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What’s up Sorry State readers, I hope everyone has had a nice week. My listening has been all over the place, but like most weeks, there was some blues mixed in there. I was listening to Muddy Waters, and more specifically, Electric Mud. One of the most polarizing blues albums of all time, Muddy Waters was even quoted as describing the album as “dogshit.” Critics were harsh on the album when it released in 1968, stating that it didn’t sound like the traditional blues they were used to hearing from a Muddy Waters album and weren’t fans of this more psychedelic sound that was ripe with the use of fuzzboxes and wah-wah pedals. I on the other hand, love it, along with a lot of other people who enjoy this different take on some of these classic blues songs like Same Thing and Hoochie Coochie Man. According to a source close to him, Jimi Hendrix used to listen to Herbert Harper’s Free Press for inspiration before going on stage to perform. This album really flies by at about 37 minutes, but It’s so great from start to finish. He’s just really shredding on here. I also really love the picture printed on the inside of the gatefold jacket and the smug look he’s giving in it. This is the most recent 2017 pressing from Third Man Records, and it sounds amazing. We have a few copies still available online and in store, so if you don’t have a copy yet, I highly recommend it.

Hey Sorry State readers! How are you? It’s been a meh kind of week for me. A lot going on that I don’t want to do, like dental work (please go to the dentist more frequently than every four years). It feels like a lot of the things I’ve majorly procrastinated on are now coming to a head. Something I don’t procrastinate on is listening to music. How’s that for a positive segue into my staff pick?

This one’s tough because I really like the Sirkka release (it’s so bad ass, highly recommended) but I figured someone else could do that write-up more justice at this time. So, I’m going with a band that’s not new, but new to me: Vanilla Poppers. I’ve been playing their EP, I Like Your Band, on repeat.

I think most of the band is from Melbourne, but for the last several years they made Cleveland their home. Still not sure why they chose Cleveland, but they actually found the scene to be very welcoming. But I think most of the band actually moved back to Melbourne.

Anyway, the EP is raw, somewhat melodic hardcore played with the utmost confidence. Vanilla Poppers get straight to the point and play with such urgency. It’s full of classic and interesting riffs and fast and furious drumming. The opening hook on the first track, Get Away from Me, is so killer. But it’s the singer’s wailing, screeching, vocals that take center stage for me. Not only are they cutting, but full of early 70s punk attitude.

The lyrics are simple but funny, and cover things like fake friends and being broke punks. And also the ritual of meeting people in the bathroom at punk shows and telling lies like “I like your band.” Which also happens to be the catchiest track on the EP. The EP is only four songs, so it’s over way before you’re ready.

I think if you like Judy and the Jerks, you will like Vanilla Poppers. Unfortunately it’s sold out on our web store, but I highly recommend checking them out.

Thanks for reading! See ya next time.

-Angela

https://vanillapoppers.bandcamp.com/album/i-like-your-band

Hi and thanks for reading. Unfortunately, the physical copies of my Staff Pick are sold out from Sorry State, but you can listen to it here. I think the tape is killer, so I still wanted to write about it. Of course, the first thing I hear is FRAMTID when I listen to this tape, the chaotic noisy sound with gutteral vocals really bring them to mind. They do have some more pulled-back songs that remind me of DOOM, but drenched in even more distortion. The band does not hide behind distortion though. The song-writing is good and the drums are super fucking locked in. The groove on ‘Anguised Misery’ is just perfect. I am not a huge fan of stomper tracks, but this one really hits the spot for me. I am not sure who all is in KOS, but I know it’s some members of POLLEN alongside Chris Ulsh, the greatest songwriter in America. It looks like the cassette is unavailable from the band as well, but word is there is an EP in the works ;) Alright I’ve got limited time today so I’ve got to go. Check out the debut from KOS and get excited for their EP! Cheers and thanks for reading!!

What’s up Sorry Staters? How’s your week been? I hope all is well out there with you.

Last week the world sadly lost another name in music with the passing of Scottish musician Alan Rankine of the pop group The Associates. With that in mind, for my staff pick this week please join me and celebrate the fabulousness that was The Associates.

For anyone who was tuned into the pop world during the early 1980s in Britain as I was, there was no escaping the impact that The Associates had. During 1982 they ruled weekly TV chart show Top Of The Pops with their appearances, performing their two biggest hits, Party Fears Two and Club Country. I can recall hearing the former song for the first time and still think it’s one of the most unique pop songs of the era and remains a personal favorite. The magic came from the incredible range of singer Billy Mackenzie and the ease with which he moved through the octaves. Combined with the catchy guitar & synth-pop made by Alan Rankine it was a match made in heaven. Alan now joins Billy in the afterlife, who tragically left the world back in 1997.

Rankine and Mackenzie formed the group in the late 1970s in Dundee, Scotland. They cheekily came to attention by covering David Bowie’s Boys Keep Swinging just months after the original had been released, without permission. Bowie’s publishers were impressed enough though to offer a deal, which led to the recording of their first album The Affectionate Punch, released through Fiction Records. That label was home to The Cure, with whom they toured in 1980 and The Cure’s Robert Smith provided backing vocals on a song or two. He’s heard on the song Amused As Always, which has a great squelchy bass line. The album’s a cool mix of synth-pop, post punk guitars and Bowie Low period all topped off with Billy’s vocals cruising operatically throughout proceedings. I had a copy of the record once, but let it go in one of several purges my record collection has had over the years due to moving or needing money. I’ve yet to find a replacement copy in the wild, but perhaps on a future trip to England I’ll come across one. Of note is the fact that a few years later, the album was re-recorded with new parts and vocals. The consensus is to avoid this version.

The Associates switched labels to Situation 2 after that first album and released a string of singles throughout 1981. A lot of the money for recording was taken from bigger record companies with the view to providing them demos. Situation 2 compiled those singles and other tracks onto the album Fourth Drawer Down. There’s lots to like among these tracks. I like the song Q Quarters, for instance, and my absolute favorite Associates track, the instrumental simply titled The Associate, which is a great catchy synth-based tune that’ll earworm you big time. Trust me. That song has been a go to DJ track for me over the years and always goes down well.

The early 1980s were blessed with so many great pop groups all doing their thing. If you know and like Soft Cell, Heaven 17, ABC, Spandau Ballet, and Human League to name a few, that’s the company that The Associates were keeping. The majors wanted in, and it was WEA that got them through their involvement with Beggars Banquet, which was the parent label to Situation 2, and with whom they had an international labels deal. This resulted in The Associates’ next and most successful album Sulk being released on their own Associates label via Beggars in the UK and on Sire in the US. It must be noted that the versions released in the UK and US vary considerably with different tracks and running order. The previously mentioned, Party Fears Two and Club Country are on both, but for the US version third hit 18 Carat Love Affair is added. (Personally, not one of my favorites, but still a good pop song). Things were on the up and up for the group in 1982, with a major UK tour poised to begin and US interest strong from both Sire and Island Records. Then Billy suddenly decided to pull out of the tour. Possibly a self-destructive move fueled by drug use and his desire to reinvent and not wanting to be pigeonholed into any one category, it was enough to force Alan Rankine to leave the band.

Mackenzie continued as The Associates, but with different musicians and associates for each subsequent project. Those further albums unfortunately don’t reach the high quality of the early work, although there are some definite worthy moments. Mackenzie famously ran up huge debts whilst at WEA with all sorts of shenanigans related to recording, re-recording and other artistic expenses. Eventually, they had to pull the plug. Apparently when taken to lunch at a Knightsbridge restaurant by his A&R man to be told he was dropped, Billy took the news on the chin and asked for one last expense to be picked up, his cab fare home. Naturally, it was accepted. Billy took the cab from London back to Dundee. Class.

There’s lots more to the story, including Billy working with Swiss production team Yello and recording a song with legend Shirley Bassey, something he was particularly proud of and proof to his parents that he had “made it.” In 1993, Billy and Alan had seemed to agree on a reunion, and plans were made for a tour and recordings. However, their differences remained and before much could come of it, they split for the final time. Sadly, four years later, following the death of his mother, which deepened his depression, Billy passed away due to an overdose of medications.

Alan Rankine is to be applauded and noted for his later contributions to music. He became a lecturer at Stow College in Glasgow, and as part of his musical program ther,e a young group called Belle And Sebastian were chosen to have their record Tigermilk released on the school’s Electric Honey label. The rest is, as they say, history. Kudos to him, though.

For a good few years, Associates records have been out of print, but in the early 2000s all the albums were reissued on CD remastered with bonus cuts. I do have a copy of The Affectionate Punch, at least on CD. The rejected WEA album also finally got a release. Plenty to explore for sure, but certainly do yourselves a favor and get to know those first three records and look at some of their early videos and TV appearances. Perhaps we can make Billy’s famous black beret become fashionable again.

Thanks for reading and being open to other forms of music than just punk. Y’all are cool like that and it’s appreciated.

Cheers - Dom

Rest In Power Jeff Beck. Truth.

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Even after getting back from my trip a couple weeks ago with Public Acid, it already feels like life is getting busy here at home again. As I’m writing this, I’m simultaneously gearing up for a gig happening in NC tonight. Tonight (which is Wednesday) Scarecrow is playing with Flower from NYC, along with our buddies in Destruct and a brand new NC band called Overgrown Throne. Should be a sick gig. Tomorrow night (Thursday) we’re also playing Flower’s show in Richmond. So where is there time to sit down and wax poetic about punk records? But when duty calls to bang out incoherent ramblings for our weekly newsletter, I’m up for the task!

I feel like I gotta talk about this Vidro record. Vidro is based out of Stockholm, Sweden, but a few of the members are transplants from USA and Brazil. The band’s latest LP Glöd came out in Europe in the earlier half of 2022, but the States are now blessed with a fresh vinyl pressing courtesy of Beach Impediment Records. I was lucky enough to see Vidro live a couple times this summer in a few of my ventures overseas. The first time I saw them was in June at the K-Town fest in Copenhagen when I was there with Public Acid and Warthog. I can’t remember if they played Friday or Saturday, but they played later on the bill and at the time I was more or less unfamiliar with them. The room at Ungdomshuset was PACKED with sweaty punks. As Vidro began to play, the stage was dimly lit and these 4 figures on stage were shrouded in a cloud of mystery. I just remember standing toward the back of the venue and thinking how powerful they sounded. It was intense. Maybe even a little scary. But then later on that night, I was chatting with Tadzio from Golpe over by the merch tables. It somehow came up in our conversation that Staffan, who plays drums in Vidro, also played in Kurt I Kuvös and an incarnation of Headcleaners. Now, me being the Swedish punk nerd that I am, I totally flipped out when I learned this information. Staffan came over to us at some point when we were talking, and I proceeded to punish him for a few minutes about his bands of yesteryear. He was super friendly.

THEN, fast-forward to a month-or-so later when I was in Germany on Scarecrow tour… In Hamburg, Scarecrow ended up playing Vidro’s last gig of their tour. This time, instead of appearing dark and mysterious on a big stage, I got to see Vidro perform in a more intimate and exposed environment. All the bands that night played on the floor of this squat in Hamburg (which I can’t remember the name of). Vidro delivered a powerful performance once again, but intense and convicted as they are, I remember the energy in the room being more fun and lighthearted. But people in the crow did go the fuck off. It was killer. At the end of the night, Scarecrow and Vidro hung out outside by our respective tour vehicles, and we all chatted for a while. They all seemed like super cool people.

And even after all of this, I STILL hadn’t heard Vidro’s new LP yet. Now, having listened to it many times, it’s safe to say that it’s killer. I think Vidro’s sound really stands out. They’re something special, like a breath of fresh smoke. I find Vidro to be pretty unique in the landscape of current punk and hardcore. Lucas the guitar player’s sound is blaring on this record. And I’m not sure if they have chorus on them or what, but the guitars have this wobbly, dissonant, kinda other-worldy effect on them. While the riffs come through clearly, the wash of noise underneath gives Vidro’s sound this eerie and cloudy atmosphere. Almost kinda droney in a way. That said, Lucas and the bass player Melody weave through these kinda slithering riffs that are heavy and nasty sounding, but also incredibly catchy. Like wobbly, slithering ear worms. While I’d certainly say that Vidro is a hardcore band, I would also say they play at this pounding, heavy mid-paced tempo more often than they play ripping fast. Staffan plays the drums with this heavy-handed, straight-down-the-middle kind of attack… almost kinda like 4-on-the-floor but if it were hardcore drumming! No wonder it’s so dancy. Then the singer Vendela just delivers the vocals with a powerful, commanding presence, barked and chanted with such intensity. I remember watching her just kinda owning her space and staring down the crowd while Vidro played in Hamburg. I probably tried to avoid eye contact haha. This record sounds explosive. You can really hear the dynamics and energy in the room. It feels as exciting and has a total vibe as if you were in the room with Vidro while they’re playing. You can taste the blood, you can feel the sweat, you can smell the crusty armpits.

So yeah, check out this record if you haven’t yet. I heard through the grapevine that Vidro might be coming to tour USA in 2023. Look forward to that.

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

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Neuroot: Right Is Might 7” (1986, Smuel Productions)

This week I’m writing about Right Is Might, the 1986 7” from Dutch hardcore band Neuroot. Neuroot has been on my radar for a long time—decades even—but I never had my “a-ha” moment with them until I picked up this 7” a few months ago. That happens to me often. I know many people who, if they hear something and it doesn’t speak to them immediately, decide they don’t like it and write the artist off forever. However, I tend to trust the wisdom of the crowd. If there are many people whom I respect who like a band or a record, I just assume it hasn’t hit me in the right way, that I haven’t heard the right record or listened to the band in the right context. I’m always circling back to artists like this, and many of my all-time favorite records and artists are ones I didn’t respond to on the first listen.

I’ve listened to various Neuroot reissues over the years, but this great-looking and great-sounding original pressing did my head in when I dropped the needle. Neuroot’s sound is big and powerful, as you always want your hardcore punk to be, but what strikes me here is the originality of their sound. While there are a couple of fast thrash passages on Right Is Might, most of the EP stomps along at a menacing, medium-fast tempo, like an army marching with purpose toward their intended target. By holding back from those cathartic passages of blistering speed or lumbering heaviness, Neuroot’s music builds tension, which they emphasize harmonically with dark and dissonant chords in the vein of Die Kreuzen or later-era Wretched. While many great hardcore records sound like explosions of energy, Right Is Might simmers like a pot at the edge of full-on boil. Perhaps that unique tone is what I had trouble locking into when I heard the band previously… it’s not what you come to an 80s hardcore record expecting.

Besides generating a unique brand of tension, Neuroot’s style also provides space for some noteworthy work from the band’s players (the vocalist is charismatic, but pretty straightforward in their execution). The guitarist bounces back and forth between the dense and dissonant chords I mentioned above and chunky palm-muting, emphasizing that relentless marching rhythm. The bass player often departs from the root notes, injecting wobbly, noisy fills into the songs’ many nooks and crannies. My favorite part of Right Is Might, though, is the drumming. It’s just so creative. Rarely relying on a straightforward punk beat, Neuroot’s drummer finds unique places for rhythmic accents. The drums never do what you expect them to, and while the drumming style is quite busy, the songs always have that powerful groove… it’s not like, say, Jerry’s Kids, where the drumming is so hyperactive you have trouble hearing the beat at the center. Neuroot’s songs are always rock solid. Perhaps that’s because they were a band for five years before they released Right Is Might, their debut record. Who knows when it emerged, but they exhibit a unique and powerful playing style here.

While Right Is Might has sparked a new appreciation of Neuroot’s music for me, that music sometimes gets overshadowed by this record’s relationship to a piece of hardcore punk record collecting lore. The insert for Right Is Might thanks Pushead for releasing the record in North America, but this never actually happened. The four tracks on Right Is Might, along with two others recorded at the same session, were supposed to come out on Pusmort Records as a split LP with the Canadian band Fratricide. It’s unsurprising that Pushead liked Neuroot… their metallic punk sound would have fit well with Pusmort artists like Final Conflict and Poison Idea. Unfortunately, though, the release never progressed past the test pressing stage. As you might expect, those original test pressings are highly collectible, though they change hands from time to time… there are though to be at least 25 copies in circulation. You can read a thorough analysis of the entire history of the aborted Neuroot / Fratricide split on the Negative Insight zine website, including scans of all of Pushead’s original correspondence with Neuroot from the 80s. So cool!

While Right Is Might isn’t rare or expensive, at least as far as 80s European hardcore 7”s go, a better (and certainly easier) option if you want to experience these tracks is Havoc Records’ 2020 reissue of the record, which expands to a 12” by adding the two additional tracks meant for the split 12” with Fratricide. (If you’re curious, the Fratricide material was also issued eventually on the Canadian label Schizophrenic Records). Even better, we have the Havoc LP in stock at Sorry State! Pick one up and get yer noggin crushed.

What’s up Sorry State readers? It’s been a couple weeks since my last entry here. I hope everyone had a nice holiday season and has been enjoying the new year. I travelled over to Memphis to visit my family for the holidays and had a nice time just relaxing at home for a few days. We were in the area that got hit by that crazy winter storm and for a lot of the time it was under 10 degrees, so we spent a lot of time just hanging out by the fireplace. When I drove back here to Raleigh, I decided to just do the 11 hour trip in one go instead of splitting it up. I’ve always enjoyed long road trips, so it was honestly kind of nice just driving on my own for that long. I just listened to whatever music I wanted to and could stop and take a break whenever. I feel like I still had another hour or two in me by the time I got back to Raleigh at 1AM. I almost took a detour just to keep driving for the hell of it. I listened to a lot of different stuff during my drive back, but I definitely spent a lot of time listening to some good ol bluegrass, from Doc Watson, Stanley Brothers, Old & in the Way, and everything in between. It’s nice to hear about songs about visiting home in Tennessee or the mountains and towns you’re driving through. I happened to find this Doc Watson record a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. It’s on streaming services as well so I was listening to it during my trip. It’s from a live show recorded in 1967 for the Seattle Folklore Society and also features players Clint Howard and Fred Price. I really like the entire show, but some of my favorite tracks are Way Downtown, Slewfoot, and Rank Stranger. I always love the banter in between songs on these old live albums too. It really can make it feel like you’re there at the show. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great start to the new year, maybe listen to some Doc Watson if you feel so inclined.

Hi Sorry State fam! Hope you all enjoyed some time off doing things you wanted to do over the past couple weeks. I went to Ohio to spend some time with family, then made it back to Raleigh for the actual holidays. Riveting stuff. It’s good to be back. Let’s go.

I’ve been listening to Sluggo’s S/T record daily for a couple weeks. It includes their well-received debut EP, Contradiction, and their second EP, Eighty-Four. The latter has never been released until now. Smash the two together and you get Sluggo’s first (and only) full length.

I hadn’t heard of Sluggo, but I saw the words Cincinnati and hardcore on the hype sticker, and my curiosity was piqued. I’ve never thought about the presence or absence of a punk or hardcore scene in Cincinnati. I grew up five hours north in Akron, so to be honest I never thought much about Cincinnati, period. Sluggo brought me up to speed in a great zine that comes with the record. Their bio is really interesting, and there are a ton of old fliers from killer shows they played.

A couple of hardcore-loving teens (as young as 14 and 15) living close to Cincinnati had the epiphany that their idols, like Minor Threat, look for local hardcore openers. But there were no local hardcore bands in Cincinnati. Cincinnati was not void of a punk scene, but they weren’t playing the more intense, faster style that characterized hardcore. So Sluggo was formed, becoming Cincinnati’s first hardcore band, and positioning themselves to quickly get on some of the best hardcore bills.

Oh yeah, their music. This is a really good record that truly gets better with each listen. It’s a smart mix of hardcore and ‘77 punk. They strike just the right balance in their music with a few lighter, mid-tempo tracks on each side. Also, lots of stand-out bass riffs and drum breakdowns. The intensity behind the guitar playing is pretty impressive too, given their ages. Speaking of which, Sluggo’s admiration for Minor Threat fueled their decision to add a second guitar by their second EP. It’s cool to hear the sonic differences between the two EPs, but I wouldn’t say the dual guitar set-up made them sound significantly different. The record sounds pretty cohesive.

You will definitely hear the vocal stylings of Minor Threat on the songs Demise and Figure it Out. And although Sluggo sounds less angry, when they shout “figure it out!”, it sounds like their version of “did you fucking get it?” Get it?

Anyway, I really like the super catchy songs like Put it Off and Friends I’ve Made. The riffs and beats on the latter track remind me of early Ramones. The song is said to be inspired by Sham 69, and you can tell. The sickest bass award goes to hardcore favorite, What Happens Next. That particular song was the only part of Sluggo to make it on a label, as it was featured on a Mystic Records compilation.

Sluggo’s sound was entirely different from the hardcore style that would soon emerge out of Cleveland. Sluggo would be more like Cleveland’s chill cousin down south who wouldn’t steal your wallet and beat you with it.

The story of Sluggo has its share of drama that would lead to line-up changes and ultimately, their dissolution. They were a new young band quickly gaining attention and playing gigs with major hardcore acts (see Sluggo zine). This would probably overwhelm anyone, but most of these dudes were one foot out of puberty. Even if short-lived, Sluggo made an impact and some impressive material.

It would be a shame if they never got a proper release, even if was 40 years later. So, what does one do when faced with this challenge? Obviously, you’d swing by Steve Albini’s electrical studio for a proper polish and transfer, pass go, and collect your accolades. And probably some closure, too.

We don’t have a ton of these in stock, so I wouldn’t sleep on Sluggo. It’s a great listen and the bonus zine is really well done.

As always, thank you for reading. See ya next time!

-Angela

Hello and thank you for reading. Also, Happy New Year to all ye who read our newsletter. There are so many good things out right now, and I am really excited about the two new releases we are dropping today. Sorry State co-released the HIC SYSTEEMI cassette with the Finnish Hardcore label, and that is so cool to me!! We also have the LAMA cassette available they released at the same time. I know the cost is expensive cos it’s an import cassette, but the sound is pretty good, and the packaging is cool. The SIRKKA 7” we just released is so fucking good. They blew my mind with their debut cassette and I have been dying to hear what they’d do next. It’s awesome their follow-up is released on Sorry State! I’m actually surrounded by discs, download cards, and unfolded covers as I write this haha... only about a hundred left to go though. We met the vocalist Sanja while we were on tour in Europe. It’s a small world... the amazing driver for SCARECROW tour, Liese, is the person who did the front cover of the EP! They live in the same building, so cool haha.

Our first night of tour was in Münster, and we played with this band INFERNO PERSONALE, and they were awesome live! I had never heard them before, so I had no idea what to expect. It was a great way to start the tour. At the time I had no idea they had an LP coming out soon, and this LP is a fucking scorcher… I love the art too. I listened to it so many times, if you haven’t heard it yet check that link and grab a copy here. I got a copy immediately. Seriously it’s so sick. The cover is screen printed too, ahh. I need to stop talking about other shit, but there are so many cool things to mention, like the MASSACRED 7" on Active-8 Records. I’ve seen them once (or twice?) and they were so good live. I had never heard them before I saw them, so I was excited to see this record come out and the sound really translated onto the record.

Alright getting on with it... well actually going back to tour again, Adult Crash dropped this cassette from NUKIES while we were on the road. I heard only bits of it cos my phone speakers are complete shit, but every bit sounded so sick and I couldn’t wait to hear the whole thing on proper speakers. The first run of tapes sold out super quick, but luckily Sorry State was able to stock the second run! This release is like everything I want to hear in a band. They got the fuckin riffs, they are playing that beat I like, and they without a doubt have the capability to simultaneously rip and groove at the same time. I love the vocals too. The vocalist has their own distinct sound. The name is a bit cheesy, but I love that they embrace it with the equally cheesy artwork. It’s fucking awesome, 10/10 release. OK, that’s it then, thanks to everyone for the support and thank you for reading. I hope everyone made it through the holidays alright. Cheers :)

Hey there everybody, a happy new year to you. I hope all is well with you and that you had a fun holiday period. We’ve been rockin’ at the store and sending a lot of folk home with cool records, which has been great. A big thank you to all of you, whether you visited us in person or on-line. We really appreciate it and will do our best to get even more ace records onto your turntables in 2023.

As for a staff pick this week, I could go anywhere. Just like the crazy changing weather here in North Carolina, my mood switches from one day to the other and often from one hour to the other. Typically, when it’s cold and grey the music soundtrack is similar, but what with all the sunny days we have had, along with the recently finished World Cup, I have found myself listening to a lot more music that I usually associate with summer. Reggae, Latin and Brazilian music, for instance. This past week on Worldy, Matt and I played an all Brazil special to honor the recently departed Pele. If you checked out my staff pick from a week or two ago where I talked about a Brazilian music mix CD, and you liked it, then you may enjoy this show. I’d be honored if you gave it a listen.

On the Latin music front, I was reminded of a great record this week that celebrated its 50th anniversary last year and it’ll be that one that I’ll steer you towards this week.

Eddie Palmieri and Harlem River Drive: Recorded Live At Sing Sing. Tico Records. 1972

Just like any other person with ears, I am a big fan of Johnny Cash, and particularly like his two prison albums recorded at San Quentin and Folsom. Over the holidays, we had copies of those two at the store and I gave them another listen. Coincidentally, John Scott told me that he had been playing them on his drive back from visiting his family for Christmas. He’s a fan too. With that in mind, we discovered a great show that Johnny Cash performed in 1968 at the Carousel Ballroom in San Francisco, right between the release of those two prison albums. The show was recorded by Owsley Stanley using his unique verité style of recording. As the listener, you really feel like you are stage side in the audience witnessing the show as it happened. The show was recently released commercially, and I snagged a vinyl copy for myself. It’s an awesome set and captures Johnny Cash at a very interesting point in his life and in history. I highly recommend you investigate.

The prison system in the United States is truly a blight on the country, and back in the late sixties and early seventies the conditions were particularly bad. Nixon’s war on drugs and the mass incarceration that resulted was just beginning, but the prisons were already overcrowded with terrible conditions and with an already too high percentage of people of color. At Attica in 1971 tensions boiled over into a riot, resulting in over 30 deaths. It was just months later in that atmosphere when Eddie Palmieri took his Harlem River Drive group up the Hudson river to Ossining, NY and the infamous Sing Sing Correctional Facility to perform for the inmates and record this great album. He wasn’t the only act though to perform and record there. That very year, a young filmmaker was granted access to the prison to teach a film making class and the resulting project had, among other performers, blues legend B.B. King giving a very emotional performance to the inmates for a special Thanksgiving concert. You should look at the footage and see for yourself. B.B. King said at the time that this performance was one of his best and most memorable and special. Filmmaker David Hoffman has made the whole concert available, so click here for the link.

Another name that performed that year at the prison was a new up-and-coming artist by the name of Bruce Springsteen.

The Harlem River Drive group consisted of leader Eddie Palmieri, his brother Charlie, the core of Aretha Franklin’s then touring band, plus several major names in the Latin music and session scene. The group was named after the controversial highway that was built cutting through the streets of Harlem, allowing cars to bypass the streets and neighborhood, thus avoiding the realities of the ghetto. The previous year, 1971, saw the release of the self-titled album, a great Latin Jazz Funk Soul crossover record, which is rightfully still held in high regard today and will cost you at least $100 for a nice copy, although there are now some reissues available. The Sing Sing album doesn’t go for quite as much, but is just as worthy, as is the follow up second volume that was released a couple of years later. That one has eluded me in the wild and doesn’t seem to show up as much.

On the original volume, you get to hear four long extended songs, plus poetry read by Felipe Luciano and introductions from M.C.’s Joe Cain and Paquito Navarro, and most importantly the very enthusiastic response from the audience of mostly Black and Latino inmates. By the end of the last performance, they are whipped up into a fervor. That last song on the album, called Azucar, is pure fire, and it’s worth owning the album for that alone, although the impact is more significant if you have listened to the preceding songs and readings.

The recording captures a real moment in time, and one where the musicians, just like in the case with B.B. King and Johnny Cash, bring their A game. Palmieri, to his credit, continued playing prison gigs throughout his career, including twice at the aforementioned Attica.

You should check this album out if Salsa and Latin funk is your bag, and of course those classic Johnny Cash and B.B. King performances. All killer.

Have a great week and I’ll see you next time. Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

It’s a New Year! Exciting, right? At least I know it’s already been off to a good start for me. I just returned from my trip with Public Acid. We played 4 shows, all with exceedingly long drives from one location to the next. But all the shows were so good that it was worth it. We started off in Cleveland. We played the very first gig hosted in this brand new warehouse space that is being run by friends of ours. It was killer. Yambag and Sorry State alumni Woodstock 99 also played. Then we were off to Toronto. My first time ever in Canada! The show was basically a Not Dead Yet offshoot. We played with our friends in Poison Ruin, and SHIT closed out the show and totally tore the roof off the place. Then we spent New Year’s Eve in Montreal. Played once again with No Fucker. Public Acid got playing after some technical difficulties, and the clock struck midnight while we were still in the middle of playing. So there were no big cheers to “Happy New Year” or anything, but the bar did have free champagne for us, which was nice.

Then our last show was in Boston. This was my first experience playing in a proper VFW hall. I guess technically they called it a “legion hall.” To be honest, I don’t really know what that means. There was a small bar in the middle of the hall where a bunch of old men were hanging out drinking Budweiser. Probably just scowling at all the punks filling up the place. The bartenders were super friendly, but there was a still a part of me that was thinking these people do NOT want us here haha. In the big open room where all the bands played, a giant American eagle sculpture towered above the drum set. Pretty funny.

By the time we arrived, we only caught a few songs of that band Intensive Care Unit. Then, The Massacred played. It was the record release show for their new EP Post-Mortem. To me, it always seems like Boston bands have a high bar for sound, presentation and the way they play. Tight as FUCK. I was watching the guitar player’s picking hand, and there was no triplet or fast picking played outta time. Military style. The same goes for this 7”. You can hear how well-executed it is. The gruff, barking vocals are commanding and the riffs are super catchy. It seems like they’re going for kind of a UK82 style, but there’s an element of how the band puts it together that still undeniably US hardcore. But even the sleeve looks like it could a release on Riot City or something… outside glue tabs, thumb cut, and all that. The stamped dust sleeve is also a nice touch. Beautiful packaging. Sorry State already had copies in stock by the time we got to Boston and played this show. Definitely make sure all you punks grab a copy from us.

Savageheads also played and were great, as always. The show was over by 10pm, and we decided to break up the drive so that we didn’t need to drive straight to Richmond from Boston in one drive (and in my case, then head to North Carolina after that). We hopped in the van and discussed our options. We talked about possibly staying in Philly on the way home. I dozed off in the van expecting to take a shift driving if someone got too sleepy. I woke up who knows how much later in a McDonald’s parking lot. One of the dudes in the band said, “Guess what? We’re in Virginia.” Without knowing it, I found myself in Richmond at 8am. What a wild ride.

I feel like less than a week into 2023, we’re already getting some fresh bangers. Can’t wait to see what other killer punk releases this year yields. Speaking of which, all you Sorry Staters make sure you pre-order that Sirkka 7”. It’s one of my favorite releases we’ve put out in quite a while. Don’t sleep on it!!

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

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Flower Leperds: Dirges in the Dark LP (1988, XXX Records)

My staff pick for this week is Flower Leperds’ 1988 LP Dirges in the Dark. Flower Leperds were a Southern California punk band who appeared on a few compilations and released a 7” on Mystic Records called Has Hate Been Kind Enough in 1985. The Mystic 7” documents an earlier iteration of the band and it’s cool (in fact, I know many people prefer this earlier stuff), but I prefer the version of the band that came together a few years later and featured Tony from the Adolescents on vocals. This version of the band recorded Dirges in the Dark, and if you’re a fan of Tony’s vocals (particularly anything he did after the first Adolescents album), you’ll recognize his distinctive rasp right away.

While Flower Leperds’ early sound combined punk with elements of goth and metal, Dirges in the Dark is a very “rock” album. Most of the time, when punk bands decide to rock out it’s not a great idea… see records like SSD’s last LP, the Necros’ Tangled Up, or Discharge’s Grave New World. However, a few bands got it right. I’d put Dirges in the Dark alongside the FU’s Do We Really Want To Hurt You as a great rock/punk hybrid record. Both records keep the energy level high just like any great punk record should, but borrow the memorable riffing and big choruses of classic rock records like Alice Cooper’s early 70s recordings, Ted Nugent, Blue Oyster Cult, and the like. The Leperds even cover Alice Cooper’s “Muscle of Love” on Dirges in the Dark, and it’s uncanny how much Tony’s voice sounds like Alice’s in places.

Besides the great music—there isn’t a bum track in the bunch—I really like Dirges in the Dark’s EC Comics-inspired artwork. It’s a shame the record has never been repressed and isn’t available on streaming services. Thankfully, though, a patient person should be able to score a copy for somewhere in the $20 range. What a value!