News

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone is having a good week. The newsletter this week happens to fall on my birthday, woohoo! I thought it would be fitting to write about one of my favorite voices in all of music, Miss Dolly Parton. More specifically, The Monument Singles Collection 1964-1968, a record that actually came out this past Saturday for Record Store Day (I believe I mentioned it in my staff pick last week). This was one of the RSD titles I was really looking forward to and it didn’t disappoint. Since it’s a compilation of A-sides and B-sides throughout her early career before she was really established, there’s a lot of different sounding stuff on here you wouldn’t expect to find on a Dolly record. Busy Signal is one of the coolest Dolly songs I’ve heard with it being a more soul style, complete with background singers and someone making a busy signal sound throughout the song. It’s cool to hear her trying out these different styles early in her career to see what kinda sticks. Coincidentally, there happens to be a track on here titled Happy, Happy Birthday Baby, which I promptly listened to this morning with my coffee. Thanks Dolly, although unlike the person you’re singing to in the song, I’d never leave you for someone new. This past year has been really great and I think it also happens to be about a year now since I started working at Sorry State. I’ve learned so much and I’m very thankful for everyone here. I couldn’t ask for a better group of co-workers or boss. Dominic even gifted me some sweet Doc Watson records for my birthday. What a pal. It’s still pretty crazy to me to get to work at a job I actually really enjoy doing and don’t ever have to dread going into. Anyway I’m gonna go enjoy my birthday now and go eat Laotian food with my friends. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Hello and thanks for reading. Today I am writing about DESTRUCT’s new LP, Cries the Mocking Mother Nature. That’s no surprise though, right? I feel like I’ve been fan-boying this band since I first saw them live in 2018 with DISSEKERAD in Richmond. While they left a big impression, it was a strange line-up where Patrick took over vocal duties and they played without a bassist. I knew they usually had bass, but I didn’t know the bassist was still up there performing, haha. Regardless of being short a huge component of their sound, DESTRUCT was so good, like a machine. I had no idea a band from Richmond like this existed before I saw them that night. At the time, Echoes of Life had not been released, just their Human Failure demo. While that tape was a solid debut, it does not give testament to how good DESTRUCT was. Two songs from the tape were re-recorded on Echoes of Life and it sounds almost like an entirely different band. Aside from the excellent sound and songwriting on the records, what makes DESTRUCT stand out from others is their obliterating live performances. They have a well-formulated, massive sound. Regardless of the amps being so loud, little Alex behind the drums easily competes with the volume with his pummeling snare hand and fucking insane drum fills. On top of that, he plays speed alike to FRAMTID. My mind is blown every single time I witness them live. Last gig I saw them at, Zach and Patrick switched instruments on their final song and that one really fucked me up. Usually only bands who suck trade instruments. Anyway, I feel like Cries the Mocking Mother Nature is an amazing follow-up to Echoes of Life. Well, they did tease us with a few tracks from the new LP with their live cassette that came out a little while ago, Onward to Collapse. If you don’t have one of these and you are a DESTRUCT fan, I would definitely suggest picking one up. They are fairly cheap, and they have good sound quality. I’m not doing a very good job at describing the new LP but whatever, you can probably understand I think everyone should buy this record. I feel like they sound even more like DESTRUCT on the new LP, if that makes sense haha. They have their sound totally nailed down. I can’t wait for their next release, Screaming Death. I think I’ve probably mentioned this here...it will be a 12" split with DESTRUCT, DISSEKERAD, RAT CAGE, and SCARECROW. The DESTRUCT songs on that are some next-level shit. That will be a co-release with Skrammel Records and BPDT. Following that I know they will do a 7" on Acute Noise Manufacture, and maybe I have heard some talk of an ABSOLUT/DESTRUCT split... Alright before I go, I wanted to mention we have a few of these sick long-sleeve shirts from their tour with ABSOLUT this past year. Not sure why we have any left… these are two excellent bands teamed up on a shirt with an homage to MOBS and GHOUL. Alright anyway, thank you for reading, and thanks to everyone for the support!

What’s up Sorry State friends? I hope all is well in your world. We are recovered from this past weekend’s Earth Day and Record Store Day festivities and back to the grindstone here, gearing up for the next project. No matter the opinion on RSD—it has its faults—it was still a great day for us here at the store despite the shitty weather threatening to soak everyone waiting in line. It was cool seeing so many of our regulars and new friends coming through, and we thank you for your support. I hope that everyone managed to get that gem they might have had their eye on. I couldn’t resist blowing the grocery money on one or two items myself. I went for the Fall 1977 because, The Fall. I also took a copy of the Flash & The Dynamics—Electric Latin Soul, which has been on my wants list for decades now. I have a previous reissue and even some compilations with tracks, but this version came with improved sound and will probably have to do it as far as owning a copy is concerned, as originals never turn up. This year there were a lot of great releases to tempt the wallet with and I could have taken home a bunch. My DJ partner Matt snagged a few too, so between us we covered most of the titles we wanted. Most of them. LOL.

In other news, today, Thursday, is our colleague John Scott’s birthday. So, raise a glass and play a Doc Watson tune in his honor. In other, other news, Liverpool FC has finally managed to win a few games on the bounce this year and may yet still qualify for European competition next term. The title race may have been decided by City beating the Gunners yesterday, we’ll see, but from my perspective there are things to be happy about and to find positives from. I almost hate that I allow following a team and a game to affect my mood so much, but it surely does. I still believe that the beautiful game has a social impact far greater than just a mere sporting spectacle. It’s about community and brotherhood too. More positives than negatives.

Musically speaking, this week I have been listening to the complete range: Jazz, Psych, Blues, Hip-Hop, Soul, Latin, Reggae, you name it. We are going through collections and pricing records as fast as we can, and there are so many cool things to listen to. Visitors to our store should have no problem finding plenty of nice records of all descriptions and price ranges. One genre that we have a good amount of is Jazz. A few big name holy grails but mostly just good affordable copies of decent records. Lovers of the ECM label and 70s fusion will find plenty to tickle their fancy. I have started to dip my toes into the ECM world and whilst a lot of experimental free jazz is not my cup of tea, I have found my ears coming around to moments on these records. It must be an age thing.

This upcoming Sunday will be what is known as International Jazz Day. A twenty-four-hour celebration of all things Jazz. For my part, Matt and I will be broadcasting a special Worldy via The Face Radio. We go on from 7PM EST to 9PM EST if you want to tune in and listen along. I’m not sure exactly what I shall be playing, but we will try to spin as many jazz records from around the world as we can manage within the two hours. Jazz being jazz, that will mean most tunes won’t be two minutes and twenty seconds pop songs, but rather a bit longer. As our show aims to play music without borders, in addition to being international, I would like to try to fit in a few things that straddle the genre tags also. Perhaps some fusion will be in order?

As I have been writing this today, I have also been bagging some used records that we bought. One of which is Manfred Mann: Chapter Three on Polydor from 1969. It’s kind of exactly what I was talking about. A rock and jazz fusion record and an interesting listen I think. Not so much a hit with Jeff as we listened—too much saxophone for him. I dig it though.

This is a bit of a lost album in the Manfred Mann catalogue. It came about after the original line up of Manfred Mann, the band, called it quits and founding members Manfred Mann and Mike Hugg continued together, bolstered with a bunch of new musicians in a new Jazz Rock style. They went on to record two albums as Chapter Three, confusingly naming the follow up in 1970 as Volume Two. A third album was worked on but never released. Manfred Mann, feeling constrained by the set-up of Chapter Three and mostly playing Mike Hugg’s material, decided to break up the group and continued from 1971 as Manfred Mann’s Earth Band. In that band, he went on to have considerable success throughout the 70s, scoring hits with of all things, Bruce Springsteen covers. Regardless, I really like the vibe on the first Chapter Three record. It takes a few listens perhaps, but there are some choice moments on the record. It is hard to describe truly accurately, but typical with many records released at the end of the 60s, it has a unique, of the time, sound. Keyboard led with horns and a tasty rhythm section. There are more than one head nodding moments to enjoy on this set. Just as long as you like horns. In addition, there are vocals on the record, provided by Hugg, who comes off sounding like a cross between Dr. John and Brit Popper Tim Burgess from The Charlatans.

Lots of cool moments on this one but I like the cut called One Way Glass. Check it out and see whether you agree. The Prodigy like that song too and sampled it for their record Stand Up. In addition, a French group called Trifle has covered it. Mann himself redid the tune for an Earth Band record.

So, not Jazz, not Psych, not Prog, but somewhere in between the three. The UK version has a green cover with cartoon drawings of the two main players on the front, whereas the US version sports different artwork, showing a book made out to look like the number three. Get it? Either version shouldn’t be too hard to track down and won’t cost you an arm and leg. We have this US copy available in the store for any locals wanting to investigate further.

Okay, I must get back to helping Jeff with all these orders. Busy, busy, busy. Thanks for reading and your support and see you next time. Cheers all - Dom

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

185 Miles South Podcast

This is probably old news to many people since, as of this writing, the podcast has 204 episodes under its belt, but a couple of months ago I discovered the 185 Miles South podcast, and I’ve come to really look forward to seeing new episodes in my feed. Maybe this is arrogant of me to think because 185 is so well-produced, but when I first listened, I felt like their podcast was doing something very similar to the Sorry State newsletter, engaging with punk rock’s past and present in a thoughtful, enthusiastic way.

The first thing I like about 185 Miles South is its format. While there are frequent special episodes devoted to a single topic, the standard format is magazine-style, with each two hour-ish episode featuring a mix of shorter segments. Taking inspiration from the classic punk zine format, typically there’s at least one band interview and a record review segment where the hosts discuss new music. There are also segments that pop up less frequently, some of which are more light-hearted. My favorite one that I’ve heard is 25 Ta Life lyric trivia, where they play a segment of a 25 Ta Life song and the contestants have to guess what the actual lyrics are. They play the clip and it sounds like Rick is spitting incomprehensible gibberish, and then when they reveal the lyrics it’s like “yeah, I guess that is what he’s singing.” It makes me laugh every time. We’ve been too busy to even think about it for several years now, but we spent a lot of time talking about launching a Sorry State podcast. My idea for how we should do the podcast was essentially what 185 Miles South is doing… I imagined it as an audio version of the newsletter, and hearing 185 confirms that format can work well if it’s done properly. I’m sure it’s a crushing amount of work for Zack and the crew, though.

Aside from its format, 185’s other strength is how smart and thoughtful the hosts are. I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts about music (including just about every one I can find about punk and hardcore), but I’ve found very few of them that are worth my time. A big part of this is that I’m a tough audience. I’ve been obsessed with punk rock since I was a teenager, and I’m almost 44 years old. I’ve heard a lot of records in that time and I’ve read a lot of books, zines, and other ephemera, so I have little time for intro-level stuff. I hate to say anything bad about them because they did a great job, but a good example of what I don’t like is the punk season of the No Dogs in Space podcast. The podcast is well-produced (by the same team that does the popular podcast Last Podcast on the Left), but it rarely told me anything I didn’t already know, and I often found myself yelling at the podcast when they spouted incorrect information or off-base opinions. Maybe I’m just an asshole? While I can forgive someone for not knowing something, I’ll turn a podcast off and never go back if I feel like it’s intellectually lazy. A lot of podcast hosts are just windbags who don’t take the time to understand what they’re talking about and, well, fuck that. At 185 Miles South, though, they know their shit. Not only are they well versed in punk and hardcore history, but even when they’re approaching something they’re not familiar with, they do it with open, honest, and attentive ears. Just based on the handful of episodes I’ve listened to, they’ve built up a lot of credibility with me, and I respect their knowledge and perspectives. And like we are at Sorry State, the crew at 185 Miles South is passionate about the current scene. They’ve already introduced me to a bunch of cool music I wouldn’t have heard otherwise.

While I love everything about how they produce 185 Miles South, they focus on a different, though overlapping, part of the scene than Sorry State. The hosts come from the more hardcore end of the spectrum; in fact, I think I remember checking out 185 some time ago when they mentioned it on the Revelation Records podcast Where It Went, but when I tuned in, they were going on and on about how great Earth Crisis or something was and I decided it wasn’t for me. While the podcast features plenty of coverage of the 70s and 80s punk I love (the most recent episode has a segment on the No Future Records band Attak, which illustrates how deep they go), the hosts and most of their guests hold straight edge hardcore in high regard. If you look at their Top 100 Records of the 1980s, for instance, you’ll see that Revelation Records released 5 of their top 15 records of the decade. They also find a lot more to like in the 90s punk scene than I do. Honestly, though, I think the problem here is me, not them. I was a teenager in the 90s and the straight edge scene was huge where I grew up in Virginia, so I’m familiar with almost all the music they talk about; in fact, I liked a lot of it in my younger years. However, in the early 2000s, I disavowed straight edge and post-straight edge hardcore and never looked back. For me, that has less to do with the music and more to do with the scene politics in my part of the world. I always found the straight edge scene (and most everything that sprang from it) snobby, cliqueish, and way too clean cut (but also violent and sketchy), whereas the punks more steeped in 80s music tended to be more open and welcoming, just wanting to rage out and party. Like I said, though, that’s just me being an old, closed-minded curmudgeon, and I think most sane people will appreciate 185’s broader focus.

So, yeah, if you’re as much of a fan of the way we talk about music in the Sorry State newsletter as you are of what we cover, I encourage you to give 185 Miles South a listen. I recommend starting with the latest episode, #204, which even features a glowing review of the new Illiterates LP on Sorry State. Enjoy!

What’s up Sorry Skaters?

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but water is good for you and it makes your body happy. My nephew is only 27, and he recently got a kidney stone because he never drinks water. I’m sure there were also other contributing factors, but it definitely wouldn’t have happened if he was drinking water. Speaking of making your body happy, this record doesn’t fall short. I’m going with Who Are They Trying to Con by the Scotland-born A.O.A. I’m a sucker for angry Scottish vocals and without that element in this band I probably wouldn’t be as interested. It’s like if Oi Polloi leaned more towards Discharge guitar riffs and backed it with relentless driving drums and gang vocals. No wonder the two Scottish bands, Oi Polloi and A.O.A, did a split together in 1986.

I remember having a conversation with a regular dude about this band years ago at a bar. He asked “why the hell does a punk band have a peace sign on the cover?!” Me and one of my new friends began to explain the anarcho peace punk era/scene in the UK and where the “WAR BAD” platitude comes from. It still amazes me how many people do not have even the slightest amount of knowledge of even this country’s most recent history. Anyways, this dude ended up being someone that did not merit the time to explain such things. “Screw you, I’m gonna go blast Antisect in my car.”

I’m keeping it short and pissed this week. Thanks for reading everybody and we’ll see y’all next week!

What’s up Sorry State readers? I hope everyone is having a nice week and is ready for Record Store Day this Saturday. We’ve been gearing up for it here at Sorry State. There are a lot of great titles coming out this year. I’m personally most excited about the Dolly Parton record coming out, a compilation of her early work (‘64 -’68) on Monument Records. This past week I traveled home to Memphis to visit my mom. We decided to go on a road trip for a couple of days around Mississippi and Alabama and catch some Billy String shows. It was such a fun few days just hanging out with my mom and driving around and hanging out in Mobile. The Airbnb we stayed at also happened to coincidentally be less than a mile away from the old shack my great-grandparents lived in when they first got married, so we went by and checked it out. (I can’t believe it was still standing.) It was cool to see where they started from when they were probably about my age. I never met them, but it made me feel a little bit more of a connection to them to see that in person. The older I get, the more I appreciate learning about family history and stories from it. Anyways, I was a little curious about how much my mom would enjoy the shows. I knew she would have fun cause she loves live music, but Billy shows can get a little out there sometimes and usually go for about three hours. I got us tickets for both nights but I was kinda half expecting to only go to the first night. I wasn’t gonna drag her back for a second night if she didn’t love it. She ended up having a blast, and we danced together the whole night. After the show, we walked around downtown and ended up just walking three miles back to the Airbnb (with a stop at Taco Bell at 1AM naturally). I forgot my mom knows how to throw down; I was passing out before her that night. She insisted that we go back the second night and sneak back into the pit as we had seated tickets that night. Who am I to say no to my own Mom? We went back that night and snuck into the pit and even got up to the front row and danced again all night long. The highlight of the shows for me was during the second set of the second night, he performed a cover of Bob Dylan’s Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again. It was too fitting considering our road trip down from Memphis and me and my mom were just high fiving and hootin’ and hollerin’. Honestly, it’s probably one of my favorite memories ever. I had a smile so big I was like the guy on the Jamming With Edward cover who’s smiling so hard his face falls off. I’ve been to a good amount of Billy shows, but these two in Mobile with my mom are probably the most fun I’ve had at a show and I’m just happy I get to have all these great memories from this trip. I love my mama. Obviously, I was traveling, so I wasn’t listening to records, but before I left, I found myself listening to this Mississippi John Hurt record a lot. Why not listen to some Delta blues and folk if I’m gonna be traveling around the Delta? I love John Hurt’s music so much, it just sounds so comforting. I’ve mentioned many times before but blues and folk music is so awesome cause so many of these songs are like a century old but they still sound incredible and the feelings they convey are still relatable to this day. I love just about every song on here, but if I had to pick a couple of favorites I’d go with Salty Dog Blues, Make Me a Pallet on the Floor, Sliding Delta and Stagolee. Man, I had to cut that short. I realized I was typing out like half the track list. I guess to bring it all back and tie everything together, it was cool to travel with my mom for a concert down to where my great-grandparents are from and listen to Billy play some old ass folk songs they might’ve even listened to back then too. The power of bluegrass and folk baby, the circle is never broken.

Hi Sorry State fam! What’s up? It’s that time of year again. It’s the calm before the storm known as Record Store Day. There are several records on this year’s list that are pretty on brand for me. I’m excited to see Poe (first time on vinyl!), The Donna’s, Hüsker Dü, and the Soul Jazz comps to name a few.

Anyway, my staff pick is not related to anything I just said in my introductory paragraph. I chose Blitz: Time Bomb, Early Singles and Demo’s Collection. It’s an import but if I’m not mistaken, it’s the same track listing as the Blitz Punk Singles and Rarities, which was a European Radiation reissue released in 2013. I think this is basically the same thing, but with a different cover. Don’t quote me on any of this. It’s not that serious. The main point is that it sounds good.

I was in the mood for some good old familiar classic oi! punk to get me going for the day, so I turned to Blitz. But I wanted all the Blitz, so this singles and demos compilation did the trick.

Consisting of demos and singles, including their first few EPs, their very first recording session from 1980, the Timebomb demos, and a few demos from Voice of a Generation. It also includes all four of their charted singles, like my personal favorite, New Age.

Blitz has such an infectious sound and I love that communal vocal style. Not communal like a shared toilet. More like “hey, we’re all in this together, so let’s swear and shout until we blow our vocals out.” Oh hey, that rhymed. It’s not that cool of a line but feel free to use it if you need a lyric. We’re all in this together, after all.

I love classic Blitz but I also love the more new wave/post-punk sound. Paired with their gruff, anthemic vocals, it just works. I think the darker riffs and boppy bass lines were a timely and refreshing fusion. The influence of Joy Division knows no bounds. Some people didn’t like the change in direction, and there is a whole history there with lineup changes and what not. People have their opinions, but I like pretty much everything the band put out. Their music always hits the spot, and this compilation is the perfect way to have all the Blitz in one place.

That’s all I got. Happy (upcoming) Record Store Day to those who celebrate. Thanks as always for reading!

-Angela

Hello, and happy 420 to all the weed smokers across the world. Today I’m writing about this killer box set on Svart Records. The aim of this series was to provide replica-type copies of super hard to find 7”s from late 70s Finnish bands. I was familiar with most of these bands via a mixtape a friend gave me like 10 years ago, but back then I only wanted my Finnish punk to be raw and hardcore. It took me a while to appreciate the stuff he shared with me. Over time my taste opened, and now I can’t get enough of this early Finnish sound. Maybe I’ll talk more about those tapes some other time. Svart started this series Punk Elää in 2019, but there hasn’t been an addition since 2020. I hope sometime they will hit us with another one, and maybe repress the ones that went out of print. I don’t have Volume 1 and I would like to. Every record they have included is awesome, but that NAUTA 7” in Volume 1 is so good. Inside Volume 3 is BRUPS, NIRVANA, and OUTO ELÄMÄ. I’m not gunna bother writing about the bands, cos the description does it best and inside the box set is a very well-done booklet that includes history of the bands and photos. Alright, it’s about to be 4:20pm. Given that it’s about to be 4:20 on 4/20, I’ll be wrapping up my workday now and proceeding to smoke weed like there is no tomorrow. To all my fellow weed smokers out there, don’t forget to double-blaze it at 8:40. Cheers and thanks for reading!

Hi everyone out there in Sorry State Newsletter land. Happy 4/20 for those that celebrate. In a timely manner, Daniel just bought a small collection of records with a few interesting reggae albums in there, so today the soundtrack at the store is going to feature some of those green tinged tunes. There’s not much time for a lengthy staff pick this week or much of anything else as we are feverishly preparing for this upcoming Saturday’s Record Store Day. Jeff is taking photos like a possessed David Bailey—there’s a lot of titles this year and thus so many product photos to take. It’s all action around here, but I have the coffee going and we are fueled and good to go.

So, for my pick this week I just wanted to give a mention to a new 45 that my DJ partner Matt hooked me up with the other day. Hot off the Big Crown Records presses, it’s El Michels Affair and Black Thought with the title track from their new album Glorious Game. What a great record it is and one that should do very well for all concerned. I can see this one being a big one. I’ll remind Daniel and Jeff to make sure we have copies in stock for you. For all hip-hop fans out there, this one is an essential pick up.

Glorious Game is a nice G Funk flavored track with a killer groove and the b-side tune called Grateful, also from the new album is a reggae-tinged banger (it samples Shabba Ranks) with a nice flute line hook. Really good stuff. A great collaboration between the soulful, funky El Michels Affair and arguably one of the best hip-hop artists currently out there. Surprisingly, this was their first time working together, but one can assume there will be more to come as the music and lyrics are a terrific match together. I hope so. I’m a big fan of El Michels Affair and have mentioned them in these pages before and everyone surely loves The Roots, right? With them busy each week holding down the Tonight Show in New York, one would think the opportunity for more collaborations might be possible. Big Crown is Brooklyn based, so let’s hope so.

Go ahead and give these two a blast and hopefully you’ll be feeling the vibe too. Gotta get back to the Record Store Day business. Hope to see some of you come through Saturday. Thanks for supporting us and all the other great record stores out there. Music is your best value entertainment. Cheers - Dom

The Bonniwell Music Machine: S/T LP (1968, Warner Bros. Records)

My connection with the Music Machine begins with Rocket from the Crypt. I should write at length about my feelings on RFTC at some point. I loved them when I was a teenager, even though they never achieved the level of success many people think they deserved. They were such a great band, but their campy aesthetic and their James Brown-influenced, “hard working entertainers” schtick were just so out of sync with the times, the total opposite of the earnest slacker vibes that dominated the radio in the post-grunge era. RFTC’s songs were so damn great that to check them out was to fall in love with them, and every time I have revisited their music in the two and a half decades since (!!!), their greatness is confirmed. But that’s an argument for another day.

Camp Zama Records in Norfolk, Virginia was the first independent record store I frequented. There are a handful of records I remember seeing there, some of which I bought, and some I didn’t. One of them was a minty first pressing of the Teen Idles EP on the wall for $100. At the time I made $4.15 an hour, so $100 was an inconceivable amount to pay for a record… most new 7”s were about three bucks. But I think seeing that record on the wall planted a seed in me that’s still sprouting today. Other records I remember buying there include the Cap’n Jazz LP, Converge’s Halo in a Haystack, and Redemption 87’s self-titled LP, all of them seeming to my sheltered teenage brain like messages beamed from some kind of youth culture promised land. Another one I remember seeing on the wall was Rocket from the Crypt’s 1996 single featuring two cover songs by the Music Machine. The artwork for that 7” was a straight rip of the cover of the Music Machine album, and I remember being so intrigued by it. I can’t remember if I bought that single or not, but the tracks hit home with me when I (re?) discovered them on the CD version of RFTC’s 1995 10” EP, The State Of Art Is On Fire, which added the two Music Machine songs to the end of the original 10”. The State Of Art Is On Fire is kind of the ultimate RFTC record, catching them right on the bubble between their earlier, rawer records and the more anthemic material they moved toward during their major label period. I played that CD to death, and the two Music Machine covers were a big part of why I loved it, a perfect pop chaser after the heady psychedelia the band dips into on the EP.

(A short aside: RFTC connects to another significant moment in my life as a music lover / record collector. Their third album, 1995’s Hot Charity was only available on vinyl… I think I remember reading that the band promised the record would never appear on CD. Not only was one of one of my favorite bands repping for vinyl by refusing to release their new album on the dominant format of the day, but it also taught me an important lesson… a lot of great music only exists on vinyl.)

So, with the cover of the Music Machine’s album burned into my brain via seeing RFTC’s homage on the wall at Camp Zama, the next stop on my journey with the Music Machine is when I picked up their album for a dollar. Every year at Richmond’s Strawberry Festival, Plan 9 would have a giant outdoor booth filled with LPs, and everything cost a dollar. Every year I would spend $50-$75 and buy a giant armload of LPs, and I got loads of great stuff. My first copy of the Circle Jerks’ Group Sex came from one of these sales, a beater copy with split seams. The original 1966 pressing of Turn on the Music Machine I bought, however, didn’t have any major condition issues. I’m amazed the record ended up at the dollar sale, because Plan 9 was one of the few stores in the area that dealt in collectible records, and they knew their shit. Maybe someone was dropping a golden ticket in the pile of dross. However it ended up there, I was stoked.

Even though I didn’t know much about 60s garage, I played Turn on the Music Machine for years. It just ripped. It turns out that RFTC’s covers of “Trouble” and “Masculine Intuition” were faithful to the originals, and those weren’t the only killer tracks on the record. “Talk Talk” might be the band’s shining moment, and their cover of the Beatles’ “Taxman” is scorching. They hew pretty close to the Beatles’ arrangement, but it makes sense since the song is suited to the Music Machine’s strengths. There’s also a great version of ? and the Mysterians’ “96 Tears,” and as I don’t think I’d heard the original by that point, the Music Machine also pointed the way toward another 60s garage classic.

I think I was dimly aware there was a second Music Machine album under the name the Bonniwell Music Machine, but I’d never taken the time to check it out until I picked up Rhino’s 1984 Music Machine compilation Best Of The Music Machine. I picked up the LP hoping it would gather some cool non-album sides I wasn’t familiar with, and I found myself intrigued by the tracks “Double Yellow Line” and “The Eagle Never Hunts the Fly,” which are the two singles from the Bonniwell Music Machine album. The album went on my want list, but it’s not an easy grip… it sold poorly at the time, so original copies are scarce, and in the intervening decades, the Music Machine has been canonized as a titan of 60s garage, so the supply and demand see-saw slams down right on your wallet. Luckily, though, when I was in LA for the Lie Detector Fest in December 2021, I found an original pressing during my wanderings around LA’s record stores. It wasn’t a cheap copy, but it was reasonably priced and in nice shape.

So yeah, that’s the long story of how I discovered and acquired this record. As for the music… it’s pretty cool. Leaning more toward psychedelic rock than the more ferocious, punkier Turn On, The Bonniwell Music Machine is still full of great songs, though I think the band chose the strongest two as the singles. The production is somewhat baroque, and it reminds me of Love’s Forever Changes… actually, Love’s trajectory as a band resembles the Music Machine's, starting with searing garage rock and moving toward baroque pop. I even played this LP once when my family was visiting, and my dad and my brother-in-law commented on how much they liked the music. I don’t think they’ve EVER done that before or since.

What’s up Sorry Skaters? It’s been a solid week working to help get orders picked and ready to be packed at the Hive. It’s definitely nice to see it warming back up again. There’s your obligatory comment about the weather. As much as people make fun of the supposed mundane nature of small talk regarding weather, I think deep down it resonates with people. Unless you’re a meteorologist saying that it will snow in Raleigh, there isn’t much bullshit surrounding weather. It’s right in front of and all around you. Hell, it can even give you cancer. Anyways, I’m going with Sotatila’s eight-track EP titled Vituiks Meni for my staff pick this week. Speaking of bullshit, you won’t find any on this record. You can pull out your binoculars, you can pull out your microscopes, but you’re not going to find any bullshit here. This 7” is straight up Finish Hardcore and makes you feel like you’re at a Kaaos show in some weird basement in the early 80s. I really like the back-and-forth vocals on the third track Ei Toimi. I’m a sucker for gang vocals, if you can call them that. Sometimes you just want some no frills hardcore that makes you feel right, and this does that for me. I also want to list some other music I’ve had blasting: Nisses Notter: Knackta Notter, The Insane: Why Die!, No Security: 40 Talisterna. This stuff has been helping me get through a week of very very little sleep and as I’m completing my last day of work/school, I have a sense of relief and I’m very ready to CHILL. I’ll finish up with a quote from Macbeth about sleep. “Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care, The death of each day’s life, sore labor’s bath, Balm of hurt minds, Great nature’s second course, Chief nourisher in life’s feast.”