Kicker

Sometimes I have this weird thing with bands that I love. Something To Write Home About by The Get Up Kids is one of my all-time favourite emo records, probably one of my all-time favourite records - period. That record and the Red Letter Day 10“ are so incredibly good )Four Minute Mile is also really good, but not as good as those records I mentioned previously) - and yet I didn‘t really follow the band after that. I bought their There Are Rules album a couple of years ago, but I wasn’t impressed back then and I don‘t remember when I listened to it the last time. 

At some point last year I went through a phase where I mostly listened to current and 90s emo bands and I decided to check out records I wasn‘t familiar with by bands that I actually really like. Kicker is only a 12“ EP. I‘m saying only because I‘d have liked more songs in that vein. I don‘t know if this record marks a return to 90s form or if the band had taken this step previously, but Kicker is really good. 

You can expect some more emo content soon. 

European Pressing on Black Vinyl on Polyvinyl Records /300

Random

A few months ago I hit up a record store close to where I live together with a good friend of mine who came to visit with his family for a few days. I go to that record store every so often, but more often than not I walk out empty handed because the selection doesn‘t usually cater to my taste. But sometimes I do find something, as was the case when I went there with said friend. 

I‘d never heard of Surface before, but judging by the cover I guessed 90s hardcore and after giving it a spin in the record store I was proven right and just grabbed the thing. The music was decent enough, I really like the metallic ink used on the cover and, well, it was dirt cheap. 

Black Vinyl on March Through Records 

Like I said, sometimes there are some good and/or interesting hardcore and punk records available at that store. Together with the Surface 7“ I also picked up this Struggle 7“ that just sat in one of the racks. I‘d meant to buy this record anyway, so not having to pay shipping for once was a welcome pace of change. 

Black Vinyl on Ebullition Records

Buds

One of my favourite discoveries of an older band was Ovlov, curtesy of the Spotify algorithm. Buds is their the band’s third album. Wikipedia tells me they’re a rock band. To me they don’t sound like a typical rock band though. There’s some emo, some indie, some post-hardcore. Maybe that mix will get you a rock  band these days. There is a saxophone in one of the songs, so maybe that tips the scale towards rock. Whatever category they might fall in, I really like the songs on this album. Great music to listen to while getting some work done. 

2022 Repress on Orange on Epxlosions in Sounds

Punk Note

A couple of years ago, the Bad Brains started re-releasing their own catalogue. Of course there are many different colored pressings, but the really cool thing - to me - was that they re-released their records with a special cover and label art work paying hommage to legendary jazz label Blue Note Records. The band and label have done an excellent job with these re-issues and I really dig the aesthetic. 

Another thing that the band has changed is that the song Don’t Blow Bubbles comes as an instrumental song. When Quickness was released originally, Bad Brains faced criticism for homophobic language. This sort of tracked because there had been a well-documented incident with The Big Boys in the early 80s. I read a bunch of statements by band members expressing their views on things back then and what might have changed in their way of thinking in more recent years, so changing the lyrics makes sense. 

1st Press Punk Note Edition on Bad Brains Records

Walk The Wheel

The first Truth Cult record, which was released in 2020, took me by complete surprise then and ended up on my top 10 list for that year. Their 2023 records Walk The Wheel almost made my list for this year if it hadn‘t been for some really hard competition. That doesn‘t take away anything from how good of a record this is. Part post-hardcore, part indie, part emo, part weird. Just a very interesting mix to my ears. 

1st Press on Black w/ White and Red Splatter on Pop Wig Records /250

One Day

Over the last few years I listened to a lot of Fucked Up. I have to admit there was a time I felt out of touch with the band, mainly because I was a little overwhelmed since they such a productive band and I felt it was hard to keep with everything they put out. But, like I said, in recent years I listened to them a lot, especially their David Comes To Life LP. To be honest, nowadays I focus mainly on their albums, because they are still a prolific band churning out several releases a year. 

I hadn’t been aware that they were going to release something new, but upon seeing their new album being advertised by a mailorder I frequent, I ordered it right away. And what can I say, Fucked Up don‘t disappoint. One Day is a great listen. It‘s crazy how long that band has existed by now (23 years) and how they still deliver great releases despite having this incredible discography already. 

First Press on Blue Jay in Milky Clear on Fucked Up Records /3500

Drink Deep

2023 is over, but I still have some cleaning up to do. As I wrote in my last post, there some excellent releases last year that didn‘t make my top 10. This is one of them. Drink Deep is a hardcore band from Berlin, but they‘re also sort of an international band when you take a look at the members. Drink Deep had released a really good demo in 2022 that I really enjoyed and after seeing them play a show last year, I knew I was going to buy whatever they‘d release next. It came as a pleasant surprise when the band announced a 7“ not that long afterwards. And the band didn‘t disappoint. Somewhere between early later Minor Threat and Revolution Summer, the DC hardcore influences are undeniable. The singer‘s voice also remind me of Ian Mackaye. So what’s not to like? 

Clear Vinyl on Refuse Records /110

2023

2023 was a very eventful year in every aspect of my life. One of the better decision I made this year was to restart this blog. I‘ve really enjoyed writing blog entries again and since I was able to decrease the effort to take pictures (thanks Marcus!), doing the blog has been a lot less time-consuming than I expected. 

This year was another really good year music-wise. So many great records that were released in 2023. It was really hard to pick my top 10 and I had to leave out some really, really good records. Honorable mentions go to Mil-Spec, Truth Cult, One Step Closer and Drink Deep. These releases are in no particular order and my favorite record of the year might be a different one tomorrow. So let‘s just say, this is the top of the pops 2023. You can also see that 7“s are an endangered species. I only picked up 3 7“s released in 2023. It was 7 in 2022 and 8 in 2021. 

In the next picture you can see my favourite collectibles and records that weren‘t released in 2023 I picked up in the last 12 months. The Minor Threat 7“s is a special case, because technically it is a 2023 release, but Minor Threat is definitely not a current band, so I decided to put the record with these records. Some of these records I haven‘t blogged about, but I‘m going to soon. 

Overall I‘m really happy with the collectibles I picked up because many of them came rather unexpected. I‘m also stoked on some older bands that I only discovered in 2023. No matter if if it‘s old or new music, findig something that you didn‘t know before will always be a joy to me. There‘s just so much music out there that needs to be explored. 

Thanks everyone for checking out my blog. Feel free to comment or get in touch some other way. I always love talking about records and music in general. 

I hope everyone will have a great year 2024!

XXX

Ralf

Dream World

Spirit Crusher is one of the best hardcore bands from Germany, if not the best hardcore band at the moment. Tastes differ obviously, but for me Spirit Crusher is THE band. I love everything they have released so far, but it's their live shows where it's really at. I saw them a couple of weeks ago, actually it was the very day it was announced that their new 7" and follow-up LP are going to be released on Triple B, and they have such a fantastic energy live, they even made me stage dive, which I hadn't done in a very long time. Whenever I seem them, I'm really hyped. 

For any European band to be released on a US label is always something special. There are so many great bands from Europe, but hardcore in the US seems to be very US-centric. I can only think of a handful of bands from Europe that were released on US labels in the last couple of years. Well, if there's one band from Germany that definitely deserves to be noticed on a global level, it's Spirit Crusher. I'm not saying others don't deserve to be seen more, but Spirit Crusher have definitely earned it. 

On Dream World they deliver two new songs. I don't know if those songs will be featured on their upcoming LP as well or if those will be exclusive to this 7", but any new material by Spirit Crusher is always more than welcome. There are some changes musically, but standing still is never good, and the changes are subtle enough for me - still clearly the Spirit Crusher sound, but different from the older material. Those two songs turned our really great and I can‘t wait for the LP to drop. 

White/Purple Haze on Triple B /250 (Merchpit Exclusive)

Surprise, Surprise

2023 is running out of time and I still haven't posted every record I picked up this year. I won't even be able to blog about every 2023 release I added to the collection. So I have to prioritize. 

A couple of weeks ago I was going to a show with a very good friend. On the way home we talked about hardcore in 2023 and which releases were going to make our best of lists. He asked me if I had heard the new Vantage Point LP yet, which I hadn't because I wasn't even aware that Vantage Point was still a band. For some reason I had it in my head that hey had split up. He played Against Myself in the car and while listening to the first song I was like "Whoa, this is a good song." By the third song I was at "really good" and by the end of the album I thought this was an awesome record. If I remember correctly, I ordered the record that very night even thought it was already kind of late. But I knew I needed to have this record on vinyl. And I was absolutely right. Ever since I got the album, it's seen a lot of spins on my record player. I really like surprises in general and this has been a very welcome one. 

Green / Yellow Swirl on Triple B Records /350

I was browsing the mailorder I bought the Vantage Point LP from, when my eyes caught this cover. Seeing bands like Inside Out, Swiz and Dag Nasty being mentioned in the description, I was more than intrigued, so I ordered a copy without thinking too much about it. And again, I didn't get disappointed. While some of the reference points might be a stretch, this is a very good record in its own right. Plus, for splatter vinyl it does look really, really good. So, a clear double win in my book. 

Green / White Splatter on Indecision Records /300

How Much Is Enough?

 

A few months ago, Bane announced on their social media accounts that they were getting the band back together. I know some people still make a fuss about reunions, especially if the final tour/show was announced with a big ado, but I don't really care. Bands come, bands go, people change their opinion for whatever reason. If the members of a band decide to get back together because they miss what meant so much to them at one point in their life and it makes them happy, who are others to judge them? No one's force to attend reunions, so why bother if you claim you don't care? 

Around the same time, Bane announced that was going to be a repress of Give Blood. Kind of like a 20 year anniversary reissue, only two years late, but kind of keeping in tune with how the band handles anniversaries, haha. As it goes nowadays, a record release or a re-release means at least half dozen variants, and in this case, nine different variants were announced all at once. The hardcore kid in me applauds band and label for keeping the record in print, and I get why they do so many variants from an economical point of view. However, the record collector in me was not thrilled at all. Nine variants, each $40+, means a large financial commitment. And that is before shipping (from different sources of course) and customs fees. I didn't pull the trigger back then and so far I have not been able to talk myself into buying all of the variants successfully. 

I decided to pick up the variant that one that looked the best and the one that was the most special and skip the rest for now. Obviously, that means a huge hole in my Bane collection, which up until this reissue looked pretty good - and yes, this kind of gnaws at me. Collectors, right?

First of all, the reissue is done really, really well and you definitely get a high quality product. Die cut gatefold sleeve, big booklet within the gatefold sleeve and good quality vinyl. Neither label nor band skimped on this reissue. So you definitely get your money's worth. 

I'm really glad label and band didn't go full 2023 when it came to choosing the vinyl colors. Keeping it classy with this colorway in particular, which is why I chose this one. 

Coke Bottle Clear on Equal Vision /300 (Brooklyn Vegan / Revolver Exclusive)

I also got the Tiger Records exclusive variant. Tiger Records is a record store run by James Siboni, who played bass in Bane when the band dissolved. This is really a beauty. Four way gatefold which folds out into a giant red cross on the one side and shows an incredible live picture of Bane when you flip the whole thing over. You also get the reproduction of a set list circa 2001, a full lyric sheet, a promo shot from the Give Blood era and three cool band pictures. Just beautiful and a real labor of love. 

Fold out red cross with all the extra goodies. I can see those pictures framed on a wall in the future. 

White/Orange /1000 (Tiger Records Exclusive)

Flip side with an incredible live shot by Matt Miller. I wasn't that much excited about reunion shows, but by now I'm really looking forward to seeing Bane live again.

Overall, I'm very happy with the two reissues that I got, but there's still that tiny man inside my head telling me that I definitely need the other variants as well. 

Death Is Nothing To Us

Fiddlehead have been one of the best bands in recent years. Call it hardcore, call it adjacent. Doesn‘t matter, because they simply make awesome music. Death Is Nothing To Us is another really good album that Fiddlehead put out, but it had to grow on me a little bit. The album title is quite daring, but that has probably to do with age creeping up on me. 

Side note: I ordered that record directly from Run For Cover in the US. I rarely do so these days because shipping overseas is crazy, but every once in a while I will splurge the extra money if it‘s a band I really care about. The other reason I almost never order directly from the States is that the customs office has been much stricter the last few years, so on top of outrageous shipping costs, there‘s usually also customs fees. So, while all of that sucks, I knew what I was getting into when I ordered the record. What I didn‘t know was that the customs office would keep the record for about 2.5 months before they actually processed it and I finally received the record about 3 months after it was mailed.  

It was all worth it though, because I really like this variant. Also, I will always love a huge poster that comes with a record. 

1st Press on Blue Swirl /900 (Run For Cover Exclusive)

Gorilla Bootlegs

A couple of months ago a vey good friend of mine came to stay at our place with his family for a few days. He's one of those friend I don't see nearly often enough, but whenever we do it's like we've been hanging out daily for the last couple of years. It's a great feeling to have friendships like this. 

One of those evenings we got to hang out alone and listened to a bunch of records and talked about this and that. While talking about hardcore I told him that I recently found out that there is a version of Start Today with Walter singing, which was also news to him. I think I learned about this via Axe To Grind podcast and my mind was blown when I heard that. A quick research afterwards told me that there is a CD version of that, aptly called Walter Sings The Hits. I was considering buying the CD version, but then another friend posted a picture of the record below on his Instagram, which obviously made me want to buy the vinyl version. I'm not a big fan of bootlegs, but sometimes there's no way around it. 

That night when I was talking to my friend, I happened to find an online source and quickly ordered two copies. The sound isn't great and if sort of complain about the sound quality of a record, this means something. It's still a fun listed every once in while. 

Black vinyl /???

Safe State

A few months ago my band I got to play a show with Dice Throw from Vienna and Safe State from Zurich. I had never heard Dice Throw before, but the singer was wearing a Go It Alone hoodie, so I took that as a good sign and I didn‘t get disappointed. Really good mid-2000s influenced hardcore.

I bought the 7“ Safe State put out a couple of years ago, just because it was on Straight And Alert Records from France and for a time you couldn‘t go wrong picking up the records the label released. I remember liking the 7“ back then, but as it sometimes goes, bands vanish from your radar for no good reason. So I was more than happy when I could reconnect with the band. I really liked the songs they played live and they were a vey nice bunch of people, so getting their LP was a no brainer. 

1st Press on Grey Marble /200

Of Days Renewed

Another record I‘d been eagerly awaiting. To Whatever Fateful End is a modern day masterpiece. Everything about records was perfect. A straight 10/10, A+ or whatever you want to call it. So obviously anticipation on my side was very high. I feel like it‘s always extremely difficult for a band to follow up on an incredibly good LP. When I first listened to Of Days Renewed… I was indeed a little bit disappointed. It just didn‘t hit me the same way Magnitude‘s first LP hit me. After listening to the record over the course of the last few months it has definitely grown on me, but I still don‘t think it‘s as good as their first LP. It‘s still really, really good, but I personally haven‘t heard a hit yet. Deliverance is a great opening track and it‘s the best song on the album in my opinion. I might not like it as much as my fellow blogger Mike, but I do like it a lot. 

For once I was glad to live in Europe because the exclusive version for one of the German mailorders I frequent is one of the better looking variants out there. 

1st Press on Clear Purple w/ Neon Orange Splatter (Evil Greed Exclusive) /250