LOW CULTURE

This gem got slipped into my greedy tape loving palms when I passed through Las Cruces, New Mexico this past summer.  Chris and I had crossed paths a few times, and he managed to pull off a damn fun show for us even though their little metropolis had hosted touring outfits seven days in a row, a tough sell in any city. In hindsight, my only complaint is that I didn't get to see LOW CULTURE play that night, and hopefully there will be a repeat performance so we can fix that. Insanely catchy (and yeah, I'm sure lots of people will say 'poppy') jams that have a je ne sais quoi similar to HICKEY or JAY REATARD. I can't necessarily tell you exactly why or how LOW CULTURE are awesome, I can just tell you that you need these four songs. Sort out the lyrics to "31" and it'll validate you, I promise. You might not know it, but you do.

LOW CULTURE

NOISE DISTRACTION

1992's Die A Peaceful Death full length is a screamer, but this recording (an advance for the then unreleased Agitate Power flexi) is some next level shit. Full throttle Japanese hardcore with thrash metal energy and blistering solos and a relentless pace. This is the most essential 7 minutes of your day.

AGITATE POWER

AD NAUSEAM

Decades before the current wave of kids cranking out meticulously distorted and deliberately fukkd sounds there were waves of kids bashing out their own brand of desperate sounds. These blown out aural explosions laid the foundation for years of careful imitators, many of whom would make sounds far more memorable than the accidental originators. There are exceptions of course...enter AD NAUSEAM. Plodding and painful UK anarcho punk from 1982 delivered amidst complete chaos and a whir of analog distortion. The guitar alone could be a blueprint for countless hangers on, but these songs have so much more to offer than unintentional mastery of an EQ knob. Songs like "What A State" are worthy of DISORDER level accolades, and "Daddy Daddy" is a legit UK82 burner, but it's all hiding under a wall of fuzz (this is either a deal breaker or deal maker depending on how noisy you like your noise punk). Included are the 10 song demo and a 30+ minute live set from Winchester Art College - and you just thought the demo was chaotic. The political punk construct blown to oblivion, think THE DECAY and CHROME trying to bash their way through a set of primitive first wave hardcore...this shit is raw.

AD NAUSEAM

RAD

Maybe I should have included the This Is Not A Final War demo when I was shoving Bay Area's finest into your earholes, but I forgot. Sometimes I make mistakes. Sacramento's RAD do not make mistakes on this demo, they just thrash. Bratty and infectious female fronted fastcore mania of the highest caliber, RAD rip through 11 songs in less than four and a half minutes, and there is not a second wasted. Sometimes "Creepout Crew" leaves a bit to be desired, but I think the song is a bit tongue in cheek so I'll give it a pass...but every other second on this tape is nothing short of magic. I'm ashamed to tell you how many times I have blasted the shit of this while pumping fists and raging the shit out of an invisible guitar while sitting on the Terminal Escape Throne (a dumpstered office chair that constantly wants to roll down an uneven concrete incline into a dumpstered desk, in case you were wondering), so instead I'll tell you that RAD take '80s USHC a la 7 SECONDS and YOUTH BRIGADE and ram it into a time and place translator to give it DS-13 and TOTAL FURY energy...and then they play it faster. Like a LOT faster. This is awesome and this is addictive - you have been warned.

THIS IS IS NOT A FINAL WAR

MUTANT VIDEO

I waited a while on this one, assuming that everyone would order their own personal copy anyway. In case you didn't, or in case you just didn't know, prepare yourself some of the darkest sounds on the planet. Uncomfortable synth drones more akin to what you might find at the bottom of the ocean than in the far corner of a smoky warehouse, but stamped with the most ordinary and easily digestible monikers; "Dinner Face," "Oil Change," "Comb Over," Business Expense" - you get the drill, right? This is what your life actually sounds like. Essential, and a notable progression from their already excellent debut release. 

"HEAD SCAN" - PART TWO

Another quality product from our friends at Iron Lung Records.

MUTANT VIDEO can be found here.

DAUERRAUSCH 4

A 21 band solidarity compilation released to support the Autonome Kulturzentrum in Hanau, Germany (a squat near Frankfurt,  active since 1986). Melodic acts like PEACE OF MIND and KELLERBASSELN reek of the catchy but powerful political punk of the '90s, while Poland's HOMOMILITIA start the tape off with relentless dual vocal crust. Other highlights include SCUM OF TOYTOWN (comparisons to early CHUMBAWAMBA are not out of line), ROTZLÖFFEL and GEHRINSCHLAG (totally blown out noise drenched D-Punk), KÜPPERS ROTE ZONENKUGEL and PANZERKROIZA POLPOTKIN, whose dark minute dirges could easily inspire new legions of goth obsessed jungen. The tradition of gruff German street punk is well represented also (REICH & SCHÖN, KINDLE, MARKSMAN), and while there are surely a couple of clunkers (30 songs here, what do you expect?) this is top quality from a slew of lesser know late '80s/early '90s acts. 

DAUERRAUSCH 4: A Soli-Sampler für das AKZ Hanau

WRETCHED WORST

The hand written sticker on the tape case read: Buzz-saw punk as balls bass bum-out! Have Fun! 

A few dollars and 21 minutes later I was a happy man.

WOMEN FROM RATS // HANGED FROM A CROSS