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

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.

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.

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/

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

CIA - "GOD GUNS GUTS & MORE" LP (MTAWP 001) IS OUT NOW AND CAN BE PURCHASED HERE:

I'm thrilled to announce the debut release on my new reissue-only, vinyl-only record label. I couldn't be happier with how this CIA 12" came out and I think you'll love the results too. I feel very proud of reissuing one of my all-time favorite hardcore singles as an LP with a slew of great unreleased material.

Many devoted aficionados would enthusiastically maintain that CIA’s “God Guns Guts” 7” EP is simply one of the best US hardcore singles to ever be released when considering the history of the genre's output. Originally self-issued in 1983 in a limited edition of 500 copies, the six songs on the original 7” are absolute flawless blasts of well-executed, driving, intelligent, and furious hardcore. The 6 tracks are simultaneously reckless while maintaining a tightly wound delivery. The word "timeless" is often overused when it comes to describing hardcore records released in the days of yore, but the "God Guns Guts" 7" EP has undoubtably stood time's test. This record sounds as fresh today as the day it was recorded.

What could be better than this?

A deluxe vinyl-only reissue that adds 5 original 7” EP session outtakes that have never been heard until now along with several other previously unreleased essential demos recorded just before the "Gods Guns Guts" 7” EP came out. Hence the "more" in this reissue's title; a great deal has been added to the original EP on this LP that truly makes it deluxe. This all comes housed in a high-quality package featuring a swanky UV laminated sleeve and a classy printed inner sleeve that features liner notes and photos of the band that have never been seen before on any release.

Please use this Paypal link to purchase the record. You will simply need to select where you want the record sent and follow the instructions. All orders will be sent the same day.
Also: if you would like to get wholesale copies for your store or distro, please drop me a line here: morethanawitness at gmail.com

PRICES:

$13 PPD (USA)

$15 PPD (CANADA)

$22 PPD (WORLD)

These prices all INCLUDE POSTAGE.

Below prices are PPD. Please select where you live:

USA $13.00 CANADA $15.00 WORLD $22.00

UPDATE: YOUNG REPUBLICANS "SABOTAGE YOUR COOKOUT" 7" EP (MTAWP 002)

Many people have been asking me about information regarding the Young Republicans record that I have coming out on the label.

This release will be a co-release with longtime Connecticut hardcore punk label, Incas Records. Incas began in 1982 when Lost Generation needed a means to release their debut single, “Never Work”. Joe Dias (Lost Generation singer) continued the label as a means to release records by notable Connecticut bands and thus document the great local scene on a worldwide level. In more recent years, Incas has been embraced and operated by local punk historian and friend, Joe Snow. He’s been responsible for CD reissues of the classic Connecticut Fun compilation and another assortment of superb early Connecticut punk tracks entitled “Up All Night” which features the Reactors, X Factor (pre CIA, Reflex From Pain, & 76% Uncertain), No Milk On Tuesday, amongst others.

The cover art was illustrated by Jim Martin. Jim drew many timeless flyers for the Anthrax, a local venue that showcased all of the great local and touring bands of the 1980s. Porcell is currently finishing up the artwork and liner notes.

The tracks are going to be sent off to be mastered, lacquered, and plated on Monday morning. I expect to have test pressings for this within a few weeks after that.

I expect to have the record out in mid-September barring no peculiar setbacks. The first pressing will be 1000 copies. There will be an opportunity for buyers to obtain a limited version of the record directly from us. We’re not sure how many of these we are going to do, but we can assure you that it won’t be very many and it’ll be unique enough to warrant a limited edition of a recording being released nearly 30 years after it was originally committed to documentation. This preorder will be announced closer to the release of the record so there will not be any prolonged delays like with the CIA “God Guns Guts & More” LP preorder.

If you run a distro or order for a store, we’d love for you to carry this release. Please contact me for wholesale prices here: morethanawitness at gmail.com

If you have any other questions about this release that aren't answered here, you can contact me at the above email address.

UPDATE: CIA "GOD GUNS GUTS & MORE" (MTAWP 001) LPs TO SHIP VERY SOON. PLEASE READ FOR MORE DETAILS:

To state that my first release on this new reissue-only label has been a stressful process would be putting it lightly. The process was first delayed by a batch of rejected test pressings that featured superficial pops. They were practically inaudible but I wanted to make sure the album sounded as good as possible so I rejected these. The second batch of test pressings sounded great and were approved.

The second (and much more time consuming) obstacle that surfaced was the company that was responsible for getting the album jackets and printed inner sleeves made went out of business or has at least been put on hold for the time being. When I received word of this I was assuming that the jackets & inner sleeves would be done and ready to go. I had to switch the job over to Imprint and this added the delay that we’re experiencing now.

The album jackets and inner sleeves are being shipped from the printer in Canada to Brooklyn tomorrow (7.12.10) and should be at the pressing plant within a few days. Because of the second predicament regarding the jacket/inner sleeve printing, I made arrangements to have the vinyl pressed up and ready to go before the jackets arrive to minimize any further delays.

I apologize to those who have preordered the record and have been waiting to receive a copy. Occasionally technical problems will occur that are outside of a label’s power regarding production (this is certainly one of those times) and you just have to fix things as quick as possible. Everything is all set now and I foresee no other problems. I will send the preorders the day I get the completed product. This should be late this week or at latest, early next week. Distro orders will be sent promptly after all of the preorders have been mailed. This will be early next week.

Moreover, this will not happen in the future for label preorders. Please understand this situation has been a major case of bad luck and has been resolved. I'm just as eager to get the record as you guys are!

There are still copies of this release that are available for wholesale. A great deal of them have been claimed but, if you’d like to purchase copies for your store or distro please drop me a line at the morethanawitness at gmail.com for wholesale rates. Many people have written inquiring about trading their releases for this one, but at this time I cannot accept trades. My apologies.

CIA "GOD GUNS GUTS AND MORE" LP IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Without any further delay, here’s the information for preordering my first release, the CIA “God Guns Guts & More” LP. Although it's been quite time consuming, I'm very excited to be releasing this and I think you'll really enjoy it.

Many would argue that CIA’s “God Guns Guts” 7” EP is one of the best US hardcore singles to ever be released. Originally self-released in 1983, the six songs on the original 7” are absolutely flawless blasts of driving, intelligent, and furious hardcore. What could be better than this? A deluxe reissue that adds 5 original 7” session outtakes that have never been heard until now along with several other previously unreleased essential demos recorded just before the 7” came out. This all comes housed in a high-quality package featuring a UV laminated sleeve, printed inner sleeve that features relevant information and photos.

Placing your order now will ensure that you’ll get the record before far before distributors and shops. Preorder will ship in 2-3 weeks when I’ll have copies. If you run a distro or store, please write for wholesale rates. I'd love to get this record as far and wide as possible.

Please use this Paypal link to purchase. If you’re an International customer, please message me before purchase. This below Paypal link will not give you the correct postage rate.

PRICES:

$13 PPD (USA)

$15 PPD (CANADA)

$22 PPD (WORLD)

These prices all INCLUDE POSTAGE.

Please select where you live:

USA $13.00 CANADA $15.00 WORLD $22.00

UPDATE: CIA "GOD GUNS GUTS & MORE" LP (MTAWP #1) & YOUNG REPUBLICANS "SABOTAGE YOUR COOKOUT" 7" (MTAWP #2)

Due to the lack of recent new content posted on this archive, one may conclude that not much as been going on with More Than a Witness. This couldn’t be any further from the truth!

I’ve been working vigorously to finish up everything for my first release on More Than a Witness Product, the vinyl only reissue label closely associated with this archive. Again, this will be an official reissue of CIA’s classic first EP released under the title of “God Guns Guts and More” as a full length LP. This release will feature the original “God Guns Guts” 7” EP (originally released in 1983) along with all of the original 7” session outtakes and the best tracks from their two other pre 7” demo recordings. Needless to say, all of this material is essentially teeth-grinding driving American hardcore!

The CIA master was sent out the other day and I’m making final adjustments on the insert as I make this post. Expect this LP out in roughly 3 weeks. Many people have asked about a preorder for this release. I will be announcing information regarding a preorder this week. Please hang in there.

The second release on More Than a Witness Product will be the Young Republicans “Sabotage Your Cookout” 7” EP. This effort is a split-label release with longtime Connecticut hardcore punk label Incas, run by my good friend and fellow hardcore punk lifer, Joe Snow.

This demo is truly a special item. Both Joe and I have been hunting for this recording for years and have always come up empty handed until recently. Some people have even doubted its existence due to any tape of it ever surfacing. The Young Republicans are of historical relevance because they were comprised of 75% of the original lineup of Youth of Today. In fact, many Young Republicans songs that will be featured on the “Sabotage Your Cookout” 7” would become Youth of Today and Project X songs a year or so later: “High School Rednecks” became “Straight Edge Revenge”, “Respect For Authority (None)” became “Stabbed In the Back” after some minor revision, and “Backyard Bomb” became “Expectations”.

Last week we went into the studio to do a professional transfer of the tape we received from Graham Phillips. Graham was the bass player in the Young Republicans and went on to play in Youth of Today with Darren Pesce and Porcell. Joe and I had feared that the cassette would be in awful shape but it turned out it only needed a minimal tweaking to get it to sound great and fit for a vinyl release.

Yes, there will be a limited edition version of this release. We're trying to think of something that is untraditional and wacky in detail. (Come on, anyone can crank out 100 copies of a release on a limited color of vinyl.) Information regarding the preorder will be posted here in approximately 3 weeks. Hang in there!

MORE THAN A WITNESS PRODUCT TO RELEASE THE LONG LOST YOUNG REPUBLICANS DEMO

I’m very excited to announce that the house label for this blog, More Than a Witness Product, will be releasing the long lost 1984 demo recordings of the Young Republicans. I’ll be teaming up with the classic Connecticut hardcore label, Incas Records, to finally make this demo available. This release will be the second release for me after the CIA "God Guns Guts & More" reissue LP I have coming out in a month or so. Incas Records and I are working closely with Porcell to make this release the best we can.

The Young Republicans demo is one of the most elusive and obscure items in the history of such recordings. Until recently, I had all but given up on ever finding a copy of this demo as it had evaded me for a decade of looking. Being from Connecticut, one would assume that a copy would eventually turn up after rummaging through the tape collections of many first generation Connecticut hardcore people. Simultaneously, I received a copy of the demo via the singer Sam Collin while Porcell had taken his cassette copy to be digitally preserved in a friend's studio.

Shortly after they broke up, 3/4 of the Young Republicans would go on to play in Youth of Today. In fact, many tracks on the Young Republicans demo would later become tracks on the debut Youth of Today 7” on Positive Force; “Respect For Authority (None)” became “Stabbed In The Back”, “Backyard Bomb” became “Expectations”, and “High School Rednecks” became “Straightedge Revenge” note for note.

There will be a preorder for this release. This will consist of a limited version of the record as a way of paying thanks to the people who made the effort to order from the label. More information about this as the actual release date draws closer.

If you’re interested in carrying this record for a store or distro, please write me at the email posted on this site for wholesale prices.

The above photo was taken by Jamie Keever at the Anthrax in Stamford.

MORE THAN A WITNESS PRODUCT IS BORN.

With the genre of hardcore recently celebrating it’s 30-year birthday, the genre’s back catalog is nearly hemorrhaging with classic output. There is certainly still a wealth of timeless material that has not been officially reissued that should be available. Considering that hardcore punk has truly become a genre fixated on it’s own history and that the reissue market is prosperous, it’s time that I get in on that action. Many other contemporary labels have done a fantastic job of reissuing classic records and these labels have served as an influence.

Thus, More Than a Witness Product (clearly a tribute to one of my all-time favorite labels, Fast Product) is born. I suppose it’s only natural that a blog that serves to archive unreleased material would eventually start reissuing classic, out of print hardcore punk records. The aims of the label are to release quality products and ensure that the bands are properly compensated for their material.

The first release will consist of an expanded version of the classic “God Guns Guts” 7” EP by CIA. Not only is this one of my all-time favorite hardcore single, but also I think it’s simply one of the best hardcore punk releases to come out of the early 1980s. These guys are personal friends of mine and I’ve been working closely with them on reissuing this classic EP as an LP with a ton of fantastic unreleased material from the original 7” session along with choice demo and live material. Considering that the original pressing of the 7” is topping out at nearly $300 and consistently selling for at least $250, this reissue should do well.

To answer the emails I've already received, there will be a limited edition mailorder only version you can get from me.

CIA, after releasing one single (and an LP with a radically different lineup) went on to morph into the great 76% Uncertain. They released several great records that you should acquire if you don’t have them already.

I am currently in contact with a few other bands about potential reissues. More news as things become finalized.