TRUE SOUNDS OF LIBERTY (TSOL): 1980 DEMO.

TSOL exploded out of Long Beach, California in 1978 to develop into one of Southern California’s leading hardcore outfits. Forming from the remains of Johnny Coathanger and the Abortions and Vicious Circle, the original lineup of TSOL were purveyors of political proto-hardcore that bristled with exhilaration. It’s extraordinary to consider how many name changes that Jack Grisham has had in his musical career; Jack Greggors, Alex Morgan, Jack Ladoga, Jim Woo and James DeLauge have all graced the sleeves of TSOL releases. With no less than 5 different stage names, you begin to wonder if he’s a fugitive evading the lawman.

These four demo tracks are outstanding. The sound quality is outstanding. These tracks are in the vein of the first 12” on Posh Boy; the tracks being simultaneously forceful and melodious with a genuine political edge. This demo recording was previously bootlegged onto vinyl in 1994 as the “1980 Demo” 7”. Supposedly 500 copies were pressed but one can never be sure of such information.

Track list:

1. 80 Times

2. Superficial Love

3. You Don't Have To Die

4. Silent Majority

DOWNLOAD:

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

DIE KREUZEN: 1983 DEMO.

Occasionally, an extraordinary band will relinquish a cluster of demos prior to recording a proper release that simply rule, and even rival overshadow the release they were intended to prepare for. Perhaps the best example I can cite here would be the demos Black Flag cut in 1982 prior to recording "My War". Similar to these demos, before Die Kreuzen bestowed us their renowned self-titled debut full length they cut a batch of demos that rival most official releases from the time period and genre.

Like the 1982 demo that preceded the “Cows and Beers” EP, these 1983 demo recordings are an astonishing appetizer for the LP from 1984. These demos are equipped with an antagonistic attitude and a penchant for speed. One of the best things about Die Kreuzen is that could they could play hyper thrash while the songs remained surprisingly articulated. The playing is crisp while Dan Kubinski’s vocals are utterly illegible in the best manner possible.

The world would greatly benefit from having these demos come out officially on LP. If anyone knows how to contact the band, please drop me a line at the email I have posted.

Track list:

1. Sick People
2. No Time
3. Pain
4. Hate Me
5. No Name
6. Don't Say Please
7. In School
8. This Hope
9. All White

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?w3d4m12awyn

THE WARDS: "RIPPED OFF IN BOSTON" 1984 DEMO.

The Wards were the earliest punk band to hail from the state of Vermont, the plentiful land of maple syrup. The Wards released two extraordinarily underrated 7” EPs: “The World Ain’t Pretty and Neither Are We” in 1983 and “Don't Make U.S. Shoot the Pershing II” in 1984. Many of the songs on the debut 7” EP were written as early as 1979 but were recorded and self-released later due to financial limitations and trouble with finding a label that would release their material.

The “Ripped Off In Boston” cassette was the band’s final release following the first two vinyl releases and a subsequent demo recording that was circulated. “Ripped Off In Boston” was christened when the Wards had their van burglarized when it was parked in Kenmore Square. The original cover art of this cassette depicts a gigantic ogre grasping their van in his burly clutches, about to steal the contents of the van. This cassette was recorded in 1984 by Lou Giordano at Radiobeat Studios, who of course well known for recording material by such classic bands as SS Decontrol, Jerry’s Kids, Deep Wound, and the Proletariat.

For lack of a better classification, this release can be considered a demo since it was self-released and not widely disseminated. The tracks are quite similar to vinyl offerings but perhaps with an added aggressiveness due to Giordano's production. It would be nice to see the four releases by the Wards compiled officially and released as one LP.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?ckltujmjef0

YOUTH BRIGADE: 1981 DEMO

Youth Brigade (not to be confused with the band from Southern California with the same name) were a crucial band that was a part of first wave Washington DC hardcore. Youth Brigade was comprised of several members that had already been in bands from Washington; vocalist Nathan Strejcek sang for the Teen Idles and drummer Danny Ingram had previously been in the Untouchables. After playing their first show in March of 1981 at Washington DC venue Food For Thought, the band brought Bert Queiroz (bass) and Tom Clinton (guitar) into the fold. Shortly before Dischord released their sole record, Youth Brigade opened for Black Flag on their first ever trip to the east coast. The debut EP was entitled "Possible" simply because of an early Dischord fanzine advertisement which stated: "possible record from Youth Brigade soon". After the group disbanded, they appeared on the seminal "Flex Your Head" compilation and various members went on to form Double O, Peer Pressure, Second Wind, and Rain.

This demo has been bootlegged onto vinyl twice. It first surfaced in 1994 on the Ripe Harvest label as a split double 7" with the great No Labels from North Carolina. My copy is on green and pink vinyl. This material surfaced once again on vinyl in 2001 on a split LP with Minor Threat (which also featured their classic debut demo) on the Recollect label that was based in the Netherlands.

This demo features several tracks that were not rerecorded for any subsequent releases. "I Object", "Youth Brigade", "Bouncer", and "Snow Job" were only featured on this demo recording. The rest of tracks were rerecorded for the "Possible" 7" and the "Flex Your Head" compilation LP.

The sound quality is strong considering that this was meant to be used as a demo.

Track list:

1. I Object

2. Full Speed Ahead

3. Last Word

4. Waste Of Time

5. Youth Brigade

6. Bouncer

7. Snow Job

8. Moral Majority

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?mjezxyd5kzz

THE CRUCIFUCKS: "I AM THE ESTABLISHMENT" 1982 DEMO.

My first taste of the Crucifucks came when I received a dubbed copy of their debut album on Alternative Tentacles from my friend's older brother. I had previously seen the band's name in mailorder catalogs prematurely considered the band a favorite based on their monicker. The quality of this cassette suffered from multi-generational hiss (due to the fact that it had been dubbed and redubbed for fledging punkers such as myself) and had many near death experiences in my tape deck from being eaten.

Regardless of these significant sonic impairments, I could easily understand that Doc Corbin Dart was a brainchild. His vocals are simply unreasonable and defy any logical comparisons due to their shrill quality. I suppose one could say that Doc Corbin Dart sounded like Jello Biafra raised to the tenth power or even at times, Roger Rabbit. These days, Doc Corbin Dart has legally changed his name to "26" and has totally renounced this debut album and the concept of swearing.

Without further delay, here is the first Crucifucks demo tape. This was recorded in Lansing, Michigan in 1982. This demo was recorded approximately a year and a half before the debut album was released. "Leave Me Alone" was not recorded for the first album and is only featured on this demo tape.

Track list:

1. Democracy Spawns Bad Taste

2. Go Bankrupt and Die

3. Legal Genocide

4. You Give Me the Creeps

5. Marching For Trash

6. Cops For Fertilizer

7. I Am the Establishment

8. Leave Me Alone

9. No One Can Make Me Play Along With All Of This

10. Hinckley Had a Vision

DOWNLOAD:

LINK REMOVED PER REQUEST BY ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES 

DIE KREUZEN: 1982 DEMO.

Die Kreuzen are simply one of the best hardcore bands to ever exist. They were first known as the Stellas and quickly changed their name to a rough German translation meaning “the crosses” or “sign of the cross”. After contributing tracks to the “Charred Remains” cassette compilation and the “Master Tape” compilation album, they unleashed the mighty “Cows and Beer” 7” EP, which ranks as one of the greatest hardcore records ever produced.

The period prior to “Cows and Beer” consists of the aforementioned compilation tracks as well as two extraordinary demo tapes. These demos are better than most other bands' officially released output from the time period. This specific post will focus on the 1982 demo. I will post the 1983 demo in the near future.

Track List:

1. This Hope

2. Pain

3. Hate Me

4. In School

5. On the Street

6. Hate Me

7. Get 'em

8. Enemies

9. Fighting

DOWNLOAD:
http://www.mediafire.com/?mkr3z4mw0rz

FEEDERZ: LIVING ROOM DEMO 1979/80.

To me, the finest punk groups with the greatest sense of cultural vitality possess the skill to move past the simple confines of the genre. The Feederz are one of the finest examples of such bands. Before even playing a gig, the band distributed literature that was interpreted as being a terrorist communiqué. Their first gig was highlighted by singer Frank Discussion firing blanks from anAR-15 assault riffle into the audience. In 1982, Discussion composed an anti-school manifesto entitled “Bored With School” that posed as an announcement from the Arizona Department of Education. These pamphlets were somehow not checked for content and distributed in large quantities. Facing inevitable prosecution, Discussion fled Arizona and took refuge in San Francisco were the second lineup of the Feederz was formed.

Some testimony to their recorded output is clearly necessary. “Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss?” is simply one of the best hardcore records ever released. The tracks are truly diverse and show that the band was musically competent and ideologically clever. The lyrical themes reside beyond the confines of political correctness while also being truly seditious. In situationalist fashion, the sleeve of the album is enshrined in sandpaper so that it could damage and thus devalue your other albums.

The “Living Room” demo was recorded in late 1979 and early 1980 and feature the first lineup of the group. These tracks were recorded in bass player Clear Bob's living room. All four songs from the "Jesus" EP are included on this demo as well as many tracks from the yet to be recorded debut LP. "Peter Gunn Theme" was compiled on the all California "Killed By Death" Volume 12 and “Stop Your Killing Me” has been compiled on “Killed By Death” Volume 14.

Track list:

1. Subscription (cut)

2. Just Like Your Mom (Vox Pop)

3. Mommy’s Gone

4. Dead Bodies

5. Avon Lady

6. RU 19

7. Jesus

8. Smile

9. Peter Gunn Theme

10. Terrorist

11. Stop You’re Killing Me

12. Destruction Unit

13. Vulvateen

DOWNLOAD:

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

THE CLITBOYS: "DETOUR" DEMO, 1982.

The Clitboys hailed from Milwaukee and are perhaps best known for being name checked as one of Bambi's favorite bands in the Meatmen track "Punker-ama" on their "War of the Superbikes" album. The hilarious song implies that the Clitboys (along with MDC and Crucifix) were a stiff hardcore group that sung about stale political issues of the day. Perhaps they weren't Chomskyan in their ideological approach, but they tackled some issues that were unique ("Gays OK", "Slogan Boy") considering the punk-jock climate of 1983. Regardless, I always have enjoyed their "We Don't Play the Game" 7" EP on Feedback Records. This was released in 1983 and although many dismiss it as generic stop-and-go Midwest hardcore, it's actually an enjoyable listen.

This 1982 demo is quite similar to their 7" EP. As a matter of fact, the recordings of "Have Faith", "So Funny" and "We Don't Play the Game" were later featured on their debut record. The tracks on this demo are reminiscent of the first JFA 7" but with less prominent vocals. I'm waiting for someone to cut a bootleg LP of several classic Midwest hardcore demos on one LP. This demo would be an excellent fit on such an item.

These 8 tracks on this demo were also available on the "First Strike" compilation cassette released by BCT in 1983.

Tracklist:

1. Time for Another War
2. Have Faith
3. I Hate the KKK
4. Apathy Rules
5. So Funny
6. Rat Race
7. Gotta Go to War

8. We Don't Play the Game

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?z24wvzjwzar

X FACTOR: "BLUE BASEMENT" DEMO, SPRING 1982.

X-Factor were arguably one of the earliest Connecticut bands that had an identifiable proto- hardcore sound. Prior to 1982, there had been a thriving punk scene in New Haven and the surrounding area but these bands had a straightforward punk sound or leaned toward playing power-pop or new wave. It wasn't until 1982 that a faster and more aggressive sound emerged from Connecticut, which originated from the city of Bridgeport.

Most readers of this blog are probably quite familiar with CIA and Lost Generation (who also called Bridgeport home). These groups formed around the same time these demos were recorded and went on to release classic records. X-Factor however would fade into obscurity due to some member changes only to be reborn as Reflex From Pain with the addition of a new singer and guitarist. The core of X-Factor first played together in a band called the Xtras. Are you starting to detect a pattern in the names here? Yeah, I refer to them as the lineage of "X" bands. Bill Knapp is the common denominator in all these X bands. He played drums in these bands and several other bands that came afterward.

The line up for this demo consists of Bill Knapp on drums, Steve Schneider playing guitar, Dave Ware on bass and John "Ziggy" Viens providing vocals.

Bill and Steve had played in the The Xtras and 532X prior to X-Factor. Dave Ware played in Reflex From Pain and 76% Uncertain (again with Bill Knapp on drums) after the demise of X-Factor. Ziggy sang for ADX after leaving X-Factor.

Blue Basement Studios was a pseudonym for Bill Knapp's parents basement named after the shade of paint on the walls. Many of the early Connecticut hardcore bands recorded here. The Vatican Commandos, CIA, and the Violent Children all cut material there. This batch of X-Factor songs were recorded in the spring of '82 and is their second demo. The songs "Media Control" and "American Express" were later re-recorded by Reflex From Pain.

I will post several more great unreleased Connecticut hardcore artifacts in the near future.

DOWNLOAD:

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

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: DEAD SERIOUS 1985 DEMO

Attitude Adjustment were an underrated thrash band from San Francisco that formed in 1985. They are perhaps most well known in hardcore punk circles for releasing a record on Pushead’s classic label, Pusmort. This album, “American Paranoia”, presented a sound that was equal parts hardcore and metal, thus earning the distinction of being a true “crossover” document. A major lineup change resulted in definitively thrash metal sound after the initial album.

This was the only demo that was ever released by Attitude Adjustment. These songs exhibit a more hardcore influenced approach than their debut album on Pusmost that was released two years after this demo. These songs are brief and blistering. These songs seem to have a faultless contrast between hardcore and metal. It is my opinion that this is the best material the band ever released.

DOWNLOAD:

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

DOUBLE O: "DC ON THE MAP" 1982 DEMO

Today's post concerns the "DC On the Map" 1982 demo. This has been previously bootlegged in 1993 under the title of "Double Barreled" as a double 7". This bootleg double 7" comprised tracks from the band's three demos.

This demo shows the growth of the band between their demo and debut EP on Dischord/R&B. This demo showcases the band with a much more aggressive sound than their more sophisticated debut record. These tracks are more akin to Youth Brigade and perhaps Red C. This seems logical considering that Double O boasted ex members of both groups. The sound quality of this demo is somewhat noisy but is still quite enjoyable to listen to. This is pretty much a must for any early Dischord enthusiast.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5OVH1LFC

BORED YOUTH: NOVEMBER 1981 DEMO

Bored Youth were geographical and chronological peers of Negative Approach, the Meatmen, and the Fix, hailing from West Bloomfield, Michigan. Although they weren’t as superior or influential as the aforementioned bands, it’s surprising that they didn't release a 45 on Touch and Go…. or a record at all for that matter. Regardless, this post showcases their November 1981 demo tape. The songs are emblematic considering the overall canon of Midwest hardcore at the dawn of the 1980s: barely outlasting the confines of 60 seconds and immediate. Nonetheless, it’s a respectable demo, especially the anthem “Outcast.”

This demo was pressed once under highly questionable circumstances by infamous crooks, Lost and Found. It was included in a box set consisting of material by the Meatmen, United Mutation, Impatient Youth, and White Flag. This demo was also included on the rare “I Estimated Your Worth Today” cassette which also featured demos recordings by Violent Apathy, The Fix, Negative Approach, Crucifucks, etc.

Members of Bored Youth went onto obtaining degrees in law and committing suicide.

Sorry, no track listing included.

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?cy5ungdhzuz