Michael

This is the best rap album of the last year, I played this a lot during work hours and while traveling. Happy to being able to play it on vinyl at home. The punch of this album is so good, so much better as the Spotify version.

The High Life

Last weekend was Record Store Day and it was a bust, most of the interesting releases didn’t arrive. This one did and I am a bit underwhelmed. The music is great and wasn’t released on a psychical format as of yet. But an EP without a proper sleeve is a bit lame. Especially if you pay premium prices, I kind of expected a bit better thought through release and not a colored vinyl in a plain clear sleeve with a sticker.

LG records

LG records has become one of my favorite new labels very fast. Excellent releases in high quality sleeves. A lot of unreleased stuff from the DC scene. The newest three releases are Vile Cherubs, who bring a garage rock record with some rock n roll and punk influences, Young Ginns, hardcore punk with some noise influences and Circus Lupus with finally their amazing demo tape on vinyl.

Home Front

This was one of my favorite albums of last year but it took me months to finally source a copy. Great post-punk from Alberta, Canada and rightfully so on a lot of people’s yearlist.

Rock For Light

The Caroline records version of Rock For Light is often frowned upon. The different mastering/mix slightly faster than the original pressing wasn’t received well, however this is this first version I heard of this album. The first mix is readily available on vinyl both as an original LP or is a recent repress. The Caroline records version with the 3 additional bonus tracks and total different order of the songs is much harder to find on vinyl. I do find it entertaining to listen again to this version and despite, I played the other version much more, this version doesn’t sound weird or wrong in my opinion.

Singles going steady

I picked up a few singles from different places. All of them super cheap and all of them very cool.

My King Face collection just double in size or tripled if you count this as two 7”s. I have been listening to them for years but I never bother to pick up the records due to the high shipping costs. So buying in bulk is very useful.

I wasn’t familiar with Unrest but their alternative rock sound is definitely something I enjoy. Probably now more, than the younger version of me would. Shudder to Think is something I am familiar with and I really love. Especially the song on this 7”, Jade-Dust Eyes is such a banger. I wish the first album and the later albums on a major label would be re-released on vinyl.

The Holy Rollers is another band, that I liked but I just never got around to pick up this 7” due to the high shipping costs. Great nineties punk band from the DC area.

The last single is the odd man out. A 2020 repress from a hardcore band from Oslo, Norway. I have the full collection but I never knew it was reissued a few years later on colored vinyl. Totally slipped by me, probably due to Covid.

Rage

Last week, I came across a few Rage Against The Machine bootlegs CDs, I picked them up and I have been enjoying them the last few days. Especially when they start to freak out and start to improvise Rage is at their best.

Tapes

I picked up a two tapes last week. First is the demo tape of the German hardcore punk band Krawl. I really enjoy this demo, can’t wait to hear new stuff and see them live.

Another tape, I received in the mail is this bootleg live tape with Septic Death, Icons Of Fitlh, MDC and Minor Threat. Interesting mix of bands and with a various levels of sound quality. This was probably the way in the eighties to hear stuff, you couldn’t find anywhere else.

Pearls for the pigs

I don’t think a lot of people outside of the Netherlands knows this punk band from the eighties that mostly had Dutch lyrics. They did release four studio albums the first one being self released and rare. The other three are more widely available, since they are (re-)released by a larger label. After their last show this live record was released, which again is more rare than the albums despite being released on the same labels as their regular albums. I assume since the band disbanded, the label didn’t want to risk a large pressing. The live LP recorded a half year before their last show gives a nice cross section of there discography.

Battle Ruins

Besides the reissue of the different Battle Ruins records, there was also a boxset announced with all the reissues in a different color vinyl, a shirt and a whole bunch of extra’s, such as a poster, stickers, a patch etc. A true labor of love for the band this boxset.