Custom Skully for PVC art show

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:55:00 +0000

The folks over at Delicious Drips are having an online art show/contest with custom DIY Skully vinyl toys. I submitted a new piece, which is a glow in the dark Skully with some spider imagery. I also submitted an older design I did, which was featured in the promotional video. As of now my pieces are on page 2, please vote for me since I have some pretty low ratings right now.

"Fuck your popularity contest, I'd rather see a murder contest" -Left For Dead

Birthday Blog 2010

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

This year I turn the big 3-0. I was dreading turning 30 for the longest time, and a few month ago I finally accepted it. So back in like 2004, I got the idea to get an XXX tattoo for my 30th birthday. For those not in the know, XXX is roman numerals for 30. A man of my word, 6 years later and here it is! I think the best component to this story is that the tattoo was a gift from my awesome girlfriend, who is also straight edge. I am also getting another tattoo (as a present to myself), which is a Wolfpack themed design.

I've been pretty busy w/ my art lately. My website is still down, due to my own laziness, but I've been doing a lot of art shows and design work. Over the past year or so, I've done numerous art shows with the Autumn Society, with many more to come this year. I'm most excited to be doing a show at Gallery 1988 in California later this year. I was also fortunate enough to have custom painted toys in the Yoka show, It Came From Skullbrain II, SDCC, and a few more. I also collaborated with Sandtastic Toys on a few limited hand-casted toys, where I designed the header cards. There's some plans for other toys this year, but more on that when the time comes. As a graphic designer, you don't get to do much art that doesn't have to be approved by a client. It's nice to break away from the computer sometimes...
Work-wise, I've been fortunate enough to be working for a new company called WeVeel, which is a new arts and crafts company. I get to work from home, which at first was kinda weird, but I've grown to really like it. The job is a lot more creative than my last job, which is great. I get to work in packaging, which I always enjoyed, and it doesn't look like work will be slowing down any time soon. I also got to go to Toy Fair in NYC this year w/ the company. As pathetic as it sounds, it had always been a childhood dream to go to that one day. It was what I expected- a gigantic corporate event with toys. I had fun, and was being paid to be there.
Last year when I was unemployed, I was looking into other options career-wise, and came up w/ Cake Decorator. I enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts program at Middlesex County College. I took Baking Fundamentals last semester, and am taking Cake Decorating currently. I already learned a lot, but I'm not sure if I will continue to pursue the certificate. I do enjoy the classes, and am always up for learning new skills.

I'm still playing bass in Wormeaters, and we will be releasing our third EP on Sorry State Records next month. This will be the first record w/ PJ on vocals, and I may be so bold to say it's our best yet. The plates are at the plant now, but I still need to work on cover art. It's getting there, don't worry. We still don't play often, but hopefully we can get some weekend tours in once the new record drops. Last year I started up a new band called Bloodtype, where I sing and write all of the music. It's pretty much the closest thing I'll come to a solo project (haha). We recorded a demo over the summer and played 2 shows, then took a hiatus for other band members' bands tours. We started practicing again, and have new songs that we'll be recording some time soon for 7" and split 7" w/ FL's Injustice System. Hopefully both records will be out in the summer, and we can also do some weekend tours. I've also been playing w/ some people in a new band, but more on that another time... It will be loud and fast, I haven't gone soft in my old age.

So here it is, I'm 30. I have a stable job that I like, an awesome girlfriend, my art is getting some recognition, I have money saved for new tattoos and to finally move out of my parents' house, learning how to bake, playing in good hardcore punk bands, etc...

The Ice King Cometh

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 04:25:00 +0000

Here is my tribute to the new TV show Adventure Time, which premieres on Cartoon Network in April. This was done with one stencil by layering various colored sprays over each other.

Record reviews (winter 2010)

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Happy 2010 everyone, obviously it's too early in the year to have any new releases, so these were all stragglers from 2009. A chunk of these come courtesy of Nick @ Cowabunga Records (thanks dude!), who does a great label with lots of quality releases. I also want to point out that the 3 demos I'm reviewing here are incredible, and give me hope for some great releases in 2010.

7"s:

Bad Brains- 171A Sessions
A new Bad Brains bootleg has surfaced recently, and it's awesome that these haven't been released after all of these years. Legend has it that these were recorded for a compilation that was never released. The A side (Black Dots/ Send You No Flowers/ Redbone In The City)all appeared on the Black Dots LP, but these versions are much better. The B side is a reggae jam, which I could do without. The songs still lack the ferocity of the ROIR sessions, but this definitely fills a hole in your BB record collection. Track it down now, or cry later; bootlegs these days are pretty scarce.

Needles- Desastre
I LOVED Needles' first 7", which seemed to sell out and go out of print immediately, so I made sure to buy this online as soon as I heard it was released. I hate to say that I was a little bit disappointed. It's not a bad record by any means, but I think it lacks the raw intensity of their first record. It's a bit less distorted/ blown out than the first 7", but flows well and it's still a ripper. Maybe I'm judging it a bit harshly because that first 7" was so good, definitely don't pass up this record.

Right Idea- demo
I was recently turned on to this Cleveland sXe band. They musically similar to Straight Ahead (they're named after one of their songs after all) and No For an Answer, but the vocals have a slight Uniform Choice vibe. The lyrics are pretty posi, but the music is enough for the hardcore crowd to be into as well. The flow of the record kinda slows down in the middle, but I'm sure "Right Idea" and "On Edge" are awesome to see live. This is their demo pressed to vinyl, so if you're like me, this is a good place to start.

Not Sorry- Moving On
Not Sorry is a new sXe band from Seattle (by way of upstate NY). This 7" is their demo plus 2 newer songs. I had downloaded their demo online a while back and liked it, so I made sure to get this. The songs are influenced by the older youth crew era of HC, with a heavy Chain of Strength influence. I also get a more modern vibe, w/ some parts reminding me of early Bane releases. I could see this appealing to a broad range of HC fans, but I prefer my HC more straight forward. Definitely looking forward to their next 7" on React!

High Life- Drink Yourself to Freedom
I think these guys like to drink beer... based on the album title, band name and insert illustration. I like this band more than I like drinking beer (which is not at all). I was half expecting another dumb party band, but instead I got some raw and angry 80's influenced hardcore. I almost get a Cleveland vibe, like the 9 Shocks Terror associated bands. This was definitely the surprise of the bunch, definitely give this a chance.

The Ladies- Trashed
I had seen the Ladies at No Way Fest 2, but this is my first Ladies record. This thing's great! Reminds me of the Shemps, but more raw. They do the mixing of punk and garage rock way better than most other bands these days attempting that style. There's only 3 songs on here but they're all hits. I need to track down their other releases now.

Video Disease- Make Me Pure
I liked Video Disease's first 7" and demo, so i was psyched to get my hand son this. The sound is a bit more polished, but still raw (the other recording were raw as shit though). I think you can hear all of the instruments a lot better than their previous releases, but I could see someone saying it lacked the same intensity. Unfortunately the band is now broken up, so their LP that they were working on will never be released. Either way, this is a real good 7" in its own right. I will also note that the cover art looks almost exactly like the cover of a 7" by a band called Blackbirds, which was released maybe 3 years ago.

Funeral Shock- Paint Thinner EP
I recall getting Funeral Shock's first 7" years back because they boasted an ex-Spazz member. It was ok, but this is way better. There's a heavy Black Flag influence, maybe B'Last (through weren't they just a later era Flag rip off anyway). Seems like a good balance of slower and faster parts.

Stressed Out/ Rip It Up
This is a split between 2 NJ bands who have toured together in the past. Stressed Out kick things off playing thrashy hardcore similar to Cut The Shit or Bones Brigade. I seem to remember their demo having a little bit more metal/crossover influence. Aside from one (poorly) overdubbed solo in "Deer Blood," it's pretty much a straight thrasher. The lyrics are more socially conscious than the average party thrash band, which is really nice to see. On the flip side Rip It up kick things off with a really moshy intro. I kind of wish their songs were more along the lines of this intro, as the rest of their songs are more fast. I think musically, this reminds me a lot of the first Suicidal Tendencies LP. Overall, the songs could be a little tighter, but I think if they have some potential. A solid split by 2 newer local bands.

12"s:

Direct Control- Farewell
Possibly the last DC album, or just a tribute to Mikey Offender. This LP was recorded a while back, but finally came out recently. The music is as fast as previous recordings, but the guitar parts seem a little bit more complex. They re-record "Public Safety" from the MRR comp, but I prefer the original. They close out the LP with an instrumental, which was written by Mikey Offender (who sadly passed away, and filled in on bass for DC's Euro tour in 2005). I think overall, it doesn't compare to Direct Control's early releases, but continues what you'd expect after the Strung Up split LP. Hopefully this isn't their last recording.

Total Fury- Ears Go Deaf
This was a super limited release (500), that was only available on their west coast tour last year. I finally got a copy off eBay recently and figured I would review it. Over all it doesn't live up to the high standard they made for them self with 13 Songs and Committed to the Core. I like this better than some of their other recent split 7"s though. It's good, but I wouldn't go crazy to find it.

demos:
Manipulation (pro-tape)
Damn, even though it just turned 2010, I think this demo will be hard to top. A new Chicago band with members of Pedestrians, Cardiac Arrest, Chronic Seizure and more... Musically it reminds me of the early Discharge singles, which were a bit more rock influenced, but still rage hard. A great demo, that's long enough to have been an EP.

Troops of Tomorrow (pro-tape)
Wow, this demo is fucking great, I must've listened to it 4 times in a row the first day I got it. Troops of Tomorrow is a new band from DC, who plays a Oi influenced hardcore. Modern comparisons to 86 Mentality and Set To Explode seem obvious, but fitting. There's a heavy early 80's Boston style here, maybe Slapshot and DYS (who they cover on here) mixed with somethign like Blitz. The vocals are very rough, and the lyrics are negative- just how I like it. This is a band to watch in 2010 for sure.

Injustice System (cassette)
INJ/SYS is a new band from FL. Musically they're heavily influenced by the good NYHC bands. I get a heavy early Cause For Alarm and early Sick Of It All influence, mixed with the early 80's NY bands like the Abused or the Mob. This type of stuff is right up my alley, and make for a killer demo. Real good, real fast, real stripped down HC- perfect. I recently got mp3s of their new 7", and I assure you that it will be a ripper as well.

Skuttle custom for It Came From Skullbrain II show

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 19:11:00 +0000

This is my custom Skuttle toy, which I did for Super 7's It Came From Skullbrain II art show. The show consists of artists customizing Japanese vinyl toys. Genereally Japanese toys are painted with an airbrush in small busts of color to highlight the sculpt. I chose a clear Skuttle by Tuoma, and painted the inside then added the details outside w/ spraypaint. By painting the inside, the color is a bit more subtle, and still shows some clear when viewed on an angle. I named my piece "Slices" after the record by the band of the same name w/ a turtle on the cover.

Jan 16th 2010 from 6pm - 10ish.
Super7 retail outlet
1628 Post St
San Francisco, CA 94115
http://www.super7store.com
http://www.skullbrain.org

*flyer coming soon?*

Best Records of 2009

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:14:00 +0000

Best 7"s of 2009

1. Brain Killer- s/t
2. Quick Fix- 6 Song EP
3. Dark Ages- Vicious Lie
4. Slices- s/t #1
5. Boiling Over- Trash City

Brain Killer released an amazing demo and 7" this year, and I expect big things for them in 2010. They remind me of bands like Deathreat and No Parade, which for my money, not enough bands do. Quick Fix released a 1 sided 7" with little fanfare, but I probably recommended that record more than anything this year. Dark Ages followed up their demo from last year with a killer 7", which I think was criminally underrated. I caught Slices at a show in Pittsburgh on tour, and they blew me away with their unique sound. It's like they took the guitar/bass tone of power violence and applied it to the Black Flag blueprint. Boiling Over really brought it with their "Trash City" record, and I definitely gave this baby quite a few spins in 2009.

Best 12"s of 2009

1. Coke Bust- Lines In the Sand
2. Hjertestop- Vi Ses I Helvede
3. Urban Blight- More Reality
4. Sacred Shock- You're Not With Us
5. Paintbox- Trip Trance & Travelling

I always liked Coke Bust, but I definitely found myself saying "holy crap, when did Coke Bust get awesome?" This LP really destroys their previous records, and has all the elements of a great hardcore record. For some reason it seemed like a lot of people were hating on the Hjertestop LP, but I really loved it and thought it was just as good as their EP. They were great live on their summer tour as well. Urban Blight was another band that put out an OK record a while back, then really killed it on this LP. Sacred Shock had a great 7" last year, and followed it up with an equally great LP. I heard they broke up, which I hope is false. Paintbox released a ridiculous LP this year after not releasing anything since the Cry Of The Sheep 7" in 2004(?). It's pretty wild, but I'm into it.

Best demos of 2009
1. Duress
2. Omegas
3. Sick Fix
4. Nomos
5. Outlast

After getting the Duress demo from a friend at the end of last year, then losing it and having to get another I was in love. It's fast, angry and full of rage. I can't wait to see them live and get their 7", which will no doubt be making an appearance in the best of 2010 list. Omegas from Canada released a great demo (which got repressed as a 7"), which really has the 80's NJ Shore-core sound to it. Possibly due to a former NJ resident in the band; another band I'm expecting big things from next year. Sick Fix finally released a new recording as a demo before they went on tour this summer. I think it really captures where they're at now, as that 7" came out almost 2 years ago. When I first got the Nomos demo, I liked it, but I grew to like it more the more I listened to it. One of the best local (tri-state) bands. This was also re-presssed as a 7" on Deranged this year. Outlast is my favorite current NJ band, which bring be back to when I was 17, and the youth crew thing was big. It's cool to see a band like this now, where by 2000 the youth crew revival grew tiresome. This was also re-pressed as a 7" recently. I should also mention that all of these demos I own on cassette, which I love to see.

Honorable Mentions:
No Tolerance- their demo came out last year, and was awesome, then got pressed to vinyl this year. I felt weird listing it as a top 7", but it really was worthy of the nomination.
Free Spirit- their demo also came out last year, but was probably the best Straight Ahead worship I've heard in a long time. All 4 songs on the demo clocked in just over 2 minutes. They're doing a 7" on Lockin Out in '10, which will be the first Lockin Out release I've ever looked forward to.
Punx Don't Drink comp- I was really glad to be a part of this compilation of sXe bands who all played faster/early 80's inspired hardcore. The record release show was some of the most fun I've had at a show in a while. Not just because I got to sing "Straight Edge Revenge" with Sick Fix.

Reissues:
MK-Ultra (I didn't buy this since I have most of these records already, but it's good to see the band get their due)
The Insults (great forgotten mid-west HC)
Death (unreleased amazing LP by this mid 70's proto punk group)
Groinoids (finally had the rest of their tracks from the Boston, Not L.A. session released to vinyl)
Mouthpiece (one of the few 90's style HC bands I like found a permanent home @ REV)
Citizens Arrest (Colossus 2xLP which has the 7" and comp tracks/demo. Even thought it was already reissued like 8 years ago, this is essential shit that should never go out of print)

Predictions for 2010:
-Looks like the bands ripping off early 80's hardcore "trend" is done. I love early 80's HC obviously, but I've seen way too many third rate thrash bands cover Black Flag to be really too excited about a lot bands. Seems like the new thing coming is to do an 80's style HC band, but throw in weird parts ala the Youth Attack bands (which I mostly hate).
-Seems like there's another resurgence of youth crew/ Straight Edge bands. The last big boom was around 1997, when I was first getting into hardcore. Maybe it's a reaction to the party thrash/ Municipal Waste type scene that's growing strong. Personally I'd take sing a longs and mosh parts over neon shirts and boogie boards in the pit.
-The pop-punk revival will be much bigger. I seems like more and more of my HC peers have jumped ship for the pop-punk/alternative thing. No thanks, I did that in the 90's. I'm too old and bitter for pop music.
-More pointless reunions
-Crewneck Sweatshirts > Hooded Sweatshirts

Record Review- early winter

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:34:00 +0000

Hey kids, this is going to be the last reviews post before the epic best of 2009 post. It's a quick one, but I wanted to clear the slate before the last post of the year. I should mention that I reviewed the new Nitad 7" on No Way a few months ago, and commented on the cover art looking like a black metal cover. Luckily the regular pressing has different cover art, which I really really like. It doesn't look like a typical HC cover, and is full cover and I'm real into it.

7"s:

Government Warning- Executed
Recorded at the same time as Paranoid Mess, this 7" seems kind of like a few throw-away songs and a Battalion of Saints cover. "Executed" starts out slow, then gets fast, then goes back to slow, then speeds up right before the end with nothing all that interesting in between. It's not bad, but definitely not in the same league as their previous releases.

Deathrats- s/t
Deathrats are an awesome new band from DC who have a somewhat 90's vibe to them. Musically it reminds me somewhat of Severed head of State mixed with Los Crudos, and all of the covers are screen printed. The vocals remind me more like current bands Punch and Sick Fix, since they're more screamed than sung (and female). The music is very powerful d-beat influenced hardcore. It's a real great record, and I hope to hear from more from these guys and girls soon. I should also mention that it doesn't say Deathrats on the cover anywhere, so hopefully it doesn't get passed over because of that, because it's really worth your time.

Foreign Objects- s/t
Foreign Objects are a relatively new band from Boston with members from Conversions, Ampere, Positive Reinforcement, Libyans and I'm sure others. Their sound is a sort of mid-paced late 70's punk in a Dangerhouse kinda way (X comes to mind). The vocals alter between singing and shouting, which keep things flowing nicely. Pretty cool.

12"s:

Government Warning- Paranoid Mess
For my money, Government Warning's "No Moderation" LP was one of the best HC LPs of the past 10 years, and set the bar extremely high for a follow up. The recording quality is a lot more blown out, lo-fi then their previous efforts. There's some raging fast songs, and some solid mid-paced songs. I think some of the songs lack the hooks that "No Moderaton" had, but it's still worthy of a few spins.

Wasted Time- Futility
After seeing Wasted Time at No Way Fest 2 as a 5 piece, I had high hopes for this record. The music is a lot heavier/fuller sounding. Kinda brings to mind "Feel the Darkness" era Poison Idea. I would say the songs aren't as fast as their previous releases, but still good. I could see this band going into a more Motorhead style in the future.

Pollution- Nasty.DNA
Pollution are a band from NYC that I've had the pleasure of seeing multiple times, and was blown away every time. It's almost impossible to describe their sound, which is a good thing. At times sounding like From Ashes Rise then like the Melvins. There's also some stoner and death metal influence int here as well. All I know is that it's loud as hell, it doesn't sound like anything you've ever heard before, and that it fucking rules. This is a vinyl pressing of a cassette release the band self-released. Expect big things from these guys if they ever escape from NY.

Social Circkle- City Shock
After 2 very short 7"s, a proper LP by Boston's Social Circkle is finally out. This release's line-up has yet another change, making the band 1/2 of Blank Stare (RIP). If you've never heard SC's other records, they play a pretty mid paced style of early 80's/late 70's punk. This record sounds pretty similar to their last record. They re-recorded "Drunk Cop" from their demo, though I think it lacks some of the punch of their demo. Pretty good, but I think I was expecting a little something faster.

Hellboy art show in Philly

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:04:00 +0000

Here is my piece for the Hellboy show. I did it on an old skateboard that I found in a thrift store. I wanted a real skate graphic influenced piece. I figured what says Hellboy like the right hand of doom and some random tentacles. I had some issues while painting it, I guess the cold and spray paint don't get along and there was some bubbling.
As a bonus to my blog readers, here's a rejected idea I had for the show. I thought of maybe making a print of this also, but I never was the most entrepreneurial artist.

Because nothing says Happy Holidays like the beast of the Apocalypse, The Autumn Society invites you to celebrate both the 15th anniversary of Mike Mignola's Hellboy and the December holiday season, with an exclusive Hellboy show only at Brave New Worlds Comics! So come out for a "Hell" of a time at our last show for 2009!

Check out sneak peeks of some of the work that will be featured at the show here: http://www.theautumnsociety.com/search/label/Hellboy

Custom Yoka for D-con

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Here's my finished YOKA custom for Designer Con. He needs a name, any ideas? The coloring pattern was based on my gf's Boston Terrier. The Yoka platform toy is great because it looks good standing, but even better sitting. I am extremely humbled to be a part of this show, from what i hear there will be 300 artists involved. Thanks to DKE Toys and Dylan Evans for giving me this opportunity.

*UPDATE: his name is "Mopey"*

Fall 09 record reviews

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:16:00 +0000

What we have here is a chunk of records I got at the end of summer/ early fall. I used to do a lot more reviews posts, but my budget for records has been a little tighter lately. That combined with maybe not as many good recent releases, and not as many good touring bands playing in Jersey. The next reviews post will be close to the end of the year, before the annual Best Of 2009 post.

7"s:

Dark Ages- Vicious Lie E.P.
Whatever you're listening to, turn it off and go buy this record. If you're a fan of the No Way/ Grave Mistake/ Sorry State type of releases, this will blow you away. I was impressed by Dark ages demo 7", as well as seeing them live twice last summer. I really get an early Articles of Faith vibe from these songs, but filtered through the speed of the early 80's DC HC bands. It's got a slight melodic tint, but it's fast as shit. Seriously, I couldn't recommend any 7" I've gotten recently any higher.

V/A- The South Will Rise Again
Cowabunga brings you a compilation focusing on HC bands from the southern part of this great nation. My main gripe is that the back cover just lists the bands, but isn't in the right order. The insert is also inconsistent in terms of each band's art/layout. The standouts are Logic Problem, Socialcide and Cult Ritual bringing just what you'd already expect from those bands. Some new bands I found through this were High Life (guess I wrote them off as a party thrash band) and HRT (never heard of em, but they rip). It's really cool that a label from CA would highlight a scene so far away, so you know they're not playing favorites.

Video Disease- s/t
I liked Video Disease's demo, but I think they really improved vastly on this record. The recording quality is still really blown out, and the music is raw, ugly and fast hardcore. Cool layout w/ the info being on an obi strip. I just went to the band's Myspace page, and it seems they're breaking up; I still need their 2nd 7".

Dirty BS- Line of Fucking Fire
I really liked Dirty BS' first 7", so when I saw this in a distro I was surprised since I assumed the band broke up. Apparently this 7" is limited to only 300 and contained out takes from the 7" recording session. I hate to say it, but I'm not that impressed. The songs lack the same fury that the 7" had. It's out of print though, so my opinion doesn't matter since you can't get it anyway.

Migraine- s/t
Kinda similar to Ecoli, this CA band blasts out a ripper of a 7". There's some distorted vocals, (hell distorted everything) and some blazing fast parts. There's an overall heaviness to it, kinda similar to the Slices 7"s, but a lot more straight forward. This record is really good, give it a shot. They have a new record on deck which will be on Cowabunga.

Force Fed- 5-Song EP
Painkiller brings you the debut EP from PA's Force Fed. While it's not as hard hitting as PK's usual releases, it's similar to fellow PA band Let Down's earlier material. They play no frills hard and fast straight edge hardcore. It's got an early 80's meets modern fast HC sound. Pretty good, check it out.

Ecoli- Judas Cradle
Ecoli had a 7" that came out last year that totally came from nowhere and totally ripped. Their sound was similar to faster early 80's bands like Neon Christ, Koro and the Neos. After the first listen I wasn't as into it, but giving it another shot I really started to appreciate it. On this record there's a slight lineup change, but they don't lose any of the ferocity. At times the songs are more structured, at other times they're more frantic and loose. I'd maybe compare it to Die Kreuzen, but either way you need this in your life.

Libyans- Crash Course
This was apparently recorded at the same time as their LP, but is structured more like the Welcome to the Neighborhood 7". There's a longer song ("Crash Course") on the A side, and a shorter song ("Erased") on the B side. Crash Course is certainly not as good as Welcome to the Neighborhood, but it's still catchy. I would almost say Erased is the better song, since it's a bit more punchy. A good and short 7", but I want more fast songs.

Death Crisis- s/t
Out of the ashes of Life Crisis come Death Crisis, with 3/4 of the final lineup. They continue along the same lines with their Dr. Know sounding hc/punk with metal leads and solos. It's very early 80's California sounding, but a bit more ballsy. There's a few songs with Spanish lyrics, but my basic Spanish comprehension was able to get what they were talking about. The cover art is a bad Photoshop collage, which looks like a bad black metal cover, but don't let it deter you.

the Insults- Thrasher Go Home
Finally, a legit reissue of the classic Detroit band's 7" from the 80's. I hadn't listened to this in a while and forgot how good this 7" was. It's similar to Verbal Abuse in that it's fast HC/punk with metal tinges to it. Similar to their Michigan brothers in the State, this is some essential authentic early 80's HC. Good job Punks Before Profits for resurrecting this beast.

No Tolerance- Boston Straight Edge
I had downloaded No Tolerances demo a few months ago, and was psyched to finally get a real copy pressed to vinyl. From the same masterminds behind Mind Eraser, DFJ and CC this time bring you a late 80's straight edge sound. I hear a heavy Brotherhood influence, as I'm sure that's where they got their name from. I guess this started as a side project, but now they have a full band assembled and will be doing a 7" on Youngblood soon. The somewhat militant sXe lyrics will turn off some, but I think this is real good!

Judgement- Just Be...
This was repressed to celebrate Judgement getting back together to play Chaos in Tejas fest. I was lucky to find this in a distro, but I know they sold out fast. This was Judgement's last (and some might say worst) release, which only had a CD release previously. I would say it's not as strong as their earlier material, but seriously it's impossible to top that stuff. Follows the same Judgement formula of Burning Spirits styled HC with a heavier focus on guitars. It's fucking great, go find it.

Burial- Hungry Wolves
I had a couple of Burial's other releases, but this one had eluded me for a while. It's not new, but this 4 song 7" is perfect. This German band can emulate the Burning Spirits Japanese hardcore style of the greats like no other. Imagine Tragedy w/o the boring cello or piano interludes. This rips, and I just found out they have a new 12" out... gotta find that!

Obliteration- This Is Tomorrow
I liked Obliteration's first 7", and was glad they were doing another so soon. Obliteration is basically the singer of Knife Fight, but with Mind Eraser as his backup band. They play a distorted crust/d-beat influenced hardcore similar to Crucifix or Anti-Cimex. It lacks some of the cliches of the average crusty band, but that's a good thing. I kinda liked the first record better, but this is good too.

Brain Killer- s/t
Boston's Brain killer play with the distorted fury of Japanese bands like Disclose and Framtid, but the vocals remind me a lot of Deathreat. There's a lot of feedback throughout this record, which ads to its all over raw sound. I would imagine this band plays loud as hell live. This is fucking great!

Brain Killer- s/t (demo)
This is a re-pressing of Brain Killer's demo on vinyl, which I had downloaded a while back and loved. Musically it's very similar to the 7", but as you could imagine a bit more raw. Get this as well as the s/t 7" and you won't be disappointed.

Middle Class- Out Of Vogue
Released in 1978, some might say this was the first hardcore record, and I would agree. This was way faster than everything else from that time. Songs like "Out of Vogue" (which was featured in American Hardcore) and "Insurgence" laid the groundwork for American HC, while being influenced by UK punk. Frontier reissued this at the end of last year, and it's about damn time. Mine came on blue vinyl too, sweet!

12"s:

Urban Blight- More Reality
Back in 2004 Urban Blight released a pretty good 3 song 7", 5 years later they release this amazing 12" EP. Their sound has matured a lot in that time, and I think this 12" is a huge step. The recording is real blown out, which totally works, and gives it that authentic 80's HC sound. The music is very early 80's NYHC influenced, think early AF, early Warzone, etc... Real good, and a huge step up from their previous releases. The cover art is kinda weird, I guess they wanted it to look like a DJ's single, which I don't think works.

Death- For the Whole World to See
You may have read the stories about this band online, but basically this is a relatively forgotten band from the 70's that is just now seeing a proper release. Not to be confused with the metal band of the same name, Death were 3 African American brothers who were playing punk in a style of the Stooges, the Buzzcocks or the MC5. This LP is really good, and well recorded for something over 30 years old. Some of the songs are fast, almost early Bad Brains sounding. "Politicians In My Eyes" and "Freakin Out" are like unheard classics. Seriously, this is a great record, with some great authentic 70's looking cover art to make a great overall package.

Paintbox- Trip Trance & Travelling
So this album was years in the making, and after listening to the whole thing I can see why. Judging by the psychedelic cover art, I knew it was gonna be kinda weird. There's their signature rock n roll meets burning spirits style, mixed with some more psych influence and a good amount of trumpets. There's a lot of great guitar parts by Chelsea (RIP), and some female vocals mixed throughout. They really went all out on this one, and while it may seem weird to some, but the only word I can use to describe this is EPIC. Paintbox really likes to straddle the line between traditional punk/HC sounds, and something a bit more experimental. If you're already a fan, you're not gonna be let down, but may be a bit much for a first time listener.

Mouthpiece- Can't Kill What's Inside
In honor of Edge Day recently I got a real craving to listen to some Mouthpiece, but had foolishly sold all of their records when I was getting rid of all my youth crew type stuff. Luckily Rev has re-pressed their discography on vinyl, and I was able to rectify my mistake. Mouthpiece existed in a time after the youth crew style bands, but before the heavy 90's HC sound really took shape. They sound more like bands like Inside Out and Burn, but have a bit of a harder edge like Judge. At the time they were considered a fast band, but by today's standards not so much. It seems like there's a good deal of hype around bands from the early 90's scene, and a lot of them reuniting for the Burning Fight show this summer. With that, it's nice to see Mouthpiece get some recognition. Personally, I kinda have to be in the mood for this style of HC, and I could see why I sold off my Mouthpiece records originally (not to say I don't regret it). I saw them twice in 2001 @ their reunion shows, and they were great. NEW JERSEY STRAIGHT EDGE!

Trick Art Treat show pieces

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:02:00 +0000

This is a piece I did for the Trick Art Treat art show. I find dogs in Halloween costumes hilarious, so I montaged a photo of a dog in a devil costume with a photo of my girlfriend's Boston terrier, Lelo. As with all of my other pieces, it was drawn out in Illustrator, then cut into stencils and spraypainted on a canvas. The piece is entitled "Devil Dog (aka: S.T.D.)," as I've affectionately nicknamed her "Shitty the Dog."
I cut out a stencil of Boris Karloff as Frankenstein for the b/w flyer for the show, so I figured I would make it into a simple stencil piece for the show as well. The piece is entitled "Frankie Says Relax."

Misfits Tubby, Couch Slouch Qee & Kaiju Gwin

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:54:00 +0000

I've been working on a bunch of toys lately, and haven't had a chance to post them, here's what I've been working on for the past month or so,,,
This was originally a vinyl toy of Tubby from the Little Lulu comic. I got a few of these and decided to paint it up in a style of Bounty Hunter, hence the logo on the back. It was mainly influenced by the Misfits fashion sense.
This started out as a blank Pigee Qee, and I turned it into a lazy balding dudes who I call "Couch Slouch" (after the DRI song). He's so depressed he just sits around the house watching TV in his underwear and flippy floppies. Poor guy... I painted it pink first, then gave it some light sprays of ivory to lighten him up in spots.
This was a Gwin that I made as an experiment to try painting the inside of a clear toy. I left him blank, but decided I should finish him off w/ some simple details. I was influenced by the minimalistic kaiju style paint jobs from Japan.
This Gwin was mine for the Custom Gwin Trade on the October Toys forum. The concept was that the Gorilla had a banana peel on his head, which made use of the penguin shape's flaps. My trade partner got this Gwin along w/ a custom painted Zombie and header card. I had gotten the Zombie free in an order and was just playing around w/ paint markers one night. The arms are from a Dunny and are drilled in so they still move. My trade partner was very happy with it and I eagerly await his custom to come in the mail.

hardcore/punk toys?!

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Collecting vinyl rules. Whether that vinyl is playable or shaped into a cool toy is your choice. What some of my usual blog readers may not know is that a lot of punkers are involved in the toy world. I did a post a while back about the Gorilla Biscuits toy, but did you know that CIV did a Dunny design in their tattoo series?
Suicidal Tendencies had a Be@rbrick design as a pattern. I was lucky enough to score one of these on the first try. It's made to look like a blue bandanna, and is a part of the pattern series. Medicom recently released a larger "400%" version of this design. They've also done Sex Pistols themed Be@rbrick in the past.
Kidrobot recently did series of pieces depicting their mascot as a punk rocker called Kidpunk. There were 3 different versions- 1977 (Sex Pistols), 1980 (Dead Kennedys), 1984 (Black Flag). I of course got the Black Flag looking one. Each one came with a record and cover parodying the band's classic album that was released in that particular year. I thought it was pretty clever, and shows that someone working there knew something about the actual music, and not just the look.
Everybody knows Pushead for doing tons of awesome album covers, but he's become popular in the toy scene as well. His toys are kinda hard to come by, so I still don't have any in my collection yet. Hopefully soon... He recently did a signing at the NY Comic Con with Secret Base out of Japan, that I heard was packed. Secret Base also has produced toys for Napalm Death and Balzac. Mike Sutfin who you may know from bands like Charles Bronson and Killers also had customs for sale at NYCC. He has his own toy coming soon from Reckless Toys, which is reminiscent of the old Corrosion of Conformity logo. Amos Toys recently released a character called Martin X, which has X's on his hands and makes references to the character being Straight Edge.
Also, make sure to check out a great documentary DVD called Toypunks, focuses on the rise of designer toys, and the parallels to punk culture. There's even a song by Deep Sleep used in the movie.
There's even a huge DIY movement within the designer toy scene. People hand mold and cast their own toys out of resin and sell it themselves. A lot of toy companies sell blank toys, which encourage customization. So you see, the hardcore/punk scene stretches far into nerd culture than most people would like to admit.

*this is a post I was working on back in February/March, and never finished until now.

Dia De Los Muertos

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:44:00 +0000

This is my piece for the Autumn Society's Dia De Los Muertos show entitled Esqueleto Con un Monopatín, which translates to "Skeleton with a Skateboard". It was done on an oval shaped 9"x12" canvas with stencils and spray paint. The character was heavily influenced by Posada's prints.

"Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead), is typically a Mexican celebrated holiday, in which families bring offerings (such as food and mementos) to remember and celebrate their loved ones that have passed away. The holiday is celebrated between October 31st through November 2nd.
The show will consist of 40+ pieces of art from the Autumn Society's finest artists, each interpreting "Dia de los Muertos" in their own unique way.
So come and celebrate on First Friday, October 2nd, and don't miss out on some fantastic original artwork, music, and sugar skulls!"
Proximity Gallery
2434 East Dauphin Street
Philadelphia, PA

BLObPUS custom contest

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Here are some pictures of my Blobpus custom for the contest via Lulubell Toys. I poured red acrylic craft paint on the inside, then did some sprays in black and silver w/ spray paint, then added the details w/ paint markers. This was my first kaiju style paint job, and I'm pretty happy w/ it.

For reference purposes, here's what it looked like originally, you can see the vinyl was clear.

Record Reviews (summer edition)

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:56:00 +0000

It's summer, which means there's a lot more bands touring. That also means there's a lot of records you should be buying to support these bands. Go see: Coke Bust/ Sick Fix, Shitty Limits/ Logic Problem, I Hate This/ Backslider, Zhenia Golov/ Plague Bearers, Rip It Up/ Stressed Out, Punch, and Guilty Faces who are all still on tour through August.

7"s:

Waste Management- Get Your Mind Right E.P.
This came out a while back, but I wish someone had clued me in on this band earlier, holy shit. The vocals are almost a dead ringer for Springa (SSD), and the music has a real early 80's Boston feel to it. This has a perfect balance of raging fast parts, and slow mosh parts. Some of the lyrics seem to be straight edge oriented, but the band isn't very up front about it. Great 7", hopefully they have more in the works.

Boiling Over- Trash City
I had only known Boiling Over from the Punx Don't Drink comp, but much like Cold Shoulder their own EP is way better. "Humanity is Fucked" kicks off this beast, and sets the tone of a bleak world view for the rest of the record. My favorite song is "These Colors Don't Crust" which has a pretty memorable chorus of "We have been wronged, we have been lied to." I love bands like this that are sXe, but don't use it as a marketing ploy from some watered down cartoon version of hardcore. This straight up, no BS early 80's inspired HC. The record also comes w/ an mp3 download, which is always convenient.

I Hate This- s/t
Released just in time for their US tour, IHT drops their first solo 7". After a lineup change (one of those changes happened to be the primary song writer), they don't let up on the fastcore fury. The music is more in a Charles Bronson direction, taking old style HC structure and speeding them up. Pick a copy up from the band as it hasn't made its way into distros yet.

The Shitty Limits- Here Are the Limits
The Shitty Limits are a band from the UK, who are currently on tour in the US. Their sound is some sort of mix of garage rock and late 70's punk. I could see them fitting in well on a show with Jay Reatard or one with Regulations. "Here Are The Limits" opens up the record with a bullhorn scream, which is a pretty good introduction to the record and the band itself. The songs on here are a real bouncy mid pace. The guitar tone is undistorted, and matches perfectly with their style.

The Shitty Limits- Espionage
This is basically a single for the song "Espionage," backed with 2 faster songs. The music is almost 60's British rock influenced, which I guess makes some sense since they're from the UK. The B side offers 2 more tracks with a slightly different sound, "We Had a Gang" is probably the better of the 2. This record is ok, but I prefer the "Here Are the Limits" E.P.

No Man's Slave- Siege Mentality
I saw these guys in NJ, and picked up this there. For a band named after an Infest LP, I thought I knew what to expect. I got a real Ruination feel from them, which was confirmed by the Left For Dead cover at the end of the record. They somehow cram 14 songs on this record without feeling like they just threw a bunch of crap together. The music is fast as hell, but with a moshy heaviness to it.

Nitad- Ge Oss Mer
This is a reissue of the band's 2nd 7", which I believe was limited originally. Honestly the artwork was what really attracted me to this record, it's like 60's poster art. The music is early 80's upbeat punk sounding, but sung is Swedish. Sounds pretty similar to fellow Swedes Masshysteri or Regulations, but with a lot more punch to it.

Nitad- s/t
Despite the cover art on my version looking like a Bathory 7" (I have the tour pressing, so the cover may be different when it's released for real), this is a definite punk record. This record doesn't deviate too far from the sound on their previous efforts. It does seem a lot tighter and angrier (the lyrics are still in Swedish, so i have no idea). Definitely pick this up once it's properly released.

Drag the River- ...Has A Way With Women
I got this because I heard it was Chad Price's (of ALL fame) new band. The songs seem to have been recorded a while back, and are more demo quality. I would say there's a real country vibe to these. It's pretty cool, but I doubt I'll play this more than a few times.

Zhenia Golov/ Botox Party
NJ's Zhenia Golov bring us 2 new songs of politically influenced crusty thrash. Botox Party play more folky pop-punk, that almost Propaghandi sounding. It's a pretty strange balance for the 2 band to do a split, but somehow it works as both bands have played together often before. I should note that there is a Botox Party song at the end of the ZG side. I'm not sure why they did this (as well as having blank labels), but I know I'm guilty of only listening to one particular side of a split record.

Mirrors and Wires- Colorized Audio Transmission
This is not surf punk, but it is punks playing surf (mixed with a little bit of psychedelic rock). M&W are an all instrumental group w/ members of some local HC/Punk bands. The A side offers 3 short musical bursts, while the B side has one long more psychedelic song. I definitely enjoyed the A side way more personally. It's definitely something different, and makes for some feel good background music.

Ugly Law- s/t
I love the recent rise of old dudes playing in hardcore bands, and one of these dudes was in Unseen Force. My band did a weekend tour w/ this dudes back in May, and I got this then. They play a mid/late 80's crossover hardcore sound. Kinda reminds me of Animosity era COC at times. They seem to take similar influences to COC, blending southern rock with faster hardcore sounds. This was self-released, and apparently they have another record recorded.

12"s:

Coke Bust- Lines in the Sand
After an good demo and a really good 7", Coke Bust come out with this amazing LP. I seriously think this blows everything they did previously out of the water. "Countdown to Death" is my favorite song (also their longest), and has a great slow mosh which reminds me of SSD. "Leave Me Behind" also has a great 2 second hard mosh at the end of it. I think if you wrote off Coke Bust in the past, this will change your mind. The song writing and lyrics have matured into on amazing HC record. Also, GO SEE COKE BUST ON TOUR!

Punch- s/t
I had heard great things about Punch since their last tour, so I decided to check em out at their Philly show. Boy was I impressed. The music is somewhere along the lines of Scholastic Death type thrash, mixed with some youth crew influenced mosh breakdowns. The mosh buildup in "Ol' Factory" rules. They manage to pack 16 songs into 20 minutes of hardcore fury. Not to make it a selling point, but Punch are a female fronted hardcore band. That doesn't let up any of the fury here, as she can belt it out with the best of em. Definitely try to catch them on tour!

Bad Antics- Tour LP
I wasn't a huge fan of Bad Antics' last record, but picked this up after seeing them in NJ. It's more a step back to the California punk influence that the first 7" had. The songs are kind of mid paced and slower (and therefore longer) than their older stuff. It kinda reminds me of those later Adolescents and DI albums that nobody really listens to. Honestly I'm more impressed with the cover art, which is stenciled and spray painted, so each one is different.

CDs:

Just Die!- Garages and Basements
Musically NC's Just Die! seem to take the Kid Dynamite approach, but faster... and I mean WAY faster. The music has some melodic parts, but the vocals are harsh and screamed. Saw this band on a whim in NJ a few weeks ago and was very impressed, they were super nice dudes too. This is the CD version of a 7" that wasn't ready in time for tour.

demos:
Sick Fix- Nothing Else Mattered No one Else Mattered (tape or CDr)
Sick Fix decided to record a new demo before their tour w/ Coke Bust this summer, and it's about damn time. I thought their 7" was good, but didn't really do any justice to how they sound live. Michelle's vocals have gotten a lot more brutal sounding since then as well. Here you get 4 new song and a re-recording of "One Third" (from the 7"/demo) with a way slower breakdown (in a good way). "Liberty Lost" has the new intro, which they've been playing live for the past year, and boy is it heavy. My favorite song on here is "Boudica." Hopefully this is a demo for a new record in the works, whether it be an EP or LP I'm sure it will be a monster.

Backslider (tape)
The idea of a 2 person fastcore band sounds about as appealing to me as a turd sandwich, however somehow this defies my expectations. There's a good balance of grindy parts, power violence style breakdowns, and of course short songs. The way the songs are mixed, it's almost like one giant song with stops. I feel like for a 2 person band things should be a lot tighter, but it's just a demo so I'll cut em some slack. The new stuff on their website has a more Lack of Interest sound, and blows this stuff away. This band also comprises 1/2 of I Hate This, and are on tour w/ them now.

Outlast (tape)
Outlast are a new youth crew sXe hardcore band from NJ. If you read this blog, you know I have a real soft spot for this type of stuff. It reminds me of the late 90's sXe revival bands like In My Eyes and Better Than A Thousand (there's even some Cappo style growls). The recording quality is really clean for a demo, and apparently it will be re-pressed on vinyl soon. Bands like this were a dime a dozen like 10 years ago, but now I miss this type of stuff. The lyrics cover your typical posi topics such as change, unity, helping each other out, and of course being straight edge. Awesome!

Teenage Whore-Moans- Moan All Nite Long (pro-tape)
Teenage Whore Moans play some low-fi garage influenced pop-punk. The low quality of the recording kind of ruins it for me, and maybe a better studio recording would have been a little easier on the ears. I guess with "garage" styled stuff you can get away with that. Otherwise it's some poppy songs about girls ...not my thing.

8-Bit and Beyond show pieces

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Megaman & the Robot Masters
MOONWALKER RIP
Metroidz
The Autumn Society's tribute to video games "8 Bit & Beyond" opens on Friday (8/7) @ Brave New Worlds Comics in Philly, PA. This is going to be a great show, and I encourage anyone in the area to check it out! All of my pieces were drawn in Illustrator, then printed and cut into stencils, then spray painted on canvas. I also did an interview over at Gamervision.com about my Metroid piece.

Mallows @ SDCC

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:27:00 +0000

I was recently asked to do some customs on this new platform toy by Shocker Toys called Mallows. These 2 designs will be on display at the Shocker Toys booth (#3849) @ San Diego Comic Con, and at an after party hosted by Shocker. The figure is made from plastic, not vinyl, but has 10 points of articulation. It's pretty cool, hope to see some good things coming from it. The zombie looking one is called "Hipster Holocaust," and was mainly done in spray paint, with some detail drown in w/ markers. The tattooed one is named "Just Say No," and all the details were drawn in w/ markers. I wanted to texture on him to resemble old flash sheets at a tattoo shop.
I also designed/illustrated this logo to be used on a custom toy set for October Toys only available at SDCC. This will be on the chase figure, and the button set. You can pick up your Evil Gwin @ the October Toys booth (#4838).

interview on Vinyl-Toys.com

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:48:00 +0000

I recently did an interview about my custom toys for Vinyl-Toys.com, which you can check out by clicking the link. I was quite honored since I've only been customizing toys for a short period of time, massive thanks for the encouragement.

Golden Age art show pieces

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:11:00 +0000

A little behind on this but, here's my submissions for the Golden Age show. I was actually working on another piece, and had an idea to do a quick Felix piece. It turned out WAY better than the piece I was working much longer on. With Joe's encouragement, I did another piece in the same style for Chilly Willy. They're on 8"x10" canvas boards, and have custom painted frames.
The opening part was a success, and we have another show coming at the same place on Aug 7 entitled "8-Bit & Beyond" (a video game themed show).

BLOODTYPE: NJ Straight Edge Hardcore/punk

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:40:00 +0000

My new band recently recorded a demo in my garage with the help of Metal Pete from Stressed Out. The new band is called Bloodtype, and it's my first time being the singer in a band. It's more of a side project with other people from other local bands. The idea had been kicking around to do the band for a while now. I remember talking w/ the drummer about that Repos LP where they covered Youth of Today, and talking about doing a straight edge band that raged like that. Some time went by without anything happening due to not finding a guitar player. During that down time however I had been writing music and ideas for lyrics. By the time we had our first practice I had a bunch of songs written, which made things come together a lot quicker than most bands I had been in. We had about 3 or 4 practices before our first show, where we played 4 songs and a Cro-Mags cover.

Being a singer in a hardcore band is very different from being a bass player. As a bass player, I have to bring all my equipment, get my sounds right and play the songs. The singer has to write lyrics, and remember said lyrics, as well as being somewhat engaging as a front man. It's way more physically demanding for sure, but I do like not having to carry heavy amps down basement stairs though.

we have demo tapes available for order:
PAYPAL $3.50 ppd in the USofA to bleedingXedges[at]gmail.com
(int'l orders get in touch, and we'll work something out)
...or you can just download it here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?tnmetnyoo1l

Classic Comps vol. 4- Flex Your Head

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 22:02:00 +0000

This is kind of a no-brainer, I always loved the DC hardcore scene. After doing the NYHC comp last time, I felt I dropped the ball by not doing Flex Your Head sooner. I like how each band has multiple songs each. Dischord's been re-releasing a lot of their records on colored vinyl with download codes lately. Not that they were out of print, but some got remastered, plus it's cool to see these releases on color. Flex Your Head came on 4 different covers, the one displayed is the one I own, but I obviously prefer the XXX cover. I would also recommend tracking down the Dischord 1981: a Year in Seven Inches LP or CD, as it has the proper releases of some of the more prominent bands on here.

1. Teen Idles - I Drink Milk
2. Teen Idles - Commie Song
3. Teen Idles - No Fun
The Teen Idles were basically the reason Dischord Records started, which was to release their first 7". "I Drink Milk" is a pretty juvenile, song, but kinda catchy in its monotone nature. "Commie Song" has a little more punch, but not as catchy. "No Fun" in a pretty good decent Stooges cover. These songs overall are good but not great, however they laid the groundwork for what would be a thriving hardcore scene.

4. Untouchables - Rat Patrol
5. Untouchables - Nic Fit
6. Untouchables - I Hate You
The Untouchables were fronted by Ian MacKaye's younger brother Alec, and all the members went on to do notable bands later on. I really like the Untouchables, but unfortunately this is all that's available by them. I hear rumors that a 7" was recorded but never released... "Rat Patrol" kicks it in with a pretty good hook in the chorus and the singer's raspy voice. Some people may recognize "Nic Fit" from Sonic Youth's shitty cover. This song's pretty bare bones start and stop hardcore, not much to it, but what else would you want? "I Hate You" is a little more mid-paced, but has a chorus that's all sing a long.

7. State Of Alert - I Hate The Kids
8. State Of Alert - Disease
9. State Of Alert - Stepping Stone Party
SOA's one of my favorites from this era, and probably most notable for being Henry Rollins' first band. "I Hate The Kids" if the best song out of these 3. Pretty good riff, and sing a long chorus, just fast and simple. "Disease" is a short blast, but not the best. Apparently it was a thing in DC to cover "Stepping Stone." Minor Threat, SOA, the Untouchables and Government Issue have all recorded versions. The SOA version's a little more chaotic, and it doesn't seem like they knew the words and just made them up.

10. Minor Threat - Stand Up
11. Minor Threat - 12XU
Minor Threat were probably one of the more important early hardcore punk bands. They had the speed of hardcore and actually had somethign intelligent to sing about. "Stand Up" is sort of a call to arms type song, and fits along with the rest of their classic discography. "12XU" is a Wire cover, which rules. I kinda feel like Minor Threat gets written off being a band that a lot of people get into early, but over 10 years later they sound just as good to me.

12. Government Issue - Hey, Ronnie
13. Government Issue - Lie, Cheat, & Steal
Government Issue was always a band that I liked but never loved. Musically similar to Minor Threat, but maybe a little slower. Hey Ronnie" is obviously directed at the then president, and has a great sing along intro. "Lie, Cheat, & Steal" is about the same pace as the previous track, and has a catchy chorus. GI released a hell of a lot more records than any of these other DC bands, most of them were real good aside from a few later releases

14. Youth Brigade - Moral Majority
15. Youth Brigade - Waste Of Time
16. Youth Brigade - Last Word
Youth Brigade was a great band, and this is way better than the band of the same name from CA. They featured the former singer of Teen Idles, and some others who went on to bigger things. "Moral Majority" is just a straight up classic hardcore song. "Waste Of Time" is pretty good, but the weaker of the 3 songs. "Last Word" is a little slower, but is pretty anthemic in a good way.

17. Red C - Jimi 45
18. Red C - Pressure's On
19. Red C - 6 O' Clock News
20. Red C - Assassin
Red C is a band that basically had a demo and these tracks. "Jimi 45" is a skipper, pretty lame instrumental. "Pressure's On" is one you'll want to get to as soon as possible. You may recognize it from being covered by Citizens Arrest (on their demo) and more recently by Ceremony. Great song! "6 O' Clock News" has a real lame verse, but the chorus part is kinda thrashy and way better- probably another skipper though. "Assassin" is a better/shorter song, but not nearly as good as "Pressure's On."

21. Void - Dehumanized
22. Void - Authority
23. Void - My Rules
Void is a band that kind of brought somethign a little different to the table. They bordered on chaos, but were able to keep it together just long enough to get the song done. The guitar work is insanely good, but retains the simplicity of punk. All of these songs are fucking killer! "My Rules" was later re-recorded for their split LP w/ the Faith

24. Iron Cross - Wargames
25. Iron Cross - New Breed
26. Iron Cross - Live For Now
Iron Cross has the distinction of being one of the first American bands to be more Oi inspired. The recording quality is a little weird, where the vocals are real low in the mix. All 3 songs are about the same mid tempo pacing with nothing really standing out.

27. Artificial Peace - Artificial Peace
28. Artificial Peace - Outside Looking In
29. Artificial Peace - Wasteland
Artificial Peace I always felt was way under appreciated, aside from these 3 songs they had a discography LP on Lost and Found back in the 90's that's killer. "Artificial Peace" has a weird jam band solo in the middle, and starts out weird but rips somewhere in the middle. "Outside Looking In" is a pretty great song, and probably one of the best examples of start/stop hardcore song writing. "Wasteland" is pretty fast at the start, but the chorus is more slow in a good way.

30. Deadline - Stolen Youth
31. Deadline - Hear The Cry
32. Deadline - Aftermath
Deadline is another band that didn't do much aside from a killer demo, which Dischord recently repressed on CD. Hey Dischord, do a vinyl version and I'll buy it! "Stolen Youth" is a great slow song. "Hear The Cry" is a great song, and way faster to the typical DC style of this LP. "Aftermath" closes out the comp on a kind of slow tempo, it gets a little faster towards the end, but not the best way to end the record. Deadline's other stuff is better I think.

Chewbacck Obama and some Munnys

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:24:00 +0000

Here's a bunch of stuff I've done over the past few weeks:This was a dumb idea I had, more so just the name Chewbacck Obama, popped in my head for some reason. In order to get it out of my brain I drew this up and stenciled it on a 8"x10" canvas board.

Here's a Munny I made as a gift to my tattoo artist who's been hooking me up w/ some sweet free tattoos over the past few months. I wanted it to look like an old timey strong man w/a sweet mustache (made of craft foam). I gave him traditional styled tattoos which I drew on with Sharpies. Here's what he looks like from all angles.

This is a Mini Munny body which I attached a TV accessory from a regular sized Munny. The basic concept is "TV rots your brain." The Munny body was pink, and I masked out a brain pattern and then sprayed the whole thing red. The TV screen I painted w/ a textured gray to look like static.

This is a flyer for a show my new band BLOODTYPE is playing. If anybody's gonna be in the area and wants to see me sing in a band, this would be your chance.

Classic Comps vol. 3- New York City Hardcore: The Way It Is

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:17:00 +0000

When I was first getting into hardcore, I was big into the early Revelation Records bands. This was of course a time before high speed modems, and the Rev back catalog was still mostly in print and easy to get. Also around that time (1997) was the resurgence in youth crew styled hardcore. There's actually a lot of diversity among these bands despite all being from NYC, there's a lot of different sounds represented. This record is still in print through RevHQ, and I highly recommend it.
A while REV back did "final" pressings of a lot of their classic old records in a move to phase out vinyl. Bad move guys, especially since you haven't released a good record since the first Nerve Agents LP.

1. Bold - Wise Up
I always thought Bold was a lame Youth of Today rip off, though the Crippled Youth 7" has its youthful sprit. This song is ok, probably one of their better songs, but the playing isn't very tight and the drumming is real boring. Bold recently got back together, but why?

2. Nausea - Fallout Of Our Being
This is definitely the most out of place song on this comp, but Nausea fits in the same time frame of all these bands, but I would assume didn't share many shows. I was never a huge Nausea fan either, as they seemed to take more from Crass than Discharge in their crusty hardcore sound. This song is pretty good though, and like I said it's real different from the other bands.

3. Warzone - As One
4. Warzone - Escape From Your Society
Oh man, classic Warzone stuff here. I always loved "Don't Forget the Struggle...," and these tracks were recorded right before that LP I assume. The version of "As One" on here is actually better than the LP version in my opinion. "Escape from Your Society" has a classic goofy intro that I wish bands still did. Nothing can top the goofy into to "intro/Bust" though. Both songs are top shelf Warzone at their peak.

5. Gorilla Biscuits - Better Than You
6. Gorilla Biscuits - Forgotten
I would be lying if I said Gorilla Biscuits didn't have a huge impact on me, I'd also be lying if I said I still thought they were a great band. They were by far the most melodic band in that scene, but still retained a bit of the NYHC sound. "Better than You" is a pretty terrible song. I remember older versions of this on GB demo bootlegs, and it sucked then too. "Forgotten" was I guess a new song at this time, and would later be better recorded for the "Start Today" LP. I'd still prefer anything off the first 7"

7. Trip 6 - Back With A Vengeance
Shit, I literally know nothing about Trip 6, but this song fucking rips. The guitar tone is raw as shit, and the chorus is simple and catchy. In re-listening to this comp to write this, I was re-blown away. Fuck, great song.

8. Breakdown - Sick People
I'll be honest and say I really don't like Breakdown that much, but this song is fucking great. I remember seeing a band cover this last year on tour, and it was definitely the highlight of that show. This is just a fucking angry punch holes in the walls kinda song.

9. Youth Of Today - Together
10. Youth Of Today - Understand
Youth of Today's another band that was real important to me, however these songs are real awful. The bass is real prominent in the mix, and the tone is annoying. "Understand" would later be re-recorded way better on the classic "We're Not In This Alone" LP. These songs just aren't nearly as tight as they need to be, good band regardless.

11. Sick Of It All - Politics
12. Sick Of It All - Pete's Sake
I love Sick of It All's first 7", but not really anything after that. Luckily these 2 songs are from around that same time. "Pete's Sake" was re-recorded for that 7" but "Politics" is exclusive to this. Like Warzone, SOIA peaked early but the songs on here are a great representation of the band at their peak.

13. Krakdown - Ignorance
Krakdown's not a band I'm that familiar with either, and this song's ok. The vocal pacing is a little awkward and choppy, but it's got a decent mosh part. I don't know if this was an earlier song, but if the playing was tighter, I'd probably like it more.

14. Side By Side - Dead Serious
15. Side By Side - Time Is Now
Wasn't a big Side By Side fan, but I loved their later band Alone in a Crowd. "Dead Serious" is the better of the 2 songs here. Decent balance of catchy sing along parts, mosh and fast parts. "Time is Now" starts out kinda cool, then ends on a slower pace and uses way too much whammy bar dive bombs.

16. Youth Defense League - Blue Pride
Not a big fan of YDL since I'm not a working class skinhead, but as far as those types of bands go. Mid paced British inspired punk with a definite sing along for the chorus. I'm not gonna get into my opinions on the whole "working class skin" thing, but this song's pretty mediocre.

17. Supertouch - Searchin' For The Light
I always thought this song was cool, despite being named after a Bad Brains song, and not sounding much like them. The song's kinda slow, but it's interesting enough to pull it off well. There's more parts to the structure of this song than most hardcore songs, and even has a sing-a-long chorus. It's a real good way to end the comp since it's the longest and slowest song on here. I remember ordering stuff from REV a long time ago and getting a tape of Supertouch's LP for free in my box, and thinking it sucked big time though.

Ernest Ripper for ASOP 80's show

bleedingXedges@gmail.com (BleedingEdges) — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Here's my piece for the Autumn Society of Philadelphia's 80's pop culture themed show. It was a tough choice on what to do since so many awesome things came from the 80's. I ultimately decided to do an homage to Ernest P. Worrell in the style of the classic 80's Powell Peralta "Bones Ripper." All the color layers were cut out as stencils and spray painted on canvas. I did the background separately, then did the rest over it. The actual piece is a lot bigger and the colors are a lot brighter, I did the best I could w/ a photo of it.
The show will open on June 5th at Brave New World Comics in philadelphia, PA; and run until the end of the month. RIP Jim Varney
Here are all the stencil layers (if you click on it, you can see it better). The background was just sprayed blue, then the Ernest pattern repeated over it many times. Thanks!