all things old school: February 2015

Saturday, February 28, 2015

RUNNING THIN RECORDS


New label in town! Actually in 3 different towns: Pittsburgh (US), Boston (US) and West Mids (UK). This brit/north-american joint released a compilation last year entitled A SHOWCASE OF TUNES TO 'FUCK WITH' SAMPLER VOLUME 1, comprised of very promising new groups under their roster. It features all sorts of styles: youth crew, 90's emo, hip hop and other variations on the good ol' hardcore punk. 

I made an interview with two of them (Daniel Murtagh & Steven Kenyon) and here's what we got:

3 FRIENDS, 3 DIFFERENT CITIES. HOW DOES IT WORK? ANY OF YOU WERE INVOLVED IN A LABEL OR BAND BEFORE?
Dan: We got me here in Boston, Steven down in Pittsburg, and Roscoe over in the UK. The whole idea for this label came from a conversation Steven and I had after Damaged City Fest last summer. He expressed an interest in starting a label, and I said I wanted to do the same thing. With a need for a logo, Steven reached out to Roscoe, and he came up with the running man design. After a few more requests for art, we just figured it would be fitting for Roscoe to come on board too. The label works very smoothly with all three of us being able to split up the work load and take some of the pressure off each other. Everyone has really showed their A game so far, and I credit that cooperation and dedication to the music for the small success we have seen so far. I haven’t been in any bands before, but Steven had fronted Instigate prior to the label, and Roscoe is in Gravity Grave, which was called Middle Child to begin with.
Steven: I've been in a band or two before nothing serious, played some shows here and there, weekend tour once. I've schemed a label a bunch of times I've just never had anyone I'd want helping me with it. Dan and Roscoe are a wonderful pair of dudes to run a label with. Us being all over the world just means we can show people in different areas the love we have for music. If you want some stickers to slap around your town hit one of us up. I love seeing our name anywhere people wanna throw it up.

THE BANDS ON RTR GOES FROM HIP HOP TO POP PUNK AND HARDCORE PUNK, WHICH IS VERY AMUSING BECAUSE YOU ARE DOING THIS SINCE THE EARLY STAGES OF THE LABEL. THE MAIN GOAL IS TO SUPPORT LOCAL UNDERGROUND PRODUCTIONS OR JUST MUSIC YOU’RE INTERESTED IN?
DO YOU THINK PEOPLE NOWADAYS ARE MORE OPEN TO OTHER GENRES INSTEAD OF STICKING IN HIS OWN CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE? LIKE HIP HOP KIDS LISTENING TO HEAVY STUFF AND VICE-VERSA?
Dan: With our first discussions about starting a label, I expressed my desire to NOT have this label be strictly hardcore. I didn’t want us to get lumped into any specific genre because that’s not all we listen to. Obviously we all love hardcore, but we all have our own interests, Roscoe for instance, he loves him some Oasis and Stone Roses, but he also rocks Wu, then you got Steven who pretty much is a walking hardcore dictionary, but he’ll jam hip hop, stoner metal, whatever, he just loves music so much. Then me, who you can catch playing anything from Clancy Brothers, to Miles Davis, to Tom Petty, to Lee Perry, to Bulldoze. If it sounds good to us, we will listen to it. But that kind of all over the place taste is something I personally think makes hardcore tick. You look back at a lot of the older NYHC bands, and they were doing some cross genre type shit years ago. For instance, Biohazard and Onyx, clearly Public Enemy and Anthrax. Shit, not sure how many people even remember KRS-ONE doing a shout on a SOIA album, but it happened. They also had House of Pain on a track too. Besides hip hop, you have a lot of hardcore guys doing some softer stuff, whether it be folksy type stuff or straight rock n roll, or Oi, or even metal, so this mixture of styles we are releasing just seemed fitting right out the gate.
Steven: I'm just happy to see people support music; no matter the genre. Music might be the only consistent thing I've had in my life. Honestly, I just love music. I love hardcore, I love punk, I love rap and hip hop and I love helping bands/artists music out to the world. Even knowing one person enjoys the band enough to buy a tape or a shirt from us to support the band is an incredible feeling. We started somewhat as a hardcore label but we didn't want to just hardcore or punks bands. We've released a hip hop artist so far and I do believe another hip hop group in the unseen future. We've released a pop punk band so far, that kinda just happened out of the blue when a good friend of Dan and I's came to us to release his band; he's a great kid so we were more than happy to oblige. We've got a bunch of hardcore bands with releases on the labels; most of them are actively playing shows and working on new music for sophomore releases on the label. We did have a few bands on the label break up this year. RIP Step Off. RIP True Worth.

8 RELEASES UNTIL NOW, ALL IN TAPE FORMAT (AND DIGITAL), VINYL IS INCLUDED IN LABEL’S FUTURE PLANS? WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU ARE FACING SO FAR TO RUN A LABEL IN 1 YEAR OF EXISTENCE?
Dan: All our releases so far have been tape format, not for any specific reason, it’s just what the bands wanted so far. We do have a HUGE vinyl release coming soon, one I’m particularly excited for. Oxnard’s own Retaliate!!!! The record is gonna slam man, I can’t wait to have this release come out. We also are re-releasing the Uprising AD cd very soon. Uprising AD, one of the best Tijuana bands there was. Those two releases have me pretty excited for 2015 so far. We haven’t really faced too many challenges, as all our bands are fucking great dudes and easy to work with, and the three of us communicate very well and handle our business.
Steven: There's been some hardships with getting releases out. Some production issues with the production of tapes. Dan and I both had moved at some point over the last year and settling in is always a little difficult with communication. So we did have a little and I mean little point in time where we were at a standstill.

ANY BREAKING NEWS OF UPCOMING RELEASES IN 2015?
Dan: We have some good shit coming out this year: the Retaliate and Uprising AD releases that I already mentioned, Rage – The Midwest Straight Edge tape, Different Face – Demo 2014 tape (split release with Criminal Rights Records), Clandestine AD – Demo tape, new Coolside, Reunion, and a few I’ll keep for a surprise.
Steven: Step 4 Change, Urgency, Rage, Clandestine AD, Crossface and Different Face all have demos coming on the label this year. We've got some bands doing sophomore releases on the label. Reunion's debut 7" will be out on the label sometime this year. COOLSIDE has something in the works. Hopefully we'll be doing a lot of cool releases this year. Also, the I Against I demo will be dropping very very very soon.

WHAT IS YOUR TOP 6 LIST OF WHATEVER MUISC GENRE WAS RELEASED LAST YEAR?
Dan: My top 6 for 2014 (in NO particular order)
1- Sheer Terror – Standing Up For Falling Down (just a great album from these legends)
2- Cold World – How the Gods Chill (these guys just rule, and I’ll always support bands from my birth town of Wilkes Barre)
3- Ghostface Killah – 36 Seasons (instant classic)
4- Wu Tang Clan – A Better Tomorrow (does anything really need to be said about this? It’s the Wu!!!!)
5- FM359 – Truth, Love and Liberty (it’s Mike McColgan, it’s a great album. This dude has one of the best voices there is)
6- Wisdom In Chains – We Never Sleep (they will make my Top List every year they release anything, they are just bad ass)
I also have to give an honorable mention to The Eulogy 7”, they missed 2014 by 6 days, but that 7” is by far one of the best 7”s I’ve heard in a long time.

Steven: BIG TAKEOVER - BIG TAKEOVER DEMO Big Takeover's Demo was one of my top picks last year. Late 80's NYHC tribute at its finest. Breakdown 87 has been resurrected.
TRAVIS SCOTT - DAYS BEFORE RODEO Travi$ Scott's Days Before Rodeo mixtape was personally my favorite hip hop release last year. He's got a great flow and the work he's done so far has not disappointed me.
DISENGAGE - S/T 7" Disengage's new Self Titled 7" blew me anyway. It made me so proud to be straight edge, such a driving release with a lot of songs about STRAIGHT EDGE PRIDE.
SPOOKY BLACK - LEAVING EP Spooky Black released one of most calming releases I've ever heard. A major R&B/Hip Hop vibe with a very dark twist.
SELF DESTRUCT - DEMO 14 Self Destruct put out seriously one of the craziest demos I heard last year, it just makes me want to jump off things and flip tables. Definitely suggest checking it out.
SNAILS PACE - SNAILS PACE DEMO The Lockin Out supergroup featuring members of Mental, Cold World and Free Spirit. This demo was pure gold to me. Great lyrical content. Incredibly catchy riffs and a lot of skank worthy parts.

FEEL FREE TO GIVE AWAY ADVICES OF ANY KIND, THOUGHTS AND SALUTATIONS.
Dan: My advice to anyone reading this would be to just give it a shot, whatever it is that you want to try and get started, be it a band, label, clothing line, booking agency, whatever, just do it. You aren’t going to regret trying nearly as much as you’ll regret sitting on your ass and not trying.
Steven: I want to thank everyone that's ever supported any endeavor that I've loved even if they were short lived and stupid. I want to thank Dan and Sarah for helping this label more than anyone knows. Dan is seriously the older brother I never had but always wish I did. I want to thank Roscoe for everything he's done for the label. Great dude even if he is a limey. I want to thank my girlfriend Kaitlyn who's always supported me endlessly no matter how broke or down and out I've been, I love her to death. I want to thank all my friends, their bands, their labels, their pets, their mosh style and their families. I want to thank RJ Loegsky for ever getting Dan and I together. I want to thank RC Cola for being the greatest Cola ever. I want to thank Tom Brady / Bill Belichik and the 4 Super Bowl rings their wearing. I want to thank whoever numbered Rob Gronkowski 87 because the 87 demo is gospel. I want to thank every band I've ever seen or moshed to. I want to thank anyone who's ever helped me out with my Lockin Out collection. I want to thank Greg Willmott / AJ McQuire for helping me out with my collection. I want to thank my cats; Nonstop, Brady, Gandalf, Gemini and Izzy. I want to thank the man that wrote My Name Is Earl.
I want to thank THE STRAIGHT EDGE.

HOW COLD IT IS TODAY?
Dan: It’s freezing here, says 9 (Fahrenheit) but -12 with the wind chill. And more snow this weekend to add to the nearly 100”s we’ve gotten so far. And on that note, I’m gonna get outta here and go shovel a new path for my dogs. Shout out to the 836 homies back in Illinois and Colorado, my buddies in San Diego, Retaliate, Uprising AD, Take Em Out, Holistic Hip Hop, and all the bands on the label. Huge thanks to my wife, my dogs, Steven and Kate, Roscoe Rickers, and thanks Zack and Rick for the advice. And most importantly, thank you to everyone who has supported us through this first year, it means the world to us and we cannot express our appreciation and gratitude enough.


Now, for an audio experience, I selected some current and upcoming releases from the RTR family:

First, the californian in COOLSIDE offers a fresh youth cru with dat Youngblood recs sound. From the demo EP "Own The Zone" they are getting ready for a new album, the Self Help EP!
DOWNLOAD Own The Zone EP + New Single


Another cali group, the REUNION made a big step forward on their crummy sound in their latest recording: the Summer Demo '14, that will get a proper release soon on RTR.
DOWNLOAD Summer Demo '14


From Washington, STRIKEFORCE brings the heavy side to the label, 4 stomps in the vein of Expire and Cruel Hand. New demo The End almost accomplished.

DOWNLOAD Substance EP


These bands are rather new therefore I never heard of REBOUND before and I gotta say, they do deliver! Their Hard Luck Demo is a full-bodied mosh and their new 2-song EP adds a notch up! Fast to mid paced hardcore with an awesome flow. 

DOWNLOAD Restraints EP + Hard Luck 


Orange County Hardcore in da house! Newest effort by I AGAINST I is pretty good and fun to listen throughout with speed and aggressiveness at the right levels! 


    DOWNLOAD Stuck At The Bottom


Please visit the label online for more releases and goods:

facebook.com/runningthinrecords
www.runningthinrecords.com

Thursday, February 26, 2015

THE HAMMER - No Escape

Location: Göteborg, Sverige
Release: Moral Panic / Headless Guru, 2015
Artwork: Jacob Bondesson

No Escape features 8 straight forward and hard hitting tracks, clocking around 1 minute each like nails being hammered into your skull! It's unanimous when it comes to name their influences: Right Brigade and Think I Care. Lyrics grunt about the day by day struggles with a grim outlook.

Digital version was released last year and as of monday (23) the 7" has hit the shelves! They are doing a short UK tour as we speak with fellow countrymen in NEIGHBORHOOD.


DOWNLOAD

facebook.com/hammerhc

Friday, February 20, 2015

WAR CHARGE / CORNERED - Split 7"

Location: Scotland / Nederland
Release: Neutral Words Records, 2014
Artwork: Bradley Tompkins

Another excellent release by british Neutral Words (#10). Most recently scottish WAR CHARGE started to get some deserved attention, together as a band since 2011 they have 2 solid EPs out and return with 2 new songs in this split 7". 

Dutch powerhouse CORNERED also with 2 new bombs droppin' at your stereo (+ a Breakdown cover), my fav track of whole split is Deceiver. Already 6 years as a band and 6 records under the belt, new full-length Sudden Death on pre-order now!

PURCHASE 7"
(Pressing of: 125 Black, 125 Clear/Blue Marble, 50 Blue/Orange Marble)
DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

Thursday, February 19, 2015

FADE - One With Serenity

Location: Birmingham / Leeds
Release: Neutral Words Records, 2014

2nd EP by FADE! FFO: Quicksand, The 90's, spooning.

(Almost) all bands featured on the Grunge Revival post have new stuff up, go check: SUPERCRUSH, SITINGLASS, NIBIRU and CLIENT.
DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

Friday, February 13, 2015

BLIND JUSTICE / HEAVY CHAINS - Split

Location: Jersey Shore, US
Release: Bad Rep / Mass Movement, 2014

SHORE STYLE on full effect! Both bands here went a step further in their game and bring us a solid record!

The cool cats in BLIND JUSTICE has 2 new burstin' energy tracks, even more mad than those in MischiefThey also started planning their debut full-length for 2015. On the flip side shows HEAVY CHAINS with better writing and recording compared to their well received demo and keeps the flow of the record, charging up the listener to destruct anything ahead!! 



PURCHASE 7" HERE OR HERE
(Pressing of: 150 Black N Blue Splatter / 150 Red / 200 Clear)
DOWNLOAD [320kbps]


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

TIME CRISIS - Afraid of Death + Demo

Location: Brisbane, Australia
Release: Death's Grip, 2015

Death's Grip, Shaman and Life.Liar.Regret. Records are on the forefront of dope fresh aussie hardcore releases rigth now. In this case, Deaths Grip's latest is TIME CRISIS anticipated debut 7", killer thrash/metallic hardcore from paradise city Brisbane.

Their 2014 Demo was already a bomb, sold out in 2 cassette runs. The new EP sounds heavier and dark as fuck, so much so that a sick band (which is rarely mentioned) came to mind: Palehorse. The title track Afraid Of Death was structured so demonically that it exudes evil out of your ears! Anyways, listen to both records, step on pedal and if it pleases you, get the 7" while you still get a chance! Pressing of: 100 maroon, 200 clear.



PURCHASE 7"/MERCH
DOWNLOAD 7" + Demo


kudos to pingua metalheäd

Friday, February 6, 2015

SLOPE - Helix

Location: Duisburg, Deutschland
Release: Backbite / Footlose, 2014
Artwork: Jenno Wecker

SLOPE brings a record full of swing and energy! Laid my eyes on this record in Farewell Records' distro last year and jumped onto their bandcamp, my suspicious was confirmed, got stoked!

Helix is completing one year since its digital release and now there are vinyl and tape versions to choose from, both gorgeous looking. If their first album already sounds this good, one can only wonder what is going to come next! 



PURCHASE 7"/TAPE/MERCH
DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

If you happen to be in Germany, catch these bad mofos on tour and bust a mov.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

THE NEW ENEMY - Evolve To Destroy EP

Location: Toronto, Canada
Release: DIY, 2014

In their 5th record, THE NEW ENEMY decided to go for another 7" but this time they spent more effort on production/mastering, and it did pay off! Melodic hardcore punk not unlike Shook Ones and The Degenerics

My favorite track is the first one 'Broken Wills' that shows grunge influences, a bit different from previous works. Also, that 88 Fingers Louie cover was dead on [one of the best fast melodic bands from late 90's in my opinion!].



Limited 7" can be purchased in their bandcamp, small run of 200.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

HIGHER POWER - Demo 2015

Location: Leeds, UK
Release: Neutral Words Records, 2015

Dig that groove baby! Leeds crew are up with a new project, featuring members from (eminent) Shrapnel/Fade and Blind Authority. 3 songs of Merauder (w/ Eddie Sutton) meets early Red Hot Chili Peppers! Can't hear enough of this upward trend.

Cassette version of this demo will be handled by british Neutral Words. This label just gets better and better.

DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

Monday, February 2, 2015

SPITTING EARTH - I

Location: Ottawa, Canada
Release: Street Survival, 2015

The canadian in SPITTING EARTH spent 3 years to come up with their debut album and I liked it a lot, but it won't be a 'love at first sight' for most hardcore listeners I'd guess.

 They developed a sound that can be tough to describe: Danzig-ish vocals with Smashing Pumkpins mellowness and Twitching Tongues aggressiveness? Hit the play button if you were slightest curious.

Released in 2014 digitally it will receIve a tape version pretty soon by german Street Survival Records.

PRE-ORDERS SOON