Strike Under: Immediate Action 12” (Wax Trax Records, 1981/2020)

After my staff pick last week, which was the writerly equivalent of Derick Smalls’ Jazz Odyssey for Spinal Tap Mark II, I need to keep things simple and just tell you about an interesting record. I’ve listened to the Morbo LP more than anything else this week, but I’ve been pulling out this 12” EP from Chicago’s Strike Under since it came in.

I’ve had the original pressing of Immediate Action on my want list for about 20 years, but I’ve never found a copy. Honestly, I haven’t tried that hard because I wouldn’t call Immediate Action a great record, but it’s one that I like, particularly since it’s such an important touchstone for Chicago punk. After Strike Under broke up in 1981, three of the four members formed Trial By Fire (whose retrospective LP on Alonas Dream Records I highly recommend), and from there bassist Pierre Kezdy played in Naked Raygun and then Pegboy, two bands very near to my heart.

One thing I love about Chicago punk is that many of the bands—this is true of Naked Raygun and the Effigies—had a sound rooted in melodic, 70s UK punk. While later hardcore bands would focus on speed and/or heaviness, sometimes to the detriment of everything else, my favorite Chicago bands had strong songwriting. You can hear an embryonic version of that on Immediate Action, with tracks like “Context” and “Elephant’s Graveyard” featuring the style of big chorus that would make Naked Raygun hometown heroes.

The thing is, though, for all the strength of their approach, Immediate Action sounds kind of tired and restrained. The sound is clear and powerful and the playing is tight, but it lacks the explosive quality I want from punk rock. The closest they get is on the closing vamp “Immediate Action,” where they kick up the tempo to SOA speed. I just wish that energy level came through on the more melodic tracks. When I listen to Immediate Action I strain to imagine what Strike Under would have sounded on a night when they were on fire. I bet it was incredible.

Immediate Action is also important because it was the first release on the Wax Trax label, which would become central to the history of industrial music. In fact, Wax Trax recently relaunched their label, which is why we have this well-done reissue. Wax Trax has also released a 7” featuring songs from a different Strike Under recording session, and while we have that in stock, I haven’t listened to it yet.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

This week I’m writing about the debut LP from Pittsburgh’s Illiterates. Not too dissimilar from the recent crop of bands from this area like White Stains or Rat Nip, Illiterates align themselves with a particular brand of beer-soaked, knuckle-dragging US hardcore. The best kind in my book. But whereas White Stains sounds a little more California hardcore, I feel like there is something distinctly East Coast about Illiterates.

The singer’s vocal style stands out. It’s an approach to singing hardcore that is very familiar. I don’t want to describe it as nasally, but to me the singer sounds reminiscent of Choke in Negative FX, or even Ray Cappo. But even making those comparisons, this band seems less concerned with sounding “hard” or refining their artistic vision than throwing down the most direct and urgent hardcore possible. Illiterates feels like one of those bands that probably thinks Deep Wound is way cooler than Discharge.

The cover artwork courtesy of Keith from White Stains gives a good idea of what you’re in for on this record: this whole LP is a hardcore record for delinquents. The pure irreverence draws me in. Between depictions of a troubled dunce drawing pot leaves and writing “skool sux” on his desk and song titles like “Urban Hillbilly,” there is an element of silliness with Illiterates’ whole vibe. I mean, their artwork for their previous tape depicts a Monster energy drink being poured all over the head of an infant. They do a Replacements cover too, which is an interesting choice considering how the rest of this record sounds. Trust me though, whatever I poke fun at doesn’t negatively weigh into my perception of this record at all. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s what makes this record so great. I’m all over it. Plus dude, musically this record just fuckin’ smokes from top to bottom.

The story of trying to get distro copies of this LP for Sorry State is even sillier! Daniel must have dug this LP too, because he asked the band if we could stock 100 copies. Come to find out, the band only pressed 100 copies. Like, TOTAL. Hilarious. If the copies we have at Sorry State are sold out by the time you read this, hopefully they’ll press another 100. Grab one if you can.

Thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Joey Ramone - A Closer Look 12”

Joey Ramone is one of the most prolific and influential punk and rock n’ roll vocalists of all time. From his unique, surfy, melodic voice to his height/appearance, he’s unmistakable. What I have here is a collection of Joey Ramone songs that he collaborated on or featured on that the average Ramones fan wouldn’t have heard (I hadn’t heard a lot of these songs). This slab has tracks featuring Debbie Harry, Furious George, and songs that he wrote with his brother under the name “Sibling Rivalry”.

I am a fan of all eras of the Ramones. I believe some records are better than others, but I will never say the Ramones put out a bad record. If you ask me, I think Joey Ramone’s voice and input can turn almost any crappy tune into an alright one. I look up to this guy a lot and from what I know he was a super genuine and kind person. Joey Ramone #1!!

PS: Somehow the only Ramones album I don’t have in my collection is Animal Boy. Someone sell me one.

Hey there, gang. What’s happening? This week I wasn’t sure what to talk about and so took an in-store conversation with Jeff about cover versions as a jumping off point and picked one song in particular to focus on. Who doesn’t like a good cover, right?

We were talking about (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone, the 1966 hit written by Boyce & Hart that most people know from The Monkees and their version that appeared as the B-side to I’m A Believer but was also covered years later by The Sex Pistols and Minor Threat among others. The version I prefer was by English group The Flies who released theirs the same week as The Monkees. As they were unknowns it got lost in the shuffle. Years later when obscure psych and beat records were being appreciated by the next generation and compilations such as Chocolate Soup For Diabetics were coming out, this version got a new lease on life and has become a firm favorite with those into freakbeat and 60s sounds. Like most records of this type from that period, an original (if you ever see one) will set you back a good amount, but it’s been reissued and appears on quite a few comps. https://youtu.be/tifOC2GfBNA The Flies had two other singles, which are also sought after.

Following up from talking about that song, I was spinning Concrete by 999 in the store and remembered they cover another 60s tune and a personal fave, Fortune Teller. https://youtu.be/w4kwCWnx-CE

Even more than Stepping Stone, this song was covered by a multitude of artists and has some pretty cool versions out there. The Iguanas in 1993 slowed the tempo right down and made it sound quite different. Lords Of The New Church tackled it as part of their live set during the 80s. Recent versions also came from neo-garage group The Chains in 2002 and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss in 2007. I saw The Chains perform their version live as I was the DJ for one of their gigs in Brooklyn at the time of their album coming out.

The song was released by singer Benny Spellman and was a B-side to his Minit Records release of Lipstick Traces (On A Cigarette) from 1962. It was written by Allen Toussaint although credited to Naomi Neville and is a classic slice of early New Orleans soul with a slightly Latin beat and feel about a young man’s visit to a clairvoyant. https://youtu.be/4vjaYyIS6qw

In the UK, the new generation of beat groups and Mods took to it big time and versions appeared from or were played live by The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Downliners Sect, The Merseybeats, The Hollies, and Tony Jackson to name six. Many people cite The Merseybeats’ version from 1963 as the best of the covers. https://youtu.be/Dv7gEvksjU

It is good but my favorite is the one by the ex-bass player from The Searchers, Tony Jackson, with his group The Vibrations that came out on Pye in 1965. This was also a B-side to another cover, Love Potion No. 9. I like this one because it has a Kinks like distorted guitar sound that gives it a tougher feel. The guitar solo is pretty tasty too. Just like the Flies 45 an original of this will cost you but it also has been reissued and compiled on several collections. https://youtu.be/xPlQaIWBX4Q

In the US, garage band The Hard Times also give the song a run through. Their version came out as a single in 1966 and again the following year on their sole album. It’s not a bad attempt and did scrape into the Billboard top 100, peaking at #97. They have one or two other songs from that album, Blew Mind, that make it worth the while having if you see it, particularly for the trippy title track.

In Australia, The Throb scored a pretty big hit with it, making the top five with their version. This version is cool https://youtu.be/eodq28LrBGM, but it’s the B-side that I prefer. That song, called Believe In Me is a moody killer and one I like to spin out. https://youtu.be/uT-IH0NFp2o

The Throb also released a 45 called Black, and that is great too. It’s a garage track that sounds like a cross between Them and The Chocolate Watchband whilst B-side Turn My Head is pure mod era Who. I do not have a copy of this one but have the tracks on comps.

As you can see, I’ve added some links in there so that you can check out a few of the versions and compare them. Which one is your favorite? Assuming you give a crap about this type of music, that is. I know all these oldies are not everyone’s cup of tea, but they are a part of the musical tapestry that brought us to where we are today. If nothing else, add to your knowledge but get some kicks too.

I’ll see you all next time for more record talk. Cheers, Dom.

Sorry State got in a grip of old horror movie soundtracks (peep Instagram!!) and it’s been so hard not scooping them up for myself. I started to listen to them during one of my shifts but didn’t get past the Rosemary’s Baby record. I’ve seen this movie a few times and I love it, but I didn’t really remember the score. Two minutes into the needle hitting the vinyl I knew if I had to buy one of these records, it was this one. I’m surprised the music hasn’t been one of my favorite parts until now! I don’t think I realized how much atmospheric noise in the movie was written by the composer. Not to mention Mia Farrow’s performance, the plot... I guess I was more focused on other things when I watched Rosemary’s Baby. But, damn, this score is so fucking good. It’s bizarre in all the right ways and makes me feel like I’m watching the movie as I listen.

I’m so glad this soundtrack was in our bins because it’s becoming one of my favorites of all time. How can you not love chill jazz and Satanic chanting? I haven’t gone back and watched Rosemary’s Baby again after this new admiration for the music; it’s due for a rewatch. I was in film school for all of 0.2 seconds, so I think a lot of the nuances of nonvisual things like music went right out the window when I watched movies. I started collecting soundtrack records because I liked the art and the concept of owning something movie related that wasn’t a DVD. I think with every soundtrack I buy and listen to, my appreciation for movie scores increases. I pay way more attention to the music, and overall sound design, in almost everything I watch and I attribute it to the ever expanding soundtracks section of my record collection.

It’s 2021, and sonics are important. I say that not just because a hedgehog-fueled Carrey/Marsden/Schwartz vehicle proved the second-highest grossing box office film of 2020, but also because SONICS ARE IMPORTANT. As much as lyrics or hooks or looks matter, the WAY you sound often makes the strongest impression. For some—Sunn O))), Talk Talk, Disclose—sonics MAY (please don’t hurt me b/w #kawakamiforever) be the most important thing an artist offers. Now, I don’t mean this as a slight, but I’m pretty sure that’s the case for Austin, Texas’ USA/MEXICO, too. These veteran oafs (Butthole Surfers, Shit and Shine, more) have plenty of composition at play on their third LP, but it’s the band’s horrific auditory stank that gets me going.

“Del Rio” sounds like you shotgunned a rip into the CD-ROM tray of your old Compaq as it fails to install Windows 98 for the fifteenth time. It’s ones and zeros refusing to keep up, just blown to utter digital shit and hanging on by a bloody wire stitch. While 99 percent of “sludge” or “stoner rock” sobers me to tears, USA/Mexico ditches any postured misanthropy and/or YouTube gear breakdown dorkiness in favor of pure unadulterated WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT? Tunes get so blown… so crunchy… so GRANULAR that any lush’n’heady heaviness of an umpteenth Grief or Sleep clone looks even more childish and poser-y than before. USA/MEXICO IS NOT FUCKING AROUND.

Well, they kind of are, I guess. There’s a humor at play here akin to the noiserockniks of yore (Am Rep, obvz), but it only adds to the appeal. This record is three tracks long, and the first two songs are “Chorizo” and “Soft Taco.” Holy shit, that’s good! I’ve only visited Austin once in my lifetime, but the chorizo and soft tacos were the best parts of the trip. USA/Mexico could have joined those illustrious vacation ranks, but the band dropped from a Barracuda bill I was excited to attend and stuck me clutching 16-oz’ers while watching some Canadian Nirvana repro instead.

ALAS, “Del Rio” has redeemed any of that no-show disappointment, particularly on its second side. Because while I enjoy the crunchdaddy ridiculousness of the aforementioned rhythmic noiser “Chorizo” and its doomier “Soft Taco” followup, the album really, REALLY takes shape on the flip. The b-side-encompassing 16-minute title track crushes in a way I’ve never heard before. It’s like rubbing the coarsest sandpaper you can find across your face and feeling every ball of grit as it grinds in. The music gets so compressed that it’s minimal… just, like, the BIGGEST minimal ever. Added to that, the group incorporates a new vocalist for this album, Colby Brinkman, who literally does not sound like a human being.

Pardon if my pose is showing, but I’d never seen the term “bestial” used to describe music until recently. I first read it on a hype sticker for Nuclear War Now!’s phenomenal reissue of Beherit’s “The Oath of Black Blood” a couple months ago. It stated, “Enter the Satanic Baphometal Temple: The 1990 Classic of Finnish Bestial Black Metal.” Familiar with Beherit’s pained and savage howls, I thought, “Okay, that makes sense.” The vocals are unsettling on that early material, and I can’t help but think of Beherit’s unique inhumanity when hearing Brinkman here. Instead of accompanying blackened blasts, though, this BESTIAL, dying dog-bear anguish sits amidst some kinda glacial, future-neanderthal scuzz. Basically, SHIT’S WILD.

Even if “slow” isn’t one of your default musical settings (we’re all hardcore punk fans here, right?), I’d still recommend scoping that title track to bask in some abnormal sonic abuse—perhaps the likes of which you’ll never encounter again.

If slow isn’t an option, however, you could do way worse than the debut 7” from ANOTHER Austin group: Violent Christians. I don’t know who’s in this band, but I would imagine there’s a Nosferatu connection somewhere. VC’s six-song ep, “New Blood for a Dead City,” mines that same contaminated soil of fast’n’raw classic USHC while also using similar duct-taped, broken mic, FUCK YOU recording quality. It’s a little more meat and potatoes than Nosferatu, but it rips just about as hard. I had to pre-order this one from hi-contrast/lo-fidelity Brooklyn tastemaker Roachleg Records for fear of missing out on another raging rarity as I’d done so many times before, but I just got word that Sorry State should have a healthy stack in the store soon. Still, I’d urge you to move fast, cuz I imagine this kind of top-shelf gnar is gonna appeal to nuclear punker wardogs and clean cut collegecore youngins alike. Fuckin’ record collectors, huh?

For this week’s staff pick, I’m going to get into something really nerdy: catalog numbers. I’m not sure when I started paying attention to record label catalog numbers, but it was very late in the game. With digital music it’s even easier to be deeply into music without ever giving much thought to catalog numbers, but for record nerds, catalog numbers can encode useful and interesting information.

Pretty much every single commercially released record has a catalog number. If you’re making vinyl, you’d have to go out of your way not to have a catalog number. Pressing plants require you to specify a catalog number, which is necessary for them to distinguish between the many projects they are working on. The simplest catalog number has a prefix (typically an abbreviation of the label name) followed by a sequential number. Sorry State’s catalog number prefix is SSR-. I don’t remember giving this much thought when I started the label, but in retrospect it bums me out there are so many labels with the same prefix. However, it’s also worked to my advantage. We’ve done several collaborative releases with the UK label Static Shock Records, who use the same prefix. When we worked together on the Number Ones’ Another Side of the Number Ones EP, we just put “SSR” on the center label since that could stand for Static Shock Records or Sorry State Records.

Of course, a catalog number’s prefix doesn’t have to be an abbreviation of the label’s name. Feral Ward Records’ catalog prefix is YAN-, which I assume is an abbreviation of Yannick, the label owner’s first name. Matador Records’ prefix is OLE-, as in the word matadors shout at bulls. When the Rolling Stones got their vanity record label Rolling Stones Records in the 70s, the catalog prefix was COC-, which I assume referred to their drug of choice and not to legendary Raleigh band Corrosion of Conformity, who wouldn’t form until several years later.

Catalog numbers can also encode information beyond the label that released it. A quick way to identify stereo versus mono pressings from the 60s is by their catalog number. For Capitol Records, the prefix for titles in mono was T, while stereo was ST. RCA Records used variations of the AYL- prefix for its “Best Buy” product line, which offered reissues of older catalog titles at a lower price than new releases, which had the prefix LSP-. RCA’s classical releases appeared with an LSC- prefix, “C” denoting the record’s genre. Release formats are also encoded in catalog numbers, specifying whether an item is an LP, CD, cassette, 8-track, reel-to-reel tape, or whatever.

This is a famous anecdote I’m sure many of you know, but visionary Manchester post-punk label Factory Records assigned catalog numbers to more than just music recordings. FAC 7 is Factory Records letterhead designed by in-house graphic designer Peter Saville. FAC 15 was Zoo Meets Factory Halfway, a festival featuring performances by artists on both Factory and Zoo Records. FAC 21 is the Factory Records logo. FAC 51 is the Haçienda, the Manchester night club that operated in various iterations from 1982 to 1997. You get the picture.

Catalog numbers also reflect new product lines, shifts in direction, or other changes at a record company. Blue Note Records’ early catalog numbers started with 1501, but when they introduced their “modern jazz series” in 1957 they restarted with the catalog number 4001. These are still known by collectors as the “1500 series” and the “4000 series.” At some point Blue Note was acquired by United Artists records, who used the prefix UA-LA- for their releases, so Blue Note adopted the prefix BN-LA- for their releases to conform with their parent company. United Artists was then acquired by EMI and Blue Note continued using the BN-LA prefix for some releases, but catalog numbers with the prefix LT also appeared on Blue Note labels. LT referred to another EMI acquisition, Liberty Records. What does Liberty Have to do with Blue Note, aside from being owned by the same parent company at one time? I’m not sure to be honest. The Blue Note catalog number story has much more to it than that, so feel free to head down that rabbit hole yourself if you are so inclined.

If you’re paying close attention, you might notice the catalog number on Sorry State’s first release, Direct Control’s Nuclear Tomorrow EP, is not SSR-1, but SSR-7001. I planned for Sorry State 7”s to have the prefix SSR-7 and 12”s would be prefixed SSR-12, but I dropped this idea after a few releases. The last 7” with this prefix is Christian Club’s Final Confession EP (SSR-7004) and the last 12” is Rabies’ Test Your Might LP (SSR-12002). In 2013, I put together a “visual discography” detailing every version of every Sorry State release up to that point. When I created that discography (along with a lot of help from a summer intern whose name I can’t remember), I retroactively assigned catalog numbers for the older titles. SSR-7001 became SSR-01, etc. That’s why, when you look up these early releases on Discogs, you’ll see both the old and new prefixes.

It’s important to note that while catalog numbers typically proceed in regular increments, they don’t always reflect the precise order when records came out. There has been a recent spate of podcasts that go through a record label’s discography one release at a time (the grandaddy of all being You Don’t Know Mojack, the podcast devoted to SST Records). Since these podcasts base their episodes on catalog numbers, they quickly find that the catalog numbers don’t reflect the order in which records hit the shops. Production delays can cause a record with a later catalog number to come out before an earlier number. For Sorry State, assigning a catalog number coincides with creating a folder on my computer for that release. I assign a release’s catalog number when I get the first piece of that release. Usually that’s the master recording, but every once in a while it will be a piece of artwork or some other component. Sometimes a band will send me a zip file with the master recording and all artwork for the release and production goes quickly, while for other projects I get a master recording, drop it in that folder, and months go by while we work on artwork and packaging design.

One catalog number tradition that might be unique to punk labels is the fractional number. While most of Dischord Records’ catalog is sequential digits (as when Blue Note was an independently owned company, there is no formal prefix), I noticed there were several releases in their catalog with fractional numbers. I think the first one I came across was 10⅞, United Mutation’s first EP, which I came across digging at Plan 9 Records in Richmond in the late 90s. I soon discovered Dischord had several fractional catalog numbers, and I’m holding a few of my favorites in the photo above. Don’t take this as gospel because I could be mis-remembering, but I’m pretty sure Dischord’s fractional releases weren’t co-releases (since Dischord didn’t fund or help distribute them). Instead, Dischord “lent” their logo and brand name to friends to help raise these releases’ profiles. Looking at a list of Dischord fractional releases, this seems to make sense, since I’ve never seen a Dischord ad that said you could order the Necros’ IQ32 or SSD’s The Kids Will Have Their Say from them (or even Iron Cross’s Skinhead Glory, and I’m pretty sure Sab Grey from Iron Cross lived in Dischord House with Ian and Jeff).

It’s no secret that Sorry State draws a lot of inspiration from Dischord, and I adopted the fractional release scheme, though I use decimals rather than fractions, and how I’ve used these numbers has changed over the years. The earliest SSR decimal releases are by my first band, Cross Laws. Cross Laws’ demo tape and first 7”, Behind the Curve, don’t have an SSR catalog number on them, and I intended them to be self-releases by the band. At the time I wasn’t confident in my work as a musician and I didn’t want to seem like I was using my slightly better known label to hype my totally unknown band. However, at some point I decided that since I paid for and did pretty much all the work for these two releases they were part of the Sorry State story and should get catalog numbers. I gave Cross Laws’ demo tape SSR-04.5 and Behind the Curve SSR-06.5 (the catalog number that appears on the actual record is CL-01). Shortly after that I released a demo tape / CDR from a young Raleigh hardcore band called the Obtruders, assigning that the catalog number SSR-7.5. Since then, I’ve used decimal numbers for cassette releases and a few co-releases. For the Insomnia EP from Denmark’s Under Al Kritik (SSR-15.5), I was repressing a very limited release on Denmark’s Mastermind Records, since I thought it deserved a wider audience. For Smart Cops’ 1-sided tour 7” (SSR-18.75), the band paid for the release and sold it on tour, but I helped them get it manufactured here in the US. These reasons for assigning a decimal catalog number are different, but I suppose these are projects that either didn’t feel like a “real” release because of their small run or limited scope, or where I felt like I wasn’t part of the creative vision. Like most stuff with record labels, there are no hard and fast rules.

Rules also aren’t set in stone. The whole idea for this staff pick came to me because I mentioned to Rich that, from now on, I’m planning to assign cassette-only releases regular catalog numbers. The first Sorry State cassette-only release to get a full catalog number is the Hüstler demo (SSR-103). I made this choice because Hüstler put so much work into the release and the quality was so high that I thought it deserved to be considered a full, proper release. Maybe I’ll use fractional catalog numbers again at some point when it feels like the project warrants it, but for now I feel like cassette releases are just as much work as vinyl, so our catalog numbers should reflect that.

I’ve already written more than I intended, but here’s one more quick anecdote. If you look at Sorry State’s catalog numbers, you’ll see there’s no release with the number SSR-11. I got as far as creating the folder on my computer and dropping in a few files, but the project never came together and I abandoned the idea. Here’s what I wrote about it on the Sorry State visual discography:

SSR-11 was intended to be a compilation (7″ or 12″… I never quite got that far) of North Carolina hardcore bands. Three bands actually recorded for the comp:

• • Cross Laws recorded an alternate take of “Violent Disposition” (the other version is on the rejected test press of Ancient Rites, while the version intended for the comp eventually appeared on Abuse Records’ Cross Laws discography LP).
  • Crossed Eyes recorded a track during their 7″ session (though I don’t remember the title); this track remains unreleased.
  • Logic Problem recorded a track called “Creatures” during the session for their demo; ironically, it was probably the best song from the session, despite the fact that it was left off the demo. This track was eventually released as part of the digital version of the Logic Problem demo on Sorry State’s BandCamp.
  • I think that one of the tracks from the aborted Street Sharks 7″ session may have also been intended for the comp.

Depending on when plans for the comp were finally canceled, other bands considered for inclusion may or may not have been Double Negative, Devour, and the Obtruders, but as far as I know none of those bands actually recorded.

Abandoning this project bothered me for years, but I fulfilled my dream of doing a North Carolina punk compilation with the American Idylls double LP (SSR-93) in 2019. Maybe one day I’ll figure out how to fill the SSR-11-sized hole in my heart.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

This week I’m writing about the debut cassette release from Children With Dog Feet, a new band based out of New York. Based on the photo used for the cover art, it looks like there’s a few of the usual suspects from other great New York bands like Extended Hell and Subversive Rite involved in this project. That said, CWDF isn’t exactly a raging fast hardcore band.

While I understand that it’s not every punk’s can of cheap beer, I’ve gotta admit that I have a predilection toward goth and death rock. What can I say? I like to indulge in a little darkness from time to time. But I would be remiss not to point out that not only is there an oversaturation of bands adopting the “dark/goth/post-punk” sound, but I feel like it’s very rare that a band pulls it off well or makes a record that warrants repeated listens. Forgive me if it sounds like I’m sipping on the haterade as I write this: I get the impression that some “goth” type bands I hear don’t try very hard. They think all they have to do is obscure their face with their black hair and mumble like a bored, third-rate Ian Curtis while staring at the ground… but stay with me.

On the packaging for this tape, the credits for the band members are aliases (which I think is fucking sick), so hopefully I’m not wrong, but I’m pretty sure the vocalist in this band is Chi who’s also sang in many other NY-based goth/punk bands. But if Anasazi and Blu Anxxiety were already a great start, then those bands were only a taste of what was to come because Curb Your Anarchy is a damn great death rock record. I can’t stop thinking about Jason Bateman when I hear the title, but that’s beside the point.

When I’m listening to Children With Dog Feet, sure, I’m captivated by eerie atmosphere, but the music isn’t all just dark and moody—it’s INTENSE. It’s funny to bring up the most obvious goth reference point, but there are moments that remind me of In The Flat Field-era Bauhaus. I hear a lot of the death rock-inflected OC hardcore in their sound as well. But even as I make those comparisons, I shouldn’t get caught up in other bands CWDF happen to sound like. Really, they are their own beast and clearly made this recording like they fucking mean it. The vocal performance drips with charisma and reckless abandon, almost to the point of sounding demented—but like in the best way possible. And this is gonna sound strange, but as I’m gritting my teeth to the tension of the music on this tape, it also feels almost… dangerous. Like if you were to witness the actual seance that may also resemble this band performing live, it would feel like anything could happen. Maybe blood would rain from the ceiling? Who knows?

As much as I love stark imagery, I appreciate that this tape still looks and feels like a punk band. I guess there are spooky elements. But, even though I think the way they incorporate these elements into the collage style cover art is crisp and well-done, the look still comes across DIY and unpretentious.

That’s it, I think. Thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Hey gang! How are we all doing this week? Waiting for that Stimmy check to drop, right? Me too. I will use it responsibly, of course. There may be one or two record purchases, but I’m putting that down to essentials. If your budget allows, then I hope you can treat yourself to some cool wax also. My pick this week might not be the cheapest of my recent recommendations but isn’t too out there price wise. Not that monetary amounts equal quality of music, but I would like to think in this case your money would be well spent.

I’ve been doing a lot of filing of records and came across my pick for this week in a stack of records that I had been listening to a while ago. This record I had taken round to a friend’s house for a listening party and it seemed to be well received by those present so now is a good as time as any to spread the word about this obscure gem.

Spoils Of War: The Spoils Of War. Shadoks Music. 1999

Although only getting released in 1999, this material was recorded back in the late 1960s with only a few tracks getting a small vinyl release on an EP that came out in 1969. So not an album proper, but what the artist had envisaged. Shadoks Music is a boutique reissue label from Germany that specializes in super rare and obscure records and unreleased recordings of psychedelic leaning music. I have one or two of their other albums and they are great. They manufacture in small runs and put a lot of effort into producing a quality product. Heavy vinyl, thick card stock covers, bonus 45s etc. The graphic design is pretty cool, whether it’s from original images associated with the artist or something else inspired by the music. The awesome cover to The Spoils Of War is taken from a painting by Malcom Smith for the cover of Imagination magazine from 1954 for a story called Slaves To The Metal Horde by Milton Lesser for all you vintage sci-fi buffs.

Spoils Of War were active between 1967 and 1970 in the Champaign, Illinois area and took their name from an instrument made from spent artillery shells invented by Harry Partch. The band leader and main artist was a fellow called James Cuomo. He was a multi-instrumentalist who wrote most of their music. The band consisted of Cuomo on keys and other instruments, Al Lerardi on lead guitar, Roger Francisco on bass, Frank Garvey on drums, James Stroud on electronics and lights, and Annie Williams on vocals. This lineup changed here and there, particularly towards the end of their career, with other players contributing to certain tracks. Their sound combined psychedelic rock with jazz and pop and a good dose of Musique Concrete. People compare them to other groups from the period like United States Of America, Red Krayola, and Fifty Foot Hose who were incorporating electronics and avant-garde touches to their music. Certainly, with the San Fran hippie style female vocals on some tracks, there are a lot of similarities to these groups. But it is the early use of computers, synths, and other electronics that Spoils Of War share with these groups. On Spoils Of War sounds were generated from primitive computers needing to be fed with punch cards that contained the instructions for the digital-analog converter. Tapes were cut and spliced and manipulated on playback. Anything to create interesting new sound textures. Stuff that can all be done on our phones now but back then took a lot of painstaking time and attention.

Spoils Of War gigs were quite the “happenings” around the University campus area where they played. They were loud and had an impressive light show, and when combined with the artificial electronics, must have stood out from the average group back then.

Shadoks and Wah Wah Records from Spain have since issued some surviving live tapes and the rest of the band’s material from that period, along with some solo Cuomo recordings to complete the picture. You can get an idea of how ahead of the curve they were when you hear these live recordings. We take a lot for granted all these years later but back then you didn’t see groups like Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, or the aforementioned United States Of America performing every week at your local venue and might have been lucky if your record shop stocked the more progressive groups. Which is what makes records like this one so special. Had it come out as a full album backed by major label finance, perhaps it would have done better, who knows? Music history is full of stories of unreleased masterpieces and what could have been. We can just be thankful that some of this awesome music has been saved from obscurity and has reached a wider audience and is available to us now.

I’m pretty rubbish at describing how music sounds and have found our ears are the best judges anyway, but if you like the bands referenced already and are into 60s psych and garage, you will find a lot to enjoy here. The fuzz guitar leads are pretty cool, but it’s the crazy electronics that steal the show. Sometimes they sound like alien computers talking or like the death robots on the cover. Other times it sounds like helicopter blades right overhead. Lots of panning and phasing and beeps and boops. High-pitched squeals, almost painful, mixed with low frequency rumbles. Songs getting lost in the cacophony. Then there are straight numbers like First Love, Last Love and You’re The Girl sung by Cuomo that come over almost as lullabies in comparison. The second side of the record features vocals from Annie “The Hat” Williams which lend the similarities to, say, Fifty Foot Hose. The center piece tune that was released on the EP is called Now Is Made In America and it’s an organ led sort of Baroque song with jazzy undertones. Lyrics are simple but memorable. Elsewhere the electronics continue over some decent playing from the band on songs that would have entertained the crowds at the Fillmore in San Francisco or any other hip venue during that time. I guess there are also similarities to some stuff that Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention were doing and this may or may not seal it for you (thinking of you, Jeff) depending on your taste. I dig it but can see that the weird and quirky isn’t for everyone. But that’s the great thing about music, isn’t it? Sounds resonate within us in different ways. You might love it or not. As always with these picks, they are just recommendations made with love hoping some of you might discover something new and like it. For those already hip perhaps it will serve as a reminder and for those that don’t care, no biggie, go play something that you do like.

Here’s a link so that you can check out the sounds. Happy digging.

https://youtu.be/CcnNjq1wn8M - Spoils Of War -Full album plus bonus tracks.

Take care everyone. See you next time.

-Dom

I wasn’t sure what to write about this week. I’ve been having a blast with the “Hardcore Knockouts” series on the SSR Instagram stories. It’s a fun challenge to pick out two rippers from the same country and put them into a battle, while of course littering the image with silly emojis (and whatever else they call those symbols you can put on there). I will probably run out of ideas, and all my coworkers resources will be drained too… I guess at that point, we can move on to Round 2! The winners of the first matches will continue on to face off with each other. This week I selected Nog Watt’s “Fear” to go head-to-head with BGK’s “White Male Dumbinance.” This one was hard for me to choose who to vote for! I feel like it might depend on the day you ask me, but I ended up choosing Nog Watt.

I first discovered Nog Watt in 2014. Local celebrity, Elizabeth Lynch, had posted about Nog Watt on the “Distort Raleigh” message board/forum (R.I.P.). I had never heard of Nog Watt. I didn’t know much Dutch HC, and to be honest I feel like I still don’t know much HC from there. Man, I put it on and instantly loved it. It is fucking sick Discharge worship, but with their own unique approach to it. I guess it’s unique to me, cos it’s “weird.” And by weird, I mean it’s not just straight forward the entire time. I dunno, maybe I have no idea what the fuck I’m talking about. But I think the songs have more dynamics than a typical band who plays Discharge-style. Anyway, Jeff has this EP too. I was talking to him the other day and I learned that Elizabeth also showed him Nog Watt! So cool. What an #influencer... she definitely influenced me to want to get a copy! I had my eye out for like 5 years, but I never got a copy. But it was my birthday 3 years ago when I saw this copy available for offers. So make an offer I did, for $100, and they accepted! What a great birthday gift to myself haha. Maybe you think I’m crazy for spending $100 on the EP, but good luck trying to find a copy for cheaper now... I didn’t realize how intense the lyrics were until I got the EP. Yeah, they are political of course, but they are worded in a way that hits me deep. It’s obvious the vocalist heavily evaluated her thoughts and then actualized them almost philosophically. At least that’s how it comes off to me haha. I think this band is all women. I’m not sure though. Maybe that is why I find so many elements about it so moving. It’s difficult to do what they did in a world (and our scene) that is dominated by men.

When I write here, I feel like I don’t ever talk about the way shit sounds. I guess if you read what I write, you are reading cos you know my taste, and more or less know the way something might sound before you check it out. But I do like to share cool info on stuff. I wish I knew more about Nog Watt. However, three months ago I saw Brandon of Meat House Productions share something on social media involving Nog Watt. I remember the message being kind of unclear, so I messaged him and realized that he is re-issuing the Nog Watt EP!!! AHHH!!!!! It looks like he will release it on a brand new label. Maybe since Meat House is for reissuing bands from California? Peep the bandcamp link below to hear this amazing shit, or if you already know it, now its yer time to get top-notch tracks! Not a mediocre rip done with little care and a dirty disc. I also dropped a YouTube link with some amazing footage of Nog Watt preforming live in Italy, 1985! I leave you with a quote from the inside of the fold-out sleeve.

Emma has been squatted 28th of July 1984. The place, which is very important to us, it totally self-managed. There is a small and a big concert hall, a restaurant, recording studio, practising spaces and a printer. When you have the opportunity, come and visit Emma.

https://finaldoomsdayrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fear

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7z4ufXYhU0

Hey there. Rich here. Longtime newsletter reader. First-time newsletter writer. I wish I could feign coolness for a second, but I gotta admit that I VERY eagerly await this email every Thursday. If you can name a better weekly punk-focused e-almanac than the Sorry State Records Newsletter, I’ll eat whatever fucking hat you throw in front of me. What a resource, huh?! So, when Daniel “Dr. D-Beat” Lupton asked if I’d be interested in writing for it, my affirmative response was like an involuntary reflex.

While not an actual employee, I’m pretty well steeped in the world of Sorry State. If I’m counting correctly, I’ve contributed to approximately 12 percent of the label’s releases. And though most of those are complete horseshit, there are a few records I BARELY got my stink on that I could still recommend (No Love LP, Davidians LP, “American Idylls” comp). In order to repent for the financial burdens I’ve cast upon Daniel & Co. through the years, I tend to spend a solid 20 percent of my income at the store. A fine investment, I’d say! And if I continue buying records and maybe—by chance—stop releasing so many, perhaps we’ll break even one of these days?

So, yeah, I buy a lot of records, but I also very much enjoy writing/talking about them. If you ever wanna dish about your 10 least favorite ADK releases or wax poetic on the plight of NOFX, hit me up on Instagram at @every7inch. Unsurprisingly, I also post pictures of (mostly punk) records just like every other jagoff I associate with on there.

Now, with that whole awkward intro out of the way, let’s get to some tunes! First, have y’all heard this shit called PILGRIM SCREW? Apparently it’s a couple folks from Olympia, Washington’s Gen Pop, and their new five-track cassette on Stucco Label imprint IMPOTENT FETUS has me feeling all kindsa ways.

The first track, “Foodie,” (great title, btw) appears to make good use of those “Feeding of the Five Thousand” stems that the Crass estate dropped on our lowly world in December of 2019. With Penny Rimbaud’s signature shuffle pumping at 280 BPM, droning synth and vocal loops and a pitched-up leader channeling both The Residents and Madlib’s Quasimoto, this duo is barking up every goddamn tree I have. Like, are y’all fucking with me or what?

Over the next four tracks, Pilgrim Screw takes skewed stabs at freakazoid synth-punk, lo-fi jungle ska, industrial footwork and more than a few subgenres of internet rap I’m too out of touch to name. But, hey, IT WORKS. Whether you fuck with old standby weirdos Royal Trux, now-lost 2000s geniuses Liars or any pick of punk’s best modern electro-inclusive degenerates—Special Interest, Heavy Metal, FNU Clone, etc.—then Pilgrim Screw might just be the band for you! insert obligatory Atari Teenage Riot reference(#)

While we’re on the topic of electro-inclusive punk, how about some punk-inclusive electro? GLORY FUCKIN’ BE, in my hands is the new full-length LP from lord supreme CUBE! For the uninitiated, Cube is the moniker of distinguished geographical/musical nomad Adam Keith. This fine young man was mucking up tape decks and fogging out basements for more than half a decade before dropping his vinyl debut, “My Cube,” in 2016. It’s one of my favorite LPs of this century… a chunky, sickly, rhythmic, screeching, bleeding mass of well-programmed hardware, tape manipulation, distorted vocal, guitar and—wait for it—SONGWRITING.

We’re not talking about this boring new world of fashion-over-function Soundcloud darkwave “songwriting,” either. Hell nah. Cube is like a REAL songwriter! An arranger! A master! Dude crock pots a mess of acoustic/electric kitchen sink noise and somehow churns out extremely orchestrated and MEMORABLE work. And though I’m only two spins into Cube’s new “Drug of Choice” LP, I can already say it’s gonna spend A LOT of time on this turntable. It’s huge and encompassing and ugly and beautiful and… OH YEAH, THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PUNK NEWSLETTER.

In that case, what do y’all know about the live ROBOTRIP tape that came late last year? That sucker’s found a pretty steady living arrangement in the Walkman I leave hooked up to the aux in my car. Featuring members of LSG and Splitting Heads, the Chicago quartet slays: fast-as-fuck, rawass USHC with nutso (clean) Strat licks and a menacing bark. They do a lot of that move where the guitar stops, but the drums keep going faster than fuck… man, I love that move! They also borrow Germs’ “We Must Bleed”—note for note, lyric for lyric—for the end of one of their songs. Another classy move! The recording quality for this early 2020 live set is appropriately rough, but there’s a slightly cleaner 2018 demo on the flip if you’re feeling cowardly. At any rate, this is super fun stuff and gets bonus points for lining up perfectly with my daily commute. There’s an email address in the comments of this YouTube rip if’n you’d like a copy.

Other stuff I’ve been into lately:

This Electric Chair video

The new 2 Low Key reissue (sold out everywhere)

The new Horrendous-3D 7” (SSR re-restock forthcoming)

The new Reek Minds 7”

The new GG King LP (and companion tape, “Evoker”)

The new Status Set tape

The new Gimmick 7” (Am I allowed to say this? I promise I wasn’t paid.)

The new Anti-Cimex demos LP

Whew, that was a lot. Consider me introduced!

Bill Dixon: In Italy, Volume 1 12” (Soul Note)

A few weeks ago we got in copies of this album by Bill Dixon and I got excited, but nervous at the same time. To explain why, let’s go into a little backstory.

In 2017, Superior Viaduct reissued a Bill Dixon album called Intents and Purposes. We carried it at the store even though I knew nothing about Bill Dixon; Superior Viaduct’s stamp of approval was enough for me to order a few copies. I may not have thought about the record again, but a customer bought one and returned it because the vinyl had a pressing defect that made the first few minutes of each side unplayable. It sat for a long time in a pile of defective records—I have trouble figuring out what to do with these piles since it hurts me to throw away records—and one day, on a whim, I listened to it. It knocked me out.

Intents and Purposes sounds like nothing else I’ve heard… even now, when I’m a little more familiar with the record and with Dixon’s work, it is still one of the most singular records I’ve ever heard. Part of it is that it doesn’t sound like jazz at all. Dixon all but abandons conventional approaches to rhythm, melody, and harmony, but he does so differently than most of the free jazz musicians with whom he’s often mentioned. In a lot of free jazz I’ve listened to, there’s a kind of antagonism toward these established conventions, but Dixon’s attitude as a composer seems more like agnosticism. His music rarely feels like it has a center—rhythmic, melodic, or harmonic—but it’s full of rhythm, melody, and harmony, just deployed in ways that sidestep any kind of convention. It’s less like Dixon is combating these conventions, and more like he’s transcended them.

So, I love Intents and Purposes, but I’d never explored Bill Dixon’s other music or learned anything about him until In Italy, Volume 1 showed up at the store. I grabbed the record and took it home, but I was nervous to put it on. One thing I’ve learned about following jazz musicians is that you should put aside your expectations, particularly if you’re dealing with an artist who is interested in challenging expectations. I’ve heard punks talk about “departure records,” or records where a band leaves one style behind (usually a more primitive and/or extreme one) and pursues another (usually a more commercially viable and/or palatable one). This isn’t a useful way of thinking about jazz, especially for musicians who had long and restless careers. For instance, I’ve learned that I like Bill Evans’ music, but when I pick up one of his records, I might hear anything from solo piano to orchestrated avant-garde compositions to a traditional piano trio. None of these are “departures,” just different projects that reflect Evans’ interest and growth as a musician or whatever other considerations (material, emotional, economic) pulling on his music at that time.

So, I dropped the needle on In Italy, Volume 1 not knowing what I would hear, since the record came out thirteen years after Intents and Purposes, the only other Bill Dixon record I’d heard. However, just like when I first heard Intents and Purposes, I was rapt from the first moment. After “Summer Song/ One/ Morning” starts the record with a maximalist tone that’s not too far away from what I think of as free or atonal jazz, the record settles into the Bill Dixon sound that caught my ear. Researching Dixon this morning, I read one writer compare his music to the soundtracks of old Italian horror movies, and I think that’s apt. Like some of that music, Dixon’s compositions are minimal and languid, drifting along in a way that’s pensive but untroubled, and while moments can sound tense or sinister, those feelings evaporate just as quickly, drifting along to something else with a kind of Buddhist sense of acceptance.

Just like with my staff pick last week, thinking about this record has me going to Discogs to find out what else there is to hear. Unlike a lot of his peers in the free jazz world, Dixon wasn’t a prolific recording artist, devoting much of his energy to his teaching position at Bennington College in Vermont. From what I’ve read, he seemed to have a fraught relationship with the music marketplace. Early in his career he helped found the Jazz Composers Guild, essentially a trade organization for jazz musicians. He released little if any recorded music during the first half of the 70s, though recordings from that period have been compiled compiled on a 6 CD box set. Fortunately for us, he warmed to recording again by the early 80s, when he released a string of albums on the Soul Note label, of which In Italy, Volume 1 is the first, and continued releasing records until his death in 2010. I’m looking forward to exploring these records, plus Dixon’s earlier collaborations with Archie Shepp and the work he did as a sideman (including on Cecil Taylor’s 1966 Blue Note album Conquistador!).  

The Shivvers: S/T

I’ll keep this as short and sweet as possible. I’m tired and have had a long day, but I need to tell y’all how much I love this record. I picked up this reissue from Vinyl Conflict and it has been on my turntable ever since. From what I gather, Shivvers recorded most of these tracks in 1980 but they only saw the light of day for the first time in 2014 (I think?). This Milwaukee band sounds like a mixture of Blondie, Nikki and the Corvettes, and The Nerves (all heavy hitters if you ask me). This is a true American power pop gem, and it’s a shame they never got the spotlight they deserved 40 years ago. If there is anyone out there who has kept up with my staff picks and knows what I typically write about, you know I am a sucker for punk songs with hooks. And lemme tell ya, the hooks don’t stop on this one. Highly recommended!!

Hey there Pop Pickers, how’s it going? Another week and another Sorry State Newsletter. I am honored to be writing in such esteemed company and to have you, our loyal readers, to talk records with. As opposed to just shouting in the wind or to my cats, who rarely give a shit about which pressing of Fun House I have or whether the record playing is hip or not. To us human nerds, of course, all this matters. Hence us all being here.

I was having a bit of a bad morning today and was wondering what I would write about. Often when stressed out I find writing a shopping list hard work, let alone putting together a readable piece of prose. Some of you might still think this is unreadable and you are probably correct. However, no matter how bad the writing is, the records are good and if nothing else, I can point you towards some good shit.

This week I would like to steer you towards the magical world of Library music: records that were produced for commercial use and not generally made available to the unwashed public. If you were a TV, film, or radio producer and needed cheap, already licensed music cues for your project back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, you could go to your local Music Library Company and purchase records with music that could cover any mood or situation. Most countries with an entertainment industry had such companies but the most prolific came out of the UK, Italy, France, Germany and the US. Often the musicians playing the music and the composers who wrote it and the producers who recorded it were known names within the music world and often they were not. Just studio cats making a living. Sometimes due to Union rules etc. musicians would moonlight under pseudonyms if they were even noted on the records, but there are many cases of top talent who worked on Library records. Mostly companies pressed these records in small amounts of a few hundred copies and they typically came in generic company sleeves with the track information and not much else. Many had artwork though, or some kind of image to conjure the mood of the particular record. Typically, each track or cue would have a brief description of the type of sound and mood and might list a suggestion for its placement and break down the instrumentation used. So, if you were shooting a TV show and needed some cop car chase action music, it would be possible to pick an appropriate Library record to find the perfect soundtrack to your scene. The great thing about the music made for these records was, because they were not for commercial consumption, they didn’t have to appeal to record buyers and compromise anything they did. There is a terrific sense of freedom to these records because of this. Atmosphere and mood are the important aspects instead of trying to score a chart hit.  

During the peak years of the 1960s and 1970s companies like DeWolfe, KPM, and Chappell in the UK churned out hundreds of these albums, all with a different flavor and use in mind. Often you could hear the same tune being used in different productions. Maybe in a commercial or TV show. A good example is the music used for the 70s UK TV show The Hanged Man having the same piece of music that was used in the US for The People’s Court. Anyone who watched daytime TV in the 80s and 90s should be familiar with that one. It was recorded by Alan Tew and called The Big One and came out on a Themes music library record. Check it: https://youtu.be/7pPRacGfz0

During the 1990s, as DJ culture expanded and hip-hop producers searched for fresh beats and samples, these library records became desirable and expensive. They weren’t easy to find in the first place, but once heads became hip to the fact that these records were a literal gold mine of cool sounds, the genie was out of the bottle. Prices for the most sought-after library records can run in the four figures. Luckily for us, from the late 1990s onwards, many of these lost gems have been made available for purchase by the music fan and DJ/producer on a budget. Hey, that’s where I came in.

When I first heard these records, I fell in love. They were perfect for me as a DJ looking for interesting and fresh sounds and also personally as I prefer to listen to instrumental music most of the time. Not that all Library music is instrumental, but for the most part they are. The English group The Pretty Things cut a couple of these during their prime S.F. Sorrow to Parachute years. They did some with and without vocals. If you ever see records by The Electric Banana, that’s them. I’ve seen them but could never afford originals at market price, though I have snapped up the reissues. The biggest commercial use of this material was for the film What’s Good For The Goose, a late 60s comedy the Pretties even perform in. Here’s a clip: https://youtu.be/Fbi4CFY4yTc

My favorite era for library music is the 1970s, and I particularly dig the Italian scene. Those records sound so phat and funky and have so many cool sounds on them. Again, during the late 90s and early 00s a lot of this music was getting reissued and I snapped up as many as possible. Some of these reissues now go for good money but a lot, lot less than the originals. I would recommend the labels Irma, Easy Tempo, Plastic and Crippled Dick to name four, who have all put out great compilations of 70s Italian library music. One of the first ones I bought was the series called Souno Libero (Free Sound) on La Douce/Irma Records. Across the six slabs of wax on these babies there isn’t a duff track. The cover art borrows from an original Italian record released in 1971 called Under Pompelmo by Guiliano Sorgini which is a jazz-funk bomb and will cost you at least a grand if you ever see one. On Suono Libero you get one track. Check out the drums on this beast: https://youtu.be/bnTwigEjU8

If there ever was a rabbit hole to fall down that you may never return from, then Library Music is it. For lovers of instrumental music, soundtracks, jazz, and funk, these things are essential. It’s like discovering an Aladdin’s cave of treasure. Not that it is all funky and jazzy stuff. There’s plenty of psychedelic leaning stuff mixed in there and all sorts of oddities and curios with cool electronic synth music also. Not too much hardcore punk, but I could be wrong. Usman can weigh in on that. There might have been a Finnish music library that made a record to use in film scenes of punks getting together that came out on a flexi, but I doubt it.  

I’ll sign off here and leave you with another gem from Suono Libero called Shake No. 5/B by Romano Rizzati which perfectly represents the type of stuff I love about this music. Enjoy.

Love to you all and catch you next time. Ciao! - Dom

I feel like people might see this record who love Anti-Cimex and decide to pass on it. That was my initial reaction. “I have all their shit—comps, discographies, whatever—I don’t need another compilation of material I already have.” I can’t stress to you how wrong I was. Lemme say that again, if you did not already buy this record, and you own a record player, buy this record. Yeah, almost all these songs appear on other releases, but they’ve never been compiled in one place like they are here. Sometimes it’s a CD only release, sometimes it’s a bootleg, but every time it’s an import. I am pretty sure this is the first ever official Anti-Cimex release in the States. Maybe you’re on the opposite side of the spectrum, and don’t know about the countless Cimex releases/reissues with demos, comp tracks, EPs, etc. Well if that’s the case, then you are in luck. Aside from hearing the earliest demo sessions and reading cool bits of trivia about them, you will get to hear alternate versions of songs you already know. This compilation features songs from Raped Ass with Swedish lyrics and alternate takes on what soon became Victims of a Bombraid.

One of my favorite Cimex records is a bootleg, Gainkiller. It’s got the self-titled 12" on the A side, and the back side is all fucking ripping tracks from early demos and comps (but seemingly randomly selected?). All those tracks from the B side appear on this Complete Demos Collection LP. Earlier I said almost all these songs appear else where, but not all. That’s pretty impressive to unearth some tracks in 2021 of a band with such a worldwide following that began in the ‘80s. I’d think someone would have done it already, like years ago. The insert says there are two tracks that appeared only on very rare tapes, so the only way to have heard them was from an OG tape. One of these tracks, “Syre Eller Gas,” I had never heard before in my life. I’m pretty sure I would have recognized it if I had. But the other track, “Nutid,” I have heard, but I couldn’t place where at first. Well, that’s because it’s the first time they have released this song with the correct title. In the past it has been credited as “Eibon.” I only know this cos the insert, while it looks basic, is crammed full of information. I love it so much. Each tape session has notes and credits. A lot of this information you could look up if you put the work in. Or maybe you already know it, or maybe you just don’t care. I still think it’s cool to have it all in one place, in my hand, and made with love by a true fan. I try to only write about records that I think are “must-haves,” and this is definitely one.

Alright for the nerds, two things. 1) You can still get the limited pressing on orange vinyl from the Sonarize Records website. It comes with a poster too, direct from them. We have very few copies of the poster left at the shop, and anyone reading this is probably too late for one of those from us. And 2) I tried to take a picture of all my Cimex records this weekend cos I already knew I’d be writing about this, haha. But I felt like an asshole. So instead, I photographed my two rarest Cimex records I have. (Which ironically might be more of an asshole move?)  

If you don’t recognize the cover of Raped Ass, it is a rare pressing of 300 copies made with the original plates that was released by Really Fast Records the year after its first pressing. Of this pressing there are 150 with this alternate cover and 150 with a cover reproducing the original artwork. From my understanding, the band only printed 150 copies of the alternative sleeve cos they ran out of money. When it came time to print the other half of the covers, they had lost the artwork and ended up having to photocopy the original cover from the A-Records pressing. If you recognized the cover of Raped Ass, maybe you’re wondering now - does my copy have the Violin drawing? No, it does. not. And also no, my cover of Anarkist Attack is not cut. Alright, thanks (to the very few of you) for reading. ‘Til next time...  

Lora Logic: Pedigree Charm 12” (Rough Trade; 1982)

Pardon me while I give a bit of deep biographical context here. In the early 2000s, when I was in my early 20s, the website Kill from the Heart went online and changed my world and my taste in music. Before that, I had a few hardcore records that I loved, but Kill from the Heart—along with compilations like P.E.A.C.E., Party or Go Home, and Welcome to 1984—schooled me on how these records were part of a worldwide movement, one that I’ve continued to research, learn about, and take part in for the past two decades. However, the habits that sent me down the hardcore rabbit hole developed earlier in my life; they just had different objects.

Before I went down that rabbit hole, I spent a lot of time researching first wave punk, because I loved that music too and, at that time, it was much better documented and easier to research in mass media. Whenever I would gain access to a new database, the first thing I would do was search the word “punk.” I remember in my high school, before they connected it to the internet, there was a ProQuest research station. It sounds silly and primitive now, but there was a workstation that had an index of articles on its hard disk. So, I would search (for the word “punk”), and then there were these giant spinning towers of CDs. The search results would tell me what CD to pull from the towers and load into the computer, and then the system would access that article and allow me to read and print it, sort of like a digital version of the microfiche machines in libraries. Then I’d go to the next article in the search results and have to pull a different CD, load it, etc. I remember downloading articles about Vivienne Westwood in fashion magazines, stuff about the Sex Pistols’ first reunion tour in 1996, and a lot of stuff about Nirvana. These things helped me navigate what to buy with my limited budget, since there were no older punks in my town to show me the way.

Then later in the 90s, when I was in college, punk hit its 20th anniversary and there was a wave of media attention. The music section at mainstream bookstores like Barnes and Noble now contained several books on punk, and I read them all. The most pivotal was Jon Savage’s tome England’s Dreaming. I remember reading the book the summer before I went overseas for the first time (to England and Australia), and the timing couldn’t have been better. I gobbled up singles and albums by the groups I read about in England’s Dreaming, most of them dirt cheap. I came back from that trip with several hundred records, which I then spent the next few years digesting. This is also around the time eBay came on the scene, allowing me to fill in gaps in my collection and connect even more dots. Eventually I had a pretty sizable collection and a lot of knowledge about first and second-wave punk and post-punk, particularly from the UK. I loved the Pistols and the Clash, but bands like the Ruts, Cockney Rejects, the Buzzcocks, the Dickies, Wire, Stiff Little Fingers, the Fall, Discharge, Joy Division, and many others emerged as all-time favorites. To this day, the music of this era feels like home to me, and it’s what I put on when the sun is shining outside or when I get in the car for an exciting road trip.

I was still on that part of my journey when, in 2003, Kill Rock Stars put out a double CD collection by Essential Logic called Fanfare in the Garden. The CD got some press on its release (my research this morning revealed a Greil Marcus review in The Guardian), and Lora Logic was already on my radar because she was the saxophonist on X-Ray Spex’s early singles (though she was edged out of the group by the time they recorded their album). However, when I picked up a copy of Fanfare in the Garden, I was not into it. Part of it might have been that the “double CD discography” thing that happened so much during the CD era just wasn’t a listener friendly format. Lora Logic’s music is challenging, and even the best music wears on you after 2+ hours of listening. So, I relegated Essential Logic to the “not good” pile and probably passed on a lot of their records in subsequent years.

(Side note: I remember buying a double-disc compilation by the Saints called Wild About You 1976-1978 - Complete Studio Recordings on that same trip. This release—a treasure trove of great punk rock—suffered from that same sense of listener fatigue. I remember not liking the Saints’ 3rd LP, Prehistoric Sounds, because it was at the end of that collection and I was just tired of listening to the Saints after two straight hours. Eventually I picked up a vinyl copy of Prehistoric Sounds and now I ride hard for it. Wild About You also committed the criminal sin of putting 2/3 of Eternally Yours at the end of disc 1 and the last few tracks on disc 2… what were these people thinking?)

Then, in the early 2010s, I got a copy of Wanna Buy a Bridge?, Rough Trade’s 1980 sampler LP. I listened to that LP all the time because, while it was mostly songs I already knew and even owned the original singles for, it was jam-packed with hits and fun to listen to. Essential Logic’s 1978 single “Aerosol Burns” appears on that compilation, and I grew to love it. Eventually I picked up a copy of the single too.

The next step on my Lora Logic journey was a few weeks ago, when I watched the 1983 film Born in Flames (which I wrote about in my staff pick in January. That movie, which I loved, had a title song by the Red Crayola on which Lora Logic sang, and I loved the track too. So Lora Logic was already on my mind, then I read a brief mention of Lora Logic’s 1982 solo LP, Pedigree Charm, in a book. I sampled it online and ordered a copy on Discogs, which cost $15. Since it arrived I’ve been listening to it a lot and I like it. Pedigree Charm (minus one track) is actually compiled on the Fanfare in the Garden collection I mentioned above, so I heard all this music 20 years ago. But what I brushed off as “not punk” back then now sounds like the punkest, most interesting music I’ve come across in a minute.

I can see why a cursory listen to to these tracks might not lead me to investigate further, because Pedigree Charm sounds like a product of the early 80s. While the playing is organic (there are synthesizers, but no drum machines and it doesn’t sound robotic), the sounds are clear, compressed, and tight, like a polished 80s studio recording. This is particularly true of the bass tone, which is full of the funk grooves and string popping that played such a big role in the post-Gang of Four musical landscape, but with a clean, compact tone that wouldn’t be out of place on a Phil Collins record.

The thing is, though, even if the production is sterile, the band plays with fire and passion. Most of the songs here are quite fast and the band plays hard, not sounding like bored session players, but skilled and engaged studio musicians. And then there’s Lora Logic’s contribution on vocals and saxophone, which would spice up even the most mundane backing tracks. People often comment on the sense of unrestrained joy that characterizes Lora Logic’s music, and that’s very much in effect here, but as both a saxophonist and a vocalist she has a Miles Davis-like way of deploying a simple melodic line that forces you to hear what all the other instruments are doing in a new way. I am infatuated with her sense of melody and now that I’ve discovered that I feel like I need to hear everything she ever played on.

As I was researching this morning, more of my picture of Lora Logic’s music came into focus. I learned that not only did she play in X-Ray Spex and record with Essential Logic, the Red Krayola, and as a solo artist, but she was also a prolific guest musician. She had a habit of working with cutting edge bands, playing on records by the Raincoats, Swell Maps, Scritti Politti, and Dennis Bovell. She even laid down some sax on Finnish punk band Kollaa Kestää’s debut LP, Jäähyväiset Aseille!

And thus one record bought leads to a dozen more on the want list.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

This week, I decided to write about the debut LP by Slant, a hardcore band based out of Seoul, South Korea. Hear me out as I try to make this point: based solely on the aesthetic, I thought I may not like this record. Whether or not most of us like to admit it, I think that presentation, and even the way the band members dress, can factor into how we judge punk and hardcore records. As goofy as it sounds, for me, if a punk record has artwork with like a skull (haha), and then when you flip the record over the band members are punk looking, I feel more inclined to check it out. It’s silly, the segregation of punk fashion has become like a meme now. Slant does appear to have a background in straight edge hardcore, so I expected there to be some parts of the music that are mosh-worthy—and really, I wasn’t too far off! AndI’d be lying to myself if I said I never indulged in tougher hardcore from this end of the spectrum. But, what was interesting to discover is that one member of Slant is also in Scumraid, who to me are a gnarly and noisy crasher crust type band. I sat there for a second and realized how cool that is. It made me think that maybe the scene in South Korea isn’t so concerned with fashion and that people who dress differently can still be in bands together and support each other… as opposed to here in the US where I feel like these things can divide people. Basically, what I’m getting at here is that while Slant may not fall into the exact category of punk or hardcore I usually like, it would’ve been a shame to miss out on hearing this LP because it’s great.

Now let’s talk about the music. More than anything, I think Slant makes hardcore with conviction. The band delivers hardcore that is real meat and potatoes, but I feel like it’s difficult for bands to stand out playing super direct hardcore unless you’re able to write great songs. On this LP, Slant nails the songwriting and each song is a fuckin’ banger. The execution is airtight. Nothing sounds out of place, and I mean that in the best way. Most importantly, the way the songs are arranged is super catchy and memorable. I’m pretty sure the drummer is a transplant from the Boston-area hardcore scene. I’m not sure if this dude is from Mass proper, but I hear some of that influence creeping into Slant’s sound. Slant doesn’t sound exactly like Out Cold or anything, but the drumming is Evicci-esque—super tight, punchy and lots of fancy kick drum work. I can also hear a UK82 influence. One of my favorite tracks in particular, “Violent Minds,” borderline sounds like a Savageheads song. Yeji, the singer, has a gnarly sounding voice like a little demon, but delivers these vocal parts that are super hooky. They’re almost anthemic, where it’s easy for me to imagine the crowd at Slant gig bogarting the mic for the band’s entire set. Aspects of the recording are modern-sounding, but no overly so. The production is thick and punchy, but gritty and organic. The guitar riffs cut through and are not overly compressed or distorted. It just sounds like the band was trying to make an intense but still clear and classic sounding record.

This LP is already sold out here at Sorry State and sold out from Iron Lung. Iron Lung is already working on a repress. I have a feeling when the pandemic finally ends this band will have an amazing tour when they come here to the US. I’m looking forward to that.

Thanks for reading,

-Jeff

Hi to you, the Sorry State gang. How are things this week for you? All good, I hope?

This past Monday was the Feast Of Saint David, the patron saint of Wales and I spent a couple of hours in the company of one of my DJ friends, Matt Pape, who hosted a Welsh special on his weekly show over on The Face Radio. His show is called Worldly and here is a link if you are interested: https://thefaceradio.com/archives/worldy-with-matt-pape-2110/

He featured many of my favorite bands and singers from Wales and in particular played a couple by the great Super Furry Animals, a band I associate with a lot of great memories.

My connection with Wales goes back to my childhood. My parents bought a timeshare in North Wales and for many years we would holiday there. So, from a young age, I was exposed firsthand to the legends of dragons and Camelot and also to the issues of preserving the language and culture. There are some parallels with French Quebec and the fight to keep the language taught in schools and used on signs etc. It’s not an easy language to learn—lots of consonants in a row. I think I can still recite the longest town name in Wales, which has fifty-eight characters. Just don’t ask me to spell it.

During the Brit Pop era of the 90s, my interest in bands from Wales grew. I was discovering new bands regularly. Labels like Ankst seemed to have a new one every week for a while. Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci and Super Furry Animals were my favorite, the latter especially, and I have followed them from almost the beginning, seeing them live numerous times. It was through them I was first made aware of Meic Stevens and his music. His records were very hard to find until the late 90s and early 00s when several reissues appeared on the market, which I duly snapped up.

Before the show began, we were talking, and I asked Matt whether he had anything by Meic Stevens as I had just been listening Outlander. Matt didn’t and so I thought perhaps this would be a good time to talk about this record for my pick this week.

Meic Stevens: Outlander. Warner Brothers Records. 1970

Meic Stevens is a Welsh folk singer who began his career in the early sixties and after being discovered by ex-Radio One DJ and now disgraced sex offender Jimmy Saville, put his first effort on to wax in 1965 for Decca Records. A session that included John Paul Jones as one of the studio musicians and producers. At this point in 1965 the folk boom was about to change, but you could still see names like Davy Graham, Paul Simon ,and Jackson C. Frank performing in Soho clubs. Stevens embraced the hectic Bohemian London scene and rubbed shoulders with anyone who was anyone on the scene and made lots of connections. Syd Barrett even spent the weekend at Meic’s Welsh cottage in 1969. That year Warner Brothers Records launched a new London office and was keen to sign new talent. This being the end of the sixties, the return to rural and country sounds was in vogue. Singer songwriters were the hip thing. Warners themselves had on their books already Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, and Arlo Guthrie, among others. A five-album deal was struck, and the first result was the Outlander album. Sung almost entirely in English, it could have been much bigger had it been promoted properly. After this record came out, Meic continued being involved in the Welsh language music scene and recording for local labels. Warners were not too pleased and insisted he concentrate on recording in English for them. Faced with this ultimatum, Stevens walked away from the deal and went home. A brave artistic move and one that would prove huge for the burgeoning Welsh language rock scene and movement. Throughout the 70s he released several EPs and a couple of albums, cementing his reputation as one of Wales’ greatest song writers and performers.

Back to the Outlander album—its sinking into obscurity at the time makes scoring an original a tough task and an expensive one—but there are now reissues on the market and also reissues of some of his rare EPs and unreleased material. I’ve only seen an original once and picked up my version in the early 00s. If you read reviews, the first thing most reference is Bob Dylan. Sure, there are similarities, but to say Meic was the Welsh Dylan is a little lazy. All singer songwriters worldwide at this point in time couldn’t help being under Dylan’s influence just a little. There are a couple of tunes that conform to this notion, but the remainder is uniquely Meic Stevens, more of a taste of the Acid or Psychedelic Folk sound being made by more pioneering artists. Several tracks feature tabla and sitar and a couple have a more guitar heavy vibe. It’s these tracks that make the album stand out and perhaps one could wish that Meic leant into these more than the traditional folky strumming of those Dylanesque numbers, but that would be Monday morning quarterbacking decisions that were made over fifty years ago. I’m sure to some those straight acoustic folk numbers were more the real thing, but to us now in the post everything 21st Century it is the weirder and more up-tempo psychedelic stuff that appeals.

Opening track Rowena is worth the price of admission, as is side two’s Ghost Town. Elsewhere cuts like The Sailor And Madonna and Yorric, which feature the Indian tabla and sitar, add the exotic acid folk vibes to the listening experience. Between those tracks comes the straighter, 60s Dylan folky and western sounding tunes which, though not unenjoyable, already sound dated compared to the other tracks. Of course, depending on your taste, you may find these songs just as interesting and I’m not trying to say they are bad, just less adventurous.

As always with these recommendations, I encourage you to investigate further. I have only glossed over Meic Stevens and his career and music here. He is a legendary figure and Welsh hero. I’ve picked up some reissues of his Welsh language recordings and earlier 60s stuff like the album Gwymon from 1972. The Welsh language is a beautiful language to hear in song and not knowing what is being said can often be a good thing as even the best lyrics can get in the way of a song’s emotion and musicality. When Meic Stevens made these records, the Welsh language was fighting for survival as less than 20% of the population spoke it daily. Years later, Super Furry Animals continued the progress with their album Mwng which is also in Welsh and remains one of their best records. I can’t recommend that one enough.

Cool, I’ll leave links to a couple of Outlander tracks and hope some of you might dig them and feel inspired to check out more.

https://youtu.be/pR9qyM9PaY0 - Rowena

https://youtu.be/MK2TGZDPMo - The Sailor And Madonna

Until next time. Love you all- Dom

I feel like it’s been a while since I wrote a Staff Pick that was really intentional. I’ve been so busy that I feel like I haven’t been able to slow down. So that’s what I’m trying to do here now. Like I always say, I doubt many people read what I write here. So thanks for reading. Above is a picture of a killer EP that I’ll talk a little bit about in a minute.

My label with Jeff, Bunker Punks Discs & Tapes, released two demo tapes a few weeks ago. A lot people grabbed ‘em; that’s fuckin sick. So many people grabbed a copy that I didn’t even get a personal copy of the Tizzi tape. Whoops! I “released” another tape at the same time... It sold way more copies than I expected too, and now I wish I made more. I love mixtapes—receiving them and making them. So this last mixtape I made, I made with an “audience” in mind rather than for a specific friend. I wanted a theme, and I wanted to do it right. There are so many killer records from so many countries... but of course I can only put discs I have onto a mixtape. I am obsessed with getting the best sound possible for cassettes. You can get amazing sounds on there, but so many people just pass off shit onto them. I get it though, especially when it’s a demo. I wanted my tape to sound like you were listening to an original disc. (There was one disc I used on there that was a bootleg haha, a good one though.) Anyway, thanks to anyone who grabbed one of the Norsk mixtapes! I hope you enjoy it and maybe hear some new bands.

Last weekend an idea struck me: a “competition” of killer records from all over the world. I thought it would be cool if it was records versus other records from the same country, and they battle until there is a reigning victor of the nation and then in the end there are international matches. Haha, it’s cheesy… but seems like a lot of fun, and also a nice way to show off a record or two. The competitions will take place once a week on the Sorry State instagram story. I hate the olympics, I hate patriotism, I hate nationalism. The only reason I think the records should face off with other records from the same country is cos they will typically have a similar vibe/sound. Anyway, I started off the competition with (legendary) Anti-Cimex: Victims of a Bombraid vs. Asocial: Det Bittra Slutet. In my mind, when speaking of the specific EP versus EP, this is no competition. Det Bittra Slutet (“The Bitter End”) slays. Now if the question was, “Yer house is on fire, which one do you grab?” my answer would be different, as Victims of the Bombraid goes for a bit more cheese in the wild... Asocial only had cassettes before this EP, while Cimex had two EPs, one being Raped Ass. Now if this were Raped Ass vs. Det Bittra Slutet (or probably any other Swedish EP), Raped Ass would win. But it’s not. Victims of a Bombraid and Det Bittra Slutet were both released in 1984, and they have very similar song writing. Cimex vocalist Jonsson is unfuckwithable; I don’t think there is an angrier vocalist. But the overall sound of Det Bittra Slutet is much nastier to me. The songs are faster, and there are more of them. I hold Victims of a Bombraid very close to me; I know the songs like the back of my hand, like most, which is why I think it won the poll on instagram. I was just surprised to see less than a dozen people vote for Asocial! If you don’t know this EP, check the link—it’s killer! For any listeners who don’t already know, Asocial and Svart Parad shared a bassist, Tompa.

And for the nerds, my copy in the photo has had a few owners before me. The first owner was Hakan, the drummer of Asocial. And the second owner was Göran, the vocalist of S.O.D. (Sound of Disaster). For the record, I do not know either of these dudes, haha.

Alright, thanks for reading. 'til next time...

The Womenfolk Song Project: The Work of the Women

I picked up this record because it looks like something out of a weird 1970s commune-turned-cult. I’m down for weird culty music so I bought it, not expecting much. For the first year or two I owned this record, it wasn’t even on Discogs. I can’t find any information about this album or the people who made it so, hey, maybe it was made by a cult.

When I opened up the record, not only was it in great condition, it also had a teacher’s guidebook in the gatefold. Every song on this album is about women’s rights and the guidebook has more in depth information about each song and some interesting discussion questions and resources. It’s from 1975; it’s not perfect, but I was surprised I didn’t have to squash this staff pick for some racism or transphobia lurking behind this feminist agenda. The pages hold some progressive views for 1970s feminism, including giving black women a voice and talking about breaking down gendered terms and ideas.

Maybe this record spoke to me because I’ve had to cut off yet another family member for having some ass fucking backwards views. Maybe it’s because the longer this pandemic goes on, the more obvious income inequality is for marginalized groups. Either way, this lil’ folky feminist record gave me a smile on a day where everything was making me angry, so I thought I’d share it in hopes someone else enjoys it. I’m going to put this record on one more time and pretend I’m running around some progressive feminist commune and not doing laundry (like I should be doing... not because I’m a woman but because I’m running out of clean clothes to wear. Oh the irony).