Cause & Effect - s/t Ep (Repost)

After last week's Légitime Défonce post I remembered that I never re-uploaded one of my favorite French melodic hardcore Eps - Cause & Effect's self-titled 7" on Panx records.  This group popped up in the mid-1990s and released only this one 7" and a few compilation tracks.  This Ep does remind me a bit of the first Légitime Défonce LP as well as some British and American groups of the same time-period; H.D.Q., Cowboy Killers, Pegboy, etc.  Newer bands like La Fraction or Inner Conflict, minus the female vocals, are good reference points also.

Cause & Effect - s/t Ep

Légitime Défonce

Alright, while I'm posting a spate of more melodic bands, here is a great French group from the 1990s, Légitime Défonce.  These guys played fast and catchy as hell punk with a strong U.S. hardcore influence.  To my ears, these guys remind me a bit of the U.K. wave of bands in the late 1980s that took their cue from 7 Seconds, SNFU and the like - groups like H.D.Q., Exit Condition, Snuff, early Leatherface, etc.  Légitime Défonce are not quite as classic as those bands but I think they are within the same realm.  This post collects their first two LPs, both on the great French label Panx.  The first LP, self-titled, was an instant favorite when it came out - fast and melodic with enough aggression to satisfy my more HC tastes.  The second LP, Ya Basta!, is a bit more 90s pop-punk sounding and with muddier production so it doesn't quite stand up to the first... still, its not a bad record per se, just not as good as the first.  Légitime Défonce had a few EPs and another LP that came out in the late 90s that I've not gotten around to tracking down yet, though I should have obtained those early 7"ers a long time ago... too many records, not enough time or money tho!

Légitime Défonce - self-titled LP and "Ya Basta!" LP

Various - Holland Sux

OK, might as well stay in the Netherlands for this next post... this is a compilation I recently picked up while visiting friends in Portland, OR.  Holland Sux features a veritable "who's who" of 90's Dutch hardcore.  Each band has at least two tracks and several styles of HC are on display - from melodic punk of Funeral Oration to the thrashcore of Seein' Red.  This entire record rocks and the lesser known bands contribute strong tracks that stand shoulder to shoulder with the heavyweights.  My favorites include Catweazle, Human Alert, Seein' Red (of course) and a lesser known group - Absconded and their super melodic take on hardcore.  A great mix of bands and tunes.

Various - Holland Sux

Fields of Fire - The Kids Can't Be Bought Ep

OK, I've been back in town for a bit but have been playing catch up around the house and am finally squeezing in time for a new post... this week I've got a rockin' 7" from Southern California posi band Fields of Fire.  This one came out in 2000 and features some kick ass old school sXe HC in the vein of Insted or Chain of Strength - fast and heavy but with lots of melody.  These guys came from the same scene as Life's Halt and In Control, and like those bands were bridging straight edge and nardcore somewhat.  Good stuff.

Fields of Fire - The Kids Can't Be Bought Ep

Cringer

I've been posting a spate of releases from the Vinyl Communications label recently, so I'll continue in that vein with what I think was the best VC band and one of my all-time favorites, San Francisco's (via Hawaii and L.A.) Cringer.  Cringer's sound was decidedly melodic, ranging from quick HC songs to tracks which bordered on "pop-punk" (before that was a dead genre).  There's a definite U.K. punk influence, which along with the lyrics leaned them towards anarcho-punk in my opinion... topics cover the revolutionary sailors of Petrograd (Kronstadt) who challenged the Bolsheviks in Russia, Situationist inspired musings, ballads about the Baader Meinhof gang and staunchly pro-feminist and pro-animal rights songs.  All very influential to me when I was young...

Included in this file is the CD reissue of their first LP "Tikki Tikki Tembo..." that incorporated their early Eps along with the 12".  Also enclosed is the "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" CD which compiled most of their remaining Eps and many of their compilation only tracks, making these two CDs cover the bulk of their official output.  I've also included the "I Take My Desires of Reality..." 12" which I posted a while back.  All those songs appear on the "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" CD but I'm partial to the high quality vinyl rip I made of that one.  Lastly, the file also contains Cringer's "Live in Europe" Ep... a 7" that is exactly what it says and their only Ep that doesn't appear on the CD reissues.

Cringer - (Almost Complete) Discography

Sofa Head - More is Not A Word in Our Vocabulary

Here's another U.K. fave of mine... I've been a huge fan of Sofa Head since a buddy in high school made me a tape of their first Lp soon after the U.S. edition on Profane Existence came out 20 some-odd years ago.  I picked up this live Lp from Blacklist mailorder a year or two after that introduction and though I think it doesn't quite represent the band at the height of their powers, I've always had a soft spot for this recording.  "More..." came out on a very short-lived U.S. label called Shazbat! out of Colorado and appeared shortly after the release of their third and final album.  It documents a gig recorded several months prior and consequently there's a good mixture of songs from their entire repertoire, including decent versions of songs from their final record (Acres of Geeses), a record that I always thought suffered from a muddy mix in the studio.  Anyways, the great Boss Tuneage reissued the first two Sofa Head albums on CD a while back and I've heard rumors that they are in the process of revamping the final album for reissue as well.  Fingers crossed.  Regardless, enjoy this glimpse into their live presence...

Sofa Head - More is Not A Word in Our Vocabulary

Cowboy Killers - Punkers Look Like Jerks From Outer Space! (Repost)

Today I was finally able to watch Soap the Stamps, a new BBC documentary on 80s U.K. hardcore... it was a bit short but still cool and featured Beddis and the Cowboy Killers prominently, so I was inspired to re-post this early discography CD of the Welsh favorites...  Formed in the late 80s, these guys were heavily influenced by U.S. bands like Flag of Democracy and Dead Kennedys.  Their speedy tracks featured melodic leads and their singer Beddis' trademark Jello Biafra-esque wails.  This collection CD compiles their first two Lps, a couple of compilation songs and their demo.  Included amongst the tracks is a great cover of the Feeders' "Jesus Entering From the Rear" if that gives you more of a clue where they were coming from. 

Cowboy Killers had a few more releases after those chronicled on this disc - a couple of 7"ers, a live album titled "Thank You, Fuck You And Goodnight" and one final studio Lp called "Dai Laughing."  I may get around to posting some of the later material sometime... though it's not as vital as this early stuff.  Get this great disc at the link below!

Cowboy Killers - Punkers Look Like Jerks From Outer Space! CD

Libido Boyz (Repost)

Here is pretty much everything released by Mankato, MN's Libido Boyz.  Included in this file are their two LPs, three 7"ers and their side of a split EP.  Unfortunately this band had a propensity for re-recording the same songs over and over, so several versions of the same track exist on different releases.  The highlights of their discography are the first LP, "Hiding Away", the raw "Malicious Hooliganism" EP and the "It's So Obvious" EP.  Also included is their second LP, OPGU - their major label debut.  I really don't like this record, aside from one or two tracks, and the re-recorded versions of older songs are seriously wimpy.  I decided to include it here for completist sake only.  The earlier stuff is excellent tuneful HC with distinctive vocals and conscious lyrics... like a less silly SNFU or Spermbirds.  "Hiding Away" came out on the UK's First Strike Records, home to Jailcell Recipes, Drive and the Asexuals - all very good points of reference for this band.

Libido Boyz - 2 LPs, 3 EPs and 1 Split EP

Active Minds/Petrograd split Lp

OK, finally some time to upload a new post.  Going off the last 12" I posted, the record this week is a split which features a band who took their name from a Cringer song and actually does a Cringer cover on this record.  Petrograd was from the tiny country of Luxembourg and evolved from a melodic punk group into a more of a DIY political pop band.  I like all of their material, even though the later stuff is more mild musically.  Still, the lyrics and intent were good and their later records are packed with good songs.  This early record is more on the pop-punk side of things.  As I mentioned, they do a Cringer cover and they are definitely heavily influenced by that sound at this point. 

On the other side we have quite a contrast in Active Minds.  A thrashy, low-fi duo (only guitars, drums and vocals), Active Minds is pretty much legendary at this point.  They've been around since the late 80s and still play manic HC to this day.  Their side of the split features their usual quality material - great lyrics and blistering tempos.  One of my favorite AM songs is on this one: "Walking Billboards."  A little slower and longer than most of their tracks, but it's got a great melodic sound to it.  Overall, a great split and interesting pairing of contrasting styles of punk.

Active Minds/Petrograd split Lp

Cringer - I Take My Desires for Reality...

Today is the 4 year anniversary of Lance Hahn's death.... Lance was the driving force behind Cringer and J Church, two bands I can unequivocally say influenced who I am today.  His bands introduced me to the more melodic side of punk and HC, as well as Kronstadt, the Situationists and Baader Meinhof.  "I Take My Desires for Reality Because I Believe in the Reality of My Desires" was one of the first Cringer records I bought and contains some of their best material. 

A collection of singles and compilation tracks, this 12" was issued for their U.K. tour in 1991.  Cringer's sound was decidedly melodic, ranging from quick HC songs to tracks which bordered on "pop-punk" (before that was a dead genre).  There's a definite U.K. punk influence, which along with the lyrics leaned them towards anarcho-punk in my opinion.  Lyrically, this record starts off with an ode to the revolutionary sailors of Petrograd (Kronstadt) who challenged the Bolsheviks in Russia, several Situationist inspired musings, a ballad to the Baader Meinhof gang and a couple staunchly pro-feminist songs.  All very influential to me when I was young... it's safe to say that this record helped me get through college the first time around.

Cinger's discography isn't in print anymore but I looked around and the CDs are still fairly readily available online.  Their first LP "Tikki Tikki Tembo..." was reissued on CD with their early Eps and another CD was pressed called "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" which contained all the tracks from this record with the rest of their Eps and compilation tracks.  Still, this collection 12" remains on of my favorite records 20 years on, despite having all their stuff on CD.  Hopefully you'll get a fraction of the inspiration I've gotten from it..... R.I.P. Lance Hahn.

Cringer - I Take My Desires for Reality Because I Believe in the Reality of My Desires 

Political Asylum

The post this time out covers a large chunk of material from Scotland's Political Asylum.  This tuneful anarcho-punk group spanned most of the 80s and made it to the early 90s before calling it a day.  Fronted by Ramsey Kanaan, the founder of AK Press, Political Asylum started out playing a variation of the prominent anarcho-punk sound of the time, but moved to a more straight forward, Hüsker Dü influenced, melodic punk/HC bent.  Kanaan's distinctive vocals, often accompanied by soaring guitar leads, were a signature part of PA's sound.  Collected for you here is their 1987 12" Ep "Someday", their Lp "Window on the World", their final release, a 10" called "How the West Was Won" and also a retrospective CD entitled "Rock, You Sucker!".  The CD includes various material from the records, as well as early tunes from cassette only releases or compilations. 

Political Asylum was another band that re-recorded the same songs several times, but even so, each record has it's own merits.  My favorite versions are probably included on the "Someday" 12".  These recordings feature the most embellished and expanded leads hovering over the driving beats.  "Window on the World" features great versions of some of the same songs and the second side of the record is a live recording with some exclusive material, including a Medley of early songs and a Wire cover.  "How the West Was Won" was a fantastic finale with one side electric and one side acoustic songs.  The electric side showcased some of their most rocking material, while the acoustic side had the band at its most melancholy.  A great cover of Hüsker Dü's "Don't Want to Know If You're Lonely" closes the record.


Political Asylum - "Someday" Ep, "Window On the World" Lp, "How the West Was Won" 10" and "Rock You Sucker!" CD

V/A Beautiful Music for Beautiful People

Up next is another great compilation from the late 80s/early 90s... the "Beautiful Music for Beautiful People" 10".  This one features some great US bands, including Libido Boyz from the last post, along with a spattering of international HC acts.  Libido Boyz and Dissent headline the US bands, but Crib Death and Tit Wrench have strong tracks as well.  Tit Wrench were bit of an odd-ball band.  Featuring Bob Barley of Vinyl Communications records, they played lightning fast techno like music with absurdly confrontational lyrics....think Pailhead or Lard.  "People Like That Should Be Spayed" is a good intro to their stuff.  I may post their discography some time since their stuff is fairly enjoyable in it's own weird way.  Anyways, the non-US bands on this comp. provide some great tracks as well... "Full Circle" is one of my fave Instigators tunes, the Scoundrels, Flitox, 16 B.U.H. also have strong tracks.  Australia's S.S.D.C. have a rousing number in "Free the Five".  The final track, from Denmark's President Fetch is the weakest, but not a bad song.  All-in-all a classic collection of HC from this time period. 

V/A Beautiful Music for Beautiful People 10"

Libido Boyz

Alright, time for some more 80's melodic HC, from the USA this time.  Here is pretty much everything released by Mankato, MN's Libido Boyz.  We met them on the "They Don't Get Paid..." comp a while back, and their track "Mr Greenthumb" really got me into tracking down their other material.  Included in this file are their two LPs, three 7"ers and their side of a split EP.  Unfortunately this band had a propensity for re-recording the same songs over and over, so several versions of the same track exist on different releases.  The highlights of their discography are the first LP, "Hiding Away", the raw "Malicious Hooliganism" EP and the "It's So Obvious" EP.  Also included is their second LP, OPGU - their major label debut.  I really don't like this record, aside from one or two tracks, and the re-recorded versions of older songs are seriously wimpy.  I decided to include it here for completist sake only.  The earlier stuff is excellent tuneful HC with distinctive vocals and conscious lyrics... like a less silly SNFU or Spermbirds.  "Hiding Away" came out on the UK's First Strike Records, home to Jailcell Recipes, Drive and the Asexuals - all very good points of reference for this band.

Libido Boyz - 2 LPs, 3 EPs and 1 Split EP

Unherd - s/t Lp

Here's another post from my neck of the woods, nearby South Carolina, USA.  Fugitive Equilibrium recently posted the 400 Day Headache comp. which features these dudes and someone in the comments requested this record, so I'm happy to share it.  Don't know much about this band, other than the fact that two members went on to form Assfactor 4.  This Unherd record, their only release besides a few compilation tracks, is some great early 90s emo-influenced hardcore.  Don't let the "E" word scare you, this record sounds like it could have come out on Very Small or Lookout Records or even Ebullition at the time.  They even do  Soup cover...  All in all, an underrated record that I happen to enjoy more than the more acclaimed Assfactor 4.  Check it out for yourself.

Unherd - s/t Lp

The Depraved - Come On Down

Long time no update... needless to say, things have been hectic around here and I apologize for the silence.  I'd like this to be a pretty regular blog but I may not really have the time to post as frequently as I want.  Regardless, I'll try to post when I can so check here from time to time for new records.

This time out I've got the great U.K. band The Depraved and their first LP "Come on Down."  This post is in celebration of the Depraved/Visions of Change collection double CD that Boss Tuneage just released.  If you dig this record, definitely order the collection from Boss Tuneage... it has both Depraved LPs as well as the first Visions of Change LP (essentially the same band as The Depraved with a bit more "rocking" sound) and the V.O.C. Peel Sessions and unreleased demos.  A great compilation of the late 80s U.K. hardcore that I love so much.  Check out the first Depraved record here:

The Depraved - Come On Down

and buy the collection CD here:

The Depraved/Visions of Change Collection CD

Identity

 

It's been a busy couple of weeks for me here, so the blog has lacked some attention.  Got time for a quick post, though, and now it's back to the U.K. for some more of the melodic punk that the Brits seem to excel at.  This time out it's Identity, an early 90s group which appeared in the second wave of tuneful U.K. punk, about the same time as groups such as Drive and Senseless Things.  While having much in common with those bands, Identity did have a harder edge to some of their tracks - showing an affinity for groups like the Stupids, Snuff or Australia's the Hard-Ons.  Included here is their 12" called "Yeah! About Time Too!" which appeared on Damaged Goods in 1991 and also a self titled 10" which Boss Tuneage put out a few years back.  That one includes their singles and some demo tracks... it's a bit raw but still a good listen.

Identity - "Yeah, About Time Too!" Lp & "Identity" 10"

Cowboy Killers - Punkers Look Like Jerks From Outer Space!

This time out I've got some more fast, melodic HC from the U.K.  Here is the early discography of Wales' Cowboy Killers.  Formed in the late 80s, these guys were heavily influenced by U.S. bands like Flag of Democracy and Dead Kennedys.  Their speedy tracks featured melodic leads and their singer Beddis' trademark Jello Biafra-esque wails.  This collection CD compiles their first two Lps, a couple of compilation songs and their demo.  Included amongst the tracks is a great cover of the Feeders' "Jesus Entering From the Rear" if that gives you more of a clue where they were coming from. 

Cowboy Killers had a few more releases after those chronicled on this disc - a couple of 7"ers, a live album titled "Thank You, Fuck You And Goodnight" and one final studio Lp called "Dai Laughing."  I may get around to posting some of the later material sometime... though it's not as vital as this early stuff.  Get this great disc at the link below!

Cowboy Killers - Punkers Look Like Jerks From Outer Space! CD

Cause & Effect - s/t Ep

Well, let's stay in France for a little while longer... up next is one of my favorite French HC 7"ers of all time.  Another one on Panx records, this is Cause & Effect and their one and only Ep.  This one is very melodic and fast, a combination that I just can't get enough of.  These guys remind me a bit of contemporaries like H.D.Q. or even Pegboy and perhaps newer groups like La Fraction or Inner Conflict, minus the female vocals.  This 7" came out in 1995 and garnered a lot of playing time on my turntable back then.  If you dug the Exit Condition Lp, definitely pick this one up. 


Cause & Effect - s/t Ep

Bazooka Joe

 

This week I've got a band we met back on the "They Don't Get Paid, They Don't Get Laid..." comp. - Myrtle Beach South Carolina's Bazooka Joe.  Here are their two Eps which, along with their compilation tracks make up their entire recorded output.  Great melodic HC with political lyrics.  Go here for their other tunes on the "What Are You Pointing At?" comp.  Found some info on them here and it looks like they're reformed and may re-release these Eps and record some new material!  Definitely look out for reissues as hopefully these tracks will be re-mastered - the recording quality on these records is sorely lacking.  Still, the strength of the songs shines through - especially on Pastor of Muppets.  Download below.

Bazooka Joe - "Pastor of Muppets" & "Send in the Klowns"

Exit Condition - Days of Wild Skies

Welcome to Twisted Tracks... a new MP3 blog that will focus on out of print punk and hardcore records from the 80s and 90s.  I will post hard-to-find records that I love which I've not seen posted on the 'net anywhere else, and also high quality rips of some of my favorite slabs of wax.  I hope you enjoy the tunes and please leave comments and feedback. 

To start this blog off I've got an appropriate release. I took the title from one of the songs off this record.  This is Exit Condition's Days of Wild Skies LP...  One of my all time favorite UK melodic hardcore records.  This LP originally came out on the great Meantime Records label.  Boss Tuneage Records did a great Exit Condition reissue which featured many of the songs from this LP, but not all.  So here is the LP in it's entirety.  If you like this, you should pick up the collection CD from Boss Tuneage which can be found here: Exit Condition 1988-1994

Download the LP here: Exit Condition