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

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

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

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.

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.