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What’s up Sorry Staters?

As the weekend approaches, I’m yet again scrambling to get one of these damn things written. I spent like half an hour trying to get the graphic above put together. It looks so stupid. It’s like one of those tattoos where a shark is busting out of the skin, but it doesn’t even look that cool. But at least it features images related to the key topics contained within this write-up. I’m partially anxious because as soon I leave the store tonight, I’m immediately hopping in my car and driving up to Richmond. Then I’ll wake up at 9am and hop on a plane to Minneapolis. Trust me, I ain’t complaining. I’ve talked about it in previous newsletters, but Public Acid is playing this one-off gig on Saturday. I’m way stoked about this Thrasher event we’re playing. I get to see some of my favorite pro skaters sponsored by Vans rip it up during the day and then go rip it up with Electric Chair that evening? Can’t wait.

Once again, I didn’t know what record to write about. I took the easy way out and decided to write about a record I threw on the other day. I’ve been listening to old LA punk constantly lately. The other day, I listened to the sole release by this band Kaos (not to be confused with the Finnish band Kaaos, spelled with 2 “a’s”). This single, entitled Product of a Sick Mind… was released on What? Records in 1980. This same label released a lot of other early LA punk stuff, namely “Forming,” the first Germs single. Kaos was a short-lived band formed out of the ashes of The Controllers. The A-side track “Alcoholiday” was born to be featured on a Killed By Death comp. Less hardcore sounding than their contemporaries, this song is a sleazy, ramshackle, garagey punk stomper. I’m pretty sure this song appeared on KBD #4, sandwiched in between a bunch of Zero Boys songs. On the B-side, “Top Secret” is a bit faster tempo and reminds of the Randoms’ “Let’s Get Rid of New York” or something similar on Dangerhouse. The last track is a heavy dirge lamenting about not being able to sleep. Funny enough, this final track “Iron Dream” I first heard when the Carbonas covered it. That repetitive refrain “I can’t sleep at night!” I always associated with the Atlanta punk greats. It honestly sounds like a song they could’ve written. So when I finally got into this Kaos single, it was exciting to connect those puzzle pieces.

I scored my copy of Product of a Sick Mind a few years back. I pull it out to jam every once in a while. Funny enough, my copy is the 12” version, so it’s one of those oversized punk singles with plenty of unnecessary dead wax. My favorite style. But there is a more KBD-appropriate 7” single version released the same year. Limited to 200 copies, it’s super rare and has become quite the collector’s item. I’ll stick with my oversized platter.

Weirdly, I haven’t been drinking much lately. And funny how that works, I feel pretty great. But inevitably in Minneapolis I think I’m gonna rage. Time to get my Alcoholiday started.

Welp, that’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I had a few people hit me up after last week and check in about my insulin pump and not feeling so well. Well, for those who care, I got my new insulin pump and am feeling much better! Just in time too, because I’d hate to be in a sorry state (hehe) health-wise during all the rad stuff I got coming up in June. I mentioned in a previous newsletter, but next weekend I’m flying to Minneapolis for a skate event hosted by Thrasher. Then, that evening, Public Acid is playing with Electric Chair. It would’ve sucked to be having a hard time with diabetes while being far from home, so I’m glad I’ve got that all sorted. Should be a blast!

I was trying to think about what to write about for my staff pick section this week. It’s always strange timing when several celebrities die within a few days of each other. South Park had a funny episode about that several years ago where the plot revolved the “rule of 3” where celebrities always pass away in groups of 3. Kinda funny. Kinda dark too, I guess haha. It is kind of a weird time we live in. Seems like famous people are at an age where every other week they’re dropping like flies. I don’t know, I honestly have mixed feelings about the nature of “celebrity” in general. Not that I roll my eyes or anything, but when I find myself being bombarded by a flood of social media posts about celebrity/musician/actor X, it becomes a bit exhausting. Like, Tina Turner passing away is sad and all, but I personally don’t have a deep emotional reaction upon receiving that news. But hey, that’s not to diminish anybody’s feeling any type of way about a famous person’s passing.

All that said, Algy Ward died. I’ve decided that’s what I want to write about and I’ll attempt to not be cringey in the process. Maybe my perspective on this comes from the crabby, judgmental part of my brain, but it’s hard for me to think of Algy Ward as a “celebrity.” I understand that he was a public figure that played in bands that many people consider meaningful (myself included), but my reaction to his passing doesn’t feel the same as like when Tom Petty or Olivia Newton-John or whoever passes away. It’s just not the same. I also find myself questioning the character of said famous person when they die. But whatever, maybe that’s not what you’re supposed to care about. I will say that with Algy, he touched upon some records that hold a special in place in my heart—most notably, he played on my favorite record ever made.

I find Algy Ward’s journey pretty interesting. Though I love Music For Pleasure, you could argue it’s basically like The Damned’s sophomore slump. When the band reassembled after Brian James quit, Captain Sensible moved to guitar and they got a particularly interesting fill-in on bass. I don’t know if they had other scab bass players in between, but I’m pretty sure Algy stepped in to take over for Lemmy Kilmeister. Pretty rad. Then the band would make my favorite record ever (probably, so hard to say emphatically) Machine Gun Etiquette. I think Algy was only 19 or 20 at the time. Just before that, he played on The Saints’ Eternally Yours—my personal favorite Saints album. So right there he touched upon 2 legendary punk bands’ third and best albums. The rule of 3 (wink wink). Not too long after leaving The Damned, Algy formed the heavy metal band Tank. And then, bringing it back to Motorhead, Fast Eddie Clark produced Tank’s debut album Filth Hounds of Hades. Pretty Damned good run if you ask me.

Many readers of our newsletter probably know all this info already. I’m not trying to re-write the dude’s autobiography or anything. It’s just when I take a look at Algy’s string of records he played on, I do find it rather mind-blowing. So rad. RIP Algy. Thanks for the music.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another week, another smattering of records piling up around us here at Sorry State. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit flustered while I’m writing this. I’m the resident diabetic in the Sorry State crew, and I’ve been having a rough go of it for the last 12 hours or so. My insulin pump broke, and all morning I’ve been on and off the phone with both my doctor and customer service for the company who manufactures my pump. I’ll be working at the store today like usual, but keeping an extra close eye on my blood sugar, and sneaking into the bathroom periodically to give myself shots haha. Oh well, such is life. I’m trying to stay positive. Dom is playing “Electricity” by OMD, so that’s helping.

Speaking of music that eases feelings of frustration, I’ve been listening to Eddie & The Hot Rods a whole lot. Specifically, the Life on The Line record. I’m a regular viewer of the Analog Attack YouTube channel, and have tried my best to keep up with the series What Are You Listening To? Mike, the face of Analog Attack, has been cranking out episodes with different special guests every single week. Selfishly, I hope this rate of output doesn’t slow because, as a fellow record nerd, I eat it up. I love seeing dudes bringing good energy and cool records week after week. Should Mike invite me on and give me a chance to be a guest on the show one day, then I’d love it… if I can overcome my deep-seated self-consciousness, that is. Anyway, I digress. Eric Good, Pittsburgh resident and all around cool hardcore dude, talked about Eddie & The Hot Rods when he appeared on a recent episode. This rekindled my interest in the band.

Life On The Line is one of those records that I’ve seen come through the shop a million times, but I’ve never taken a copy home. And it’s not even really an expensive record. Which is weird, because this record is right up my alley. There’s a few bands that I would lump into the category of UK pub rock with a melodic edge that falls right on the heels of the punk explosion. “Do Anything You Wanna Do” is really a song to end all songs in my book. I’ve been listening to that song on constant repeat ad nauseum style. I’ve been in a weird mood over the last couple weeks and the melancholic undercurrent of this song has been striking a real sus-chord with me (get it? I’m such a dork). The song has that perfect blend of early glam a la T Rex, but mixed with a bit Heartbreakers attitude, Stiv Bators Disconnected-era catchiness, and that underlying debt to Mott The Hoople and Bowie. Speaking of which, (they mention this in the Analog Attack episode too) the dude on the front cover of the record kinda looks like Mick Ronson – well, you know, without my face being expertly super-imposed with Photoshop overtop of his haha. The lyrics speak to that feeling of dissatisfaction with your surroundings and desperate yearning for more. Acknowledging feelings of loneliness, but with that hard outer shell of feeling like you’re better off alone. The lyrics are just vague enough to be totally timeless and (for me anyway) relatable. The sentiment is similar on “Quit This Town,” which is also a banger and a bit more of an up-tempo rager than the anthemic opener. And I gotta be honest: the first 2 tracks are where it’s at for me. Eddie and the boys kinda lose me on “Telephone Girl.” That’s not to say there aren’t other great moments on this album. But in my childlike obsessive replay listening habits, I think a single with “Do Anything..” on the A-side and “Quit This Town” on the B would be ideal. Just a damn classic.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Last night was killer. So good meeting our new homies in Lasso. They absolutely killed at the Fruit last night in Durham. I’m feeling a little fried today post intake of MD 20/20 and tequila. Had a good time, though. We’re gonna do it all again on Friday in Norfolk. Woohoo!

I feel the storm of life getting busy with gigs on the horizon already. I’m prepared for a fun and exhausting summer. Public Acid has some cool gigs in June, including a rad event in Minneapolis hosted by Thrasher Magazine. I can’t wait to see Tony Trujilo, Elijah Berle and Lizzie Armanto shred during the day and then go rip a killer gig with Electric Chair that night. Insane. Then we got boss hawg Jim’s fest in Philly. And THEN, Meat House just announced we’re playing a few gigs in the Midwest at the end of the month going into July. Hoping our new record will be out by then. It’s gonna be rad.

Alright, let’s talk about records:

I keep on thinking I’m going to be writing about a new release in the world of hardcore for my staff pick. Alas, here I am talking about yet another pop record, but it’s all connected! I had a vague awareness of this group Nuovo Testamento, mainly because I knew that Giacomo from Tørsö was involved. Their new record, Love Lines, just arrived at Sorry State. I decided to crack a copy open and give it a shot. And I have to admit, it was really difficult for me not to love it. In my mind, I imagined Nuovo Testamento sounding kinda goth. It’s not. It’s like total synth-drenched pop music. When I listen to the songs on this record, everything about it from the synth melodies to the vocal hooks to the production sounds so familiar that I almost question whether it’s exactly like something I’ve heard before. But I think that’s just because they happen to totally nail this very particular brand of 80s synth pop they’re clearly trying to emulate. It’s like they went into the studio where Miami Sound Machine recorded all those 80s hits and simply dusted off the same synthesizers and electronic drum pads used in 1985. It recalls all the hits produced by Stock Aitken Waterman. Total freestyle or HiNRG vibes goin’ on. As much as I expected to hear a record that sounded like Siouxsie & The Banshees, I think Love Lines comes across more like an album by Samantha Fox or Kylie Minogue. People out there probably reflect on this period of 80s pop music as sounding dated or cheesy, but I think Nuovo Testamento does not care. They are dedicated to this sound.

There were already a few music videos for songs off of this record uploaded on YouTube. I half expected to see some neon dayglo colors and like… I dunno, like scrunchies or something. Because when I listen to this record, I’m instantly transported to a rollerskating rink during a romantic couple’s skate. I’m talkin’ disco ball, crimped hair, the whole nine. It pulls on that nostalgic emotional feeling of when you would coyly try to sneak glances at your middle school crush across the room while she was chewing bubblegum leaning up against a pinball machine. Imagery wise, Nuovo Testamento presents a much cooler vision than what my mind conjures. We’re talking moody blue lighting and smoke. Hot people in leather dancing. Were they dripping wet? I can’t remember. Maybe I’m just imagining that. It’s funny to see decidedly punk looking people who I know are connected to the hardcore scene looking tough, walking the streets, but then paired with this music. My man Giacomo is slamming those hexagonal synth drum pads while dressed like a member of Sick of It All… well, either that or a member of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation.

When I listen to this record, I feel like if it was released in 1987, Nuovo Testamento would have been in regular rotation on MTV. The singer Chelsey in another universe could have an 80s pop star, but she’s got decidedly cooler style than Tiffany. The way she navigates vocal melodies is like surgically perfect, simultaneously channeling the coolest singer from your obscure post-punk collection, but then also like… Madonna. And then lyrics… Given the album title, I feel like the lyrics are thematically based around love and relationships in a manner that, for better or worse, don’t exist in our current cultural reality. Intentional or not, maybe this falls more in line with the prophetic expression of love you would find in a lot of 80s synth pop. Whether with demanding confidence or earnestly pleading vulnerability, she belts things like “Show me your emotional siiiide!” It’s awesome.

If you’re trying to hit the rollerskating rink/arcade any time soon, then hit my line. All jokes aside, I think this record is incredibly well-crafted and a super enjoyable listen. Put aside your pretensions about lovey dubby synth pop and give into the best pop record since “You Spin Me Round” by Dead Or Alive. No sarcasm there. That song bangs. So does Nuovo Testamento.

Anyway, hope you had fun reading that one. That’s all I can muster this week.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Kinda hard to believe we’re already approaching the end of this week. After this past weekend, my work week was kind of a blur. I had such a blast hanging out in Virginia all weekend. Firstly, in Norfolk on Friday night where Public Acid played with Lethal Means, Spore, and a bunch of other cool bands. Personally, I would’ve gone just to eat those fries at the venue! Then just hanging out all day in Richmond with the homies on Saturday was so awesome. The show on Sunday in Richmond was so killer. I knew to expect Sirkka to be good, but damn, they DESTROYED. So stoked I got to see them and hang out. But then I had to drive thru the night on Sunday and return to work Monday morning. Totally worth being tired for the all the good times. Now I’m ready to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with a margarita or 7.

It’s weird… Every week when time comes around to crank out our little sections for the newsletter, I often feel like I’m scrambling to find a record to talk about. But this time around, I was ready. I’ve been obsessed with this new LP by Tiikeri. I’m pretty sure “Tiikeri” translates to Tiger in English? The band is from Finland, and upon first glance, I assumed this record was a reissue. The flat black & white, haphazard collage-style graphic design looks like a classic record on Propaganda or something. The record even comes with this booklet that looks like a an old cut & paste zine. Then finding out this record is brand new in the year 2023 kinda blew my mind.

Even before the LPs arrived, I streamed Punk Rock Pamaus!!! on bandcamp like I usually do with new releases that we know are due to arrive at the shop. I found myself just sitting there and listening to the entire record. It was just immediately infectious. Maybe I was expecting a ripping Finnish hardcore record, but instead it sounds like Tiikeri is going for that hyper-melodic KBD style Finnish punk from the late 70s. If I were to strip away the visual presentation and understated production, the songs are so saccharine and hyper-melodic that it almost borders on straight up pop punk. In fact, if this record sounded or looked any different, I might even hate it. Usually, when bands write songs that go for the throat in terms of sweet, catchy songwriting, they totally miss the mark. I’m usually instantly turned off. But with Tiikeri, the songs are so good and the overall package is so well put together that I can’t help but just love it. The band also clearly has a sense of humor and lays heavy into some silliness and poking fun at themselves.

Before the first track on the record even starts, the singer shouts, “Okay! Let’s PUNK!!” to kick the whole thing off. It’s hilarious. The record is smattered with cartoon doodles of tigers and cupid’s arrows poking through hearts with circle-A’s on them. The lock groove at the end of side B has the band just chanting “PUNK!” over and over. Oh, and of course there’s also the paper & pencil game on the back cover with an illustration of a bald punker and step-by-step numbered dots so that you can draw on your own mohawk. Everything about this record: the tunes, the lighthearted attitude, the silly yet somehow still cool and uncorny artwork… It all just makes me smile. This record is designed to lift your spirits and put you in a good mood. If you like punk and are able to suspend your bummer over-serious attitude or sense of irony, then let Tiikeri into your life.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got in the tank this round. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Before I get into everything else, my new band Meat House put up a preview track from our upcoming record on YouTube. Check it out. It’s one song from our upcoming 7-song 12” EP to be released right here in-house on Sorry State. Test presses showed up TODAY as I’m writing this! I’m stoked. Hope y’all dig it.

This weekend, I’m heading up to the great state of Virginia. Public Acid is playing a gig in Norfolk on Friday night. Then both Public Acid and Scarecrow will be rocking in Richmond with our friends in the Sorry State family Sirkka on Sunday night. On the Saturday in between, I guess I plan to kick it around Richmond and see what kinda trouble I can get myself into. It’s been a while since I’ve spent a few days outta town and actually been able to hang out. It’ll be nice to have a change of scenery and get to enjoy it with no pressing tasks on my agenda. Hell yeeee.

So Record Store Day happened already. Crazy right? With the exception of mountains of boxes arriving at the store and all the prep work I had to knock out to be prepared for last Saturday, I barely even noticed haha. I know Dom and John Scott were champs dealing with all the Swifties. True saints for ushering in the long line of eagerly excited customers before it started pouring down rain. Thanks for all you Sorry Staters for coming by on the day and buying stuff online afterward.

Alright, let’s get into staff picks: Y’all ever have a band that you’re aware of, you even know that they’re popular, they’re in your universe of music that you listen to, but you just never really give them the time of day? For me, one of those bands has always been Redd Kross. I mean, of course I’ve always loved the 1981 EP with early incarnations of Circle Jerks songs. But I’d never given a whole lotta attention to their material beyond their pre-teen years (not even joking). I listened to this podcast a couple weeks ago that broke down all of Redd Kross’s albums and distinguished the different eras and evolutions of the band. In the podcast, they included Teen Babes from Monsanto as an absolutely necessary listen in their discography. Now, if you weren’t already aware, Teen Babes is all cover songs. They played a clip of Redd Kross covering “Deuce” by Kiss. First of all, I LOVE Kiss, so maybe I’m biased. But I just remember thinking, “Holy shit, this rips!”

Then I went back and listened to their first full-length, Born Innocent. Within literally a couple minutes, I was like, oh… I know a bunch of these songs. Whether it was hearing them in passing or on compilations or something, I definitely have stumbled across songs like “Linda Blair” and “Notes and Chords Mean Nothing To Me” in my long journey in punk. And while this album is a little rough around the edges, I definitely don’t think it’s a hardcore record like the first EP. You can maybe even hear one foot stepping out in another musical direction even this early on. What I find so interesting about Redd Kross is the McDonald brothers are clearly unique and eccentric personalities. Even as teenagers, they must’ve had a deep and dark fascination with pop culture, having covered “Cease To Exist” by Charles Manson on this first album. Pretty wild. In moving away from punk, you can tell the McDonalds had interest in everything from glam to 60s psychedelia, and even like The Partridge Family. Apparently, there’s a documentary about Redd Kross that’s been long in the works, and there’s a preview clip that shows Stephen and Jeff in a room full of old albums. They talk about how some of those early Partridge Family records were just as good and important to them as The Beatles haha.

As I continued to venture through their discography, you can see their style evolve on 1987’s Neurotica and their major label debut, 1990’s Third Eye. For me, this is where the band gets most interesting compared to their early more “punk” material. If you want a perfect visual representation of their loud, outrageous and colorful style, look no further than the music video for “Annie’s Gone.” A total banger, by the way. A little bit of big hair, but without the metal. Maybe some bell bottoms. There’s definitely an element of 60’s acid-fueled psych meets the cartoonish world of Alice in Wonderland happening with the art direction. Then musically, you can tell Jeff has evolved, writing more sophisticated melodies with lush vocal harmonies and big, big HOOKS. I dunno, there’s also something about the band subverting expectations of what a former punk band is supposed to look and sound like that is so rebellious and attractive to me. Even beyond Third Eye, I love songs like “Jimmy’s Fantasy” off of Phaseshifter. The music video featuring Jason Lee early on his acting career is killer. Even as far into their career as 1997’s Show World has some glowing moments for me. Their cover of The Quick’s “Pretty Please Me” is so awesome.

Whether in podcasts or documentaries or whatever, I’ve often heard Redd Kross described as a “band’s band.” Which I suppose I understand? I’ve heard a lot of their contemporaries describe them as the coolest band ever. And that if you didn’t get them, maybe you just weren’t cool enough for Redd Kross haha. For whatever reason, even during the band’s most pop-oriented period, they never really broke properly in a mainstream “rock star” kinda way. I mean, their big major label album came out in 1990, which preceded the alt rock boom post-Nirvana. So maybe that has something to do with it? Bad timing? Or maybe Redd Kross was simultaneously behind and ahead of their time.

Anyway, I’ve been going through a Redd Kross kick lately. I find their story and evolution super interesting. Maybe I can’t convince some of you readers to check out “Annie’s Gone” any time soon, but definitely go blast “Annette’s Got The Hits” next time you get a chance.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I’m in so much pain. Not even kidding. It’s kinda funny how it happened tho. Scarecrow played a local gig the other night after what felt like a long hiatus from NC punk gigs. And I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t stretch before we played, or if it’s a symptom of how hard I was rockin’ out (yeah right 🙄), but I’m feeling rough. The muscle running down my neck and down along my shoulder is sore as all hell. And I’ll be honest, when I go through my day focusing on how much my shoulder hurts, it’s hard for me to maintain a good mood. I was pretty cranky yesterday. The soreness also made me not really feel excited about getting up off the couch and flipping records. As soon as I got home from work, I went into full lazy couch potato mode.

But wha wha, I’m sorry to be a cry baby. One thing that I’ve been experiencing lately (besides the pinched nerve in my shoulder) is a pinch of nostalgia. In part because while I was lazing away my evenings, I was binging a bunch of punk documentaries on Tubi. Have y’all checked out this streaming site before? It’s free, and the selection of music documentaries and horror movies makes me want to cancel all the streaming services I pay money for. Lately Daniel and Usman have been buzzing about skateboarding. Which is rad. Daniel got a bit thrashed the other day, which I’m sure he’s not stoked about, but I thought it was so rad because it was evidence of getting out there and shredding!! Once my shoulder heals, maybe I’ll hop back on my board and skate around a little bit. Until then, I watched the Bones Brigade documentary for like the 100th time to tide me over. I also re-watched the Descendents documentary. I don’t know why, but content like this has been making me feel cozy lately I guess.

By funny coincidence, Sorry State recently purchased this collection chock full o’ pop punk bangers that I loved in my early teenage years. The other night, I decided to throw on Screeching Weasel’s 1993 banger Anthem For A New Tomorrow. Now, I understand that Screeching Weasel is divisive—for many reasons. Some people can’t stand Ben Weasel’s voice. Some people have written off the band due to Weasel’s very publicized on-stage behavior. I totally get it. But I didn’t know about any of this when I was in my innocence, jamming bands like The Queers and The Lillingtons. So whether people are turned off by them or not, I will say that for me at least, Anthems always stuck out to me as one of the band’s better records from the 90s.

I threw this copy on the turntable as I was closing up the store, and I actually found myself wanting to stick around and listen to the whole damn thing. When I was younger, I don’t think I made the connection that a good amount of Screeching Weasel’s records came out on Lookout! and that they were connected to that whole scene. I was somewhat tempted to set this platter aside for myself, but this copy we have at the store is an original copy in nice shape with a hefty price tag. I’m trying to practice self-restraint. But it’s funny, as I was listening, there were a bunch of killer moments on this record I totally forgot about: The awesome instrumental tune “Talk To Me Summer”… the moody, jangly guitar strumming in “Inside Out”… the catchy organ (or is it like children’s piano?) passage in “Peter Brady,” which also it sounds like Fat Mike does guest vocals on? Wild. I don’t know how these little details of the production seem to be wiped from my memory. This copy sounds fucking great, so all these little decorative extras in the instrumentation were really hitting me.

I had fun revisiting this pop punk banger from my youth. I guess this is more-so directed at shop locals who read the newsletter, but if you’re into that world of melodic punk and garage, then we’ll have some cool stuff hitting the used new arrivals for you over the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, wish I had more to contribute this week, but I think this is all I can muster. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Another end of the week comes around, and I’m feelin’ like a zombie like usual. But for good reason this time! Last night, the members of Scarecrow took a little field trip up to Richmond. Not to play a gig, mind you… just to go to see one. What a concept, right? Quite a stacked lineup with Indre Krig, Krigshoder and Last Affront. It was awesome to reunite with our friends in Indre Krig after meeting them last year on our Euro tour. Had a blast hangin’ with them. I gotta say, Krigshoder really stole the show. Those punks brought it. Even with their Norwegian singer, now that I’ve finally gotten to see them live, I can totally hear a bit of that Personal Damage flavor mixed in with the sound. We unfortunately weren’t able to hang with everyone after the gig because we all knew there was work to be done the following day for all you Sorry Staters out there. While Usman and Red were passed out the back seat, Daniel and I were laughing our asses off bullshitting on the drive back. It was a good night.

So what am I even gonna talk about this week? I don’t have an Iliad-length writeup about a sleeper new wave hit planned for this week, so I’m graspin’ at straws. Here’s an idea: Maybe I’ll talk about hardcore for the first time in a while…

Last time we got a bunch of reissues from our UK distributor, a lot of those reissues sold out pretty much instantly. And I get it, people love Sacrilege. But for whatever reason, people don’t seem nearly as excited as I am that Kill By Remote Control by Toxic Reasons is back in print! At first, I was like... Man, it’s weird that we have to get reissues of this US hardcore classic from overseas. But then again, if there was any 80s hardcore band that flew the flag for the US, Canada, AND the UK, then it’s Toxic Reasons haha. I mean shit, the alternate artwork on the UK Alternative Tentacles pressing depicts Reagan and Thatcher hangin’ out together.

The band is from Dayton, Ohio, but I’m pretty sure the tri-national flag represents the dudes in the band’s origins from several different places. I would like to think that when I listen to this record that no one’s faking a British accent, but the jury’s out on that one. Even so, the band’s sound is unique and decidedly not midwestern. They definitely don’t sound like Negative Approach or Necros. The UK influence is in there for sure. One of their early singles even has that reggae feel to it. It’s funny, Dom and I were listening to this Secret Records singles compilation right after listening to Toxic Reasons, and I swear Toxic Reasons sounds so much like Infa-Riot.

People talk about the Toxic Reasons’ first record, Independence, a lot. And I love that record too. It’s maybe even more decidedly UK-influenced. But I gotta say that this 2nd LP is where it’s at for me. Kill By Remote Control is delivered with a slightly harder edge than their first record. Toxic Reasons’ songwriting can have a more melodic, tuneful slant, like the opening track “Stuck In A Rut.” But once we kick into “Destroyer,” the gloves are off and your fist is flying in the air. You can hear a little GBH, maybe a little Motorhead, but then with power and snarl of US hardcore. Then a song like “Revolution?” is almost like a drunken shanty or something. “Jrs. Friends” and “Powercrazed” are total rippers. The first track on side B, “No Pity,” starts with this slow creepy dirge and then kicks in with this killer groovy single note riff. The total gymnastically frantic, intense drumming is so ripping. Then the big gang vocals and anthemic, shout-along choruses. This record just has well-written songs. Tuneful song structures, and especially on the slower songs, Toxic Reasons is masterful at building tension. I feel the hair on my neck stand up and goosebumps bubbling to the surface. Not to mention the earnest, but dead serious, political lyrics.

Anyway, if this is an 80s hardcore record you’ve had your reservations about, I suggest you put those feelings to bed. This record is killer and one of my favorites, and I think it deserves more people giving it some attention.

That’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

How do I even start? I feel overwhelmed by all the choices of new releases to listen to this week. I’ll take a total left turn:

I know what you’re all thinking, “Here we go again. Jeff’s gonna rant about ANOTHER new wave record and convince us that we should care about it.” Yeah, so what? Cease rolling your eyes, please! I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The other night I was jamming “Kiss Me Deadly” by Lita Ford at like 2am and just loving it… But that’s besides the point. I’ll get back to being interested in hardcore again eventually (I hope haha).

Every now and then, I decide to raid our bargain bin new arrivals to try and find cheap records to check out. Recently, Sorry State purchased a collection that was chock full of new wave type stuff. Some pricier stuff like The Smiths and Echo & The Bunnymen, but then tons of cheaper stuff like Culture Club, Thompson Twins, The Motels, etc. One of the records in this stack of stuff we deemed appropriate for the bargain bin was Desperate, the first album by Divinyls. Now, I’m sure most people are familiar with the mega-hit “I Touch Myself” and don’t know much about the band beyond that song. Personally, I always thought of Divinyls as more or less a “one hit wonder”-type band. Do you wanna know how that infamous Divinyls song first came onto my radar? There was a Wayne’s World skit on Saturday live where Wayne and Garth count down their all-time Top 10 babes haha. After Garth’s Mom wins the top 3 spot, Wayne reveals that number 2 on the list is Kim Basinger. The two proceed to sing “I don’t want anybody else, when I think about Kim Basinger, I touch myself!” This memory is cemented into my young brain, but at the time, I had no idea this was a real song, let alone who sang it.

All that aside, did you know that the Divinyls’ mega-hit wasn’t released until their 4th studio album in 1991? And not only that, but that they had records released as far back as 10 years prior? Welp, neither did I. I think they were quite renowned and loved in Australia even as far back as 1982. I fear overemphasizing how great I think this first Divinyls album is, but I’ve been listening to it obsessively. I have a tendency toward feeling excited about dusting off an undiscovered gem. Then I wear out it out, listening to it repeatedly until I can’t stand it anymore. Jah bless me, I think that’s what I’m going through as we speak. For all intents and purposes, I think of “I Touch Myself” as a totally corny novelty song.

So whatever, let’s talk about Desperate! I’m pretty sure the track listing for the US pressing of this album that I have is different from the original Australian release. It must be that they re-worked the record to be front-loaded with bangers, because I swear the A-side of this record is damn-near perfect. Sure, it’s still pop, but the songs have so much more grit and it’s so much more rockin’ than what I had previously associated with this band. For 1982, Desperate has beautiful, clear and powerful sounding production.

Divinyls open the record with a ripper “Boys In Town,” an octane-fueled, driving, fast hi-hat banger with this stressful, anxious rock’n’roll tension. It’s got punk elements, but even without an obvious big radio-friendly chorus, it’s so damn catchy. “Only Lonely” has all these lush, arpeggiated guitar riffs that remind me of (and totally precedes) the UK indie/brit-pop sound. Kinda like something off of Creation Records. The vocal performance has this sassy, almost retro 60s feel to it. The 3rd song “Science Fiction” makes a jarring shift in tone, being the most notably quirky, overtly new wave sounding song. Chrissy hits these eccentric falsetto notes. Between her performance, wiggly synth sounds, and awkward herky-jerky rhythms, this track sounds not unlike Missing Persons or something in that vein. “Siren” breaks into an up-tempo, lighthearted feel, making a nice blend of male and female call-and-response vocals. The sentiment is totally teenage dream type scenario with “never let you go” type lyrics. Super just repetitive and catchy. Any use of elementary counting or the alphabet always cracks me up. At one point, both singers sing in unison: “I’ll never A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R-S-T YOU go!” Very clever haha. Then the closing track on the B-side, “Elsie,” is the slow and dramatic number. Kinda sad actually, the refrain being, “Life can be lonely, life can be oh so sad.”

What strikes me more than anything is how damn charismatic and captivating Chrissy Amphlett’s voice is. Funny enough, being named Chrissy, I feel like she does kinda resemble Chrissy Hinde a bit with those bangs. But not so much in her vibe or the way she sings. Amphlett’s approach is raspy, full of attitude, and like the title says, desperate. Before hearing this record, her demeanor in my mind was more sort of sultry and playful, but now she comes across as more frantic, intense and full of rage. Apparently, Chrissy was directly influenced by the antics of a native Australian, Angus Young of AC/DC. That’s part of the reason why she wore a schoolgirl’s outfit. There’s live footage of her going wild, moving her body like she’s possessed. She would like smear lipstick all over herself and drench herself in water, pouting her lips and holding that lightsaber glowing mic stand with fists clenched and elbows up. So badass.

Did I really need to go through and review each song on the A-side of this record to try and convince you it’s any good? Probably not. I dunno man, I’m way into it. Maybe one day I’ll get to the B-side, but for now I just keep lifting the needle and playing the A-side over and over. I probably should take a Xanax or something.

Just watch this video and tell me it doesn’t rip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnOXYcO4zjg

Anyway, thanks for indulging me. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I know all you readers out there are stoked that your pre-orders for all the new releases on Sealed and La Vida are finally here! They’ll soon be on their way from your local mail carrier and directly onto your turntables. We appreciate your patience on those! I don’t know what it is about this week, but I’m feeling more sapped of energy than I usually do. Certainly, we’re busy here at Sorry State, but it’s not as if I’ve been slammed with other stuff going on (at least not yet haha). I haven’t even really been listening to that much music. I mean, OBVIOUSLY, I’ve been spinning the new Electric Chair on repeat, but that’s more like a religious experience than casual record listening.

Ya know what’ll make me feel more positive? The uplifting sounds of BL’AST! Let’s talk about Bl’ast! for a second: I feel like most people I talk to about this band think of them as this dirgey take on hardcore, and maybe they’re not everyone’s cup o’ tea. Which I guess I understand, but I always thought they were so killer. What happens when you take a bunch of Santa Cruz skate rats and have them condense and refine the most essential elements of Black Flag? You get Bl’ast! I mean right down to the guitar players using clear lucite Dan Armstrong guitars. You might say, “Man, these guys must reeeeally like Black Flag.” On the contrary, I think they ONLY like Black Flag haha. In a way, if all the sonic juices of Flag were strained and funneled through some cheese cloth, Bl’ast’s resulting liquid would be the sweetest and purest nectar. That said, I think Bl’ast’s take on this sound is more-so through the lens of mean skateboarders with a more gnarly and muscular approach to playing. Black Flag in some ways was much more “artsy”. That’s not to say Bl’ast! were non-intellectual, but whereas Black Flag grew their hair out, started getting into sensitive poetry, and went in different musical directions, Bl’ast always remained the most “core”. You might say their sound was incorruptible. And maybe because of that singular identity, it seemed like the band could only do one thing. But they did it better than anyone. The band is clearly borrowing musical ideas most certainly from Damaged, and maybe even a little bit of My War. And like I said before, by the time Black Flag got to their 3rd record, they went in a more experimental direction. And beyond that, certain moments in Flag’s catalog I find questionable.

The first Bl’ast record, Power of Expression, is an all-time classic. And then, It’s In My Blood is maybe evolving that initial statement they made on the first album and cranking it up a notch. But where do you go from there? Some acoustic interludes? Introduction of a horn section? No way, josé. You get MORE riffs. MORE heavy. MORE cacophonous. MORE intense. You get MANIC. Southern Lord just reissued Bl’ast’s 3rd album Manic Ride. I feel like this record gets much less attention than the first 2 records. If you can imagine the band pushing their sound even to the next degree, that’s what you get on this 3rd album. The band does incorporate some brief spurts of harsh noise and even some Sabbath-esque drawn-out doomy passages. So yeah, I guess they are trying some new stuff on this record. But they still lean into those powerful riffs with ferocity. The production is insane. So huge and over the top, but still somehow raw? The spidery, single-note riffs are even more… well I guess “manic”, and just all over the place than on the band’s previous records. Because of the technicality, the band sounds more metallic in certain moments. The manic ride is not exactly joyous, it’s a pure wave of adrenaline that is unrelenting. Like when you approach the crest of the first drop of a rollercoaster, but that anxious feeling as the pit grows in your stomach never really fades until the record drags into the dead wax.

Southern Lord sent us copies of this reissue on beautiful red vinyl, so grab one if you wanna take the ride. Also, come on… that has got to be the SICKEST inside gatefold design on any record I’ve ever seen. So rad! Let the world end, but not before I go out and shred.

Hmmm, yeah that’s all I’ve got to say about that. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Maybe it’s cuz Dom’s playing Richard Hell at the store as I’m writing this, but my brain is feeling extra blank at the moment. This week has just kinda breezed by. What even happened? I guess I’ve been nose-deep in mountains of boxes trying to price a bunch of jazz records for all you people. Mailorder has also been nuts, so thanks to all you Sorry Staters for buying up all those Zorn records. Before I know it, St. Patty’s Day is gonna whack me over the head. I’m sure I’ll be diving headfirst into a green beer by this time tomorrow (maybe not haha).

Yeah, I know, there’s been a bunch of cool new records coming through the shop. I’m sure Daniel will be covering it heavily, but I probably should just gush endlessly about how much I love that new Personal Damage LP. Not to mention the new releases on the Sorry State label. There’s tons of cool stuff. But what have I been doing over the last few days this week? Drinking red wine and listening to David Bowie… Typical. Slight change of topic (or is it?)… Funny enough, I stumbled across this YouTube video where this guy is breaking down the structure of the song “All The Young Dudes”. The chorus is strange, but oddly perfect at the same time. The chords kinda change key midway through, flipping from major to minor. And then there’s this oddly timed turnaround to start the chorus over. Anyway, nerd shit.

Now of course, this song has most notably gone down in history for being a classic tune by the Mott The Hoople. But even listening to Ian Hunter singing lead vocal on the track, you can hear Bowie’s DNA all over it. It’s one of those songs where even before I discovered that David Bowie wrote it, I totally knew that David Bowie wrote it haha. It’s so obvious. Being released in 1972, which was around the same time Bowie was in the Hunky Dory/Ziggy Stardust era, “All The Young Dudes” is basically like a cousin to some of his other moody, slower tunes from that period. It’s not too far off from “Oh! You Pretty Things” or “Moonage Daydream.” And it’s such a great song. Such a great song that Mott The Hoople made it the title of the album. And SUCH a great song, in fact, that Bowie must have realized he couldn’t let Mott totally claim ownership of the track. He couldn’t totally let it go, and shiiit, I don’t blame him. What I didn’t realize is that Bowie would perform the song in the early 70s. Sometimes, he’d even do a medley where “Moonage Daydream” would transition into “All The Young Dudes”. And guess what? It rules. I’m sure all the dudes in Mott were like “ooooh shit.” I only discovered the other night while a bit tipsy that there are studio recordings out there of Bowie doing a rendition of the song, even though I don’t think it ever properly appeared on one his albums. No diss to Mott The Hoople, but the song sounds pretty perfect with David at the helm. Not “better” exactly, it’s just kind of an “A-HA!” moment when you first hear it. “Oh, there it is.”

What are ya gonna do? I didn’t kick it in the head when I was 25, but man, I sure do need TV when I’ve got T. Rex. I guess I’m a dude, dad. Enough already. That’s all I’ve got this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

What’s up Sorry Staters?

You got your leather chaps ready? I know you coffin-dwelling freaks are waiting with bated breath for that new Zorn record. You can pair your leather wears with a fresh new Koro shirt on its way to you now. So yeah, we’re back after skipping the newsletter last week. As always, we’re slammed busy over here at Sorry State HQ and also, Scarecrow went to go gig in Richmond with our homies in Destruct for their LP release gig. Jah bless our buddy Kestrel for helping out lately. I’m still feeling wiped out. I’m hoping this weekend I get to recuperate just a little bit. I’m tryna see that Cocaine Bear flick. Any of you seen that movie yet? Is it any good? Sounds insane.

Anyway, let’s talk about stuff I’ve been listening to:

It’s funny, the other day I found that we had a Dr. Strange compilation reissue of Symbol Six that we’re selling brand new for $8. 8 BUCKS? I was spinning that a bunch in the store and I was like fuck it, I’ll buy this. I’ve been on an 80s SoCal punk kick for a while anyway. And recently, I’ve been jamming this new SoCal’s Parishioners tape. Y’all heard this band yet? We had the band’s previous tape also, which I think I only listened to briefly. But for whatever reason, this new one called The Big Blast… From SoCal! really gripped my attention. Honestly, the tape is pretty lo-fi, which might just be a rough sounding home dub. But actually, that almost kinda adds to the experience because it sounds OLD. These dudes totally nail that oldschool, early 80s, slightly melodic Orange County hardcore sound. But not unlike Symbol Six or Shattered Faith or bands of that ilk from Southern California, SoCal’s Parishioners totally sound like a band that could’ve been on Posh Boy in like 1981. Cool riffs and ripping guitar playing, Soto-esque walking basslines… but really, this band just writes catchy as fuck songs. Also, the lyrics are great. The singer nails that aloof, snotty, sorta irreverent vocal delivery. The first song “I Don’t Know” is killer, but it also cracks me up. The chorus goes something like, “I don’t know what’s going anywhere. Indonesia? Italy? I don’t care!” Homie doesn’t give a fuck, it’s so awesome. I’m pretty sure the lyrics not only mention skateboarding, but like multiple instances across the 5 tracks on this tape. Also, the way the band members are credited, Dagger on vocals, Mr. Flames on guitar, The Kid on bass… They’re like a gang. So rad.

We’ve still got a good stack of copies of this tape. If my endorsement makes people pay a little more notice to this band, then I’ll be stoked. I really think these dudes are killing it. Makes me wanna put on Thrashin’. Members of SoCal’s Parishioners are here to remind you that “breakin’ is a memory.” Haha.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got for ya this week. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff