Wantage USA










 
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 will automatically be charged an additional 20% to cover additional mailing expense. 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.
Albums Distro Clothing/Misc







Ballast
Half Asleep

12"  $10

  BALLAST "SOUND ASLEEP" LP (Profane Existence)
This is one of the bitching records I was turned on to this summer, somewhere in rural Poland. The band is from Montreal, they've got two singers (male/female) who trade off, and the songs are fist pumping anthems of personal freedom, responsibility and self reliance. Anarcho punk rarely sounds this good. This was a trade for some Ass-End Offend stuff, if you're wondering how the hell I got ahold of it.








Big Business
Head For The Shallow

CD  $12

  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.








Big Business
Tour II CD

CD  $6

  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.








Big Business
Here Come The Waterworks

CD  $12

12"  $16

  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 Karp, the Tight Bros and Dead Low Tide, these dudes drop more racquet 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.








Bipolar Bear
Man Mountain

12"  $8

  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, Avengers.








Early Humans/kill Yourself
Split 7

7"  $5

  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.








Expo 70
Animism

CD  $5

  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.








Factums
Spells And Charms

CD  $7

  FACTUMS "SPELLS AND CHARMS" CD (KILL SHAMAN)
One of Craig Chambers (from the Lights) other creative outlets, Factums is disturbing, rambling outsider music. This sounds largely improvised, and is special in its ability to play alienating music without following all of the established routes for that sort of endeavor.








Fire Witch
I Spit Lies

CD  $15

  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."








Fire Witch/ryokuchi
Split

CD  $15

  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.








Hero Dishonest
When The Shit Hits The Man

CD  $10

  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.








Japanther
Master Of Pigeons

CD  $12

 

Japanther "Master of Pigeons" CD (Menlo Park)
Epic masterpiece that combines Screamers, the Ramones, some-whoah-ah-oh choruses and obscure samples. Japanther.









Jordan Rain
Street Lights

CD  $12

  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.








Juanita Family And Friends
S/T

CD  $10

  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.








Kurt
La Guard

12"  $10

  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.








Kurt
RMXD

12"  $12

12"  $12

  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.








Kurt
Schesaplana

12"  $14

  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. X-Mist.








Landed/megafuckers
SPLIT

7"  $5

  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.








Last Of The Juanitas
Hawaii

CD  $12

LP  $10

  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.








Mantut/tony Danger (is Tony Danger)
The Adventures Of Tony Danger And Mantut

CD  $6

  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...








Mazie Smirdigie Kocini
Kraa

CD  $12

  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 Art Rock.









Mountain High
Catholic Cookie Cutters

7"  $5

  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.









Mountain High
Life Coach/Complexagon

CD  $4.5

  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.









Oaks
Bravo!

CD  $8

  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. Oaks have got a legitimately 90's (or as I like to call it "timeless") vibe running through it, and a kind of active disinterest in sounding somehow modern or timely.

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!








Omega Cinco/nebur
Split 10

10"  $8

  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.








Shafted By Society
Zine

Out of Print

  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.








Squalora
S/T

12"  $10

 

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.









Ten Volt Shock
...

CD  $8

  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.








Ten Volt Shock
6 Null 3

CD  $8

  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.








Ten Volt Shock
S/T

CD  $8

  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.








The Bugs
....the Bugs

12"  $10

  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.








The Bugs
You Gotta Wait

7"  $5

  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, poppy and trashy two-piece rock and roll! We hope "You Gotta Wait" is a tribute to Mitch Hedberg, who had that bit about winos eating grapes..








The Cherry Valence
7"

7"  $4.5

 

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.









The Lights
Wood And Wire

7" Coming Soon

EP Out of Print

  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.








The Lights
Wood And Wire

7" Out of Print

  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.








The Lights
Beautiful Bird

CD Coming Soon

  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.








The Pope
Society Of Friends

EP  $6

  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 Paulo. The Pope sound like a hardcore band given only the most rudimentary tools, bass and drums, and forced to play faster, more technically, frenetic music. 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 Californistan.