What We Want: Born Again!!! | Happy Halloween!!!

As previously discussed (don't look, I deleted it); I was looking to tweak and reboot the blog a little. I've done it! New logo, re-did the dimensions some, added a cbox for easier commenting/requesting, and added a chunk of new uploads.

Below this post you will find:

Dag Nasty "Demo 1985" (w/Shawn Brown)
On A Solid Rock "Where Kids Don't Play" 7inch (Finnish Hardcore)
Everlast "Drown the Self" 7inch (90's Midwest Chuggy Hardcore)
Incite "Demo" (Midwest Hardcore again, but more straight forward)
VA "Rebirth of Hardcore:1999" (In My Eyes, Where Fear & Weapons Meet, Battery, Tons more!)

Enjoy, comment, request, suggest, check the blogs linked on the right, and feel free to just say "Hi" in general.

Also, might I suggest this board if you're upright, not a moron, and like the music on this blog: xSTUCK IN THE PASTx

AND

going to this show if you're in California or surrounding areas, last time live and first chance to grab the new (final) 7inch

Rebirth of Hardcore: 1999

One of my personal favorite comps. from the late 90's/tail end of the supposed "youth crew" revival. Good selection of bands with In My Eyes, Battery (live track), Where Fear & Weapons Meet, Atari, Saves the Day, Rain on the Parade, Mainstrike, & more.

People can talk shit, say generic, say whatever- but at least the bands I listed still hold up. Sure, the Good Clean Fun joke got old beyond 2 7inches & some of them ended up being real tools; but otherwise all the bands & tracks on here are at the very least standard fare.

My copy is a 12inch Picture Disc. I scanned the folded layout in 3 sections at a real high resolution (someone else can piece em together if they want). I did that so you can see the full layout and small print. I also snapped pictures of the A Side (CD cover), & the B Side (drawing of Ray Cappo with all the band logos).

Enjoy!


VA - Rebirth of Hardcore:1999

Rebuilding Comp. 7inch

Turning Point, Burn, Gorilla Biscuits, No Escape... need any more more reasons for downloading and listening to this?

Really though, great comp. 7inch from 1990 on Temperance Records showcasing a period of change and transition in the hardcore scene. Other than the straight forward (and funny) Gorilla Biscuits song, the comp. finds Turning Point adding the melodic/emotional element that represented their later songs and both Burn & No Escape playing music that would help shape and redefine hardcore.


The Download includes the scans of the cover/booklet with pages for each band and for fun a scan of the animal rights pamphlet that came with it.


Rebuilding Comp. 7inch (DOWNLOAD)




This was later re-issued as a 12inch/CD with some added tracks. I think its actually out of press now and the guys over at Stuck in the Past put it up HERE

Until Today - Demo 7inch

Some time in the mid to late 90's ish time when tape trading was still a viable entity; i tape traded with someone who sent me a tape with the Time Flies, Bladecrasher, In My Eyes, Reinforce, Atari, Impact (pre-UxT; not the christian or OC sXe band) & Until X Today demos on it. I don't remember what I sent to them, but it was someone id connected with through the old Rev Board. I did a lot of tape trading that summer, but this was by far the most fun (at that time) tape I got that summer other than maybe Sham 69's Hersham Boys.

Besides being packed full with some fun (albiet mostly generic) revival bands, the person had been nice enough to photo copy most of the demo tape covers for me. That Bladecrasher demo has become a personal fave, the Reinforce records still get some love (haters be damned) and In My Eyes went on to release the defining lp's of that time and style of revival HC; but Until X Today's demo has always stood out the most to me.

I had no clue what to expect when I heard that demo; but what i got was a weird and fun take on what most people call "youth crew revival." The music had a hook to it, a catchy-ness i more associate to punk, with some simple but at that time unexpected switches in the music's pace. The lyrics always hit at me too. Not too deep, but enough so that it resonated with that young 20-something me.

I won't drag on with the fond memories, let's get this blog back in action already- I will however add a parting shot:

When Nate and I had gotten the original (YMCA) SOS Project up and running, The First Step came through. I had been taking my records back and forth to play them in the lobby where a bunch of us hung out. Not even thinking about it, I'd played some Until Today after the show to which the guitarist of the First Step called their singer over to hear. Neither of them could believe it. Being the dork I was, I'd completely forgotten that the singer of the First Step was the singer of Until Today. Im sure it had to have been weird for him to be in Riverside, California and some dude from the venue was blasting his old (and smaller) band. heh.

enjoy!

Until Today - A Brand New Start (demo) 7inch [DOWNLOAD]



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Now playing: On A Solid Rock - Let It Die / Days of the Daisy Cutter
via FoxyTunes

Ressurection - "s/t" 7inch

East Coast Hardcore feat. members of every other band* you can think of (seriously). I'd guess that a lot of people who frequent this blog know who they are already; and those of you who don't- DOWNLOAD THIS.

Pissed Off hardcore that held enough straight forward sound mixed with a boiling over of emotions and changing sounds. A simpler sound than Unbroken but possessing an anger and voice just as loud as them- volatile and explosive mid paced hardcore.





Ressurection - "s/t" 7inch


*including members of Release, 108, Lifetime, Floorpunch, Kid Dynamite, Paint it Black, and many more


**This was released on New Age Records originally /// Deathwish has been claiming to be preparing a Discography for some time. Those versions will be remastered, but for any who may have concern- i will remove these if you find it necessary, just contact me*






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Now playing: Ressurection - Blindside
via FoxyTunes

Collision - 2001 "Crocodile Hunter" Demo

Collision were a local band from Inland Empire/Southern California in the late 90's/early 00's. Playing pretty straight forward hardcore, it seemed like they played nearly every hardcore show at Showcase Theatre during their time.

This is their final recording/release after a 7inch and Ep on Ambassador Records. Sadly, this demo (their best stuff) never saw proper release. Their previous releases were good, but always befell some kind of setback (7inch was ok, but generally generic & their Ep suffered from a horrid mastering job of some otherwise very promising songs).

Members went on to be in a lot of bands (Amendment 18, Internal Affairs, Stand & Fight, One X Choice, & more) and recently ('07/'08) their were talks of Collision returning but a stable line-up was never secured. Bummer.

For Fans of: the Nerve Agents (pre-White Owl), Chain of Strength, Over My Dead Body, etc.




Collision - Demo 2001 (DOWNLOAD)



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Now playing: My Revenge! - Gay Marriage is Better Than Your Marriage
via FoxyTunes

Champion - Live 2003

Another live recording post (look back through past posts for Billy Bragg, Over My Dead Body, Explosions in the Sky, Parades End, Hot Cross, the Murder City Devils & Greg Graffin). Seattle Straight Edge Hardcore. You probably know who this band is, just download it already.

This is straight from the soundboard at the now gone Showcase Theatre in Corona, California. Same as with the Over My Dead Body recording a few months ago, I was able to get the sound guy to record this for me. Over the years they sat primarily in my collection and a few friends got copies. With the rise of blogs and moving this past Feb. forcing me to box and unbox things, i found a lot of stuff.

This recording is from Feb. 21st, 2003 - Bane, Terror & Piece by Piece played this show as well. It was packed like sardines. Somewhere I have pictures from this show as well. Bane was at their peak of popularity out here and Champion was just fully coming into their own.

Enjoy! It's all one track, if anyone wants to download it, break up the tracks and send it back to me- I will gladly re-post it as individual tracks. I however simply do not have the motivation or time to do it now. Seattle Hardcore for your listening enjoyment, including a GB cover.

Champion - Live 2003 (DOWNLOAD)

Former Members of Alfonsin - "Let's Not Forget the City Burning in the Background"

First things first- Former Members of Alfonsin are a band that I heard about a lot, but never saw and never got a chance to hear until a few years ago. I just missed them when they were around- bummer.

Former Members of Alfonsin do not contain any former members of a band named Alfonsin, so don't go looking for another band. They were however a really good (and interesting) mix of melodic hardcore and 90's emo sound. Fast at times and able to take it up to a frantic hardcore punk pace at times, they for the most part did the melodic hardcore thing with the old emo talk/sing-scream vocals (though some songs include alternating male/female vocals). Political, straight edge, funny- they truly deserve a proper re-release but until then they at least deserve some more recognition.

As well, while their stuff isn't impossibly hard to find, it isn't like you can walk into any store and find it. Information on them is sporadic as well. All of those things factored in, the download you find here is a personal Discography comprised from a playlist I have been playing around with, changing, and listening to for the last few months. I'm currently trying to get my hands on actual copies of their records (as I have none) but from my searching around I can share at least this much info:

____________________________________________________________________

1-6/7 are from their split 12inch with Project Hate released on Phyte
*one copy i downloaded had 6 songs, one had 7*

8-11 are from their split with Bread & Circuits released on El Grito

12-13 are their split 7inch with Sawpit

14-18 i know they recorded/released a demo, based on the quality I would guess that this is it.

I have some other assorted tracks, some that may be different versions or may be bad rips. I know there is also a live track from the Pickle Patch comp. and I think possibly another comp. track or two. Any more information is greatly welcomed.

______________________________________________________________________

Former Members of Alfonsin - "Let Us Not Forget the City Burning in the Background" (Download)




Members went on to be in Please Inform the Captain This is a Highjack (3 Members), Remain, Project Hate, & Amateur Party.

semi-logged into myspace: Former Members of Alfonsin

no clue if someone from the band runs it

I'm ALIVE...

I was away at camp for 8 days, I am alive and planning some posts. Maybe tonight.

Some fun stuff, Former Members of Alfonsin, Dirty Dirt & the Dirts, & some more.

Also, a change of pace i'm going to put up some video game emulators in bundles (NES, SNES, Coleco, Sega to name a few- not all at once). I love these things and a savy person with minimal ability can track em down usually, but it can be a pain some times due to lots of ROM sites being full of ads and bugs.

and, as some or all of you may know, I am part of a Booking Group SOS Booking here in So. Calif. Nate (Xibalba) & Andy (Time For Change/Glory Kid Records) do most all of the booking and I really just lag on checking emails (a million apologies), look pissed off, protect walls, lift shit/clean up. But, I mocked up a flyer for an upcoming show:


(click to see full flyer)


MUSIC (and more) SOON!!!

H20 - What Happened? (Video)

Personally, coming from a punk background, i think a band like H20 should be a required band to listen to. Seeming to almost perfectly tow the line between Punk & Hardcore in that seamless manner that a hardcore band should. Catchy enough that you could catch your mom bobbing her head to it, but pissed enough that you know its on the level and from the heart.

Like many, I was sadly disappointed by the "Go!" album. So, when I heard they were making music again I was happy, but cautious. What came was their fifth album, "Nothing to Prove." Which is ironic I guess, a band of their stature certainly doesnt have anything that they HAVE to prove, its been proven. But, the album establishes that H20 is still around and still capable of writing a catchy, honest, angry record of Hardcore Punk. The video of their song "What Happened?" to me, shows in its best form, everything that I love about this band. From the records they single out while in a record shop (including Rancid, Gorilla Biscuits, & Descendents among others) to the balanced guest singers of Lou Koller (Sick of It All) & Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), and of course the words in the song.

Just watch the video. And buy the cd.


pS - ive got a new power cord for the laptop, so i'll get back down to business here.

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Now playing: H2O - Fairweather friend
via FoxyTunes

Time For Change - Soiled Dove/Let This Go video

Last week Time For Change played the Pharoah's Den in Riverside & I recorded a few songs. Andy (TFC/Glory Kid) edited two of the songs together, touched it up a little and posted on YouTube. Here it is:



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Now playing: My Revenge! - Gay Marriage is Better Than Your Marriage
via FoxyTunes

Drift Again - 7 inch

People have their opinions about the 90's and hardcore. Love or hate it, the time post the big 1988 break out was a period of a lot of growth in the Hardcore Scenes. What lots of the bigger bands (be it Cro-Mags, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits, or Agnostic Front) had built in the concepts of loud, fast, and pissed was being explored and reassessed.

Not to put some grand spin on Drift Again, it's a reflection of the time, the same could be said about the Quicksand & 411 7inches i've upped before. This band pre-dates Outspoken & features both Dennis Remsing & Mike Hartsfield. It also includes members of Solitude & second Ignite singer Randy Johnson (on guitar).

Personally, I hear the effect that Inside Out was starting to have on bands as hardcore and metal started to mix in a way that showed a dominance of hardcore's sound (as opposed to Agnostic Front who showed more of metal's dominance at the time). Vocals that are sung more than screamed, music with some little leads and fancier guitar work, and lyrics that reflect kind of darkly, but not depressing.

Enjoy.

*download includes full scans of the covers & insert*


Drift Again - 7inch (download)

Thanks Again to Andy for letting me borrow the record and scan/record it.

*they also had a comp song on 'Words to Live By'. Thanks to a good eye from Chase over at Prime Directive, this comp came out on New Age. DUH on my part*

Reinforce - 7inches

So far there's been a lot more here of 90's screamo or heavier styled stuff, but during the 90's my biggest thing was- GASP! youth crew. Not that i'm ashamed of that in the least, I'm not. I don't care what people said, the "revival" bands had some great stuff.

I digress.

I first heard Reinforce on a local college radio station, the song "Butterfly". I was tape trading with a few people at the time and I traded with someone from the east coast. I got a tape with the Atari demo, Time Flies demo, In My Eyes demo, The Impact demo, UntilXToday demo, Bladecrasher demo, & the Reinforce demo. Far from mind blowing, miles from new, but it was fucking great. I was really into the revival/youth crew sound and no (then current) band got me running in circles, pointing fingers, and being (realistically) positive than Reinforce during those few summers in the 90's. When this band split as did another N.C. band, Until X Today (post coming soon), the First Step was born from their ashes.

Other than some comp. tracks, all I know that Reinforce did was both of these 7inches, their demo, & an lp called "Happy Kids Don't Paint their Rooms Black". The two 7inches you get here are:

Youth Shall Sing
1.) Butterfly
2.) Won't Accept It
3.) I'll Do My Best
4.) You Said
5.) Countdown
6.) There Speaks A True Friend
7.) Try & Try

One Life Thug Free
1.) One Life Thug Free
2.) It's Alright to Show Emotion
3.) A World Away
4.) Yeah, We Got It!
5.) Excuses, Excuses/There's A Warm Place in Hell For Me & My Friends
6.)This is Not the End

Both 7inches & cover scans included in download:

Reinforce - Two 7inches (download)



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Now playing: Alice in Chains - Them Bones
via FoxyTunes

A Reason For Living 7inch Comp.

I actually piked up this little 90's gem about 6 months ago, again at the great Dr. Strange Records in Alta Loma, California for the used bargain of 2 bucks.

Nothing mind shattering here- you get two of my more favorite 90's bands- Despair & Snapcase along with the US Envy (Larry from Think Fast on vocals I believe?) & one more band that is kinda whatever (not bad, just by comparison its hard to stand out with Despair & Snapcase). A nice bonus is that the Snapcase track - Caboose is from a recording prior to the 'Progression Through Unlearning' album and even though the album version sounds better, I'm a junkie for different track versions of bands I like.

enjoy!


A Reason For Living Comp 7inch (download)

Through the Desert & Back (Geonna Grey, Where Eagles Dare, & 7 Generations)

May 17, 2008 a favorite band of mine, Where Eagles Dare, got back together to play a benefit for a young girl named Geonna Grey who had been injured at her daycare. The band, and many in Ariz. HC were friends with her parents. To help, care, and try to begin to heal many within not just the Ariz. HC/Punk scenes, but from all over came out for the fun of seeing old friends and bands and to help.

Myself & some friends made the trek through the desert from So. Calif. to Tempe, Az. for all the fun and good causes.

A few pics of WED & 7 Generations:

(click on the pictures to see them full size)

7 GEN:




WED:




Unfortunately, about halfway through Where Eagles Dare's set someone stepped on my arm as they tried to walk across the barrier to the stage and they knocked my camera out of my hand. I couldn't find it until after the show was over. So, I didnt get too many WED shots, but that isn't as important as when I found it, scratched and a little beat up, it wouldn't work at first. But, a little pushing, forcefullness, and willing it into being got the thing pushed back in place (the button you push to take the photo wasn't working) and produced the picture below of a sympathetic Nicholas (bassist for 7g) lamenting my broken camera (which is fixed now).

Tension - the Sickness of Our Age 7inch

Tension came from South Florida and existed in the 90's. I had always heard their name, but I never checked them out. But, last week in what would become one of those "why didn't I listen to this band before?" moments, I heard Tension's "The Sickness of Our Age" 7inch courtesy of the Southern Florida Music Scene Blog (which has a full write up of the band with two other releases of theirs). Members went onto be in or were from a lot of prominent Florida bands and when you hear the power of this Florida Straight Edge band, you can see how. Political, Pissed off, and with a slight groove to their fast (but heavy at times) sound, the vocals come at you like a cross between Ray Cappo & "Advent of A Miracle" Strongarm.

Thanks again goes out to Southern Florida Music Scene Blog



Tension - "The Sickness of Our Age" 7inch (download)