Pariah: Youths of Age (1983)

I love early Californian punk and hardcore. There’s something so tuneful, yet angry about it that makes me smile. Timeless tunes, for sure. One of the great labels that supplied a lot of these tunes was Posh Boy. From what I understand, the label itself was shady in its business dealings, but lucky for us (not the bands so much), what it lacked in integrity Posh Boy more than made up for with a roster of killer bands, such as Agent Orange, TSOL, Channel 3 and the band I’m posting today, Pariah.

Pariah were from San Francisco, which could’ve fooled me, as this album has a southern California beach punk feel to it. They never seemed to have received the accolades that other bands from Posh Boy did, but make no mistake, this is record is rad. Like lots of the good punk from that time, it is melodic, but angry; the perfect combination for the likes of me.

Image is from Kill From The Heart

1. Youths of Age
2. Inside Looking Out
3. Blind Resistance
4. Faith In Mercy
5. White Line
6. All the King's Men
7. Passion and Pride
8. Running For Cover
9. Striking Back

Download it now! Pariah

Discount: Crash Diagnostic (2000)

I checked out Rolling Stone’s top 100 albums of this past decade. There’s nothing surprising there, just the usual collection of hip, overrated bands that the magazine indulges in like the proverbial pigs at the trough. Needless to say, you won’t find fantastic records by Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere or even one time Rolling Stone darling, At The Drive-In. I guess they weren’t sophisticated enough for the purveyors of cooldom.

I know it’s a waste of words to mention this, but this fantastic record by Discount would never be mentioned in the same breath as such musical luminaries as Radiohead or Wilco, but does the magazine have to be so blind to what is going on under their noses? Just like their lists for the eighties and nineties, they completely miss the mark. Again.

Image is from Discogs

1. Broken To Blue
2. Age Of Spitting
3. Math Won't Miss You
4. Harder To Tell
5. Untitled
6. Aerial
7. Behind Curtain #
8. TV Kiss
9. Sleeping Motor Boy
10. Apostrophe
11. Black And White
12. Hit
13. Untitled
14. Medical
15. The Kill Fix

Download it now! Crash Diagnostic

Discount: Half Fiction (1997)

Discount was a punk band from Florida that started in 1995 and called it a day in 2000. The singer, Allison, went on to be half of the critical darlings The Kills. Other members joined Unitas and the post Hot Water Music outfit, The Draft.

It’s a shame that this record is out of print, as is their masterpiece, “Crash Diagnostic”, which I will post some day. Both albums are awesome and showcase the band’s natural growth from a very cool upstart punk (I refuse to use the term pop punk, as it’s been corrupted and I hate it) to a more mature punk sound.

High school sincerity is all over “Half Fiction”, no doubt due to them either being in high school or just out of it. Don’t think that this record is sloppy though. The music is melodic and the lyrics ache with longing.

I can’t get enough of this album lately. It’s all I listen to and its vibrancy and yearning remind me why music is exciting in the first place. I highly recommend you give it a listen.

Image is from Discogs

1. Half Fiction
2. Clap And Cough
3. Torn Jeans
4. Am I Missing Something?
5. City Bleach
6. Pocket Bomb
7. Keith
8. Toxic Home
9. Soup
10. The Unusual Bad
11. Dreamt This Was A Castle
12. On The Counter
13. Stitch
14. Is It Ok?
15. untitled track

Download it now! Half Fiction

Saigon: Annihilation (1981)

Oh, to be a kid in the early eighties, where you were surrounded by a whole bunch of losers and if you were of the few who saw through the bullshit facade of what the world was trying to shove down your throat you probably picked up a skateboard or started a band, or both, which is what Saigon’s members did and as sad as this, the only difference now is that the president isn’t a former governor of California. Lame, but screw it; go pick up a skateboard, or start a band, or do both and fuck shit up.

Image is from Kill From The Heart

1. Annihilation
2. Life Is So Fun
3. Anti-Vogue
4. America

Download it now! Saigon

3: Dark Days Coming (1989)

3 played some good post hardcore. What the hell is that you ask? According to Wikipedia, it is a “term for a broad constellation of groups who emerged from the hardcore punk scene, or took inspiration from hardcore, while concerning themselves with a wider palette of expression, closer to experimental rock.” And 3 totally delivers on the wider palette of expression part. Just check out the classical guitar riff on “Swann Street” to see what I mean.

This is incredible music, with a very poppy edge that is, for a lack of better words, friendly. They are like old friends who are there to provide sonic comfort. Flex says 3 lies between Revolution Summer type of tunes and early 7 Seconds. It that doesn’t sound like a good friend, then I don’t know what will.

Image is from Discogs

1. Empathy
2. Swann Street
3. Buy Me A River
4. Domino Days
5. Dodger
6. International
7. Pious & Blind
8. Rejection
9. Dark Days Coming
10. Don’t Walk Away

Download it now! 3: Dark Days Coming

Propagandhi, A Speculative Fiction, Live, Edmonton 03/03/07

A friend told me about this video and I'm pretty happy he did. As it comes from such a great band I wanted to share them blasting out the lead song from their penultimate release. If you don't have it, do yourself a favour and get "Potemkin City Limits" now. Propagandhi are an incredible band and this record is simply why you listen to punk: it's intense, thought provoking and just to give the finger to those who say if you play hardcore, you can't play your instruments, it is incredibly progressive musically.

A Specualtive Fiction

A new iron curtain drawn across the 49th parallel.
Cut all diplomatic ties as we expel all American dignitaries
And issue a nation-wide travel advisory for any others left inside.
Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.
The burned out shells of south-bound traffic lay strewn along a cold stretch of would-be interstate.
Still visible below their charred remains: Pax Americana plates.
Your stupid fucking laser-pucks™ were just the start.
And while you may stand six full cubits and a span, we got a shepherd’s sling and five stones in our hand
And the battle of 1812 lives in our hearts.
We don’t care if we’re destroyed.
We’ll never capitulate.
We’ll take the whole fucking world down with us in flames.
Just a speculative fiction. No cause for alarm.
We got a good 15 years left ‘til the United We Stand murals on West Broadway finally fade and we wave good-bye to such sad, childish refrains.
Replaced with other stupid lullabies like you can have my guns when you pry them from my cold dead hands.
Just a speculative fiction. No cause for alarm.


Wtach the video here: Propagandhi, A Speculative Fiction, Live, Edmonton 03/03/07

Bikini Kill: Revolution Girl Style Now (1991)

Those of who follow this here blog might have noticed that in addition to obscure hardcore and punk, I also like to indie/alt tuneage fronted by females. Usually, it’s a bit more laid back and more harmonic. Today though, I’m breaking the mould.

Bikini Kill’s demo is definitely not laid back. They’re fucking pissed off and for good reason: society marginalizes girls and Bikini Kill won’t stand for it anymore. The music and lyrics unceremoniously scrape away the bullshit that covers our lives. This is raw and unfiltered and although the albums that followed were better, this is still a decent document of the beginning of a great band.

I never understood why people didn’t like them. Oh right, it‘s because they’re girls(and one guy I might add) rocking out and not doing it half naked and they have something to say. I find it sad that not much has changed since this demo came out almost 20 years ago.

The image is from Wikipedia

1. Candy
2. Daddy's Lil Girl
3. Feels Blind
4. Suck My Left One
5. Carnival
6. This Is Not A Test
7. Double Dare Ya
8. Liar

Download it now! Bikini Kill