Staff Picks

What’s up Sorry Staters?

After unloading my thoughts and feelings about returning home post-travel in last week’s newsletter, I feel kinda funny writing a follow up this week. It’s as if I’ve been tricked into a false sense of comfort and regularity. As I’m writing this, I’m thinking about how this time next week, I’ll already be on the road with Public Acid. Along with our friends in Invertebrates, we’ll be embarking on our full-US tour. Of course I’m excited, but I feel severely underprepared. I’ll miss writing for these Sorry State updates while I’m gone, but hopefully I’ll be able to stay connected on a weekly basis by staying glued to the newsletter as a reader rather than a contributor.

Below, I’ve included a list of the dates and cities that we’ll be playing:

July 14 - CHARLOTTE NC
July 15 - BIRMINGHAM AL
July 16 - NEW ORLEANS LA
July 17 - HOUSTON TX
July 18 - AUSTIN TX
July 19 - SAN ANTONIO TX
July 20 - EL PASO TX
July 21 - ALBUQUERQUE NM
July 22 - PHOENIX AZ
July 23 - SANTA ANA CA
July 24 - LOS ANGELES CA
July 25 - OAKLAND CA
July 27 - PORTLAND OR
July 28 - OLYMPIA WA
July 29 - MISSOULA MT
July 31 - SALT LAKE CITY UT
August 1 - DENVER CO
August 2 - OMAHA NE
August 3 - MINNEAPOLIS MN
August 4 - MILWAUKEE WI
August 5 - DETROIT MI
August 6 - CLEVELAND OH
August 7 - WASHINGTON DC
August 8 - RICHMOND VA

Hope to see some of you readers there! It’s gonna be a long ride, but some of these places I haven’t visited since before the pandemic. Haven’t swung down across Texas in many years. And for some of these cities, it’ll be my first time ever!

Anyway, enough about me. Let’s talk music! But in a roundabout way, the needle I’m threading here is somewhat relevant: Every time I’m getting ready to go on tour, I always think about road trip music. Killer tunes to keep everyone in the van happy. I feel like with Public Acid in particular, it’s almost like an unspoken rule in the van that we never actually listen to hardcore. Which for me sometimes is totally bogus. I guess you hear raging fast punk at the gigs and hardcore isn’t always the type of music you want to endure while in the van for like 9 hours or whatever. How do you choose what to play? Especially on a tour of the US, one might romanticize Route 66 type jams. Like “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers. On the heavier side, I lean toward Judas Priest’s “Riding on The Wind” or Motorhead’s “Riding With The Driver” or Girlschool’s “Midnight Ride.” “Jailbreak” by Thin Lizzy always feels like a great first song to play as you crank the engine and are perhaps indeed fleeing trouble from the night before. Just kidding… maybe.

I think I always tend to wanna blast poppy, melodic tunes while driving. Just stuff that puts me in a good mood. Like Ramones or Buzzcocks. Protex, The Boys, and even delve further into more power pop territory. Nikki and the Corvettes, “Drive My Car” by Nasty Facts -- both road-relevant! Just bangers. Sometimes, you might have a late-night drive and need to wind down with some Chin Chin or Dolly Mixture. And as far as more current bands, Cœur À L'Index certainly scratches that itch. And did you know that they just released a new single on La Vida Es Un Mus? I don’t know if I’ve talked about this in the newsletter before, but it feels like during the period where the Alvilda LP was exploding last year (fuck me, a couple years ago??), maybe Cœur À L'Index got overshadowed a little bit?

Maybe I shouldn’t compare those two records… but I mean, come on! The two records came out around the same, and they’re both sweet sounding, melodic vintage sounding indie pop tunes sung in French. And honestly, as much as I loved the Alvilda record, I feel like Adieu Minette by Cœur À L'Index might be the better record for my taste. Call me crazy if you want. Go back and revisit if you haven’t done so in a while. Adieu Minette feels maybe less on the nose in its directness, more adrift, with more variation in tone and mood. This new single is quite the same, with opposing moods being split across each side of the record: “Fatigueé” being more soft and delicate, and “Mes Héros” being the more up-tempo banger on the flip side. For my money, “Mes Héros” is the track I walk away after listening, thinking like “Hell yeah, what a great song.” My only complaint is damn, only 2 new songs to keep us occupied for the time being? I wish there was more for me to sink my teeth into. Oh well, guess I’ll have to squeeze them into a playlist for a long, moonlit drive.

Anyway, I won’t get into a long-winded assessment of this record. If you liked the Cœur À L'Index LP, then you should probably grab this single. The record is still in the pre-order stage via Sorry State and they’re moving fast.

See you guys when I get back from tour!

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Like seriously, what the fuck is up? How long has it been? Weeks? Months?? I feel absolutely certain it’s been at least a few months. In part, because I’ve been outta town so much lately. I’ve been on a whirlwind of an adventure over the last several weeks, lemme tell ya. Firstly, flying with Usman and Daniel to Sweden for our friend’s wedding. Then I came back to the US so Public Acid could haul our asses up to New York in order to play at the Bowery Ballroom with Warthog. THEN, I hopped back on a plane to fly to Copenhagen for K-town Hardcore Fest. Psychotic behavior. And guess what? In less than 2 weeks, Public Acid and Invertebrates are hitting the road together for a full US tour. So we’ll catch up in August. Can you believe it? Jah, give me strength. I ain’t complaining, though. It’s all good things. These commitments require just denying myself rest or proper time at Sorry State.

While I was at K-Town, I was happy to see my friends from Croatia. Indikator B totally ripped. I kept running into the dynamic duo of Carlo and Ticija quite a few times throughout the fest. If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting this pair, you’ll know they’re both hardcore punk record maniacs, just like me. It was funny sitting next to them while watching a showing of the Anti-Cimex documentary, and us all having the same nerdy reactions to moments onscreen. While I was hanging out with them, they were singing the praises of the latest release on Autsajder Produkcija, which is the new 7” by Ljubljana punk band Poguba entitled Noč.

Daniel told me that he thought he remembered me doing a write-up for the newsletter about Poguba’s previous cassette. Now, perhaps my mind is failing me in my old age, but I have no memory of this haha. I even went back and searched the newsletter archive and could not find anything. But if I’m totally wrong and am just having a brain fart, someone please send it my way! I’d love to know what I wrote lol.

Unsurprisingly, I love this new Poguba record. First impressions, the recording sounds incredible. The thick, blown-out, super fuzzy guitars sound so fucked up and powerful. The texture of the guitar tone tickles my ear follicles. They sound raw and organically captured, completely undigital. Totally gross but still captured in a way that sounds sonically lush and huge. Pulsating and alive. The sleeve has a cool looking presentation as well. Stark black and white, using crosses as imagery. Midway between the visuals of Die Kreuzen and Eastern European punk… Coincidence? I would say no.

I think one comparison I would draw between Poguba and their peers Indikator B is that in the context of fast hardcore, it feels like the band puts effort into writing actual songs. I know that may sound like a silly concept, but this approach to creating hardcore music feels in short supply these days. They’re riff machines. Guitar parts and song structures strung together in a way that feels meaningful – the exact opposite of a mediocre collage of riffs just tossed against the wall. But to me, the sense of dread I draw from Poguba’s music feels much more unhinged than Indikator B. Like it’s exploding. The singer and the emotion of the music has a sense of desperation. There’s an inexplicable feeling of darkness just underneath the surface. But it ain’t gothic or post-punk… even if they do sneak in a cover of an early Cure song. Even so, it’s fucking hardcore, dude.

There’s a lot of kinda (for lack of a better term) “weird” moments on this record. The song “Maximum Rokenrol” has these jerky stops ‘n’ starts with kind of aloof, disinterested spoken vocals in between, only to then break into this slow, dirgey section. Makes me think of weird ass parts on a Barn Av Regnbuen record or something. I think it’s cool. Unique ideas like this stick with me, assuming I’m not totally turned off by them. I think more bands should venture outside the constraints of their genre-confining box. I’d rather hear raging hardcore with whacky moments than anymore fuckin’ “whoa-ohs,” that’s for damn sure.

I feel like a lot of current records coming out are boasted with descriptions comparing them to borderline buzzword-y, but admittedly super cool 80s hardcore records which I hold near ‘n’ dear to my heart. However, I often feel like these records sound nothing like the comparisons the writer of the review throws out there. Poguba does sound special in the same way a lot of these great records sound to me. Not so much because the recording sounds authentically “old” or whatever. It’s moreso that this record gives me the same FEELING that a great, classic 80s hardcore gives me. Mean, chaotic, noisy, powerful, memorable. Fucking killer.

Anyway, I’ll stop right there for now. Seems like we’ve already sold a few copies of this record. And that’s killer. Perhaps long gone are the days where people in the US sleep on an under the radar DIY hardcore release from Europe. It’s a beautiful thang. That said, if you haven’t checked out Poguba yet, I highly suggest you check it out.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

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

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

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another week passes by like a warm breeze on an April afternoon. Or something like that? Gotta say, after Daniel’s announcement about Sorry State’s financial situation last week, the amount of support we received was amazing and more overwhelming than we expected. Pretty crazy, very heartwarming. Hope you all know how much gratitude we all feel for everyone showing their support, whether you were among the flood of in-store customers we had over the weekend, or you made a generous order online. There hasn’t been a dull moment in the last week haha. We’ve been scrambling and moving non-stop to pull records to get your orders together. Thanks for bearing with us!

Sorry, not sorry, but here’s one more mention about the show in Raleigh on April 8th. International hardcore! Indikator B all the way from Croatia! On tour with Totalna Tama from Oakland. Locals Plastique Pigs and Sunyata. By the time this newsletter comes out maybe the show will already be happening. Or maybe the show will already be over, and I’ll be blasting records with the Indikator B dudes at my house.

Speaking of blasting records, for my staff pick this week I’m gonna talk about the Proces / Stengte Dører split 7”. I love 80s Norwegian hardcore. Still, many of the releases on the excellent X-Port Plater label continue to evade me. I’ve got the Bannlyst 7”, but I still need a first press Svart Framtid, the one with the square-shaped center hole punchout. I don’t have any money… but hit me up if you’re holding! I’ll find a way. Haha. Anyway, small tangent there. No Plan Records has done the good work of repressing the Proces / Stengte Dører split, which has never previously been reissued (except for on a boot compilation LP, but that’s beside the point). Finally, I can jam this rager and convince myself I don’t need an og! …Even though I know I still do.

This split EP was an interesting release for X-Port Plater, because while Stengte Dører is Norwegian, Proces was a band from northern Serbia, which at the time of this release was former socialist Yugoslavia. Subotica, the city where Proces is from, is about 4-5 hours east of Zagreb where Indikator B is from (I just had to look it up haha). I don’t know if I have my facts totally straight, but I read somewhere that Proces and Stengte Dører formed a relationship somehow. I assume just by writing letters back and forth. I think Stengte Dører invited Proces to come to Norway to play gigs in 1985, but a member of Proces was denied the ability to leave the country. Crazy to think about. I think Proces might be one of the first Yugo-punk bands to release recorded material, right behind UBR from Slovenia. The Proces side of this EP is really cool. Kinda umpa-umpa 1-2-1-2 drumming style with super scratchy, noisy guitar, with the bass really carrying the melodic structure of the riffs. Good, kinda dark and menacing sounding hardcore. Almost still has a hint of dark post-punk, with chorus on the bass and delay on the vocals. My favorite track by them is probably the last song, “Beirut 83,” which starts with a haunting clip of a woman singing, but then launches into a rager. Ends with bleak sound clips of planes flying and gunfire.

Now, as much as I like the Proces side, Stengte Dører is just absolutely crushing. These 4 songs are maybe some of my favorite 80s Scandinavian hardcore material. The way the intro of the first track “Det Angår Også Deg” begins with that ominous pulsing kick drum, that fast palm muted chugga-chugga guitars before it hits those “WOMP WOMP WOMP” stabbed cymbal clutches, then just diving into barreling fucking raging hardcore. I love the deeper, desperate, raspy style vocals, which have some anthemic call-and-reponse and gang vocal moments. I’d be singing along if I knew any Norwegian. There’s a lot of cool, in-the-pocket rhythmic stuff going on with the drumming, stops and starts, unexpected punches… Super cool. Kinda wonky, jagged, and chaotic, yet groovy and smoothly executed at the same time. The second track, “Generalens Fremmarsj,” might be my favorite. It’s so raging FAST. Then the third track “På Ferie I Libanon” slows the tempo down a bit, and has some dissonant melody in the riff that reminds a lot of the weirdo riffing much like their contemporaries Barn Av Regnbuen, also on X-Port Plater. The last track, “Pålen,” brings the aggression back, one more killer rager to end the record. Stengte Dører released a couple LPs in the late 80s. They have some cool moments on them, even if musically they get a little whacky. Still, none of that material matches the magic of their 4 songs on this split EP.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got. Maybe even less eloquent than usual this time. Would I ever describe my writing in such terms anyway? I dunno, dude. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I won’t delve too much into my personal life this round. Just know that pollen has infiltrated my nostrils and I’m already sweating the moment I walk out my door. Happy April, everybody. I was halfway tempted to do an April Fools write-up for the newsletter today, but I’ve decided to remain earnest. Just in case you were suspicious.

Quick reminder: One week from today, Indikator B from Croatia will be playing in Raleigh. I’ve been promoting their upcoming gig with tourmates Totalna Tama, but they hadn’t even shared their tour flyer on social media yet. Now it’s being shared, which I’m sure is directly related to the news that I have learned that the band have safely made it into the US. Thank the laaaaawwdd! So yeah, April 8th in Raleigh. Local rippers Plastique Pigs and Sunyata open. Don’t miss it!

Okay, onto talking about records:

As many of you readers already know if you’ve been paying attention, the fine folks at Tankcrimes have been peppering out reissues of the Inepsy catalog over the last couple years. Kinda funny to reissue the albums in order one at a time over several years, but I guess it does build excitement and anticipation. I remember when Sorry State first got in copies of Rock ‘N’ Roll Babylon a couple years ago and reacting like “whoa, didn’t realize this was happening!” Pretty much all the Inepsy records, at least the LPs anyway, were originally released on the illustrious imprint, Feral Ward. And as is the case with many of the great bands Feral Ward released on their label, most of those Inepsy records are out of print and in demand! Who would’ve thought one day records from the mid-00s would start fetching high prices? Like $80 for a Masshysteri record? Don’t get me wrong, I love ‘em, but that feels psycho to me.

I think a big part of the reason people have shelled out the cash to buy the og Feral Ward copies of these records is because they hold up, right? You listen to those records 20 years later and they still sound good. If anything, I think a bunch of the lore surrounding Inepsy has only gained traction over the years. They’re like a staple at this point. Canon, if you will. Every third or fourth young punker in a lineup meeting the required 200 stud minimum will most likely have an Inepsy patch on their jacket. I’ve literally heard City Weapons referred to as a “modern classic”, which is kinda funny. But honestly, I don’t disagree.

As of this past weekend, Inepsy’s 3rd album_ No Speed Limit For Destruction_ is back in print and available at Sorry State. And we’ve sold a few. Just a few. But my perception is that it’s not quite flying off the shelves quite like the previous albums. Some might consider this record a departure for the band. Is this record maligned and panned much like And Justice For All, Kiss’s Dynasty, or Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk? Perhaps. Obviously, I’m joking with these comparisons, but you get my point.

No Speed Limit is often described as basically the “hard rock” version of Inepsy. I suppose people think they softened their sound slightly. Even people who love the band are kinda like, “Dude, it just doesn’t rip the same way as the other records.” To which my response is an emphatic WHO CARES?? I gotta say man, over the years I think No Speed Limit is easily their best record. For real, I’m not just saying that to be contrarian. I really think it’s like a proper good-ass record. Trust me, I like City Weapons as much as the next motör-punker. But even early on, Inepsy obviously had those rocked-out elements in their sound. And I don’t necessarily need to seek out the earlier records to get my fix of ripping D-beat music. There’s actual raging hardcore records I could spin to satisfy that impulse.

Hear me out: Inepsy is a little bit silly anyway. Like, they’re kinda funny. And I think they knew it, too. Songs like “Bombshell Rock” on their supposedly superior earlier records still have that element of tongue-in-cheek vibe about them. It’s proper good-time, fist in the air, sing-along leather punk party music! Straight up. So sure, you can sing about dystopian themes, but you’re not gonna get Disclose-style lyrics from Inepsy. So, if you’re already singing about riding your motorcycle in a nuclear wasteland, you might as well go full-tilt into a record that sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a Mad Max movie. Sorry, not sorry. The band seems to be at their most comfortable crossing that divide and basically sounding like Tank for a new generation. I truly believe, whether they’re winking at the camera or not, their songwriting feels stronger and more refined on this record. It rules. The hooks are WAY bigger, growing exponentially. Super memorable. Badass aggressive music doesn’t need to be so self-serious like… ALL the time. When they sing, “Rock ‘n’ roll is the only way!”, is there a hint of irony? Sure. But you gotta suspend your disbelief. Rock’n’roll in fact IS the only way, dude. So maybe this conversation is all more Kiss-related than I thought.

Now I feel like everyone’s gonna accuse me of actually doing an April Fools staff pick after all. I promise I’m being 100% genuine. If you don’t like No Speed Limit For Destruction, I’m just gonna have to sit you down and tell you what exactly what you need: another Jack Daniels, another beer, and 10 packs of smokes to ease the pain. Everything is going to be okay. Just buy this record. Unless you hate fun.

I’m gonna end it there. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I guess I’ll just dive right into my staff pick this week. In last week’s newsletter, I talked about the new Disintegrators tape and a new crop of bands emerging out of the Richmond scene. One of the other bands I mentioned was Massacre System. Now, perhaps I’m a bit biased choosing Massacre System for my staff pick, because Usman and I released their new cassette on our label Bunker Punks. But now that Sorry State has distro copies of the tape up for sale on the webstore, I hoped all you readers would indulge me while I give some attention to our label’s new release!

Massacre System’s vocalist Terrence is an old friend who relocated to Richmond from North Carolina a few years back. I remember Terry sent us the recording when it was finished, just as a friendly gesture to give it a listen. Several months back, Usman and I cranked the recording in the record store while we were working together, and it just sounded explosive coming out of the speakers. I was totally blown away.

The band definitely plays Discharge-inspired hardcore. Each song is stitched together with layers of hissing, turbulent noise. But once the music kicked in, one thing that struck me immediately is how powerful, yet clear and crispy the recording sounds. Definitely leaning more toward Disfear’s Soul Scars than Disclose from a production standpoint, if ya know what I mean.

This tape just sounds crushing. It feels like getting pummeled and beaten repeatedly. 4 songs, all short bursts of fury. Sammie, the drummer who plays in tons of other bands, brings that totally swingy groove to the Dis-beat. But then the last track, “War Crime Technology,” starts with a mid-paced military march tom-roll groove, only to suddenly launch unexpectedly into some Heresy/Ripcord-esque speedy thrash. I’ve known Terrence for years, and when I first heard their vocals, I was kinda like… Damn dude, I didn’t know you had it in ya!! Terrence’s unhinged, maniacal, rabid dog-style barking approach to the vocals reminds me of Joe from Urchin a little bit. Desperate howls shouted into the void, echoing down the halls of the asylum.

What’s extra cool about Massacre System is the combination of people that make up the band. A few of the members are a bit older, Richmond scene veterans who have played in many, many bands. Then a few of the people are a bit younger, punks who have been active in the scene for a while, but feel like fresh faces. Paul, one of the two guitarists, recorded and mixed this Massacre System recording. He’s also been doing a bunch of great recordings for other bands in the Richmond scene. Then the other guitar player Charlotte did the cover artwork for the cassette. So, it’s like the whole band is a totally self-contained DIY unit. All made in-house, baby. So rad.

I could continue to gush about Massacre System, but I’ll keep it brief this week. Stoked to see my friends making killer stuff. Hardcore rules. That is all. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I haven’t been talking much about what’s going on in Jeff world lately. After a long absence, Public Acid is finally getting our shit together and has some plans coming up. In May, we’ll be playing a couple gigs in Canada with Sacrifice from Japan. I’m so pumped. Crest of Black is an 80s Japanese cult metal classic, but the reissues of the band’s 90s albums Total Steel and Tears have been on heavy rotation for me over the last few years. Then just a few days ago, Warthog announced the show we’ll be playing with them at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC on June 12th. No doubt this will be a fun gig, indeed. Hope to see some of you mofos there.

I’m not sure if I’ve discussed this in the newsletter, but I feel like I’ve talked ad nauseam about this mythical show that happened in Richmond around June of last year. It was a house show with no touring band and no headliner. Just 4 brand new Virginia local bands, all of which were playing their first show ever. Which to me, is such a cool idea. I’m still kickin’ myself for missing that gig. All of these new bands are killer, raging hardcore bands. The Richmond crew planning this gig just felt like an exciting way to give the scene a shot in the arm by debuting a surge of new activity all at once.

Since that gig, those 4 bands have all continued to play gigs. Slowly but surely, they’ve all started releasing their demo tapes. One of the new bands in this Richmond crop is called Massacre System, and Usman and I just released their demo tape on Bunker Punks! Call me biased, but this tape fucking kicks ass. Surely Sorry State will have copies available soon, so be on the lookout for that!

And now for my staff pick, I wanted to talk about yet another one of these new Richmond bands, which is Disintegrators. It’s funny, someone filmed every single band at that mythical gig from last June I was talking about and uploaded the footage on YouTube. I remember clicking the Disintegrators video, and the footage is so dark that you can’t even see who’s playing haha. But I remember thinking that the music really stood out and impressed me. Come to find out the band is made up of a bunch of people I’ve met hanging out at gigs when I visit Richmond.

Sorry State already has a stack of copies of this brand new Disintegrators cassette in stock! And hooooly shit this thing rips. The tape has a pretty raw-sounding recording. It could be recorded straight to a 4-track; I’m not sure. The tape has 4 songs, most of which are 1-minute-flat bursts of just fist-in-the-air, raging hardcore punk. It’s stylistically D-beaty… I guess. But seriously, I kinda hate to even say that. Even with the recording sounding pretty dark and gritty, Disintegrators don’t sound crusty to me at all. The catchy, jangly-ness of the riffs cut through in a way that feels… I dunno, “rockin” I guess. Makes me think of a lot of Swedish hardcore bands with big riffage like Axe Rash, or even other contemporary bands like The Hell or Bootlicker. Honestly, Disintegrators feels more aligned with that wave of Boston bands like Bloodkrow Butcher to my ears, where it’s raw, but it’s still hard as nails, and it’s still tuneful enough to bop your head and sing along to.

The drumming is absolutely killer on this recording, as expected. Sammi, the drummer, plays in like 17 other bands in Richmond (including Massacre System haha). Good drummers are always in high demand. But just the way the drums are recorded—like super dry with that “THUH-WHACK” sounding snare drum. Lo-fi, but still punchy and powerful. I love it. The drums have a ton of groove and swing, which really adds to the catchiness of the songwriting. On the 2nd track “No Control,” the drums just announce themselves with this super long snare roll before the band kicks in. Then the third track starts with just solo drums, playing a beat where you can really hear that in-the-pocket grooviness I’m talking about.

Speaking of the third track, “Erased” might be my favorite song on the tape. Just the way vocalist Ashley places the word “erased” rhythmically during the chorus is super catchy. Her vocals are super gnarly sounding, deep and raspy, and delivered with concise intensity. But still, the way the vocals carry the music underneath gives this hookiness that really grabs the listener’s ear. The last track, “State Decay,” is this unexpected stompy mid-tempo banger. Follow me here: the way the band drops out for that break at the end of the chorus, and then just solo kick and snare brings the beat back in, and then it’s just a floor tom beat and bass with the guitar feeding back… aaaand then the guitar does this little lead section and the vocals declaratively shout “STATE DECAY” before it kicks back into the main riff? Fuck man, that’s the stuff. The song feels like UK82 käng boot punk jamboree. I can envision the Richmond slam crew careening side-to-side in the pit already.

Sorry State has already sold a few of these tapes, and I have a feeling we might sell out by the time this newsletter comes out. So, if you missed out, then apologies in advance. But if you heed my words, do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this cassette if it’s still available! Exciting to hear new bands coming out making the type o’ hardcore I wanna hear. It’s a beautiful thang. The band hasn’t even existed for a year yet, and I’m already excited for a Disintegrators 7”. Life is short. So get on it, punks! As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Firstly, I wanna mention an upcoming gig in Raleigh on April 8th. Indikator B from Croatia will be coming through town. I met the band and got to see them play when Public Acid was on tour in Europe last summer. They totally rip! Check out what I wrote about their 7” on Doomtown Records if you’re so inclined. They’ll be on tour with a band called Totalna Tama from the Bay Area, whose singer moved here from Croatia and sings in the language! Super cool. Locals Plastique Pigs and Sunyata are also playing. Don’t miss it!

So, let’s dive right in, shall we? I didn’t know what to write about this week, but just yesterday, I had a blast listening to the new episode of 185 Miles South. I must say, it feels like Sorry State has developed quite a kinship with this podcast. I’m sure Daniel and I have mentioned them several times here in the newsletter. They often shout out Sorry State on the podcast as well, which is rad. Daniel has even appeared as a guest on 185 Miles South to participate in their European hardcore bracket.

Doing these bracket/tournament style episodes that try to weed out the best of the best is a daunting task, I’d imagine. Between 185 and that Hardlore podcast doing these bracket episodes, I always know what I’m getting myself into when I listen to these things. Sure, I’ve got my gripes with decisions that are made, but everyone’s got their own perspective, right? And if you’ve got deep love in your heart for all things punk and hardcore, and the records discussed are important to you, you’re gonna get fired up about ‘em. I have nerdy debates with my friends about this kinda stuff all the time, so these tournament podcasts are admittedly super fun to listen to.

I’m just gonna do a full-on spitballing reaction here, which is just meant to be fun and conversational, so bear with me:

On this most recent episode of 185 Miles South, Zack and the gang debated the best first-wave US hardcore 7”, the criteria being it must have been released between 1981 and 1983. When I listened to the European hardcore bracket, there were certain records that lost out in matchups, and maybe I didn’t agree with the ranking. And I don’t know what it is, but for some reason, listening to this US hardcore 7” episode made me react more uh… viscerally, I suppose. Maybe it’s because I learned more about international punk later on in my young adulthood, and these early 80s American records were so foundational for me. Like where I really cut my teeth getting into punk as a teenager. And then also, because hunting down these USHC records has been my biggest nerdy record-collecting endeavor.

First of all, I think off the rip Zack even announced that records like the first Minor Threat 7”, Negative Approach, and Poison Idea’s Pick Your King were basically unanimously agreed upon as no-brainers. I was like, alright sick, we’re all good there. Which it’s a cool feeling to strap in for something like this and know that you as a listener, along with all the people participating by speaking on the podcast, are already in agreement. It’s like a “Dude DUH” moment. Super funny. But that’s the whole point, right? Still, these battles are tough. With the 185 podcast pairing these opponents fair ‘n’ square with the alphabet, you never know what the outcome might be. For example, the Deep Wound 7” is an all-time ripper for me, but you gotta hand it to Minor Threat. Maybe some people would say the opposite, but that feels like you’re just being contrarian. I bet J Mascis and Lou Barlow would even vote for Minor Threat. But hey, maybe not.

And as I speak about contrarian opinions… When it got to the second matchup between the Abused and White Cross, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the Abused won. But I would have gone the other way, even if the Abused record is considered undeniable amongst my hardcore peers. I probably just have a soft spot for the White Cross 7”. Me being from the South and that record being the only one in 185’s bracket from that region, it feels like a big part of my world. It felt like a gem when I discovered that record many years ago. 80s hardcore always had a tribal thing about it, and I really dig that aspect. Like in the part in the American Hardcore documentary where that one dude talks about bands being like a pinpoint on a road map. It was nice to hear Zack give White Cross some love. And like I said, I get it. I think The Abused record is great, don’t get me wrong. But it just never appealed to me in the same way. The song “Drug Free Youth” kinda makes me roll my eyes. But whatever. And it’s like the stuff of legend, right? In the collector world, the Abused and Antidote 7”s are like holy grails. Over a G now? Maybe pushing $2,000 these days, I dunno. I’ll never have either of those, I don’t think haha.

I love Battalion of Saints, “Second Coming” being one of their best songs, but I would have given it to Rebel Truth. To me, the BOS EP is like a single. The 2 songs on the B-side are great too, but don’t stand out as much as the title track. The Rebel Truth EP as a standalone record feels stronger to me. I also understand Antidote beating out the State, I suppose. And again, Zack gave the State some love. I just think the State 7” is killer—and because it’s been in print for so many years, I am surprised people don’t talk about it more. Maybe people write it off because you can find the repress for $3 or whatever. But speaking of Havoc, I would have loved to see the Final Conflict 7” in the bracket rather than The State. That Final Conflict 7” is just so gnarly and pissed sounding, and right up my alley taste-wise. Maybe to me the superior Midwest hardcore EP in my opinion. No Mecht Mensch either. But you can’t include everything, right? Like you could have had more Pacific Northwest records represented in the tournament, like The Fartz EP, which was super early ripping hardcore for 1981, or even the Rejectors… but I digress.

It might just be in general that the NY hardcore stuff doesn’t appeal to me as much, and there’s a lot of it appearing on this bracket. And to some people, that’s the best of the best. I do like at least a good chunk of those early 80s NY records. Maybe because they’re a bit more punk sounding to my ears? Like, Urban Waste in particular, I just think is so killer. That said, as much as I love Victim In Pain, between the 2 “united’s” in question, the United Mutation 7” would have beat out United Blood. Easily. Some people will probably think that’s crazy.

But damn man, while we’re still on New York, one moment in the podcast that just hurt my heart was the way the Cause For Alarm 7” was discussed. Don’t get me wrong, Pick Your King should probably win the whole tournament, let alone that matchup. But I was just surprised how everybody talked about it. Describing this record as “baseline” NY hardcore? Seriously? To me, Cause for Alarm is like one of the best records FROM New York! Haha. I think that it’s easily better than a lot of other NY stuff people mention. Like the Mob for example. BOOM. (That record beating the Clitboys is insane, by the way.) Again, maybe it’s because Cause For Alarm is more on the punk side and less “hard” or whatever. But saying the songs don’t stand out? Dude, “United Races?” “I don’t wanna be labeled a punk or a skin!” The way the slow breakdown section kicks in on that song with the punches and stops and starts? Classic. Dude, and with everyone speaking about the drumming on Pick Your King (which agreed, it’s killer), BUT the drumming on Cause For Alarm is so groovy and has all those double kicks obviously done with one foot, getting into intensely raging and urgent territory unmatched by most bands of the era. Incredible. Just sayin’. I dunno man, I expected more love for that record even if it didn’t make it past the first round.

It’s funny to weigh in about Die Kreuzen, considering they won the round. But to say that “Think For Me” is one of the worst songs of the tournament? Come on, dude. I love that song. I appreciated John pushing back a little bit on that. Also, the Die Kreuzen LP is a masterpiece. And then also, even though the Youth Brigade EP isn’t as boneheadedly direct and ripping all the way through like SOA, I think it’s a powerful record top to bottom.

Then finally, speaking of Dischord releases. Don’t get me wrong, I fucking love Ill Repute. And obviously, I know the podcast does as well. I mean, it is the fuckin’ theme song, after all. But it beating out GI? Wiiiiild decision. Haha. Must be a West Coast thing. And honestly, it was kinda cool to hear the guys say they prefer Boycott Stabb. I might agree. Love the guitar playing and sound of that 12”. But I feel like in general, that might be the rare opinion. At least for most of my friends, they ride for Legless Bull all day long (no pun intended?). But it makes sense that 185 would cram some Nardcore into the discussion. I would’ve gone with RKL, personally, but I guess they don’t make the cut with the 7” coming out in 1984.

It was a great episode and super fun listen. Even if it made me audibly yell “WHAT” while I was listening. Haha. But getting heated is part of the fun, right? I’m hoping all the guys on 185 Miles South get a kick out of reading this. And trust me when I say this out of total respect, even if it is me vocalizing some opposition. Real quick, I just wanna mention that I’d never really checked out what a Substack is before. But man, I really encourage you readers to check out the one for this episode of 185. You can tell Zack really put in a lot of effort to show the records, flyers and ephemera, links to listen to the music, clippings of reviews from Maximum Rock’n’Roll… it was really cool to look at and helped contextualize the episode. Kinda pained me to click the “nah, I’m more into metalcore” link button to read it online. I guess I’ll have to subscribe to save myself the embarrassment next time.

I could write so much more, but I’ll cut myself off there. And if you’ve made it this far, I applaud you. As always, thanks for reading. And if you’re missing some of these records I discussed above, or have neglected ever giving them a listen, you’ve got no excuse. As Zack would say: Go handle business.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’ve been stewing on writing this staff pick for a couple months now. Might be a dramatic gear shift from the last few things I’ve written for the newsletter. But here we go:

Perhaps it’s cliché around the beginning of the year, but I’ve been actively trying to cut back on drinking, and also trying to exercise more regularly. Of course I wanna be healthier and get in shape; don’t we all? And not to make excuses to refute any accusations, but I think my making these decisions grew less out of a silly “new year, new me” resolution. These actions come more from that I’ve been going through a difficult time and decided I need to start making healthy brain decisions.

I think my strategy has worked so far, at least to some degree. It feels good to channel mental and physical energy into something positive. That said, on any given day, I just don’t know how I’m gonna feel when I wake up. I have some days where I rise from my slumber super early (well 9am, that’s early for me anyhow ha), feeling energetic and motivated, and I think to myself, “I’m gonna hit the gym and get in a workout before going to work!” Then other days, my mind slowly drifts and declines into: “Ah, fuck it, I’m gonna go get a beer.” Don’t we all struggle with this? No, just me? That’s okay. It’s tough, man.

When I do have the energy to go to the gym—feeling all positive, as we’ve discussed—I often wonder, “What shall I listen to?” Lately, Uniform Choice’s debut LP Screaming For Change has been on regular rotation. Which I admit, is hilarious. Like I’m trying to lay off the booze and lift weights, and all of a sudden, I gravitate toward listening to straight edge hardcore. I’ve had my copy of Screaming For Change for a loooong, long time, but I rarely break it out to listen to it. But I guess positive choices = positive records.

Funny timing, because we’ve had a bunch of original Youth Crew and Revelation-style hardcore records come through Sorry State in used collections lately. We had that Straight Ahead 12” sitting on the wall, and of all people, both Usman and I were both kinda like, “Damn, I want that.” I even watched the episode of the HardLore podcast where they interview Craig Ahead from Straight Ahead (not to mention Sick of It All and Youth of Today). Pretty good watch, if you’re so inclined.

Now, did I own a copy of Start Today by Gorilla Biscuits when I was a teenager and think it was fucking awesome? Yes. Yes, I did. I even used to have a copy of the Unity 7” on blue vinyl, but I traded it many years ago. I do kinda wish that I still had that. Does the artwork depicting a cartoon skinhead with X’s on his hands punching away bricks of negativity do anything for me these days? Not really. But what can I say? We all grow. And I will say, at this point in my life, very little about Youth Crew hardcore or straight edge in general is appealing to me. The scene, the fashion, or the music. I identify with many other corners of punk and hardcore way more, obviously. But I think it’s important not to box oneself in. Because a few months ago, I put on Screaming For Change for the first time in many years, and it fucking RIPS. I only debated shaving my head again for like one second.

When the first track “Use Your Head” kicks in, goddamn it’s fucking killer. The riffs, the fast drumming… It just explodes. I even like that it’s kinda loose. Like on the song “Build and Break,” I’m not exactly sure I understand what the drummer is even doing rhythmically, but it’s just intense and exciting. Makes me feel all hyped up. “Positive youth!” Nah, just kidding. You won’t find me jumping and punching the sky or anything. But the record really is great. It feels fresh to me again. I will admit, every now and then while I’m listening to the LP, I’ll catch the singer singing certain lyrics and think, “Woof, that is SO corny.” I mean the record ends with a fuckin’ spoken word poem… I usually lift the needle before that last track. But it comes with the territory, right? My man Pat Dubar is writing some earnest ass lyrics.

One sort of eyeroll criticism I always hear about Uniform Choice is that they were musically derivative of Minor Threat. To which I often respond: Uuuh, what the fuck is wrong with that?? I’m way more interested in a hardcore band taking cues from Minor Threat than a band trying to sound like fucking Pearl Jam or something. If more bands in the year 2026 were more directly influenced by Minor Threat, I’d be all for it.

Having said that, quick tangent: People are haters. I will acknowledge that in the history of hardcore punk, Minor Threat’s importance and legacy has been overexplained. Sure, it’s not too far removed from people who are way too deep into classic rock, and all they wanna talk about is Zeppelin II or Dark Side of The Moon all the time. Trust me, I get it. But when I hear people saying things like Minor Threat is too overplayed, or it’s “entry level” punk or whatever… No pun intended: I don’t wanna hear it. Fuck that. I’m here to say that is a trash opinion. Minor Threat rules. Just as good to me today as the first time I heard them when I was a teenager.

ANYWAY, I think that Uniform Choice coming out in that wave of mid-to-late-80s bands and sounding more like Minor Threat, it just gives me the same feeling of excitement as all that early 80s hardcore I love so much. I just find it more appealing. I’d rather hear a band that sounds like that over most of the late-80s Revelation stuff any day—like the chunky riffs, the big, slick production, or anything. Call me crazy if you want. This Uniform Choice LP is fucking killer. Fight me. Not sure I can defend the 2nd LP with the same intensity, but Screaming For Change is awesome in my book. I think we could all use a little more screaming for changes in our world at the moment. Gotta get buff for the resistance. Ya know what? I’m gonna wear my Minor Threat shirt today, fuckers!

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

After writing about the excellent new Modem record in last week’s newsletter, I guess I’m sticking with Finland this week as well. But rather than contemporary beep-boop music, I’m throwing it way back to one of the earliest examples of Finnish punk rock.

I’m not sure exactly where my journey of discovery with early Finnish punk began. At a certain point, I think I started to notice Daniel accumulating lots and lots of cool Finnish punk records all of a sudden. And when I say that, I mean specifically showing interest in bands from that initial late 70s punk wave, and not necessarily 80s hardcore stuff. I would walk into work some days, and he would just bring in a stack of cool European punk records to listen to, some of which I’d never seen before. I’d react like, “Uuuh, holy shit dude, when did you get all of these?” So maybe the Sorry State bossman spear-headed a bit of motivation and inspiration for me to check more of these records out.

Many, many years ago, I randomly stumbled into hearing the first Ratsia LP through the channels of the mysterious internet blogosphere. I think at the time, my young, short-sighted takeaway upon hearing Ratsia was: “Wow, they cover Stiff Little Fingers in a different language!” And it would take me until much later in life to discover how brilliant and ingrained in my memory songs like “Lontoon Skidit” would become. I wasn’t ready yet, I guess. And it would be even many years after that realization before I’d actually get a chance to visit Finland and try to find those records in person, to varying degrees of success. It’s funny that it would take me until my 30s to finally grab a physical copy of that Ratsia LP. Then all of a sudden, it became all about learning more about bands like Ypö-Viis, Pelle Miljoona, Kollaa Kestää, and all the rest.

Now it’s time to talk about another band that’s on par with the bands I mentioned above: As some of you readers know, the fine people over at Svart Records recently reissued the first two albums by seminal Finnish punk band Eppu Normaali. Now, what’s funny is that I only recently learned the information, while reading some random internet article, that Eppu Normaali is like literally Finland’s biggest selling band—like, EVER. Record sales, singles in the charts… Which is crazy, because I had no idea. What I do know is that I heard an Eppu Normaali album from 1990, and let’s just say I was not a fan. A bit too tepid and soft for me. That’s not to say they don’t have other records from their 80s heyday that I might enjoy, but for the purposes of this newsletter, I’ll stick with the first two albums from the late 70s. Both of which, just to be clear, are incredible.

Eppu Normaali’s first LP Aknepop was originally released in 1978. If you think about it, that’s pretty early on as far as punk emerging and infecting other places beyond the US and England. Eppu Normaali and bands like The Clash and Generation X were basically contemporaries. This first record is killer. Kinda raw, high-energy rock’n’roll with great riffy guitar playing. A lot of the super frantic, rockin’ sounding guitar stuff reminds a lot of like Johnny Moped and the like. And I don’t know what it is about Finnish bands, like if it’s something in the culture, but they just leaned so heavy into incredibly hooky, almost folk-esque melodicism. A lot of the bands have such a gift for melody. I remember the first time I heard the song “Poliisi Pamputtaa Taas” off this record. It’s the first song on the B-side, which I accidentally played for the first time thinking it was the A-side haha. That song is just so damn catchy, I thought this must be like the pop hit off the record. Lo and behold, “Poliisi Pamputtaa Taas” was released as a single in 1978 preceding the release of the album. The recording on the single version is different, so naturally my record fiending brain was like I MUST FIND ONE. And of course, it’s expensive haha.

Over the last few years, I’ve spent so much time with Aknepop that I think my attention was diverted away from Eppu Normaali’s 2nd album Maximum Jee & Jee. Lately, I think I might even prefer the band’s sophomore album. They were great musicians from the beginning, but something about the performances, production and songwriting feels more refined on Maximum Jee & Jee. Even by the second track “Njet Njet,” the band incorporates a feeling of melancholy and a sense of longing with washy, jangly guitars you didn’t hear as much on the first album.

I feel like I could write a paragraph on just about every song on this record. I’ll try to refrain as much as I can. As a direct contrast to the melancholy I just mentioned, a song like “Lainelautailevan Lehmänmaha Rock N’ Roll” almost feels like Eppu’s take on Plastic Bertrand-esqu punksploitation with goofy sing-along boogie woogie doo-wop background vocals and stuff. One of my favorite songs on the record, “Pidetään Ikävää,” starts with this Teenage Head “Picture My Face”-paced groove, but then has a super hooky tongue-twisting, multi-syllabic vocal hook with a woman doing backup vocals—which THEN launches into this minor key section with eerie violin accompaniment. Might sound strange, but it’s fucking awesome. The track “Science Fiction” is a gem as well, starting with these pseudo-futuristic atonal synthesizers but then bursting out into one of the most up-tempo, catchy songs on the whole record. Okay, one more: The song “Jee Jee,” from where I assume the title of the album is derived, is also a favorite. Apparently “jee” is how the Finns spell “yeah”, so one of the big hooks in the song is them just singing, “yeah, yeah yeaaah.” It fucking rules. Call me crazy, but methinks Tiikerri might have borrowed this motif for some of their songwriting hehe. I just love how Maximum Jee & Jee pushes boundaries and experiments with songs in a way that feels light-hearted and playful rather than snobby or pretentious. Such a great record.

So maybe me deciding to write about Eppu Normaali from the perspective of a Finnish person would be like deciding to write about Green Day or something. But it must be undeniable even amongst Finnish people that these first 2 albums are all-time classics, right? Seems like the band had some records in the mid-80s into the 90s where they had a much higher level of mainstream success. And honestly, I don’t know much about those records. The Finnish rock/pop genre known as Suomi-rock is a rabbit hole that I’m not prepared to dive into. But it seems like Eppu Normaali’s appeal is something very insularly relevant to Finnish culture rather than the band having success as a big international musical export. Maybe I’m wrong? Interestingly, I find a parallel between the story of Eppu Normaali and the popularity of the band Ebba Grön in Sweden, whom I wrote about in a previous newsletter many moons ago. Or maybe that’s a weird comparison to make? I’m writing about all this stuff like I actually know what I’m talking about. I’m just a humble punk enthusiast trying to draft interesting tidbits for all you readers to enjoy. Or ignore. Either way. There’s always so much more cool stuff to discover.

We’ve still got a bunch of copies of Aknepop and Maximum Jee & Jee in stock. Don’t sleep on these, ya dummies!! If you’ve been hesitating to dive deeper into international punk that you’re unfamiliar with, now is the time to correct that. Don’t make the same mistake I did. These records are no-brainer purchases if you like good, catchy, badass punk rock.

Welp, that’s all I’ve got for you guys. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

What can I say everybody? Getting through constructing that year-end write up for the previous newsletter was A LOT. Thank for bearing with me if you actually read the whole thing. My brain is feeling less foggy over the last couple weeks. I’m finding myself enjoying new music lately, which is a relief. Speaking of which, let’s get right into it:

I’m not sure if my staff pick this week will come as a surprise to some of you readers out there. I think I’ve probably mentioned in previous newsletters that beyond my love for raging hardcore punk and low-brow heavy metal, I do have a soft spot for 80s synth pop, new wave, darkwave, freestyle, whatever. Sorry State just got in Interface, the latest album from Modem, and I’ve already listened to this record an unhealthy number of times. I think this record properly came out in the fall of 2025, but Sorry State only just got copies, so it’s new to me.

For those uninitiated, Modem is a duo based in Helsinki, Finland. Tytti is the lead vocalist and handles some additional instrumentation. And then the primary synth arrangements and production are done by Ville, who you might recognize from many Finnish hardcore bands like Kohti Tuhoa and Sorry State’s own Yleiset Syyt. I was lucky enough to get to see Modem play live here in Raleigh of all places. Kings, our local venue where they performed, must be like a 300-capacity room. And to the 20 or so people that actually showed up, Tytti still boldly and commandingly demanded the audience’s attention as if she was playing Wembley Stadium. She was on and off stage at any given moment. They were striking visually of course, in all latex and leather regalia, but they also sounded amazing. My man Ville looked cool as fuck: sunglasses on, not facing the crowd, pumping out killer synth lines, and had a guitar strapped to his back the whole time in case he needed to urgently whip it around and shred a smokin’ hot lead.

There’s been a few groups in the last few years that have faithfully accomplished a modern interpretation on this sound of drum machine and synth-based 80s pop music. I really enjoyed that record Love Lines by Nuovo Testamento from a few years ago, for example. I think that most of these contemporary 80s-style synth-pop groups certainly have no intention of reinventing the wheel. Rather, the intent is to wear their influences on their sleeves—more of an homage, if you will. It feels like the goal is to sonically capture the sound of a record that actually could have been released in the 80s. And I’m totally cool with that. That said, perhaps Modem’s interpretation of 80s synth-based music is one that can only be achieved by manifesting through the lens of isolation in a brutal Finnish blizzard.

Maybe the homie bias does come into play here a little bit, because I’ve interacted with both Tytti and especially Ville, and I think they’re both really cool people. But I just think Interface is a great record. The record has a short intro, and then it’s just 8 tracks, each song better than the one before. Sometimes I dive in blind listening to certain things, and it just hits me like a ton of bricks. I haven’t spent as much time with Modem’s previous LP Megalomania, but even in the couple weeks we’ve had this new LP in stock, it already feels super familiar to me. For one thing, the sound design and production are incredible. Beautifully sculpted. I was speaking to a friend on the phone the other day who plays around with synths and production. I recommended him Interface, and his instant reaction was how great it sounded. Discussing this record, he mentioned how it’s not necessarily easy to nail synth tones and mixes that sound this crisp, sharp and authentic. Juicy soundscapes, babyyy. And for how ominous it appears at first glance, the record is like… really fun. I mean, come on, it’s got fuckin’ handclaps, dude.

The sonic vibe of the record does encase you within a cold, robotic atmosphere. But much like the android concept in the album artwork, Modem captures a vibe that is simultaneously cold and distant, while also warm and approachable with their pop sensibility. A song like “Cowboy” has unexpected twangy surf lead guitar. But it doesn’t feel out of place. All the sonic textures feel methodically, intelligently constructed and intentional. To me, the whole record has an addictive quality. It’s either connecting to some pleasurable brain synapses, or maybe it’s my replicant wiring firing on all cylinders.

Tytti’s vocals are great. I think not understanding Finnish, you might think this would take me out of it. Instead, it makes me appreciate the melody and song construction rather than harping on lyrics I might find corny or whatever. She weaves together syncopated melody lines not unlike the catchiness of the synth parts behind her, but then also additional sweeping, distant and ethereal vocal adornments on a track like “Ave Maria.” I love the “do-do-do’s” on the song “Kulta-aika,” which almost have a soulful, funky kinda thang goin’ on.

Songs that evoke mystery and darkness are supplemented by a song like “Image,” which feels like the most “major key” straightforward pop banger on the record. So much of the record has familiarity to me, like kind of reminding me of later-period Depeche Mode. On the song “Pagliacii,” it’s almost like I’m waiting for the piano melody from “Enjoy The Silence” to start happening… call me crazy, but the vocal melody during the verse of “Passio” reminds me a lot of “Here Comes the Rain Again” by the Eurythmics. Coincidence? I think not. Then again, what do I know? Remember what I said about wearing your influences on your sleeve? And who cares? It’s fucking great.

Modem has released pretty much everything on their own label Modem Age Records in Finland. But on this new record, it looks like they have some sorta deal in the US with Don Giovanni. I think I also saw a picture of Tytti and Ville on a red carpet for some indie awards show the other day. And you know what? Good for them. This feels like a record that should be popular. If anything about the way I described this record sounds like it could be your bag, I highly recommend giving it a shot. You will not be bored for one second. All bangers. A good time and fun listen. Buuuut, you might turn into a robot… but like… a reeeally cool robot.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff