Let’s Start Here…
Ok so it’s been about a month - I’m just now getting settled at my new job and so its time to get this beast up and rolling again. I thank you for your patience… though maybe you were glad to not have your inbox filled with my ramblings on a regular basis. This week, there are two bits to this edition of ye olde shitstack: first up, musings about the 30th anniversary of Kurt Cobain dying I was prompted to rattle off upon realizing how much time had passed and just how old that made me feel. At first I was gonna scrub it because I didn’t think it made a lot of sense and wasn’t, perhaps, some of my better work but, in the words of THE LEFT, fuck it man. This will then be followed by the usual commentary and recommendations of braincell destructing noise. Am hoping this edition signals a return to frequency of transmissions from Razorblades & Aspirin HQ but only time will tell…
You want to know what I do?
None of your fucking business
-Fugazi
I was 19 going on 20 when Kurt Cobain killed himself.
By the time my friend came running up to me in a Taco Bell on State St in Athens, OH to deliver me the news, I honestly didn’t care too much beyond the general sadness that comes from when someone’s life becomes too unbearable to manage and they make the decision to opt out of it. I had seen Nirvana on three occasions - the first time being four years prior, almost to the day, Kurt ended it all, at the demure Blind Pig in Ann Arbor and the last, in October of 1993 at the massive Michigan State Fairgrounds Coliseum.
I think a lot about the insanity of that four year gap in time, the cultural impact - both the damaging impact on the tight knit underground while opening up a new world of possibilities to the greater world. The shifts in perspective, the wariness towards possible interlopers and the infestation of industry people - Nirvana going from being a band that played to an overstuffed room of 400 when I first encountered them to watching Kurt storm off stage after being pegged in the head by a shoe in front of 6000 people in four very short years. The ramp up, the speed to which everything changed is hard to really describe here 30 years after the fact but honestly, the biggest thing I think about is the anxiety and angst that drove him to blow his brains out.
I was listening to Damien from Fucked Up’s podcast, Turned Out a Punk, this morning where he and Kat from Scowl have a lengthy discussion about the criticism and feeling of alienation from the scene that spawned them derived from decisions their bands have made. It’s an interesting conversation, from two people who I like and respect but disagree with at times. A couple things struck me, first were comments around punk/hc having this almost cult like, religious, quality - where you adhere to the ways of doing things because thats the way its always been done, at times to your own detriment. Truth be told, I think about this a lot - how punk in many was has gone from creating space to do whatever, to create whatever to a more narrow definition of ethics and sounds. While I do feel that a lot of the gatekeeping and ethical stances are there to help maintain that space it can be creatively restrictive as it is still primarily a youth culture, embedded with the, at time, short sighted perspective of youth.
I’ve stated it in differing ways prior but, I still think that keeping big business out of punk/hc as much as possible is the best way to help it continue as a culture which empowers people to be able to create their art. That said, other people’s choices are their own and as long as one is able to reconcile their choices with their own beliefs, that is what is really important. That doesn’t mean others can’t question you, can’t disagree with you, can’t say what you are doing is bullshit, etc. The ability to actively question and interact is what separates this world from the greater industry rock thing - we’re all punks, potential friends not fans - no barriers and no one’s opinion or stance holds more value than anyone else’s, or that’s ideally how it should work.
Perhaps the more jarring thing discussed, well to me at least, was the notion that the underground doesn’t exist anymore. At least not in the same way it used with bands blowing up on social media tools, being able to tour without ever releasing a record, etc etc. It reminded me of a conversation I once had with Matt Average who did Engine around how the killer of the underground would be less corporate intrusion and more the prevalence of the internet. Rather than people making connections purely through music, finding solace in those connections, and creating a greater culture around it the internet allows those connections to form around other things (chairs, pants, ham, etc) transforming punk/hc into a genre of music people are just into like they enjoy any other. Less a culture and more just something you listen to. In someways their conversation around this signifies the full manifestation of this - though I found irony in the reference of ICP or $uicideboy$ and how they built their own community around their music using these various social media tools, etc. But what do I know?
I’ve always maintained that, for me, hc/punk isn’t what you do but how you do it. I don’t have to like it and being able to tell someone that what they’re doing is full of shit or just sucks is part of the joy of that. I believe the medium is the message - how you do the thing matters just as much, if not more than the words and sounds you create. I still firmly believe that what makes this ‘thing’ different and more interesting than the greater rock industry is the desire and drive to create space outside of the mainstream mechanisms and definitions of success. I’ve always dreamed of creating a world where we create an alternative economic ecosystem for punk to thrive in - distribution networks, venues, media, etc. The tools all exist - I don’t see much difference in using a mass produced guitar to create your art versus using “free” social media tools to promote your band, as long as you recognize that nothing is free and you are the product.
But maybe I’m naïve? I don’t know - moreover these are just random thoughts triggered by listening to a conversation between two people I respect while walking the dog mixed with the realization that 30 years have passed since Kurt Cobain ceased to exist driven partially by the same stresses and anxieties around fame and definition of success discussed decades later on that podcast.
That version of me who sorta shrugged his shoulders about Cobain’s passing while eating a mostly vegan bean burrito 30 years ago viewed life in a very black and white context, while making compromises on a daily basis. I was more concerned with hearing that Born Against was breaking up and learning that Bikini Kill was playing a warehouse in a couple months in Columbus. I didn’t care or more was unaware of the intricacies and compromises and grey areas that go into creating an actual alternative music world - and moreover I felt Nirvana’s move toward mainstream success represented a betrayal despite my post Blind Pig gushing to my ever patient father who had spent the evening reading the newspaper and listening to the radio in his car while I was having my mind blown.
So what does this all mean? I don’t fucking know - I guess that’s all up to you at the end of the day.
Bring The Noise
Just a quick reminder - I basically only write about things I like, if I don’t write about it, I either didn’t like it or haven’t heard it yet. If you send me something to review, I’ll probably write about it though keep in mind, I’m just one person doing all this so it might take a minute. Want me to write about your release - get in touch! Am happy to cover both physical and digital stuff, as long as I like it, I’ll write about it. Also, like the print zine, this is a one person operation - I always feel like I’m really behind and not doing enough and am trying to reconcile that with having a life beyond trying to wreck my hearing.
ABSOLUT - Absolut Käng Munk Demo CS
Absolut Boot Monk? I mean thats what the title translates to but who cares what that means because this is a tasty ripper of metal soaked, d-beat rocknroll that just pummels you like a thousand jackhammers to the face. Three studio tracks on side A, while side B provides a taste of the live experience and adds on a ripping GANG GREEN cover just for fun. Killer shit.
AUTOLYSE - Vaincre l'optimisme Demo CS
Stomping, mid-paced straight edge hardcore - heavy rocknroll inflected oi vibes with occasional solos and interesting basswork. Pretty raw and fuzzy in all the good ways.
When I say hardcore, this is basically what I mean - thrashing and rampaging thrashy USHC vibes which echoes a lot of GOVERNMENT WARNING/No Way sorta thing. Killer riffs blasting at an all-go-no-slow clip with vocals shouted at an almost breathless pace. This fucking rules.
Quick paced hardcore punk from Indonesia - to me this has a heavy lean into Flex Your Head DC hardcore styles. Tasty ripper.
BOOTLICKER - 1000 Yard Stare LP
I fucking love BOOTLICKER - I mean they are this perfect Canadian take on MISSBRUKARNA Swedish proto-hardcore jangle with a tinge of the musicality and reverence for hooks of TOTALITÄR but with a more modern production style. It’s absolutely infectious stuff here.
COCK SPARRER - Hand On My Heart LP
COCK SPARRER has been around for what, over 50 years?! Their longevity and desire to continue to create new music is to be admired - live they are something I feel everyone should experience at least once. I mean, there is still joy to be found in the kinetic connective energy of thousands of people singing along to “England Belongs To Me” which never fails to send chills all over me. Is this of the same quality as say Shock Troops, I mean have many ever risen to that sort of occasion or standard? Like their other more recent releases this is catchy as hell with lyrics that reflect the life of pensioners out for a bit of fun, a few rounds at the pub and more than a few laughs.
Anthemic and powerful French punk soaked in chorus pedals, massive hooks and plenty of forward motion. Mid-paced in velocity but it manages to just bounce along at this really forceful and driving pace. Killer.
Mid-tempo, melodic punk from the UK - its more along the lines of Frankie Stubbs side projects like JESSE or even the more recent HOT WATER MUSIC stuff - though perhaps minus a bit of the aggro and angst. The songs are solid, with plenty of hooks but, for me at least, a lot of the punch this stuff can have gets sanded off with the clean, modern production.
DIGITAL MALARIA - Armed Messiah
Creepy-eepy synth punk from Michigan that give all the feels of people who have spent a lot time with SCREAMERS records, drugs, and Killed By Death Vol 1-4. Lo-fi fuzzed out and a bit robotic and totally compelling.
Richmond is wild - there are some many bands here that I can’t even keep up. Hardcore, punk, metal, pop-punk, etc. its like a non-stop creative flood. I’m not complaining, just observing - anyway, DOLL BABY remind me so much of mid 90s emotive pop like SARGE but with throughly modern and slicker production. Some nice hooks and plenty of mainstream pop sensibility but with just enough angst to keep it interesting.
Jackhammer to the face, blastbeat mania alternating with heavy, spinkick inducing breakdowns. I imagine this is what a lot of 90s powerviolence and PV influenced stuff (LEFT FOR DEAD, CROSSED OUT, ACRID, etc) would have sounded like if they had access to the same level of recording tech present today. Absolutely crushing.
KNIFE’S EDGE - Rats In Power CS
Fuzzy blown out garagey punk with a slight oi/street punk feel to it - its a bit of a distortorama and I like it but with the attention paid here to melody, I wonder if the production was approach differently if it would come off sounding like something TKO was dropping in the late 90s/early 00s. For me, this checks off a lot of boxes.
JUPITER HEARTS - All That Pain You Left Behind LP
Hey check it out - homies from Louisvile got a new band and it rules! Rob Pennington (ENDPOINT, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, etc) has such a distinctive vocal style that is just perfect for the musical backdrop that leans heavy in the Revolution Summer, RITES OF SPRING/RAINsorta thing but there is a tinge of that WIPERS via OBITS moodiness that really drives it home. It’s somber, intense and earnest music and lyrics which pairs with the current era we live in. Outstanding.
Mechanical, metallic and sorta industrial stuff here - saturated in noise and echo, musically it is this violent staccato attack backing up a snarling viscous vocal onslaught.
Ambient and atmospheric synth driven stuff here - its ominous and moderately anxiety inducing, feeling like what you would imagine the inside of Cormac McCarthy’s brain sounds like.
MORIDERO - Reminiscencias Del Exterminio
Colombian metallic thrash that leans more towards the metal years of ENGLISH DOGS or maybe a smidge along the lines of 80s Bay Area Thrash/Crossover.
Sludgy hardcore punk from the SF Bay area - its a bit more along the lines of SHEER TERROR or maybe a bit akin to FANG.
Quick paced Australian punk - it starts off a bit slow but once it gets going, its a careening quick paced good time with plenty of fuzzed out lead guitar licks and pogoriffic riffing which gives me a bunch of RUDIMENTARY PENI vibes.
Gnarly ass, creepy crawl inducing punk - snarly vocals, thick wall of fuzz guitar with grinding bass blasted out at a thudding pukka-pukka pace. It’s a controlled yet messy approach that grabs you by the throat and shakes you.
THE PHASE PROBLEM - The Power Of Positive Thinking LP
Quirky pop punk that is ex-SQUIRTGUN. Heavy RAMONES through a Lookout Records filter if that makes sense - really well crafted hooky songs with lyrics about like UFOs, lost loves, observations around the absurdity of life, etc.
Thunderous, raw hardcore from Stockholm but with vocals in… Brazillian Portuguese. Total fucking rager with plenty of nods Swedish hardcore of old but more modern in its perspective. Absolutely fucking great stuff.
Ripping, raw, thrash that is the creative output of a bunch Oakland punx obsessed with Finnish hardcore of old (KAAOS, TERVEET KADET, RATTUS, etc). Though a smidge more metal in its approach than the Russia Bombs Finland-era of Finnish punk, its still a ripper. Total fucking tietämättömyys!!!
REEK MINDS - Malignant Existence LP
Filthy and raw punk that induces echoes of UNITED MUTATION and YDI joining forces with the Midwestern punch of the early Touch & Go Records band. Snarling, ugly, and quick paced, its a non-stop pummel to the gut.
Absolutely brilliant, melodic punk from Spain - it’s a got a dark moody tinge to it but retains enough pop sensibility to not bring you all the way down. For me, it brings back memories of hearing GORILLA ANGREB or the VISCIOUS for the first time, not in how it sounds, per se, but in how they are able to creative powerful melodic punk without removing a sense of ferocity and punchy aggro. Fucking great.
Explicitly left wing, stomping, midtempo punk from France with a smidge of an skinhead/street punk vibe. It’s catchy and certain to get a room moving, singing along. Dedicated to “…our friends, the activists, those we met in the street, in concerts, in demonstrations, & all the Reds who still believe in it. Thanks to our enemies for the motivation” to give a bit of perspective on the band.
Really great, thrashing, riff soaked hardcore with a melodic in the Burning Spirits sorta lane - thinking Wasted Dream-era DEATH SIDE or maybe a bit of CRUDE. It cooks and sizzles along at a quick clip with plenty of velocity - being a demo its a bit lo-fi but the riffs are there and I bet with a proper, full production this would sound monstrous. Super killer.
TOXITOLERANT - Extremophile EP
For some reason I don’t get to catch this Richmond band as much as I would like and this release just cements that I need to make sure to make more of an effort. Five blasts of snarling punk with guitar bits that meander and twist in a bit of RUDIMENTARY PENI manner at one moment before flipping over to a more high speed velocity then cascading to slithering stomp.
A relentless barrage of auditory destruction from Holland - just ugly and ferocious high speed thrash accented by stomping brutality with an overarching sense of ominous violence and moodiness. Absolutely ruling stuff.
VALTATYHJIÖ - Kuristusleikki EP
Rampaging Finnish hardcore punk that drinks equally from the manic well of the classics while injecting bits of rocknroll riffing and icy metallic moodiness. There’s this cool duality of anticipation of violence and just sorta riding into the sunset across the wasteland in the overarching feeling of the record - with the manic velocity of the A-side giving way to the rocking strut which transitions to a more epic feeling outro of the flip. I love this shit.
Killer NY punk for tha fucking punks - total GBH meets EXPLOITED feel that is sure to get mohawks a’pogoing, fists flying, studs and spikes clanking, inducing a beer soaked punk party. A lot of the same feel one might have gotten from Punkcore releases circa 2001 but so much better.
90% of this is what one might expect - rampaging, face blistering hardcore punk from Cleveland with minimally distorted guitars in a manner that sorta crosses over into a garage punk vibe. It rips and rages in all the best ways - then its flips the script into this meandering, jamming, nearly eight minute long acid induced freak rock track. It’s weird and wild and totally perfect. More of this please!
Z-Pak - 15 Minutes With Z-Pak CS
Bizarro world freak punk - fuzzed out, ambling noise rock which flips into raging thrash and back again. I’ve read it been compared the more drug induced side of SST weirdness and I’d say that’s fairly accurate. Noisy, messy and beautiful.
Glad you are back
Cheers Mike! Now an officially paying member! So great to see you still writing awesome shit!