"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

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

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.