V/A - Texas-Mexican Border Music Vol. 1 (An Introduction 1930-1960) LP

Label: Folklyric Records/Arhoolie; Year: 1975; Format: Vinyl LP

I love picking up records like this compilation of at least to me absolutely unknown artists from the Texas-Mexican border with songs recorded between the 1930s and the early 1960s. It is kind of similar to discovering and learning more about blues music in the sense that it is music from the working people sweating in factories, packing houses or in the fields picking fruit. As the notes from editor Chris Strachwitz say it's the music of the Tejanos, Chicanos, Nortenos or Mexican-Americans. The recordings vary in quality and the songs recorded later sound generally louder and better but this is a highly enjoyable record taking you back in time to a place that certainly must be special and fascinating to this day. Migrants from Mexico have crossed the Rio Grande headed for the North back then and still do to this day in the hope of a better life in the US. Back then they have brought a different music with them and it would be interesting to see what a compilation like this one would sound like with current artists. I will definitely try to scoop more records from this series. Una historia de la musica de la frontera! 

Glo - Diskoackel and Nerv EP Reissues

Glo - Diskoackel EP

Label: Re-Ken-Records; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

Back in the '90s Barny of Incognito Records from Stuttgart in Germany released a bunch of brilliant Compilation LPs entitled Back To Front. That's when I first heard of Glo from Asa near Gothenburg in Sweden as the song "Du For som Dom Vill" appeared on Volume 5 of above mentioned Comp Series. With both songs on this originally in 1979 released EP you get value for your money in form of upbeat drunken punk rock smashers with singer Patrik shouting on top of his lungs. Think Ramones meets Rude Kids and you know what I mean. Oh, and yes there is a third "song" on here but it's only 18 seconds long hence no need to mention it. One of the many great early Swedish punk rock gems. 

Glo - Nerv EP

Label: Re-Ken-Records; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

Thanks to Ken Records you get to enjoy the second Glo EP as well without having to dig deep into your pension fund. Personally I prefer this one over the first one and originally this came out in 1980. The production on this one is superior and louder and less muddy hence the songs are just more in your face. Musically this isn't any different from the first EP with all three songs (yes there is a fourth and it's 5 seconds long) being obnoxious straight forward punk rock hits. According to the Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk by Peter Jandreus these guys not only sounded punk but also had the look and were quite a heavy drinking bunch. Apparently on the way to a gig in Sundsvall the band managed to take apart an entire train compartment. So much for the well behaved Scandinavian youth listening to Abba... If you like your punk loud and snotty this is for you. 

Inocentes - Panico em S.P. Mini-LP

Label: WEA Brazil; Year: 1986; Format: 12" Mini-LP

In 1983 Inocentes from Sao Paolo in Brazil self-released a fantastic raw hardcore punk 7" titled "Miseria E Fome". Unfortunately even the reissue is so rare that at this point I won't be reviewing said classic. This Mini-LP was gifted to me by a good friend in Europe and while their self-titled EP was put out by the band itself, three years later Inocentes found themselves on WEA Brazil, a major. While their earlier output was influenced by Discharge, Rattus and the likes, three years later the band went much more melodic without losing its edge. The six songs on here are well produced mid-tempo punk rock smashers with great hooks and really brilliant songwriting. One can definitely hear a Clash influence but I would also compare them to '80s French bands like Camera Silens or Komintern Sect. It's pretty obvious that the members went through a phase where they started to listen to more melodic bands while taking that direction with their own songs. Interestingly enough not only UK's The Insane have a song called "El Salvador" but so do Inocentes and it's a hit as well. From the little I have heard from here on the band's releases gradually started to get poppier and far more mainstream sounding hence nothing I would seek out. This one though is a true gem and will have you pogo in your living room!

Nickey & The Warriors - Wild Cherry EP

Label: S.E.X Records; Year: 1986; Format: 12" EP

When I visited Tokyo in 1997 a Japanese friend of mine made me a tape with bands such as Sheena & The Rokkets, Nukey Pikes, Cobra or the herein reviewed Nickey & The Warriors. He obviously preferred the more melodic side of Punk Rock from Nippon and I loved that cassette. I instantly fell in love with the sound of Nickey & The Warriors and one day back in '97 above mentioned friend took me on a wild motorcycle ride with his Yokohama through Tokyo with me on the backseat fearing for my fuckin' life. When I listened to this 4-song EP today for some reason I was instantly taken back to that memory. Nickey & The Warriors started out in 1983 as the Road Warriors originally without Nickey on the mic but with Keigo of Stalin, G-Zet, Cobra fame on vocals. It was a little later that the teenage singer Nickey, who was a friend of then wife of Michiro Endo (The Stalin) joined the band. This EP and the "Born To Ride" 7" from the same year have some of the best material ever recorded by them in my honest opinion. All four songs here are well produced upbeat Bubble Punk smashers with lots of hooks and ooh ooh's and aaah aah's in the background, obviously heavily influenced by the Ramones but by no means were they ever a copycat band. Nickey's vocals could be described as cute, and they definitely have a lot of charm. As a matter of fact "I wanna be yourself" is one of my favorite songs by them, just a fantastic mid-tempo pop punk song from the '80s. At some point I will review the "Born To Ride" 7" as it's equally good. 

Label: S.E.X Records; Year: 1986; Format: Flexi One Sided 7"

This one-sided Flexi 7" was inside my copy of above reviewed 12" so when I pulled it off of the shelve today I was wondering whether it was originally included with the EP but from what I read on Discogs this Flexi was a promo from the short-lived Nickey & The Warriors official Fan Club and was sent out with the "Warriors Times" zine. The previous owner was nice enough to slip it into the 12" hence I consider myself a lucky bastard owning this one as well. Feel Good is yet another upbeat bubble punk smasher in the vein of the other songs on the 12". Definitely made my day today. 

Rutto - Ei Paluuta and Ilmastoitu Painajainen EP Reissues

Rutto - Ei Paluuta EP

Label: Final Doomsday Records; Year: 2022; Format: 7" EP

When I was a teenager back in Switzerland I loved bands like Rattus, Bastards, Riistetyt et al. The sound, the Finnish language and the way the punks from this northern country looked just appealed to me on all levels. I don't remember ever hearing about Rutto, a band from the town of Tornio where also much better known Terveet Kadet came from. With Piasky filling in on bass and the original having been released in 1983 on Laja's of TK fame IKBAL Records it is pretty clear that Rutto were close to TK. What we get on this EP is mid-paced rudimentary female fronted punk rock that reminds be a bit of UK bands like Anti Pasti or Action Pact. The tracks all sound a bit alike and if there is one stand out song then I'd pick "Sa Et Haluu" which has a nice 77' punk feel to it. By no means one of those classic '80s Finnish hardcore punk records but nice to have a reissue and Final Doomsday have done a nice job in that regard. 

Rutto - Ilmastoitu Painajainen EP

Label: Final Doomsday Records; Year: 2022; Format: 7" EP

Just like above EP the second Rutto EP was originally released on IKBAL, this one in 1984. A-Side has in my opinion the best songs Rutto recorded as those thrashers are as fast, frantic and chaotic as any Terveet Kadet song to make the comparison since Piasky served on bass. Guitarist Makinen (also of Kuolema) rips through those songs while Kana struggles to keep up screaming but the end result was as good as many of the far better known acts from the land of thousand lakes. It's a shame that the B-Side is a letdown and contains a badly produced mid-tempo punk song that quite frankly should have never made it onto vinyl. Still, if you are like me and can never get enough of that chaotic '80s hardcore punk from Finland then this is worth picking up for that one side only. As mentioned above I don't think anyone will place Rutto in the same league as Rattus, TK, Kaaos et al. but these reissues are nevertheless worth your hard earned cash. 

Civil Dissident - Menzies' Crack LP 

Label: Prank Records; Year: 1996: Format: Vinyl LP

What we have here is a little known gem of a band from the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. Australia is a goldmine when it comes to loud, obnoxious and primitive Rock'N'Roll. What the land "Down Under" is not really known for that well is straight forward bludgeoning hardcore punk. Civil Dissident released officially just one 7" EP in 1985 and the songs on this LP are all from 1982, 1984 and 1985 when they disbanded. The inlay has a nice write up by Scotti from Resistant Harmony Fanzine and Civil Dissident's most consistent line up basically evolved out of three bands: Civil Dissident, Society's Victim and Mad Flowers. As a matter of fact Civil Dissident and Mad Flowers supported the Dead Kennedys in 1983 in Melbourne. Listening to the songs contained on this record I couldn't help thinking of UK bands like Icons of Filth or Antisect. Scotti's liner notes mention that the band drew influences from UK bands such as Crass or Discharge as well as Euro/Japan bands like Stalin or Negazione and of course US hardcore acts like SS Decontrol, Faith or Jerry's Kids. It makes sense as some songs have a heavy Boston influenced sound and are straight fast paced hardcore punk smashers whereas other songs are slower, heavier and lean more towards the UK Anarcho Punk bands. All in all this is a great time document of a band that I am sure does not get mentioned all that often. It is worthwhile to mention that Civil Dissident did end up on internationally quite well known compilation LPs such as Pushead's Cleanse the Bacteria or Life is a Joke on Germany's Weird System Records amongst others, meaning you might have come across this band more often than you think. Cracking LP! 

Update February 7, 2023 to a photo post on Instagram where I posted the link to this review in the comment section. This is what drummer Dave Ross had to say: "thanks for the review, mate! The same lineup did three recording sessions. The first was the officially released our “Fourth Rate American Thrash” in 1984. A limited release, each cassette cover was different, hand drawn by each band member. The tape was wrapped in a polystyrene meat tray! Second session was songs for the “Eat Your Head” and “Cleanse the Bacteria” comps. Third session was meant to be an album but we didn’t have enough money to release it ourselves so we put out the “First Blood” 7” EP ourselves instead. The rest of the songs from that session made it on various overseas compilations and “Menzies Crack”, organised by Scotti and released by a San Francisco label. I hope that helps fill in some blanks. Thanks for your interest!"

V/A - Digging in Water LP 

Label: Manic Ears Records/COR Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl LP

My previous entry to this blog having reviewed Bob Suren's book made me think that there were a number of records back in the '80s that I used to spin over and over. A lot of them were Compilations as they were easily available and for a youngster with a limited budget they offered value for money. Digging in Water from 1987 is one of those LPs I dearly loved to bits and tonight was the first time in a long time I put this record on while enjoying a trip down memory lane. The A Side is the noisier and faster side of the two with great tracks my the likes of Chaos U.K., Concrete Sox, Extreme Noise Terror or Ripcord to name a few. Only Italy's CCM and Aussies Vicious Circle are not from the UK on this Comp. but they both deliver really strong songs with CCM's Ultracore one of the best in my opinion. Side B offers more variety and isn't as full on Stenchcore as the other side. One of the best songs on the entire record is Civilized Society's "The Fairer Sex", a superb melodic yet forward driving song. Also great are Depraved or the far lesser known Eyes on You, of which song I probably didn't enjoy as much back then as it's got almost a post-punk feel to it but being in my 50's now I thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe the best song is Oi Polloi's "Pigs For Slaughter". This was their best phase if I dare to say with a brutal and loud bass sound making those songs instant pogo smashers. One little anecdote about ENT's fantastic contribution with the song "Bullshit Propaganda". Their sadly deceased shouter Phil (RIP) lived in Switzerland for a number of years, the country where I also lived for the most part of my life. Phil worked at Rec Rec Distribution in the Drum'N'Bass department as he was knowledgeable in that genre. A close punk friend of mine worked there as well and told me about Phil as he knew I liked ENT. One evening at a show I was drunk out of my mind and Phil was in the attendance. My friend introduced me to him and all I was capable of that night was shouting "Bullshit Propaganda!!!!!" all night at poor ole' Phil. A week or so later my friend told me that Phil asked him who his weird and crazy friend was. After Phil had relocated back to the UK and I myself moved to London Phil was nice enough to invite me to their shows when they were in London and I will always remember him as a funny and bright guy who I am sure is missed by many. 

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/

UK Subs - The Singles 1978 - 1982 LP

Label: Abstract Sounds Ltd.; Year: 1991; Format: Vinyl LP

It was just a few days ago that Charlie Harper (born David Charles Perez) turned 78 years young. That's unbelievable considering that Charlie has been on the road performing with the Subs since 1977. I thought it was only fitting to spin one of the Subs releases from my record shelf. At first I thought about the "Another Kind of Blues" Album but I'll do that some other time. I instead opted for this compilation of their eight classic 7" EPs put out a bit over thirty years ago. At one point I had all the EPs in my collection as well, but quite frankly I really enjoyed listening to these classic tunes today in one go only having to lift my ass once flipping the sides. The UK Subs are next to Motorhead the band I have seen the most times live on stage. From the many times in Switzerland to the few times in London to the last two times I saw them in Southern California overall I always had a great time. Unlike some die-hard Subs fans I wouldn't go as far as saying that the UK Subs always delivered as Charlie had so many line-up changes throughout the decades that only true archivists of the band can provide you with that info. To me the line-up with Gibbs/Garratt always delivered and never disappointed. The tracks on this LP are taken from the classic EPs the band released from 1978 until 1982 and what you get here are true classics that are performed by the band to this day as these songs just never get boring. What one tends to forget these days is how big the UK Subs actually were around 79/80. Copies of "Tomorrow's Girls", "She's Not There" or "Warhead" sold in the tens of thousands, something well known bands can dream of today. It's hard to pick a favorite here as these 23 songs all excel in one way or another. I even like Keep on Running (Till You Burn) from 1981 where the band definitely toyed with the New Romantic look and sound. I also always loved "She's Not There", a great cover version of the Zombies track from 1965. The rest is history as they say because songs like Warhead, Stranglehold, Kicks, I live in a Car etc. are part of the UK Subs and punk rock history, period and end of. 

Back Cover of the LP: 

Original Poster from the 2000 Gig at the Sedel Club in Lucerne/Switzerland. That night the band played pretty much with the line-up seen on the poster bar the drummer. The picture is from the early '80s originally. This was probably my favorite gig seeing the band as they were on top form and played all the hits as if it were 1980 all over again. 

Honkas - S/T EP

Label: Static Shock Musik; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

Another great reissue from the house of Static Shock in Berlin. Just like the Harnrohrer EP this little platter was originally released in 1982 as well, also on Pogar Records as 002. Honkas formed in 1980 in the city of Wolfsburg (Volkswagen anyone?) and were named after the rather infamous serial killer Fritz Honka. The ueberhit on this gem of an EP is "Fur Fritz", a killer track that also landed on one of the Bloodstains Across Germany Bootleg Comps. This is an interesting EP as it is hard to describe the style but it stands the test of time thanks to its raw DIY Punk charm. The vocals and the guitars are at times frantic and all over the place but never really out of place and add a lot of character. It does not come as a surprise that singer Max Mueller had relocated to Berlin in 1982 where he later formed Camping Sex and Mutter and is also the brother of Wolfgang Mueller of Die Toedliche Doris fame. The artsy and edgy approach to music was already there with the Honkas and was just the beginning for him. Also, I'd be very interested to learn how many copies Pogar at the time distributed to Fresh in the UK, Vote Vasko in Finland or Importacoes Carnaby in Brazil as these fine institutions were listed as distributors back then. I hope Iffi of Static Shock Musik will keep reissuing more of the Pogar Catalogue, such as the Marplots Ep....Sehr gut!

Harnrohrer - S/T EP

Label: Static Shock Musik; Year: 2019; Format: 7" EP

It was about time someone reissued this early '80s German gem as Harnrohrer are not only criminally underrated but most likely just not very well known outside of Germany. They hailed from the small city of Freiburg Im Breisgau in South Germany, a place I am very familiar with having visited on numerous occasions when still living in Europe. Originally this killer EP was released on Berlin's Pogar Records as 001 in 1982 and all four tracks are filled with great guitar hooks, fitting choruses and simply fantastic song arrangements in a real catchy way. Since this came out in 1982 and the trend in Germany was to sound like Discharge I can assure you it's nothing like that. This is more akin to '77 Punk and the production of Music Lab producer Harris Johns is top notch as well. It is a real shame these guys didn't release more material as this is Pogo-Punk at its very best. Grosse Klasse!

Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing LP 

Label: Clay Records; Year: 1982; Format: Vinyl LP

It was yesterday forty years ago that this LP was released hence I thought it was a great idea to give this classic a spin. Discharge formed in Stoke-On-Trent in 1977 but sounded nothing like the wall of sound they would become famous for. According to their own words they kind of figured out their sound by just playing faster and harder and eventually created a style that would influence countless bands around the world and across genres. Of course by the time this LP was released Mike Stone of Clay Records has already released several of the infamous and classic Discharge EP's. Still and without doubt it can be said that this LP catapulted Discharge into a league on their own and leather studded punks in the squats of Berlin or in the rubbles of Sao Paolo took note and started to create their own wall of noise. One can have a million and one records on their shelves but let's be honest how many of them stand the test of their time? This one here has turned forty and will be celebrated equally another forty years down the road provided the human race has not eradicated itself. Free Speech For The Dumb! 

Jerry A. Lang - Black Heart Fades Blue Volumes 1-3 Books

Volume 1

Publisher: Rare Bird Books; Year: 2022; Format: Book

Don't ask me why Jerry A's memoir was published in three parts but in the end I liked the idea as each Volume has its beginning and end while leading up to the next chapter in Jerry's life so to speak. A neat move by the publisher that worked pretty well if you ask me. Alright, so if you are asking yourself who the hell Jerry A is then think Poison Idea and Kings of Punk and you'll figure it out. For the losers reading my crappy little blog I have the feeling most of you will be familiar with the crazy Portland based outfit. Volume 1 deals mainly with Jerry's upbringing in Montana and Oregon which must have been hell judging from what I have read. Still, out of everything bad and miserable comes something good and while Jerry suffered immensely at the hands of his parents he eventually found his way in life with music always having played a big role from a very young age. 

Volume 2 

Publisher: Rare Bird Books; Year: 2022; Format: Book

As you can see from the cover of Volume 2 this middle volume takes you back in time to the Portland, Oregon of the '80s and '90s and into the drug- and alcohol fueled world of Poison Idea. I was lucky enough to see Poison Idea twice during the '90s and Jerry's account of how crazy things were just reaffirms what I always thought it must have been like in mind. What I did not know is how deep the drugs ran and dictated Jerry's life. Addiction is a nasty thing and many of us know or knew someone that has struggled through it, or maybe even died of it. While some of this volume is of great interest to people like myself who are always hungry for music history please do not expect a record by record account of Poison Idea's vast back catalogue. It is really Jerry's personal journey through time, and drugs and music played a major role, that's for sure. 

Volume 3 

Publisher: Rare Bird Books; Year: 2022; Format: Book

The last volume in this three-part memoir brings us all the way into the current time, well pre pandemic that is when Jerry finished writing this. If you follow Jerry's Facebook page you will have come to the conclusion that he had found happiness and is leading a much quieter life now, away from touring and partying. This volume focuses on Jerry's journey to said point and deals with a lot of pain while realizing that the only way going forward in life is a life with as little drugs as possible. It is in this volume where we learn about the sad details of Jerry's best friend and former Poison Idea guitarist Tom Roberts (RIP) and many more heartbreaking stories. Still, the end is a happy one, and I for one am immensely happy for Jerry to have found a way out of the world of drugs and addiction. Maybe there will be a Volume 4 at some point and we shall stay tuned.

V/A - SOUTHERN BLUES (Roots of Rock N' Roll Vol. 11) 2-LP

Label: Savoy Records; Year: 1981; Format: Double-LP

Blues is a form of music I have learned to appreciate increasingly over the years. Whenever I can I pick up Blues records without being all that knowledgable about the artists. But over time I have learnt more and more about certain artists and styles of blues which to be fair could take you a lifetime to learn about. On this wonderful Double-LP compilation I was of course familiar with John Lee Hooker but then again who isn't if you are remotely interested in the history of music in general. John Lee Hooker contributes to a whole side on this 2-LP and his tracks were recorded in Detroit in 1948. They are all quite rudimentary and representative of what was to come in the future. All the other artists on this compilation I was not familiar with at all and was positively surprised with. The styles differ from the raw blues of John Lee Hooker with just his guitar to a more upbeat jazzy style performed by bands supporting the main artist. Little Boy Fuller and Ralph Willis stand out to me and they split the Side B of Record 1. Their contributions were recorded in New York in 1948 and are just amazing to be listening to all these years later. Side C and D on the other record don't disappoint either and make this highly recommended if you want to dig into Blues from a non-connoisseur vantage point like myself. 

Big Wheelie and the Hubcaps - Christmas Grease LP

Label: Wheelie Records; Year: 198?; Format: Vinyl LP

A day too late I arrive with this post, but I am sure most of you are still in the holiday spirit and won't mind a Christmas record post. I bought this a year ago after having just moved to Buffalo and found this for next to nothing at my local record shop. I played it twice last year, and again this Christmas and always enjoy it. Big Wheelie and the Hubcaps were a local rock'n'roll revival band that started out in the early '70s and kept going for forty and some odd years. From what I heard singer Chuck "Big Wheelie" Vicario sadly died of Covid not all that long ago. Christmas Grease was according to an interview with Chuck recorded in Florida where he lived for some years during the '80s. Since there is no release year mentioned on this record and also since it was self-released on Wheelie Records it might actually be hard to track down a copy should you be a Big Wheelie Fan or a collector of rock'n'roll revival records. Big Wheelie have in the past performed with the likes of Little Richard or Chuck Berry and have to my knowledge been hugely popular in the Western New York area. And I can see why as this record is nothing short of good tunes putting you instantly in a good mood should you enjoy Christmas at least a little bit, which personally I do so call me a sucker. Eleven rockin' and rollin' tracks will have you dance and twistin' around your tree while singing along to cheesy Christmas songs. I for one know for sure that I will put this record on again next Christmas.