Something I Learned Today

After several years of trying I finally tracked down a copy of the 6 song 12″ by DC band Rain. La Vache Qui Rit was recorded in 1987 and posthumously released in 1990 on Guy Picciotto’s Peterbilt label. “Worlds at War” was included on the State of the Union comp. Bert Queiroz provided a brief overview:

Jon Kirshten (Chris Bald’s younger brother) played guitar & sang, Eli Janney played drums, Bert Queiroz played bass (& cover photo), Scott McCloud also played guitar & sang. Amy Pickering, Ian MacKaye & Jeff Turner did backing vocals, Ian & Jeff did production, Don Zientara engineered, & Kurt Sayenga did the design. Glad someone still cares & likes the record.

The music here is firmly in the vein of the post-Revolution Summer sound, call it emo, post-hardcore, whatever. Embrace and One Last Wish are the two bands that immediately come to mind.

Rain - That Time of the Year.mp3
Rain - End of my Mind.mp3
Rain - Snakeout.mp3
Rain - Worlds at War.mp3
Rain - Around the Axis.mp3
Rain - Rivers.mp3

Notes:
>> for those interested, Eli Janney and Bert Queiroz both maintain websites.
>> For another great Peterbilt release checkout Deadline

** It appears that both the Rain and Deadline EP’s will be re-issued by Dischord in the next month (way overdue). I will be removing these tracks shortly given this information **

Imaginary Friend by Sorry was one of those great used bin finds. In fact, I found it in the same store that I picked up a cheap copy of Bands That Could Be God. Both records were on the Radiobeat label and cost me less than $10 combined. Sometimes I miss the pre-internet/Ebay days, days when you could beat the bushes and find gems. Or maybe my issue is that I don’t have a decent store within 50 miles.

But I’m getting off track. Sorry formed in the early 80’s in Boston and played an inventive, refreshing brand of hardcore. Or, as the band has termed it “Pre-Emo, Pre-Indie, Influential OG 80’s Boston Hardcore”. To me, its sounds like a blend of hyped up Volcano Suns and early DC hardcore, but that may be because Sorry members David Kleiler and Chuck Hahn would become future Volcano Suns members. After Imaginary Friend, Sorry would release one more LP - 1986’s The Way It Is on Homestead. Vocalist Jon Easley went on to be in Burn amongst other bands before passing away in 1998.
Below are my favorite tracks from 1984’s Imaginary Friend. You can grab all 18 tracks as winrar archive right here

Sorry - My Word.mp3
Sorry - Misanthrope.mp3
Sorry - Doomed From the Start.mp3
Sorry - Where Were You.mp3
Sorry - One More Step.mp3
Sorry - Buried.mp3
Sorry - On My Own.mp3
Sorry - Dirty Old Man.mp3
Sorry - Honesty.mp3
Sorry - 24.mp3

Notes:
<> More mp3’s and a detailed band bio on the Sorry page@Myspace - including tracks from The Way It Is

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

A couple of comments back someone asked me to repost my Chronic Sick tracks. Well, I never actually posted any Chronic Sick material, so it must be out there on some other blog. I could do some searching and throw out a link, but fuck it, I’m too lazy to track it down. Seeing as I have the tracks from an old CD-R from a couple of years back I might as well share.

The total output from New Jersey’s Chronic Sick included 1982’s 6 song 12″ EP Cutest Band in Hardcore and the 1983 3 track 7″ often referred to as Reagan Bands, both on the Mutha label. All you really need to know is that, despite the meathead lyrical sentiments, this is some choice ‘Shore Core’. That translates as surprisingly melodic punkish hardcore. The opening tracks “There Goes The Neighborhood” and “Dress Code” are 1-2 punch in the chops. Take a listen:

from 1982’s Cutest Band in Hardcore 12″
Chronic Sick - There Goes The Neighborhood.mp3
Chronic Sick - Dress Code.mp3
Chronic Sick - Public Suicide.mp3
Chronic Sick - Man Rape Blues.mp3
Chronic Sick - Mucho Macho.mp3
Chronic Sick - Pain for Profit.mp3

from 1983’s self-titled 7″
Chronic Sick - Reagan Bands.mp3
Chronic Sick - Crotch Rot.mp3
Chronic Sick - Blood Type X.mp3

Notes:
** Check out Chronic Sick @ Myspace
** Also, lot’s of info on Mutha Records here

A comment on the Noise From Nowhere post requested the first Manson Youth 7″. Well, I’ll go one better and give you both Manson Youth 7 inches. Both were released posthumously, the first (Death Dance )was released as Dr. Strange #1 in 1990. God’s Fun Children followed in 1991. I think these were originally recorded in the 1983-84 time frame, but there’s no recording information that I can find. All I know about the band is that they were from California. Lineup information is noted as:

DJ Setlak - Vocals
Robbie Sandford - Guitar
Barry Hoppie - Bass
Corey Miller - Drums

As for the music, try off kilter, speedy hardcore with an weird vibe. Not my favorite records from that era, but they grow on you after a couple of listens:

from Death Dance
Manson Youth - Eaten Alive By Rats.mp3
Manson Youth - Dog Rider.mp3
Manson Youth - Vulnavia.mp3
Manson Youth - Let’s Call it a Day.mp3

from God’s Fun Children
Manson Youth - Need God?.mp3
Manson Youth - Karen.mp3
Manson Youth - Saw Tomorrow.mp3
Manson Youth - The Penis That Ate the World/Twins.mp3
Manson Youth - An Eye For An Eye.mp3

Anyone able to fill in the blanks?

Put out by Maximum Rocknroll records in 1989, They Don’t Get Paid, They Don’t Get Laid, But Boy Do They Work Hard! was a tribute to the bands and ‘zines that espoused the “do it yourself” punk philosophy. 14 bands from across the US playing late 80’s hardcore, the kind that met all of MRR’s strict guidelines for acceptable punk (sorry, I can’t resist a little MRR bashing). To wit, regarding the Screeching Weasel track on the comp:

We went over to Solid Sound and recorded “This Bud’s for Me” for the They Don’t Get Paid, They Don’t Get Laid, But Boy, Do They Work Hard comp LP on MRR Records. The song was supposed to be a bit of a parody which is why it’s so goddamn fast; Tim at Maximum had encouraged us to “keep with the theme of the record.” We figured that meant play loud and fast and stupid.

Not alot of fast and stupid here, just some earnest “we’ll change the world” sentiment. Some of this still sounds pretty good (i.e. Detonators, COAC, Jawbox, Screeching Weasel, Downfall ) , while a couple are simply forgetable (Apocalypse, Amenity, Conspiracy of Equals). The rest occupy the neither here nor there middle (Nausea, Dissent, , Cringer, Bazooka Joe, Dead Silence,Libido Boyz). This LP came with a nice booklet that featured not only the bands, but a bunch of fanzines including Absolutely Zippo, Profane Existence, Hippycore, Endless Struggle, and No Answers. I have of course lost said booklet, as I do with seemingly 90% of my records. Below are my favorite tracks:

Detonators - Denied.mp3
Christ on a Crutch - Nation of Sheep.mp3
Nausea - Clutches.mp3
Screeching Weasel - This Bud’s For Me.mp3
Jawbox - Bullet Park.mp3
Downfall - Long Way to Go.mp3
Dead Silence - Hope.mp3
Libido Boyz - Mr Greenthumb.mp3

You can download the whole thing as a rar archive here

Not much in the way of information on Boise, Idaho hardcore band State of Confusion. The usual sources (KFTH and Flex) have nothing. Here are the basics: formed in 1985, disbanded in 1988, maybe more famous for having three quarters of the band (Pat Brown, Scott Schmaljohn, and Wayne Rhino Flower) go on to form indie grungesters Treepeople. State of Confusion released two albums, 1986’s 6.3 Million Acres and 1988’s A Street. I stumbled across the latter in a cutout bin and picked up simply because it was on the Subcore label (Accused, Dehumanizers)This is pretty standard meat and potatoes hardcore, mid to uptempo songs with socio-political lyrics. The guitar sound on A Street is a thick, fuzzed out mess. Below are my favorite tracks:

from 6.3 Million Acres
State of Confusion - Education.mp3
State of Confusion - I-84.mp3
State of Confusion - Silence.mp3
State of Confusion - Blanket of Power.mp3
State of Confusion - TV Mutation.mp3

from A Street
State of Confusion - Anarchy Street.mp3
State of Confusion - Decency.mp3
State of Confusion - Windows.mp3
State of Confusion - Trashed.mp3
State of Confusion - MX.mp3

If you’re inclined, I’ve zipped up both albums as rar archives:
6.3 Million Acres (20 tracks, 30 MB)
A Street (14 tracks, 38 MB)

If you haven’t stopped by Last Days of Man on Earth this week then you’ve missed Joe’s post on below the radar hardcore faves None of the Above. Joe serves up not only the Live at the Crystal Pistol demo but also the Moscow 7″. (Not to mention the excellent insight and humor). A request was made for someone to hook him up with the band’s self titled 1985 LP. As it stands, this thing is long out of print and a reissue doesn’t appear imminent. A shame really, as the band’s 2 singles and LP offer a solid mix of breakneck hardcore and thick punkrock that really deserves a wider audience. If you want the LP you can grab it below:

None of the Above - 1985 LP (19 tracks, 51 MB, rar archive)

Those looking for a taste can try the following tracks out:

None of the Above - Taking Away Your Rights.mp3
None of the Above - On the Pavement.mp3
None of the Above - Frustration.mp3
None of the Above - Self Destruct.mp3
None of the Above - Cut the Shit.mp3
None of the Above - Summer of ‘82.mp3

Notes:
>> My original NOTA post from a couple years back
>> 7inchpunk has the Toy Soldiers EP - check it out
>> Official NOTA webpage - amazing, it’s not on myspace. Also, NOTA on Myspace. Take a listen to “Cattle Call”, my favorite NOTA song

One of the most frequent email, etc. requests I get is for the reactivation of the tracks associated with the Husker Du rarities post from July 2005. So, with nothing pressing at the moment and the stack of “to-be-blogged” material rapidly dwindling to nil I give you about an hour and 20 minutes of little heard Husker material. A couple of tracks (”Erase Today” and “It’s Not Fair”) were officially released on comps (Blasting Concept Volume 2 and Kitten), but most of the material here is from the Savage Young Du and Up in the Air boots and live tapes/CD-R’s. Best bet is the great sounding ‘80/’81 live material, but the Metal Circus and New Day Rising outtakes are pretty good as well. Broken down chronologically, with a huge debt of gratitude to Paul Hilcoff’s Husker Du discography (flyer courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society)

studio 1979 & 1980
Husker Du - Sore Eyes.mp3
Husker Du - All I’ve Got To Lose is You.mp3
Husker Du - Writer’s Cramp.mp3

live May 1980
Husker Du - Pictures of You.mp3
Husker Du - What Went Wrong.mp3
Husker Du - You’re Too Obtuse/Put Your Past Away.mp3
Husker Du - Sexual Economics.mp3
Husker Du - Industrial Grocery Store.mp3
Husker Du - Instrumental.mp3
Husker Du - Uncle Ron.mp3

live July 1981
Husker Du - Private Hell.mp3
Husker Du - Travel in the Opposite Car.mp3
Husker Du - Call on Me.mp3
Husker Du - Won’t Say a Word.mp3
Husker Du - Don’t Try It.mp3
Husker Du - Termination.mp3

studio 1982 (Metal Circus outtakes)
Husker Du - Today’s The Day.mp3
Husker Du - You Think I’m Scared.mp3
Husker Du - Won’t Change.mp3

live 1982 (included on Kitten compilation)
Husker Du - It’s Not Fair.mp3

studio 1983 (Zen Arcade outtakes)
Husker Du - Some Kind of Fun.mp3
Husker Du - Dozen Beats Eleven.mp3

live 1983
Husker Du - Drug Party.mp3

studio 1984 (New Day Rising outtakes)
Husker Du - Erase Today.mp3
Husker Du - Listen.mp3

studio 1986 (Candy Apple Grey outtakes, all instrumental)
Husker Du - All Work and No Play.mp3
Husker Du - Misty Modern Days.mp3
Husker Du - Just Be.mp3

live 1987
Husker Du - Never Talking To You Again.mp3
Husker Du - Get Along With Me.mp3

When I first wrote about The Left in 2004 I didn’t have jack on them. That all changed in 2006 when Jesus Loves The Left was released, containing this Hagertown, MD band’s Hell, It’s The World and Last Train To Hagerstown 12″s, a comp cut, and a couple of unreleased tracks from the early 90’s. Get ahold of this as soon as possible. The best material here is a potent mix of 60’s garage, melodic hardcore, and Stoogified guitar riffs. Powerful vocals too boot. This shit should have been huge (to paraphrase flex) Luckily, Scott reminded me of this release in the comments a couple of posts back.

The Left - Hell.mp3
The Left - Fuck It.mp3
The Left - The Viet Cong Live Next Door.mp3
The Left - Teenage Suicide.mp3

Notes:
>> Buy Jesus Loves the Left @ CD Baby
>> Requisite MySpace page
>> More info on The Left