VINYL:
A Soft Perversion
- "Last Hoorah" 7" ($3)
With Last Hoorah!, A Soft Perversion debut their provocative brand of pop-driven
art-rock. Angular guitar lines weave their way through a foundation of throbbing
bass, pulsating percussion, and warm synth tones. Layering melody upon melody,
the guitars, vocals, and bass are all infectious and engaging, and lock together
into a unique, innovative and compelling sound. A Soft Perversion will undoubtedly
turn a few heads with this seven inch. (Self Released - white vinyl)
Andrew Jackson
Jihad / Ghost Mice - "Split" LP ($8)
Two of the best folk punk duos out there! Cd version on Plan-It-X Records!
(Art of the Underground - Black vinyl)
Asthma Atttaq
/ Dirty South Apocalypse - "Split" LP ($4)
Crazy hyper core ala Locust, Hella, etc. 200 on coke green vinyl in hand
sewn, silk screened jackets. 400 on black viny in regular jackets. (Forever Escaping
Boredom Records - Black Vinyl)
Brainworms
/ Tubers - "Split" 7" ($4)
The underground railroad from St. Augustine to Richmond,
VA finally comes to listeners in the form of a split between Tubers and the
almighty Brainworms. Brainworms unleash two tracks on their 3rd split 7″ in a year, one being
Jays Big Date which is the zingiest of zingers yet by the band and the debut
of Josh Small on guitar with the band. Track two is a cover of Rites of Spring ”For
Want Of”, recorded at the same time as the live side of Which is Worse.
Tubers, who have circuited the Florida punk scene in bands one might call spastic
hardcore such as Twelve Hr. Turn, Solid Pony, and Environmental Youth Crunch,
find a mellower spot to sit while not letting aggressive tendencies completely
fall by the wayside. Tubers are the perfect complement for a party that wants
to let loose, have fun, and, you know, maybe get a little weird on the dance
floor and they do a Lemonheads cover.
Environmental Youth Crunch
- "Let's
Ride" LP ($6)
Energetic and politically charged punk from St. Augustine! (Dead Tank / Bring
Back the Magic Records, Black Vinyl, Silkscreened Covers)
Erin Tobey - "Self
Titled" LP ($8)
Erin does a great job conveying the emotion of love through well thought lyrics,
and sparse, almost ghostly instrumentation. For the most part, the recording
is just a space-echoed voice, and a cleanly fingerpicked Danelectro guitar.
But Erin adds many subtle touches like air organs, ukeleles, and the occasional
sound of a distant, marching snare drum. Also, Rich Diem of Twelve Hour Turn
plays slide guitar, and contributes a little singing to the album. People might
know of Erin from her other bands, Abe Froman and Mt. Gigantic, or perhaps
from Here It Is zine. She is a very talented person in art, music, and in life.
Everything
Falls Apart - "Tension" 7" ($4)
EFA from Buffalo, NY has released their sophomore EP on Art of the Underground.
Early Husker Du influenced guitar work with Black Flag-esque energy! (Art of
the Underground - Black Vinyl)
Fake
Problems - "Spurs & Spokes" 7" ($3)
Alt / Country punk fun from Naples, Fl. Honest, and hardworking,
never letting us down. Get into the hype! (Sabot Records - Black Vinyl)
Fake Problems
- "How Far Our Bodies Go" LP ($8)
A concept album about morality and driven by a love of
life and a fear of death, How Far Our Bodies Go, manages to tackle existential
subject matter in a way that doesn’t come off as preachy or pretentious.
In fact, metaphoric references to birth, travel, bones, weather, goals and
uncertainty litter the album, forming a patchwork of experiences that make
up one complete life experience. For fans of: Against Me!, The Good Life, Bright
Eyes, etc. (Sabot Records - Black Vinyl)
Gomek - "What the Hell Happened?"
7" ($4)
Split between drugged conscience & dead tank records..
three test presses with alternate artwork. 494 copies with recycled two color
silk screened covers, 25 of those with stamped dust sleeves for gainesville fest
2007. 6 copies with temporary silk screened covers & photograph insert
for purepainsugar records in france. comes with a photocopied insert, some
come with a patch. (Dead Conscience, black vinyl)
Judas Iscariot
/ Seein' Red - "Split" LP ($5.50)
The Netherlands' Seein' Red are back at it again with twelve more lightning
fast hardcore songs complete with revolutionary political messages. New York's
Judas Iscariot offer up eight songs on their side. They also play great hardcore
with a political message, but they bring in a sort of emotive experimental
flavor. The LP covers are different for the Mountain version which was released
in the USA and the Coalition version which was released in the Netherlands
(collectors beware). (Coalition Records, Black Vinyl)
Imagine If the Sun
Fell - "Self Titled" 7" ($3.50)
Imagine if the Sun Fell is the cooperative monikier used
by members of Empty Silos Echo War when issuing solo work. This piece of vinyl
documents the brooding instrumental serenity of the work of Jeremy Nissan of
Empty Silos Echo War. For fans of the afforementioned band's "Semantics" LP
will have their ears thoroughly pleased from the first drop of the needle until
the end on this amazing 7 inch. All this packed in an attracive textured sleeve
with silver ink. (Rok Lok Records, Black vinyl)
Matty Pop
Chart - "Everyone Does Everything" LP ($8)
Matty Pop Chart returns with eleven new tracks! Recorded by Justin Vollmar
at his home in Bloomington, IN. Additional musicians: Justin Vollmar, BZ Gibbs,
Will Staler, Ginger Alford, Amina Althea. Highly recommended! (Bakery Outlet,
Black vinyl)
Mercy Light - "Self
Titled" LP ($8)
Features members of BLUE SHIFT! Noise from Providence, RI! (Self released,
green vinyl)
Olde Ghost - "Totally" 7"
($3.50)
Furiously blasting through five rock tinged hardcore tunes that brillantly
mixes the post hardcore of Drive Like Jehu and early Rye Coalition with New
England screamy hardcore like Transistor Transistor. Olde Ghost also features
ex-members of Books Lie, The Fiction and Excitebike. (Rok Lok / Handstand Records,
Black Vinyl)
Only Children,
The - "Change of Living" Gatefold LP ($9)
The Only Children feature 3/5ths of The Anniversary with
the addition of Heidi Lynn Gluck from Some Girls. Imagine The Anniversary with
a hint of country! This record is great, and limited! This record features
a bonus track, "Dear
Rosie".
Which is exclusive and not on the CD version. Now that that is said, this band
doesn't even really need to live off of their ex-members. Josh Berwanger's
songwriting with each album he releases! (Art of the Underground - Chocolate
Mocca Color Vinyl)
Poostew -
"Struggle" LP ($6)
First full length struggle delivers 15 tracks of straight
forward grindcore sound but takes it to a higher level by mixing it with melodic
guitar sounds and heavy chugga breakdowns. Produced by the infamous Dirk Kusche
[Mörser, Systral,
Absidia ...] it s extremely heavy and contains everything from blastbeats to
midtempo driven melodies. All layout work Is done by Szandor Kubassa [Legacy
Zine, Ox Zine, As We Fight ...]. The lyrics mostly deal with politics, abuse
of power and personal views on grievances in society. (Shove Records - Italian
Import, Black Vinyl)
Render Useless
- "The Relationship Between a 1/4 Note" 7" ($3.50)
"For Render Useless, emo hasn't died with bands like
Policy of 3, Current, Indian Summer, etc. They are actually desperate to give
you their fare share. Render Useless digs up bones from the past that some
may think are already too tired like all the bands aforementioned, but they
give it a zip, a catchy happy zip, even for those that couldn't care less to
hear some of the oldies but goodies. Recharged, solid, hectic, and powerful
numbers. From Victoria, B.C., Render Useless also keeps that Canadian flowing
edge like Breakwater or a more simplified version of Republic of Freedon Fighters.
4 songs to catch on the grooviest and catchiest emotive train around. How would
I say awesome up in Canada - damn wicked." - Heartattack #17 (Mountain
Records, Black Vinyl)
Third Memory,
The - "Et De Cela Rien Ne Resort" LP ($5.50)
It was almost two years ago when I received a number
of releases from the French label, Impure Muzik, as part of a trade to distribute
their releases here in the States while Joss over at Impure Muzik distributed
Rok Lok releases. While all of those releases I received from that trade were
very enjoyable the one that struck me the most was a CD by The Third Memory
titled “et de cela
rien ne resort”. I was simply blown away by the visceral power displayed
in the music. It was a chaos that I found hypnotically beautiful. Right around
the same time, especially through my intense networking and trading routines
I became obsessed with European hardcore, namely the passionate bands that
were sprouting up all over France- Belle Epoque, Daitro, Gantz, Iscariote,
Amanda Woodward, and so many others. But for me personally The Third Memory
was at the top of that list. In the last few years I have felt American DIY
punk/hardcore has become rather stagnant in terms of creating anything new
or even modifying things a bit. Bands seem to be frozen in time, and while
The Third Memory isn’t reinventing the wheel they have put their own
unique spin on screamy hardcore. So with my love of European hardcore unable
to be contained I wanted to do release something that would not only document
my love for the band but my love for European hardcore but also to document
the strength of the DIY international network because fact is if I never traded
records with Impure Muzik I would have never heard The Third Memory. Enter
our buddies Ryan and Roy at I’ve Come For Your Children, another label
who values international networking as much as international music. When I
decided I wanted to issue “et de cela rien ne resort” it was an
absolute no brainer to co-release this project with them, and in the end it
proves that the DIY network can work in the United States if we leave our desire
to cash in on the scene behind. The music- The Third Memory excel at laying
down passionate screamy hardcore that takes cues from bands like La Quiete,
Tristan Tzara as well as Orchid. The emotion conveyed through the twelve scorching
tracks on this album tears down any walls that language my place in front of
us. This is hopefully the first of many European bands to be released on Rok
Lok and I am honored to share The Third Memory with everyone. This LP pressing
contains a non CD bonus track. -Rok Lok Records (Rok Lok Records, Black
Vinyl, Silkscreened Covers)
Tubers -
"Self Titled" LP ($8)
Florida beard-core! Recorded by Rob McGregor at Goldentone Studios, Gainesville,
FL. Additional musicians: Leonard Rutland, David Diem, Travis Fristoe, Rob
McGregor. (Bakery Outlet, Black Vinyl)
Tubers - "Shell
Out" LP ($8)
More beard rock from these North Florida aces! Brand new! (Bakery Outlet, Black
Vinyl)
V/A - Decide on Change
LP ($5.50)
This record will raise money for the NYC More Gardens Coalition, who work to
preserve endanged public green space. It features 20 tracks from 12 great hardcore
punk rock bands from around the world. The booklet has info on all the bands,
the More Gardens Coalition, and some words about the idea of public space activism.
Featuring some of the best hardcore bands from recent times (STRAIGHT TO HELL,
TOTALITAR, BALANCE OF TERROR, LAST SECURITY, VUUR, and SCHOLASTIC DETH! (Mountain
Records - Black Vinyl)
V/A I Can't Live
Without It Compilation LP ($5.50)
"This is what a compilation should be like. Very reminiscent
of early Ebullition releases. It excites me to see a compilation with a purpose!
This compilation is raising funds to encourage the abolition of the death penalty
worldwide. An incredible booklet (similar to the Give Me Back compilation or
the Downcast LP) with tons of information (footnotes to boot) and suggestions
on ways to do your part and get involved. As for the music (who really cares
at this point), there are a few standouts in my opinion. Botch really tears
shit up with an incredible song. Milhouse and In/humanity also contribute good
songs. Other featured bands are Merrimac, Amber Inn, Closure, Guyver-One, Breakwater,
Slow Side Down, Bor, Perilisium Cantos and Curll. Lest I forget the magnificent
cover art work?! The depiction of a direct action stoppage of a public beheading.
Genius. ACTION IS EVERYTHING!! Get this, it deserves your support." Heartattack
#14) (Mountain Records)
Yossarian
Is Drowning - "Self Titled" 7" ($3)
Hailing from the U.K., Yossarian is Drowning plays emotional
hardcore in the vein of Kaospilot, Portraits of Past and Hot Cross. On their
debut E.P. the lads from Shrewsbury take aim at organized religion and those
who fuck up the environment. Think screamy vocals and passionate music that
alternates between aggressive riffs and hypnotic melodies. They also have a
track on React With Protest's "Emo
Armageddon" compilation. (Forever Escaping Boredom Records, Black Vinyl)
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