mind intrusion

sled - parasitic host (2011)

2012-02-14T18:02:00.000-08:00

here we have a band with a long and illustrious pedigree in south carolina hardcore. sled arose from the ashes of assfactor 4 (the best band in a long line of bands that shared the basic core of members going back to tonka in the early 90s) and in listening to this record, you can hear the ghost of that band soaking through in alot of the songs here.....generally though, its heavy dirty hardcore in the vein of his hero is gone.....actually maybe splicing his hero is gone with assfactor 4 would be a near perfect description for the sound of this band.........thick, noisy and brutal, but with a hint of frantic melody........i dont know who the lyrics are about or if these guys have a general political bent, but musically this is on point.....ive known of this band for a while and have heard their early stuff, but it always flew under the radar for me........came late recognizing the awesomeness of this record, but hey, better late than never right?? anyways awesome shit, and i really hope they decide to maybe take the show on the road at some point......

sled - parasitic host

great american witch hunt / tristram split tape (2012)

2012-02-12T18:59:00.000-08:00

here we have two new-ish bands from michigan.......the tape begins with two songs from tristram, who i believe are from detroit.....they play with a crushing aural intensity...their songs have a nice thick, plowing feel while retaining an emotive strain within.....they don't really blaze any new trails with this material, but they do do it well enough, and with enough of a rough edge to keep it out of the generic "loud-soft/scream in the breaks" territory alot of bands of this type seem to be mining.........my first time hearing them and they sound like they'd be pretty killer live........great american witch hunt are from grand rapids i believe and occupy the rest of the tape with 3 songs......their music is rough and melodic, not quite "emo" and not quite "screamo" (really hate that word) kinda of indie-rock-ish and unique...."topanga lawrence is the only girl i will ever love" might be the best song title ever.......very nice........they had their release show for this tape tonight (old soul (band i really wanna see) shattered badge and madonna (local GR thrash) all played that show too) and is still going as i type.........i wouldve loved to be down for that, but money is tight =( anyways this is a great split and is something ill recommend to anyone into emotive harsh shit......(the tristram tracks especially)

great american witch hunt / tristram split tape

pliant "7 (2012)

2012-02-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

this is a brand new record from an almost brand new band......it was literally recorded like yesterday...they hail from amherst, MA and DC....anyways its right up there with the doctorshoppers lp as the best thing ive heard in 2012......although the year is young, and im sure there will be other great records, this one is currently flattening my ass with its crushing goodness........each track charges forward with brutal crusty force......the songs appear, obliterate your ears/brain and then leave as quickly as they came...only one exceeds the 2 minute mark.....short, savage and to the point........no matter what i do, i cant shake the HHIG comparison for bands like these.....the rusty, blackened, corrosive guitar tone combined with simple straightforward drumming owes much to that band.......they are a bit more straight ahead than HHIG, but my comparison still stands........in any case this is a hell of a record if your into fast crusty devastating hardcore.......look forward to perhaps seeing this ban live in my neck of the woods (michigan) sometime this year maybe? anyways highly recommended, and is an early candidate to make my end of year best of 2012 list.

pliant "7

im overthinking again........

2012-02-08T20:37:00.001-08:00

in a couple months im gonna be 34……..that old “aren’t you getting too old for this punk shit?” line of thought creeps its way into my head everytime at this time of year…..this invariably leads to other lines of self-questioning: “have i wasted the last 16 years of my life listening to this music/going to shows/writing zines?” “have i done anything worthwhile over that length of time?” “are my priorities all fucked up?” “what do i have to show for it?” this in turn, leads to self doubt and then depression………its not as bad as it once was, but im always comming back to this line of thought each time the odometer flips another yearly mile on my life…..i generally answer these doubts by clinging more tightly to the music and memories i love…….its the experiences i’ve had that keep me here, keep me going to shows, meeting people, comming back for more………ive had so many amazing expiriences within hardcore, its been such a mainstay of my life for so long that i dunno what my life would be like without it, and i dont wanna know what it would be like……….i have a pretty good idea that i would be much less of a person without it, or at least someone who would be so completely different from who i am now that i couldn’t recognize myself………i also take heart from freinds who are older than me and still going to shows/involving themselves in the scene……….my freind jana will be 40 this year and shes been going to shows and taking pics of bands since the mid 80s! i feel like im more connected right now to hardcore/punk than i have been in a long time…….i have made connections/established relationships with people who are dear to me and ive connected with brand new people who i am just getting to know (mr brewer, that’s your cue!) i feel like i belong right now……that there is a place and a scene that people actually want me to be included in rather than just going to shows but feeling like im in a bubble with no contact with the people around me whatsoever, (weather its my own fault or theirs for not talking/connecting with me) this means the world to me….that i am wanted……that i mean something…….not just being another isolated, invisible person who is just a transient with no roots or connection to what is going on……..this is what makes punk relevant to me. the freindships, the music, the expirience of being at a show and making freinds or just shooting the shit with people you already know and not having it feel forced or just a method to kill time until the band sets up…….for all of you who know me or write me, please know that you all mean so much to me…more than you know….you are the reason why i keep comming back and why i feel like punk will continue to be a big part of who i am for the foreseeable future…..and those of you ive only begun to know……your amazing too and i hope to know you well as time passes………

im not getting older, im getting better…….

wow.......

2012-02-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

ive been getting alot of facebook hits lately......i think their coming from the mind intrusion facebook page, but i hardly ever have people getting added to it anymore and no one really comments there either (i post updates, but probably less frequently than i should).........word of mouth? i dunno, but i like it =)

Population @ The DAAC, 1/28/12 (Pt 2)

2012-02-04T16:39:00.000-08:00

Population @ the DAAC,1/28/12 (Pt 1)

2012-02-04T16:38:00.001-08:00

Royl Space @ the DAAC, 1/28/12 (Pt 2)

2012-02-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

Royl Space @ the DAAC, 1/28/12 (Pt1)

2012-02-04T16:37:00.001-08:00

Xtra Vomit @ the DAAC 1/28/12 (Pt2)

2012-02-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

Xtra Vomit @ the DAAC, 1/28/12 (Pt 1)

2012-02-04T16:36:00.000-08:00

i<3 sock!

Shoppers @ the DAAC, 1/28/12 (Pt 2)

2012-02-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

PT2!

Shoppers @ the DAAC, 1/28/12 (Pt 1)

2012-02-04T16:34:00.000-08:00

<3<3<3!!!!!

cousins - axthoxy ep (2011)

2012-02-03T19:48:00.000-08:00

another big surprise for me........cousins are a band from Milwaukee who play mindlblowing shoegaze.........i mean holy shit this is good.....the opening track alone is worth the price of admission..........fucking majestic and towering over you as it winds its way along....one of the best tracks of any kind ive heard in a while........overall it reminds me of a much better version of the man i fell in love with......they just hit all the right buttons on this record..........the packaging is also superfuckin good and amazing........best packaging ive seen for a record in a very long time.....not often that you get a wood insert (with a woodcut too!) with your record........i really cant wait for this band to play on the other side of the lake (grand rapids to be specific) just cant stop spewing over these dudes...best thing ive gotten to review so far this year, and had i gotten it last year, it wouldve made my top 3 of the year easily.......A+ effort guys........cant wait for the next record!

cousins - axthoxy

something ive been thinking about writing about for a while now.......

2012-02-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

every generation thinks they have perfected whatever artform they (think they) invented, and hold succeeding generations to scorn & ridicule……..take punk rock for instance……the generation that came up with black flag and minor threat thought that punk/hardcore had been perfected in the 80s and everything else was just poseur material……..they heckled and ridiculed the movements that started up in the 90s…….”thats not punk!”……”your not doing it right!”….”this new hardcore sucks!!”…..ive heard all of this and more from lots of older people who were “active” in the mid 90s……….i despised those people and their shitty attitudes put me off alot of older stuff (i was a toddler when black flag/minor threat, ect, were in their prime, so i never really got a chance to grow up with this stuff) they held their precious 80s bands up as the end-all be-all of hardcore and i wanted nothing to do with their cherished sounds or style…….turn the clock forward a decade to 2007 or so and i found myself disparaging the current incarnation of the scene, “its all either shitty nu-emo or 80s thrash retreads………fuck all these bands, the current scene blows” i cant remember how many times i said this on messageboards or just to myself….it wasn’t until later, when i started my blog and began actually listening to some new music that i figured out that it wasn’t all bad……thinking back, what if i was a 20 year old kid in 2007 and some old dude came along and took a shit on the scene i worked so hard to help build? i feel kinda shitty now that i acted just like the douchebag hardcore dudes from the 80s who took a shit on everything that meant anything to me back in the 90s………bands like the shoppers/cloud rat/psychic blood/procession, ect, helped me realize that there’s a whole thriving ocean of good bands/music/ideas out there who are connected to a spirit and philosophy that’s always been at the core of hardcore and never really went away……i guess the moral of the story is keep an open mind and dont be a douchebag and lord it over people younger than you……you might find yourself with very few freinds and on the outside looking

mary christ demo (2012)

2012-01-30T14:40:00.000-08:00

this is (to my knowledge) a new-ish band from from DC...this is my first exposure to them and i wasn't dissapointed. really good female vocalled low-fi noisy punk with an understated sense of melody...3 songs on this demo, just enough to whet my appetite for more.......hopefully they will come up here this year (or come back if they've already been to michigan) great great stuff!

mary christ demo

shoppers/royl space/xtra vomit/population/compromised position show @ the DAAC (REVIEW)

2012-01-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

last night was one of the best nights of my life........im all seriousness it was! got to see amazing bands and reunite with amazing people (two in particular) the evening started off with compromised position, a dude from buffalo doing confrontational anarchist power electronics...................he asked the crowd "who here is killing the planet?" and then proceeded to hand out black sheets with a pro environmental stance on one side and lyrics on the other....though it was a little discomforting to see him shaking people and screaming in their faces, it was really good overall though........then royl space set up next.........they are now a quartet instead of the trio they were the first time i saw them........they seemed to be tighter and more focused the first time i saw them, but the flipside is now they have more and better songs...their sound falls somewhere between chisel and meneguar.....they are fast becoming a band i can really dig.....after then came the main reason why i came........the shoppers set up and tore through a 10 minute set of pure adrenaline and melody buried in a hurricane force coating of noise and feedback.......meredith is one of my best freinds and spending a couple hours after the show talking to her was the pinnacle of my trip.....keri and josh were amazing as well...this band means so much to me, more than they or anyone will ever know, i get so much joy out of listening to them play and talking to them after the show.....hands down, the best band playing music right now.......anyone living in reasonable driving distance of one of their shows needs to see them.....a cant miss live act............after the emotional high of the shoppers, population took the floor and played some new wave-ish post punk stuff.......i guess interpol would be a good starting point for a similar sounding band.....they were proficient and very awesome people, but their style isnt currently my cup of tea...(the only post punk band i currently listen to is the opposition) xtra vomit closed out the night with some amazing dischordant grind/hardcore...sock (their guitarist/mostly singer) made some very meaningful comments between songs that really connected with me......i love that dude and hope to see/talk to him again........overall this was a great show, easily one of the best in years and i will be counting the days/weeks/months until i can see all of these people including my dear freinds, again........i love all of you guys from the bottom of my heart....keep playing music that inspires and connects us..........im already having post-show depression........it will take me a few weeks to completely get over depressing fact that it might be a while before i get to see meredith or even sock again...but eventually it will work its way out of my system and ill be ready for the next good time...

compromised position

royl space

<3shoppers<3

population

xtra vomit

so....

2012-01-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

ill be gone tommorow and probably most of sunday..........going downstate for the kickoff of the shoppers/population tour.......will have a trove of video/photos (not to mention shirts/records) when i get back.

6 hour drive, but im looking forward to it. ill never miss shoppers playing a show in my state. this band means so much to me, and i cant wait to see/talk to/hug each one of them again. so fucking psyched for this!

an update (reaction to megaupload being shut down)

2012-01-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

i used megaupload links for a few records ive posted over the past 3 years.....im pretty sure i used megaupload to host the groundstate and sevengone records i posted.........there are a few others, but its been so longs, ive forgotten which ones...........if you click on a dead link, tell me and ill try to reupload it somewhere else......

oh and fuck the RIAA and the big money music business in general.....

curmudgeon - human ouroboros (2011)

2012-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

im back with a great record from last year that i wasn't aware of at the time it came out..........curmudgeon are a boston band that plays heavy dirty hardcore that sits in the intersection of powerviolence and the noisier spectrum of hardcore originating in the 90s (think bands like facade burned black, unanswered, inept) haven't heard too many bands currently doing stuff like this and the clear shouted female vocals set them apart a little further still.............for me, this is another one of those awesome sounds ive unearthed lately..........its like being 10 again and walking in the woods and rolling over an old log only to find a nest of big striped tiger salamanders scurrying around underneath..........awesome! i understand that these dudes/dudette will be playing some shows with cloud rat in march on the east coast.......if you live on the east coast you should definatly check those shows out cause both bands rip shit apart! they also have a new ep comming out this month! hopefully crumudgeon sees fit to grace all of us in the midwest with their presence sometime in the near future........till then ill be jamming this and waiting..............

human ouroboros

programm c "karen" lp (2001?)

2012-01-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

today i thought id trot out an old band from austria to terrorize your ears.....programm c were from vienna and existed during the late 90s/early 2000s........they played short sharp bursts of destructive thrash laced with heavy mosh parts and occasional blastbeats...........kinda/sorta powerviolence-ish, especially with the kinda tinny sounding recording job this lp got......anyways they tear through each song and then get the fuck out quick.....a little too quick for me sometimes, but their basic formula is on point and the songs are generally very good. an lp worth tracking down if you can find it.........i suppose some probably pop up on ebay once in a while.....but for those of you who are a bit lazy, ive got you covered..........this was their only LP ...besides this, they recorded a "7 and a split "7 with a band called kobyashi (who played frantic bang on the walls and go nuts hardcore that the locust used to be known for before they decided fashion was more important than substance) check it out.

karen lp

psychic blood demo (2011)

2012-01-11T14:38:00.000-08:00

not too long ago i reviewed this band's ep and it was one of the best things i reviewed/heard last year....well its a little late (my fault) but heres the demo.......possibly even better than the EP.......4 songs of noisy dischordant, melodic edged punk drenched in feedback .......the somewhat sloppy recording job only makes the sound here more endearing..........this band can do no wrong by me (so far) and of course i highly recommend this.........

psychic blood demo

PROCESSION "Grand Ledge" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

2012-01-10T23:23:00.000-08:00

great band, great video

hunted down demo (2011)

2012-01-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

this came out last year and im kinda late to the party as far as this demo goes.........better late than never though...........this band is from syracuse, the town that seems to be the epicenter of a lot of cool shit/amazing bands happening lately.......these guys live up to that reputation witha debut of 5 tracks of blistering charging hardcore that for me, bears more than a passing resemblance to the old denver grind outfit catherer......just the raging straightforward pace of the music and especially the similarity of the vocals makes me draw that comparison.........in any case this shit is really good, a great start for a new(?) band that ill be looking out for new records from in the future......by all means check this out.

hunted down demo

Girls Against Boys - Disco 666 8-11-1996 live

2012-01-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

pinfield is still lolz.

Girls Against Boys - Superfire

2012-01-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

I <3 GVSB!!!!

segue "7 (1998)

2012-01-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

another old record dug out from among the debris...........segue were from minneapolis and were to my knowledge, another band involved in the prolific minneapolis crust scene of the 90s........that is until i actually listened to this record......its blazing emotive hardcore with muffled screaming vocals.....musically much closer to something like makara or UOA than say, code 13 or masskontrol...........this was their first "7 and im not sure they could have made a better impression on me.......great music, great lyrics. everything is on point.......they also had a "10 and a split with inflicted (the split isnt as good as this "7 IMO) im pretty sure they broke up sometime in the early 2000s......in any case this is another one of those obscure gems that are hard to find, but are infinitely rewarding musically when you do.......huge thumbs up.

segue "7

doctorshoppers "degenerate utopia" (2012)

2012-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

this is the first new release of the year that i'm reviewing and boy, is it a good one...........hailing from the smoggy streets of L.A. doctorshoppers crush all before them with their noxious mix of grind, noise, sludge and black metal..........it sorta reminds me of knelt rote, but not as crushing or intense (but then again, who is?) this is a great introduction to a band id never heard of before i got this record......my first pleasant surprise of 2012 and its the first new record i review! i'm hoping they tour this year, cause id love to see them do what they do live..........thumbs up on this one kids, dont miss it!

degenerate utopia

bullyrag aka fucking thunder "hearts spark arson" (2001)

2012-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

now for the first real post of the year.........bullyrag were a band from arizona who played grooving, energetic hardcore in the shotmaker vein, but perhaps a tad noisier.....highly politically charged lyrics and song explanations......this came out on code of ethics in 2001.......a band/record that, like alot of things in that time period, got lost in the shuffle.............excellent stuff......

hearts spark arson

2012-01-03T20:08:00.001-08:00

East Lansing needs to be leveled and paved over............a city that is a true embarrassment to the state.

fuck that city and everything that comes out of it.

my top ten of 2011

2011-12-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

well 2011 has been the year of my full re-engagement with DIY hardcore as it currently stands......going to shows, making new connections and capturing alot of it for posterity in the form of video and pictures......i feel re-energized about the scene and the people currently making the music/doing the zines or just doing whatever they can to support their friends and touring bands....the scene is vibrant right now, and although i cant really appreciate certain styles that have become popular within the past few years, there seems to be more than enough music made over 2011 to fit my taste and worldview........its also been a year of discovery of new sounds to addict me........so many bands/people i would never have known about if i hadn't checked out a bandcamp or went to someones basement/club/resteraunt to see.......im so glad that i was able to make the connections that i have over this past year and hopefully they will all stay with me for many years to come.....

anyways here are my top ten records for the year:

10.

one of my first surprises this year...excellent psychotic noise rock/sludge/hardcore from dearborn michigan....fans of today is the day and dystopia take notice.

cynarae "s/t"

from seattle washington. this band plays huge crushing hardcore with a semicrusty edge....another excellent surprise of 2011

degollado "dark of the day"

amazing, unique, indescribable, all terms accuratley applied to this band.....hypnotic post-sludge... a must listen

judas iscariot - lost prophets

the most surprising record of the year,if only because the band has been dead for a decade.....still this record more than holds its own against anything released today..

goddard "bishop"

unfortunatly haven't had the chance to review this one here yet, but ive been jamming it for a couple months now(since jason sent me a copy) and it truely deserves spot in my top ten....spacey math rock at its best...

procession "fade"

this was always a lock for my top 5.......amazing shoegaze from grand rapids (at least originally) one of the best things i've heard this year easily.......on tour now, so go see em! (also new album comming soon on forward records)

black kites/convulsions split lp

two of the best bands in recent memory squaring off on one piece of vinyl....... unfortunately black kites have decided to call it a day...........the world will be less enriched with the loss of their presence.....

cloud rat/oily menace/wolbachia 3 way split

cloud rat has been one of my absolute favorite bands since i first saw them a year and a half ago.....just amazing people playing amazing music.......oily menace play great straightforward grind and wolbachia are a canadian band that im still waiting to see.......together they made this record an unstoppable juggernaut of sonic brutality......and one of the highlights of the year.

psychic blood "strain"

one of the absolute best things ive heard all year........noisy, dreamy, awesome stuff with a huge recording.....i cant wait to see this band!

shoppers " silver year"

without a doubt, hands down, the BEST record of the year.........i cant say enough about this band's music or about them as people...........simply incredible on all accounts......im literally counting the days untill i see them again on january 28th......they will kickoff their nationwide tour tommorow night in syracuse.......do whatever you have to do to see them......bands like this come around maybe once every decade......and im so gad that i was able to make a connection with them........meredith/josh/kari, if your reading this, i love you guys and i always will.....

Cynarae @ The Stein House 12/23/2011

2011-12-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

halo perfecto "hospitals in other countries" lp (2003)

2011-12-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

this providence outfit featured members of palatka and anton boardman (among others) and played tuneful, catchy rockish stuff with some noisy twang...........kinda reminds me of a slightly calmer new brutalism......this was released on mountain collective in 2003 if your curious.........excellent stuff from a band that was here for a short time and then broke up and was quickly forgotten....

hospitals in other countries

countdown to putsch "handbook for planetary progress" (1999)

2011-12-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

the debut record from this NYC band sporting members of judas iscariot, your adversary and thats all she wrote..............the sound here is jerky, energetic hardcore with a definate jazz lean.......screamy vocals spit political lyrics and the music here is a combination of all the best parts of each member's former bands..........definatly one of the better bands to have existed in the late 90s/early 2000s and an all but forgotten member of both the mountain collective and ebullition catalogs........if i remember right, this cd came packaged in a really elaborate booklet chock full of song explanations and liner notes of a socio-political nature..........its been a loooong time since ive seen the whole package so i dont really remember what went where or how exactly the whole thing was packaged so im just going off memory here.......anyways an excellent band that produced innovative unique hardcore thats not been heard since.........

handbook for planetary progress

psychic blood "strain" "7 (2011)

2011-12-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

i guess December is determined to pack in a few more musical surprises for me before the year is out.......i got this in my email early this month from a dude named jason, who i'm presuming is in the band.......not sure how i sat on this for the last two weeks without playing it...........anyways i have and its a small (as in two songs), but sonically huge slice of wonderful ..........the volume on this is huge and is reminiscent of the overwhelming sound of the shopper's silver year lp from earlier this year...though the music isn't really the same at all.......its big boisterous guitar rock with two faces, one facing the late 80s/early 90s world of squirrelbait, treepeople and bitch magnet, and the other facing the modern scene of bands like condominium and tenement........the whole thing sounds like it was recorded in a Quonset hut, the guitars coloring over eachother and filling the space while the vocals kinda echo off in the distance and the rhythm section just chugging along........both songs are catchy, yet rough in a way that hits my sweetspot just the way i like it.......i think these dudes hail from somewhere on the east coast, but im not sure.........i just know that they made my top ten of the year with this record.........hopefully ill get to see them live in 2012......really good stuff and defiantely recommended........

psychic blood - strain

cloudburst "7 (1999)

2011-12-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

another product of digging back through old records......this french band from the late 90s played excellent energetic emotive mosh..... reminiscent of certain american bands, but with an edge all their own.......im not sure how long they were around but im pretty sure they were a dead band by 2002 or so......this came out on mosh bart records in 1999 and its still well worth a listen or 3 today......M.I. approved.

cloudburst

reblogging this because its fucking important

2011-12-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

http://abortedsociety.com/2011/12/mixtapes-for-aceh/

We read the news about punks being apprehended and detained in the Aceh region of Indonesia recently, and like many of you, were extremely disturbed at the thought of the police sweeping these kids off the street, shaving their hair, and forcing them into some sort of bullshit military training to deprogram them. We are privileged to live in a society where we are free to express ourselves as we wish, and while the US and other Western states have their fair share of police injustice, this incident is a harsh reminder to how good we really have it. That is why we are starting a small initiative in solidarity with our friends overseas, to let them know that we stand behind them and fully support them.

The mixtape is a crucial part of our subculture, and is solely responsible for the spread of punk influence worldwide. Mixtapes have introduced myself and many others to so many amazing bands, and the act of making them is one of the most sincere forms of friendship that exist in our world. So, we are asking our friends, our community, and anyone else who remotely gives a shit to make and donate one mixtape cassette to the kids in Aceh who were forced into detention solely for being punk. It’s a small gesture, but it means a lot to people who need our support. The content entirely of their choosing as long as it’s somewhat falling in the punk/hardcore/crust genre. If you have an awesome tape you never listen to anymore, or would like to make a new one specifically for this endeavor, that would absolutely rule. We are collecting these tapes to send out in early January, so your deadline to submit is December 30th, 2011. We know that the post office is fucked right now with holiday shipping, but right after xmas it frees up largely, so it shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Please try and pack as much music onto these tapes as possible, and try to avoid sending a short 10-min long demo cassette. This is an out-of pocket initiative for me (Rob) personally, and I’d like to make what we send as substantial as possible. And include your address in the tape, you might just make an international buddy out of the process!

You can send your mixtapes to our label address:

Aborted Society Records
attn: Mixtapes for Aceh
1122 E. Pike Street #1377
Seattle, WA 98122-3934
USA

diavolo rosso - "groove down to the riot rock" (1999)

2011-12-12T17:23:00.000-08:00

digging in my vaults i found this gem from a decade or so back. fast pissed hardcore from germany........4 blistering ragers here.......great lyrics too....."listen asshole, this aint no fuckin tough guy bullshit"..........love it! not all too dissimilar to their fellow pissed off countrymen like stack or asmodians leichenhaus......if you like it fast and fucked, this is your jam.........

diavolo rosso - groove down to the riot rock.

oily menace - modulistic terror demo (2009)

2011-12-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

the demo from lansing's oily menace.........this could almost be a full length to itself......the music this time around is more slow and paced than the stuff on the three way with cloud rat and wolbachia which sounded like these dudes had a limited amount of time in the studio and they had to blast em all out fast........its still grimey and nasty as fuck, but theres an extra dimension here.........if you like brutal pissed grind with great lyrics, oily menace should be right up your alley.....mid michigan is currently pretty active as far as punk/hardcore goes and this release is just another testament to that fact.....

oily menace - modulistic terror

siamese twins demo (2011)

2011-12-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

this is a new boston band featuring members of Libyans and ampere among others. im not sure but i think there are two girls singing in this band.....anyways 6 songs of 80s goth/post punk ala bauhaus and other bands of their ilk.......even though i was never into the first wave of this stuff, its very good, and a change from all the throwback thrash/hardcore bands that seem to be overpopulating the american scene nowadays........they don't have a bandcamp or blog to my knowledge so i have no idea when/if they will tour............if they do i hope they come out here........good stuff

saimese twins demo-2011

catherer/laughing dog split lp (2000)

2011-12-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

my introduction to both these bands was seeing them play back in 1999 at the 10 weston in grand rapids.... in fact it was only my second live exposure to grindcore (the first had been acrid/assuck in 1997).....it was a great show, (malakhai was on the bill too and kicked ass.........) and both bands brought it hard..............i talked to alex & joe of laughing dog after the show and found them to be incredibly nice chill dudes......they wanted me to write them but i promptly lost the tapejacket (the art above isnt the original album art BTW) with their contact info =(.........the thing i remember the most about catheter was their sodom cover, otherwise its was pretty good straight ahead grind......laughing dog were much more technical and "blasty" (for lack of a better term) anyways on this split catherer do pretty much what they do live, harsh fast no-frills grind (yes, the sodom cover(outbreak of evil) is there too) while laughing dog play fast choppy tech grind like a crustier dischordance axis but mixed with some hiphop tracks that i can only describe as "amateur".......all in all its good, laughing dog comes out the victor on this record for me, even though the recording is kinda tinny and doesn't really capture their live intensity at all........im pretty sure alex & joe both ended up in noisear, or may have even been in that band when i saw laughing dog as i think both bands co-existed for a while........anyways cop this...........

laughing dog/catherer

BWAHAHAHAHAAHA!

2011-12-03T23:59:00.000-08:00

im seriously wondering how many couches are burning in east landfill right now..........great game sparty, too bad #9 fucked you out of your first rose bowl appearance in 23 years....or, you know, any shot at the BCS whatsoever................

GO BLUE!

herr k cd (2005)

2011-12-03T13:49:00.000-08:00

now for something more obscure.......herr k were a california band that existed between 2000-2006 and played some energetic, clattering, spastic hardcore.....impassioned vocals and all........one of those bands that packaged their recordings inpeccably.......excellent on all counts......one more in a long procession of bands over the years that never really got any attention whatsoever....anyways check it out cause its fucking cool....members went on to silver daggers......

herr k

.......

2011-12-01T22:57:00.001-08:00

yea, ive found that i dislike new zealand greatly over the past few hours.............

Sweep the leg johnny - Similarities

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-08:00

degollado - dark of the day (2011)

2011-11-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

ive been waiting for this record for a while now..........this band is from strasburg virginia and play some amazing hypnotic post rock/sludge....3 long songs that alternate between wandering drone, tweaked grooving and outbursts of white hot noise...sometimes it reminds me of conifer, at others, regulator watts....highly anticipated and well worth the wait........this was an automatic top ten of the year record for me....it really is that good......i cant wait for these two dudes to tour so i can see these songs unfold live.........a band that gets my 100% stamp of approval easily......YOU HAVE TO HEAR IT!

dark of the day

Gasp - Love For The Retarded Strands

2011-11-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

skylark lp (2010)

2011-11-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

its been made abundantly clear to me this year that i need to keep my ears open, because there is so much good new music out there.......including this band from london whose lp was yet another in a year of now-innumerable musical revelations for me (even though this came out last year)........anyways they play some twinkly jagged, buoyant hardcore with pissy vocals (not a bad thing) reminds me alot of an old providence band from the 90s called jetpak........kind of a balancing act between shellac/jehu/guzzard abrasiveness and cap'n jazz/bells on trike twinkle....i could also draw ready comparisons to older german bands like craving/kurt/ENIAC....all in all this is a great record and hopefully the band will hit the states sometime soon......id like to hear more!

skylark lp

cynarae ep (2011)

2011-11-21T08:44:00.000-08:00

the musical suprises keep rolling in........ I've only just discovered this band myself and i can safely say after one listen this has made my top ten for the year......this band hails from seattle and recorded/released this over the summer (august) some thick ugly dirty hardcore here...like the DNA of his hero is gone/unruh/thoughts of ionesco/systral were spliced together to create a new devastating musical superbeast......it works REALLY well too as i havent heard anything this ugly and intense since the knelt rote lp sometime last year.. another plus is that these songs have great lyrics and after you download this record, youll find that they have full expanations of the meaning of each song also...keeping the DIY socio-political spirit alive in hardcore.......really fucking awesome.......heres to hoping these dudes come east sometime soon, i might even be willing to donate my basement for a night......A+ effort.

cynarae

the best kept musical secrets of 2011............

2011-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

the following list is made up of bands that put out great records under the radar this year......(i left cloud rat and the shoppers off this list because they seem to be getting the attention the rightly deserve and are popping up in alot of people's top ten lists already.....)

red forest hunter

degollado

onodrim

sex prisoner

procession

fell types

monkey (still holding out hope for the full length to be released before the end of the year)

sans aids

failed

skylark

all bands i wholeheartedly recommend

serotonin - "universal time constant" (2003)

2011-11-18T13:10:00.000-08:00

ever have a record that you buy, not knowing exactly what you'll get and then have it surprise you in the most pleasant of ways? well that's the scenario that occurred when i bought this particular album back in 2003.........i knew this Murfreesboro Tennessee band by reputation among friends who had seen them........"really intense complex stuff" i was told..........after one listen i concurred......it could be put in the "math rock" category, but its so much more than that...they play their music with more passion and heart than any math rock band i've heard............the color and emotion of this stuff explodes out of the framework and engages your ears/brain/heart directly.......that was the quality that keeps me listening to this band several years since they called it quits.......some could draw comparisons to shit like cap'n jazz (especially their early stuff) but id say thats a bit off too, as tim kinsella & co never touched the heights of complexity and emotion that serotonin routinely mined during their existence......anyways this record was one of their later releases and im pretty sure if you like music that makes you think AND feel, this is your bag........

universal time constant

marjan crash - the 434 sessions (1993-96?)

2011-11-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

FUCK! thats all i have to say right now.......the theme of this year continues as ive unearthed yet another unknown gem......this shit blew me away......easily ties the shoppers as the best thing ive heard this year........i mean holy fuck, these songs are amazing!........i posted this band's "cruise dakota" cdep a year or so ago and i like that album, but these songs (especially the 4 or so songs they were recording for an lp) are VASTLY superior.......there are 7 tracks in all here......the first two recorded early in the band's carreer in 1993 with don fury in NYC....just huge burly hardcore that beats the living shit out of everything.........reminds me of the first threadbare "7 but tougher and much more bludgeoning........this shit is huge and scary......the next four songs are from what i've heard was an aborted attempt at an LP that i believe were recorded in 1996......i cant be sure of that though, so if your in the know (or better yet, in the band) let me know the deal.......anyways the band evolved radically away from their early sound, although the intensity and impact still remain in spades......those songs are flowing noisy works of fucking art.... noticeable shoegaze influence colliding with noisy hardcore that takes cues from both DC & san diego......i once compared the vocals to peter steele on a morphine drip...i still say thats still pretty much the case here (although the early vocals were much more shouty/screamy) and their still only half intelligible, buried in the songs themselves......this time i feel that the vocals somehow work better on these songs than on cruise dakota.....overall it seems to have a slightly "gothy" sheen to it........anyways amazing amazing shit..........something ill be jamming on the regular far into the future.......the last song (ben sway bar) is from their demo (im guessing 1992-93-ish) is inline with the don fury sessions stuff, very tough and hard with thickass riffs busting your head open........daddy like! old forgotten tunes from a band that probably would have made quite the splash (deservedly so) if they had stuck together and finished the LP........as it stands, its only a glimpse of what they were capable of........ im pretty sure alot of you will dig this as much as i have...........

434 sessions

Marjan Crash - Wide Ferrari

2011-11-16T20:22:00.000-08:00

best song ive heard in a LOOOOONG TIME!

show of bedlam - five songs (split w/jucifer) (2009)

2011-11-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

i came accross this after one of the boneblack dudes responded to my post about their lp a little while back.........he said this was one of his other bands, so i checked it out and goddamn if it isnt fantastic! yet another musical revelation for me this year.......weird sludgy stuff with dramatically sung female vocals.........noothgrush/grief with a side of bratmobile (vocally)? i also hear a tiny bit of commonality with a band like three mile pilot in certain songs...........i know the comparisons are weird, but its what my ears are telling me right now............it could all change when i listen to this a few months or years down the road, but for now, these are the best comparisons i can make......these five songs are from a split with jucifer....a band whose name ive heard tossed around alot but have never actually heard for myself.......i always thought they might be one of those scandi-rock bands like hellacopters or turbonegro, but who knows.......anyways this band is still active and this is a great introduction to a new-ish (for me) band that i havent heard before......hopefully youll like it as much as i have.....

show of bedlam (split w/jucifer)

EBAY FLAKE ALERT

2011-11-13T19:56:00.000-08:00

scott miller (wavesofaethyr)

i bought two shirts from him....never got them.........emailed him several times, no response.......filed a paypal claim............fuck this cocksucker.........

AVOID THIS SCUMBAG PIECE OF SHIT RIPOFF ARTIST AT ALL COSTS!

national sunday law "the fifth ape" (2010)

2011-11-10T14:55:00.001-08:00

now for another one of those bands that no one seems to have known or talked about, at least no one i knew/know........national Sunday law hailed from los angeles and played what i can only describe as two-man prog-math hardcore......i dug the shit out of their demo and would listen to it many times a day for several months.........i couldn't get into their lp (la storia di cannabali) as much....kinda sounded like a halfassed tarantula hawk at times(not that that's a bad thing) and the lp art looked like a first draft for a baroness album cover......but this record redeems all that....ranging from drifting noise to back to basics straightforward (for them) hardcore/prog............"last flight of the dodo" is the centerpiece song here.........so fucking good.......its too bad these guys called it quits last year. if they would've kept going in this vein i could see them going places.....members went on to gravitron and some other bands...anyways enjoy!

the fifth ape

kwisatz haderach - 7 & split with encyclopedia of american traitors, (1998)

2011-11-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

one of the first 10 or so records i ever bought........in fact im pretty sure i snatched this one up after a great review in an issue of heartattack in 99 or so.......i guess it had already been out for months or even a year by then.........anyways what we have here is some fucking intense, epic emotional hardcore from virginia in the union of uranus vein, but with a bit more melody and space.......i especially love it when this band slows down from the fast crushing stuff and does some interesting things riffwise.......lyrics are obscure and dune references are rife (as evidenced by the band's moniker/song titles themselves) one of those bands that kinds fell through the cracks even though they were superior to the heavy hitters of the time (orchid, yaphet kotto, im looking at both of you) members went on to virginia black lung and fighting dogs (and maybe onodrim?).....also includes the two songs from the split with EOAT (litany against fear and ya ha chouhada)....definatly recommended........

kwisatz haderach

boneblack lp (2011)

2011-11-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

.this record/band took me by surprise (that's sorta been the theme of the year for me with music).......maybe the first band that i had to check out just from viewing a youtube video of them playing/bantering........i was actually looking for footage of wolbachia and these guys popped up in the cue.......anyways one thing led to another, i went to their blog and started gushing about how great they were and i downloaded their lp and listened to it for a couple hours straight......raging female vocalled crust with some gloomy ambiance from montreal.......i don't generally listen to much crust...mainly because IMO, there's a certain sameness with most of the bands in that genre and it all blurrs together for me......i guess maybe i should give it a chance more often because this band/record payed off in spades........unfortunately they seem to have broken up already (maybe already isn't the best word since they apparently had been around a few years) one of those bands i discover too late and never got a chance to have any personal contact with........all in all, a great record from seemingly great people..........check it out!

boneblack lp

cromwell discography (1995-2000?)

2011-11-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

a discography of sorts from a detroit band of the 90s........comprises their "7 and splits with scout and thoughts of ionesco..........they evolved from a dischordant moshy hardcore band (with days of our lives samples!) at the outset, into a weird noisy almost pop punkish at times sound on the split with scout and finally into a heavy grooving noise monster on the late (ionesco split) material...........i remember they had a website way back in the day and had talked about recording a full length which was supposed to "come out soon" but apparently never did...........id love to hear it if it exists.......members can now be found in year of the pig.........all n all another forgotten page of detroit hardcore history....

cromwell

honeywell discography (1989-1994?)

2011-11-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

currently my favorite band of the 90s.........these guys were the black flag/minor threat/negative approach of "emotional hardcore" and their lp is the benchmark to meet for all the bands that came later............unfortunatly none ever came close to touching the energy level or sheer pissed-off-ness of honeywell in their prime.....that was especially what i loved about this band.....they were pissed and you could feel it in their music.......no sassy bullshit (which seems to have creeped into other bands of this style that came later) here,just genuine fucked up angry hardcore slathered in an acidic bath of noise and speed with the occasional erie, beautiful introspective part, (the last 4 minutes or so of "christ") political lyrics and the trademark ear peircing vocals that were another aspect of this band that i loved so much.......and they were doing this all starting in the late 80s when this style was practically unheard of as of yet........paving the way for everything that would come later..........members went on to volume 11 (who were good, but infected somewhat with the sassy virus i talked about earlier) los cincos, one eyed richard and a bunch of other bands.......this is essential if your into 90s hardcore at all.....

honeywell discography

Longmont Potion Castle - Duckling Fantasy

2011-10-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

SENTIMENT AGREED!

2011-10-25T17:52:00.000-07:00

hey 616 zine dudes/dudettes

2011-10-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

hey!! i apologize for not making this post sooner..........i hope i havnt kept you waiting too long on this........feel free to take any of my show pics you want (to put in the zine)

this is what i have from the shoppers show a month and a half back.......no shoppers pics unfortunatly..........i was too busy recording their set for posterity...........though i guess the royl space pics with josh in them might count as shoppers pics....lol

shattered badge

royl space.

2011-10-25T09:34:00.001-07:00

currently trying to decide weather to go down to GR for the brown sugar show or not...........that band really isnt my cup of tea, but id love to see all my new grand rapids peoples again anyway.....and who knows, maybe BS are better live than they are recorded......or maybe i just need to listen to their LP excerpts again

Juliana Hatfield "What A Life"

2011-10-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

LOVE

ENTROPY - NECROMANTIC

2011-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

boston grind from the 90s. in a weird way cloud rat kinda sounds like them

Honeywell - Christ

2011-10-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

the best hardcore band of all time......for me.........

onodrim - winter demo (2011)

2011-10-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

this is a new-ish band from pittsburg featuring members of the sea like lead, belegost and virginia black lung.....kinda dark shimmering emoish stuff with slight shoegaze tendencies..........sometimes it kinda reminds me of the last crime or "as floods decrease" era brazen. at others it reminds me of the sea like lead........its a nice full wall of sound theyve cooked up here..........really excellent stuff............hopefully theyll tour soon and ill be able to see the spectacle in person......best thing ive heard this month.........highly recommended....

onodrim - winter demo

HANDICAPPED PUNX

2011-10-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

ive always wondered if people can continue to do bands/be involved in the scene if they have been paralyzed from the waist down or have suffered some other catastrophic injury………are there such things as handicap-freindly DIY showspaces? have you ever seen a wheelchair ramp at a space? have you ever seen any punks in wheelchairs? this is something ive never seen or even heard about………no zines about handicapped punx (although it would be great if someone would start one or do a piece about them) this is important because any one of us could be put in a wheelchair or on those arm-brace crutches permenantly at any given time and i wanna know if you could continue to play music/do shows/ continue life as a punk after such an injury……

Kendra live in Peterborough, NH — 4.27.07

2011-10-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

one more!

Kendra - 'Afro Thunder'at Brilliant Corners Last Show

2011-10-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

brilliant indeed.

Kendra at Armadillos - Has Not Rel

2011-10-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

moar kendra!

Kendra - 'Pharmacokinetic' at Brilliant Corners Last Show

2011-10-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

one can only mourn what has past............

kendra "mc fastbike" (2007)

2011-10-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

ive been trying to hunt own this record for years! ive finally got it! (thanks jason!) kendra were two people, danny kamps and kate hanlon, who both hailed from keene, NH. together they formed the mathiest math rock and the postiest post rock duo on the planet......weird bubbly guitars soaring into echoing passages which in turn dive into sludgy dirges and back to the tweeked out mathiness again......they looked to be fucking dynamite live......both of them would trade instruments and keep the songs going seamlessly, something ive never seen from any other band....... i only wish that i didnt live 800 miles away from them........they also did a showspace called brilliant corners and had many a band pass through.......no less a personality than thurston moore himself touted these two as a band to watch.........i fully and wholeheartedly agree with his assessment..........but unfortunatly, they broke up 4 years ago.........huge fucking bummer because they were doing some truly unique and awesome shit........another record that is a MUST to own........

kendra - mc fastbike

recusant - discography (93-96)

2011-10-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

this record is a bit of a curveball compared to most of the stuff i post here........weird, arty spastic female voiced punk with a definate crust mindset..........ultra political lyrics covering feminism/veganism/animal rights/abuses of multinational companies/ect.......wrapped up in one of the most unique sounds ive heard ever...............i think the members of tem eyos ki might have been listening to this band when they started up cause the sound/approach is kinda the same with both bands..........this band was from the UK but moved to france towards the end (im pretty sure thats how it went down anyways) stonehenge put this out i believe (if im worng, let me know) excellent, unique band that broke up all too soon........

recusant

this dude is awesome!

2011-10-18T08:23:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/couchmode/user3183821/videos/sort:date/15540231

watch the vid!

Water Torture w/ madison (cloud rat) @ the DAAC, 10/5/11

2011-10-17T19:41:00.000-07:00

not sure why i didnt post this before! enjoy!

trocar "life on mars/mambo hardcore" (1996)

2011-10-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

one of the early releases from this old and obscure kalamazoo band...........i saw these guys twice, once at michiganfest and once at monster island/31g..................these two songs are kinda herky-jerky back n forth rockin with a strong, almost funky DC slant.......excellent musicians they were.......not a sound that i hear nowadays either............well i guess goddard are tryin to bring it back but other than them, no dice..........definately recommended!

life on mars/mambo hardcore

Snowblood - Aubade

2011-10-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

Boneblack May 29 1/2

2011-10-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

cloud rat/oily menace/wolbachia split (2011)

2011-10-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

so i went through some serious mental shit yesterday........im ok right now, so back to the reviews!

here we have a 3 way split from 3 up and comming bands.......cloud rat/oily menace, both from michigan and known to me for a while now, and wolbachia from winnipeg who i did not know about before hearing this record........anyways cloud rat starts this record off with several song of their patented emotional grind brutality.....somehow not as thick and full sounding as their full length, but still on par with it and amazing overall....ive come to expect excellent work from cloud rat and this is no exception..........the oily menace follows them up with some thick wicked death-grind.....they actually remind me of a rougher, grindier less well produced version of exhumed, gurgly low end vocals n all......lyrics are very political and pro labor...alot like seein red's lyrics........and i love that about this band........excellent music and i hope to see them at some point...........lastly we have wolbachia from canada, who were a revelation for me......off center dischordant grind that dosent sound like anyone else.....maybe dischordance axis meets born against? (that was a shot in the dark) deep-ish sorta moaned/grunted female vocals that distance this band further from the usual crust-grind milieu that im used to.......i really like what they are doing and i really hope they come out here at some point! in any case this is an excellent record and highly recommended by this freindly neighborhood blogger.

cloudrat/oilymenace/wolbachia

.............

2011-10-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

im in the middle of a mental breakdown right now and it might take a while to resolve.........today has been one of the shittiest days ever from an emotional standpoint........hopefully ill feel better by tommorow.........or else i might go on hiatus...........

update: i still wanna die.

daniel striped tiger - capital cities (2007)

2011-10-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

this is probably something i should have reviewed much earlier than now.........one of the best records of the past 10 years.........a record that will probably go down as an underrated classic several years from now........jumpy dischordant melodic hardcore in the modern emotive fashion with an almost jazzy feel at times..........one of those bands that i heard alot about, but never seemed to play any shows in my state.......i have had all of their records at one point or another and this one is the pinnacle of their work......amazing from start to finish.......kinda suprised more people arent all over this band......

capital cities.

this isnt a record review or a show review.........

2011-10-11T12:54:00.002-07:00

i originally posted this in my tumblr as a sort of response to alot of homophobic/transgender-phobic shit people have been throwing around lately. i thought it was important enough to repost here...i dont generally get into personal stuff or gender/sexual politics in this blog but i occasionally make exceptions........so if you ever wanted to know where i stand on this stuff, well here it is........

my 2 cents...........

it seems like a bunch of people i know are pissed about stupid shit people say or do lately especially when it comes to the gay/lesbian/transgender community, ive decided to put in my 2 cents on the matter…..even when i was a teen and just starting to understand sexuality and all of its intricate facets i never understood why who people chose to love/sleep with could inspire such hatred and fear…….i mean its none of our business in the first place what anyone chooses to do sexually (as long as they arent raping people or fucking children/animals…..then its most certainly time to get involved and put those sick fucks out of commission) in the first place and i always was amazed and horrified that people would take their hatred so far as to kill someone over this…….i operate off of the basic premise of respect. i respect you and treat you as i would like to be treated… sexual preference/race/ect never comes into the equation………i dont see why its so hard for people to operate on the same principles…….my sister is now transgender (well, she wants to be a guy, im not sure what the technical term is for that..this is all still new to me) and at first it startled me and put me out of my comfort zone, but as the time passed and she explained to me why she chose to take the path in life that she was heading down now, i came to see things much clearer…she never felt comfortable being a girl and always thought she should have been born a male…..its something that must have been extremely hard to live with and i think shes been pretty damn brave to be out in the open with me and my mom about this…inside shes the same person ive always known and i think that supporting a person on their new life path and being there as you’ve always been is a much better thing than ostracizing and isolating and attacking someone for their choices and making their life miserable because you dont agree………..my mom has an understanding of what my sister is going through and has a certain comfort level with it, but is still ashamed of her to a degree and will never tell any of my other relatives about my sisters choices…….i would never feel comfortable posting this on facebook as i have many relatives who are anti gay to say the least and i dont feel like wasting energy battling them and fending off their inevitable attacks………to end this rambling barely coherent rant, i think that there needs to be more understanding in general, but it seems like the hate only grows with each passing year…….we all should think about what we say and do and try to be more aware and considerate of all the people around us……..

judas iscariot "lost prophets" (recorded 1999? released 2011)

2011-10-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

the lost lp from a hugely underrated NYC band finally surfaces...........this might be the best thing the ever recorded too.......really tight, focused drums & bass hardcore with ragged vocals.......sometimes raging, sometimes melodic, always amazing. i was never sure why these guys werent more popular than they were. they played such a unique awesome style that no one has yet replicated since........the lyrics seem to be heavily political, but never on the overbearing side..........nice dudes too....this one makes my top 5 of the year easy (and i have alot of good records that came out this year that are being pushed out of my top 5 by stuff like this) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

lost prophets

cloud rat/water torture/dirteyes(sp?)/chumm @DAAC, 10/5/11 (SHOW REVIEW)

2011-10-09T12:54:00.000-07:00

so a month on the nose from when i saw the shoppers at bartertown, im back in GR again, this time for cloud rat! the evening began with a drunk dude asking for beer and stumbling around proclaiming his italian heritage loudly ("HEY, IM SICILIAN YOU GUYS! IS THIS WHERE THE BEER IS AT?") first up was chumm who suprised me by playing really good dual vocalled hardcore/grind....ive seen so many of these bands that they all blur together and it has long since ceased to move me emotionally, but these dudes were proficient..........next up were the dirteyes (still dont know if im spelling that right) im pretty sure they were from buffalo and on tour with water torture....anyways two dudes playing 70s influenced fuzz sludge.....i know there are alot of people who dig this stuff but i unfortunatly cant say im one of 'em.........their set was pretty short and before i knew it water torture was setting up.........another two man bass/drums combo from buffalo, they were considerably better than dirteyes (at least in my eyes) and played harsher, dirtier grindy sludgy stuff....their last song was the highlight of their set when madison from cloud rat joined them for a thick sludgy number with her vocals obliterating everything in their path.......they did a seige cover, which is always a plus in my book.........didnt get to talk to them unfortunatly but did record half their set........good band ..........after water torture's set came the highlight of my night.......the band/people i specifically came to see/support (although you should see/support all the bands and i did, but cloud rat is just special for me) took the floor...........i remember the first time i crossed paths with cloud rat........i saw that they were playing the same show as black kites/zann last summer............i remember saying out loud "who the hell is cloud rat?" and "what the hell do they play?"............i didnt know what to expect then and i still didnt after i had seen the 'kites and zann rip everyone a new asshole at that show.......i was talking to john from zann when they started setting up, we stopped talking and went up front to check this band that i doubt either of us had ever heard at the time.........from the first chord i was blown away......just a huge pissed off whirlwind of noise with this blond(at the time) girl fucking roaring and running into people......i was hooked.........for some reason i didnt get to talk to them at that show and im still kicking myself for not introducing myself sooner..........anyways i got their lp and the splits and fast forward a year later to find me loudly proclaiming this band as the best in the state.........anyways they did not dissapoint this time either........ive found that unlike many many grindcore bands who seem to follow eachother down the same musical path, eschewing emotion for gore and sadism and putting out cold robotic recordings full of textbook blastbeats and gargled vocals, cloud rat infuse their brand of grind with real, raw, extremely personal emotions....theres no gore or satanism to be found here, just songs that seem to be intensely personal, not just the lyrics but the music too is where that emotion shines through and it makes their sound all that much more magnificent and amazing..........their set was one of the best things ive seen this year....right up there with the shopper's set from a month before........to top everything off, they are amazing people! madison is so sweet and awesome and rorik is fucking awesome too......i didnt get to talk to adrian but im sure hes an awesome dude too.......also met the drummer of the oily menace/shattered badge who was an amazing awesome dude too, i forgot his name already though =( brandon, who i think set up the show, deserves mad props too, as does this dude named sock who was another amazing person i met that night.....dude(s), if you have computers or access to computers, get at me! all in all, it was a wonderful show and i cant wait to reconnect with all the new freinds i met down there again..........loved all the little things that happened from talking briefly with a girl with short black hair who reminded me of winona rider, when i was talking to madison (i dont know if we were introduced, but i hope we get to talk again!) to madison hanging out of the drivers side window of their car yelling "KEEP IT GRRIND!" (or something similar to that) at me when i was walking back to my truck....i loved that! anyways everyone was amazing and i left with a really good feeling that continues to this day...........my message to cloud rat is, you guys WILL be sleeping on my floor at some point, i will do whatever needs to be done in order for that to happen..........i love each and every one of you guys (and gals) and miss you and hope that its not too long before i get to see you all again soon!

with that i bring you the pictures!

Chumm

Dirteyes

Water Torture

Cloud Rat

im back!

2011-10-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

was downstate wedsday for cloud rat.............fucking amazing show, my review will come soon...........like after i upload video/pix/ect

cloud rat will be touring the south in december....if you dont go see them ill personally come down and punch you in the face.

so i have a tumblr now

2011-09-29T18:31:00.001-07:00

mindintrusion1978

its much more of a personal nature than this. if you feel like taking a peek into my day to day life, or just read my whiny bullshit, add me if you feel so inclined.

hubris demo (2011)

2011-09-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

what we have here is a new band from DC who play fast, dirty, blown out hardcore sorta in the vein of born against........this is a great start and i hope to see this band on tour soon............one of the new bands everyone should be on the lookout for......cant wait for an LP!

hubris demo 2011

black kites/convulsions split lp (2011)

2011-09-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

here we have one of the best records to come out this year..........new jersey's black kites square off against rhode island's convulsions in the musical deathmatch of the year.............the black kites side of this split is hands down the best stuff they've recorded so far, chunky varied and raging hardcore that's in and out and over all too soon......amazing stuff from a group of amazing individuals (some of the sweetest dudes in person) on the other side we have convulsions whose "7 i dug immensely..........this stuff is a little more out there but still brutal and fucked up.......not a band that's afraid to take risks with their sound that's for sure.......ragged metallic hardcore with a sludgy melvins touch.....all in all this is one of the best records to have come out this year. i personally think its edged out of the top spot because the shoppers put out a record that was perfect in every conceivable way........anyways its a necessity if you like modern ugly hardcore with meaningful lyrics and made by great people.........

black kites/convulsions

veloz - slepnir (2011)

2011-09-12T20:04:00.000-07:00

another in the long list of new bands that hooked me this year........veloz are from boston and feature ex members of furnace (another great band) and play some raging hardcore with weird mathy riffs...5 songs that fly by, causing chaos and destruction in their own unique way.....havent heard any band that is really even close to the sound these guys create..its just great stuff...just to throw a comparison out there, daniel striped tiger meets capsule meets his hero is gone?....they just toured europe with the resurrectionists and lich (i think) and im guessing they were well recieved........anyways if they can keep this kind of energy up over the long run, i see a bright future ahead...........hopefully they tour the midwest sometime soon!

slepnir

monkey 2 song preview of lp ( 2011???)

2011-09-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

this was one of a myriad of bands that took me totally by surprise this year.........hailing from calgary alberta, i still have only the barest of info on this band.........two songs of huge toxic mountains of churning noise..............its sludgy, but not slow and boring, loud and chaotic, but never mindbendingly complex, the vocals are of the requisite harshness and the production is top notch.....i can pick out alot of influences in their sound but theres is never one that rises above the others......in other words they are perfectly balanced between all their influences and have managed to scrape out their own niche in the wider world of hardcore/metal/whathaveyou.......i think these songs are part of a full length that will (has?? as i cant find shit about this band anywhere, i have no idea whats going on with them) be released soon......id love to get my hands/ears on a few more tunes as these two just whet my appetite for more..........awesome start for an awesome band.........

monkey - two song preview

national handbag 1.5 (zine)

2011-09-09T12:43:00.000-07:00

(never mind the dirty sock!)

i dont often review zines, if only because its been years since ive gotten any....if anyone feels like sending me some, be my guest and ill gladly review it. anyways this is meredith of the shoppers' zine (a sweeter person on this planet, i have not met). it mostly deals with mental illness and is something i can personally identify with as i have aspergers.....most of this issue consists of freinds of meredith or people she asked to contribute talking about how their mental illnesses tie into their sense of style, its interesting reading, even though ive never been one for fashion or DIY clothing making.......im not sure, but i also think how a person dresses can also tie in with negative body image/poor self esteem, which is something that hits close to home for me........while there are tons of after school specials/books/movies/public service announcements about girls/women and how they can overcome their negative body image, there dosent seem to be any understanding of the same issue effecting men/boys...........when i am in a place with large amounts of people present, i almost always feel like their eyes are boring into me and judging me and i feel so uncomfortable and naked.......i dont walk with my head held high and im always looking at the ground (though that could be explained by my aspergers, im also self aware to a hypersensitive degree much of the time)i always feel like the first thing people notice about me is my chunkiness..."oh, the fat dude whos always got the camera and stands up front during shows".....it just really gets me down sometimes.......anyways its an awesome cut n paste type job not unreminiscent o alot of the zines i read a decade ago and longer.........she seems to have a thing for vintage erotica, as thats heavily present both in this zine and on most of the shoppers records/merch ive seen....which is all good since i share that interest as well ;) im not currently sure how you could get this zine unless you see them on tour......more than likely you could contact meredith at her email (terminallyblessed@gmail.com) and i bet she'd be happy to send you a copy.....its well worth the read! looking forward to issue 2.........

Puritan - This is Medicine

2011-09-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

love the fuck out of this song..........still do............if you saw them and werent on the floor and crying by the end of this song, something was wrong with you.

Royl Space@thunderdome, 9/5/11 (last thunderdome show) PT2

2011-09-07T06:47:00.000-07:00

last part of their set

Royl Space@thunderdome 9/5/11 (last thunderdome show) PT1

2011-09-07T06:46:00.000-07:00

the first song of royl space's set

shattered badge (i think) @thunderdome 9/5/11 (last thunderdome show)

2011-09-07T06:45:00.000-07:00

shattered badge...............god, i hope this is actually them.............im not intimatly familiar with GR local bands as of yet....in any case they playsed a great set

Shoppers @ thunderdome, 9/5/11 (last thunderdome show)

2011-09-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

the shoppers set that i recorded monday

show review (shoppers/shattered badge/royl space@ thunderdome(last show) 9/5/11)

2011-09-07T06:41:00.000-07:00

let me just say that monday night blew my mind made the long trip down to grand rapids to see the shoppers, a syracuse band that ive grown to love over the past couple months..i would never have thought that a band id never heard of a few months ago could touch me in such a profound way........ive been going to shows for 16 years but it wasnt until monday night that i felt like i truly "belonged".......the shoppers put on an energetic set and rocked the shit out of everyone, but it was how amazing they were in person after the show that really sealed the deal for me and my now unbreakable love of this band the most......meredith (can i call you meri? hehe) is one of the kindest, sweetest most awesome people ive ever met in my life period, and i dont say that lightly.......just an amazing person that i could talk to for hours......i always feel kinda awkward talking to people for the first time and this was no exception, but it was just so damn easy to talk to her and her bandmates who were amazing as well........i already miss them and hope its not too long before they come back around to play in michigan again.....for me they are that once in a decade band like to dream of autumn or lovesick, that effects me so deeply that the time(s) i see them will be etched in my memory forever.....please, dont miss this band, do whatever you have to do to see them, they are that good!

shattered badge played first and played fast grindy hardcore of the kind grand rapids is becomming known for....good stuff and ryan(i think?) is an awesome dude.

royl space played last and played some energetic bouncy pop punkish stuff with some sassy undertones..........i wanna say they reminded me of very early chisel (you know, before they turned into a clone of the jam) but the sound is much more modern.........

all in all this was a hell of a show and sadly, the last at the thunderdome, which was a basement showspace underneath bartertown resteraunt which is a vegan resteraunt (owned by ryan?) that is rapidly making a name for itself.

shoppers "silver year" lp (2011)

2011-08-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

this record is literally hot off the presses....not officially released till sepetember.........it already might be the best thing ive heard this year.......shoppers are a trio from syracuse, ny and play huge, short blasts of melodic noise that owe a whole lot musically to bands like fuel, shotmaker, scout and phleg camp....someone told me their vocalist reminded him of huggy bear, i cant really see that as ive hardly listened to huggy bear....IMO i think she sounds a little like the girl from oiler. mainly in the delivery.....in any case this shit will knock you on your ass. i cant really make out much of the lyrics (and i dont have a lyric sheet) im pretty sure i heard "hold me down, fuck my mouth" though...not shocked or anything, but if that indeed was the lyric, its a bit disconcerting.....if this was ten or fifteen years ago, i could see this comming out on ebullition..really really awesome stuff, they will be playing semi-locally on the 5th of september and ill do my damndest to show up and see them (vehicle issues might prevent me from making the 400 mile drive.) one of my new favorite bands, cant wait to meet them in person!

shoppers - silver year