Something I Learned Today

Shit, there ain’t much I can say about either of these legendary bands that you don’t already know. This split was released by Yesterday and Today records in 1990, featuring one track apiece from each band. The Bad Brains track was recorded in 1979 and was released on the Best of Limp comp. The Black Market Baby song was recorded in 1981, and released on the Connected compilation (same version?).

I picked this up as I my Bad Brains fanaticism was waning, killed mostly due to the glut of live bullshit spewed forth in the late 80’s. Hearing “Don’t Bother Me” was a shot in the arm, a jolt of spastic Bad Brains. Even cooler, “World at War” was my first introduction to Black Market Baby - and christ almighty, it was a fucking revelation. At the time though nothing from Black Market Baby was in print, which was torture, though a year or so later Bitzcore released the Baby Takes and Baby on Board LP’s. Luckily, you can easily track down “World at War” and a ton of other BMB’s greatest cuts on 2006’s retrospective Coulda…Shoulda…Woulda

Bad Brains - Don’t Bother Me.mp3
Black Market Baby - World at War.mp3

notes:
sleeve pic and info from the BMB website. Also cool, :30 Under DC

I’m sure there was more to the Cleveland hardcore scene in the early 90’s than Integrity and Face Value, but those two bands were Cleveland in my circle of friends. Even cooler, they were just a couple of hours down the pike from us which means we got see them a lot. While I dug the evil metal vibe of Integrity’s Those Who Fear Tomorrow, Face Value were the shit. I think the only thing that got me to take off their 1990 Coming of Age EP off the turntable was receiving their follow up full length Price Of Maturity. Man, that thing just rocked - tough vocals, lots of tempo changes, and a gnarly hardcore guitar sound (despite the occasional solo). This was one of the last great tough guy hardcore records I purchased. And really, it was the last great record for Face Value. Follow up’s Kick It Over and Choices (post vocalist Tony Erba’s departure) were disappointing. Erba has gone onto play bass with the H-100’s, 9 Shocks Terror, Gordon Solie Motherfuckers, and Amps II Eleven. He is currently fronting Cheap Tragedies

The CD of Price of Maturity included the Coming of Age EP. This thing looks to be OOP, so you can grab all 22 tracks right here as a .rar archive. A couple of my favorites below. Dance it up Clevo style!

from the Coming of Age EP
Face Value - Can’t Take Much More.mp3
Face Value - Coming of Age.mp3

from the Price of Maturity LP
Face Value - Excommunication.mp3
Face Value - Naivete.mp3
Face Value - Outside Looking In.mp3
Face Value - Unjustified.mp3
Face Value - Emotional Addiction.mp3
Face Value - Withdrawal.mp3

from the Only The Strong comp 7″
Face Value - Someday.mp3

Notes:
Photo from Face Value page at ClePunk

Just passed the 3 year mark of SiLT a week or so back, and I despite the recent lack of posts I swear I’m drainin’ every last drop out of this motherfucker. The fact that “draining” in this case is interchangeable with “recycle” is a given, right? Take for example post #440, which is composed of 75% recycled content of post #8, which was my review of Nine Pound Hammer’s Kentucky Breakdown LP. My take:

so needless to say I was bit skeptical about the new release from the reformed Nine Pound Hammer. I enjoyed their last studio effort Hayseed Timebomb, but that was 1994. In the interim guitarist Blaine Cartwright’s formed Nashville Pussy who’ve released a handful of albums of cock rock’n’roll posturing and AC/DC ripoff riffs. Nine Pound Hammer is less “arena” rock and more buzzsaw punk. They have been billed as “cowpunk” but you won’t confuse this for any Uncle Tupelo or other “Alt-country” crap. The only thing cowpunk is Scott Luallen’s hillbilly vocals, which you’ll either love or hate. I love ‘em, which is the biggest reason I’m a fan. Kentucky Breakdown provides 13 tracks of hellacious backwoods rock that continues right were Hayseed Timebomb leaves off - If I didn’t know better I’d swear this album and the previous were recorded at the same time, not 10 years apart.

Both Kentucky Breakdown and Hayseed Timebomb still get alot of play on the ‘ol Ipod, both albums chunk fulla big buzzsaw guitars and lyrics skewering life south of the Mason-Dixon line. Emerson over at OldPunks.com just wrote about Nine Pound Hammer, and when two mp3bloggers with a combined age somewhere north of retirement age recommend shit, then you know it’s gotta be the real deal. Take a listen:

from 2004’s Kentucky Breakdown
Nine Pound Hammer - Drunk, Tired, and Mean.mp3
Nine Pound Hammer - He Done Run Outta Worms.mp3

from 1994’s Hayseed Timebomb
Nine Pound Hammer - Steamroller.mp3
Nine Pound Hammer - Skin a Buck.mp3

from 1992’s Smokin’ Taters
Nine Pound Hammer - Long Gone Daddy.mp3
Nine Pound Hammer - Don’t Get No.mp3

from 1988’s The Mud, The Blood, & The Beers
Nine Pound Hammer - He’s Gone.mp3
Nine Pound Hammer - Runaway Train.mp3

Links:
>> Nine Pound Hammer@myspace
>> Buy Nine Pound Hammer releases

A long time in the making, here’s the latest in the very irregular series of podcasts. 3 kids, a hectic job, and a demanding wife are sapping my free time (yeah, I know I’ve been saying that for awhile). Anyhow, here’s the latest:

Download Here (69 MB, 1:15)

Tracklisting:
1. Supersuckers - How to Maximize Your Kill Count
2. Nine Pound Hammer - Outta My Way, Pigfuckers
3. False Prophets - Good Clean Fun
4. The Damned - Machine Gun Etiquette
5. The Lewd - Climate of Fear
6. Mexican Blackbirds - Ain’t Got The Time
7. The Reds - Lights Out
8. Bantam Rooster - Miss Luxury
9. Teengenerate - Let’s Get Hurt
10. The Dwarves - Fuck You Up and Get High
11. The Radio Beats - Backseat Learnin’
12. Black Flag - Drinking and Driving
13. The Humpers - Drunk Tank
14. Drive Like Jehu - Good Luck in Jail
15. Karp - Prisonshake
16. Latin Dogs - Killed in Jail
17. The Meatmen - Orgy of One
18. The Authorities - Radiation Masturbation
19. Armitage Shanks - Orgasm Addict
20. Non Compos Mentis - Ultimate Orgasm
21. Reverend Horton Heat - One Time For Me
22. Hanson Brothers - Jack Off
23. Mentally Ill - Gacy’s Place
24. Nihilistics - Misanthrope
25. Saccharine Trust - I Have
26. Butthole Surfers - Cowboy Bob
27. Crucifucks - Down On My Knees
28. Die Kreuzen - All White