Captain Three Leg / Flvx Capacitor - digital split

From our harbinger of the day, "Hey, man. I stumbled onto your blog from a Brent's TV video you posted on YouTube and spent the last hour reading your reviews. I appreciate the amount of effort you put into your writing. My name is Andy. I ran a label called Mortville Records in the 1990s and 2000s, but it sort of petered out. I've been playing in a band called Captain Three Leg since 1995 that's flown under the radar for most people. No big deal, I play and record to entertain myself. A few years ago I decided to just stop releasing physical copies of our stuff because nobody was buying it. I like recording, but I don't like losing money pressing shit nobody wants. Bandcamp has been great for people like me who just want to get music out there for people to hear and don't care about money." You know, first off, it's nice that someone out of the blue, comes along and shows the blog some appreciation. Seven years of doing this here thing, and I know it's not mind melting shit, really just barely interesting at times, fuck, if it wasn't for the music there would be no point, what's the fucking point anyway. Well, creative souls like Andy, one of the rarely thanked, movers and shakers of scenes all over the world, make it all worthwhile. Imagine my delight when I put the proverbial needle into the groove and it turns out to be a vibe I haven't explored in a while, taking me back to my late teens. Captain Three Leg is some of the finest power violence, I call it post-hardcore, I've run across in years. This is the pinnacle of the evolution of hardcore, started by none other than Middle Class and ending with bands that took what little good there was in youth crew, beating it to a pulp with a ball-peen hammer. The vocals remind me of Infest or my buddy's band Lack of Interest, yelled x2, but understandable, not screamed beyond comprehension. The musicianship is razor blade sharp, stopping and starting on a dime, maneuvering around your head like a zero-turn mower. In the Winnie the Pooh hardcore punk world these guys are lightning fast bouncing around like Tiger at times and at others, deliberately plodding like Eeyore, in no rush at all. A little metallic here and there, with a very short burst of noodly solos and some chugga chugga chunking, and that's just fine with me. Something that makes the songs interesting is that there are these short little sound bites at the beginning of each one that serves as some sort of lead in or intro, I like that they took the time to put that kind of thought into these compositions. Overall, made my day, and the gravy is that it's a free fucking download ready to be loaded on your iPod!. Oh yeah, there's more, to top it off, this is a split release, so along with the sweet sounds of Captain Three Leg, the first three tunes are done by a late 80's (when it was still good) styled grindcore band (with a little PV thrown in) called Flvx Capacitor. The vocals here fall into the grunted, growled, screamed category and I can't understand a thing, reminding me of when I first heard Napalm Death, but like ND the songs come with lyrics and they're worth reading or following along if you dare. This shit has an old school sound too, nothing like the pop-grindcore of today. Only down side, only three songs. Go give this split a listen/download at their Bandcamp or check it out below...

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=3710129569 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

Thundering Asteroids - live on KBOO 08/11/14

Just a short one here, it's been a while, but as I've been hinting at, my spare internet time has been spent on this Electro-Comp CD that's in the works. More word on that is coming soon as it's expected to be released at the end of September. As far as this post, sometimes less is more, hence you get less babbling on my part and more killer music. The Thundering Asteroids are this powerhouse of a melodic, hardcore-ish Portland band that will make you stomp your feet and put a smile on your face. My old friend and bandmate is now on guitar, that's how I found out about them, and the other day I had the joy of listening to them do a live set on Portland's KBOO 90.7 FM. I love live in studio radio sets (I thank Mr. John Peel for that), it's a very specific sound/energy/quality you can get out of a band. Well TA tore shit up, I had perma-grin, so what better thing to do than to bring a smile to you. I will warn you, BEWARE...the first song is so catchy it'll catch your pants on fire!!! Goblin King Voight Kampff Test Scott Pilgrim vs. My Heart Sexy Lamp Hit It and Crit Nuke the Site From Orbit If you dig these tunes, go visit KBOO 90.7 FM (where you kind find mountains of archives) and Thundering Asteroids (the fine folks making this joyful racket)...

DAD - Explicit Parental Advisory cassette

Before the days of the internet, it was mostly by word of mouth that you got turned on to new music. It felt sort of like that when Karstein Volle dropped me a lime and asked me to give his band a listen.  Listen, I did to his band DAD and I gotta say that it took me back to those pre-internet days when I would be amazed and thankful at the same time, some kind of fateful discovery.  This is one of the feel good moments when a band hits the spot like a quality meal, a feeling of satisfaction.  These guys have a unique spin, a take that is new to me, one that makes total sense.  Here's the blurb that I got from their Soundcloud bio... "Dad plays punkrock in the Flipper/Hüsker Dü/DK style. The subject matter is sleep deprivation, diapers and all other dementia that follows the miracle of procreation.  Anyone saying punk rock is a young person´s game is either lying or a goddamn fool. Punkrock is at best geezer culture and Dad is here to prove it.  Punkrock should be honest. Punkrock should be direct. That´s why we´re not gonna pretend we´re young delinquents being hassled by the man. Fuck that. We´re suburban parents in our late 30s. We got IKEA furniture, dammit. We OWN our mediocrity and unhipness and we´ll make good use of it.  We´re here to rescue the reputation of so called dad-rock with DAD-PUNKROCK.  Dad is not pleased with you. Dad thinks your pathetic attempts at coolness are silly and sad. Dad will mess you up. Dad knows best." Dad is: Heikki, drums Lasse, bass Karstein, guitar + vox One of the best bios I've run across.  This is a fun band, honest, no contrived attempt to sound like something old, but reminiscent of those bands that could play hard with a smile on their faces.  No macho posturing, not in Helsinki Finland, they choose to have fun instead.  I asked Karstein to give me his person take on what was going with this DAD thing, "There's quite a healthy punk scene here in Helsinki. There's old hc classics like Terveet Kädet still touring and excellent newcomers like Kovaa Rasvaa, Hopejärvi n us geezers in Dad.  With us, I still think the old 'three chords and the truth'-credo applies. We just face different things nowadays. Being a dad is HARD. If you act upon your frustrations, anger and obvious shortcomings bringing up kids, you would become a monster. So suck it up and count to ten million. That's where punkrock comes in. It's the safety valve with a safety pin on it :)  At the moment, we've just self released a cassette, while polishing new recordings. Hoping to get an EP out by the end of the year and even a flexi before that.  The best way to support us nowadays is to drop us a line and order the tape and the very attractive cloth patch we made. We've just been around since April last year, so we're still working on things." They have a Soundcloud and a Facebook that you can contact them at. Every single solitary song I listened to from these guys is pure gold of the uber catchiest kind. This is the kind of stuff that upon first listen, will become instantly implanted on your brain and before you know it, you'll be singing the songs to yourself. Give em a spin, here's one of my favorites...

MY KID´S FRIEND´S DAD

[audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/My-Kid´s-Friend´s-Dad_115698587-Listentodad.mp3"][/audio]

My kid has a friend That kid has a dad. I´m spending time with my kid. That kid spending time with his dad. Agh.

Shut up about your car! Shut up about Somalis! Shut up about hunting! Shut up about your tax!

Of course I´m I´m polite. That kid is a friend of my kid. So I, I shut up. I wish you could do the same.

Ack! Ack! Ack! Shut up about your car! Shut up about Somalis! Shut up about hunting! Shut up about your tax! Shut up about political correctness! Shut up about fishing! Shut! Up! SHUT! UP! SHUT! UP! SHUT! UP! Shaddup!

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/users/44018732" params="color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZN3vdyR0H0]

Missles of October - Don't Panic LP

Blown away in all kinds of ways with this release. I know I'm like a mother bird sometimes, regurgitating for her young, but this is how you you do art for your music. First impressions count, hell I used to buy records based on their covers alone. I don't know who did this art (obviously a master at creating emotion), but these boys from Bruxelles, Belgium know how to put a face on their music. So when I got around to listening to the actual tunes from Missles of October, my expectations where high, but I'll be damned if these guys don't deliver, a truckload of freaking sound. In the email I got from them, which was both in French and English, they didn't waste a lot of time going on about themselves, it was mostly links to their tunes. I like that, let your music speak for you. Here's the little bit they had to say, "Missiles of October (Be) is a band formed in beginning of 2012 by: Bob Seytor (from Rotyes, Contingent (1st punk belgium punk!!!), ex-Walpurgis), Mathias Salas (Rotyes, Frau Blucher and the drunken horses, ex-galvanized), Lionel Beyet ([P.U.T], ex-Monster Eaters, No Hope for All // Boss of P.O.G.O. records since 1993) These 3 there play a dirty rock, heavy and powerful! sludge vs punk vs noise! for fans of Unsane, Les thugs, Mc Lusky, Unwound..." I told myself (I talk to myself a lot) the other day that with these reviews, I was going to say a little something about how the band makes me feel. With these guys I feel hope, the kind some sort of revolutionary feels when fighting for a cause. These guys are the hope for modern hard music. You could probably put them under the greater hardcore umbrella, they are very aggressive, but they also have sort of a metallic Am Rep sound, if you can imagine that. Good solid musicians, hard hitting, mixing up the tempos. There's some variety to the tunes, they don't all sound the same, so it stays interesting from beginning to end. They are on Pogo Records, but you can buy this as a hard copy or digital from their Bandamp, where you can also download their previous ep for free, plus listen to your heart's content. This song hit me just right... "Addiction" [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/08.Missiles-of-October-B3_Addiction.mp3"][/audio] http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=490685085/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Zwt_Q4jZQ]

The Instigation - No Way Out 7"

Here we go coming full circle again, like a slammin' tour of the pit, in that hardcore punk kinda way, with my buddies straight out of Tokyo/Kobe/London/Shanghai, The Instigation. I've sung my praises before when they blessed my ears with their S/T 7". Here was my response to Toshi, "You guys really blew me away with this latest one, tighter, harder, insane.  This is even better than the first one, may have to see if I can scrape the money together to buy one.  The Reagan Youth cover kills it man,  you guys did song justice.  No karaoke bullshit, you made it your own and put the Instigators twist to it." This is hands down some of the best modern hardcore going these days, at least what I've heard. The singer's got this Japanese/English (the England kind) accent thing going, and he's not growling, he's yelling with flair. The band tears right through these tunes, without missing a single beat and before you know it the thing is over. Everyone is as solid as granite in the Instigation, but I gotta say the guitar player really blows me away. He manages to do his mandatory hardcore chords lightning fast, but in between he his plucking these notes, it's like there's two of him. As I said they kill this Reagan Youth cover, you can watch the blisters popping up it's so hot.  Back when I was playing music we always had at least one  cover on the set list.  Covers can tell a guy where your roots are and give you the opportunity for some wild interpretations.  The Instigation do Dave Insurgent proud.  This 7" is proof that it's time for the band to do a full length LP...I think they can pull it off as there's enough variety and creativity going on that it wouldn't get boring or repetitive...just fucking raging. They've got a Bandcamp and a Facebook, go visit them and tell them you heard it here first.  That murderous cover... [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BTB002-SideB-02-DegeneratedReagan-Youth-Cover.mp3"][/audio] http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=4048981598/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF9RrQbuQQo]

Reacharounds - Living in the Future LP

Band name of the year for sure here, Reacharounds...yeah! Wish I had thought of that name when I was playing music. Joe hit me up and without even asking offered to send me a hard copy, of which only 200 were made, so right off the bat I was feeling special. That was the end of the special feelings though because this is not some happy shit. My initial response to him, after he had mentioned they were inspired by the likes of the Minutemen and the Circle Jerks, "Got the record and completely blown away man. Not the most uplifting, some seriously angry shit. Reminds me of a band I used to listen to back in the 80s called the Nihilistics, but you guys are much better musicians. I hear a little bit of that Minutemen snazzy jazziness there too." There's not a bright moment in the lyrics to these songs, if it's not rabid frothing at the mouth angry, it's serious as cancer hopeless. "It's a good day for a war It's a good day for the end of the world. It's a good day for a war It's a good day let's end it now." Nothing sophisticated, just simple and to the point...I like that. I kind of admire it, because there is really so much to be angry and feel hopeless about these days, it's numbing after a while. Musically, as I said, these guys have a little bit more talent than the Nihilistics and have a little bit of complexity in their post-hardcore sound, but it's still raw and ugly most of the time. The first tune, "Excrement"... [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/01.Reacharounds-Excrement.mp3"][/audio] Varying speeds, varying tempos, keep it from getting repetitive and make each tune interesting in their own way. Straight out of Springfield Missouri (isn't that where the Simpsons are from) these guys are probably the best thing that town has to offer. They have a Facebook, so you can socialize with them there. They have a Bandcamp, where you can listen to about half the songs on this album and all the songs their previous and equally killer 7" (they sound even more Minuteman-ish on that, maybe even a little early Meat Puppet-esque thing going on). Last but not least they have a Bigcartel, where you can buy their shit and support the band.  They haven't got this LP there yet but expect that soon as well as digital downloads (the LP comes with those).  Listen to some more if you like... http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1111500233/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/

Flagpolers - Demo July 2012 digital

Mick, of the Flagpolers hit me up to give them a listen and I was stoked because they didn't suck. Nothing worse than having to tell a guy all his hard work and effort was wasted, and that perhaps he should look into a career at something menial. Then again, who the fuck am I, just some faceless doofus who likes "some" music and has an opinion (like an asshole, everyone has right). In the case of the Flagpolers (not too sure about the name of the band, must be some kind of an inside joke), from the getgo they go full steam ahead and rock hard. My first response to Mick was, "The dual vocals really stand out to me and I like how you guys are melodic and catchy, but still have that abrasive hardcore edge." Nothing too earth shattering as far as what I had to say, sometimes I'm not very deep, but this is not some sophisticated band like their fellow country men Rush, no need for fluffy big words, these guys are straight and to the point. No granny gears gears for these guys, they skip right ahead to 5th gear, burning rubber the whole way. The guitarist can really crank out the chords, high speed Johnny Ramone-esque, and the bass stays right there pounding along with him like they're neck and neck in some drag race. The drummer doesn't waste any time with fills and frills, he reminds me of the drummer for ZZ Top but on speed. As I said though, what makes them stand out to me is the dual vocals, that trading off then singing along type of thing, think dueling banjos in Deliverance, it only serves to make the band seem like they're going even faster.  We're not talking grindcore, power violence, blistering fast, Flagpolers, do it old school style with new school flavor (hahaha). Here's how the guys describe themselves, "Rough Hooky Punk Rock from Vancouver, Canada. Made up of 3/4 Irish Immigrants and a Famine Dodger playing Punk in the same vein of Leatherface, Guns n Wankers and snuff." Never heard of those bands, but these guys are probably fucking better anyway. Something really solid about Mick, is that he comes across as very down to earth and just one of the good guys, the kind that every scene needs plenty of if it's going to thrive. Invited me (and the 9 other blogger he asked to do a review) to stop by and stay with him if I was ever up Vancouver way...I've always wanted to do the Seattle/Vancouver thing. The first song gets right to it and is probably my favorite... "Retentioncon" [audio mp3="http://mustard-relics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/1.FLAGPOLERS-Retentioncon.mp3"][/audio] "I'm at square one in a job i said i'd never do again it's like I was time punched some things similar alot very different this was not my intention I planned to escape to work that betters me this isn't retention this is retroactive continuity Talking to bastards isn't quite the craic that it's cracked up to be taking the blame while standing rigid behind corporate policy somebodies listening if i lose it they'll have evidence on me and when they catch me i'll blame retroactive continuity somethings not right here someone must've wrote this in to mess with me is this my life or is this retroactive continuity" Good stuff Maynard! They've got a Facebook and a Bandcamp (embedded below)... http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=458318352/size=small/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/

...a buddy of theirs did a real nice job putting this vid together for them, the footage is of them "when we were touring north a bit"... [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YCT4_hYL3A]

The Instigation - S/T 7"

Been a while since I explored some hardcore-ish tunes, been wandering almost aimlessly in other genres. Toshi of The Instigation, rightly obliged by sending me some of their virtual music. Here's the blurb he sent...

Trash rockin' hardcore punk band from Far East Asia,tokyo/shanghai,The Instigation. Its 4-piece from different countries as Japan,UK,China and Canada. Their first 7inch with 5songs is just out and their sound is combining early 80s US hardcore punk with trashy garage punk.trashy loud guitar is rumbling and british vocal is blasting on the tight rhysm section and it would blow your mind away. If you are a fan of Dean Dirg,Henry Fiat;s Open Sore,Regulations,Napoleon Dynamite etc,you can get the taste. handnumbering 200 limited,(self-release BTB001)

First thought, definitely wouldn't mind getting a copy of this bad boy...seriously raging. I'm no expert on international hardcore, but this reminds me of a blend of Japanese and British hardcore. Maybe it's more akin to an early Black Flag thing (they do a BF cover).  But this isn't some kind of lame attempt at a retro rehash of someone else's past glories, this is fucking alive and kicking.  Driving like hardcore should be, imperative, saying "hurry up and listen to THIS".  Everybody knows how to play their instruments, the singer rocks, no sloppy noodling, tight.  As it says in their deal, only 200 of these made so get it while you can.  For now go to their Bandcamp and give it a listen...

http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=175533146/size=medium/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbmu63uYNzU]

Assück / O.L.D. (Old Lady Drivers) split 7"

Was swapping emails with an old buddy of mine, Bob (Lack Of Interest / Deep Six Records) found out another old buddy of ours, Ron Kuka (him and Bob were tight) had died of cancer last year. Kicking myself because I had been meaning to get in touch with him for a long while. Bob, Ron and I went to Luther Burbank Junior High School together back in the early 80's, but unfortunately those two went on to the other high school in Burbank. We managed to stay in touch pretty well though through our mutual love of extreme music. In high school I was more involved in drinking beer and really I was a pussy compared to those guys because they were going to shows every weekend. And they would go anywhere, sometimes real nasty parts of LA, to see bands. I think they even got mugged/jumped a couple of times but that didn't stop them. I have a few cassette of live shows they recorded. I don't think I ever went to a show with those two, but I do remember hitting up record stores with them all over SoCal. Fast forward to college, for me, from 87-93, and I'm still in touch with mostly Ron, not sure what Bob was doing, other than working at the same place he probably works today. I would come down from Humboldt to visit my Mom and would stop in to see Ron every so often, we both shared an affinity for the best Mother Nature could provide. I used to send him care packages from up North. When I used to visit we would kick it in his room, smoke a doob, listen to music and he would dub tapes for me.  I'll never forget when he played this for me... Fear Of God - As Statues Fell. He was single-handedly responsible for enlightening me to Excel, Dead Horse, Tankard, Napalm Death, Neanderthal, Infest, Extreme Noise Terror, Chaos UK, Electro Hippies, Pungent Stench, No For An Answer, Attitude Adjustment, Spastic Blur, Wiermacht, Heresy, Stark Raving Mad, Hirax, F.C.D.N Tormentor...shit the list goes on and on, I was just reading the names off the cassette I still have.  Really good times, you know the care free variety, where all that matters is what you're doing at that moment. Time gets away from you though, I got graduated, got married and moved to San Diego so we stopped having those visits, it's a shame because he was one hell of a guy. A tall glass of water and a wide cup of coffee to you Ron.

 

Other than Fear of God the one release that Ron turned me onto, that hit me the hardest, was the Assück / Old Lady Drivers split.  Released in 1991, I'm positive that's when I first heard it.  Old Lady Drivers is a REAL trip of a band, but unfortunately I never really followed up on listening to more of their stuff (I'm changing that now).  Assuck, on the other hand, I ended up getting all of their records I could find and have even posted at least one here at MR.  One of my favorite bands ever, combining incredible musicianship with "deep" lyrics, I'm sure that some of my hearing damage is a result of listening to them at ungodly volume levels.  Both bands are worth looking into if you're into anything hard, I've labelled them as "post-hardcore", but in this case that really just means some whacked out form of grindcore.  Don't let that dissuade you though, this is the real deal, not some washed out crap for the masses.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF2BAs-dIxw&w=560&h=315]

Culto del Cargo - S/T digital ep

All the way from Italy for my (our) listening pleasure.  This is the secong time I've gotten a record from an internation band, gratis, and in some way it make me feel like I'm doing something right around here (thanx Ennio!).  Here's the email I got after virtually giving them a listen and letting them know I was digging their sound,  "This is Ennio, “Culto del Cargo” drummer. I don't work today, so I answer to you immediately. Here you are some informations:  Yes, we are the guys in that video. This is another live show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKT2AWmVSXI A lot of friends, that night. A good party.  We are from Veneto region, in the north-east of Italy: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Veneto_in_Italy.svg&page=1  We are into the DIY punk and hardcore scene, so we love to play in squats, anti-fascist and self-managed places. Things are changed in Veneto compared to 15 years ago: there aren't many punk or hardcore bands, and is very hard to find a place to play for. There some places to play; but sometimes cops have something to say. We think they don't like our friends and our music. Anyway, we don't give a fuck: we wanna play and make noise, and that's what we do.  We have been active since 2010. In the 2011 we recorded that 7” (limited to 300 copies). We have played (and playing) in a lot of bands. Here you are a list: Gelo (still alive) http://www.necessitohc.com/index.php?page=gelo_baka-yaro_split2011#anchor Caprosmorto (R.I.P.) http://www.necessitohc.com/index.php?page=caprosmorto_demo2007#anchor Corporation of Consumption (still alive) http://www.necessitohc.com/index.php?page=corporation-of-consumption_go-to-die-killed#anchor Carlito (still alive) http://www.necessitohc.com/index.php?page=carlito_2010#anchor And others passed away: Timothy (a sort of Entombed/hc style), Terrorarium (grindcore), Cimex (anarcho-punk).  (Oh, check this site: www.necessitohc.com This is my free distro online. Only italian harcore/punk/crust bands. You can listen their music, and it's all in free download.)  We are in love with hardcore, grindcore, d-beat, crust, doom, sludge, death metal, punk music. We like underground bands from Europe. There are a lot of good guys and bands from east and north Europe with DIY attitude. (Personally I like some italian underground hip-hop bands, like DSA Commando: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJLaNoQ12p8 This guys have real HC attitude.)  We will recording 5 or 6 new songs in the coming months for a split with Brivido, an hardcore band from Croatia. We don't know if it will be a 7” or something else. Oh, and about our band name: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult  And give me your house address: I'll send to you a copy of our 7” for free. If you need anything else, send me an email. That's all, I think. Thanks a lot, and take it easy too. Cheers, ennio"  You know just to put this out there, I speak English and some Spanish, but I'm out of practice with Spanish, being smack dab in the middle of mono-lingual America and with no Spanish speakers around (of course).  A hundred years ago around here, most people were bilingual, my Grandma was the last one in my line to be able to speak French.  Anyway I just want to say that it's a big deal that some guy in Europe can just get up and type me a message in another language besides his own, without using an online translator, you can really tell when a person uses one of those.  Instead of putting so much energy into English ONLY like a lot of people do in this country, we should be encouraging people to speak several languages.  That shit's brain food.  Like Smokey said in "Friday", "stimulate your mind".  That's my rant.  Now, about this band...smokin'.  If you like your band a straightforward blend of metal and hardcore, and doing it in the grizzliest of fashions, then this is for you.  Reminds me of the UK band Doom (that is a fucking GREAT thing) with that Italian hardcore edge to it. Culto del Cargo is Italian (duh, go figure and Italian band with an Italian name) for Cargo Cult (interesting read)...I imagine that's what the cover photo is. As Ennio said in his note, everything is free at the Culto del Cargo WEBSITE. A nice package, you get scans of the sleeve, lyrics in Italian/English (thoughtful stuff) and of course mp3s of all five tunes. The 7", which is limited to just 300 copies can be found there too. I've listened to thing like 10 times now and I just can't get enough. Ennio's drumming is this perfect metronome, rat-tat-rat-tat, and the guitar shreds all over that. The bass and the vocals do a nice job grumbling out the low end. Well worth a few minutes of your time to give a listen... Scarpe, divisa e cappio Pensare e rifiutare Immagina L'era dell'uomo Pensare e rifiutare

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3mtMNTd7ss]

Johatsu - Demolition cassette

Had to hook up my tape deck to give this one a listen, another killer release from Freddy over at Wardance Records.  I don't even know where to start with Johatsu.  I got the lowdown from Freddy, "...that tape rules, for now it's a 2 man project by ex-Hell No dudes. They're working on new material & hopefully a full band soon. I'm biased, but I think that the songs in the tape are great, u can tell they grew up on HC/Punk/90's dissonant stuff & mesh it all together really well. I took it off the Wardance page as I only have a couple of copies left, but the band should have some." Over at United By Rocket Science they'll tell you "think New York Hardcore meets Amphetamine Reptile Records and gets stuck in the mud on the way to a Metal show.  The sound is heavy, ferocious and relentless." I don't know if I could describe these guys any better than that.  Not sure if it's because it's on cassette or the mix, but it has that demo sound, which makes it feel a lot older, but this is fresh and relevant.  Often times you can describe a band by saying that they sound like this or that band, which I'm terrible at, because my mind has trouble assigning a particular sound to a name, but who the fuck do these guys sound like...no one as far as I'm concerned.  With one guy doing vocals and the other doing all the instruments, it reminds me of some good times I had recording stuff with one of my buddies who could play all the instruments in your typical band.  Don't think these guys are just fucking around though, this is a band that will make people stand up and recognize.  Like a lot of bands these days Johatsu has a Bandcamp where you can give all the tunes a listen and for dirt cheap buy a download of the tunes and maybe pick up an actual copy.  There's two more tunes available for download on Bandcamp, that aren't on the cassette.  They also have a Myspace in case you want to do a little more exploring.  If you're of the European persuasion and location, you can also pick this thing up from Per Koro Records, a label/mailorder outta Germany.  I prefer side 1 over side 2, I guess because side 2 feels more like a jam, but really the cassette grabs you by the balls from beginning to end.  Hands down my favorite is the first tune (and a lot of times the band puts their best track first, so maybe the band is in agreement with me), I really like how the singer almost talks or narrates over some furious riffing.  If you can find this thing, go get your tape deck out of the garage or go get one at the thrift store (may as well, I think tapes are making a small underground comeback), and trip the hell out on Johatsu.  That first tune for ya... [bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=2918916784 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small]

My Rifle - S/T 7"

Another new one, from Freddy over at Wardance Records, that I think a guy would be stupid not to want to pick up.  This one has everything going for it, like a 5 course meal.  I'm going through this comic book phase right now (just call me a late blooming nerd) and the first thing that hit me about it was the cover art...killer.  I wish more bands would put this kind of thought into the art that represents their art.  Then I was pleasantly surprised that this badboy was pressed on clear vinyl, my favorite (not sure if they're all pressed that way or not), but the hardest to tell if it's scuffed or scratched.  Beautiful!  Shit, we haven't even gotten to the music yet.  These guys are no greenhorns to putting out music, there's Ex-members of Life's Blood/Our Gang/Altercation (to refresh your memory, refer back to the New Breed Tape Compilation also released by Wardance).  As Freddy puts it, "Not retro or a rehash of past glories, this is now."  With their hardcore pedigree, these guys have something in the same vein...yet different.  This is like hardcore on 45 but played at 33.   Fucking beefy as hell.   What do they say on the east coast?  Moshin'?  The vocals kinda remind me of Dave Smalley (DYS) a little bit, but he's definitely doing his own thing and got his own flavor.  I dig the highlight of occasional backing vocals, too.  The guitar is a nice blend of a metallic power chord chunk.  The drummer isn't fucking around either, like the hardcore Bill Ward (Black Sabbath).  And the bass...damn, like a heartbeat played through a Marshal stack.  What's there not to like about this thing?  The only thing I can think of is I wish it was a full length record, four songs is just not enough.  Before you know it this thing is over, which means you play it again, right?  That's what I did anyway.  You can go get your own copy HERE...

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Dead//Beat - Tremors demo cassette

Got this tape in the mail a while back, before the hiatus, and to be honest was stoked to be getting something in cassette format, after so long.  I'll be damned too, these guys turned out to be pretty fucking good (but I already knew that because they had sent me a link to the tunes sometime before I got the tape).  Here's what they had to say... We are Dead//Beat, hardcore punk from Brooklyn. We've recently finished recording and producing our latest EP "Tremors" and seeing as how we are big fans of Mustard Relics we thought we'd send it to you in hopes that you might be interested... Thanks a lot  -DEAD//BEAT Short and sweet, kinda letting the music speak for themselves...speak it does.  They are a self described hardcore band but I think it's a little more complicated than that.  First off, I kind of subscribe to the idea that has been suggested by some musical historian types that as a musical movement hardcore died in about 1986...it was taken over by jock rockers (just an opinion of course).  That doesn't make music created in that style, after that point, any less valid, valuable or enjoyable.  Anything but.  In fact bands like DEAD//BEAT are like a breath of fresh air, not entangled with dogmatic genre definitions.  Along those lines, for the sake of having someplace to file them, I have loosely put them in the post-hardcore category.  Loosely and I mean it, because as I said earlier it's a little more complicated than that.  These guys are not flying a million miles an hour, but that doesn't make them any less intense...punk as fuck, snottier than my Grandpa's handkerchief and I love that the guitar player gets some cool sounds without leaning to much on the distortion.  Overall this is a kick ass cassette (still up in the air about the X cover).  Pick this up or at least give them a listen at their Bandcamp. For now here's two of my faves... Disrespect Configured

Bad Advice - Do Not Resuscitate 7"

Another one from that batch that Alex over at Grave Mistake Records sent me.  On a side a note I can't speak enough about how great Grave Mistake is, Alex really has his shit together over there.  There's a ton of releases over there, the site is easy to navigate, the prices are very affordable and all 5 7"s I have, contain download cards.  Refreshing to know that in this day and age that bands an music lovers alike have GMR as a resources.  If you're a digital only kind of guy when it comes to your music collection (I am definitely NOT, why buy digital copies, when for a few more bucks you can have it as a complete physical work of art) or you like to give your records a virtual spin first, they have a Bandcamp, so you can pleasure yourself to your heart's content. This here record, of the five that Alex sent me was not the first one I played because the cover didn't grab me like some of the other ones did, but I kind of like the simplicity now (it reminds me of some much older records that were a simple yellow affair) and it makes total sense with the single's title track. Another thing that didn't grab me at first was the vocals, there's some kind of studio effect, like reverb or something that really makes it stand out. For some reason though that all went away when I played side 2, and was completely gone by the time I gave the record a second spin...now I can honestly say the vocals are important on this record.  The erst of the band is as solid as a hunk of concrete, if you close your eyes you can image their busy hands creating this beautiful racket.  All in all I prefer side 2 with it's short little blaster like the other two on side one, and a longer number that has some moshing (I hate that word, growing up on the west coast we always called it slamming, it wasn't until crossover came to be that we heard it, but I think you get what I mean...a slower grinding part sandwiched between the hectic stuff) parts.  This is a damn good record and well worth picking up, and if you don't believe me go check out reviews at Punk News, Empty Hands PVD, My Wife Says I'm An Angry Person, and the almighty Dave G. (et al.) at United by Rocket Science. You can buy the digital version, the vinyl or give all the tunes a listen HERE (do yourself a favor and go there), but for now my favorite track... Anger Problem

Night Birds - Fresh Kills Vol. 1 & The Other Side Of Darkness CDs

I spend way too much time on the computer, or so my wife says as she's sitting in the recliner with the laptop in hand.  Shit it's in the 100s during the summer and below 0 during the winter, so there's 6 months right there trapped in the house.  Being a music lover in the middle of nowhere there's no other way to pursue my hobby other than through the computer.  With that in mind, was stumbling around the net and found myself a pretty damn cool record label in the form of Grave Mistake Records.  Great selection of label releases, superb distro, well organized, fantastic prices and with the guarantee of prompt shipping...after 30+ years of buying records it's cool to know there are still places like this, only bolstered by the opportunity the net provides.  Somewhere as I was perusing the place I found that he (Alex, cool as all get out) was open to sending out records to guys like me who like to review new stuff.  So being the whore that I am, I contacted Alex, and sure as shit in about a week, there was a package from Grave Mistake.  5 7"s and 2 CDs, so off and on here I'll be giving these a listen and letting yall know what I think (as if my opinion counted for anything...it is very important to me). No sure, being the vinyl lover that I am, why I went for the CDs first, but I did and definitely wasn't disappointed.  Night Birds are a hardcore style band, with surf leanings at times, simultaneously outta New Jersey and New York (where cities are clustered together like apartments).  These guys have a bandcamp, a facebook, a myspace and something called an Oknoway, so they have fully utilized the net (for suckers like me).  This first CD, "Fresh Kills Vol. 1" is a collection of two of their EPs and a demo, and basically represents their early stuff.  If you want to read a well written review go to punknews.  If you want my humble opinion, this stuff slays...urgently.  The singer is right up my alley these days, screaming that is singing, no cookie monster stuff.  You can actually tell what the guy is saying and the lyrics don't disappoint.  The guitar is the driving force of the band as it was in so many first wave hardcore bands, power cords and surf noodling.  The bass is the back bone and only serves to strengthen that driving force.  The drumming is the icing on the cake, hard hitting when it needs to be but down to earth when that is called for.  I DIG this band and I back that up by saying that they have made it to my iPod!  I picked out some of my favorites and hands down the best tune on both these CDs is "Living In The Middle", so if your attention span is short, at least give that one a listen. Midnight Movies Bad Biology Living in the Middle

More of the same here, maybe just a tad bit more polished, these guys are no slouches when it comes to doing what they do.  You get their first full length in the form of "The Other Side Of Darkness".  Again if you want a "real" review go get that at punknews.  Not a dud on this one, but here's three... Neon Gray Born of Man and Woman Landfill Land In case you're interested I found an interview, but in the meantime go to Grave Mistake Records and pick up these bad boys or check out a whole host of other shit they've got for your listening pleasure.

</div> A couple of live tunes from a set last year in Brooklyn... [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsCaXvcAZyg&amp;w=560&amp;h=315]

IRON LUNG

The quality of this live vid just amazes me...do yourself a favor and watch/listen, then go search for some of their studio stuff, there's plenty around here.

Strung Up - s/t 7"

This cartoon sums me up pretty well. That's the thing about learning how to give a fuck again, you actually are capable of feeling bad about some of the shit you've done in your life. Might be easier not to give a shit.  That's not really the problem though it's about not being able to let go of the past and guilt.  The other day I was looking like the guy at the top, and you know I do that a lot because I digs me some muzak, but I went to sleep and after a night filled with very vivid dreams about my past, I woke up feeling like the guy on the bottom.  That is not a passing feeling either, if you know what I mean.  Lots of thinking, bad thinking, kind of reminds my of the metal part of detoxing, an anguish.  A good reason to drunk or high.  Naw I won't go down that road again, I'd rather put a bullet in my brain, but what's up with giving shit and how the hell do you dull that sense?  I've studied Christianity for a long time, academically in college, but my curiosity goes back to my Cuban pseudo-Santa Ria, Catholic babysitter and going to a Lutheran elementary school.  My beliefs now are very complicated and contain a variety of influences outside Christianity but the bottom line is, George motherfucking Lucas was right, there is THE FORCE.  There's an interesting verse in the Christian New Testament,Mathew 8.22 (Luke 9.60)--But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."  Kind of a neat verse, because it is seemingly so harsh, when you consider the context of a guy wanting to go to his Dad's funeral.  The usual theological interpretation or apology  of that verse, outside of the historical contextual type of reading I may have done in my studies at Humboldt State could be found here or here or, this one is interesting, here. For my purpose here it has to do with leaving shit behind, as harsh as it may be and as emotionally attached as you might be, you have to walk away from the shit. No Christian would agree with me on that, but as I've said before, I am the only true Christian...hahaha. My buddy Shawn turned me onto this kick ass band called Iowaska (the name comes from Ayahuasca).  Some might call them crust, which is a bad word in some circles, I'm no expert on so-called genres.  I might call them crust because of their appearances, I saw The Decline of Western Civilization part 3.  It would be a mistake though to think that they don't go way beyond that.  Kind of more reminiscent of the early 80's female fronted UK anarcho thing, with a heavy celtic vibe (and a little bit of Siouxsie thrown in).  You can get their only record, some mp3s and a little history over at Alternative Tentacles.  I went the shitty route and downloaded the album, which may bring me to buying it, but for now I thought I'd share some of my favorites, the first being the tune Shawn bombarded me with. Iowaska - Modranight Iowaska - In Your Dreams Boy Iowaska - Big Deal Get Real

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Another one of those records I bought because of the incredible cover art, not knowing anything about the band.  That's how it used to be when you walked into a record store.  You might be drawn to a certain record label, have heard about a band, or maybe you'd just pick up something by a band you had heard before.  I was always drawn by a good record cover.  Straight outta Oakland, circa 2002, you get Strung Up. What you get is post hardcore that sounds a lot like early 80's hardcore.  That retro hardcore has a bad name with some of my friends, who might suggest that hardcore died in about 1986 with the advent of the yout crew thing.  This is not youth crew at all.  I have to admit, this thing did not capture me from beginning to end, but it had it's moments.  The first tune with it's almost silly sounding title, a pretty played out topic, a preacher preaching to the choir you might say, is a DAMN good tune.  The dueling vocals and crushing sound make it the hit on this one (one of my favorite bands to play, was WD40, where I shared the vocals with my buddy Erio).  Like I said, you may not find every song that worth while, but at least give that first one a virtual spin.

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I'd Rather Be Smashing Christianity Timeclock P.C. For Now Rich Kids Death By Cop Strung Up Rx