Sound Bite House / Negative Reaction Split EP (1994 Rot'en Roll Records)

Some painful listening (in a good way) on both sides of this. 

I'm not familiar with Sound Bite House (I vaguely recall MRR ads back in the day, but could be wrong), and I can't find a lot about them online. Wouldn't be shocked if they were from Austin, as they have that weird vibe. But probably a NY art-noise thing, considering the label and their split-mates on this are from NY. But I really have no idea.

Negative Reaction are more well known. Noisy hardcore with sludgy slowdowns. They may still be around.

1. Sound Bite House - Crawl
2. Sound Bite House - Total Control
3. Negative Reaction - We Got Problems
4. Negative Reaction - I'll Have Another

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SODS - Minutes To Go EP (1995 Lost & Found)

This is the Lost & Found version of the 1979 SODS classic. If you are unfamiliar with Lost & Found, this means that it's an unofficial release with a different track listing than the original, and the band probably never saw a penny. The original is an LP, this is a 7". Some songs ("Military Madness", "Tin Can People", " Rock N Roll")  were not on the original release, while others ("Pathetic", "Flickering Eyes", "Transport", "Ghost Rider") were left off completely, making me wonder why L&F didn't just rename the EP. Weird. Also, the last song, "Rock 'N' Roll" cuts off abruptly. Don't know if that was intentional or standard L&F amateur hour. I suspect the latter.

Anyways, despite the shadiness of the endeavor, this is unarguably a classic punk rock from one of the OG Danish punk bands.

1. Suicide
2. Police
3. Military Madness
4. Copenhagen
5. RAF
6. Television Sect
7. Tin Can People
8. Rock'N'Roll

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Loose Change - Lucky Dog EP (1994 Shredder Records)

In hindsight, best known for their split with AFI (or Buford, if you live in Vermont), Loose Change were nevertheless an also-well-respected-at-the-time early to mid 90's pop punk band. "17" even earned a spot on the Shreds Volume 2 - : American Underground '94 comp. Backing vocals (plus production) by Nikki Parasite.

1. 17
2. April Showers
3. Mendo
4. Day By Day

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As The Sun Sets (1999 Association Of Welterweights)

Late 90's comp of SoCal hardcore bands. There's some metalcore-ish stuff on here I'm not fond of, won't name names, but overall pretty solid. Palpatine reppin' San Diego, plus Lifes Halt and No Reply make it worth it.

1. Stickfigurecarousel - Ruby Thursday
2. No Reply - I Want Your Guts
3. The Missing 23rd - The Blues Of Room 32
4. Throwdown - Too Little Too Late
5. Fuck You  - Positive War Cry
6. Countervail - I Want The World
7. Lifes Halt - To The Heart
8. Death By Stereo - Getting It Off My Chest
9. Burning Dog - Coming Of Age
10. Adamantium - Time Is The Enemy
11. Wrench - Challen
12. Eyelid - Invention Of Hope
13. Collision - Past Time
14. Amendment 18 - Infected
15. Show Of Hands - Naked Jake
16. Palpatine - Novacaine
17. Dirty Dirt & The Dirts - Sang-Froid
18. Ignite - In Defense (Live)
19. 7 Day War - Lost Cause
20. Eighteen Visions - Raping.Laughing.Tasting.Temptation
21. Carry On - It's Over

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Stray Bullets

I'm re-upping my re-up of the Stray Bullets EP because I'm listening to it right now and it is fucking awesome.

Go get it. 

Slaphappy - Eight Is Enough (1995 Out To Lunch Music)

More ska-punk! If it was all like this though, I wouldn't have developed such an aversion to the genre. Besides a couple of comps, this cassette is really all there is of Houston's Slaphappy, though I've been told that members would go on to the Supermarket All Stars and Latch Key Kids, both of whom I'm wholly unfamiliar. It's kind of crazy what got popular and what didn't, eh? This is so much better than the OC stuff that came to define the genre for a lot of people. 

1. SNL Teevee
2. 400 lb. Pete
3. 10 Cent Buffalo Wings
4. License To Kill (007)
5. Zydeco
6. These Guys Aren't My Friends
7. The Dog Ate My Lyrics
8. I'd Rather Be Skankin'

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Polio - Hercules EP (1994 Turkey Baster Records)

Bands from Texas are always so boring.

1. Ice Axe
2. Los Duenos
3. Action Reaction

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Mukilteo Fairies - Special RItes EP (1994 Kill Rock Stars)

I guess with the Bikini Kill reunion a go, it's appropriate to have a Kill Rock Stars release.

Two things about Mukilteo Fairies 1) I always misspell their name and 2) I always confuse them with Fitz Of Depression. Which is ridiculous. Yes, they are both from Olympia, but stylistically, Mulkiteo Fairies are much harsher and rawer. Just pure Pacific Northwest ugliness. Out of the ashes of MF would spawn Behead The Prophet NLSL, who were just as ugly.

1. Taken Advantage
2. Strangulated Boy
3. Four-Letter Love
4. Ripped Out
5. Nasty Disposition
6. I'm Spun

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Copass Grinderz / Bloodthirsty Butchers Split EP (1994 K Records)

I remember seeing ads for these bands in MRR (R.I.P.) and assumed they were powerviolence or at least hardcore bands. But that wasn't the case. Copass Grinderz is great noise punk band - on this song they could almost pass as grunge, while Bloodthirsty Butchers are an indie-punk band who should have been college radio staples but the world is not fair. An excellent listen that defies my mid-90s band name based expectations.

1. Copass Grinderz - Ogre
2. Bloodthirsty Butchers - Silencer

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Invalids - Wiseguys EP (1995 Second Guess Records)

Well, while I'm re-posting, I may as well get this one back up as well.

1. Quantum Leap
2. Three Chords
3. Half Bad
4. Wise Guys

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Invalids - Punker Than Me (1995 Lookout! Records)

I posted this back in 2010, but I'm re-posting by request.

1. Punker Than Me
2. Mori Is A Maniac
3. Wouldn't Care If I Died
4. They Live

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Unleaded Plus - Schmuck (1997 Self-Released)

My taste for ska-punk ebbed by 1995, so I had never heard of Unleaded Plus until reader Marcel sent me this demo tape. That being said, I don't hate this, even if does sound exactly like if early Blink had horns. Still, there's a chance if I first heard this in like 1993 I might still be listening to it today.

BTW, that's not the cover, just a logo. Marcel, send me a picture of the cassette, because this not having proper artwork is making my mp3 tagging-related OCD flare up.

1. Beginning of the End
2. 7-10 11-97
3. Schmuck
4. Only One

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Lies

The word is "lie". L - I - E. One of the simplest words and concepts in the English language.

Degenerics - S/T EP (1996 Self-Released)

This is the band that would rise from the ashes of Missing Children, who were posted last week. All Op Ivy influence is dropped here in favor of a much rawer and snottier sound. Excellent stuff.

1. I Don't Wanna 
2. Overtime
3. Peepin' 5.0
4. Bad Help
5. Neglect
6. Falsehood

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You Don't Mess Around With God's America

CAST:

Blowing Up The Moon = Wall
NASA = Trump
C.S. Lewis, Jr. = Trump Supporters
Galileo the Monkey - Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi (and every rational thinking person)
Sarah Silverman = Bernie Bros
Mister Wiggles the Monkey = Mitch McConnell

Gimcrack / The Candy Snatchers Split EP (1994 Stiff Pole Records)

Gimcrack's output is pretty scarce, but pretty much everything they did was gold. The Candy Snatchers were just really never my bag, but that's probably more a reflection on me than them.

1. Gimcrack - Diane
2. Gimcrack - Excuses
3. The Candy Snatchers - Lil' Lolita
4. The Candy Snatchers - Deadbeat
5. The Candy Snatchers - Loner

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The Neighbors - S/T (1994 Delux Records)

I've discussed the Neighbors before. They remain very high on my list of favorite San Diego bands, so I was very excited when reader Marcel sent me a digital version of this rare tape. It was sent to me as a demo, but it has a label affiliation, so I don't know...call it what you want. All songs would later appear on the We Refuse To Kiss Ass album, but these early versions are different enough (Kenny doesn't have quite the vocal fury that would come later) to make it an interesting listen. There's kind of an abrupt start to "Soul", but I'm pretty sure that's how the tape came.

Also more bands should do protracted instrumental intros like the Neighbors do on "Broken Dreams" and "Sometimes."

1. Unanswered
2. Broken Dreams & Canceled Plans
3. Soul
4. Second Hand Man
5. Where's My Fun
6. Nothing Has Changed
7. Forgotten Problems
8. The Game
9. Wed
10. Wear My Corpse
11. Sometimes
12. Mud Dweller

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Missing Children - S/T EP (1994 Craig Records)

Some straight ahead punk rock from New Jersey punk rock. A couple of their members would go on to play in the Degenerics, if you need a reference. I get a definite Op Ivy influence in that guitar tone.

1. Uplift
2. Messica
3. Bigshot
4. Sucksess Story
5. Sometimes
6. Better Days
7. Instant Pop Song

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