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Like make furniture. I have yet to see a bunch of punks make furniture. It's not particularly difficult, and it doesn't require more skill than burning a screen, nor more money to start than a record label. It does require a love of carpentry, lots of hard work and attention to detail. It's just funny how a lot of people talk about doing it ourselves and then go to spend a lot of hard earned money on something that could be provided from within the punk rock scene. And the other aspect is that everyone with a roof over their head needs furniture. Even those with low income like some students, most wage slaves and almost all the working class. And there is enough design sense out there to design something functional and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Car repair. Yep, cars are evil. They are most definitely one of the worst, consumeristic, money trap garbage capitalistic pig inventions of this century. But when cars break down (and they do) you need to take it to someone you can trust. Unfortunate as it is, I don't know if that service could be provided by punks, seeing as trust is something that is lacking within our scene nowadays. Okay, I'm being a bit sarcastic, but it could be done. I know a few punks that know a lot about cars and they could teach even the basic stuff to people. That is another service that could be provided by punks to keep money within our subculture.
What about food? Yep, we do have food co-ops to buy food at, and Food Not Bombs to give food away to the poor, but what about us hungry punks who can afford to get something to eat, but don't really want to cook for ourselves? There's another need to fill, that wouldn't be too difficult to achieve (hell, there's enough punk dishwashers, short order cooks and clean up that we could have a whole chain of punk restaurants). While this is not in direct connection to D.I.Y., it is a way of subverting capital away from big business and into small business, and more importantly, small business that treat it's workforce right. And even more importantly, businesses that have a conscience about the world we live in. We run record stores, graphic design houses and clothing shops. Why not restaurants and everything else?
Maybe we need to be serious about the rhetoric that we've listened to and (some of us) believe in and think about forming something that might have some impact outside the punk rock world. As great as the punk rock realm is, it is incredibly insular. And by being so insular, our perspective often gets skewed. For instance, according to most punk rock people in the know, His Hero Is Gone is a big and popular band. They've probably sold 10,000 records. The world has about six billion people. That works out to about one His Hero Is Gone record for every 600,000 people. I hope that puts punk rock in perspective.
Maybe, if this idea of D.I.Y. can be expanded further than it is currently languishing in (records, magazines, clothing), maybe something will change. Otherwise, I think D.I.Y. will mean absolutely shit all except that these t-shirts, records or fanzines are D.I.Y.; turning the D.I.Y. concept into a status symbol like a little Polo tag on a sweater. Already D.I.Y. has obtained a status of cool (which is a whole different rant and rave), and is being used as a marketing ploy (several ads have in the past used D.I.Y. as a "selling" point). I know that records and t-shirts (and I guess, fanzines) are great, but they aren't going to change a fucking thing on this planet. Maybe. Nothing will change. Not without some thought from the people that wear those t-shirts or listen carefully to that record.
SNAKE FIST NINJA
Starring: Yackie Chan, Juan Hsao Ten, Shth tien, and Han Kuo Tasi.
Director: Chin Hsin
RATINGS (out of 4): COMBAT-3 DIALOGUE-2 STORY-2 FLOW-1 PICTURE-2
This film starts with an action sequence where an evil, longhaired Emperor executes one of his right hand men for not obeying orders. The dead man's son is left without a father and is taken under the wing of an old martial arts expert. The master of course, trains the boy. The part of the young student is played by Yackie Chan whose character is "ironically" called Jackie Chan. Young Jackie works at a local restaurant which is being terrorized by a gang of thugs. Jackie soon makes enemies with the gang and ends up fighting off the gang single handedly; who bring shame to their boss (the Emperor at the beginning of the film). Jackie's stepfather hears of the troubles at the restaurant and orders Jackie not to fight at all, which causes Jackie to end up being beaten up badly. It is not until his sister is threatened that Jackie is forced into a fight.
When Jackie's trainer learns of his reluctance to fight, the trainer gets angry and scolds poor Jackie, who then vows never to let the thugs get the better of him. Which is really good timing, because the restaurant owner is now being threatened by a tax collector demanding money to not shut down the restaurant. The taxman incidentally, is a real goofball (that kind of reminds me of Screech from Saved From The Bell). The taxman is so high on himself that he believes that he can fight!
Jackie and his teacher set out to go to the taxman's house to reason with him, the tax collector challenges the master to a duel (which turns out to be the funniest part of the movie). At first the taxman tries to use the hawk and crane styles of kung fu. When these pathetic versions fail against the master (who is having a good laugh at all this), the taxman eats a can of spinach and tries the "Popeye Special", complete with Popeye music. That style doesn't go so well either, and in all the taxman's efforts the only thing he hits is the master's backside with the "Death Grip", to which the master replies, "That is a very dangerous area!" and proceeds to fart on him. That ends the fight.
While all this is going on, the gang's evil Emperor is still out to get Jackie. After a couple of Jackie's friends turn up dead, the Emperor sends out a chubby disciple who uses the "fish style" kung fu (Very effective? No.). When the clash between Jackie and the Emperor finally does occur, a long battle between the two happens.
THE DRAGON VS. NEEDLES OF DEATH
Starring: Ko Fon, Die Chen, Wong Ping.
Director: Chong Kou Hong
RATING (out of 4): COMBAT-4 DIALOGUE-3 STORY-3 FLOW-1 PICTURE-2
The second film in this double feature begins with our hero Chung joining a Kung Fu school. All the other students notice the fact that Chung doesn't appear to know how to fight, and begin to ridicule him for his lack of talent. The other students also have it in for Chung as they spread rumours about him and even accuse him of betraying the school when he is seen alone with the teachers girlfriend, Mae Li. Going against the student body, the teacher Sammi befriends Chung. Both agree to train each other in their respective skills (for Sammi kung fu and Chung nail throwing). And Sammi promises to keep Chung's nail throwing a secret. All the while, Mae Li begins to fall in love with Chung. Chung, not wishing to betray his teacher, tries to resist her advances, but he ends up falling for her. Unfortunately, some of the students see the two together and go tell Sammi. Ashamed and dishonoured, Chung runs away. Meanwhile, Sammi's family is being terrorized by, you guessed it, a tax collecting gang of thugs. This all leads to a brutal confrontation with the gang. In all the chaos, Sammi meets his birth father for the first time.
Chung is also having problems. While trying to make a living, he soon finds himself in dangerous territory. Wile trying to protect the lives of his fellow workers, the same gang of tax collectors that were after Sammi, attack Chung. Chung then makes a deal with the leader of the gang, to save himself and his co-workers. Chung agrees to do a favour for the gang leader, who orders Chung to assassinate another man, Sammiıs mentor. After killing the man with his nail throwing technique, Chung hides in shame again. Sammi discovers the death of his mentor, and recognizing the way in which his mentor was killed, he vows revenge against Chung.
The two eventually meet, but not before they fight side by side against vicious gang leader. After a long fight, and disposing of the gang, they turn to fight each other. In the end, the conclusion is one of regret, and sorrow from both men, with deadly consequences.
'Til next time, J. Anxiety, XYZed fanzine.
THE OLD PLAYERS
Las Abejas - the bees of civil society, supporters of the Zapatistas
EZLN - the Zapatista Army
FZLN - the political support group (or friends) of the Zapatistas
PRI - the current ruling party of Mexico
PRD - leftist Party of the Democratic Revolution
COCOPA - Congress Peace Commission
THE NEW PLAYERS
Guardias blancas-small, loosely-structured groups of hired assassins usually payed off by local politicians, landholders, ranchers, or caciques in order to quell opposition or "solve" land disputes the old-fashioned way- they have existed in Chiapas since before the times of the Mexican Revolution.
The paramilitary groups differ from guardias blancas because they are usually formed with a military structure their members undergo military training; they control territory; and they are usually created not by local ranchers or caciques, but rather by local PRI party leaders (some of whom are mayors, state deputies, and federal deputies), public security police, and elements of the Mexican Army.
DEC 21 1997-When Ricardo Rocha was preparing to air the second part of his documentary on Chiapas, Televisa suddenly announced that the reporter had "gone on vacation", and that the program would not be shown. Sources in the Interior Ministry had called the network that morning to let them know it would be a "violation of National Security" to air the second half of the documentary.
NOV 17 1997-In Chenalho, paramilitary violence takes a turn for the worse and sympathizers of the EZLN and PRD are forced to flee from at least 10 highland communities en masse. The following day, agents of the State Public Security police, along with several members of paramilitary groups, burst into the Chenalho community of Aurora Chica. Before they leave, they murder two women and two young boys, shooting them in the back before cutting off their forearms with machetes.
DEC 1997- More than 5,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in the highlands under the threat of death. Some take refuge in nearby towns or villages; others hide out in the mountains.
DEC 5 1997- Municipal authorities representing the PRI government of Chenalho agree to begin a dialogue with leaders of the parallel Autonomous Municipal Council (made up of EZLN and PRD sympathizers based in the Chenalho community of Polho), in order to reduce tensions and establish a "co-habitation" agreement.
DEC 11 1997- The talks begin in the community of El Limar (halfway between Polho and the municipal center of Chenalho). With witnesses present, both sides sign a non-aggression pact and agree to establish a Verification Commission in order to ensure compliance with the pact. They schedule to meet again on December 19.
DEC 18 1997-PRI militants begin establishing illegal armed roadblocks throughout the highlands, detaining anyone suspected of sympathizing with the EZLN. Both military and police patrols pass by the checkpoints without interfering.
DEC 19 1997- The official PRI government of Chenalho, led by Jacinto Arias Cruz, break off the dialogue with the Autonomous Municipal Council. The explaination from Arias was that the Autonomous Council had broken the non-aggression treaty, by kidnapping and holding hostage Vicente Perez Perez, a nearly deaf PRI member. Later, Perez Perez was found. He had actually joined Las Abejas after becoming increasingly disillusioned with the actions of the PRI. He, along with 20 other members of Las Abejas, had been kidnapped by PRI militants on November 19 and was then held in a paramilitary encampment in Pechequil against his will; he managed to escape to the refugee camp of Cacateal on December 18. His escape was thus ironically condemned by his former captors as a "kidnapping".
DEC 21 1997- The bishops of San Cristobal de las Casas, Samuel Ruiz and Raul Vera, send an urgent message to the Interior Minister of the State of Chiapas, warning of a possible attack against indigenous communities in the municipality of Chenalho.
DEC 22 1997- A paramilitary squad- about 60 heavily armed participants descend on the village of Acteal, inhabited primarily by refugees of other communities and members of Las Abejas.
The attackers surrounded the village and then opened fire simultaneously on the 350 people participating in a prayer service outside the church, primarily women and children. Most of those who were wounded were shot again or hacked to pieces until the attackers were sure they were dead.
Evidence indicates that the state government was well aware of what was happening in Acteal, and used its own police forces to either back up the attackers, or simply allow them to carry out their plans and escape without interference.
When the shooting stopped, a total of 45 Tzotzil refugees had been slaughtered. 25 others were wounded, nearly all of them belonged to Las Abejas. The vast majority in both cases were women and children.
DEC 1997- Names of paramilitary leaders are published in newspapers and magazines. La Jornada published the full text of an agreement (along with a photo of the original document) between the state government and the notorious paramilitary groups Desarrollo and Paz y Justicia. The article goes on to acknowledge the transfer of 4 600 000 pesos (about US $575,000) of government funds into the coffers of the paramilitary organization. The document was signed by Chiapas governor Julio Cesar Ruiz Ferro, General Mario Renin Castillo, and members of Paz y Justicia.
JAN 1-9 1998- The federal army entered several Zapatista communities to destroy and steal possessions belonging to the Tzeltal inhabitants; detain, beat and arrest Zapatista supporters and intimidate the general population. In one incident January 9, in the village of 10 de Mayo), the federal army entered with 10 transport vehicles full of troops, public security police, and judicial police, all under the direction of four well-known PRI militants from La Laguna. A group of 50 women and children were verbally and physically attacked after they tried to block the army from entering their community. 16 women and 9 children were injured.
JAN 12 1998- During a march of more than 6,000 people through Ocosingo, Chiapas, in protest of the massacre at Acteal and the subsequent militarization of indigenous communities in the region, the state police opened fire on the demonstrators. Using tear gas and live ammunition, the police killed one indigenous woman and wounded her baby, and severely wounded another man.
JAN 12 1998- One of the largest pro-Zapatista demonstrations Mexico City had seen, occurs. No one seemed to be sure of the numbers; the figures ranged from 80,000 to 300,000 people.
JAN18 1998- Close to 2,000 Tzeltal and Tojolabal demonstrators, representing a wide variety of local indigenous and campesino organizations, march to the brand-new headquarters of the 39th Military Zone in the municipality of Ocosingo. They peacefully occupy the 800-troop base for 53 minutes, while shouting slogans in support of the EZLN and against the army presence in their communities.
JAN 18-30 1998-The federal army continues to set up roadblocks and checkpoints in the region, meanwhile the government's new chief negotiator for dialogue in Chiapas, Emilio Rabasa Gamboa, spent the two weeks publicly contradicting the military in their press statements, leading many to wonder who was really in charge.
FEB 1-14 1998-Military incursions into Zapatista communities continue, as the Federal Army establish dozens of new roadblocks across the state, entered at least nine communities looking for arms, and began moving heavy military equipment deep into the Lacandon jungle.
FEB16 1998- The second anniversary of the San Andres Accords, the main plaza of San Cristobal de las Casas was inundated by thousands of ski-masked Tzotzil demonstrators who demanded immediate government compliance with the accords and warned that Chiapas is "far from achieving a just and dignified peace."
FEB 22-23 1998-The federal army halted land and air patrols near La Realidad during observers' visits.
FEB 27 1998- Military incursions continue, as a squadron of 60 soldiers invaded the El Bosque Regional Center of Eco-Development in the municipality of San Juan de la Libertad (El Bosque). The army had two explanations for its presence: first, that the Center -a Non-Governmental Organization- was actually "guerrilla training camp"; and second, that it "seemed like a good place to establish a military encampment."
MAR 3 1998- Responding to a new peace initiative, Zapatista rebels agreed to resume negotiations but doubted that the government would accept their conditions, according to news reports.
MAR 7 1998 Police and army troops in southern Chiapas arrested 89 rebel sympathizers in a protest at a Ocosingo jail that led to the escape of 46 inmates. The jailbreak came after protesters from the National Lombardist Union, a labor group that sympathizes with Zapatista rebels, forced their way into the jail while protesting the army presence in Chiapas.
APR 10 1998- Indians from across Mexico descend upon Mexico City to demand constitutional rights and an end to the Chiapas conflict.
APR 11-12 1998- 12 foreigners (later expelled from the country) and 11 indigenous people (2 human rights observers) have been detained (later transferred to Cerro Hueco penitentiary in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas), adding to the list of political prisoners who are found in that jail); around 1500 members of the army and both state and federal police prevented the formation of the Autonomous Municipality "Ricardo Flores Magon" which had been founded the evening before in Ocosingo, Chiapas.
MAY 1 1998- the autonomous municipality of Tierra Y Libertad was attacked and taken apart by approximately 1300 members of the various security forces. This municipality exists parallel to Amparo Aguatinta. The members of the Autonomous Council were pointed out by people from within the community, five of them were arrested, beaten and later tied and carried outside the community. Other supporters were beaten and two of them wounded by bullets. 50 to 60 people were arrested or taken from the community by the police.
MAY 3 1998 - Most of the Indians arrested are released. Meanwhile, 134 Italian human rights observers arrive in Chiapas and say they would try to visit Amparo Aguatinta because of stories of human rights abuses during the raid. The authorities freed 45 of 53 Zapatista sympathizers held after police and troops broke up the community. Eight Guatemalans also detained, were handed over to immigration authorities.
MAY 13 1998-For the communities, the largest concentration of fires coincides with the "'conflict zone", that is, where the indigenous population lives, where there exist autonomous municipalities, where the EZLN and their supporting bases move; hundreds of resisting communities. Although there are no existing proofs (which is typical) the incendiary proliferation in zones of conflict is "normal" during contra-insurgency campaigns.
MAY 29 1998-Zedillo urged both supporters and foes of the Zapatista rebels to avoid violence and to trust the government to seek justice. His comments came as Amnesty International criticized the Mexican government for imposing visa and other travel restrictions on foreign observers, saying they will compound problems facing human rights monitors in Mexico. Zedilloıs government imposed the new limitations this week, after recently expelling dozens of foreign observers who had visited Chiapas.
JUNE 1998 - Protests against the renewed violence occur in Canada, US, Europe.
JUN1 1998- A truckload of reporters and TV crews from Televisa and TV Azteca arrived in Aguascalientes IV, in Morelia. They had come to report on the dissolution of the Autonomous Municipality of 17 de Noviembre. They were bearing copies of a press release from the Chiapas State Secretary of the Interior that trumpeted the news that an overwhelming majority of the ejidatarios of Morelia had decided to return to the state of legality, denouncing the Autonomous Municipality, repenting for their past transgressions and asking to be welcomed back into the ruling party, the PRI. They refused to be forced to accept a new name and a new governmental structure. According to one person whose name and signature were on the document, he had never seen it and had no idea what was going on. Many of the signatures were from people who had moved out of Morelia in the aftermath of the uprising in January 1994.
JUN 3 1998- 1000-3000 members of the Mexican Army, Public Security of the State, State and Federal Judicial Police (wearing ski masks), and white guards like "the chinchulines" invade the community of Nicholas Ruiz. The police threw tear gas and shot high powered guns everywhere. There is a large number of injured among the men, women, and children. 167 persons were detained or are missing. The governor said the raid was peaceful, but television images showed state police kicking people and beating them.
JUN 7 1998-Bishop Ruiz resigns as peace negotiator from CONAI. Bishop Ruiz has been a central figure in the 4 1/2-year-old conflict from the start, serving as leader of the National Mediation Commission (CONAI).
JUN 10-11 1998- 23 Zapatista supporters are killed and 69 more are arrested in violence that claims 3 members of the police and injured 6 more.
JUN 13 1998- UN condemns the further escalation of violence and the movement away from dialogue.
JUL 2 1998- Ernesto Zedillo, on a whirlwind tour through the troubled state of Chiapas, impatiently issued what sounded like a last call to the Zapatista rebels on Wednesday to return to peace talks, which lapsed a year and a half ago.
JUL 17 1998- Marcos breaks his silence (and ends speculation about himself) as he comments on the attacks in late May and June.
SEPT 12 1998- EZLN and Subcommandante Marcos release a statement accusing the state and federal governments of stealing humanitarian aid and have multiplied the flood waters' destructive effects. What aid is received, is received by people who pledge their support for the PRI in the next election (on Oct 4).
OCT 20 1998- The International Committee of the Red Cross has announced that it will once more take over in assisting the displaced in Chiapas. They will take charge of the coordination of the funds and the supervision of relief operations, following the mismanagement scandal with the Mexican Red Cross.
OCT 27 1998- The federal army conducts maneuvers and a mock take over of the aguascalientes of La Realidad, which are intensifying since the EZLN made public the decision to re-establish contact with the Congress of the Union (both the government) and its announcement of a dialogue between the EZLN and civil society on November 20-22.
OCT 30 1998- Federal soldiers entered into the Autonomous Municipality of Polho. No one was injured during the soldiers presence.
NOV 1998- Human rights groups in Chiapas still complain of a lack of aid.
NOV 3 1998- In Mexicali, Ms. Maria Eugenia Romero, and her five year old daughter, were detained when she went to the airport in that city to pick up a package sent from the FZLN in Mexico City. When she appeared, she found PGR agents going through the contents of the package (which was no more than shirts and cultural posters); these agents then detained and then interrogated her. She was released with the help of some human rights groups. Later that night, the FZLN offices in Mexico City are broken into.
NOV 6 1998- Leaders of the Zapatista Army for National Liberation (EZLN) announced that they will come down from the mountains on November 20 to meet with legislators seeking a peaceful solution to the conflict in Chiapas. The meeting, the first for over two years, will renew direct talks between the Zapatistas and the (COCOPA) formed to mediate in the conflict.
Sources: Reuters, AP, BBC press releases.
On-line resources available from http://www.eco.utexas.edu:80/Homepages/Faculty/Cleaver/chiapas95.html and http://www.oocities.org/Athens/Oracle/2447/ds8.html#BASTA.
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Ahhhhh, Kentucky Fried Humans. The other white meat/culture. I liked the current campagin for pork's slogan, "the other white meat". I originally thought of doing a bastardization of a Gap ad for the other white cardigan, changing it to the other white culture, but this is the best I could do. |
| Another running theme, cops. Recently, police and helicopters have been in the news lately. When I scored this graphic, the cops wanted to use hollow tip bullets. More and more like an armed force, less and less to serve the community. |  |
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Sometimes life is captured in the form of a photograph that confirms a belief unquestioningly. This is such a photograph, and it confirms that modern churches are merely temples of worship and places that collect dollars. If you can't read the sign in the picture, it reads, "We trust God with salvation, why not money?". Photo by Wain Weldin. |
| If you can't read the small text here it is: TAX COLLECTOR: Beer is a mighty important tax-payer. Public revenues from beer exceed 400 million dollars a year...more than a million dollars every day. And remember, beer taxes make other taxes lower. BUSINESS MAN: The return of beer has brought increased business volume to more than 100 industries supplying materialls and service, making more jobs for workers. Beer benefits business everywhere. POLICE CHIEF: Beer is on the side of law and order...the brewersare actively cooperating with law enforcement officials to stamp out any conditions not in the public interest that may exist where beer is sold. |
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DEATHREAT-self titled-7"
More Memphis mayhem. Features members of HIS HERO IS GONE. Eight fast,short, thrashy songs recorded live in one take. I think this is the best record I've heard in a long time, it captures the spirit and energy of real hardcore-if I may be so bold.
(Prank via Mordam Records)
9 SHOCKS TERROR-Earth, Wind And The Sheik Throwing Fire-7"
Fuck. Fuck me. Fuck me now. No, wait. Better yet, just bash my useless skull in with a hammer to the tune of 9 SHOCKS TERROR. This is ex H-100'S and has the same fuck you attitude, bratty, pissed off vocals and raunchy, thrashing sound. Cleveland breeds hatred.
(River On Fire)
SMASH YOUR FACE-To Get New Blood-7"
More radness from Japan, rumoured to be on tour in North America this summer (1998). 2 songs, fast, punk-ass. Sounds like their I Will Get You/Dissapear Everything 7". Look for a full length LP soon.
(Ride On)
NO REASON-7"
Straight up, youth-crew-ass hardcore from Buffalo. Fast, furious, formulaic. Songs about dirty sellouts and good stuff like that. See them live or eat shit.
(Immigrant Sun Records)
HAIL MARY-Crashing Down-7"
What does it say about this stale, fake, bullshit handjob of a "subculture" (laughter and applause) whent he only good bands are derivatives of other good bands that sounded like even older seminal hardcore bands? I'm tempted to believe that hardcore sounded good and meant something at some point. Now that's wacky. Anyway, HAIL MARY, ex-EUCHARIST, sound like BORN AGAINST. On Vermiform. Go figure.
(Vermiform)
LEFT FOR DEAD/ACRID-Hacked To Pieces-LP
Blatant self-promotion. LEFT FOR DEAD kicks ass. Shut up. ACRID is gutteral and grindy. BLACK SABBATH meets AMEBIX. LEFT FOR DEAD songs are short, fast and hateful. If SLAPSHOT weren't pussies, they'd sound like this. Buy it 'cause it's shaped like a sawblade.
(No Idea Records)
And now some more stuff reviewed by your humble web bastard..
FOUR MAN MARCH-The Luckiest Man Alive-7"
When I first put this on, I was severely disappointed. Disappointed that it didn't sound like the first couple of times that I saw this band, which, as a sidebar, was mind blowing. The sound was huge, the band was tight, and I was blown away. Now, almost a month later, I listen to it again, and I really enjoy it. I don't know what sounded wrong then, but it doesn't seem to be happening now. Now for the inevitable comparisons, well to start they have a SHOTMAKER feel, but not the sound (except for the rumbling, overdriven bass). The vocals are screamed, like another local band MANCHURIAN CANDIDATES. The cover is hand screened and is well done. The insert is really hard to read though.
(Four Man March).
AMBASSADOR 990-7"
This band, besides being from a cool town like Columbus, Ohio, are pretty rad. With jangly guitars, driving drums and that spoken/screamed vocal combination-they sound good. It's on white and grey swirly vinyl. Almost like FOUR HUNDRED YEARS. I think this is their debut, and it is good.
(Voice Of The Sky)
FED BY RAVENS-7"
I honestly picked this up because it looked really, really good. It is that chugga-chugga metal that the kids with big pants love. Oh god. The sticker is sooo awful. That faux-scary Obituary writing. And there is the dedication to Christ, and several references to God. Well, at least they don't have an anti-abortion song, yet.
(Apathy Press Records)
REMINGTIN-7"
The first song side sounds like YOUNG PIONEERS mixed with any band that has insane stops and starts. Really well done. The other side, starts with that drone-emo sound. Then crashes into a mid-tempo jobber that satisfies the hardcore kid in emo packaging. Speaking of packaging, this single comes in a paper bag and pressed on white vinyl.
(Voice Of The Sky)
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATES-Dead New World-7"
This is the best Manchurian Candidates stuff yet. Gruff, thick production, angry as fuck vocals, great political lyrics, and nice packaging, What else do you need?
(Denied A Custom)
LEFT FOR DEAD/OCHRE-split-7"
LEFT FOR DEAD are all they are cracked up to be. Pissed off, angry lyrics, old and new school hardcore influences, a bit like D.R.I. (pre-"Crossover") and a punchier SICK OF IT ALL. 5 songs, one side should say it all. OCHRE are not LEFT FOR DEAD. But they kinda' go off in that 97A vein, speedy, changes at the drop of a hat. Well, that describes the first song. The second is a plodding piece that should've been left in the melodramic age of chugga-chugga metal. The third song, "On The Horizon" is a RORSCHACH-esque song that doesn't disappoint. Pretty good stuff overall.
(Phyte Records)
THENCEFORTHPSYCHICHEARTS-The Sky Is Falling-7"
Ususally, unsolicited mail sucks. This doesn't rock the house down, but it is in the top half of the zine related pile of junk. I recieved this a while back, and didn't play it. Mid-tempo alternative rock a la SOUNDGARDEN with a more emo-pop tinge. That sums up the first song, which by the way, was too long. Second side. Yikes! A wah-wah effect...going downhill fast. The college rock of the 80's strikes again. I can't take it. A minute into the VERY repetitive second side, I cut the power and smash everything in a fit of rage against the sheer self-indugence of the piece of poop. Damn, it had promise.
(Airborne Virus)
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN TRAITORS/KWISATZ HADERACH-split-7"
ENCYCLOPEDIA are brutal. And good. Does that make them brutally good? Probably. But they are one of the few new bands that make me get up off the couch and jump around like I used to do with the first couple of BLACK FLAG albums I owned. Fast, quirky, and angry. And political (a big plus in these days). I had a fuck of a time trying to figure out what the other band was, and so I found it out via the Ebullition home page. KWISATZ HADERACH aren't bad themselves. Anthematic like UNION OF URANUS were, or for those not in the know, full of gigantic sounding guitars and multiple vocalists, all of them making heavy and chaotic music. Good stuff.
(try Ebullition)
FOUR HUNDRED YEARS-Transmit Failure-LP
Why do the records that one really enjoy seem to fly by so quickly? Herky-jerky song structures that allow for a song to take a 180 degree turn at any time in the song. Quiet and raging, not as flat out fast as the Suture EP, this is good, but a bit more challenging. The cover is beautiful and the lyrics are as well.
(Lovitt Records)
MEADOWLARK-7"
Okay, I have friends that are in this band. But they're good I tell you, good. This is way better than the several times I've seen them live and in living colour. Again, anthematic sounding hardcore thatıs relevant and will get your head nodding. Well produced. Also includes a lyric/explaination booklet thingie.
(Highwater Records)
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS/SHORT HATE TEMPER-split7"
These local folks make good on their promise to put their shit in a document for the history buffs to dig up later. SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (a.k.a. The Quakers) are the heir apparent to the power violence throne of central Texas. No shit, these people need to be seen to believed. SHORT HATE TEMPER was great while together, as this document will testify. Both bands strike out against mediocrity in the power violence genre.
(625 Records)
JEREMIN-7"
To be honest, if a choice comes down between two items, I will buy the better looking one. That is the case with this 7". Boy am I glad I did it that way. Gorgeous cover and inserts, the music is dynamic (it has soft and loud parts) and rhythmic and thick and huge. You can't go wrong with this if you like modern, late 90ıs hardcore.
(King Of The Monsters)
MKULTRA/SEEIN' RED-A Network Of Friends Pt. 3-LP
I have been amazingly blessed with my purchases of late, and this is no exception. I love anything that Coalition puts out. SEEIN' RED is a great band, period. MK ULTRA rocks the house. It's all good. That's the story, this is beautiful.
(Coalition Records)
YAPHET KOTTO-The Killer Was In The Government Blankets-LP
After this bandıs 7", I was worried that this might stink. Not that the single was bad or anything, just that sometimes a band can put out a good 7" and not be able to sustain the drive or quality throughout an LP. This is not one of those bands. Combing the emo genre for innovative bits and pieces,but cranking it up to the hardcore level. Thoughtful lyrics, solid packaging, another winner from Ebullition. Shut up and go purchase this in mass quantites.
(Ebullition Records)
L.E.S STICHES-STAJA98L.E.S.-CD
I kindaı like this. Yer basic streetpunk stuff ala RANCID (although Iım sure they hate that comparison, itıs sooo fucking true). Lyrics are pretty basic, along the lines of life sucks and the variations on that theme. OK stuff, not ground breaking or earth shattering, but I donıt think that was this bandıs point. Apparently ex-Radicts.
(Ng Records)
THE STRAP-ONS-this is the last straw-CD
This reminds me of old Doug Moody/Mystic bands. Especially the bands on those We Got Party comps. Rough sounding, straight ahead punk rock with semi-serious lyrics.
(Bizerk Records)
TALK IS POISON-Control-7"
Plainly said, this is why I still listen to hardcore-punk-rock-whatever-this-subgenre-is-today. This is what hardcore sounded like when I got involved. Four songs, 45 RPM; shut up go purchase this now.
(Prank via Mordam Records)