More Clarity

What makes a very good record store an outstanding record store? A great second hand section, and that’s exactly what Clarity has! Experienced crate diggers will tell you that heading straight is the only right move when going to a record store with a used punk / hardcore record section. 

First up is Delinquent Songs by local Adelaide band The Personalities. Music = ? Footy, the owner of Clarity Records, also happened to sing for this band. The music is very much punk. Going by the name of the band, the release, and the song titles, you might have already guesses that. It's not my go to kind of music these days, but I really enjoy this record. As an avid record collector himself, he put in extra effort to make the record unique. As you can see there’s a flap on the right hand side / at the bottom of the sleeve if you open it. This makes it slightly inconvenient to store, because the flap makes the sleeve a tad bigger than regular sleeves. But it is a cool feature and I appreciate the creativity. Marcus will frown at the next statement, but black vinyl is really the best choice of color for this release. It looks so classy with the artwork. 

1st Press (?) on Black (self-released)

In the 2000s, Youngblood Records was a safe bet for releases I liked. The Lights Out LP has always been a record that I really enjoyed, but their only 7” Get Out had always eluded me. Listening to this record, not picking up a copy sooner was clearly a poor decision on my part. Especially considering that his record is easy to find and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. This kind of music will always grab me. 

1st Press on Black on Youngblood Records /???

Latest God is an Australian band, made up of scene veterans I’ve been told. I’m getting very strong Dag Nasty vibes on their s.t. debut on vinyl. Cool record. 

1st Press on Maroon on Life.Lair.Regret /???

Shook Ones is one of those bands I rarely listen to, but whenever I do, I tell myself that I need to listen to them more often. Too much music, too little time. Anyway, I didn’t have a copy of Merriweather Post Pavillion yet, so buying a copy sitting right in front of me wasn’t a particularly hard decision. 

This last record, a split between Adventures and Pity Sex, I picked up for two reasons: 1) the Adventures LP is awesome and I listen to this a lot when working at home and 2) they cover Behind This Wall by Turning Point. Which, as it turns out, is a phenomenal cover in my opinion. The other song by Adventures is also really good and I also enjoy the Pity Sex side a lot. Very poppy, but the good kind of poppy. This split may be my favorite of the whole lot. 

2nd Press on White and Orange on Run For Cover /1000

The B-Side looks pretty cool as well. Also, imagine doing a second press of 2000 copies in total for any record nowadays, let alone a split 7”! Crazy how the vinyl landscape has changed in the last 10 years.  

All in all, the trip to Clarity Records was as good as it could be. Makes me wish for a cool record store in my area too, though. 

The Trade That Keeps on Giving

One of the highlights of our trip to Australia was the opportunity to catch up with old friends, which was true especially for my wife because she live in Australia for more than a year. It was really cool to meet some of her old friends and see some other people we both know again. Two of our friends even invited us into their homes and we could stay with them for a week each. An incredible generous gesture and I will be forever thankful to them. Can‘t wait to see you guys again!

One of our friends, and fellow record / Bane collector, Daniel Hoskin of Bane Records Blog, and I have had an ongoing open trade for years now. Basically he gets me releases from Australia and I get releases from Europe for him, which otherwise we probably would never get or hear of in the first place. We also throw in some other stuff we know the other person likes. I‘m always excited when I get a parcel from Australia because it means I get to discover new music. 

When we arrived at this house, he had some records waiting for me and, of course, I had a bunch of records for him with me. Another reason why I didn‘t buy too many records during our trip prior to arriving at our final destination.

I don‘t think I ever listened to Blindside before, but the name rang a bell when I read it. Hard to believe this band was around about 10 years ago already. Some of the songs on Wave of Regrets sound like Wild Side to me, which is a good thing in my book. 

Pre-Order on Pink Vinyl on Straight and Alert /164

This is a weird one. When I put on Burn All White Flags by Found My Direction, the record player in my office skipped all the songs on the A-side. Same on the B-Side. Then I tried playing the record in the living room, but again to no avail. I headed to Discogs and the entry for this record says that all records, both on black and clear, are mis-presses and you can‘t really listen to them. So this is more of a collectible. I went and looked for the record on Spotify and it is actually on there. Not quite what I expected. Just judging by the cover I thought this my be some hardcore PUNK or even crusty record, but it reminds me of Floorpunch, especially the singer. Maybe a little bit less youth crew and bit more punk. I‘m still glad I got this record, because otherwise I would have never listened to this. And in defence of my friend, I‘m pretty sure he told me about this record and I just forgot. 

1st Press on Black on Resist Records

The Uglies are a punk band from Australia and Planet Uglies is their latest album, which was released in 2022. This is the kind of music I really enjoy in a live environment, but wouldn‘t necessarily buy on record. But it‘s cool to have this record for the moments when I feel the itch to listen to something punkier at home. 

1st Press on Black on UGL Records

My favorite of this batch is the s.t. LP by Colourblind. This came out right when we were in Australia, actually Dan picked it up at Clarity when went there together. And to actually go full circle, this record was also released by Clarity Records. Colourblind play hardcore adjacent music I‘d say, or maybe a modern version of 90s emo. This would totally make sense on Run For Cover Records. I dig the artwork, the splatter vinyl is actually done tastefully and works with the artwork really well. One of my favourites in 2024. 

1st Press on Clear with Blue Splatter on Clarity /50

Australian Hardcore Part I

 

Received another parcel, curtesy of my good friend and fellow Bane collector Dan. If you want some comprehensive info on Bane records, check out his blog. A shoutout that is long overdue. 

A few weeks ago I posted about the last batch of records I got from him and how much liked the Division 12”. Well, the band released another 12”, which is equally as good as the first one. Good looking out as always, Dan!

1st Press on Black on Clarity Records /150

The other LP I received is by a band called Vices. I’d never heard of the band before but Dan had told me that I’d like it. And he was right on. Even though We’ll Make It Through This was release in 2015, this could have been released on Rivarly anywhere between 2005 and 2007. Verse is the first reference that came to my mind. I love getting to know bands I’d have probably never heard of if it wasn’t for good friends. 

1st Press on Black on Resist Records /???

Australian Hardcore

A few weeks ago I received another care package from my mate in Australia as part of our ongoing open trade. There are some great bands going on down under and I'm always thankful to get records from bands I otherwise wouldn't probably know about. 

First up is a 7" by Engage, aptly called Eight Songs. This is really good meat and potatoes hardcore for those of you who like their hardcore a little bit more on the punk side. But there's also a youth crewish element to it. 

Last Ride Exclusive Colour on Recycled Vinyl /50

All In crank up the youth crew a couple of notches on What Remains. Everything you expect from a youth crew record, fast parts, mosh parts, and plenty of singalong. Seeing them live should be a lot of fun I expect. Love the full color eight page lyric sheet / booklet. 

Purple Marble / Recycled Vinyl /50

Extortion are an older band from Australia, but not as old as their sound might suggest. Degenerate was released in 2006, but could have been released in the early 80s as well. Just look at the cover and you get the idea what they might sound like. I'm guessing at least two people in the band have a Black Flag tattoo and the majority also likes a lot of power violence. 

There are many variants listed on Discogs, but unfortunately not this one. 

If you like Down To Nothing, definitely make sure to check out No Peace. I've been a fan since my friend sent me their 7" and they don't disappoint on Something More. There are few bands out there that sound like DTN, at least that I'm aware of, so this is very welcome to me. 

Transparent Orange /100

Best for last. This has definitely been the highlight of this batch of records for me. I'd never heard of Division before, but I was hooked from the first note. Fragments is their debut release and the first band it reminded me off was Give. But of course you could also go further back and cite Revolution Summer bands as inspiration. Unfortunately there aren't many copies and the band doesn't have an online presence where you could listen to their music, but if you have the chance, check them out.

Black Vinyl /150

     

Clarity

For once I thought I didn't miss the band wagon when I picked up a copy of Clarity's Unstoppable 7", but once again I had to learn that I was late. Clarity isn't really a new band seeing that their demo came out in 2011, and this 7" is not a recent release seeing that it was released two years ago and they have released a new 7" in the meantime. On the bright side, I really like this 7". Good, powerful sxe hardcore in the vein of Right Brigade and Carry On. If you're into these bands, make sure to check out Clarity. This is the most common variant on clear blue vinyl out of 250 copies.