Skinhead Magnet - We Work, We Dream, We Die, Time Flies 10"

Up next is another early 1990's band from California.  Skinhead Magnet was a short lived project of ex-Jack Acid members Ernst and Elspeth and this 10" was their only release.  Skinhead Magnet ends up sounding so much like Jack Acid that its a bit of a wonder why they changed the name, but to me that is just fine.  For the uninitiated, Jack Acid did a few 7"ers back in the day, one of which was a early Lookout! Records release.  Jack Acid and Skinhead Magnet were from the Bay Area but played a more old school punk influenced take on the prevailing sound in that area at the time.  Both bands reminded me of early UK punk filtered through their native California scene - a sound that makes me think initially of the X-Ray Spex or perhaps the Partisans meets the Avengers.  The Jack Acid discography is still available for sale online by the label (here) but for some reason this 10" seems to have never been re-released or widely distributed, a shame and a bit strange considering how closely the band is related to the classic 1990s Bay Area scene.

Skinhead Magnet - We Work, We Dream, We Die, Time Flies 10"

Suckerpunch

Alright, I've finally got some time for a proper new post... lately I've been revisiting a bunch of Ebullition records and related releases - 1990's "emo" influenced hardcore and the like.  Suckerpunch was one of those sort of bands and appeared on the great "Give Me Back" compilation that Ebullition issued (and which I posted a while back here).  While I think their track on that comp. (Religious Phallos) is their best song, their other material is definitely worth a listen.  Collected here for you is their self-titled 10" and their side of the split flexi Ep with Born Against - fair warning, my copy of the flexi is relatively degraded and the sound quality is pretty terrible.  It appears that the band only released one other split Ep before calling it quits.  For those unfamiliar or who haven't heard their contribution to the Give Me Back comp., Suckerpunch had a relatively metallic HC sound which is in keeping with Ebullition stalwarts like Downcast and Struggle but which also brings to mind East Coast bands like Citizens Arrest or Rorschach, though not quite as heavy.  Lyrically and aesthetically they were firmly in the Ebullition style as well.  Anyways, check them out and hope you dig this relatively overlooked group from the 1990s California HC scene.

Suckerpunch - s/t 10" and Split Ep w/ Born Against   

Undone

OK, sorry for the silence... its been fairly busy around here and several projects have been taking up my time as of late, though I'm trying to get back into posting more regularly soon.  For now, here is a quick re-post of some more French emo hardcore... Undone were another of those groups from France in the mid 90s who took their cues from Dischord bands like Rites of Spring and Embrace as well as early Ebullition Records hardcore.  On Stonehenge Records, along with the likes of Fingerprint and Ivich, Undone mixed chaotic tempos, quiet intros and bombastic crescendos with impassioned screaming vocals.  This post contains their "Dark Future" Lp and their two 7" Eps, the majority of their recorded output. 

Undone - Dark Future Lp and two Eps