Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Record a Day #5- TURMOIL "From Bleeding Hands" (1996)

Track Listing:
1. New Media
2. Fuse
3. Burning
4. Choke
5. 60-minute Void
6. From Bleeding Hands
7. Evolution of Lies
8. Starve
9. The Bridges
10. Spinning & Crashing

I have to admit, at first I wasn't even going to write about this album. I found TURMOIL because they are another Philadelphia band, not because I've ever heard any of their music before (or even them mentioned in conversation). Halfway through the first song I almost shut it off. Since I'm writing about it, I obviously didn't shut it off and move on to listen to something else.

The music on this album is very mosh heavy, but without anything that could really resemble a breakdown, if that makes any sense. Lyrically, the writing isn't anything special, and doesn't make up for the music that amounts to a lot of distorted noise. I have listened to this album several times for the purpose of giving my thoughts on it, and it has grown on me slightly, but not enough to give any words of encouragement for someone who might want to give it a listen. It's fair to say that this is on the lower side of middle of the road for me. Not the worst album I've ever listened to, but not anywhere near the best.

I will be giving TURMOIL another chance with their second full length ("From Bleeding Hands" is their first), "The Process of", at some point. Maybe my opinion will be different about that one.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Record a Day #4- Decontrol "Songs from the Gut" (1985)

Track Listing:
1. Young and Tired
2. Bunker
3. Deathwish
4. Holiday in New Jersey
5. Never Again
6. Philly Cops
7. Fascists
8. Pillhead
9. Too Much Pressure
10. Prostitute
11. Decontrol Theme
12. 1992

Decontrol is a band that I know virtually nothing about, and the amount of information that I could find on the internet about them is very limited. They were an early 80's Philly hardcore band, that from what I've been able to find is still playing (I don't know how recent/current that information is, so don't hold me to it) and just released their complete collection on one album.

I can't really determine where in their discography "Songs from the Gut" fits in, but from the limited info, I'm guessing this LP was their first. It's a classic album (according to Decontrol's website http://www.virgilavery.com/decontrol.htm), and I don't know that I can really disagree with that. 25 years after it was made, I'm listening to it, and seriously enjoying it. All the tracks are quick, and the whole album only lasts 15 minutes. The only track that I'm not a fan of is the instrumental, "Decontrol Theme". It's not bad musically, it just isn't as captivating as the rest of the songs.

This album along with their others are available on their "Songs from the Gut- The Complete Collection", and I definitely recommend getting it if you're into the old school early hardcore sound.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Record a Day #3 - The Ultimate Warriors "Our Gimmick is Wrestling" (2002)

Track Listing:
1. Bring the Danger
2. Totally Toryumon!
3. In Reference to Hardcore Kids
4. Teddy Ruxpin Moshed into Oblivion
5. Wrestling Praise
6. Stop Blocking Vmaas' Shots, Ugly
7. Knee Deep in Barbed Wire
8. Stoker I
9. The Warrior Scene is in Shape
10. Song About Wrestling
11. The Only Good Mark....
12. Do You Think Sexism is Wrong? Hey, So Do We!
13. Our Gimmick is Wrestling
14. Barbs, Bulbs, and Homna
15. Nazareth Streetlight Workout
16. Death of the Rebel
17. Test Press for Tino
18. Whitman Gives Me Diahrrea Face
19. I Object
20. Bob Magee Must Perish

I want to start off by saying that until I asked Mark if there were any local hardcore bands (like Rancor and Carpenter Ants) that he could think of, I had never heard of The Ultimate Warriors. After doing quite a bit of digging, I was able to find "Our Gimmick is Wrestling" for download (but without track 20) because it was only pressed as a vinyl LP, first in a run of 200 by White Denim records in 2002, and then later by Double Decker's Doppleganger Records in a run of 1000. From what I've been able to gather from the bits and pieces of info on the net, The Ultimate Warriors (from Nazareth) started off initially as a youth crew band with a wrestling gimmick, then morphed into a power violence band with a wrestling gimmick. This was my first experience with power violence, and I'm not to sure what to think about it.

The first time I listened to this album, it drove me nuts. The vocals are either an obnoxious high pitched squeal, or an obnoxious throaty growl. I did listen to it a few times, and it has grown on me. Even after listening to it the 6 or 7 times that I have (the 19 tracks total 21 minutes long), I have no fucking clue what any of the lyrics are. My enjoyment of the album comes purely from the blazing fast sonic assault of the music. It's not something I like enough to have on my iPod, but I burned it to a cd in case I ever have the urge to listen to it.

Changes

After being up all night (yet again), I've decided once again to make a change to "Record A Day". The last change was a pretty simple one since I just changed the name. However now I've decided I'm going to do my best to keep it relatively local (PA bands mostly with a few NJ and NY bands scattered in there). 5 days of the week will be these bands, and the 2 other days will be something random, maybe a rap cd or a "retro record of the week", where I would listen to an album that I've once owned (some might be shameful to admit, but I'll do it anyway) and see what I think about it now. The concept is staying basically the same, I'm just tweaking things as I go. Hopefully you will enjoy it.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Upcoming Shows

These are the shows that as of today, I know about. I'll add more as I hear about them










Record a Day #2 - Billy Club Sandwich "The Usual Suspects" (2008)


Track Listing:
1. Bodega
2. Turning Point
3. Far From the Truth
4. Bottom of the Barrel
5. Shark Tank
6. Ready to Halt
7. Bodega (En El Bloque Version)
8. The Usual Beat

Since I saw Billy Club Sandwich on Friday, I figured that I would give their newest EP a listen. "The Usual Suspects" was released in October of 2008 on Dead City Records.

All 8 tracks are aggressive with throaty vocals that are common in tough guy hardcore, but in no way are generic. Out of the 8 tracks, "Bodega" is the only one that I have a hard time understanding what the hell is being said (both versions). Every track musically promotes moshing with slow driving guitar and bass lines. "Turning Point" and "Shark Tank" are by far my favorite songs, not to slight the others. It's relatively long for an EP (at least from my limited experience), but it doesn't drag. Billy Club Sandwich is a great band, and it comes through in this EP, but seeing them live is even better.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Record a Day #1 - Carpenter Ant "I Still Have the Drive" (2005)

**This marks the debut of the new name, since some are LPs, EPs, and 7".... Enjoy


Track Listing:
1. You Don't Own the Road
2. Typed Out Setlist
3. Captain Firecrotch
4. Addiction
5. Clueless McCalihan
6. Get a Grip
7. Dairy Queen is Not a Meal
8. Hoagies in a Headlock
9. Are You One of Them?
10. White Belt Warriors
11. Men in Brown
12. Later Lousbag

Like Rancor, Carpenter Ant is another Allentown band. Also like Rancor, I heard a lot about them from Walt and Mark at shows. Especially the show where lead singer, Roy Carnage (real name Ray), did guest vocals with Walt's band at the time, Back to Back. One day, a few months ago, I got the serious urge to go to Double Decker records, and while I was rifling through the used CD's I found this. My eyes got big at the thought of inadvertantly finding the CD of a band I kept hearing positive things about. I snatched it up, and soon figured out the hype was right.

"I Still Have the Drive" is Carpenter Ants first LP, and was released by Double Decker's Doppelganger Records in 2005. The 12 tracks go by in a flash. Each one just as catchy as the last, if not more so. It's hard to say which one is best in my opinion. "Typed Out Setlist", "Captian Firecrotch", and "Are You One of Them?" are the three that I would say I like the most (but only if you held a gun to my head and made me choose). This CD is more than worth listening to, it's worth owning. As of right now (6:00 pm June 26th), cduniverse.com has 2 copies for sale.

Check out Bad American, Ray's new band (also includes Jamie from Rancor/Panic Attack). They're getting ready to take pre-orders for their first 7", and will be playing the 2010 Lehigh Valley Punk Rock Picnic on August 28th.

Billy Club Sandwich/Razorblade Handgrenade/Not Without a Fight/Sicker Than Most/Copout 6-25-10

Before I start, I want to let you know that the notes I took for this show were not nearly as detailed as the notes I took for the D.O.A. show. I didn't want to be attached to my Blackberry typing the whole time, especially since the crowd was light and I would stick out like a sore thumb. Eventhough it was a light crowd, it was a great show. Shout out to Walt and the rest of True Blue Promotions for putting together a kick ass line-up.


Copout

These guys came up from just outside of Philly with their lead guitarist filling in on vocals. If he wouldn't have told the crowd that, I would have never known the lead singer was in Belize and he was just covering. Their songs were quick and had great breakdowns. I'm eager to hear more of them.


Sicker Than Most

I wasn't really too fond of these guys. They had two guitar players (one looked a helluva lot like Toby Morse from H2O) and no bass player. There were moments that they sounded pretty good, but reverted back to the generic tough guy sound that they had in every single one of their songs. Couldn't understand a single one of their lyrics with the way the lead singer growled into the mic. I was planning on picking up their demo to give them a listen and see if this was just a bad show for them, but I forgot to grab one before we left.


Not Without a Fight

To say that Not Without a Fight's set started off with a few minor bumps, would be a serious understatement. They got all set up, and the bass cut out (Copout loaned them a bass). Once the bass issue was ironed out, the guitar cut out. After getting this problem fixed, their set finally started. While the length of time it took for them to start to actually play was frustrating for everyone involved, they played an extremely tight set. They sounded as good as they ever have, which considering how drunk they were (they admitted it several times each between songs) was a feat in itself. The crowd reacted positively to them, with dancing going on throughout. Pick up their full length CD at either one of their up-coming shows, or at Compact Disc Center in Bethlehem. I plan on it.


Razorblade Handgrenade

What can I say about Razorblade Handgrenade's set? They were fucking amazing. I've seen them once before and thought they were great then, but that was nothing compared to this time. Unfortunately there weren't many people upstairs to see them which sucked, but they still played their asses off. Their "stage" show is great, and they put everything they have into it. Their CD is great (it will be a CD a Day at some point in the near future), but their live show is even better. They have a couple of up-coming shows that unfortunately I can't make it to, but the next time they have a show that I can be at, bet your ass that I will be there.


Billy Club Sandwich

BCS was fucking amazing. As soon as they started playing, the crowd erupted (since every body came back upstairs to see them). They played a hard driving set and had their foot on the gas pedal from the first guitar riff. I've never been hit in the chest any where close to as hard as that tattooed girl hit me (she did it twice by the way). Walt told me the BCS was good, but tehy exceeded my expectations. Again, they are playing a few shows in the near future that I can't make it to, but I will be seeing them again as soon as I can.

Check out next weeks show at the Burner's and keep your eyes peeled for my write up on that one.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Thursday, June 24, 2010

CD a Day- Rancor "1995-1996 Collection" (2009 Promo)

Track Listing:
1. I Won't Take Part
2. I'm the Dick Again
3. Long Lost Brother
4. Till the End
5. Tuff Guy Contest
6. Gametime
7. Drug free
8. Still Holding On
9. Stop
10. Positive Thinking
11. Piece of Mind
12. Where Did It Go
13. I Won't Take Part

Initially I had a hard time figuring out what to do for today's CD a day (which is part of the reason it's going up so late, not that anyone notices haha). I came across this promo collection of Allentown's Rancor here on blogspot (http://bloggedquartered.blogspot.com), and after hearing talk of them at various shows from Walt and Mark, I thought I would give them a listen. I'm not disappointed that I did by any stretch of the imagination. I've already listened to it 7 times since this afternoon, and like it more each time I hear it.

This advanced promo for their upcoming discography CD (to be released by Youngblood Records sometime this year) has their 1995 Demo, "I Won't Take Part", and their follow up 7", "Flip the Switch". It's 13 tracks, and it flows nicely. All of the tracks have a sound reminscent of earlier youth crew bands, but also have an identity of their own. Everything that I've heard about Rancor is true. They were a great band, and I'm very glad that I found this promo. I know this is a short one today, but deal with it. The CD kicks ass, and I'm not going to beat that point to death by saying it more ways than I already have.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

CD a Day- 7 Seconds "The Crew" (1984)



*This CD a Day was suggested by the one and only Mark RoosterTrack Listing:
1. Here's Your Warning
2. Definite Choice
3. Not Just Boys Fun
4. This is Angry Part 2
5. Straight Out
6. You Lose
7. What If There's a War in America
8. The Crew
9. Clenched Fists, Black Eyes
10. Colourblind
11. Aim to Please
12. Boss
13. Young 'til I Die
14. Red and Black
15. Die Hard
16. I Have a Dream
17. Bully
18. Trust

7 Seconds first album "The Crew" is a classic hardcore album. If you've been one of the few reading my blog since the beginning (or at least went back and looked at the older posts) you're probably wondering "How can someone who hasn't been listening to hardcore very long make that statement?". Well, there are 3 reasons I can make it:

1) The album is from 1984, and even though I've just discovered it recently I love it. If it wasn't a classic album that stood the test of time, would that be true? I find it highly unlikely.

2) Mark Rooster loves this album, that alone would be enough for me to give it the benefit of the doubt

3) I checked on the internet to make sure I wasn't alone in my opinion, and I wasn't. Therefore, it must be true.

As I said above, the album was originally released in 1984. That version had 18 tracks. When it was released on CD in 1993 6 additional live tracks from a show at Fender's Ballroom, Long Beach, CA (June 1985) were added.

There isn't a bad song on this album. They all follow the same basic fast, melodic framework, but each song stands on it's own. Everytime I listen to this album (the orignal 18 track version), I get so absorbed by it that it just whizzes by. It's hard to talk about specific songs and not feel I'm slighting the others, what a silly thing to feel guilt over. "Not Just Boys Fun" is an anthem screaming for the acceptance of girls in the overtly macho 80's hardcore scene. "Colourblind" is another great song trying to make a change. As you may have guessed from the title, it's message is racial tolerance. The last 52 seconds of the song are Kevin Seconds rapping, which until you hear it might sound crazy, but it works. The song trails off on the line "and you have got to care enough to end the fight", it definitely gets the message across. Again, it's hard to pick just a few to talk about, but I feel like I'm being long winded. Go listen to the album, I promise you won't regret it.

One final thought courtesy of Kevin Seconds:

"Hey it's 1984, With a glimpse of what's in store, It looks like things are up to us, No talk, just action in the streets, That's what it's gonna take, No calm youth in the U.S.A....."- Opening line from "Here's Your Warning"

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

CD a Day- Down To Nothing "All My Sons" (2010)

Track Listing:
1. Number One
2. Set Sail
3. Gone for Summer
4. Undefeated
5. Pipeline
6. Monument

"All My Sons" is the newest release from Richmond, VA's Down To Nothing. This 6 track EP was released on April 6th by Reaper Records. I'm not very familiar with Down To Nothing (I've only heard their album "The Most" a few times), so I have no pre-concieved notions about them. At 10 minutes and 23 seconds it flies by. I've listened to it a few times, and each time it's gone by without anything really sticking out to me as memorable. I'm not saying that it's bad, there just isn't a song that grabbed me as being anything extraordinary. I do like it, but I wouldn't rank it as something that I would really have any need to listen to. In my honest opinion, this EP has a fairly generic sound. Maybe my opinion will change if I hear it more, but I'm not holding my breath.

Monday, June 21, 2010

CD a Day- F.o.D. "23" (1988)

Track Listing:
1. Geisha
2. 13 Years
3. You're Fucked
4. Abberation
5. Doors of Perception
6. Teen Beat
7. Going, Going, Gone
8. Love Song III
9. Brain Dead
10. Non-Stop Weekend
11. 40 oz. of Manhood
12. I Don't Know
13. All That You Need
14. This Beautiful Place
15. Out to Get You
16. Pop Goes the Weasel
17. Green Pepper Blues

Since I saw F.O.D. last week, I was determined to hear more of their music, and I was able to get my hands on their album "23". It's 17 tracks and a grand total of 39 minutes long. They released this album after their "Love Songs" EP and their first full length, "Shatter Your Day". These first three albums were released via their own imprint, Buy Our Records.

Most of the songs on this album are blindingly fast, especially those that are under a minute and a half long. I do have to say that some of songs don't jump out and grab me, and i would consider some to not be memorable at all. However, there are some great songs on this album. "You're Fucked" is a fun catchy song, and one of my favorites on the album. "Abberation" is the longest song on the album (over 5 minutes long). It's more melodic than the other songs on the album, but it is stil fast and fun to listen to. The only down side to this song is that the background vocals are high pitched and slightly annoying. "All That You Need" is another song that I really enjoy. Again, it's a catchy tune, and it's also on the longer side compared to some of the others. The album ends on an instrumental ("Green Pepper Blues") and I have no idea where it came from.

Overall, I think this album is worth listening to. It's going to take a couple more listens for me to decide if I like it or not. It's not something that I instantly fell in love with, but also not something that I instantly hated. The jury is still out.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

CD a Day- Ambergris "A Day Late and A Dollar Short" (2005)

Track Listing:
1. I Think There's Something Wrong With You
2. Ready to Fight
3. The Rebound
4. No Clue
5. Smash My Radio
6. House Familiar
7. No Way Out
8. Liar! Liar!
9. I Hate My Job
10. Open Road
11. Get Wild
12. W.T.F?

I have a terrible habit of being the "fan boy" type. That's pretty much why I initially bought this CD (as well as supporting the local scene). I had met Truman a few times through his brother Walt, and the first time I saw Ambergris play I decided to buy the CD (and t-shirt, and buttons). I instantly loved the CD. The first week I had it, it was the only CD I listened to, and it is still in steady rotation. I'm not gushing in "fan boy" mode right now, just telling it how it was.

Start to finish (the 33 minutes the CD lasts flies by) this is a fucking fun CD to listen to. From the first track "I Think There's Something Wrong With You" all the way through to the last song "W.T.F", every song is catchy and easy to sing along with. Their MySpace description is direct, to the point, and dead on: "Ambergris... a refreshing, melodic, no attitude, original mix of Punk, Oi, and Old School Hardcore played with the fury of a live Ramones show." Their use of gang vocals in songs like "No Way Out" and "I Hate My Job" (among others) shows why gang vocals are so fucking great. The last song "W.T.F" is fun and has a very piratey feel (and come on, who doesn't love pirates?). It ends the CD perfectly on a fun and catchy note.

According to my source ::cough Walt cough:: they've re-recorded their next album "A Whales Tail" and will be releasing it soon, which I'm looking forward to.

They're playing a couple of shows coming up soon, July 17th at Market St. Sports Bar in Bangor with Dead End Drive, then August 13th at The Burner's (St. Bernard's) in Bethlehem with McRad (Philly Skatepunk legends), and then the 2010 LV Punk Rock Picnic at Emmaus Community Park on August 28th. Definitely go check them out.

Friday, June 18, 2010

D.O.A. at The M Room 6/17/10

This took me longer to get up today than I had intended (had my ass kicked by a hangover all day, you’ll see why shortly), so this will be the only post today (Saturday). Without further ado, my impressions of the trip Mark and I took to the M Room to see D.O.A.


The M Room

15 W. Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA

The M Room was a bit difficult to find, but I blame that mostly on my GPS saying it was on the opposite side of the road than it actually was. It’s a small venue, that seems like the type of place that would be cool to hang out at on a normal night with friends. Beer was cheap, Pabst Blue Ribbon 16 oz. cans were only $3, and their prices for other beers was equally as reasonable. They offer a $4 PBR 16 oz. can and shot of well bourbon (I wouldn’t recommend this, sounds like a better idea than it actually is). The stage is separated from the bar, with some high top tables with chairs for seating (the main bar had booths and tables that the stage was visible from as well). The sound guy knew what he was doing, because the sound was great. There wasn’t a lot of wasted time between bands from start to finish, just the right amount of time to go to the bathroom, smoke a cigarette, and get another delicious PBR pounder.

The Prisoners

The prisoners played a decent set. They have a bouncy gritty style, but there wasn’t much variety in their sound. After the first 5 songs of their set it started to get repetitive. Their sound was fast and fun, but there wasn’t a whole lot of variety. I would definitely give them another chance though.

The Women

The Women were awesome. They played a great fast set, with a fast old school punk/hardcore sound. It was only 8 songs long, but they were great songs. They finished the set off with a cover of The Misfits “Children In Heat”, and it was great. Mark picked up their 7”, so I’m going to have to listen to it when we hang out.

Flag of Democracy

Flag of Democracy played a 12 song set filled with fast, in your face old time hardcore. Saying the crowd was excited to see F.O.D. would be an understatement. F.O.D. played with tons of energy, leaving everything on stage. They’ve had the same lineup for the last 25 years and I could tell they’ve never lost their love and passion for hardcore. They played a song off their new album (which was tied up due to complications since 2005. They had it for sale, but my lack of funds hindered me picking it up.) and it was more melodic than the other songs they played, but still balls to the walls fast. When their last song started, the first pit of the evening opened up. The crowd got their hands on the mic, and it felt like a true punk show for the first time all night. I definitely want to hear more of them.

D.O.A.

Setlist:
1. To Hell An’ Back
2. World War 3
3. Rebel Kind
4. missed the title of this song
5. D.O.A
6. Untitled
7. missed this one too
8. Marijuana Motherfucker
9. I Live in a Car
10. Smash the State
11. Fuck You
12. This Machine Kills Fascists
13. missed this one too
14. 2+2
15. Class War
16. The Enemy
17. The Prisoner
Encore
18. Fucked Up Ronnie
19. Liar for Hire
20. Police Brutality
21. Disco Sucks

D.O.A. came out with lots of energy, and kept it up through their entire set. Rebel Kind is a song off of their new album “Talk-Action=0”, and it had the same style and aggressiveness that the few older D.O.A. I’ve heard had. I witnessed someone playing guitar behind their head for the first time outside of a movie when Joey Shithead did it during this song. That wasn’t the first guitar surprise he had in store for me (you’ll see). During the 4th song, which I couldn’t get the title of thanks for the effects of the PBR setting in, a huge pit opened, and it didn’t get any smaller through the rest of the night. During D.O.A., Joey Shithead left me in shock when I saw him play the guitar with his teeth. I didn’t think that really happened. I went to the bathroom near the end of D.O.A. and wasn’t able to catch the title of that song. Marijuana Motherfucker was a song that I hadn’t heard before, and Mark and I both really enjoyed it. People were dancing with reckless abandon, which is always fun to watch. Someone thought dancing with an open PBR was a good idea (not me) and it sprayed everywhere. It was a lot fucking cooler than you might think. When D.O.A. started to play The Prisoner, out of the corner of my eye I caught Mark go rushing into the pit like a bat of hell without warning. Typical behavior for him. He lost a shoe and crashed to the floor on his elbow. Definitely a highlight of the evening. D.O.A. left the stage after The Prisoner, and then came back for their 4 song encore. When I first started going to shows, I always enjoyed this, but now it’s tedious. It seems like every band does this. What’s the point? We’re all conditioned to know that you are going to comeback out for a few more songs. Just play them. I was excited to see them play “Fucked Up Ronnie” live. It’s the only song that I had known of theirs for a while. Even though they didn't play "Hardcore '81" in it's entirety like advertised, it was a great show, and definitely worth the trip.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

CD a Day- H2O "F.T.T.W." (1999)

Track Listing:
1. Faster Than the World
2. Empty Pockets
3. One Life, One Chance
4. Guilty By Association
5. Fading
6. Bootstraps
7. Can I Overcome
8. Found the Truth Within
9. Old School Recess
10. Helpless Not Hopeless
11. On Your Feet
12. Day by Day
13. Force Field
14. Ez.2.B Anti
15. M&M
16. Reputation Calls
17. Liberate
18. Follow the Three Way/ Not Just Boys Fun


I decided that for my first album review, I would start with the one that inspired the name of this blog. I always enjoy listening to an H2O album, and this by far is my favorite. From start to finish (it's just under 35 minutes long), this album grabs me and doesn't let go. It's full of guest vocals. "Faster Than the World" is the perfect way to start off. Roger Miret (Agnostic Front) does a guest spot on the track, and his unmistakeable voice adds to a great song. As the album progresses, each song is catchy and follows the melodic theme that H2O is known for. The personally reflective lyrics follow the ideas of previous H2O albums, as well as their newer cds. It's hard to pick a favorite song off of this cd because I love them all, but "Guilty By Association" always has stood out to me above the rest, and has a special place in my heart since it was the very first H2O song that ever stuck with me (thank you Punk-O-Rama 5). Freddy Madball's guest vocals in the song have always been my favorite part (which everyone is sick of since they hear it every single time I get a text message). Anytime this album is on, it gets my head bobbing. "Force Field" featuring Dicky Barrett (Mighty Mighty Bosstones) and "Ez.2.B. Anti" featuring Anthony Civerelli (Gorilla Biscuits/CIV) are two of the most catchy songs on the album, and rank right up there with "Faster Than the World" and "Guilty by Association" for me. If you haven't listened to it, where the hell have you been for the last 11 years? Go get it, and listen to it. Then feel free to tell me that I'm full of shit if you don't love it.

First Post

I'm relatively new to the hardcore scene. I've listened to bands like Agnostic Front and H2O, as well as classic punk bands like The Ramones and the Sex Pistols for years, but it wasn't until the last few years that I became completely immersed in the music itself. Now bands that I've listened to for years and years have slowly started falling off of my radar, to be replaced by hardcore bands (ie. Wisdom in Chains) that I just can't stop listening to. There's something about the aggressiveness and the passion that comes through that draws me to hardcore like a moth to flame.

I've decided to start this blog, focusing on the local hardcore scene here in Lehigh Valley, PA as well as my thoughts on shows that I go to and CD's that I'm listening to. I'm going to pick the brains of my friends for ideas and information, so I'm going to give them a thanks in advance for their help and not stomping me for being a pain in the ass. I'm sure every now and then non-hardcore related music will slip in here, because even though it's rare, I do listen to other things. I'm going to try and do a CD review a day while I'm unemployed, and when I get a job hopefully i can keep up with that.

I'm also going to put up info about upcoming shows. I'm going to try to keep it to just local shows because even though I'm close to Philly and NYC, there's just too much going on in those cities to keep track of. If there's a show in either of those places that I'm going to, you guys will know about it.

Tonight Mark Rooster (check out his horror blog at http://bentspine.blogspot.com/) and I are going to The M Room in Philly to see D.O.A. play their album "Hardcore '81" in it's entirety. I'm stoked about that, and it will be the first show I do a write up on, so keep an eye out for it tomorrow

Followers