Song of the Week: "Power" (Agnostic Front)

It was great to finally hear "Victim In Pain" on vinyl thanks to Bridge Nine who put out the well packaged re-issues with butt-ugly covers. Well, they're not ugly; they would make good menus or something. Not that the original was pretty to look at, but it was authentic. They used the original recordings, why not the covers? Anyway, "VIP" is one of my top ten early '80's records (I was never into buying at collector prices. I settled for years with that cool Combat CD that also has "Cause For Alarm" on it), and easily one of my favorites of all time. Agnostic Front was often challenged for their politics (or other people's perception thereof), but on "Power" they dig their trench before an abstract enemy most of us can feel good uniting against. And, as the band professes on many songs, unity is in fact what we're all about...

"Power" by Agnostic Front

Petroleum Straight, No Chaser

The above art is not the cover of a long lost Spine Wrench 7", but rather that of the one 7" released by Minneapolis' Servitude. Even if this was not a pre-Segue band, and even if this was not released on Profane Existence/Skuld records, I would still post it. Mainly because, like many records on this blog, it's obscure and I fuckin' love it! Conjure the ferocity of nineties north/mid-west crust core (Shitlist, Decrepit, Dearborn SS) and shoot it up with 100 cc's of Segue's gloom, and see how it compares to what Servitude did.

Servitude 7"

Hello Disaster

What more needs to be said about Out Cold that I haven't noted already? OC are the most genuine, bitter, scabby-knuckled, wake up in a pool of urine, lipstick message on the mirror hardcore this country has to offer. They've been offering it since the late eighties, and their most recent LP, "Goodbye Cruel World" shows no sign of burnout or sellout. The fast tunes are raw and cutting; the mid-paced ones are fist-pumping and full of grit. Like all of OC's LPs, this one is my favorite as long as I'm not playing one of their others.

These rips are for Mikxxx at the always adventuresome 15 Counts of Arson blog, but it's also for you if you have this LP already, or if you don't have a turn table. I'd like to think this post will turn someone on to Out Cold and that person will go buy the LP, but very few blog visitors will probably do that. Just in case, here is a link to Mad At The World Records, where you can get a copy for cheap. The d/l link will be removed 2 days from the posting date.

"Goodbye Cruel World" by Out Cold (link has been removed)

Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down

As requested, I went ahead and ripped a couple of One By One 7"s, and Mike generously contributed rips of their 12". The "Fight" 7" is one of my all time favorite EPs, drawing on tons of UK punk and hardcore traditions, but of course sounding like something quite all its own. Two deadly forces are conspiring: rage and intelligence. The same is true for the other two records posted here, but unfortunately the vocals are more subdued (both by Micky and the recording) by comparison (some of this has to do with the absence of Karin's vocals). Either way, this is classic hardcore/punk that should never be forgotten. It seems that the long-promised One By One discography CD has been back-burnered, as Micky is focusing on his fiction writing.

One By One 7"s

One By One LP

Song Of The Week: "Forgetable Fire" (Harriet The Spy)

For years I've been listening to the Harriet The Spy singles collection thinking it was a discography. Discovering that the glorious "Unfuckwithable" LP was exclusive was quite the rejoiceable moment. No, this is not crusty hardcore; it's not even screamy nineties chaos. It's just spacey, rackety rock that's deceptively complex, wonderfully dark, ghoulishly sarcastic, and subtly tinged with hardcore sensibilities (very subtle). They did a split 7" with 3 Studies for a Crucifixion, and I believe are related to Party of Helicopters. HTS are not for everyone who comes here, but they are definitely for me.

"Forgetable Fire"

You can get a CD copy of "Unfuckwithable" here. The above is a homemade vinyl rip.

I've got a little vacation time, so I'm gonna be posting like crazy. First some requests-- tonight... One by One EPs, then some Out Cold!

Soon... I'll be posting tons of links of stuff people have sent for review, etc.

Eventually... I want to do some mega posts on bands like 3 Studies for a Crucifixion, Bonescratch, Ivich, etc.

Intermittently... I want to post a ton of other stuff. Now would be a good time for requests (of course, no guarantees that I have it, but it doesn't hurt to ask)!

One By Sedition

This is a pretty odd ball 7", but that only makes it doubly worth a post! One way to look at this is to call it a One By One/Sedition split 7". A more precise description would be a One By One live 7" with a (badly) studio(?) recorded Sedition track. It was a 40th birthday gift for "Le Vieux" (depicted above); Sedition was supposed to play at this gig and be a more substantial part of the final output, but ended up breaking up too early. The good news is that the One By One tracks sound pretty damn intense (Keep in mind this is coming from a HUGE One By One fan who is not much of a live recording fan) and the Sedition track rules like all of their stuff did/does, even with the muddy recording. Let's see, what am I forgetting?... The 1b1 set was recorded in a farmhouse near Tours, France and includes a cover of "Police Bastard."

Download

Here's a photo of One By One at the same show, graciously offered by Fab(rice):

SOTW: "Middelalder" (La Casa Fantom)

I've been listening to a lot of La Casa Fantom lately. Almost daily. After you wear out a record, revisits are inevitable, but I've been playing their self-titled LP like it's brand new. It just doesn't get old for me, and fewer bands can nail such schizoid tempo and genre shifts so seamlessly, especially considering there are only two instruments. Grindcore one second; spacey rock the next. This one's pretty much an instrumental, so the member's chops are all there is to rely on. Guitars? Who needs 'em!?

"Middelalder" by La Casa Fantom

The Ones To Start The Fires

Get 'em while you can: the link for Segue's two 10"s will be taken down shortly. I'm posting because I'm a sucker for requests; I'm removing out of respect for the band and labels. This weekend we have the alpha and omega from a fiercely odd band that happily frustrates our need to pigeonhole. The first was a fine debut, but on the second, the band pulls the lever on the trapdoor leading to a more ominous, dank cavern of excruciating isolation and psychic turmoil. Considering the production and song "structures," I'd say this is the band's most solid work. If they live to put forth another 10", well I just don't know what I'll do with myself.

Segue's 2 10"s (Link has been removed. Contact Trujaca Fala, etc. to get copies)

(Hopefully I got the track tags right on the first 10". Trying to follow along with the lyrics is a bit disorienting if not impossible on some tracks).

Note: When you buy the vinyl for the 2nd 10" (see links in previous post), listen to it at least once on 33 1/3. Brutal!

Nutrasweet and LSD

Segue has a curious fascination with insect imagery, as well as burroughs-esque slip-stream bad-trip lyrics. On this 7" we also get to hear a fairly early account of these Minneapolitan's loose-structured fusion of crust, metal, folk, and noise that, while depressing, leaves me guffawing like a mad scientist. The monster given life here is a challenging one, but ultimately one that could open some doors. Recommended for those who resist following formulas.

The idea was to post the rest of Segue's discography, but their two 10"s are still widely available. Hit up the links below if you have a turn table. I don't know, maybe I'll post them as a limited time download later this week(?).

I just noticed this is post # 400. How the hell did that happen?

Segue 7"

Segue/Inflicted split 12" post

Buy the 7" here

Buy the 10"s...

NIC

Active Rebellion

Puke'n Vomit

Song of the Week: "Slaves" (The Holy Mountain)

Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the impression The Holy Mountain don't get the love they deserved. One reason may be that they operated at time when every other crusty hardcore band was being given the FAR/Tragedy treatment in reviews. At first it was complimentary; then it became code for trendy bandwagoners; then it got to be a ridiculous deterrent. It sucks that probably a lot of bands and records lay as casualties in mass musical graves because of this. So this is my one song tribute to one powerful band that played dark, crusty, Japanese and Swedish influenced hardcore, and did a rip-roaring job of it. If you like them, go to No Idea records and pick up a bunch of their stuff for super cheap, then check out the band ABC Weapons (Australia) for a similar sound. If you already know this band, you've done the above already. "Slaves" comes from the "Entrails" LP, and it rules. Feel free to share your favorite HM song, or a post-Tragedy/HHIG band that deserves mention.

"Slaves" by The Holy Mountain

Guts On Fire

I'm too friggin' busy to make any rips right now, so I'm taking a chance that this incredible Icon Gallery 7" is sold out. If it's not, don't be a cheap-ass-- order one if you like what you hear. "Retribution" made it to the Song Of The Week a few months back (which is when I ripped this), and I'm easily sticking with that decision. How to describe IG's rock leads us to quite an impasse. The band's myspace profile cites Post Regiment, Heart, Iron Maiden, and Prince. Some of these names make sense in vague ways, but we're far from a complete picture. What we do have is some kind of awesome post punk-rock-hardcore with a fair amount of complexity, melody, grit, and hooks; the kind of rock that needs to be heard and not analyzed.

This EP presents their 3 demo tracks and one extra. Some members were previously in Aphasia.

Icon Gallery "Demo" 7" (Link has been removed. Go buy a copy)

Song Of The Week: "Discipline" (The Rosie Jones Band/Leatherface)

Yeah, I know, tribute comps suck. Most of the songs, as decent as they might be, just make you want to throw on the originals. Rubber Factory's "Leatherface Tribute" isn't very exceptional in this respect. Of the forty or so renditions hereon, about eight warrant repeat listens. The one I celebrate today always kills me though: a western version of "Discipline" (western as in country and western)!?! On paper, it sounds hokey and ridiculous, but in the capable hands of The Rosie Jones Band, we are given one beautiful piece of work. The band's rootsy approach luckily predates the trash the industry passes off as "country" these days, and the skillful use of acoustic string instruments and the nice vocals delicately harness the urgency and somberness that make Leatherface an eternal favorite. A good cover should bring something new to the table while still keeping the integrity of the song's mood and power intact. This one does it, and while doing so, completely rips apart my genre prejudices. A lot of you are gonna hate this, so proceed only if you're feeling a little adventurous.


"Discipline" (Leatherface) performed by The Rosie Jones Band