbath’s lumbering rhythms against the fulcrum of free jazz’s deliberate evaporation of tonality. It is music that will make your skin crawl. Even when Brain Tourniquet indulges in power violence’s familiar tempo dynamics, they subvert convention, and there isn’t a moment on this record that feels cliche. That’s certainly true on the expansive, album-closing title track, whose 11 minutes feel like an aimless, sun-blistered stumble through the desert… it may leave you wondering whether you hallucinated that bass solo or it really happened. A real masterpiece, and exactly the forward-thinking yet brutal hardcore we want from Iron Lung Records.

Crucified Class: Promo 2023 cassette (Fresh Squeezed) Four songs of catchy hardcore punk from this new band from Portland. On first listen, Crucified Class reminded me of another double C band, Caustic Christ, and that’s high praise from me! Like Caustic Christ, Crucified Class’s sound rides a line between US-style hardcore and UK82 punk, with the latter’s bouncy rhythms and hooky riffs delivered with the former’s heaviness and brisk tempos. It reminds me of North American bands like Toxic Reasons that kind of sounded like UK bands, or UK bands like Ultra Violent that had US hardcore-style elements. I also hear lots of Poison Idea, which comes out both in the straightforward hardcore parts and the more rock and roll-ish riffing that pops up here and there. All four songs are a little different from one another, which I like, and the slightly hazy production is exactly what I want hardcore punk to sound like. Just listen to “Message from a War Cult…” what a track! It goes from this kind of Killing Joke-meets oi! verse to a huge, anthemic chorus that reminds me of Direct Control fist-pumpers like “Plea for Peace,” and even makes room for a wah-wah guitar solo. It doesn’t get much better than this, folks. Whatever this tape is promoting, count me in.

What’s up Sorry State readers, I hope everyone has been having a nice week. Once again, I’m gonna mention how nice the weather has been here in Raleigh, especially the last three days. Lately in the morning I’ve been opening up my living room window and letting the breeze in, and I’ve been playing this record by The Upsetters, Return of the Super Ape. Dominic has introduced me to the world of dub music since we’ve been working together at the store and sometimes it just really hits the spot when nothing else can. I was pretty stoked when a copy of this record came through the store recently. It’s definitely been on heavy rotation since I picked it up. My favorite track on here would probably be Crab Yars. I love just a real deep, slow burning instrumental track. It just sounds so soothing. I also always love Lee Perry’s production and all the weird sounds and noises he adds in. I’ve really been enjoying diving into the genre recently. There’s a lot of really good mixes on youtube that compile tracks from the mid 70s - mid 80s and I’ve found a lot of great songs and artists from those, and obviously whatever Dominic recommends and plays. Next time you get some nice, warm weather wherever you live, take a long walk and listen to some dub.

Hi Sorry State readers! How is everyone? Things aren’t too bad on my end. Can’t complain.

So I’m gonna go a different route for my staff pick this week and talk about a zine. I’ve really enjoyed the latest installment of the Network of Friends (volume 5). I’m a big fan of zines. I really hope print media will make a comeback one day.

I made a zine once (literally once) in 8th grade with a friend. It was mostly music reviews, me bitching about my favorite bands selling out, passive aggressive opinion pieces aimed at classmates, and some super cringe poetry. We got one issue under our belt before my school pulled the plug on it for failure to seek permission to distribute. Who asks permission from school to circulate a zine at school?

Anyway, back to a zine that’s enjoyed more success than my 8th grade effort. Network of Friends was originally started by Steve of the long-running UK zine Ripping Thrash. The zine consists of several DIY mini-zines. The purpose of compiling parts of existing zines was to collaborate with punks across the globe, and to essentially spread the love. Volume 5 was compiled by Negative Insight, with Steve’s permission.

Some of the participating zines include but are not limited to UK’s A Blast From The Past, Initonit, and Crisispoint. Bootlegs Of Filth from Australia, Negative Insight from the US, and Brazil’s Vermynoze Putrida.

There is a hilarious review of a Discharge show in Leeds gone wrong. Let’s just say they had put out an album that wasn’t/isn’t well-received, and a certain integral member of the band did not want to play the classics. Audiences generally frown upon this approach. And some people frown more violently than others. I won’t spoil that story, but it gets infinitely better when paired right next to a copy of a letter written to MRR by another member of Discharge to explain what was happening behind the scenes during this period of time. That letter made me laugh a few times. Out loud.

There’s also a pretty lengthy interview with Jim Whiteley, who played bass on part of Napalm Death’s Scum album. You may also know him from Ripcord, Doom, and like 10 other bands. It was cool to get his insight on UK hardcore in the 80s. Now, I’m perfectly content with interviews, music and show reviews, fliers from cool shows, etc., but there was an extra bit of depth to this zine that I appreciated. Paul from the Initonit zine contributed some interesting opinion-style pieces on social and political topics. He writes from a place of personal experience and comes off really honest and relatable. There’s no elitist and pretentious bullshit in there.

Overall, Network of Friends is a cool concept and just a good reminder of how important collaboration and cross-promotion is in the underground punk world.

We only have a handful of these left, so I’d grab one if I were you. There’s loads more stuff in this zine than I mentioned, and it’s a rather small price to pay for the amount of content you get!

Thanks for reading! Until next time..

Angela

Hello and thanks for reading! When this week first began I planned to write about ΠΥΡ ΚΑΤΑ ΒΟΥΛΗΣΗ (PYR KATA VOULISI), but it has since sold out. If you haven’t checked out the band, I definitely would cos I think this top-notch hardcore at its finest!! I’ve never heard of them before; I don’t think they even have a demo released. When you rip this hard, why bother? They don’t really play super fast, but the riffing is non-stop. The songs are insanely catchy yet absolutely raging. They sound similar to HERÄTYS, who are one of the best bands ever. And of course, ΠΥΡ ΚΑΤΑ ΒΟΥΛΗΣΗ and HERÄTYS both sound like they have a heavy influence from Swedish legends TOTALITÄR. Speaking of legendary Swedish bands, that leads us into my staff pick. Let me start off with the photo. This photo was taken in 1986 by Anders Holmqvist at the “Egg-mangel” gig. Anders is a long-time Sorry State customer and friend. He was a music nerd back then just as much as he is today (if not more maybe?). He’s constantly giving newer bands short, honest reviews on his Instagram account. I am so happy and honored he shared photos from this gig with me, especially cos now I can share this one with you! This gig is how I think I first heard SVART PARAD because it was recorded and released on cassette after, and then fortunately re-released in the ‘90s on vinyl by Your Own Jailer. Based on what it says inside the vinyl version, I am pretty sure Jan Jutila (YOJ) released the tape. He definitely organized the entire gig. I think SVART PARAD is kind of obscure amongst other Swedish bands. They never had a proper vinyl release in the 80s, only some cassettes, and the information about them is a bit confusing. I remember reading online that the band was influenced by MINOR THREAT, and that one really caught me off guard, haha. There have been a few SVART PARAD bootlegs over the years and F.O.A.D. did a SVART PARAD discography not too long ago. But still, to me nothing beats having a reissue that emulates the original. The packaging on this cassette is awesome, but that is a given since it is on Outsider Classics. They did amazing Swedish cassette reissues like MISSBRUKARNA and NISSES NOTTER previously, so I was filled with anticipation immediately when I saw this reissue. I would die for a DISACCORD cassette reissue… Anyway, if you aren’t familiar with SVART PARAD and enjoy raging Swedish hardcore, I would check this one out and grab a copy! Cheers and thanks to everyone (especially Anders)!!!

Greetings Sorry Staters. Thanks for tuning in. Hopefully, you are doing well. I must admit that I’ve been down in the dumps the last couple of days. That’s nothing new, ha ha, just more than usual. Those of you who follow football (soccer) and don’t support Liverpool are probably having a good laugh right now. If you read my section of the newsletter, you’ll know that I am a lifelong Red and so us getting humiliated at Anfield by Real Madrid on Tuesday on top of what has been a dreadful season already was a real gut punch. Today is Thursday, and I’ve had a couple of days to get over it and what better way than with music. Thankfully, I work in a killer record store and am surrounded by so much great stuff. Let’s pick one to listen to together shall we?

As I was receiving a recent order, Jeff pointed out a record that he thought I would like and should check out. It’s “The Uninvited” b/w “Ritual” by Lack Of Knowledge.

Originally self-released in 1982 and now reissued by No Plan Records and available in clear, white or black vinyl editions. We have a few available as I type, and you can click here to snag one. No guarantee which variant will be left; we only got a few.

The band formed in North London back in 1978 and lasted through to the mid-80s. They released a handful of singles and just the one album on the Crass Records label Corpus Christi. That album, Sirens Are Back, and the E.P., Grey, on Crass are highly desirable, as is the original of The Uninvited single. Sound wise, they are labeled post-punk and I guess that is about right. You can certainly hear elements of some of the bands they are compared to such as early Joy Division, but LOK were more about bondage pants than grey macs and it makes sense that they aligned with the anarcho-punk scene and found themselves on Crass Records.

Inside the jacket of the re-issue for The Uninvited single there are some notes from the band recalling the process of recording the tracks and getting their single sold in Small Wonder, Rough Trade etc. and then hooking up with the Crass world after hanging out at their house and playing them the record and getting the offer right there and then to record for Crass.

Also detailed in the liner notes is the session information for the three tracks, and it’s interesting to see that almost a full year passed between recording the first track and the third. When you listen, you can almost imagine it being two different bands. A year and a different studio make all the difference. I’d like to wax lyrical about the music and tell you clever things and perhaps Dr. D will be doing that elsewhere in the newsletter, but my usual response when asked what something sounds like is to say, take a listen. I encourage you to take a listen to this single and take a deep dive and check out their full length along with their other singles. It’ll be worth your time. Of note on this reissue is the inclusion of a third track, The Men, which was not included on the original release.

We’ve had a copy of that Grey E.P. on Crass here at the store before and it has been reissued recently as part of the Crass 12” series that has seen some other rarer and under the radar titles getting a nice fat 12” pressing. Hopefully we will be able to get some copies of those here for you at some point and perhaps that album will get a much needed repress too. Fingers crossed.

That’s all I have for you this week, short but hopefully sweet. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you here next time. Cheers and up the Reds.

-Dom