Tuesday, May 17, 2011

"This Place Is The Pits"


A really cool article about the growing movement in the city where I live. My band, as well as myself am mentioned, thanks Harley.

This Place Is The Pits
by Harley R. Pageot

When the bodies in The Diezel Room started colliding against one another you could feel the floor buckle, threatening to send us all crashing down onto the patrons of The Atria. While it may have upset the downstairs show a bit I suspect few of the crowd members moshing to Strange Peaks' surf-inflected punk tunes would have taken much notice. They were far too busy shouting and sweating along as Peaks singer Brandon MacDonald peeled a sticky Minor Threat shirt from his back and wrapped his microphone cord around his neck.

Less than 24 hours later in the outskirts of Newcastle hardcore/political punk band The Corporate Life razed through a cover of a Propagandhi song. The concrete floor of Wie Gehts Amigo didn't move and the pit consisted of only two people but a quick scan of the faces in the crowd told you that the energy was still there, bridling underneath. More Minor Threat patches sewn onto shorts. With a pay what you can cover on Friday's show and Saturday's gig being all ages, it seems like Ian MacKaye's got a bit of an influence building in the Oshawa area.

Strange Peaks, The Corporate Life, and Rebel Scum are three of the relatively-new bands helping to re-establish a punk scene in an area where the importance of all ages shows has been largely forgotten. Like Peaks' MacDonald Rebel Scum singer Zach Weaver is not afraid to literally throw himself into the pit, regardless of whether or not he may be mid-verse. Loud, messy, fast, and physical - you might not understand the words but the message is clear. In a scene notoriously reticent, it's far more common to see seated audiences with their hands fiercely gripping their drinks than it is to see anyone dancing. At both punk shows this weekend I witnessed shoving, skanking, slamming, sing-alongs, and sweaty hugs, often all at the same time.

Waiting in the rain at a dark bus stop in Newcastle following Saturday's show I ran into three teenage punk girls who had just left as well. As I handed them flyers for Soundtracked 14 they nodded in acknowledgment at the names Holy Mount and The Bonedevil. "Abel's in that band, right?" the one girl asked.

Two stops after we got on the bus a dozen half-dressed girls and jocks boarded, heading from Bowmanville to Oshawa to go clubbing at Riley's. Their conversations were riddled with such gems as "I actually did a black girl once" and "Malibu's a great kisser, a great cuddler, and she's got nice tits." As the punk girls filed past them to leave the jocks laughed hysterically and rushed to the window with their cell phones, trying to get photos of the one girl's three-inch mohawk.

Is there a need for a scene? A place for youth who care more about politics than hockey to come together and hug, shout, and sweat in alliance for a couple hours? Where flyers are conversation-starters and band names are like passwords? Apparently, now just as much as ever.

For the past few years folk-country has been the overwhelming trend in the local scene, likely due to its revival and championing in Toronto roughly four to five years ago. We at Broken Arts crave variety, though, so we're thrilled to witness the rebirth of the youth punk movement. As high school lets out for the summer and the kids kick their way into the spotlight our only question now is... where are all the hip-hop kids hiding?

Speaking of which, check out these awesome links:
http://brokenarts.ca/
http://www.facebook.com/rebelscumfux
www.myspace.com/muskrats420
http://www.myspace.com/strangepeaksca
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Corporate-Life/198190626858235
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Devoked/179850692053688

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Korova - Another Happy Customer



First real post in months, that Attake 7" was really just a tester. Anyways, I was emailed months and months ago, actually last April by the singer of a band called 'Korova,'asking me to upload their album 'Another Happy Customer'... But, due to a computer crash, I was outta luck for uploading anything for a few months, and by the time I got back I had forgotten completely about this band, and the fact they had asked me to put the album on the blog. Anyways, they're a hardcore band from Birmingham, Alabama, and in the singers words expressed in the email, "I think we sound like Ceremony crossed with Cult Ritual, but the recording is pretty slick compared to a lot of underground hardcore coming out right now. Really, we just rip off Black Flag really hard." Either way, these guys rip and sound great, so check the album out.

First and foremost, support the band, (maybe send them a message and ask to purchase the album?)
http://www.myspace.com/korova

Another Happy Customer




Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Attake - March To The Gallows 7"

http://www.mediafire.com/?cdjqxvovxj46xb8
http://www.mediafire.com/?ih4y2fhk3qv444p
http://www.mediafire.com/?tph9qr8ix5qdaa5

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Discocks - Long Live Oi!



Oi! No, but seriously. I've been listening to a shitton of sludge/crusty/anarcho shit for the last little while and then came across this old album in my library. I'd just like to bring it back to the fast, fun, furious punk rock of the early(ish) days.

The Discocks were a Pogo-Punk/Oi! group from Japan playing a lot of the typical (yet really fun) pogo-punk music that's came/coming out of places like Korea, China, Japan so on and so forth. These guys are fucking great to drink a few beers to, or even if you're simply not paying attention and you need background noise.

Honestly, this cd makes me want to put on my boots and smash shit, not even because it's angry, but because it's so fucking punk rock.

Just listen, its fun. It's also got some Business covers.

The Discocks - Long Live Oi!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Antischism - Antischism (Discography)



A prominent South Carolina anarcho crust punk band, basically, this is Antischisms discography, self-titled. The album is 35 songs long and is pretty much fucking amazing the whole way through. More or less, it never slows down and it if does, it drags it out into a blistering short finish. It's seriously a crazy album, a few versions of songs without Lyz (female vocalist, great voice), and a few live songs I think may have been recorded in Peterborough, Ontario, close to wear we live .Band members went on to play in bands such as; In/Humanity, Initial State, .fuckingcom, Thank God, Damad and etc.

Song #'s: 35
Size: 98mb
BR: 192kb
Track Listing:
1. Foreign Policy
2.Scream/Violent World
3.Salvation or Annihilation
4.Flesh of Another
5.End of Time
6.Big Brother in Your Bedroom
7.Elements of Oppression
8.Factory
9.Roleplay
10.Lines on a Map
11.Slaughter
12.Labels
13.Freedom At Last
14.No Hope
15.Alien Race
16.Greedy Bastards (live)
17.Foriegn Policy (live)
18.Salvation or Annihilation (live)
19.Flesh of Another (live)
20.End of Time (live)
21.Big Brother in Your Bedroom (live)
22.Elemaents Of Oppresion (live)
23.Labels (live)
24.Factory (live)
25.Lines on a Map (live)
26.Where We Stand (live)
27.Take Your City Back (live)
28.Scream/Violent World (live)
29.Sacrifice {Rudimentary Peni Cover} (live)
30.Lines on a Map [different version]
31.Path of Destruction
32.Mothers [different than Stereonucleosis version)
33.Where We Stand
34.Fist
35.Evil God



Antischism - ANTISCHISM:Discography

Thursday, December 24, 2009

a//Political - Propaganda by Deed & Planting the Seed of Revolution


A//Political was active during the mid to late 90s. Their style is similar to that of many "peace punk" bands from the early 1980s and was heavily influenced by anarcho-punk bands like Crass and Conflict. Members were involved in the Crasshole Collective and the Anarcho-Punk Federation (A.P.F.). Many members were in other local punk bands such as Coexist, Flag Fallen and U.S. War Commission. Stas (vocals) also sang for Boston area anarcho-punk band, Krema-1.


Similar to bands like Crass who had shitty shitty songs, only somehow alot of these songs are surprisingly pretty catchy. Who Will Build the Roads, It's Not About Politics It's About Life, and You Are What You Consume are probably my favourite songs. I actually even used You Are What You Consume as the title of my other blog.

So this is two of their albums.

The Crasshole Collective also doubled as a record label. While they were mainly responsible for releasing their first album, "Planting the Seeds of Revolution," on tape and their 7" ep, "Propaganda by Deed" they also produced at least two compilation tapes of various politically minded bands and a tape by Flag Fallen. The musical caliber of the comp tapes varied wildly because recording quality or musical talent were not used as filter criteria. Instead, the message of the bands was the focus.
Crasshole also produced the little known and poorly recorded debut album from the now well known folk-punk band Against Me!. Only a handful of the first run were sold. (If anyone wants that Against Me! debut album, comment on this entry and I can upload it)

So yeah. "The musical caliber of the comp tapes varied wildly because recording quality or musical talent were not used as filter criteria. Instead, the message of the bands was the focus." That pretty much describes this band, even though they're kinda catchy and good. Very political lyrics. Focus more on what they're saying/singing, it's pretty smart and clever.

Download:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wmvw2w2y4wj

Sunday, December 6, 2009