Staff Picks

Greetings fellow Sorry State newsletter readers! As always I hope everyone has had a great week and has been listening to and checking out some new music! I mean, it is why we are here reading this thing right? Not sure if it is clear that I have a love for anything King Gizzard related. This week’s pick is in the King Gizzard universe and is one of my favorite solo albums from one of the band’s members. This record I think has been highly anticipated for a couple of years now. It is Cavs, a project led by the drummer from King Gizzard, and their second full length album Sojourn. It has been a long 5 years since his first, self-titled solo album. Cavs' new album Sojourn is such a huge step forward and you can hear the growth and skill change that has happened for the last 5 years. His improvement is something I've been picking up on with every King Gizzard release, but this solo album showcases all of Cavs' ability to place some really groovy out of pocket spiritual jazz with amazing grooves and fills. This record blew my mind the first time hearing it. Makes me really excited for some new King Gizzard; I hope they make another jazz album in the future. The players on the album are not King Gizzard related, but man did he pick some amazing artists to play on this record with him. The flute combined with the bass grooves and Cavs drumming just seems like they were all on another planet while recording this album. If you like world music, spiritual jazz and funky bass lines, this is a record for you hands down. I know this might be a hot take, but I would recommend this record over anything that King Gizzard has done so far. It is that good. So take a chance and pick it up. We have also been listing tons more metal CDs almost everyday! Until next week take it easy!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone is having a nice week. I’m sure most of you are aware Record Store Day was a couple weeks ago. Whether you love it or hate it, there’s always some cool titles that are released. I know there was a bunch of stuff this year that caught my eye, but I had to limit myself. One record I did pick up though is this awesome compilation from Stax: Killer B’s – 14 Fabulous Flip Sides, which if you can guess from the title, is a bunch of old B-Sides from past Stax releases. Just banger after banger on this compilation featuring artists like The Bar-kays, Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Little Sonny, Margie Joseph and a whole bunch more. The pressing seems loud and punchy, which is nice. My only complaint is there’s no inner or anything with descriptions of the songs, just a tracklist on the back of the jacket that has some credits and the original release dates. Every song on here is great, but I’m partial to the Booker T instrumental Soul Clap ’69 and the Eddie Floyd track Consider Me. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a Stax fan.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Sometimes I feel guilty when I don’t talk about releases that we currently have in stock here at Sorry State for my staff pick. Honestly, what I probably SHOULD write about is this new White Trash reissue. Great 80s hardcore from Colorado. And I’m quoted on the hype sticker! Pretty wild. I’m honored. But I feel as though I must be honest about what I’ve actually been listening to on repeat as of late.

My latest obsession was somewhat prompted by this guy Patrick the Pack Rat. Y’all know this guy? I’ve been enjoying his YouTube series where he interviews punks and rocker types about their record rooms. One of his videos reminded about this single by this band The Circles called “Opening Up”. I remember learning about this single many years ago and just loving it. I even looked around for a copy in different record shops when Public Acid went to England the first time. To no avail, I’m afraid.

The Circles released this single in 1979. The band was from England and part of that whole mod revival wave of the late 70s. Now, if you’ve been following Mr. Pack Rat, you might’ve seen his video where he gives a crash course in the genre of power pop. When he talks about The Circles, he jokingly talks about how a lot of the bands in the late 70s mod revival are basically just “well-dressed power pop.” I must admit, whether he was joking or not, I identify with this concept. The 60s mod movement in England had a whole different context with soul music and all that. But when I listen to “Opening Up,” my brain synapses just don’t connect to that place. For one thing, the song is not really bluesy. For all intents and purposes, I would lump this single into my “pop bangers” category along with other power pop stuff I gush over… even if the band does happen to be posed around a Vespa scooter on the cover photo of the single. Like geez, we GET IT, lads.

Power Pop really is a dicey term, isn’t it? But I think more than any other genre, it warrants addictive behavior. At least it does for me, anyway. I’d like to think we’re all fiending for that perfect 3-minute burst of alchemy. We want that saccharine sweet melody, baby. And with a lot of these bands that only released a couple singles in the late 70s, I imagine the rarity of the records only adds to the allure. I guess not unlike people are with KBD singles, it’s like junkie behavior. In some cases, you might be trying to track down a 7” single with just one great song on one side of the record. You just sit there and lift the needle to play the same song over and over and over. For a long time, I didn’t even know what the B-side on the flip of “Opening Up” was. I guess it’s a song called “Billy”… Any good? Maybe I’ll check it out one day. I’m liiiiitle preoccupied with the A-side at the moment.

“Opening Up” seriously is a such a banger. The song kicks in with that simple chord progression, then that little melancholic guitar melody comes in, the drums just pounding on the toms in a build up before the song kicks in. Pure bliss. The pulse of the song is super driving, even if it’s not the most aggressive sounding thing you’ve ever heard. The mood of the melody feels contemplative and nostalgic. Which is ironic, because the lyrics are talking about the youth of a “new generation.” But in a way, because the band is trying to encapsulate a vibe from an era that precedes them, it’s kinda looking forward while simultaneously evoking a feeling of reminiscent longing. Perhaps unintentional brilliance on their part? Haha.

Funny enough, the anthemic-ness of the lyrics and the little guitar lead has this particular sensibility, almost like a wimpier version of the melodic side of Oi! For example, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that The 4-Skins straight up ripped off “Opening Up” when they wrote “Chaos.” Personally, I lean more toward the intentional tunefulness of The Circles over that kinda stuff any day. But man, close to the end of the song when the band does these 1-2-3 punches on the chords with the kick drum pulsing underneath? “WAN-NAH-NAH – bup bup - WAN-NAH-NAH – bup bup”… and then the guitar hook comes back in? Be still, my beating heart. Then the coda with the singer just chanting on repeat: “I can feel the new sensation! I can see a new generation!” I’m bopping my head, just shouting along. It’s such a beautiful resolution. Perfection.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got. Some of you readers might be like, “oh yeah dude, that’s a classic.” But if you’re unfamiliar, do yourself a favor and jam this tune. Feels like a good song for Springtime. But hey, if you’ve made it this far, I’ll just put it out there that I’m dying to own an og copy of this 7”. Bang my line if you’re holding and you’d like to help me feel a new sensation for a new generation. No joke though, I’d be stoked to find one.

As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

If you haven’t checked in with the newsletter in a while, I’ve been using my staff pick space to document / explore / reflect on something that’s been happening in my mind lately. I’m not really sure how to refer to it just yet. A rough patch? A mental health struggle? A nervous breakdown? Every week I wonder if this content would find a more appropriate home in a private journal, but I keep putting it here anyway. I’ve been an avid journaler for a few decades, but for the past few months my journal has deteriorated into basically a document of what media I have consumed (mostly books and movies… I listen to far too much music to catalog it all there) and whatever other content I’ve piped in automatically. The thrill of pure self-exploration has worn off… I need that mild sense of danger that comes from knowing someone might actually read my writing in order to get the words on the page. I could spend some time pondering why that’s the case, but not today.

The gist of today’s update is that things have not been great in Daniel-land. What started as a habit of spending too much time worrying congealed into a uniform sense of dread that blanketed my entire existence, then for the past week or so, that evolved again and started erupting into full-on violent panic attacks. This is not the first time in my life I’ve had panic attacks, but it had been a few years. They are monstrous, evil things. And like the demons in hell, each one is unique, preventing familiarity from blunting their impact. Sometimes I burst out sobbing. Sometimes it feels like all of my muscles clench so hard I become completely paralyzed. Sometimes I get light-headed and feel like I’m going to pass out. Sometimes it’s all in my stomach and I have to fight the urge to vomit. It’s a real smorgasbord of psychological terror. My go-to response when I feel one coming on is to find somewhere quiet, safe, and alone and either do a guided meditation with an app on my phone or just focus on counting my breath. More often than not, when I’m able to close my eyes and focus on my breath, I lose conscious pretty quickly. It’s sort of like sleep I guess, but it’s more like a blackout. My mind is like a computer that flashes the blue screen of death and then I’m just gone. When I emerge, typically half an hour to 45 minutes later, the worst has passed, but I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. One of the strangest things about panic attacks is, at least in my experience, they feel like purely biological occurrences. Typically there is no trigger that I can identify; it’s just something my body decides to do for no apparent reason. Sometimes I can identify a trigger, but often it’s comically benign. I had a really bad one on Sunday when my wife and I were sitting at a coffee shop and someone at the next table mentioned the name of my bank. I started sobbing and had to retreat to the sweltering back seat of the car, passed out and woke up an hour later, soaked in sweat and aching like hell.

My plan had been to ride things out, hoping that after I get through the major stress of buying the store that I could regain some stability and control. However, this week the closing date for the store got delayed (I’m not sure for how long, but at least a few weeks) and between that and the panic attacks ratcheting up in frequency and intensity, I decided it was time to seek treatment. I went back to my therapist for the first time in a couple of years. I put down the book about Swedish death metal I had been reading and started looking for books that might help with an anxiety flare-up. I remember during a major depressive episode a few years ago this book called The Noonday Demon really helped me, so I started reading a book called Beyond Anxiety that seems promising so far. I also made the decision to start taking medication again. I had been on Lexapro for years, but stopped a few months ago. I had been fed up with the side effects for a long time, but what really made me stop was that it felt like the medication was keeping me from processing Red’s death, that I wasn’t feeling everything I needed to feel. I thought things had been going fine, but when I asked a couple of close friends if they thought I should get back on the Lexapro, all of them said yes immediately and with no hesitation. So I guess I’m going to go back to being sleepy all the time, constipated, and having a perpetually sweaty ass crack.

As with my staff pick from last week, this struggles I’ve been experiencing have been the major factor in choosing what music to listen to. Last week I felt so untethered that I needed the sound of my favorite band to ground me and remind me who I am. This week I have been looking for music to soothe me. I’ve been looking primarily for sounds that are spacious, drone-y, and move slowly. I was listening to Agitation Free earlier today and that was getting pretty close to the sweet spot. I went for some Popol Vuh, but I think I chose the wrong album; Letzte Tage - Letzte Nächte was a little too bombastic. Nila Sinephro’s Space 1.8was right on the money. Mind you, I have an entire shelf of Eno records, basically everything he released under either his own name or the Ambient series up to the late 80s, but I haven’t touched them yet. I worry I’ve leaned on those too much during past anxiety flare-ups and have come to associate them with anxiety itself rather than its relief. Maybe I’ll spend a little time with those this week and report back. No promises.

My pick for this week, though, is Alice Coltrane’s 1971 album Universal Consciousness. While Alice Coltrane’s music tends to put me in my happy place, I haven’t actually listened to her too much for the past couple of years. I worry that I’m letting the incessant chatter about her in the “vinyl community” ruin her for me. I have a bad habit of letting other people ruin music for me. My go-to example of this is Infest. I loved Infest when I was young. I bought Slave from a distro box at a show when I was 16 or 17 just because I thought it looked cool and I was blown away. Then I got a bootleg discography CD off Rick Ta Life’s distro at a 25 Ta Life gig and wore it out for a couple of years. But then in the early 2010s, around the time Infest started playing again, things took a turn. I saw them a couple of times and it wasn’t the gigs that ruined them for me (they were pretty sick!), but the cult that grew up around the band. It was very intense in Raleigh. There was a new crop of young hardcore kids in town and they were obsessed with Infest. These kids had a band called Abuse., and they put out a total scorcher of an LP on To Live a Lie in 2013 that you should absolutely check out if you have any interested in Infest-inspired hardcore. However, I could not listen to it. I had heard Infest’s name too many times by that point, and the hate had grown too strong within me. I had gone over to the dark side. The side where you don’t listen to Infest.

I really don’t want that to happy to Alice Coltrane’s music, because I truly love it so much. Though the hatred in my heart is probably the reason I reached for Universal Consciousness over Journey in Satchidananda or Ptah, The El Daoud, arguably her two greatest albums and the ones I’ve spent the most time with. But I’ve seen them posted on Instagram and Reddit too many fucking times. Why does that matter? It shouldn’t! But, as you can tell by all the stuff I wrote about my panic attacks above, as much as I would like it to, rationality does not govern my world.

I’m glad to spend some time with Universal Consciousness, though. While it’s not as blissed out as the two aforementioned classics, I think it’s still a really strong album. Alice switches off between organ and harp for the entire album, which is wild because the two instruments are so different. Alice Coltrane was a virtuosic pianist, but something about the organ’s timbre really makes the less conventional notes she plays stick out. I’m not sure whether her playing is chromatic or modal or what, but the organ’s strange mechanical buzz is a stark contrast to how an acoustic piano sounds so human, how it’s wide dynamic range leaves a lot of space in the sound. But then when she switches over to the harp, it’s an equally strong contrast, but from the opposite direction. The harp lines are these gentle washes of color that sound so airy and ethereal. I actually don’t know much about the harp as an instrument. Are there strings for all the notes in the chromatic scale, or are they in a certain key like a harmonica? You don’t really hear people pluck out tunes on a harp; they just kind of spread these waves of swirling musical color that don’t sound, to me at least, like they have a tonal center.

I’ve spun Universal Consciousness a few times over the past few days, and I’m eager for more. It feels like the album is starting to open up for me in a way it hasn’t previously. I’m thankful I picked up this and all her other records before they were such hot commodities. My shelf worn copy still has a $12 price sticker on it, and I think I remember the weird little store in Greensboro where I bought it. Often it feels absurd to own thousands of records, but it feels perfectly sane and right at moments like this, when you pull an under-appreciated one off the shelf and discover it has way more to teach you.

Thanks for reading, everyone. And if you have any recommendations for soothing, quiet, and/or meditative music, please send them my way.

What’s up Sorry State readers?!? My pick for this week is the mighty… and I do mean MIGHTY, Shaved Ape’s Loveletter to Hardcore. My god, does this record make me wanna take a hammer and smash everything I can get my hands on. The A side consists of five new perfect blistering fast hardcore songs that will make your knees weak and your thoughts mean, followed by the absolutely phenomenal tape from a few years ago on the B side. The cover art is stunning with the sick ass picture of Riky Barnes ripping it the fuck up putting those tire tubes to some good use. Vince is a fucking animal. Hardcore rules, go buy this, nuff said…. Peace.

What’s up Sorry State readers? It’s been a minute since my last write-up here. As Dom mentioned in his staff pick the other week, we moseyed our way over to Greensboro to catch our favorite bluegrass phenomenon Billy Strings in action, and he put on a hell of a show for a Tuesday night. Every show is amazing, but this definitely was a standout. Got to hear some old timey staples, psychedelic jams, and of course a heaping helping of Doc Watson tunes. Billy in North Carolina will always be a hoot. This past Monday I also celebrated my birthday, and who decided to roll into town and put on a show? None other than ol Willie Nelson himself. I figured if Willie was coming to town on my birthday, who am I not to attend? Sydney and I gathered up some of our friends and had a lil tailgate before the show complete with fried chicken, beer and a bit of the devil’s lettuce. Coincidentally, Willie’s birthday is actually today (the 29th) and he turned 93 years old, which is fuckin wild that he can still get up on stage and perform. While it might not be what a Willie show was 50 years ago, it’s still impressive that he’s going up there and actually playing and singing. Definitely not some freaky ass Frankie Valli situation (go on YouTube and watch a recent video of him performing; it’s scary as hell). A good time was had by all enjoying an evening of Willie tunes. Speaking of, the other week I picked up this cheap budget comp of Willie just cause it had a nice track list of some of the older stuff. It opens up with probably two of my favorite tracks of his, Night Life and Funny How Time Slips Away, the latter feeling relevant while me and the Red Headed Stranger are both celebrating a birthday. The B-side opens with a cover of the classic Bob Wills song San Antonio Rose with Good Hearted Woman and Help Me Make It Through The Night rounding out the album. Happy birthday Willie, we love ya!

Hi and thanks for reading. I haven’t written a staff pick since November. I’m not sure if anyone really noticed, haha. This year has been by far the worst year of my entire life thus far, but yes, thanks to the support from my loved ones, I am still here. Today I am writing about Finnish hardcore (surprise). When it comes to Finnish hardcore, KAAOS is one of the first bands that comes to mind for me. I remember the first time I heard the Totaalinen Kaaos EP. It blew me away. I couldn’t stop listening. I still can’t. I didn’t know hardcore could sound like that; completely unhinged but still somehow grooves. Don’t even get me started on how many tracks they crammed on the sucker, too. KAAOS was from Tampere and had line-up changes on like every release. I think Jakke, the vocalist, was the only consistent member in the band. It’s funny, I think of him being the iconic front person of KAAOS, but he originally started on guitar on their split with CADGERS. I remember seeing their Nukke EP around and it took me a while to listen to it. It was released in 1993, so my foolish ass thought it might suck. The thing is, while this was not released until 93, it was in fact recorded in 1985. I didn’t understand why it was never initially released, but today I was reading they broke up in December 1985. Maybe that explains why this recording didn’t see the light of day back then? I know they didn’t reform until 1999, so it’s interesting Fight Records picked it up in the early ‘90s for a proper release. Also, in 1996 Fight released Valtio Tuhoaa Ei Rakenna. This was another 7” I foolishly passed for even longer than Nukke due to the release date. Later I discovered this session was originally from 1983. Just a handful of years ago Fight released Ei Enää Kipua Ei Tuskaa on a 12”, and this record is the entire session from 1983 I just mentioned. The 7” from ‘96 was only eight of the sixteen tracks KAAOS recorded. These recordings have become some of my favorite shit from KAAOS. The acoustic guitar bridge in “Elektroninen Xtaasi” and the piano on “Syytön Sivustakatsoja” is so fucking cool, totally unexpected and executed with absolute taste. The latter appears on their 12” from 1984 as well. Funny, writing this now I realize that this session, as well as tracks on Nukke, were probably just practice recordings for the real deal that would follow later. Maybe that is actually why they were not initially released? Sonarize did a US pressing of Ei Enää Kipua Ei Tuskaa, and if you don’t have it, I would highly suggest you pick one up.

Anyways, back to Nukke EP. This record has a similar line-up to their Ristiinnaulittu Kaaos 12” from 1984. I think the bassist is the only difference. Nukke used to be available for cheap as hell like everywhere thanks to Havoc Records, but in recent years it seems to have become a bit harder to find. Perfect timing for Fight Records to get this sucker back in print! In Fight tradition, this pressing is limited to 300 copies on color vinyl. I’m sure once it’s sold out it will be repressed on a different color. I was really excited to hear this beast on 12” format cut at 45rpm, as the original was a 7”. This pressing was also mastered analog from the original mixdown tape. Sounds like a perfect formula, yeah? Well, unfortunately, this shit is cut so quiet. It’s a bit disappointing. I’m also not a huge fan of the cover art. When Havoc did their pressing, they used the band picture from the back of Fight pressing as the front cover. I like that look much better, but this reissue is staying true to the original. Knowing that “nukke” translates to “the doll” in English gives a lot more context. The artwork was done by Nappi, who played bass on their debut 7”. I think he may have been in RIISTEYT for some time as well, but I don’t know that for sure or what he played on. OK. So regardless of my critiques here at the end, if you don’t already own a copy of Nukke EP I would suggest you grab a copy of this reissue cos this material is essential. And to keep it real, if you already have a previous 7” pressing, I’d say you can do without this 12” version. That’s all for today then. Maybe you’ll hear from me next week. Cheers and thanks for your support.

Hey there guys! I hope our newsletter finds you fit, healthy, and happy? It’s been a busy couple of weeks at Sorry State since we last spoke to you. We had Record Store Day the Saturday before last, and it was a great day all around. Thank you to all of you who came by on the day to say hello and pick up a record or two. A special thank you to all of those who camped out and spent several hours in line waiting for us to open. I believe almost everyone who waited in line got what they wanted. Obviously, as the day went along a lot of titles sold out, but for the most part folks left happy, and that’s a good thing. I want to send a very big and special thank you to one of our day-one customers and friend, who waited in line and once inside balled out big time. He had wanted to support us in buying the space and had saved up for RSD and went nuts. He basically bought every single noteworthy release and needed two boxes to carry them all out. NS you are a stud sir and a true music lover and evangelist, and it’s your enthusiasm and passion that we share and what makes all of this worthwhile. Cheers mate.

This Thursday, the 30th, is International Jazz Appreciation Day and so with that in mind I thought I would mention a couple of the jazz RSD releases that I bought and have been enjoying. We sold out of our copies, but I see other online sellers and retailers offering them. Both have also been previously released, although in the case of one, in different forms and for the other only as an original and tough to find in the wild and rarely cheap. Both, however, were by artists on their first sessions as leaders, and who were born within a couple of weeks of each other in the same year, 1942.

Charles Tolliver is a trumpet player of renown who, with Stanley Cowell, founded Strata-East Records, the New York-based label responsible for some of the best forward-thinking jazz records of the 1970s. He was already established on the scene when in 1968 he was given the chance to assemble his own band as leader and produce his own session. The fruits of those recordings didn’t see release, though, until several years later. The Strata-East label hadn’t quite got up and running yet, so the UK-based label Black Lion released the recordings as Charles Tolliver and His All Stars. Those all-stars being none other than Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Gary Bartz and Joe Chambers, all of whom were on top of their respective games at the time. It’s a great session of post-bop with all players on fire. That Black Lion release was licensed to several European countries and Japan. Later in 1975, Arista in the US reissued the album as part of their Freedom series under the title Paper Man. Those Arista Freedom releases are always worth picking up as they are cheaper ways to get older and expensive albums, and often the series debuted recordings for the first time. Fast forward to more recently, and Strata-East in the UK reissued the album finally as Charles Tolliver originally envisaged, with two additional tracks from the session. This time the album was titled Right Now…And Then. It’s this version that has been released for RSD and wider distribution, and it’s been done in a classy, bang-up fashion, similar to the Tone Poet level of reissue. I can’t speak on how previous versions sound; this one though, sounds great. Nice quiet vinyl, but with the music leaping out of the speakers. Thumbs up from me.

Buster Williams’ album Pinnacle originally came out in 1975 on the Muse Records label, another fine label for quality jazz. It has remained out of print for decades. There was a late 90s CD issue and a Scorpio vinyl reissue in the early 00s. This RSD pressing is the first widely available version since the original 1975 pressing. Again, like the Charles Tolliver album, the level of quality control is immediately obvious. The album comes housed in a beautiful old-school laminated jacket, and the vinyl is a clean, solid slab of wax that plays beautifully. Quiet where it needs to be and loud where it needs to be.

Buster Williams is a master of the jazz bass. He’s been one of the most in-demand bass men in jazz since the early 1960s and has worked with countless household-name artists and has appeared on hundreds of albums over the course of his long and productive career. Most heads will be familiar with him from his work with Herbie Hancock during his Mwandishi period. Williams was a key part of that groundbreaking group. It would be easier to list the names of legends that he hasn’t played with, but if Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis and Eddie Henderson want you in their groups, then you know you must be good.

As mentioned, the Pinnacle album was his first as leader, and he’d go on to record a few more, but surprisingly few considering his talent. Not that he wasn’t always keeping busy; he probably didn’t need to or have time to as he continued to appear on loads more records by other artists throughout the years. There is a second album on Muse that came out the following year in 1976 called Crystal Reflections that I hope to find one day. Like Pinnacle, it’s not so easy to find or cheap. That album has Roy Ayers, Kenny Baron and Billy Hart making up the group. Stellar line up. Billy Hart also plays drums on the Pinnacle session and is joined by Sonny Fortune and Woody Shaw for the date. Two names most jazz heads should recognize. Additionally, on Pinnacle, there are some tasteful keyboard touches provided by Allan Onaje Gumbs, a name I was less familiar with. The mood on this album is more in the fusion and free style rather than the bop of the Charles Tolliver album, but is just as listenable and enjoyable and depending on where your head is at, perhaps a bit deeper. Williams plays both acoustic bass and the Fender bass on the album and additionally adds vocals to the title track. He doesn’t get overly busy, but you know he’s there. Album opener, The Hump, is a good of a head-nodder as you can get. Nice laid-back groove on that one. I’m happy to have a copy of this album in my collection and hopefully they’ll release the follow-up next year. Either that or I find an original before.

In addition to these two jazz beauties, I added another RSD title to my collection. I had my eye on the Soul Jazz release of American Power Pop, as they always do a great job and typically compile rare and hard to find singles. When I came back to work on the Tuesday after Record Store Day, we still had a copy available, so I snagged it. Really glad I did, as this comp is packed with bangers. Some singles that you would have to spend an arm and a leg to get hold of. I’m digging the song Drive My Car by Nasty Facts the most right now. A bunch of Brooklyn teens who made their record in 1981. Then there’s also The Normals from New Orleans with their 1978 single Hardcore, years before the term was used in punk parlance. Although the compilation is titled American Power Pop, it includes a track from Vancouver, Canada’s Pointed Sticks, a band that had the distinction of being the first Canadian group signed to Stiff Records in the UK. A highlight for me was hearing the Miami-based band The Reactions. They are afforded two songs on the collection, both taken from their 1980 EP called Official Release. Good luck trying to find an original of that one.

So yeah, another reason to buy a good comp. You get killer tunes without murdering your wallet. Hopefully Soul Jazz will release this title again, although I see copies available from sellers, so you should be able to snag you one.

Okay, well, thanks for reading. Thanks for your support of our efforts here. We are just music lovers doing what we can to steer you towards good shit. By the way, that works both ways. I love when our customers recommend things to us that we weren’t familiar with or convince me to listen to a record I had overlooked in the past. Thank you for that.

Have a good one. Add some music to your day, and we’ll catch up with you next time.

Cheers – Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Have I now taken a couple weeks off doing my staff pick? Sorry about that. I haven’t given a personal update in a while. Not that any of y’all care. Or maybe you do. If not, forgive me while I shout into the void:

I’m feeling even more exhausted than usual. Yet somehow, also more motivated than usual as well. I think constantly being on the move with a sense of purpose is healthy for my brain chemistry. I’ve been in the process of moving stuff out of my apartment. And it’s funny, because as I’m sitting here writing about that I’m doing this, I don’t even think I’ve discussed it with Daniel at all haha. There’s just been a lot going on, so maybe it hasn’t come up naturally in conversation. My landlord has arbitrarily raised the rent at my place each year I renew my lease. And this time around, I really just can’t afford to live there anymore. So yeah, somewhat related to the whole situation with Daniel finally buying the store, FUCK landlords.

Anyway, I don’t mean to complain. I’ll basically be flying by the seat of my pants for a while. Which is kinda scary, but I’ll also be traveling a lot in the next few months, so it’s all gravy. But all this kinda ties into what I want to talk about for my staff pick. We’ve had quite a few local people who reached out to us to unload a big chunk of their record collections. Which got me thinking a lot. I remember within the last year or so, I would take a look at my records and have thoughts to myself like, “Man, I think I’ve reached a point where I just CAN’T get rid of any more of my records. I need ALL of these.” Haha. But lemme tell ya, as I was stuffing my LPs into boxes and lifting these things, I was like goddamn… I wish I had less records. They’re so damn heavy. And moving those things fucking SUCKS.

In one of the collections that Sorry State just acquired, the guy had a bunch of punk and hardcore stuff from 10 or 15 years ago. A lot of bands which I still own records by, but have not revisited in quite a long time. The other day when I was working the counter at the store, I decided to grab a big stack of these records and throw them on the turntable. For many of those records, as I was blasting them in the store, I just thought to myself, “Damn, this STILL rips!!” I was jamming Vaaska’s Ruido Hasta La Muerte, Omega’s Blasts of Lunacy, and not to mention modern classics like the Herätys LP. Listening to some of these late 00s/early 2010s Swedish punk records has got me feeling extra hyped about seeing Skitkids this summer. Yeah baby. All these records scratched that itch, and still got me raging in the same way they did over a decade ago. Not sure what that says about me. It’s probably just because they’re great records. That said, there are several hardcore LPs from that era that just really don’t hold up for me.

Funny enough, in not just one, but two of the used collections that Sorry State purchased recently, each dude had purged copies of both Total Control LPs. It’s weird timing, because Iron Lung has just reissued both of these records and sent a big ol’ stack of each to Sorry State. Probably to piggyback off the release of the Station Model Violence LP, which is good thinking. Henge Beat is great, but particularly Typical Systemwas a record I listened to death around the time it first came out. It’s one of those records I heavily associate with Sorry State first opening. The record came out midway through 2014, feeling like it was just months after the store first opened its doors, and it functioned almost like my soundtrack for that period of time in my life.

In some ways, even more-so than raging hardcore records, records that are more pop-oriented can either age really well or really poorly. Listening to Typical System again now, all the songs feel fresh to me again. More ethereal, contemplative synthwave soundscapes are accompanied by huge, energetic melodic hooks. The record makes me feel nostalgic to some degree, but (do I dare to say?) it also feels pretty timeless. I’m really enjoying the Station Model Violence record, especially because I love how guitar-forward it is. The jangliness is ever-present. But there’s something uniquely non-rock’n’roll and atmospheric about Typical System that I really enjoy. Granted, I know that Total Control and SMV are not the same band. I’m just making a point of comparison here. There’s a lot of peaks and valleys on Typical System, but I’m walking around downtown Raleigh on this gloomy afternoon with the last track “Safety Net” stuck in my head. I’m sorta feeling like I need one of those at the moment. But it’s all goose, as a dear friend of mine would say.

Anyway, not the most in-depth analysis I’ve ever written, but maybe this will be at least somewhat interesting to some of you readers. Those Total Control records are available from Sorry State on our webstore as we speak. So, if at some point you were like the local folks I mentioned and decided to purge those records from your collection, and now regret it, today’s your chance to get reacquainted. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Apologies to anyone who doesn’t find my staff pick an appropriate place to document my ongoing struggles with mental health, because that’s where we’re starting again. It’s been a rough week for me. Money has always been a very negative trigger for me. I so envy people who grew up with a healthy attitude toward money, because talking and even thinking about money is apt to make my brain go completely haywire. I wouldn’t say I grew up poor, but my parents lived paycheck to paycheck throughout my childhood, and while they were often clearly stressed about money, they never talked about it with or even in front of me. Consequently, money became, for me, a boogeyman, a shadowy presence that could manifest at any moment and completely ruin your day or even your life. I’d like to think I’m a smart guy, but I have trouble applying logic to financial matters. I can never seem to see the potential for a positive outcome, and instead I’m left cowering in fear of the boogeyman, my brain an ineffectual lump of fear and insecurity.

I’ve been dealing with a lot of grown-up business stuff as part of the process of buying the store, and it’s really been stressing me out. Like, a lot. I’m not even sure why, really. If something happens and things don’t turn out the way I expect, I’m sure we’ll find another path forward, and no matter what happens my friends and family and everyone who is part of the Sorry State extended universe will be with me wherever the road leads. But that’s not what the voices say, and the voices are loud right now. And thanks to my fucked up relationship with money, I don’t talk about it with anyone. I just whisper cryptic fragments and complaints into the megaphone that is this newsletter.

When you’re feeling down or stressed, what better way to counteract that than by revisiting the music of your favorite band? I was talking about the Fall with Tom from Static Shock Records a few days ago, and that prompted me to pull out the record I’m writing about this week. Before that, though, a quick story. Tom was telling me about how he sold his Fall LPs before he moved from England to Canada and was regretting it because he had really been feeling the band lately. Then I remembered that, way back in 2010 (if I remember correctly), Tom gave me a copy of the Fall’s second album, Dragnet. I was about to drive his band the Shitty Limits on their second and final tour of the US, and before they flew over, I mentioned casually that I was looking for an original pressing of Dragnet. Even though it was just a few days before they left, Tom managed to source a copy and gave it to me as a gift when they arrived. He apologized because it was a little beat up, which was no bother to me, but then years later I came across a pristine copy in the bins at Chaz’s in Durham (shout out Chaz and R.I.P. Bull City Records, which had its final day of business this past Sunday). I rarely keep duplicates of records, but the copy Tom gave me held so much sentimental value that I never got rid of it. And now, over a decade and a half later, I get to send that copy back to Tom to fill a gap in his collection. Lovely how that worked out.

I could easily write about Dragnet_—in fact, it would be cool to share with you the Dragnet-inspired coffee mug my potter wife made me a while back—but I’ll have to save that for another day. Because today I wanted to write about another record Tom and I were talking about: 1983’s Kicker Conspiracy_.

The Fall had a penchant for releasing records in weird formats. I’ve heard some people speculate this was a semi-intentional act of sabotage to keep their records out of the charts, since the main singles and albums charts never seemed to know where to put a record like Slates, a 10” EP that might be the Fall’s single best record. Whatever the reason, Kicker Conspiracy certainly fits the bill. It’s four songs spread across four sides of 7” vinyl… a double single? A maxi-EP? A single with a bonus disc? Who’s to say, really? If you’re trying to put the Fall’s music into boxes and categories, you’re on a fool’s errand. Maybe that’s what the weird formats are all about?

Even the side designations are idiosyncratic. Starting with side AA, the title track is, in my estimation, a very good to excellent Fall song. While it’s from 1983, it sounds more like the Fall of a few years earlier, and much about it is prototypical early 80s Fall: the rockabilly tinge, the driving bass line, and the catchy chorus with Mark’s trademark falsetto yelp. The lyrics are about professional football / soccer, and that’s something I know absolutely nothing about, so perhaps that’s the reason it doesn’t resonate with me as much as other tracks, but musically it’s banging and memorable as fuck.

Side AB, though, is the real gem in my book. “Wings” might be in my top five favorite Fall songs. It’s odd in that, while most Fall songs have the bass at the musical center, “Wings” is built around a guitar riff, and an absolutely brilliant one at that. It’s this mysterious, haunting thing that repeats for the entire song, but I never get tired of it. I think they could play it for another ten minutes and I wouldn’t mind. And while the bass isn’t the lead instrument, the way Steve Hanley moves around that guitar line is just beautiful, and as eloquent an example of his brilliance as you’ll find. The rest of the band plays it understated, which leaves a lot of room for the lyrics and vocals, which are outstanding. At the beginning of the track, we hear that the song’s speaker “purchased a pair of flabby wings” (what an image!), and from there it gets way, way weirder. Gremlins, time travel, paradoxes, “incorrect things…” I have no idea what to make of the whole thing, but the words and images tickle my brain in the most pleasing way. Like all the Fall’s best music, it’s a song I could listen to for the rest of my life and never feel like I’ve figured it out.

The second disc of Kicker Conspiracy features two tracks from the Fall’s many Peel Sessions. The first, on side BC, is “Container Drivers,” one of the most recognizable songs from their third album, 1980’s Grotesque. This Peel Session version is a little different from the album version, but not notably so. Great song, but I can’t think of much to say about it here.

Then you get the big closer on side BD, “New Puritan.” This is the song Tom called out when we were talking about the record over email, and it’s kind of a mythical Fall song. While there is a pretty great version on the canonical live album Totale’s Turns, this Peel Session version is the only time the Fall recorded “New Puritan” in a studio. Musically, it’s in that minimal and haunting vein a la “Wings.” The lyrics, though, are what really fascinate me, because they find Mark E. Smith talking about the music industry, and maybe even the Fall’s place in it (as usual, it’s hard to tell). “Bands send tapes to famous apes” seems typically cynical in the manner of _Grotesque_’s “C ‘n’ C-S Mithering,” but then there’s the famous couplet that so succinctly summarizes the dilemma of the perpetually ahead-of-the-curve artiste:

The conventional is now experimental

The experimental is now conventional

Preach it, brother! And then there’s this verse:

Why don’t you ask your local record dealer how many bribes he took today?

What do you mean “What’s it mean? What’s it mean?”?

"What’s it mean? What’s it mean?"

Putting aside for a second that the record dealer writing this has never once in my life been offered a bribe (I’d love one! I’m broke!), I love Mark shouting with increasing agitation, “what’s it mean?” It’s like I was saying about “Wings:” I love the way it tantalizes me with these cryptic details, but playfully withholds anything that would enable you to pin it down, to say clearly what it “means.” That’s the game, but it’s not really a game because the space between confusion and understanding is productive. Maybe it’s where imagination lives? As if to illustrate his point, this verse comes at the end of the song:

I curse the self-copulation

Of your lousy record collection

New puritan says “Coffee table LPs never breathe”

When I hear “the self-copulation of your lousy record collection,” what I take it to mean is that when a record is successful, a wave of copycats will swoop in and try to replicate its success by copying it. It’s the same process by which the experimental becomes conventional, and it suffocates the imagination and the artistic impulse. What’s a “coffee table LP?” One that sits on your table to show your taste rather than being played? Maybe? Maybe not! That Mark E. Smith is a wily one, and I’d like to think he’s somewhere in the great beyond, smirking at us trying in vain to figure it out.

What’s up fellow Sorry Staters! Not much going down in my neck of the woods these past couple of weeks. I hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather wherever they are! I know I have briefly mentioned this band a few picks back, but they have been playing everywhere I go because the album is so catchy and fun. I just can’t get enough of it. I love weird and odd music. Give me something no one has tried before. I don’t care how wild it might sound to some; I know I get a lot of odd looks at home when we have folks over and I throw on a free jazz record to close the night, knowing damn well no one in my direct circle of friends is into that at all. Which brings me to the pick this week: Angine De Poitrine.

Vol II Just got released digitally and is definitely my favorite of the two volumes. Vol. II is a lot more free, experimental and avant-garde. After doing some digging on the members, I found some videos of them performing with different ensembles across Canada playing some very weird improv free jazz, which was right up my alley. I am so excited to that Vol I and II are up for pre order on the Sorry State site! I know tons of folks have been wanting this record since that KEXP video came out, and the records were not cheap at all on discogs. So now is your chance to pick them up! So yes, I have decided to use my little space on the internet to let you know we do indeed have it up for pre order. Go check it out! Until next week!

Hey there everyone in Sorry State land. How are you coping with life? Bit of a struggle right now, isn’t it? If it’s not the threat of WWIII, it’s cost of living, and currently for us here in North Carolina, a nice spring, high 90-degree heat wave. So, before we all burn to a crisp, let’s try to find the good things in life and take the time to tell those around us we love them. Friends, family, strangers, it doesn’t matter. Just put out love. That’s all that matters and all that they can’t control or take away from us.

Talking of friends, I wanted to send a heavenly shout out to a special friend of ours at Sorry State and all-around brilliant guy, who sadly left us recently and will now be watching the great gig in the sky and spinning records with the angels. David Sabio, rest in peace, brother. What a joyful and beautiful person you are. Always pumped and excited about music, always out there supporting at shows and buying new records up to the very end. David was an artist and gardener and would love to talk flowers and plants just as much as he did music whenever he stopped into the store. Despite all that he had going on with his health, he always kept a positive attitude and certainly didn’t feel bad for himself or anything like that. A true fighter and an inspiration to all who met him and knew him.

Hey, so this Saturday is Record Store Day. Love it, hate it, or couldn’t care less, there are plenty of opinions on the day. I shan’t get into all the pros and cons here, but suffice to say, we shall again be taking part here at Sorry State. I personally like the day and have never not found at least one record that I wanted. This year, I thought the list was particularly strong with more than just the typical public domain live shows ripped from the internet and pressed on wax. There are several first time on vinyl releases and lots of unreleased music this go-around. My personal want list is way longer than usual. I’m going to have to whittle it down. I am excited about the Art Of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood and OMD releases to name three, as they all feature music on vinyl for the first time, which seems more in the spirit of what makes RSD special. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good live show, but a lot of these pressings are verging on fan exploitation. I understand people wanting a record of historic performances, which is why bootlegs came into being, as they filled a gap that the record labels weren’t filling, but now it seems they are trying to cash in on fan loyalty by putting out these live releases. Make the stuff available, but why does it have to be so expensive? If bootleggers can press up a live show and sell it for less than $25, why can’t the labels? But that’s a whole debate about the industry in general. Greed and exploitation and killing the golden goose. Nothing has changed.

There is another artist who has a record out for RSD, and that is none other than Billy Strings. He and the boys recorded a great Tiny Desk concert recently, and that is getting a vinyl pressing. Regular readers of our newsletter will know that John Scott is a big fan and has seen Billy play more times than most. I have him to thank for introducing me to Billy and over the last few years, through listening to multiple live shows, he has turned me into a fan also. I’ve even gone to a few shows. In fact, the pair of us were at a barn burner of a gig in Greensboro just last night. It was a great show, truly. Billy is absolutely a generational talent, and regardless of whether you like bluegrass music or not, you owe it to yourself to catch the boys live if they come to a town near you. John Scott and I will be seeing them again in July, this time in Virginia. A bit further of a drive, but it will be well worth it. Anyway, I’ll be snagging one of the Tiny Desk concerts. Sorry, but I will be utilizing my store employee privileges on that one. This one is especially good because it includes one of my favorite Billy songs, Gild The Lily.

Okay, deadline time approaches. There are more records to price and work on, and we still have some preparation left to do for Saturday. I shall look forward to seeing some of you stop by on the day. Good luck and happy hunting.

Cheers – Dom