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Staff Picks: January 7, 2021

Staff Picks: Daniel

Mellakka: Ei 7” (1984, Ei Ei Levyt)

This week I spent a lot of time listening to this Mellakka EP. Thanks so much to my friend Lars to selling it to me… I have already gotten so much enjoyment out of it. Mellakka is great, but I don’t have much to say about them right now because I’m brain dead after a very busy work week in a world that has also given me way too much to think about outside of work. I wish Mellakka’s stuff was a little easier to find. Partners in Crime released a discography LP in the US back in 2005, but that is long out of print and now sells for collectible prices. In 2018, Mellakka released a box set of 3 7”s on Finland’s Svart Records, including reissues of their two original EPs and a 3rd 7” featuring demo recordings from 1986. Sorry State carried that when it came out, but it looks like that’s scarce now as well.

Staff Picks: Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’ll keep it brief this week. One release I’ve listened to quite a few times this week is the new Blood Hunger tape by Kontaminate. We haven’t gotten physical copies at Sorry State yet, and I’ve heard that it’s already sold out from the label. Yikes! But maybe Daniel’s on top of it, not sure.

Chubb was telling me he knows the folks in this band and that they share a practice space. I don’t know if this will seem weird to everyone reading this, but it actually surprised me to hear that this band is from Richmond. I don’t mean this as a slight toward bands from Richmond or Kontaminate, but I’ve noticed that most bands from Richmond, even when playing hardcore, have a calculated and regimented, I would even say “professional,” approach toward their playing and songwriting. Trust me, most of the time I’m very impressed by their scene’s high standard for musicianship. That said, and I don’t intend this to sound band, but Kontaminate does not sound like this to me. Listening to this tape, I assess their demeanor as being much more raw, urgent and ugly. The vocals are gnarly and intense, almost demented. Plus, I think this band just nailed the recording, super unpolished and gritty, but not weak sounding. Musically, I hear nods to UK82 or even more contemporary stylings a la Bloodkrow Butcher, but with its own venomous and menacing attitude. Not really dbeat, I wouldn’t call it that, but definitely all the things I like in my raging hardcore. Plus, a well-executed Ultra-Violent cover to boot. I’ve heard other bands cover Ultra-Violent, and it ends up sounding too refined or slick. I think they do a faithful enough and equally mean interpretation. Cool new band, if you ask me.

That’s all I got. 2021 is already off to a disgraceful start, huh?

Thanks for reading,

-Jeff

Staff Picks: Usman

I was messaging a customer last week about an order, and as we ended our conversation, they let me know they were radio DJing their best of 2020 as we spoke. So I checked out Uneasy Listening for the first time. The playlist was all over the place (which isn’t a bad thing by any means) but they still played some of my favorite hardcore hits of 2020. As I packed orders I kinda tuned out, and then Elä Totuudesta came on. My ears perked up, and I stopped what I was doing to find out who I was listening to. It was Kohti Tuhoa. Despite having packed countless parcels that contained their records, I had never taken the time to check them out. Unfortunately, this happens a lot. Which is kinda strange cos I am surrounded by hundreds of records regularly, yet I don’t take the time to listen to everything I can. I think that’s called a paradox? It’s funny cos it was December 30th (over 7 months after its release) and I heard a record for the first time that became one of my favorites of the year. Luckily Sorry State still had some copies in stock so I could still get one without having to import a copy.

Kohti Tuhoa is from Helsinki. I don’t know many contemporary bands from Finland off the top of my head. I think Kylmä Sota was of my favorite Suomi HC bands from the past decade. And like Kylmä Sota, most bands who worship the classic shit have a more “raw” sound and straightforward approach to their songwriting. While Kohti Tuhoa has an easily defined sound reminiscent of Riistetyt or Pyhäkoulu, they have their own refreshing twist to things. Their EP Elä Totuudesta is so catchy, but still blazing hardcore; it sounds more “authentic” than anything I’ve heard this year. Saying authentic is silly though, cos they are actually from Finland, rather than the usual formula of an American band playing Suomi worship. Check out the EP and grab a copy if you dig it! ‘til next time...

https://lavidaesunmus.bandcamp.com/album/el-totuudesta

Record of the Week: Blaze - Still Nothing Ever Change

Blaze: Still Nothing Ever Change 12” (General Speech) General Speech Records presents an official reissue of this 1992 Japanese hardcore ripper, expanding the original 5-song 7” to a 14 track LP and/or 21-track CD. A friend turned me on to Blaze’s EP in the early 00s, and it’s always been one of those records I could play for people who hadn’t gone super deep with Japanese hardcore that would get them excited. While I wouldn’t put Blaze in the same top tier as Bastard, Death Side, or Nightmare, they’re coming from the same place, and the raw production, fast tempos, and occasional blazing guitar solos are what you’re looking for when you’re digging deeper into the early 90s Japanese hardcore scene. Listening to Blaze for the first time in a while, the band I’m reminded of most is Warhead, particularly their classic Cry of Truth EP. Blaze’s original EP came out just a year after Cry of Truth and has a similar production and songwriting style and vocals that are uncannily like Jun’s, so if you’re a Warhead fan and you haven’t gotten hip to Blaze, seize this opportunity to rectify that. General Speech has done an excellent job with this authorized reissue, scaling up the packaging in a way that feels authentic to the original EP. If you like the EP, I’d classify the bonus tracks on the LP version as essential. When you listen to the LP, there’s no discernible drop-off in quality (either songwriting or production), and unlike some compilation records, it sounds like a coherent full-length rather than a mish-mash of tracks and sessions. While it’s cool to have the tracks on the CD version, that feels more like a compilation as there are a couple of repeated tracks and the non-stop intensity can be exhausting by the time you make it to the end of the disc. General Speech covered all of their bases with the three different versions of this release, so grab the LP if you love Japanese hardcore or grab the CD or LP+CD if you’re a total fanatic who needs to hear everything.

Featured Release Roundup: January 7, 2021

Shrinkwrap Killers: Feral Rats Have Become Our Only Pets 12” (Iron Lung) Iron Lung released a limited 7” by this one-person synth-punk project a while back, now we get the full album. In case you didn’t hear the single, Shrinkwrap Killers has a catchy and aggressive synth-punk sound lying somewhere between the Spits (particularly on tracks with programmed Ramones drumbeats) and Lost Sounds (the not-so-Ramones-y ones). It’s a nice mix, since if all the songs sounded like the former it might lean too far toward Lillingtons-esque pop-punk, while if skewed toward the latter sound it would be too arty and impenetrable. While some lyrics are a little goofy, I like how the melodic lines in the vocals are longer and more complex, which reminds me of the Buzzcocks’ more sophisticated take on melodic punk. Sorry for all the band comparisons, but if you like any of the aforementioned groups, this is well worth checking out.


Mentira: Nada Es Sagrado 12” (Iron Lung) Kansas City’s Mentira released a 7” on Thrilling Living a few years back, and now they’re back with a full-length on the mighty Iron Lung Records. The label’s description references Una Bestia Incontrolable, and I think that’s a pretty spot-on comparison given how Mentira swings back and forth between moments that are straightforwardly raging and artier and more progressive. The opening title track is a good example of their straightforward raging mode (and it rips!), but my favorite moments are when Mentira cuts loose. See “Desmotivación,” which combines a Lebenden Toten-style pogo beat with a catchier riff that wouldn’t be out of place for the Zero Boys or Career Suicide. “Viejo Mensaje” is another highlight with its unhinged guitar leads during the verses and bad-trip psychedelic breakdown. This is what you want from a release on Iron Lung; Mentira is informed by hardcore punk’s long history, but committed to moving that history forward and doing something new. And, most importantly, it rips.


The Celetoids: Optic Nerve cassette (Doom Town Records) Latest 4-song cassette EP from this Croatian band, following up their Pupal Stage 12” from 2017. If Celetoids was from the United States, they would be huge. Their sound is fresh to me, taking the pop sensibilities of the Marked Men / Dirtnap Records world, making it a little rawer, and adding a dash of techno-dystopianism. Your Spits and Jay Reatard fans will find a lot to like here, but there’s something about the grittiness of the production and delivery that reminds me of the first Dark Thoughts album and how they presented more melodic, song-oriented punk in a way that felt palatable to the hardcore underground. Highly recommended if you like a raw, catchy punk tune.


A Year in Review: Staff Picks December 31st, 2020

A Year in Review: 2020

What follows is a list of my favorite releases of 2020 in no particular order. There was so much more great music than this in 2020, but rather than give you a 60-item list, I pared it down to the dozen (or so) most crucial. I did the same for reissues and also shared some personal milestones from this year. Everyone talks about how 2020 was a fucked year, but if you don’t think it was a great one for music, you weren’t paying attention.

Sirkka: Kuluttava Kone cassette (self-released)

Perfectly executed hardcore punk inspired by the Finnish greats of old. One of those releases that leaves your jaw on the floor every time you play it.

Physical media status: This had been sold out since it came out early in 2020, but after I wrote about Kuluttava Kone in my staff pick last week, the band got in touch to say they’ll be releasing a small repress of pro-duplicated tapes very soon. Sorry State will have copies!

Public Acid: Condemnation 7” (Beach Impediment)

Universally acknowledged as one of the most exciting bands in the hardcore punk underground, Public Acid proved why that’s the case with their new EP. Nasty and brutal with an artsy, progressive edge.

Physical media status: The first pressing sold out from the label within a couple of days, as did Sorry State’s distro copies. I see it’s still kicking around in a couple of online distros, though a patient person can wait for the imminent repress.

Straw Man Army: Age of Exile 12" (D4MT Labs)

To say that Straw Man Army emerged out of nowhere would show you’re not paying attention, because the creatively fertile D4MT Labs group has been pumping out hit after hit for several years now. However, this Straw Man Army LP is on another level, more melodic and song-oriented than most of that group’s output, but the streamlined style makes the cutting lyrics hit that much harder. Highly recommended for fans of Zounds and Crisis.

Physical media status: The first pressing appears to be gone, and it seems like most distro copies have been gobbled up as well. However, I hear there’s going to be a UK pressing on La Vida Es Un Mus, which Sorry State will carry if those are the only available copies.

Rigorous Institution: Survival 7" (Roach Leg)

Rigorous Institution’s previous 7” on Black Water blew me away, but Survival… fuck, what a record! I remember this hit the internet shortly into the plague days, when complete societal breakdown seemed like a real possibility. No one painted that picture more clearly than Rigorous Institution. One of the most epic things punk produced in 2020.

Physical media status: Sorry State still has copies!

Riki: S/T 12" (Dais)

California’s Riki released a cool 12” EP a couple of years ago (Sorry State still has copies in stock), but their debut full-length catapulted them to another level. This isn’t punk rock… it’s synth-pop, but the punks love it, me included. FFO Fatamorgana, Special Interest, Boy Harsher.

Physical media status: This LP has already been through a few pressings, each on different colors of vinyl. Sorry State is out of stock, but hopefully we can get more copies as early as next week.

The Annihilated: demo (self-released)

Another hardcore release that blew me away. The 80s US hardcore sound has always been close to my heart, and I don’t think anyone did it better than the UK’s the Annihilated (though they add a pretty big helping of their indigenous oi! music a la Negative Approach).

Physical media status: If you didn’t get one of these already, you’re fucked.

Romero: Honey 7" (Cool Death)

“Honey” is my most played song of 2020. Romero’s music is outside my normal wheelhouse, but something about this songs gets me, and I feel like I’m weightless every time I hear it. Everything about it is great, but I think my favorite part is the way the chord progression unfolds. This song is as solidly constructed as Egypt’s pyramids.

Physical media status: The 7” went through two pressings and both seem long gone. However, Romero has a new single on the way, also on Cool Death Records.

Humant Blod: Flykten Från Verkligheten 7” (Desolate / Havoc)

Looking for the most ripping record of 2020? I can’t think of anything that bests this one. A few New York punks (notably from Extended Hell) flew in a couple of Swedes (including Poffen from Totalitär) for the weekend to record this studio project. How much more ripping could it be? None. None more ripping.

Physical media status: While this record’s first pressing sold out and was briefly in high demand, the labels have done an outstanding job of keeping this available. Sorry State is out but hopefully we can get more soon.

Krigshoder: Krig I Hodet cassette (Suck Blood)

Another transatlantic project band, this one pairs folks from the Suck Blood Records / Blazing Eye / East LA scene with Daniel from Norwegian punks Negativ. A serious contender for the “most ripping” title, but with an added element of bouncy catchiness borrowed from the 80s Norwegian classics.

Physical media status: This is currently sold out, but Suck Blood represses their releases sporadically. Hopefully we can get more at some point.

Fried E/M: Modern World 12” (Lumpy)

Another pure USHC banger, St. Louis’s Fried E/M gave us that catchy, snotty, raging stuff we all crave. FFO Career Suicide, Circle Jerks, Sick Pleasure.

Physical media status: Still in stock at Sorry State!

The Cool Greenhouse: S/T 12" (Melodic) / Alexa 7" (Melodic)

The Cool Greenhouse’s song “Pets” was my favorite track of 2019, and the two records they released this year did not disappoint. While they’ve yet to release a bad song, “Alexa” is my pick for “can’t miss Cool Greenhouse track of 2020.”

Physical media status: Copies of the LP are scarce in the US as the label’s US distributor has been sold out for a while, but you might find a copy or two if you dig around. As far as I can tell, Alexa wasn’t distributed at all in the US, though there are still copies available at UK shops. Basically, you can get both pretty easily, but you’ll have to order from overseas.

ISS: Too Punk for Heavy Metal 7” (Total Punk) / Spikes cassette (self-released)

ISS continues to be one of the most innovative, exciting, and fun bands in punk rock. The a-side of their 7” on Total Punk is one of their best tracks, but they don’t release duds.

Physical media status: Too Punk for Heavy Metal is still in stock at Sorry State, but Spikes sold out in a matter of days and I don’t see a repress happening given how labor-intensive it was to make these.

Misanthropic Minds: Welcome to the Homeland 7” (Sewercide)

It feels weird putting a release that just came out a couple of weeks ago on the best of list, but this is one of 2020’s highlights. Another one that pushes the rage-o-meter into the red, this sounds like if you applied Urban Waste’s production values to Koro’s density and energy level. Not to be missed.

Physical media status: Both the label and Sorry State are sold out and I haven’t heard about whether there will be a repress. However, since this just came out, you should be able to find a copy at another store or distro.

Favorite Reissues of 2020:

United Mutation: Dark Self Image LP (Radio Raheem)

This underrated DC hardcore band gets the retrospective they deserve, done up with all of the class and style Radio Raheem is known for. So much great music and artwork in this package.

Physical media status: Just got a fresh repress; currently in stock at Sorry State.

Kalashnikov: S/T 7” (Adult Crash)

Catchy Euro HC banger gets a long overdue and beautifully executed official reissue.

Physical media status: Sold out, but a repress is coming.

The Times: Red with Purple Flashes 7” (Static Shock)

Perfect UKDIY pop from this project helmed by Ed Ball, whom you also know from Television Personalities, Teenage Filmstars, and O Level.

Physical media status: Currently in stock at Sorry State!

Newtown Neurotics: Kick Out! LP (Sealed)

This LP compiles the essential early singles from this UK punk band. This is the soundtrack to a documentary about the band that has been delayed because of COVID. Can’t wait to see that one.

Physical media status: In stock at Sorry State!

Hellhammer: Apocalyptic Raids LP (Noise)

An all-time metal classic gets a nicely done reissue featuring posters and a thick booklet. I own an original and I still sprung for one of these because the packaging is so awesome.

Physical media status: In stock at Sorry State!

Grave New World: The Last Sanctuary LP (Bitter Lake)

Crow’s project between iterations of his namesake band is one of the great undiscovered gems of Japanese hardcore. A deeply original record, this combines crust and hardcore with psychedelic and noise elements. A brilliant album and I’m happy to own a physical copy.

Physical media status: Sold out instantly, no repress planned as far as I know. You’re going to have to hit the second hand market for this one.

Nightmare: Give Notice of Nightmare LP (Farewell)

Give Notice of Nightmare is a top-tier classic of Japanese hardcore, and while this reissue is light on frills, it gets the music on your turntable, which is the most important part.

Physical media status: Repress coming, hopefully in January, distributed by Sorry State in the US.

T.S.O.L.: Beneath the Shadows LP (Dink)

T.S.O.L.’s 1982 masterpiece gets its first vinyl pressing since 1989. By this point TSOL sounded like an American version of the post-Brian James Damned. However, as much as I love The Black Album and Strawberries, Beneath the Shadows is way better than anything the Damned did after Machine Gun Etiquette.

Physical media status: In stock at Sorry State!

Favorite used pickup of the year: Government Issue: Legless Bull 7”

Being over 40 years old, having lived in the mid-Atlantic United States for my entire life, and having collected vinyl since I was a teenager, I’ve come across more Dischord originals than most people. While I picked up most of the label’s catalog before prices got astronomical, the one that eluded me was Government Issue’s first EP, Legless Bull. I had a few chances in the past, but it was always more than I wanted to pay. This year one came in to the shop and I knew it was going home with me. The early Dischord catalog is so important to me, shaping not only my tastes in music but also my ethics and values.

Favorite addition to my household: Patti Pancake

This year I did something I never thought I’d do: I got a dog. It happened unexpectedly, but I’m so glad it did. She’s still only 9 months old, so she has a ton of fun puppy energy, but now she’s house trained and as well behaved as a dog could be (thanks to my partner Jet).

A Year in Review: Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters? I went a bit long, so read as far as you care to…

I believe it was Ian MacKaye who said, “It’s the end of a fucked up year, but there’s another one coming.” Well, thank fucking lord for that, because I am sure as hell ready for this shitshow to be over. Hopefully we can all look forward to things getting a lot better in 2021. Fingers crossed…

Typically, when we get close to the end of the year, Daniel has us make a list of our “top 10 records of the year” or some sort of list along those lines. But this time he’s letting us write something more freeform and approach our prompt as “2020: a year in review.” I froze for a second and thought to myself—what am I gonna say besides, “Shit, I dunno man, it sucked!” As I’m sitting here to reflect on 2020, the year felt like a whirlwind that washed over me in a blur, but also the slowest, most grueling year of my life. I’ve divided periods of the year into different chapters, each represented by particular sequence of events along with a uniquely uncomfortable headspace. I’m wary of talking too much about a bunch of negative shit, but if my stream of consciousness goes there then sorry. Just bear with me.

It’s funny, I remember the beginning of this year feeling exciting and full of hope. So weird for me to think about how Scarecrow put out our first EP on January 1st and we were planning to go on tour in March. Seems strange to say the pandemic was well-timed, but if lockdown had gone into effect a week later, we would’ve already been on the road. Early on, I remember getting the impression that people were adapting and had energy circulating while dealing with living in quarantine. I found circumstances leading me to reach out to friends who live far away in other cities and see what they were up to. There was a lot of activity on social media, and I remember even thinking to myself that I would get super productive working on recording projects. Slowly but surely, that positive energy faded for me and a lot of other people. Honestly, working at Sorry State and having a sense of structure on a day-to-day basis helped keep my head straight. Daniel could have had us stop working if things got tight, so I’m thankful that he kept us on. We worked hard to adjust to our new reality. It’s surreal to think back now to the end of spring. While Sorry State was closed to the public, we took that time to paint the walls and redecorate. Looking out our storefront window, it was around this time that people began protesting because of the horrible racist police violence. Maybe foolishly, I remember my frame of mind being that the pandemic didn’t even seem that concerning while all of that was going on. It still feels so intense to me that these two world-shaking things were happening at the same time.

Hard to transition smoothly out of that thought… but on a less intense and I guess more personal note, what I miss more than anything due to circumstances in 2020 is punk gigs. Not only because of drinking 20 beers and seeing all these killer bands roll through town, but also because I miss the sense of gathering and seeing friends come together around something rad we all did together. The last gig I played in 2020 was when Vittna drove up to Richmond to play with Lux from Barcelona. That was on March 11th, right before shit hit the fan. I remember talking to Louis from Lux on the street while all the bands were loading out gear and he said they were concerned about being able to get back into the country when they flew home. Crazy.

I’m not sure how much I talked about this when it happened, but one of the bigger bummers of 2020 was when Usman, all of our housemates, and I got booted out of where we lived by our landlord. Our house, which we called The Bunker, was a regular spot where shows took place in Raleigh for a few years. I’ll try not to be too sappy about it, but I get sad when I take the time to think about that even when the world slowly goes back to normal, we won’t have our show house to return to and keep things going. But it was gonna end at some point—covid or no covid. I don’t think I’ve processed that yet. The unofficial last show at our house was on March 8th, with Armor from Florida, my band Vittna, and the first show of this killer “new” band Pioneers Disappear, which Usman plays guitar in. From what I remember, that was a pretty great show. Bye bye, Bunker.

Okay, now let’s get to records. I can safely say that this year is the most amount of money I’ve ever spent on records. I wish I could say that buying records is my only vice, but I’m pretty sure I’ve drunk more Hamm’s this year than any other. Usman has me beat on rare and rad Scandinavian hardcore this year, but I went pretty hard on the US hardcore stuff. I’ve picked up quite a few hardcore records that I’ve been stoked on, but my big score was getting a first pressing of the Negative Approach 7”. Top 3 greatest hardcore records ever? It’s the most money I’ve ever spent on a single record, but I still would say I got it for a pretty damn good deal. Don’t ask.

It seems like my “best of” section is shaping up to be the shortest part of my ramblings for this epic I’m writing. Granted, 2020 was a difficult year to release a record in any capacity. But for me, 2020 was the “year of cassettes.” Most of my favorite releases from this year were released on tape. Top mentions include Sirkka, Krigshoder, The Annihilated, Violent Christians, Tower 7, Vivisected Numbskulls—DAMN, so much killer shit. That said, there were a few undeniable vinyl releases this year. If you made a formal list of your top records and the new Public Acid 7” wasn’t on it, you’re a complete moron. Humant Blod was also a collision of people from one the best current bands and people from some of my favs overseas. Also, late to the game, but I love that new White Stains record. The band has a good chunk of peeps from the Loose Nukes camp, but It’s not quite as ripping fast. I gotta say though, it’s got that vibe of mean and irreverent hardcore that I’ve been craving lately. I wrote this somewhere else, but it’s like Sick Pleasure meets Amdi Petersens’ Arme. Maybe with a bit of Lucky Lehrer type drumming? I dunno. Alright, I’ll keep it simple because I’m sick of typing. Here are some other records I liked this year: Secretors flexi, Lux 7”, Muro: Pacificar 12”, Sial 12”, Stray Bullet 7”, Regimen De Terror 7”, Rigorous Institution: Survival 7”, Reek Minds 7”, Kaleidoscope 7”, Straw Man Army 12”, Xylitol 7” with the long ass title, Milk 7”, Subdued 12”, Fried E/M 12”, Sabre 7”, Nutrition 7”, and Riki was my synth-laden guilty pleasure all year long.

That’s it, ya filthy animals. See ya next year, I hope.

Thanks for reading,

-Jeff

A Year in Review: Eric

How bout it! The year 2020 has come and gone. Daniel has given us permission to go off the cuff and talk about our year in review, both in terms of great punk, and in terms of what went down for us personally. I’ll try my best to spare y’all from what we all see and hear in the media we consume (“2020!!?!?!??!! wHaT A dUMpSteR fIRe AMIRITE”). We can all agree that none of us had the year we thought we were going to have. I remember the last show I played (or attended for that matter) was Vittna playing In Richmond with Lux on March 11th. I have a vivid memory of my Mom texting me something to the effect of: “This is getting bad!! Stay home!! Please don’t go to any shows or parties!!” Meanwhile, I was surrounded by strangers drinking draft beer and cutting up with old friends. It became even more real when Lux was saying they were worried they would not get back to Spain. It was only a few days later that stay at home ordinances were in place and our worlds were turned upside down.

Public Acid had lots of plans to tour and stay busy, I had made some personal travel plans, and I had plans to move to Richmond to be closer to some close friends and family (I did still end up doing that, but I’ll get to that later). I had typed out a long rant about what happened instead and how much it fucking sucked, but then I decided not to. We’re all having a rough time. No need to compete over who suffered more. Plus, the only way to move is forward! Lemme tell you about some highlights from my year:

-I’ve been finding some solace in calling this year, “the year of the homie.” By that I mean I could probably count the new people I’ve met on my hands, and I have had so much time to spend with people in my chosen circle(s). No strangers, no outsiders, no awkward interactions at social gatherings or shows… just connecting with people I want to. Sure, there are so many people I wish I could have connected with this year, but I guess that’s why the overlords gave us instagram. I feel like some relationships I had with certain friends are stronger than ever if for no other reason than we were quarantining in the same circles, and for that I’m grateful if I’m being real!

-A big development for me this year was relocating to Richmond after being in North Carolina for almost 9 years (the last 3 of which were in Raleigh). That was a decision I made before the shit hit the fan that didn’t come to fruition until July. I have a lot of very close friends and family here and I am so glad I can hunker down here amongst good company. I was soooo sad to leave all my friends and regulars at Sorry State, but I feel lucky that Daniel kept me on staff and has me buying records for the store from afar. SSR #1 4evr.

-Public Acid recorded in February and our 7” finally came out last month on Beach Impediment. Thanks to everyone who picked one up or shared some kind words! That was something that made this year feel alright, even if we had to cancel so many other things we were looking forward to.

-With nothing but time on our hands, my roommate, a close friend, and myself have been working out in my backyard on a very regular basis. We had gotten so into it we hired a covid friendly personal trainer to show us the way of the meathead. I don’t think I look different (you can pry the Miller Lite and pepperoni pizza from my cold, dead hands) but I am feeling stronger in mind and body. If I didn’t have that outlet, my mental health would likely have spiraled out of control.

-I have laid down tracks for 4 different projects over the course of the year that will hopefully see the light of day in 2021. I guess if nothing else there has been plenty of time to try new creative things and branch out, even if nothing ever comes of it.

-I got my very first pro tattoos at age 27! One is Green Day album art (I regret nothing) and another is a cute lil Poison Idea tattoo my dear friend Jim gave me.

-This past month or so I have picked up a couple different part time gigs, including working a few days a week at Vinyl Conflict here in Richmond. Now I have two record gigs! Things could be worse.

This all feels very strange, and I realize I haven’t mentioned my favorite records of 2020 yet. I guess my point in saying all that is that I hope all of you can find your personal silver lining after such a traumatic year. I’ve had a few white claws and I have been rambling and reminiscing about the past 12 months, and I gotta tell ya, it feels good to write down the things you’re thankful for.

This New Year I plan to drink my weight in champagne, watch Green Day do some stupid shit on live television, and hopefully score a midnight smooch from a special lady I’m sweet on. As for 2021, I ain’t placing any bets.

Here are some of my favorite releases from 2020 (in no particular order):

Laffing Gas - It’s A Beautiful Day In The Gulch 12”

Fried E/M - S/T 12”

Sweeping Promises - Hunger For A Way Out 12”

Muro / Orden Mundial - Sonido De La Negacion 12”

White Stains: Make Me Sick 12”

Kaleidoscope - Decolonization 7”

Bootlicker - How To Love Life 7”

Romero - Honey 7”

Scarecrow - Revenge 7”

The Annihilated - Demo cassette

DeStructos - Blast! Cassette

That’s it for me. I’m sure the moment I submit this I will remember another release that kicks ass but oh well. Hope everyone has a pleasant New Year and has time to count their blessings. ACAB.

A Year in Review: Dominic

Happy New Year Sorry Staters. Cheers to all of you out there who read our newsletter and support the store. Thank you, it means a lot.

So, 2020 has finally come to an end. What a year indeed. We can only hope that this next year dials back the pain and suffering just a smidge. Perhaps see the end of the pandemic and a return to some sort of normalcy where we can socialize with each other again? That would be nice, right? Maybe go see some bands play, hang out with each other, travel, all the good stuff that makes life tolerable. Fingers crossed. Despite all the bad stuff that went down this past year, a lot of great things still happened. Liverpool FC won the English Premier League, for instance. Oh, and a ton of great music was released. Music, that’s our business here at Sorry State and thanks to your support we put a lot of cool records into your hands and onto your turntables. We look forward to more of the same in 2021.

It’s at this time of the year that every magazine, store and person with an internet connection puts out “Best Of” lists and we are no exception. A quick read through the past year’s newsletters proves that there truly was a big stack of cool records (and tapes) that came out. You probably bought several from us. Cheers for that. One thing about best of lists is that they are subjective. We all have our different tastes and preferences. With so much music being created each year, it’s near impossible to keep up with it all. I work in a record store and live and breathe music all day every day, yet reading other people’s lists I realize just how much I don’t know about and have missed. Unfortunately, there are not enough hours in the day to listen to everything nor finances to pay for it all, but I managed to take a few releases home with me this year and also scored some cool old shit I have spent years hoping to find.

My list then is almost exclusively things that I bought and took home rather than trying to be an actual best of the year. To simplify things, I have picked four or five records that were a new single, new album, a reissue or a compilation, the last category being my personal scores.

First up then are a handful of singles that impressed me. The Renaldo Domino track is an awesome new soul track from a performer from the original golden era of soul music. Here he is backed by a top notch crew of some of the brightest talents in the soul and funk world working today. The Colemine label outdid themselves with this one. It’s a great uptempo, authentic sounding tune and I was happy to get to spin it at the one DJ gig I had this past summer. ISS are our hometown heroes and keep raising the bar with each release. This single combines post-punk sounds with a knowing wink and a little humour and is ace. They almost topped themselves with their late year entry called Spikes, which came out as a limited cassette, but the 45 wins by a nose. Working Men’s Club is a new outfit from the UK signed to Heavenly and all I can say is that single Valleys sounds like the hit single New Order never made. You can almost imagine yourself in the Hacienda to this one. Although not technically a single, more of an EP, the four tracks from Cry Out represent the unfinished work of sadly departed artist Rosie Davis. Last cut, Garden Song, is my favourite. It’s great and should please anyone who likes upbeat, 80s sounding, slightly Goth post punk music. Even though these recording are uncompleted, I think they sound terrific and encourage you to seek this one out. The track Deeper Love from the UK’s Stone Foundation features Modfather Paul Weller on vocals and is a highlight from the group’s album Is Love Enough. These guys have been building an impressive body of work over the past dozen years and do not seem ready to stop here.

Favorite Singles

  1. Renaldo Domino: No Lagging and Dragging (Colemine)
  2. ISS: Too Punk For Heavy Metal (Total Punk)
  3. Working Men’s Club: Valleys (Heavenly Recordings)
  4. Cry Out More Echoes Of A Question Never Answered Why? (La Vida Es Un Mus)
  5. Stone Foundation: Deeper Love (100% Records)

Lots of top full lengths out this year, too. I was particularly excited to get the LP from The Cool Greenhouse. We at SSR are big fans. From the UK, they deliver droll tongue-in-cheek missives on modern life in a post punk, DIY sort of fashion and are totally ace. Try and find some of the singles too if you can but definitely check the LP. Track, Smile, Love! Is a highlight for me. God knows we needed a laugh in 2020, and although not trying to be a comedy band, they certainly made me smile. Sounding like they could also be from England are American band Naked Roomate. They combine post punk moves with an electronic sound but also have humour in their lyrics. Certainly giving a nod to the past but an interesting debut, I thought. I’ve been a fan of guitar slinger Little Barrie for some years now and this collaboration with drummer Malcom Catto is absolutely top. It just came out and I haven’t picked up the vinyl yet but have been playing it a lot online. The record sounds like space-age psychedelic funk music, and that’s a good thing. Morwan are a Ukranian post punk band that combine Arabic influences into their sound, and this record came as a surprise to me. I had no idea what to expect when we got it in, but have to say it was a highlight of the year. Dark and mysterious sounds that ear-wormed their way into my brain. Cool.

Favorite Album

  1. The Cool Greenhouse: S/T (Melodic)
  2. Naked Roommate: Do The Duvet (Trouble In Mind)
  3. Little Barrie & Malcom Catto: Quatermass Seven (Madlib Invasion)
  4. Morwan: Zola-Zemlya (Feel It Records)

Every year the record industry reissues a ton of classic old albums and singles and this year was no exception. I was totally psyched to see the Kennélmus album get a reissue as it has been a Holy Grail 60s psych record on my radar for many years. Super nice job on the package too. Imagine a mash up of Zappa, Beefheart and The Ventures produced by Ennio Morricone and you’ll have an idea of what to expect. The Specials had a cool Record Store Day release this year. A nice 10” of dub instrumentals of Gangsters and personal fave, Why?

Two cool 45s from Australian punkers Z-Cars and England’s The Times were welcome additions to my collection, both being pretty hard finds as originals.

Favorite Resissue-Single or Album

  1. Kennélmus: Folkstone Prism (Modern Harmonic)
  2. The Specials: Gangsters Dubs 10” (2 Tone)
  3. Z-Cars: This Is Z-Cars 7” (Meanbean Records)
  4. The Times: Red With Purple Flashes (Static Shock Records)

Some killer comps out this year and I am all about a good compilation. The jazz head in me was excited to hear some new jazz sounds and the contemporary artists on the Blue Note Re: Imagined all brought the heat. Two other cool Record Store Day releases were the Sharon Jones collection of cover versions they did and Double Whammy comp of 60s garage which had some unreleased cuts and a lot of tough to find singles. Lastly, a collection of more obscure bands that recorded sessions for the late and great Sir John Peel. Really good.

Favorite Compilation

  1. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: I Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (Daptone Records )
  2. Blue Note Re:imagined 2020 (Blue Note)
  3. Double Whammy! A 1960s Garage Rock Rave-Up (Craft Recordings)
  4. Killed By John Peel (Vatican Radio Records)

And to end things out, a quick clutch of 45s and an LP that I managed to score this year. The Moon LP had been on my want list for a while and funnily we had a Taiwanese pressing come through the store and then I found a US original the next week. It’s great 60s pop-psych album worth it for track Got To Be On My Way alone. The Throb were an Australian freakbeat band from the 60s and Believe In Me is a great moody garage style cut. The Ognir And The Nite People 45 is a cool two-sider and a great US garage record. Very pleased to get a copy finally. The Hodges, James, Smith & Caulfield tune is a fine piece of sister funk that I was introduced to by Irish DJ David Holmes many years ago and so finding a copy was very nice. Lastly, as we have been living with a fascist dictator for the last four years, it seemed a perfect time to snag a copy of The Cortinas record that came through the store. A classic slice of UK punk featuring future Clash Mk. II member Nick Sheppard.

Personal Scores

  1. Hodges, James, Smith & Caulfield: Nobody 7” (Mpingo)
  2. The Moon: Without Earth LP (Imperial)
  3. The Throb: Believe In Me 7” (Parlophone)
  4. Ognir And The Nite People: I Found A New Love 7” (Warner Bros. Records)
  5. The Cortinas: Fascist Dictator 7” (Step Forward Records)

And so there you have it. From me at least. Let’s thank Jah that we made it through this year. Many of us sadly didn’t and so let’s raise a glass to them. As we enter the Age of Aquarius together we have to put this mess behind us and although not forgetting it, try to remember that there were many great moments and that out of great adversity often comes great art and endeavors. Happy New Year Punk Motherfuckers!!!

Peace-Dom.

A Year in Review: Usman

2020 Started off pretty cool. I went to some sick shows, I started a new band where I tried to play guitar and we played our first (and last) gig. My label with Jeff released an EP of our own band we have together with Daniel, and it sold way faster than anticipated. A label in Sweden who I have looked up to for years offered to release that same EP to get copies into Europe. We booked a two-week tour up the East coast and into the Midwest, and it was easier to book than any tour I had ever experienced. The promoters seemed excited to have us, rather than it being a chore haha. And then we got hit hard with Covid-19 in the States. We “postponed” the tour. Jeff and I got kicked outta our house, which also hosted 90% of the shows we booked. It got a lot worse as the months unfolded with the passing of family and friends. But to keep it real, I have had it a lot easier than most who have suffered through this pandemic. I have kept a warm place to sleep, kept smoking weed, was still able to buy some dank records, and scored my DREAM job here at Sorry State. Not many people can say any of the above. This pandemic has brought (and continues to bring) living hell to the most oppressed demographics in the States. Most people reading this are probably pretty far removed from such demographics. There’s a lot of things I want to say about all the people I saw on social media partying and not social distancing, but I dunno, I don’t feel right laying into people like that. I have done things in my life where I didn’t see the harm I was bringing onto others. It just hurts to see people partying while others die, literally, as a result of people not taking the responsibility to distance. I dunno, I guess the government is to blame the most for not taking care of its citizens by giving us what we need to stay home. Instead, thousands of people have to go into the outside world to earn money just to survive. I’m sure it wasn’t just assholes partying, but workplaces spreading Covid-19 at high rates. It’s not fair for me to condemn those who had no choice but to work to keep a roof over their families’ heads. Yeah, I dunno, I didn’t even mention George Floyd and the HUNDREDS of black, brown, and disabled people shot and killed by the pigs this year alone. What a world we live in. Who knows, maybe a global pandemic is the Earth’s response to thousands of years of rape it has been subjected to at the sake of human “progress.” Anyway, this is about my top records of 2020... so I’ll stop ranting and get on with it.

There were a lot of great records released this year. Here are my top picks:

Sirkka: Kuluttava Kone_ (self-released) _This is my favorite release of the year, I think. I wish it was on a record but I am happy for whatever format this shit is on cos it KILLS!!!! If you love Riistetyt or other Finnish ‘83 shit and have not checked this out, do it right now. The songs are so well written it’s insane. The guitar tones sound so good to my ears. The vocals are icing on the cake. It’s unbelievably good. I can’t express how good I think this is, aside from saying it’s my favorite release of the year, whatever that’s worth. If you missed out on grabbing this, I heard they are doing another run of cassettes. Eyes peeled.

Krigshoder: Krig I Hodet (Suckblood) It’s hard for me to say Sirkka was my favorite release of 2020 with this Krigshoder cassette also being released this year haha. This band, like Sirkka, is an American band with a vocalist from overseas singing in their native language. Apparently the combination is straight up lethal cos both these tapes fucking kill. The band sounds like it has more influences aside from Norwegian HC; some parts remind me of US hardcore and some elements sound a bit Italian (probably cos it rips so hard haha). But who the fuck cares if I can’t box it into a direct “influence.” Actually, that’s probably a good thing. God damn AND they cover the best song (in my opinion) off the Siste Dagers Helvete LP! It’s crazy how natural it sounds for them to play it, too. Top-notch release. I’m not sure if the label still has copies, but you can download it from their bandcamp page and make yer own cassette version.

Destruct: Echoes of Life (Grave Mistake) This band is so good live. So good. Some elements come off as “tough,” which is usually a turn off for me, but I love this record through-and-through. I can listen to it non-stop, flipping it repeatedly, and it doesn’t get old. The guitar tone is perfect, and the riffs are excellent. The bass and drums are so locked in, it’s fucked up. Having a record I can flip constantly and not get tired of is what I look for in a release, and I genuinely found that with this record. There are represses still in circulation, so if you were living under a rock and missed out on this, yer still in luck.

And of course, here are my “honorable” mentions:

Kohti Tuhoa: Elä Totuudesta (La Vida Es Un Mus) This EP is absolutely KILLER, and probably should have been in the picture, but I fucked up. Really cool to hear a modern Finnish band play an old style. So well-executed, not relying on layers of noise or distortion like most bands who worship Finland ‘83 shit. Sounds fucking classic. Sorry State still has a handful of copies of this release if you missed out.

Vivisected Numbskulls: 4 Track demo (Chaotic Uprising Productions) To me, this sounds like it’s influenced by UK82 with hints of Swedish HC. The recording sounds like it’s legit from the ‘80s. I instantly fell in love with this tape, and it stuck with me throughout the year. I think these are sold out, but they have an awesome follow-up cassette available from the label still!

Public Acid: Condemnation (Beach Impediment) Im not sure if I need to explain this one? Can’t fuck with North Carolina! Repress on the way, or check out mailorders who still have copies floating around.

For the hell of it, here are my top reissues of 2020:

Disfear: Soul Scars (La Familia/Havoc/Disfear Records)

Bombanfall: Åsiktsfrihet (D-Takt & Råpunk)

Kalashnikov: Self-titled (Adult Crash)

So I’ve included two extra photos. The first one is of what I consider my most played LPs of the year. One Struggle, One Fight is my favorite Varukers album. (Prepare for the Attack is equally as good to me, but I’m not sure if I can call that a proper album?) I was so happy to finally get an original copy of this! It is exactly one of those records I can listen to on repeat all day without getting bored. I think Rat’s vocals are my favorite on this record over any other release they did. I actually love to full-on sing along with him on this shit haha. Tsjernobilly Boogie was a Norwegian compilation I had never heard of. There were bands on it who I also did not know, but soon came to love! My friend Michael Hardy (WHAT UP, if yer blind ass can read this) told me he came across the LP knowing nothing about it but saw “Norsk Hardcore” on the cover and was sold. He talked about it non stop for a while, so I kept my eye out for a copy. I found one at a good price and I am so happy to have gotten my copy to blast!! Kuknacke is a compilation of Moderat Livkidation, one of the greatest fucking Swedish HC bands. I literally cannot get enough of this shit. I was beyond stoked to land one of these so I can listen to all their tracks back to back, with only one flip haha. Their OGs go for a lot of money, so I think this will be my baby for many, many years to come.

Speaking of a lot of money... with some contemplation, I have shared a photo of my “top scores” of the year. I’m not sharing this to show off. I just thought I would share cos these records mean a lot to me; there is a reason I consider them my top scores of the year. I would cherish them regardless of how rare they have become. I am lucky to have these, and I will have them until I die. The Anarkist Attack EP was an insane score. The cover is uncut; from my understanding this is pretty rare? Tampere SS and Pohjasakka were among the first Finnish HC bands I ever heard. Each band released one cassette and one EP. Both cassettes are nearly impossible to find. I saw a discogs seller “list” the Sotaa EP over the summer, but they would only accept a trade. It was a German who was after USHC. Lucky for both of us, we had some hot shit in the store at the time (per usual haha)... So I traded early represses of the first two Minor Threat EPs and an original Necros IQ32, and in return in received the Tampere SS EP alongside a few hundred bucks. Maybe one day I will regret trading those hot USHC slabs... but knowing there were only 200 copies of the Tampere SS EP ever made (all with handmade center labels, pasted on by the band), I think I made the right decision. The Tampere SS goes for a lot more money than the Pohjasakka EP, but to me they are both priceless. Alright, I think that sums it up. So grateful for Sorry State, and even more grateful to all the punks who support us. Without you, we couldn’t do this. So thank you. Happy New Year, y’all. I hope 2021 will bring us some light at the end of the tunnel. ‘Til next year...

A Year in Review: Rachel

I usually don’t keep up with new releases; that’s changing now that I work at Sorry State though. I haven’t been here long enough to give an accurate top ten new releases of the year; besides, I think my coworkers do a much better job. Packing up my records for this move gave me an excuse to go through them and think about what I’ve bought this year, so top ten purchases seemed more appropriate for me.

Despite not being able to go digging, for obvious reasons, what I have been able to pick up this year are some of my new favorites in my entire (meager) collection. After pulling this list, I noticed it gives a good cross section of my collection. Lil bit of this, lil bit of that. I love catching a new release on vinyl, but my bread and butter is digging because nothing is better than finding something you didn’t know you needed. I picked up some new releases, but most of this list didn’t come out this year.

In (mostly) the order of buying:

  1. Gouge Away - Consider 7” (2020)

I’d been looking forward to a new Gouge Away release and while I’m stoked I got this variant, it was supposed to be a tour exclusive. I think this release marks the moment in the year I realized how much the pandemic was impacting everything. This band, like so many others, took it in stride and released this record online with a cute lil’ quarantine activity book. While the world started to shut down, I got to hole up in my room and listen to more of my collection than I ever have before. This release didn’t disappoint; it’s my favorite of theirs so far. The band seems more focused on their sound and I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.

  1. Czarface - The Odd Czar Against Us! 12” (2019)

I’m not well versed in rap at all, but I know what I like and this release was a pleasant surprise. I’d never heard of Czarface until my boyfriend worked with him earlier this year. He scored the intro to the Holy Mountain Printing podcast, and I loved it so much I was stoked to see this record appear in my mailbox. Turns out, Boyfriend’s boss had a copy sent to us because he knew we were huge fans of what we’d heard. We all know this year was weird as fuck. Being able to have a physical item attached to something that made me smile this year is something I’m going to carry with me for a while. The music on this release is sick, but it also just makes me happy to see on my shelf.

  1. Charles Manson - Live at San Quentin 1983 12” (2019 reissue)

Another record I didn’t know I was going to be getting this year! My previous boss and I are still friends and he loves to enable people’s collecting, so for my birthday he got me a gift card to the online store Two Headed Dog. They have a great selection filled with movie soundtracks and oddball stuff right up my alley. This record completes the Spahn Ranch Records discography in my collection: a whopping two releases! I was so, so excited to find it on that site and knew it had to go on my shelf. I’m a fan of true crime and I’m a fan of experimental folk and all that weird stuff they were doing in the 60s/70s, so Charles Manson records are chefs kiss something I love. Especially this album because out of all of his released music, this is some of his more listenable stuff.

  1. David Lynch ft. Jack Cruz - The Flame of Love 7” (2020)

I will get behind anything David Lynch does. And, FUCK his music is so good. I love his other releases and this one was too weird not to get! Another Two Headed Dog purchase and I’m so happy I got it. If you haven’t seen Lynch’s short film “What Did Jack Do?” On Netflix, I recommend the 15ish minute surreal train ride. I don’t know why a monkey with a poorly CGI’d mouth is so compelling, but if anyone could do it, it’s David Lynch. I never, ever go for crooner type music but I think I’d get behind any genre if David Lynch was singing. I love that man and everything he does, UGH.

  1. Xibalba - En La Oscuridad 7” Flexi (2020)

This band just rips, dude. Holy Mountain Printing put out this single on a flexi towards the middle of the year and I’ve been biting my nails waiting for the full album to come out. Did not disappoint AT ALL. This song is still my top for that album, though.

  1. Flatt & Scruggs - The Best from Pet Milk Vol. 1 12” (1959)

The rest of my list marks the significant change of when I started working at Sorry State! This job is better than I could’ve imagined but I keep finding records I need. Double-edged sword. One of the first ones was found by Dominic and put on when we found out we were both fans of music like this. I have a lot of Flatt & Scruggs records already but nothing quite like this. The Grand Ole Opry is an integral part of country history and listening to a record with the ads and intros included was something I didn’t have in my collection. I amassed a lot of bluegrass and banjo music when I worked at another record store; it was the PERFECT music to blast at the end of the night to get people out so I could go home. But then I grew to love and appreciate this genre. It’s a release that hits multiple reasons I collect records- it’s an old ad for a product that no longer exists, a segment of American history, and has really, really good music. I listen to this record more than I’d like to admit.

  1. My Chemical Romance - Life on a Murder Scene 12” (2020 reissue)

I don’t mean to be aggressive but I would die for My Chemical Romance. I’m 26, the exact demographic MCR hit in the mid 2000s and I’m more than okay with it. I had this CD until it broke in my CD player. I watched the accompanying DVD so many times I could speak along with it. I loved My Chemical Romance to an embarrassing extent. Now, they aren’t in my usual rotation but if it “Mysteriously” gets queued up, I revert right back to that fan girl. I don’t pay much attention to Record Store Day releases but I had to pick this one up. The packaging makes my 12 year old heart sing. And honestly, their music still holds up and I will STAND BY THAT. I’ve joked that I would get fired the second I put this band in my staff pick but I’ll go out on this one if I have to! (Daniel is too nice to even participate in me roasting myself for my emo phase; I think my job is secure enough to include this in my top ten.)

  1. Star Trek - Passage to Moauv/In Vino Veritas/The Crier in Emptiness 12” (1979)

I will also forever stand by Star Trek. Except the Original Series. Kirk can go suffocate in space for all I care, The Next Generation is where it’s at. But, of course, most of the vinyl Star Trek releases are from the original series so I suck it up because I love the covers, movie soundtracks, and other stuff I’ve found (like Trek bloopers, Gene Roddenberry interviews, I mean come on, so good). I picked this record up without even thinking so I didn’t know what to expect when I put it on. It’s super fun and has so many examples why I hate Captain Kirk. Most notably, how much he complains about a mind controlling alien cat. I don’t even need to say anything else- obviously this record rocks because it has mind controlling alien cats.

  1. Ralph M. Lewis - The Science of Mysticism 12” (1967)

I found this record when I was digging for something for a customer. That keeps happening. Occult history is something I’ve been interested in but didn’t even think about what vinyl releases were lurking around the world. This is an old Rosicrucian Recordings record, and I’d be lying if I said I understood most (if any?) of it. It’s super fascinating to listen to, and the packaging is perfect (red vinyl!!). It’s another weird part of history pressed into vinyl.

  1. Mutant Strain - S/T 12” (2020)

This is hands down my favorite release and purchase of the year. I mentioned in my last staff pick I’ve been friends with Alex and Maryssa since college. After graduating they moved to Charlotte and whenever we saw each other, conversation always came back to being in a band and releasing music through Sorry State. It happened! Icing on the cake is me starting right as the release came out so I could see in real time that not only did Alex and Maryssa hit their goal, they were making music that people liked. I have to wax poetic about how amazing this release is to make up for sharing Alex’s college band with everyone that reads this newsletter. But really, it’s so easy to do with Mutant Strain. I’m so beyond proud of the work they and the other band members put into this monster of a release. The packaging is perfect, the sound is unreal, and the whole thing just RIPS. The energy seeps through the speakers when I put this on. Mutant Strain is a beast of a band.

2020 was fucked. COVID will still exist in 2021, but hopefully we can emerge from this craziness new and improved. I can’t wait to go to shows and smell everyone’s BO again. I can’t wait to walk into a record store and browse without thinking of where my hands have been. I can’t wait to work at Sorry State when we can ease our social distancing restrictions. There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming year! I’m never one for the symbolic New Years bullshit, but I think I kind of need it this year. I think most people are ready to shed 2020 and look forward to something different, even if it is just a calendar year.

I hope everyone reading this doesn’t hate me after I admit my love for My Chemical Romance and have a safe and happy new year!

The LAST Record of the Week in 2020: White Stains - Make Me Sick 12"

White Stains: Make Me Sick 12” (Song Book Records) If you look at the band photo on Make Me Sick’s insert, you’ll see people from pretty much all the best and most popular hardcore punk bands in Pittsburgh for the past few years. These people know how to make great hardcore punk, and Make Me Sick is White Stains doing just that. While White Stains isn’t as as blistering as Loose Nukes or as brutally intense as Blood Pressure, that’s only because they’ve taken a different tack here, channeling the snotty, punky hardcore of bands like the Circle Jerks, Sick Pleasure, and Chronic Sick. Of those bands, Circle Jerks is the most apt comparison given how White Stains’ snottiness comes along with so much catchiness and rhythmic density. And like Group Sex, the drum parts are almost catchier than the riffs here… I need to be careful listening to this while driving because these songs might make steering seem less important than air drumming. Also, fair warning: this is way more limited than a record this good should be, so snatch your copy while you can.

The LAST Featured Release Roundup of 2020: December 31st, 2020

Hated: Innocent People 7" (Meat House Productions) First ever reissue for this obscure early 80s punk band from Huntington Beach, California. It's amazing there's never even been a compilation of this band's three singles, of which Innocent People is the first, having come out in 1981. The sound is of the Beach Punk ilk you know from records like Posh Boy's Beach BLVD compilation. You can expect lots of fast ride cymbal action, surf guitar licks, and disaffected-sounding yet melodic vocals. It's a similar sound to bands like the Chiefs, the Simpletones, and Agent Orange, and it's the sound the Adolescents honed to razor sharpness on their debut LP that same year. Yeah, the Hated were no Adolescents, but if you have a taste for 80s California punk, I can't imagine thinking they're an also-ran. Here's hoping Meat House continues their campaign and reissues the other Hated singles.


Funeral: Waiting for the Bomb Blast 7" (Meat House Productions) The second in a pair of crazy rare early California punk singles that Meat House Productions has dug up for us. If the Hated sound like you could slot them onto the Beach Blvd compilation, Funeral could do the same for the American Youth Report comp. Like the bands on that record, Funeral come from the harder, faster end of the early 80s California punk spectrum. I can't imagine they weren't huge fans of the Germs, as they share that band's intensity and rock swagger. However, while these songs are ripping fast, they have a pop undercurrent that reminds me of contemporaries like the Adolescents, Modern Warfare, and MIA. All three songs are cool, but the a-side, "Waiting for the Bomb Blast," is the all-time scorcher, moving from a killer intro that reminds me of Rik L Rik into a catchy punk jam that would have done TSOL proud.


Parnepar:  Dobar Dan, Izvolite cassette (Doom Town Records) Second cassette from this band out of Zagreb, Croatia. While the label's description references a lot of cool-sounding 80s Yugoslavian punk, unfortunately I don't know most of those bands so I'll have to come at this from my limited frame of reference. Parnepar sounds like music of the post-punk era, but the more arty and austere end of it. On the songs that are minimal and led by the bass (with the guitar only providing sparse rhythmic accents), they remind me of This Heat or Wire's artiest moments. When the guitar kicks in, Panepar's sound moves more toward the rhythmically quirky punk of the early Minutemen. I wouldn't come to  Dobar Dan, Izvolite looking for pop hits, but as someone who loves that quirky, arty end of the post-punk spectrum, I like this a lot.


The Cowboys: Lovers in Marble cassette (Feel It) Brand new 5-song cassette from Indiana's prolific Cowboys. I've enjoyed being on the journey with the Cowboys, watching them grow, evolve, and take chances with each new release. Lovers in Marble continues that trend with results at least as good as any other Cowboys release. At this point I'm not sure I'd call the Cowboys a punk band; they're just an underground rock band. I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks of Guided by Voices when I listen to Lovers in Marble. Like GBV, the Cowboys are songsmiths at heart, anglophilic (with a particular fondness for British psychedelic pop), and they have a complicated relationship with fidelity. There are moments of pure pop bliss on Lovers in Marble that remind me of the Zombies or even My Bloody Valentine, and there are moments that don't work as well. (I was listening to this in my office and when the off-key, Kermit like vocals came in at the end of "The Bell Rings Less," I heard Dominic shout "they lost me here" from the other room.) I'm partial to bands that throw a lot at the wall to see what sticks, and I'd place the Cowboys in that category along with the Kinks and GBV. I'm sure, by this point, the Cowboys have lost a lot of punks and people with limited bandwidth for new music, but I am still very much on board.


C-Krit: S/T cassette (Stucco Label) Olympia's Stucco Label, who helped introduce the world to Electric Chair and Suck Lords, bring us more of their trademark lo-fi antagonistic punk. C-Krit dabbles in the ultra-fast tempos of the aforementioned bands (see "Am What I Am" and "The Kids Will Have Their Say Pt. II"), but they cover a lot of stylistic ground on this tape. Two of the songs remind me of Flipper and No Trend's loose and nihilistic punk, but then the closing "My Eyes Melt" is a dub-influenced minimal synth track. You'd think it would sound like a jumble, but the DIY basement production helps it hang together. I would love to see what C-Krit would do with twelve inches of vinyl.


Fugitive Bubble: self-titled cassette (Stucco Label) Another ripper from the almighty Stucco Label, and another one that's dissimilar from the ultra-fast hardcore style I know the label for. Fugitive Bubble plays catchy, song oriented punk that teeters on the edge of hardcore. "Checks & Balance" is fast and catchy a la Rhino 39 or the Middle Class, while "Contemporary Restoration" has an anthemic vocal melody that reminds me of the Avengers. The recording sounds raw and live and the band sounds tight but nowhere near slick. It's fast, it's catchy, and it's punk as hell. Recommended if you're a fan of CB Radio Gorgeous or CCTV.


Staff Picks: December 24 2020

Staff Picks: Daniel

Demigod: Unholy Domain 12” (2020, Raw Skull Recordz)

At the risk of name dropping, I’ll tell a quick story about how I learned about Demigod. The last time Impalers annihilated North Carolina I was talking with their vocalist Chris Ulsh after the show and fanboying out about how much I love all the music he makes, an annoyance that he endured with a classiness that no one should have a right to expect. That was shortly after the last Innumerable Forms LP, Punishment in Flesh (on which he played guitar), had come out and I was telling Chris how much I liked it, though I didn’t know much about the Finnish death metal that inspired their sound. Chris gave me a list of bands to check out, and the one he emphasized was Demigod. Sure enough, when I looked up their 1991 demo tape Unholy Domain, I found a nascent version of the massive, punishing, slow-to-mid-paced death groove that made me latch onto the Innumerable Forms record so hard.

A few months ago I found out the Dutch label Raw Skull Recordz was reissuing Unholy Domain on a 12”, so I placed my order and patiently waited for the record to arrive. It took three months, but it showed up this week. There’s nothing special about the packaging (though it is on a pretty color of vinyl) and the recording sounds about the same as the cassette rip I had been listening to on YouTube, but I’m still stoked to own this crusher on a permanent physical format. When I want to hear something really heavy, this is what I crave.

Staff Picks: Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

As much as I try to say unique things other than “this is killer” when I write my staff pick, I feel a strange sense of déjà vu as I write this:

Sometimes, a record comes along that you didn’t know how badly you wanted until it emerges into existence. Now and then I experience listening to a new hardcore record that comes out with no warning and just love that it isn’t beholden to any noticeable trends in the genre. This new Misanthropic Minds 7” is one of those records I threw on and said to myself, “Yeah, this is the shit.”

From what I understand, Misanthropic Minds is a 2-person operation, but is largely a project by Dave Brown. Dave’s been in several great bands over the years, but most importantly to me, he’s the brain behind the Deaf Mutations 7”. In terms of vibe and presentation, Misanthropic Minds is not too far off from the look of that Deaf Mutations 7”. The other half of this new band is Cody Googoo, who I’m most familiar with from the band Alienation. When you combine the sounds of Deaf Mutation and Alienation, you can get a pretty good idea of what this new band sounds like.

Adjectives I would use to describe this MM EP are vicious, unrelenting, mean, and ugly. The guitar sounds is absolutely disgusting. It’s almost metallic sounding, but I don’t know if this was as much the intention as it was to just have the most blaring, in the red, nasty sound possible. There’s nothing warm about it; it sounds like a cranked solid state amp overloading. The vocals are also great, and unless I’m crazy, it is unmistakably Dave singing. His frantic, full-force red-face vocals are pretty recognizable to me from the Deaf Mutation record. But whereas Deaf Mutations has this raw, old school 4-track 80s hardcore style in the production and songwriting, to me Misanthropic Minds sounds like 90s Cleveland hardcore. Like moments don’t sound too far off from H100s. Even something about Dave’s vocal style has an Erba approach to me. Killer in my book.

Okay, now we gotta talk about the packaging: At first glance, I dig the simple and DIY photocopy aesthetic of the artwork. When the box of 7”s arrived in the mail, Daniel was in the store with me as I pulled a copy out of the box and discovered something kinda funny. I remarked on the cover to Daniel at first like, “Man, I hate that they made a pocket sleeve by holding it together using staples.” I thought this was just a cheap and quick way to hold the cover together. But NO -- on each copy, the vinyl is SEALED inside of the paper sleeve, so in order to get the record out and listen to it you have to remove the staples. I just laughed as me and Daniel were puzzled saying, “Why the hell would they do that?” to the sky. Kind of annoying, but totally hilarious. I can appreciate the sadism behind this idea.

I have a feeling Daniel will write about this record too, so forgive me if there’s just too much gushing. Maybe Misanthropic Minds won’t be everyone’s cup of tea and my endorsement won’t make anyone notice it. But true heads will get it.

As always, thanks for reading. Catch ya next week with our “Best of the Worst Year” write-ups.

-Jeff

Staff Picks: Dominic

Hey there, folks. We all wish you a Happy whatever you celebrate and if nothing else, a happy day off work. As the newsletter is dropping on Christmas Eve, I couldn’t resist throwing in a Yule themed record for my pick this week. No groaning in the back there. Contrary to general opinion, there are some good Christmas records out there. You must have found yourself tapping your feet or humming along to a Crimbo tune at least once in your life, surely? Perhaps it’s me being British, but growing up the Christmas holidays were always a big deal. Special food, time off school or work, good stuff on the telly, lots of parties and getting sloshed with a soundtrack of Christmas music, old and new.

Pretty much any artist, group or performer you can think of has put out a Christmas record or participated in one. There were the straight and traditional covers of old hymns and such, and then there were the original songs with a holiday theme. I enjoy when an artist or group I like can tackle a Christmas tune and still keep their style and sound and make it cool. There are tons of examples of Christmas records that don’t suck. Merry Xmas Everybody by Slade. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday by Wizzard. Fairytale Of New York from The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl. The Phil Spector produced A Christmas Gift For You LP. The James Brown A Soulful Christmas LP. To name just a few. The one I would like to make you aware of though is Peace by Rotary Connection on Cadet Concept from 1968.

I rave about Rotary Connection to anyone who hasn’t heard them and recommend picking up any of their records. I know I’ve spoken about them before in these pages but very quickly, they were a mixed raced psychedelic soul group on the Chess Records imprint Cadet Concept. In their ranks were future star Minnie Riperton of Loving You fame. Their producer Charles Stepney was a genius and responsible for arranging and producing a ton of great records. If you see his name on the credits of an album, it’s worth checking out.

Peace was the group’s third album and second from 1968. It peaked at number 24 with the message of peace and love clearly finding a receptive audience amongst the younger generation and all those opposed to the Vietnam War. The cover sort of tells you that this might not be your typical Christmas album with a hippie Santa smoking something from his pipe and the band members as dolls surrounding him. On the back the band appears as dolls sitting on a mantelpiece with moccasins hanging instead of stockings, filled with love beads, incense and other hippie treats. Then to the record itself and the music. I am almost lost for words to describe how this record travels from straight and normal territory to bonkers acid fried Funkadelic land so effortlessly. If you ever wanted to hear what the band that backed Muddy Waters on his Electric Mud album sounded like backing Santa on acid, then this is it. I don’t think there are many other Christmas records that you can call challenging, but there is a moment at the end of song If Peace Was All We Had where the orchestra builds into a crescendo that if played at volume could qualify as that. That track ends abruptly and the final tune Silent Night Chant kicks in and gets down to a funky fuzz guitar groove that doesn’t let up. Psychedelic soul at its finest. Elsewhere on the album there are bursts of the aforementioned fuzz-acid guitar work and beats that would appeal to fans of the David Axelrod albums mixed in with the more traditional readings of one or two tunes. That being said, even on those tunes the production quality is first rate throughout, which was to be expected from Mr. Stepney. There are interesting vocal chants and arrangements and clever use of instrumentation and other sounds. The quality of production has ensured the record’s longevity and makes repeated listening rewarding. The appeal is across the board. You could play it whilst decorating the tree with the family or have it going whilst sampling the eggnog with your hip friends.

I like the trip you take from listening. Initially everything sounds normal but then slowly on the second track Silent Night (the first of three versions) the sound builds with Axelrod style beats and the guitar player being told to give it some. Minnie Riperton’s vocals are terrific here. As they are on the next track, Christmas Love, a soulful pop track which also has more fuzz guitar. The tempo and volume continue to climb with fourth track Last Call For Peace, this time with one guy taking on vocal duties. Shopping Bag Menagerie takes the foot off the gas and goes into thoughtful ballad territory and might be the only dud on the record, although if you can appreciate an early Bee Gees type vibe you might like it. The second take on Silent Night is instrumental and features some nice one-note droning guitar work. By the time the second side has finished with the aforementioned Parliament/Funkadelic take on the final of the three versions of Silent Night you know that you have gone on a ride and experienced something quite different but yet very comforting and normal all at the same time.

A top listen for the holidays, I guarantee it. Here’s a link for you to check it out the dope track Silent Night Chant, I hope you enjoy it and want to check out the full album.

https://youtu.be/oTePkgCGjZc

Until next time, eat, drink and be merry and play music loud. Cheers-Dom

Staff Picks: Usman

I was looking for a Prince LP in the back for a customer earlier and saw this soon-to-be-hitting-the-floor 12” back there. This 12" is insane, and this band is fucking insane. Sometimes when a band ages, they start to suck. The riffs get boring or the drummer is half-assed. That is not the case here. That “aging” refined the band in the finest of ways, like a barrel-aged whiskey that some asshole would spend hundreds of dollars on. The difference here is someone at the store priced this LP at $10, which I think is a STEAL for how great this record is. Especially for this being an import. I was tempted to grab it just to give to a friend but lucky you - you can come into the shop and make this copy yer own!

This might sound like a strange comparison to someone who knows the bands well, but this record reminds me of Herätys with the frantic vocals cramming more syllables than seemingly possible over ripping Discharge drumming. The riffing is nothing like Herätys though, the drumming and vocals are just similar. Herätys is one of my favorite “modern” bands... if you don’t know them, listen to them ASAP and get yer mind blown. Any record of theirs will do; they are all amazing… ripping HC with the most tasteful catchiness on planet Earth. Herätys is from Sweden but they sing in Finnish. Gouka also has a slight Suomi HC vibe with their grooving mid tempo songs. The drummer is so good; they play some rhythms I can’t wrap my head around, and playing as fast as they do it sounds insane. But it’s not some free-jazz HC nonsense shit. It’s top-shelf, non-stop maniac hardcore. Well deserved in every single record collection. Alright, thanks for taking the time to read this, ‘til next time...

Staff Picks: Rachel

THE ANXIETY JUNKIES- GENTRIFIED HOMICIDE

I have to start this off with an apology. I promised my friend Alex I wouldn’t write about his college band. But I’m moving next week and my record player and records are packed up… I don’t have many CDs so it was slim pickings. I HAD to write about this one.

I went to college with Alex and Maryssa of Mutant Strain and while it was a weird time for all of us, some of my favorite memories ever are Anxiety Junkies house shows. I met Alex my sophomore year and was immediately taken aback and impressed with his work ethic and talent. Full time art school is no fucking joke and he somehow could be in multiple bands, book shows, and begrudgingly use his house as a venue while still producing awesome work for class. He doesn’t half ass anything, so when his (decidedly not punk) friends wanted to be in a punk band, he went all in. The Anxiety Junkies were born.

We talked a few weeks ago and for some reason Alex isn’t stoked that this release is still on Bandcamp, available to listen but COME ONNNNN. For a college band practicing in between classes and film projects, it’s pretty damn fun. I could be biased because every single song gives me a visceral memory of sweaty living rooms, accidental concussions, and some of the most fun I’ve ever had at any shows, in a house or venue.

This CD represents more than the Anxiety Junkies; we got to live in Savannah during a special time. Thanks to people like Alex and everyone that ran the tiny label Bomb Shelter Records those four years in college, we got to create a thriving local music scene. There was more camaraderie than competition and everyone rallied around any local project, sometimes to a fault.

Now down to the actual music… Gentrified Homicide is really just Alex showing how good he is at drumming. I love all the other members- they’re all talented- but Alex’s drumming just takes over. It’s the first thing I noticed during my re-listen (first time in literal years, by the way). I’m not sure I can separate my memories from the actual music, but the singer Tyler was one of the best front men and you can feel his energy in these recordings. This CD is far from perfect or monumental, but imagine it amplified times like 100 when they played live. It was fucking electric and I’ll always associate this CD with that.

Record of the Week: Misanthropic Minds- Welcome to the Homeland, Greetings from the Wasteland

Misanthropic Minds: Welcome to the Homeland, Greetings from the Wasteland 7” (Sewercide Records) So, back in 2008, a tape came out by a project called Deaf Mutations, which was the brainchild of Dave Brown, whom I knew from his time playing drums in Career Suicide. That tape blew me away, and even though those three songs were the only thing the project released, the band stayed at the forefront of my memory because I returned to that tape, Crash the Clubs, so much, particularly after Static Shock Records pressed a 7” version in 2011. Dave and I remained in touch, and I’ve mentioned to him multiple times how much I love Deaf Mutations. Dave has played in a few bands since then (including a stint in the incredible Alienation), but I got excited when he told me earlier this year about his new project, Misanthropic Minds, which was essentially a reboot of Deaf Mutations. When I finally heard Welcome to the Homeland, Greetings from the Wasteland, it exceeded all expectations… this has snuck right in and become one of my favorite hardcore records of 2020. If you already know Deaf Mutations, you already have this in your cart. However, for everyone else, this is one of the wildest, most intense hardcore records you can find. While it never reaches Alienation’s breakneck speed, the influences come from the faster end of US hardcore, particularly records like the Koro EP, Poison Idea’s Pick Your King, and the Antidote 7”. Capturing the energy level of those records is no easy task (thousands of bands have tried and failed), but this record does it. That alone would be enough to make this a favorite, but when you add in Dave’s memorable vocals (which remind me of Tony Erba’s in Gordon Solie Motherfuckers) and the insane guitar leads (which come more from the Why? / Disclose school of chaotic, feedback-drenched expressionism), you have a modern classic on your hands. And I haven’t even mentioned the mid-paced track, which is as captivating as anything Warthog has done to date. I just can’t say enough good things about this record… it’s essential for anyone who loves fast, 80s-style hardcore. 10/10. Oh, and don’t forget to also grab the Seaside Sickness compilation, which has what might be Misanthropic Minds’ best song.

Featured Release Roundup: December 24, 2020

Apsurd: Derealizacija/Svemu Će Doći Kraj 12” (Doom Town Records) Derealizacija/Svemu Će Doći Kraj collects two recordings from Belgrade’s Apsurd: one from 2017 that previously came out on cassette and a new recording. If you’re familiar with 80s Yugoslavian punk—in particular Tožibabe—Absurd should get you excited. The band records on an old 4 track and the sound and production are of a piece with the great Yugoslavian punk from the 80s, while the band’s style takes influences from those bands as well, particularly how Tožibabe combined fast hardcore punk with death rock and anarcho punk. Absurd isn’t just for scholars of some long-ago punk scene, though; they sound fresh and vital despite their clear nods to punk history. Another good reference point is the Soga tape that Iron Lung released on 12” in 2019. Like that release, Derealizacija/Svemu Će Doći Kraj is raw but infectious, capturing the energy and spirit of 80s punk without sounding like a copy or a rehash. I predict this is one of those records I’ll blowing people’s minds with in 5 or 10 years… I can picture myself saying, “oh you don’t know the Apsurd 12”?” and watching some young punk’s jaw hit the floor as they hear their new favorite band.


Various: Seaside Sickness 7” (Sewercide Records) I love regional punk compilations. It was one of my major life ambitions to release one, and I struck that off the bucket list in 2019, when Sorry State released the American Idylls compilation. Seaside Sickness is in that same mold, documenting the current hardcore punk scene from Canada’s remote eastern coast. Misanthropic Minds, Antibodies, Fragment, Dark Dial, Warsh, B.P.S., and Booji Boys each get one track, and I don’t think there’s a weak one in the bunch. In fact, as much as I love the Misanthropic Minds EP that just came out, their contribution to this comp (the title track, actually) is probably their best song… an out-of-control rage fest. Booji Boys, one of the most unique bands in current punk, also contribute a particularly wild and hot track. I know these compilations mean a lot when they serve as a kind of yearbook for the people involved in the scene they represent, but Seaside Sickness is a killer punk record that serves more than just a historical or anthropological purpose. If you love regional punk compilations as much as I do, I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s as well executed as they get.


Star Party: Demo 2020 cassette (Feel It) Star Party is a new group from Washington State featuring members of Gen Pop and Vexx, two bands I really like. I didn’t know that when I first checked out Star Party, and now that I know about the personnel involved, it makes sense why this would be so good. This 4-song tape contains two originals and covers of Cher and the Shop Assistants, the latter of which is a pretty bang-on comparison for Star Party’s sound. If you don’t know Shop Assistants (you should fix that!), imagine the noisy pop of the Jesus and Mary Chain with some Ramones-inspired punk energy. The songs are straightforward and vocal-oriented, but they’re kinda fast and bathed in sheets of fuzz. Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t make this a 7”, because it’s way better and more fully realized than your typical demo tape. I’ve already played this a lot, and I see that trend continuing.


Razorblades & Aspirin #11 zine Latest issue of this beautiful full-color zine. In case you haven’t checked out Razorblades & Aspirin, it started out as a photo zine and gradually came to include more written content. While there is still a heavy emphasis on photography (and all the photos in the zine are beautifully reproduced), it now includes your typical music zine mix of interviews and reviews, though there’s a lot of attention given to projects that aren’t bands. At this point, Razorblades & Aspirin is pretty much the paper of record for the scene that Sorry State focuses on. In particular, I admire Mike’s focus on the culture around punk music. I think sometimes my focus is too narrowly on records, so I can tell you that Muro rips, but Razorblades & Aspirin is where you’ll learn about Casa Rat Trap, the 40-person artist and cultural collective of which Muro is a part. Essential and inspiring reading.


Undergang:  Aldrig I Livet 12” (Me Saco Un Ojo Records) Fifth album from this Danish death metal band. We don’t typically talk about death metal bands’ fifth albums in the Sorry State newsletter, but I heard some good buzz about Undergang and I checked this record out and dug it. In case you are unaware, the metal scene is experiencing a revival of what the kids are calling OSDM, or Old School Death Metal. When people my age think of death metal, we think of Florida bands like Death and Morbid Angel, or maybe bands like Entombed or Carcass who did similar things in different parts of the world. While I’m sure these modern OSDM bands are familiar with those records, this wave of bands (in whom I’d also include Blood Incantation and Tomb Mold) seems like they take more influence from those bands’ demo eras, or from deeper cut groups like Master and Possessed, or maybe even raw Brazilian death metal. While it still has all the more mainstream death metal bands’ technical proficiency and heaviness, there’s a deliberate sense of ugliness and rawness that reminds me of the hardcore punk we love at Sorry State. If you’re looking to dip your toe in this new OSDM sound,  Aldrig I Livet is a great entry point.


Staff Picks: December 17, 2020

Staff Picks: Daniel

Sirkka: Kuluttava Kone cassette (self-released, 2020)

This week we’ve been starting to think about our Best of 2020 lists here at Sorry State, and I’ve been working on compiling a mix tape of my favorite songs of the year. That project has me revisiting some of my favorites that I haven’t reached for in a while and going back to some of these releases has made me remember just how great they are. In some cases (like the Ratcage LP) they’re hitting me even harder than they did the first time around.

This tape from Sirkka came out back in the pre-pandemic world of January 2020. I played it non-stop when it came out, but it had been a few months since I listened to it. I popped it in to choose a track for my mix and my jaw hit the floor… I knew that this was one of the best releases of the year, but I forgot just how great it is. It’s obviously indebted to the 80s Finnish hardcore greats, but like my favorite bands from that scene (Appendix, Lama, Riistetyt, Kaaos, etc.), the balance of blazing speed, raw ferocity, and catchiness couldn’t be more perfect. If you haven’t checked out this tape yet, I strongly encourage you to visit Sirkka’s bandcamp and give it a whirl.

Don’t get your hopes up about getting a physical copy of the tape, though, because this sold out instantly and I haven’t heard any rumblings about a repress. I would love to own this recording on vinyl and would happily fund such a project myself (in case someone in Sirkka happens to read this). I’m not even sure what the status of Sirkka is… I think it was a two-person recording project, as I never heard about any live gigs. If this tape ends up just being a brilliant little blip in hardcore’s timeline, then so be it, but I hope we hear from Sirkka again at some point in the future.

Staff Picks: Seth

Hi, I’m a person that still exists and is still lurking in the background (mostly just in the SSR work chats causing mass distraction).

Today I’m here to talk about NUTRITION. This EP rules. This record’s super unique and giving it an X meets Y description would be a disservice. I am a little out of practice writing about music though, so bear with me here. The vocals are a unique blend of a hardcore vocalist and some serious sassiness. The material is delivered with a high level of snideness and a feeling of sarcasm. The guitars give off a very Uranium Club vibe, but with more oomph behind them. While there are those noodly and sparse single note parts, there are also some straight up riffs. If you dig those hooky punk jangles but want a little more gruff added in, I highly recommend checking it out. I remember their demo being a thing but don’t think I ever got around to listening to it, so now I need to check it out. But yeah, this rules and I recommend picking it up. It pairs really well with that Straw Man Army LP if you dug that.

My wife yells at me for never endorsing or promoting things I do, so I’ll plug two things really quick. I made an ‘album’ of various beeps and boops written during my lunch breaks under the name Sean Mustache called album ii. You can check that out at seanmustache.bandcamp.com. I also made a silly web app to tell me what to listen to from my collection based off my mood. That’s called Wax And Wane. It’s definitely a work in progress and more so a tool for me to learn/practice coding, but is open for anyone to use. That can be found at waxandwane.xyz.

I’d like to say that I’ll try not to be as much of a ghost and contribute more here, but I don’t want to make promises I might not be able to keep. So until whenever next time will be, stay punk.

Staff Picks: Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

This label Neon Taste out of Canada has put out a pretty cool string of records over the last several months. We got in this new EP by Nutrition and without knowing what to expect, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was into it. Interestingly enough, before I even thought to write about this EP for my staff pick, it seems to have become a big hit among our local in-store shoppers here in Raleigh. I’d say in general that there’s only a handful of people locally that walk in and totally devour all the new punk releases as they come out, so this record selling well simply by word of mouth is pretty rad!

I’m pretty sure this band is at least one of the dudes from Bootlicker, but Nutrition is decidedly less ripping fast hardcore. Initially, I threw this platter on the turntable and thought they were going for kind of a punked-out glam rock kinda vibe. My first impression was that Nutrition kinda sounded like Hank Wood, but harder, meaner and devoid of any artsy fartsy presentation. And sure, while the rocked out, clean guitar sound is totally there, I think saying Nutrition sounds “garagey” is selling them short. I dug deeper into the sound upon repeated listens and pretty much decided that Nutrition still comes off like a hardcore band to me. It’s not too far off from a band like Wiccans, who I always thought were super underrated, but who play that mostly mid-paced but tough, riffy style of hardcore. My favorite part of the band is definitely the vocals. The singer has this charismatic sass about them in their style and delivery. Like maybe not as obtuse and quirky as The Crucifucks, but they have some serious character. On a couple songs, the singer sounds like a dead ringer for the vocal stylings of Mark Hickey from Agression. Now that I’ve made that connection, I can’t unhear it. But really, I feel like if you played some of Nutrition’s more raging tracks as the background for a video of people skating and absolutely shredding a pool, then it would totally fit.

I think we still have a good amount of these Nutrition EP’s here at Sorry State. If my endorsement tickled your fancy in any way, then I definitely recommend you grip a copy. Here’s my favorite track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jszj8onE8eo

Thanks for reading,

-Jeff

Staff Picks: Eric

What up you fuckin’ nerds?

Alright, so I dropped the ball on the heavy this week and didn’t set aside the time to sit down and think critically about my staff pick. BUT I wanted to take a second to say that last night I discovered Hostages Of Ayatollah, an 80s German punk band. While doom scrolling stupid Instagram, a friend posted a link to one of their music videos and I had to inquire and investigate further. Perfect hooky and catchy hardcore punk. I feel like someone should have shown me this band a long time ago. At times it sounds like a California band like the Adolescents or the Circle Jerks, but from Germany in the 80s. Ya know that feeling when you discover a band you fall in love with and wonder where they’ve been the whole time? I’m feeling that pretty hard right now.

Staff Picks: Dominic

Hello Sorry Staters. Please allow me to pass on my compliments of the season to you. Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hanukah and Happy Festivus.

There is so much going on as we approach the end of the year. Everyone, including us, is getting their Best Of 2020 list together of releases that got us excited. As the resident old person here at Sorry State, my tastes definitely lean towards music made in the twentieth century but as a modernist at heart, I try to keep pace with new shit too.

This week though I will have to revert to type and talk about old stuff again albeit in a different format than is typical for me: a cassette. I’m mostly a vinyl guy, but did grow up during the cassette era and had my Walkman and a boom-box. Tapes were mostly used to record albums from friends and the library and to make mixtapes. In the days of playlists and streaming etc. the art of the mixtape has slipped from popular culture somewhat. Thankfully there are people out there who know how to make a good one and are keeping the tradition alive. One such person is our own Seth here at Sorry State. The other week he made personalized mixtapes for us all and I must say I love the one he made for me. Not only for the selection of tracks but also for the individual artwork he constructed for the case. It looks great.

The key to making a great tape for someone is personalizing it for them specifically. Not that you necessarily put tracks on there that you know they like but you create an atmosphere and mood that they will enjoy. That’s definitely the case with the tape Seth made for me. I was familiar with some of the tracks but not most. I’ll be on the hunt for a couple of things now. I have listened to it several times since he gave it to me and during one playback I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out health insurance for next year when one particular song came on called Don’t Try To Cure Yourself by They Must Be Russians. It made me laugh out loud. I’ve actually DJ’d that track out a couple of times to mixed reactions. It’s a post punk era song about home curing an STD. I know hilarious, right? You can check it out here:

I don’t want to reveal too many of the tracks as I kind of like the idea that the tape was bespoke selected for myself but I have to applaud the inclusion of the likes of Elton Motello and a personal fave, O-Level. Their tune, Pseudo Punk is priceless and to be filed next to Part Time Punks by Television Personalities. Ed Ball is the man. Any project he touched is gold. Check it out:

Thanks Seth for a great mixtape.

Before I go and as we are talking about tapes I have to give special mention to the new ISS cassette. Talk about going all the way with the packaging. Check it out. Not only an awesome presentation but good tunes too. We are very lucky to have such talented people connected with us here at SSR. I feel honoured every day to be working here.

Peace out everyone. Make someone a mixtape for Christmas.

-Dom

Staff Picks: Usman

This band is amazing. I think I already know this LP will be my favorite of 2021. I have the privilege of having the songs on my computer and I have played the hell out of them, like repeatedly, side after side. Making an LP thats stays compelling for the entire record is not easy in the punk world. 7"s are a different ball game. I think I have wayyy more 7"s than 12"s in my collection. Anyway, this tape hasn’t been officially released yet but it will be soon! It is 3 tracks from the upcoming 10-track LP on Sorry State. If you keep up with my staff picks, you probably know I am a sucker for “classic” sounding shit, or just shit that’s clearly Discharge worship (yeah I’m boring and closed-minded.) Golpe is not that; they sound modern as hell, but in the absolute best way. The slow parts are not tough, and the fast parts feel like I’m on a roller coaster clinging for my life. This band Golpe is actually just one person named Tadzio. He is a sweetheart. His previous band (it wasn’t a solo project, but his baby you could say) was called Komplott. I am obsessed with their record. It is similar to Golpe in a way, but it is much more straight-forward and “raw” sounding. I will include a link at the bottom. If you haven’t heard it, you should check it out. I don’t have much else to say except listen to this bandcamp link and keep yer eyes peeled for the promo cassette! It will be released soon with another Sorry State release from North Carolina’s Tetanus. If yer reading this, I hope yer doing well… and I hope this vaccine thing works out for us all. We can make up for all the bummer shit of 2020 soon. Keep yer bubble tight till then and stay safe ya’ll.

https://golpepunx.bandcamp.com/album/promo-2020

https://komplott.bandcamp.com/album/sei-vivo-sei-morto-a-nessuno-importa

Staff Picks: Rachel

Tales From Beyond the Pale: The Town That’s Not There & Simon is Hiding

Sort of going with a theme, I guess. I’m just a sucker for spooky stories! I talked about an old record with my last staff pick, so I felt it was fitting to write about a modern version of a scary story record.

Tales From Beyond the Pale is IT when it comes to this. I have two releases from them and both are just fucking perfection. I had a hard time deciding which one to write about today, but chose this 7” because I love Sam Heimer’s artwork and more than spooky shit, I love old read-a-long records. I can’t feel nostalgic for something I wasn’t alive for, but seeing a modernized version makes me so happy. This has all of the vibes of my favorite Scary Stories cassettes mixed with records similar to what I wrote about last week.

Somehow, TFBTP, amped it up from those references. The sound design is top notch and, even though you can’t see anything, the noises combined with the narrator is enough to make your spine tingle. It stands alone as a great piece of media without the little read along booklet. I first listened to it before cracking that open and after a few listens, seeing Sam Heimer’s art brings the stories alive and adds even more creepy.

I love both sides, but "Simon is Hiding" is probably my favorite. It plays on the trope of "someone is following me," enhanced by (of course) the sound design. They created a new cryptid with this poem. A pumpkin-headed creature that represents way more than just a scary story...you'll just have to listen to see what I mean.

I dug for a while and couldn’t find any recordings online so I guess you’ll just have to hope someone on Discogs is selling their copy (sorry not sorry, I can't part with either copy I have)! In the meantime, check out Sam Heimer and Tales From Beyond the Pale’s instagrams for top notch content. If you feel more at home in October than any other time of the year, this is the release for you.

Featured Release Roundup: December 17 2020

Nekra: Royal Disruptor 7” (La Vida Es Un Mus) Royal Disruptor is the debut vinyl from London’s Nekra, following a demo that made the rounds a couple of years ago. I love how the artwork on this one does a perfect job of getting across what the music is all about here… mean, minimalist hardcore punk without a lot of bells and whistles and no attempt to curry the favor of any subgenre / record collector clique. The riffs are straightforward but effective, with some songs leaning toward a tougher sound and others drifting toward punky catchiness, but the commanding vocals keep it sounding of a piece. If you like hardcore that makes image and aesthetic take a back seat to the pure expression of anger, this one’s for you.


Daydream: Mystic Operative 12” (Dirt Cult Records) Portland’s Daydream had an earlier 12” on France’s Symphony of Destruction Records, and they’ve moved to domestic Dirt Cult Records for this follow-up. If you’re into dense, angular, and inventive post-hardcore, this record is a stunner. The drummer and guitarist of Daydream are impressive, weaving dense lines around one another in a way that sounds chaotic but artful. Some riffing reminds me of Drive Like Jehu in how it sounds quirky and a little technical yet very catchy. The drummer only plays a straightforward rock / punk beat maybe 20% of the time, the other 80% devoted to more complex patterns that remind me of Bad Breeding’s fusion of noise rock and anarcho punk. While the drums and guitars are engaged in this lengthy game of bob and weave, the bass and vocals push the songs forward and maintain the hardcore punk intensity. The gritty recording and killer artwork push it even further over the top. Excellent record.


Junta: Død Tid cassette (Adult Crash Records) This band from Copenhagen, Denmark has released a series of tapes over the last several years (no less than ten according to their bandcamp!), and Død Tid is the latest. I’m not sure if Junta features any ex members of bands we Americans might know about, but they have the K-Town punk sound I associate with Kick N Punch and Hjernespind Records down pat. A track like “Timeglassets Tyranni” leans toward later Poison Idea or Toxic Reasons with its fist-pumping pace and catchy vocal line, while others like “O Fim Do Mundo” have a straightforward USHC style. Like those Danish classics I mentioned above, there’s a strong sense of melody whatever the approach, yet the gritty recording and looser, organic playing mean it never sounds too slick or polished. It’s punk, and like punk it rules.


Illegal 80:  Den Endeløse Ende cassette (Adult Crash) Adult Crash reissues the 1983 demo tape from this obscure Danish hardcore punk band. I looked around for info about Illegal 80, but the only thing I could find was that (if my interpretation of Google translate is correct) they were from the same city as Electric Deads and released this cassette in 1983. If you love obscure old hardcore from this era, this will be a treat for you. Most of Illegal 80’s music reminds me of early Finnish hardcore like Appendix or Kaaos or super fast UK82 punk like Ultra Violent. Like all of those bands, they play super fast with simple but catchy riffs and snarling vocals that, despite their nastiness, still carry a hint of melody. This tape is 30 minutes long, and while most of it falls into that ripping hardcore mold, many tracks have intros and outros that bring in elements of other styles like anarcho punk and mid-paced, Pistols-esque punk. Presumably Adult Crash’s reissue replicates the original artwork (though if it’s an original design it’s “period appropriate”), and it looks and sounds great. Illegal 80 is the deepest of deep cuts, but if you’re into this era of snarling Scandinavian hardcore, you’ll love it.


Record of the Week: ISS- Spikes

ISS: Spikes cassette (self-released) ISS just surprise dropped this cassette EP. I didn’t even know it was in the works until a couple of days before it was out, when Rich hit me up to ask if Sorry State would distribute it (which, duh, we agreed to immediately). The title of this tape is Spikes, which refers both to the punk accessories (which also adorn the ridiculous packaging) and to the “spikes” in COVID cases and deaths during the pandemic. I didn’t see the latter meaning until I read the lyrics, and it made me realize that ISS is one of the few contemporary punk bands I trust to address topical subjects like this in a way that doesn’t seem cliche, like it’s trying to hard, or filtered through layers of punk nostalgia (though there’s plenty of that in the music). When a new ISS release arrives, I have a particular process that I go through. The first time I listen, I play “spot the sample” and marvel at the clever ways they’ve mashed up sounds from new and old punk records. The next time I read along with the lyric sheet and marvel at how smart and clever their lyricist Rich is. Then, I play the songs for the next few weeks, while it dawns on me how perfectly constructed and brilliant these tracks are as songs. If you think ISS’s whole sampling approach is a gimmick, you’re dead wrong… these would be great punk songs no matter how they were recorded, and the band’s original approach only makes them even better. I’ve only written about ISS and have given little attention to these five particular songs (mostly because I’m still digesting them), but I assure you they won’t disappoint any ISS fan.

No streaming link for this one, sorry!