No Balls 7"

"No Balls is usually Drajan Bryngelsson and Dan Råberg from Brainbombs but this 7” is just Drajan. Monotonous protopunk with some No Wave hints. Drums and guitars. Some vocals and trumpets occasionally. The sound is raw, intense and in your face. Kind of like a mix of Ruins, DNA and Brainbombs." This 7" came to me a few days ago. Paid 15 dollars to ship from Sweden on an whimsical guess that it would be great; Brainbombs are one of my favorite bands. The record is okay, I thought it was a little boring but if you're into repetitive, sludgy, noise rock; it's worth a listen. 7" is sold out, but a No Balls LP is out soon on Release The Bats(pre-order here).

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Minutemen - Buzz Or Howl Under The Influence Of Heat

With "Buzz Or Howl" the Minutemen cement themselves as the funkiest band in 80's hardcore (tho one could make a argument for the Big Boys).  Really hitting their stride this album is a great setup to the quintessential  "Double Nickels On The Dime". Taking a cue from Wire the Minutemen play some very oddly structured songs, for example, "Dream Told By Moto" which finds Mike Watt and George Hurley showing off why they are the tightest rhythm section in town, and just when you think its just going to be them jamming for the duration of the song, D. Boon chimes in for a single sentence about what he's going to do when WWIII starts, before the song fizzles out... awesome. This record shouldn't be that hard to track down, but you could always buy it from SST. Quit slacking and download this.

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Bastard - Wind of Pain

The second, and last release from the crust/hardcore band BASTARD from Japan. Wind of Pain (1990) is possibly the hardest record of its time. I am just now getting into Japanese hardcore and realizing that it is probably some of the best stuff that is/was out there. If you haven't listened to this yet, you have to. Legendary band, best record, however Controlled In The Frame isn't bad. After the first time you hear this record, every time it is brought up you will think "MISSSELLLLYYYY"

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Condominium - Barricade

Third 7" from Twin Cities' uncertainty, Condominium. Of the three 7"s, this is really the best one. With each release Condominium keep moving their sound away from traditional 'hardcore' evolving into more noise, more impression, and more singularity. Two songs on this 7". First song, Barricade, is the best thing I've heard from these guys. Entirely powerful and louring. Drunks With Guns and Kilslug are here. The B side "Big Plans" is a "A sparse, laid back jam that brings to mind Black Flag and The Jesus Lizard in its winding, ugly guitar riffs, and lurching rhythms." I really can't stay enough good things about this band. Brought to you by Fashionable Idiots. I don't see this selling out any time soon. Buy a copy for you and your friend(s).

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Ecoli - Judas Cradle

First real 7" from Ecoli. San Francisco's noisy, deranged, hardcore band. Released on Stress Domain records; also put out the vinyl for Ecoli's demo a few years ago. Think Void, Koro, and ripping early 80s USHC plus the wackiness of the Meat Puppets. This is one of the best and most ingenious things I've heard this year. Members of Nightstick Justice, Warkrime, Migrane, and more. Sold out for the most part. Check Grave Mistake for final copies. Upcoming cassette on Drone Errant. Enjoy.

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Raw Nerve - Teens In Heat

Raw Nerve's first time on wax after putting out that demo a few months ago (here if you missed it). Released by Video Disease Records last week during the MKU reunion show extravaganza last week. I guess all 300 copies are now sold out? The record is great. Lots of Void worship, just like the Demo. Record is menacing throughout, plus weirdo Meat Puppets vocals. 4 Songs. One from the Demo, Two new songs, and a X-Ray Spex cover. I guess a few copies will be sold in the next YA! store update; Contact Video Disease to see where these puppies may be hiding. LP on Youth Attack due early next year. Looking forward to more covers.

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Fugazi - In On The Kill Taker

For as much as I love the simple power chords, oompa oompa beats and rough production values of early 80's hardcore punk (easily my favorite genre) my favorite bands don't really share any of those qualities, Fugazi being a good example of that. Fugazi, made up of DC veterans Ian Mackaye, Guy Picciotto, Brendan Canty and Joe Lally, play hardcore that doesn't shy away from experimentation. In On The Kill Taker (their best album if you ask me) brings MacKaye and company back to the early 80's with songs like Great Cop, which could almost be a Minor Threat song. Of course you can buy this (recently remastered) from Dischord Records, or pretty much anywhere else. 

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Positive Reinforcement - The One Sided LP

Fast, snotty, no-frills, straight edge, hardcore punk. All these words can describe Boston's Positive Reinforcement pretty adequately. The catchiest early 80's riffs and best lyrics. Released on ThirdxParty records in 2006. Their discography contains a demo cassette, a few 7"s and this LP. Everything is gone (I think they stopped playing shows sometime in 07). Posiforce are a forerunner to some of the best bands in hardcore right now; members now play in Social Circkle, Blank Stare, Failures, Confines, and Foreign Objects. Couldn't find artwork online so I had to take a shitty snapshot with my phone.

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The Ergs! - The Ben Kweller EP

The Ergs! were a New jersey pop-punk band from 2000 until about a year ago. Very much influenced by the Descendents most of their songs are about girls and being a dork, but also like the Descendents they don't take themselves to seriously and will throw in a joke or a Simpson's reference to show you that. One of my favorite things about this band is (while they don't really show it on this release) they were never afraid go off the beaten path of a pop-punk band and do some jazz, country or thrash songs. This EP was only available on CD until recently when Freedom School Records released it as a 12". Crank it up and have some silly fun for a change.

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No Tolerance - Boston Straight Edge

I know this is on a million blogs now but, oh man. I can't tell you how fucking good this is. Another masterpiece created by CC and DFJ of Mind Eraser and family. I kind of looked past this demo when it first came out in late 08. After seeing the 7" at Reckless today, I decided to pick it up and give it a spin. To my surprise, it was the hardest 7" I've heard so far this year. Very much 90s NYHC influenced with some "violent noise at extreme speed". First released as a Cassette, now a 7" on 540 Records. Haven't found many e-distros with this still in stock, check over at Gravemistake, I know they have some left. Only limited to 500 copies. Equip mosh gloves now.

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Winters in Osaka - Molded To Crawl

New release from Winters in Osaka reigning from Chicago, IL. Sure this release doesn't fit in with most of the material uploaded onto this blog, but it should not be overlooked. Very impressive modern power electronics influenced noise. Takes elements from various EFX pedals to live vocals with contact mics. Even sludge riffs behind all of it, giving this band a new spin on the noise scene.

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P.S. if anyone has ANY of there other releases (excluding the collaboration with Bongripper) please comment on here or something... I can't find anything else anywhere on the web and everything released in 2008/2007 is out of press/never released/impossible to find. Thanks.

Man is the Bastard Noise/Amps For Christ/BN/K2/The Hierophant/Unicorn/Antennacle/Sleestak - No Skull Left Unturned

"4 years in the making... A true testament to the God-like power of Man Is The Bastard & their family tree. Includes new tracks by Bastard Noise, Amps for Christ, Unicorn, Hierophant, Antennacle, BN/K2 and previously released tracks by Sleestak."

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Nog Watt - Fear

Incredible all-female hardcore punk from the Netherlands. This EP is a true classic. I could listen to this a thousand times over and still be turned on. Released in 1985 on Revenge Records. The female vocals are really great, not weak, but with the perfect amount of aggressiveness. Nog Watt have a great sound too, ripping, thrash-esque tone with some beautiful melodic riffs and slow noise-rock dirge parts. Anyways, this is some pretty essential stuff. If you don't have this already you should listen if you like punk or hardcore at all. Oh, I've seen this rad Nog Watt shirt printed here, buying soon.

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Chronic Seizure - Brainsick E.P.

Chronic Seizure are one band that play the USHC resurgence right. One of my favorite Chicago bands and I'm more than stoked to see them more often. This is Chronic Seizure's first E.P. and the first Fashionable Idiots release. I don't think there's one boring song on here. Ripping throughout, No Slow All Go. This EP is sold out and so are the other two. LP, "Ancient Wound" is still available and rips just as hard. Check the FI webstore. Ex members of legendary Chicago bands, The Repos and 14 Or Fight.

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Crucifix - Crucifix

The first Crucifix record released in 1981. If you don't know Crucifix, they were a great hardcore punk band from Berkeley, California. Unfortunately they are clotted with Crass-records shit and other goofy bands. They should instead be classified with great USHC bands like Antidote, Jerry's Kids, etc. This is their 5 song 12". They had another LP, "Dehumanized" which is also a rager. Were also on Rat Music with Black Flag, Circle Jerks, etc. Sorry for the shit picture, only one I could find was the one off KFTH.

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