Brain Death - Personal Affair EP

Label: Selfish Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl 7"

Brain Death were one of the few Japanese hardcore punk outfits fronted by a female. Sachi, the vocalist, did a great job on this release as she must have screamed her lungs out when recording. With song titles such as 'Funny Dancing', 'Queer in the head' or 'Convert City' you certainly also get the sort of silly song titles or lyrics lovers of japanese hardcore punk bands have learned to appreciate. One can only presume that the band sat down and looked up words in a dictionary without being capable of actually using the right verbs and so forth. Regardless, it provides many of those releases with an added portion of humor, wanted or not. As for the 8 songs on this EP produced by Satoshi from S.O.B., you will not be surprised to learn that they're all super-fast, and noisy as hell. With Satoshi being involved in the production of this record, I can't help to feel that some of the songs have a bit of a Grindcore feel to them, but the record is certainly still a typical hardcore punk release on Selfish Records. A decent release, but not a must-have by any means. A bootleg version of this does exist, but to my knowledge is quite a few years old as well.

Gudon - Howling Communication EP

Label: Selfish Records; Year: 1987; Format: Vinyl 7"

Gudon were one of the many noisy hardcore punk acts forming in and around Tokyo, or any other major urban area in Japan throughout the mid-'80s. I am not aware where exactly they hailed from, but this 8-song EP was released on one of the prolific labels from Japan when it comes to this type of noise, Selfish Records. The ones amongst the readership familiar with these type of bands/releases will know exactly what to expect. If you haven't familiarized yourself with bands such as Gudon, then be aware that you'll be getting hardcore punk at its fastest and noisiest. The production on this particular record is great, something the Japanese often excelled in. The tracks are short, and clock in under two minutes. Here and there you get a bit of a Metal feel to the songs, but overall this is a solid release that will appeal to anyone into international hardcore punk from the '80s.

V/A - The Stars of Fame Records EP

Label: Kent Soul (Ace Records); Year: 2011; Format: Vinyl EP

This EP came out for RSD 2011 and contains four songs of fine Southern Soul from the mid- to late '60s. According to the liner notes none of these songs have been previously released, hence even more reason for you die-hard soul fans out there to own this limited piece of history. I am by no means an expert on soul, but I can guarantee you that I will be reviewing more records from that genre as I do like to listen to it a lot. All four songs on here are great, two of them more upbeat, whereas the other two are slow and beautiful. All of these crackers were recorded at the FAME Studios, home of the Muscle Shoals sound. I am sure someone more knowledgable could write quite a bit about this, whereas I just bought this one as I fancied it, and certainly haven't regretted my decision.

Nervous Eaters - Just Head 7"

Label: Penniman Records; Year: 1999; Format: Vinyl 7"

The Nervous Eaters from Boston, MA were one of the earliest punk'n'roll acts emerging from the 'Rat-scene' in Boston. Steve Cataldo on vocals/guitar was the main force behind this band, and originally this two-song gem was released in 1979 on Rat Records. None of the two songs are pure '77 punk, but rather a mixture of the punk-energy mixed with the raw sound of early '70s hard rock and glam rock, resulting in two hook-laden killer tracks that will blow your speakers. This is one of my favorite late '70s releases from the US, and everybody that equally loves the Real Kids or DMZ needs to have this in their collection.

GG Allin & The Jabbers - Occupation EP

Label: Blood2000 Records; Year: 2000; Format: Vinyl 7"

Who really needs an introduction to GG Allin, this true rock'n'roll legend from New Hampshire who would have turned 58 years of age yesterday. Many people will associate GG with his musical output and especially his antics from the latter stage in his career, the years leading up to his death in June of 1993 in New York City. A growing number of music fanatics will never the less know that in his early days GG produced some great '77 punk inspired punk'n'roll songs. This weird EP, apparently limited to 302 copies, is home to one rare track that was in the vault for nearly twenty years before this EP came out. 'Occupation' was recorded with MC5'ers Wayne Kramer and Dennis Thompson, and was originally planned to be included on the 'Gimme some head' EP. Needles to say that the song is an absolute scorcher, and testament to the greatness of the MC5. On the B-Side of this you'll find a decent live version of 'You hate me & I hate you' and a filler in the form of 'Pills', also live. Both sides also contain a few seconds of GG talking, but that's not what you need this EP for. 'Occupation' alone is worth tracking down this record, although it is scarce, and probably not cheap. I would presume though that the song can be found on another GG record...?

Malinheads - Probegepogt aus Spandau EP

Label: Pogar; Year: 1983; Format: Vinyl 7"

The Berlin based label Pogar released between 1982 and 1987 fewer than twenty records, but a good number of them are absolute highlights when it comes to international hardcore punk. This 3-song EP by Malinheads from Spandau/Berlin is probably one of the Top 5 german hardcore punk releases as the band delivered these songs in such a manner that easily put them on a level with Scandinavian bands such as Anti-Cimex, Rattus, Headcleaners, and so on. I heard the song 'Wargames' of this EP for the first time around 1986/87 when a friend of mine made me a compilation tape of various bands from around the world. The Malinheads song was one of the highlights on that tape and stuck with me for ever, hence I had to get my hands on this EP one day, which wasn't until at some point in the '90s. What you get here is scandi/discharge influenced hardcore punk at its best, brutal in delivery, and in my opinion unique when it comes to bands from Germany. While it is not easy and cheap to track down an original copy of this, Thought Crime Records reissued this classic in 2012, so no one needs to spend big bucks to get this must-have.

Sam Sutherland: Perfect Youth - The Birth of Canadian Punk

Publisher: ECW Press; Year: 2012; Format: Book

There was a time not even all that long ago, where I was asking myself why nobody has ever written a book on punk rock from Canada. It was a time when the first serious books about punk rock started to be published, and maybe it was just too early for this great land. But patience pays off, and in 2014 there is more than one book to be had about punk rock from those crazy Canucks. This particular one here though is special, in the sense that it covers the history of punk rock from coast to coast of this vast country. Sam Sutherland has done a fine job at doing so, and I understand that it must have been one hell of an undertaking to not only track down all the bands and its former members, but to actually organize the book so that it becomes clear to people not that knowledgable with Canadian geography where in the heck these guys came from. There are nineteen chapters in this book, and each one of them concentrates on a specific scene/city/band(s). While many of us seasoned punk rock enthusiasts are familiar with the historic backgrounds of bands such as the Viletones, Subhumans, the Diodes or D.O.A, I personally enjoyed most the chapters about the scenes I had very little knowledge about, such as Edmonton, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan or Ottawa, to name a few. Winters in those places are harsh, brutal, and long, yet even in those remote areas scenes developed and flourished. It is those chapters that make this book a really great read, and I would have bought a book about those remote scenes themselves, but that's just nerdy me. Of course you'll also get to read about the scenes in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal and anywhere else in Canada. Great stuff, and I hope there is more to come in form of books and records that delve into the rich history of Canadian punk rock.

Camera Silens - Realite LP

Label: Les Troubadours du Chaos; Year: 2005; Format: Vinyl LP

Punkers and Punkettes, listen up, because I won't repeat myself here too often. All of you out there need to get their greedy hands on a copy of this outstanding full length by Camera Silens from la belle France, Bordeaux to be exact. Back in 1984 the band self-released this smasher of an album, and I don't need to stress my assumption that most copies were either distributed locally, or at least nationally. I personally got to hear them for the first time through one of the 'Chaos en France' compilation LPs, released through Chaos Productions, also in the '80s. France had a lot to offer in the early to mid-80s when it comes to anthemic, melodic, yet hard street punk and bands such as Komintern Sect, Trotskids, Camera Silens, and some others were always loved by fans around the globe. For the longest time though it was extremely difficult, and above all very expensive to get original copies of those excellent releases, until in the 2000s the French finally woke up too, and especially Euthanasie Records has been reissuing a lot of the sought after material. This LP here is already into its 3rd round of reprints, and a couple of years ago also landed on a U.S. based label. There is really not much I need to say here, as all ten songs on here are superb, the production was above standard, and the song-writing phenomenal. U.K. bands such as GBH or Exploited could just dream of being able to produce an album like this one here, but convince yourself! Tell me if I was wrong!

Specials - S/T - LP

Label: Chrysalis Records; Year: 1979; Format: Vinyl LP

Google this album and you will come up with a million and one stories in regard to the Specials and the 2-Tone label and movement. I will spare you any lengthy review here, but have to say that I have given this album a spin not too long ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Specials were maybe the 'punkiest' out of all the 2-Tone bands, and one of their members, Terry Hall, was even a member of Coventry punk outfit Squad. I shall review their 'Red Alert' single at another point, but that was just a little side note. The songs on this 14-song long-player range from upbeat to slow, but never disappoint as they combine danceable ska and rocksteady to perfection. "Too much too young" even reached No. 1 in the UK, and at one point the band shared the same management with the Clash as they were supporting them on a tour. No matter whether you're into punk, ska, rocksteady, or whatever, I think we can all agree that this is a classic album and should be found in everybody's record collection.

Victimize - Where did the money go? EP

Label: Last Year's Youth; Year: 2004; Format: Vinyl 7"

Victimize were one of the very few early Welsh punk acts and this EP released a decade ago packs in both of the two official releases from '79 and '80. This reissue comes in a nice 8-page booklet summing up an interesting band history, and some nice old flyers and posters are reprinted therein too. As for the music I for one conclude that only the second single, here on the B-Side, is really worth a listen. 'Where did the money go?' and 'Innocence', an adaptation of John Cooper Clarke's 'Innocent' are great KBD smashers, underproduced but delivered with high energy, anger and conviction. The funny thing about both of those tracks is that apparently none of the original band members recorded these, but some local musicians posed as the original members. Go figure....As for the first single, which makes up the A-Side on this EP, I must say I am not convinced at all. Both songs are drawn out, and even though they are not horrible per se, it seems like at the time the band didn't know whether they wanted to be a punk rock band, or play early '70s rock. Do yourselves a favor and don't spend a fortune on an original copy of  Baby Buyer/Hi-Rising Failure as it's not worth it, at least me thinks so. Get this one cheap, especially worth for the B-Side!

Negativ - Glitter Hair Cream/Terrorist 7"

Label: Self-Released; Year: 1981; Format: Vinyl 7"

Negativ hailed from a small village in the Basel/Switzerland area, and included two members from punk/powerpop band Vorwarts. This was their only release, and the first time an international audience got to hear about this band was through the 'Back To Front' compilation series back in the '90s. Both songs on this self-released 7" are upbeat 77 punk smashers, with good hooks and choruses. The production could have been louder, and would have enhanced the quality of both songs, but this is definitely worthwhile tracking down albeit certainly not easy and neither cheap.

Seb Hunter: Hell Bent For Leather - Confessions of a Heavy Metal Addict

Publisher: Fourth Estate/Harper Collins; Year: 2004; Format: Book

While I am most certainly not a big fan of heavy metal per se, I am certainly always open to a good read and a few years back I remember reading a review in regard to this novel which must have caught my attention. In the end I found the book on sale at Foyles in London, and that's how it ended up in my collection. It took literally years for me to open it and read it, but just like the author himself, I must make a confession on my own in saying that I had a hard time putting it down at nights. Let it be very clear, you don't have to be into heavy metal to appreciate Seb Hunter's life story and his addiction to said music genre. Yes, there are parts in the book which drag on where for instance the author goes on to define genres such as glam metal, thrash metal and the likes, but overall the novel is about Seb and his witty stories on growing up in Winchester in the south of England, joining his first band, gigging locally, local punks throwing beer cans at them and his eventual move to the big smoke aka London. In my opinion London also marks the best parts of this book as there are so many hilarious stories being told by Seb, including living in squats, the pursuit of a career in heavy metal music at all cost, groupies, and crazy band members that would kill you over a girl. All in all I can only say that I've really enjoyed reading this book and couldn't help laughing out loud on many occasions.

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

Publisher: PM Press; Author: Alex Ogg; Year: 2014; Format: Book

Finally a legit book on the early days/years of the Dead Kennedys, maybe the most important punk rock band the United States has ever produced (sorry Ramones!). UK based author and connoisseur of everything regarding the early days of punk/hardcore, Alex Ogg, has once again done a damn fine job at gathering and compiling information from as many people as possible, and from every possible angle as well. Now, anybody that is just slightly in the know what has been happening in terms of the relationship between the band members will be well aware that Mr. Ogg must have gone well beyond our imagination in regard to his patience as all versions and opinions from all members needed to be heard and taken into account. I suppose that is why this book concentrates on the days predating the DK's first album, and on the recording and touring after the classic album was released. Of course there is far more to tell when it comes to DK's rich history, but as Alex Ogg puts it in the book, that should be for someone else to tackle. In my opinion no one else could do a better job as Mr. Ogg himself again. This is a great read when it comes to discovering the life stories of each member, how they ended up as a tight unit writing some of the most iconic punk rock songs ever, and what has influenced them before the term "punk" was even coined. At the same time the book provides the reader a glimpse of the early San Francisco scene and the bands and people that made things happening. While this is a relatively short read, you will walk away with a far better understanding and knowledge of how the DK's became a world wide phenomenon.

Paranoia - Dead Man's Dreams/Man in Black 7"

Label: Rot Records; Year: 1984; Format: Vinyl 7"

Hard to imagine how this band from Stoke-On-Trent ended up on Rot Records in the riotous early '80s, as it certainly did not fit into a roster of bands such as Riot Squad, English Dogs or the Varukers. Paranoia stand out as they sounded nothing like the aforementioned bands at all, and quite frankly could have probably become a well known act had they signed to a label that was catering to goth bands in those days. The two songs on this 7" are both outstanding goth-punk with female vocals, and anybody that is seeking out a truly underrated band should get their hands on a copy of this 7-incher. Both songs are mid-tempo with lots of hooks and melodies appealing to both, punks and goths, and I remember hearing one of the songs for the first time when I bought a copy of Rot Records' - End of an Era 2-LP compilation as the label was folding. Even in my much younger years yearning for fast and furious music I dug the wonderful sounds of Paranoia. A true gem!

UK Decay - The Black 45 EP

Label: Plastic Records; Year: 1980; Format: Vinyl EP

UK Decay are one of the best examples for a band that managed to cross from one genre to another one as they were spearheading a movement that would become to be known as goth in the early '80s. This outstanding 4-song EP released in January 1980 is still steeped deeply in their punk rock roots, but each song already hints at what was to come and was proof of the immense talent this band had/has to offer. The song arrangements are intelligent, well thought through and executed with such craftsmanship that even though over 30 years have passed since the release of this EP, these tracks stand the test of the time and have become timeless hits. This is definitely a classic, and one that can still easily be obtained so no reason to miss out here!