David Ruffin: My Whole World Ended (Motown, 1969)

I haven't listened to much music this week, but as I was driving across southern Virginia on the way to my hometown, I had an urge to listen to soul music. Switching back and forth between the soul station on satellite radio and Spotify, at some point the title track from this 1969 album by David Ruffin came on. It knocked me out instantly. The first thing that jumped out was the emphatic chorus, which has the same bittersweet quality of my favorite Buzzcocks songs. As I listened to this song repeatedly, I began to appreciate how perfectly constructed it is, building to that great chorus and even featuring a middle eight (with a key change I think?) that makes the final chorus sound even more powerful. And then there's Dayna Hartwick ripping it up on the piccolo flute... what a great track!

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’m gonna stick with the theme of talking about bands' later records that most people never talk about:

So, what do you get when take the Oi! stylings from one of the featured bands on the UK/DK soundtrack, but then mix it with cheesy 80s production and the sensibilities of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal? You get the 1988 album Welcome To The Real World by The Business. I recently rediscovered this record stumbling into a bunch of killer songs by UK punk bands I hadn’t jammed in a while. Now, looking at the artwork on this record cover, you’d assume this is a last-ditch effort or a low-budget “comeback” album. At risk of getting my ass kicked by a bunch of tough English dudes, my guys in the Business look pretty dorky in this photograph. Almost like a signal of the shift in sound for The Business on this record, you can see the once cleanly shaven heads of the band members are slowly and coyly allowing some locks grow down to ear-level. But with defiant anthems like “Ten Years,” The Business make it clear in their statement, “We’re The Business from Lewisham, and it’s been ten years and we’re still standing here!”

While I think a song like “Blind Justice” is about as catchy as a classic Oi! tune can get, I think the enhanced musicianship and songwriting chops on The Business’s 1988 effort is dare I say… BETTER than their early records? Behind the veil of the sonic signature of this record, which you could argue is pretty dated, is a collection of great melodies and well-constructed songs. A song like “We’ll Take ‘Em On”, probably my favorite song on the record, is a perfect blend of melodic heavy metal harmonized guitar leads as well as huge and memorable vocal hooks. The title track “Welcome To The Real World” opens with a classic street punk high note riff and big sing-along gang vocal chorus that recalls their Oi! roots, but then throw in some gated reverb on the huge drum sound and a guitar solo that sounds like it’s taken from a major-key Iron Maiden song. I’m sorry to keep harping on this, but the guitar work on this record is absolutely amazing: tasty notes, cleanly played, and harmonized every 5 seconds. Perfect.

Sorry State used to stock reissue copies of Welcome To The Real World. I’m not sure if the record is still in print, but hopefully this staff pick will make Daniel wanna restock it, because I know he loves this record too. If you’re not an Oi! fan, which typically I’m not either, then maybe I can’t convince you give this album a shot. But never say never when you’ve reached the end of your tether…. Like mentioned above, here’s my favorite track if you wanna give it a listen:

Thanks for reading. ‘Til next time,
-Jeff

We had quite an active time last week preparing for the first of this year’s Record Store Day drops. In the process of opening up one the boxes of orders last week I had to let out a whoop of delight when I spotted a record that has had me kind of obsessed for over twenty years. I hadn’t realized it had been given a reissue as it wasn’t part of the RSD releases and it sneaked up on me. It’s a rare one and the chances of ever seeing an OG are slim to none. I’ve never seen one in the flesh and have guarded my CD version since the late 90’s, so a reissue was the only chance to own a copy on vinyl. The label Rockadelic did one in 1995 and hearing that version was my first exposure to the album but copies of that are hard to find and costly too now. Thankfully the good folks at Modern Harmonic have done a great job on the reissue and made this available again at an affordable price.
 
Kennelmus: Folkstone Prism. Phoenix International Records. 1971
 
To channel the SNL character Stefon, this album has everything- Morricone like spaghetti western soundtrack vibes, surf guitar sounds, Captain Beefheart and Zappa-esque moments, A Lee Hazelwood sounding song, images of Ravens, a cryptic title and a Jolly Roger pirate flag.
Yes, it’s true, all this and more are part of the mystique and legend of this record.

The band came from Phoenix, Arizona and were formed from the ashes of a typical mid-sixties surf-garage band doing British Invasion covers. A name change and new members brought in switched things up considerably and recording began in late 1970 on the Folkstone Prism album, the title originally meant to be Folkstoned, the idea to give people something to think about apparently. The record was issued with one side being all instrumental and the other with vocals. A couple of those instro tracks did have lyrics but main songwriter Ken Walker (real name Kennelmus Walkiewicz- see where the group name came from) did not think anyone in the group had the vocal chops to sing them and so they remained as instrumentals. That decision in hindsight seems almost genius.

Another interesting fact that was revealed in the liner notes was that the band members worked at a record manufacturing plant and actually personally supervised the making of their own record and made sure that all thousand copies were perfect. So, if you ever do see a copy you can be sure of the quality of the pressing-good luck on that.

With me not being the best of writers, giving a track by track review is not always easy but honestly the comparisons at the top really are fairly accurate. If you like psychedelic surf garage music and Ennio Morricone and Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa and Lee Hazelwood, then this really is the record for you. It also doesn’t outstay it’s welcome, clocking in at just under forty minutes.

As a DJ, playing this type of music, I always wanted a copy to spin the track Think For Yourself, a great number which still makes me smile and jig around to the groove. Highlights are plentiful but opener I Don’t Know definitely sets the scene and just about prepares you for what is to follow. Some of the tunes also remind me of the cool bits from late sixties Ventures records and anything that guitar hero Jerry Cole cut, particularly the awesome Animated Egg LP and The Inner Sounds Of The Id LP. Check those out if you get a chance. On other cuts, interesting sounds are added. There’s a zither sounding effect used and a watery, bubbly bass sound that kinda sounds like the jug on the Thirteenth Floor Elevators to name a couple. The only complaint I could have is the sudden cut away from the second to last track to a spoof news report that to my ears is a little jarring but that’s a very small complaint on what is a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Check out the clips below and do your own investigating and hopefully you will agree with me. We have a copy in stock and will get more for those that are interested. The best part of all this is that when I mentioned to Daniel that we had it and he saw how excited I was, he actually let me take a copy at no charge. What a class boss and top fellow. He really is awesome and knocks himself out every week to bring the Sorry State Universe to you all and makes working here the absolute best job ever and one of the coolest.

Various: Speed Metal Hell Vol. 1 (New Renaissance, 1985)

Speed Metal Hell vol. 1 is a mid 80's metal compilation that really took me by surprise. Ripping guitars and drums backed with so many killer vocal styles is what really makes it. I love exploring these comps and finding all kinds of underground metal bands, allowing me to dive into so many discographies and have hours worth of records to listen to. The artwork and the name is really what made me interested, I mean, Barbed wire strings? So Sick. Battle Bratt's Henchman is probably my favorite track on there- Or Whiplash's Thrash Till Death. I love some good falsetto/vibrato action. Check it out if you love wicked 80's metal!

DIG YOUR OWN GRAVE #1

This badass mixtape/fanzine release is brought to you by Suck Blood (Los Angeles) the same label who brought you KRIGSHODER KRIG I HODET, which Jeff wrote about a few weeks ago in his Staff Pick. I think Suck Blood came from the ashes of East 7th Punx, who knew exactly what they were doing and did it right. Sorry State has copies of this mixtape and the KRIGSHODER tape on the way. I am really critical of tapes. I think because I have made so many damn top-notch tapes it makes me judge the quality of other's work pretty heavily, cos I know how good a tape can get. I'm sorry I don't mean to brag about myself, I seriously suck at a lot of shit, including general life-skills and I only talk so highly of my tapes cos my friends have all affirmed their quality to me time and time again. Back in Indianapolis, I didn't have social media and I didn't have internet at home. I didn't know what bandcamp was (or that my address for shows was all over facebook haha). I say this cos when I got a band's tape, thats how I would know the songs. And man, so many tapes sounded like complete shit. To be honest, I just assumed that the recordings just sucked. I remember many years later finding bandcamps from bands back home and realizing it was the dubbing process/lack of care that made the tapes sound like shit. And I say all this, cos I am highly suggesting you pick up this mixtape with the fanzine that comes with it heavily in mind. The cassette itself sounds alright, one side sounds a bit better than the other. It's certainly not the best quality sound but very far from the worst i've heard. I'm assuming they just used mp3 downloads of the songs, but maybe I am completely wrong and they ripped their own records/tapes to get the tracks.

Anyway, the fanzine is where it's at... It is beautiful. Multi-color sheets bound between a screen-printed cover, it truly is gorgeous. The zine compiles interviews from a shit ton a bands, all of which I have never read before. Almost of the bands I already knew, so it was super cool to read interviews they had done when they were an active band. Retrospective interviews are great, but there's something special when you can capture the genuine feelings of the band at the time. Rather than interviews conducted after a band has broken up - they have time to reflect on their experiences and can rehearse the responses a bit more, for better or worse. Yeah, some of the interviews are kind of boring in the but the ones that aren't definitely make up for it. The coolest one I read was (unexpectedly) Vice Squad. Some of my favorites were Rudimentary Peni, Sacrilege, and Mellakka (of course). It's funny to hear what band's like to talk shit about, a common one was actually playing gigs haha. Anyway, this write-up will be kept brief. DIG YOUR OWN GRAVE #1 is an amazing release, so stoked they did something like this and I can't wait to see what comes next!!! Grab one if you get the chance and you'll definitely enjoy it if you like any of the bands on there.

Screaming Dead, Sacrilege, Rudimentary Peni, Disorder, External Menace, Exit-Stance, Mellakka, The System, Heimat-Los, Mau Maus, Flux of Pink Indians, Vice Squad, Acid Attack, Upright Citzens, Siege, Attak

Bad Religion with Jim Ruland: Do What You Want: The Story of Bad Religion book

My staff pick this week isn’t something I’d recommend to everyone, but something I wanted to share some thoughts on. I’ve said numerous times that I’ll read almost any book about punk or a punk (or punk-adjacent) band. I would have read this book even if I wasn’t a fan, but I do count myself as a Bad Religion fan, albeit with some caveats. The first Bad Religion record I heard was Recipe for Hate when I was 13 years old or so, and between the new records they were putting out at the time like that and Stranger than Fiction and discovering their older material, they became one of my favorite bands. At some point, though, I cooled on them. Nowadays my position is that How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is awesome, their pre-Atlantic albums are classics, and while I like the two records I mentioned above, I don’t have time for anything after that. Further, when I revisit anything after How Could Hell, I can’t help but think about my high school years when I obsessed over those records, and I usually think to myself something like, “if this was my favorite band, I must have been an arrogant, insufferable little prick.” And I’m sure I was.

Do What You Want’s strength and weakness is that it takes everything I feel and think about Bad Religion and translates it into book form. The parts of the book that cover the records I like are interesting to read, as they cover a period when the band seemed passionate about their art and were engaged with a scene I’m still interested in. However, around the time they sign to Atlantic, it seems as if the band members start to view Bad Religion as a business, and those parts of the book read like a CNBC reality show. Their artistic decisions seem subservient to catering to the needs of their fanbase (customers?) and their attempts to stay politically relevant feel like ham-handed attempts to deliver a mainstream liberal ideology through a narrow template of melodic hardcore punk. Or, if you’re more cynical, to continue to market their music to an audience who has aged out of being teenage punks and into being Daily Show liberals.

Another thing that bugs me about Bad Religion’s music when I listen to it nowadays is that on one hand it’s comically pretentious, but in other respects it shows a lack of ambition, occasionally even laziness. This is another aspect of the band’s aesthetic that gets subsumed into the book. The book praises the band for their “intelligent” lyrics (even implying that they didn’t become more successful because their ideas went over their potential fanbase’s heads), but the book itself doesn’t have the depth of thought or research I would have liked to have seen. In particular, the book’s later chapters that cover the post-Atlantic years feel like paraphrases of those albums’ press releases. The main research for the book appears to be interviews with the band members, but it doesn’t seem like the interviewer ever challenges them. Their quotations are rarely insightful, and there isn’t much from perspectives outside the band. This includes Greg Hetson, who was in Bad Religion for something like 20 years before they fired him, but as far as I can tell did not contribute to the book. It would have been interesting to hear his perspective on the material in the book, as well as other people outside the band’s bubble.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure it took a ton of work and effort to put together Do What You Want, but much like Bad Religion’s music, it feels like it’s holding something back. Bad Religion is a business, and there’s a company line that everyone has to toe. And again, just like Bad Religion’s music, while I enjoyed Do What You Want on some level, it’s not insightful, exciting, fresh, or innovative enough to get me fired up.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

So, the other day, Usman and I were both working at the store. I was listening to the Falling LP by Decry while working the counter and Usman was working in the back room. Decry’s version of “Sonic Reducer” came on and Usman hollered loudly above the music, “This isn’t Dead Boys is it?” Admittedly, I forgot that Decry did that cover and that it plays right at the end of the record. It is a pretty faithful interpretation of the original, all things considered. But by weird coincidence, I had grabbed a copy of Dead Boys’ 2nd record We Have Come For Your Children from our new arrivals to listen to at some point that same day. I’d revisited this sophomore LP by Cleveland’s finest earlier during quarantine and was just blown away by how good I thought it was…

An ongoing disorder I seem to struggle with is that I end up gravitating toward and loving records that are clearly NOT generally accepted as the band’s classic record. Now, would I venture to say that We Have Come For Your Children is better than Young, Loud & Snotty? Probably not. But I do think it’s criminally overlooked, and I’ve heard the “hits” off of the debut so many times that it’s grown tiring. And honestly, call me crazy, but songs like “Caught With The Meat in Your Mouth” are a dull moment for me. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to acquire both Dead Boys records pretty early on. I think I would tend to shy away from the 2nd record just because I wasn’t looking for what its sound had to offer yet. YL&S definitely possesses the venom and hunger that you want out of a band on their first record. The record is honestly pretty sloppy, but that’s part of the charm… like you can feel the ruthlessness and nihilism behind those songs. At its core, it’s just a dirty, irreverent rock’n’roll record.

Okay, but by comparison, does We Have Come For Your Children suffer from the ailment of the dreaded “Sophomore Slump”? No way, not by a long shot. One of the qualities I detect from Dead Boys on their sophomore effort is the shift from a blood-soaked bar band who doesn’t give a fuck into a band who tried to write earnest and wholehearted songs. In fact, I draw parallels and a kind of kinship between this record and Valley of the Dolls by Generation X, another criminally underrated sophomore punk album in my opinion. Maybe as a result, you get an album that’s a bit “softer,” but the Dead Boys’ shift from the ephemeral to the enduring is a good look on them -- even if they are the same scumbags underneath it all. I hate to use the cliché that the band “matured,” but the songwriting feels more thoughtful and less like a flash in the pan. There’s also just more diversity. I think the arpeggiated guitar intro, the repeating catchy, sing-along refrain, and intermittent guitar melody on “Calling On You” is among some of their best. The sort of melancholic lamenting on “I Won’t Look Back” is also a standout, and one of their best choruses. Also, the buildup that bursts into to the main riff on “Flamethrower Love” is as badass as it gets -- with lyrics as simple and as powerful as: “I don’t care about livin’, and I don’t care if I die!” And then, there’s even some Ramones-esque doo-wop influence at the end of “Tell Me”.

Maybe I won’t convince you that the follow-up record is better than the popularly regarded classic. But if my endorsement is unable convince someone that has never heard this record to buy the copy we currently have in our used new arrivals, then I’ll quit? …. No I won’t, never mind.

As always, thanks for reading,
-Jeff

The Mods - Heavy Rain / Two Punks 7” (Epic; 1983)

I picked up this Mods record last week. I had never heard them; it was truly an impulse buy after looking at picture sleeve and thinking “damn these dudes look cool.” The Mods were a punk/power poppy/Mod style band from Japan formed in the 70s. This particular single came out in 1983. The A side, “Heavy Rain,” is a banger. It reminds me of a lot of other groups cut from the same cloth many miles away, like the Jam. You can hear this is an 80s Mod/power pop jam and not a late 70s track; it’s hard to describe but the production and feel for the song is way more bouncy and anthemic. I’ve been bumping this track all week and I wish I knew Japanese so I could sing along!

The B side I am less in love with. It’s a live rendition of their track “Two Punks”. It’s a ska/dub style track that is about 7 minutes long. It’s cool that you can hear the crowd singing along and loving it, but to me this doesn’t hit nearly as hard as the A side. Perhaps I just have no little to no patience for any song over 3 minutes.

For any evangelist of good music, the biggest thrill is to be able to introduce something that you love to other people and have them enjoy it as much as you do. For me that has come in the form of mix-tapes made for friends, working as a DJ at a party or playing records in the store where I worked. The other day the latter happened twice and it was pretty cool and those two records are going to be the ones I would like to briefly mention to you in this week’s newsletter.

These two records almost bookend the 1960’s, the first coming out in 1960 and the second in 1971, although recorded the year before. They are both highly enjoyable and give a snapshot of the state of America during this period particularly with regard to the Civil Rights Movement. Without getting too deep into the subject, there are much better places for that discussion and from someone way more qualified than I. All I will say is that listening to records like these can be an education as well as entertainment. As a matter of fact, we were just talking the other day about how many of our life’s major decisions and choices were shaped and influenced by records and the artists behind that music. So, with that said, here we go.
 
Oscar Brown, Jr.: Sin & Soul. Columbia Records, 1960.
 
Oscar Brown, Jr. came from Chicago and this was his debut release in 1960, although he been active as a writer previously, this marked the beginning of a full career that followed. That year alone, he also wrote and co-produced a Broadway show called Kicks & Co which was critically well received if not financially successful. Interestingly, Brown closed the decade with another stage show called Joy, which if you ever see the soundtrack to is worth checking out.

The vibe on Sin & Soul is pure African-American culture up to that point, taking in Jazz, Blues, Gospel, Work Songs and points in between. Most of the songs are light in nature and in celebration but there are some darker moments, particularly on track Bid ‘Em In, a recreation of the slave auctions. Tough listening but something that we need to be reminded of. This happened to human beings inflicted by other humans in our country and not that long ago. The mood quickly changes from that track to the fun of Signifyin’ Monkey and Watermelon Man, not the Herbie Hancock hit from a few years later but quite possibly a big influence. Other standouts include, opener Work Song, proto-rap But I was Cool and closer Afro-Blue. Each song really is a complete story and mood within itself but they all tie together seamlessly helped musically by some of the best musicians working at the time. Three people that helped write that music should be familiar to Jazz heads, Nat Adderly, Bob Bryant and Bobby Timmons.

I first became aware of Oscar Brown via the hit song The Snake performed by Al Wilson, which Brown wrote. It was and still is a classic on the Mod scene. Sin and Soul was also big with the Mods and one of the staples of any record collection. I have had my first copy since the eighties and always thrust it into willing hands if I see copies in the wild. We had one here at Sorry State and I was playing it in store while a couple were shopping and before the record had been turned over they were asking about and it and wanting to buy it. It’s not an expensive record but packs more emotionally than a lot of big ticket items. If you were cool, you would check it out.
 
Baby Huey & The Babysitters: The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend. Curtom, 1971.
 
Next up, what is now considered a classic but at the time did not sell that well. This is a soul funk album of real quality and deserving of the more recent praise and high price tag that originals demand. Baby Huey was born James Ramey and came from Indiana but moved to Chicago. A large man, he was over 350 pounds for most of his life and that weight combined with his other poor life choices such as alcohol and heroin abuse contributed to his early death. This record was released posthumously and was the groups’ one and only release on Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label. Formed in 1963, the band did have a couple of singles before this, most noticeably the song Monkey Man, which is more of a garage rock record. By the time they got to cut the album, the end of the band was already taking place. Several key members quit and session musician were preferred for much of the recording. Regardless, what came of those sessions and the subsequent album was pure gold-a record that twenty years later would be raided by hip-hop producers for beats and samples and start to command three figures on the collector’s circuit.

I had it playing in the store the other day as I like the record and because I also wanted to hear their killer version of A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke which they cover. No offence to Jennifer Hudson but I was not overly blown away by her reading of the song at the Democratic National Convention the other week but I’m not hating. The Baby Huey version really does give you chills, he hits some notes that are just incredible plus gives a nice little rap in the middle of the song and might have the definitive version after Sam Cooke’s original. It was on hearing this that another customer shopping had to ask what we had on and they bought it, wanting to expand their listening habits. A good move on her part and one that as I said before makes working at the store so rewarding when you can turn folk onto good shit.

More social commentary comes on the record from tracks such Listen To Me and Hard Times, which has the hook used by the hip-hop producers that many of you will recognize. In addition to Hard Times, producer Curtis Mayfield also wrote the track Running, another highlight, and there is even a jazzy cover of The Mamas & Papas’ California Dreamin’.

My copy of the record came out in the UK in the 90’s and adds both sides of the Mighty, Mighty Children single, another Curtis tune and one that he cut himself. The Babysitters do a good job on it and it’s a nice addition to the record and completes the picture.
 
So, there you have it. Two records recorded ten years apart but speaking directly about life in America at the time and that in many ways are more apt now than ever. I do hope that you will take the time to discover these two gems if you are not familiar with them yet and if you are maybe pull ‘em out for a spin. There is a ton of good bio information to delve in to on the internet if you are curious but in the mean time I will leave you with a couple of links and will see you all next week. Thanks for reading.

Terminal Nation: Holocene Extinction LP (20 Buck Spin)

Terminal Nation's newest release "Holocene Extinction" is definitely one for the books as far as 2020 new releases go. Aggressive as hell hardcore beat-downs and heavy doom/ death metal influence combines into the perfect concoction of "lets tear this venue apart" vibes. They so easily combine many different metal subgenres and still all the songs flow/transition really well together. It's a totally epic listen full of surprises like some random clean/ melancholic vocals, mega fast- almost thrash riffs that will suddenly transition into a somber, doomy moment. The vocals are straight up evil, backed with some wicked guitar and bass tones support the blistering hot drums just perfectly. Just 1 minute in listening to this album totally hooked me and I'm sure it'll do the same for you. For Fans of Gatecreeper, Vastum, Creeping Death, Tomb Mold...

Released 08/07/2020 on 20 Buck Spin. https://listen.20buckspin.com/album/holocene-extinction

Yeah I am definitely a record collector, but I’d like to think that I am not a pretentious one… I love reissues. It’s a great opportunity for liner notes with cool trivia about the band, the recording process, badass photos, etc. Well-done reissues are always worth buying even if you already own the original pressing. It’s also a great way to satisfy your need for that ridiculously rare poster insert or booklet that everyone and their mother is always searching for (and also willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for).

When it comes to the Generation Gas reissue I doubt that really anyone even has the original tape since it was never distributed, so we are all kind of in the same boat here. This is a top-notch reissue worthy of anyone’s record shelf. It’s got a great sound source, includes all artwork from the original cassette release, and features a band member interview providing a brief history of the band with some photos. It originally came out 5 years ago on General Speech and Not Very Nice. When I saw recently Not Very Nice was selling copies again, I reached out to see if we could re-stock them at Sorry State because I love this release so much. Since this record was released many years ago I assume that most people have already obtained their copy, but I also know there are always people who miss out on stuff, or maybe some people who didn’t even hear about it in the first place. So naturally I have chosen this for my Staff Pick.

When I first heard about this reissue, I had never heard of Generation Gas. But someone informed me it was members of L.S.D. and that’s all I needed to know to buy it. At the time, I did not realize that L.S.D. had entirely different members aside from the vocalist on their two releases, so in a way that comparison really wasn’t saying much. Regardless, I was not let down by this record. It doesn’t sound like a whole lot like L.S.D. to me (or Tranquilizer, another band they “shared” members with – the interview on the insert will tell you more!) It sounds a bit like ソドム (Sodom) in my opinion, but I don’t think these bands have anything at all in common. Well one tie between G-Gas and ソドム is legendary Kazuo “Tam” Tamura. Tam produced L.S.D.’s first release DESTROY and he also released ソドム on ADK Omnibus Vol. 1. Anyway, in G-Gas I hear a rawness similar to L.S.D. but in a more chaotic way. They play catchy riffs more reminiscent of ソドム, but all this is played faster than either band played - it’s fucking sick. It’s a perfect blend of groove and raw. Remember that dumbass chart that blew up with the “egg” punk and “chain” punk spectrum? Well G-Gas should have been right in the middle, if that helps. If you didn’t scoop one of these up already and you like raw HC punk/Japanese punk, I’d just go ahead and jump on it. I’m sure there will be a day when these become scarce and people start to jack the price up re-sale websites. Thanks for reading, ‘til next time…

p.s. I have a few BOMBANFALL E.P.s in stock, if you need one hit me up in.decay@yahoo.com

Pinocchio: S/T 7” (Toxic State; 2019)

I usually dig deeper into the past for my staff picks, but this week I’ve reawakened to this brilliance of this 2019 release from New York’s Pinocchio. Last weekend I was organizing records, moving some stuff from my “new arrivals” pile to the main, alphabetized part of my collection and (inspired by a recent segment on the Garbage in My Heart podcast) I gave a few of them one final spin before they went into the stacks.

When I spun Pinocchio’s 7”, though, I couldn’t bear to bring it to the back bedroom where most of my 7”s live. In fact, a few hours after I listened to it, my partner Jet asked if we could listen to it again, and since then I’ve continued to play it almost every day. This record is so fucking great. It has huge hooks that made it stick out right away (particularly the vocal hooks, which remind me of Kate Bush in how unintuitive yet catchy they are), but the more I listen, the more I hear how densely layered this record is. In particular, there are so many subtle yet memorable bits of noise guitar that buzz around the lower reaches of the mix, rewarding the listener who pays close attention. Despite having similar titles, every one of the eight tracks is its own world, and the record—only a 7”—is more ambitious and more realized that 99% of the LPs I hear.

I haven’t heard any rumblings about new music from Pinocchio, but I hope this isn’t the last we hear from them. If they put out another record half as good as this one, they might force me to call them my favorite band.

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

So, I feel like me writing about this record is sort of unavoidable, but I thought I’d provide a little story for emphasis:

I remember when I first heard inklings of this project being in the works. Long before any of the music was posted publicly, I thought to myself, “Damn, people from Extended Hell with Poffen from Totalitär on vocals? Well yeah, that’ll be killer.” The confluence of the strings from one of the most ripping current bands, another Swedish ripper on 2nd guitar, Joe B’s crushing and ripping fast drumming, and then to top it off: the voice of one of my favorite bands… Sounded like a recipe for an immediate hit. Having been friendly with the New York-based portion of this collaboration, when we chatted about it I have to admit that I was simultaneously beyond stoked for them and insanely jealous.

As I waited patiently for this band’s record to materialize, I remember the first time I got a preview. Joe B was playing drums in another band called Fairytale that played a gig back in January at The Bunker, which is where Usman and I both live. He was gracious enough to play us an early mix of what was to become Humant Blod. More-so than I remember the songs, Usman had it cranked on the speakers in his room and I just remember being overwhelmed by how raging and it powerful it sounded. It was kind of a blur, and I couldn’t wait until I was able to revisit the record and let it sink in properly. Then, of course Covid happened, but Usman and I would keep in touch with Mike and Jesse from EH from time to time. Jesse I would exchange recording projects we were working on like his solo rager Final War, and I’d send him stuff that Usman and I were recording at our house. Then one day, he sent me an ominous youtube link. It was the whole Humant Blod 7”. I probably listened to it like 20 times that night.

So all of this biographical rambling is to say that this EP has been highly anticipated by myself and a lot of other HCPMFs in our little camp. Now, as I’m writing this and holding my copy, it feels fun to reflect on this absolute crusher materializing out of the ether. I swear… dropping the needle on the record and staring at the sleeve, the sort of stark, nondescript cover art morphs into the most terrifying images emerging from the static. Maybe these visions are heightened due to the amount of beer that is generally consumed during my typical nights blasting hardcore records. Suffice it so say: this record rules.

Thanks for reading,
-Jeff

Greetings one and all. I hope you are managing to enjoy your summer?

The other day Facebook reminded me of an event that I did several years ago by posting the flyer that I used. It was a reggae night and I used the cover of the record that I am picking this week as the flyer art.
 
Dr. Alimantado: Best Dressed Chicken In Town. Greensleeves, 1978.
 
Few records have such a striking cover as this one and even fewer deliver on the promise that the cover makes. Take a good look at it. Wouldn’t you be at least curious if you saw this in a record store? I know I was back in the late 80’s when I first saw it and bought my copy. So, what’s the deal?

Released in 1978 on the Greensleeves label, this was actually the first release for the label that came to be a powerhouse, alongside Trojan, for the release of Jamaican reggae outside of Jamaica. Although not an album proper, it was a collection of sides recorded during the mid-seventies and only released in Jamaica, it might well be one of the best 70’s reggae albums all the same. Dr. Alimantado, Winston Thompson to his Mum, was a “toaster” or D.J. that rode the rhythms of previously recorded tunes in the style that was being popularized in Jamaica during the early 70’s, a style that ex-pat Jamaicans brought to the US and which helped to birth hip-hop later in the decade. On these various sides, he used tunes that by their original artists reads like a who’s who of reggae music at the time. Artist such as Horace Andy, John Holt and Gregory Isaacs to name three. He also utilized some of the hottest studios to record at, Black Ark, King Tubby’s, Channel One and Randy’s, who at the time were cranking out prime reggae music around the clock. Although he mostly self-produced these sides there is no doubt that the engineering talents of Lee Perry, King Tubby and Scientist contributed greatly to the quality of the end product. They all share credits on the album.

On top of these prime rhythms and recognizable original vocals, Alimantado would inject his views on politics and other social issues of the day but also keeping a level of humour in the proceedings and somehow not getting too heavy and keeping the good vibe going. In the UK, the West Indian community and homegrown punks alike took to him immediately. John Lydon played his music and told people about him and The Clash even mentioned him in the song Rudy Can’t Fail. Don Letts, legendary author, film maker and historian was also a big fan and has recommended the album in interviews and to friends. Rightly so, because whether an actual “album” or not, this is certainly up there with other era classics like Super Ape from Lee Perry or African Anthem from Mikey Dread or Screaming Target from Big Youth.

There are a few different vinyl pressings out there and also a nice anniversary CD collection that adds some extra tracks and does a pretty good job on the remastering. I’ll leave you with a link to a couple of cuts and for your viewing pleasure the flyer from that party, a night that seems from a different lifetime now. Hopefully we will be able to gather in places and listen to good music played loud over a nice sound system again soon. Until then, stay safe and enjoy music. See you next week.

La Familia Releases is re-issuing all three LPs by Disfear chronologically! I have been anticipating this one specifically for sometime!! They did A Brutal Sight of War first, and following this LP will be Everyday Slaughter. Sorry State just has a cassette version of Soul Scars from Mundo En Kaos Records in stock but hopefully we will stock the actual LP version when we get copies of Give Notice of Nightmare... 

This cassette version is a beautiful replication of the LP onto a j-card layout. The 4-panel cover is high-gloss, double-sided, and features all original photos, lyrics, and information from the original release. It's cool they chose the color blue for the tape itself cos the limited edition version of Soul Scars was originally on blue vinyl. Disfear originally began as Anti-Bofors in 1989, Sweden. They released one EP in 1991. Within a year of the EP's release they had changed their name to Disfear and recorded for another self-titled EP. The line-up was the same as Anti-Bofors except they had changed vocalists. In my opinion, this change made the band's sound come together in the fiercest of ways. Although the band maintained a somewhat steady line-up, the only consistent members through its lifetime were the guitarist and bassist, Björn Pettersson and Henrik Frykman (R.I.P.) After Everyday Slaughter, the 1997 LP, I stop listening to the band. They had changed vocalists after that, and the sound had developed into less käng and more "stadium crust" to me.

When it comes to Disfear, or the many "dis" bands, I don't really have high expectations. If you can play a solid d-beat and the riffs are not complete shit, I will always listen. I didn't listen to 90's "dis" bands for a long time; the names were cheesy and sometimes the content just way too on the nose, in a humorous way. Four Minutes Passed Midnight by Discard (Sweden) was the album the opened the doors for me. I'll write about Discard some other time, but they started in the 80's playing mängel, and they continued into the 90's playing the same style but a bit more polished. Hearing this evolution made something click in my head, and down the hole I went into 90's dis-bands. Yes, I guess you can call Disfear a dis-band. But they do not follow the typical "dis" formula in my opinion. Or maybe they're just too good for me to group them with other dis-bands, haha. Their first EP is absolutely disgusting. It is played in the traditional käng style, but it has this extra punishing edge similar to Bombanfall. Following the self-titled EP they released A Brutal Sight of War. While I enjoy this EP very much, the sound was not as good in my opinion as the first. The seemed to follow a bit more of a "dis-band" formula on this recording, the songs weren't as ripping to me but nonetheless it is certainly worth a listen! (I mention this as an LP at the beginning of my writing; it was originally released as a CD with bonus tracks of the first EP. It was re-issued as a 7" with the same title a few years later, but not with the bonus tracks of the first EP. The La Familia pressing was an LP with both EPs, just like the first CD pressing.)

After A Brutal Sight of War, Disfear had changed drummers and put out my absolute favorite release of theirs Soul Scars. This record is everything I want on a record. It's brutal but ripping riffs, with some perfectly executed mid-tempo jams, and the lyrical content is political with a few quite relatable "personal" songs. Usually I dislike when vocalists write personal or abstract lyrics, cos you could use this platform to spread important information or write protest songs. The drummer on this record is Jallo Lehto, from No Security/Totalitär, maybe that's why I like it so much.. Those are some of my favorite bands, and Jallo is a huge inspiration to me when it comes to drumming. After this LP they would put out Everyday Slaughter with a new drummer, Robin (he plays in Svaveldioxid now and is very friendly guy!) The sound had developed even more on this LP, sounding the most metallic so far. I think the main thing about this band is the quality and sound of the recordings. Specifically to Soul Scars, it sounds like everything is pushed to the max, but it's all still so clear. You can vividly hear everything is blasting into your head - it sounds like the end of the world and you can't escape. Tomas Skogsberg recorded most of their material (at least all the records I have.) If you don't know the name, he is a legendary Swedish sound engineer who recorded countless death metal bands. I think this band had become popular in the metal scene because of this, and gained quite a bit of notoriety. Unfortunately, I think that still a lot of people avoid Disfear due to the "dis-band" stigma or simply just don't know how damn good the early stuff was. Check 'em out! So stoked that La Familia is doing a Disfear series.

OH SHIT ITS JEFFS BIRTHDAY!!! Someone sell this man a Portland Edition of Kings of Punk!

Rattus: Ihmiset On Sairaita 7” (Ann & Archie Records, 1985)

We recently nabbed a cool collection with lots of international hardcore and I made a big pile of “keepers” for myself… so big that I still feel kind of guilty about it. One of my favorites is this 1985 7” from Finland’s Rattus. Rattus is a special band to me because I got to see a few dates on their 2004 US tour and had an amazing time. While that personal connection is important, their records are incredible in their own right. They formed way back in 1978 and their early EPs are punky, catchy and fun, like a lot of other European and Scandinavian punk bands that formed in the Sex Pistols’ wake. However, when hardcore came out around, Rattus embraced it. After a string of singles and an LP, WC Räjähtää (which translates to something like “bathroom explosion” and features a memorable Pushead illustration of demons emerging from a toilet), Rattus expanded their lineup to a 4-piece. While guitarist Jake was and is a solid vocalist, there’s something about the raspy timbre of vocalist Annikki that does it for me. Besides the change in vocal sound, Rattus’s songs got faster, more complex, and more metallic, and their experience as players gave them a uniquely composed and technical sound.

Ihmiset On Sairaita features this 4-piece lineup, and while I’m fuzzy on the chronology, it may have been the first thing Annikki recorded with the band. While I love Rattus’s LPs from this period, Ihmiset On Sairaita is special in that it’s the only EP recorded with this lineup, and as is often the case with music this intense, it works better in a smaller, more digestible chunk. Even cooler is the fact that they play the three songs on the b-side as a medley, linking them with wild, out of control-sounding guitar solos. Hearing the band wander off on a Discharge-style guitar solo only to come back together and lock into step is thrilling.

While Finnish hardcore and punk records can get expensive, this one doesn’t tend to be too pricey. Alternatively, the tracks are available on the Brazilian pressing of the Uskonto On Vaara LP and many other LP and CD collections, so they shouldn’t be too hard to find. You might also recognize the first track, “Reaganin Joululanju,” from Maximumrocknroll’s Welcome to 1984 compilation. You can’t go wrong with any Rattus records you find, so if you see one, pick it up!

Krigshoder: Krig I Hodet EP cassette (Suck Blood)

It’s always a pleasant surprise when somewhere… lurking out in the ether, there are the seeds of an endeavor to create a band. Then, when that band’s first release seemingly emerges out from a veil of smoke, it totally blindsides you and you didn’t even know how bad you needed to hear it until it had magically appeared. For me, this new Krigshoder tape is checking all the boxes. Whether or not this phenomenon is a result of circumstances directly related to the pandemic, it seems like several recording projects have sprung up this year that involve people here in the States collaborating with someone that lives overseas contributing vocals. Between that Sirkka tape, the Humant Blod 7” and now this Krigshoder tape, it appears that the formula is working.

The label Suck Blood has released several tapes that I’ve thought were killer, most of which are bands from Los Angeles. If the information I’ve gathered serves me correctly, Krigshoder is made up of a few familiar faces from the Suck Blood camp along with a dude who lives in Norway. Now, whether or not this band sounds exactly like they could’ve been released on X-Port Platter could be debated. They do cover Siste Dagers Helvete who are Norwegian. That said, I think the variety of influences that can be drawn from Krigshoder’s vicious synthesis of riffs is what makes them so good. I hear a lot Aareton Joul- era Terveet Kadet but I also here the chaoticness of Italian hardcore like Declino. I’m rambling, but suffice it to say that they put all of this together to make a record that is both totally classic sounding but also refreshing and original. This recording is just perfect. It’s raw and organic, but is also played tight and perfectly. We’ve got frantic, yet tuneful and memorable riffs. Super punchy and ripping drums with drum rolls that make my teeth hurt. The vocals are probably the best part – absolutely snarling. Every song is put together with interesting and unique ideas… they play classic sounding hardcore but hit a little weirdness/noisiness from time to time. It’s not too long, it doesn’t get boring. I just have no complaints. This is a breath of fresh air. Or smog. I can’t tell the difference anymore.

Sorry State should be getting a good stack of these, so don’t sleep on them once we get them at the store!

James Chance and The Contortions: Buy 12”

When I was in high school my buddy had the song “Contort Yourself” on his iPod and we would ride around in his Mom’s mini van blaring it on repeat. This record came through the store not so long ago and I had to pick it up. Speaking honestly, I have had a very hard time getting into No Wave as a genre. Listening to music with very loose structure and improvisational melodies kinda stresses me the fuck out. However, I really like The Contortions. Perhaps it’s because these songs have a solid backbone of drum and bass lines that keep everything grounded and on track. When I listen to this record I can’t help but smile a little bit. It’s got funky rhythms, free jazz style saxophone and guitar, and a punk delivery on the vocals. There is so much squanky sax in this album I think Jeff’s head would probably explode. Freaky music for freaky/artsy fucks. A classic for sure!

I’m old enough to have lived through many golden eras of music, periods where almost every release within a genre is now considered a classic. One of those golden eras was that of hip-hop. I remember vividly hearing the first tapes of this new “scratch” music in the early 80’s at school and when I started working in the States in ’89, the so called Golden Era of Hip-Hop had just begun. I recall buying The Source magazine and picking up all the latest releases. As I was working on ships during this period I was mostly buying CDs. One of my favorites and one that I still have but finally converted to vinyl is my pick for this week.
 
Marley Marl: In Control Volume II (For Your Steering Pleasure). Cold Chillin’ Records. 1991
 
Released three years after In Control Volume 1, a record which fully helped mark the beginning of that most fertile period and a record that featured the hottest New School MCs - Craig G., Master Ace, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap, Roxanne Shante and M.C. Shan- known collectively as the Juice Crew and coming out of Queensbridge, NYC. Produced by Marley Marl and released on Cold Chillin’ one of the hottest hip-hop labels, it featured the great posse cut The Symphony and the stone cold classic Droppin’ Science with rap by Craig G.

By this time, 1991, hip-hop was arguably the most original and exciting form of music being made and I can remember being particularly pumped when I saw this album had come out. It reunited the Juice Crew rappers for The Symphony, Pt II and also brought in a lot of newer names that I did not know and some others that I did. The album also played more like a mix tape or radio show with the different MCs and samples used in the production. Some of the tracks, Buffalo Soldier and Fools In Love have a reggae dancehall vibe to them and overall the production has great sample hooks and beats. There is also a contemporary New Jack Swing sound on the cut Reach Out featuring a R ‘n B style vocal. If that was almost too soft for you, follow up track Keep Control featuring Chubb Rock, Def Jef, Tragedy and Grand Puba comes off sounding more like a Public Enemy track. In fact, Chuck D. himself does show up on the record and is featured on America Eats The Young, a cut whose title tells you what to expect.

For me, one of the tunes that still stands out is Cheatin’ Days Are Over which has a great production and features a name I know not much about on the rap, Mike Nice. Whoever he was, he was nice on this.
Probably compared side by side, most people would give the edge to Volume One as far as classic status goes but I think if not a classic, Volume Two is definitely a good record and one that has held up for what is now almost thirty years. I had always hoped to find a vinyl version but oddly it took me quite a while to find one, mostly due to the fact that it only came out as a promo in a plain white sleeve and never received a full vinyl release. It was a nice surprise to finally score a copy and as Ava and I had been talking about 90’s New York Hip-Hop and how I lived a few blocks from Queensbridge while in NYC, it seemed like a good time to pick this gem for recommendation.

To start, the label that released this cassette sold out before Sorry State could get distro copies! But, I have a handful of copies, and also a few Vivisected Numbskulls tapes left for distro - which are also now sold out from the label and Sorry State. Feel free to hit me up for distro stuff at in.decay@yahoo.com. I've wanted to write about this release for my previous two Staff Picks but I wanted to have the copies in my hands before I wrote. You never know what the end result might be when dealing with cassettes, or almost any release really. This cassette is brought to you by Outsider Classics, who also did badass re-issues likes Cólera, Nisses Nötter, and Missbrukarna. I think I’ve mentioned Asta Kask several times already in the handful of Staff Picks I've written. I assume everyone knows who Asta Kask is who is reading this so I will do my best to keep it interesting. Please, no shame if you don't know this band. I hate that hierarchal mindset some “punks” have when it comes to knowing about bands. I’ve always heard Asta Kask were the pioneers of trallpunk (a melodic, Swedish style of HC/punk), but from my understanding trallpunk was not coined until the 90's, over a decade after the band had formed. They are from a small town in Sweden called Töreboda. When I say this town is small, I mean like less than 5,000 people small. Imagine Pittsboro, NC. On a map it also looks like there’s nothing going on there too, just like Pittsboro (aside from the beautiful land.) It's kind of strange to imagine an excellent band like this coming from a small town where no other notable bands came from, but at the same time I feel like that is common in the USA. But this is probably worth noting, I’m still looking on a map and guess what city is almost right the middle of Stockholm and Gothenburg? Yup, it's Töreboda. And it looks like you literally have to pass right through it to travel between those two major cities… that had to have played a role.
 
Asta-Kask originally formed as X-tas in 1978, playing Sex Pistols cover songs. Their first actual release was in 1982, För Kung Och Fosterland. It was really well-received internationally at the time, but the band had broken up before the EP was actually released. In 1983, the vocalist/guitarist Micke re-formed the band with a new-line up and recorded En Tyst Minut... (That title translates to 'a minute of silence...' I wonder if that was related to the break-up of the band.) This new line-up is the same one the band would stick with until their end of days. I do want to note there was a compilation tape Anarkist Attack that was released in 1982 (I think) that features a great deal of Asta Kask tracks. There are many songs on there I don’t recognize, but there are certainly some songs that appear on later releases with new recordings. It makes me wonder if Micke had wrote a shit ton of songs early on and really didn’t want to abandon them, hence the reformation of the band with a new line up. Another even more important note, Micke Blomqvist operated his own recording studio through the 80’s called Kloakens Alternativa Antistudio. This person deserves so much credit…at his studio legendary bands like Nyx Negative, Crude SS, Asocial, Svart Parad, Anti-Cimex, Avskum, and Rövsvett have all recorded. Anyway, in 1984 En Tyst Minut...was released but they were so on top of their shit that they had already recorded for their next record Plikten Framför Allt, which was released later that same year. After three EPs they released Med Is I Magen in 1985. I think this LP is the most renowned of their releases, but my favorite stuff is their EPs, especially the ones that came out in 1984. Still in 1985, they recorded for their next EP Än Finns Det Hopp. They were keeping it steady at the time, visiting the studio regularly and playing gigs throughout Sweden. But the next year would be the bands “final” years active. In 1986 they visited the studio to record Aldrig En LP and embarked on their first international tour. I’m not sure how long the tour was, or what cities they hit, but they toured Germany with Upright Citizens. I don’t know anything about why the band broke-up, but maybe it was subsequent to their tour. Although the band did call it quits in 1986, they have reformed several times since then (1989, 1992, 2003, etc.) This tape features their EP collection plus an additional track that wasn’t originally released with the EP. You can find these EPs for about $30 (haha although some of the first presses go for much more.) They are relatively affordable, but it’s really cool to have ‘em all compiled onto a cassette – you don’t have to flip shit nearly as often, and it saves you like $100. Cheers to Outsider Classics! And, thanks for reading..til next time.

High Tide: Sea Shanties 12” (Liberty, 1969)

I recently scored an original US pressing of this heavy psych banger from 1969. It first came on to my radar when a used copy came through the shop a year or two ago. My friend Phil bought it before I could listen to it, but at some point I checked out Sea Shanties online. It grabbed me from the first listen, and I revisited the record every few weeks. Rock didn’t get much heavier than Sea Shanties in 1969. Their heavy, fuzz-drenched guitar sound gets compared to Blue Cheer, but High Tide reminds me more of Sir Lord Baltimore’s 1970 album Kingdome Come. Like that record, Sea Shanties is not only very heavy for its time but also fast and chaotic. Sir Lord Baltimore generated tension by double-tracking the guitars, but on Sea Shanties, the second guitar spot is filled by an electric violinist which also gives this album a similar feel to Amon Düül II’s Yeti album. I’m a sucker for two-guitar bands, and the way the guitarist and violinist sometimes harmonize with one another and sometimes play across and through one another’s melodic lines hits the sweet spot.

Sea Shanties hasn’t seen a vinyl repress since a 2009 Sundazed reissue, and since even that seems to near the $100 mark on Discogs, when a clean original US copy popped up for around that price I jumped on it. I also started doing some research into High Tide and its members, though I haven’t found much. High Tide has a second album from 1970 that I’m looking forward to checking out, and they stayed together throughout the 80s and 90s, releasing music during that period with a revolving door lineup. Vocalist / guitarist Tony Hill seems to have focused most of his energy on High Tide, but violinist Simon House has a much longer resume, serving time in the Third Ear Band and joining Hawkwind for Hall of the Mountain Grill, which might be my favorite of their many albums.

I was looking through my phone at old photos and found one from four years ago that has me here at Sorry State before I began working here – Ava and I recently celebrated our first-year anniversary of being part of the SSR family- and it’s a picture of me buying the record that I am going to suggest to you all this week. It was a sealed copy and quite expensive and so I had to bring something in to trade. I brought in a sealed copy of Nirvana’s Bleach and we worked it out. Some of you might think it was an odd trade but I had been looking for this particular record for a while and have a play copy of Bleach so wasn’t too bothered about letting it go.

Anyway, as we hit August and it is officially summer, this one might be appropriate.
 
J.K. & Co.: Suddenly One Summer. White Whale. 1968
 
There’s something about records that were made in the year of one’s birth that intrigues me and I wonder if anyone else feels the same? It doesn’t always follow that you will like them but more often than not I do. This one I certainly do.

So, what’s the deal? Okay, it’s a pop-psych record of real class and distinction and will appeal to anyone who digs that type of thing. It has elements of all the great records from that period. Think Beatles post Revolver, Bee Gee’s 1^st, The Left Banke, Zombies, Aerovons, Gandalf, Bobby Jameson, Sagittarius and Love, to give you some references.

The story goes that fifteen-year-old Jay Kaye, son of Mary Kaye the renowned guitarist, raised around music all his life, accompanied her to Vancouver where she had arranged studio time for him to record. Already mature beyond his years and quite a gifted musician and budding songwriter, Jay arrived at the studio with his songs and presented them to producer Robin Spurgin, who was immediately impressed. Spurgin had a worked up a good resume by this time recording several of the better local bands and he enlisted another teen prodigy, Robert Buckley to help with arrangements and members of underground group Mother Tucker’s Yellow Duck to play. Over the next few weeks this group worked on what was to end up being Suddenly One Summer. Taking in the local music scene as inspiration and the previous couple of years of summer of love style music and most importantly, LSD. Kaye freely admits that psychedelic experimentation was a big part of the creative process.

Armed with the record in the can, Kaye initially tried to use his family connections at Capitol to have the album released but they wanted to change things and rerecord some stuff. Instead, they took it to White Whale, who flipped for the record and it was one of their in-house producers who came up with the title because Kaye came into their office and blew them away suddenly one summer. White Whale did a good job initially promoting the record locally with billboards and store displays and underground radio particularly liking it. Trying to build on that the label decided to put out a single but foolishly picked the first track off the record which was barely thirty seconds and meant as an introductory piece of music for the rest of the album. Naturally this sunk without trace and other than some live shows that Kaye did with a new band not much else happened and everyone moved on with their lives. It wasn’t until years later when records from this era were starting to be rediscovered that interest in it started back up again. New York label Sundazed did a pretty nice reissue job back in 2001 and that version is pretty easy to find. Originals do show up but still command decent money.

Key tracks are the lysergic Fly with backwards playing tapes ala Beatles, Christine, that begins with a drum break for the sampler ready producers, Crystal Ball, a quick acid guitar groove and O.D. a prime West Coast psyche tune. Elsewhere you have some trippy sitar on Magical Fingers Of Minerva and a harpsichord track that might have been a Village Green out-take.

Clocking in at just over thirty minutes, the album doesn’t outstay it’s welcome but hopefully now that you know about it, you can welcome it into your life. Take the trip.

Vampyr: Cry Out For Metal (Hot Blood Records)

Hailing from Germany, Vampyr are one of those legendary one-and-done bands with Cry Out For Metal being their only release. Every song has a mandatory head banging riff. The contrast between the true speed metal songs and the straight up heavy metal, hard-driving rock songs make a perfect anthem worthy album. Starting off the album with the epic "Sinner" really hooks you into listening to the full album in one sitting. Hell Bent Angels has got to be my favorite track on the record though.. Wolfgang Schwarz's Vocals have a small range but an insane amount of power and a beautiful south German speed metal style behind them. The lead guitars are insane and those solos...WHEW boy does this record kick ass. Definitely a gem of 1985 speed/thrash metal. 10/10 Recommendation for fans of Tyrant, Jag Panzer, Lizzy Borden, Armored Saint.

I have been really feeling compilations lately. I used to love them when I was younger. They are a great way to hear new bands. At least they used to be before the internet took over everything… I think the last compilation I was really into was the Killed By Finnish Hardcore bootleg, and that was 8 or 9 years ago. Haha, I just realized I didn’t have internet at my house back then, I wonder if there was a correlation with my obsession of the LP. I do want to apologize for not writing about something available at Sorry State, or a new release in general. This is rather a “Suggested Listening” than a Staff Pick. The Tsjernobilly Boogie LP is relatively affordable though if you can find one second-hand. Also, ANYONE reading this is more than welcome to e-mail me (in.decay@yahoo.com) and I’d gladly put this on a tape for you with a cute lil’ cover!! I actually think this release was originally on cassette format before being pressed on vinyl, but I haven’t confirmed that. According to discogs, there was a booklet “issued” with the disc but they all burned up or something before they could retrieve them. Bummer, cos I would absolutely love to know some information about a few of these bands! It’s not often I hear a compilation where I enjoy listening to every song. Side A opens up with Kafka Prosess. They deliver the goods; fast, pummeling hardcore with melodic elements, traditional X-Port Plater style. Also, these tracks were exclusive to the release at the time! This is a great way to start off a compilation. It lets every listener know you simply are not fuckin’ around. In 2000, Skuld Releases did the Ingen Fattige, Ingen Rike compilation LP which featured these tracks as well as their split with Disorder (UK). You can still find these cheap second-hand.

Barn Av Regnbuen follows with four songs. Barn Av Regnbuen is a band I’ve heard before after checking the X-Port Plater catalogue, funny though I don’t remember them being this good! After hearing the tracks on this compilation I re-visited their previous material and I have been enjoying it a lot! I see why I probably passed them over at first. They incorporate what I call “weird” elements into their HC, haha. But the other more traditional elements keep me listening, cos they play it well. It also makes the “weird” shit even cooler. Now I regret not getting their first EP in the past.

Overlagt Drap rules!! It sounds like shitty rock-n-roll with a “dirty” punk edge. They appear to be the only band on this compilation that sing in English. I know very little about the band, I know they have two other appearances on compilations, using the same songs. One appearance was on a US label as benefit for Green Peace. The other appearance was before the Tsjernobilly Boogie LP on a compilation on Norwegian tape label Den Onde Sirkel, who released some badass stuff like Asta Kask.

Brent Jord finishes off the B side with 3 tracks. I wish there was more. These might be my favorite tracks on this compilation!! I know nothing about the band, and of course, these are the only songs I can find of theirs. It reminds me a bit of Stengte Dører and Svart Framtid, some of my favorites.

Angor Wat opens up the B side with a groovy HC track, a great song to start the B side. They are the last band on the compilation I had heard of (there was only three bands I knew previous to listening). Angor Watt sticks out from the compilation in this way that it sounds more metallic rather than melodic like the rest of the bands.

Following Angor Wat is TMB (The Midnight Blues). They lay down 3 tracks of RAGING HARDCORE!! The first track sounds kind of like Disorder (UK) but more ripping, while the other two songs sound pretty different. They almost sound like a German band. The way the vocalist sings reminds me of Vorkriegsjugend especially.

Jesus, this LP just gets more and more HC!! Josva lays down some off-the-hinge HC tracks. The first and third songs barely hang by a thread but in a good way, kinda like Wretched (Italy). The middle song is quite different than the ones that surround it, with a sort of English vibe. I think it is because the vocalist sounds like the dude from early Chumbawamba recordings to me, haha.

The last two tracks on the compilation really contrast the rest of the compilation. But I enjoy them so much… it’s a great way to finish off a compilation like this. Dead Swingers is the first of the two. They are much more melodic and “punk” rather than HC. There are many layers to the song, with multiple tracks for the vocals and guitar parts that create a really encompassing atmosphere. They had a cassette some years before this LP where their compilation track came from called Nisseland. I would love to hear more, but I got to find some downloads…

Det Glad Vanvidd finishes off the compilation with like a 7 minute long song, haha. I don’t think I could listen to a song that long generally, but for some reason it doesn’t feel that long when listening to the LP. They incorporate strange elements into the song…there is like a bird “caw” that echoes frequently in the distance, synths, and other dissonant sounds. I think they might have more material released than any other band on this compilation, but unfortunately I think they were more an “experimental” band so I’m not sure I’d suggest diving deep into that one.

Shout to the Hardy Boys, WHAT UP! Michael told me about this compilation recently otherwise I would’ve never known it existed. Those two punk-ass mofos have shown me and friends countless HC bands, cheers yall! Till next time..