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Welcome to the catalog, friend! Note that the above tabs allow
one to navigate around in the catalog of Wantage releases, our distro
section, and the shirt/clothing part of what we do. All orders from
outside of North America (Canada and the U.S.) will automatically be charged an additional
20% to cover additional mailing expense. Canadian vinyl orders will be subject to a $4 per-item postage fee. Non-north American
orders will be shipped via air mail, because it's the only thing
available. Additional postage may be required, especially for
vinyl orders, so be sure your paypal account has a good email address,
as well as street address. Any
orders may request mailing details upon ordering. All domestic
(US) prices
include media mail postage. |
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1776
Teenage War Songs
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| 12" $12 |
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1776 TEENAGE WAR SONGS
Bill Badgley's (Federation X, Kill All Redneck Pricks: Karp Lives, the Karp
documentary) and Sterling Callier's (Loving Thunder, Death Wish Kids, Area 51)
long-steeping bi-coastal band-project. If you've been missing Fed X like hell, this should fill in the gaps pretty excellently. It's got a great, soulful swagger like Fed X did, but with a fresh, more spare two-piece deal.
RIYL: Federation X, Area 51, Loving Thunder, Death Wish Kids
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Ballast
Half Asleep
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| 12" $10 |
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BALLAST "SOUND ASLEEP" LP (Profane Existence)
This
is one of the bitching records I was turned on to this summer,
somewhere in rural Poland or in the eastern Czech Republic. The band is from Montreal, they've got two
singers (male/female) who trade off, and the songs are excellent, hopeful fist-pumping
anthems of personal freedom, responsibility and self
reliance. Anarcho punk rarely sounds this good. Ballast toured with Wroclaw's Infekcja, who are similarly awesome, and Sloma had nothing but good things to say about them. The copies we have were a trade
for some Ass-End Offend stuff, if you're wondering how the hell wantage got
ahold of it.
RIYL: anarcho-euro hardcore punk like Homomilitia.
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Big Boys
Lullabies Help The Brain Grow/No Matter How Long The Line At The Cafeteria, There's Always A Seat 2LP
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| 12" $18 |
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BIG BOYS LULLABIES HELP THE BRAIN GROW/NO MATTER HOW LONG THE LINE AT THE CAFETERIA, THERE'S ALWAYS A SEAT 2LP (X-MIST)
Back before there was a big ol' scene, there were pioneering groups. The standard ones get trundled out a couple times a day, and their records have no trouble selling to nostalgic types. Greg Ginn and Jello have made hundreds of thousands of dollars on punk nostalgia, as have a handful of others. Randy "Biscuit" Turner died in 2005 but not before he, Tim Kerr and Chris Gates helped foster a thriving punk scene nationally, and in their native Texas. For the most part, their name is rarely heard over the din of the others. It's time for that to change, and this record documents a ton of what made this band so damn good. And two LPs worth! Take the same earnestness and this band could be your life style approach as the Minutemen, and add some Texas skate funk, and you've got excellence.
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Big Business
Head For The Shallow
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| CD $12 |
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BIG BUSINESS "HEAD FOR THE SHALLOW" CD (Hydra Head)
A
collossal, kudgeling record that's been a long time coming and fills a
real pronounced need for heavy, loud music. Jared Warren (Karp, Tight
Bros., the Whip) and Coady Willis (Murder City Devils, Dead Low Tide,
Broadcast Oblivion) are the two members of the band. Big Business have
cultivated their "fast and low" deal to the point where it's a
thoroughly metallic affair. And that's the point. Where a lot of folks
took quite a long time to get next to what Karp did, a lot of the
reviews have come back sort of missing what makes this record a crucial
part of the heavy rock canon: it's the screaming, the leaden bass tone
and the precise and loud-assed drumming. If that's not you're bag, then
by all means, keep your distance. Wantage USA is proud to get you the
vinyl, this CD is on Hydrahead. |
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Big Business
Tour II CD
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| CD Out of Print |
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BIG BUSINESS "TOUR II" CD (SELF-RELEASED)
This is a four-song blaster recorded by ol' dirty Don "Mico de Noche" Stewart in his
Kitsap County facilities. "II" features superior sound quality to the
first, and three new and utterly tough blasts from the Big Business and
one ripping Devo cover.
Tracklisting:
1) Just As the Day Was Dawning
2) Hands Up
3) Start Your Digging
4) Be Stiff
In a unique, and somewhat, well,
revolutionary deal, II's $6 pricetag will get the first 100 online
customers a copy of one of the following: Last of the Juanitas' "the
Jay" 7", Federation X's "Nude Disintegrating" 7", Volumen "Erika" or Volumen/No-Fi Soul
Rebellion's "Split" 7", Drunk Horse's "Bambi" 7" or Stars of the Dogon/Early Humans "Split" 7" . Specify which
record you'd like in your order, or roll the twelve sided dice of
destiny with us.
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Big Business
Here Come The Waterworks
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BIG BUSINESS "HERE COME THE WATERWORKS" (Hydrahead)
Big Biz's 2007
release that's louder, faster, more syncronized and psychadelic, but
still a kudgeling masterwork... from these newly-bearded Los Angelinos.
Extra heft is provided by one-time Slug bassist/Get Hustler David Scott
Stone, who adds guitar to parts of this. Drop by their myspace.com/bigbigbusiness
for a taste of the music. Or hit up the myspace.com/totalfest page, for an exclusive live tune from their set in 2005. Sick. Steeped in the lore of groups like Karp, the Tight Bros, Murder City Devils and Dead Low
Tide, these dudes drop more racket than Venus or Serena. Etcetera.
Germans, keep your eyes peeled.
We've got their hefty-assed 12" version of this record now as well, in
limited quanit and truly, It's quite a hefty deal. 180 grams of
thunder. This comes in speckled opaque white, transparent orange, gold
and black and gold. Specify your preference, or roll the dice of
destiny. Colector scum, perk on up and look ALIVE!.
Limited Availability. Our price includes domestic media postage, and
the first 10 orders receive a bonus bulk Early Humans S/T CD.
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Big Business
Mind The Drift
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| 12" Out of Print |
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BIG BUSINESS MIND THE DRIFT LP (Hydrahead)
With the 2007 addition of guitarist Toshi Kasai, Big Business added a dimension to their live and recorded selves that lots of us weren't sure they needed. Mind The Drift thoroughly proves that far from taking anything away from the heft and depth of the group, Toshi adds noise, power and a brand new dimension to the band. Mind The Drift continues the propulsion the band started with somewhere just after Head For the Shallow. It's in an awesome category by itself, with a little bit of the swords/steeds vibe, with more to it than the standard riffy stoner jam band. It's the vocals and drums that have always set Big Biz apart, and this record adds a constant guitar presence to that cement-dense mix.
This record weighs 180 grams and was pressed on colored vinyl, with a gatefold jacket. Beautiful!
PRICE INCLUDES DOMESTIC (U.S., MEDIA RATE) MAIL.
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Bipolar Bear
Man Mountain
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| 12" $8 |
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BIPOLAR BEAR "MAN MOUNTAIN" PICTURE LP (Yosada)
(Limited
edition picture disc, comes w. misspelled "killshawman.com" info!)
Bipolar Bear is one of Julian Pope's other outlets, and they're an
excellent rock and roll outfit that struts in the same fashion as your Birthday Party/Jesus Lizard range of groups. Bipolar Bear rage, undulate, and their songs are short at loud.
Yosada's a
label from Dirk Kempthorn's home state, so do them a favor and buy this
record. Did you know that Idaho has a 35 million dollar trout industry?
It does.
RIYL: Jesus Lizard, Birthday Party, the Avengers.
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Early Humans/kill Yourself
Split 7
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| 7" Out of Print |
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EARLY HUMANS/KILL YOURSELF "SPLIT" 7" (Superfi Records)
British
label Super-Fi Records has released this posthumus Early
Humans (Washington D.C., USA)/Kill Yourself (Leeds, UK) Split 7". It's
got weirdo cover art, and includes a page of stickers that can be cut
out and stuck on. The vinyl is beautiful, thick two-colored (half
pink, half gray), and this is a soldly tight package in all aesthetic
and musical departments. Among the Early Humans songs, there are two,
is "Fuck-All Awaits You There", a powerhouse tune about some major American stock
market crash. That song prominently features a snaky-
riff, insane Bomham/Rubalcaba-intensity drumming and bass that sounds like
high-tension wires being hit with an aluminum bat. Kill Yourself play tough
Touch and Go/early '90s AmRep-sounding tunes and they get points for
having recorded at a place called "Stoke-On-Trent". Limited Pressing.
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Ex-models
Chrome Panthers
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| 12" $14 |
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EX-MODELS: CHROME PANTHERS LP (X-MIST)
With Kid Millions on loan from Oneida, this line-up was our favorite, and Ex-Models brought a bizarre wild, no wave-cum-punk approach, and it was like a breath fresh air in a time inhabited by Pixies worshipers and sycophants. Kind of like a no-waver art spazz rock thing, that still had a rhythm, but wasn't predictable. |
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EXPO 70 "ANIMISM" CD (KILL SHAMAN)
While the cover suggests groovy seventies' styled Fu Manchu pot-rock, Expo 70
actually deliver slow, encircling electronic music. There's a certain
weird darkness about it, and if it were a soundtrack to a movie, it
might be a movie about consciouness, and expanding that consciousness, with halucenogenic drugs and expansive, enveloping, sky-music.
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Federation X
American Folk Horror
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| CD $12 |
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FEDERATION X "AMERICAN FOLK HORROR" CD (ESTRUS)
American Folk Horror captures a window in the Federation X history when the band was emerging as an incredible, national force and a powerful songwriting team. This is their Estrus debut record, and it marks a significant departure from the "straight up" rock of their previous efforts, and showed the band heading into more contemplative, though equally powerful and loud material. Songs like "Mooseblood," "Charlie Jackie Freedom Pride" and "the Hatchetman" told wild stories of American subculture and drew on the band's extensive touring around the forgotten towns and scenes of the U.S. in a four-door boatlike sedan. Recorded by Tim Green.
RIYL: Karp, Drunk Horse, Cherry Valence, Last of the Juanitas, Teamsters.
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Federation X
X Patriot
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| CD $12 |
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FEDERATION X "X PATRIOT" CD (ESTRUS)
X Patriot's nine songs marked a return to more focused, and compact material, after the relative longwindedness of its predecessor, American Folk Horror. Where the lyrics before had had a narrative quality, generally talking about others, X Patriot seemed to turn the focus back to onto the songwriters themselves. Tunes like "Apeshit" and "Self Control" and "Madness" all hinted that something was up with the band, and their thousands of hours cramped into sub-par touring vehicles, hurrying between low-paying shows might have been starting to have ill effects on the friendships and working relationships that make Fed X the incredble force it was. Recorded by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio. Same sessions as the "Theme for a Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman" cover.
RIYL: Budgie, Tight Bros From Way Back When, Karp, Mukilteo Fairies, Melvins.
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Fire Witch
I Spit Lies
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| CD $15 |
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FIRE WITCH "I SPIT LIES" CDR (We Empty Rooms)
In 2008 Wantage will release Fire Witch's newest work on vinyl, for
now, you can pick up some ULTRA LIMITED (these were last 5 created)
copies of this epic thudder. Aquarius Records had this to say:
"We've
yet to get a record from these guys that wasn't super limited, and this
one is no different. We were meant to get 50 copies, but only got 15.
But we'll keep trying, for now, at least a handful of you can get your
mitts on this one...
Fire Witch are a guitarless, two bass and drums killing machine from
down under, who weave delicate soundscapes of low end drift and simple
pounding rhythms, peppered with blasts of skull crushing heaviness,
free noise splatter, and gorgeous shimmering ambience. Their sort of
aligned with bands like Whitehorse and the Grey Daturas, but somehow,
what these guys do is way different.
I Spit Lies is split into two looooong tracks, "I Spit" and "Lies". The
former is a slow burning gradual build, with bass feedback draped over
a throbbing low end pulse and a simple shuffling rhythm, with
occasional lapses into sludgy doom, before resuming the lugubrious
groove. Right in the middle there's an extended stretch of delicate
drifting low end swirl, that eventually gives way to some seriously
hooky propulsive post rock crunch.
The latter is equally mathy, almost groovy, another simple rhythm
underpinning soaring bass melodies all held together by the pulsing
bass #2. Eventually, things gradually break apart, into epic expanses
of space, with just the occasional chord or drum hit. It's doomy, but
more in the way Low or other slowcore bands are doomy. A gorgeously
abstract ultra minimal deconstructed slow motion math rock, that by the
end of the song has turned into a grinding heavy, almost metal groove.
Fucking awesome!
Usually we lament the fact that bands choose to jettison the guitar,
there are so many bass and drums duos out there, many of which would
sound so much better with a guitarist, but one of the bassists in Fire
Witch swings his bass like an axe and it makes all the difference in
the world!
Packaged in a strange accordion style fold out sleeve, thick silk
screened paper attached to little textured wooden (or wood-like)
squares.
LIMITED TO 100 COPIES! We got 15... You do the math."
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Fire Witch/ryokuchi
Split
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| CD $15 |
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FIRE WITCH/RYOKUCHI "SPLIT S/T" CD (S.M.D. Records, Japan)
In the spirit, though not exactly sonic spirit, of another great
Japanese two-piece unit, Ruins, comes Ryokuchi, whose (fretless) bass
and drums open up epic, turbulent soundscapes. It's technical, though
not wankily technical, it's heavy, though not so "heavy" as to turn
totally dull. It's the right combo of what Wantage appreciates, brains,
finesse and heft. Fire Witch
are a Melbourne, Australia band with two basses and a drummer who produce similarly hefty,
doomy, and spacious music. Absolutely a must-have power-psych gem from two Pac-Rim worshipers
of the church of Aural Crushing.
RIYL: Indian, Neurosis.
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Hero Dishonest
When The Shit Hits The Man
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| CD $10 |
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HERO DISHONEST "WHEN THE SHIT HITS THE MAN" CD
A
fucking Helsinki hardcore punk juggernaut, similar to Born
Against/Wrangler Brutes, Jesus
Lizard... . But with something less wholesome, than all of that. And
with equally snarky lyrical content, some of it in Finnish. At our top
o' the heap of our world music category in 2007, released domestically
by the tight bros at Acme Records in Massachusetts. Sample their wares
by heading to their website.
RIYL: Gauze.
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Inappropriate Tough Guy Behaviour
S/T
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| 12" $25 |
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INAPPROPRIATE TOUGH GUY BEHAVIOUR S/T (WE EMPTY ROOMS)
So, We've got four copies of this thudder of an LP from Inappropriate Tough Guy Behaviour from the Republic of Down Under in the Southern Hemisphere, the Land of the Lost... Oz.
Australia. It features Jem (Fire Witch) Moloney bangin' skins and Patto (also Fire Witch) Millman and some
of the grinding-est, excellent fast-but-dense/noise rock that we've
found in several years. These dudes love noise rock, and Karp, and Big Business, and that's noticeable, but in a "holy shit, what a rad, heavy, fast band!" sort of way. ITGB blast, and that's pretty much it.
We get a lot of authentic Hammerhead (the Minneapolis Amrep Hammerhead)
vibes and desperation, and those are very rare commodities. At $25/ea.
these records are not cheap, but they were imported fro Australia, and
are very worth it. We haven't marked them up, but It turns out short-run vinyl ain't cheap to press in Australia, and these things took a fair
amount of postage to make their way stateside. At the time being, other
than mailorder customers, these are the only copies available
domestically. We've only
postage costs to these because they're so excellent they must be heard.
Each comes with a hand-silk screened lyric sheet and CD of the album. This album is high atop Wantage's best-of 2009 list.
RIYL: Hammerhead, Karp, Big Business, Melvins
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Japanther
Master Of Pigeons
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| CD Coming Soon |
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JAPANTHER MASTER OF PIGEONS (Menlo Park)
Japanther's third full-length. One of our favorites, here. An epic set of songs that combines Screamers, the Ramones, singalong choruses and obscure samples. Japanther.
Released by excellent underground stalwart label, Menlo Park Recordings.who'll be part of the team handling 2010's Rock 'n Roll Ice Cream LP.
RIYL: the Screamers, the Ramones
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Japanther
Skuffed Up My Huffy
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JAPANTHER SKUFFED UP MY HUFFY LP (ALTIN VILLAGE)
In our humble estimation, this 2007 LP is the jumping
off point for Japanther fandom. It captures their most ambitious, Beach
Boys-ass melodic and focused side and damned if you aren't singing
along to their fan-appropriated, and lovingly Japantherized tunes
after the first spin. This thing unfortunately has not been released
into the North American wilds on the vinyl format yet. The LP is a German pressing by the excellent, Dresden-based Altin Village. The CD's a domestic.
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Japanther/the Good Good
Split 7
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| 7" $6 |
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JAPANTHER/THE GOOD GOOD SPLIT 7" (ALTIN VILLAGE)
Two Brooklyn ultra-rippers team up for this thing. I think also a tour 7". Solid!
Japanther
take the Screamers approach, get it more stoned, make a beat and then
dump a sweaty, dancy love-jam on top of it. This is a rare, imported German pressing.
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Jordan Rain
Street Lights
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| CD $12 |
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JORDAN RAIN "STREET LIGHTS" CD (Pool or Pond)
Street
Lights is Jordan Rain's and his Yogoman Burning Band's (who's the
ex-Behead the Prophet NLSL drummer, and long-time Bellingham dance DJ)
incredible debut. It somehow authentically occupies a spot halfway
between folky punk and reggae/dancehall, but it's also infused with
a
Whatcom-style
hippy-punk positivity, and more than anything it's totally memorable
and fun. This has got (beautifully recorded) keyboards, drums, and bass
and Mr. Rain's singing over the top of it all. It is to dancehall as
the Black Keys are to blues, perhaps. Second or third generation, but
incredibly hard to deny. Talent and charm seep out of this thing
everywhere. It'll enliven the most jaded punk couch-sitter to get
up and dance. WFMU's grooving
on it, and so is Wantage.
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Juanita Family And Friends
S/T
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| CD $10 |
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JUANITA FAMILY AND FRIENDS S/T
With members of Last of the Juanitas and heavy hitters from
bands like Federation X, you'd expect something other than an album of
the most sublimely pure country tunes ever played, but that's what you
get with this record. For those of you seeking authenticity look no
further. This thing drips with sadness, loss, spoiled relationships,
heartache and you'll be crying in your Old Crow by the end. Made our
top list in 2005, and it's been in heavy rotation since. An absolutely
excellent record in every way.
RIYL: Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings
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Kurt
La Guard
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| 12" Coming Soon |
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KURT "LA GUARD" LP
Freiburg, Germany's Kurt were a favorite of John Peel, and their music
is uncannily, but of course more Teutonic, similar to
Fargo/Moorehead noise bros, Hammerhead. Hammerhead's desperate plains
rumble was uniquely urgent, blown out and inspired, and similarly,
Kurt's (who have since evolved, or some members have moved on to form
Ten Volt Shock) music is filled with driving, noisy urgency.
La Guard is a classically carreening, and stellar record, released by X-Mist.
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Kurt
RMXD
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KURT "RMXD" LP (X-MIST)
Kraut-blasters Kurt were stalwarts of Peel's rockier shows, and they
plow the same brutarian middle-western mid/late nineties dude-rock as
groups like Helmet, the Laughing Hyenas, Hammerhead, Tar and that sort
of deal, only difference being they came from the Black Forrest of
southern Germany, rather than the Rust Belt. Their stuff features that
aggro-fuzz bass you just don't hear any more, accept w. bands like
Replicator. This is an album of remixes, by folks like Endo and Bambam
Babylon Bajsch. Came out on the bitching X-Mist Label.
RIYL: Hammerhead, Vaz, Panel Donor.
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Kurt
Schesaplana
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| 12" Out of Print |
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KURT SCHESAPLANA and S/T 2LP
A band with as underachieving a name as this must've been good,
right? Yes, they were, in a big lumbering noise-rock sonics sort of
way. The big or first comparison to strike me, and what got me so
stoked, was Hammerhead, and not the hardcore german Hammerhead, but the
Fargo dudes who are in Vaz now, and who put out about 4 records on the
AmRep label in the mid to later nineties. This is pure genius. Import from excellent south German imprint, X-Mist.
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Landed/megafuckers
SPLIT
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| 7" $5 |
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LANDED/MEGAFUCKERS "SPLIT" 7" (Kill Shaman)
Heroes of of the nascent Rosemead/Pasadena dude-rock scene, join forces with east coast screwballs and relase some of 2007's most memorable (and pizza-oriented) music. Landed are legendary Providence noizers whose tune is called "Osama Oxycontin." Megafuckers feature a Pope alumnus, and play hardcore, and sing about food and drugs. Like the the FDA. Only with hardcore. Music.
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Last Of The Juanitas
Hawaii
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LAST OF THE JUANITAS "HAWAII" LP/CD (Flapping Jet)
Before
joining the Wantage family for "Time's Up" the Juanitas did a great
couple of records for Max's Flapping Jet Label, based in San Diego.
Hawaii, recorded by Tim Green, is a loud, prophetic, apocalyptic record
that always makes me shudder when I'm walking aorund with it on
headphones. It's hard to not listen to this record in its entirety.
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Mantut/tony Danger (is Tony Danger)
The Adventures Of Tony Danger And Mantut
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| CD $6 |
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MANTUT/TONY DANGER The Adventures of Tony Danger and Mantut CD
"Mantut is the Pope and Books on Tape". Two Rosemead Pho-core heavy
hitters team up their teams and drop this noisy, sweet disc on the
world. We've got about 5 copies, of the original 50 made. Get it
quick...
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Mazie Smirdigie Kocini
Kraa
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| CD $12 |
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MAZIE SMIRDIGIE KOCINI "KRAA" 2CD (TORNIS)
This band reminds us of what we love about Latvia: rain, gloom, poetic
shoegazer bands, decaying infrastructure, bread, incredibly talented singers, cheese, fish, and
beer. MSK fits among the continuum of central European and Russian
underground bands that produced greats like Yanka, Grozdanskaya Oborona
and more recently Inokentijs Marpls, Dr. Green, Grupa Vilnis and Balozu
Pilni Pagalmi from the Baltic state of Latvia. This release is a
charming double 3" CD set that comes in a fold out package. Limited
copies!
RIYL: Grozdanskaya Oborona, Yanka, Balozu Pilni Pagalmi, '70s New York Artschool Rock ala the Talking Heads.
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Mountain High
Catholic Cookie Cutters
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| 7" $5 |
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MOUNTAIN HIGH "CATHOLIC COOKIE CUTTERS" 7" (HOT DOG CITY)
Two songs from Philly bros and ex-Excelsior players who kick the
dual-drummer rock-and-roll-a-thon, in the style that screams:
"DUUUUUUUUDE". Compare with the Cherry Valence, Excelsior, Nazareth,
B.O.C. AC/DC and errrrm... Rose Tatoo. Compare with, then enjoy it on
it's own merits, for they come a-plenty. Extra Nice Deal Alert: full
two-color silkscreened covers.
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Mountain High
Life Coach/Complexagon
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| CD $4.5 |
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MOUNTAIN HIGH "LIFE COACH/COMPLEXAGON" CDEP (HOT DOG CITY)
Philly's masters of awesome lyrics and punched-up
two-drummer rock and roll mayhem (part Black Crowes, part Karp) come
back with a two-banger that doesn't fail to rip apart its peers.
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Mountain High/loving Thunder
Split 7"
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| 7" $5 |
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MOUNTAIN HIGH/LOVING THUNDER SPLIT 7" (HOT DOG CITY)
Ultra rock rarely moves, shakes and bumps like these two groups. Bi-coastal, bro! Philly, Seattle! John Kruk approves. Len Dykstra approves. Mike Schmidt approves. Ken Phelps and Randy Johnson approve. What more needs to be said?
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OAKS "BRAVO" CD (SELF-RELEASED)
Justin Olsen's, former Oly Bear and Tight Bro From Way Back When
drummer. brand new outfit. This band calls San Diego home, but the
sounds on this debut CD owe more to the darker, damper, heavier parts
of the country. I hear Green River, Federation X and the Narrows in these hefty
grooves. This Oaks CD has got a legitimately 90's (or as I like to call it
"timeless") vibe running through it, and an almost active disinterest
in trying to sound somehow modern or timely. It's refreshing to hear riff rock with good riffs!
Toshi Kasai, the Melvins' sound engineer for the past six years, and newly official Big Business guitar player moved around the nobs for this debut, and
it's as solid as an ash, not an oak! Haaaay!
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Omega Cinco/nebur
Split 10
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| 10" $10 |
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OMEGA CINCO/NEBUR SPLIT10" (HOLY COBRA SOCIETY)
Proof,
if you needed it, that North America doesn't have the market cornered
whatsoever on good fast hardcore. Omega Cinco remind me of the best of
the mid nineties Gravity label stuff. Or Bumblescrump, perhaps. Nebur
is a weird ass noise group. The artwork is excellent collage style. I
listen to my copy often. |
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Pygmy Shrews
Lord Got Busted
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| 7" $5 |
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PYGMY SHREWS LORD GOT BUSTED
Scuzzy, dystopian
blasting hardcore plow from these bent Brooklynites. See also
Drunkdriver, Zs, the Fugue, Little Women, Wives, etc.
Kind of like brushing your teeth with Comet.
RIYL: Black Flag
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Red Fang/tweakbird
Split 7"
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| 7" Out of Print |
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RED FANG/TWEAKBIRD "SPLIT 7" " (Volcom Entertainment Club)
Red Fang kick out their crackling sludger Malverde while (newcomers) Tweakbird peel off a poppy, heavy shredder of their own recorded by Dale Crover and Toshi Kasai in Los Angeles. Red Fang show that a mid-tempo rocker can be intense as all hell.
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Rooster Sauce
Zombies Of The Ultra League
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| 12" $12 |
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ROOSTER SAUCE ZOMBIES OF THE ULTRA LEAGUE LP (SELF-RELEASED)
Confident, Argento/Jack Burton-obsessed ultra-blasts by upholders of the mid-tempo, swaggery "dirty rock" put forth by groups like the International Playboys. This LP captures the group at it's tighest/loudest and is a well-recorded, and loudly mastered gem of a rock and roll record. It's getting heavily played on Missoula's independent station, KBGA. Features a solid handful of the group's best material. Recommended.
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Secret Powers
Explorers Of The Polar Eclipse
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| CD $10 |
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SECRET POWERS EXPLORERS OF THE POLAR ECLIPSE CD (TWISTED KITE)
Missoulians (and ex-Oblio Joes, Helltones, Hellgate Stranglers, Fireballs of Freedom, Arlo, etc.) Secret Powers know their way 'round a piano-powered, Jeff Lynne friendly melody wonderfully well. Band leader Shmed Maynes is an extreme taskmaster, and his drill seargent style and approach are easily noticeable in the song quality, performance and recording quality. Shmed gets the sounds right, and his ear for tones is excellent. This will fit on your CD shelf right between your Beach Boys and Beachwood Sparks (even though it doesn't start with a "b").
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Shafted By Society
Zine
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| Out of Print |
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Shafted By Society #7 (Zine)
This is Tom's (from Ass-End Offend) zine, and it's really a good read.
This one features extensive tour diary-ing from the Ass-End Offend
summer 2005 Euro-Smash tour that took us through Poland, Lithuania,
Latvia, Estonia and Finland and the Czech Republic. Contributors
included Dan Lawlor
(drummer), Matt Svendsen (guitar) and yours truly (wit!). And the damn
thing's
got a cover screened here at the Wantage HQ basement.
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Squalora
S/T
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SQUALORA "S/T" LP (Defector)
Portland's
Squalora arose from the ashes of Missoula's Ass-End Offend, and play
heavy/fast, political hardcore. Part Kylesa low-frequency kudgel, part
Anti-Cimex crust blowout, Squalora's sound is loud and powerful.
Lyrically, this deals with the frustration of living in the
Bush-era, punk scene egotism, class struggle and freedom.
When Portland h/c legends Resist reformed in 2007, they
requested Squalora as the opening act. This self-titled release
features 9 songs, and was recorded at Portland's Smegmatone Studio by
sonic wizard Mike Lastra. Vinyl released by Portland's Defector, features poster insert and beautiful embossed foil lettering.
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TEN VOLT SHOCK .... CD
Midwestern (germany) post-whatever-core, that's done as precisely and
effeciently as you'd expect. You could set your watch to this record. This CD contains some of their earliest
singles, an some rare unreleased material. All brilliant. Out on X-Mist records.
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Ten Volt Shock
6 Null 3
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| CD $8 |
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TEN VOLT SHOCK 6 NULL 3 CD
Freiburg, Baden Wurtenburg is a bike-riding, scenic town in Germany's
south end. Ten Volt Shock are from there, and this CD is their latest
work, released in the Fall of 2006. Noise rock is a pretty apt
descriptor, and they play with an urgency and tautness that you don't
hear in much music anymore. X-Mist release.
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TEN VOLT SHOCK S/T
Ten volt Shock's earliest, eponymous record. When you load it up and
play it, it's done before you know it and you're sad. This record
features beautiful artwork and themes similar to Oakland
technology-noise bros, Replicator. One of our favorite discoveries of
2007. This is their first record, and it's solid 28 minutes of joyously
clattering bass, frantic, ever-forward guitarring and vocals. On X-Mist
records.
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The Bugs
....the Bugs
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| 12" $10 |
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THE BUGS "....THE BUGS" LP (Hover Craft)
Paul's and Mike's excellent 2nd LP! Roll up everything you like
about pop and punk, and subtract everthing you don't from pop-punk, and
friend, you're in Bugs Country.
The Bugs pull all sort of excellent, punk/country and rock and roll
threads together and somehow make music that's as unique, authentic and
unaffected as the very best.
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The Bugs
You Gotta Wait
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| 7" $5 |
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THE BUGS "YOU GOTTA WAIT" 7" (HOVERCRAFT)
Armin from X-Mist thinks the Bugs are heavily influenced by the
Urinals. We like them because Mike, who used to roadie for Last of the
Juanitas, has the most endearing and excellent singing voice in punk
rock. Hell, Paul's
voice aint bad either! But something about the squeaky sounds that Mike
makes are just so authentic and great, and vulnerable, and that's
it.The
music accompanying those great vocals is minimal, trash-pop and semi-inept
two-piece rock and roll! We hope "You Gotta Wait" is a tribute to Mitch
Hedberg, who had that bit about winos eating grapes..
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The Bugs
Barbaric, Mystical.... Bored
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| 12" $12 |
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THE BUGS BARBARIC, MYSTICAL, BORED
We can't stop talking about the Bugs. This is their long-awaited follow up to ....the Bugs, this thing has got more hits than Carl Yastrzemski. They're kind of a lo-fi, trashy pop band (ala the Urinals) whose approach to songwriting always leaves us gape-jawed. |
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The Cherry Valence
7"
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| 7" $4.5 |
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THE CHERRY VALENCE "S/T" 7" (Holy Cobra Society)
An excellent tribute to what makes the Cherry Valence a rock and roll force. Their southern-boogie, two drummer sweatfest was always a highlight of my live-show year, and while it's been quite a while since they came around, i remember them well. With members of Regraped, among others.
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The Lights
Wood And Wire
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| 7" Coming Soon |
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| EP Out of Print |
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THE LIGHTS "WOOD AND WIRE" 7" (Child Star)
Our
bros the Lights take simple one note songs and telepathically turn
them into complex theorems about modernity, the human condition and ..
well, that sounds like emasculated indie rock, and that's not what
their deal is whatsoever. It's powerful, erudite rock music and we dig
it. It sounds like the Fall to a lot of people, but Craig has more
vocal range than Mark E. Smith. |
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The Lights
Wood And Wire
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| 7" Out of Print |
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THE LIGHTS "WOOD AND WIRE" CD EP (Child Star)
Our
bros the Lights take simple one note songs and telepathically turn
them into complex theorems about modernity, the human condition and ..
well, that sounds like emasculated indie rock, and that's not what
their deal is whatsoever. It's powerful, erudite rock music and we dig
it. It sounds like the Fall to a lot of people, but Craig has more
vocal range than Mark E. Smith. |
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The Lights
Beautiful Bird
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| CD Coming Soon |
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THE LIGHTS "BEAUTIFUL BIRD" CD (BopTart )
The album that unleashed the Lights basic rock and roll stutter onto
the world, or the corners of it that payed attention. "Beautiful Bird"
captures the raw outsider essence and simple, simple sounds of the band
that elevated one chord songs into somehow sublime territory. The
Lights get compared to a godawful pile of bands, but their sound is as
thoroughly their own as it is appropriated from the Fall and Joy
Division.
(tracklisting)
1. Ice Course
2. I'm a Dangerous Snake
3. Your Boyfriend Has a Pretty Machine
4. Righteous Anchor
5. Victims of the Pleasure of the Sense of Hearing
6. Confident, Never Smart
7. Feets Dont Fail Me Now
8. Hawaii
9. Trapped Like a Trap Inside a Trap
10. Train
RIYL: The Fall, Love, Velvet Underground.
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The Pope
Society Of Friends
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| EP $6 |
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THE POPE "SOCIETY OF FRIENDS" EP
Amaal Denguerian and Kurtisz Von Hrbek (the Pope) are men on a mission,
and their "Society of Friends" EP simply continues to cover the sky
with acres of heavy, thudding and lethal flak, from their bunker in
their hills outside Sao Paolo. The Pope sound like a hardcore band
given only the most rudimentary of tools, a bass and a few drums, who are forced to
play faster, more technically, frenetic music than most hardcore groups endeavor to.
Satellite City from Los
Angeles released this fine EP and we are pleased to distribute it. So
buy one, you partisan, and support their secret campaign against the Shah of Kalifornistan.
RIYL: Karp, Unwound, GodheadSilo
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The Pope
Ascendo Tuum
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| CD $6 |
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THE POPE "ASCENDO TUUM" CD (PACIFIC ROCK)
While the title of this humdinger is slightly off-colour, it's music is
dead-on! Pacific Rock Recordings, out of the lovely burgh of
Sixpakistan, California dropped this thudding gem onto the world. For
fans of godheadSilo, Lightning Bolt, Karp, Unsane, etc.
RIYL: godheadSilo, Karp, Unsane.
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The Reactionaries
1979
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| 12" $14 |
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THE REACTIONARIES 1979
1979 LP by effectively the pre-Minutemen (with Watt, Hurley, Boon and Tamburovich). This documents an excellent circa 1979 band's impossible-to-find demo recording that's just been restored, mastered and will be officially released Feb. 20, 2010. Wantage scored a handful of 'em. There's a song up here, scroll down! Released by a new label that's partially run by Craig The Rise and Fall of the Harbor Area Ibarra!
A-side features the long lost demo recording, the b-side features some awesome current San Pedro bands doing covers of the demos.
RIYL: the Minutemen, Firehose, Mike Watt, Dee Boon
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THE SCRAMS S/T 7" (SELF-RELEASED)
Budget New Mexican rock and roll played loud, proud and slightly plowed! With Ex-Early Humans, Giant Haystacks, etc. etc. This punk rock has the sort of nice tone, and delivery that makes it a joy to play, play, and replay.
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This Moment In Black History
It Takes A Nation Of Assholes To Hold Us Back
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| 12" Out of Print |
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THIS MOMENT IN BLACK HISTORY: IT TAKES A NATION OF ASSHOLES TO HOLD US BACK LP (X-MIST)
Cleveland Ohioans, TMIBH may have an unwieldy name, but they've got a groove of a sweet, buzzing sound. Part 70's proto-punk, part 90's buzzing garage-scuzz, all flailing, fast and rad. Ex-Neon King Kong, Bassholes, Chargers Street Gang.
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Two Year Touqe
In The Elephant Garden
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| CD $12 |
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TWO YEAR TOUQE "IN THE ELEPHANT GARDEN" CD
Missoula's Two Year Touqe (pronounced "too-k") play music in the vein
of Heavenly and Beat Happening, similarly poppy, but topically intense,
political and not strictly sappy. In the Elephant Garden is their
'sophomore' record, and far from slumping, it's a fist-pumper. Where
their debut record the Midi West
was a great naive record, this Elephant Garden business shows growth,
more consistent song writing and more Sarah! Heartily recommended,
espeically if you're repetoire includes some thoroughly melodic and
cute shit from time to time. Sort of Aislers Set-like, but a little
more.. Touqe. Their cover of the Ramones' My Brain is Hanging Upside Down is totally joyous and perfect.
Album notes: cover drawn by Theo Elsworth, Recorded by Doug "Volumen 2" Smith
(CDB Records/Tummy Rocky)
RIYL: Beat Happening, Tiger Trap, Aislers Set
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Two Year Touqe
The Midi West
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| CD $10 |
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TWO YEAR TOUQE "THE MIDI WEST" CD (CDB)
Debut record by Missoula DIY pop outfit (and Helmet Tag members)
Two Year Touqe. This features ten melodic songs that you'll find
yourself humming to yourself for days afterward. This record made us
think of a more Canuck Polyphonic Spree, or ... maybe also a more
Canadian, and more technically adept Beat Happening. Songs about kids,
for kids, and with kids, though also plenty of everybody-oriented content
too. Something about Paul's and Sarah's warbly, unsure yodeling always melts a heart. Good. Good. Good.
RIYL: Beat Happening. twee pop. Flying Nun label. K label....
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V/a Top Notch! Hits From The Hive
Top Notch! Hits From The Hive
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| 12" $12 |
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V/A "TOP NOTCH: HITS FROM THE HIVE" (CDB) Missoula,
Montana's a place generally known for the writers it exports, rather
than its music. This comp is a good indicator of a shift happening!
This is our first exclusive, entirely vinyl compilation! Features
Volumen (Wantage), Ex-Cocaine (Siltbreeze, Not Not Fun, Killertree),
Poor School (Ecstatic Peace), Johnny Apple, Chin Up Meriwether!,
RazzM'Tazz, Duel, Cabinet of Natural Curiosities, the Hills Bros,
Travis Sehorn and Pebble Light, Two Year Touqe, Eyes Like Candy and
Riddilin Que. An excellent example of the weird-and-wonderfulness that
makes Missoula what it is. Niki hand-picked the gems that make this
thing up, then hand-printed the covers (which features Wally Catton's
psychadelic, excellent artwork) numbered them (there are 315 copies).
This thing goes from free-jazz locked-grooves, to Oneida-like space
pummeling, back over to some of the New Weird America stuff and back to
thoroughly sticky, excellent pop and even some thuggy psychadelia. It's
hard not to listen several times in a row!
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Volumen
Skipper Of Reverses
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| CD $12 |
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VOLUMEN: SKIPPER OF REVERSES
When
Volumen release a record, it's a momentous occasion here at Wantage
Acres. We love the band, eat up every freakin' thing they do, and can't
get enough of 'em on the headphones and hi-fi. This new record is a lot more focused, and less
frenetic, all-things-under-the-sun than past releases. It's got beautiful melodies, great
hooks and crazy future pop everything. Here's what they say about it
themselves:
"Skipper of Reverses was recorded at Club Shmed Studios
in Missoula, Montana during 2008 and 2009. Unlike the previous 4
Volumen records, much of the material was created in the studio. The
rough concept for this record was "Classic Rock from the Future".
Although, perhaps more appropriately it would be "Classic Rock from an
Alternate Future". This alternate future would be a place where
classic rock from the seventies consisted of early Devo, XTC and Brian
Eno.
Since I, Volumen-1, can say without impunity that I am an
expert of all things Volumen. Believe me when I tell you that this is
the best thing we've ever done. You can't argue. I've been studying
us for 13 years. Seriously. Stop arguing!
Love,
Volumen-1
NOTE:
The first 200 Skipper of Reverses CDs contain a bonus radio edit of
Cocaine. After they are gone, this version won't be released anymore."
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We Hate The Underground
CD
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| CD Out of Print |
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WE HATE THE UNDERGROUND (COMP CD) Holy Cobra Society
Excellent collection of bitching garage rock from around the world released by our pal Nacho's label, Holy Cobra Society. Worth it. |
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White Shit
Sculpted Beef
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| 12" $14 |
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WHITE SHIT: SCULPTED BEEF LP (PPM)
Whether an homage to the uh, Japcore movement or just a blazing hardcore outfit, we'll never know. Any record with song titles like "Homeopathic Valtrex," "Women" and "Bathroom Cop" is automatically a favorite around here. Called an EP, but anything with 9 songs is sort of a Mega EP at minimum. One sided. W.S. comprises members of Big Business, Melvins, Monorchid, Wrangler Brutes and the Pope.
RIYL: Gauze, Gizm, Monorchid, Wrangler Brutes, Tight Bros From Way Back When, Karp, the Pope, Bipolar Bear, Melvins, etc.
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Wrangler Brutes
The Tape
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| 12" $14 |
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WRANGLER BRUTES "THE TAPE" LP (X-MIST)
L.A.
thug rock done impeccably well, and for only about a year and a half
before they broke up. All the best parts of Black Flag, and Young Ginns
bass tone, over Sam McPheeters' (Born Against, Men's Recovery Project,
Vermiform Records) screaching about black,
gay Republicans. This is their first recording, and prior to
this release by Germany's X-Mist label it was cassette-only.
LIMITED IMPORT.
RIYL: Born Against, Black Flag, Mens Recovery Project
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Yikes
Whoa Coma/Blood Bomb
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| 12" Out of Print |
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YIKES "WHOA COMA/BLOOD BOMB" LP (LABIL)
Bay Area freak-blasters vinyl version of the Kill Shaman CD. The band consists for former Pink and Brown/Coachwhip and current OCS/Ohsee John Dwyer and some dudes from Fuck Wolf etc. It gets compared with stuff like Bob Log most aptly, I think. Sort of waaaaay unhinnged blues. The recording's twice as raw and excellent as anything the Coachwhips did, and it instantly became a Wantage 2008 playlist favorite. Timo and his lady Niki from Labil in Deutschland released this thing.
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YIKES "WHOA COMAS OR BLOOD BOMB" CD (KILL SHAMAN)
Yikes is John Dwyer (from Pink and Brown and Coachwhips) new band, and
it's much more 'whips than P and B. Sort of like a less Memphis, more
Providence Greg Cartwright, or... something, this is rock and roll done
primally, and deftly. You know Kill Shaman's got taste, and we've got
some limited copies now!
RIYL: Pink and Brown, the Oblivians, Coachwhips
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