NIGHT BIRDS - Monster Surf

Location: Jersey Shore

Release: Wallride Records, 2014

No waves? Surf the sewers and get dazed.

PURCHASE [limited to 1,000]

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[promo 128kbps]

AMBASSADOR RECORDS - Discography

Ambicious post here, spent weeks trying to accomplish it. Im talking about complete (or almost) label discography. IMPORTANT: The idea is not to cause prejudice of any kind to the ones involved - labels and bands, these records are long out of print and the goal here is to promote the music and the message in its content.

AMBASSADOR was a californian label run by Chain Of Strength/Justice League guitarist Ryan Hoffman that was active between '95 and '99 whose titles were distributed by Revelation Records. At first, it was about putting out Ryan's side projects: Statue and Circle Storm. Here's some enlightenment on how it started:

STATUE made its way to Revelation (REV029) but before that they did a demo Something To Say.., recorded in 1990 and it still shows a few traces of Alex signature vocals he used to do in Chain but with an early post-hardcore twist. The 7" has 3 songs and the CD has 2 extras and 3 live ones, 8 in total.

Then CIRCLE STORM's recordings emerged. Simply put? It feels as Chain has put 2 more records out with Curt on vocals. The songs in Spirit EP are total rippers and were meant to be Chain songs (as well as other 2 songs in Character Assassin album)! They only played live twice and in the last one, guess with what song they finished off? (...has the edge gone dull?) Video uploaded by guitar player - Steve Hertz, who also played bass in COLLISION.

HALFMAST from Buffalo recorded 3 albums, the last one Deny Their Vision from 1996 is featured here and it was on constant rotation amongst my friends back in the days. They played energetic sxe hardcore and disbanded right before the late 90's revival and for that reason many kid failed to catch them (even though Halfmast were featured with 2 exclusive songs in the international hardcore comp For The Sake Of Dedication, Crucial Response 1997).
Also, Nick Baran (vocals) runs Thind x Party Records and now sings in POISON PLANET.  

I*WHISH*I is here to complete the label's discography, its not that bad its just not my cup of tea, early indie emo. Last month they did a reunion show w/ KILL HOLIDAY.

ONE SIDED WAR first and only album was quite a pain to find, super rare! All the info that I found was from a flyer, they come from New York and has Matt Warnke (BOLD) and Citizen Arrest dudes in it. 6 hardcore tunes with melodic hints and gang vocals. 

COLLISION was another short lived youth crew group yet they got some recognition at the time, both their releases are featured here. Later they went to play on other SoCal acts such as Built To Last, Stand & Fight and xONE CHOICEx!

I also found a demo done 2 years after the 1999's Without Self Doubt EP, but Im unsure if its the same band because they sound way to different, check it here.

And last but not least COUNT ME OUT's first record Few And Far Between, Richmond sxe that needs no introduction. The copy I own is a CD and has 6 tracks on it, for some reason Malfunction Records (co)released it on 7" with 4 tracks and Crap Chords another 7" with similar tracklist. 

AMB001: STATUE - Something To Say...

AMB002: CIRCLE STORM - Spirit

AMB003: HALFMAST - Deny Their Vision
(as bonus are included the ThirdxParty EPs: Influence + Together + comp. songs)

AMB004: I WHISH I - Drop In Standing

AMB005: COLLISION - S/T

AMB006: ONE SIDED WAR: The Sum of Days

AMB007: CIRCLE STORM - Character Assassin

AMB008: COUNT ME OUT - Few and Far Between

AMB009: COLLISION - Without Self Doubt [fixed link]

Special thanks to Vic Ambassador and the blogs: It Follows, One Truth and Hardcore Show Flyers.

INSANITY ALERT - Second Opinion

Location: Innsbruck, Austria

Release: Slaughterhouse / Glorious Thrash, 2013
Artwork: Roel Smit

MOSH! Debut EP with 6 songs clocking around 1:30 minutes each, so sweetly executed you gotta hear thrice. CD version carried by their own label and 7" by italian Slaughterhouse Records. There's a diehard version that comes with a tape that includes their 2012 Demo, where they cover Run To The Hills in a brilliant way.

A 15-song full-length is about to pop up through belgian Empire Records, again produced by The Hand of Doom.

FFO: wreckage, circle pit and tons of glorious thrash  

SUPPORT
DOWNLOAD EP + DEMO [320kbps]

facebook.com/insanityalert

LEGIONS - The Gravestone Path

Location: Sydney, AUS

Release: Death's Grip, 2012 (out of print)

I'm posting this just to make sure more people listen to it, 'cause I already mentioned about it a few times before, the sick first record from aussies LEGIONS. It's a 4 song cassette EP, metallic hardcore played in the way Iron Age mastered it. Also check their split 7" with badass Downside, released last year. 

I listen to it consistently for quite some time now, the track Spite is a big hit:

Internal war I refuse to fight
Broken bonds retied twice as tight, true fucking paranoia
Thought I banished you from my life
But out of sight don't equal out of mind, true fucking paranoia

SUPPORT
DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

Actually the main reason of this post is announce that a new record is about to surface on Broken Hive Records, rock on \m/

DOGCHAINS - Give / Take EP

Location: Schweinfurt, Deutschland

Release: Straight & Alert / Life To Live / Balance, 2014

DOGCHAINS' new EP has exceeded my expectations, it feels it came out from Youngblood's old catalog. Does Desperate Measures or later Lights Out ring a bell? Their 2012 Demo was well received but didnt stick to me, now is a different story. 

In Give/Take 7" there's a bolder songwriting and a better overall production. From all 6 tracks, Changes and Telescope are my fav, the last two are more slow paced 2-steps showing dat Justice/Mental influence, making it more diverse and fun to listen.

Straigth & Alert Records is a fairly new label with a few (but growing) solid records run by Raw Justice vocalist, based in France. Give / Take is their 5th endeavor, co-released with the cool dudes at Life To Live Recs (USA) and Dogchains' own label Balance Records (Germany).

Pressing info: black vinyl - 500, orange vinyl - 300, clear vinyl (preorder only) - 200.

PURCHASE

DOWNLOAD
password: S&A05DOGCHAINS

facebook.com/xdogchainsx

SAID AND DONE - Better Days

Location: Noord-Brabant, Nederlands

Release: Straight & Alert / Cobra / White Russian, 2014

5th installment by dutch SAID AND DONE, completing 8 years of existence and 4 since the last record "Weight of the World". From a 80's NYHC/Metal influenced hardcore to Grunge(?) they return in their 2nd full-length Better Days. Always a tough call for a band to shift styles and embrace other influences in the song writing, but this comes as no surprise as it happened before with Justice, for example, and worked just fine (after a few listenings).

Despite someone feel about overturns like this, Better Days is very addicting and will please fans of Supertouch, Gypsy, Daylight and those 90's indie/grunge bands everyone used to listen. The highlight for me here is the musicianship level and recording process (done in their rehearsal space!), oustanding. (For another measure) I was listening the other day to STP's Purple at the beach, this fits right in! 

First press consist of: 100 red, 100 white, 300 black.
PURCHASE LP/CD

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TOLERATE - Collections

Location: Syracuse, US

Release: Climbin´ Aboard, 2014

Climbin' Abord #22! This time around they offer us TOLERATE's discography on tape + live stuff. I listen to their S/T EP quite often, its a banger!

Behind closed doors you make your moves.
Stepping on others, making your own rules.
Speaking freely you waste my time.
It’s plain to see you’re no friend of mine.

Side A contains the S/T released on reaper records as a 7" and the summer 2012 demo released on stay alert records as a cassette. Side B contains a live set from Barrie, ON on june 24th 2013 at the diy art space. LIMITED TO 100 TAPES.



PURCHASE FROM LABEL OR BAND

DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

BROKEN TEETH / THE MONGOLOIDS - Split

Location: Manchester / New Jersey

Release: Neutral Words / 6131 Records, 2014

Artwork: Bradley Tompkins / Chad Lawson

Broken Teeth. Manchester, UK. Made quite a name for themselves, their previous EP was a bomb. Here in this international split 7" they present 2 brand new songs, expect nothing but heavy music (done the right way)!

The Mongoloids. New Jersey, US. Unfortunately they just announced they are quitting in the next few months and this will be their second to last release. A band that tried something different and succeeded. In a scene such as the hardcone one, it rarely happens nowadays. Crazy arts and mongo stomps to terminate your boredom.

UK version has 2 vinyl colors and a screen printed cover drawn by tattoo artist Tompkins. US version has 3 colors to choose from and artwork signed by Lawson.

PURCHASE (UK VERSION) / PURCHASE (US VERSION)

DOWNLOAD [320kbps]

MONGO LIFE 2005 - 2014

No Redeeming Social Value - Slumlords

Location: Queens + Baltimore

Release: Conformist Recs. + Juke Boxxx, 2005 [out of print]

I fuckin' luv N.R.S.V. Its classic NYHC, funny as hell and has the illest live performances. ATTENTION! This is not suitable for the faint of heart or virgin people, it will mess you up! Songs about booze, eating disorder, tattoos, 40 oz. malt liquors, butter, microwaves and other wacky subjects as a result of large consumption of alcohol aggravated by hallucinogenic substances.

They started in '93 Queens, NY and has Vinny Value (Warzone) playing the drums from time to time. Celebrating 25 years of existence they did dozens of records, world tours and insane video clips! One of those records was a split with another fine hardcore group, Baltimore's SLUMLORDS featuring Jeff Perlin (Breakdown) on vocals. They own some equally hilarious lyrics backed by that heavy NY Oi! sound.

I got my hands on the japanese version of that split album, filled with extras. They play each others songs, live recordings and a few videos! GADEMM!

DOWNLOAD SPLIT CD [320kbps]

Since we are not here to fool around, check the mad riffs and fantastic chants on this magic journey to No Redeeming sensational early days compiled on a 40 oz. album and then some Slumlords wisdom on both their LPs to boot. Booya!

DOWNLOAD 40 oz. of Hardcore [Triple Crown - 2001]

DOWNLOAD Self Titled LP [I Scream/ Perfect Victim - 2004]

DOWNLOAD On The Stremph LP [Lockin Out - 2006]

Here is a cool interview with NRSV's Dean Miller (one of the vocals) and here a Slumlords homage on pictures featuring their whole vinyl discography.

www.nrsv.com

My God Rides a Skateboard Mixtape

4 years motherfuckers! GADEMM!! To celebrate the blog's anniversary I chose 3 friends and asked them to pick 4 songs each, songs to shred and burn on the sidewalk surfin'.

The last time I did a compilation was 2 years ago, the 2 Years Retrospective Compilation with a contribution from Arty Straight On View! Now here's 4 different takes on skate music:

MYSELF (aka Mene, Mariano, CcLaw, Dr.F-R ..)

00. CRISPUS ATTUCKS - MY GOD RIDES A SKATEBOARD [Spermbirds] 

01. XFILESX - Long Boards Are Wrong Boards

02. BONES BRIGADE - Rock To Fakie
03. SSS - Purple Reign

04. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - Go Skate!

Faço das palavas do Max Scholastic as minhas "[...]this is not just about how lame ESPN and the corporate take-over of skateboarding is; its also about some very wrong assumptions that most skaters hold. Skateboarding is not a sport. And guess what, IT IS a crime. Relish in that fact. Don't fucking get co-opted by your local city council when you're fighting for your 'legal right to skate'. Ever since I was in 4th grade I had to run from the pigs - deal with it. Enjoy the fact that you are DESTROYING  property that is owned by a bank, corporate office, post office, the federal government! That's what this is about, to fucking mark up their pristine ledges, stairs, curbs, rails, to destroy the rich's renovated pools. Fuck all of them!" - SHACKLE ME NOT

RICK PELLARIO (Clearview's vox, 90's skater and gym rat)

05. EXODUS - Hammer of Life

06. GOOD RIDDANCE - Heresy Hypocrisy Revenge [Fat Version]

07. PENNYWISE - X Generation

08. xJUSTICEx - Push It To The Edge

"Aproximadamente uns 11 minutos e pouco de insanidade musical apropriado para quem gosta de destruir no skate. Essa é a trilha ideal para um role veloz de skate, seja fazendo downhill, voando alto nas rampas ou mesmo destruindo as ruas! Longboard é pra quem usa sapatenis; mountainboard não é skateboard e essa moda de skatinho minúsculo que você só consegue remar e nada além disso, meu amigo(a), escuta essa trilha sonora e mude o seu conceito, ok? Estou dando a dica, então curta essa trilha porque o resto é contigo!

Mantenha o skateboarding um crime!"

MARCELO BASTOS (dedicated LO-FI drummer and a Zorlac appreciator)

09. MUNICIPAL WASTE – The Fatal Feast

10. R.K.L. – Break the Camels Back

11. LAGWAGON – Foiled Again

12. ALL – World on Heroin [Live]

"Uma bela tarde de domingo e eu saio para a rua da minha pequena cidade com meu skate.

Não canso de ver o mesmo cenário de sempre: playboys com seus carros turbinados e tocando música de merda, igrejas lotadas depois das 20h, mendigos deitados na rua de ressaca e penso: que lixo de lugar.

Coloco meus fones no ouvido e o skate no pé e começo a imaginar como seria um mundo melhor: zumbis tentando comer o resto de cérebro que sobrou depois de tanta droga que estes playboys consumiram, meteoros caindo em cima de seus carros de som, fazendo um verdadeiro barulho, a polícia tentando conter tudo isso mas sendo atacada por naves alienígenas de um planeta não muito distante, igrejas pegando tanto fogo que a água benta não pode apagar e por fim os mendigos ainda na rua deitados de ressaca.

Droga, acabou a música, de volta a realidade cruel..."

STEVE LIMA (legit old school skater and punk rocker)

13. CEREBRAL BALLZY - Sk8 All Day

14. MINUS ONE - The Kids Dont Skate Here

15. EIGHT DAYZ - Whats So Strange About Me

16. McRAD - Violin

"Bem-vindo à Venice, cidade fundada em 1905, e criada como homônimo da Venice italiana, com uma idéia inicial de ser um resort praiano e ser a Veneza americana. Situada na ensolarada Califórnia próximo de Los Angeles e Santa Barbara, Venice Beach é famosa por suas praias, canais, e principalmente pelo “calçadão” com 4 km de extensão, uma grande atração turística onde é possível se locomover em caminhadas, corridas, bike, skate, patins, etc, e como em qualquer lugar é um grande centro urbano também onde se encontra de tudo, desde lojas, vendedores ambulantes, artistas, performances musicais, adivinhos, etc.

Considerada um dos berços do skate onde nasceram alguns dos mais conhecidos Z-Boys, como Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams, Jim Muir entre outros, está situada no triângulo praiano conhecido por ‘Dogtown’ abrangendo uma marcação através de uma linha divisória imaginária com as cidades de Santa Monica, Ocean Park e Venice Beach."

DOWNLOAD

now.. go pray