Stupid fucking records and shit.

More stuff. I haven't updated in forever because:
1) I couldn't be arsed (I am in no way British, nor do I intend to be, as I do not play in a 'street punk' band, but I always wanted to use that word).
2) I really did not have much to say. I understand if you operate in the punk scene where the kids ALWAYS have something meaningful and deep to say (even if its the intellectual equivalent of a spoonful of stale oatmeal spilled on a wheat field) about the state of the world, people they'd like to put in their place, or whatnot, this may come as a surprise, but I swear: some of us are dumb like that. I wish there were more of us actually, I'm sick of illiterate fucks making would-be (in kindergarden class, maybe) profound speeches about this or that everytime I try to go see some bands and get stupid. Read a book before you claim allegiance to whatever trendy progressive train of thought, dipshits.


So, anyway, here are a few reviews of new stuff I've acquired recently. Go.




BIG CRUX "Is a big funk" 7" - Anyone who knows anything about Big Crux knows they're constantly being compared to the Big Boys and the Minutemen. And anyone who knows anything about me knows I worship the former and am almost there with the latter. With this in mind, my relationship with this record could be a love story or a trainwreck. Hey look! it even has artwork by Tim Kerr, dammit!
It might be due to the fact that this is an avenue of punk rock that has not been taken by hundreds of bands yet (like say, d-beat or youth crew), but this is derivativeness at it best!: songs are energetic and fun, lyrics are engaging in style and content, and as much as it wears its influences on its sleeve (no pun intended), you never get the feeling these guys are trying too hard. As can be expected of Iron Lung Records, the record sounds, looks, and feels great, silkscreened covers included. I really hope they record more stuff, maybe a full length, I can see their songwriting growing like that. Oh yeah, some of them played in some other band or something, can't remember.





CSC "Amour et sourires" 12" - Valencia is a city in southeastern Spain, well known for being a haven for nazis and their RAC bands, some kind of drug party wonderland, and smelling weird. I would lie if I said I don't like the town. It's also the home of CSC, who are probably Spain's best-kept secret (due in no small part to the disastrous distribution this 12" has been subject to). The band features some Muerte A La Muerte alumni, but operate on a totally different level: snotty, manic KBD-styled riffage, where you can totally hear their garage/punk rock background shine through, including some dips into the unknown with weirdo movie samples played over trippy instrumental breaks and creepy solos that really bring to mind East Bay Ray's work, and while I can't quite put my finger on it, there's something (other than the obvious pre-HC82 influence on some of the riffage) that really brings to mind the early DC bands, but on a very bad acid trip and with song titles like 'Nazi pedophile'. Welcome to Valencia.




GOOD FELLAZ "4 Jams from western Africa" demo - In the summer of 2004 Marinus Van Beek left his hometown of Langedijk, Holland, to go on a pilgrimage through South Africa and look for a missing branch of his family tree. At some point during the flight, the plane went through what is known as the Uafulukua Plain, a not very well known spot of paranormal activity in the center of Congo, not unlike the Bermuda Triangle (except dryer and differently shaped), and was psychichally derailed towards the Canary Islands by virtue of an unexplained episode of mind control that took over the crew. The rest is history: we all know the story of KLM flight 762 crashing into a holiday resort in Tenerife and its resulting 'Little Twin Towers' episode. 356 dead, 1200 injured, infinite property damage. An entire island's tourist industry destroyed for years.
What is not so well known and in fact, has been kept from us by the media is that local authorities were unable to control the episodes of looting and scavenging that took over the disaster area. Impoverished locals scavenged the resort's ruins and the remains of the plane, debris and corpses were kicked aside to obtain big screen TV's, hotel safes and pairs of Nike Air Max. Among the ruins was Marinus Van Beek's corpse, trapped in a jam between two airplane seats, his iPod sticking out of his left shirt pocket. At the time, Marinus was a well known and very active member of the European hardcore scene, and his musical selection was (as is usually the case with trendy central europeans) a reflection of then current trends: groovy, big riffed, late 80s NYHC and the resulting revival evidenced by labels such as Lockin Out or Complete Control. Marinus' corpse returned to his family and was given a proper burial, but his iPod stayed in Tenerife, salvaged by some young street rat or other. And that is how Good Fellaz came to be.
This is much better than their previous demos and 7". Closing track is the handywork of Fácil-E from Muerte A La Muerte, bringin' the ruckus on this Akai MPC. Out on Super Soldier Tapes or you can listen to it online.