Gypsy - 4 Songs CD/R (Dirt Cult Records, 2010)

Low fidelity 16th-note pop punk. If that sounds like anything that is up your alley then you should download this immediately. Gypsy is a band/project that consists of Chris Mason (from Shang-a-Lang - Las Cruces, NM), Joe Ayoub (from Marked Men - Denton, TX), and Ryan Maddox (from Hidden Spots - Chattanooga, TN). This band only exists when these three dudes are together for extended amounts of time in Las Cruces - or maybe it only existed for the short amount of time that these dudes were together in Las Cruces? - who knows...


At any rate, this specific style of music probably requires a bit of an acquired taste, but if you are familiar with any of the other bands mentioned already then this should be everything you expect.  The vocal melodies and the decision making of the drummer is definitely the thing that sets this band apart from the others - despite the fact that these are just generally well written songs. I, for one, can't take these four songs off of repeat.


I'm not scared of death / I'm scared of you

Posts I Wish I Had Made Vol. 1: Salvo Rain LP Masters on Used Bin Forever

If your name is Jake Bone or you are in love with the emotive hardcore sounds that came out of the Carolinas in the 90's (Assfactor 4, Unherd, Rights Reserved, Insult to Injury, Eagle Bravo, etc.) then I really recommend going over to Used Bin Forever and checking out the latest post (or almost all of the current posts for that matter, he's on a roll).

Salvo Rain was a band that sounded exactly like that, and they were pretty damn good at it. Their material is somewhat hard to come by, but the post in question contains the ADAT masters of this band's full length (!). It's not every day something of that nature pops up!

Check it:

Salvo Rain LP Masters on Used Bin Forever

Amateur Party - Public Utility Complaint 7" (Paramnesia Records, 2008)

Small Note: Although I intended to only post my own vinyl rips on this blog, this is an upload of the download code mp3's; I did, however, scan the cover - so at least I put some effort into it! 


Amateur Party is what happens when a handful of seasoned punks get together to create something intelligent and meaningful. Hailing from Philadelphia, PA this band consists of some long-time heavy hitters in the realm of great DIY music. This band seemingly functions on a part-time basis in the members' collective free time with somewhat of a revolving door line-up, but the core of this band consists of mastermind Mike McKee (Kill the Man Who Questions, Armalite) on guitars/vocals, Steve Roche (Off Minor, Yo Man, Go!, Books Lie, and uh... Saetia) on drums/etc., and Andrew Martini (Limp Wrist, KTMWQ) on bass.


As far as the music itself is concerned? The biggest frame of reference seems to be the classic D.C./Dischord Records sound, only with much more of a laid-back disposition. Imagine a handful of Fugazi, Rites of Spring, or, hell - even Ignition - styled-songs played in more of a J Church context... Or a Superchunk/random early Merge Records band context. Does that make sense? I don't know; the end result is a unique brand of guitar-driven punk that is as refreshing and inspiring as it is nostalgic.


Included in this download is all of the photographs that were randomly placed onto each 7" cover - some of which are of fellow recognizable Philadelphians Dan Yemin and Andy Nelson (of Paint it Black). That's pretty cool, right? All of the songs on this 7" are about issues directly related to Philadelphia- I think that is a very interesting concept. Mike McKee can write some amazing lyrics, so I definitely recommend reading those as you listen to these songs. Perhaps I need to post some of my Kill the Man Who Questions records now. Anyways, Enjoy.


Oil and location make for such conflicted histories.

Last Match - Self-Titled 7" (Insect Records, 1997)

I'm going to attempt to maintain a once-a-week posting schedule for this blog. I have also been playing around with the look of it as well, made some progress but it could still use some tampering with.


Anyways, I've been listening to this band a lot recently and I got this 7" off of some dude on the internet for $2. Last Match was a hardcore band from Sweden that lasted from 1997 to 1999. They released this 7" as well as a split 7". There is, however, a collection of everything that they have ever done that includes unreleased tracks - but the band itself has even said that many of those unreleased songs are subpar to their other material.


I came to like this band when I randomly stumbled upon their MySpace page (welcome to 200x!) and saw that nearly every other band represented on their page was one of my favorite bands. This band takes a specific experimental hardcore format mastered by the likes of Born Against (who did it with more spite) and Universal Order of Armageddon (who did it with more emotion) and formulates it into more traditional hardcore punk song structures. It comes out sounding not unlike other bands who attempted something similar to this (Palatka, Assfactor 4, In/Humanity [although each of these bands had completely different influences]), but is definitely heartfelt and unique enough in its own right. Sit down for 14 minutes and listen to what this band had to say.


I feel no communication, no enthusiasm in this room / Silence speaks loud / Are we only here to tap our feet to the sound?