20 years! life. love. no regret.

And on with more unpopular opinions of mine. Or maybe not. What do you think?

With the previous posts I went from covering the top 2 new full length records to posting about the worst record out of all those I picked up last year and now I want to take you back to the top.

The best Re-Issue of 2'14

Unbroken - life. love. regret. LP - 2014 Indecision Records IND093

As you'll know I am not too fond of all those Re-Issues but an anniversary pressing is something I can get behind. Especially if it's of my all time favorite hardcore band. I got into hardcore in the 90s which is probably why it's not a band from the 80s. Or maybe it would still be Unbroken. They took everything I love about 80s hardcore and did away with all the bullshit I don't like about 80s hardcore.
So this is my favorite Re-Issue from last year. Most people would probably put either the Brotherhood or Gorilla Biscuits LP up there but I don't. Thus losing what's left of my record collector credibility

This new pressing came out very, very good. I love the new color scheme of the cover and how the vinyl color is made to match. Also the new insert looks great and Todd Beattie's text hits home just like the lyrics still do. 20 years later and his opinions still reflect what made me fall in love with the band in the first place.
Pictured is the regular pressing out of either /800 or /1000. Where ever I see numbers pop up it says there were 1000 pressed but there is an extra ltd. pressing on a different color vinyl with a silkscreened cover out of 200 that was made for the Japan tour and I'm not sure if those are on top or out of the 1000 press run. If anyone knows please leave a comment.

Also please do get in touch if you have this promo poster:

I need it bad.

for real? + a little recap of 2'14

I guess I'll lose a lot of credit with this post.
... if I ever had any that is.

Yesterday I posted about my two favorite new full lengths of 2'14 and today I'll take you all the way to the other end of the list because I already posted about the rest of the top 5 new LPs.
For those who are curious:
#1 Give - electric flower circus LP
#2 Praise - lights went out LP
#3 Cold World - how the gods chill LP,
#4 Sheer Terror - standing up for falling down
#5 Battle Ruins - s/t LP
That being said I'm still waiting to get my copies of the latest Boston Strangler and Hank Wood & The Hammerheads LPs but I don't think they'll make it into the top 5.
These will bring up the total count of newly released hardcore/punk full length records that I bought last year to 14. Once I have those I can finally make a top 10 although it will be hard to decide and therefore probably not done
Other contenders would be:
Fucked Up - glass boys 2LP which is quite a bit better than I had expected,
Said And Done - better days LP which is pretty good,
Bloodsuckers - crush to dust LP which is pretty good too,
Punch - they don't have to believe LP which is a lot better than anything they did before,
White Lung - deep fantasy LP which is a good one albeit a little weaker than their previous effort,
The Down & Outs - lifeline LP which is good but also not as good as their previous material and
Madball - hardcore still lives LP which I think is kinda weak.

Some might also throw Chain & The Gang's latest output "minimal rock'n'roll" into the mix but somehow I think they have transcended any genre and cannot be put on this list.

Last year's new albums that can definitely not be included on a list with hc bands:
Bohren & Der Club Of Gore - piano nights 2LP - awesome as always.
Leonard Cohen - popular problems LP - a tad better than the last one.
Morrissey - worldpeace is none of your business 2LP - one good song. bored by the rest.
Warpaint - s/t 2LP - one if not the best band I discovered for myself the last few years.

But now, finally, without anymore ado I present to you the worst record I bought last year.

NYC Mayhem - for real LP - 2014 Radio Raheem Records RADIO-005

So many people hold this band in such a high regard that I've given them more than a fair share of trials but I just cannot get into this. Both their demos suck and there are maybe 2 ok to good songs among those previously unreleased 7" recordings. Sorry folks but y'all are wrong. This was not a good band.

Next!

Lights went hair core

On with the record that holds the silver medal for best new full length released in 2'14

Praise - lights went out LP - 2014 React! Records RXR040

While most certainly having been my most anticipated 2'14 release back in 2'13 it only came in second at the end of the year. But it was a close one.
What more can I say about this band/ record? Maybe that it's beyond me why there are not more people in Germany stoked on Praise and Give for that matter. We did shows with both bands and while at first I thought that any of those would sell out because of how great those bands are and the attention they seem to get I had to learn that people around here seem to be living under a huge fuckin' rock when it comes to real hardcore that puts heart, MIND and soul over style and fun. Hopefully that will change again as this was what drew me towards hardcore in the 90s in the first place and because I think that's what it should be like.

I got my regular black copy out of 425 at one of the usual distros I order from. Apart from the test press there are 4 more variants out there. A release show version out of 75 which probably reduces the regular black vinyl variant to 350. The green vinyl out of 150 and most likely only 300 LPs on blue wax with a regular cover because they used 50 blue records for a ltd. euro tour version which sold out during the show we did which I believe was like the 3rd or 4th one on the tour. Sorry folks.

Electric Hair Core

Happy New Year fellow nerds

Let's start 2015 with what I regard to be the best new LP released in 2014

Give - electric flower circus LP - 2014 Adagio830 #121

It took me quite a while to really get into this band. At first I liked their approach but couldn't fully get behind what I heard. Then I saw them live and was blown away. What a great live band.
Repeated listening to the first full length and 'singles going confetti' had me feel them a lot more and then this one dropped. Damn is this a great record. Definitely my favorite of 2'14

What we have here is the regular euro pressing out of 400 on black which I bought straight from the band when we did a show with them. There's also a ltd. green vinyl pre-order edition out of 100 but that one is long gone but you can still pick up a black copy here. Or you can pick up the US pressing which the band put out on their own label Moonflower Records. And make sure you also pick up the True Head 12" you won't be disappointed. Listening to and loving it again right now.

I can't wait for that new 12" on Revelation to find its way over the pond.

GIVE is what hardcore 2'15 should feel like.

Warfool

Warpaint - the fool 2LP - 2010 Rough Trade RTRADLP580

My second Warpaint album was actually their first full length although I would consider it their second because 2009's debut release 'Exquisite Corpse' 12" is considered an e.p. by some but not me. If you don't consider records with a playtime like the one on their first output a full length you might be hard pressed to find a full length hardcore album at all :D

Anyway. This is more of the same. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just everything I love about this band. I can't get enough of this. I think their debut was recently re-issued. I hope for a decent price. I need that one. This band is perfect!

White light, white heat

Velvet Underground - white light / white heat LP - 1998 Verve Records V6-5046, Verve Records V/V6-5046

I knew it couldn't be true when I bought this record. Re-Issue after Re-Issue of this album pops up all over the place but I was holding out for an original first press.
This pressing looks very much like the real deal but it was cheap and in spectacular condition so I thought that it cannot be what I'm looking for. Yet I couldn't let it sit there. You know what it feels like to find out later that indeed it was what I was looking for. The pain of passing up a great opportunity was certainly something I feared more than purchasing my first copy of this record for less than what those most recent represses cost.

It's a beautiful, apparently official, Re-Issue on the very same label that originally released this classic in January 1968. Almost 47 years ago. Besides spelling mistakes and updated credits the whole artwork is true to the 1st pressing. Definitely not sorry for picking this one up. If you don't want to spend too much this is certainly one of the best versions to consider.

UNDERTONES

Undertones - s/t LP - 1979 Sire SRK 6071

Another UK killer. I've had another copy of this album for years already when I saw a beautiful first press at a good friends place. I knew right there and then I had to get one too. Good thing it didn't take me long to find my own copy. This might be my all time favorite 77 Punk album. It slays front to back.

Sealed Session Ruts

The Ruts - The Peel Sessions 12" - 1986 Strange Fruit SFPS 011

At first I only liked their Hit Babylon's Burning but after I listened to their eponymous The Crack LP a couple of times it grew on me. No I love it front to back so I didn't have to think for a second when I found this still sealed canadian pressing of their Peel Session. It's a cut out but you can hardly see the tiny hole in the front bottom right corner. I thought to myself what are the chances to find this one unopened but only a day or two later I saw another one in a different shop. Maybe I should have picked that one up too so I could open and listen to one. Then again I'd rob someone else of the chance to add a sealed copy to her / his collection. Not sure if many people are as crazy as I am and keep records sealed even though they don't have a copy to play. But who knows. Maybe someone will be as excited about old sealed records as I am. Currently I have 4 sealed records in my collection that I will never open. Including this one. Two of those are the only copies I have.

Ninteen inches of Clash

The Clash - s/t LP - 1979 Epic 36060, Epic JE 36060, Epic AE7 1178

Ok, there are a lot of bands that I think need no introduction but if that is right for only one band I think it's The Clash. So glad I scored this great copy of the crucial first LP. I've always held out buying this album until I found a special pressing. And I believe this to be one. Of course it's available online but for some reason I prefer tracking down UK bands' vinyl in brick and mortar stores.

I can't recall if I ever physically saw this pressing before but definitely not including the 7". Lucky me the first time I see one it's in great shape at a reasonable price. Now I only still need a true first press.

Fanx 69

Today is dedicated to some British classics

Sham 69 - that's life LP - 1978 Polydor POLD 5010, Polydor 2442 158

These lads released some of the best Oi songs ever. I cannot imagine anyone being into Punk or Hardcore not knowing at least one or two of their songs.
That's life is their 2nd full length.

A copy of this album is not hard to find. It seems there were millions pressed. If you're looking for a genuine UK first press though it gets a little more difficult.
Coming across a copy with the hype sticker on the cover and looking as fine as the one on my copy cuts down your chances again.

Finding a copy that actually does still come with the advertised poster is taking the cake. At least if you try to find one in this condition in the wild aka a real recordstore and not on discogs. I lost track of the number of copies I checked for the poster. Glad I finally got lucky. Sooner or later this will be going on my wall. In a frame of course. I'm not 14 anymore.