Featured LP : -
Nation Of Ulysses - 13 Point Program To Destroy America (Dischord Records)
I'm shocked that NOU aren't seen in the same high regard as other Dischord acts. I mean Minor Threat are the biggest sellers, no doubt closely followed by Fugazi, Rites Of Spring is some really seminal work. Things like Void and Dag Nasty get mentioned too. In recent years Q And Not U made things exciting for them again. But no-one really talks about Ulysses.
Maybe it's because they were the least "tough guy" of all, which is a huge cliche dished out regarding hardcore, but even compared to Rites Of Spring's pioneering emocore, the focus here isn't on brutality, and it benefits from that.
Instead, NOU were interested in a millitant kind of punk rock. One that celebrated sensitivity, youth, rebellion and excitement. They wrote propaganda that was involving and humourous and intellectual and accessable at the same time.
Their ideas were jacked by a bunch of bands, although most of those bands are good too. Notable are Refused, Ikara Colt and Huggy Bear.
So what does it sound like? Well, singer Ian Svenonius has perhaps a more "post-hardcore" slant to his voice, and a little bit of a soul music preacher man thing too, which of course is excellent.
The band play fairly straightforward DC Hardcore, but more melodic than most and often jazz and soul infused. Ian even lays down some trumpet skronk at one point.
The lyrics are what makes stuff like this, and they are all kid-centric slogan fueled missives to sing along to. There's really nothing not to like, if you really believe in punk rock more than just liking it from afar, then buy this record. If you don't know by now, releases on Dischord are pretty easy to find (especially online) and always cheap, due to their strict pricing policy. In England, LP's retail exclusively under ten pounds in shops (unless they're trying to rip you). There's no excuse not to hear some of the best American Hardcore punk, because most of it's on Dischord.
(Update! - you can download a load of NOU's zines, Ulysses Speaks, from this blog right here. )
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Featured Band - IRON LUNG
As promised I'm writing a bit more about Power Violence, keeping with the Hardcore theme of this post, and so I'm going to talk a bit about Iron Lung. I dont know that much about them so I'll just talk about the music. I borrowed their CD "Cold Storage" off a friend the other day, having soaked up a fair dose of Man Is The Bastard I figured I was ready.
To some extent I was wrong. That's probably my favourite thing about these bands, is that they all have very seperate identities depite sharing similar aesthetics.
Whereas MITB go for sociopolitical themes or just straight rage, Iron Lung deal in really macabre imagery as suggested by the name, medical conditions and surgical proceedures are clearly a fascination of theirs. But this isn't some gore-grind blood spattered stuff. It takes the old "human condition" thing to it's logical conclusion. It's pretty dark, but I highly recommend.
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Vile Vile Creatures
We are trying to put on Leeds shows with Real Feal and Vile Vile Creatures in the near future. I urge you to listen to both of these bands while they are still fresh. RF do a kind of spazz grunge noise rock thing with maybe a bit of Mclusky in the mix. VVC play uptight riot grrl jitters which nods to Erase Errata. Both of them rule hard.
Real Feal
Also a quick note to say I've enabled comments even if you dont have a Blogger account or anything. Please dont hesitate to use this function, as I have no followers and I'd like to know what anyone reading thinks and stuff.
That's all for now.
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