Been a while...

Carvels - Caravels - Black /175
Carvels - Caravels - Solid Yellow /100
Carvels - Caravels - Solid Green (Tour Version) /75
Carvels - Caravels - Gray /150



Xerxes - 'Twins' - clear purple /100


I haven't posted in here for fucking months! I'd pretty much given up on it, just lost enthusiasm I suppose. Didn't think anyone read it still but a couple of people asked if I was going to/ I should write more. So what the hell, I've had a load more records arrive since September, might as well write about them.

The two in this post are two of my favourite US bands right now; Xerxes and Caravels. Some of you may know that I am releasing Xerxes therefore think I will write an insanely biased review of them. Well, you're right.



Xerxes are a band that I took a chance on last year. I knew about the label they were on (Mayfly Records) and had heard their name about on the Bridge 9 board. I'd never actually taken the time to listen to them, but frankly I thought their name was cool as shit, so I went to Mayfly's store and bought the 'Twins' 7". Came to the checkout and it was going to cost me £8 for one 7". Almost bailed on it but I think I'd just been paid so I was feeling rich haha.

Took a while to arrive, but fuck, it was SUCH a good listen! Easily one of my favourite 7"s I own. A sexy clear purple too, looks so awesome. The artwork is great too, from what I gather one of the Xerxes members has a bit of an obsession with the photographer's work so they've used her work quite a bit, including on their split with Midnight Souls that I and Mayfly Records are releasing.

Although not the easiest band to describe sound wise, I usually say pg.99 meets Life Long Tragedy. They've got that blend of hardcore and screamo that made Touche Amore so huge, albeit rougher sounding. They also just signed to No Sleep Records (TA/ La Dispute etc) so they've clearly got a good thing going, and I am so stoked to have been able to release a record for them. I was a fan first, so being able to release a band that you fully love is fucking amazing.

Caravels are a fantastic melodic screamo band from Las Vega I think, and are currently signed to Topshelf Records (who are putting out some of the most new and exciting bands around, so check them out http://www.topshelfrecords.org/). This 7" is their first release on the label, preceeded by last years (maybe the year before's( 'Floorboards' CD which ruled SO hard. One of the more original screamo bands around I think, if you can even really class them as screamo. Just real melodic goodness.

This is a track off their 'Twins' 7".



I managed to get the 4 pack collectors thing that Topshelf were doing, which I don't usually do too often. $20 for the records, and being that it was 4 7" I expected the same, if not more, for postage which would have made the whole thing very costly. But it turned out alright, and it was totally worth it. The colour of the records are so nice, the weird minty green one is probably my favourite. Seriously, it looks like you could eat it.

Here's a track from this 7", Side A.

POP PUNK R00LZ

Title Fight - Kingston - clear /495
Such Gold - Stand Tall - white/ green split /250

Big hole 7"s piss me off. I don't have an adapter so I have to try to line it up by eye and it's fairly hit or miss. Turns out they're something like 0.09p cheaper to make but that doesn't cut it for me. Give me convience or give me death.

So both of these bands have rapidly grown in my own personal tastes as two of the top pop punk bands I listen to, and in the outside world they've both taken off (albeit Title Fight 10x more than SG). The Kingston 7" is fantastic, and has some of my favourite tracks off The Last Thing You Forget 'best of so far' type thing Title Fight released last year. This is the 2nd pressing and I've noticed that a lot of people seem to be shelling out a fair amount of money for their records, so who knows, once this has sold out it could be worth a tidy sum. I have a soft spot for clear vinyl (the next record I'm releasing shall be on clear) and apparantly the sound quality is slightly better on clear so that's a bonus.

Stand Tall by Such Gold is SUCH a great EP! Listened to it over and over again, never gets boring and is just fun. And this particular variation looks cool as shit. The 'seaweed green' side is slightly see through which is awesome. I wish I worked at a vinyl manufacturing site, I'd literallyt have a hard on from pressing records that look as cool as this.

I also got a Touché Amoré demo tape in the post, stoked to have that to add to the collection. Coming along nicely!

Push Pull

Punch - Push Pull - clear olive-ish kind of


Haven't posted on here for ages, but that would be due to having bugger all vinyl turn up. A lot of what I'm waiting for is preorders that I have no idea when they are due to arrive. This record in particular (although it wasn't a preorder) when it arrived I literally had no idea what it could be, I kept trying to think what on earth I had ordered but wasn't until I opened it I did the 'Oh yeah of course, how could I forget'.

Right so Punch rule basically so straight off the bat I knew this was going to be a fucking great piece of wax, and as I expected, it does not disappoint. I tend to think of them as Never Again but if Luke Overin was a girl, if that gives you an indication of what they sound like. I haven't had time to scoure the lyrics yet to really give you an idea of the topics, but there was a little quote after all the thank you's etc that I thought was interesting:

"San Francisco's fog normally results from a combination of push and pull (a push from the Pacific High, a pull from the hot Central Valley), but lacking the usual push from behind by the Pacific High, fogs do not have the impetus to go farther than the area immediately inside the Golden Gate. So they settle down in San Francisco, and the city - Particularly the oceanside areas - may scarely see the sun for weeks at a time.'

Gives quite a grim image in a city that I never knew, or would have expected, this to occur in. It's possibly my own ignorance or maybe this fog event is just not widely publicised outside of the states, but it really surprised me, I had no idea of this happening. Weeks without seeing the sun must put a downer on a lot of people, can't exactly be healthy for humans and surely must affect behaviour and mood.

I would suggest people buy this record but according to their bigcartel and Interpunk, it has sold out. Good for them! I wish they'd release the pressing info for this though, there was another colour that I can't remember and I don't know the quantities which always bugs me. If I find out I'll edit this page!

www.myspace.com/punchcrew

Quick update

Touché Amoré - Demo 2008 - Sound and Fury cover 39/75

This arrived a couple of days ago, very very happy! I think the label saved a few copies to sell online as apposed to these being leftover from the festival; I can't imagine 75 limited records NOT selling out really. A great addition to the collection, especially as I thought I'd not be able to pick one of these up without paying big bucks. I have the TA/ Make Do and Mend S+F cover on order too as Panic Records saved some of them to sell online which is fantastic for me. As of now I'm only missing the TA/ La Dispute S+F cover from this years fest so need to track that down.

The record itself is on clear, although a very off clear. The original pressing info for the demo repress was coke bottle blue and then clear gold, no mention of plain clear. I'm going to hazard a guess that the clear copies are pressing errors of the coke bottle blue version as the clear ones are very slightly blue tinted.


Finally have some plans to release vinyl on my label. That's basically the reason I started it and it's been a year and a half and it still hasn't happened. But the ball is rolling, the bands are ready and I am stoked. It's expensive as hell but totally worth it, can't wait to announce it all and get everything prepared!

Been listening to this band a lot lately, sooooo good.

Cool record bro

Touché Amoré/ La Dispite - split - black/ gold /500
Touché Amoré/ La Dispite - split - black/ beige /500


Arrived yesterday! It became available for download on the 27th July I'm pretty sure so I knew already that is 7" was a stunner, but oh my, the packaging is awesome. Different drawings on each side, and the opposite colours that come through the cut out letters when it's all folded up, it's great. Almost something to play with. I didn't have a clue it was like this at all; No Sleep Records posted an image of it in June but it just looked like a normal sleeve.

I also like how the inners match the records, it's the little things that matter.

There was an additional pressing on black /1000 that came out after the preorders sold out, so I need to pick that up at some point. There is also a Sound and Fury 2010 cover /75 that I need, hopefully I'll be able to pick that up in the near future.

Here's one track from each side of the split, hope you like it!

Quiet

Haven't had anything arrive for a while now. I was hoping some things I've preordered would arrive but unfortunately not. I managed to score a really really awesome record last week, I was so pleased to get it. It was the Sound and Fury '10 version of the Touché Amoré demo 7". Somehow they had copies left over (even though it was limited to 75) and the remainder were put up in the No Sleep Records online store so I got straight in there.

I did have a bit of a scare though as I've had a 12" lost in the post. Thankfully, the person I bought it off managed to track it down. Turns out it ended up in Iowa instead of here with me haha, absolutely mental. Thank you very much JordyEdge off DeadFormat though, awesome dude, been very helpful!

I'll post some pictures of my TA collection as it grows. As it stands I have like 8 Touché Amoré records in the post which is ridiculous quite frankly, but also very exciting. Cannot wait for them to arrive.

UPDATE 5/8/10:

This is what I'm waiting for in the post, quite an impressive list!

Ironclad/Never Again - split - White with Blue Haze /100
Touché Amoré - ...to the beat of a dead horse - black /200
Touché Amoré - ...to the beat of a dead horse - blue /500
Touché Amoré - ...to the beat of a dead horse - white /1000
Touché Amoré - Demo 2008 - 2nd press, clear /310
Touché Amoré - Demo 2008 - 2nd press, Sound and Fury cover /75
Touché Amoré/ La Dispute - Split - black/ beige /500
Touché Amoré/ La Dispute - Split - black/ gold /500
Touché Amoré/ Make Do and Mend - Split - 6131 Records colour
Touché Amoré/ Make Do and Mend - Split - Panic Records colour
Touché Amoré/ Make Do and Mend - Split - Sound and Fury cover /150
Touché Amoré/ Make Do and Mend - Split - standard colour


Anyway I've been listening to a band called Hiretsukan a shit ton lately, if you like pretty fast insane screamo then you'll dig this band.

I don't think you understand, these boys killed my dog.

Graf Orlock - Destination Time Today - purple /150

This band fucking rules. Cinema-infused grindcore,; such a good idea and executed perfectly.

I got into Gorlock early lasdt year when my dear friend Lydia sent me a track off their EP. I hadn't listened to anything like this before really (and even now I still can't really get into grindcore all that much) so I was pretty taken aback by how fast and intense it was, but loved the use of film samples. Completely different to anything I had heard up to that point.

I ended up downloading their discography and they fast become one of my most listened to bands (I think they're 7th in my LastFM as of now), so I'm glad I finally got around to acquiring a solid copy. First off, the colour is absolutely gorgeous, Pirates Press seem to be leading the way with vinyl quality and they do not disappoint here. The packaging is fantastic, again like nothing I've seen before. Graf Orlock and Vitriol Records seem to have fucking great ideas for vinyl packaging (see the Graf Orlock/ Greyskull split; a backpack as the sleeve, awesome). The notes below each famous person are a brief description of their notority in their lives, and also how they died (the theme here as you may have guessed is assassination, although not all mentioned died that way), but written in a very sarcastic light.

I believe this is the first release with their new vocalist (not that new now but yeah) and to be honest, I could not tell the difference. Which isn't a bad thing really as the vocals are fucking killer, if they'd ended up being weaker or too different this record probably would have sucked ass.

I'm listening to this now and one of the tracks gets stuck on a loop. That is so fucking irritating.

www.myspace.com/graforlock
www.vitriolrecords.bigcartel.com