more X in the new world

I mentioned X in my last post so here we go:
This original german pressing of their 4th LP is one of three records I brought back home from my last trip to Hamburg where we went to see Quicksand and old friends. Good times. Good scores. Perfect!


X - more fun in the new world LP - 1983 Elektra ‎– 96-0283-1

X always were more on the rock side than their contemporaries.

Not surprisingly 'los angeles', having been released in 1980, was the most punk with rock influences getting stronger over the years. So you kinda know what to expect here. Then again it's right in-between 1982's "under the big black sun" which can still be considered a punk record and 1985's "ain't love grand" which is more of a rock type thing.
While both of those are good records I prefer the earlier and was hoping that "more fun..." tipped the scale in favor of that one. Guess what... it did.

This shouldn't be missing from any self respecting punk collection (or at least be on the want list).
If you have a soft spot for rock ('n'roll) that is. But I'd say you need that for anything X anyway so make sure to pick this up sooner or later.

Legal weapon of love

At the same time & place I picked up the Kris & Rita LP I picked up this german pressing:


Legal Weapon - life sentence of love LP - 1988 MCA Records 255 618-1

Their early material is full on, great hardcore punk but this one is a lot more on the rock side of things. I'd say it's just one way of a natural progression for any band that doesn't want to record the same song over and over. Which as you know I respect. I guess I would not have bought this release if it was just a bad replica of their first record.

Some people see 'strong rock influences' as a bad thing period. To me however it is not that one dimensional. Sure. Rock is also a pretty dirty word in my book as in 70s rock or blues rock but I consider Punk Rock pretty damn great so I like not to discard a record right away because it has strong rock influences. And in this case again I was right to do so. Of course it's nothing extraordinary but definitely worth taking home at the price I paid. It even reminds me of later X at times and that's never bad.

I'll definitely keep my eyes open for the rest of their later catalogue.

Kris & Rita

Here we have something most of you probably don't like at all. In fact I do only know one person besides me who is into 70s Country. Sure a lot of people claim to like Country but on further inspection it turns out they are into Johnny Cash's american recordings but don't know shit about anything else. Now those are great records but they are not exactly Country records. And then there are the real Country lovers who like the good old twangy, hillbilly type Country but even a lot of them, at least in my experience, don't care about the softer and more mellow 70s stuff. Admittedly it's not that easy to find good 70s Country records because, let's face it, most of it really does suck but there is the occasional raw diamond to be found hidden on full length albums I bought but wouldn't listen to in full again for money. Anyways...


Kris & Rita - breakaway LP - 1974 Monument ‎– MNT 80547

Kris Kristofferson is one of the best known representatives of 70s Country. Maybe because Travis Bickle aka the Taxi Driver liked his album 'the silver-tongued devil and I' so much. Of course I do own a copy of that record among others of his too.
I would love to see this guy perform live as he is still on the horse. Unfortunately it didn't work out yet. I guess I have to hurry.

Rita Coolidge on the other hand although also one the better known later Country recording artists could not place a single one of her own LPs in my collection. Not quite sure why. Maybe I should change that as she is doing a hell of a job together with Kris

The above pictured record is a UK first press of the 2nd album out of 3 they did together. I found it in a local comic book store that also has a used vinyl section. I hardly ever go there but on the same street is a great little vegan cafe that I was to meet my wife at after work and because I was early I went hunting. Glad I did. Glad I was. Especially because it completes this little collection. As you can see below.

There's just something about finding an original pressing of a record that is older than you yourself. Especially if it's in such good shape at 40 years of age. Thanks to whoever took good care of it before me. I'll treat it well until someone will come to pry it from my cold, dead hands.

Alright! All three LPs they did together pictured above.
Top Left is an original UK pressing of their first effort from 1974.
The one on the bottom is a copy of a UK repress of their last album together from sometime around 1986 probably that was originally released in 1978. I might have to track down an original pressing of that one too. Preferably a UK one.

Something different today!

I'm busy with a lot of things lately. Most of all work unfortunately but also with this:

So far we couldn't find any local support but we're still working on it.
If you know someone get in touch.
For more info and updates go here.

both bands have the following new records available for pre-order here.





or get their earlier material from GIHC:

Social Damage - both demos 7"

Raw Justice - we don't need your friends 7"

Not long after this will be happening:

more soon...

mama won't like suzi

Sundays are great for fleamarkets. If the weather is fine and I have the time I like to go there and flip through the record bins people put out. Although in recent years there are more and more professional sellers present who know what they are selling. And a lot of them it seems are getting their prices from discogs. Just looking at what people TRY to sell at instead of what people actually pay. So that one day I went I got home with just one record.

Suzi Quatro - your mama won't like me LP - 1975 Columbia 3C 064-96454 

The attitude that title suggests alone would be reason enough to buy that record. Must have been pretty wild for a woman in 1975 to make that kinda statement. Apart from that I guess you'll have to appreciate the music as what it was when it was released. Today it might seem pretty tame but in 1975? Ok, Velvet Underground, The Stooges, MC5 and the New York Dolls were already on the map but apart from those I don't think there were too many bigger bands like that and probably none with an explicitly female lead character. 

Pictured here is an original italian pressing of her 3rd long player delivering solid glam rock with a hint of punk. Or maybe it was even called glam punk. Not sure there. Don't know too much about that. When it was first released there were several pressings made on different labels in different countries but then it was neglected until it got released on CD for he first time in 2011 and then again in 2012. Yes, that's right. No good re-issue has ever been made of the album so whatever you find is original first press. Go for it!

I just realised that this record is older than me. Not many records in my collection are. Always nice to add one more. Oh and yes, I'm kinda old myself or else a lot of my records would be older than me.

Done better

Now I want to present to you a band that is one of the most underrated in all of europe and beyond.

Said & Done - better days LP - 2014

Cobra Records CR-065
Straight & Alert Records S&A08
White Russian Records WRR021

Because they are so fucking underrated it is kind of a risk to release anything by them which led to 3 labels teaming up on this. Or at least that's my guess. 

3 different colors were pressed. red /100, white /100 and black /300. The version I got fits best with the whole layout I'd say. It picks up on the hints of red on the cover and insert and makes it more visible. 

They used to play a pretty groovy kind of NYHC with hints of Underdog and Supertouch. Well, that's what I hear but I know that at least their vocalist is a big fan of Only Living Witness and Life Of Agony so that was probably also a big influence. With this release they went more the way of another one of his favorite bands. Nirvana. Nah, don't worry it's not a grunge record. They just incorporated a lot more rock elements which is quite a step from their last release but nothing you couldn't have seen coming. Before they decided to record this album they were already thinking about calling it a day so if you get the chance to see them live on the odd occasion that they do get out you should go for it. Who knows how long they'll keep going.

white fantasy

and on with more of the same

White Lung - deep fantasy LP - 2014 Domino WIGLP335

As mentioned in the previous post I really like their first full length 'sorry' from 2012. It's one of the best records from that year. This one though I'm not too sure. Most likely it needs a couple more spins so it can grow on me. If it does it will probably stand way out but if it doesn't this might be their last release I picked up. 

white monster

Onto something with a little more rock, indie, grunge or whatever you want to call it touch.

White Lung - drown with the monster 7" - 2014 Domino ‎– RUG584 

The first few 7"es I owned by this band didn't really blow me out of the water so I disregarded them for a while. Until I heard their first full length LP. That is one hell of a record. Ever since I pay more attention to White Lung again. Unfortunately though I don't dig this release as much. Maybe I need to give this a few more spins.

With this release they managed to get on a bit of a bigger Indie Label. Domino puts out good stuff like Sons & Daughters and Anna Calvi. Looks like a good home for them. Congrats.

With a label like that you never know how many records they press but I guess it's quite a few. The A/B matrix' say buzz off / get a life btw. Nice!

Night Surf

I bet you know this band already and if you don't... WHY? This is the best current band playing early 80s US west coast hardcore punk with a surf sound. Not unlike Agent Orange but definitely not a mere rip-off. 

Night Birds - monster surf 7" - 2014 Wallride Records WRR025 

This is an instrumental release the band was contemplating for quite a while as I understand and while their vocalist is busy with other things in life they thought it was the right time to realise that idea. 

So here we have a copy out of this one time pressing of 1000. The basic look of the cover without a full back fits this release pretty perfect as you also don't get to hear the full band on this release. The two color labels are nice but a glow in the dark instead of the yellow would have made it even better. Nevertheless this is a great release that sits well among the other records in their discography.

Pirates gold

Today we start with a raw hardcore punk sound that tips in favor of the punk part. 

Somali Pirates - the gold collection 7" - 2013 Indecision Records ‎– IND91 

I don't know when it was that I heard the first Somali Pirates song but it was definitely a song off their first 7" called 'greatest hits e.p.' Right away I made a mental note to keep my eyes open for that record. Unfortunately there never appeared one in the shops on- and offline that I frequent. But obviously this one did so I went for it.

The Indecision homepage states a pressing of 605 on clear yellow so no other color available which makes sense considering the name. That's the stuff I like. If you do color vinyl it has to fit the release. 

Meanwhile they put out yet another 7". I hope I'll get my hands on a copy of that one too. They seem to be going pretty much under the radar. At least under mine. Damn.

What damage?

Ok. As promised we diverge slightly from the sound of the last couple of records. This is raw as fuck youth crew from Indianapolis, Indiana. Not unlike Straight Ahead for example

Social Damage - both demos 7" - 2014 Straight & Alert Records S&A09

As you might have guessed this record compiles their two demos that were released in 2013. Since I missed out on the first one and really like the 2nd one I gladly put in an order for this single. Great stuff and they will be on tour in europe with label mates Raw Justice in October. Keep your eyes open my friends. I have a feeling that not many people will come to their shows but those who do I bet won't be disappointed. Really looking forward to this.

There are 4 different versions out there. 2 different pre-order covers out of 100 each. Both on gold vinyl and it seems that there was a slight overproduction since there are also 18 gold vinyl records with regular cover out there. My copy is the standard black vinyl version out of 326 including a sticker and additional label flyer.

right my wrongs

Stomping through the first half of this year ends with this record. It's by a band from Denton, Texas that plays the same style as the ones in the previous posts. The next entry will feature a slightly different sound but let's just focus on this killer for now

The Sentenced - out for blood 7" - 2014 Hardware Records HWR-054

This is the 7" repress of their demo that was put out by False Form in 2013. Hardware pressed 100 copies on red and 400 on black vinyl. And my copy came with an additional label flyer and a sticker. Nice!

I ordered a black vinyl copy straight from the label when it came out. At that time both colours were still available and I knew red was more limited but people paying so much more money for color vinyl even if it's not limited, like with the 2nd press War Zone 7", pisses me off quite a bit. So much actually that I decided to only buy new records on color vinyl if there is no black vinyl available.

And still I got a red one even though I ordered the black version. But it's ok. I have to admit that this is the better version because of how well the red vinyl fits with the cover and how the labels are in the vein of the inserts. So at the end of the day I'm glad I didn't get what I ordered. Thanks Chris.

extra, extra read all about it

Back to the US with the next one. Still straight up hardcore. Keepin' it raw, simple and in your face.

Missionary - american strike 7" - 2014 Warthog Speak WS-005

Their demo killed it already and they are not letting up with this release.
Comes with a really big and nice newspaper print insert.
Also released on limited clear vinyl.

Vegan Straight Edge

At least some people in Germany know how to make good music. As stated in Low Life Fanzine #1 this is 75% german, 25% russian and 100% hardcore. 'nuff said.

Mind Trap - life among liars and thieves 7" - 2014 Refuse Records 102 / Sfr Hardcore 4

Their demo was pretty good already but this one is even better.
Right up there with the last few records I posted about.
500 of these were pressed. All on black. No fancy shit.

Death will serve you better

And another band traveling the same road but in their very own car. I just can't get enough of that. 

Mercy Killings - s/t 7" - 2013 Beach Impediment Records BIR-009

This is first press black vinyl out of 550.  There was also a limited edition first pressing on blue vinyl out of 150 and a 2nd press on black with green print on the center labels out of 330

Two of these songs are from their demo and the others are new. Well, were new. Meanwhile they sold out of a promo tape for an upcoming 7". That's bad and good news all in one.

Hard

This is a Richmond, Virginia band doing what I like the most. Mix fast and raw US HC with Oi

Hard Stripes - s/t 7" - 2013 Vinyl Conflict Records VC-003

After their 2012 demo that I'm still looking for they put out a United Blood 2013 version of said tape and included 2 songs as a teaser for this 7".

Maybe it's just wishful thinking but I think I saw a new release on the horizon.
Can anyone confirm that?

The reaper wants you to....

The UK is brimming with great bands right now. This is one of them

Die - s/t 7" - 2013 Sonic Terror Discs STD1

This is their demo pressed onto vinyl and it was engineered by Jonah Falco of Fucked Up. What ever that means. I have no grasp of whatever an engineer does. All I can say is that this is one of the best Oi tinged hardcore I have ever heard.

On their bandcamp page they state that 970 copies were pressed and that they are sold out. Anyone know about new material? I need more of that.

the only circus i'm down with

You might remember that a few posts earlier I mentioned going to the Take Offense / Cold Stare Show and that they those bands didn't have any interesting vinyl for sale. That's because I had already ordered what they did sell that night due to not being sure whether I would go there or not. So this arrived in the mail a couple of days after the show:

Cold Stare - the circus 7" - 2013 Flatspot Records FSR-08

It took me a couple of spins though before I could appreciate this record. But that's a good thing. It means they progressed. Now progress is not always good but in this case it is. You can only write a song so many times before it gets boring. I have a feeling that won't happen here. Maybe they will move into a direction that I can't get behind with their next release but I respect that a hell of a lot more than playing it safe aka churning out the same old boring shit all the time because that's what people expect you to do.

I can't find any pressing info online but I guess I got the more common version out of the two that were pressed, the other being a transparent blue, because that's usually what I end up with when ordering things from a distro. Which to repeat myself I'm totally fine with. Blue, yellow what's the difference.

I'm still missing their s/t 7" which apparently was only pressed once at a capacity of 200. Which probably means I'll never get one. Then again maybe I don't even have to as their is a single compilation LP scheduled to come out on Street Kids Records. I hope it drops soon.

Keep your eyes peeled for the good stuff.

That price is not so Civilized!

Not the most expensive recent 7" release I picked up. That would be one of the RSD releases. But definitely very pricey.

Civilized - dust & blood - 2014 Youth Attack Records YA89

Once I had this release I knew what caused the price. The record has an inner sleeve that looks a little like what other records have as a regular cover and it comes in what I think is called an Arigato style jacket. Just look at it. It's beautiful and so worth the money.

The music is really harsh old school hardcore with a singer that reminds me of a dirtier more pissed of Ray Of Today.

Besides the black vinyl version I have there were two other colors pressed. Having been late again there was no chance of getting one of those but I like black vinyl better most of the times anyway. It works perfectly with the whole layout on this release so it's all good. I'm just glad I got one of these from Per Koro along with other stuff instead of having to go through discogs ending up paying postage for just one 7".

censored Blotter???

First thing that I got to notice about this band was the awesome cover of their record. Then I listened to it and the sound was a perfect match. Great. Had to have it so when I got a chance I ordered it from one of the few places I do get my new records from.

Blotter - under armour '77 7" - 2014 Erste Theke Tonträger ETT-021

But wait. What's this? That's not the cover I fell in love with. Why did they use a different cover for the german pressing??? I don't get it. Now I kinda need a copy of the US pressing too. I just hope that the inserts are the same since this one here really kills it. If that's the case and I'll ever happen to come across a US copy this one will have to leave.

Look at the inside of the insert. So much going on. I think this is the only record with an insert that opens up like that. Great idea!

BS Oslo

Ok. After this break in posting I'll get back covering my pick ups of current bands that I like in alphabetical order. Most if not all of them are nothing I really collect so I'm fine with owning any copy of each release. Also I don't know to much about the bands so these will be pretty short posts.

First release to be covered is this fine 12" that I don't even remember where I ordered it from. I really have to get that backstock dealt with so I can post about new records as they arrive.

Blood Suckers - crush to dust LP - 2014 Sjakk Matt Plater SJAKK MATT 18

All I know about this band is that they are from Oslo, Norway and that they did something like a weekend of shows in Germany that were not too well attended. Kids these days are just not into the good old hardcore sound. Which is one reason why I hardly ever go to shows lately. The good bands hardly ever come through this hardcore dessert I live in.

This is the first and probably only pressing of their vinyl debut out of 300. They made a few copies of their demo but that sold out before I got wind of them but as far as I know those songs are on here too.
Can't wait for the new 7" they have scheduled to come out on Hardware Records.