After going to London recently and probably buying more records than I could afford, it’s been a bit of a lean month. But I do have a new turntable; my old one still worked, but it was cheap and tinny and had a few little quirks that annoyed me, so I was on the hunt for a new one. After internet searches and getting both my dad and a mate on the case I decided on one that was reasonably priced (for a turntable) but decent quality.
The first record I tried out was the Treblinka LP I got off my friend Ralf in Brighton. Operating the turntable was so much more satisfying, it felt solid, like a proper record player should, and when the needle hit the vinyl the difference was instantly noticeable. So much so that initially I wondered if it was just because I really wanted it to be better that it sounded as good as it did, but no, it really did sound better. The music seemed somehow warmer (no really it did) and more intense, it was like I could now hear the record as the band would have wanted me to hear it. My vinyl playing love affair has now reached a new level of intensity.
One record I did buy last week was the 7” by The Lowest Form, I saw it in London but it was really too expensive for me to buy, so as soon as I’d been paid I sent to La Vida Es Un Mus for it, and boy was it worth the wait; blistering, chaotic hardcore that was brimming over with energetic intensity.
Alex at Grave Mistake Records is a good sort, and he has just sent over his two new releases for me to review. For some reason I wasn't sure that I was going to like the Bad Advice one, so it was the Sectarian Violence EP that I reached for first. It's a good, hard hitting record that I was sure would prove to be the best of the two, but I was blown away by Bad Advice, it's a great EP bringing to mind those great early USHC bands; I'm so pleased my baseless feelings about this record turned out to be so wide of the mark. Check out the Grave MIstake bandcamp page…
I also bought a couple of copies of each for the distro.
Static Shock are putting out the debut NO record; a band that features ex Shitty Limits and Sceptres people. I should have copies of that record for the distro next week. Listening to the track on the Static Shock website has certainly got me looking forward to hearing it all. I'm also getting in a couple of copies of the Brain F≠ LP on Static Shock too.
On Saturday morning, after finding a good price for a return ticket, I took a train to Brighton. I had a re-print of SD#35 to pick up from Buz at Punker Bunker, and I also went to see Darren Tadpole as he had some records for me to review. They are all releases from Loud Punk Records; Germ Attak "Fear Of THe Unknown" and Civil Victim "No False Hope" LPs, plus EPs from The Diskonected, External Menace and Neutron Rats. I haven't played it all yet but Civil Victim and Germ Attak sound pretty damn good, one with a UK82 type sound and one with an early USHC vibe. That's all good with me.
Soon, The Shorts are going back to the studio to record four new songs, we will then put out a seven track 7". I didn't ever think that SD would release another record, but if we don't no one else is going to do it.
Right, I need to get some reviewing done….
