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I am feeling like a dried-out sardine after the gig Scarecrow and Public Acid played in Richmond last night. Daniel was nice enough to take on driving duties. After the gig, the two of us rode back to Raleigh, arriving promptly at 3am. But the gig was absolutely killer. Would do it again.

At first, I didn’t think I’d be able to muster the energy to write about any records that I’ve enjoyed this week. But then, I decided I could ramble about this Outpatients LP that just came out on Painkiller. For me, Outpatients are one of the unsung great 80s hardcore bands from New England. I’ve always claimed that the classic Bands That Could Be God compilation is worth it for the Outpatients songs alone. Unfortunately, Outpatients never had a proper vinyl release of their own. I guess tapes of their recorded material had floated around for a long time. At some point many years back, I was turned onto the Hardcore Outcasts compilation, which is a collection of the band’s recorded output, all of which varies in quality and audio fidelity. But DAMN, the style of hardcore that Outpatients play is just right up my alley. Raging and turbulent, sometimes kinda dissonant and eerie like Mecht Mensch or something, but then often it’s super tuneful and catchy. Also, I’m a sucker for the vocals. There’s something about the singer’s raspy, shredded voice that reminds so much of Kevin’s vocals on the Subculture LP.

This Readmitted LP on Painkiller is an even more thorough collection of songs than the CD compilation from years ago. The A side is primarily the early hardcore songs and demo-quality recordings. Then, when you flip over to the B-side, Outpatients’ approach to hardcore captures this slightly melodic edge that reminds of when releases on Dischord started to have a similar shift in style during the mid-80s. Like not quite Revolution Summer level softness, but definitely hinting at that sound. “Hardcore Outcasts” seems apt for this young band from Westfield. When listening to their recordings, I hear a band that comes across as earnest and determined. But for whatever reason, maybe because the band was from a smaller town rather than a metropolitan area like Boston, the fidelity isn’t as great, the records never came out, and perhaps they never got the attention they deserved. But hey, who doesn’t love an underdog story? Personally, I listen to the collection of songs on this LP and just imagine if Outpatients had recorded at a place like Inner Ear and released a few 7”s. I bet they would be heavily sought after and held in higher regard like a Deep Wound or whatever. Maybe I’m embellishing, but I really think this is a cool band.

So yeah, got check out Outpatients if you never have. That’s all I’ve got. I’m gonna pound coffee for the rest of the day until the jitters wear off and I pass out. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Rigorous Institution: Lords of Misrule cassette (self-released, 2022)

Last night Scarecrow played a fun as hell, stacked gig in Richmond with 80HD from New York, Public Acid, and Relief from Virginia Beach. It was Red from Scarecrow’s birthday (and close to the birthdays of the 1,000 other neurotic Virgos in attendance), so everyone was in a good mood and ready to have fun. The bands all killed it, and I was stoked to hear 80HD has a record coming at some point… whenever they can get it pressed, which is still a huge problem at the moment. Public Acid also played a couple of hot new tracks, opening with a new song that begins with some crushing mid-paced death metal riffing that is bound to soundtrack to numerous injuries in the future. You couldn’t ask for a better night.

A few weeks ago I was at the same venue for my first opportunity to see one of my favorite current bands, Rigorous Institution. This was just a few days after Scarecrow got back from our long European tour and the idea of snuggling with my dog on the couch was a lot more appealing to me than driving three hours in each direction for a sweaty punk show, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see Rigorous Institution. They were great, as expected, and the show was super fun. I was especially glad I went because Rigorous Institution was selling a new 2-song tour cassette. You know I grabbed a copy, and that’s my staff pick this week.

The a-side and centerpiece of the tape is a cover of the song “Horrible Eyes,” originally by the cult Italian band Death SS. For a band that has such an identifiable sound, Rigorous Institution has always been adventurous, yet “Horrible Eyes” still feels like something new for them. The song is more straightforward than most of their originals, moving along at a steady gallop that allows the focus to move from the song’s hypnotic organ melody (this is Rigorous’s invention and doesn’t appear on Death SS’s original version) to the always captivating vocals (the song’s lyrics are tailor made for Rigorous Institution) to a surprisingly structured, rock and roll guitar solo. I don’t think the track is streaming anywhere, but any Rigorous Institution fan is gonna love it.

If you like it (or just if you like music I suppose), Death SS is a band who is worth investigating. While the material collected on the compilation The Story Of Death SS 1977-1984 is within the era of heavy metal proper, Death SS doesn’t sound like a band influenced by metal’s first or second waves, but a group inventing the genre for themselves. They take a lot from Black Sabbath (they’re often name-checked in histories of doom metal, and Pentagram fans should look them up), but Alice Cooper’s shock rock was at least as big an influence. The band’s visual aesthetic is wild, a kind of campy horror schtick that’s like the New York Dolls crossed with Immortal. The music is like the Pentagram recordings collected on First Daze Here, but some parts are unexpected and off the wall… check out the song “Schizophrenic,” for instance. Also, here’s a tip. If you enjoy The Story Of Death SS 1977-1984, rather than jumping to the reunion album In Death of Steve Silvester (which only features the original vocalist), instead follow guitarist Paul Chain’s career. After Death SS, he started a group called Paul Chain’s Violet Theatre that continued pulling Death SS’s most interesting musical threads.

Back to Rigorous Institution. “Horrible Eyes” is backed with a rough, 4-track recording of the Cainsmarsh album track “Criminal Betrayers,” and it’s worth hearing if you’re as big a fan as I am. As I noted above, neither track appears to be streaming anywhere, but the tape’s insert says one or both tracks (it’s unclear) will appear on a 4-song cassette EP (also titled Lords of Misrule) Rigorous Institution will release in late 2022 on a new label called Dogs of Altamont. Hopefully Sorry State can get a big stack for all you freaks. In the meantime, listen to some Death SS and get wild.

I just got back from visiting family in Seattle last week and every time I go out there, I’m reminded of how beautiful Washington is. It has everything to offer from mountains, oceans, forests, lakes, islands, and everything else in between, and I love exploring all the different parts when I’m out there. This visit we traveled around the San Juan islands for a couple days while camping out, but my favorite part of the trip was the last day. We drove east of Seattle for about two hours into some mountains and floated down a river there on tubes and paddleboards. It’s so relaxing to just float down a crystal clear river surrounded by mountains while cracking a few cold ones.

Whenever I’m out in the great Pacific Northwest, I’m always reminded of one thing: Twin Peaks. It’s probably my favorite show of all time and it was actually filmed in a small town, Snoqualmie, about half an hour from Seattle. I figured today would be a good day to write about the nerdiest thing I own, this cassette, “Diane…”: The Twin Peak Tapes of Agent Cooper performed by Kyle MacLachlan. If you haven’t already seen the show, the main character, Special Agent Dale Cooper, carries a tape recorder around with him and leaves messages on it to someone named Diane. This tape is literally just those audio messages playing in sequential order, plus a couple extra parts that aren’t in the show. It’s basically Dale Cooper ASMR. I honestly have probably only played it a handful of times cause I don’t know how often I feel like just sitting around listening to Dale Cooper talk about solving a murder and other random stuff, but when you want to, this tape is the perfect thing. It’s kind of like listening to one of those old radio drama shows they used to air back in the day. It does include the incredible opening theme for the show plus the song that plays in the Red Room, both composed by Angelo Badalamenti, so there is some good music to listen to on there. Anyways, I love Twin Peaks and Dale Cooper is the embodiment of all that is good and right in the world. Listen to this if you need more Twin Peaks content in your life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBE1-2p-Nkk

Hi Sorry State fam! Thanks as always for your support and for reading! I’m gonna just jump into it.

I’ve got an extra special staff pick today. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to tell you who Scarecrow is, but they are a Raleigh-based hardcore band that also comprise half of our staff. If you love you some Swedish hardcore-inspired crusty punk, look no further than Scarecrow. I’m always drawn to the d-beat sound and to political punk in general, so I was excited to hear the much anticipated Crisis EP.

Released on Bunker Punks Discs and Tapes, Crisis is a seven-track, fast as fuck, razor sharp ripper. Infused with incredible chemistry between band members, their technical skill is apparent. One thing that popped into my mind after playing the EP a few times is that Scarecrow really knows how to write a fucking song.

What I really like about this EP is that it’s not just fast and mean hardcore. The band effectively uses different techniques that make the songs catchy and creative in a way that doesn’t compromise or water down the music at all. I really noticed this in their intros and outros. I really love that their outros aren’t repetitive at all. “Leeches” is my favorite track. The fury that is unleashed upon us around the 1:03 mark is infectious. There is a seamless vocal style transition into meaner territory beginning with the line “500,000 dead…..” Dude. That’s all I can come up with. It’s just …. DUDE. And I gotta say I’m a sucker for a good drum breakdown, and you definitely get one right around this part I’m referring to in “Leeches.”

“Abolition” is another favorite. It’s a total ripper. Holy hell, the riffage on that one!

The recording and overall sound quality is impressive. It sounds incredible. Very clean, but still raw. And right down to the artwork, you can tell that a lot of passion and effort went into this record from all angles. The jackets and inserts couldn’t have come out better (side note: I love the metallic touches). I really appreciate little details like that.

To steal a line from Jeff, this is one hot slab. Looking forward to what’s in store next for Scarecrow. Perhaps a full length? Just a thought. Mull it over.

Linked below is the Crisis EP on Bandcamp for your enjoyment.

Until we meet again, thanks for reading!

-Angela

https://bunkerpunks.bandcamp.com/album/crisis-ep

Hello and thank you for reading. Today is definitely not the first time I have written about TOTALITÄR and it probably won’t be the last. It’s funny that I sat down this afternoon to write about the recent TOTALITÄR compilation on Skrammel Records, and then I learned our copies of the Vi Är Eliten are out for delivery today! That rules. I guess it also saves you the time of reading me mindlessly rant about TOTALITÄR twice in the same month. While I have all these records, I am really excited for this stuff to be readily available at distros and shops. We don’t have our copies of the Skrammel compilation yet, but they should be on the way—so stay tuned! I think the 7”s on this compilation have been dying for a reissue. Some of them seem pretty hard to find now, while luckily others can still be found pretty easily. I remember my copy of Allting Är På Låtsas took me the longest to track down, which is ironic cos I often think it is my favorite EP of theirs. (That changes all the time.) I just looked on Discogs and the median is $70 now. Insane. It’s a 2000s record, haha... but a really damn good one. Anyway, Skrammel picks up right were they left off with the last compilation. Well, kind of. To a normal person they probably just see TOTALITÄR: 1998-2002, and think like, “Oh hell yeah, that is sick!” And they jam it. I see TOTALITÄR: 1998-2002 and begin to over-examine the contents; comparing track listings, different versions of recordings, credits, etc. Haha. They skipped over the TOTALITÄR tracks on their 1997 split with DISMACHINE. They also didn’t include the TOTALITÄR tracks from the 2001 split with DISCLOSE. I can understand that in a way, though. It would be a ton of songs to include, and it would have to be a double disc. And then, of course, both of those splits are amazing. Each side of the records is so damn good. It would be a shame to reissue just the TOTALITÄR tracks. I guess there could be licensing agreements that held back certain materials from being reissued as well. So I can understand leaving those off, but then the title doesn’t make as much sense to me. Their split with DISCLOSE is within the timeline of the title. Maybe it’s supposed to be just a 7" compilation? Their split with AUTORITÄR from 1999 was also left out. But that 7" is kind of a compilation in itself. The first two songs are from the Ni Måste Bort! session, and the other two songs are all the way back from their 1987 Luftslott session. That one made sense to leave off, but they also left out their 2002 split with DROPDEAD. I think those tracks and Allting Är På Låtsas were recorded at the same time. They were both recorded September 2000 by the master of kang, Jan Jutila. The sound is so raw… really bright in the most punishing way, and the drums sound so damn good, just perfect. The packaging on this reissue is pretty basic. If you got the first one from Skrammel, you know what to expect. However, it was really cool to see they added some full-color photos of the band on the back cover. There is minimal live footage and photos of them, so I was really excited for that. While the packaging may be minimal on this release, I still think it’s a great record to have. Even if you have all the EPs already, this is a much easier way to listen to them all haha.

While I don’t have the new Prank reissue of their own 2007 release yet, Vi Är Eliten, I know what to expect: top-notch packaging that will probably actually out-do the original, alongside some of best sound that is pressed into vinyl today. I just really wonder what’s up with the bonus 7" that came with some of the original press! I didn’t see any mention of those songs being included anywhere in this reissue, but I could’ve missed it. I know those songs are just re-recordings of old tracks but it’s cool to hear a band like TOTALITÄR do that, cos they aged like “fine wine.” I didn’t make any mention of the bonus 7" that came with the recent Skrammel reissue, whoops. There is a limited number of 500 available direct through their mailorder, so unfortunately we will not be getting copies of that. Both songs are covers that were already released. One was the “Born to Die in the Gutter” cover on that 2000s Distortion compilation, and the other is a SVART PARAD cover. I haven’t listened to the bonus 7" enough to see if that cover is from the same session as the Vi Är Eliten 7", but I am assuming so. Maybe I am wrong though, cos that session was 2006, and this compilation is supposed to end at 2002. Anyway, I should get back to work. Thanks for reading. Keep your eyes open for our copies from Skrammel, and definitely get you one of these Vi Är Eliten reissues if you don’t already have one! Peace.

Hello everyone, out there in Sorry State newsletter land. Thanks for clicking on us and reading.

This past week has been a heavy one emotionally, hasn’t it? My country and much of the world are mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth. Although not much of a monarchist myself, it is still a sad moment for the nation and feels very weird. She’s been a constant in the lives of several generations, and it feels like losing a family member. Not shockingly, like in the death of Princess Diana, but still with a sense of loss. I spoke to my mum over the weekend, and she was quite sad and was reminded of her mother’s (my gran) passing. Whilst we were talking, she told me a story that I hadn’t heard before. She told me that when the Queen was coronated, she had gone to London with my aunt, and they sat outside Buckingham Palace and got to see the newly crowned Queen come out onto the balcony. I thought that was cool to have seen her on that actual day.

Adding to the somber mood of the weekend was another 9/11 anniversary passing. As a New Yorker back then, I will never forget. I don’t need to say anything more, but suffice to say the memories of that day and the aftermath stir up all sorts of emotions. It’s hard to put it into words really, but certainly leaves me in a weird head space. No need to make any political comments here so I won’t other than to say it is truly sad to see how much the Maga crowd has disgraced the memories of all those that died that day.

So, a rough week for me, which was made even more sad when I learned of the passing of another of my musical heroes, Ramsey Lewis. I found out soon after I finished my radio show, Worldy, on Monday. I’m bummed. Some of you may have read my recent entry in the newsletter where I talked about my love for him and his music. I can’t believe that he has gone. Like the Queen, he and his music have been there my whole life. It really makes you think about your own mortality. We all die sometime, of course, but it’s never nice being reminded about it. That is why we must celebrate the time that we are here and make the best of it. Trust me, I know that is easier to say than do when things are bleak, but we must try. I’m quite familiar with the blackness, despair and endless pain of life, so am grateful that I can seek comfort and sanctuary in my records. I will be celebrating not mourning Ramsey Lewis. His music will be there for me and so many others for as long as we are around to listen to it.

I obviously have a good selection of his albums myself and currently here at Sorry State we have several available also, so I have been listening to Ramsey a lot. John Scott has been digging the Sun Goddess LP, and I gave Daniel a copy of Mother Nature’s Son recently to listen to. That’s Ramsey Lewis covering The Beatle’s White album quite superbly. One of my favorite records by anyone. Ramsey Lewis recorded that record just a few weeks after The Beatles released their version due to the insistence of his producer Charles Stepney. Ramsey had covered Beatles songs before, but at first was reluctant to cut a whole album of covers. Stepney, however, was a visionary and great arranger and had respect for The Beatles and their producer George Martin and was convinced that songs from the White album could be arranged in a soul-jazz fashion. He was also an early adopter of the Moog synthesizer and his arrangements using the Moog helped elevate the songs to a new level.

Talk of producer Charles Stepney is timely as just arrived at my doorstep this morning and to us at Sorry State is a new double LP of music created by Stepney in his home basement studio in Chicago that is only now seeing the light of day. Without even listening to it, I know it must be my pick for this week’s newsletter. The collection is titled Step By Step and is released by International Anthem Recording Co. I pre-ordered my copy, but we are also stocking it here at the store. There was a limited gold vinyl pressing, however I elected for the black vinyl version as I find them easier to cue as a DJ. The music gathered is taken from 4-track reels of demos and compositional sketches created by Stepney sometime between the late 1960s and his premature death in 1976. He died of heart failure, leaving behind his wife and three daughters. It is his family that has kept these tapes preserved over the years and is largely behind this release. As you listen to the record, at various points his daughters can be heard narrating his story and giving their thoughts and memories about the recordings and their father. It’s a fascinating and intimate look at Stepney as both artist and family man. He plays vibes and keyboards on the tracks accompanied by drum machine and synth sounds. Some of the songs would later be fleshed out fully by their intended artists and some of them have not been heard before. Even though these recordings are simple and basic, they do not lack charm or substance. Far from it. Hearing them fifty years later is a gift of a musical time capsule.

Perhaps you haven’t heard his name before, but there’s a very big chance that some piece of music you have listened to has a connection with Charles Stepney. A lot of sample based hip-hop producers have used music he either wrote, arranged or produced. Just check A Tribe Called Quest for an example. You can obviously read more about his career if you care to, but all you really need to know is that Stepney was the staff arranger at Chess/Cadet and responsible for so many of the label’s great records from their incredible artist roster. We mentioned Ramsey Lewis already, but in no particular order he worked on records by The Dells, Terry Callier, Muddy Waters, Marlena Shaw, Minnie Riperton and her group Rotary Connection. It was with this last group that the Stepney magic is on full display. Listen to I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun to understand. Orchestral, psychedelic soul par excellence.

As any experienced crate digger will tell you, if you see the Cadet label and Charles Stepney’s name written in the credits, buy with confidence. His touch is as sure and golden as that of any of his contemporaries. He sits alongside Quincy Jones, Norman Whitfield, Thom Bell etc. and all the other great producers in the hall of fame. To those that know he is just as much of a legend.

Whilst living in New York I worked and became friends with a fantastic drummer who was named Ramsey after Ramsey Lewis. My friend Ramsey is the brother of a legendary rapper and one heck of a musician himself. He’s also a huge record nerd, and we bonded over our mutual love of old soul, funk, hip-hop and 60s psych and garage. The music of Charles Stepney was one of our favorites. When either one of us would find another record that he had worked on, we would share it with each other so the other would know and could look for it. I know Ramsey is feeling the loss of his namesake but also know that he’ll be loving this Stepney release a whole bunch just like I am and all the other Stepney fans out there.

Get yourself acquainted with his work if you aren’t already. It’s well worth it. Thanks for reading and see you next time. Cheers - Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

Last night was my new band Meat House’s first gig. It was a blast, but as I’m writing this, I am feeling ROUGH from many beers and lack of sleep. But man, Save Our Children and Stunted Youth both fuckin’ ripped! It was a fun gig for sure.

Currently, while I’m here recovering at the store, I’m hanging with Dom and listening to this new Long Knife LP on full blast. Over the years, I’ve definitely been digging Long Knife records here and there. I remember jamming their first LP Wilderness when it first came out like 7 or 8 years ago now, but not really giving proper attention to their records that followed. But now, listening to their new record, charmingly titled Curb Stomp Earth, I feel like I’m listening to dudes who are seasoned with the finest spices from the cabinet. It almost seems silly, but these dudes really sound like fuckin’ pros. I don’t know if “ambitious” is the right word, but this record is dripping with vibe and unexpected moments. Between the choir providing a pronouncement of an intro, piano interludes, and a horn section adding some flavor to the mix, it’s clear that Long Knife is a hardcore band unafraid to take some chances. There’s crazy stuff all over this record. I found myself laughing and shaking my head when a spooky organ out of a Scooby Doo episode has a little solo section. But then the next track kicks in and I’m reminded that I’m listening to an insanely ripping hardcore record. It’s wild.

I mean, the playing is killer… crispy, perfect guitar tone, the bass player is tearing it up, the drums are tight and powerful, and the singer is a total character, like the second coming of Jerry A. Long Knife is from Portland, and there’s obvious nods to later Poison Idea all over this record. I mean, some of the dudes were in that band Fetish with Thee Slayer Hippy. But this record goes beyond trying to do a band that is as “rockin” Poison Idea. I can’t decide if I think all of the accoutrement is over the top and corny… or if this record is totally genius. Normally, I would say keep all this extraneous crap out of my hardcore, but I just feel like Long Knife pulls it off somehow. You know that scene in Walk Hard where Dewey Cox is in the studio and says “10,000 more didgeridoos—an army of didgeridoos!”? It’s almost like I can’t figure out whether Long Knife is out of their mind like Dewey Cox or if they’re actually making the Pet Sounds of hardcore. The presentation and packaging is indulgent too, with a movie poster featuring all the credits on the record. So it does kinda feel like a little “nudge nudge” and that the band is in on the joke. Either that or they literally just do not give a fuck. In my imagination, it’s somewhere between all the dudes really knowing their way around the studio, dialing in a Marshall perfectly, and demanding only the best orchestra in town to appear on their album—OR it’s just a bunch of dudes goofing around, like, “Dude, wouldn’t it be insane if we had a choir open the record?” and everyone in the band laughing about it. Either way, I found myself raging to this record, if not also feeling a bit confused. I mean, you know, in a good way.

Anyway, I suggest you check this new Long Knife record out. I don’t know if I can muster the energy to write anything else. So that’s all I’ve got. As always, thanks for reading.

‘Til next week,

-Jeff

Underage: Afri Cani 7” (Attack Punk Records, 1983)

It’s been a while since I featured an obscure 80s hardcore record as my staff pick, so I’m righting that wrong today with this 1983 EP from Italy’s Underage. It goes without saying that I’m a huge fan of classic Italian hardcore. After filling in on guitar for Golpe for a few gigs, I even consider myself something of an honorary Italian. (Since those shows, I’ve noticed my spaghetti tastes more authentic). That peninsula produced (and continues to produce!) so much great punk, much of it with a distinct flair you don’t get from anywhere else in the world. There’s also something romantic about the original vinyl from this scene. I remember when I was first hearing this stuff, records like Raw Power’s You Are the Victim or Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers’ 400 Fascists seemed unattainable, but I’ve tracked down copies of both over the years. I still don’t have a Wretched / Indigesti split, though! What I couldn’t have known until I held these artifacts in my hands was that the packaging and design was often just as distinctive as the music, typically handmade and packed with text and graphics, in keeping with the anarchist values so many in that scene held.

Back to Underage. Underage was from the Southern Italian city of Napoli. While I’m no expert, I am aware of the cultural divide between Northern and Southern Italy, the North being richer and more connected to European culture, while the South is poorer and more connected to the Mediterranean world. I wish I knew enough Italian to glean more from the dense insert booklet that comes with Afri Cani, particularly the essay on the back page by Jumpy from Attack Punk Records. It starts with the words, “Africani, Marrochini, Terroni”—Africans, Moroccans, and Terroni (a racial slur referring to people from Southern Italy and/or of Southern Italian heritage)—and the words I can make out paint a picture of a turbulent environment rife with injustice. There’s clearly a lot to be said about that topic, given that most of the classic, best-known Italian hardcore bands came from the more affluent North.

Musically, Underage is—like so many other Italian bands—most notable for their idiosyncrasies. They clearly take Discharge’s raw and primal hardcore as a big influence, but the charmingly shaky drumming, piss-raw production, and (most of all) the truly bizarre guitar sound are the aspects of Afri Cani that I find the most interesting. The EP’s highlights include “Thanks U.S.A.” with its Void-like pitch-shifted backing vocals, and “Entro Domani,” which captures something of Discharge’s sinister tone on Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing, albeit without that record’s huge production. Both politically and aesthetically, Afri Cani feels like a radical statement, which is in keeping with Attack Punk’s other releases by raw bands from under-appreciated scenes like Spain’s MG15 and Yugoslavia’s U.B.R. It’s clear from the 9(!)-song track listing and the dense insert booklet that Underage had so much they wanted to say to the world.

While I couldn’t find much info about Underage in English, I discovered their drummer, Davide Morgera, wrote a book about his time in the band and the scene called Africani, Marrochini, Terroni, though it’s in Italian and also appears to be out of print. The one anecdote I found about Underage presumably comes from that book. 1983, Underage was offered an opening slot for the Exploited in Bologna, and after traveling all the way from Napoli to Bologna for the gig, the band Bloody Riot (whom I also like) jumped on stage and played instead of Underage, bullying the band out of their prestigious opening slot. After traveling dejectedly back to Napoli, the guitarist quit the band, effectively bringing Underage to an end.

Hello Sorry State readers! Hope all is well with everyone. Things are pretty chill on my end.

This week I had fun randomly pulling new (to me) releases from the shelves and taking them for a spin. I also mixed things up by throwing on a blast from the past, after reminiscing with Jeff about a timeless banger. Rancid’s And Out Come the Wolves. I played it while doing my thing at our fulfillment center, and Jeff had it playing at the store at the same time. A fine tribute party it was.

I bet you think this is my segue into writing about Rancid for my staff pick. It’s not. My pick is the Anxious Pleasers S/T EP. But cool story anyway, right?

Dude, what is wrong with me? I’ve had this banger of a record at my disposal for like two months, and I should’ve jumped on it. Particularly being that it’s a Neon Taste release, and they put out some killer shit. And Anxious Pleasers is some killer shit. The Canadian trio is comprised of singer/guitarist, TJ Charlton (TV Freaks), drummer Nathan Burger (TV Freaks, Flesh Rag), and bassist Matt Ellis (Flesh Rag, Plasticheads, and The Vapids).

This 7-track EP clocks in around 18 minutes, which feels right. I don’t think any track overstayed its welcome. Pure entertainment. It’s fast as hell and it doesn’t let up. Not once. No time to catch your breath. No water breaks. Such great energy. I wish I could infuse this type of energy into my body through an IV drip.

I’m super impressed by the power the band exerts as a three-piece. Here I go again with the C-word but this is catchy as hell punk rock with some major riffage. So much so that I pictured TJ’s guitar just catching on fire after the last minute of the song Too Real. My personal favorite is the song Duh! It’s one of those songs you play like five times in a row. This is one of the more garage-infused songs, but it’s a subtle infusion. In fact, no particular style of punk or rock in general immediately comes to mind when I listen to this record. That’s especially true on Duh! It has a great chorus, it’s really well-structured, and so fun to listen to.

Anxious Pleasers totally delivered, and at no point did I lose interest, even for a minute. Aside from Duh!, my other favorite track is What Do You Care About. Both tracks are very sonically strong and the catchiest on the record, but there are no let-downs in the bunch.

As you can tell, I’m pretty stoked on this EP. It’s been on my radar since we got it, and I’m glad I finally took it for a spin. Give it a listen below and see what you think.

Thanks for reading! See ya next week!

Angela

https://neontasterecords.bandcamp.com/album/anxious-pleasers

A few days after we returned home from tour, my homie Alex (WHAT UP!) sent me a link to this new LP from GEFYR. It took me a few days to get around to listening to it, but when I did, I was pretty excited about this one. I still haven’t checked out their previous releases. It looks like they go back about 5 years. I’ve listened to this LP probably close to ten times in the last 24 hours. To be honest, I didn’t like the art. I would’ve ignorantly passed it over based on that, if not for my friend. Maybe that’s too honest? I don’t care, but I don’t mean to offend anyone. The record is really good, and it doesn’t matter what the art or name is in the end. This was a similar theme for legendary band, TOTALITÄR. Also similar to TOTALITÄR, GEFYR is from the same city in Sweden! Very cool. When I first put this record on, I can hear many elements of TOTALITÄR. The riffs are blazing, the tone is punishing, and the d-beat is pummeling. But upon a closer listen I actually hear so much NO SECURITY. For example, on track 1, the chorus followed by the build-up of punches that actually leads back into a d-beat conclusion—that’s some metallic shit I could imagine NO SECURITY executing with hardcore precision. Of course, the vocal placement and riffs add a ton to what I am talking about. I like that on this record there are varying tempos of d-beat. Sometimes bands play one or maybe two tempos on a record and that’s it, but this drummer plays at like 3 or 4 different paces. It keeps me on my toes. While the band reminds me of those classics I named above, they obviously sound contemporary. Sometimes they squeeze in a measure or two of pogo’s between the D’s, and sometimes they go from a fast d-beat to a slow d-beat within the same song. I usually hate that kind of stuff. But instead of being boring about it, this band can actually pull it off with some taste. Sometimes they play so fast it’s hard to handle. Pure mangel, seriously. I would love to see this band live!! Alright that is all for today, check it out and grab a copy before we sell out! Thanks for reading everyone.

Hey everyone! How’s it going?

It’s Thursday and time to throw words together in the hope of forming proper sentences that express my love for music, records and working here at Sorry State. I’ll give it a go.

This week I would like to mention a fellow record label whose artist roster I have been following for several years and one that I have a huge amount of respect for. It’s Big Crown Records out of Brooklyn, New York.

Big Crown was formed by Leon Michels and Danny Akalepse in 2016 after the demise of their previous label Truth & Soul. That label had been around for about a dozen years and came out of the ashes of another New York based label, Soul Fire. Soul Fire records was founded in 1999 and run by Phillip Lehman, a French American who back in the 1980s as a graffiti artist helped introduce graffiti culture and particularly tagging to France. A huge record collector, particularly old school soul and funk, he compiled volumes of obscure funk 45s on his Pure label. Before Soul Fire, he ran Desco records with Gabriel Roth aka Bosco Mann who went on to form Daptone Records and the Dap-Kings with Sharon Jones. The late 1990s and early 2000s were such an exciting time in New York, and these gentlemen all played a huge part in laying the foundations for the burgeoning retro soul and funk scene that has developed since. I feel very blessed to have been living in the city back then and in whatever small way helping to support the scene. Be it through buying the records and spinning them out, stocking them at the store I worked at, going to shows, etc. It was a lot of fun. I did meet Phillip Lehman a couple of times, although he won’t remember, and it was cool getting to talk music with him.

Leon Michels is not only a shrewd businessman but one hell of a musician, song writer and producer too. As a musician, he fronts his own band, El Michels Affair, and was also a founding member of The Dap-Kings with the aforementioned Gabriel Roth in addition to The Menahan Street Band and The Expressions with Lee Fields. He has played with Charles Bradley, The Wu-Tang Clan and The Black Keys to name three and produces most of the records the label releases.

I really like the records that have come out under the El Michels Affair name. One project that always hits the spot is their 2009 album of Wu-Tang Clan covers and samples called Enter The 37th Chamber, originally released by Fat Beats. If you haven’t heard this record yet hit the link and get on it. More recently, Big Crown released a second album titled Return To The 37th Chamber, which is just as dope and highly recommended. It has taken up a good amount of turntable time at home and at the store since I got myself a copy. Mostly instrumental, but some of the cuts feature vocals, including those of Lee Fields and Lady Wray, recreating elements of the original samples. It’s a super cool mix of hip-hop and soul. We have this one and other Big Crown releases in stock for your next order. I have written about the awesome Lady Wray in the newsletter before, and both of her Big Crown records are excellent. Another one that we stock here at the shop is the collaboration with Liam Bailey titled Ekundayo Inversions, a nice reggae inspired album that features the legend Lee “Scratch” Perry on a cut. The instrumental version of this album is worth seeking out if you end up digging it.

One thing that unites Big Crown with other similar labels such as Colemine and Daptone is the love of old school soul and funk and particularly the medium that most of it was pressed onto, the 7” single. This fondness for the 45 is something that music lovers of all stripes share. Whether it’s soul, funk, punk, reggae, psych, garage or whatever else, the 45 it might be argued, is where the real meat and potatoes of any genre is to be found. It’s great to see so much new and old music getting out there in the form of a single and that there is still a section of the listening public that prefers it that way.

Talking of old music, Big Crown shines the spotlight on artists and records that deserve modern day attention too. They have released several singles and albums compiling the (mostly) 60s recordings of Sunny & The Sunliners, a Chicano group from Texas. If you like doo-wop, r & b and low rider sweet soul, this group is for you. Check out the song Should I Take You Home for a good example of their sound. The group was formed and fronted by Sunny Ozuna and achieved a modicum of success locally and nationally during the early 1960s. I personally wasn’t well versed in their material and so was grateful for the two volumes of music titled Mr. Brown Eyed Soul that Big Crown released. Highly recommended.

There’s plenty more to explore from El Michels Affair, not least their most recent release Adult Themes and plenty to explore on the label. We’ll be doing our best to keep some key titles in stock for you. As an independent label ourselves, we want to support as many others out there as possible and those that perhaps don’t fit into the punk and metal tag but are still releasing good music that we think you would like. That’s something that we are looking to explore more of in the future, and we’ll be letting you know all about it in these pages.

Until next time, that’s all from me. Thanks for reading and keep on having fun with records.

-Dom

What’s up Sorry Staters?

I rarely mention stuff about Bunker Punks here in my staff pick, but figured I’d give a small update on me n Usman’s label. We (and by we I pretty much just mean Usman) have been scrambling to catch up with the pre-orders for all the Scarecrow records. It seems like we’ll have very few copies (if any) of Scarecrow left over from the pressing after we fulfill everything. So I’m still unsure if we’ll have copies for Sorry State to stock or not. Good news though, we FINALLY have all the packaging in hand for the Fatal 7”. We just need to get those assembled, and then surely Sorry State will stock those. Thanks everyone for your patience!

Soooo, before I get into talking about my staff pick… I’m finding it more and more difficult to conjure the necessary brain juices to write something captivating in these staff picks we all do each week. I apologize in advance if my stream of consciousness-style write-ups basically boil down to: “Duuuurrr, it’s real good dude.” I’m sure my appreciation for the record I’ve chosen to write about this week will be no different. Here we go:

My friends know I have the tendency to gush about how much I love Totalitär, and also similarly ripping hardcore from Sweden. Because of that, I had several people blowing me up and asking, “Dude, have you heard this GEFYR record yet?” I had not, so I immediately went and checked it out. No surprise based on the esteemed opinions of my fellow hardcore nerd homies, but GODDEYUM this LP is a ripper! I don’t know how under the radar this band is flying at the moment, but it seems like everyone in the “Totalitär is the best band ever” camp is getting hip to it pretty quick. I feel like the secret will be out very soon. Some nerd shit, the band hails from Hudiksvall, the same city where Totalitär formed. So naturally, playing killer hardcore with great riffs is in Gefyr’s DNA. The cover art is cool, but unassuming, so when you drop the needle on this thing, you might feel unprepared for the imminent face-melting coming your way. While of course Lanchy’s classic riffing from the Hudiksvall godfathers is a good reference point, there’s something about the speed and ferocity in how Gefyr plays that keeps me from calling them a straight Totalitär tribute. A couple of tracks like “Överbliven, Oförlöst - Undergiven, Viljelös,” plow with such barreling barbaric force and the vocals sound totally shredded and gnarly… to me, the vocals are almost a dead ringer for No Security. For a more contemporary comparison, the whirlwind trapped-in-the-D-hole circular riffs remind a lot of the riffing in Infernöh. A song like “Hatets Anhängare 2” is less pummeling fast, and just has that classic groovy Swedish style riffing that makes you wanna drunkenly surge your way to the front of the crowd to violently and unrelentingly pump your fist.

Of course, as soon as I started freaking over this record, I told Daniel that we should stock copies. We got a stack directly from the label Flyktsoda over in Sweden. I’m not sure many (if any) other US distros are stocking copies of this record. If any of my sub-moronic ramblings convince you enough to check out this record, I highly recommend you jump on it quick!

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

‘Til next week,

-Jeff