September 20, 2009 distro update

Hello everyone,
Continuing in the campaign to only carry releases that i think are good, the front has captured a solid crop of releases. The one i'm really going to single out this time is the Hard Skin "Same Meat, Different Gravy" LP. A fucking modern classic if such a thing exists. It doesn't quite have the chops of a 4-Skins "Wonderful World" or "All Cops Are Bastards," but it's not very far behind either. Fantastic songs, the wittiest lyrics ever, and choruses you can sing along to all night long. The great layout and superb packaging certainly don't hurt either. This is a re-release of their 2004 LP.

The other release i'd like to single out is the Scatha discography double LP. I'm a bit biased about this band because they were one of the earlier crust bands that i was exposed to when getting into punk, and i'm half Scottish. A decade or so after being released, i think their songs hold up very well, are still very powerful, and are still relevant. What Scatha was able to do was combine elements of traditional Scottish history, mythology, and ancient culture into their music to make powerful and unique sound. I think it's especially notable in the drumming on the songs. I'm not talking about wearing studded kilts or having Antisect painted on the side of their bagpipes, it's all a bit more primal and far less corny than that. Heavier Oi Polloi would probably be the closest comparison, but fans of Doom, Hiatus, State Of Fear, and other '90s crust bands should dig it. Pricey, but worth it.

Other highlights this time around include new Gov Warning records, the (early '90s Japanese band) Warcry demo 12"s on Crust War that i was very fortunate to get (be warned: they are expensive), Shock Troop LPs (great cover artwork), Bone Awl "Night's Middle" EPs, Mob 47 tapes (official release of '85/86 demos), Stitches "Automatic" 7"s (best '77 band going in my opinion), Closet Fairies side of their split 7", Invasion - "La Caza" 12"s, and some other shit.

As always anyone with any suggestions on what to carry please reply, i'll consider anything within the scope of thrash, anarcho/peace punk, hardcore, UK82, or crust. I'm always on the lookout for old caches of '90s leftover stock, so if you know of a defunct label or distro with a bunch of copies of old Jobbykrust and Diskonto records sitting in a closet or under a bed, please drop me a line.

Concerning pricing, i understand that some prices here might seem way on the high side of things. I think unfortunately this is where you will be seeing things going in the future. I've been looking at a lot of other distros/labels to see what their prices are on international releases, and everyone is having to deal with selling records for very expensive prices. This is for two reasons. First, when ordering wholesale from overseas, the US dollar is so weak against the Euro and especially against the GB pound, that you're paying almost 60% more right off the bat. Add that 60% lost in the exchange rate for postage as well, and you're looking at a substantial hit you've got to make up. The second reason is because mailing records from the US internationally has gotten outrageously expensive. An example of this with nice whole numbers that come out evenly is a well packed box of 7 LPs shipped to Japan or Europe costs $42.00 even to ship. Take $42.00 and divide it by the 7 LPs a distro receives in return, and it's $6 added on to each LP to make up for postage. The base price for an LP is $10. Add the $6 extra per LP on for postage, and you've quickly got a $16 dollar LP sitting in a distro before it's even got postage added to it to ship it out to someone placing a mailorder within the US. And the $10 base price for an LP in 2009 is certainly anything by a "comfortable" profit margin for a distro to begin with. It's easy to see why so many distros are closing up shop. If things continue to go this way (and i don't see why they won't as the post office is expected to report a loss of $7 Billion in 2009 alone according to the NY Times), it won't be more than a couple of years before imported LPs are $25 in the US. The one saving grace is that you can mail approximately 15 7"s in one of the Flat Rate Priority mailers that the post office provides you with for about $13.00. For an example of this, take 15 7"s, mail them to Italy for $13, and you're adding about a dollar to each 7". Add the dollar for shipping onto the $4 base of a 7", and you still end up with a $5 international 7". That's a pretty great deal in 2009. The only problem with this deal is what do you do when you're trading a label in Italy for 10 LPs and 5 7"s? You've got to make up the difference somewhere, and that's how you end up with $6.00 7"s in a distro. So i just wanted to take a minute to clarify exactly how i come up with my prices so that no one thinks i'm price gouging or anything like that. If anyone has any questions or anything or would like to further discuss this, i'm more than open to it.

But on a better note than why shit's expensive...... here's some stuff that's free with orders. Please state that you want these with your orders though.
-Orders of $20 can have a free Worhats/Strohsacke split 7" on Social Napalm Records
-Orders of $25 can have their choice of a copy of Monikers "Eat Your Young" CD or Serious Geniuses "You Can Steal The Riffs, But..." CD (jewel cases not included)
-Orders of $30 can have one of the two CDs plus the 7"

Full distro list and website can be viewed at http://www.socialnapalm.com/

Please remember that PRICES ARE *NOT* POSTAGE PAID. For U.S. (domestic) customers, here are the postage rates for ordering:
$0-$10.00 = $2 shipping
$10.01-$25.00 = $2.50 shipping
$25.01-$50.00 = $3 shipping
$50.01-$100.00 = $4 shipping
$100.01-$150.00 = $5 shipping
$150.01-$200.00 = $6 shipping
Over $200, email me please.

International customers please get in touch for rates. All international orders are sent via airmail.

We can accept well concealed cash or *postal* (that you get from the post office) money orders made out to "Erik" (NOT Social Napalm). Thanks.

Paypal is accepted, but i do have to charge to include for their fees.

Address is at the end of this email.

Here's what's in stock now:

7"s:

Bone Awl - "Night's Middle" on Klaxon Records/Nuclear War Now! Productions $5.00
The best black metal band to emerge since Bathory me thinks. Lo-fi recordings, punk influenced songs, no blast beats, and no Satanic imagry. The band leaves much to the imagination with their vague soundscapes. One of the best bands going today regardless of genre.

Deathcage - "Tomorrow We Die" on Sniper Fucker Records $6.00
"3 trax of Australian hardcore, picks up were the "Chaos Night Rider" 7" left off, but adds more over the top guitar and NWOBHM influence. Best stuff to date."

Government Warning - "Executed" on Grave Mistake Records $4.00
"Brand new 45 single to accompany the new full length. Recorded in the same session as Paranoid Mess. This was originally intended to be a European tour single but we just opted to make it a proper release instead. The title track charges through at varying speeds, musically taking cues from Kings Of Punk era Poison Idea topped with Kenny's biting vocal delivery, while the flip side backhands you with one quick ripper in standard GW fashion, followed up with a Battalion of Saints cover." -Alex/Grave Mistake Records

State Poison - s/t on Shogun Records $6.00
"Make no mistake, these Frenchies-plus-one-Floridian sleep cuddled next to their Disorder records, passed out with a gluebag in hand. ... I would align this with Swankys or early Confuse, before lumping it in with the crasher crust scene. Overall, State Poison has enough ineptness, ridiculousness, catchiness, and creativity to pull this style off. Download the demo for free at statepoison.blogspot.com" -MRR review
MP3: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/shogunrecordings/music/statepoison_narcotization.mp3
Cover image: http://pagesperso-orange.fr/shogunrecordings/disco_covers/statepoison.jpg


Cassette tapes:

Mob 47 - "Garanterat Mob 47 - A Tribute To Mob 47 + Bonus Tape" on A.L.P. Tapes $5.00
Very cool tape originally released in August of 2001 on A.L.P. Tapes out of Sweden which was run by Krogh from Blindead Productions/Dömd fanzine. The B side of the tape features tracks from two different Mob 47 rehearsal/demo recording sessions. The first song was recorded in February of 1985, while tracks 2-19 were recorded at the last Mob 47 rehearsal ever in September of 1986 (until they reformed in 2005). The A side of the tape features bands all paying tribute to Mob 47 by covering some of their classic and best songs. I'm very happy to have this release in stock and think people will enjoy it.


LPs/12"s/10"s:

Ääritila - "Ennen Huomista, Tänä Tuomiopäivänä" LP on Feral Ward $10.00

Busy Signals - s/t LP on Dirtnap Records $10.00
"Touching on several overlooked styles that have only recently become appreciated, the Busy Signals are an unstoppable explosion of so many great nuances that it will literally make your head spin. With their instantly gratifying buzzing sound firmly rooted in original formula high-energy pop without a side of the feyness usually along for the ride, they have developed an incredible knack for weaving in bass lines and backup vocals that rekindle the magic created by first-wave Belgian punk bands right alongside the refreshing twists of primordial glam. This all comes together to concoct a blend of "real deal" punk so enthralling you'll be surprised at how bleak your outlook on life was before you were exposed to it, and you'll quickly realize how passable everything else seems to sound that came before it." -Ken/Dirtnap Records

Crude - "1999" LP on Feral Ward $10.00

The Ergs - "Upstairs/Downstairs" LP on Dirtnap Records $10.00
"Lots of bands dream of becoming a great punk band, a great pop band, or a great hardcore band. But the truly great bands, the ones that come along and alter the course of music, can never be pigeonholed into just one genre. You don't want to listen to the same type of music all the time, so why would a band wnt to drone through songs that all sound the same? The Ergs have the talent to play outside the lines. The New Jersey-based trio draws influences from the strongest sections of the SST catalog, pop punk in the vein of both Ramones and Descendents, country, and even jazz. When listening to The Ergs, prepare to have your definition of pop punk challenged. As a band, everything goes; As listeners, everyone wins." -Ken/Dirtnap Records

Estranged - "Static Thoughts" LP on Dirtnap Records $10.00
"PDX 3 piece with a heavy background in the local HC/Crust scenes (members have been/are in bands like Remains Of The Day, Hellshock, Warcry, From Ashes Rise, Coldbringer, and lots more) play icy, ominous post punk ala Wipers, Mission Of Burma, Warsaw-era Joy Division, etc. LPs come with digital download coupon." -Ken/Dirtnape Records

The Equalities - "On Street!" LP on Loud Punk Records $10.00
New excellent pogo punk band out of Japan featuring Tetsutaro from Dick Spikie. Fans of Dick Spikie, Tom & Boot Boys, or other Japanese pogo punk bands should dig this.

The Exploding Hearts - "Shattered" LP on Dirtnap Records $10.00

The Exploding Hearts - "Guitar Romantic" LP on Dirtnap Records $10.00

Government Warning - "Paranoid Mess" 12" on Grave Mistake Records/No Way Records $10.00
"Richmond, VA's one and only Government Warning are at it again. Following 2006's "No Moderation" LP and 2007's "Arrested" EP comes their highly anticipated second full length; Paranoid Mess delivers fifteen more unrelenting tracks full of snotty hardcore attitude that musically lies somewhere between Zero Boys, Verbal Abuse, FU's or Adolescents. The diverse songwriting that you have come to expect from GW is still very much present on this new LP, from the high speed hardcore blasts to the more mid tempo, hook laden fist pumpers, and everything in between. Great sounding record that brings to mind the golden era of US hardcore - absolutely timeless and essential." -Alex/Grave Mistake Records

Hard Skin - "Same Meat, Different Gravy" LP on Feral Ward $10.00
The best. A top recommendation. "Fake" Skinhead/Oi taking the piss while having a laugh down at the pub. Nearly flawless.

Marked Men - "Ghosts" LP on Dirtnap Records $10.00
"Blurring the rawness and velocity of their self-titled debut with the slightly more developed songwriting "chops" of the last two, the Marked Men have truly delivered the best of both worlds. Since their debut album came out on Rip Off in 2002 (reissued in 2008 on Dirtnap!), the Marked Men have established themselves as one of the best, most distinctive, compelling, and instantly recognizable punk bands of the 2000's. They're also quickly becoming one of the more influential. Despite that, you can pop the needle on "Ghosts" for 5 seconds and instantly be left without a doubt as to whom you are listening. It ain't pop-punk. It ain't power-pop. It ain't KBD or '77 style punk. At this point, the Marked Men sound like absolutely no one but themselves. The bad news is that this will be their last album for a couple of years, as co-lead vocalist/guitarist/total musical genius Jeff Burke is currently living in Japan. The good news is that the band swears they are NOT broken up, just on extended hiatus. We couldn't possibly be more honored that the Marked Men saw fit to return to our humble label, and are looking forward to doing more stuff with them (and hopefully their new, as yet unformed bands) in the coming years!" -Ken/Dirtnap Records

Raw Power - "Screams From The Gutter" LP on Toxic Shock Records $10.00
"17 song Italian hardcore masterpiece from 1985. Produced by Zero Boy Paul Mahern during their first of many US tours. A bonafide classic!" -Toxic Shock Records

Scatha - "After The Dust Settles" 2xLP on Agipunk Records $19.00
"Born in Scotland in 1995 from the ashes of Disaffect and Sedition, Scatha established themselves as one of the most important names in the 90's crust scene. Carrying on a deep concept rooted in the Celtic culture, their songs still remain a breath of fresh air, complex, slower, sometimes with a metallic pace, leading crust to an original and still unreached by others level. This double Lp features in their entirety "Respect, Protect, Reconnect" '96 LP, "Fuck the system" '97 EP, "Birth, life and death" '98 LP and tracks from the split EP with Dagda. Comes with thick booklet with lyrics. Already out on CD on MCR Company/Japan, now you have the chance to get those masterpieces in the original vinyl format." -Agipunk Records

Shock Troop - "Nightmare In 2012" LP on Sniper Fucker Records $16.00

Warcry - "Keep Drinking Attitude" on Crust War Records $17.50
"New release of 2009 summer from of Crust War! 93 years Jhonio (Gloom) side project and Osaka Crustys triple vocal legend! 12 inch EP24 tune entering Short Stench Shock! In the midst of sale!" -Record Shop Base, Japan

Warcry - "Not So Distant Future" LP on Feral Ward $10.00
Second 12" from PDX's Warcry.

Warcry - Demo 12" on Black Water Records $10.00
One time only pressing of 1000 copies. This is the demo of the PDX band Warcry. Raw, Discharge inspired hardcore.

Wasted Time - "Futility" 12" on Grave Mistake Records $10.00
"After two killer EPs, Richmond's Wasted Time finally unleash their first devastating full length, Futility. On this LP, Wasted Time continue to deliver their trademark hard-as-nails brand of US hardcore. With the expansion of the band to a five piece, Futility also finds the band drawing from additional influences, resulting in a more massive and ferocious sound than their previous releases." -Alex/Grave Mistake Records


Zines:

Deprogram - Vol. 1 - $4.00
Excellent new hardcore/crust/raw punk zine out of Portland done by Keith from Hellshock/Estranged/Black Water Records. This debut issue features interviews with Lobotomia (Brazil), AGE (Japan), Final Warning (PDX), Bomberegn (Sweden), Vaurio (Finland), Japanese punk artist Sugi, and Punk And Destroy shop along with reviews, top 10s, pictures, Hellshock and Lebenden Toten tour reports, and scene reports from Finland and Osaka and Tsuyama, Japan. Quite a lot packed in there.




THE FOLLOWING RECORDS ARE NOT ACTUALLY IN YET, BUT I'M EXPECTING ALL OF THEM EITHER THIS WEEK OR NEXT WEEK. IF YOU DON'T MIND WAITING, I CAN HOLD YOUR SHIT UNTIL THESE RELEASES COME IN. ANY QUESTIONS, JUST GET IN TOUCH.

Invasion - "La Caza" 12" on La Vida Es Un Mus Discos $15.00
The 2009 equivalent of Discharge's "Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing" album. Very fucking powerful hardcore from Spain.
http://lavidaesunmus.com/PAGES/pop%20up%20mp3s/invasion2ndmp3.html

Organism - "Hope" 12" on Hardware Records $14.00
"Vinyl sounds killer, cover looks flawless. 8 tracks of neckbreaking full throttle Hardcore Punk from Osaka/Japan. Don't miss one of the most destructive contemporary units from Japan! This has the raw, violent energy of Warhead's first 7". An instant classic!" -Chris/Hardware Records
http://www.hardware-records.com/mp3/organism_-_judge.mp3

FM Bats - "Shark In The Water" 12" on Vinyl Dog Records $10.00
"FM Bats is comprised of Leonardo Salas (bass), & Orlando Sanchez (guitar) who were the backbone & songwriters of Im Gonna Stab You, Todd Jacobs (vocals) who also sang in Le Shok and Neon King Kong under the alias of "Nancy Manhands" and Tony Matarazzo (drums) of the Grand Elegance. The band as a whole has only been together and playing live since August of 2004. Todd and Leonardo however have been making the songs on this E.P. under the moniker "Old Crow" since they were first roommates about six years ago… FM Bats finally shed the light of day after finding the perfect local Long Beach teammates and ending prior musical obligations- mostly on bad terms. FM Bats now includes new member, Brett Cutts (Himself) on guitar, whom they acquired after his return home from living in Washington and Orlando's current two year vacation in a Nevada state prison .This is for fans of Wall Of Voodoo, The Fall, & Davie Allen & The Arrows (as if Sir Davie was on speed-Ha-Ha). Actually it obviously sounds a lot like Im Gonna Stab You with Todd singing and Tony playing drums like he was one of Adam's Antz." -TKO Records

Riffs - "Underground Kicks" LP on TKO Records $10.00
"After wowing audiences nationwide on tour dates supporting legends Slaughter & the Dogs and current Punk Rock greats the Virus and Defiance; Portland, OR's true underground underdogs have decided to answer the call for "MORE!" from their growing army of fans, with this reissue of their 2000 debut album, Underground Kicks." -TKO Records

Riffs - "Such A Bore" on TKO Records $4.00
"The Riffs make their TKO debut this month with this new single! This release is a perfect introduction to this incredible band. The Riffs blistering twin guitar attack, equally channeling Johnny Thunders and Steve Jones, will time-warp you back to the late 70's if you're not careful!!! The A-side is from the Riffs upcoming album, the B-side is exclusive to this release." -TKO Records

Riffs - "Poison Boys" on TKO Records $4.00
"Here's a teaser for the Riffs' upcoming "Death Or Glory" album, just in time for the band's U.S. tour with Slaughter & the Dogs. Check out what the Punk Rock Press [Worldwidepunk.com] has to say about our boys: 'The Riffs capture the New Yorkness of the Heartbreakers, and the Bristishness of Slaughter & the Dogs with a pinch of Discharge...' " -TKO Records

Stitches - "Automatic" on TKO Records $4.00
"The Stitches make their smashing TKO debut this month with this killer of a 3-song 7" EP. This baby showcases this notorious band at their snot-spewing best; and this just a teaser for the album coming next month!" -TKO Records

US Bombs - "Tora Tora Tora" on TKO Records $4.00
"You better head to the fallout shelter! U.S. Bombs have returned to rain death and destruction upon you with these two all-new tracks!" -TKO Records

US Bombs - "Art Kills" on TKO Records $4.00
"Just when you thought it was safe to come out of the fallout shelter... the U.S. Bombs are back! Two new exclusive tracks, first 1,000 copies on colored vinyl, controversial artwork and politically charged lyrics- what else did you expect!?! Duck and Cover!!!" -TKO Records


Here's what should be in for the next update (DO NOT ORDER YET):

Not sure yet honestly. I've got some things in mind though.

Erik SN
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA
01824-0773
U.S.A.
http://www.socialnapalm.com/

August 16, 2009 distro update

Hello everyone,
It took about a year, but the Anxiety self titled 12" is finally available. Honestly, i try my hardest to be really honest and never mislead people, and i really, really believe that this is a great record. I am thrilled to be a part of the project, and i just hope that people enjoy it as much as i do. Taking influences from lots of late '80s British HC bands, it reminds me of Atavistic, Electro Hippies, that Terrorain demo, and things in that vein. Not grind or powerviolence or anything like that but fast and strong. Lyrically it's pretty fucking cynical and negative. Songs like "Neutral Scum," "Human Race," "Stop Breeding," and "Fat Fucks With Money" are just a few examples of the pessimism that spews forth on this platter. It also includes a cover of the Headcleaners' "Epidemic Infection." For anyone curious, there's some unmastered versions of songs available to listen to at http://www.myspace.com/anxietyhardcoreband . Please check the front cover art at Front cover image: http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1011/anxietyfront.jpg

I'm also excited that Dischord has repressed so much of their back catalog, and i think i now have all their hardcore releases in stock on vinyl. The most recent is the Faith/Void split LP repress. To me, this is easily a top 10 of all time release and is as good as LPs by Jerry's Kids, Rudimentary Peni, Crucifix, Raw Power, Negative Approach, or anyone else. So it's nice to have it in the distro.

The next few orders will get a free copy of the More Noise newsletter out of England which contains interviews with Reality Crisis and Exit Hippies as well as some punk news, reviews, and other info. A nice, short read. I'm down to about six copies or so left. If you'd just like the newsletter and nothing else, send two stamps, and i'll get one out to you.

Full distro list and website can be viewed at http://www.socialnapalm.com/

Please remember that PRICES ARE *NOT* POSTAGE PAID. For U.S. (domestic) customers, here are the postage rates for ordering:
$0-$10.00 = $2 shipping
$10.01-$25.00 = $2.50 shipping
$25.01-$50.00 = $3 shipping
$50.01-$100.00 = $4 shipping
$100.01-$150.00 = $5 shipping
$150.01-$200.00 = $6 shipping
Over $200, email me please.

International customers please get in touch for rates. All international orders are sent via airmail.
We can accept well concealed cash or *postal* (that you get from the post office) money orders made out to "Erik" (NOT Social Napalm). Thanks.

Paypal is accepted, but i do have to charge to include for their fees.

Address is at the end of this email.

Here's what's in stock now:

LPs/12"s/10"s:

Anxiety - "Pathetic" 12" on Social Napalm Records $10.00
OK, everyone knows it's getting harder and harder to sell records. It seems like there's millions of new releases that either aren't very good, get lost in the shuffle, or just flat out aren't worth bothering about when you could listen to the '80s originators instead. I don't blame people for wanting to spend their money on something from 1983 instead of taking a chance on a third rate new band because i do the same thing. I'm not sure how to write a description to get a new record to stand out, but i honestly released this record because i really loved the music, and i hope people will share my enthusiasm for it. There's nine songs here, and, to me, it sounds like late '80s British HC. I'd say Electro Hippies, Atavistic, that Terrorain demo 7" a bit or Death Sentence from Australia. It's got a lot of echo on the vocals and really negative and pessemistic lyrics with an appropriately raw recording. I hope people will be willing to take a chance on this. If you're into late '80s UKHC, check this out.
MP3: Mass Suicide, Mass Riot http://www.sendspace.com/file/04k5hg
Front cover image: http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1011/anxietyfront.jpg

Faith/Void split LP on Dischord Records $12.00
Dischord #8. Legendary release. Out of control, emotionally charged, crazed, and urgent hardcore punk from Washington DC originally released in 1982. Bost sides are phenominal. "This 12" LP (on colored vinyl) was recut from the Silver Sonya re-masters in November 2008 at Chicago Mastering Service and comes with a free MP3 download of the album. 24 songs. Recorded At Inner Ear." -Dischord Records


Zines:

Radiation Sickness #4 $3.00
New and improved cut 'n paste, black 'n white typerwriter layout with better interviews than previous issues. This issue features quality in depth interviews with Ripping Thrash zine/label, Al from Suburban Voice zine, Germ Attack from Canada, and a write up on new PDX thrashers Nerveskade. The issue also includes some personal thoughts and other assorted stuff. By far the best issue yet, and highly recommended.


Here's what should be in for the next update (DO NOT ORDER YET):

Zenevski Dekret - "Necu Da Budem..." 7" on NE Records $5.00
This is Zenevski Dekret's second demo "recorded at Vogue studio, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, 1988. Comes with a booklet containing the lyrics and comprehensive band history written by one of original members." Limited to 500 copies. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1436569


Other shit:

The other shit this time around is the fact that the Anxiety record is finally fucking out.


Erik SN
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA
01824-0773
U.S.A.
http://www.socialnapalm.com/

May 3, 2009 distro update

Hello everyone,
What's up. Largest update in ages this time around with some stuff that i am excited to have in stock. I'm not trying to hype everything that i got, but i've been trying to be really selective the past couple years on things, and i think this is just about as good of an update as ever. I can safely say i would personally listen to everything on this list and enjoyed it. The most important thing that has come in this time around in my opinion is the UBR reissue 7". Talk about a ripping release. UBR was a early/mid '80s hardcore band out of Yugoslavia. The reissue comes in a gatefold 7" sleeve that is awesome and sounds great, and i can't recommend it highly enough. I'd also single out the Illegal demo as being fantastic. Very nicely done, and definitely one of the best demos i've heard recently. Also Bad Brains, Riistetyt, Oi Polloi (love this band), Lost Cause, Crow, Judgement, and "Yalta Hi Life" comps are all great. I only have one copy of that Bastards LP. Also have some releases i wouldn't normally dabble in with melodic punk like Monikers, Psyched To Die, and Closet Fairies (great local Boston band). I was surprised by how much i enjoyed the Psyched To Die EP. I'm not really familiar with '90s bands that they are influenced by, but i'm gonna guess that maybe it will appeal to fans of FYP or Recess Records? The 7" really threw me for a loop though and was unexpectedly excellent.

Please note the stuff on Kiss Of Death Records (Monikers, Closet Fairies) is not here yet, but i'm expecting it this week. I can hold any orders that include those releases until that package arrives.

The write up for this time around is a short piece i wrote a while back on one of my favorite labels ever, COR Records out of England. Please scroll to the bottom to read about that.

Full distro list and website can be viewed at http://www.socialnapalm.com/

Please remember that PRICES ARE *NOT* POSTAGE PAID. For U.S. (domestic) customers, here are the postage rates for ordering:
$0-$10.00 = $2 shipping
$10.01-$25.00 = $2.50 shipping
$25.01-$50.00 = $3 shipping
$50.01-$100.00 = $4 shipping
$100.01-$150.00 = $5 shipping
$150.01-$200.00 = $6 shipping
Over $200, email me please.

International customers please get in touch for rates. All international orders are sent via airmail.

We can accept well concealed cash or *postal* (that you get from the post office) money orders made out to "Erik" (NOT Social Napalm). Thanks.

Address is at the end of this email.

Here's what's in stock now:

7"s:

Closet Fairies/Party Garbage split on Kiss Of Death Records $4.00
"Bostons's Closet Fairies feature Spent and some of the dudes from WWD. The other side is the final release from Austin, Texas's Party Garbage. If you are not familiar with either band, then get with it and check this out." -Kiss Of Death Records

Crow - "Flock Of Beast" on Prank Records $5.00
"Tokyo Legends Crow return with two new blasting tracks of Doomy Metallic Punk Mayhem – "Flock Of Beast" and "Flock Of Beast 2". Thundering deeper into epic, mid tempo metallic territory on the A-side with Crow's trademark gravel-drawn vocals over searing riffs, this EP echoes their recent "The Beating Of The Wings Of Destruction" 12" by exploding on the B-side into ferocious, fast paced hardcore. Crow origins date back to the early Japanese punk scene of the 1980's, but they have attacked in the last decade with a renewed intensity, culminating this decade in two US tours and a second Album "Bloody Tear" which was released in the U.S. by Prank in 2007. This most recent recording testifies they have no intention of letting up that ferocious Intensity!!!" -Ken/Prank Records

Judgement - "Just Be" on Prank Records $5.00
"Judgement "Just Be" was originally released as a CD- Only EP by Tokyo's HG Fact label in 2001. This was the debut release of the Tokyo bands final line up Comprised of Japanese legends Guitarist Zigyaku (Gudon, Half Years, Bastard), Drummer MUKAI (Chicken Bowels, Deathside) and then-new members singer Jha Jha (Lipcream) and bassist Sakura. Combining the best elements of the band's previous works with an upbeat spirit, high energy drumming and incredible guitar riffs, "Just Be"'s is another landmark in the band's impressive catalog of now classic 7" ep's dating back to the band's origins in the mid 1990's. This is the first time these four tracks appear on vinyl. Split release with HG Fact released for Judgement's recent US performance at Austin's Chaos In Tejas Festival." -Ken/Prank Records

Lost Cause - "Walk Alone" (self released) $4.00
"4 brand new tracks of unrelenting Motorhead-inspired hardcore from this Philadelphia punk n' roll powerhouse. A great follow up to their out of print debut 12". Features current and ex. members of Endless Nightmare,AOS, Diallo, Dissystema and Witch Hunt." -Ned/Lost Cause
**Note: I can also do trades and wholesale ($2.25 ea.) on this release.

Monikers/Delay split on Kiss Of Death Records $4.00
"Delay are the best thing to come out of the Buckeye State since the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Super positive and super friendly this pop-punk trio is awesome. Monikers are the laziest band on the planet and the 1st pressing of this record is proof because the the it has no Monikers songs on it because they missed the deadline. No worries though, Monikers songs are on this second pressing of the 7 inch." -Kiss Of Death Records

Psyched To Die - "Sterile Walls" on Firestarter Records $4.00
"With life comes death. With death comes peace. Psyched To Die can find no peace and channel that frustration into a bunch of rippin' punk songs for all of us to enjoy while they make the best of this time they've got. Tormented minds and twisted brains with melodies to sink your teeth into. Mikey Erg, Brian G. (Forward To Death/For Science), Jay Hunchback, and Chris Frump (Fast Times) have joined forces to shred heads and rip shit here on their debut EP. After dropping quite an impressive demo last summer, the boys are back with seven morose punk rock gems soaked in bitterness and hopelessness, all the while maintaining a prescribed dosage of humor and wit. Still, you won't find any positive sentiments or inspirational messages here, Psyched To Die remind us that when life gets you down, sometimes the best option is to simply cut your losses while you still can. Sterile Walls is your one way ticket to either the nut house or the morgue. Choose death." -Firestarter Records
MP3: http://www.firestarterrecords.com/PTD-FiveYearPlan.mp3

Stong As Ten/Lost Boys split on Shogun Records $5.00
"S.A.T.: 5 brand new tunes still in a very fast thrash metal blend. Includes Nuclear Assault cover! L.B.: add 2 songs to the score. More of an early 80's skatepunk thing. Artwork by Stef Rad Party" -Shogun Records

Trojne - "Who Gives A Fuck Anyway?" on SMRT Records $5.00
Reissue of Swedish hardcore from 1984. This was Trojne's second EP. Raw Discharge, GBH, and other UK inspired hardcore that comes in a reprint of the original sleeve as well as a seperate piece of paper that contains a nice write up with info on the band done by an ex-member. A nice package that should appeal to fans of Swedish hardcore with a Discharge influence.

UBR - "Corpus Delecti" on NE Records $5.00
"European re press of this early 80's Yugoslavian classic. One of the first and best known Yugoslav bands, UBR was highly influenced by the raw thrash sounds of Italy and this was originally released on the Italian Attack Punk label. Very nice gateold sleeve. Excellent re issue." -Havoc Records


Tapes:

Illegal - demo
Ex-members of Portland City punks Bombs Away relocate to Montreal and formed this new band named Illegal. Honestly, this is the best demo i've heard in ages. Absolutely raging Spanish influenced hardcore with rabid vocals done in Spanish. This band really nailes the "could have been released in 1984" sound, and i can't wait to hear more from them.


LPs/12"s/10"s:

Bad Brains - "Rock For Light" $12.00
European repress that i believe is official(?). This is the last essential Bad Brains release (although i personally also enjoy "I Against I") "The tracks on this album exemplify the Bad Brains' unique blend of reggae and metal-embellished hardcore. Ric Ocasek's excellent production works especially well on the thrashers by underlining some of their complex arrangements and superb musicianship, and even though a fair proportion of this material has been released previously, it's difficult to ignore memorable blasts like "Fearless Vampire Killers" and "How Low Can a Punk Get?" Solid and powerful." -Steve Spinali (from Maximum Rocknroll #8, September 1983)

Bastards - "Jareton Maailma" LP $12.00
Only copy in stock. Finnish hardcore, sloppy as shit. Love it or hate it. It's a fucking mess.

Th' Inbred - "A Family Affair" LP $10.00
"With vocals reminiscent of Ian MacKaye or Kevin Seconds, combined with an almost jazzy hardcore band makes for interesting listening. This band is big on intros that are slow and different, then rip into a thrash song with changes throughout. Beefeater fans will relate to this. Lots of challenging/thoughtful lyrics to boot. Great effort here." -Tim Yohannon (from Maximum Rock'n'Roll #36, May 1986)

Th' Inbred - "Kissing Cousins" LP $10.00
Wild '80s hardcore from Virginia. Their second LP, from 1988.

Monikers - "Wake Up" LP on Kiss Of Death Records $10.00
"Featuring a member of the long-defunct Florida legends Discount, people tend to say Monikers "Wake Up" sounds like Jawbreaker, Leatherface, and a bunch of other 90's pop punk bands. What they don't know is that Monikers are probably the best band in the whole world right now. Monikers first full length record "Wake Up" is the product of years of slacking off, years of avoiding practice, and years of playing shows far too drunk for their own good, if they even show up at all. Still, somehow Monikers managed to get the songs down and record an album through minimal effort ready to bring their brand of gruff pop punk to the masses. "Wake Up" should be a welcome addition to the present state of music. It's pretty good too. Vinyl includes a free download of the songs." -Kiss Of Death Records

Oi Polloi/Nikmat Olalim split LP on Campary Records $10.00
UK/Israel anarchist hardcore punk!! Oi Polloi has been around forever and info is widely available online about them. N.O. is a newer band from Israel.

Riistetyt - "Skitsofrenia" LP on Hohnie Records $12.00
Last copies of this record. Official reissue licensed from Propaganada Records. Fantastic tribal and chaotic Finnish hardcore influenced by Chaos UK, Disorder, and Discharge. This was originally released in 1983. An excellent release.

V/A - "Yalta Hi Life" on Power It Up Records $12.00
"Here it is at last. A legit re press of this Finnish hardcore classic from 1984. This is repressed under license by Power It Up records of Germany with North American distribution by Havoc. I know that comps get a bad rap these days as random assemblies of bands "throwaway tracks". You have to put yourself back in time to the good old days of 1984 when hardcore was still a new, raw and urgent form of music. At that time comps made a lot of sense to document the explosive new scene and most bands chose their BEST songs to put on a comp rather than their worst. Yalta Hi Life was originally released by Finland's Barrabas records in 1984. Featured are three to eight tracks each by Terveet Kadet, Varaus, Aparat, Kaaos, Aivoproteesi and KTMK. I'm particularly fond of this style of comp because you get about a 7" worth of material from each of the six bands. The TK and Kaaos songs are raging, and most people will probably buy this because those bands are pretty well known. KTMK is at their most hardcore/punk sounding on this release. Varaus can't be touched on any format. Aparat is not so well known, but still tear it up. And Aivoproteesi are really good and pretty unknown outside Finland as I think this material is their only release. A really solid comp start to finish if you are a die hard or just getting into 80's Finnish hardcore." -Havoc Records


Zines:

Ripping Thrash #25/Hell And Damnation split zine $4.00
"48 pages with tons of reviews of old stuff we missed during the time neither of put out a zine for ages! Plus chats with Active Rebellion distro, Chris Agitate zine, Step On It, NK6 and Vi Gruer Oss. And the usual zine stuff." -Steve Ripping Thrash... Still proving why England remains the best authors punk zines, HAD and Ripping Thrash have teamed up to continue to cover international DIY hardcore punk with sincerity, enthusiasm, and a crucial commitment to DIY ethics.


Here's what should be in for the next update (DO NOT ORDER YET):

Zenevski Dekret - "Necu Da Budem..." 7" on NE Records $5.00
This is Zenevski Dekret's second demo "recorded at Vogue studio, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, 1988. Comes with a booklet containing the lyrics and comprehensive band history written by one of original members." Limited to 500 copies. http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1436569

Radiation Sickness #4 $3.00
New and improved cut 'n paste, black 'n white typerwriter layout with better interviews than previous issues. This issue features quality in depth interviews with Ripping Thrash zine/label, Al from Suburban Voice zine, Germ Attack from Canada, and a write up on new PDX thrashers Nerveskade. The issue also includes some personal thoughts and other assorted stuff. By far the best issue yet, and highly recommended.


Other shit:

Children of the Revolution Records

Hail To England. The Mother Land. A place known for shitty weather, fucked up teeth, and fallen colonial empires. And although in punk England is best known for great UK82 and anarcho-punk, they also released a couple of hardcore and thrash records that are worth well more than just one listen. Children of the Revolution Records, also known simply as C.O.R. Records, was started by Tim Bennett in 1984 in Bristol. Riot City Records from Bristol was just ending, and C.O.R. Records picked right up where they left off, releasing the best hardcore bands that England and elsewhere had to offer. The label would go on to release some of the best thrash bands coming out around the world at that time and forge it's legacy as one of the best hardcore labels ever.

C.O.R. Records had a total of 27 releases in their existence, with an emphasis on UK and British bands such as Lunatic Fringe, Chaos UK, The Stupids, Onslaught, Sacrilege, Concrete Sox, A.O.A., and more but also focusing on the international side of hardcore too. They did releases for CCM, I Refuse It, Negazione, and Declino from Italy, Vicious Circle from Australia, Heibal from Belgium, and The Accüsed from the US among others. Prior to this time, labels had focused almost exclusively on releasing bands from their own local area or only broadening their spectrum to release national acts. Along with Pusmort, C.O.R. was one of the first vinyl labels to focus on the international side of hardcore punk with their releases as well as the domestic side.

C.O.R. began winding down in 1986 with another great label from Bristol, Manic Ears Records, reportedly buying the rights to the C.O.R. name and taking control of the label. The rights to the releases would eventually fall into the hands of Sanctuary Records which is owned by members of Iron Maiden. Because of this, few of the titles have been reissued and the label and many releases have languished in semi-obscurity.

C.O.R. Records discography:

7" and 12" EP Releases

COR 1 (1985) - LUNATIC FRINGE - "Cringe with the Fringe" 7"
COR 2 (1985) - XPOZEZ - "Forcefed the Truth Drug" 7"
COR 3 (1985) - THE STUPIDS - "Violent Nun" 7"
COR 4 (1985) - AOA - "Who Are They Trying to Con?" 12"
COR 5 (1985) - POLITICAL ASYLUM - "Winter" 7"
COR 6 (1985) - POTENTIAL THREAT - "Brainwashed" 7"
COR 7 (1985) - FAMOUS IMPOSTERS - "Would Anything Change?" 12"

LP Releases

GURT 1 (1984) - CHAOS UK - "Short Sharp Shock" LP
GURT 2 (1985) - ONSLAUGHT - "Power From Hell" LP
GURT 3 (1985) - CCM/I REFUSE IT split LP
GURT 4 (1985) - SACRILEGE - "Behind the Realms of Madness" LP
GURT 5 (1985) - VICIOUS CIRCLE - "The Price of Progress" LP
GURT 6 (1985) - DEPRAVED - "Come On Down..." LP
GURT 7 (1985) - NEGAZIONE/DECLINO split LP
GURT 8 (1985) - ANGOR WAT - "General Strike" 12"
GURT 9 (1985) - THE STUPIDS - "Peruvian Vacation" LP
GURT 10 (1986) - CONCRETE SOX - "Your Turn Next" LP
GURT 11 (1986) - THE APOSTLES - "The Lives & Times of the Apostles" LP
GURT 12 (1986) - AOA/OI POLLOI - "Unlimited Genocide" split LP
GURT 13 (1986) - KINA - "Cercando" LP
GURT 14 (1986) - DEPRAVED - "Stupidity Maketh The Man" LP
GURT 15 (1986) - THE STUPIDS - "Retard Picnic" LP
GURT 16 (1986) - HEIBAL - "Yeah, Everything's Great!" LP
GURT 17 (1986) - THE ACCÜSED - "The Return of Martha Splatterhead" LP
GURT 18 (1986) - SCUM - "Born Too Soon" LP
GURT 19 (1986) - EYES ON YOU - "Received With Thanks" EP
GURT 20 (?) - V/A - "DIGGING IN THE WATER" compilation LP


Erik SN
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA
01824-0773
U.S.A.
http://www.socialnapalm.com/

March 29, 2009 distro update

Hello everyone,
Ahhh, it's like Poland invaded my distro this month. Lots of Polish crust and punk releases, most of which have been difficult to obtain if you live in the States. So here's your chance i guess. Tapes are the flavor of this month's update. Social Circkle live tape, Besthoven discography, and a couple of cool compilation tapes round things out. Recommended also is the new issue of Not Very Nice zine which has a fantastic interview with Active Minds done by Filip Fuchs of See You In Hell.

The "bonus reading" or whatever for this update is Part 2 of my interview with Riot City Records founder Simon Edwards. Scroll to the end to read that. Anyone who'd like to get Part 1, let me know.

Lastly, for anyone keeping score, the Anxiety 12" vinyl is in, and i am just awaiting the covers to be made before it is released. Hardcore in the vein of Electro Hippies, early Rupture, 1989/1990 fast hardcore. http://www.myspace.com/anxietyhardcoreband

Full distro list and website can be viewed at http://www.socialnapalm.com/

Please remember that PRICES ARE *NOT* POSTAGE PAID. For U.S. (domestic) customers, here are the postage rates for ordering:
$0-$10.00 = $2 shipping
$10.01-$25.00 = $2.50 shipping
$25.01-$50.00 = $3 shipping
$50.01-$100.00 = $4 shipping
$100.01-$150.00 = $5 shipping
$150.01-$200.00 = $6 shipping
Over $200, email me please.

International customers please get in touch for rates. All international orders are sent via airmail.

We can accept well concealed cash or *postal* (that you get from the post office) money orders made out to "Erik" (NOT Social Napalm). Thanks.

Address is at the end of this email.

Here's what's in stock now:

7"s:

Wlochaty - "Bank $wiatowy" on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"Polish heroes of Crass/Conflict influenced anarcho punk. Definitely the most popular punk band in Poland these days. Contains another 6 studio songs from the same session as "Wojna Przeciwko Ziemi" LP. Fold out cover with poster sized collage. Includes lyrics' translations and info on World Bank dirty practices. Crass "Do they owe us a living" cover..." -NNNW


Cassette tapes:

Besthöven - "Discography" on Kotze Tapez $5.00
Discography tape for this Brazilian raw punk band. An exhaustive 47 track discography tape here. I'm not honestly sure if this is quite everything they released, but it's quite a lot. Contains the "More Victims Of War" 7", "To The Hell With Them All (A Hail To Japan) 7", split 7" with Trioxin 245, "Despois Um Ataque Aero" 7", "Tontrager Unbekanmt?" 7", split LP with Skeleton, "Just Another Warsong" 7", split 7" with Disclose, and "Os Mortos Insepultos" tape trackes.

Disgusting Lies - "Some Day" (Pewnego Dnia) on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"Powerful crust with two guitars + female/male vocals." -NNNW

Ewa Braun - "Love Peace Noise" on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"Debut album including some cuts from their early demos as the CD bonus." -NNNW

Ewa Braun - "Esion" on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"Masters of psychedelic guitar noise compared to Lungfish, Sonic Youth. Second album, their best to date." -NNNW

Homomilitia - "Twoje Cialo Twoj Wybor" (Your Body Your Choice) on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"Widely known Polish crusties come with excellent powerful sound." -NNNW

Inkwizycja "...Na Wlasne Podobienstwo..." on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
Originally released in 1991. "First D.I.Y. vinyl release from Poland - powerful hardcore with anti-church message." -NNNW

Oi Polloi - "In Defence Of Our Earth" on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"This classic punk album from these Scots was originally released in 1990 and has been unavailable for years now. We have prepared the re-release for their European tour in May 2006. 11 cuts of anarcho punk full of ecological issues, anger and Earth power... and classic anarcho pie receipe! The booklet has been reworked, and contains up to date information from the band, lyrics in English and Polish translations." -NNNW

Post Regiment/Cress split on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"As their original label went bankrupt last year, we're happy to announce that now all Post Regiment's releases are available from NNNW. Both split cassettes contain parts of "Tragedia" album. Hardline Post Regiment fans should check their Zounds cover on "Slyszales To Wszystko Juz Wczesniej" cassette (Polish covers compilation - available through NNNW)." -NNNW

Post Regiment/Korrupt split on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"As their original label went bankrupt last year, we're happy to announce that now all Post Regiment's releases are available from NNNW. Both split cassettes contain parts of "Tragedia" album. Hardline Post Regiment fans should check their Zounds cover on "Slyszales To Wszystko Juz Wczesniej" cassette (Polish covers compilation - available through NNNW)." -NNNW

Social Circkle - "March Session" (self released) $4.00
A tour exclusive tape, but we managed to get some copies for distro. Live in the studio recording that features some previously released Social Circkle tunes and some unreleased ones. It also includes a cover of the Left.

Toxic Bonkers - "Blindness" on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $5.00
"New album by these heavy crusties. Great powerful sound (same studio as Homomilitia album). Metallic crust at its best." -NNNW

V/A - "Norge Terrorstyre Innovation" on S.A.N. Musik $4.00
I have no idea if this compilation is official or a bootleg, but it's a compilation of Norge (Norwegian) hardcore punk from 1984-2004 and comes with an insert with a cover and track listing. Great compilation though with Kafka Prosess, Angst, So Much Hate, Kort Prosess, Infamy, Bannlyst, Siste Dagers Helvete, So Much Hate, Barn Av Regnbuen, and lots of other well known Norwegian greats from within the time frame.

V/A - "We're All Society's Victims" $4.00
2008 tape comp tape featuring tons and tons of international hardcore, raw punk, and crust bands. A very well done tape that comes with a piece on each band plus contact information. Bands include Dromdead, Raw Hate, Giuda, CFDL, Dead Noize, Sotatila, Invasion, Liberty, and many more. Very well put together.


LPs/12"s/10"s:

Abaddon - "Godzina Krzywd" LP on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $12.00
"Remember Polish '80s thunder? And their LP released by French label New Wave? They're back, and hard to believe - they're good! Check this out!" -NNNW

Antidotum - "Testowane Na Ludziach" LP on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $12.00
"This band is from Warsaw, and if you think Post Regiment - you're right! No personal links (apart from being friends) but immediate link when you hear their music. Powerful, melodic punk with a female singer, more aggressive that most of Post Regiment stuff. Think of old Armia records to get another hint. Finally available on vinyl too!" -NNNW

Wlochaty - "Wojna Przeciwko Ziemi" LP on Nikt Nic Nie Wie $12.00
"Polish heroes of Crass/Conflict influenced anarcho punk. Definitely the most popular punk band in Poland these days. Second album with same power and even more intense message." -NNNW


Zines:

Not Very Nice Vol. 5 $3.00
Excellent full sized, cut 'n paste zine out of Michigan. This issue features a huge (about 10 pages) interview with Active Minds, See You In Hell interview, Shitlickers biography written by Kawakami from Disclose, a Swankys/Gai write up, reviews, and more. A great read in an era with so few zines worth spending any money on.


Other shit:

INTERVIEW WITH SIMON EDWARDS OF RIOT CITY RECORDS PART 2:

What was the reason for the formation of Disorder Records instead of just including them on the Riot City roster, especially when you were already releasing material by Chaos UK?

Because Disorder didn't want to go on Riot City. Disorder thought they were too hardcore to be on Riot City and Vice Squad were too poppy.

Really?

Simple as that. I love Taf dearly from Disorder. And because he was in a band that I did on Heartbeat Records as well. Did you know that?

No, what band was that?

He was in the X-Certs. Oh yeah, good shit.

Oh, I didn't know that. Was he older than the rest of those people?

No, I don't think so. To be honest, I ain't got a fucking clue how old Taf is now. Taf is ageless. (Laughter) But that's the story. They thought they should have their own identity because they were a lot sort of more hardcore curbed than Chaos UK, I guess at that time. And they just felt that they didn't want to be part of the Riot City thing, and I was happy with that. Like I said, I'm a fan too, and I can see where they're coming from. So we decided to form a label for their band, yeah.

While records by Vice Squad, Abrasive Wheels, and the Ejected were selling pretty large numbers, what about releases like the Ultra Violent, Emergency, No Choice, and Underdogs? How many were pressed of records like those?

They did about 5,000. 3,000-5,000. The Ultra Violent was always one of my favorite releases on my Riot City. I thought that was a great release. And I like the Emergency one as well. Emergency were essentially part of Blitz. Did you know that?

No, I did not know that.

Yeah, yeah.

Do you know the connection there offhand by any chance?

They were all friends together basically. We did a gig with Blitz, and one of the guys said "We've got this song, but it's not like what we did. It's a slightly different thing." And I thought "Alright, let's hear it." They sent it to me and it was really good. And, yeah, that's what that's all about.

When you did the Ultra Violent, was that from a demo?

No.

So had you heard them live or...?

They sent me a demo cassette of stuff, and those two songs were the ones I liked. But I think they recorded for someone else. I'm pretty sure they did something for someone else.

How did you go about finding out about new bands or asking a band to do a record? Did you worry about quality control and your label's reputation?

I always put out releases that I like. Some people might be surprised by that, but everything I release I like as a piece of music, otherwise I couldn't get myself behind it and want to work with it unless I was enjoying what I was hearing. So the things that I released on Riot City were things that I liked. Simple as that.

And what about finding out about new bands or asking a band to do a record?

Well, like I said before, I was getting heaps of demo tapes. I used to sift through them, and I used to choose. I used to see bands live and if something made me think "Well, this band's got something worth capturing," then I would say "Look, hey, that song you did three songs in was really good. Do you want to do that as a single?" It was honestly as loose as that. There was no master plan. It was just pick and choose what you find as you go along.

Were you intentionally diverse with the bands on your label? Because bands like the Varukers, Chaos UK, and Ultra Violent sound nothing like say No Choice for instance.

No, well, again you see, I've always had a very diverse taste in music, but I don't think you'd find much difference of the beliefs of the guy's of the bands in Chaos UK and No Choice. They were coming from the same angle, but they just delivered it in a different way.

Did you ever consider crossing over with a band from the anarcho scene like Exit-Stance or Flux Of Pink Indians or a post punk/goth band? No Future experimented a bit with Screaming Dead for example.

Sure, at one time, I was going to do something with SST. Yeah, I was in talks with the Black Flag people, and I was going to put out some American hardcore. Well, in fact, I did an album called "Hell Comes To Your House". That's where that came from. I was thinking of spreading my wings and doing something different. But I decided against it because I didn't think I would have enough time to do both. Because I've always done everything on my own. I've never had a partner, never had anyone to help me do it. Everything I've ever done on Riot City has been done purely by me alone. I did it that way, not because I don't trust people, but because I just wanted to make the attempt to make my own mistakes and make my own successes. I just enjoyed doing it that way.

Were there any bands that turned down offers from you or that broke up prior to recording? How about any bands that you turned down and regret or others you wish you'd asked?

Onslaught.

Really?

Yup, I turned down Onslaught.

For the "Power From Hell" LP or for something...

Everything. They came to me in a pub with a demo, and they said "Hey, can you listen to this?" I said "Alright." So I took it home and listened to it. I looked at the work I had to do with other releases, and I loved what I heard, but I just couldn't have the time to do it. So I turned them down.

So was that toward the end of Riot City then?

It was, yeah. Yes, it was.

The "Power From Hell" LP is amazing obviously.

I know, I know. It was a combination of sales had probably started to drop off from Riot City. And probably my heart wasn't in it enough to want to do that.

There was a band called Genocide Association that involved the guy who went on to form Earache Records, and there's a letter online of their's from the time stating they had a record offer from Riot City. I was wondering if this is true or bullshit.

The only link with Genocide Association is just that really. The band sent in a demo and I was impressed by it, etc. Not sure why we never did the release.

When you asked a band to do a single and they provided you with three songs, would the band go into the studio, record a bunch of songs, and then you or the band would choose what you felt to be the best three or how did that work?

No, they would go into the studio and record the three songs that we agreed prior to them going into the studio. Otherwise, they'd be in the bloody studio all week, and that'd cost a fortune. For instance, a good example of that is Mayhem, a band from Liverpool. We did a few gigs with them, and I really liked what they did. I said "Look, choose four songs that you want to do for your first EP." And they chose the four songs that they liked. "Good, love 'em. Go into the studio and record those four songs." That's what they did. Twice they did that.

How much unreleased material is there from the Riot City era? I know that the Underdogs for instance have two unreleased sessions, Chaos UK had that song "Police Protection", and there was the Expelled 12" that had been unreleased...

That's probably it actually. There are some live things which are floating around, but that really is probably it. Obviously bands like Mayhem may have recorded more themselves. But as far as my sessions go, nope, I think everything that's probably out there now is it.

I've always wondered about the likelihood that newly unearthed Riot City era stuff could be released.

Well, I've got loads of demos from bands that I don't know what to do with. And I often wonder whether it's worth doing a CD of all these demos, but I really don't know. It's not something I've made a conscious decision to do. But there really isn't any material that I know of that we haven't exhausted.

Put that Onslaught demo out on vinyl.

Well, yeah, yeah, definitely that's a good idea. (Laughter) I could even sell the cassette on eBay, I guess. (Laughter)

When "signing" a band, did you use contracts or just verbal agreements? Did the bands retain the rights to their songs and publishing?

I used a contract for Vice Squad because that was a bigger deal, and they also had a management team as well that required that. For all my publishing, I used not contracts, but what we call assignment forms. And you just assign that song to the Heartbeat Publishing Company and that's it. But the bands all own the rights to what they did, yeah.

So when labels like Anagram, Captain Oi, or Step 1 Music reissues them, do the bands receive royalties from that stuff?

Yes, they do. Oh yes. Basically how it works is the recording they do for me, I own that recording. And so that version of that song is mine or Captain Oi's or whoever. The band can go and record it again, and I have no say in it. That's how the system works.

Does Cherry Red currently own all of those then?

Captain Oi bought up the rights to Riot City Records.

When did they purchase that?

Probably five years ago maybe?

What was your reaction to Gary Bushell referring to Riot City as the "dustbin of punk"? Did that have any impact on sales?

(Laughter) People can say whatever the hell they like. He's just one guy, a journalist. A lot of people read his words, but they can read between the lines. He was always into the more sort of Blitz-ier side of punk, which is fine, not a problem. And if he didn't like me or the stuff I was putting out, then no problem. But he did like some. He liked Emergency and the Ejected and that sort of stuff.

Besides your issuing of the "Hell Comes To Your House" LP and the Channel 3 EP and DKs stuff, there were very few American releases on British labels. What do you think was the reason for this, and how did you come to release "Hell Comes To Your House?"

When I was talking about doing this deal, that was offered to me as a precursor to doing something more. And I listened to the album and I thought some of the tracks were really good. I thought maybe this is a stepping stone to see what the market was like and to see if it was an easy thing to work in Europe. It was quite difficult to be honest. I think that really sort of told me that if I wanted to go down that road as well, it would be a lot more work. I would have to get someone else to come in and give me a hand, maybe move to London. And I really wasn't up for that, so that's really what put the kibosh on that.

Did you have a relationship at all with Chris Berry or Richard Jones of No Future Records, Mike Stone from Clay, or anyone from Pax, Rot, Secret, or other labels?

Yeah, I knew Mike Stone you know obviously because the Wheels went to Clay. We spent a lot of time, we hung out together. He wanted to do it as amicably as he could, and I was quite happy with that. So we got to know each other. I knew Chris Berry and Richard Jones because they were both from Malvern, which is just north of Bristol geographically. So we were quite close, and I went to some of the gigs that they used to put on. It was all good stuff. I think there was some sort of pleasant rivalry between No Future and Riot City because we were dominating the top of the independent charts for about two years. They probably pipped it for the most releases over us. They had Blitz who always sold well anyway, so you know.

Looking back, what was your favorite release and who was your favorite band to work with?

Favorite band, I loved working with the Ejected. They were great guys. We had a lot of fun with them. But I also loved working people like Chaos UK 'cause they were just fucking crazy, and it was always fun being around them. Like I said to you before, I was a fan of the music, I loved doing the stuff, and I look back at it all with great affection. I said before that one of my favorite releases was Ultra Violent. I just thought that was a really strong single. I like the No Choice one. Obviously I like Vice Squad because Vice Squad were like my babies. I sort of grew up with them, they grew up with me, and it was good to see them do the sort of stuff they came out with. So yeah, I just enjoyed doing it all. Some of the gigs we did, I'd go with a lot of the bands, we did merchandise, and some of the gigs were just fantastically crazy times. It was just a really good thing to be part of, and I think I had a great life doing it.

What made you decide to call it quits with the label?

It was just a combination of falling sales and, with falling sales, there wasn't so much good music being offered. I just thought maybe it's time to quit while you're nearly ahead. (Laughter)

All in all you sold 154,413 7" singles, 28,203 12" EPs, and 50,220 LPs. Those numbers are quite staggering, wouldn't you say?

Well, they're not staggering if you did some of the things on No Future, it would be bigger figures. It was a staggering amount for me to sell as one guy doing a record label. I was pretty impressed with it looking back on it. It's even more impressive when you compare it with what people sell these days. I mean obviously the way you buy music these days is a lot different, but to be able to sell one type of media in that quantity, it was terrific, really exciting stuff.

Once Riot City was done, did you continue to follow the hardcore scene in Bristol with labels like COR and Manic Ears?

Yeah, I was aware of them. I kind of thought that because they were doing their own thing and I wasn't really sort of part of it enough to be involved in it. So they just go on with it, and I guess I thought "Well, I've done my bit. Now it's time for them to take over the helm, and they can take it to whatever level they can. Good luck to them all."

Are you still in contact with anyone from back then today?

A lot of people, yeah. Yeah, because people see things we released and they get in touch. "Hey, you've released such and such. Brilliant. Here it comes again." They're all really pleased that it's still out there. Because look, I mean let's face it, no one really thought 30 years later people would still be wanting to buy stuff that we did back then. That's a crazy thing. You do these things and you make the records, and you make them for the time. OK? It's a very sort of instantaneous thing. You do the record and in sort of six or seven weeks it's gone. You go onto the next one. Who would ever think "I'm doing this record and in 30 years time, people are going to be wanting to hear it again." You don't think like that, so it's an amazing thing to happen. I never dreamt that someone from America would want to phone me up 30 years after doing my first record wanting to talk about what I did. I'm flattered, which is what I said to you. I'm flattered and honored to talk to you about it.

Any last words or anything you'd like to say about the label?

I just really enjoyed doing it. Most of it was highs, there were obviously a few lows. But with anything, it's just taking it as far as you can and making the most of it. I still made records in later years, I formed a label called Trash City Records. I even did an American band called Mono Men. They were on Estrus Records. And I did a single with them. And we had a band over here called Ako, hardcore stuff. We did gigs with Sick Of It All and bands like that. So I've kept my hand in, yeah, but I've taken a back seat really. I guess because I'm a fan I always like to be involved in some small way. You can't keep an old punk rocker down.


Erik SN
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA
01824-0773
U.S.A.
http://www.socialnapalm.com/

January 25, 2009 distro update

Hello everyone,
First off the big news is that both of the Disorder live cassettes on my tape label Obsolete Formats Tapes are now out. The first one is live in Nottingham, England on April 9, 1983 on the A side with live in Bristol, England on July 5, 1984 on the B side. The second tape is from a show in Zagreb, Croatia in 1988. These sets are raw but not too raw. Disorder fans will dig it i think. Both cassettes are c-90s and come with inserts, but only the first comes with a track listing.

The only new vinyl in the distro this time around is some Raw Power restocks. The reissue here is on the original label that released it, Toxic Shock Records and also features the original artwork again which the Ugly Pop reissue from the early 2000s did not.

I'm still having a clearence sale on lots of stuff, so anyone who needs a list, just send me an email.

Speaking of distro clearence sales, my buddy Quinn over at Fatalist Records/I-Deal Records and Distro has decided to close down his distro and just keep his label going. He's offering everything at a discounted rate, so for powerviolence and other extreme hardcore, check him out at http://www.i-dealrecords.com/

Lastly, for this month's extra something i am including part of an interview i did with Simon Edwards of Riot City Records last summer. This was originally published in MRR, but there was a lot of stuff that didn't get included that i will include here over the next few updates. Anyway, scroll to the bottom to read part 1 of it. Anyone who would like to have the rest of it, feel free to email me, and i'll send the whole thing out to you.

Full distro list and website can be viewed at http://www.socialnapalm.com/

Please remember that PRICES ARE *NOT* POSTAGE PAID. For U.S. (domestic) customers, here are the postage rates for ordering:
$0-$10.00 = $2 shipping
$10.01-$25.00 = $2.50 shipping
$25.01-$50.00 = $3 shipping
$50.01-$100.00 = $4 shipping
$100.01-$150.00 = $5 shipping
$150.01-$200.00 = $6 shipping
Over $200, email me please.

International customers please get in touch for rates. All international orders are sent via airmail.

We can accept well concealed cash or *postal* (that you get from the post office) money orders made out to "Erik" (NOT Social Napalm). Thanks.

Address is at the end of this email.

Here's what's in stock now:

7"s:

Raw Power - "Wop Hour" on Toxic Shock Records $4.50
From Italy, Raw Power is one of the best hardcore/thrash bands ever. Fantastic musicianship paired up with crazy vocals and of course that fucking cowbell. This is Raw Power's 1986 follow EP to their seminal "Screams From The Gutter" LP which was released a year ealier. Frantic, scalding hardcore played the way only Raw Power could. Really excited to have these in the distro and highly recommended.


Cassette tapes:

Disorder - "Live 1983/1984" on Obsolete Formats Tapes $4.00 ppd. US/$5 N. America/$6.00 world
Live in Nottingham, England on 9/4/1983 and Bristol, England on 5/7/1984. Decent sound quality while still retaining the raw energy and chaos that you would expect from a Disorder show. This tape has all the hits from the early records including "You Gotta Be Someone," "Rampton Song," "More Than Fights," "Complete Disorder," "Daily Life," etc. plus the live in Bristol gig has the first time they ever played "Education" live on it. A great release.

Disorder - "Live 1988" on Obsolete Formats Tapes $4.00 ppd. US/$5 N. America/$6.00 world
Live in Zagreb, Croatia in 1988. Raw and great recording that is over 46 minutes long. Again, all the hits are here plus many songs from Disorder's mid period. As with all tapes, this one is official too.


LPs/12"s/10"s:

Raw Power - "Screams From The Gutter" LP on Toxic Shock Records $12.00
Flawless LP. One of the best LPs of all time, not just one of the best Italian hardcore LPs. Great vocals, production, guitar work, and songs in general. This reissue is on Toxic Shock Records who originaly released the record in 1985 and features the original artwork as bright as ever.


Here's what should be in for the next update (DO NOT ORDER YET):

V/A - "We're All Society's Victims" tape
2008 tape comp tape featuring tons and tons of international hardcore, raw punk, and crust bands. I don't have the list of bands in front of me, but i remember that both Pisschrist and Guida are on it, so hopefully that will be cool.


RIOT CITY RECORDS INTERVIEW JULY 4, 2008

Riot City Records existed from 1980-1984, releasing some of the best bands and records of the UK82 era. Along with No Future Records, Riot City dominated the independent charts and left a lasting mark on punk. I took a time out from celebrating America's independence and waving my flag on July 4, 2008 to speak with Riot City's founder, Simon Edwards. He was kind enough to give in-depth answers on all these questions. Interview by Erik SN.

How and when did you get involved with working for record labels? Were you the owner of Heartbeat Records?

Yes to the question, I was the owner of Heartbeat Records. Basically my background was I used to play in bands. I then started managing bands and just looking after them and recording them. And then when the independent label thing started in 1976-77, I thought that I could do that as well. So I started Heartbeat Records. I just basically asked a lot of silly questions, "How'd you do this? How'd you do that?" And then I did it, and it worked. And I just went on from there.

How did you first hook up with Vice Squad? I know they were first on the "Avon Calling" compilation on Heartbeat.

That's right. Well, when I was doing Heartbeat Records, Heartbeat Records was essentially just for sort of local bands around the Bristol area. And there were so many bands around at the time that I couldn't put out enough records to satisfy the demand and all the stuff that was going on. So I did "Avon Calling" because that was the obvious thing to do to to try and get a lot of the bands on a record so they could get onto the radio and get people to hear it. And Vice Squad were one of the bands that gave me a demo tape. They were also playing around the area as well, and I was quite impressed with them. So, yeah, they got a place on the album.

How did Riot City come to be formed, and why not just release the Vice Squad EP on Heartbeat Records?

Because Heartbeat was a label that was essentially for a broad spectrum of music. If you've heard all the Heartbeat releases, a lot of them are quite different than the others. There's some quite sort of folky things, and there's some quite hard rocky things, and there's some punky things. So it tended to sort of encompass a pretty broad spectrum of music. But with the Vice Squad thing, after "Avon Calling" was released, Vice Squad brought me a demo with four tracks that they wanted to put on an EP. And at the time with Heartbeat Records, I had a label link like a licensing deal with Cherry Red Records up in London and they did a lot of my distribution. I used to take all the stuff up, and I used to play demo tapes to the guy at Cherry Red, Iain McNay. Well, I took the Vice Squad tape up there, and i said "Look, hey, we've got this new band that's come along. They're on 'Avon Calling,' and now they've done their own EP and it sounds great." You know, and I played it to him and he said it was horrible. (Laughter) He didn't like it at all. And he said "Well, I don't really want Cherry Red Records to be involved in that at all, even on a distribution basis." So I said "OK, OK." So in the back of my head I thought "Well fuck you, I should do it myself," which is what I did. I made 1500 copies of it for the first pressing and never looked back shall we say. Before we did it though, Vice Squad did decide that they would also like to form a label that they would manage because there was a lot of new punk bands starting up with the second wave of punk. And they wanted to put a lot of these bands out on this record label. They wanted to call it Riot City Records because at the time, in this city of ours, Bristol, there were a lot of race riots in the poorer areas of Bristol. And of course a lot of the kids in Bristol were a bit sort of frightened and a bit worried of what was going on. So we really considered Bristol to be a "riot city." It just seemed the right thing to call the label Riot City Records, which is what we did. But obviously because Vice Squad, after they released their first EP, it sold so well and it got to number 1 in the Independent Charts and they started doing tours and they really became too busy to worry about doing the label. So they basically left it up to me to manage the label.

With the first press of "Last Rockers" only being 1,500, could you have imagined it going on to do so well with 22,000 copies sold and 40 weeks total on the chart?

Well, no because when we did the Heartbeat Records releases, we were sort of selling 2,000, 3,000 copies of each single, which to me was great. It was a really good thing to get those sort of sales. When the Vice Squad single sold, the "Last Rockers" sold 1,500 copies in about three or four days, and I just couldn't believe that. I thought "Why, what's going on here?" And so I then pressed up another 1,500 copies 'cause I thought that might, you know, just about fulfill the sales expectation. But then that, again, sold in about three or four days, and I thought "Shit, I'm going to have to rethink this thing." So I then pressed 10,000 copies and just away it went. It was just crazy, and I never ever expected it would go like that. But at that time, the second wave of punk was really taking off and there were bands like Chron Gen and the Exploited and everything just took off and went crazy.

With all the success for Vice Squad, what were your feelings when they signed on with EMI's Zonophone label and why? Did their signing with EMI gain greater exposure for Riot City or hurt the label?

Well, I didn't actually agree with them signing to EMI. I didn't think it would do them any good at all because I thought "Well, surely if there's enough demand for Vice Squad material, we can meet that demand through Riot City independently." And I still believe we could've done. And I actually know that I sold more Vice Squad records than EMI did, but that's another story. (Laughter) They had a management team, well, not team, but they had a couple of guys working for them who were really sort of set on them signing to EMI. And there was not a lot I could do about it. I was the guy that was publishing their music. So I did think in a way "Well, so long as I can keep the publishing, if they want to go and record for EMI, that doesn't really matter because then at least my Riot City publishing side of it will benefit from their EMI sales. And then I can still put out new singles by other bands." So that's the way I thought about it. But, no, I wasn't happy about them doing it. I think it probably got them out to a different type of audience because a lot of independent record shops that were selling punk rock at the time didn't want to stock EMI records. Even though the Sex Pistols were on EMI, the Sex Pistols were probably like a... I mean they were a bit of a one off in as much as yes, they signed to a major, but the second wave of punk really was a bit more independently minded. I think they would have sold a lot more had they stayed with me, really, for that reason.

Would you say this caused some confusion and resentment, when they did sign, from the more "hardcore" punks concerning the label?

Yes. Yes, it did because Dave and Shane from Vice Squad were the people that came up with the name Riot City. They were partially intending on using that for their EMI releases. Now I was happy with that because, I didn't mind, because I just wanted the name Riot City to be out there. So I was using it on my releases, they were using it on theirs. Now, we did get a bit of flack from the hardcore element, like I told you before. Particularly the Crass people were not happy with it, and they thought I was the back door to EMI. And they obviously didn't like EMI because of their corporate leanings, shall we say. I didn't have any connection whatsoever with EMI. The only connection I had with EMI was that they were paying me money for the publishing of Vice Squad music.

Would you say that you staunchly felt that punk should be independent and exist outside of the mainstream music industry? Did you identify with the DIY ethos of hardcore punk?

I do identify with the DIY and independent aspect of it, but I don't think that any genre of music has the right to stay in one place. If corporates want to do it, so long as they do it well and they do it right, I'm quite happy for them to do it. Basically it's all about the music isn't it really at the end of the day? If you can put out good music then I will back you as a record buyer no matter what label it's on.

I know you had a full time day job back then, but did you ever consider trying to live off the label?

Many times... But I've never been good at taking risks. (Laughter) I'm probably one of the world's worst businessmen. I do all the hard work and all the running around and all the craziness of it, but as far as putting in my hard earned gains like my house and that type of thing against doing that, then the answer would be no. My family would always come first.

How old were you at the time, and, since you weren't coming from the same angle as the new wave of punks, did you have any difficulty in relating at all?

I was in my 30s when I started it off, so I was a lot older than a lot of the guys that were in the bands. When I was younger, I was into the Small Faces and the Rolling Stones and the Who. You know, bands like that. I've always been into what I call the punk rock side of the music. I've always liked the anger, the angst, and I could always relate to kids who've got that feeling and that sort of ethos. So I didn't ever feel like an alien with these guys. I got on really well with them. And I always wanted to try and be a fifth member or sixth member of the band. I wanted to help them get through everything they had to do.

After the first two Vice Squad EPs, next up was the Insane and Abrasive Wheels singles...

Well, no, it wasn't actually. We did the first two Vice Squad EPs. And we had the third tour by the "Resurrection" EP, and I did a 12" single which was putting the first two 7" EPs, one on either of this 12" single, which was like a tour release. That was the third one.

So did Vice Squad choose the Insane and Abrasive Wheels, and when did you take over complete control of all the label decisions?

When we were on tour, we did a few gigs with the Insane. So the Insane became sort of friends of Vice Squad, and they were obviously a preferred release by Vice Squad, yeah. Abrasive Wheels were obviously known to Vice Squad and they were known to me, but I really wanted to find the band because I'd heard their own release of "Army Song," and I thought it was really, really good. And I thought the band would be good on the label. So that was really my own first release on the label, yeah.

Were you disappointed with the Insane and Abrasive Wheels moving onto No Future and Clay, respectively?

No, no. The way I approach these things is I'm a fan, alright. I buy music as well as make it, and I still do. I was buying loads of records in those days by other bands, so I had more of an affiliation with other labels, and I had a lot of love of what they were doing. So if the bands wanted to go somewhere else, I wasn't going to stand in their way. I wasn't that type of operation. I didn't sign the bands up for three years to make so many singles and albums with me. It was a very relaxed kind of relationship. The Abrasive Wheels more than the Insane, I mean I loved the Wheels, and we got on really well and I thought their music was great. Sure, it'd be nice to keep them, but I didn't really mind when they went, ya know. Probably of all of the bands that did go, they were probably the ones that I was sadder to see leave, but I was still supportive of them.

Well, let's face it, their releases on Riot City are much better than their releases on Clay...

Well, you said that, and I'm going to agree with you. (Laughter)

How were you distributing the records through Rough Trade and the Cartel? Could people also mailorder a copy from you? Did you have any U.S. or international distribution?

We did it through Caroline. Caroline Exports from the UK put all the stuff out from Rough Trade. And also Rough Trade had the Rough Trade America, didn't they, as well. So the Cartel went out through that direction. The Rough Trade and the Cartel was a really good little operation because I believe there were six separate outlets around the country in various cities like Bristol, York, Birmingham, Edinburgh... And they all had their own shops that were acting as little parts of this distribution network. It just meant that I could just go down the road and just take in the records to the shop and say "Here's another thousand of these." You could really see what was happening, and you could see the sales going, you could see all the sales slips coming in and the order forms. It was just quite an exciting time.

When and how did the "Riotous Assembly" compilation idea come about?

Again, that was a bit like, if you go back to what I explained about "Avon Calling," I was getting hundreds and hundreds of demo tapes from bands all over the country. You just feel, well I felt, that I wanted to try and help some of them. Just get a release of one of their songs on a record. "Riotous Assembly" was really an amalgamation of all those demo tapes that I thought deserved a chance to be heard. Some were a good idea, some maybe not so much a good idea. (Laughter) I'd say the album was alright, it was good. A bit of fun.

How did you advertise for submissions for it? How many demo tapes would you say you received from bands interested in being featured?

There was a little piece put in Sounds magazine. I think I spoke to one of the journalists and said "Look, I've got this idea. I'm going to do this compilation album. Bands that want to send me demos can." But before that really happened, I was getting demos anyway, so I already had a small number of bands that I could choose from.

I know this was your first encounter with "Chaotik Dischord", but was this also how you first got in contact with bands such as Court Martial, Undead, Expelled, and Chaos UK?

Those were all local bands, and so I live in the same town they live in. You tend to sort of run into them at gigs and pubs and things like that. And they just give you a cassette and say "Here listen to this. What do you think of this?" I see them playing live, and if I'm impressed with them I'd have said "Come on guys, let's do a single."

Were any of the other bands on the compilation ever offered to further record material for Riot City?

I don't think so, no. A lot of those bands were very, very small bands that weren't doing a lot. I just felt that one song that they'd done was really good, and they needed a chance. It wasn't really sort of a stepping stone to a Riot City EP. It was really a stepping stone for them to get off their arses. "Here's an opportunity for you to be heard. Now use it for yourselves and go out there and do something."

Can you please recount the Chaotik Dischord demo submission story and your feelings upon finding out it was members of Vice Squad?

(Laughter) What a jerk! Ya know? Well, let's put it this way: Because of the nature of how I used to receive demo tapes, people would give me demo tapes in pubs, people would send them to me in brown envelopes, and you know, you don't know who these guys are. They could be bloody anybody. But I was at a pub one evening, and the Vice Squad guys were all there. And the Vice Squad guys told me that they had had a tape sent to them by a band from Swindon called Chaotic Dischord. They asked them to give it to me because they didn't want to speak to a guy from a record label. I mean something as silly as that. And I bought into it. I thought "Well, yeah, some people are like that, some people aren't. Some people may be a bit nervous about meeting such an industry mogul as myself." (Laughter) So I thought "Fuck it, yeah. I'd give it a listen." So I played it, and I thought it was really good. After, I had no idea it that it was those guys, no idea at all. But the other thing was, I don't know how, but do you know a band called the Amebix?

Yes, I do, yeah.

Yeah, well, one of the guys from the Amebix told me. He said "Simon, you've been hoodwinked here. I'm sure this is fucking Vice Squad." I thought "Don't be fucking stupid, does that sound like Vice Squad to you?" I think he'd probably heard, you know. (Laughter) He knew, yeah. But I mean fuck it, it was the rock 'n roll swindle, wasn't it? (Laughter)

Were there other Vice Squad side projects besides Chaotic Dischord, Sex Aids, and Dead Katss?

There was, but they formed their own label, Resurrection Records. They put out one single.

What single was that?

I'm trying to think of the bloody name of the band now. You've got me. I'm an old man now! I can't think of things like this.

Is it Lunatic Fringe by any chance?

It is Lunatic Fringe, yes, that's correct. And Lunatic Fringe were also on "Riotous Assembly."

Right, right, and then they went on to do that EP later on for COR, I believe.

They did, yeah. Yup, Children Of The Revolution.

Do you know offhand, is there more Sex Aids or Dead Katss material because there's just those three songs for Sex Aids on the EP and then the one Dead Katss song on the comp... So is there more than that total?

So far as I know there are no more tracks, but, you know, I've been hoodwinked before. It wouldn't surprise me if they came to my door tomorrow with an album. "Hey, we recorded an album back in 1981, are you gonna release it?" I don't know. I don't think so, no. I would be very surprised. I wouldn't think they would have enough material. (Laughter)

Why was a new label, Not Very Nice Records, formed to release Chaotic Dischord's "Now! That's What I Call A Fuckin' Racket (Vol. 1)" LP?

Precisely because of that. Again, that was Shane's idea, the Vice Squad's drummer. He thought it would be a big laugh to actually put it on a different label name. I mean it was all done through Riot City, but we just changed the name of the label and just put Not Very Nice Records because it wasn't really a very nice record. (Laughter) And in fact, later on in years, we did get into trouble with EMI America for using that title.

Can you please comment on the "trouble" you're referring to? I'm going to wager that it's in reference to Punkcore's (U.S.) reissuing of that album and EMI's "Now" series, but i'm just wondering, if that's true, can elaborate, and was EMI successful in their pursuance of the name?

Yeah, the old "Now Thats What I Call" thing became a problem when it was reissued in America. EMI saw it and put an injunction on it and threatened me with all sorts of legal niceties. I did try and argue the toss with them over all the "sanctioned" foreign bootlegs of EMI stuff openly on sale in the Middle East and seemiingly uncontested whereas me selling a few thousand copies gets jumped on. Needless to say they didn't like me saying that either so I gracefully gave in. Thats it!

NEXT EMAIL UPDATE: PART 2 OF RIOT CITY RECORDS INTERVIEW.

Erik SN
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA
01824-0773
U.S.A.
http://www.socialnapalm.com/

But seriously...

ok, i think this is the last post at least for now. but seriously, write me a letter because i enjoy writing letters a lot and tape trading. i've got a tape trade list which you can view here: http://www.geocities.com/socnap82/tradelist.txt

You can find my address on that site or in the post below.

I think i'll leave a list of my top 12 favorite punk LPs of all time. Not the most important, most influential, or the best according to a panel of experts, these are just my personal favorites, so there's not much point in starting a debate about it. I couldn't narrow it down to 10... In chronological order...

Crass - "The Feeding of the 5000" (Crass Records, 1978)
The Germs - "(GI)" (Slash Records, 1979)
Bad Brains - "ROIR" (ROIR, 1982)
The Faith/Void split (Dischord Records, 1982)
Crucifix - "Dehumanization (Corpus Christi, 1983)
Negative Approach - "Tied Down" (Touch & Go Records, 1983)
Proletariat - "Soma Holiday" (Non-U, Radiobeat, 1983)
Rudimentary Peni - "Death Church" (Corpus Christi, 1983)
Raw Power - "Screams From The Gutter" (Toxic Shock, 1984)
The Stupids - "Peruvian Vacation" (C.O.R., 1985)
Leatherface - "Mush" (Roughneck, 1991)
Young Wasteners - "We Got Ways" (Kick 'N Punch Records, 2002)

Working on a zine...

I don't know if i'm going to continue this blog for the time being. I've started work on a zine that i'd rather put time and energy towards although i may include articles from that here. So far all i've got is a Varukers interview, but i'm attempting to get some others done also. I might include that piece on COR Records in it and hopefully some other stuff. I'd really like the zine to have a classifieds section like old zines did so that people were able to network through actually having to use a pen and a stamp. If you'd like to include a classified, please send $2.00 with your classified (40 word max please) to the address below. Classifieds can be for pretty much anything as long as you're not a creep. More info sooner or later.
Erik SN
P.O. Box 4073
S. Chelmsford, MA
01824-0773
USA

Crisis

For a while now, i had really wanted to write a piece about Crisis from the UK for something. So today i finally sat down and started doing it. But while searching the Crisis page on Deathrock.com, i came to realize that their page pretty much contained any and all info i could have included plus more.

Crisis was a late '70s/early '80s English political punk band that released a couple of EPs and a 12". Their material has been re-released twice on CD, but i believe that it is sold out again. With an infatuation (and possibly romantacization) of Nazism, the Holocaust, and fascism in general, Crisis sparked a bit of controversy while writing some great songs. I personally favor the first two EPs "No Town Hall" and "White Youth," but the 12" is solid too, just a bit 'different,' i guess.

Crisis was really there from the beginning of the "positive punk" or "gothic" movement along with bands like UK Decay, Southern Death Cult, The Dark, Warsaw, etc., and after their split, members went on to form Theatre Of Hate and Death In June, who were two of the leading goth bands of the early '80s.

Check out their page on the Deathrock.com site at http://www.deathrock.com/crisis/index.html which has a very nice history, discography, pictures, and clippings/interviews. Hope some other people enjoy this.

HOW MUCH ART CAN YOU TAKE?

Fuck, it's been a while... What can i say other than i really didn't have much to say, hence the lack of posts. Is anyone even reading this? To quote Pink Floyd: "Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone home?" Jesus fuckin Christ. Regardless, here's a new "blog entry" or whatever other lame title these fucking things are called.

DIRGE SONGS

One of my favorite parts of early '80s hardcore is how no mold existed yet at the time. Sure, there's a definite '80s sound, but i think band to band, it's a lot more varied and original than a lot of DIY hardcore punk today. I feel like one example of this is the inclusion of dirge songs. I am a huge fan of them. To me, a dirge song is one of those slow, droning, unrelenting, and desperate songs. A musical expression of utter misery, frustration, and despair. A song that truly makes you feel like you're drowning while being put in a complete trance and lost in the vibe. Most of these songs were fairly simple, utilizing repetitive guitar riffs and drum lines that played over and over endlessly with vocals drawn out in a tormented drone as if the vocalist was meeting his fate in a medieval torture chamber. Lyrically, these songs often had themes that fit perfectly with the feeling of the song. I love it.

Some of my favorites include "How Much Art" by SS Decontrol, "Evacuate" by Negative Approach, "Damaged I" by Black Flag, "Well Fed Fuck" by Born Against, and "Lost" by Jerry's Kids. I could never really get into "Grim Reaper" by Siege. There's plenty of others too, as many bands had one (or two). I don't know what happened to this style of hardcore song. The only band in recent times i can think of coming out with one was Hul from Denmark with "Skole" (which i think is a great song). Anyway, i just wanted to state my love for these.

___________

There's a new band from the Lowell, Mass area called Sgt. Slaughter. Actually, they aren't so new, just newly reformed. Anyway, this band rages. I've got the demos available for $2 each postage paid for anyone who'd like one. To me, it sounds like Jerry's Kids or mid period Gang Green mixed with some other shit. They have a total fucking party vibe kind that reminds me of the Beastie Boys, Black Flag, AOD, or of course Gang Green. The demo is decently recorded and comes with a lyric sheet and insert. Hopefully, they will have more out soon.

Also coming out of Lowell is a new band called Violent Nuns. Demo should be out in the near future. Sounds like "Record Collectors..." era Poison Idea with BGK, the Stupids, and several early USHC bands mixed together to me. I don't know really. Who fucking cares? It's thrash with clean guitar and without blast beats. Both of the aforementioned bands will be featured on the "Bands That Don't Give A Shit About Being God" compilation.

There will also possibly be a third band coming out with a demo out of Lowell, but we'll see how that goes, as i think they've only got two songs written. We'll see. Regardless, get in touch with me for more info on anything. Anyway, that's all for now.

Band Names

Band names. They matter a ton, especially in a type of music where the buyer often has not heard the band prior to buying one of their releases. Sometimes i don't think people put enough effort into coming up with a good band name. But the name of your band represents everything that your band embodies. It can cause people to want to check you out or write you off because your name is so generic and stupid sounding. After 25 or so years of hardcore, a good portion of the best names have been firmly established. Virtually all of the single word names have been used. The Exploited, Disorder, Kaaos, Heresy, the System, Conflict, Crucifix, Sacrilege, Detention, Anthrax, Mayhem, Attak, Blitz, Crisis, and about a million more punk sounding names have long been taken.

It's difficult to describe what makes a name good. Originality is always a good idea. Something that sounds aggressive like the style of music you play doesn't seem to hurt either. Political implications? Sure, why not. It worked well for Anti-System and The Proletariat. And let's not forget controversial sounding band names that have worked so well for a band like Jodie Foster's Army (JFA). But i think originality is the key. If you're using words like riot, society, dis-, youth, chaos, and anti- at this point, you're probably hurting your band more than your helping it. There's a host of other words that boarder on that line too. But i don't think one can really underestimate how important a band name can be to your band.

I've spent a lot of time lately thinking about the best band names ever for punk bands, and here's my favorites that i could come up with. Please note, all single word band names were discounted on the basis that they were too easy to come up with. So without further ado, here's my favorites and why.

Neon Christ - The images that this brings to my mind of commodified religion are priceless. I'm not sure if that's how they intended it (such as Leper Messiah by Metallica or Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode) or if it just sounds fucking cool, but either way Neon Christ flat out rules as one of the best band names ever.

Systematic Death - This is one of those "punk as fuck" sounding names. I've read that they stole it from Crass, but no matter what, it just sounds great. Using the word "systematic" for political implications is a perfect (and seldom used) variant of "system" to prevent it from sounding generic, and then adding the word death after just makes it sound more punk, morbid and morose. This is truly one of the all time great names.

Dead Kennedys - This one still makes me laugh on occasion. I'm sure everyone is familiar with former President John F. Kennedy who was assassinated in the '60s in Dallas, but there have been many members of the Kennedy family that have died in odd circumstances instead of from old age. One of America's most famous political families, the DK's were able to make a great name using their notoriety and untimely demises.

Vatican Commandos - This one is the one that gets my vote for best band name ever. I don't even give a shit if Moby was in it for a bit. But seriously, the image that this conjurs is among the best things ever. Instead of using a generic word like "church" or "God's" or "religious" they went straight for the capitol of Catholicism instead. And instead of using a word like "troops" or "forces," they went for the more descriptive and aggressive "commandos." I love it. Totally one of those "why didn't i think of that?" things in life.

Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers - Italian Hardcore legends came out of left field with this name. Taking the name of the Dead Boys guitarist and adding on the word Motherfuckers at the end, i'm not exactly sure what the intended meaning is. But i do know that it sounds fucking awesome, and that's really all that matters. Another original name that doesn't use words that you find in every other band name while still sounding interesting.

"If this is gonna be that kind of party, I'm gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes"

Finally got away from that Geocities blog bullshit. That thing fucking sucked. This Google run one seems to work much better. I can upload pictures and have links and do a lot of other shit that Geocities made impossible. So anyway, i brought all the old posts over to this one so that they are still available for viewing. New post up today on Chaotic Dischord. I originally wrote it for Kill From The Heart, but this is the updated version with some added info. New posts coming sooner or later. I'd love to figure out how to make mp3s, but i don't have access to a server with enough space. Not sure what i'm gonna put up next time.

New records will be at Social Napalm this week. Look out for the Koro EP reissue and also check the Verbal Abuse 12" reissue that we just got in. Ok, that's all for now.

Chaotic Dischord

The Chaotic Dischord story begins when Simon Edwards of Heartbeat Records label and UK punks Vice Squad were attempting to compile the "Riotous Assembly" compilation LP in 1981 to document the blossoming UK punk scene. After putting out a request in Sounds for demo tapes from bands wanting to be on the compilation, Simon Edwards was approached by one of the members of Vice Squad's touring entourage with a tape labeled Chaotik Dischord. According to Edwards, "It scared the pants off me! Chaotik Discord had to go on the album." The band name ended up being misspelled on the LP, forever changing the name of the band to Chaotic Dischord.



Chaotic Dischord appeared to be a mystery though. With just a tape, Edwards had no way to contact them except through Vice Squad. Vice Squad then tricked Edwards into thinking Chaotic Dischord were a new band from Swindon, who, according to him, "due to their 'hardcore image,' didn't want to meet the label, or use any of their names - instant punk credibility thought I - foolishly!"

In reality, Chaotic Dischord was comprised of half of Vice Squad along with members of their road crew. The line-up consisted of Shane Baldwin ('Evo Stix') on drums and Dave Bateman ('Pox') on guitar from Vice Squad along with Vice Squad roadies Igor ('Ampex') on bass, and Bambi ('Ransid') on vocals. Chaotic Dischord had been born from the fact that Vice Squad were unhappy with some of the more "crusty" bands that were being signed to Riot City and had told Simon Edwards that they could "knock out something along the same lines "in ten minutes."



Edwards was reportedly not pleased upon finding this out. He got over it though, and the band went on to be the most prolific band on Riot City Records and ironically one of the label's best sellers. The "Fuck The World" single even reached number 7 on the UK Indie Singles chart. However, not everyone was a fan, especially not Sounds editor Gary Bushell.

The band's music, err, noise, was about as basic as you could get. The songs were sloppy and chaotic with snotty vocals talked, shouted, yelled, screamed, or screeched over the music. This was part of the appeal of the band though since most other UK punk bands were about playing tight and having a great sound. Chaotic Dischord couldn't have given a shit less about that. However, the band did not produce just complete crap for songs. On the contrary, songs such as "Who Killed ET? (I Killed The Fucker!)" and "Cliff" were just as strong, powerful, and anthematic as any other of the top UK punk bands at the time with great, catchy sing-a-long choruses.

Lyrically, the band also employed some of the most blatantly offensive, vulgar lyrics the punk rock world has ever heard. Just take a look at any of their song titles to see where they were coming from. They also took shots at political bands such as Chaos U.K. and Ripcord in other songs. Chaotic Dischord was truly one of the first ever (if not the first) "Chaos Punk" bands.

When Beki Bondage decided to pack it in from Vice Squad, Igor decided to leave too. He was also dismissed from Chaotic Dischord for this, but together Igor and Beki recorded the bogus "Fuck Off You Cunt, What A Load of Bollocks" LP (later repackaged as "You've Got To Be Obscene To Be Heard"). Beki sings on the album.

Constantly outdoing themselves, the band naturally became better musicians and tighter as time went on. The songs began to have more structure to them with the release of "Now! That's What I Call A Fuckin' Racket" in 1985, after the Riot City Records had folded. However, the music still remained solid, and the lyrics became more as poignant yet as crude and obscene as ever.

By 1988, the band became imitators of themselves. "Very Fuckin' Bad" was merely a parody of "Goat Fuckin' Virgin Killerz From Hell ," and, upon poor record sales, the band disintegrated. Their mark had been left forever though, and their influence can still be clearly be seen in today's punk scene. They will go down in history as one best, or worst, depending on the listener's opinion, punk bands of all time with one of the most befitting band names ever.

Chaotic Dischord discography:

FUCK THE WORLD 7" (Riot City Records, 1982)
NEVER TRUST A FRIEND 7" (Riot City Records, 1983)
FUCK RELIGION, FUCK POLITICS, FUCK THE LOT OF YOU! LP (Riot City Records, 1983)
DON'T THROW IT ALL AWAY 12" (Riot City Records, 1983)
LIVE IN NEW YORK LP (Riot City Records, 1984)
FUCK OFF YOU CUNT! LP (Syndicate, 1984)
NOW! THAT'S WHAT I CALL A FUCKIN' RACKET (Vol. 1) LP (Not Very Nice, 1985)
GOAT FUCKIN' VIRGIN KILLERZ FROM HELL LP (Not Very Nice, 1986)
VERY FUCKIN' BAD LP (Not Very Nice, 1988)

Children of the Revolution Records

Hail To England. The Mother Land. A place known for shitty weather, fucked up teeth, and fallen colonial empires. And although in punk England is best known for great UK82 and anarcho-punk, they also released a couple of hardcore and thrash records that are worth well more than just one listen. Children of the Revolution Records, also known simply as C.O.R. Records, was started by Tim Bennett in 1984 in Bristol. Riot City Records from Bristol was just ending, and C.O.R. Records picked right up where they left off, releasing the best hardcore bands that England and elsewhere had to offer. The label would go on to release some of the best thrash bands coming out around the world at that time and forge it's legacy as one of the best hardcore labels ever.

C.O.R. Records had a total of 27 releases in their existence, with an emphasis on UK and British bands such as Lunatic Fringe, Chaos UK, The Stupids, Onslaught, Sacrilege, Concrete Sox, A.O.A., and more but also focusing on the international side of hardcore too. They did releases for CCM, I Refuse It, Negazione, and Declino from Italy, Vicious Circle from Australia, Heibal from Belgium, and The Accüsed from the US among others. Prior to this time, labels had focused almost exclusively on releasing bands from their own local area or only broadening their spectrum to release national acts. Along with Pusmort, C.O.R. was one of the first vinyl labels to focus on the international side of hardcore punk with their releases as well as the domestic side.

C.O.R. began winding down in 1986 with another great label from Bristol, Manic Ears Records, reportedly buying the rights to the C.O.R. name and taking control of the label. The rights to the releases would eventually fall into the hands of Sanctuary Records which is owned by members of Iron Maiden. Because of this, few of the titles have been reissued and the label and many releases have languished in semi-obscurity.

C.O.R. Records discography:

7" and 12" EP Releases

COR 1 (1985) - LUNATIC FRINGE - "Cringe with the Fringe" 7"
COR 2 (1985) - XPOZEZ - "Forcefed the Truth Drug" 7"
COR 3 (1985) - THE STUPIDS - "Violent Nun" 7"
COR 4 (1985) - AOA - "Who Are They Trying to Con?" 12"
COR 5 (1985) - POLITICAL ASYLUM - "Winter" 7"
COR 6 (1985) - POTENTIAL THREAT - "Brainwashed" 7"
COR 7 (1985) - FAMOUS IMPOSTERS - "Would Anything Change?" 12"

LP Releases

GURT 1 (1984) - CHAOS UK - "Short Sharp Shock" LP
GURT 2 (1985) - ONSLAUGHT - "Power From Hell" LP
GURT 3 (1985) - CCM/I REFUSE IT split LP
GURT 4 (1985) - SACRILEGE - "Behind the Realms of Madness" LP
GURT 5 (1985) - VICIOUS CIRCLE - "The Price of Progress" LP
GURT 6 (1985) - DEPRAVED - "Come On Down..." LP
GURT 7 (1985) - NEGAZIONE/DECLINO split LP
GURT 8 (1985) - ANGOR WAT - "General Strike" 12"
GURT 9 (1985) - THE STUPIDS - "Peruvian Vacation" LP
GURT 10 (1986) - CONCRETE SOX - "Your Turn Next" LP
GURT 11 (1986) - THE APOSTLES - "The Lives & Times of the Apostles" LP
GURT 12 (1986) - AOA/OI POLLOI - "Unlimited Genocide" split LP
GURT 13 (1986) - KINA - "Cercando" LP
GURT 14 (1986) - DEPRAVED - "Stupidity Maketh The Man" LP
GURT 15 (1986) - THE STUPIDS - "Retard Picnic" LP
GURT 16 (1986) - HEIBAL - "Yeah, Everything's Great!" LP
GURT 17 (1986) - THE ACCÜSED - "The Return of Martha Splatterhead" LP
GURT 18 (1986) - SCUM - "Born Too Soon" LP
GURT 19 (1986) - EYES ON YOU - "Received With Thanks" EP
GURT 20 (?) - V/A - "DIGGING IN THE WATER" compilation LP

SEX AND VIOLENCE

AUDIO CASSETTE TAPES.

But seriously, let's talk about the death of the audio cassette tape in hardcore punk. In the '80s (when people would spend more than a month writing songs before they played a show or released two 7"s and a split), a ton of bands used cassettes for various purposes. You had cassette demos, cassette releases with quality recordings, and you had the almighty tape comp. Today, cassettes have been replaced by CD-Rs (shudder), Myspace and other internet outlets for punks too lazy to dub a tape or make a cover, and, as we all know from Bob Suren's seminal column from the '90s, the berth of the shitty 7".

Personally, i've always loved cassettes. They have some feeling to them. Maybe it's just because i grew up with them and i've got some nostalgia bullshit going on, but making mix tapes, recording songs off the radio, and tape trading with people (before everyone just used Soulseek, which i don't necessarily have a problem with) was great. Plus, unlike a CD, you could always beat the shit out of a tape or record over a song on a mix tape that sucked. And if you bought a crappy cassette that you didn't like, you could always just scotch tape up where the tabs were and you suddenly had a new blank tape. Making Brit punk mix tapes out of my sisters Boys II Men and 10,000 Maniacs tapes saved some cash.

I'd like to take a second to point out that when i'm talking about tapes, i really only mean official, band authorized cassettes. They don't have to be self released, but i'm not talking about bootlegged tapes. Tape trading for out of print material is a great way to start new communication, and i've got no problem with those who take take out of print material and sell it on tape for cheap. But that's not the point of this article. Although i do think that people who do bootleg in print material on tape and sell it are totally in the wrong, yet it happens all the time. I also have no problem with home dubbed DIY tapes. In fact, i kind of prefer them as long as it's done correctly and with quality and care. But i don't see why a home dubbed DIY tape has to be less "official" than a pro-tape or even a vinyl release.

The '80s had some great labels that released official tapes. Labels like BBP Tapes, BCT, Xcentric Noise, Ägg Tapes, and others. For people without the money to start a label that released vinyl but still wanted to be a contributor to releasing quality music that was coming out from around the world, it was the perfect alternative. All you needed was the motivation to write to bands to collect submissions, a stereo that could dub tapes, blank tapes, and of course access to a photocopy machine. Simple enough. And so you ended up with some excellent compilations such as "Raw War," "I Thrash, Therefore I Am," the "Last White Christmas" set, and the Thrasher Magazine "Skaterock" compilation series among others.

There's still a few tape labels and labels that release mostly vinyl but also tapes around. BBP is still going and releasing new cassettes. BCT cassettes are available from various places. Malarie Records from Poland is still releasing tapes. And there are several labels and distros from Eastern Europe doing it including Phobia Distribution, I.N.L., Beer Is Not Drink, and Gasmask Records among several others. But the notion of running a high quality tape label seems long gone and dead as far as i can tell. The few tape comps that i've seen come out in the 2000s have all been pretty lackluster at best. And with people going straight to Myspace instead of releasing demos, i don't see much changing for the future. But if anyone knows anyone who's running a tape label with quality releases, let me know please. Anyway, here's some pictures that i found of old tape releases (i have to just post the links because Geocities blows)...





Originally posted Sunday July 23, 2006 - 3:46pm (EST)

It's not my imagination, I've got a gun on my back

This summer hasn't been that great for touring bands thus far, but i did see Aghast and the Runnamucks this month, both of whom totally kicked ass.

Aghast played in Boston with Social Circkle and some other bands that jumped on the show last minute. Aghast plays raw, distorted hardcore punk influenced by bands like Chaos UK, Outo, Confuse, and dare i say Atrocious Madness. But don't dismiss this band as Atrocious Madness immitators or rip offs. They really nailed the sound and provided a lot of parts to their songs that really stuck out, adding in some tribal drumming, some guitar noise soloing, and some other structural parts to keep it interesting and far away from generic. Social Circkle was good that night too i thought, and i'm looking forward to hearing their recorded shit. Back to basics punk along the lines of what Regulations, No Hope For The Kids, Young Wasteners, etc. are doing.

The Runnamucks show was last night and after hemming and hawing about going for quite a while, i just said fuck it and went. The first four opening bands were all grind and powerviolence bands which really isn't my thing at all, so i didn't watch them. But the Runnamucks blew the shit out of everyone. Sarcastic, in your face, and snotty hardcore punk with a big dose of fuck you attitude. Honestly, i was worried about this show because i wasn't that into their newly recorded more rock 'n roll stuff that i'd heard, but it turns out, they did a great job of mixing that in live with their older material and it really worked well. I can't wait for them to come back again. Straight rippers. Everytime i see them, i wish that the show could have been in Lowell. Fuck it.

More to come later...

Originally posted Saturday July 22, 2006 - 10:14am (EST)

DESTROY PEACE 'N FREEDOM

Lots of new stuff will be on the way within the next couple of weeks in the distro for those who care.

New releases will be in soon enough including Verbal Abuse LP reissue, Criminal Damage LPs, Direct Control 12"s, Vicious "Obsessive" 7"s, Inmates LPs, and some other crap. Should be good.

Here's a few other great Youtube live videos that i found...

Iconoclast - Battlefields for Flipside - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V2nSWiRxTk
Yet another one without a date, but i'm going to guess it's from 1985 as that's the year their 7" came out on Flipside. Raw Discharge influenced hardcore meets peace punk. I was blown away to find this on there. Good quality.

Bad Brains - three live video clips from 1979(!!!)
Sailin' On - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT-8wWrNkjw
Attitude - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKnQctrX6rc
At The Movies - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ2ixsOok_A
I love this band.

Urban Waste - Live at CBGB's February 1983 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cpXPtxNZ8s
Poor sound quality but not so bad that you can't tell the song. Another video i was thrilled to see.

Originally posted Tuesday July 18, 2006 - 09:52am (EST)

When all's said and done, it still stinks like shit and urine...

OK, i'm not sure if this is the dumbest shit i've ever fucking started, but we'll see how it goes. I'm guessing this is better than fucking Myspace (posers) at least. So Johnny Genericrust and all you myspace crusties can fuck off. My buddy just told me this is ok as long as i don't turn it into a god damn live journal. I agree.

I've been big into Youtube.com the past few months. The same buddy i was talking about up top got me hooked on this shit. Both the obscure music videos (Gang Green, Suicidal Tendencies) and the forgotten live shows are great. Here's some of my favorite live shows that i've found thus far:

BGK live in San Francisco in 1987 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I60KC2oyu0
Ok, so the sound quality stinks, but Arms Race is a classic song, and these guys are one of my alltime favorite bands.

SS Decontrol playing Get It Away - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdvF5bhDChY
I'm gonna venture a guess and say this is from '83. Classic sound, good quality footage, and good sound quality make this video a winner. I'm sure if these guys were a band today, they'd be playing with all the joke bands like Bane and all that tough guy bullshit, but it's a moot point.

Heresy live in Geislingen, Germany 1987 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYCJRIn8jUQ
Heresy is one of those bands i always thought was highly overrated. Let's face (up to) it, 15+ years later, the music simply does not hold up that well and kinda sounds like generic speedcore. Still, this video is great and proves that they were really THAT good live. Tight musicianship with pretty good sound quality.

Kafka Prosess live in Geislingen, Germany 1987 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1cLigx-3PI
Great band from Norway. This is from the same show as the Heresy clip above. Very well done hardcore with some melodic touches.

Negative Approach live in 1982 or 1983 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dFEX9thpOE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zP0_8oK_Yag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2KHR1v7OTc
Three clips from the same show here with solid quality all around and a cover Blitz's "Never Surrender" which is simply overpowering. No real need to comment beyond that, i guess.

Broken Bones - Decapitated live at the Bier Kellar in Leeds 4/21/84 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYTCnTwjd6A
Fantastic footage here of British greats. They look like they put on a great show here as far as i can tell. Still not good enough to bother to check out one of their reunion gigs though haha.

Siouxsie And The Banshees - Bad Shape live in England live in 1977 (i believe) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIbvLb5Wxlg
This is from prior to the first Siouxsie album which was released in '78. Grainy footage with a raw sound quality, but i love it. A great early Siouxsie track.

Southern Death Cult - Fatman live (1980?) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIbvLb5Wxlg
Not sure on the year on this one exactly. Ian Astbury in his earlier (and better, in my opinion) days.

Deviated Instinct - Rock N Roll Conformity live - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtO5m4CS-D8
Not 100% sure of the year on this one either, but i'd say 1988 is within a year either way. Excellent early metallic crust band that doesn't seem to quite get their due today despite Hellshock's popularity.

Void - Who Are You live July 1, 1983 at the Wilson Center, DC - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1-s2uS4Q3w
Talk about an explosive live band. This is probably my favorite video that i've found on Youtube so far. The band just goes off and you get all the power and energy captured in this recording. Not much else can be said about it other than watch it already.

Some other bands i've found videos for are Confuse, Lipcream, Outo, Gauze, Extinct Government, GISM, Swankys ('77 style era), Kuro, Gloom, Systematic Death, Blitz, GBH, Partisans, DRI, RKL, MDC, Suicidal Tendencies, Ripcord, Electro Hippies, Napalm Death, Mob 47 (new), Conflict, Instigators, Resist, Hiatus, Health Hazard, ENT, Chaos UK, Disorder, Kreator, Destruction, Slayer, Metallica (duh), Celtic Frost, Voivod, Iggy And The Stooges, and some other great show. Lots of great stuff there, you just have to find it.