CONDOMINIUM

CONDOMINIUM made a bit of a buzz around these parts earlier this year.  By "quite a buzz," I mean three or four people talked about them, and by "around these parts," I mean my house.  They released two killer singles, but this live in the studio tape really fucking nails it.  Dirty ugly hardcore punk that kicks you in the teeth over and over (metaphorically speaking of course) and somehow never falls into any of the traps or cliches that make some people (and by "some people," I mean people who are wrong) claim that hardcore died in 198whatever - probably the same year that those same people stopped going to see jaw dropping hardcore bands.  Like CONDOMINIUM.  Sometimes fast and down your throat, sometimes slow and frustrating like it's stuck in concrete...or perhaps "Glue," an excellent cover of which closes out the tape.  Nice, eh?

LIVE ON THE BLOC

Blinded released this bad boy, and they still have copies, so I highly suggest you contact them and get one.  And then get their other shit, because if there is any filler on this label, I can't find it.

ABHOR

After a few listens to the songs on this rehearsal tape, you are gonna really wish that I knew fuck all about ABHOR, but I'm afraid that I do not...just eight blazing UK punk songs recorded in January 1984.  Personal favorites include "Drugged Up," with it's floor tom heavy drum beat, the positively scorching "Where Were The Angels?" and the driving pogo friendly politically charged "Crucifixion."

 But really, the whole fucking thing just kills.

ABHOR

And you might notice that the images are virtually the same today as they were for yesterday's post.  If you did indeed notice, then you are very perceptive.  This rehearsal and the PAGAN IDOLS demo appear on the same tape, so I guess that makes me kinda lazy.

PAGAN IDOLS

I just spent several days driving back and forth across the Southwest, a few dozen hours behind the wheel alternating between reactionary talk radio and healthy doses of this 1983 demo from PAGAN IDOLS.  Every song on this tape is nothing short of complete brilliance; the phaser laden plodding dark punk of "Ruined Eyes," a mid tempo UK burner like "Plastic Surgery," or dreary anarcho tracks like "Death March" and "Ain't No" (the latter is in a league with THE MOB's "I Wish," it is absolutely that stark and every bit as moving). The demo closes out with a ripping KBD worthy track called "Video," but it's the opener that really wins me over..."Last Punk" is a damn near perfect punk song.  The tempo sits uncomfortably, I keep wanting it to speed up or slow down - it does neither - and the intensity swells and the vocals turn to snarls before the song slowly starts to deflate and in the end it just kind of collapses in a sea of reverb.  From KFTH, I can guess that there is at least one more piece of brilliance from PAGAN IDOLS out there, another demo tape from the following year.  Until that miracle happens, these 7 songs will keep me happy to be a punk.

THE LAST PUNK

INDIREKT

This was one of those finds that gave me the shakes...the kind of "oh shit, I need to listen to this NOW" excitement reserved for the top wants and holy grails of the addict/nerd world.  Driving female fronted Dutch hardcore with heavy influence from UK anarcho punk (especially evident on "Hart & Vaatzieken," my favorite song on the tape, and "Candlelight").  The first five tracks appear on INDIREKT's 1984 Niuws Voor Doven En Slechthorenden EP in what I think are slightly different versions, and two appear on the Statements compilation tape previously posted here on Terminal Escape, but never mind where they came from, just revel in the glory of knowing that now these songs are with you.  Urgent, angry, catchy political hardcore punk, sign me up...and now start your search for their killer 1985 Op Oorlogspad LP!

INDIREKT

THREE RING CARCASS

Listening to these songs for what is likely the first time in a decade, I now realize that THREE RING CARCASS were simply way over my head when I saw them regularly in Norman, Oklahoma.  This was the band that I didn't quite know if I liked, but I knew they were really good at whatever it was they were doing.  Equal parts BUTTHOLE SURFERS, NOMEANSNO, FLAMING LIPS and pre commercial grunge, THREE RING CARCASS live shows were a fucking sight, and were anything but predictable...listen to the freakout at the end of "Underwhelming," and imagine that plus about a million decibels drawn out for 10 minutes and then launching right back into vaguely tuneful chaos.  "Big Mess" from this demo is the song I most remember from their live sets, and though it's not the best on this tape (that honor goes to "Motor City Mudhole"), there is something purely magical about the 6'5" Jon Mooneyham screaming "MY DICK'S TOO SHORT TO FUCK WITH GOD!!" that is permanently etched into my memory.  I seem to remember Mooneyham being shockingly old when I was living in Norman (by "shockingly old," I mean I think he was something in the neighborhood of 30, which was fucking ancient in the eyes of a 19 year old from a small town), and hailed from Antlers, Oklahoma (I remind myself of this when I talk about how my town was small and shitty)...I suggest scouring dollar bins across the midwest for the sole LP by his first band, THE MEMLUKS, totally ahead of their time psychedelic post punk weirdness, give it a listen here. (I traded mine in years ago because it "didn't rock enough"...I might also add that I am sometimes an idiot, so if anyone has a copy they aren't attached to, please drop me a line).  Five delicious tracks on this 1991 demo.

THREE RING CARCASS

Now hopefully I can track down the 10 Lbs Of Shit In A 5 Lb Bag tape for a future post!

BANG ZOOM

Since someone's birthday got in the way of my planned Friday compilation tape, I'll cheat a little bit and give this one up on Saturday.  Bang Zoom No. 6 isn't exactly a comp, it's really an audio zine that was released on cassette in the 80s.  This volume deals with way more college rock than I would prefer, especially when you consider the heaps of great punk and otherwise 'alternative' music being released in 1984, but I've omitted the schlock and just posted the really good bits of this tape.  Three segments, one with HUSKER DU, who seem insanely nice, and this interview makes me like them even more...this was conducted right after the release of Zen Arcade and features a few tracks from the record; BLACK FLAG, who come off like self absorbed egotistical pricks...well, just one prick, and I think we know who that is, right?; and THE DICKIES, who deliver a great interview...I was pretty surprised how fun it was listening to their ramblings.  There's a scan of the other stuff featured in the tape/zin, so if you are interested in some live gig reviews, LIVE SKULL, BAND OF OUTSIDERS or anything else I skipped, just drop me a line and I'll put it up.  But here's the punk shit:

BANG ZOOM No. 6

A GIFT FOR YOU...

A lot of people care about this day, they think that it's all special and stuff.  Me?  Not so much, but in the interest of holiday giving, here is one track for you to listen to.  It's all wrapped up and secret, so it will be a surprise.  And, for what it's worth, this post means a lot to me.

TEMPERATURE RISING

CRACKS

I was reviewing records and demos for a friend's zine back in the mid 00s when this cassette fell into my lap. CRACKS on this demo were just two people, Philip (guitar/bass/vocals) and Vince (drums) and their eight tracks blew my mind.  I had images of the only two punks in Bloomfield, Illinois bashing out sweaty hardcore out of sheer necessity, never playing shows because no one would come, combing the pages of MaximumRockNRoll for information about the punk world outside an existence dominated by close minds and government subsidized corn fields.  There's something about hearing the middle american frustration of lyrics to songs like "Live The Lie" that makes punk seem totally real all over again ("I stagger home from the bar - I chew on hate / the unreality shows always start at 8"), and I fell in love with this demo.  Vince lives in Philadelphia now, and bashes the skins for WITCH HUNT, while Philip has been through several incarnations of THE CRACKS (one that even included a very excited Wizard for a few unfortunately fruitless rehearsals), and just released a fucking killer EP.  So here's what started my perhaps unhealthy obsession with a Midwestern hardcore band...

AT THE GAS STATION

CRACK IN THE BRICKWORK

So, you like your UK punk rough and dirty?  Then may I offer CRACK IN THE BRICKWORK for your listening pleasure. Four songs, no titles, just the band's moniker scrawled onto a surprisingly noisy "low noise" tape.  This sounds like a rehearsal demo, as opposed to a proper studio recording, but their delivery is awkward and disjointed, and it suits them perfectly.  Plodding and frustrating UK punk, the third songs gets my vote, if only for the guitar solo that has no business anywhere near the rest of the song.

CRACK IN THE BRICKWORK

BTF

I frequently post tapes by bands about whom I have little or no information, but this one takes the cake.  The tape is unmarked, there is nothing on the cover besides the scan you see above, and I can't really even be sure that BTF is indeed the name of the band.  And the music is even more mysterious; tripped out space dub with dark anarcho punk vocals, it's like PINK FLOYD, ZOUNDS and HAWKWIND teamed up to make a record and decided to take acid and listen to reggae instead.  Favorites include tracks 04, which is more on the punk end of the spectrum, 07, which is just truly fucking bizarre.  Of course, I would relish any information anyone might have about this tape...the more you listen, the better it gets.  Trust me.

BTF

UNARM

Blazing Japanese noise punk assault from Tokyo's UNARM.   This band shares a drummer with KRIEGSHOG, but their style of chaos is way more over the top.  The female vocals are strained and urgent, the guitars are like buzzsaws that morph into swarms of fighter planes dive bombing your sanity (ok, that comparison might have been a little bit much, but seriously, the guitars sound fucking mean).   Ultra intense and way blown out hardcore, 5 songs in 10 minutes (one of them a CROCODILE SKINK tune, for the Japanese hardcore nerd), a perfect way to start your week.

ENDLESS EXPLOITATION

ILLEGITIMATE SONS OF JACKIE O

ILLEGITIMATE SONS OF JACKIE O were a fucking bulldozer of freaked out noise every time I saw them.  This demo is equal parts tortured hardcore and drug addled psychedelic fuzz, and it is still superb 19 years later.  The SONS were from Tulsa, and started clearing rooms in the mid/late 80s...it seemed that a town that was (at the time) best known for NOTA and the Confederate Hammer Skinheads didn't take too kindly to a 6'4" rail thin weirdo spazzing out and screaming the words to "Freaked Out Hippie Queer." The weirdo was Dan Riffe, and his guitar work was from another planet (as were his vocals); just wave after wave of distorted bliss, with wailing awkward leads that would hit you in the face like a spitwad that was equal parts JIMI HENDRIX and East Bay Ray.  Their live shows were the closest thing to Land Speed Record that I will ever see, just a total assault on every thing you though you knew about punk...after getting crushed by a dozen 90 second bursts of sweat and frustration, ILLEGITIMATE SONS might deliver "Danse O' The Sun Faerie," a six minute (or longer) three note psych jam that seemed to exist for Dan to channel demons and materialize them in the form of chorus pedals and feedback while Chris and John plodded and pounded away on a dirty groove that could continue indefinitely...and I never wanted it to end.  Dan moved to Norman in '92 or so, and joined my mediocre band after we booted our self righteous singer, but it turned out that he was every bit as bizarre as he appeared to be and the union (and the band) didn't last long. He also fronted THE BRUTAL GARDENERS (which I was in as well) and released a brilliant solo tape as  VAN GOGH'S EAR, all of which will make it onto Terminal Escape eventually. Through Dan, I discovered everything from WRETCHED and TERVEET KADET to NON...these are very important friends to have in Oklahoma, and I owe him a lot. ILLEGITIMATE SONS OF JACKIE O had a couple of vinyl releases as well, one on Dallas label Scratched Records and another one I've never been able to track down.  They look like shit, they are both amazing, but since you probably don't have them, I'll tide you over with this demo.

Here Come The Sons

TIREFIRE

From the bloodcurling scream that opens the demo (and the dismissive "fuck off" that immediately follows) to the double bass assault of the questionably titled final track "Bomb The Homeless," this New Orleans black metal band manage to channel VENOM more effectively than just about anything I've come across.  TIREFIRE are hatefilled (if listening to the riffing isn't enough, try out "Punched On Principle"), funny (may I offer "Posercaust" and "Sideswiped By The Antichrist" as examples?), and appear to not enjoy marijuana (the opening track "Eyehateweed" gave me that impression).  This demo is a perfect combination of raw and brutal death/black metal with molasses laden confrontational southern crust.  Maybe they aren't the coolest dudes to hang out with...but shit man, I just hang out with hippies and freaks and queers out here in San Francisco, so what the shit do I know, right?  I know this tape sounds good, and that's about it.

MICROWAVE 2009

BEAST

20 tracks, just under one hour of raw disjointed UK punk from 1984. Beast starts off with four live tunes from TOXIC WASTE ("if nobody dances we're gonna play the set twice!") whose drummer struggles to keep up that UK punk beat...sometimes successfully.  DV8 are disjointed and dreary mid tempo punk, with a singer who struggles as much as the TOXIC WASTE drummer, with notably less success. "Mindless Violence" from THE LEGION is a killer UK82 ripper, and DEAD MONKEYS are drunk, though "Pitts Blitz" is a great number.  LOOK BACK IN ANGER are the stars of the tape, female fronted goth punk with an obvious nod to SIOUXSIE on the vocals, and JON DRISCOLL wraps up the first side with a manipulated and tweaked spoken word track.  Side 2 starts with the compilation's namesake BEAST, who sound as if the band never showed up and the singer went at the set alone, but that is followed up by two live CULT MANIAX tunes, the first of which sounds like BAUHAUS.  Beast ends on an upswing, with three more killer tracks from THE LEGION, two from LOOK BACK IN ANGER (they are just as great as the tune on the first side), and the best song on the tape from FRIENDS OF THE LEGLESS; a KBD worthy burner called "He Is A Fat Bastard" that unfortunately cuts off before the song reaches its natural end.  Admittedly live and often rough, this is a killer hour of UK punk to satisfy your Friday yearnings.  You were yearning, weren't you?  Yeah, I thought so.

HAD ENOUGH OR D'YER WANT SOME MORE?! (Side 1)

PLAY LOUD AND BOOGIE DOWN...MAN (Side 2)

BRAIN DAMAGE

A raging 1983 demo from yet another mystery band.  Absolutely ripping UK hardcore, with a few rather typical tracks (the vocals on "Nothing Left" are textbook sing-song punk, and "Survive" is a superb, though by-the-books number), but a couple of these songs are total standouts (especially "Believe In Me," which is a complete scorcher but features a posi-core chorus that would make 7 SECONDS proud, not exactly what the UK was churning out in '83). BRAIN DAMAGE hailed from Scotland, graced us with this seven track ripper, and then two of these songs appeared on a 1986 BCT compilation...that's all folks.

DEATH TO TIMMY POP

THE UNEXPECTED

From all of the reviews I have been able to track down of THE UNEXPECTED's sole EP, these New Jersey miscreants didn't exactly take the world by storm, but hearing this demo today makes my hair stand on end.  The mid tempo dirge "Gimme Some Weed" seems like it is absolutely struggling to not take of and run away at breakneck speed, the drummer keeps awkwardly picking up the tempo and then reigning himself in.  The guitar leads that sneak into every song make me think that the axeman from UNEXPECTED probably went on to join a shitty metal band at some point in the 80s, but his work on these tracks is pure hardcore fury. "Bad Habits" and "Hay Hoe Ha" appear on the band's 1984 EP (and they might be the two weakest tunes on the demo, which could explain the ho-hum reviews), and they had some killer cuts on the BCT Hardcore Amerika tape that Enterruption was kind enough to reissue a few years back.  "Pro Of Society" is the absolute highlight of the tape, 1:04 of pure fucking hate and frustration that explode into machine gun drums and the line "is this true? / is this life? / is this society?!?!" ...what more do you need? I'm guessing 1983 for this demo, as the versions of the EP and comp tracks are a little dirtier (dirtier means earlier, right?), I think I'm going to drop a postcard in the mail to the address on the tape, it was probably some dude's mom's house, and maybe she still lives there.  Stay tuned...

THE UNEXPECTED

THE HIVE

This demo from 1985 might lose a few people, but for folks like me who were reared on new wave and then came to punk, THE HIVE is perfect.  Comparisons to THE MISSION or early SISTERS are appropriate, and the keyboards (ever present and high in the mix) are borrowed straight from Head On The Door era CURE.  The bouncy start of "Easy Come, Easy Go" sounded incredibly familiar when I first listened, and I thought it might be a TIMELORDS cover tune (it isn't), and there's a keyboard lead in "Omega" that takes me right back to midwestern dance clubs in the 80s (how fast am I losing punk points here?). Five songs here, in just over 20 minutes...all well crafted numbers, and I like this demo a lot (though not nearly as much as I would have had it passed through my life in 1985). I'm sure that THE HIVE had ambitions far loftier than a 24 year old cassette tape and a daily audio blog based half a world from their home of Leeds, but sometimes that's all you get.

THE HIVE

This one is for PRESSVRE, you asked for more goth sounded shits, hopefully this one meets your request, cheers.

RAUH

I'm not sure when this masterpiece was released, but I picked it up a few weeks ago in Olympia, and it is pure noise genius. Abrasive, harsh, painful, disconcerting noise...this collection is called Tunnel Vision.  Happy monday, my friends!

TUNNEL VISION

ANGRY SON

When I moved to Norman, Oklahoma in 1990, this band was the thing of fucking legends.  They had gone on tour, and they had played in California...and they had released a vinyl record (a split EP with San Francisco's FUEL, a record which I still enjoy).  All of these were goals that I only dreamed of achieving, but knew that I likely never would, so I lived vicariously through the stories of ANGRY SON going on tour, and of other Oklahoma bands meeting people we thought to be famous and seeing things we though to be exotic. It was at least something if you knew someone who knew people who had done something...that was better than nothing.  Listening back now, this ANGRY SON demo fits right in line with a lot of 90s DIY hardcore, I can imagine them playing Oklahoma with AVAIL on the Satiate tour, and it makes perfect sense (I don't know if they did, I'm just saying it seems like it would have been a good fit). We heard that when ANGRY SON toured to California, they got into a fight and broke up in San Francisco, and that the band left the singer there without so much as bus fare to get home...I have no idea if that story is true, but I certainly hope that it is.  Not out of any malice towards the singer, but simply because it's a good story, and good stories tend to get retold quite a lot, so they might as well be true, right? Members of ANGRY SON went on to join and form other Oklahoma bands like CLOVIS and SLUGFUZLE...and here is the ANGRY SON demo from 1991.

YESTERDAY

SECRET SERVICE

What is it about Albany?  I mean, it's pretty nice, and the leaves turn all kinds of beautiful colors in the fall, and there are lots of nice people, but I don't understand how this small upstate New York college town can crank out such a disproportionate number of killer punk bands.  NUCLEAR FAMILY and ECFU (who are, if I may indulge in a rhyme, "technically from Schenectady") have already been featured on The Escape, and today i give you the SECRET SERVICE demo to help you ride your bicycle down the cold and rainy streets dodging cars and idiots along the way (it's cold and rainy where I am, not sure about you).  I get a distinct Dangerhouse feel from this demo, but what I hope that you will get is a sweet punk tape that will make your day just a little better than it was before you stopped by.

SECRET SERVICE

THRASH METAL!!

This whole "Friday mix tape" plan is working out well...for me at least.  Ripping demos is totally fun, but sitting down and checking out mix tapes that folks took the time to put together years back (when mix tapes were more than just "playlists") is truly a joy.  Take this week, for example...after a few days of pure 80s UK punk glory, I decided to check out the imaginatively titled Various Thrash Metal, and enjoyed every minute of it, as I'm sure you will.  Maybe starting off with ABATTOIR's "Ace Of Spades" cover is a little cheeky, but the song rips, so the tape maker is forgiven.  And perhaps following that up with classic tracks from SLAYER and METALLICA is just a little typical, but the sweet JAGUAR track that sits in the clean up spot is brilliant, and PHANTOM LORD comes up next, so this tape maker clearly knows their shit.  After EXODUS, Side 1 wraps up with a few punk tunes: BAD RELIGION (DIRECT CONTROL totally lifted the guitar lick from "Only Gonna Die," good work!), FUs, and a 0:07 ripper from SICK PLEASURE.  Nice!  Side 2 kicks of in a questionable manner...a Nancy Sinatra cover by MEGADETH?  Ouch.  But in rapid succession, VOIVOD, ANTHRAX and VENOM wipe that bad idea out of my memory, while FEAR, RAZOR, and ONSLAUGHT make for a raging mix.  NUCLEAR SOCKETS (who the fuck is this?  song rules!) and another track from PHANTOM LORD close out the mix...just download the whole thing, listen and THRASH!!

VARIOUS THRASH METAL

FOUR MINUTE WARNING

This one is for 'living in the 80s,' who asked for FOUR MINUTE WARNING stuff a while back.  Six of these 11 tunes were on the Fiddler In The Furnace and HMMMM... compilation tapes (both excellent jams that will appear here eventually), and then there are five other tunes to round out the A side.  Flip the tape and there are re-recordings of five songs, done in what was probably a far more expensive studio with the addition of keyboards and other crazy magic.  Passionate raw UK punk, FOUR MINUTE WARNING are just simply fucking ace, and with cacophonic messes like "Tribal War' ("black leather jacket / blue jeans / greased hair / you know what it means / you fight the wars in the street / until your plan is complete"), there is really no way to go wrong.

ONCE POSSIBLE // NOW PROBABLE

And here are the tracks from the B side:

FOUR MINUTE WARNING demo

BENJAMIN LAMPSHADE

I beg of you, don't be turned off by the ridiculous title of this post, because this 1988 demo from BENJAMIN LAMPSHADE  is a gloriously noisy dirge of dark UK punk.  Equal parts KILLING JOKE, UK DECAY and BAUHAUS, with guitar leads that would sound just as at home on a ZOUNDS record as it would a SCRATCH ACID release, and a hollow affected guitar tone that won me over 20 seconds into "The Madman's Waltz." These tracks were recorded at Soundstar in London in 1988, and the band's contact was Phil, on Palmerston Road...so Phil, drop me a line will you?  I need more of this BENJAMIN LAMPSHADE shits!!  Brilliant.

BENJAMIN LAMPSHADE

CAPTAIN BEYOND

CAPTAIN BEYOND fly just under the radar of most casual prog/psych fans, though even a cursory listen to their first two albums, 1972's self titled Captain Beyond and Sufficiently Breathless, released the following year, leaves me baffled as to why they aren't considered the cream of the crop.  Formed by the IRON BUTTERFLY rhythm section (that's the "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" IRON BUTTERFLY, in case you were wondering) and former DEEP PURPLE frontman Rod Evans (who thankfully left DEEP PURPLE after "Hush" and before In Rock, clearing the way for Ian Gillan to lay down vocal licks on what might be my favorite heavy rock album of all time) in 1972 but quickly parted ways the following year after delivering two masterpieces.  But two records just weren't enough, and in 1977 CAPTAIN BEYOND reformed with Will Daffern taking over vocal duties (yeah dude, your guess is as good as mine) and brought us Dawn Explosion before breaking up yet again. Dawn Explosion is completely overlooked, even by fans of the first two records, perhaps because Daffern's vocals don't really hold a candle to Evans', but even though "Sweet Dreams" sounds like a million other coke addled 70s schlock ballads, if you can make your way through its 5 1/2 minutes, then you are rewarded with 6 minutes of "Fantasy," a killer driving boogie rock number that wraps up the first side.  Likewise, side two is all about the last track; after two pretty good 70s rock jams and one total stinker, "Space Interlude" gives way into "Oblivion," which is a prog nerd's dream track and just simply jams so much that it makes it hard for me to make my breakfast (which is probably why prog nerds mostly listen to KING CRIMSON at night after doing a little mary jane, I'm guessing) and then fades right back into "Space Reprise" to close out the tape.

Dawn Explosion

Oh yeah, this is ripped off of cassette, just to maintain what pathetic integrity a tape-only blog might be able to claim.

REBEL ARMY

It's a bit of a disappointment when my favourite demos are from the bands about whom I know the least, and REBEL ARMY are certainly one of my favourites. Here are five mid tempo plodding UK punk numbers that would have fit very nicely alongside THE MOB, BLYTHE POWER, LACK OF KNOWLEDGE and the like, from a band who appeared on third Bullshit Detector compilation and then appears to have faded into obscurity. The keyboards are sparse, but their use on "Insane" is absolutely brilliant, and shows how great this band might have become had they kept writing and recording (maybe they did?  anyone got any hidden gems?). This is about to be the best 20 minutes of your day.

REBEL ARMY demo

doG

It was 1991, and it came from Ardmore, Oklahoma.  "It" was THE SYMPHONY, and when they arrived in Norman it seemed to my relatively small and unworldly-wise group of friends and acquaintances that they were "the real deal."  They wore all black, all the time, and they seemed to actually enjoy DIAMANDA GALAS and EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN, as opposed to most of us who just talked about how mysterious and cool they were. They played dark and brooding post rock music, and they always seemed relatively serious even though they were all very nice once you got to know them.  It was a far cry from our small world of joke punk bands and throwing confetti and peanut butter at the audience and taking our clothes off instead of writing songs...not that one avenue is better than the other, mind you...they are just different.  One half of THE SYMPHONY also gave me this tape by "doG," which might be the first piece of musical 4 track experimentation I ever properly laid ears on, and some 16 years later it's still a pretty damn good listen. While the repeated "satan! satan! satan!" sample in "Freezin' Beez In The Summer Time" might get a little old, the backwards Roy Orbison samples in "Tribute To Roy O" are mesmerizing, the "Intro To Psychedelia" really did sound like drug music to a dude (this dude) who had never taken drugs, and "H" sounds like an elevator's muzak soundtrack on a really really bad trip. I'm not going to try to pretend that doG were visionaries or that they were light years ahead of their time, but these 7 tracks are pretty fucking ace, and I challenge you to listen to "The Side Song" and not either chuckle or smile knowingly at the simple and poignant brilliance of its lyrics.  I had occasional arguments with my girlfriend in 1992 about how I was not nearly as fun-loving and fun to be around as the fellows from THE SYMPHONY (specifically Jesse and Derek, who collaborated on this doG recording), and I'm pretty sure that the girlfriend in question is now happily married to one of them. So I suppose things worked out pretty well for all involved, don't you think?

Indian Clayton's Brown Dog Back Yard Habitat: The Album

W.D.M.

Scorching Finnish hardcore for your chilly Saturday night, courtesy of W.D.M. and Terminal Escape.  W.D.M. started in the early 80s, and were nice enough to grace us with a couple of killer singles, one of which you can snag from 7inchcrust (along with a nice band history).  These songs are demo versions of the Tomorrow's Gone EP (that you can get from Crustcracker) along with an instrumental track that doesn't appear on the single...great tunes, super aggressive but they still get stuck in your head, that means it's good damn punk.

Tomorrow's Gone demos

ALTERNATIVE SOUTH WEST

Fridays are for compilations and mix tapes, and today's installment is a solid hour of punk from England's SouthWest.  Bands that I've featured before on The Escape like WAR TOYS, SELF ABUSE, and a brilliant dark track from ADMASS, along with loads of ragers from lesser known bands like DEAD ROSE, SCREAMING DISORDER (listen to the track, how appropriately named they are), HYSTERIA, CONTORTED VENGEANCE and loads more.  A few of the tracks are live and a few are just simply rough, but even live, CULT MANIAX are fucking stellar.  Never Surrender fanzine from Devon compiled this cassette in 1983, and I present it to you in honor of Kate's birthday (though I'm not sure how much Kate actually like blasting THE POSSESSED while writing her book, I wish her a happy birthday nonetheless).

Alternative South West Side 1

Alternative South West Side 2

BASE OF BASS

I find these sounds to be very sonically pleasing.  Please enjoy.

LOW END BEHOLD

PROLETARIART

20 minutes of live and raw Japan hardcore for your Wednesday pleasure.  Equal parts Burning Spirits worship and modern crust, with a vocalist that sounds more Japanese than any singer I've heard in a long long time (he reminds me of a more chaotic version of the singer for EARTHQUAKE, but I would guess that reference is probably lost on most folks?).  I would guess that these kids are pretty young, but that's really just a hunch.  Several of the song titles are in Japanese, so instead of faking it, I've scanned the track listing for those of you who are more worldly than I....

PROLETARIART 2009.06.20

KINIT HER

This tape comes as close to being indescribable as just about anything I've heard in a long long time.  An airy recording places most of the instruments in a cloud of sound that envelops you, rather than just presenting music for your enjoyment.  The vocals were a bit off putting at first, falling somewhere between COCTEAU TWINS (the second mention of this band in two days) and THE CHIPMUNKS, but by the end of the first track I was mesmerized.  So many elements on As Magi just don't seem like they should work together, but they do so perfectly, and now I find myself with a new obsession.  Check them out (here) after you download this Tuesday morning oddness.

AS MAGI

FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN

South London genre bending anarcho/art/goth punk circa 1982/3.  FLOWERS IN THE DUSTBIN seem to have lived on another plane(t), and the result on this demo is disjointed, awkward, out of tune and engaging dark punk.  There's a lengthy interview/history courtesy of Lance Hahn (from one of his many anarcho punk profiles in Maximum Rocknroll) that covers the band's past in great depth, and from that article you can hit the band's download page and enjoy their entire catalog (might I suggest starting with the brilliant Freaks Run Wild In The Disco?  yes, I might).  "All Fool's Day" appears on their 1985 Mortarhate EP in a much cleaner version, but for me, the out of time and out of tune approach to this demo is most excellwent.  In terms of influences, bassist Chas says: "Between the first SEX GANG CHILDREN album in 1983 and THE FALL's Bend Sinister in 1986, the only contemporary music that excited me was ours and the only contemporary band I listened to was the COCTEAU TWINS (THE DOORS I remember as being a band we all liked?)." And the singer's response: "I think we all liked the COCTEAUs, I hated THE FALL."

ALWAYS ANOTHER DOOR

WANT ON THOUGHT

Rudimentary 80s punk/metal crossover from the UK.  Seven tracks from WANT ON THOUGHT, but the track "Missile Of Peace" is really enough to make the whole demo worthwhile...mid tempo punks shits played by a band that seems like they want to be metal, they just haven't quite figured out how to not be punks yet (in that sense, they remind me a lot of FUNEROT, who I just saw in Olympia). DRI cover to finish off the demo, in case there was any question as to their motivations and inspirations.

ED BISHOP

I'm still on tour with LAUDANUM and BLACK GANION, drop by The Relax Bar in West Hollywood or The Boulevard in Boyle Heights Saturday and say hello.  Daily posts will resume on Monday.  Cheers...

INTENSIFIED

For years I was baffled by the punks' seemingly collective interest in ska and reggae, and then something just clicked. I'm still not a total fan, and certainly nothing approaching an expert, but I've amassed a few records, and I certainly enjoy putting them on from time to time (people still keep telling me that if only I smoked weed, all would become clear...in music and in life, but I digress...).  It shouldn't come as a surprise that in amongst a heap of tapes from an old UK punk were a few ska cassettes, mostly compilations like this one, titled Intensified.  The subtitle, Original Ska: 1962-66, pretty much explains it,  and here is 45 minutes of killer first wave jams to satisfy my self imposed friday compilation obligation.  Skank your week goodbye with the likes of TOMMY COOK, ROLAND ALPHONSO, STRANGER COLE and loads more.

INTENSIFIED

Also, I'm going on a short tour again...leaving in about 10 minutes in fact.  I'll be driving for Oakland's LAUDANUM and BLACK GANION from Nagoya, Japan, and both will be delivering heavy blows to cities up and down the west coast.  Stop by and say hello if you are in the area (or if we will be in yours), and expect another post around Thanksgiving day. Cheers...

PERDITION

Someone mentioned this New York band in a comment on the NERVESKADE post, and I was reminded that I hadn't listened to this bad boy in quite a while.  So I listened to it.  It's still noisy as shit. 6 tracks of rehearsal room recorded raw punk chaos from PERDITION...enough said.

There's Only Freedom In Death

SMILES

Bristol's SMILES fall right in line with CONVULSIONS among bands that have came out of the shadows of the past and knocked me right out of my seat.  These four simple songs are shoved right down your throat; up yer arse UK punk..."Junkie" is such a brilliant burner that it's worth the whole tape (unfortunately the song cuts off before its natural end...ordinarily I might have left it off the post, but the song is too fucking good).  This might be a tired statement by now on Terminal Escape, but I don't know anything at all about this band, so any information would be appreciated.  I have two tapes from 1985 and a pretty rough 50 minute rehearsal demo...all great stuff, but this demo takes the prize.  Enjoy!

SMILES

FALSE SECURITY

I was tempted to fuck with the band's song order and start of this tape with the second track, "Blockaded," because it has one of the best guitar intros ever...so simple, and so perfect.  But I can't justify distorting someone else's vision, so you get the tracks in their intended sequence, and prepare to have your face pummeled by FALSE SECURITY, a short lived hardcore band from Brooklyn.  The hollow menacing bass intro to "Closed Circle" brings to mind NEGATIVE APPROACH more than any of the dozens of bands who've tried to make a career based on aping Detroit's finest, and the frantic vocals in "Their Dark Places" sound frightened and urgent.  Hollow, menacing, frightened, urgent...all adjectives that should be used to describe hardcore.  Think midwest hardcore, think 80s rust belt depression, and that's the feeling that FALSE SECURITY dish out...well written and well delivered songs that never made it to vinyl.

FALSE SECURITY

NABAT

NABAT were a relatively prolific Italian skinhead band through about 1985, with a handful of EPs and several comp appearances under their belts.  I first heard them on the Skins E Punks=T.N.T. compilation EP along with RAPPRESAGLIA and DIOXINA (the latter has a live set on the other side of this cassette that I will post eventually) and thought they stole the comp.  This live set from 1983 is pretty ripping, save the hideously long pauses between songs (which I have edited for your listening pleasure, because I am a nice fucking guy), and there is something overly endearing about listeing to a bunch of skinheads shout Oi! this and Oi! that, and then wrap up the evening with a very polite sounding "Ciao!"

NABAT live in Cesena, Italy

OUT OF ORDER

An excellent dark punk demo from OUT OF ORDER.  They appeared on a couple of comps after this tape was released in 1983, but I don't think they ever made it onto a vinyl release of their own (please correct me if I'm wrong).  This reminds me of UK DECAY quite a bit, especially "Parental Upbringing,"and it seems that OUT OF ORDER could have easily gone a less punk, more new wave route, but fortunately for us, this tape is quality mid tempo brooding punk.  Highlights include the scorching "Sent To Slaughter" and the KILLING JOKE-esque "Death Trap." Hi-quality shits for your Sunday, enjoy!

Out Of Order

Also...for those who haven't checked it out, there's a killer blog that concentrates on Eastern European punk (specifically Czech Republic and Slovakia). Muzika Komunika is one of my favorite blogs, and today's F.P.B. post put them over the top.  Certainly among the best European bands ever, in my opinion, and you should really check it out.

HOUSECLEANING

Today is Saturday, and I got no plans other than cleaning the house and picking my wife up from the airport.  While I can't exactly carry an "airport arrival" metaphor over to Terminal Escape, I have been doing a bit of housecleaning of previous posts, so here goes:

THE DECEASED
All the way back to my first post.  Originally I was posting each song as a separate .wav file, which was time consuming for you and me both, and just generally inefficient.  Here's the demo properly mp3'ed and all zipped up.

THE CAUSE
Same as above. And yeah, Gabe, I know you still want the Violence demo.  It's coming.

SALAD FROM ATLANTIS
Likewise, this one is properly uploaded now. But more importantly, I think this is one of the weirdest (read: best) tapes I've posted, and I think it might have gotten lost in the early days of Terminal Escape.  Hopefully some folks will revisit this one.

THE SNAPPING BOGSEATS
Mark from THE SNAPPING BOGSEATS was kind enough to send me a cdr with the complete Feed The People demo, which came with additional art and a song that my tape copy was missing.  The whole thing is available here now, but feel free to drop him a line if you fancy one of your very own.  His email is in the comments section of this post.

C.K.N.
This Dutch demo is one of my most ragingest posts, but I rocked the songs a few weeks back and realized that the order was all fucked up and some of the tunes were cut off in a rather annoying manner. Apologies, but it's fixed now.

PRE-MENSTRUAL TENSION
There's a wealth of info (especially compared to the absolutely nothing I knew about P.M.T. when I posted this tape) in the comments section, but more importantly I've rezipped the demos with the tracks properly named and there is a link to their second demo as well (thanks to System//Sabotage//Chaos for both!).

STATE OF CONFUSION
This compilation was kinda confusing with the track order all jumbled.  Should be sorted out now.

OCCULT BLOOD
Somebody was kinda drunk when they posted this killer bit of Australian noise torture.  And apparently they forgot to post the second side of the demo, which is (of course) way better than the brilliant A side.  Get assaulted.

NEW ZEALAND MIX
Apparently "Son Of A Gun" was corrupt.  That's one of the best songs on the damn tape, and I can't let you people miss out on it!

CHEST PAIN
I know that the newer shit might not appeal to as many folks, but this Texas band fucking kills, and they were kind enough to send a link to their tracks from a recent vinyl release to go along with the demo.  Enjoy.

ANTI STATE CONTROL
This one was a mess, as I had tried to guess song titles based on drunken between song banter from the band members at the rehearsal where they recorded this tape.  Suffice to say: my guesses were not exactly correct.  Thankfully, Mark from ASC filled in the gaps, so I've renamed and rezipped the songs, this time as one 19 song download for your ease and convenience.  Mark also sent along a few photos which I've added to the post.

THE CONVULSIONS
This band of teenagers made one of my favourite tapes ever, so imagine my excitement when Phil from THE CONVULSIONS sent over a whole slew of songs I had never heard before (and some live shits, and even an more awesome version of "Electro Convulsive Therapy")!  These new tracks are now up along with the original demo, with Phil's blessing.  His email is in the comment section, and I bet he would sell you a copy of the CD he's made with all THE CONVULSIONS material.

I came across a few other posts, mostly from the earlier days, that I feel deserve an additional mention.  If nothing else, then perhaps someone new to Terminal Escape might feel inclined to go back and check out a tape they might have missed out on the first time around.  BILE is just a brilliant brilliant mess, I listened to this every day on tour, much to the annoyance of many of my fellow passengers.  New Zealand's SPERMICIDE are a sloppy feminist mess who made a killer tape. QUESTION are one of the best bands in the US currently, absolutely blistering.  And speaking of blistering, A Small Dose Of Anticipatory Retaliation from Australia's 4 THOUSAND MILLION is a total scorcher, and I would hate for it to get overlooked.

That should get us up to date, and now that I've cleaned up my virtual "man room," I think I should put away the dishes.  Cheers.

THRASHER THE CAT'S FAVES

Friday comp tapes are back, kids! To reward your patience during my recent absence, I'm dishing out a full 90 minutes of 80s punk and hardcore from Retaliation Records.  A few tracks from each band, and this comp has some serious heavyweights like LEGION OF PARASITES (whose tracks on this comp are fucking smoking, even if their sound quality is a little blown out...ok, it's a lot blown out, but the tunes rule), NEGATIVZ (don't know much about them, but they contribute my favorite songs here), Germany's ANEEB with some rudimentary D-Punk, minimal ska from 3/D SCREAM, killer early 80s USHC from THE DETONATORS (the only US band on the comp), brilliant tracks from Greece's EX-HUMANS (I never understand how some bands, like this one, are so totally ignored) and more (I know it's hard to imagine more, but I swear it's true).  I can only assume that Thrasher was indeed a cat, but thankfully this feline had impeccable taste in punk, and I thank her human for putting these bands together for us to enjoy. My tape came with photocopies of the label stickers...so I felt compelled to scan them in for you, which I'm certain everyone will appreciate immensely, right?  Happy compilation listening!

THRASHER LOVES THESE TRACKS - SIDE ONE

SHE LOVES THESE SONGS TOO - SIDE TWO