Max Level 10/12/2021 7-inch, A Library
Sick, rotten black metal out of Bloomington IN. Discordant ringing guitars and pummeling. The sound of drowning in primordial sludge. Three members and they all do vocals; one of them reminds me of Gollum— how sick is that? Among the lyrics on the B side: “carcasses, piles of carcasses, piled on carcasses.” You have been warned. A lathe-cut release on clear vinyl; both sides about three minutes long.
Thee Opinataur 10/5/2021 7-inch, A Library
Both of these songs are drenched in morbid humor (see lyrics below). The record features anthemic, psychedelic rock undertones on ‘Suicida’ with deeper, tripped-out Brazilian Tropicalia folk, with mellow, sweet, harmonies, feel-good, vibes, on ‘Apocalipse’.
Originally released in 1966, it was one of the rarest and most sought-after records. Re-released by Mr. Bongo in 2018, It was their only recording before three of them, Rita Lee and the Baptista brothers would go on to form Os Mutantes who went on to spearhead the Tropicalia / Psyche-rock explosion in Brazil a few years later. – Thee Opinataur
Sucidia
I scared out the other day and wanted to kill myself
I went to throw myself off the Tea Viaduct
The passing class didn’t want to leave
Life for my side was bad
Heavy conscience told me to jump
Heavy conscience told me to jump
So I decided to jump
The passing car I flattened
My head’s shaved
And the chauffeur inside screamed
The viaduct broke
Or someone crazy got
On top of the bonnet my body lay
And by my face the blood was dripping
They called my father but my aunt came
Take it to the morgue she wanted
For I no longer lived
Another useless man died
The next day the funeral came out
For the Fourth Parade he was heading
A black flower my coffin covered
Cold tomb the earth covered
It was another one that left
I was buried in my uncle’s shirt
It was midnight when I wanted to leave
The pit was tight for me to sleep
I was a ghost and I wanted to talk
With someone who was sitting smoking
It was an ordinary skull
You can’t even a**ustar me
Apocalipse
I’ll have the world in my hands (anytime I want)
And I want it all to end
My power will not be in vain (I destroy what comes)
The world will end
Everyone tries to escape
But it’s useless to live
Everything will be annihilated
And humanity perish
With screams of terror
They won’t know where to go
But only I know
That the world will disappear
Now I’m so lonely (and the world finished)
Without having someone to talk to
I then keep meditating (if I did something wrong)
And with the world ending
(If I did something wrong)
everyone tries to escape
But it’s useless to live
Everything will be annihilated
And humanity perish
with screams of terror
won’t know where to go
but only i know
that the world will disappear
Now I’m so alone (and the world is over)
not having someone to talk to
I then meditate (if I did something wrong)
And with the world ending
Thee Opinataur 9/22/2021 7-inch, A Library
Released in 2017
Psyche pop/ Indie Pop, Starts with head-bobbing rhythm fuzzed-out guitar-driven, Voxed out psychedelic trip. A thick and throbbing summer drive, top-down, cruising the PCH, playing it loud, great road trip music.
The artist known as Crayola was born Simon Williams in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.
Since the mid 80’s he has performed with numerous bands most notably, The Colgates and Sarandon.
Thee Opinataur 9/22/2021 7-inch, Country
Western noir, a twangy blue, countrypolitan/cocktail country vibe.
Both tracks are moody mid-tempo numbers with earthy nuance.
Catchy simplicity of traditional country and western with the cool, casual euro of a cocktail revival meeting.
It was the Mid Nineties, San Francisco was in the midst of a Western Swing revival. Jeff Bright and the sunshine boys were part of that. This single pre-dates their full-fledged dive into Swing, instead, it highlights Brights lyrics of love, loss, and yearning, with a band backing of vibrato, slide, and shuffle. – Thee Opinataur
Max Level 9/14/2021 7-inch, A Library
Sludgy, grindy garage punk on this 7″ from 1995. Three short songs on Side A and one longer one on Side B. Car crash guitars. Yowling vocals remind me of Stooges-era Iggy. General discontent expressed. I could find no info about this band.
whngr 8/25/2021 7-inch, A Library
Spooky unhinged extra-terrestrial Death Rock Bizarre rock meets disturbed electronic dance rhythms.
Blu Anxxiety is the encephalitic brain-child of one Dracula O (Chi Orengo) along with collaborator Justin Schmidt. Raised on Rap and perhaps raised from the dead, this project is clearly informed by the likes of Skinny Puppy and Nitzer Ebb but with diverse influences that rear their disjointed alien heads at the most subversive and perturbed intervals. Another beautiful bit of vinyl heresy from ground-zero for punk perversion: Toxic State Records.
NYC – 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKg8Cq5mVkg
FCC on B1 “fuck”.
whngr 8/25/2021 7-inch, A Library
Low fidelity Hardcore Punk outta Toronto..
Buried vocal antipathy with call and response from the gutter. A squealing guitar lays down frenetic pentatonic solos, vitriolic peals of feedback, ugly downstrokes with venom, simple hooks, and four on the floor bass attack. Impassioned sounds from this four-piece on Deranged Records – 2018.
FCC on A3 “fucking”.
Cousin Mary 8/19/2021 7-inch, A Library
In 2017, surf band Stories from Shamehill visited the United States including a live mic in the KFJC Pit. This EP was recorded in Los Angeles and celebrates that trip with two fine instrumentals. Limited edition from this 3-piece band from the Netherlands.
Cousin Mary 8/19/2021 7-inch, A Library
The Surfrajettes is an all girl surf band from Toronto. Party Line is fun with phone sounds. The cover of Toxic (Britney Spears) is really good – who’d have thought it would sound so great as an instrumental?
Cousin Mary 8/19/2021 7-inch, A Library
Members of East Bay surf bands The Deadbeats and The TomorrowMen veered off in a new direction to form Combo Tezeta to play instrumental music inspired by Peruvian cumbias and chichas. Gorgeous playing with a tropical feel.
Cousin Mary 8/19/2021 7-inch, A Library
This collaboration between Mexican cumbia band Perro Agradecido (Grateful Dog) and Southern California instrumental surf band Par Avion happened in Mexico City in March of 2020. Great energy, wonderful Latin influence, excellent guitar and terrific percussion. Like track four says – cero miedo (no fear)!
carsonstreet 8/17/2021 7-inch, A Library
In 2019 San Kazakgascar morphed into more of a collective of collaborators after years of being a four person band. Guitarist Jed Brewer mixed and matched players. This release has Jed Brewer on guitar and Jeff Tobias on saxophone. Recorded last year at Brooklyn’s legendary Sunview Luncheonette this is a lathe recording. Tobias’ saxophone is a perfect match for Brewer’s Eastern-tinged string work. Limited edition of 30.
whngr 8/4/2021 7-inch, A Library
Fiercely confrontational Islamic Punk Rock
This is not a novelty.
This is not fun.
This is a call to arms.
A declaration of war against ignorance.
Driving guitar, shuffling thumpity drums, long, noodly, note intensive bass runs, riff, rage, and ruination in Arabic. “Haram” translates to “forbidden”. As in, not for you, filthy swine gobbler, as you belong in Jahannam. Much has been written about the architect and front-man, Nader Habibi that has value and is relevant but will not be discussed here. Do your own research, almutaharib allaeayn.
Another compelling release from Toxic State Records, leagues apart from the status quo.
NYC – 2019
whngr 7/2/2021 7-inch, A Library
Rock n’ Rage frome NYC
Noisy two(maybe three)-piece (Drums, Bass, Vox).
Heavy. Abrasive. Pounding. Disparate and desperate.
Featuring the tirades of Michael Berdan of Uniform.
No discernable FCC’s.
whngr 7/2/2021 7-inch, A Library
Crusty female-fronted Scream(?) Punk
Stoppy starty.
Clean/filthy vox.
Delicate/destructive.
Warbly and dissonant.
String harmonics.
Slow/fast.
Sweet/tortured.
Frenetic guitar (with up-strokes and angles) over note-intensive noodly bass runs.
Syncopated hand claps.One-two shuffles.
Passion meets lethargy like early west-coast Emo (Heroin or Indian Summer) with a bit of a Dischord Records sound. The innocence of youth corrupted by a lack of effectuality.
Dig the tripped out transparencies in the packaging, this might have felt pretty innovative at the time.
Their final release feels a bit dated for 2021, just like… your source (for convalescence).
No discernable FCC’s.
Reno, NV 2004
whngr 6/25/2021 7-inch, A Library
Crushingly wicked HXC with a few nods to Black Metal and a full-on Black Metal aesthetic.
The skies part… and behold! The heavens raineth fire upon thee… and the earth is consumed in CONFLAGRATION!
Pervasive destruction at a blistering pace, samples, chugs, riffs, one guitar solo (borrowed from RATT?), and a bit of resonant feedback from this emphatic three-piece.
U.K. 2012
whngr 6/11/2021 7-inch, A Library
Truly unhinged rock from members of Mommy, Hank Wood and the Hammerheads, L.O.T.I.O.N., Cheena, Pharmakon, et alia.
A Mental health reverie in four parts with hardcore punk elements. Both catchy and repulsive, this is my favorite kind of artistic expression, once the membrane of our awareness is penetrated we are drawn in but the closer we get to the source the more we want to pull away. Though no longer am I repelled. Instead I am driven like a moth to the flame of these beautiful and uncomfortable sounds from N.Y.C. with perhaps dire consequences. I just might be falling in love.
Toxic State 2021
SlartiBartfast 6/6/2021 7-inch, A Library
Loud, in your face, post apocalyptic garage punk from Obsessions. This 7” release out on Static Blooms Records will leave you killing time and escaping the dystopian dream of living through a final solution nightmare. The A side “Killing Time” is an anthem to the age old quest to escape from an absurdly stifling daily existence, The flip side track “Final Solution” is a visceral shout out to surviving the world’s insanity when you feel at ropes end. Drop the needle and punk on!
whngr 5/21/2021 7-inch, A Library
Ardent Execration Adoration
Cacophonous Hardcore punk at a breakneck pace..
Squealing walls of feedbacking guitars, buried diaphragmatic bellows, drumsticks raining from heaven upon booming toms, furiously impatient two note (and sometimes more) solos, vigorous punk rock bass.
There is something familiar about this flavor of testosterone (¿probably?) fueled animosity. The channeling of near boundless energy into an uncompromised expression of sweeping dissatisfaction. It’s nothing new… but it is fresh. Piping hot right outta Oakland, pressed by Oslo’s Byllepest Distro. It’s comfortable for me… like John Denver or Joan Baez is for my mom. Now where is my ascot and black smoking jacket with the velvet lapels? I aim to retire presently, to the study and reflect for a spell on my youth, and when I used to, as I once said, fuck… shit… up.
An allusion to a fun and catchy D-beat exists online but I beg to differ. This isn’t fun at all. This is a vehement display of force designed to rend with six short blasts that aim for the throat.
No discernable FCC’s
whngr 5/14/2021 7-inch, A Library
Terrifying in its vastness and its strata.
Guttural bellows, growling guitars double one another over a litany of polyrhythmic drum virtuosity.
Obliteration and havoc reigns until the last 18 seconds of side b where we are allowed to lick our wounds momentarily after our propper drubbing.Three members frum U.S./U.K. Mysterious and prolific.
If we were able to take any meaning from the miserable and unintelligible lyrics I am confident they would not comply with the F.C.C. outside of safe-harbor.
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