The Briefs - (Looking Through) Gary Glitter's Eyes b/w Dead In The Suburbs

Happy New Year! Sorry I've been lazy about updating this thing lately. The holidays can be a real pain in the ass and this year was just so rushed & stressful I've barely had time for anything important, let alone ripping records and updating the blog. Thankfully though we're entering in to the home stretch and, as 2011 draws to a close, it's time for the last post of the year and what could be better for that than a blast of snotty old school sounding punk rock.

The Briefs have been making noise since forming in Seattle in the year 2000. Their sound has always stayed very true to the poppier side of the '77 punk style, sort of similar to: The Vibrators, The Buzzcocks or maybe even a less abrasive version Blanks 77. They dropped this chunk of wax in 2002 and I believe I picked it up at Singles Going Steady sometime shortly thereafter.

Enjoy! (in wav format w/ cover scans)

Sharks Keep Moving / The Kentucky Pistol - Split 7"

Download (in wav format with front & back cover scans)

The Blood Brothers / Stiletto - Split 7"

Today's download is the 1998 Home Alive benefit split featuring Stiletto and The Blood Brothers. The Blood Brothers provide two blasts of hyperactive screamy hardcore, backed by two tracks in the indie rocker, riot grrrl-ish vein by Stiletto.

Split 7" (in wav format with cover and insert scans)

Teen Cthulhu / Hollywood Mike Miranda - Split 7"

Hollywood Mike Miranda (bio taken from their myspace page): "Formed in 2000 over some beers at the Cha Cha in Seattle, Washington. Within two weeks the band had two singers, a guitarist, a drummer and a bass player. 6 weeks later the first show was played. We were dead by fall and had a series of shows over winter break. Between April-August 2000 and December 20, 2000-January 5(?) 2001 we played approximately 18 shows. It was fun."

Members: Zane Landreth - Drums (currently a sound guy in LA. Works with Devander Banhart, The Bronx and makes remixes and dance tracks in the duo FURY 666.) .... Rob Baum - Vocals (currently a social worker in Philly.) .... Burke - Guitar (currently in seattle investing money. Has played in Akimbo for last several years. Now in a new band.) .... Jacquie Little - Vocals (Currently still in Seattle. Has played in several bands since HMM.) .... Dylan Roadie - Bass (currently in Seattle. Has been drum teching for a while. Sang in a band in 2004 called STRT SPRX.)

Teen Cthulhu: "Armed with blast-beats eternal and distorted everything, Teen Cthulhu brings a fucking tornado of rusty blades and hammers down upon those who who dare approach the vaulted hallways of White Center, WA. Formed in the year Nineteen-hundred-and-ninety-eight, these men of Cthulhu prayed hard to the twin gods of Metal and Hardcore in search of the black path and were shown the way, walking hand in hand with unknowable terrors on the shores of blood oceans. These Clerics of the metal way have been given maxed out attribute bonuses and enchanted amplification in unholy aid to their Chaotic Evil quest, so be forewarned: Teen Cthulhu will roll a natural 20 and decapitate you in a single blow, no saving throw."

Brandon - Bass, Vocals, Dustin - Guitar, Hank - Keyboards, TJ - Guitar, Vocals, Travis - Drums

This 7" is pretty fucking sweet. Not only does it contain two songs by each band on one side, the other side contains a track written and performed by both bands.

Split 7" (with cover and insert scans)

The Cripples - So Tired 7"

"Seattle synth-punk revivalists The Cripples formed in 1994. The band's formula began with a standard electric bass and drums that were fronted by two singing synth players. Over the years they incorporated guitars at times and a whole variety of mobile, hacked, modified, and even toy plastic keyboards. Early punk bands that used synthesizers like The Screamers were a major influence on The Cripples. The band pre-dated the more recent wave synth bands like The Epoxies and certainly has never been as polished or commercial as their contemporaries, there is a unique sound and raw edge to most Cripples songs, which I'd credit to both the vocal style and the the hacked up and homemade keyboards." (This description is stolen from an article by Dan over at the 10 Things Zine Blog)

So Tired 7" (in wav format with sleeve scans)

Sicko / Mr T. Experience - Split 7"

Sicko were a glorious pop punk trio from Seattle that existed from the early to the late 90's. One of the first club shows I ever went to was when I got to go see Sicko open for Gas Huffer at the old Pioneer Square Theater in downtown Seattle. I had initially gone to the show solely for the Huffer but Sicko really blew me away with their short quick pop bursts. I also remember thinking that it was really cool when co-frontmen Ean and Denny traded bass and guitar duties halfway through their set. Today's download is a blast of pure pop punk joy, one of my favorite Sicko tracks entitled 80 Dollars, coupled with the track Together Tonight by The Mr T. Experience, a band that hail from Berkeley, CA.

Sicko/Mr T Experience split (in wav format with sleeve scans)

Mukilteo Fairies - Special Rites

More grindy hardcore goodness from those mid 90's noise monsters Mukilteo Fairies.

Special Rites

Homo Eradicus

I honestly don't know much about the band Homo Eradicus. I learned of them through the Is It... Dead? Northwest Hardcore compilation that came out in 2001 and featured bands like Raft of Dead Monkeys and Botch (speaking of which, if anyone out there has a cd copy of Is It... Dead? that they could hook me up with a rip of, that would be awesome). While they're just as aggressive and screamy as you'd expect from the local hardcore bands of the era, musically Homo Eradicus definitely fall to the slightly more technical side of the pile. Homo Eradicus featured members of Akimbo and Teen Cthulhu and singer Dylan Sharp went on to play in the Olympia based punk rock band Gun Outfit.

As always, if you've got any more info on a band or it's members, have any memories or need me to make a correction, feel free to leave a comment.

Misanthropology

Unreleased 2nd Recording Session

Rat Cat Hogan - Part 2

Today's download contains two Rat Cat Hogan albums that were released as a single cassette on Elsinor records. I got my copy for free from the band at a show they played with Peter Parker down in Olympia, probably in 1999. Both sides have the same great quirky songs you'd expect from these guys but the Don't Call Me Twaddy side of this tape is probably my favorite of all of their recorded output. The two albums have been separated into individual downloads.

Eet Ees Too Koldt To Go Swimmink

Don't Call Me Twaddy

Doomsday 1999 - Demo & Live Set

I stumbled upon some more Doomsday 1999 material the other day while browsing on Soulseek so I figured I should probably share it with everyone. More garish pulverizing noise grind from this sorely missed apocalyptic Seattle trio.
Demo 2003
Live in Redmond 4-16-04

The Vogue - s/t 7"

Today's post is The Vogue's self titled 7". I had originally included these files in with the As Brass and Satin posting but forgot to include them when I re-upped that record last year. So here you go, more artsy no wave goodness from one of the many Blood Brothers related side projects.

The Vogue 7"

Ahisma / Fuckgodintheface - Split 12"

Today's download is the split by Ahisma and Fuckgodintheface and it is 12 whole inches of crusty metal goodness. After some internet sleuthing I've discovered that members of these bands have gone on to play with Wolves in the Throne Room and Ninth Moon Black. I don't know much more about either of these bands, other than that I think they both came from Oregon, so I will just let the music speak for itself.

A. Ahisma

B. Fuckgodintheface (both sides are in wav format with scans of the covers and insert)

Shoplifting - Body Stories

Shoplifting arose from the ashes of the first incarnation of Chromatics, who themselves had risen out of the remnants of The Vogue & Soiled Doves. Composed of members Hannah Blilie (drums/vocals), Melissa Lock (bass), Chris Pugmire (guitar/vocals) & Devin Welch (guitar/keyboards), Shoplifting pick up the post punk torch left behind by their former bands, though Shoplifting definitely has a more dance feel than Soiled Doves or Chromatics ever had. They released one album, Body Stories, and one EP before the members moved on to other projects such as The Gossip and Past Lives.

Body Stories

Mocket - Pro Forma

Mocket's third and final album, Pro Forma, was released in 1999 and is a significant change in sound from their earlier releases. This time around Mocket's core duo of Matt & Audrey teamed up with The Need's Rachel Carns & Radio Sloan and the results are definitely less Mocket's trademark new wave synth pop and more akin to The Need's take on cracked out no wave art rock. Since Mocket disbanded, Matt Steinke, also known for his work with Satisfact, went on to perform in Octant and Audrey Marrs, who'd previously played with Bratmobile on one album, is now a successful film producer, having recently won an Academy Award for her work on the tremendous documentary film Inside Job.

Pro Forma

Brewing Compilation

The bands on this compilation really need no introduction as they are, or rather were, among the leading proponents of the mid 90's Northwest hardcore scene. Some people take umbrage at the use of the term 'hardcore' being used to describe bands outside of initial wave of hardcore during the early to mid 80's, but I can't think of a better term to describe the sounds that so many bands having been making, not only during the 90's, but all the way up to the present. To me, Nineironspitfire, Slowsidedown, Jough Dawn Baker and Botch and many, many other bands are just as worthy to a place on the hardcore mantle as classic first-wavers like Black Flag, Bad Brains and Minor Threat. But, in the end, labeling music as this genre or that genre is just as pointless as it is annoying. You either dig something or you don't. And if you dig the furious, screamy, pulsating throb of any one of the four bands with a track on this compilation, chances are you'll be glad you downloaded this thing.

Brewing (in wav format with scans of the covers and lyric book)

John Q Fascist / The Displacements - Split 7"

Today's download is another of the old mid-90's Seattle punk rock 7"s I rescued during a flood we had down in the basement last winter. This split between John Q Fascist and The Displacements was one of my favorites back when I first started getting into local punk rock. I have to admit that I strongly I prefer the John Q Fascist side of this split, most likely because of the last track, Berserker, which has an intro sample from the movie The Warriors and an angry chorus whose lyrics are "No more fucking Nazi cops! Seattle Police can suck my cock!" The Displacements side of the record isn't at all terrible, I just never really found it to be that memorable. I have no idea what the members of either of these bands went on to do afterwards nor do I know if The Displacements were even from the Northwest, as this record was the only time I ever heard of them. If you were lucky enough to see some Northwest punk shows back in the day, I'm sure you'll appreciate this nostalgic trip down memory lane. And even if you weren't around back then, here's a chance for you to experience some of the sonically preserved chaos.

Split 7" (in wav format with scans of the front & back covers)

Nervous System

Alright, you guys are in for a real treat with this one. Today's download is the Nervous System side of the split 7" they did with Murder. Not only is this a three track slab of steaming hot, bone rattling, screamy bass driven noise punk, it is among the most treasured and most listened to chunks of wax that I own. Olympia's Nervous System fucking owned and, having only gotten the chance to see them once, I treasure the vague memories I still have of seeing these guys live.
Do yourself a favor and download this thing: Nervous System / Murder - Split 7"(contains both sides of the split, in wav format with cover scan)

If anyone out there has access to more material by Nervous System please pay it forward and hook me up.

Mocket - Bionic Parts

Bionic Parts is Mocket's debut album, released on Punk In My Vitamins Records in 1996. If you checked out their previously posted sophomore album, Fanfare, you know to expect a refreshing blast of mid-90's new wave influenced indie rock. The first time around, however, Mocket had slightly more punk-ish tendencies. While I definitely enjoy all three of their records, I've always felt that the songs on Bionic Parts were delivered with a bit more attitude and urgency than anything they put out after it.

Bionic Parts

The Need

The Need were a new wave queer punk band from Olympia. Formed in the late 90's, the band was a duo consisting of Rachel Carns on vocals and drums and Radio Sloan on guitar and bass. I've heard them described as a cracked out no wave version of The B-52's and I think that's a pretty apt description. On their final record, The Need is Dead, they were joined by Joe Preston (Thrones, The Whip, Melvins) on sampler and synthesizer and Mike Lastra (Smegma), who also produced the record, on theremin.

Self Titled

The Need is Dead

The Degenerats

Up until now, I've stuck to mostly posting indie, hardcore and screamo records. But, after coming across my small collection of old local punk rock 7"s in the basement, I've decided to start adding some of them into the mix.

The Degenerats were a street punk band from the greater Seattle area, perhaps remembered best for their song "Do Society a Favor, Die". I first saw them play at a show in the old Sorenson gymnasium in Woodinville with The Sheep, Schizoid, Flight 800, The Bloodclots & Bristle. Bristle were supposed to play last but ended up starting a riot in the parking lot which lead to headlights being smashed, bottles being tossed, the show being canceled and Sorenson refusing to put on any more concerts. The members of The Degenrats were Nils on vocals, Randy on guitar, Ryan on bass and Josh on drums. I'm not sure what any of the other guys have been up to, but I know that Nils went on to join Poxy, then Rabid Dogs and he now sings for The Greatest Hits.

The Degenerats 7" (includes scans of the front & back covers and the lyrics)