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CONFEDERATE- Surrender or Just Fight LP (Revenge Records, USA, 1983)

Old cover shots generelly missing due to server migration Yesterday, something incredible happened to me. I bought off about 70 rare HC and Punk records from a collector in my neighbourhood, whom I’ve known for a very long time. And it was a bargain!

Among them, there was this one. Never heard of it before, and when I got up this morning, I did a quick FLEX scan. And here you go: “Obnoxious Punk / hardcore. Short, powerless tracks, thin production. [5].”

Well, not that this is the best I ever heard, but it’s still a winner! As I just discused it with Peter KBD – if you’d have heard this in 83, it would have surely meant much to you. But old HC that you missed back in the day, to me seems kinda diffficult to get into, 20 years later. Maybe it’s the total HC overdose I had in the 80s, when I ate and shat HC. Still, give it a second round and you’ll be impressed, I think. Sounds like a cross between early VANDALS, PLAIN WRAP and other metal free HC bands of the golden era.
And obnoxious it is, with a good dose of southern cali-feeling, good craftmanship and yeah – listen yourself now, what a “thin production” sounds like, haha. Produced by Rikk Agnew, by the way. And yes, you can HEAR that.

Now maybe I’m the only one who never heard that until today, so please fill us in with details. Timmy?

My World.mp3
Stop and go.mp3
Written Laws.mp3
SHOT.mp3
Life in Vegas.mp3
Surrender of Just Fight.mp3
My Way.mp3
Brixton Wall.mp3
Take the Pressure.mp3
Pity me.mp3
Upsetting Matter.mp3
My Generation.mp3
We keep up front.mp3
American Farmboy.mp3
Starting to hate.mp3
War is not real.mp3
Clambake.mp3

42 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    man your spoilin us! you will NEVER be able to keep the quality and number of your posts up haha

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 10:22 | Permalink
  2. Anonymous

    i got to see these guys a few times here in orange county, ca in the early 80’s. they were much better live than on this record. i agree that it is a thin production. live, their sound had much more crunch. the singer was very animated live.
    still, this record has a few catchy songs.
    timmy

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 10:25 | Permalink
  3. Anonymous

    THIN SOUND???? you guys need new speakers!!!!!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 10:29 | Permalink
  4. OTTO

    Wow, I thought I’d heard virtually every USHC 12″ from 1981-1985, and a majority of the 7″s that actually are worth a listen. Usually I look to your site for the more obscure European or other stuff (like the phenomenal Not So Himdrum comp you posted a while back). But this is totally new to me (an East Coaster). Good, but not great 20 years later – probably would have played the shit out of it in 1983. Cool.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 12:45 | Permalink
  5. wastedmitch

    I never heard of this before! Great find, good post, awesome site. Will be donating shortly!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 16:26 | Permalink
  6. Anonymous

    life in vegas and surrender or just fight are both the song my world.
    erich you got to check those links.

    and i enjoy this record and i don’t think i ever heard this band before.
    gorehound

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 17:55 | Permalink
  7. Anonymous

    Even a generic punk record from 1983 sounds better than most of the crap that passes for music nowadays. Definitely some good SoCal punk songs on this thing but I’ll have to volunteer the bad choice of cover art (and maybe bad band name?) sydrome for this release.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 19:01 | Permalink
  8. milky afn

    I think it’s an excellent name; especially in conjunction with the band photo with the assualt rifles, sunglasses and head-bands.
    Gives them an almost paramilitary vibe. If they had been able to play up a militia/paramilitary angle and expressed that idea in the lyrics they would be very well known and infamous. The lyrical content could have included rants about the Military Industrial Complex and general feeling of paranoia without venturing into concept band territory.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 19:22 | Permalink
  9. Milky Afn

    (feelings of paranoia) correction*

    Today using the name Confederate in the “open minded” punk scene especially in conjunction with the cover art would must certainly cause the unfun dipshits who listen to Propaghandi to have a hissy fit.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 19:35 | Permalink
  10. malfeitor

    Someone requested this one from me (along with Red Beret) and I had to tell them no dice on both. And now here it is. I never got to hear this one the first go round, sweet. I’m sure there’s a thousand bands from that area that I’ve never even heard of.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 05-Jan-07 at 21:15 | Permalink
  11. Aline from Paris

    Never heard that of this band before and I too thought I had heard it all. Awesome man, awesome! I also like the idea of how you buy something and share it with us the day after. I’ve never seen a blog that puts so much LOVE into its works thats what I truly dig about goodbadmusic. The rips are BY FAR the best I ever heard and sometimes the words are the main show, with wit and intelligence. I’ve been following this blog for 3 or 4 months now and there hasn’t been one day I haven’t checked it for new music and new brainfood. This was my first comment by the way. I know there must be many more people like me who just enjoy and appreciate but don’t comment.
    Je te remercie pour tout ça!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 03:26 | Permalink
  12. Erich

    It’s like this: I’ve become a dinosaur. Unlike the old days, there simply ain’t no one around anymore with whom I could sit down and listen and discuss such music. To me, that was always a great thing back then, when you’d explore a new disk with your mates. I spend quite some time with my girl, showing her music I love and she digs some of it, but not the harsher stuff. And she simply wasn’t COINED by this. I dunnno, sometimes I think this is a man’s thing – although I don’t think it has to be one. Kinda weird to see that women never were too active in the “fan” or documentary thing (like this here).

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 04:05 | Permalink
  13. Erich

    Oh yes – Gorehound: LINKS FIXED! Sorry for the mess; should be good now.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 06:57 | Permalink
  14. Anonymous

    “THIN SOUND???? you guys need new speakers!!!!! ” and you need a new brain. READ!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 09:55 | Permalink
  15. Anonymous

    Hey, if this thing had a paramilitary theme I’d be creaming my jeans! I think the cover art turns me off ‘cuz it looks like one of those lame Ultima Thule albums. As far as political incorrectness goes, I’m still waiting for someone to post the “Your Loss is Our Gain” 7″ by a certain band that will remain nameless and really give the PC Police something to talk about!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 15:11 | Permalink
  16. Erich

    Haha, no White Pride on this blog, sorry pal.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 15:18 | Permalink
  17. Milky

    What would be really neat though would be to form a group called Hate Crime, that was split in two between racist whites and racist blacks. In a sense it would be TWO extremist bands on one stage and they would play the songs as attacks against each other.
    This way you would have the white half play “Put the triggers to the niggers” then as a response the black half would play “Strangling a White Man”.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 15:52 | Permalink
  18. Erich

    Ceci n’est pas une pipe. Never forget.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 16:05 | Permalink
  19. Milky

    It could go international too with a Japanese Imperialist side a Chinese Nationalist side. The Japanese side could play (Stab the Mongrel Children of Chinese Whores) then the Chinese side could play (Brightest Idea to ever hit Japan- Hiroshima).

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 16:14 | Permalink
  20. Milky

    Ceci n’est pas une pipe. Never forget.

    Chickpeas cause gas uh? Yipe!
    Nibble Frog hat.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 16:20 | Permalink
  21. Milky

    “In the early days. I was a kind of homespun Surrealist. I had read the Surrealist Manifesto and had immediately seen the implications of it. Unfortunately, the Surrealists hadn’t.”
    Frank Discussion (Feederz)

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 16:38 | Permalink
  22. Anonymous

    I’m afraid there’s already a Nazi band called Hate Crime. The title of their CD is “Guilty”! I play guitar but, unfortunately, I’m an Eskimo–but your ideas sound nice.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 18:34 | Permalink
  23. Milky

    Ha, but if a BETTER band called Hatecrime MORE DESERVING of the title takes it; everyone would forget about the old boring Hatecrime.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 18:51 | Permalink
  24. Milky

    Well the Eskimos have to hate someone too. Half Eskimo and half (insert other group here).

    Many different versions could exist with myself working as manager. As each group would self destruct and the two halves would kill each other, they would be replaced until getting to the ULTIMATE version: half Jew half Muslim hate crime!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 06-Jan-07 at 18:57 | Permalink
  25. Anonymous

    this milky guy seems a bit odd

    [Reply]

    Posted on 07-Jan-07 at 01:43 | Permalink
  26. Peter - KBDRecords

    Don’t pick on Milky. Odd but he’s cool. A real punk.

    Couple of good tracks on here! But would’ve been killer if they cut out at least half of the songs. Never heard of Confederate before Erich mentioned them over ICQ a couple of days ago. Nice find mongo!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 07-Jan-07 at 15:01 | Permalink
  27. Slobodan Burgher

    Well, whatabout Jewdriver? Or say, Gayrilla Biscuits? Actually, if Jewdriver sounded more like Skrewdriver they would have been so much better, good idea though.

    I love the cover and the name of the band in this post, not overly excited about music though but I kind of like it nonetheless. I find it harder nowadays to get into some HC bands (“generic” – Ha! I like the term) that don’t immediately knocks you off your chair.

    Thanks for yet another fantastic post!

    S.B

    [Reply]

    Posted on 08-Jan-07 at 08:24 | Permalink
  28. Stevo

    FYI,

    The lead singer Rib Finley is also the lead singer for Doggy Style on the Don’t Hit me Up LP.

    I have this album it is pretty good. I also have a flipside fanzine video comp with them doing American Farmboy.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 10-Jan-07 at 22:13 | Permalink
  29. Anonymous

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL2BI1EhxdI

    [Reply]

    Posted on 21-Jun-07 at 01:36 | Permalink
  30. Melvinado

    The singer went on to form “doggy style” before the snoop dogg thing. He sounds the sameof course; the band better. I also heard a cover of the kinks “demon alcohol”, i think by the murder city devils and i swear it sounded like the same singer. Dunno if i’m going to bother trying to get murder city devils to find out. The Doggy Style release was “Don’t hit me up”.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 19-Mar-08 at 22:44 | Permalink
  31. I was actually shown this record by Frank Agnew Jr. First thing that came to mind was “this was produced EXACTLY like Ancient Artifacts! who did production?”
    Frank told me that Rikk did it. GO FIGURE! IT MAKES SENSE NOW! so I asked Rikk what was up. He started laughing and started storytelling about how he wanted that jingle and that clarinet and all that funny shit. Typical Rikk Agnew, right?
    Later on, the drummer for Confederate “matt feelem-holdem”, mysteriously woundup in mine and Rikk’s band, Poop. Quite a shocker, son.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 07-Apr-08 at 12:34 | Permalink
  32. Admin

    Thanks Leo! Just checked your band – sounds really nice! You can send in promos anytime if you want 🙂

    [Reply]

    Posted on 07-Apr-08 at 12:44 | Permalink
  33. James

    Just discovered your blog – really enjoying the posts, both the music and the prose. Now the Confederate… this is a record I’ve wanted to hear for years, I remember the advert. in Flipside (and I have the Flipside Video Fanzine featuring the band)… my main interest at the time was sending to the USA for HC vinyl, but due to the shipping costs involved (I’m in England) I could never afford eveything that sounded good. This one’s worth the wait – definitely would have a reputation if anyone had ever heard it, very cool stuff! Of the 17 tracks, 5 don’t work… any possible chance of re-upping them?? Thanks for considering it, and keep up the great work!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 19-May-08 at 12:38 | Permalink
  34. Hi James. Glad you like the blog and the music! I have decided not to response to requests anymore, in order to be able to keep enjoying what I’m doing here instead of becoming some sort of slave. Once a year, I will collect the costs for the basics (webspace) and apart from this, all is free – if you don’t count my work and resources.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 19-May-08 at 12:51 | Permalink
  35. Thanks for the response to my earlier comment. Actually this record really reminds me of another old California fave DETOX (could be they shared members at some point?)… I understand where you are coming from regarding re-upping… If anyone has the mp3’s to the 4 missing tracks (namely: Pity Me, My generation, We Keep up front, + Starting to hate??) – or even another link to the whole album – please contact me… Thankyou!!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 27-May-08 at 05:39 | Permalink
  36. David

    Great record! Rib (Curtis) would wear latex gloves when he sang recently. Saw him in a band called, “Faust” years back. A great showman! He sang on both DoggystyleII and Don’t Hit Me Up after the original line up (Formed in 1983) recordings of “Work As One”(Mystic), “Side By Side” and “Live at Sun City”(Flipside) went their seperate ways. Thin sounding or not, this record is one of the gems from the era in my opinion.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 26-Jan-10 at 21:36 | Permalink
  37. G

    My wife’s uncle was in this band, he taught the guitar player how to play the songs and he played bass. He still makes music in his basement, and he’s still cooler than Christmas.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 31-May-10 at 20:23 | Permalink
  38. Greg Rushforth

    I was in this band and had a great time it was a blast, played bass in this band. All ways had a packed house and got in a lot of trouble, still playing all the time in a blues rock band now, creating original songs in my studio. On My space, look up Greg Rushforth. Drop by and check it out!

    [Reply]

    Steve Blanks Reply:

    Hey Greg!! What’s up?!!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 14-Jun-11 at 05:40 | Permalink
  39. Steve Blanks

    I was the guitarist & backup vocals in Confederate! Recorded all 17 songs in one night! Mixed it the next night at Casbah Studios in Fullerton, CA! Engineered & produced by Chaz & Confederate. Some of the best days of my life!!! Also if any has seen Curtis drop me a message! Haven’t seem him in way too long. Thanks

    [Reply]

    Posted on 09-Sep-13 at 05:42 | Permalink
  40. Steve Blanks

    If it wasn’t for Greg I wouldn’t have learned how to play!!!

    [Reply]

    Posted on 09-Sep-13 at 05:52 | Permalink
  41. Greetings, my name is Rib Finley and we did a so called reunion show with Confederate in 2002. We played in the old stomping grounds of the greats Adelesants, social d. Agent orange etc. We had Tony “skunk m. On drums Steve B. On the ax myself on vocals and Bruce who did some work with Rikk A. Sold out at Back Alley. Its been awhile but were going to do another go around. We need a solid bass player, so if someone reads this let me know on e-mail (ribfinley@gmail.com its Jan. 11 2014 right now. This will be fun and we have some big shows. Must live in O.C.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 11-Jan-14 at 23:13 | Permalink
  42. Druff

    Sadly the reason I’m here is that Curtis Haller aka Rib Finley passed away a few days ago on July 21, 2016. Cancer. Got me very nostalgic for this album and I googled just to see what I could find. I grew up in Fullerton, and around 1982 when I was about 13 I got into punk because of my best friend. We used to go to pawn shops downtown and one day one of them had a full case of the D.I. debut EP, they were selling the records for $1 each. This was probably less than a year after it came out! Didn’t know until many years later that D.I. used to rehearse in the back room of a pawn shop, it was probably that one. Anyway, a few months later we were in there again and this time they were selling the Confederate LP, again for a measly $1 a pop. If we were smarter we probably would have bought a bunch, but we only bought one apiece. We knew there was a local band called Confederate but had never heard them, had no idea what they sounded like or if they were any good. We loved the album immediately, and after listening to it again on youtube just now, I still do. “Powerless”? “Thin”? Whoever wrote that for FLEX can go piss up a rope.

    RIP, Rib.

    [Reply]

    Posted on 25-Jul-16 at 22:52 | Permalink

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