Public Acid: 152 Seconds of Public Acid 7” flexi (Artifact Audio) A brand new two-and-a-half minute explosion from one of my favorite current hardcore bands, North Carolina’s own Public Acid. If you’re a fan of their killer LP from last year (and a lot of us are!) you’ll need this brief but essential addendum. 152 Seconds is Public Acid’s first recording with their current live lineup (their guitarist Kai played both guitar and bass on the LP), and the sound is denser and more chaotic. While the record is brief, I’m not sure I could take it being any longer because, by the end of these two tracks, my heart rate is elevated and I feel like I’ve been sprinting for all 152 seconds. I swear this record is so exciting that I catch myself forgetting to breathe while I’m listening. Also, I want to note that while flexis have a reputation for sounding bad, this sounds incredible, and just as good as any hard vinyl record in my collection. I suppose I understand not wanting to shell out for such a short record, but 3.2894737 cents per second of Public Acid is a bargain in my book, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll play this at least four times in a row every time it hits the turntable.

Jay & Yuta: Condemned Compilations cassette (Little Winners) I have zero background information about this mysterious little cassette on the Australian Little Winners label, but man is it good! Jay & Yuma is a collaboration between two musicians (one sings in English and one in Japanese), and Condemned Compilations covers a lot of stylistic ground over its run time, from early Cabaret Voltaire-style primitive studio experiments to danceable new wave to UKDIY-inspired pop. Despite the stylistic diversity, the quality is uniformly excellent, and the eclecticism makes it an exciting listen. It’s almost like taking a stranger with superb taste, stealing their iPod, and putting it on shuffle… you don’t know what’s coming next, but you know it’ll rule.

Itchy Bugger: Double Bugger cassette (Little Winners) Itchy Bugger is a solo project by Josh from Diät, Idiota Civilizzato, the Love Triangle, and a million other bands. Their limited LP from 2018 (consider yourself lucky if you nabbed one!) was one of my favorites of last year, so I was excited to hear this new material. Itchy Bugger takes a lot of inspiration from the UKDIY movement, but rather than copying those bands Itchy Bugger borrows their central conceit of making personal, experimental pop music with low fidelity. There are ten tracks here and they’re great, an unexpected but beautiful mix of mechanical drum machine rhythms, simple and melodic lead guitar, and intimate, hushed vocals. Sometimes the songs are simpler and more straightforward a la my favorite Kiwi pop, while on other tracks Itchy Bugger stretches out and sounds a little shoegaze-y. Maybe I’m projecting this, but now that Josh has moved back to Australia his music also seems to have traded Berlin’s gray skies for Australia’s golden sunshine. An excellent album I plan to listen to a lot this summer.

Goose: Twentysixteen cassette (Little Winners) Another mysterious cassette from Australia’s Little Winners label, and again it’s excellent. Goose are a good fit for the label as, like Itchy Bugger, their music sounds like it’s grounded in the tradition of UKDIY and bedroom pop. Some songs brood, some glide, some groove, and some tinker. Like everything on Little Winners, there’s an intriguing and satisfying fusion of the immediate and the experimental. If that sounds like your kind of thing, I encourage you pick up all three of the label’s new releases.

Micro Edge: ’83 Demo 12” (Ugly Pop) Archival release from this 80s hardcore band from Toronto. I had heard Micro Edge’s name mentioned in the recent Tomorrow Is Too Late book on Toronto hardcore and on the Turned Out a Punk podcast, but this is the first time I’ve heard them. While I wouldn’t put this on the first tier of 80s hardcore classics, it’s an excellent release that proves that the well of great 80s North American hardcore is virtually bottomless. Micro Edge combine elements of California hardcore and skate rock with the tougher east coast sound of bands like Agnostic Front, the Abused, and Minor Threat. ’83 Demo reminds me of Ill Repute’s What Happens Next? LP, but with more of an east coast toughness and attitude. The music is excellent and will scratch your itch if you love obscure 80s hardcore, but the packaging here is at least as interesting. The beautiful layout is full of the 80s skateboard imagery I love, and the insert is actually issue #6 of the 80s skate / music zine Bong Out. In addition to a short history of Micro Edge, it also gives us some thoughtful and hilarious insight on how today’s skateboard culture compares with the 80s. If you’re an adult who has skateboard decks hanging on your walls as decoration (which, I must admit, I am), you will love this.

Urochromes: Trope House 12” (Wharf Cat) It’s hard to believe that this is the first Urochromes full-length. The band looms large because of their distinctive sound, but this is the first time they’ve given us a stand-alone 12” release that doesn’t compile tracks from previous releases. I’m not sure what the word on the street is, but to me Trope House is a masterpiece, one of the most distinctive, forward-thinking, and exciting punk records of the present era. While punk is still groggily emerging from the retro binge of the 00s, Urochromes sound like no other band I’ve ever heard in my life. They are a hardcore punk band in that they play fast most of the time, but like the best “outsider” hardcore bands (early Meat Puppets, Crucifucks, Spike in Vain, etc.), they come to hardcore naturally, not by emulating other musicians but by groping for the perfect form to express their agitation. Trope House sounds like you’re playing some classic art rock record by Roxy Music, glam-era Eno, or early Peter Gabriel on 78RPM. Each track is a whirlwind of virtuosic drum machine programming, layers of chaotic lead guitar, and Jackie’s distinct vocals and lyrics (the chorus for the first track goes, “oooh oooh that’s my millieux”). Strangely, there are three covers on the record (the Lemonheads, Bikini Kill, and the Leather Nun), but I didn’t even realize that until I looked at the insert because the songs are warped beyond recognition. I don’t think I’ve given you any sign what Trope House sounds like, because it doesn’t sound like anything else that I’ve heard. However, if you pride yourself on knowing the most out there and progressive punk rock, you need to hear this immediately.

Plasticheads: Nowhere to Run 12” (Ugly Pop) Debut vinyl (I believe) from this new Toronto punk band. This record has been getting hype, and it’s easy to see why. Plasticheads are one of those bands that sits right on the bubble between the fastest garage-punk and the catchiest hardcore. 80s bands like Zero Boys and Angry Samoans come to mind, but more recent bands like Carbonas and the Spits are a closer comparison as the frantic 90s garage of bands Teengenerate, Guitar Wolf, and the Rip Offs is a big ingredient in the stew. Like most rock music, the key to doing this sound well is having a great drummer, and this one can hammer the ride cymbal just as quickly, accurately, and gracefully as the master Dave Rahn himself. The next time you’re bursting with energy and so excited about whatever you’re about to do that you can’t sit still, put this one on… it’s the perfect soundtrack to those all-to-rare moments of exuberant joy.

Overdrive: On the Run: Demos and Rarities 12” (Splattered!) Archival release from this NWOBHM band, compiling their collectable 3-song single, two unreleased tracks from that session, and an earlier 4-song demo session featuring the future guitarist from English Dogs (!!!) on bass. This is definitive NWOBHM, taking the sound of early 70s hard rock like Deep Purple, Rainbow, and UFO and updating it with punk’s immediacy and energy. The sound is grainy and raw (like they recorded it in a cheap and primitive studio), and while the compositions are ambitious (not unlike early Iron Maiden), the arrangements and the execution are occasionally ham-fisted. Honestly, while it’s great music, even early Iron Maiden and Diamond Head can sound too slick and polished, but Overdrive has the same primitive charm as punk bands like Vice Squad or Attak. This might be too deep of a cut for some, but if you love exploring the sounds played by the denim-clad youth of late 70s England, this is right up your alley.

Warthog: Live! cassette (Shout!) 8-song live cassette from perhaps the best current hardcore band in the game, New York’s Warthog. This comes to us on the same label that puts out those excellent Beat Sessions cassettes, and while this is a recording of an actual live gig rather than a proper studio session, it maintains the level of quality we expect from Shout! While all 8 tracks have appeared on Warthog’s previous records, the vibe here differs from Warthog’s studio records. Everyone in Warthog seems to be a virtuosic musician and their studio recordings are clear and meticulous, but this tape hits you like a jackhammer. Chris’s vocals are savage, often overloading the mic and creating and overwhelming wash of sound that tramples you like an opposing army. To me, a great live record doesn’t feel redundant because it captures something that just doesn’t come across on studio recordings. By that measure, this tape qualifies as a great record by one of hardcore’s greatest current bands.

Condor: SIngles 2017-2018 12” (Beach Impediment) Condor is a one-man project by Maxime from Rixe, and this debut vinyl collects two cassingles released over the past two years. If you’re skeptical about the whole demo-on-vinyl thing, let me assure you that the music collected here is among the most memorable and exciting punk music to come through here as of late. When I first heard Condor I wondered why they were a new project because they didn’t seem that different from Rixe; both are oi! bands that sing in French and are indebted to their country’s long tradition of oi! music. However, aside from two fast, Partisans-style UK82 tracks, Condor distinguish themselves from Rixe by being much more melodic. While the vocals are still gruff, the bass and guitar carry a lot more melody than they do in Rixe. Nowhere is this clearer than on the standout track, “Chacun Pour Soi,” which has not one but two classic melodic lead riffs. These riffs are so catchy that I could imagine them being used in a 90s melodic hardcore song by a band like Ten Foot Pole or Good Riddance, but you won’t find any clicky kick drum or whiny vocals here. I’ve loved everything Rixe has put out, but this Condor stuff might be even better.

Subculture: I Heard a Scream 12” (Puke N Vomit) This North Carolina hardcore classic gets an official reissue on Puke N Vomit Records. It’s appropriate that this reissue comes on a California label, because while Raleigh bands like COC and No Labels were indebted to the DC scene, Subculture always sounded more like a California band to me. While the reference to Green Day and Bad Religion in the label’s description is overstating the case, Subculture remind me of early west coast punk bands like Social Distortion, Channel 3, and TSOL in that there’s a lot of British punk in their sound, albeit simplified and sped up. There are a few moments (like “I Thought You Knew” and “Stomp Your Ass”) that edge toward the full-on thrash of early DRI, but Subculture did a great job of balancing energy and complexity on this LP. Revisiting this I’m also impressed with how strong the recording is, heavy and present without sounding slick. Thankfully, this reissue preserves the super cool original artwork and you even get a new insert with photos, flyers, and some liner notes. I know a lot of mediocre 80s punk has seen reissues over the past few years, but this is a great record that’s more obscure than it should be, and Puke N Vomit's reissue is well-executed and faithful.

Gonzo: Do It Better Again 12” (Anti-Fade) Second album from this Australian band, though it’s the first time I’ve heard them. With a pronounced Neu-type Krautrock groove, Gonzo reminds me of Light Up Gold-era Parquet Courts, Uranium Club, and Eddy Current Suppression Ring’s less pop-oriented songs. I love this sound—it’s propulsive, energetic, meditative, and melodic all at the same time—but you have to be a great band to pull it off. First off you need an outstanding drummer, but everyone in the band needs to be a metronomically tight but very restrained player. Gonzo, despite their name, have all of these. They also have a great vocalist and one of the best-sounding recordings I’ve heard, all of which contribute to Do It Better Again being a perfect record for a warm spring day like the one we’re having here in North Carolina right now.

Corner Boys: Waiting for 2020 12” (Drunken Sailor) After two 7”s here’s the debut album from this Vancouver punk band. Waiting for 2020 has UK 1978 written all over it. Like the Lurkers, the Users, or the Cortinas, Corner Boys attack their music with rambunctious energy and an obvious love for simple and catchy pop songs. While the vocalist is monotone and the rhymes can be leaden, the lack of professional polish only increases the record’s charm. And when they hit upon a striking melody (like the lead guitar riff in the Undertones-esque “Norman”) you root for them like they’re an underdog team. That’s not to say that Corner Boys are sloppy and amateurish, rather that there’s a human touch to their music I very much appreciate. If you loved ’77 throwback from the early 00s (particularly the Briefs) but eventually found that sound too polished, this is well worth a listen.

Negative Space: Cruelty 12” (Drunken Sailor) Second 12” from this excellent UK hardcore / post-punk band. Their brand of heavy, anarcho-fueled post-punk (or is it the other way around?) might not be what we expect from Drunken Sailor (a label like Iron Lung or La Vida Es Un Mus would seem more appropriate), but hopefully copies of this record find their way into appreciative hands. If you like Bad Breeding, Institute, and/ or Ex-Cult your hands may qualify as such, because Cruelty sounds kind of like those three bands thrown into a blender. Like Institute and Ex-Cult they’re fond of riding a groove for a long time without getting monotonous, and as with Bad Breeding they layer distorted, echo-drenched whooshing noises over their jams. It’s sort of like if Flux of Pink Indians jumped on stage at a Gang of Four gig and everyone locked into a dense and psychedelic super-jam. My only complaint about Cruelty is that it’s so short, but it’s always a good policy to leave the audience wanting more.

Ausmuteants: Present the World in Handcuffs 12” (Anti-Fade) For a while there you couldn’t walk into your local record store without tripping over a new Ausmuteants release, but the band has been quiet for the past couple of years. The World in Handcuffs breaks the silence, and I think it’ll please existing fans while also giving them something a little different. Ausmuteants is very much the same band playing the same jittery, confrontational synth-punk that gained them worldwide popularity, but this album feels a little more mature. The tempos are less manic, the songs more varied, and the big, melodic synth lines that used to be Ausmuteants’ calling card sit further back in the mix. Most interestingly, this is a concept record from a cop's perspective. The ten tracks on the album present a three-dimensional portrait, but it’s clear that the author is not a fan. Another noteworthy fact about this record is that the same music appears on both sides, albeit in a different running order and one side has skits and the other doesn’t. When I read this, I thought said skits would be long and/or annoying, but they aren’t. I prefer the side without the skits, but only because the running order seems to have a more natural ebb and flow to it. Even if you feel like you already have enough Ausmuteants records in your collection, I’d encourage you to check this out if you’re a fan, as it shows the band progressing without losing what you liked about them.

Brandy: Clown Pain 7” (Total Punk) While this is Brandy’s second 7”, this is the first time I’ve heard them and I know virtually nothing about them. Their meat and potatoes garage-punk is a good fit for Total Punk’s roster, though. While these two songs aren’t brimming with surprises, they’re built around cool riffs and vocal melodies, the playing is loose and full of swagger, and the recording has noise rock levels of density. This is the kind of record that seems to go in one ear and out the other, but then when you’re humming one of the tracks three days later you realize it’s awesome and it secures a place in your regular rotation.

Knowso: Like a Buzz 7” (Total Punk) In case you don’t know, there are three bands—Knowso, Perverts Again, and Cruelster—that share members and have a similar sound, which is one of the weird, most distinctive, and most fascinating sounds in contemporary punk. They use stiff rhythms comparable to early Devo and they share that band’s dark sense of humor, but they sound nothing like the Coneheads or other contemporary bands who rep their Devo influence. You just have to hear them to understand, and either you’ll dismiss this whole crew as total idiots or you’ll hail them as the geniuses they are and greet each new release with Christmas morning levels of excitement. I’m in the latter camp. This music is so unique, but aside from saying it’s great I can never seem to find the words to describe how cool it is. So give this a listen. If you like it, there’s more where this came from. And hopefully this crew will continue to bend our minds for a long time.

D7Y: S/T 12” (Iron Lung) Debut vinyl from this new Icelandic band featuring members of Daudyflin and ROHT. I love that in 2019 we’re all just sitting around listening to artsy Icelandic hardcore like it’s no big deal. What a world we live in! Anyway, D7Y lies somewhere in the gulf between Daudyflin’s progressive hardcore and ROHT’s bleak, aggressive noise. They’re more straightforward and hardcore than either, but D7Y’s music is still pretty out there by the standards of contemporary hardcore. My favorite track is the first one, “Martraðaveröld,” which starts with a manic, Confuse-esque pogo beat while the guitarist wails pure Albert Ayler-style nonsense over it. From there the record covers a surprising amount of ground in its short run-time, with moments edging toward Broken Bones-esque metallic hardcore, more chugging later Cimex-style parts, and plenty of straightforward bashing. Throughout D7Y seems to teeter right on the edge of chaos, making this is a gripping listen all the way through.

Diät: Positive Distintegration 12” (Iron Lung) This record has been out for a bit, but vinyl has been so scarce that we haven’t had copies in stock long enough for me to write about it. As I’m writing this, the second press has sold out from the label, so this record’s momentum shows no signs of abating. Which makes sense, because this album rules. When I first listened to Positive Disintegration I worried that it wasn’t as good as their previous record, Positive Energy, but if I remember correctly that one was a grower too. While they’re a melodic and pop-oriented band, Diät is sneaky with their hooks. They layer each song with so much rhythmic and melodic complexity it can take a few listens for your ear to make sense, but once it does each track is like a feast, with as much killer, memorable music as most bands spread across an entire album side. I could spend all day highlighting brilliant moments like the intertwining guitar lines on “Foreign Policy” or the electronic gurgling on “W.I.G.T.D.W.M?” because the album is chock full of them. I also want to point out the track “Missed the Bus,” which finds guitarist Josh Neutron sharing vocal duties. If you liked Josh’s Itchy Bugger LP that came out last year you’ll be all over “Missed the Bus.” I can’t praise this record enough. Certainly it's one of the best of 2019 so far.

Death Strike: Fuckin’ Death 12” (Me Saco Un Ojo) Re-release of this cult 80s death metal demo on London’s Me Saco Un Ojo label. Death Strike was a short-lived project featuring Paul Speckmann from Master. Death Strike’s 1985 Fuckin’ Death demo, collected on the a-side of this LP, is a crucial piece of early death metal’s history, and if you love the sound of first-generation American death metal, it should be in your collection in some form. While there’s still one foot planted in Slayer’s world of dark, heavy thrash, Death Strike inject Venom-style looseness and Celtic Frost-inspired brutality into the equation and inch American underground metal a little further toward the definitive death metal sound. The b-side of the LP is another Death Strike session recorded in 1991, and while these tracks benefit from a thicker sound and more sophisticated songwriting and arrangements, they’re still coming from the same place. Essential listening for all you metalheads.

Shit Coffins: Termination 12” (Iron Lung) Hardcore is a young person’s game, so when I saw that Shit Coffins featured members of No Statik and Talk Is Poison I wasn’t jumping out of my chair to grab it. My mistake, because this RIPS. If you’re a fan of Talk Is Poison and Deathreat, you need to grab this record because it has a very similar sound to those bands’ classic records, and it’s just as good. Those bands always felt like a reaction against the artsy and progressive direction that underground hardcore went in the 90s, getting back to the genre’s roots in pure, seething anger. While Shit Coffins’ context is different, they’re just as pissed. The recording is big and burly, and while there are a handful of mid-paced parts (side note: the drummer’s habit of using a disco beat during mid-paced parts gives them a unique, Killing Joke-type feel), you’re never a few seconds away from a full-bore assault when you’re listening to Termination. This band isn’t trying to impress you, and they aren’t trying to follow any kind of trend; they’re just embodying pure savagery.

Khiis: Bezoar 12” (La Vida Es Un Mus) After an earlier 7” on Distort Reality, Oakland, California’s Khiis make the jump to the great La Vida Es Un Mus label for their debut LP. While I don’t want to make Khiis seem like a soundalike or derivative, Bezoar’s approach and execution are similar to fellow Bay Area rippers Torso. Like Torso, Khiis combine intricate, Totalitär-inspired riffing with big, pit-worthy mosh parts, wrapping the whole thing in production that’s so clear and heavy it’s almost (but not quite!) slick. They handle both the songwriting and the production with the care and precision of a master carpenter; there isn’t a note that sounds illogical or out of place, and every instrument has its own precise frequency range in the mix, rendering every sound Khiis makes clear and audible. My ear gravitates toward the moments when Khiis expands on the formula, like the haunting melodic guitar lead that closes the LP, but you could drop the needle anywhere on this record and find the band ripping it up. If you’re a fan of airtight, meticulously constructed hardcore records like Torso’s Sono Pronta a Morire or Blood Pressure’s first LP you’ll love this.

Jackal: S/ T 7” (Painkiller) After an earlier demo (which we still have in stock as I’m writing this), Florida’s Jackal deliver their debut vinyl on Painkiller, and it is a total rager. It’s fitting that Jackal share their name with YDI’s frontman, because this 7” has a similar quality to the blind rage-out that is that band’s legendary A Place in the Sun EP. The recording is super raw (with audible tape his between the tracks), but somehow this doesn’t dilute the band’s power. The drums are full of that analog crunch, which accentuates how Jackal can move from a Negative Approach-style ripping part to a punky riff that reminds me of the first 86 Mentality EP to a blistering, hyper-speed convulsion a la Straight Ahead. The record doesn’t have an ounce of fat and it’s over before you know it. Highly recommended if you ride for the early 80s USHC sound.

EEL / Radioactive: Guilt by Association 7” (Doomed to Extinction) EEL’s Night Parade of 100 Demons LP was one of my favorite records of 2017, taking the classic Kyushu noise-punk sound to new, more psychedelic places, so I was very excited to hear new material from them. Their three tracks here do not disappoint! The formula is largely the same. EEL would be a great hardcore band with just drums, bass, and vocals, but when they add in their element of harsh noise over that rock-solid foundation it shoots them into the stratosphere. Japan’s Radioactive aren’t as texturally rich, but they’re great too. While they have the classic Disorder-style dentist drill guitar, they also seem to take a lot from classic Japanese hardcore, dirtying up the sound of early Paintbox or DSB with harsh noise-punk elements.

UK Subs: Live in Ljubljana 12” (Rest in Punk) Rest in Punk Records typically reissues killer, vintage Yugoslavian punk, but they break that pattern to re-release this ripping 1986 UK Subs live set from Ljubljana, Slovenia. I don’t think the Subs get enough love from modern punkers, and while I wouldn’t suggest starting with this record (instead, I’d recommend their second album, Brand New Age or their 5th, Endangered Species), it’s a fun one for fans. It sounds like an audience recording as you can hear some chatter from the punters between tracks, but it’s clear and you can hear everything pretty well, including the drums. The band is in fine form, plowing through an energetic set heavy on hits like “Warhead,” “I Live in a Car,” “Stranglehold,” and “Teenage.” If you see no value in live recordings you can move along, but if you like good-sounding audience recordings of rip-roaring, vintage punk gigs, this is a keeper.

Social Distortion: Poshboy’s Little Monsters 12” (Radiation) So, this one bears some explanation. Social Distortion’s first single, 1981’s “Mainliner,” was originally meant to be a 4-song 12” EP. Posh Boy Records got as far as making a handful of test pressings for the 12” release, but scrapped those plans and pared it down to the two-song single that lovers of early 80s SoCal punk know and love. Besides the four tracks that would have been on the 12”, the band also recorded two others. Time Bomb Records compiled all six tracks on 1995’s Mainliner (Wreckage from the Past) LP, which also included the songs from the session whose songs ended up on the band’s second and third singles on 13th Story Records. So, this is basically an abridged version of the Mainliner collection, but that record is long out of print and difficult to find. It’s too bad they couldn't include the later session here, but these six songs are great, and there’s something to be said for presenting them as their own coherent release rather than part of a compilation. If you haven’t heard this early Social Distortion stuff, ignore the flaming dice vibes of their later material and give this a try. Then you’ll need everything up to and including their first LP, Mommy’s Little Monster. 

Svaveldioxid: Dödsögonblick 12” (Konton Crasher) Second full-length from this bruising Swedish hardcore punk band. If you like Swedish crust from the 80s (early Totalitär, Anti-Cimex, Crude SS, etc.) right on through to the 90s (Skitsystem, Wolfpack, etc.) Svaveldioxid are the band for you. With bruising beats, straightforward Cimex / Totalitär-style riffs, and crunchy, metallic production, they are the best of both worlds. Dödsögonblick is a perfectly executed LP of classic Swedish kängpunk, with slight shifts in tempo and complexity to keep you bobbing your head the whole way through. Svaveldioxid are far from reinventing the wheel, but even if it rates low on the originality scale, this is still a crusher.

Haram: Where Were You on 9/11? 7” (Toxic State) Latest 7” from this much talked-about New York band. Haram are a very important band for a lot of reasons. Their singer’s perspective as an Arab is one that has been underrepresented in punk and punk-influenced music, and they’re willing to bring that perspective to bear on controversial, even taboo, topics like 9/11. The lyrics to the EPs title track are great, articulating how that event affected the singer as a child attending a Christian school outside New York. Haram’s words are worth pondering, but I wouldn’t give their strength as musicians short shrift. They’ve been a powerful band since they started, but they grow more adventurous with each release. Moments like when the title track winds down to a steady drum pulse and some abstract guitar noodles, or the swirling guitar lead that starts “Bomb in the Sky” are as great as anything on the many great records that Toxic State has released over the years. Haram is, without a doubt, one of the most important bands of this generation of punk, and if you aren’t following them closely, you’re doing it wrong.