Akina Nakamori: 不思議 12” (Reprise Records, 1986)

A few weeks ago I was on my couch late at night, unable to sleep, reading about Japanese punk music. On this particular research binge, my focus wandered outside the noisy Japanese hardcore that occupies the bulk of my attention, and I got curious about non-hardcore punk and new wave in Japan in the 80s. Somewhere amidst reading about groups like Friction, Anarchy, and INU, I came across a brief mention of Akina Nakamori’s 1986 album. That description prompted me give the album a quick listen, and it caught my ear right away. 不思議 reminded of something that might have come out on 4AD Records with its lush instrumentation and dark pop style, but unlike Siouxsie and the Banshees or the Cocteau Twins (the album’s closest sonic points of reference), Akina Nakamori wasn’t a young musician whose talent was just coming into bloom. Rather, she was an established pop star throwing a mid-career curveball.

Akina Nakamori was a Japanese pop idol, beginning her career in 1981 by winning the singing competition show Star Tanjō!, or A Star Is Born. After establishing her name with the TV series, Nakamori started her recording career and released a long string of successful singles and albums, regularly topping the single and album charts in Japan, with some of her releases approaching one million copies sold. I’m no expert on this style of mainstream 80s Japanese pop, but what I’ve checked out is about as glossy and gentle as you would expect given the cover art for her second album, Variation:

Compared to other pop idols, Nakamori’s image was edgy, her slightly risque lyrics contrasting with her biggest rival, Seiko Matsuda, who projected a gentler, girl-next-door image. Nakamori also followed the lead of western pop stars like Madonna who changed up their image with each new single or album release, making her the more sophisticated choice among the competing pop idols.

不思議 (Fushigi) is Nakamori’s tenth album, originally released in 1986. 不思議 is the first album of original material Nakamori released after BEST, her first greatest hits collection. Perhaps looking backward for BEST prompted some creative restlessness, or maybe the timing is coincidental, but 不思議 represents a dramatic shift in style for Nakamori. This is obvious from the album’s cover artwork, which subverts the pop idol convention by obscuring the singer’s face and adopting an earthy color scheme rather than modern-looking graphics.

The music also subverts pop convention by putting Nakamori’s voice way back in the mix—which is dominated by a busy bass, huge-sounding drums, and ethereal strings—and drowning it in echo. The vocal approach brings to mind Cocteau Twins, while the dark vibe and knotty rhythms remind me of Siouxsie and the Banshees circa Tinderbox. The entire album is in this style and it’s a gripping listen all the way through. Everything I’ve read insists that the UK post-punk that 不思議 most closely resembles was not an influence, and that Nakamori arrived at her similar sound independently. This is particularly impressive given that 不思議 is the only album in her long career that Nakamori self-produced.

While 不思議 went to #1 in Japan, it only topped the charts for three weeks, a relative disappointment for a huge star like Nakamori. While the album seemed to confuse much of her audience, critics hailed it as a triumph and it remains well regarded to this day.

If you want to read more about 不思議, Ignatiy Vishnevetsky wrote a very detailed piece on the record (much better than this one) for the AV Club back in 2016: https://www.avclub.com/a-one-of-a-kind-album-tried-to-turn-80s-pop-on-its-ear-1798243749

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I don’t how many of you get as psyched as I do about this time of year, but I’m trying to dwell in it as much as possible. I’m bustin’ out the flannels, I’m drinkin’ the hot cider… shit, I might even carve a pumpkin! Hoping all you freaks out there are prepared for a killer spooky-ass weekend. I love Halloween. And while I’m sure there will be plenty of Misfits and Samhain on deck, I feel like most of my energy during this time of year is devoted to watching movies rather than listening to music.

I’m by no means a soundtrack buff, but one great thing that comes along with 80s horror classics is the score. For whatever reason, cold and sparse synthesizer soundscapes seem to fit perfectly. I’m sure most people are familiar with John Carpenter’s films. Amazing of a filmmaker as Carpenter is, I still find it so interesting that he also composed a memorable score for many of the movies his name is attached to. One of my particular favorites is the 3rd installment of the Halloween franchise, Season of the Witch. An interesting sequel for sure, considering it doesn’t even feature the iconic Michael Myers. However, I think the score by Carpenter, along with Alan Howarth, is maybe his best work. In contrast to the instantly recognizable, anxiety-inducing 5/4 theme from the original, the 3rd sequel is predominantly a series of droning atmospheric mood pieces. The synth sounds hit piercing dissonances and have these perfectly organic yet cold synth-pad tones before the over-digitized sounds that came later in the 80s. The major theme “Chariots of Pumpkins” stands out with a more beat-driven feel that was destined to become a remixed disco-fied banger played by DJs in the years to follow. If you’re looking for some eerie and spine-chilling ambiance for your Halloween weekend, I’d definitely recommend jamming this electronic masterpiece. Also, if Season of Witch weren’t lumped in with the Michael Myers series and was a stand-alone movie, then I think it would maybe be less maligned. I think the movie is definitely worth revisiting as well!

As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Happy Halloween Dear Sorry Staters. What’s up? Before I scribble a few words for my staff pick this week, let us take a moment to acknowledge the fact that we now live in a world where Liverpool Football Club beat Manchester United five nil at Old Trafford. An absolute horror story for them and one of the greatest wins for us, and we have plenty of memorable victories to choose from. Non sport fans can shrug their shoulders in indifference and the rest of you I encourage to google the game and enjoy the multiple highlights and global reaction.

Okay, moving on. It is Halloween this week and although I am sure my other SSR colleagues are going to pick horror theme records (Rachel) I couldn’t resist jumping in with a selection myself.

I know I have talked about my love of soundtracks previously. I have quite a few, so this week’s pick is plucked from them. Let’s listen to The Vampires Of Dartmoore and their Dracula’s Music Cabinet LP from 1969.

This was a German released record made to cash in on the Horrotica craze of the late 1960s that continued into the early 70s. European cinema was awash with B-Movie titles featuring scantily clad women being pursued by vampires and monsters. Most of these films used stock music library compositions for their soundtracks, although many of the better ones had scores made especially. This record was made by music library session guys for a film that didn’t exist. They are cues and themes for an imagined film. Does it work and is it any good? Kind of. The critics are divided. Some people think the record is utter pants and others have discovered some charm to it and like it. I fall into the latter camp, obviously. So do the good folks at Finders Keepers who prepared this reissue, which I have. Original copies disappeared into the backs of dusty European record shops and the collections of vinyl hounds and are tough to score.

Musically, the record is a kitschy pastiche affair. A cross between a jazzy lounge record, sound effects LP and actual soundtrack. There are some psychedelic touches here and there, but it is far from a Krautrock album, although you can hear similar stuff going on in some of the early Irmin Schmidt soundtracks he did in his early pre-Can and Can days. Who played on the record is not completely certain, but we know the composers and main artistic inspiration came from two dudes, Horst Ackermann and Heribert Thusek, who were active in the German music scene at the time. Oh, and there is a drum break in there too.

The cover is pure horror theatre with white faced, vampire toothed characters and a child looking creepily at the camera. The rear has a vampire chick spreading her cloak wide and looking like a Kiss extra with bad teeth. Great stuff.

I listened to the record a few times this week, and I liked having it playing in the background whilst I worked. It is a quick affair, about thirty-five minutes, so doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. Like I said, not brilliant, not a lost John Carpenter or Morricone score, but fun and appropriate for the season. You can check it out yourself here.

Alright, that’s my lot for you this go around. Have a great Halloween weekend everyone. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll be given some of that THC dosed candy that apparently people are giving out. According to Fox News. Not holding out much hope, as in all my years I rarely hear of people giving out free expensive drugs to strangers.

Peace- Dom

Hello again,

It has been a week already? Ahh... a lot of stuff happened in the past week. We got some killer new releases (per usual I guess haha). My birthday was over the weekend. This photo is Jeff, Kevin, and me getting wasted with the Hardy Boys. It was a great time. I was happy to spend it with my closest friends. Anyway, I was really excited for the parcel from D-Takt we just got in. I had been accumulating a stack of records over the course of a month or two from Jocke (D-Takt). So on top of the hot new releases, I was looking forward to all the shit I was getting from him, hehe. D-Takt just dropped four 12”s at once! Insane!! We did not stock the WARCHILD 12" cos there is a U.S. press coming from Black Water. I fucked up and never checked out WARCHILD til this release. Black Water has released three of their previous records. I mean shit, we have those records in stock at the store too. The new WARCHILD 12" is amazing, not that it matters, but I think it’s my favorite of the four titles D-Takt just released. I wish I could drop a link for you but I can’t find one. They are from Sweden, and it definitely sounds like it. The style is similar to other crushing Swedish bands like MEANWHILE or INFERNÖH. Top-notch… grab it when you see it available in the States!!!

I have been playing the Anti-Metafor 12" a lot. I think I have all their previous releases, but this one really shines in my opinion. On the back it says “100% DIY REHEARSAL RECORDED.” To me that sounds like it could be a put off… but then beneath that it says “SCANDINAVIAN HARDCORE” haha, which might draw you back in. Anyway, what I mean to say is the recording and production sounds fucking excellent. The drums are simultaneously pummeling and piercing. It sounds killer. I don’t think this record is for everyone, though. I’m not tryna be pretentious or anything, but I know a lot of people can’t hang with absolut blazing fast käng. They probably think it’s boring or some shit. A lot of elements of this band remind me of CIMEX. A lot actually, haha. The A-side is four pummeling songs in the vein of Raped Ass. The riffs are pretty straightforward with some guitar leads here and there. The final song on the A-side is a slow one. A lot times I fucking hate slow songs… but I like this one. Well done. For the B-side, it starts off pretty straight forward with some crying guitar leads like you would hear on the A-side, but the sound changes a bit after that. It honestly sounds like the songs that follow are more in the vein of Victims of a Bombraid, haha. It’s much heavier on the leads, and the riffs are a bit more complex. It still maintains the pummeling of the A-side, but some of the songs’ tempos are certainly pulled back. I love it… this is an excellent 12". You can check out a song here. Alright, thank you for reading and thanks to everyone for the support!!! ‘Til next time...

I can’t end October without another round o’ spooky records! As my reorganization continues and as my coworkers dig through collections, I’ve added more and more things to my Halloween vinyl playlist. Here are a few more creepy LPs from my collection…

Leinengen Vs. The Ants / Sorry, Wrong Number

I’m slowly trying to get these Radiola records because they never disappoint. Killer swarms of ants? Come on now, that’s so good. I will say, though, the B side’s story is much more compelling, and it caught my ear when I listened to it. “Sorry, Wrong Number” is a tense tale about 1940s technological troubles that had me stop what I was doing to listen to the conclusion. Stoked to find a rip on youtube. You should definitely give it a listen.

Even More Death and Horror

These BBC sound effects records are top notch. If you can suspend your critical thinking for a second, this record can get pretty gross. It’s pretty obvious someone is messing with food to make disgusting sounds, but as soon as I read track titles like “two throats cut” and “fingernails pulled out - assorted” I stopped hearing veggies being torn apart and started to hear the bodies.

Edward Scissorhands OST

This movie has been one of my favorites since I saw it when I was a child! Waxworks is one of my favorite movie soundtrack labels right now and I was kicking myself for missing this release. If you know anything about Waxworks, Mondo, etc, you know that the after market prices skyrocket when a pressing is sold out, so I thought it just wasn’t meant to be... until I found a new copy at All Day Records in Carrboro (holy shit you have to go there, it’s so good).

Basil Rathbone Reads Edgar Allan Poe Volumes 1 & 2

Caedmon is another label that I will almost always buy. The album art, the attention to detail in the recordings, I have loved every single release of theirs I’ve found. I picked up Vol. 2 of this FUCKING MASTERPIECE last year and was so so so excited to find volume one in a buy at the store the other week. Rathbone and Poe are a match made in spooky heaven and these records provide the perfect ambiance to the stories being told.

Anti-Machine: S/T 7” (Toxic State Records) The latest and greatest from Toxic State is the debut EP by Brooklyn, NY’s Anti-Machine. As we’ve come to learn about Toxic State releases, you can always expect the unexpected. Records on the label can range from noisy raw punk to peculiar arthouse pop, but are always presented with captivating and elaborate packaging. Anti-Machine isn’t antithetical to the Toxic State milieu, but this EP is about as close as they’ve come to releasing a bare-bones, street-level US hardcore band, and the feel is different. Sure, there’s a beautifully screen-printed poster included, but no artsy graphic design. Instead, you get a photo of the band looking cool in leather with beers in hand. Anti-Machine features seasoned veterans from the NY scene, with familiar faces from bands like Sister Anne, Crazy Spirit, Extended Hell, and a lengthy list of others. It sounds like the band walked into the studio already dialed and ready to play at their hardest and meanest. Each track is a cold and venomous powerhouse of wall-to-wall energy. The chaotic intensity, frantic but rocked out riffs, and Walker’s snarling vocals remind me of early Accüsed—not to mention their grindhouse, “driller killer attacked by demons” aesthetic. The bonehead punk on the cover with brains being decimated by a drill is a pretty spot on depiction of how listeners will feel after blasting this EP. If you’re looking to rage full-on Splatterhead style, look no further than Anti-Machine.

Death Side: Unreleased Tracks & Video Archives 7” / DVD (Break The Records, 2021)

You may have heard about the new release from Japanese legends Death Side on Break The Records. Sorry State got a very small handful of copies, and after everyone who works here got to take one for themselves, there were only a few left for the website. As expected, they sold out within minutes. I wish we could have gotten enough copies for everyone who wanted one, but it just wasn’t possible. I try to avoid hyping hard-to-get releases in the newsletter, but I enjoyed this release so much that I wanted to write about it for my staff pick.

The major attraction when I heard about this record was the 7” containing four unreleased tracks Death Side recorded during the sessions for the Game of Death compilation LP in 1989. While I missed out on the very limited official vinyl pressing of Death Side’s split with Chaos UK that Break The Records released in 2016, my collection of Death Side vinyl is otherwise complete (even including compilations!) and I wanted to keep it that way.

While I anticipated this release for the 7” EP, it’s probably the least compelling element of the package. Death Side had a habit of recording extra songs at their recording sessions, and members would take turns adding vocal tracks to these extra songs. That is what this EP compiles, with one song each sang by Death Side’s four members at the time of this recording. Main vocalist Ishiya sings the first track, with drummer Muka-Chin, bassist You, and guitarist Chelsea providing vocals for the subsequent tracks. Chelsea gets an assist from Tokurow of Bastard in his track, which is pretty cool to hear.

The tracks on the 7” are, surprisingly, really good. My expectations were low given these are outtakes from a recording session for a compilation, but fuck… Death Side was so good and so prolific they left tons of gold on the cutting room floor. While the recording quality is rough (more gritty than lo-fi), the songs have so much going on… it’s amazing how much music flowed through Chelsea. There are great riffs, several of Chelsea’s trademark melodic leads, and some unexpected moments like the creepy-sounding, melodic chorus to “Sunshine Blind.” I won’t overstate my case by insisting this material is essential or that it holds a candle to any of the original-era Death Side releases, but these tracks are cool and worth hearing if you are a fan.

The physical package includes liner notes by Zigyaku from Gudon, Bastard, and Judgement, who was a close confidant of the band when they recorded these tracks and present for the session. He describes being locked in the studio all night, the band completing these half-finished tracks by writing lyrics and vocals on the spot. Death Side always seemed like superheroes to me, but Zigyaku’s liner notes humanize them and provide much-needed insight as to how the band worked.

Now onto the DVD, which is my favorite part of the package. I hadn’t played a DVD in years, so I had to unpack my ancient Xbox, which was covered in dust, still sitting in a moving box I hadn’t opened since moving into my current house two and a half years ago. After finding all the cables and replacing the batteries in the remote, I was relieved when the DVD’s menu popped up on my screen.

Some of the material on the DVD I had seen before. The 1989 footage has circulated online for years, and contributed to Death Side’s mystique as I was learning about them in the early 2000s. This footage is pro-shot in a live house with multiple camera angles and good sound, and while the venue seems small, the stage lighting and the band’s incredible style give them a larger-than-life appearance. Ishiya entering the stage with his giant, 3-foot mohawk is one of the most magical moments of punk ever captured on video. I remember downloading low-res clips of this footage from Soulseek and torrent sites twenty years ago, and it’s just as captivating to me now. I also remember the first time I saw Forward in the early 00s, thinking to myself “holy shit, two of these guys were in Death Side, and that’s the one with the giant mohawk!” It is the stuff of legends, and if seeing this doesn’t hook you on Japanese hardcore, then nothing will.

My favorite part of the DVD, though, are the tracks from a 1993 gig that I’d never seen before. The footage from live house gigs is of a piece with other video footage of legendary Japanese bands from the 80s and 90s, much of which was released commercially on VHS tapes. While you can see the crowd is going off, the atmosphere seems sinister and charged; you can even see fights break out as the band plays. However, the 1993 footage is from a different sort of gig. The first song from this gig on the DVD, “Stick & Hole,” begins, and the crowd is just going the fuck OFF. There are a ton of people on the stage (it reminds me of a packed 90s / 00s gig at St Stephen’s in DC or the First Unitarian Church in Philly), and a bunch of freaks wearing nothing but speedos dance around, lighting fireworks. Ishiya looks punk as hell with his arm set in a cast, but Chelsea has transitioned toward his Paintbox-era fashion with his loud Hawaiian-style shirt and his hair in a stringy, bleached-out surfer style like something out of Lords of Dogtown. One camera angle focuses on him and he’s just shredding the living fuck out of his guitar. It looks like there are a few hundred people at the gig and everyone is dancing, thrashing around, and crowding around the microphones during the gigantic choruses. While the recording isn’t professional, the DVD cuts between multiple camera angles, which keeps the energy level from stagnating. This gig seems so fun, and I gobbled up this footage with saucer-wide eyes and a giant smile plastered across my face.

The DVD cuts between several different gigs, and between the songs, there are interview segments with Ishiya, You, and Muka-Chin. Like Zigyaku’s liner notes, these interview segments humanize this larger-than-life band as they reminisce about touring, having no money, and how close their friendship was during the band’s original era. I’m so pleased they provided English subtitles for the interview, and my buddy Jesse Conway’s translations do so much to bring into focus what was before only discernible through the (interestingly) cracked prism of awkward translations. I’ve always wondered what Japanese hardcore bands think of their American fans, and in the interview, the members talk about how they dreamed of touring overseas during the band’s original era ,and how much it meant to them for the reformed version of the band to get such an incredible response at their gigs outside Japan. Those words, along with the care they took to make this release accessible for western audiences, make me feel like some of the love we westerners have for Japanese hardcore is getting through to them.

The DVD’s climax is an explosive version of “The Will Never Die” at that 1993 gig. Everyone is singing along, the band and audience are losing their shit, and the energy, which video often doesn’t capture, is electric. I can barely imagine what it must have been like to be there in person, but I feel so lucky to watch it now.

Once again, I’m sorry to tease everyone by writing about a release that will be very difficult for you to acquire. There has long been an annoying snootiness and exclusivity among the people who follow Japanese punk in the west, with many fans protective about information and skeptical of people who are comparatively new to this stuff. I hope it’s clear I’m not trying to cool guy anyone or brag. I just love this band and this music, and this release prompted so many thoughts that I felt compelled to share. If you can find a copy for yourself, then cool (it’ll be difficult, but not impossible), but if not, try your best to make something just as awesome happen right now in your part of the world.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Hope yall are all enjoying the spooky season! I’ve been trying to cram in watching as many horror movies as possible before Halloween. Inevitably, that means hearing some cheesy heavy metal in some of these 80s flicks. Pretty appropriate for what I’ve written below:

I had an idea for a staff pick a while back that I’m only now taking the time to fully wrap my head around. This idea was resparked in my brain when I found out that Daniel is currently working his way through listening to the entire Black Sabbath discography. When he told me this, I thought “Damn, that’s a cool idea.” But still, a dubious task to say the least when you consider the many changes Sabbath went through over their multiple-decade career. The other day, Daniel and I were both working at Sorry State’s warehouse location and he had just reached the Dio era of his listening journey. As we both experienced the lesser known tracks from Mob Rules, it reminded me of an idea I had to write for our newsletter a long time ago, but never got around to. This idea involved the 2 most iconic singers from Sabbath, and now I think it’s time I finally time I got to flesh this thing out. I’m not going to revisit the age-old debate of “who was better in Sabbath, Ozzy or Dio?” Instead, most of you rockers know that both Ozzy and Dio had very successful careers going solo post-Sabbath. Bear with me…

Many months ago now, I remember we had a copy of Ozzy Osbourne’s The Ultimate Sin sitting in the used bins here at the store. Between both Rachel and I specifically, I remember this record getting a lot of play while either of us would be working the counter at the store. An underrated Ozzy record, I would say. But around that same time, we also had a copy of Sacred Heart by Dio. Each of these solo records by the former Sabbath frontmen could be described as midpoints in each singer’s solo career. Sacred Heart was released in late summer of 1985 and The Ultimate Sin was released in early 1986. So really, the albums were released only about 4 months or so apart.

Now, each record had a major single with a music video: Ozzy had “A Shot In The Dark” and Dio had “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children.” I’m not sure for anyone reading this how long it has been since you’ve heard either of these songs, but around the time I was revisiting these records I couldn’t help but notice that they are EERILY similar. Even when you look at the picture sleeves for each single, both have orange backgrounds and feature an image of a dragon! Now “A Shot in the Dark” has Ozzy’s head anthropomorphized onto the dragon, but still! Haha. But there’s so much more going on here.

I’m not sure if each of the former Sabbath singers brought in a producer (maybe the same producer??) on these records to help with their slumps in the middle of their careers, but you do have to consider the time period. The landscape of heavy metal was changing a lot in the mid-80s, with bands like Dokken hitting the big time. The genre influence I hear really creeping its way into both of these tunes is what I’ve heard a lot of people refer to as “Night Metal.” Maybe some you will know what I mean by that haha. With hair metal being the dominant force at the time, both Ozzy and Dio have a bit more of a glittery, glammy soft edge on these songs. Both songs are midpaced at a similar tempo, each opening with a keyboard-laden, melancholic atmosphere that gives off a hint of mystery. Then finally, we have to talk about these riffs. When each of these songs break into their signature guitar riff, both chugging in the key of A or maybe A flat, you realize that for all intents and purposes – you’re listening to the same song. The opening lyrics and the phrasing is so similar as well, with Dio’s opening line “It was starting to rain on the night that they first decided.” and Ozzy singing “Out on the street, I’m stalking the night.” Play them back to back, it’s almost dead on. Even when you look at the music videos there are similarities! Both videos follow teenagers on their night out with a feeling of distress looming over them. Both videos incorporate supernatural elements and whisps of mystical happenings. “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children” opens with a minute-long cut scene and definitely has more of a plot to the music video than Ozzy’s tune. Still, it’s strange how alike they are in terms of vibe, the overarching theme being feeling lost, but still having each other. These middle-aged Sabbath singers had to connect with the youth, man!

I wish I could sit here and write a super detailed essay about how crazy alike these songs are, but at some point, I need to go price some records for the store. I gotta say though, if I had to pick my preference for one of these numbers based purely on execution, I think “Rock ‘N’ Roll Children” takes the cake. I would say mainly because I like the video. It does kind of remind of a like PG-version of Nightmare Elm Street (See? It all comes back to Dokken). Both are cheesy as hell, but if Dio’s music video is like an expensive Gruyere, then Ozzy’s is probably more like Cheese Whiz.

That’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading and nerding out with me.

‘Til next week,

-Jef Lep

Hey there Sorry State Gang. I hope you all have had a good week and are doing well? The world keeps spinning, and another week is in the books. Between navigating the endless pain and stress of life (slight joke) I have had my mood lifted by good football matches, great music, and good reads. The Mighty Reds secured a win in Madrid, Spain this week against Atletico in what was quite a game, with Mo Salah setting another club record of scoring in nine consecutive matches. Music wise, we are flooded as per usual with great records new and old at the store. I’ve been listening to my usual fix of Jazz, Soul and oldies at home and trying my best to do something that I rarely do these days and that is read a book. So, for my pick this week, I would like to tell you about a new one I’ve been flicking through that a lot of you might well be interested in.

The Best Of Jamming! Edited by Tony Fletcher

Jamming! was a British fanzine that existed between 1977 and 1986 with a thirty-six-issue run. It began as a school publication launched by a teenage Tony Fletcher in London, with the first issue being a six-page affair published in December 1977 and costing a whopping ten pence, eventually evolving into a nationally distributed monthly. Packed full of great reviews, interviews, and features on sport, politics, poetry, and whatever else was clever at the time, it became an essential read. Back in the day before the internet you had to get your knowledge from these types of publications, and I did my best to read as many independent zines as possible in addition to all the numerous weekly and monthly music papers and magazines. It took a bit of effort and after years of buying them, I literally had thousands. For many years whilst traveling at sea, I had them stored in my parent’s attic, but my Dad got worried about the weight and one day took them all to the dump. Ha. So many great issues of old NME, Melody Maker, Sounds etc. returned to the earth.

Tony Fletcher, originally from Yorkshire, now resides in upstate New York and has had quite a few great books published over the years. He has written biographies/books on Keith Moon, R.E.M. The Clash, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Smiths, Wilson Pickett, and Eddie Floyd in addition to a couple of novels. Jamming! his latest, is a coffee table sized book that collects the highlights from each issue of the zine. With a foreword by Billy Bragg and insightful comments and reflections by Tony on each issue, it is a fun and fascinating read. Like a lot of zines started by young enthusiastic music lovers, it managed to get closer to the artists it covered than the mainstream press did. Jamming! had a lot of exclusive interviews during its run and many are included in the book. In addition, there are personal letters from the likes of Paul Weller and Mark E. Smith and tons of great period photos and other memorabilia.

Later issues of Jamming! appeared in the US but chances are for most of us this will be the first time we are reading these pieces. Over here Stateside there were, of course, plenty of homegrown zines and mags to get your hands on. Jamming! kind of reminds me of the great Bomp! magazine that the late Greg Shaw was putting out around the same time. That terrific publication covered similar territory and there is also a nice compendium of issues that came out a few years ago that I would highly recommend you get your hands on.

This collection of Jamming! is officially out on November 25th and is published by Omnibus Press. If you click the link to Tony’s page on the net, you’ll find links to all the places that are carrying it. I was lucky to get an early look courtesy of my Face Radio partner Matt, who was given an advance copy from Tony himself when our show Worldy broadcasted a special Jamming! show from the Brooklyn studio last month. I couldn’t fly up and do the show with Matt and Tony, but they had a great time and played so many great tunes that captured the spirit of the zine and the music it covered. You can click here to listen to that show. It really is a fun listen and great to hear from Tony himself.

Thanks for reading and your time. Have a fab week and I’ll see you next time.

Cheers – Dom.

Hello and thank you for reading,

This pic is completely unrelated to everything, but it is a wholesome pic so I am sharing it. I have been chatting with one of the guitarists from MORNINGTON CRESCENT, and 3/4 of SCARECROW just got an original copy of their killer EP! The other 1/4 of SCARECROW took the pic, hehe. I keep forgetting my birthday is this month. As I get older, I care less and less about birthdays. I don’t stress much about getting gifts for friends, and I really don’t like it when people spend money on me. Except I love to make mixtapes, but lately I find myself a bit too busy to enjoy this... of course, the real exception to everything I’ve just said is Jeff, haha! We always get each other a cool ass record for each other’s birthday. He has given me so much cool shit, man. I am lucky. I cannot wait to see what he’s got locked in for me this time around. This year I gave him my copy of ENGLISH DOGS To The Ends of the Earth 12”. I tried to buy him his own copy so I wouldn’t have to give him my dead mint condition copy, but the copy I got for him was so warped it would not play. The seller would only offer a refund on the 12" while I would have to eat the shipping both ways. So I eat shipping twice plus tax cos someone can’t grade a record??? Good thing you sent me P.O. Box as the return address, asshole. Anyway, the whole reason I am even mentioning this is cos one birthday tradition that never seems to fail is WHIPPITS, ahhhhhhhhh! I literally just realized I need to go buy a box today from the head shop, and now I am very excited!! Yeah I am juvenile, I don’t care.

Anyway, I am writing about a cool re-issue today, HYVINKÄÄ EP. I actually did not even know this EP existed until I heard about the re-issue. This EP is named after the city where all the bands were from. Before receiving the EP, I only knew one of the names, PAINAJAINEN. They are the only band from this comp that actually has a proper record. I think it is safe to say these bands are pretty obscure. Although when I got my copy and played it I instantly recognized the first PURKAUS track from the Killed By Finnish Hardcore 12" compilation. I had a lot of anticipation for the PAINAJAINEN tracks but compared to their EP it was not what I expected! I wondered if it was even the same band cos their EP is so fucking good, haha. I think the PURKAUS tracks might be my favorite if I had to choose. They know how to rip. But, the SOTAKULTTUURI tracks really get me going. They know how to seriously fucking ROCK! Aside from Finnish hardcore being known for its absolutely nasty (and sometimes sloppy) song-writing, I feel like Finland was the best at making songs groovy as fuck. The early bands knew how to throw a little cheese on some Discharge shit, but they make it stylish instead of corny. I really like contemporary band KOHTI TUHOA for this reason. There’s another upcoming release from Finland I cannot wait for either, YLEISET SYYT. We will be getting a lot of copies of this once it’s released. You know, I did not mention that the HYVINKÄÄ EP is not available from Sorry State yet. We have copies on the way with another re-issue from HöhNIE Records, the LASTA EP. So keep an eye out!

I’m a bit behind on getting this writing done, so I will have to wrap it up. The LASTA EP is another “obscure” record, though the bands on there are really not that obscure. It seems that some of the tracks appear elsewhere, but certainly not all. There’s 10 bands on this record! Aside from PURKAUS having an appearance here as well, this compilation features more popular bands like RIISTETYT, TERVEET KÄDET, BASTARDS, and KANSAN UUTISET! Both these 7"s coming from HöhNIE Records are very cool re-issues. Check ‘em out! If was you, I would surely grab both. Oh yes, I also forgot to mention we are getting the color vinyl versions for both releases! kk thanks for reading, peace!

I’ve come to really love Thursdays; putting together the newsletter has become one of my favorite parts of working at Sorry State! I let the music Daniel and my coworkers write about dictate my playlist and it’s honestly such a fucking joy to listen to everything each week. If you’ve gotten this far in the newsletter, I don’t need to tell you how cool this shit is, haha!

I’ve been spending a lot of time combing through my collection and updating my Discogs collection with the odds and ends I missed in the constant shuffle of new things. It made me realize I’ve picked up quite a few things on my Thursday shifts because of the newsletter, so I thought I’d share a few from the 7” box I’m currently reorganizing.

Distant Fear: A Reminder of Death 7”

I remember when we got this in and I was admiring the hand printed packaging. As someone who studied printmaking in college, I’m such a sucker for hand printed packaging on records. What really sold me on this, though, was Daniel’s description when this hit the Featured Release section way back when. For being a 7”, this record is still atmospheric and moody; it really feels longer than it is. We still have a few copies left because things from New Zealand tend to be a bit pricier, but I assure you this is worth every penny!

Electric Chair: Social Capital 7”

I don’t have to say much about this. We’ve been blowing through copies of this release since it came out, and for good reason. I’m still kicking myself for not grabbing Performative Justice when we had it in the store for 0.2 seconds before it sold out...don’t be like me, go grab Social Capital now why we still have it!!!

Execution: Silently it Grows 7”

Another record I fell victim to because of packaging and then the subsequent Featured Release write up. It’s an assault on the ears in the best way. Another import, so we luckily still have a few copies you can snag on the web store!

Horrendous 3D – The Gov. And Corps. Are Using Psycho-Electronic Weaponry To Manipulate You And Me… 7”

I think this might be my favorite thing I’ve picked up from the newsletter. I remember putting this on during a shift, not thinking too much about it, and watching the faces change on the customers in the store. I knew I needed it. It’s a dirty, nasty, hardcore jumbled mess that comes together perfectly for this record.

Nekra: Royal Disruptor 7”

I’m finding out I’m late to the game with some bands, but I’m glad to have found them either way. My Discogs want list generally increases every Thursday when I discover a new band. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I buy a cassette player and go down that hole. Finding Nekra definitely made me do a few eBay searches for cassette players so I could justify buying their demo from 2017. I’m so glad I have this release, though!

Hologram: No Longer Human 12” (Iron Lung Records) Hologram’s first EP from 2018 got a lot of play around here, so my expectations for No Longer Human were high. While the weight of expectation can color my first experience of a new record, No Longer Human is such a phenomenal release that this isn’t a problem. When I wrote about Hologram’s first EP, I noted they were one of the most progressive and forward-thinking projects in the hardcore scene, but this record goes beyond genre-bending and into mind-bending. It’s hardcore devoid of cliche, rebuilt from the ground up and taking the least obvious, more difficult route at every fork in the road. The rhythms, while blistering fast, reach well outside hardcore’s confines for inspiration. Critics would describe the morse-code guitar leads in “Bite the Smoke” or the insane mid-paced intro riff for “Deprivation Fantasy” as complex and inventive if a noise rock band executed them at a quarter the speed, but Hologram rips into them with the wild energy of Neos or Deep Wound. It’s not all herky-jerky rhythms, either. Album-closer “See a Pale Light” starts with a dense, creepy sounding melody that reminds me of Sonic Youth at their most sublime, but finds its way into a nasty mid-paced hardcore riff. For all their strengths, these mid-paced hardcore riffs might be where Hologram shines the brightest. The breakdown is possibly the most cliche-ridden aspect of hardcore, but on No Longer Human, Hologram approaches this convention with a freshness I wouldn’t have thought possible, warping classic hardcore through a fractured, acid-drenched prism. As on their EP, Hologram deploys synths and noise sounds too, sometimes on their own (as in “Untitled”) and sometimes combined with the full-on hardcore (such as on “Innate,” where synth whirring occupies the space where you might expect a guitar lead), and these parts are just as inventive and exciting as the music performed on the more conventional (for hardcore) instruments. If you like the forward-thinking hardcore that Iron Lung Records specializes in, No Longer Human should be at the top of your list of things to check out.

The Damned: The Light at the End of the Tunnel (MCA, 1987)

The latest issue of General Speech, along with Halloween inching ever closer, has me listening to the Damned. Tom from General Speech’s list of 20 underrated non-album tracks had me reaching for the Friday the 13th EP and the Damned But Not Forgotten compilation, and those releases gave me a hankering for The Light at the End of the Tunnel, a weird as hell 1987 compilation that has a special place in my heart, even though the CD copy I got 25+ years ago is long gone.

I remember ordering The Light at the End of the Tunnel from Columbia House when I was quite young. It must have been 1992 or 1993, just as I was digging past the MTV-approved grunge that was taking over the world. Mostly I was finding pop-punk, and I listened to my fair share of Green Day and NOFX and Screeching Weasel around that time. However, as one of the few recognizable punk names in the Columbia House catalog, this release from the Damned made it into my possession. I had no idea, but it’s a very strange introduction.

Looking atwhere the Damned’s critical legacy has landed, The Light at the End of the Tunnel offers a track list that is, shall we say, idiosyncratic. The compilation came out on the Damned’s then (major) label, MCA, and perhaps that’s why the band’s albums for that label, Phantasmagoria and Anything, are so well-represented. The collection starts off with “I Feel Alright” from the first album (starting with a cover rather than an original is only the first of many strange choices the compilers made), then segues into the title track from 1986’s Anything, followed by two non-album singles, 1982’s “Lovely Money” and 1984’s “Thanks for the Night” before the next album track, Machine Gun Etiquette’s brilliant “Plan 9, Channel 7.” The track listing doesn’t just ignore chronology; it seems deliberately chaotic.

On the surface, The Light at the End of the Tunnel seems like that nonsensical music industry monstrosity, the “greatest hits / rarities” compilation, which pairs an artist’s best songs with the chaff that wasn’t considered good enough for the higher-profile releases. The thing is, though, that despite its length and breadth, The Light at the End of the Tunnel never dips in quality. The Damned put out several classic albums, but their non-album singles and EPs hold some of their best songs. And while it’s weird that there are three covers here, it’s hard to deny that the Damned had a knack for transforming other artist’s material, as apparent on their version of Love’s “Alone Again Or.”

Speaking of Love, if I can discern any sort of organizing principle for The Light at the End of the Tunnel, it’s that it emphasizes the Damned’s roots in pre-punk pop and psychedelic music. I’ve spent a lot of time with the Damned’s first five albums, and even though this release contains a lot of those songs, you end up with a different impression of the band than you get from listening to the albums. The Light at the End of the Tunnel is missing some of my favorite songs (how do you leave off “Wait for the Blackout?”) but, by omitting so much, it reveals the Damned’s surprising depth. Amidst all the punk bashing and crashing, there was a sophisticated, thoughtful pop band lurking below the surface.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel also shows how the Damned love to stretch out. The collection is littered with four and five-minute tracks (even the single “Grimly Fiendish” appears in its 12” extended mix). The most stretched-out moment, though, is “Curtain Call.” This track took up the entirety of side 3 of 1980’s The Black Album, but the Damned’s US label I.R.S. omitted the track for their single-disc version, which is the version I have. “Curtain Call” is a great song… besides the psychedelic wanderings you would expect from a track of its length, it has a great chorus with one of Dave Vanian’s most memorable vocal performances. Including “Curtain Call” is a big part of what tilts The Light at the End of the Tunnel toward that portrait of the Damned as sprawling and grandiose, but it’s also a big reason why I’m still revisiting The Light at the End of the Tunnel all these years later.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

It’s been quite a journey to let my body and mind readjust to normal routine after this past weekend. Daniel, Usman and I have returned from playing a gig in Asheville with the almighty Warthog. I had a blast, and appreciate the dudes in Warthog for traveling to come play NC’s little mountain town. The gig itself was way more packed than I expected, and it was definitely overwhelming considering that’s the most people I’ve been in close proximity with in about 2 years. Between the rager of a gig, hiking to scale huge waterfalls, and chilling hard with old friends, I gotta say that I really needed that. Plus, I got tested and am covid-free!

Now on to important matters: this new Quarantine LP. I’m going to attempt to withhold some excitement and not totally dork out. Seriously though, I think this is one of the best hardcore records I’ve heard in years. When I first listened to Usman’s test pressing he received a few months ago, I remember my mind being blown at just how different it sounded. Agony manages to ride that balance between incorporating incredibly weird elements into the music while also remaining firmly rooted in traditional, tough-as-nails hardcore punk. It’s clear that the 4 dudes involved are just capable of putting together songs that have moments of mind-blowing and unexpected complexity, but also clearly just wanna let it rip and melt faces. The guitar work has me drooling at every turn. These moments of ambient dissonance that make me feel like aliens are invading are really just a tasty, thick bonus layer atop the shredding riffage. The drums are just insane… in the pocket and nasty, but also so tasteful. Also, the singer Jock’s vocals are just perfect. There’s no weak moment, he’s unrelenting and mean as fuck. Plus, the songs have so many hooks that it’s like they went fishing for ‘em. I can’t stop my brain from repeating, “MEDIA.PSYCHOSIS. MEDIA. PSYCHOSIS.” If I understand correctly, I think Quarantine is mostly Jock’s whole deal. I believe he’s a transplant to Philly from Boston. And like, if he does have a heavy hand in the songwriting, then it makes total sense because I definitely hear some MASS hardcore creeping in. The rhythmic style of the riffs reminds me a lot of Out Cold – and I’m not just saying that because I love Out Cold, I really do hear it. Now we gotta address the elephant in the room: in the midst of all the ripping hardcore, there are synth interludes. Yeah, you heard me. Which I dunno, to me at first this just seemed super off-brand? But somehow it fits. It’s almost like the interludes function less like something funny and more like creepy, minimal atmosphere that adds to the menacing personality this LP exhibits. I didn’t know I wanted a creepy synth version of “Lost” by Jerry’s Kids, but now I’m happy that it exists.

So yeah, clearly I’m really into this LP. Honestly, the sheer amount of content jam-packed into this LP might be kind obtuse and difficult for the general hardcore fan to absorb. Personally, I find it exciting. This band will lead us into the future.

No more blabbering from me. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Hello and thank you for reading,

I don’t really have a nice write-up for you. I realize it’s been a long time since I did some deep nerding too, but I have just been too busy to set time aside. I’ve packed up a lot of the SISTEMA EN DECADENCIA 12” so I tossed it on last nite. Shit man, I was not ready for what this hot slab is packing... It is so fucking noisy, like shimmering in noise. Not in a lo-fi way, though; it sounds good. Haha yeah I don’t like lo-fi kinda shit. Being a noisy band doesn’t do it for me on its own either though… this band is fucking pummeling. The drumming is insane like MOB 47-style fast but still somehow has a little groove? I’m playing the bandcamp page now. Maybe the stereo here sucks or maybe the LP sounds way better than the digital. I listened to the LP at the shop yesterday and the sound was insane. If you like bands like GLOOM or COLLAPSE SOCIETY, this is right up your alley. You can grab a copy from our webstore here. Thank you for reading, peace!

Quarantine: Agony 12” (Damage United) If you read last week’s Sorry State newsletter, you’re not surprised to see Quarantine’s Agony LP is Record of the Week. We fucking love this record at Sorry State. We flipped out about their demo tape a while back, and when the band slipped Usman a test press this summer, he dubbed tapes for all of us. I’ve been listening to mine regularly, impatient for the vinyl to drop. And now the day has come! Quarantine’s sound is tailor-made for the SSR crew, furious and unrelenting, but finding space in the cacophony for creativity and craft. You might recognize the vocalist from his previous band Chain Rank, and Jack carries into Quarantine his ability to write a memorable vocal hook. For all the bands who garner comparisons to the Abused or Negative Approach, few of them can craft hooks as memorable as the originators… Jack can. The rhythm section is crushing, anchored by Chris Ulsh’s masterful drumming, which combines inhuman power with a speed and dexterity that will leave your jaw on the floor. The guitars, while locking into the rhythm like any good hardcore band should, frequently veer off course, injecting an acid-fried spontaneity that brings to mind United Mutation. There’s so much going on in these fourteen tracks that it’s almost too much, and I spent my first couple of listens staring blankly at the speakers, my brain fully occupied with parsing the chaos. Now that the initial catatonic astonishment has worn off, I chant along, air guitar, and air drum, my body powerless against Quarantine’s relentless rush.