I haven't quite worked out yet if this is an actual tape release or just a hand taped copy of the 7" that Australia's Living Eyes just put out on Saturno Records of Spain? It would make sense as the tape is a normal blank C60 variety with the tracks taped onto one side and the cover being a cheap photocopy job.
Either way, despite this being a real release or not, it was sent very nicely across a large ocean and the music is pretty good. It follows the Nuggets / Pebbles style of 60's Garage music but with less punk and a more R'n'B edge. The lack of punk aggression really surprised me as a quick Google search showed The Living Eyes looking like they share an average age of 18! I'm into it though, all the licks are in the right place, just wish it was a little angrier or more dangerous in places? Seriously though, do the blind test on me and i couldn't have told you they weren't on some collection of obscure 60's garage bands. Excited to hear what happens next.
Man, this tape had such a formative influence on me. Contained on this little plastic box with the Savage Pencil artwork and bright Blast First explosion logo was a who's who of late 80's American Indie Rock. Releases in 1989, this tape had staples of my musical diet such as Sonic Youth, Big Black, Rapeman, Dinosaur Jnr, Butthole Sufers, Arsenal and Ciccone Youth. It also introduced me to the klang and clamor of bands such as UT, Head of David, Big Stick and AC Temple.
I have seen this tape and LP in many a fine second hand record shop for pretty cheap prices. You will know by the list of names above if this is needed in your collection or not. Total War = Total Classic.
To anyone that reads this blog, and especially all the people who sent in tapes, big apologies on the 3 month silence. My beloved tape deck stopped working, so i have just got a replacement Walkman until the deck is back up and running. This means i have a back up of around 25 tapes to get up on here which i will do as quickly as possible!
I will also be putting up pictures of old classic tapes from my collection or that i stumble across on my travels, including these two classics from the 'S' section.
I am down with Shudder Pulps. Today has had a good 5-6 repeats of this tape which is rare when i have a stack of tapes to write up reviews for. When i first caught SP live, i thought it was a good mix of the Messthetics attitude with a jagged post punk delivery, and very English which is a positive when so many look across the ocean for sound as well as influence.
This 6 track tape lives up to their live performance with all of the instruments having have space to breathe. Drums and cowbells start the layering off, then the bass creeps in and the guitars follow in suit, all adding something different which all seems to complement and come together at different times. It has the sonic space that the Minutemen occupied so well, just a little more jangly. Apparently there will be a new EP in early 2012. In the meantime pick up one of the tapes from www.shudderpulps.tumblr.com.
Yakuzzi Tapes from Germany recently sent me a large box full of tapes of Hardcore / Grind / Garage Punk that has had my finger pointing on public transport, and picking up change in the office. To start with, all these tapes look super-amazing, with the types of card or paper used, the graphic design and the hand cut inserts that are in a few of the tapes (with lyrics or download codes), all lovingly put together. The tapes are all super clear and well mastered too, no need to pump up the stereo super loud for these guys, probably the opposite for some of the releases.
Go check out the following releases from their shop which is rammed full with loads of great hardcore records. Some of these are also in the Suplex store which will be cheaper for UK orders.
Quattro Stagioni - Discography
Holy shit, 58 tracks of power-violence style grindcore from Germany. I remember these guys from their records on the legendary 625 Records and their split with Iron Lung, but hadn't actually got round to getting any of them yet, which is handy as i now have their full 10 year career on one little cassette.
The pace rarely lets up on this discography save for the odd breakdown, with all the tracks coming in at around 30-90 seconds long, and continually punishing and brutal drumming throughout. I think it is closer to the Slap a Ham power violence scene than other grind bands like Pig Destroyer who have a more metal slant to them. This is still really punk, just shorter, faster, louder.
One of the lighter and more trad punk tapes on Yakuzzi, this '77 punk loving band could easily fit in with fans of The Briefs and The Cute Lepers, although it doesn't have as much of a power punk feel to it. The one song that really gets me going is 'Japanese Cars', with its car loving drop outs viewpoint. It is all super catchy stuff but leans closer to the USA than the UK, definitely more of The Ramones than The Clash on this pink tape.
The Repos are back, but with a new name and the vocals are even harsher than before! Some of these demo tracks have made their way onto their already sold out 7" on Youth Attack, which will probably tell if you dig this or not. Not as arty as a lot of the Hardcore that Youth Attack puts out, and the vocals are insane, still stand out a mile.
Isreali garage punk that nods towards some Angry Samoans style early 80's melodic hardcore. It is crazy catchy and a shame it is only 4 songs, and probably the first punk band from Isreal that I have heard, which is a shame if they have more tucked away like this.
Take It Back are Indonesian, and love to thrash it up! This is real skate style hardcore a la What Happens Next and Bones Brigade. Fast, Melodic and strangely all sung in English, with Skating being the theme of the day for these dudes. Mother Speed on the flip side are representing the American thrash heritage, with some awesome breakdowns, ripping solo's and some gnarly gang vocals, not unlike the early Municipal Waste records, clocking in at less than 5mins for these 5 tracks!
Some great tough 80's style Hardcore, totally ripping and mid paced in most places. The German Negative Approach or Necros. The 29 tracks on here cover their whole 2007-2009 period which takes in a handful of 7"s and Comp appearances. The last track, apparently by their roadie, is the only track that sounds totally different band and sticks out a bit, must be a good roadie?
According to the Yakuzzi blog, Septic Dieter are 80's influenced Krautpunk. To me this is some fast hardcore with a punk edge, especially on the breakdowns. The vocals are super croaky and raspy with all the lyrics in their native German tongue which sounds great in this type of band.
Brutal power violence hardcore for fans of Spazz, Infest and Crossed Out. These 10 songs fly by and are totally unrelenting, and 15 years ago would have been on Slap a Ham records. Love this tape!
This hand spray painted discography for Germany's Steve Austin is 40 songs in 38 mins of ridiculously brutal grind / power violence that is closer to the metal of Pig Destroyer than some of more punk side of grind that the other tapes i have received from Yakuzzi contain. Massive riffs which change up the speeds and go from all out blasting to slow beatdowns within 30 secs. There are some tracks that sound like a layering of multiple songs randomly that descends into noise grind chaos. Not for the fainthearted.
When I was a teenager, there was a veritable treasure trove of a Record shop in Reading called Green River Records, which became our central meeting point/group hangout and encyclopedia for Indie rock and punk that we had been exposed to. I was opened up to Shellac when the first 7" came out and was given discounts on classic Killdozer LP's. I bought Weezer's 'Sweater Song' single on cassette and first discovered a lot of the music i still cling to from those formative years.
One 7" that was a game changer was the Sentridoh 'losercore' 7" which was when i had just discovered Sebadoh, and it was recorded by Bob Weston of Shellac and released on Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth's label, so it was like the missing piece of a puzzle, and for only 50p!
My love for that 7" has always led me to holding a soft spot for Lou Barlow's ultra lo-fi acoustic tape recordings. Man can write a song regardless. So onto record shop story number two. I pick up a copy of the Lou Barlow's Acoustic Sentidoh - Winning Losers 10" from the increasingly amazing Kristina Records in Dalston and get offered the rare original Lou Barlow tapes pictured below plus a Shrimper Tape compilation with Sentridoh and early Mountain Goats, Franklin Bruno, Bugskull etc. Hitting gold for a second time.
I'm not going to write about these, tapes. You can't buy them anymore unless you get the CD or Vinyl re-issues (which you should) and those of you that need these recordings will already know it or not. Massive thank you to the guys in Kristina for being my new favourite place to spend money i don't have!
Sentridoh - Most of the Worst, Some of the Best of
16 songs including a covers of Bryan Adams and Sonic Youth.
Italian Beach Babes has been kicking out some pretty quality releases for almost 2 years now, with Dirty Beaches, Mazes, Male Bonding, Fair Ohs, Graffiti Island, Fear of Men all making appearences across tapes, 7"s and 12"s. These are the two latest tapes with some Old Forest tape action on the way very soon (go pre-order it).
SEALINGS
I remember when the first Sealings tape (1st of 5 tape releases) came out a while back, it sounded like they had some pop songs being smeared by black metal leanings and distorted sound scapes. This new 4 track EP still retains that feeling, with screwed guitar lines and cutting drum machines beats. The vocals also sound pretty bleak, no hope anthems. Everyone seems to mark out their summer tunes, i'm marking this as my winter cassette, ripe for slipping in the walkman when leaving for work before the sun has risen and coming home after it has come down.
Having some cartoon bong-smoking trolls on the cover of your tape is always a good thing. Throwing together some garage punk and mid 90's Indie punk is also a pretty good idea, thanks Boneyards!The first side is studio recorded, with a pretty clean sound and then side B side, which is self recorded kicks in, totally in the red and pushed to the limit. I don't know if its the reverb overkill or the strung out guitar lines that sound like buzzsaws but the second side sounds way better to me. The vocals have that Coachwhips tinny-scuzz to them and the drums are way heavier. Not too far from the Lovvers 'Think' record. I vote Side B.
LAC from Sauna Youth has started his own tape label. It was a no brainer that a SY member would have some choice picks to start their label with. Go buy the first two fruits of his punk loom HERE
TENSE MEN
Tense Men = Ollie Fisher of Cold Pumas + Rich Phoenix of Sauna Youth.
The four jams on this tape are tightly woven and dense workouts of noise punk with occasional deep vocal swells that hint at their musical day jobs. Switching it up from upbeat locked grooves at the start of the tape, with zoned-out repetition and sweet guitar riffs before ending on blissed out kraut waves as the tape runs to its conclusion. The loop pedal seems to be the grounding force in TM, the 2nd guitarist or bass player who doesn't drop a note when drunk and keeps the song constantly driving forwards regardless of where the other two are in the wig outs, meaning they don't relegated to the being one of those two pieces who are good but would be better as a three piece. This little pink tape kills it start to finish, buy it.
Who are Domestic Blitz? They are not the late 79-81 punk band or the Australian DIY televison show? Who cares though when you have an album of skronked out punk like this. Sometime they have some garage punk inclinations, then they come over all Killdozer or maybe a drunken Modern Lovers, and then slow down and do a George Harrison cover (the best Beatle, good choice). This tape is confusing in all the right places, and has followed me to work a lot recently and always seems to be top of the tape listening pile. Waste your money on this.
Tape releases by Fair Ohs, Spectrals, Sauna Youth, Weird Dreams,Trogons, The Light Sleepers, Teen Sheikhs, An Emergency, Beaters, The One, The Sceptres, Golden Grrrls, Boredom Boys, Lovvers, French Kissing, Sexbeat, The Binmen, Special Kays etc.
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