I've just added a new link in the sidebar, but I reckon the site's worthy of a plug to get your attention.
So, for those who haven't yet stumbled upon this treasure trove of punk delight, head on over to Kill From The Heart and immerse yourself in probably the most comprehensive repository of global 80's hardcore knowledge.
Or, as the youth say, 'ave a read, innit.
Artist: Sedition
Title: Earthbeat
Source: Vinyl 12" LP
Bitrate: V0 VBR
Running time (h:m:s): 00:39:50
Size (mb): 78.9
Label: Flat Earth Records (defunct)
Year: 1993
1. Earthbeat
2. Tribal Transition
3. Gaia
4. Deconsume
5. Lungs Of The Earth
6. Ecologic
7. Logical Isolation
8. Ride On
9. Trail Of Tears
10. Aphorism
11. Who's The Savage?
12. Sex Biased Roles
13. Key To Co-Existance [sic]
14. New Breed – Bad Seed
15. Death Chant
16. Freedom Is An Attitude
This is the first upload of a double bill showcasing two of Scotland's finest noisemongers. Sedition found a niche in the punk scene for classic wall-of-sound-with-tunes hardcore spliced with a deep ecology / tribal / pagan / anarcho perspective. So in between each track you'll hear chants and noises not normally associated with the music that precedes and follows. The overall production's a little bit muddy but that's not really a problem for the style.
I can't say that I'm particularly fond of the primitivist / deep ecology mindset that's conjured up in some of the lyrics, but there's also a healthy dose of anger alongside that doesn't forget the modern world and its ills. Not that you can really make out the lyrics without the booklet, so you can just wallow in the bludgeoning this download will dish out to your ears and speakers.
You'll also get the chance to hear 'Ride On', a gentle folk ballad originally sung by Christy Moore, remade in a style that you wouldn't have thought possible.
OP's opinion: @@@@
Download music
Artwork to follow
Well, not exactly. But I'm not dead, just in case anyone was wondering.
I've been pretty busy IRL, and haven't had an ounce of spare time for what seems like aeons but is actually only a few weeks. Much of that time has included knocking up a website for some good friends of mine. And trust me, I'm no coder. Everything I know about XHTML, CSS, PHP and any other random combination of letters you may care to mention, has been learnt by endless hours of trial, error, searching and reading and searching again, cussing, breaking things and finally sussing out something that would've been bleedin' obvious to anyone with a hint of competence.
But I am a perseverer. I just can't let some things lie until I understand what's happening. And coding a website is one of those things. It's not enough for it to look OK, I also have to make sure that it meets the latest coding standards and is as user-friendly as possible to as many people as possible (yes, even you, IE users).
Anyway, to cut a boring story short, this is the result. I liked what I'd done so much that I've used the code for here too. I still need to work on a graphic for the header but, apart from that, it all seems to be tickety-boo.
Other things occupying my life have included: three parties and two barbies; being the personal chauffeur for a teenager and other assorted hazardous loads; supporting my pub cricket team through mostly thin times; visiting friends up country; fixing a locking mechanism on a double-glazed door (not as easy as it looks, let me assure you); and helping a mate create a new garden area.
But I should be able to get back to the noise again this week. You have been warned.
Randy (of Insurgence and Rebel Time) has recently been spreading the word about a bunch of young upstarts collectively known as The Class War Kids. Having checked out the tracks that Randy's posted on one of his blogs, I know why he's so keen. They're very, very good.
In an email to Randy I described 'em as having "a great street-punk sound with just a hint of melodic hardcore – kinda The Restarts meet early Propagandhi", and he didn't disagree. But that's not really to do 'em the full justice they deserve. TCWK get stuck in on their own terms without any problem whatsoever. I'm just trying to give you a vague reference point to start from.
You've got your reference point, now head to Rebel Time and feel the noise. And keep an eye out for their forthcoming CD. It should be a belter.
UPDATE: the band have happily agreed to let me share a few tracks with you lot (a mix of 128kbs mp3 and wma files), so now you don't even have to leave the comforting smell of OPND to grab 'em. Nice one Kids! Thanks also to Randy for making this possible, much appreciated mate. Go pay him and them a visit and say hello.
OP's opinion: @@@@@
A couple of mates of mine, Beardy Rob (aka Robert) and Ratty (aka Richard) are doing a great (and knackering just to think about) thing – they're cycling from Land's End to John O' Groats (about 1000 miles) to raise money for the Mines Advisory Group. For those who don't know, MAG works to clear land mines and other weapons from areas of conflict so that people don't get blown to bits, as well as working closely with communities in the affected areas:
MAG moves into current and former conflict zones to clear the remnants of those conflicts, enabling recovery and assisting the development of affected populations. MAG consults with local communities and works to lessen the threat of death and injury, while releasing reclaimed and safe land and other vital resources back to the local population, helping countries to rebuild and develop their social and economic potential.
Beardy Rob is a Turbojugend fiend, responsible for all manner of camp leather-and-denim madness, and Ratty is the semi-retired guitarist from legendary-in-their-own-lunchtimes Bristol hardcore loons The Herb Garden. They're funding the trip themselves and all the sponsorship money they raise will go straight to MAG to help them continue their invaluable campaigns.
I've given away a lot of free music here and it's rare that I ask for something in return but, on this occasion, I'm asking anyone who reads this to give up a couple of pints and throw a few quid into the bucket for this worthy cause. If you can't make an online donation, drop me an email and I'll sort something out with you. You've only got to give up a beer to do your bit, others literally put their lives on the line to carry out this vital work.
Innocent people shouldn't have stumps where their arms and legs should be just because others decide to go to war.
Image © Sean Sutton/MAG
Artist: Civilised Society?
Title: Scrap Metal
Source: Vinyl 12" LP
Bitrate: V0 VBR
Running time (h:m:s): 00:43:04
Size (mb): 94.1
Label: Manic Ears Records (defunct)
Year: 1986
1. Is There Life After Work?
2. Tonight
3. Carefree
4. Pansies
5. Blotting Paper For Breakfast
6. Don't Leave Me Now
7. The Fairer Sex
8. Just A Dream
9. Last Cough Last Laugh
10. Will We Fall?
11. Star Wars
12. It's Getting Worse
Keeping my side of the bargain with Malisha (of Röckin’ Nöiz fame), here's the first album from Civilised Society?, in all its metal-tinged punk glory. The production on this record is great, acid-sharp guitars and thunderous drums balanced perfectly with the triple-pronged vocals. The only criticism I can make is that it's a bit simple lyrically in places, but you can blame that on youthful ignorance and a desire to get the message out rather than spend time with a dictionary. The long hair was always slightly offputting too, but that's just me (apologies to any hairies reading this).
OP's opinion: @@@@
Artist: Tottenham AK 47's
Title: Don't Call Me Vanilla
Source: Vinyl 12" LP
Bitrate: V0 VBR
Running time (h:m:s): 00:40:29
Size (mb): 82.5
Label: Rugger Bugger Discs (defunct)
Year: 1991
Notes: 1100 copies pressed. Tracks 6-8 should be played / burnt without gaps.
1. Downward Spiral
2. Bastard Restart
3. One Hand
4. Spirit Of Resistance
5. Tiochfaidh Ar La
6. Chillin'
7. God's Man
8. Cop Cars
9. Tottenham Three
1991 was a vintage year. Only a few months before, the whole country and its nan had decided that the Poll Tax was going to be consigned to the dustbin of history, and with it the witch of Downing Street. The year started in jubilant mood, but it was clear that the struggle was far from finished. Having learnt a hard lesson in taking us all on at once, the bosses didn't like our new-found spirit of defiance one bit. The ruling class kept up their attacks on the working class but focused their hatred on a few more easily isolated groups, where they could use their media to demonise and stigmatise – the people of Ireland, the young, the unemployed, the free party ravers and football fans alike were all targets. And the statist left didn't know what to do with our anger except deludingly demand that we voted for another set of bosses who would continue the state's attacks against us.
In such an environment, the Tottenham AK 47's righteous anger found a welcoming embrace in the arms of the underground. Heavy dub-influenced basslines, woven together with intricate guitar work and punctuated with the unexpected sounds of tin whistle, flute and harmonica, provided a fresh framework for their revolutionary attitude. The lyrics were dripping with venom and, despite (or perhaps because of) their apparent simplicity, banged the point home in no uncertain terms. The Poll Tax, the dole office jobsworths, the cops and the middle class SWP losers all tasted their uncensored working class wrath, nicely summed up by the lines 'Don't trust the middle classes, the vicars and priests and left-wing parties…Cop car gets turned right over, community leader tries to calm things down, which side are you on, boy, which side are you on?' from 'Cop Cars'.
Although they only managed to put out this one piece of plastic in their short but inspirational lifetime, it's a piece that's left its mark. As the UK headed towards another summer of urban prole olympics, the AK 47's provided a soundtrack with sage advice. Nearly 20 years later, the times and the specific issues may have changed but the class war rages on, and this record still manages to hit the spot and fan the flames.
OP's opinion: @@@@@
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Download artwork (also includes copy of the insert with lyrics)
Artist: Various
Title: Will Evil Win?
Source: Flexi 7" EP
Bitrate: V0 VBR
Running time (h:m:s): 00:14:44
Size (mb): 32.9
Label: Peaceville Records
Year: 1987
1. Anihilated – Inferno
2. Civilised Society? – Star Wars
3. Lord Crucifier – Deserter To Freedom
4. Desecrators – Ban On Impurity
Like the Tony Blackburn of punk, I've taken a few requests and I've pop-picked one for today's post. This particular piece of flimsy plastic was the first release on Hammy's (Instigators and Civilised Society?) newly emerging thrash-punk-metal label. To be honest, with the exception of Civilised Society?, the bands on here don't really do it for me – too much tuneless squealing, wailing and faux Yankee accents for my tastes. But it's a part of our history, and Mr. 7inchcrust asked me for it ever so politely.
Trivia fact – The Desecrators' guitarist is one Gizz Butt, of English Dogs and Prodigy fame, who recently played alongside Steve Ignorant at the 'Fleecing Of The 5000" fiasco. Punk's not dead, but it sometimes smells that way.
The artwork contains full images of both sides of the fold-out sleeve. I've resized it so that if you print it out and fold it along the fairly obvious lines, it'll wrap nicely around a CD.
OP's opinion: @@
Hummus – cheap, easy, quick, nutritious and a vegan sandwich staple! What more could a hungry punk want?
Makes a decent bowlful for a few people to share
Throw everything into a food processor of some description (the mini ones you often get with hand blenders are perfect, or you can just use a hand blender if you don't mind it a bit more rustic). Blend everything until it starts to beome smooth. You'll probably need to add a bit more oil (or water if you like) at this stage to make it creamy but still stiff enough to just about make peaks in the mix. Keep blending for a few minutes until it's soft and silky. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ideal in pitta bread with salad, as a dip, or on toast with fresh sliced tomatoes and shredded basil.
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers, it'll keep for a day or two that way (mine rarely lasts that long).
You can vary this easily – for a Thai-style dip (one of my faves), replace the lemon with lime, then add a good pinch of chili flakes (or powder) and a decent amount of fresh chopped coriander (you can add these after you've finished blending it for a funkier appearance). Also try adding 1/2-1 tsp of toasted and crushed cumin and/or coriander seeds during the blending for something a bit more pungent. Experiment!
Rice is a very versatile thing and makes a good base for both summer and winter meals. Risotto takes a little bit of effort during the cooking, but it's nothing too excessive for the soft n' creamy end result. You can easily vary the ingredients to change the experience quite dramatically. This particular version is quite 'meaty' without being too heavy, with a lovely fresh piquancy from the other bits and bobs.
Serves two people with good appetites.
Put the stock and lemon zest in a small pan with a lid and keep over the lowest possible heat you can – enough to just keep it simmering very gently.
Gently heat the oil and marg in a deep frying pan. Fry the onion, celery and garlic for a few minutes until beginning to soften. Add the fennel seeds and fry for a minute or so. Add the mushrooms and fry for a couple of minutes more. Add the rice and a good grind of black pepper, and gently stir for a few minutes until it becomes translucent. You may need to add an extra dribble of oil during this stage if things start to stick. Stir in the white wine and keep stirring for a minute or two until the wine has been absorbed and evaporated.
Add the lemon juice and a ladle-full of the stock and stir into the rice and veg. You can either continue to gently stir as the stock is absorbed, or you can just stir it every minute or two if you're lazy. The heat should be just high enough to keep everything gently simmering. Keep doing this until all the stock is used up and the rice is soft and creamy (it'll take around 40 minutes from the first ladle). Add the thyme about halfway through cooking and stir in. You may need to add another ladle or two of water if the stock runs out before the rice is cooked.
Start cooking the peas 5-10 minutes before the rice is ready (petit pois take about 4-5 mins to steam). Drain and stir into the rice mixture when it's ready to serve.
Dish up and sprinkle on the basil, add a good salad with balsamic vinegar and oil dressing (1 part balsamic vinegar, 4 parts olive oil, salt and pepper, also herbs and/or garlic if the mood takes), pour a glass of whatever white you used for the recipe, and try to eat it in the garden with the warm summer evening sun on your face.
Oh, and happy May Day to proles everywhere. Keep it real.