Yadokai - Sterile Environment

Noisy hardcore from the San Francisco Bay area. They also have a 7 inch (and are releasing another one soon) but i prefer this. This recording features Jake (singer of Ecoli) and Daiki (former guitarist of Morpheme) on guitar. They've had some line up changes since this came out. Dahlia (formerly of Vacant Rooms, and toured with Total Abuse as their bassist) is now playing bass in the band. Daiki moved to San Diego, but comes back occasionally to play with the band. Will (former drummer of Nighstick Justice) plays drums on this recording, but has since left the band. A new drummer I'm unfamiliar with be playing on their new record. Max (of Face The Rail) has switched instruments a few times, as he played drums on Yadokai's tour with Lotus Fucker, but has since moved to either bass or guitar. That's probably one of the most extensive "who's in this band and what do they play?" paragraphs I've written, and yet I doubt anybody cares.

Anyways, on to the music. From the sound of it, I'm assuming it was recorded in Jake's room. It's noisy and chaotic, influenced by Japanese hardcore. In fact, I think some people were turned off by the first song, as the first 35 seconds or so are the noisiest portion of the tape. It seems like "The Depths" would have made a better intro song. Then again, I'm not in the band. I am, however, in Stressors, who is playing a show with Needles (half of Limp Wrist), Yadokai and On Parade on December 10th at 1-2-3-4-GO! Records in Oakland. That transition occurred organically, but it feels just as cheesy as it would if it hadn't. I like the lyrics a lot, too. Enjoy the music.

http://www.mediafire.com/?z66w6ddaow1o3a0

Extortion - Control

Extortion is a hardcore band from Perth, Australia. Many would consider them a power violence band, but think Infest, not Crossed Out. This is their second 7 inch, originally released in 2003. I bought it at a Gilman show that they played with Iron Lung, Punch and Negative Standards. It was one of the best shows I've been to this year. My vote for best song goes to either "Useless" or "Curl Up And Die." The latter has a great outro part.

http://www.mediafire.com/?z1udbt1iyudo1vx

Buy it from Deep Six Records

The band also runs their own Store

The Ropers - Sunbathe

I've been pretty lazy regarding this blog lately, so here's the first Ropers record. I guess there was an error when printing the labels and everything, because the A-side songs are switched on the label as well as back cover. I fixed them so you can hear it in the order it is on the actual record. This was released back when Slumberland Records was based in Berkeley. They currently reside in Oakland, and surprisingly enough, this record is still in print. I think the first song "Waiting" is the best one on here, with "Lost" coming in at a close second. The A-side is pretty sad sounding, while "Cool Self" on the B-Side is more upbeat.

http://www.mediafire.com/?btt6u6tzmoqtitb

Buy it from Slumberland Records

Pukeoid - Rabid

I believe this is the first record put out on Not Normal. The label first caught my attention with the Razorxfade tape. The Razorxfade LP is also the first for Not Normal.

Not Normal tapes is run by some of the guys in Raw Nerve and Raven (from That's So Raven, obviously). They seem pretty heavily involved with this record actually. The singer founded/helps run the label, one of their guitarists recorded it, and the other guitarist took the cover picture. It's cool to see people helping out with their scene's progression, putting out records/tapes/etc. I love the intro song, and lyrically, my favorite is "Front Page." It's about killing yourself via the lion cage at the zoo. Anyways, here's 8 fast tracks of midwest filth. Rip borrowed from Harrys Rex

Buy it from Not Normal

http://www.mediafire.com/?ys40yc46388s8fs

Nukeleosis - Demo

Nukeleosis is/was a raw punk/D-Beat band from the San Francisco Bay Area. It featured members of Zero Progress and Stressors. Sean of Ecoli was in it for a short period of time. We played a few shows but are now inactive. These are three blown out songs recorded in my garage. Enjoy.




http://www.mediafire.com/?6i6t3zm7e6pht8g

Zero Progress - Live on Berkeley Public Access T.V.

Vile Gash - Deluded

This is Vile Gash's latest release. It's a teaser for their upcoming LP. The band I'm in (Stressors) played a great show with them in Oakland on their tour. I saw Needles for the first time at that show as well.

Anyways, weirdly enough I didn't buy the record then because they ran out before I could. Ed and Collin from Zero Progress asked me to buy them copies on-line because they were too busy playing a show with Veins (whose guitarist runs the label who put this record out) in New York. So we both missed out on buying it at the time, despite seemingly being in the opportune situation to do so.

Now, to get to the actual music. It's pretty short, clocking in at a total of around three minutes. It's also their noisiest release, which makes it hard to hear some of the notes, but what am I complaining about, it's hardcore. It's similar to the music on their other 7", simplistic at times, but powerful and driving, with misanthropic, spiteful lyrics.

http://www.mediafire.com/?fd373or37f6ctc9

Ecoli - Demo E.P.

This is Ecoli's first record. Pretty, isn't it? It's the tour cover version.

Even though it sounds stupid and cheesy, I'm going to go ahead and call this band a "supergroup." It features members of Nightstick Justice, Warkrime, Second Opinion, Yadokai, Vacant Rooms, Face The Rail, Migraine, and Hunting Party. At this point in time however, their drummer (who later left the band due to back injuries) and bassist were different than the are now.

Every Ecoli record is a concept album. This first one is based off of the Turner Diaries, written by a white supremacist, that depicts a race war in the United States. Knowing that certainly explains some of the song names and lyrics in the album. It seems risky to put this out as your first record, and I'm wondering if there was a period when people mistook them for white power sympathizers or something like that. Fights were more common at their earlier shows, perhaps that was a factor in the violence.

Lyrically, the last song of the album seems to condemn the right wing extremism discussed in the songs before it. "Your archaic mind is small, too crude for you to see, god does not provide the solutions to your bigotry." Another comforting aspect of the standard edition record is that while the front cover depicts KKK members forcing a black person to the ground, the back depicts a KKK member being shot in the head. Hooray.

http://www.mediafire.com/?gdnl2sg79m6ddny

Dry-Rot - Permission E.P.

I'm pretty sure this band has broken up and reformed a few times, and I hope they reform again. I only got to see them once because although they toured the SF Bay Area twice, the second time was a bar show and I was not yet 21. They got my hopes up by touring Massachusetts with Hoax but they broke up yet again upon returning to California. Anyways, this is their first record, and a good introduction to the band if you've never heard them before. Six hardcore tracks and an interesting instrumental on the "R" side. Awesome weirdos.

http://www.mediafire.com/?7a5wvubib6nn1qi

Suburbanite - S/T 7"

Crushing, heavy hardcore punk with hints of oi. Features the singer of Aerosols, though with a very different singing style.

http://www.mediafire.com/?di6281wscn4s7nh

Buy it at Feral Ward

Beat Happening - Sea Hunt/Knock On Any Door

I thought i'd start this blog off with some Beat Happening. I saw the octopus image from the b-side label and it reminded me of this record.  Both songs are good, but I prefer the a-side.  I wonder how long it took them to stamp everything on the back cover. I couldn't get a perfect scan of the insert but you can still read everything. Also I realize the images are gigantic but I'll figure out how to do thumbnail stuff later.

http://www.mediafire.com/?5rt65b7dhhc2s