Brain Handle - Baseball 7" (Record Store Day)

Artist: Brain Handle

Album: Baseball 7"
Label: Self-Released/Mind Cure

Release: 2010

Tracklist:

1. Baseball [Live]

2. Trapped In A Toilet (Beautiful Member)

3. Shocking Pee (Club Ed)

This curious lil' Record Store Day 2010-exclusive release (limited to 200 copies and given away by the band at a show) might end up being the last release of one of the most underrated contemporary hardcore bands, Pittsburgh's Brain Handle. I will always maintain that they are one of the finest hardcore bands of the primes (2000-2009), even if they suffer from the dreaded No Way overpressing syndrome and one can find their records in dollar bins around the country. Let's just consider that a blessing to all those out there who want great music for cheap!

Anyway, this record features two "new" songs from the band and a pseudo-skit. Part of what made Brain Handle so great was not just their oddball take on fast 80s hardcore, but their ability to write insanely catchy, midtempo stompers, like "Wallet Sniffin'" and "Cold Pavement." This 7" highlights this gift with a stomper on both sides.

The A-side is a live version (I think?) of "Baseball," a song that I believe was supposed to end up on their aborted 12". As you can tell, I'm not so clear on the details because the packaging (a term I use lightly) of this record is absolutely retarded (and erroneous), complete with a weird brainbiker and oddly-placed Facebook photos of one of the guitarists. Ultimately, though, it's the music that really matters, and "Baseball" is one of the finest songs the band ever wrote, with the band plodding forward with headbanging force and sick soloing. The B-side is a cover of "Trapped In A Toilet" by the legendary Beautiful Member, a band so good that even I've never heard them. It's more of the same, which is to say it's awesome. The side is rounded out (with locked groove and all) with a recording of one of the band members peeing into a toilet and electrocuting himself. I sincerely hope this did not affect his procreative abilities.

Brain Handle might not exist anymore, but at least they can say that they went out on both a ludicrous and satisfying note. How apropos. Also, I'd like to add that this rip and cover image comes from Harry's Rex. Thank you, as I was not able to rip the vinyl or scan the cover myself because my friend Pat has had my copy for months. I gotta get that back...

Download Here

-Adam

Bark Psychosis - Blue 12"

Artist: Bark Psychosis
Album: Blue 12"
Release: 1994

Label: Circa

Tracklist:

1. Blue

2. Hex

3. Big Shot (Alice's Cheshire Cat Mix)

Sometimes, I forget just how much I love the late 80s/early 90s British experimental rock scene. Many of my favorite bands of all time come from various groups put out their best material on Rough Trade, Che/Cheree, 3rd Stone, etc. Of the many pioneering acts of the time, Bark Psychosis stand out as one of the finest. Their first four 12" singles and Hex LP are nothing short of revolutionary, and even their 2004 comeback album ///Codename: Dustsucker is phenomenal, albeit poorly-titled.

One release of theirs that kind of gets lost in the shuffle (though, not as much as their three-way split flexi 7" with Spacemen 3 and Fury Things) is their 1994 single, Blue. Blue's fate may have something to do with the fact that it came out a few months after Hex. Also, it's just not as good as their first four singles.

Still, it's an amazing record. The title track is the perfect hybrid of their aforementioned peers and the forward-thinking, early 90s ambient techno scene in Britain. "Hex" might be the highlight of the record, as it combines walls of noise with a pulsating drum machine and cascading synths, all before dying down into a gentle, synthy drift with the occasional trumpet flourish. The remix of the Hex standout "Big Shot" is done by Rudy Tambala of A.R. Kane (who are quite possibly my favorite band!) and it also fails to disappoint. It's both serene and elegant without drifting off into coffee house, trip-hop bullshit.

I can't ever say enough of this band or of their contemporaries, as this time period in Britain is one of my favorite sources of music, so don't hesitate to check this out.

Download Here

-Adam

Slobs - Look Busy, Do Nothing 7"

Artist: Slobs

Album: Look Busy, Do Nothing 7"
Release: 2011

Label: Cowabunga

Tracklist:

1. Technophile

2. Weapons Free

3. The Slob

4. Assembly Line

Hailing from Montreal and sharing a member with the mighty Omegas, Slobs are one of the finest purveyors of stupid baby music in all of Canada. I was lucky enough to see live a year ago. I thought they were tight, but, being the scatterbrain I am, I forgot to ever actually pursue any of their recorded output until I was given their new 7" at the Government Warning/Omegas show and, let me tell you, I haven't stopped listening to it since.

Slobs play a punky style of (B)east coast-influenced hardcore garnished with some classic retardation. The band also has a curious pedigree: their guitarist Yannick is actually one of the girls from the popular No Joy. Can you guess which one? Back to the band, the first thing I noticed about their live show was how warm and open the guitar tone was and that little detail is also true of their debut EP, Look Busy Do Nothing. The 7" is comprised of four songs that blow by so quickly that they demand repeated listening. My favorite track is the second song "Weapons Free" which has one of the catchiest guitar lines I've heard in awhile.

I highly recommend checking out this 7", which just came out on Cowabunga Records, along with two other winners in the form of new School Jerks and Sweet Tooth 7"s. A label that does what it wants, I don't always like every release Cowabunga churns out, but dude KILLED it on this most recent batch of records, so be sure check out all of them.

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A-1 - After School Special

Artist: A-1
Album: After School Special
Release: 2010
Label: Self-Released

Tracklist:

1. 5 More Minutes (Intro)
2. The Price is Right
3. Charizard
4. All That!
5. Family Matters
6. Black Ranger
7. Golden Girls
8. Reading Rainbow
9. Goosebumps
10. Doug (Funnie Bitch)

Variety is the spice of life, and I’ve broken a cardinal rule of mine on ICDT: to never consecutively post records of the same genre.  So after three heavy ones (Raw Radar War, Tribulation, and Anacrusis), I wanna switch gears entirely.

As established, hip-hop is not my biggest point of musical knowledge. While I am one of those whiteboys that loves Wu-Tang, and I have in fact met and conversed with Chuck D, I’m just not as up on the genre or its history as I should be. That said, I do occasionally browse around for stuff and have been stoked on a Milkcrate Breaks comp lately.

But I digress. A while back, this free tape popped up on Tumblr. The concept sold me immediately: A-1 pulls the classic “5 more minutes” routine, then gets to play hooky and watch all the best Nickelodeon and other kids shows if you were that age in the early/mid-90s.  Through this conceptual lens, he flows fluidly about growing up, youth, and relationships over the album’s nine songs. “All That!” of course sees A-1 rapping over a beat taken from that show’s theme song, and damn if it don’t sound pleasantly familiar after something like 15 years off the air.  “Black Ranger” is more a speed trial, but is still plenty entertaining as that wimpy guitar and corny synth of our favorite stolen Japanese superheroes rev up behind A-1’s voice.  The songs are short enough that the simple “take a TV show theme, rap over it and draw parallels to my own life” doesn’t get aggravatingly repetitive.

Throughout After School Special, A-1 is vibrant , humorous and most definitely not trying the tuff routine.  This isn’t the next Flockaveli by any means, but it’s a fun (and maybe slightly nostalgic, depending on how much Nick you watched as youngin’) bunch of tunes.

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-Asa

Lotus Fucker/Penis Geyser Split 7"

Album: Lotus Fucker/Penis Geyser Split 7"

Release: 2011

Label: SPHC/Solar Funeral

Tracklist:

1. Lotus Fucker - The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail

2. Lotus Fucker - Wind

3. Lotus Fucker - Deep Inside, I Heard A Voice Call Out To Me

4. Penis Geyser - Penis Geyser Side

One of my most anticipated releases of early 2011, the Lotus Fucker/Penis Geyser split 7" fails to disappoint. If you've followed this blog in the past, you'd know that the Lotus Fuckers of Severna Park, MD is a huge favorite of ours, but I'm guessing most have not heard of the other band on the split, Ohio's Penis Geyser, some of the finest purveyors of noisecore in the world, not that that's saying much...

For this split, Lotus Fucker's gives us both one of their finest and weakest moments as a band. "The Snake That Eats Its Own Tail" might be my new favorite Lotus Fucker song. The song (and split) opens with a loud exclamation from frontman Kamikaze Dan, which, upon first listen, made me jump in my seat. The song then kicks in with the catchiest drum beat attempting to pry apart a vicious battle between the "music" guitar and the "noise" guitar. I guess there's bass in there too, I guess. Lyrics about eternal returns and priomoridal unity propel this into the top echelon of Lotus Fucker material.

The song is immediately followed by one of their weakest songs, "Wind," which practically acts as filler to bride between the final track, "Deep Inside, I Hear A Voice Call Out To Me," a song I struggle to not change the second part of the title to "...I Am Crying." Shut up. It should be noted that despite being filler, "Wind" is still a Lotus Fucker song and it's still pretty good. Just unremarkable when compared to their other material. Still, "Deep Inside," finishes off their side of the split effortlessly with a powerful call-and-response vocal part.

Now, for the difficult part of the record (and my review). Here is where I come off as even more of a charlatan than I already am. My experiences with noisecore are very limited and include jamming early Anal Cunt 7"s and flirting with other, more contemporary nosiecore acts that are showed to me by friends more into this sort of thing. I'm also guessing that most of this shit is pretty terrible.

Really, me talking about noisecore or Penis Geyser's side is pointless. It's six minutes of insanity and it certainly successfully repels most people away, which is probably the point. I actually enjoy their side, which is probably comprised of over 100 songs and multiple recording sessions, but is obviously meant to be taken as one coherent piece. I've heard people refer to Penis Geyser one of the best noisecore bands in the world and that this side of this split as "beautiful," which is probably true considering I actually enjoy listening to it in between viewings of Lady GaGa and Rage Against the Machine YouTube videos.

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Anacrusis - Manic Impressions

Artist: Anacrusis
Album: Manic Impressions (‘06 Remix)
Release: 2006

Label: Self Released

Tracklist:

1. Paint A Picture
2 I Love The World
3. Something Real
4. Dream Again
5. Explained Away
6. Still Black
7. What You Became
8. Our Reunion
9. Idle Hours
10. Far Too Long
11. Tools of Separation (Bonus)

St. Louis’ Anacrusis were a band that put the progress in the “progressive” descriptor.  They began as young rubes playing pretty paint-by-numbers thrash metal and, with the continued addition of melody, musicianship and a variety of influences, ended their career as a truly unique entity, albeit an all-too-unsung one.

If you’ve read my posts on the site, you may notice that while I dig a lot of technical bands, I’m really big on strong songs.  Anacrusis absolutely nail this-- there are hooks everywhere, memorable choruses, and excellent structure throughout.  While the band do have a certain “coldness” to their production,  frontman Ken Nardi makes sure that they still retain soul, and lots of it.  Over the B-tuned guitars and powerful drums, his vocals change from a growly shriek to earnest melody and many points in between, sometimes all within a verse.  Their cover of New Model Army’s “I Love The World” was as close to a calling card as they got, but it blends so well with the tone and style of the rest of the record that you’d never notice it wasn’t an original composition without researching or being a fan of NMA in the first place.  Elsewhere lurks the chunky groove of “Still Black,” the soaring “Dream Again,” (whose second solo initially resembles the Mario jump sound! Ha!) and the contemplative “Our Reunion.”  Even the admittedly tacked on demo of follow-up and final album Screams and Whispers song “Tools of Separation” doesn’t sound out of place here-- that’s how consistent the band’s sound was.

This record might take some initial getting used to-- I know it did for me-- but I think it’ll be worth it in the end.  OPEN YOUR MIIIIIIND.

Props to Ken for properly remastering his own record so well (the original sounded like ass, apparently), and adding in the handful of parts Metal Blade Records chopped out from the original studio DAT tapes.

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-Asa

Death Metal Double Post: Tribulation & Swallowed

Artist: Tribulation
Album: Putrid Rebirth 7"
Release: 2006
Label: Blood Harvest

Tracklist:

1. Dread City Of Death
2. Zombie Holocaust
3. Imprisoned In Abhorrence
4. Churning Sea Of Absu

Tribulation are tied with Norway’s awesome Obliteration as my favorite band of the ever-increasing scene of young metalfolk jamming oldschool death metal.  Their debut full-length The Horror mixed an olde-time horror aesthetic (woodcuts, Nosferatu imagery) with brief spacing tracks John Carpenter keyboard and a perfectly-executed style mixing influences both Swedish (Entombed, Dismember) and American (Morbid Angel, Possessed, Slayer).  While I loved that record unwaveringly from my first listen, many a death metal purist (not least of which Arild and Sindre from Obliteration) swear this four-song, out-of-print, imfuckingpossible-to-find 7” EP is the superior record.

While far rawer and often less tight or nuanced than The Horror, Putrid Rebirth nonetheless starts with a bang. Adam Zaars and Jonathan Hultén’s tradeoff volley of disfigured solos shred flesh right from the opening of “Dread City of Death.” Yet another movie sample opens the undead march of  “Zombie Holocaust” as Johannes Andersson rasps a narration of the tale, then tears off a totally sweet bass break just shy of three minutes in.  “Imprisoned in Abhorrence” cranks up the blast beats further still and adds Slayerish riffing over the top.  The steady, swirling menace of instrumental “Churning Sea of Absu” does indeed feel like stormy seas.  While these songs aren’t as well-constructed as those on The Horror, their energy is what manages to knock this EP out of the park.  Tribulation go straight for the throat on every song; it’s just that here we haven’t seen them with a perfected attack.

And yes, apologies-- while a vinyl rip, this is sadly 128 kbps.  But this is really raw death metal!  I had a kvlt-as-hell contact track it down for me, but if you have a better rip somewhere by all means let us know so’s we can post it for communal benefit.

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-Asa

Artist: Swallowed

Album: Self Titled 7"
Release: 2011
Label: Emptiness Production

Tracklist:

1. Unsavorably

2. Black Phlegm

3. The Dying Misted In The Bloodstream

I already included this in my top records of 2010 list, but I can't rave enough about this band or this 7". Swallowed is one of the finest, younger Scandinavian oldschool-style death metal bands I've heard in a long time and are one of Finland's finest. Seriously, the image on the back art of the 7" makes the band look like they're still in high school. Maybe they are, I wouldn't be surprised.

I was shown all of their music at once by my friend CJ and I can say the band has come a long way from its beginnings (two demo tapes) of pure Autopsy-worship. Don't get me wrong, those tapes are pretty neat but don't offer much more than the aforementioned dick-riding, but this 7" takes that blueprint and injects it with a healthy dose (read: not too much) of doom metal to create something stunning and fresh. This new sound coupled with one of the best production jobs I've heard in a long time allows the band to create a foreboding atmosphere that is unsettling and insanely loud. Despite the repetition involved on the side-long, "The Dying Misted In The Bloodstream," the production and atmosphere are still able to keep the song afloat. If the band continues to create sound as beautifully crafted as this, all while tightening their songwriting a bit, they will surely be deified.

For those who don't own this 7", you'll have to do with this vinyl rip, but I urge you to seek out a copy of this out-of-print 7", as it sounds SO incredibly good on wax. Seriously, a great mastering job. That and the packaging (which includes a "Swalloweed" sticker lol) make this a total winner.

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-Adam

Raw Radar War - On A Field Of White 7”

Artist: Raw Radar War
Album: On A Field Of White 7"

Release: 2011

Label: Chainsaw Safety

Tracklist:

1. This Is What A Knife Is For
2. All Arrows In
3. Warwolf
4. Defend Finland
5. On A Field Of White

I am a gigantic Jonah Jenkins fan.  Whether it’s his early and classic days in the immortal and woefully underrated Only Living Witness, his fuzzy turn in Miligram or his surprisingly raw current outfit, Raw Radar War, the man is a fantastic lyricist, a charismatic presence and a musically gifted human being.

But Jonah is also one generous motherfucker and actively promotes free digital downloads of his tunes. On A Field Of White is a brand-new slab of 7” vinyl and was just posted by the man himself on Facebook last night. The EP concerns Simo Hayha, Finland’s most aggressive patriot and easily the biggest lone-gunman badass in modern military history. You can read more about him here, but for now, here’s a quick summary: One WWII sniper. 100 days. Limited daylight. One rifle. 505 registered kills.  And even when the Russians finally got to him after a slew of counter-sniping and artillery fire, and shot him in the head, dude did not die.  The bullet blew off a good part of his cheek and crushed his jaw, but he regained consciousness on the very day peace was declared between Finland and Russia.  He hunted moose, trained dogs and lived on his own until his death at the age of 96 in 2002.

Jonah and co. do a solid job of aurally representing Hayha’s formidable marksmanship and the dark chaos of war with their sludgy, battering hardcore.  While the biting guitars do draw some from Entombed, I wouldn’t say it’s anywhere to the level that bands like Nails and Black Breath do. At not even 8 minutes, these fast, loud songs get in and get out...just like the man they were inspired by.

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Buy Here

-Asa

NYC: Upcoming Shows in March/April

Yeah yeah, we'll get to the regular posting soon enough, but we'd also like to start publicizing some great shows happening in our neck of the woods that locals should check out. Many of these are booked by the fine people at Hardcore Gig Volume, Undead Gig Volume, Dan-O with the Van-O, Girl/Queer shows, Mosh Pit City, and the less-than-desirable Stolen Sleeves Collective.


March 11th:

Fucking Dyke Bitches (NC)
Aye Nako
Sandy & the Rats
Invisible Prisms

@ Manifesta Loft (315 Seigel St.)
$~5, 8pm


March 12th:

The Men (New lp out soon on Sacred Bones)
Slices (Pittsburgh, still cruisin)
Rational Animals (Did you miss the rollins spoken word at joe's pub?)
The Marsh Hens (Brooklyn weirdos)
Shards (North Carolina)

@ 538 Johnson Ave
$5, 8pm


March 12th:

International Girl Gang Underground zine release show:

Slingshot Dakota
Bad Banana
Aye Nako
American Sun

@Death By Audio
$?, 8pm?


March 13th:

HARDCORE GIG VOLUME # 152
Deep Sleep - Baltimore, New LP out now!
Death First - Brooklyn Hardcore
FOSTER CARE - Hardcore punk, members of Ex-Humans

@ 538 Johnson Ave, #210
$5, 6pm


March 15th:

Nomos (Hardcore from dudes who probably JUST moved to Brooklyn from the Midwest)
No Class (Kansas City hardcore. New LP on Deranged)
Picked Clean (Indianapolis hardcore. New 7" on Six Feet Under)
Long Pigs (Local hardcore heroes who skateboard with 12 year olds)

@ The Stolen Sleeves Collective
$5, 7pm, NO BOOZE


March 19th:

Kicking Spit (Dino Jr-influenced goodness)
Big Eyes (Garagy pop-punk from Brooklyn/NJ)
Occult Detective Club (Jay Reatard-style pop-punk from TX)
Rutilated Powerhaus (Gothy noise project from NYC's wunderkind Soren)

@ The Stolen Sleeves Collective
$5, 8pm, NO BOOZE


March 19th:

New York Abortion Access Fund benefit show

The Gift (DC)
Waxahatchee (Katie from P.S. Eliot/Bad Banana)
Born in a Cent
Dear Marje
Frankie and the MoMos

@ Manifesta Loft (315 Seigel St.)
$?, 8pm?


March 19th:

The Men
Partial People
Hank Wood & The Hammerheads
Cop City/Chill Pillars

@ Death By Audio
$?, 8pm?


March 23rd:

Razor Fade (Chicago straight edge hardcore.)
Noose (same as above! ex-Duress, Poison Planet, etc.)
Bloodtype (watch out you hippies, NJ's finest have come to destroy your crop)
+1 TBA, hopefully

@ The Stolen Sleeves Collective
$5, 7pm, NO BOOZE


March 23rd:

UNDEAD GIG VOLUME #31

Poor Choice (CHICAGO)
Long Pigs (NYC)
Teardrops (NYC)
Spicoli (NYC)
Dipers (NYC)

@ The Charleston
$5, 7pm

March 25th:

HARDCORE GIG VOLUME #149

Tear It Up - Reunion, Nothing To Nothing line up
Last in Line - Hardcore Punk Western Massholes, Reunion
Cell Mates - New Hardcore band from Maryland, Members of Deep Sleep

@ Europa
$10 Adv/$12 at the door, 6:30pm


March 31st:

Opt Out (on tour from SF)
Death First (7" record release!)
Nomad (unrelenting raw punx, as good as it gets) ----- FUCK YES
Zombie Dogs (punx is ladies)
Sandy & the Rats (new doowoppy punk from BK)

@ The Stolen Sleeves Collective
$5, 7pm, NO BOOZE


April 2nd:

Neo Cons (Zero Boys-influenced hardcore. ex-86 Mentality, on tour from the Bay)
Libyans (sick Boston punk)
Concrete Cross (heavy, kinda d-beaty hardcore from local veterans)
+1 or 2 more VERY exciting bands

@ The Stolen Sleeves Collective
$5, 8pm, NO BOOZE


April 3rd:

UNDEAD GIG VOLUME #32

Defect Defect (PDX)
Night Birds (NJ)
Teardrops (NYC)

@ The Stolen Sleeves Collective
$6, 7pm, No Booze


April 8th:

Pollution - Brooklyn's finest
White Lung - on tour from Vancouver
Natural Law - Brooklyn mid-to-late-80s style hardcore

@ The Acheron
$~5, 8pm


April 9th:

Cop Problem (Philly)
Pathic Curse (Members of Death First and Mohoram Atta)
Cauldron
These Days (Members of Hiretsukan)

@ ABC No Rio
$7, 3pm


April  9th:

UNDEAD GIG #33

Aghast (RVA)
Soma (RVA)
Bortgang (NYC)

@ Tommy's Tavern
$6, 8pm


April 15th:

Benefit for C.L.I.T. Fest

Hot Mess (DC)
Dead Dog (GA)
Bad Banana
Aye Nako
Worrier

@ Tommy's Tavern
$~5, 8pm


April 20th:

Caufield (CA crushing hc)
Bear Trap (CA sXe)
Grudges (burly grind from NYC)
Pharaoh
Ruin Value (first show! ex-Mohoram Atta. Without hearing it I'm calling it death violence!)

@ Tommy's Tavern
$5, 8pm

At this point, more history than journalism. Belated best of in 2010.

Here is Colman's very late best of 2010 list. LOL.

NOTABLES

Double Negative - DaydreamNation LP

Double Negative superficially bare resemblance to many bands of this era, styled as fast, 80s inspired hardcore act. They stand, however, far apart from the rest of their ilk as one of the most bizarre and unique acts in contemporary hardcore. The production is very loud and raw, naturally speaking, with Stooges-styled volume on the leads, weird round bass with what is fundamentally a fairly clear sound. This is eclectic song-writing. The vocals are deranged, there are eye-brow raising lyrical themes, the guitars shred like lightening. I have never seen this band live and hate myself for it.

Castavet - Mounds of Ash CD

This is most certainly "not my thing"  yet I found myself listening to Mounds of Ash on repeat this fall. Castavet's full-length is a moody and bleak "metal" record. I don't listen to metal so I have very little to say about this sadly; I have heard this called both "black" and "prog"; two descriptors that I think don't typically sit together. What can be found is crisp but fuzzy production, interesting instrumentation and an incredible rhythm section (seriously, this drummer kills it!). I am usually bored by metal parts but something about the ambiance of this record combined with catchy riffs that hit at just the right time makes this an incredible record that won't leave the, er, CD tray?

And here is my top ten, in no particular order:



The Red Dons - Fake Meets Failure LP

When the single “Pariah” surfaced shortly before this second Red Dons LP was dropped my expectations for Fake Meets Failure skyrocketed. I have played the first Red Dons album, Death to Idealism, to death and happily looked forward to more material. Fake Meets Failure shattered my expectations. The Red Dons have shed a little of the eccentric quality of their first record and written 10 tracks of driving three and four chord punk. As many jangly leads as the first record but with a slightly thicker sound and a bit more pulsing. The first few seconds of this record are sampled from the last few seconds of Death to Idealism; the eerie tinkering of a toy piano. Vocals here are a mix of fairly impressive melodic reaches and shouting. Every song on this record is worthy of being a single.

Download Here

Nomos - Notes from the Acheron One-sided 12"

I hate Nomos because they are better songwriters than I am. I love Nomos for being an instrumental part of New York's recent wave of young hardcore bands. Notes from the Acheron is a great hardcore record that doesn't exactly sit comfortably in any one sub-genre of hardcore. Continuing with eccentricity of their demo and teaser tapes Nomos' songs are a savvy blend of blasting speed and heavy dirges; 2/3 from the gut hardcore, 1/3 snot-nosed attitude. From song to song, Notes from the Acheron never disappoints, if not surprise. One of my favorite transitions is from the song "Changeling" into  "O Fortuna"; from blisteringly fast into a zombie-walking, mid-tempo punk song. An incredible sounding and incredible looking record!

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Weed Hounds - Beach Bummed 7"

I am confident that Weed Hounds can do no wrong and am happily looking forward to their oft-mentioned, highly-anticipated full-length record. (Let's cross our fingers this hits this summer!) The Beach Bummed 7", in the meantime, is masterful. This record includes two minimal pop tracks that played the perfect accompaniment to my summer. Dreamily sung, hauntingly-produced with slow, sustained note changes. This is Weed Hounds best effort to date, in my opinion. The title track to this record is a perfect song, nothing short of incredible and this band deserves any and all accolades they have or will receive.

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Noveller/unFact - Bleached Valentine Split LP

I slept on Noveller for some time, though the career of Sarah Lipstate's newest project Noveller has not been terribly long. This is okay though because she has been fairly prolific in a short period of time and I have found myself replaying each record multiple times for maximum enjoyment. Am I a fan of new age? Guilty as charged, I suppose. Noveller is looped and sustained, oscillated and contorted guitar noise. Apparently Sarah has a background in harsh noise (cited in a recent Soundcheck interview on WNYC) though I haven't heard any of her earlier work. You can expect mid-length to longer soundscapes that often include delicate leads over washed-out bassy under-bellies. HIGHLY RECOMMEND for fans of ambient, drone and electronic. The unFact side is the solo bass project of one Mr. David Wm. Sims, who at one point played bass in the Jesus Lizard. A foray into a new musical direction that is certainly worth a listen.

Omegas - Sonic Order 7"

Recently a friend told me that they thought Omegas (having only seen the band live) were a mere "diagonal line hardcore" band. I'll leave the meaning of that one up to interpretation. What I will say is that Omegas do an incredible job providing a fresh take on an old idea. There sound is heavily indebted to earlier hardcore acts but revamped and twisted. Chorus-drenched but meaner than you expect. I am able to listen to this record again and again and again without boredom. The breakdown in "You Can Be Replace" is a romp!

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Loudon Wainwright III - Songs for the New Depression CD

This CD was brought to my attention by none other than my mother who from time to time competes for the status of being Loudon Wainwright's number one fan. Most of the time I think this title is easily captured. Don't worry though, if you're at all acquainted with L.W., I should say that she doesn't go for that early, sixties care-free nonsense. It's all about his Updike-like family portrayals and bourgeois meditations on middle-age. This may not sell most people (and others will say I'll be first against the wall) but Songs for the New Depression is an incredible album; a mix of new American folk and new takes on Depression-era popular songs. A really great record.



Milk Music - Beyond Living 12"

A late 2010 find for me, brought back by my comrades in Nomos after their West Coast tour. Milk Music's Beyond Living 12" is an astoundingly simple record. Six songs of drenched, over-driven post-punk. At some moments, this record is pure-punk rhythms, eighth notes charging on the hi-hat, at others it is Milk Music's remarkable drowning tone that leaves one feeling a drift in few sustained chords. Even though this is a simple record built on simple-chord progressions dashed with tasteful humming leads it is remarkably different and innovative sounding. A must listen from 2010.

Download Here
To buy, email milk_music@hotmail.com



Dawn of Humans - Self Titled 7" [Toxic State]

Bung lives on. I hadn't heard Dawn of Humans prior to this 7", had no expectations, had never seen them live. Listening to this record for the first time in September of last year I was so excited about punk and the new, young hardcore in New York. It is really remarkable what a couple of circles of kids have been able to accomplish with minimal equipment and recording speciality. A fucking warm and raw record. An unexpected new birth.

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To buy, email toxicstaterecords@gmail.com



Salvation - Mortality Interactions LP

Hardcore. Slower, more "death-rock" than their first record. Heavier too. The song-writing stands out as comparable to or better than that of An Unforgiving Wind. A challenging record for fans of wretched, heavy-hitting, tough-as-nails, bitterness. All the buried leads of the first record with my favorite breakdown beat (See "A Morbid Mockery"). The rhythm section departs on Mortality Interactions into a dirgey stomp. When you see the end of the road, this is the soundtrack to your long march (mosh) to the grave.

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Masshysteri - Self Titled LP

This record managed to fly under a lot of radars this year which surprised me given that I thought their previous LP and US tour a few years back was met with a lot of attention. Masshysteri's S/T LP continues with the style of the first record though the production on this is a bit crisper and definitely cleaner. Not everyone may agree with me, but I detect here a notable shift in attitude; this record feels less snarky than Vår Del Av Stan. There's less distortion, less headachey brooding and a whole lot more go-crazy pop sounding guitar leads. There are some serious masterpieces on this record and it is all-in-all amazing. "Dom Kan Inte Höra Musiken" and "När Botten Är Nådd" are my absolute favorite tracks; the first for the catchy chorus, the second for the driving lead. A great record.

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And so concludes all of the "best of" lists from 2010. Regular posting will actually resume now!

-Colman

New Katorga Works Releases: Merchandise, ( ) Singles

Time for more shameless self-promotion! Colman and I have been "hard" at work getting ready to new, excellent releases for our label Katorga Works and we'd like to share them with you! Our two newest releases are both singles, a 7" from Merchandise and a 12" from ( ). Here are our lame descriptions of the records:

Merchandise - Schoolyard [Club Mix] 7"

Artist: Merchandise

Album: Schoolyard [Club Mix] 7"

Release: 2011

Label: Katorga Works

Tracklist:

1. Schoolyard [Club Mix]

2. Graveyard

The first of our two new releases is the new 7" single from the Werch City Rockers. Continuing their unstoppable ascent to the summit of general mediocrity, these two new songs propel Merchandise even further forward to greatness. As seen below, the band is at its most catchiest with the A-side and the B-side is one of their most haunting pieces yet.

Werchandice - Schoolyard(Club Mix) from Id House Vid. Group on Vimeo.

Here is what we wrote for the record: It's 2011 and Merchandise have declared "fuck it, it's time to rave." In their bedrooms, though. Can't be seen in public! The A-side and title track of this single finds these Tampa hunks further exploring not only their beloved, established sound, but the dance pop exclamations of Lady GaGa.  The B-side, "Graveyard," finds the band alternately at their most fragile and noisy. It's an incredible foil and worthy adversary of "Schoolyard." But the GaGa rules all. That's the golden rule.

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Buy Here

( ) - False Xmas 12"

Artist: ( )

Album: False Xmas 12"

Release: 2011

Label: Katorga Works

Tracklist:

1. False Xmas

2. What Shall You Say Tonight

Our other release is the vinyl version of David Vassalotti's cassingle from 2010, False Xmas. This release is definitely one of our favorite releases thus far.

( ) - False Xmas from Id House Vid. Group on Vimeo.

We are proud to present the vinyl debut of Merch Rocker David Vassalotti's pet project, ( ). How do you pronounce it? Beats us! We like to think it's "Parenthesis Man." False Xmas was originally released as a seldom-heard tape on Cult Maternal, but when we first heard it, we knew we had to put these two tracks to wax.  This particular ( ) record finds David channeling New Order through a more lo-fi lens with even worse vocals reciting emotionally devastating prose. I'm just gonna say it: these two songs make up what is a perfect pop single.

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As with our last big release, we have two packaged deals in our webstore that you should check out if you are interested in buying both of these releases at a discount. We also have a huge distro update including: Cervix, Chaos Destroy, Cider, Eunuch, Host, Long Pigs, Lotus Fucker, Mauser, Milk Music, Natural Law, Neon Blud, Nomad, Ottawa, Penis Geyser, Pollution, Reckless Aggression, The Rival Mob, School Jerks, and many more!

We are also repressing the Wankys/Lotus Fucker split 7" yet again, mostly for the Central Europeans, but Americans are welcome to purchase, as well! We also have copies of the Dads - Hat Creek 7", though copies are dwindling.

Anyway, we're looking forward to your continued support. At the very least, download the shit out of these!

For questions and concerns, as well as wholesale inquiries, here is how we can be contacted:

Katorga Works: katorgaworks[at]gmail[dot]com

P.S. Other blogs, feel free to share the download links, just please use ours and include a link for purchase. That would be much appreciated!