LOS LOCOS

Killer collection of Latin American punk rock and dark punk. Heaps of bands I was unfamiliar with (8 BOLAS, TODOS TUS ROUERTOS, POLO PEPO) and some that most studious punks will be familiar with (INOCENTES, AS MERCENARIAS, LEUZEMIA, ALERTA ROJA). Top tracks: LUXURIA's "Luxuria Insatisfecha" and the hopelessly out of tune untitled creamer from SIZE. First side is punk, and then the flip ventures into the new wave/goth sounds of the '80s...this is why mix tapes (still) rule.

LOS LOCOS - A Latino Punk Mixtape For The Punks

NO MORIR SI!

In short, this is a killer compilation of South American punk and hardcore, nothing short of essential. A lengthier description would include meeting a member of FRACASO in Vancouver a few weeks back and having a great time hanging out and talking about punk and politics and life and then he gave me this tape he made for a friend. That bit of background isn't really all that much longer, but you should be spending your day listening to this tape, not reading my words.

NO MORIR SI!

RATAS RABIÖSAS

Instead of asking why, it might be better to just play this shit at maximum volume. RATAS RABIÖSAS are raw as shit, vocals distorted to oblivion and packed with intensity while the band tupa-tupas their way through fifteen minutes of primal punk rock stripped down to the barest of essentials. Song titles were tough to navigate on this one, so the tracks are merely numbered (notice I've included the band's song titles, so you are welcome to decipher for yourself). This is not pretty.

RATAS RABIOSÄS

DESTRUYE, HUYE, KREA

The folks at Alta Intensidaz Tapes can seemingly do no wrong. The MIERDA tape rules, SENTENCIA still gets regular spins at TEHQ, and this gem from 2009 is perfectly raw Spanish styled punk, surging forward with the subtlety of a tidal wave. The bass at the start of "Jode Lo Maz Ke Puedaz" personifies the ramshackle descriptor, this is lo-fi punk at it's absolute best.

ODIO TU KUMBIA MODERNA

LATINOCORE

I've toured a lot. I've played shows in places that many people might consider weird or off the beaten path, and I consider myself very lucky to have done so. But FUKK do I want to do an extensive tour in South America, and this tape comp only makes it worse. Well over an hour of raw and uncompromising sounds from Peru (SABOTAJE, AUTONOMIA, DISPAREUNIA, DISLEXIA), Ecuador (INNFELICES, LA DEMENCIA EXTREMA), Colombia (POLIKARPA Y SUS VICIOSAS, EX-KOMBRO, OPOZICIÓN - love the fukkn horns!), Chile (SIN APOYO), Uruguay (BASQUADE INCHALA), Paraguay (200 MUERTOS), Argentina (DISVASTACION, MIGRA VIOLENTA), Venuzuela (APATIA NO, KOLUMPIO BANKITO) and Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, Brasil, Bolivia (I am racking my brain trying to remember is PSICOSIS SOCIAL was the band we went to see in La Paz in 2002, but I swear that band played DEEP PURPLE covers and not raw metallic hardcore)....fukk man, this shit is beyond comprehensive. The emphasis is on hardcore punk, and the level of quality is outstanding. 49 songs from 31 bands, fans of international hardcore and the world of underground DIY would be remiss to pass this one up.

LATINOCORE I

LATINOCORE II

In a rare diversion from the cassette-only format, today you also get the CDr comp Latinocore II. More of the same, 48 tracks from 36 bands. Several worthy repeats and some excellent new additions: EX-KUPIDOS (Peru), JUSTICA FINAL (Chile), INSOLENTES (Mexico), SIN PATRIA (Colombia), ATAQUE FRONTAL (Peru), RAMIROS (Panama) and a shitload more. What's even more awesome, all this shit was released by a dude from Slovakia.

SOLO SE OYE PUNK VOL. 1

Wanna know one way to make a scene? Make mix tapes. Wanna know one reason why so many killer bands keep cropping up from the overlooked enclaves of inner Los Angeles? Silenzio Statico. The first volume in the never ending quest to turn Los Angeles into punk utopia featured Mexican and South American heavyweights from the '80s, and I dare say that few people could have done a better job selecting tracks from that era/area. Side 1 is dedicated to Brasil (RATOS DE PORÃO, LOBOTOMIA, CÓLERA, OHLO SECO), while the flip hit Mexico (MASSACRE 68, AGROTOXXXICO), Peru (DESCONTROL, EUTANASIA) and Argentina (LOS VIOLADORES). If you feel like you need an introduction (or a refresher course), then you probably do - and this is where you get it. 

SUDAMERICANO/MEXICANO DE LOS '80s

NO PASARAN!

I skipped over No Pasaran! several times, justifying my bias with the forgettable cover art and the late '80s release date. But pop this baby in the player and watch me eat my shorts, because this is one of the best international compilation tapes I've unearthed at TEHQ. Two ragers from Peru start the tape, PANICO and the recently reissued AUTOPSIA, but as great as these raw punk tunes are, they pale in comparison to Yugoslavia's QUOD MASSACRE - this tape is my first and only exposure to them, but the four tunes included are all classic and dark punk, simultaneously reminiscent of '70s UK and catchy '80s German shits, theirs are by far the best songs on the tape. Several songs from JUVENTUD LA KAIGUA and ERUCTO MALDONADO (both from Peru), France's PARIAPUNK, post-SUBHUMANS band CULTURE SHOCK (they don't really fit on the tape, but they are the reason I have it, so no complaints here), plus G03 and DECONTROL. The raw Peruvian rippers would be worth the whole tape, but throw in the QUOD MASSACRE shit and the French and UK punk? That doesn't make me a tape peddler...that makes me a nice fukkn guy. Now say thank you for the best 60 minutes of your day.

NO PASARAN!