bidhardcore.com

Seller zvuk-art has all kinds of stuff up for auction, doing a pretty reasonable job of covering all the genre bases, as you can see. However this is bidhardcore, and that narrows things down pretty easily here. I’m not going to talk about the Beastie Boys “Polywog Stew” 12″, because it’s not actually a good record, just a bad punk 12″ made by some guys that got famous later. It says it’s a Ratcage OG, but it also says made in France, so I’m not sure. If you care, you’ll have to research that. A much better record, one of my Brit-core favs, and one that set a standard: Ripcord “Defiance Of Power” 12″ with bonus “The Damage Is Done” flexi (in fact this is my second favorite Ripcord release). I think one of the things about Ripcord that I like the most is that they were unabashedly influenced by American bands of the early 80’s (SS Decontrol, Siege, Youth Of Today, 7 seconds), but still maintained some Britishness in their sound. Even if they considered themselves mainly drawing from American influences, there are still shades of groups like the Varukers, GBH, Chaos UK, Discharge, etc., that I can’t escape in their sound, which for me is part of the Ripcord appeal. Not that I’m a huge British punk listener, but the cross pollination, it’s good… like a strawberry-kiwi beverage, or the ever popular chocolate and peanut butter snack. It’s also pretty cool they had a song like Drug-Shit, being that they were from an area of the world where that would put them distinctly in the minority. They took a hard line (no pun intended) on animal abuse too, I feel like probably half their songs were about vivisection/vegetarianism/other animal exploitations, which I guess was kind of new at the time. The sound is kind of a heavy blur, with thick, thick fuzz on the guitar and bass, and jackhammering, simple drum patterns. The lack of flashiness in the music actually serves it quite well I think making it heavier and more focused in some way or other. Recommended shredding here…

Today’s post is sort of a clearing house for the other most interesting tapes I spotted on ebay this week. As a result, none of the tapes have anything to do with eachother, they’re about as unrelated as could be.

Firstly is this Gai “Damnation” tape from Japan. It’s not really clear even after consulting a few heads, whether this was released before or after the group had already disbanded, but it is considered to be official, and judging by the fact that the seller is auctioning a legit copy of Stalin “Trash” (among other gems) I would expect it to be an authentic original. Gai are one of the template for so many noize-core groups there after, and sadly, so many embarrassing myspace only punk bands. If you want to know about fuzzed out, dumbed down, noized up Japanese punk, check out www.shit-fi.com. There’s a great series that walks you through the essentials, and has some good downloads.

Next on the list: a Half-Off “Who Writes Your Rules” demo. Billy Rubin was the original ex-straight edge agitator, except he was never smart enough to make the kind of name and career for himself that Sam Mcpheters did. In fact I’d say he was a bit of a dunce, and an average hard core vocalist at best. Half-off is a thoroughly so-so band, but this demo is not bad, maybe better than their lp (with such ugly cover art) on New Beginning. Maybe if the drumming had not been so terrible, and the guitars a little more in tune, I’d cut the album a little more slack. Eventually the guitarist took his own life, and the remaining members formed Haywire, which kind of mixed a muscular post-Flag Rollins Band/Bl’ast rock, with heady Dan O’ type pseudo philosophical lyrics. I always wanted it to be good, but like Half-Off, my feeling is that it never sparked and caught fire.

Continuing on the “has nothing to do with the one before it” line: a Merauder demo for you! Truthfully my interest in NYHC stops before Merauder came on the scene by a year or two. But for post-Madball, post-Vulgar Display of Power, post-Obituary, dusted, gang related NYHC groups, there really is no other. Wait, that’s wrong. The scene in NY was choked with others in the mid-90s, but Merauder are considered one of the lasting greats. For me, it’s too hard. It’s just too hard. But for my friend Rob Buschgans, it’s just right,  and when he says “Hardest Out”, he’s speaking the truth. This demo is infamous because it predates the line-up on their “classic” Master Killer lp, and instead has a very scary dude, by the name of Minus on vocals (not that Jorge, the singer on that album isn’t also extremely scary).

Last up, another “completely unrelated” item, by a band who would probably be bummed to know they were getting mentioned right after Merauder, (but, if I ever cared less…): Midnight (PDX) - demo. This is not to be confused with the superior Midnight from Ohio who have been making records for the past few years. No, this is from Portland OR’s fertile crusty HC scene of the early 00’s. Though it’s one of the lesser-known releases of the time period, I expect that it’s going to be more and more sought after as time goes on, and had this demo been followed by a record, it would have most likely been one that was well liked. Anyhow, I guess the hook on this is it features the guitarist/main vocalist of From Ashes Rise, and I think at least one member of Lebenden Toten as well. The sound is pretty much like From Ashes Rise/HHIG/Tragedy - that epic/arena Crust sound. Maybe it’s a little more metallic, but the biggest difference I guess is the female vocals (though you probably wouldn’t know if no one told you - they’re very burley).

So ends this week of tapes, with the seemingly solid (on Tuesday) concept, fraying into a scatter-shot mess by Friday. Nonetheless, I’ll be back after the weekend, and it shall be business as usual.

Check out this dude selling some original foriegn HC demos. For me the 2 coolest pics are the original Raw Power demo, and this Bastards tape on Propaganda (one side studio, one side live).  Far as I know these are original as could be, and if you’re lucky haven’t been overplayed.  There’s something about the tape aesthetic that is irreplacable. Even though tapes are harder to mass produce than CDs at this point, sound worse than vinyl, or CD, and are easiest to break, bands keep making them. Maybe it’s some kind of OCD thing with how everything fits so nicely into that little plastic case. It’s the ultimate in portability.

belated year end list for 2007:

12”/CD

1. Gauze – 5th cd (don’t have the translated title handy)
2. Black Sabbath w/ Ronnie James Dio – The Dio Years (new songs)
3. Skitkids – Besoket Vid Krubban
4. Iron Lung – Sexless//No Sex
5. Electric Wizard – Witch Cult Today
6. Rampage – Limit Of Destruction
7. California Love – Reaping Whirlwind
8. Invasion – 12”
9. Crow – Hametsu No Haoto
10. Double Negative – The Wonderful and Frightening World…

7”/EP :

1. Framtid/Seein’ Red - split 7”
2. Waste Management – Get Your Mind Right
3. Death Church – Unsilent Hate Anthem
4. Jay Reatard – I Know A Place
5. Iron Age – The Burden Of Empire
6. Wasted Time – No Shore
7. Total Noise Accord -
8. Sex/Vid - Tania
9. Threatener – Bending Of Throats
10. Kvoteringen/Pisschrist – split 7”

REISSUES:

1. Imperialist Pigs - Pork Corkscrew
2. The Stalin - Stop Jap Naked
3. Thergothon - Sog Yogoth demo 12″
4. Talk is Poison - Condensed Humanity
5. Diatribe - demo ‘85 7″
6. Siege - Drop Dead 3rd edition (new song, i gotta include it)
7. Mob 47 - s/t 7 “
8. Despise You - West Side Horizons vinyl
9. The Kids - s/t
10. Deathyell - Morbid Rites

Yo, I’m a little short on time today, but here’s some hott picks anyway.

 First off found a dude selling a Sean John jacket, a SOIA cd, and oh a little 12″ called Breakaway, by one of the finer HC bands ever, Straight Ahead. This is the first press w/ the white DJ jacket and sticker. One just sold for $150, which is effin crazy, but this dude (stupidly) refuses to ship international, meaning that only people with the weak US dollar will be bidding on it. It’s like he opened a cake shop where fat people can’t fit through the door.

Anyway, Straight Ahead made me think of Lärm and I found this store in austrailia with their “No One Can Be That Dumb” e.p. I wish there were more bands that played the kind of tuneless thrash that they played in their day, that were also straight edge, and I was disappointed to hear that the whole band no longer is, (although Seein Red is still pretty ripping in their relatively old age).

Anyhow, after checking the other records for sale by this seller I noticed an OG Hitler SS/Tampax split, which if you’re a real baller, might be of interest to you. Me, I gotta pay that rent check.

Seller blueninja99 has always been pretty well known for wheeling and dealing Japanese hardcore and punk. The listings he has right now are no exception, a stack of the most well known records in the style mixed with a bit of newer stuff and this lone
Anti-Cimex “Scandanavian Jawbreaker” lp. Tons of marquee names like Bastard, Deathside, Acid, Disclose, Poison Arts, Gai, Gauze, Cobra, G.I.S.M., Stalin, Laughing Noise… just to name a handful. It seems like, especially over the last 5 years or so, Bastard’s Wind Of Pain 12″, has been the entry point for a lot of people’s interest in this genre in the United States. Aside from having production that seems to be perfect, and a running time that’s too brief for sure, there’s something about the way the riffs cut that’s maybe just a tad more accessible, than some of their peers. Or maybe it’s just that the opening riff to Misery is one of the most devastating show stopping riffs in all of rock music. Like up there with Back In Black, For Whom The Bell Tolls, and Born In The USA. One of those things that should be admired from a distance to really take its scale. Or maybe it was the popular opinion (which I believe originated in New Jersey) that the songs mine a post-Motörhead, Dischargy territory similar to the Age Of Quarrel (which surely offended many USHC haters who saw this as a short sell… idiots). This is one of those records that’s probably never going to dip in value again, unless there’s like a catastrophic event like a serious nuclear holocaust where people stop caring about entertainment, but barring that, the price is only going up so get it now or get it later on.

Okay here’s a new little feature I may do now and again: cheap picks. I don’t have a catchy name for it like Metal Monday, maybe from now on I’ll do it on Friday, and call it Frugal. Anyway… here’s the
Madhouse 12″ on Fountain Of Youth recordings that I find to be very under rated. Female fronted, and punky, not too far off the Avengers, or maybe like a better & American Vice Squad, it also features one of the guys from Youth Brigade (DC). As I remember it keeps up a pretty good clip in terms of speed, and never lapses into ballads or overly new-wave type tracks. There’s maybe a bit of goth like early 45 Grave mixed in but it’s hardly overbearing. I think it’s from ‘84? I’m certain at least that no one cares about it, and it’s a pretty good album. Total sleeper.

Got a couple selections from M. Colin Tappe’s auctions here. Nothing too crazy for sale but some good picks, check ‘em all out. Looks like he’s just selling off a few things to buy other stuff.Numero Uno:Anti-Sect: “In Darkness There Is No Choice”- I guess this is one of the big milestones in anarcho-punk and “crust” music. For 1983 it’s frankly pretty shocking how polished it is, and how many bands it was the template for, not just in style but in the sound of the recording. It’s tricky because on the surface it’s basically just a metal album taking a lot from early thrash bands but with the realist/Discharge-style approach to horror and despair that Discharge mapped out. The songs take on a similar driving and hypnotic delivery, but being stretched much longer (the opener “THEY” runs like 6 minutes at the same tempo), so that it kind of reminds me in some ways of Crass (besides the obvious politics), and in other ways of something like Killing Joke (who I think were a big influence to a lot of peace punkers). It’s a pretty important album, and also at times I find it kind of boring. There’s something about an unwavering cockney accent just shouting and shouting and shouting for 6 minutes… I keep waiting for something else to happen. Still it sounds heavy, although I gotta wonder how he kept from getting tongue-tied, i guess they do have 3 vocalists on this album. A lot of the atmospheric shit like wind blowing and abstract wooshing noises that are meant to be dramatic on crusty HC and punk records also in part originate here, and maybe haven’t aged too well. I also feel like this might be a more overwhelming, powerful, and inspirational album if you hear it at a younger age, where I only really sat down and listened about 2 or 3 years ago. So in conclusion, while this is a stone cold classic to the peace punk crowd, and a “first of its kind” type release, it feels a little obsolete to me. I’d prefer the more rhythmic churning Amebix approach, or Sacrilege’s much more refined version of the sound on this lp. Btw this is the Southern pressing, I believe there is one on Spiderleg predating it.Underdog: “Demos”- Here’s one on the other side of the coin. Gotta love that this is the original press with the classic pool skater artwork. When I was really young Underdog just seemed weird and not that hardcore to me. All the groove and singy vocals confused me which is now kind of embarrassing and probably strange to some people in this day and age where weird-hc is the bread and butter of everyone and there’s a popular band named after Into Another’s shelved trip-hop album. Forget all that BS though, Over The Edge is just a very fine well nuanced song, and if half the bands that put Underdog on their list of influences could compose a song so advanced there would be a lot more good songs, and probably less wars or something. Revelation are the current keepers of these demos, but I think it’s time someone considered re-reissuing the Vanishing Point (w/ original artwork), restoring the original mix to the demos, and tying up loose ends, like the demo with Carl Mosher, etc, all on one disc, or maybe 2. Most records like this have turned 20 or are about to, and it’s time someone do a definitive historical package of stuff like this.  Far Out records back catalog is kind of funny as I remember, I think they did the 2nd press of the Fear Of God 7″ around the same time they did this Underdog 12″.

I split up the post from Jan 1st showing highlights of jrk1332’s collection cause it was too much to take in at one time and was screwing up the layout of the page for some reason.

1. Husker Du - In A Free Land - 2nd 7″ by Husker Du, this might be one of several cheap deals in this lot because the right corner on the sleeve is all chewed up. This phase of the band is kind of under-rated and overshadowed by lps like Zen Arcade which have more critical acclaim and thus, are the ones you always see written about. Husker Du as a hard core band though were like a graft of Beatles melodies onto a kinda Minor Threat delivery. I’m not sure if that’s entirely accurate but you can always hear a little 60’s pop influences even in their early days. Bob Mould - reppin’ a Roland Jazz Chorus. I hope mine is fixable.
2. Graven Image 7″ & Honor Role 7″ w/ limited cover?! - Not one but 2 7″s on ESKIMO RECORDS. If that name doesn’t immediately jar your brains, I’ll just remind you of 2 of the least interesting 5th teir bands from the less interesting part of Virginia in the early 80s - Norfolk. However, Sami if you’re reading this, please laugh with me at a band called GRAVEN IMAGE on ESKIMO RECORDS. HA! Okay, first of all you got your Graven Image - Kicked Out Of The Scene 7″. Imagine (if you will), a less good, more generic 7 seconds clone band (as in a clone of a clone band) with the worst vocalist, and some song about being kicked out of the scene. If that weren’t enough you’ve got the Honor Role 7″, another slab of generic 82-core (at least it’s actually from 82), with an even worse singer than Graven Image, however, notable because it has a limited cover. Frankly I’m only pointing this out to say how bad these records are. They shouldn’t be worth more than the dollar-bin mystic fodder. As we say about records like Cross Purposes and The Eternal Idol, “FOR COMPLETESTS ONLY”. Regardless, if you are that level of completest (the kind that can talk with me about why Glenn Hughes ultimately fails as a vocalist on 7th Star — if we continue the previous reference) you may want this Honor Role e.p .
3. Necros - IQ32 - This is the most listenable record by what I consider to be an over-rated, middle of the road band. The Necros were big in their time. I’m not sure how or why. Maybe they just had songs that were good to skate to. Maybe they had a live sound never captured on record. Maybe. Or maybe there just wasn’t a whole lot to choose from at the time, and often times, the bands that are the biggest are the most boring, and just work the hardest. Still this is a collector’s piece, and much better than the coveted, but musically worthless, Sex Drive 7″, or the over-long, mid-pacey, Conquest For Death (which like this is still okay, and not bad).
4. Code of Honor - What Are We Gonna Do - Skate rockin tunes. Only they don’t really rock too much. Like 30 seconds deep in the first song the singer busts out a preachy talking part and from there I’m tuned out. People love to love Code Of Honor, and I think maybe that’s a big reason why I love to hate them. Maybe I’m a sad sack, but I greatly prefer Sick Pleasure who they went on to do a split with. Sicky Nicky looks like a homeless freak now, but he wins the contest of snotty vocalists in punk. To put it in Scooby Doo terms, if Sick Pleasure are Shaggy, then Code of Honor would be Velma.
5. Final Conflict (WI) - Ah the other Final Conflict. The one without a Ronflict in it. Produced by Bob Mould and there’s an evil zombie guy on the cover which is sort of cool… I guess. I don’t have a lot to say about this one, but it’s desirable, and thus being noted.

I started compiling a hi-light list a couple days ago for the Jan. 1st post so it would be ready to go the day of, and then I noticed the dawg selling all that stuff is also posting a lot of cool O.G. foreign HC tapes from around the same time as the above like a Declino/Negazione split tape, Pandemonium - Are You The One tape, Inferno - Anti-Hagenbach tape, and some records of similar ilks. There’s plenty of cool North American stuff I haven’t already mentioned that they’re selling in addition, like NOTA, Rebel Truth, sleeveless Articles Of Faith - What We Want Is Free & Agent Orange Blood Stains (wonder what this will go for), Drinking Is Great & Process Of Elimination comps, as well. Something for everyone sort of (but not really), keep your eyes on this one. PS. Happy new year.

Holy crud. Here’s another one of those collections I like to post so much. Most of the notable items I would say sit in the 2nd teir of USHC, but there are a few top shelfers too. In addition I noticed some “nice deals”. I whittled out a list of 10 interesting, or good items, but somehow it ended up actually being 11:

1. Kraut - Unemployed 7″ - Doug Holland. Such a distinguished career. 5,000 copies pressed of this but it still pushes between $75-100, maybe in part because it was comped on the first volume of Killed By Death.
2. A.O.D. -Let’s BBQ - Let’s BBQ is the template for at least 50% of the current 82-core bands around right now whether they know it or not. Suburbia is one of the finest lead-off tracks you ever will here, and my favorite thing about it is the guitar solo. Well more specifically, there’s a spot where the solo should go but instead, an extra guitar track comes in and plays the same riff the rhythm track is already playing. This is a classic trick on older punk and HC records that is scarcely employed now, and I love it whenever I hear it. Please note readers: this is first press (red letters).
3. CIA - God Guns Guts - Well i believe grand theft audio sufficiently jacked the reissue of this so you’ll never see it any time in the next 10 years. What a scumbag that GTA guy is. This is the best record of the collection and I also expect it will go the highest. I love the jangley breakdown in Commie Control, I love the guitar sound, this is a stylistic best. A perfect encapsulation of what 80’s American Hardcore sounds like.
4. The Mob- Step Forward - This, the best Mob release (IMHO), is for some reason not included on their now semi-irrelevant (because it’s also out of print) collection cd on Profile. I was once at Smash Records in Georgetown with Clif Shumaker (Iron Age roadie, My Luck singer, long time record collector) and passed by this very record thinking “it must be a boot, it’s only $4″. Clif pulled it out and declared “you missed this Mob 7 inch, awesome!”, and so ended that evening. The “Bust-It!” used in the title track is one of the earliest instances of the term, and the surfy breakdown it leads into is sorely under rated. Why did Mental (or failing that, Dumptruck) never use a surf breakdown? If anyone has this record on black vinyl, I demand you stand up and be counted (unless your name is Kyle Hughes, we’ve already counted you buddy).
5. Artificial Peace / Exhiled split - Here’s another DCHC, also ran combo. Artificial Peace is a weird band. First of all there’s a semi legitimate discography of them on Lost and Found, complete with tracks of their precursor band, Assault and Battery, that runs 3o or 40 tracks. The pieces all seem to be in place for classic tuneful DCHC circa-82, but whenever I try to listen to it, I feel things never catch fire. I do sort of like the song Suburban Wasteland from the Flex Your Head comp, but even that I’m not in love with. Nonetheless they were one of the seemingly bigger (or at least more active) local bands of the time, with this being their only non-compilation or demo release. Kind of weird. Some of them went on to Marginal Man, who are even less appealing to my ears. Exhiled are 2nd teir at best, but probably 3rd is more fitting. Just totally vanilla American Hardcore of the time. This is the first release on Fountain Of Youth records, a weird DC area label with pretty much nothing but “also-ran” type releases, other than a couple Government Issue albums and singles. I like Fountain Of Youth though, there are some gems.
6. Mecht Mensch - Acceptance - This is a record I’ve always wanted and never persued. Someone outta boot their split w/ the Tar Babies. It’s about that time for someone to do this, I mean it’s 2008, you know. Great 2nd rate midwest HC. Like a baby Die Kruezen.

I’ll be honest. I’m too busy eating figgy pudding and  Wasailing to make this a very detailed post, but for anyone peeping here’s a quick post of “good jams”. I’m not going to talk like I’m an O.G. with this stuff, or even that I know the most, but I know hits when I hear/see them.  This dude’s got ‘em for sure…Stalin, Judgement, Lipcream, LSD, Tetsu Array, Ghoul, Death Side, Outo… these are all names in Japanese HC/punk.But what would any Japanese record sale be without some Madball and Next Step Up? Incomplete I tells you. I once saw Next Step Up open for Biohazard in Hagarstown MD. Rob from Straight Ahead was playing guitar. That doesn’t make it cool to admit that I was seeing Biohazard in the late 90s though, but I was merely an adolecent, I had no idea.

Anyhow, I’d like to volunteer, that while it’s the most common of their 4 singles, and after the departure of Nori from Bastard, Judgement’s - “Haunt In The Dark” is one of the top 5 riffs of the 90’s, fuckit, of any genre. An opening riff like the one it has might play itself, but it didn’t write itself thats for sure. You’re blessed with a riff that good. Where from? Wherever you want to believe, it doesn’t matter, but something that dominating only comes every now and again. It’s the musical equivalent of He-Man, dominating with its authority and control, and also righteous, good, and very likeable. It feels like an anthem hardwired into your brain from birth being accessed by the correct password combination, it’s familiar, or it feels that way as it takes hold.  Well that’s a pretty mellow dramatic take on it, but it is a really good riff, and song, and single. In fact all their single are worth their weight to the 10th power in gold. You’re not going to find Process up for sale here though.