Sozz - Patrol Car and Law N' Order Singles

Label: Farmer Records; Year: 1979; Format: 7" Single

It's about time to pump some life into this blog, and since the sun has come out here in Buffalo for the first time in some time today my mood is a little better after having suffered through too many grey days when it becomes just too hard to do anything besides going to work. Back in the late '70s punk rock reached the most peculiar places on earth by infecting the local youth with a virus that would have long lasting effects on music and society in general. Switzerland, a beautiful and peaceful country in the middle of Europe, and the country where I lived most of my life, gave the world some wonderful early punk rock 7"s that are sought after around the world. Many of the early Swiss punk acts came from Zurich, but there were some notable exceptions, and Sozz is most certainly one of them. Out of the ashes of No Fun, founded in 1978, came a quartet which consisted of three brothers (Andreas, Ernest and Stefan Maeschi) and hailed from the small village of Bueren an der Aare in the Kanton of Bern. In April of 1979 the band entered the Sunrise Studios in Kirchberg where many early Swiss punk records were recorded resulting in the 'Patrol Car' single with 'Lurch Gang' being the other track. I don't think the first single is as good as the second one, but Patrol Car is a cracking song and provides a hint as to what direction the band was going to take. Influenced heavily by the Clash it is a melodic yet hard stomping song with lyrics depicting problems of urban nature and far removed from the idyllic views of village life, yet unsurprisingly appealing to a bunch of punk rockers literally lost in Heidi-Land. Lurch Gang on the other hand is the weakest song to be found on either of the two singles, but despite sounding disjointed it maintains high levels of that certain charme of late '70s rudimentary punk rock. 

Sozz band photo (Source: Patrol Car 7" fold out cover)

Label: Farmer Records; Year: 1980; Format: 7" Single

Just like with the first single Sozz self-released their second singe on their own Farmer Records after entering the studio in January of 1980. While 'Patrol Car' pre-shadowed the potential the band had, the two tracks on this single are both smashers. 'Law N' Order' is by far my favorite Sozz track and a perfect '77 punk cracker, again not shy of a heavy Clash influence. If melodic and anthemic punk rock is your thing, you will want to hear this song as well as 'All the cops in the streets' on the flipside. I really wish I could write more about Sozz as they are often somewhat forgotten when it comes to early Swiss punk history. Over the years I've gotten to know one of the three brothers, bass player Buzz, to a lesser degree. In the early '90s he opened up a small record shop in Zurich selling mostly punk vinyl and also vintage clothes and I was lucky to find some really great records there but was never able to strike up much of a conversation with the proprietor. It is a shame as I am pretty certain that Sozz were approached to participate in the making of Lurker Grand's great book on early Swiss punk - Hot Love, but turned down not just that, but also subsequent interest in reissuing these two rare examples of great early Swiss punk. You can find their songs on Youtube and if I am not mistaken some of the songs have made it onto some KBD comps, but don't quote me on that. I was lucky in the sense that a friend of mine gifted me these two records years ago, but the hope remains that one day a reissue of sorts will become reality. I should note that out of the ashes of Sozz came Last Romance and especially Hungry For What, a band that gained more international recognitinon and will be reviewed on this blog in the future. Members of Sozz also ended up in Sophisticated Boom Boom and nurtured and released records by the all-female band Chin Chin.

Old gig poster and other Sozz related material. Source: Hot Love (Swiss Punk & Wave 1976-80); Book by Lurker Grand and many others

Schund - S/T LP

Label: Hoehnie Records; Year: 2003; Format: Vinyl LP

Fans of worldwide KBD Punk will most likely be familiar with Schund from Vienna, Austria, a band that existed for just a brief period of time and managed to self-release an EP in 1982, limited to just 500 copies. There weren't too many punk rock acts from Austria, and years ago I reviewed "Es Chaos is die Botschaft! on this blog, a great compilation of early Austrian punk and hardcore punk. Before I sat down to listen to this LP tonight I read a lengthy interview with Schund's singer Doris over the weekend and discovered some highly interesting facts about the band and the history of early '80s punk in Vienna (link to the interview in German at the end of this entry). I for instance didn't know that Doris was actually not from Vienna, but instead hailed from Braunschweig in Germany. Doris was into music at an early age and at some point heard about this new wild trend from England called punk rock. In 1979 she got to visit London through a chapter of the Youth Red Cross which organized a bus trip to England's capital. Doris really wanted to see punks in real life and through a funny coincidence at the hotel where she and her group were staying she met Kodak, a punk from Vienna who was also visiting London buying punk records and clothes to bring back to Austria. The two of them became eventually a couple and after Kodak had visited Doris in Braunschweig Doris picked up and left for Vienna after she finished school. Her and Kodak lived with his parents for a little while before finding a home at GaGa, an alternative centre on Vienna's Gassergasse 1, maybe comparable to Copenhagen's Christiana. There she met Bobby, Stefan and Harry who have been jamming for some time and were looking for a female singer. Doris was in their opinion perfect as she spoke high German without a Vienne's dialect.

Reproduction of 'Das Kleine Massenblatt', an independent Publication from Vienna. This particular issue deals with the history of GaGa. 

After having hooked up with the three guys at GaGa Schund was born and kicked off with full steam. Musically the band was influenced by Slime from Germany as per Doris but to be honest it is hard to define Schund's sound as it is definitely not '77 Punk but neither Hardcore Punk. Back in the early '80s, and especially in more remote scenes such as Vienna, bands still developed their own sound and in that sense I'd say Schund stood out to a degree but were unfortunately never able to record properly in a studio. The four songs off of their EP and six other songs that are on the "Studio-Side" on this LP were all recorded by Kodak in the band's rehearsal room and mixed at his home. While the sound quality is not great by any means there is a charm to these songs that one cannot resist. The lyrics are very typical for the time period and for bands from German speaking countries dealing with police oppression, weekend punks, beer & pogo and generally speaking shoving everything up the lame society's ass. The "Live-Side" is interesingly enough almost better than the Studio side with eight tracks having been recorded at the Popodrom in 1982 where Schund participated at a band contest. The story goes that during Schund's fifteen minutes of fame some chairs and table flew in their direction and that the soundman was freaking out wanting to stop the band immediately from playing. Apparently a lot of people did like their set and most likely also some of the excitement as the band came in 3rd place. If crude and raw early '80s punk is your thing you will love this record despite the somewhat rudimentary sound quality. The songs could have only have been recorded during a very intense and unique period in our history and Vienna is amongst the cities that have changed drastically since then. Schund are part of Vienna's cultural past as much as Falco in my opinion, hence do yourself a favor and track down a copy of this LP if you can. Es wurschtln es!

Interview with Doris in German Part 1: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index.htm

Interview with Doris in German Part 2: http://www.hoehnie-records.de/extra/schund/index2.htm

Crazy Cavan 'N' The Rhythm Rockers - Rockability LP

Label: Charly Records; Year: 1976; Format: Vinyl LP

Let me tell you straight off the bat that it sure as hell isn't easy to do many blog entries during the summer months as I am not someone whose energy levels feed off of hot weather, actually quite the opposite. Luckily I don't live in one of those States where it's constantly 110 degrees, otherwise I'd have to hide in a freezer for the remainder of the summer. Anyway let's get down to business, and with that I am talking music and to be more specific Crazy Cavan 'N' The Rhythm Rockers. Since I was a little kid I've always had a bit of an ear for Rockabilly as my father had a little stack of LPs of artists like Buddy Holly, Bill Haley & His Comets and a few others hence I was exposed to the music early on and it stuck with me ever since, at least to a degree. Teddy Boys on the other hand were not exactly the best friends of punks, at least not in Europe where I grew up. As a result of that I had very little to no exposure to local Rockabilly scenes with the exception of a few people that were open minded and frequented the punk scene as well. It must have been 2010 or 2011 though when I did see Crazy Cavan with his band at the 100 Club in London and I remember having a blast. My friend and I kind of stuck out with our rather casual clothes as most people were dressed in their Teddy Boy and Girl uniforms rocking out to the tunes of Crazy Cavan. I discovered Crazy Cavan through a good friend of mine back in Switzerland as he's always been a big fan and is a good few years older than myself having experienced the Rockabilly revival scene first hand. Cavan Crogan (aka Crazy Cavan) got his band together as early as in the late '60s celebrating long forgotten American artists like Charlie Feathers. They played their socks off in little clubs during the early '70s and were eventually discovered by two DJs in London's East End. After having released two 7"s on their own Crazy Rhythm label and the first LP on Rockhouse Records the band eventually signed to Charly Records in February of 1976 and "Rockability" was the first record to have come out on said label and was the beginning of a lengthy collaboration. One thing I would like to bring up as food for thought is the fact that when it comes to the months and years pre-dating the punk rock explosion it is often glam rock or pub rock that are mentioned as the main influence of early UK bands. I don't remember ever hearing or reading much about the rockabilly revival scene and their influence on punk rock, maybe due to both fractions viewing each other with contempt. Musically as well as fashion wise though it should be said that without a doubt rockabilly has definitely had an influence on early punk rock acts, at least in the UK, leading to quite a few punks discovering said roots in the early '80s through bands like the Stray Cats for instance. As for "Rockability" I really love the album and can't think of even one song that could have been scrapped. Whether you like your rockabilly up-tempo in songs like 'Stompin' Shoes' "Nobody Else Like you" or my favorite "Knock Knock" or you prefer the more swooning songs such as "Delores" or "Sweet Little Pretty Thing" you will find plenty of both on this full length. For now I own just this one LP by the band but I definitely keep my eyes out for their first and third LPs so stay tuned for more. Unfortunately Cavan Crogan passed away in 2020 (RIP), aged 70 years old. Should you want to find out more about the band's history please click on below link for an interesting article in Vintage Rock Mag. 

https://www.vintagerockmag.com/2020/07/crazy-cavan-a-rockabilly-star-in-heaven/

Hated - 4 Song EP and Pressure/Stereotyped 7" Single Reissues

Label: Meat House Productions; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM 7" EP

If you are like me and love the early Southern California sound of bands like T.S.O.L, Agent Orange, Adolescents, Shattered Faith et al then you are in for a treat with Hated who hailed from Huntington Beach and released three 7"s in the very early '80s. As it goes with those records they cost in the hundreds and are collector items and unfortunately not to be heard by the vast majority of us punk record nerds. Luckily Meat House Productions has finally made these gems available again for everyone to be able to buy for a few bucks and that's just what the world needed. I sure as hell have come across Hated, but whether it was this Hated or another one, I really don't recall. The band really doesn't get much mentioned in all the books and documentaries on Southern California punk history that are out there now while they really should be up there with the likes I name dropped earlier on. Originally released on the band's own Stress Records in 1982 the four songs are nothing short of superb and had they been produced better and especially louder the record would be even better as it already is. Angst-ridden vocals combined with the typical surf music influenced punk guitar sound of Southern California and an equally aggressive yet melodic bass and drum sound are all the ingredients a perfect record needs and they are to be found in abundance on all four songs. My personal favorite is "Enemy", but in all fairness I could pick any of them. Brilliant EP!

Label: Meat House Productions; Year: 2021; Format: 45RPM Single

I don't know which of these two records came out first in 1982 but just like the 4 Song EP this two song single containing 'Pressure' and 'Stereotyped' is an absolute scorcher. Interestingly across the front cover from left to right the letters read in German "ich kann ihn nicht leiden", meaning I cannot stand him. Who the band was referring to is unknown to me but considering Hated were part of the early '80s hardcore punk contingent from Huntington Beach I imagine they had lots of enemies in the general population by just looking somewhat different from the rest. Hard to think that these days just about anyone walking down the Huntington Beach pier looks somewhat punky, well slightly exaggerated but not that far off from the truth me thinks. In comparison to the 4 song EP the two songs on this single are better produced and while they are stylistically very similar I cannot help to hear a bit more of an Angry Samoans vibe in both songs. Maybe I should mention that bass player Chalmer Lumary went on to join Vandals and I am not one hundred percent sure whether another member, Joe Wood, is the same person that would go on to front the second incarnation of T.S.O.L and married Jack Grisham's sister. Maybe someone out there knows? Hopefully I can find a copy of the reissue of the band's first record from 1981 and from what I saw on the Hated official FB page a new record is to come out on Puke'N'Vomit as well. Unfortunately Hated's singer Steve Reehl aka Steve Real passed away last year, RIP. Get these reissues while they last!

Cuckoos Nest Poster and Live Shot stolen from the band's FB page.

Crow - Who Killed Dove? EP

Label: Prank Recors; Year: 2022; Format: 33 1/3 7" EP

Judging by some of my more recent entries one might conclude that I have lost the plot and gone Soft Rock. Ladies and gentlemen, wrong. I certainly couldn't listen to stuff like Crow on a daily basis, for that I just feel too old, but I sure as hell still feel the need to up the ante more often than not and blast a true '80s Japanese Hardcore Punk gem for instance. It's a good thing some of us stay interested in the past forever and when prompted just re-activate some old information stored away in the the most remote area of the brain, like in my case. Crow from Osaka are a band that have been on my radar for many years but with Japanese records having sky rocketed in value over the decades there is little to no hope of owning an original of many of those records I would love to hear and own. On top of that little did I know that Prank Records was actually still active hence a big cheers to Ken for putting this one out and making it available again for a few bucks in its original artwork. I wish I could tell you more about the band, but then again maybe I'd just waste your precious time so never mind. What matters most is that you get four raw, dark and crusty D-Beat smashers that were originally released in 1985 on the band's own Crow Records and that they certainly don't disappoint. Personally I prefer Side II with both, 'Last Chaos' and 'Who Killed Dove' being outstanding Discharge influenced rippers that will destroy your candle light dinner with your significant other in no time. The lyrics are simple, dark and considering they were written nearly forty years ago one could argue prophetic when it comes to the state of our planet and humanity. Grab yourself a copy and play loud!

Human Expression - Love At A Psychedelic Velocity

Label: Mississippi Records & Moi J'Connais Records; Year: 2017; Format: Vinyl LP

The beauty of discovering old music is that there really is no end to it, especially if you open yourself to different genres. As you might have noticed I am open to different genres so depending on my mood I am in I like to specifically buy something suitable. A couple of weeks ago I stopped at the record shop of my choice here in Buffalo and told the proprietor that I was in the mood to buy something that's definitely not punk/hardcore. The nice gentleman pressed the Human Expression LP into my hands and told me that he thinks I'd like it and if not to bring it back. I not just like it, I love it. Human Expression were from Orange County in Southern California and were active for just a brief time period between 1966 and 1967. To be honest I didn't even have to look up their history and knew that they had to be from California as their songs have that very distinct feel to them. Being minors at the time I read that they had a hard time getting gigs, especially on the Sunset Strip. After cutting an acetate with 'Readin' Your Will' the band went on to release three singles on Hollywood-based Accent Records, all of them very sought after and obviously very expensive. Interestingly on their third and last single then unknown Mars Bonfire of the Sparrows and later Steppenwolf offered two songs to Human Expression; the one they took being the excellent 'Sweet child of nothingness' and a certain song they rejected called "Born to be wild". You make your own conclusion as for that one, but I suppose it wasn't meant to be for Human Expression. Still, it's obvious that whether it was back then or over the decades their music has remained popular, and with good reason. Some of their songs have appeared on Comps. such as Pebbles or the famous Nuggets series amongst others and this LP collects to my understanding everything the band has recorded including some songs that have previously not been released, and let me tell you that you're in for a very special treat. All fourteen songs are just mind-blowing in their own way, whether it be the tough garage rock tracks, the slower and moodier psychedelic rock songs, or just simply beautiful singer/songwriter ballads. All I can say is that it is a perfect psychedelic garage rock record you don't want to miss out on, end of. 

 

Legionaire's Disease - Catch The Disease 10"

Label: Lunar Lab; Year: 1995; Format: 10" Vinyl 

The sleeve notes on the back of this brilliant piece of vinyl and Texas punk rock history start of like this: Q: What do you get when you cross a pimp, a whore, a Ferris wheel operator, and a dog trainer? A: One of Houston's most infamous early punk bands - Legionaire's Disease. Whereas in today's world I would assume bands are often started through some ideas on some social media platform back in the late '70s Legionaire's Disease were pretty much an idea that originated while singer Jerry and guitarist Mike met in a jail cell and the conversation turned to music. But, not only did the two of them meet there but their original drummer Rick was also shoved into the cell for operating a Ferris wheel while being drunk and thinking it would be fun to keep it spinning for beyond 20 minutes. The Legionaire's live shows were said to have attracted more attention than any of their contemporaries such as the Hates or Really Red and one could always count on seeing outrageous outfits, some nudity, a bit of destruction, and almost always some boys in blue. It was actually a fan of the band that helped get the band into the studio resulting in the 1979 single "Rather See You Dead" b/w "Downtown". The eight tracks on this 10" are all from said studio session and the world is a better place and should be forever thankful to Lunar Lab for having released the material back in 1995. I will keep it simple and promise you that if you like your punk raw, primitive and with a good dose of humor and goofiness you will simply love this record. All eight songs are pure pogo hits and as stated in the sleeve notes "there's some obvious aping of the Sex Pistols and other well known punk bands of the era, but the Disease couldn't help but infuse the tunes with their sick sense of style. Hey Punk, you want some jailhouse rock? Drop the needle and turn it up!" Killer release.

Houston Press Article about the band: https://www.houstonpress.com/music/houston-punks-legionaires-disease-band-gone-but-hardly-forgotten-6568274

The Freeze - Rabid Reaction LP

Label: Taang Records; Year; 2021; Format: Vinyl LP

I am certain everyone can relate to the dilemma I have tonight. After having come home from work I decided to spin the originally in 1985 released second Freeze album "Rabid Reaction" after not having heard it in ages. As much as I love the Freeze this record does not convince me to the fullest though, and that's a bummer. But, one thing after another. Back in the early '90s I bought the first two Freeze albums on Modern Method and absolutely loved "Land of the Lost". I certainly never held "Rabid Reaction" in the same regard, but it would be hard for anybody to follow up with an equal to "Land of the Lost". At some point I stupidly parted with both albums as I needed the money and got the CD collecting both albums. At some point I thought I would really want to get both back on vinyl, reissue or not. So, not too long ago I got my fingers on a Taang copy of Rabid Reaction and I am a little torn. Don't get me wrong, it's a good record and most likely a record that whenever I will listen to again I will like more as it is more layered and is one of those record that grows on you the more you listen to it. In that sense it doesn't offer the same instant gratification of the first LP but it certainly is still a Freeze album and that stands for high quality. The ten songs are a departure from the faster first album and hint as to what was to come in years to come in the long career of this Cape Cod band. The songs are rockier, more melodic and in some ways more experimental. A perfect example for that would be the version of "Trouble if you hide" found on this LP compared to the one the band recorded for the classic 1982 Comp. LP "This is Boston, Not L.A.". What you get here is not as fast and furious but a more rounded and structured song performed at a lower speed level with more hooks and melody. The lyrics are as always critical of American society and the ten songs are over with in twenty-five minutes. Not as great as the first one, but still a must! 

V/A - Let's Get Pissed - It's Christmas Volume Two LP

Label: Cult; Year: 1986(?); Format: Vinyl LP

Tis' the season they say hence I opted to pull the second Volume of the "Let's Get Pissed" Compilations off my shelves to put you dear readers in a festive mood. Let's just say that in case you have this at home or you listen to it through some streaming device, or even better on a cassette made by your friend then your drink of choice should never be too far. As for myself I haven't listened to this one in a long time but wasn't expecting any surprises as the bands on this Compilation are pretty much all well known to me. The one thing about Rot Records, or in this case Cult (a sublabel of Rot), is that their releases are really cheap and often without any information about the bands. Such is the case with this LP as there is no insert nor anything pertaining to actually anybody involved with this record, and that includes the label itself, and that's just bang out of order and I think Santa would agree with me. But, enough of my moaning here and let's get down to the music on this piece of vinyl as the nine bands from around the globe delivering you for the most part unhinged hardcore punk attacks should help you to warm up to the Christmas spirit. I must confess that I was pleasantly surprised hearing the three tracks by Yugoslavian band U.B.R, a band I remembered just being a bit too noisy even for my liking, but the songs on here are just great noisy hardcore without any hint of grindcore. Also outstanding are the two tracks by Brazilian legends Colera and Finnish Hardcore Punk gods Rattus. Killroy from Southern California and Germany's Normahl and Maniacs deliver solid and more melodic hardcore punk whereas Sweden's Fear Of War crank out tracks in Anti Cimex fashion but just really not as good. The two Italian acts Rappresaglia and Pedago Party round off this international affair that should have you slam around your Christmas tree while knocking back some tall ones. Burn down the tree! 

PS. The track by Italian band Pedago Party is not to be found on the back side of the sleeve.

Naked Raygun - Basement Screams LP

Label: Haunted Town Records; Year: 2007; Format: Vinyl LP

It's not only time that the Thanksgiving break is a thing of the past and this blog comes alive again but it's also time for me to start reviewing bands from my collection that I own several records of. Chicago's Naked Raygun is one of those bands and it'd be only fitting to start off where they started off. Basement Screams was originally released back in 1983 as a 45RPM 12" on Ruthless Records, a label started by members of another well known Chicago band, the Effigies. The 2007 reissue from my collection also includes the 1982-83 demos on Side B and while those songs are not as strong as the original 12" on Side A I for one think they were worth to be included and are still a great listen. Naked Raygun started off in 1980 and by the time Basement Screams was released the line-up has changed already quite a bit. While a lot of bands from the early '80s Hardcore Punk movement played their instruments at a neck-breaking speed Naked Raygun had a much artsier and different approach to their song-writing, especially on Basement Screams. Take the pop elements of a band like the Buzzcocks and mix it with the weirdness and heaviness of bands like the Wire and Killing Joke and you get a good idea how Basement Screams sounds. The tribal and loud drumming is omnipresent on all songs and drives the melodic songs forward while Jeff's vocals are somewhat reminiscent of Glenn Danzig. John Haggerty who would later join Naked Raygun on a permanent basis ads backing vocals and saxophone duties on two songs providing something some punk rock acts have successfully done before them. I am not entirely sure as to why Trouser Press would consider the Basement Screams songs to be a "hodgepodge of underproduced and under-conceived songs" as in my opinion the result is quite the contrary. As mentioned above the quality of the songs and recordings on the Demo Side are a notch lower than Side A but to give the band credit where credit is due the songs are just proof that the band was already reaching a high level and ready to take on any challenge headed their way. Be sure that Naked Raygun will feature again on this blog, and if you don't have Basement Screams do yourself a favor and get this highly influential Midwest masterpiece one way or another. 

V/A - Nightmare Vol, 1 EP

Label: Unknown (Unofficial Release); Year: 1997; Format: 33 RPM EP

In August of 1997 I visited Tokyo for two weeks and judging by the little flyer for Peace Punk distribution I am certain I had gotten this little introduction to Punk and Hardcore from the Philippines in Japan. Since not too long ago I reviewed the Chinese Punk Compilation EP I felt like I give this little platter a spin as it's been a while since I heard this the last time and I was in the mood to explore my horizon further when it comes to the history of hardcore punk from Asia. The Philippines should be considered as a highly intriguing and interesting place when it comes to hardcore punk due to the fact that a scene started to flourish there as early as 1981, that is according to two online sources with one of them being "A Short History of the Hardcore Punk Underground in the Philippines" on bandcamp which I can recommend if you just want to get your teeth into the subject matter. Provided this boot was released back in '97 before the internet exploded I would think that the EP really helped to spread the sound of hardcore punk from the Philippines to the point that over the years since the interest in bands from the small island must have spiked judging by some of the official reissues of bands contained on this EP. On Side A we get to hear two songs by Betrayed, initially started by four high school friends in Queens, NY in 1980, off of their originally in 1986 issued cassette on Twisted Red Cross, run by Tommy Tanchanco of Third World Chaos fame. Betrayed were equally influenced by US Hardcore and more traditional UK Punk as the two songs on this EP prove, including a great cover version of The Damned's "Love Song". On to R.D.A. with three fast and furious songs off of their 1987 cassette on Twisted Red Cross. Think of Stark Raving Mad or Impulse Manslaughter as an influence for R.D.A. while  I couldn't find any further info relating to them. On Side B we first get three songs by I.O.V. (Intoxication of Violence) which as the rest of Side B are definitely more in the UK82 vein in my opinion. Next up are Philippine Violators with just one song from their '87 cassette "At Large". Next to Third World Chaos they might very well be the best known band outside the Philippines, at least I seem to remember hearing about them over the years and the song is killer. Last but not least are Urban Bandits with one song from the originally in 1985 released "Independence Day" cassette, and in my opinion "Hoy" is the best track on this EP, just a brutally executed hardcore punk smasher that could have just as well come out of the UK, Brazil or Finland. If you find all of this interesting and would like to find out about all these bands and the diverse '80s hardcore punk scenes from the Philippines then the good news is that there are now more official reissues available with the bad news being that they are not exactly easily available outside the Philippines. I will need to dig deeper as this EP is for the most part really great and got me hungry for more. 

Trashcan Darlings - Gore Gore Boys & Splatter Pussies 10"

Label: Eastside Records; Year: 2000; Format: 10" Vinyl EP

Since it is Halloween Season I thought it would be an ideal time to pull out this beauty of a 10" record by the Norwegian band Trashcan Darlings. Back in the late '90s/early '00s my friend Alain and I were organizing gigs in Zurich/Switzerland and somehow the people behind the Eastside Records label from Germany contacted us if we were interested to book these Oslo guys in Zurich, and so we did. At the end of March in 2001 (see flyer) we booked them at Hohlstrasse which at the time was a semi-squatted/semi-legally occupied house with a really cool basement where shows were happening once in a while. The basement was full of great metal work with sharp objects sticking out all over the place and a capacity of maybe one hundred people. To this day I remember the Trashcan Darling show very vividly as the Oslo bunch put on a fantastic show in front of a sweaty and crazy crowd and yes, they looked just like in the pictures with make-up and all glamed up. The 10" released on Eastside Records is nothing short of a classic glam punk record backed by a really decent production job. As quite often is the case with musicians from Northern European Countries they are excellent at their instruments, and that is definitely the case with the Trashcan Darlings. Five outstanding originals and one funtastic live cover version of Funtime are to be found on this red splatter ten inch and no song is to disappoint you. Whether you like your glamed up punk'n'roll slower such as in "She's A Fuck around" or the incredibly catchy "Angel Lost" or at a faster pace like in "Electro Shock Rock" I think these guys just perfectly mixed glam rock and 77 punk by putting it through an Oslo based blender with a nice touch of good ole Norwegian Punk'N'Roll. The band existed from 1995 through 2008 and released quite a few records during their career. Definitely worth checking out if this is your cup of tea! 

 

V/A - 10000 Years Punk - A Beijing Punk Compilation

Label: Xiandai Gongren Changpian (TAM Records); Year: 1998; Format: 33RPM 7" EP

If you have been interested in worldwide punk rock then I am absolutely positive that you have come across the name Luk Haas. Luk travelled to approximately one hundred and twenty countries and started Tian An Men 89 Records in 1993 in order to document and to release punk rock from countries around the globe where many of us wouldn't even think punk rock existed. Luk got turned on to punk in the early '80s and travelled to Poland for the first time in 1983 where he made connections with local punks and bands. Later on he would travel to the former Czechoslovakia (where I was born) and the former GDR and make connections there as well. He also introduced punk rock from the former Eastern Bloc to a worldwide readership via his scene reports in MaximumRockNRoll. I tried to find out more about the story as to how this EP with four Beijing based bands came about but couldn't find anything online. I would imagine that Luk had visited Beijing in the '90s and met the bands leading up to this release, unfortunately the only release I have on TAM. I must admit that musically this isn't a record I am in awe of but let's put things into context and come to the realization that back in the '90s the bands presented on this EP were most likely the earliest when it comes to punk rock from mainland China. The two songs on side A by Wuzhengfu Zhuyi Nanhai, also known as the Anarchy Boys, are actually decent Oi Punk tracks whereas the three tracks by Nao Zhuo aka Brain Failure on the other side offer similar quality and style. The other two bands, one of which is Reflector are more in the '90s pop punk vein and not interesting, at least not for me. Reflector were apparently the first chinese band to play on US soil in 2001 and Brain Failure have releases several records in Germany since this EP. More than anything records like this one demonstrate that punk rock is and always has been a truly global phenomenon and that the quality of songs is not always what matters the most. 

Poison Idea - War All The Time LP

Label: Alchemy Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl LP

To all the losers out there in the gaping world of the intranet I would like to send out a heartfelt apology for not introducing Poison Idea earlier to this little blog of mine. Your cries have been heard and "War All The Time" was after all my introduction to one of my all time faves back when this LP was released in 1987. Somehow - and I am not sure I am in the minority with my feelings here - it seems that this LP positioned between the two classics "Kings Of Punk" from '86 and "Feel The Darkness" from '90 is not getting the much deserved recognition and admiration in my honest opinion. Call it a great hardcore punk record, or one of the best crossover records ever made, both would be fitting descriptions as this LP hits the nail from the second the needle is dropped. With the introduction of Eric "The Vegetable" Olson of Portland Speed Metal band Mayhem on second guitar and Steve Hanford aka Thee Slayer Hippy on drums   naturally the band's sound moved in a more metallic direction but it has to be said that Poison Idea mastered the fusion of mean old school hardcore punk and Heavy Metal to perfection. Name me one band that would record a cover of the Hawkwind and Motorhead classic "Motorhead" and actually turn it into a version superior to the original. The rest of this rather short but on every level intense LP includes masterpieces when it comes to nihilistic song writing with the title of the LP being informed by Charles Bukowski's '80s collection of poems by the same name. I'll keep it short and encourage all of you out there to grab your copy and crank it up loud and should you not own one yet remember it's never too late. War All The Time!

Spermbirds - Something To Prove LP

Label: Boner Records; Year: 1988; Format: Vinyl LP

For the past year or so every Tuesday I listen to a German podcast called "Und Dann Kam Punk" and on last week's show the two hosts interviewed the Spermbirds drummer Matthias Goette. As always it was a fun, entertaining but also informative talk hence I thought it was about time I played my copy of "Something to Prove" again as it's been ages since the last time. With most of my records I remember where I bought my copy and the year, or at least thereabouts. With my "Something To Prove" copy I really can't place it as it's the US version on Boner Records and when this LP came out I was living in Switzerland and would have surely picked up the We Bite pressing. My guess is that I found this one in Toronto when I briefly lived there in the early '90s, but that's just a wild guess and doesn't matter at all. Many of you out there interested in European Hardcore Punk will surely know that the Spermbirds singer Lee Hollis is an American based in Germany and was at the time of when the band was started stationed with the US Army in Kaiserslautern, Germany. According to the interview with Matthias Lee came from a difficult home and used the Army as an escape route to get as far away as possible from his parents, or his dad in particular. Since he has already been introduced to early US punk and hardcore Lee brought a fresh wind to the very provincial small town scene of Kaiserslautern. As a matter of fact before there even was the Spermbirds the band the other members were more keen on getting ahead with is Walter 11, a band vaguely speaking more steeped in traditional UK punk with its members being also big fans of their hometown football club FC. Kaiserslautern. So, when Spermbirds were started the band wasn't even aware that their brand of hardcore punk with a heavy influence of bands such as Angry Samoans was very popular in the underground scene of Southern Germany hence their first record, a Split 7" between Walter 11 and Spermbirds, was released on X-Mist, an influential label to this day. A year after that We Bite Records picked up the Spermbirds and "Something To Prove" was released in 1986. It should come as no surprise that it was licensed to the UK and the US as it's an excellent record that stands the test of the time. When I listened to it today it sounds just as fresh as it always has and the songs haven't aged at all if you ask me. What you get are fourteen original songs and a great cover version of Agent Orange's 'Bloodstains'. The production on the LP is great considering the band recorded and mixed everything within a few days and the LP is a mixed bag of either fast and furious songs or more mid-paced melodic tracks with great hooks. Considering where the band members came from musically the sound on this record makes perfectly sense with Lee's love for early Southern Californian bands and the rest of the band having more of a traditional early UK punk background the two main influences are perfectly blended into a unique sound. For some unfortunate reason I have actually never seen Spermbirds live, and I sure as hell don't know why. A classic record indeed!

The Misfits - Static Age LP

Label: Caroline Records; Year: 1997; Format: Vinyl LP

Back in 1997 when this lost LP by the Misfits was released I was very much in the known about its release and the hype surrounding it but for some reason - and this has happened in more than one instance - I chose not to buy a copy only to come to regret it as the record would turn from scarce to very rare. Luckily just a few weeks back now in the year 2022 and unbelievably already a quarter of a century after its release I was lucky to find a first pressing for a very reasonable price at a local dealer. Turns out that patience pays off even for people lacking hair and at times a brain. "Static Age" was recorded in the early days of 1978 and was financed by Mercury Records in a 30 hours free recording session. Mercury was planning to release the recorded material but eventually after months of not getting back to the band decided to drop the project as sale numbers for the release of Pere Ubu's "Modern Dance" were low and the label decided against any further punk rock related releases. It sure as hell is a shame the LP didn't come out in 1978 as I am not the only one to think that had that happened it would be included in every list of the greatest and most essential punk rock LPs of the early days. In 'This Music leaves Stains - The Complete Story of the Misfits" author James Greene Jr. states that "the record might have been counted as one of the last great gasps of Punk Rock's founding East Coast wave alongside the Ramones 'Road To Ruin', the Talking Heads' 'More Songs about Building and Food' and the Dead Boys' 'Young Loud and Snotty'. In the same book Mike Stax notes that on "Static Age" the Misfits had not quite fallen into the formula yet and that the records that came later, like "Walk Among Us" weren't as pure. In 1993 Jerry Only theorized that had the record come out back then everything would have moved up five years and the Misfits would have been the forerunners of the new scene. Well, that might have very well been the case but as history often shows us not everything goes according to plan hence better late than never the LP came out in 1997 and has been rather successful me thinks. I think those words by Stax and Greene sum it up perfectly. Listening to the LP today having heard most of the songs over and over in one form or another throughout the decades I still couldn't help to feel in awe as the record is like a "Best Of" would be for many bands, that's just how great it is. The songwriting is simply put incredible and shows how well rehearsed the band was already at that point. All seventeen songs are a perfect mix of early punk rock paired with a healthy dose of pop infusion on top of Glenn's voice and outlandish lyrics resulting in nothing else than seventeen hits. We are 138!!! 

Bob Suren - Crate Digger (An Obsession with Punk Records)

Publisher: Microcosm Publishing; Year: 2015; Format: Book

I am absolutely positive that the name Bob Suren will sound familiar to anyone that has gotten into punk either in the '80s or '90s as Bob was a very active guy on an international level with his record store/distribution/label out of Florida. Crate Digger is a fantastic little book revolving around 30 years of collecting punk records with the book divided up into chapters containing the name of a certain band's record. This way stories around records by the likes of the Misfits, Rattus, Stalin, DOA etc. take us from the humble beginnings of Bob discovering punk rock through his many years running Sound Idea and everything connected to the store all the way up to him selling his entire record collection. Each little chapter revolves not just around the band's record but a certain period in the author's life. As one would expect there are just hilarious stories where for instance the FBI gets involved in a record trade gone wrong between Bob and a fellow in Oregon, or that one time when a drug addict enters Bob's stores with several boxes of rare records selling them on the cheap only to realize after the drugs have worn off that he made a big mistake. A lot of the chapters have real personal stories enabling readers to participate on this wild punk rock journey with its ups and downs. I wish there were more books like this one as it's just a fun read with passion and dedication seeping through each page.

Interview with Bob on the Publisher's website from 2015: https://microcosmpublishing.com/blog/2015/05/an-interview-with-bob-suren/