LUCHAR POR VIVIR

I know that thickneck hardcore probably isn't your thing, but holy shit does this tape totally hit the spot right now. Burly vocals (the growls and the rhythmic barking borrowed from hip hop), endless riffs that young men in basketball jerseys would do that stupid windmill dancing to in the late '90s...kinda makes me want to pull up my hood down real low over my face and look menacing. I'm not very good at it, but I still want to try. A total guilty pleasure here, and the fact that this tape is so primitive (and somewhat out of tune from time to time) might be what keeps me from purging it. I think they were from Uruguay...now Let's Go!!

INOCENTE MUNDO DE SUEÑUS

ULTIMO RAUSEA

This band has been flying under the radar for well over twenty years, but their rumbling, metallic Japanese hardcore attack has always resonated with me. It doesn't sound "cool," which is probably part of why I like it, but it sounds powerful, determined, and is more than weird enough to reel me in. Just four tracks on this demo, and there are three more here if you are interested. Someday I'll see them live and then I'll really be sold.

INCONSISTENT

SIOBHAN

An absolutely glorious journey, SIOBHAN cruises through five tracks of deconstructed minimal techno, just raw manipulated beats and an ambiance the teeters between industrial and dark psychedelia. The vibe created by Mind Court is literally and virtually mesmerizing, each track worms its way further under your skin. The fascinating world of the Nostilevo label continues to impress and amaze.

MIND COURT

MASSKONTROLL

There was a time in the '90s when I would buy absolutely anything with skeletons or dead bodies on the cover, provided that cover was black and white (and preferably blown out from excessive photo copying). I landed more than a few generi-crust duds as a result, but I was woefully unversed in the world of international hardcore at that stage of my punk growth, so I devoured all of the $1 singles I could get my paws on. I remember not liking MASSKONTROLL - the songs were too long and it was probably too close to metal (and metal was something I was trying to get away from), but upon revisiting this band nearly twenty years later....fuck! Yeah, it's kinda metal, but these dudes just annihilated the Swedish and Japanese hardcore/crust models, and they did it with a relentless fury rarely matched then or since. Absolute punishment, and the title track is as close to a legitimate hit as you'll find with a skeleton on the sleeve - even if there are only two riffs.

CARRION

GAY KISS

GAY KISS are pretty well documented on the internet, and the LP that dropped earlier this year is among the fiercest things to pass through my ears in a while. The vocals are unparalleled, and they somehow stick tenderness into music that is so relentlessly intense that I'm convinced that any hint of sensitivity must be an accident. This three track demo was released for their tour a few months back (obviously), and I wish I could tell you to listen to it and think of happy summer times...but this thing is every bit as bleak as the winter. It's hard to believe that the enthusiastic fastcore kid I stayed with in Phoenix on tour in 2004 has turned into the beast that is even partially responsible for this filth...

SUMMER 2013

HAPPY FARM

I'm at a loss for context here - late '80s is my best guess, crazy and slightly metallic anarcho punk with multiple female vocalists. The band name is a tough one to search for, and since I'm pretty sure than this isn't the late '80s Swedish HAPPY FARM then I look to you for any info. All I can say is that the songs are fukkn great, with "Right Is Right" and "Slaughter In The Faroe Isles" standing out as my two favorites...

HAPPY FARM

HIS HERO IS GONE

I don't really need to say anything about this one, do I? There are two kinds of punks, the ones who already have this and the ones who need it.

MEDICINE