I’m not
following orders here I just wanted to include things that were the best in
2013. It’s lame because of how few non-USA bands have made the list. Bands from
all over the world send me your stuffs. I don’t wanna miss the good materials this
year. - vargyai.viktor at gmail.com
Top 8 lp
Gun Outfit
– Hard Coming Down (Post Present Medium)
Gun Outfit
sounds like music I have already heard but actually I have never heard such
music. Gun Outfit makes me recall memories I just wish i had. They bring me to
places where I haven’t been or want to go back. They write songs about life but
everything sounds better through their music. It’s so real and magical at the same
time. Every of their record is better than the one before and every of their
new record is their best. This band is amazing. Dream punk.
Society
Nurse – ST (Iron Lung Records)
This year
many bands have succeeded with writing a full length hardcore lp. Society Nurse
stands out with their disgusting, threatening, destruction filled, never
resting music. The vocals are angry as hell, the guitars remind me to Mecht
Mensch, I wanna run around and fall to the bass bridges or whatever the fuck
it’s called when hardcore music gets really groovy between two fast parts. This
record is pure rage, a beautiful piece of falling apart punk hardcore.
Una Bestia Incontrolable - Observant Com El Mon Es Destrueix (La Vida Es Un Mus)
This catalan
band carries the torch of amazing reverb spanish hardcore. Gathering psychotic
and psychedelic rotten sounds, mixing it with larger than life beats and channeling
through it dirty basements. Sometimes the guitars tell you more than the
singer’s howled angst. It’s a manic stuff for acid freak hardcore fans.
Hoax – ST (Self Released)
I did not
believe the hype. Although I have way to often found myself watching their live
sets on youtube at nights. There was something in the singer’s eyes that was
more frightening than his bleeding forehead. By doing this their sound has
grown on me and luckily the lp is nothing to get used to. From the first second
it’s the perfect echo of the vandalism this world is doing against the misfit
crowd. So they turned it up against the victimizers. It’s pure alienation,
suffering, desperation and running into the wall with nothing to lose. The
songs sound as crucial and heavy and noisy as it’s possible, there is filth
everywhere. Just look on the cover it’s so psychical you can say they put even
their bodies into this not just their fingertips. I hate cheap shots as
bleeding band members but with Hoax that should be the last thing to remember
after this LP.
Broken Prayer – ST (Sorry State)
I’ve never
been so friendly with the idea that punk needs progression. I like how diverse
it is with its million sub-genres but I felt no need from the music I love to
progress. What Broken Prayer does is a bit of progression. For me using
keyboards in Hardcore / Punk and leading their songs into something different
which is closer to slackerish indie rock is nothing alike. It might sounds horrible
but they are not just avoid failing with it but doing something amazing. If you
ever wondered how would Wrangler Bruts sound with a keyboard here you are. This
is so well thought, really something different while it still has the essences
of punk in its core. Amazing.
Vixens – ST (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Visceral
noise, ideas from all around, whatever happens, it has to happen. I only heard
this album two weeks ago but since then they can’t disappear from my playlist.
Amazing rage, what collapsing since forever but from these life ruins they
build a wall wherein assholes are not allowed to be. Total Void worship, don’t
be a fool this rules!!!!
Life Stinks – ST (S-S)
For some
reason proto and post punk sounds better at midnight. I have spent nights
listening to Modern Lovers, Velvet Underground’s European Son, early Pere Ubu
and The Fall. Life Stinks sounds like even at midday as you were listening to
these bands’ best songs at midnight. While you can hear these influences they
are adding some indescribably new to their sound. Could it be the distorted
bass, the desolated feelings, anything. They do not joke but it’s not as artsy
as it could be. More like cool punks trapped in a gallery for a weekend,
trashing painting, skating on sculptures, never sleeping. Sooo good!
Manipulation
– ST (Sorry State)
I don’t
know how much of a treasure were Talk is Poison and Deathreat when the punk
scene was influenced by labels and trends, not by bands themselves. Those dark medieval
times when there wasn’t a blog run by all of your housemates. But I do know
these two bands above are fucking cool and so does Manipulation who are heavily
influenced by such bands. And maybe a bit of Citizens Arrest. I love hardcore
but many times I love hardcore more when it’s played by punk, by freaks by
people in boots and not sneakers. When it’s hard because they are so fucking
angry not because they see how fucked up this world is not because they are
hurt by some of their friends are changing. Manipulation is this, its punk
music but punker than punk. Put it on and burn your local police station.
Top 6 mini lp
Tony Molina
– Dissed and Missed (Melters)
#1 thing of
2013? Getting together with my girlfriend. #2 of 2013? Listening to this album
after failed dates and in drunken loneliness.
No – The
Great Space (Static Shock)
Don’t know
what triggered the chaps of UK to form amazing hardcore bands every second day
but NO is winning this not easy game easily with putting out such ragger. What
the fuck is this? This is faster than high quality amphetamine. Put together
the fastest songs of Siege, some outer space noisy guitar parts and a bit of
DYS and play it on 90 rpm.
Flesh World – ST (La Vida Es Un Mus)
Flesh World – ST (La Vida Es Un Mus)
I trust
Jess Scott. I’m a huge fan of Brilliant Colors, loved the Index tape and this
is nothing less than the previously mentioned bands. This is dreamy, reminds me
of the weird and uncategorized feelings of NZ guitar bands, but its punk music
for those who are fine with weekends spent alone in their rooms having fun in
their own world, for travelers with no direction for bus rides at rainy middays.
The whole sound gives me the feelings of spinning. This band is something new,
something different, something amazing!
Stoic Violence – ST (Katorga Works / Video Disease)
Stoic Violence – ST (Katorga Works / Video Disease)
Are they
humans? This is raging hardcore punk played really well. Still there is
something more pushing every sound from the speakers, jumping on you, pulling
you down. They play this music as the angriest people in the world. It’s good
when not only the music sounds angry and fast but the people behind it.
Pleasure Leftists – ST (Deranged)
Pleasure Leftists – ST (Deranged)
I’m not a
huge fan of this goth-new and dark wave of punk that is the huge thing
nowadays. I thought Pleasure Leftists falls into this trend as well but I was
soo wrong. They do sound post punk, but it’s more like they used tamed punk to
raise the tension. Outsider music, while it’s not hard to listen to but kinda
hard to understand. Alienated voices from a gloomy world. Can’t wait to host
them in my room. They have deserved my pizza!
Sickoids – No Home (Sorry State/Grave Mistake)
Sickoids – No Home (Sorry State/Grave Mistake)
The sonic hymn-ness
of Hüsker Dü has disappeared. The raging aggression of Midwest hardcore stayed.
It got mixed with Japanese speed and a bit noise. Guitars are used amazingly
well here, maximum pedal core. The pace and part changings are unique. It toke
some time for me to get used to this record but they still are a hardcore/punk
power house, raging nerds. Also, Eric has become my ball brother in 2013 so
there you go!
Top 5 7'' inches
Good Throb
– Culture Vulture (Muscle Horse)
Loved their
previous 7” and this is no different. The conscious rage of Crass (or just the
accent – not sure) the heaviness of Negative Approach and the weirdness of
Desperate Bicycles. Get this foolz!
White Wards – Paint Huffer (Self Released)
All right,
so I haven’t heard this but I did hear the upcoming LP of what this is a sneak
peak. The lp will be the best thing in 2014 so whatever from that is pure gold.
Get into this or get out. Nah, not really stay even if you don’t like this.
Diat –
Everyday (Iron Lung)
Picked
their first 7” blindly from a distro after everyone said they are amazing and I
saw too many people wear their shirts. One of the best decisions of 2013. This
ep is gold too. So desolated, frustrating and distant. Post punk songs that
remind me of the second half of the first SODS lp. Sometimes spooky, mostly
slackerish paranoia. Even if there’s no tomorrow this makes the present better.
Gag - This Punk Shit Is Cool But I Hope I Am Rob Zombie When I Am 28 (Bedside Records)
They were
the band of 2013. Hope they will come out with an LP soon. This is infantile
hardcore/punk with catchy hooks that makes me wanna be at basements shows where
I can lose my shit. At the same time they remind me to SSD and No Trend. Puke
punk on your shoulder.
Die – ST
(Sonic Terro Discs)
Just as NO,
Die is delivering amazing hardcore / punk from UK. A tsunami of threatening
angst. Seems like some DYS represses has landed in the kingdom because they too
remind of that band. The guitars are crying, the drums are ignorant enough,
there is feedback and slow bass lines. Greatest record for stomping in the
loneliness of my room.
Top 5 demo tapes
Deformity
Wow. Most
of the bands I like are influenced by the early 80s hardcore, but they do play
and sound better than their roots. Altough it doesn’t mean they are better
bands. But this demo could have been made in the glory days it’s so pure, full
with real rage, mutant sounds and the rock and roll vibe. This is not garage
rock but among the high speed, distortion, misplayed notes there is that thing
what makes music the best thing. After sex and drugs.
Ivy
Ivy
An all-star
band with weird as fuck noise. This tape sounds like it was recorded by a tape
deck smashed in the opposite end of the room. Still I can hear everything.
Mostly that they know what makes a punk band great and unique. Nasty shit just
the way I like it.
The Smear
The Smear
I thought I
had enough of pop-garage-punk. I bet this band has some connection to Marked
Men. If not they are that essential too. Take Ramones, Misfits, Wipers and mix
them together, make them sound like only you get what they did and create something
new from them. Oh wait, you are too late The Smear has already done this.
Love Interest
Again I
don’t like modern day goth punk. But this band is recreating feelings not clichés
of a genre. There’s a party in your room, with pills and dystopian novels but
you haven’t invited anyone. This is good if you could relate to gloom.
Ajax
Ajax
High speed
hardcore punk not influenced by Oi but by skinhead violence. I can’t type more
about them they make me trash my room and pick a fight with my neighbors. They
play something that’s not unique but they are playing it uniquely good.
Top 4 Reissues
Urinals –
Negative Capability (In The Red)
Urinals is
the band. I love them. They are essential for my life. You know how they sound.
You have felt how they sound. You picked up a guitar and wished to create something
they did. It didn’t happen still you did something cool. URINALS URINALS
URINALS. Now you can buy all their songs on vinyl. ACK ACK ACK
Neo Boys – Sooner Or Later (K Records)
They say
punk is for outsiders. But mainly it’s just white, middle class males who are
depressed. Most of the times because of they are single or young and clueless. So
when the real outcasts of this world plays punk it’s something different, it’s
more real and whatever they do it fits just right. Neo Boys were girls making
noise and this is just great. As the record goes further and I have heard more
songs it just grows on me. People recreating their own universe. This is real!
Division
Four – 1983 (Smartguy)
What a
treasure. It toke some time to believe this is really from ’83. Brought me the
same feelings when I heard Death for the first time. Division Four is
futuristic amphetamine Oi, played by scared weirdoes. It sounds like Kubrick
hired them to score Clockwork Orange II but the whole project failed so this
demo landed in a box. How could we live without this? Who knew about it? Why
wasn’t anybody told anything about them? One of the best things…EVER!!!
Deep Wound – ST (Armageddon Shop)
Perfect,
awkward, teenage bedroom noise. Total geek band with virgins who locked
themselves in basements to release their angst. It happened and it turned out
super fast, falling apart, distorted chaos. Why am I describing this to you? If
you don’t know them why do you care about me? This 7” is better than whatever I’ve
done.
1 comment:
I love that you love Mecht Mensch
Post a Comment