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

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

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

What’s up Sorry Staters?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Jeff

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://youtu.be/oTePkgCGjZc

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

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

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

THE ANXIETY JUNKIES- GENTRIFIED HOMICIDE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What’s up Sorry Staters?

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

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

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

Thanks for reading,

-Jeff

What up you fuckin’ nerds?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks Seth for a great mixtape.

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

Peace out everyone. Make someone a mixtape for Christmas.

-Dom

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special Interest: Street Pulse Beat (Boy Harsher Remix)

This week at Sorry State we started discussing our Best of 2020 lists, so I’ve been thinking about all the great albums that have come out this year. Near the top of that list is Special Interest’s The Passion of, which I encourage you to check out if you haven’t already. However, this week’s staff pick is something I noticed drop on bandcamp last week: a Boy Harsher remix of “Street Pulse Beat,” one of the standout tracks from The Passion of.

I don’t know if I’ve written about them for Sorry State, but I love Boy Harsher and listen to them all the time. They’re a popular group so you might have heard them already, but if you haven’t, they play dance-oriented darkwave / EBM that everyone from punks to indie kids to electronic nerds seems to love. We try to keep their full-lengths in stock at Sorry State, but I’m sure you can check them out on any number of channels.

The darkwave sound that is Boy Harsher’s specialty is also a big element of Special Interest’s sound, though Special Interest is messier, noisier, and more eclectic. While The Passion of has some big vocal hooks, the gritty sound oforces the listener to work to hear them. Boy Harsher gives “Street Pulse Beat” an entirely new backing track that sounds like something lifted straight out of their catalog, so on this version Special Interest’s incredible vocals get to be the star of the show. Boy Harsher’s own vocals tend to be layered in effects and sit back in the mix, so this isn’t a case of one group making another’s song better, but rather two groups bringing their strengths to the table and something really magical happening.

You can head over to Special Interest’s bandcamp to buy the track, which is part of a 12-track remix album that sees an impressive mix of underground producers tackling tracks from The Passion of. There’s even an old school 12” maxi-single available that features the Boy Harsher remix if you need to get it on wax for your next DJ night.  

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Chances are that if you were to type the phrase “Vixen metal band” into a Google search, your results would overwhelmingly relate to the pop/hair metal band from the late 80s. I like “Edge of a Broken Heart” as much as the next guy, but did you know that there was another metal band called Vixen from several years prior? Maybe if you were to ask well-versed metal enthusiasts about this band, they’d respond “Duh,” but I had no idea this band existed.

So this older band isn’t all women like the late-80s group, but they are still fronted by a girl singer. The band released other records under different monikers and lineups, but this is the only release under the name “Vixen” with vocalist Kim La Chance singing. Before changing their name to Vixen, the band went by Aloha, which GET THIS: they’re a metal band from Hawaii of all places. The band later even released a couple LPs under the band name Hawaii. Crazy... and it gets crazier: while I was listening, I was particularly amazed by the insanely great guitar work on this recording. Turns out, the guitarist in this band is a young Marty Friedman who would later play with Megadeth!

This record was originally released in 1983 as a 5-song single-sided 12” on Azra Records, an indie label that put out a lot of great lesser-known metal from the early-to-mid 80s. Not unlike many of the bands on Azra, Vixen basically sounds like early speed metal, kinda similar to bands like Jag Panzer or Exciter. There are a couple of fast songs with double kick drum, but we’re by no means talking thrash territory. The recording is super raw and unpolished, which for me adds to the charm. Even so, you can tell all the members are incredible musicians. Even for being so early in his career, Marty Friedman shreds all over this record—usually in very long dual-harmonized guitar lead flourishes. There’s so much killer lead playing that in the 5 tracks on this record, only 3 of them have vocals. The first song and the closer are all instrumental with tons of guitar wankery.

While the delivery of the music has intensity and attitude, the vocals are super melodic—borderline classical music at times. There’s this moment in the track “Living In Sin” where it breaks down to nothing but a capella vocals, and the singer does this high-pitched section of “ah-ahs” that literally sounds like a soundbite from an opera. At first thought this is cheesy, but they make up for it with badass metal lyrics about demonic sacrifice m/

Sorry State just got in this reissue on Nuclear War Now!, which is not single-sided. Instead, the B-side has compilation tracks and demo versions of some songs which date all the way back to 1981. If you’re a denim-and-leather-clad speed metal freak and were convinced that the only band called Vixen just plays soft pop-metal, then you NEED to hear this record.

I feel like if you had to hear one track, I’d jam “Living in Sin”, but I just suggest getting the full experience and taking it all in at once:

As always, thanks for reading,

-Jeff

Terminal Bliss - LP (forthcoming)

The brand new band Terminal Bliss just released two songs on their bandcamp this past week that grabbed my attention. Although this band may be new, the members have been around for over twenty years in Virginia creating wild and extreme music. Featuring members of Pg. 99, Darkest Hour, and City of Caterpillar (just to name a few), these two chaotic punk anthems are fast, pissed, and (at least for me) a bit nostalgic.

I’ve always tried my best to keep up with what Mike (guitar) and Chris Taylor (vocals) are up to, because it seems like everything they touch is unique and inspiring to me. I’ve loved everything those brothers have done from Pg. 99 to Malady to Haram (the northern Virginia band from like 15 years ago, not the contemporary punk band from NYC) to Mannequin to Pygmylush. And I’m stoked I get to add Terminal Bliss to my list.

So far these two tracks remind me of what the “loud” Pygmylush songs sound like. They’re very short, spastic and chaotic. I kinda hate using the term “chaotic;” it makes me think of some bad swoopy hair screamo or some shit. But ionno, right now it feels like the right way to describe it!

What makes these doings different than Pygmylush songs is how much heavier they are; you can tell they have matured and are taking more influence from crust and noisy dbeat hardcore.

Although the sound may be different, you can still tell instantly this is a Taylor brothers’ band. Chris’ vocals are the same borderline scream/melodic shriek that I loved in Pygmylush, Malady, and Pg. 99, and his delivery is unique to the niche style he has carved out for himself. Moreover, Mike’s riffs are another aspect of the group that is unique and I can usually recognize them when I hear them.

Maybe I grew up in Northern Virginia and I am just a nerd for this kind of shit, or maybe it just kicks ass. It’s like you can hear the sounds of Virginia heavy music just oozing out of it and I fucking dig it. Their LP is coming out on Relapse soon, and I can’t wait to hear it. In the meantime, check out these tracks:

Hey there everyone in Sorry State Land. I hope the world is treating you right?  

Last week I dipped into some 45s we got in and highlighted a few I enjoyed. Hopefully some of you did too? We have some great sevens of all descriptions in the store so please take a look if you visit and for those hungry for more, ask to look in the several boxes we have in the back. Those of you not living local may want to check our Discogs store also, as we have a lot of singles listed there with plenty of bargains.

This week I am going to stay with the seven-inch format and tell you about a cool 45 that I recently received in the mail.

Brute Force: Nobody Knows b/w King Of Fuh. Apple/Ace. 1969/2020

Brute Force was the pseudonym and stage name for American musician Stephen Friedland. Interested in music from a young age, he found his way to New York City and began writing songs and playing on sessions. Eventually he wound up writing for The Tokens and playing keyboards and guitar with them. He worked for RCA and then BT Puppy as a writer and the B-side of this single I am talking about today was a minor hit for The Chiffons under the full title “Nobody Knows What’s Goin’ On In My Mind But Me.” In 1967 he wrote and recorded an album for Columbia titled I, Brute Force: Confections Of Love which is an interesting Pop-Psych record with a sense of humour. It didn’t sell too well at the time and although nowadays you can find a copy online for around $25, for a while it was tough scoring a copy. In 1968, he recorded a tune with The Tokens about a king who lived in a mythical land called Fuh. When the lyrics are sung, they make the Fuh King sound like something else. As a result, the Tokens knew BT Puppy wouldn’t release the record but through connections between The Beatles manager Brian Epstein and Nat Weiss, the manager of a friend’s band called The Cyrkle, the song made its way to George Harrison and John Lennon, who both liked it. Harrison assisted with some overdubs and the record ended up coming out in the UK only on Apple, awarded the catalogue number Apple 8. It had a small run of about a thousand copies, although this number is debated, many saying less and some more. As a result, it became the rarest Apple record and for a good while an original copy would set you back hundreds, then thousands of dollars more recently. Friedland managed to reissue the song later on his own label, albeit with a different B-side, Tapeworm Of Love. Naturally, such a desirable record got bootlegged, so there are copies out there.

Thankfully, Ace Records in the U.K. have reissued the single and you don’t have to break the bank to get a copy. I was particularly pleased getting my copy as it came signed by Brute Force himself. My friend, Chaim O’Brien-Blumenthal, up in New York is a writer and music enthusiast and last year had a great interview with Brute Force and an article published in Ugly Things magazine—a fantastic resource for wild sounds from past dimensions. He had several copies of the single signed for friends and also sent me a copy of the magazine plus a signed photo of Brute Force too. Brilliant. Many thanks to him.

As for the tunes? Honestly, the novelty factor of King Of Fuh is cool and funny but the tune itself is a simple keyboard and Mellotron led ditty with not too much going on musically other than the lyrics. However, It is a song we might relate to given the past four years of rule under our current “King”. For me, the B-side is much more entertaining, a real song and certainly one of the more interesting titles given to The Chiffons. The version Brute Force recorded for himself is a nice piece of Pop-Psych, again keyboard and Mellotron led with a decent backbeat and guitar stabs and sound effects added by crinkling the cellophane wrapper off of a packet of Kools. Taken right out of the Paul McCartney chewing on celery for The Beach Boys book of sound effects.  

I’ll be the first to admit that the high collector’s price attributed to the original single is more down to it being on Apple than the musical quality, but it’s still a nifty little 45 and a fun listen. The whole Brute Force story is an interesting tale and I encourage fans of obscure sixties artists to read further. The Ugly Things story is excellent and, as always, the internet will provide you with plenty of information and answers. I’ll leave links to the two sides for you to check out.

Nobody Knows-

King Of Fuh-

Thanks for reading and I hope these dips into obscure non-punk sounding records interest you out there? Everything is connected, and nothing comes out of a void. There’s almost a hundred years of popular music out there on records to discover and enjoy, and connecting the dots between songs and styles and artists and their influences is a fun way to spend your time. Never stop digging. Until next time.

-Dom

I remember when this record came out, but I dropped the ball on grabbing one. I was window shopping on discogs last week and saw End Of An Ear had this 12” and a Languid 7" for a great price, so I smashed that metaphorical window and made the purchase. I hate the collector mentality of a lot of sellers on discogs, but I’ve still bought hundreds of records on there since 2012. Aside from the rip-off attitudes a lot of dickheads have on there, it’s a vast database of knowledge that I reference daily. One of my favorite features is that almost every text is a clickable link; I discover a lot of interesting shit cos of this. Anyway, soon after I bought the record Daniel asked me to help him put in a wholesale order from Konton Crasher. So, we have a huge shipment soon to be on the way where we’ll be re-stocking all the Konton Crasher titles that have been sold-out on our webstore PLUS almost every single other title they have released, including this hot ass Mueco slab.

To me, the Mueco vibe is somewhere between Framtid and Doom. The sound reminds me of some of my all-time favorite Japanese bands like Crocodileskink, Abraham Cross, and Collapse Society. The sound is perfect; it’s so harsh and unrelenting. I wish I had more records like this one; it is a record I can flip endlessly and not get tired of the songs. It’s the kind of record that I turn the volume knob louder and louder as I listen cos I literally cannot get enough, to the point my receiver can’t handle the intensity and shuts off from over-heating haha. Mueco is a three-piece from Canada. Being a compelling three-piece band is no easy feat. To not only maintain the instruments staying locked in together, but also singing in another rhythm and simultaneously play yer instrument on top of it blows my fucking mind. The drums are mixed so well, and the snare drum sounds killer. I think getting a good snare sound is one of the hardest elements of recording a band. I have never recorded a band, but I form this opinion by having been recorded a fair amount on drums and working with Jeff on his mixes. And by working, I mean him playing me mix after mix and trying to make words to explain how I think it should change. I don’t know a thing about recording. But one important thing (of many) I’ve learned from Jeff about mixing is that you must make “space” for all the sounds that are happening. If something isn’t “loud” enough, it doesn’t mean you just turn the volume up on that mic. It means you have to take another sonic element, and tone it down/move it around on the stereo spectrum in order to make space for what you can’t hear.

I’ve been busy and my mind has been preoccupied so I will stop writing here. If yer reading this, I hope you are doing alright, and thank you for reading. I was doing okay for the first 7/8 months of the quarantine, but I am wearing thin now, and fast. I miss hanging out. I miss gigs. I miss my family. I am grateful for this job at Sorry State, and very grateful to have Scarecrow staying productive regardless of the pandemic. We are almost done recording for an EP to be released in 2021 and have even begun working on even newer material. I am lucky to have such good friends as bandmates and co-workers. Without that, I think I would have nothing to keep me going.

What Had Happened Was podcast (2020)

https://starburns.audio/podcasts/what-had-happened-was/

Last Sunday my buddy Bobby from Vinyl Conflict came down to Raleigh, and we got to hang out for a few hours. The weather was pleasant so after he shopped at Sorry State we had lunch in the park and then went over to the cat cafe and hung out with SSR alumnus Seth. It was almost like a normal ass pre-pandemic day!

At some point we were all talking about podcasts we listen to and Bobby recommended this podcast, in which rapper Open Mike Eagle sits down with producer Prince Paul. I didn’t know Prince Paul’s name off hand, but he’s been a producer for a very long time, his credits including the first three De La Soul albums, Gravediggaz (a group he put together), Handsome Boy Modeling School, and many other projects along the way. His career has encompassed many eras of rap music, and it’s awesome to hear from an elder statesman who has seen so much change and has a big-picture perspective on the genre’s history.

The podcast is just one season, and in each episode Open Mike Eagle discusses some topic or aspect of Prince Paul’s career with the man himself. I’m sure Prince Paul’s career would be an interesting topic for any podcast, but where What Had Happened Was shines is in the depth and candor of these conversations. Rather than the normal press junket interview in which the interviewee has an agenda (usually promoting their latest project), Prince Paul gets into the dirt on this podcast. He seems like a jovial, level-headed person, so it’s not about assigning blame or settling scores, but explaining how the sausage gets made. And that is fascinating to me. I haven’t listened to all the episodes, but the conversations I’ve checked out so far have been fascinating. For instance, in the episode on Gravediggaz, Open Mike and Prince Paul discuss how Paul had the idea for Gravediggaz and how he put the group together, shopped it around to labels, got them a deal, shepherded the project through the first album and subsequent tour, and then relinquished some of that control after (all of which were complicated by various factors, including the runaway success of RZA’s other group Wu-Tang Clan).

The podcast has strong sound and music clips from whatever they’re discussing, so they’re able to set the scene better than podcasts that can’t include music because of licensing restrictions. If you’re a fan Prince Paul I can’t recommend this enough, but even if you aren’t interested in the actual music, this podcast is a fascinating window into how one segment of the music industry works.

Kaleidoscope: Decolonization 7” (D4MT Labs)

What’s crackin’, friends? I haven’t had a staff pick in a couple weeks and I have no real excuse for that aside from laziness, anxiety and the existential pain of existence. But that’s not to say there hasn’t been tons of great stuff coming out! I know I’m about a month late and some of my associates have already spoken highly of this release, but I figure I might as well drive it home.

I love Kaleidoscope. I can’t think of another band in the modern landscape of punk pushing the envelope and creating truly original content like they do. What makes Kaleidoscope unique to me is that you can hear how much influence they take from psych, kraut, and classic rock n roll while still being undeniably punk. Two of the most stand out things to me are the drums and the vocal patterns. The drums are always grooving in rhythmic ways that (as a drummer myself) make my jaw drop. The vocals are delivered in a way that feels like an urgent declaration of truth and wisdom, like slam poetry but in the least lame way possible.

I’m not sure if many people know this, but these three dudes all live together in Prospect Park in Brooklyn, which means they are constantly working and creating together. Keep your eye D4MT Labs (their label) because they are always churning out the most interesting and refreshing art and music.

Also my band Public Acid just released an EP this week check it out :3

Hello dear Sorry State readers. We are back after the holiday and in full swing here with cool stuff coming in at us from all angles. The Black Friday Record Store Day releases had some cool titles to round out the year of RSD releases and we have been buying a lot of cool and varied collections, big and small, which we are constantly processing. One such collection was a box of 45 rpm 7” singles which I have just finished going through and it has yielded some interesting titles.

The collection was predominantly pop from the sixties and early seventies and although some were without sleeves and damaged or just not good titles, there was a good handful that were promo copies and in company sleeves. These tunes all seemed to have been released between 1968 and 1972, with most coming from 1969. That was an interesting period in music and as someone who was newly born to the world then, I feel an affinity to that time period. That place in time was also when the 45 rpm single still ruled, and when record labels would take chances and release a single by obscure artists to test the waters for a potential album down the line. As I went over the records I recognized the labels and some artists but was surprised by how many I didn’t know and also very pleasantly surprised when some of these records turned out to be good. I loved seeing the company sleeves and either white or different colour labels of the promo copies and also I love getting a stereo and mono version of songs although you sometimes miss out on a cool B-side by having two versions of the same song. A lot of these records are not particularly valuable, but there are one or two rare ones in there, particularly the soul titles.

I picked out a few I liked for my picks this week and hope you find them as enjoyable as I do. I left out the big-ticket items and more obvious soul/funk and psych winners and went for the odd and more poppy end of things instead and stuff that meant something to me as I listened and that I connected to.

First off, Headstrong: Ode To A Heffalump. Amos Records Inc. 1969.

This is a bit of a mystery to me. I don’t know too much about who the artist is although I suspect there may be a recognizable name connected to the record. It’s on the Amos label which among other acts had Longbranch Pennywhistle, who were the pre Eagles band of Glenn Frey. There was a copy of one of their singles in the collection. This tune, as the title infers, is inspired by The World Of Pooh. I am a big Winnie-The-Pooh fan and have been since childhood when I got the book for a present one year. I still have it. It’s beautiful with the original illustrations, some in full colour. So discovering a song dedicated to a Heffalump spoke to me. I love how the song injects the loud guitar towards the end, turning a simple pop tune into something almost psychedelic. A great find and interesting comparing the two mixes. I like both, but the mono wins for how the guitar punches harder at the end.

Next up, Thomas & Richard Frost: Gotta Find a New Place To Stay. Imperial. 1969.

I was aware of these two brothers from a CD which collected their unreleased album Visualize from 1969 that would have come out on Imperial if the label hadn’t folded under the ownership of Liberty/UA. This track was one of two singles from that album that got released. It’s a great pop-psych track recorded in L.A. with a lot of the top session players of that time. The brothers had been active throughout the sixties and most notably were in the Anglophile Mod band Powder and also the Art Collection who released the great garage track Kick Me (I Think I’m Dreaming). As Thomas & Richard Frost they went for the orchestrated pop of the likes of early The Bee Gees and Scott Walker. Gotta Find A New Place To Stay is a perfect mini opera on 45, albeit a little dark with less than sunshiny lyrics and mood than earlier single She’s Got Love https://youtu.be/lBeGEF6w2hM

I like both ends of their oeuvre and also recommend checking out the Powder record.

Moving along now to an odd one by Dick Clark: The Day The Children Died. Liberty. 1969.

https://youtu.be/ark0x5TDAU

Yes, the same Dick Clark of American Bandstand and beloved DJ/Host of a generation. On this track, our Dick lays down a spoken word poem against war over a sparse backing that kinda gets psychy underneath. I dig it. Years ago in Miami, I met Dick Clark at a restaurant he was opening. He was as charming and humble as you would expect and signed an old Life magazine I was holding that had an old photo of him in it. Anyway, this track is right on and sadly still holds true today.

Keeping the anti-war vibe going was Tarantula: Love Is For Peace. A&M. 1969.

These guys were a jazz-rock group from California who released one album on A&M. I couldn’t find a clip of the single edit which cuts the track in half but here’s the full album version. The single clips a little of the intro and fades out during the freak-out section. I have only seen the album once before in the wild, and it goes for decent money. Worth picking up as there are some other good tracks on the record with a Zappa like and/or Soft Machine vibe to them.

To round things off, here’s a track I bought years ago which has had me keeping an eye out for their two LPs. It’s The Carolyn Hester Coalition: Magic Man. Metromedia. 1968.

The self-titled debut and follow up Magazine are great pop-psych records in an acid folk style which have still eluded me in my record digging. I have contented myself with the CD versions up to now. If you like groups like The Poppy Family, you will most likely dig these two records.

Okay then, that’s all for now. I hope some of you find these diversions into worlds other than punk enjoyable? Let me know if any of these hit the spot for you. Those local to our store should pop in and look over the rest of the great 45s from this collection. We’ll put up a social media post as a reminder and show the other singles in due course. Thank you for reading and never stop digging. See you next time.

Vivisected Numbskulls are back with another instant classic! This contemporary band from the States has managed to execute an almost perfect authentic UK82 sound. I lost my mind with their debut cassette and have been anticipating this follow-up release since! The drums are a bit more crisp and clear on this tape compared to the previous tape, but it doesn’t take away from that “old cassette” feel. Down to the packaging and layout of the j-card, this tape looks like an 80’s release. The band (which is one person) knows what they are doing, and they are doing it fucking well. The previous cassette walked the line with a bit of a “tough” vibe, which to me is an obvious sign of a modern band. However, on this tape I think they stay a safe distance from that line, making it sound even more classic! The guitar solos sound less like the solos on the early Cimex recordings, pushing the songs even more into the realm of UK82. I don’t mean the way he plays the solos, but the literal sound of the guitar during the solos. I don’t know why I am such a sucker for bands that sound old. I don’t dislike a nice polished, modern recording, hence my other pick...

Fuck, I feel like I just heard the debut Lockheed EP just the other day, I wasn’t expecting to get my fuckin’ wig blown off so soon again!!! They deliver 3 songs seamlessly on their side of the split. And I mean it, these songs blend so well that if yer not intently listening, you may not even notice the change. Don’t misinterpret that “seamlessness” for boring riffs that all sound the same, though. The buzzsaw guitar riffs keep a’move on the fret board, complimenting the drummer’s perfect groove. Maybe I said that last time? Even when the band plays fast, the drummer stays in the cut which causes the listener to head bang. To play fast while maintaining a nice, tight but groovy bounce between the kick and snare drum is like gramma’s secret recipe for a perfect D-beat. Discharge-beat was all about that groove. I see ya’ll drummers out there tryna D-beat, but some of you play what I call “cheap beat” and the other some play so damn rigid the D has lost its groove. I’m not tryna talk too much shit though, I am not that great of a drummer myself haha, but you might find yerself caught up in the D-hole if yer fuckin’ with me and my bands. (Shout-out to Chubb for coining the term D-hole, during our band together where I drummed called Louse.) The Affect side is cool, they are from Sweden. I’m not gunna act like I didn’t grab this EP cos of Löckheed though.

GREAT GHOST STORIES

I think I’ve already said this, but I love the snapshot into media history you get from records. Kids now are growing up on r/creepypasta and I grew up on cassettes of ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark;’ anything before that was a mystery to me until I started collecting records. I think seeing how scary stories were passed down through my friends’ kids has made me realize that my memories of sharing stories while holding a flashlight under my chin won’t be something that every generation has. What memories do the scary story records hold for the people that grew up with them?

I started collecting records when I lived in Savannah, and I was SO LUCKY to have Graveface Records two blocks from my house. I found many spoken word records, and I gravitated towards the spooky Halloween ones. I’ve been picking up story-based records ever since. The spoken word/oddball/comedy sections are some of my favorites in record stores! Even if I don’t pick something up, flipping through those bins tells me what entertainment was like when the records came out.

I picked this record to write about because it’s my most recent acquisition (I got it on my second shift at the store; I love/hate working at record stores) and because listening to it made me so fucking happy. I’d heard these stories before. This record from 1973 had stories that stood the test of time and were told around a campfire at my weird Jewish summer camp. Details had been changed of course; that’s the nature of oral history. I realized that I’d also heard snippets of these stories more recently; the kids I get to be around aren’t losing what I had; it’s just evolving.