BL'AST: SPORTMAN'S LODGE, SUN VALLEY, CA. 6.20.85. SOUNDBOARD RECORDING.

Hailing from Santa Cruz, CA and originally forming under the monicker M.A.D. (standing for Mutually Assured Destruction, of course) in late 1982, Bl'ast (the apostrophe was used to make their visual logo "more dynamic" according to vocalist Clifford Dinsmore) are of my favorite hardcore bands to ever exist. Detractors will often cite that they made a career out of imitating label mates Black Flag but this opinion doesn't lend itself to the fact that Bl'ast were a great band in their own right and definite forerunners of the stoner rock sound. Without question, guitarist Mike Neider and drummer Bill Torgerson selected a Dan Armstrong guitar and Ludwig Vistalite drums respectively because their heroes Black Flag made this look renowned. Henry Rollins mentions this briefly in a "Get In the Van" entry where he clearly discredits the band for being unoriginal and tacky.

Regardless of the fact that "Power Of Expression" LP has been permanently burned into my prefrontal cortex, I still get excited every single time it finds itself on my turntable. This soundboard recording is nearly just as powerful. This 1985 set recorded in Sun Valley, California showcases Bl'ast performing material that would find itself on their debut album shortly after. The sound quality is excellent and the mix is nothing to scoff at. This is a remarkable recording that should find itself in the collection of any self-respecting Bl'ast devotee.

Track list:

1. Our Explanation

2. I Don't Need It

3. Break It Down

4. E.I.B.

5. Fuckin' With My Head

6. School's Out (Alice Cooper)

7. Surf and Destroy

8. The Future

9. It's Alive

10. 12XU (Wire)

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?wlljwwmwd5m

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 

BLACK FLAG: POLLIWOG PARK, MANHATTAN BEACH, CA. 7.22.79. AUDIENCE RECORDING.

After playing a handful of local gigs and making a small name for themselves during the first part of 1979, Black Flag was somehow booked to perform in front of little over 1000 people on a Sunday afternoon in Manhattan Beach's Polliwog Park on July 22, 1979. Clearly the event organizer had no knowledge of what Black Flag represented. The Tourists and Big Wow were two new wave groups that opened the show and I have read in some sources that Black Flag was a last minute replacement. Either that or Greg Ginn did his typical finagling when it came to speaking to a promoter; Ginn's angle to bypass a booking refusal was to tell a promoter that Black Flag were "a rock group with jazz influences".

The crowd of Southern Californian families had no idea what was about to hit them that afternoon. Expecting a relaxing Sunday afternoon in the park while casually listening to a tame, bearded Eagles type rock group, onlookers were treated to the unadulterated vitriol of a young Black Flag. One fan reflected on seeing Black Flag that day: "They played for my winning Little League team that day. They were a last minute replacement band. We threw chicken bones and watermelon at them". 100 or so ardent Black Flag fans turned out for the performance and acted totally unruly. A local newspaper described that crowd as "jumping up and down in the traditional punk pogo and pelted the band and nearby crowd with oranges, tomatoes, watermelons, cans, rocks, and bottles".

The audience source of this recording is indeed primitive sounding for the casual listener of Black Flag. Regardless of the quality, this is truly a significant and historic performance. It's incredible to think that this performance even lasted 24 minutes (6 minutes of it being an actual riot) and that the plug wasn't pulled on the band during one of the first few songs. Unfortunately there is considerable clipping during "Machine" and a drop out during "I've Had It". Regardless, this is an enjoyable listen and truly a lasting punk rock document from an era when bands were truly confrontational.

If anyone has a different source of this performance, I would love a copy.

Track list:

1. Don't Care

2. White Minority

3. I've Heard It Before

4. Machine

5. I've Had It (cut)

6. Nervous Breakdown

7. Spray Paint

8. Jealous Again

9. Police Story

10. Promoter speaking to the crowd/rioting

11. Revenge

12. Fix Me

13. Depression

14. Louie Louie

DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?mj5dz0hldlc

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