THIS PAGE WILL BE DEAD SOON - SUPERIOR NEW WEBSITE COMING EVEN SOONER

That's right, dudes... No more Blogspot for More Than a Witness. This format hasn't been cutting it for a long time and we're going to take our web presence to much higher level of quality. Followers of this blog deserve a lot when it comes to our web prescence. We're currently in the process of getting the brand new and vastly superior website up and running perfectly.

The new site will be about 100 times more visually pleasing, easier to navigate, feature updated and new detailed information, will be significantly more organized, and will feature an easy to use web cart system so buying records will be absolutely painless! No more having to email with a list of what you'd like; you can just add it to your cart, pay, and you'll have your records soon after!

The new site will still feature the unreleased cassette archive. It isn't going anywhere and now Google won't be able to take down posts that they find in violation of their policies.

Expect the new MTAW site to make it's debut in about one week. I will post the address for it soon, so please stay tuned.

Thanks for all of your support. It's only going to get much better from here!

UNITED MUTATION "DARK SELF IMAGE" LP (MTAWP #3) OFFICIAL RELEASE UPDATE

A great big fat hello to all you hardcores out there in the digital multiverse. This is my first post on this site in quite awhile. Anyway, I apologize to those people who have have been checking here for new content and release updates because there hasn't been very much lately. I was busy with a variety of different projects outside of the label/blog/distro, etc. I will be contributing much more content to this site regularly due to the many great releases on deck for the label.

I have also been fairly busy with behind the scenes More Than a Witness label stuff the last few months. I'm very excited because the upcoming releases that are taking shape are going to be absolutely killer. Really killer. The first of these releases is the UNITED MUTATION "DARK SELF IMAGE" LP.

This will be my third release and promises to be a serious stunner of ultra-manic dosed-out hardcore. If you aren't familiar with Washington DC's United Mutation and you're a fan of first wave American hardcore punk, you are in for a serious treat. If you're already aware of United Mutation, you almost certainly love their absolutely nightmarish hyper thrash that features some of the most brutal vocals captured during the early years of hardcore punk. This is music for loners and stoners alike, but at the speed of 100 miles per hour. Their debut EP "Fugitive Family" was originally released by Dischord/DSI in early 1983 and is a totally evil ripper of a hardcore platter. Dischord is very happy that this material will be in print once again on my release. United Mutation had a unique vision of what they considered hardcore and these musical contributions have stood the test of time and totally deserve the high quality vinyl reissue treatment.

The "Dark Self Image" LP will feature the classic "Fugitive Family" 7" EP that was originally released in '83 by Dischord/DSI as well as material that has never been officially released, as well as other totally previously unreleased material that went lost for decades on original master tapes stored at Inner Ear Studios. One of these lost tracks is titled "White Amerika", a crazed outtake from the classic "Fugitive Family" 7" session at Inner Ear.

Here's a photo of Don Zientara mastering the United Mutation "Dark Self Image" LP at Inner Ear in late 2011. The "Fugitive Family" 7" EP tracks and the demo recordings have never sounded better! Virtually every unstoppable DC hardcore record was captured by Don in his studio so it made perfect sense for me to work with him on this release.

Here's the lacquer master for the "Dark Self Image" LP being cut by a Neumann lathe as this picture was taken. The lacquer was cut by Dietrich Schoenemann at Complete Mastering. The master cut sounds great: loud, aggressive, but still raw enough to maintain the sound of when this was material was originally recorded.

The test pressings arrived a little while ago and they sound excellent. I'm hoping to have this LP out in late February. The artwork and layout is currently being worked on by myself and Michael Brown, singer of United Mutation. Expect a high quality release featuring tons of unseen photos, flyers, liner notes, session information, and knockout artwork all housed in a swanky gatefold jacket. Many people have asked about a limited edition version of this release that can be obtained directly from me. I have tossed around a few ideas that I think will work well, but I have not fully committed to doing a limited version as of yet. Part of this depends on obtaining the correct materials to make my idea happen. I can say that there will be absolutely no preorders if there is indeed a limited version of this record.

Check back soon for more information about this release. I will be posting more shortly.

I FOUND A FEW YOUNG REPUBLICANS "COOKOUT EDITION" LIMITED COPIES IN MY ROOM

Ever since the Young Republicans "Sabotage Your Cookout" 7" EP came out this area has been in perpetual disarray making it really difficult to find stuff. A few nights ago I finally decided to do some organizing of this mess and in the process I found a small grip of about a dozen "Cookout Edition" red vinyl mailorder only copies. They were buried underneath a heap of cardboard boxes in a drawer that I haven't looked in for months. The "Cookout Edition" features hand silkscreened covers made out of cookout style tablecloths and a different insert along with the EP on red vinyl. These sold out in one weekend when I first advertised their sale so if you'd like one and missed out the first time around, act quick and you'll score one.

Pictured above with the "Cookout Edition" copies are the second pressing mispress copies that are limited to 50 copies. The plant goofed and accidentally pressed 50 with a small hole when I did the repress instead of the large hole version that I ordered, which there are about 1300 of. I still have a small handful of these remaining so if you'd like one, now would be the best time to get one because I have 5 or 6 left before they're gone for good.

There are a few different purchase options. You can buy a "Cookout Edition" or a limited to 50 mispressing or you can buy both.

I'm sick to death of using the Paypal cart system payment method. That piece of shit never works for more than five minutes at a time, so if you'd like to get any of these records, drop me an email: morethanawitness at gmail dot com

MECHT MENSCH GATEFOLD DISCOGRAPHY LP COMING SOON ON MORE THAN A WITNESS PRODUCT

For those who are not familiar with Mecht Mensch, they were purveyors of killer Midwest style hardcore in the same vein as Die Kruezen and other bands that pushed paint by numbers style thrash into the domain of the uniquely psychotic. Their debut 5 song 7" EP "Acceptance" is a true testament to dissonant hardcore. This classic EP is reminiscent of the aforementioned Die Kruezen or perhaps No Trend after some really cheap speed. One of the best all-time Midwest hardcore EPs. This 7" was recorded by Butch Vig who'd later go on to produce Nirvana and the Smashing Pumpkins.

I'm incredibly excited to officially announce that my fourth release will be a Mecht Mensch discography LP. This release will include the absolutely classic "Acceptance" 7" EP from '83 as well as the tracks from the Tar Babies split cassette from '82 as well as other solid unreleased material. This release will feature a beautiful gatefold jacket with tons of great photos, liner notes, and other relevant art & ephemera. This release has been in the making for nearly 10 years but things are now things in perfect alignment and this should be out before summer.

If anyone reading this has any flyers, photos, or any anything cool relating to Mecht Mensch, drop me a line at the email listed here on the blog because I'd love to use this stuff for the release.

YOUNG REPUBLICANS "SABOTAGE YOUR COOKOUT" 7" SECOND PRESS SMALL HOLE MISPRESSING

After selling out of the first pressing of 1000 copies of the Young Republicans "Sabotage Your Cookout" 7" EP rather quickly, I called up the plant and ordered a repressing of another quick 300 copies. I guess whoever was operating the record press wasn't paying attention or something and 50 of these 300 repress copies were pressed with a small hole instead of a big hole. I always thought the big hole 7" looked better and much more classic so I never intended on doing any with a small center hole. So if you're keeping score there's 1250 with small hole and only 50 of this 7" with a small hole due to this mistake by the pressing plant.

If anyone would like to order one of these unique singles, you can do that below. I can't imagine these won't last very long so don't sleep if you'd like one.

ALL OF THESE PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE.

PLEASE SELECT WHERE YOU LIVE:

USA $7.50 CANADA $9.00 WORLD $11.00

"ADVENTURE JUKEBOX" RADIO SHOW - WXCI-FM, DANBURY, CT. 1985. HOSTED BY RAY CAPPO

I've long been a fan of regional college radio programs that had the audacity to play hardcore punk on the airwaves during it's formative years. The 1980s American hardcore scene will probably be forever indebted to programs like the seminal Maximum Rock & Roll radio show as well as more regionally focused programs like WNYU-FM's "Noise the Show". These radio shows were so essential at the time because they represented the starkest opposition to the then (and now, sadly) flaccid brand of corporate FM radio. More specifically, these pioneering shows gave listeners a chance to hear all of the great new records that were coming out at the time, advertisements for local hardcore gigs, and interviews with local and touring bands.

The "Adventure Jukebox" was the premier hardcore punk college radio show in the western Connecticut area for quite awhile. Broadcasted from the campus of Western Connecticut State University (my alma mater), this show began sometime in the early 1980s and presumably ended sometime in the late 80s. "Adventure Jukebox" was hosted by a fellow named Darryl Ohrt. Much like the aforementioned MRR & "Noise" radio shows mentioned above, "Adventure Jukebox" focused on all of the rad newly released underground music that was coming out at the time as well as spreading the word about local hardcore punk shows that were happening at the Anthrax in Stamford (and later, Norwalk).These gigs featured top notch touring bands and as well as blossoming local hardcore bands. During the early 80s, the Connecticut hardcore scene was flourishing quickly because of such exciting bands like CIA, Vatican Commandoes, 76% Uncertain, Violent Children, Lost Generation, Reflex From Pain, Seizure, No Milk On Tuesday, Young Republicans, etc. "Adventure Jukebox" was responsible for playing these killer bands on the radio before anyone else.

This specific episode posted here for download is pretty cool because it features a set of crucial tracks hand picked by Danbury native Ray Cappo, right around the time that the mighty Youth of Today formed. The first few tracks on this tape have Daryl Ohrt as DJ but the majority of the tape features Ray. It's possible that Daryl was there in the studio the day this was recorded since the "AJ" was his radio show or those tracks are from an earlier broadcast.

Essentially, this serves as an enjoyable mix tape for me. Ray picks a bunch of ultra classic tracks (all of them, nearly) that are favorites of his and plays them live on the radio. It's really awesome to hear bands like Discharge, 7 Seconds, Code of Honor, DOA, and Urban Waste played on the radio within a few years of these records being released. It must have been very exciting times to hear this kind of music on local radio and be involved in the underground. These days, college radio is far less exciting as it's more or less a bastion of formulaic fluff selected by independent labels with major label tactics. Come to think of it, the disintegration of contemporary college radio into a consolidated mass of CMJ and Pitchfork Media approved sterility is quite ironic when you consider how the medium got it's start.

This broadcast was recorded sometime during 1985. I don't have a more specific date because the cassette master doesn't provide any other information than this year. I've been meaning to ask Ray Cappo if he has any additional information about this tape, but I'd imagine recalling anything like this would be analogous to me remembering something I did when I was 13. You can also see that some tracks were cut out by the original taper.

Track listing:

The FU’s: Beast In My Bed

Rich Kids on LSD: Adolescent Death

White Flag: Psycho Cop

Broken Bones: Problem

DYS: Stand Proud

Jerry’s Kids: I Don’t Belong

Gang Green: Have Fun

The Freeze: Broken Bones

Deep Wound: I Saw It

DYS: Yellow

Scream: Your Wars/Killer

Bad Brains: Coptic Times

Iron Cross: You’re a Rebel

Meatmen: Tooling For Anus

Double O: You’ve Lost

Agnostic Front: Blind Justice

Major Conflict: Out Group

The Mob: Dr Butcher

Urban Waste: Police Brutality

Anthrax: Deathrider

Abused: Drug Free Youth

Adrenaline OD: AOD vs Godzilla

The Misfits: Astro Zombies

The Plasmatics: Monkey Suit

DOA: Unknown

Negative Approach: Your Mistake

Corrosion of Conformity: Tell Me

Verbal Abuse: Power Play

Big Boys: Sound on Sound

Discharge: Hell on Earth

7 Seconds: Boss

7 Seconds: Racism Sucks

7 Seconds: Fight Your Own Fight

Code of Honor: Code of Honor

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?2d9587iu2j889ms

CIA "GOD GUTS GUNS & MORE" LP (MTAWP #1) IS ALMOST OUT OF PRINT

I am down to my final copies of my first release, CIA's "God Guts Guns & More" LP. The first pressing of 1000 copies sold out in the blink of an eye and I quickly repressed another 350 copies. Of this second pressing, I have less than 50 copies remaining. If you would like to restock your webstore, distro, or shop, please drop me a line soon so I can help you get some wholesale copies. To the best of my knowledge, Ebullition, Revolver, Revelation, Subterranean, and Get Hip may still have wholesale copies available. If it makes more sense for you to place an order with those folks you can probably get copies from one of them too.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of the record, you can do that right here. All prices INCLUDE POSTAGE. If you'd like to get a copy of the CIA LP and anything from the last distro update, drop me a line and I'll give you the correct total price.

PLEASE SELECT WHERE YOU LIVE:

USA $13.00 CANADA $15.00 WORLD $22.00

As much as I want all of my releases to remain in print forever, I have 4 new LPs with deluxe packaging coming out this year. It is possible that I may press another 350 copies of the CIA LP at some later date but I cannot guarantee that. This CIA material is timelessly great and I'll do my best to always have some copies around. We'll see.

A few people have asked about the differences between the first and second pressings. I hope to assemble a new webpage shortly with an easy to use webstore for purchasing records and a ton of information, including pressing information on all my releases. In the meantime, here is some information on the pressing differences.

TEST PRESSINGS:

10 test pressings with custom hand silkscreened sleeves featuring alternate cover art and customized labels. Black vinyl. I one or two of these that I would be willing to trade for something cool. If you're interested in this, drop me an email.

FIRST PRESSING:

Black vinyl.

1000 copies.

White labels with black type.

Does not credit Mark Dudak on the inner sleeve.

Includes a few other typos. See if you can find them all!

Comes with More Than a Witness promo postcard.

SECOND PRESSING:

Black vinyl.

350 copies.

Red labels with black type.

Features the words "second pressing" on the printed inner sleeve.

The bottom right hand corner of the inner sleeve credits Chris Prorock for liner notes and layout and gives a special thanks to Chris Minicucci.

Comes with More Than a Witness promo postcard.

THE EFFIGIES: OZ, CHICAGO, IL. 4.10.81. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING

The Effigies were one of the first punk groups to spring up in Chicago, around late 1980. While this claim seems somewhat implausible considering Chicago’s rich musical tradition, it makes sense when you consider that blues, generic bar rock, and even disco dominated most clubs in the city. The open-mindedness of clubs like the Oz (where the “Busted At Oz” compilation was recorded, obviously) and O’Banion’s helped give the first generation fringe acts a chance at honing their chops in public.

Any disciple of 1980s American hardcore knows that the Effigies released a slew of incredible records; practically everything recorded from 1981-83 is faultless and are generally considered to be classics of the genre. They haven’t been as posthumous celebrated by the critics as their local brethren Naked Raygun or Big Black (perhaps because they weren’t as sonically pioneering), but the Effigies have survived amongst those interested in American hardcore that wish for the much appreciated basic aggression of the genre melded with the artistic finesse of UK post punk bands like Killing Joke, the Ruts, and the Stranglers.

Lyrically, it’s obvious to me that the Effigies were intelligent enough to basically withdraw from writing about the emblematic yet already cliché political themes sweeping the hardcore underground. They even caught some heat from a few known fanzines for refusing to carry the usual banners like the other then contemporary bands with names comprised of seemingly endless permutations of words such as: “state”, “control”, “youth”, “faction”, or “army”. Instead the group focused on well placed ambiguous themes (well, at least to your average 18 year old skinhead) that their songs have become known for.

Here’s an outstanding Effigies soundboard tape that I received not long ago from a longtime tape trader. This performance is one that is certainly enjoyable to listen to; the songs are delivered with a rough edged execution while totally hitting the target with clever melodic achievement. I especially dig the slapdash guitar solo in “Quota” and the incensed pace of “Strongbox”, two of their all time classic tracks. The quality of this recording is quite good; it’s a low generation soundboard recording that’s really documents what these dudes could do live. I was thinking about performing a slight EQ to give this tape a little more treble but I decided to keep it as is because this is how it sounded the night it was recorded: mighty, thick, fierce, and wholly uncompromising.

I’m uncertain if this is the entire set from this night due to it’s somewhat short length of 18 minutes. Then again, it seems that some of the between song silences have been removed so I suppose it’s possible this is the complete gig. If anyone has a different version of this gig, I’d love to obtain it.

Track list:

1. Body Bag

2. Coarse in Vain

3. Guns or Ballots

4. Quota

5. Strongbox

6. Techno’s Gone

7. Below the Drop

8. Patternless

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ayniuphq67c29pk

VOM: MABUHAY GARDENS, SAN FRANCISCO, CA. 4.28.78. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING

I’d be wiling to bet my bottom Quaalude that the emblematic naissance of the Los Angeles punk scene originated from Richard Meltzer’s arrival from New York sometime in early 1976. After reading his anti-intellectualist prose in ‘72’s Gulcher, it’s obvious to me that he was bound to actualize himself as the thinking man’s Peter Laughner. This type of lowbrow deconstruction was also ostensible when Meltzer was hired as the master of ceremonies for the final Sex Pistols gig at the Winterland during the start of ’78. Based on an earlier altercation, the show’s promoter barred him from the club. In an act of mythic proportions, Meltzer purportedly turned his leather jacket inside out, slinked past Graham and let loose an inundation of profanities onstage. This brand of treachery toward the farty old dinosaurs was utilized more like a weapon in the seminally brilliant punk group Vom.

The funniest thing about Vom (short for “vomit” of course) was that they were profoundly unfunny on a level that kitsch had not progressed (regressed?) to in Hollywood yet. This self-described “beat combo” formed quickly upon Meltzer’s arrival in Los Angeles. They quickly started terrorizing audiences with their gratuitously stupid sounds and iniquitous stage exploits: their initial sets consisted of launching assorted cow parts from the stage in the direction of the helpless audience.

Vom also consisted of Gregg Turner on vocals, along with Meltzer, “Metal” Mike Saunders (under the stage name of "Ted Klusewski") on drums (both would go on to form the Angry Samoans, the next logical progression both musically and ideologically after a stint in Vom), Dave Guzman on “tuneless rhythm guitar”, Phil Koehn on lead guitar, and Lisa Brenneis on bass. They’d go on to issue the “Live At Surf City” EP on White Noise during the summer of ’78. This offering included such go-nowhere epics like “I’m In Love With Your Mom”, “Too Animalistic” (later retouched by the Samoans), “Punkmobile”, “God Save the Whales” and the record’s best track: “Electrocute Your Cock”.

The latter began with a Ramones-esque drum beat and showcased the lyrics: “Electrocute your cock, electrocute your cock / Looking for a hand job? Stick it in a clock”. This is unbelievably strange considering that Saunders was the first to coin the term “heavy metal” (in a review for Humble Pie’s “As Safe As Yesterday Is” in a 1970 issue of Rolling Stone) and has a graduate degree along with Meltzer being considered one the premier rock writers of our generation and the fact that he had a graduate degree from a stint at Yale.

Let me get to the point: here’s a wonderfully slapdash set from Vom recorded live on stage at the Mabuhay in San Francisco on April 24, 1978. I received this recording many years ago from an old school San Francisco punk tape trader who claimed it was a low generation copy straight from the soundboard master. This gem of an artifact includes tracks not recorded for the “Live At Surf City” EP.

Track list:

1) My Eyes Have Seen You

2) Louie Louie

3) No Surf Commies

4) Have My Baby

5) Broads Are Equal

6) Pogo Child

7) Punkmobile

8) Dare To Be Dumb

9) (I Am) The Son Of Sam

10) Gimme Nothin'

11) I'm In Love With Your Mom

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?bmzehq9hhbjltbi

MORE THAN A WITNESS WELCOMES UNITED MUTATION TO THE FAMILY

The first few months of 2011 will be an ecstatic time to be doing More Than a Witness. I’m thrilled to announce that I will be doing an official reissue for the classic Washington DC hardcore group, United Mutation.

United Mutation were the ultimate demented outsiders of DC hardcore. When you consider the crop of other first wave DC (well, okay, Northern Virginia) hardcore acts who’ve made a name for themselves, only the mighty Void matched United Mutation when it came to playing sheer acid-thrash and freak out, face-melting ‘core. Perhaps the greatest thing about United Mutation is that they sounded truthfully damaged and isolated in the increasingly melodic and straight edged DC hardcore scene. This stuff was revolting, fuzzed-out noise pollution for true punks, the uniquely damaged, and those still turning on, tuning in, and dropping out well into the 1980s.

This is music that was so uniquely ahead of the curve when it came to truly unhinged hardcore punk of the 1980s. Michael Brown’s idiosyncratic vocal style was unquestionably the most deranged in hardcore (or any other style of music for that matter) up until that point. The lyrical themes (thankfully) didn’t manifest themselves in sloganeering or championing vacant leftist political causes like most forgettable bands of the era. Instead the band allowed a vision of their sick, introverted worldview with such a painfully unique and imaginative representation.

This LP (MTAWP 003, my third release) will feature the classic debut 7” EP “Fugitive Family” (originally issued in 1983 as a split release between DSI/Dischord), as well as essential demo recordings, compilation tracks, and unreleased recordings. I’m working closely with the band to assemble the best track list possible. This release will be totally different than and superior to the “Freaks Out” LP that released on European label Bitzcore in the late 80s.

Check back for updates on this release. I’d imagine this will be ready to drop around late February or early March. And of course, this release will be done right: the tracks will be remastered from the original masters, it’ll have an excellent gatefold jacket (I’d imagine with some kind of odd feature that will put me into further credit card debt for at least a little while) packed with liner notes, photos, flyers, and other relevant ephemera.

THE GO-GO'S: THE WHISKEY, HOLLYWOOD, CA. 10.4.78. AUDIENCE RECORDING.

Despite their ubiquitous presence in the annals of new wave and 1980s cultural consciousness, the Go-Go’s began life as a punk rock group. Sharing the same circuit as influential Los Angeles punk groups such as X (they shared a rehearsal spot with them early on), the Germs (Belinda Carlisle was even a transitional early member under the pseudonym of “Dottie Danger”), the first 18 months of the band showed they hadn’t yet reached the seraphic lullabies of their debut album and what was to follow. This lineup featured Belinda Carlisle (vocals), Jane Wiedlin (guitar, vocals), Margot Olaverra (bass), and Elissa Bello (drums). They were a Masque stage mainstay and lived at the Canterbury Apartments, a Los Angeles punk flophouse hangout for key scene players and a variety of criminals, pimps, junkies, newly arrived immigrants, and crazies.

Here they are in all of their coats of glorious baby fat, the Go-Go’s in their infancy, way before they were a visual 1980s new wave affirmative action outfit featuring an array of two sassy punk rockers, two cheerleaders, and one tomboyish metalhead. This performance was recorded live on stage at the world famous Whiskey a Go-Go (fitting, isn’t it?) located in West Hollywood. Perhaps what is most interesting is how this shows you the great contrast between what the group was when they started when compared to when they gained mainstream prominence.

The recording is from an audience source and the quality is rough but listenable. This show consists of several unreleased tracks that have not been (officially) reissued in any form. Part of this show has been bootlegged onto vinyl as a double 7” entitled “Kellogg’s Punk Tarts”.

Track list:

1. We're Here Now

2. B-Movie

3. London Boys

4. Robert Hilburn

5. (Remember) Walking In The Sand

6. Don't Hang Up

7. Fashion Seeker

8. Screaming

9. Party Pose

10. Our Time Has Come

11. Just A Number

12. Living at the Canterbury

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wkv1vd69jhse5cb

THE FREEZE: HARRISBURG, PA. 9.18.83. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

The Freeze were permanently misfits in their own time and place; they originated from the isolated location of Cape Cod, were not clandestine about their consumption of party favors contrasted with a fervid Boston straightedge scene, and never became an overt heavy metal failure. I suppose it’s these differences that allocated these guys the independence necessary to the defining their sound and image in their own terms. Cliff Hanger’s lyrics often packed a clever tongue-in-cheek sarcasm whilst more hard line Boston groups took themselves way too seriously and couldn’t write self-referential material to save themselves from the oncoming hard rock fatality. This so called crew (read: clique) considered the Freeze to be Cape Cod high school townies that weren’t hard because they didn’t live in the big city life. Although the Freeze’s lineup over the last 30 years hasn’t remained consistent (Hanger is the only current original member in the outfit), they have outlasted nearly every one of these naysayer groups, performing live with regularity, not simply for chic reminiscence-trip gigs like some of the other classic Boston hardcore groups.

This excellent soundboard recording was captured on September 18. 1983 when the Freeze played Harrisburg, PA, presumably right before their killer “Land of the Lost” debut album was released in ’84 on Modern Method. The performance here is solid; I think this gig is a really accurate sketch of what the Freeze were like live on stage during the early (and best) part of their career.

Track list:

1. Sickly Sweet

2. Nazi Fun

3. The Megawaki Cult

4. Time Bomb

5. Violent Arrest

6. No Exposure

7. Gardener and the Maid

8. Days of Desperation

9. Broken Bones

10. Refrigerator Heaven

11. Go Team Go

12. Neat Neat Neat (The Damned)

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?nmwx761num4va66

STOP THE PRESSES - THE YOUNG REPUBLICANS "SABOTAGE YOUR COOKOUT" SLEEVES ARE BEING REPRINTED DUE TO AN ERROR

Late last week I picked up the first pressing of the Young Republicans "Sabotage Your Cookout" 7" EP, the second release on the house label here at More Than a Witness. I was incredibly impressed with how this release turned out except the fact that the 7" jacket had a small (but distracting and unacceptable) printing error on the back of the jacket.

New replacement jackets for this release are going to printed this week and I will hopefully receive them sometime early next week. I will send out all remaining personal orders that did not qualify for the limited edition as soon as I get these replacement jackets. I have not forgotten about you and will send your order as soon as I can.

All limited red vinyl "Cookout Edition" sleeves have been sent out. If you did not receive one, you will be receiving a regular (and far superior) version shortly.

The same goes for all wholesale orders for distributors, labels, web stores, shops, etc. These will be sent out as soon as everything comes in.

I apologize greatly for the delay in receiving orders for this release. It has never been my intention to have it take this long for it to be completed but it's also deeply imperative that this release is exactly how I want it: ultra high-quality and correct, because that's what this material and the buyer of it deserves.

I had this job printed by Imprint, a company that specializes in manufacturing pretty much everything you'd ever need for releasing a record at totally affordable prices. The guys at Imprint are incredibly nice, helpful, highly committed to helping you produce exactly what you need, will get your job done as quickly as possible, their output is high quality and professional.

You can check out the Imprint site here: http://iloveimprint.com/

HERE'S WHERE YOU CAN ORDER THE YOUNG REPUBLICANS "SABOTAGE YOUR COOKOUT" 7" EP (MTAWP 002)

Many of you have written about ordering just the Young Republicans "Sabotage Your Cookout" 7". I had this record listed in the recent distro update list but failed to realize that many people would simply just want to order this conveniently via Paypal. Sorry about that.
Here's some information about the release:

The Young Republicans were a snot-nosed foursome of skinheads who lived in suburban upstate New York near the Connecticut border. Their demo cassette from late 1983 has been one of the most speculated upon and infamous demos in the history of hardcore; some claimed to have heard it, some old-timers claimed they had the demo cassette in their closet only to not deliver anything, and previously the only known copy was hoarded by the owner, refusing to tape it for anyone, including band members.

Perhaps the Young Republicans are best known for what they'd become: 75% of the band (Porcell, Darren Pesce, & Graham Phillips) would later form Youth of Today with Ray Cappo who was playing in Violent Children & Reflex From Pain at the time. The Young Republicans formed the majority of Youth of Today and this lineup recorded the "Can't Close My Eyes" 7" and the rest is history...

This 9 song EP captures the absolute essence of spirited hardcore under the shroud of Reagan: snot-nosed teens going faster MPH while standing in opposition to teachers, parents, rednecks, & suburbia. Highly catchy & classic sounding, this could easily be considered the crucial missing NYHC or CT 7” EP from 1983.

Three tracks on this Young Republicans 7" EP would later be reworked and rerecorded for the debut Youth of Today "Can't Close My Eyes" 7” on Positive Force; “Respect For Authority (None)” became “Stabbed In The Back”, “Backyard Bomb” became “Expectations”, and “High School Rednecks” became Project X's “Straightedge Revenge” note for note on their sole 7" EP on Schism.

I strived to give this the packaging I felt a release like this deserves: a thicker 14 pt glued 7" jacket with an old school style "dip cut" (like a late 70's UK punk 45) along with a nicely done 2-sided 14" x 7" insert that includes lyrics and tons of photos that Porcell excavated from his archive.

The limited "Cookout Edition" sleeve version on red vinyl sold out within a few hours so it's safe to say that it's long gone. The first 150 orders will receive that variation of this release. I wanted a way in which I could show how much I respect when people make the effort to order directly from the label like it was done in the good old days.

ALL OF THESE PRICES INCLUDE POSTAGE:

USA: $7.25 PPD
CANADA: $8.50 PPD
WORLD: $10.75 PPD

PLEASE SELECT WHERE YOU LIVE:

USA $7.25 CANADA $8.50 WORLD $10.75

YOUNG REPUBLICANS "SABOTAGE YOUR COOKOUT" 7" EP IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Without any further delay, here's the information regarding pre-ordering the second release on my label, the long-awaited Young Republicans "Sabotage Your Cookout" 7" EP.

Finally found after going missing for nearly 25 years, the Young Republicans demo cassette is certainly one of the most elusive and infamous artifacts in the history of hardcore and is truly a special item. Some have claimed that it never existed while others have referred to it as a "holy grail" item. Recorded in ’83 and only given to a handful of close friends, ¾ of the band would later go on to form the initial lineup of the influential group YOUTH OF TODAY. This 9 song EP captures the absolute essence of spirited hardcore under the shroud of Reagan: snot-nosed teens going faster MPH while standing in opposition to teachers, parents, rednecks, & suburbia. Highly catchy & classic sounding, this could easily be considered the crucial missing NYHC or CT 7” EP from 1983.

Three tracks on this Young Republicans 7" EP would later be reworked and rerecorded for the debut Youth of Today "Can't Close My Eyes" 7” on Positive Force; “Respect For Authority (None)” became “Stabbed In The Back”, “Backyard Bomb” became “Expectations”, and “High School Rednecks” became Project X's “Straightedge Revenge” note for note on their sole EP on Schism.

I strived to give this the packaging I felt a release like this deserves: a thicker 14 pt glued 7" jacket with an old school style "dip cut" (like a late 70's UK punk 45) along with a nicely done 2-sided 14" x 7" inserts that includes lyrics and tons of photos that Porcell excavated from his archive.

Now let me dangle a carrot in front of your bunny-like noses. For making the effort to order directly from the label, I am offering a limited version of this release. This is known as the "Cookout Edition" because the sleeve will be hand screen printed on a red/white checkered design that is reminiscent of a cookout tablecloth. This version will feature unique art not found on the regular version and will also be on white colored vinyl.

Sorry, but only one limited version per customer. If you feel there is some extenuating circumstance that warrants more than one, please drop me an email. The first 125 or so orders will receive a limited edition copy and all orders will receive the regular (and in my opinion, superior) version.

Please use the Paypal link below to purchase. All prices are POSTAGE PAID. These limited copies will be shipped out in two weeks when I get the records.

PLEASE SELECT WHERE YOU LIVE:

USA $7.75 CANADA $8.75 WORLD $11.00

NERVOUS EATERS: WCOZ-FM, THE RAT, BOSTON, MA. 7.23.78. FM BROADCAST.

It’s no accident that the Nervous Eaters formed in 1974 from the ashes of an unsuccessful band that they dubbed the Psycho Punks. This is most true when you consider their two exemplary punk singles that still sound quite powerful thirty years later. Instigated by local legend Willie Alexander (who played in the Velvet Underground for the blink-of-an-eye while they elicited a faint death rattle in late ’71), the Nervous Eaters played their first ever gig at the Rat in during 1976. They promptly became a much-appreciated local act due to their high-energy live shows which displayed their infectious enthusiasm. The Rat appreciated the Eaters enough that owner Jim Harold offered the band an opportunity to release a record. “Loretta” came out on his own Rat label and was quickly followed by “Just Head” shortly after. The former was a promising debut that has aged quite well. The latter is simply one of those all-time punk shredders. Both “Just Head” and it’s flip “Get Stuffed” embrace the crudity that the Real Kids were too self-conscious to put forth, thus making it (amongst several other reasons) the best Boston punk 45 released to date. When Steve Cataldo was asked about the period in which the “Just Head” 45 was written and recorded he claimed, “We were stoned all the time. Jesus, we smoked a lot of dope then, come to think of it…. I’m lucky I have any lungs left”.

The self-titled full-length album that arrived in 1980 on Elektra is an effort that is often rebuffed by fans that favor the earlier material of the Nervous Eaters. Undoubtedly the material that predated the LP is vastly superior (well, of course it is considering it’s also better than 90% of the greater body of punk rock ever released worldwide… just sayin’) when you compare both parts of their catalog. If one can possibly eliminate the memories of the Eaters two perfect singles and can listen to this LP with an open mind, it’s not as ghastly as everyone claims it is. Sure there's some really embarrassing moments where the vocals enter a no forgiveness zone due to shamelessly executed falsetto, a handful of the tracks are fairly listenable if one considers this to be a soft power pop affair from the start. Undoubtedly the band was relatively perplexed toward their full-length considering they had a brass ring hanging in front of them for the grabbing; Fred Lewis managed both the Eaters and the Cars (thus helping them achieve superstardom) while Nicky Hopkins, Harry Maslin, and Steve Cropper contributed to the full-length effort. These figures were amongst those who dug serious rock and roll gold of yore while their buddies (the Cars) were polishing up their new Corvettes. To say that they were under some strain would be putting it rather lightly.

This superb FM soundboard recording (meaning the master source was derived from a recording of the original FM broadcast) is a fine illustration of how dangerous the Eaters were at their crest before their so-called new wave contamination. The introduction and the consequent upsurge into “Get Stuffed” has yet to be unsuccessful in giving me goose bumps after countless listening experiences and the set sustains this level of eminence until it burns itself out. This set is also a decent example of the band performing the LP tracks without the sterile production and flaccid performances. Some of these tracks almost have an early Jim Carroll feel to them (yes, this is a complement), especially when you listen to “Have It With Your Coffee”. Overall, this is a great recording and truly captures the sarcastic punk essence of this classic band.

Track listing:

1. Introduction/ Get Stuffed

2. Last Chance

3. After Your Goodtime's Gone

4. Have It With Your Coffee

5. By Yourself

6. She's Going To Be My Baby

7. On The Avenue

8. Just Head

9. Fantasy Girl

10. Hot Steel And Acid

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