PROPIA DECISION

Maximum strength late '90s fastcore from Argentina. These kids would have destroyed audiences in North America, just enough of the melodic singing (I am not talking pop punk melodic singing...it's a '90s hardcore thing, you either get what I mean or I'm just going to keep confusing you) and blistering speed on the fast parts. The crew vox juxtaposed against the lead singer and the blistering delivery of riff after killer riff (if you need to pick one song to convince yourself, it's "Operacion"), these kids were doing shit right. <<***see below***>> PROPIA DECISION combine proto-fastcore, relentless contemporary Japanese hardcore (I'm talking the US influenced stuff like contemporaries NUNCHAKU or YELLOW MACHINE GUN) and the aforementioned impassioned vocals that really make this shit stand out. I'm rambling. Because I really like this tape and I want you (yes: YOU) to listen to it....and hopefully you will like it too. Punk is cool, I super like punk. Also hardcore. And if there are more recordings, then please drop me a line and get my address. 

PROPIA DECISION

*** <<...for context, this was released the year the WHN? and LIFES HALT first crossed paths...further reinforcing the hopefully-all-to-obvious fact that the world outside North America is continuously cranking out killer bands and records (and tapes) that get passed over simply because of geography....but I digress...>>

ATROPELLO

Ugh....just YES. Eight minutes of light speed hardcore, complete tracks crammed into sub-minute bursts without leaning on blasts or fastcore trickery. Listen to "Control" and hear the vocals shred during the machine gun snare hits that make up the chorus - this is what I want!! - and the mosh that follows is so quick and to the point. Everything is here. This is the first of two demos Buenos Aires, Argentina's ATROPELLO band has given us this year....let's hope that there are more in the future. 

ATROPELLO

BUZZER // ANIMO

Late '90s melodic punk....sometimes I think that if you entered punk during a certain era then you will always have a soft spot for the bands that do (or did) the shit right....like these two. From Buenos Aires, both BUZZER and ANIMO seem reared on a diet of FUN PEOPLE (mostly BUZZER, and mostly the vocals) and mid-decade US basement melodies (mostly ANIMO, who have a bit more of an edge here, and are more overtly political). But comparisons notwithstanding, tapes like this are like a time machine, and sometimes it's nice to take a trip on a Sunday morning, you know?

ANIMO // BUZZER

CATUPECU MACHU

I really don't know why this tape appeals to me. I don't like funk, and I don't like bongos. I don't like weird Tom Morello meets Dave Navarro guitars. But there's something about this Argentine demo from 1995....something I cannot explain (or justify). CATUPECU MACHU are still active, and appear to be rather popular...in case you really want to go down a hole. 

CATUPECU MACHU

Vancouver tonight....come say hello (and bring me all of the tapes):

NUEVAS GENERACIONES

Collection of eight hard hitting hardcore bands from 1990s Argentina. Personal faves are DIVERSÍON SUBURBANA, XAUTOCONTROLX, OPCION CRUCIAL, and PODER NEUTRAL, probably because these seem to fit more into traditional DIY hardcore confines. TOTUS TOSS sound like a metalcore PANTERA but way unhinged, CONFORT SUPREMO are full on 90s HC chug and harmonics, PENSAR O MORIR almost come off like commercial alternative music before they launch into knuckle dragging metalcore, and they need to lay off the slap bass (sadly, they are not the only offender on this tape, just the most egregious one), FUERZA INTERNA sound like later INFECTIOUS GROOVES-era SUICIDAL but with hardcore vocals - and a warning that several of the tracks on this comp venture into proto-nü metal territory. But it's a time and a place thing...so you take the good with the bad. And if you like deep hardcore cuts that make you want to put your head through a wall, then you're welcome.

NUEVAS GENERACIONES

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

PENSAR O MORIR

It's almost incomprehensible how pervasive the NYHC sound was in South American DIY hardcore in the '90s...it's also noteworthy how much better many of those bands were than their counterparts north of the equator. Argentina's PENSAS O MORIR inject liberal doses of metal and melody into the mix, elements that stand out pure riff laden stomps like "HC Head" and "Solo Hablas." Vocals are strong and venomous even when melodic and the delivery is deadly throughout, this band sounds like a machine on virtually every track. Quality.

PENSAR O MORIR

ANIMADVERSION

Tripped out mutant psych punk from Argentina, ANIMADVERSION dole out a mixture of lo-fi and off kilter '90s punk and drench it in a world of weird.  Guitars are damaged and deranged, and I instantly feel a '90s Mission vibe (that's HICKEY, TINA AGE 13, RUDIMENTS, et al) that helps work me through the marginally tuned guitars. Weird hippie shit and punk collide in this collection of tracks spanning a few years in the early-mid '90s, there are live jams and what appear to be rehearsal jams...but give me one creamer like "Loas, Altruista, Magnificente Spid" and my ass is sold. If you want professionalism then move right along (or move on to the band's later studio releases), but this thing is gold.

DE GRABACIONES ABSURDAMENTE ECONTRADAS 1992-1997

CUCSIFAE // PIREXIA

Great split from two South American bands who have stopped by for visits to The Escape in the past. Argentina's CUCSIFAE are shamelessly catchy, hyper energetic punk...this recording has a little more teeth than the 1996 recording I posted here. PIREXIA tracks are way more developed than the two song jammer I shared a while back - bouncy and emotional punk from Uruguay that seems to hit harder when they slow down. This is confusing, because fast punk is better punk....or is it?

SOÑANDO NATURAL PARA NO MORIR RADIACTIVO 

VADER'S

It's bands like this that will keep me from ever saying that I don't like "melodic punk," even though most bands saddled with that moniker are indeed complete garbage. VADER'S command singing along from the very first tune, and even though my Spanish falls somewhere between horrible and non-existent I find myself repeating these hooks over and over in my head. A blast from a lost generation, when singers could croon away and the punks fukkn loved it. This tape will inspire bouncing, joyful dancing and perhaps even a few smiles - and you won't care how many cool points you lose for loving it. For fans of GOMEZ and LA FRACTION, and all bands both in between and parallel.

VADER'S

(and I have no idea what's up with the apostrophe)

ATENTADO

Not the current crust band from Portugal or the current punk band from Spain, this ATENTADO comes from 1990s Argentina. Spanish language (and influenced) hardcore punk with a healthy dose of (early) SICK OF IT ALL and the kind of hardcore that stopped being even remotely cool in North America at least 20 years ago. Yeah...it's a pretty awesome listen.

ATENTADO

TU SILENCIO AHOGA MIS GRITOS

Ten band compilation featuring Spanish language punk from all over Latin America with a token European submission from SIN DIOS, not at all surprising considering the time (released in 2000) and the political focus (anarchism). FUN PEOPLE (Argentina), RECICLAJE, @PATIA NO, LOS RESIDUOS (Venezuela), DESARME and NIQUITOWN (Colombia), ACTITUD SUBVERSIVA (Puerto Rico), VANTROI (Mexico)...and oh yeah BANDA JACHIS is from Spain too. Earnest melodic punk, a few hardcore burners and a handful of tracks that came as complete surprises (NIQUITOWN's "El Cambio Es Ahora" is by far my favorite jam on the tape). The whole thing was released by Noeske Records to benefit El Libertario, a Venezuelan anarchist periodical.

TU SILENCIO AHOGA MIS GRITOS:

El Anarquismo En America Latina

FUERZA y DECISION

Although the intro to "Contiendas Negociadas" pulls the shroud from a thinly veiled METALLICA influence, the majority of this 1996 release is pure hardcore. Fast, high energy, 'crew backing vocals, breakdowns and dogpile opportunities galore.  Main vocals are tough as nails, and even the vaguely funky parts work, but "Motivos de Vida" is the standout track, the midtempo mosh is a creamer, and the divebomb that kicks off the next tracks? Well, that's just gravy.

FOR...LIFE

INDIFERENCIA

Punks in the so-called "first world" have little excuse for not paying attention to punk and hardcore coming out of the far corners of the globe. Bands from Borneo to Kazakhstan have their demos on the internet minutes after they are recorded, and a few minutes perusing video sharing sites will have you watching hardcore in Vladivostok and ripping thrash in Maun. While it's true that one can easily fill up their day just trying to keep up with bands from the US and Europe, it's a disservice to both yourself and this thing we call "community" to ignore like minded (and excellent) bands simply due to geographical limitations. I'm not looking any further than myself when I say this, but if you've got the time to dig for that one record, then you've got the time to find that new band from someplace you've never been...but it was different pre-internet. And while today's post is hardly from the far corners of the earth, aside from a comparatively small circle of tape traders and a couple of invaluable magazines most of these bands were completely under the radar at the time. Maybe this is not the best segue into INDIFERENCIA's assault from 1995, but they were the first band I listened to this morning after spending last night talking to punks from Philippines and celebrating the birthday of the person more responsible than anyone else for opening my eyes to a world of hardcore that is far broader than my vision, and who still encourages me to keep looking.

RESPIRADO VIOLENCIA

A six song banger from INDIFERENCIA, throaty hardcore with a healthy dose of NYHC in the mix. While I dig the faster tracks like "Lealtad A Tu Falsedad" more, the vocals (and the assault of crew backing vox) are so perfectly suited to the breakdown laden mid tempo mosh and the chorus of the opening track "Quien Niega To Libertad" is a total crusher regardless of genre descriptors. Modern bands like this tend to present themselves as slick hardcore machines, and seem to market themselves to people that come from I don't know where. But before the lines were drawn...they were all just 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!

REACCION ENERGICA: FM ACUARELA y BANDAS DEL SUR

No mystery here, no inebriated ramblings about some deep personal connection I have with the bands presented, just five killer Argentinian punk bands on a ten song tape from sometime in the early '90s. LA FUNERARIA are catchy Spanish sounding punk, their faster track on the second side is a total creamer. FLORES DE TUMBAS and G.D.R. are more stripped down, quick tempo basic punk - spoken/shouted vocals from the former, a slight goth/post punk bent from the latter. The winners on the tape are TERCER MUNDO, churning hardcore tracks delivered with earnest, while SUBVERSION offer up UK styled snotty punk with buzzsaw guitars. Nothing fancy, just some bands you've never heard before.

REACCION ENERGICA

TRAUMA

Old school death metal from Argentina tempered with some of the unfortunate trappings that the mid 1990s brought to mainstream heavy music. Lots of early METALLLICA and late '80s SLAYER can be can be heard here, and even though you can easily tell that TRAUMA have every intention of progressing well beyond their roots and evolving into something entirely less appealing, the good far outweighs the ominous on this debut cassette. Take the fast parts of "Apartheid," the disjointed intro to "Sin Razón" that launches into primitive Bay Area thrash or the entirety of a ripper like "Falsa Civilización"- these moments make the foreshadowing easy to overlook and dig TRAUMA in their infancy.

TRAUMA

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

CUCSIFAE

I mean, it was the '90s and there were no rules. You could sound however you wanted. DRIVE LIKE JEHU into pop punk? No sweat. Chaotic mind fuck noise rock crashing headfirst into heavy prog with really weird vocals? OK. This reminds me of HICKEY for no logical reason whatsoever - maybe just because it is really good and it sounds like they don't give a fuck if you like it or not. 

CUCSIFAE