R.I.P. Carl The Mosher

The hardcore world loses another member. Carl The Mosher of Underdog and The Icemen fame has passed away this morning. It's a damn shame and our thoughts go out to his family and friends. R.I.P.

Red Hare LP for Christmas?! WOOHOO!

Hopefully your Christmas or Hanukkah has been good for all of you. Mine was pretty sweet when I got this record as a gift. I have never gotten anything hardcore related for Christmas, so this was a total surprise. I got the Red Hare - Nites Of Midnite LP.

 

 

 

Now, the other half of the D.C. Sniper team is a big Swiz fan, but I am not. Matter of fact, I'm not a fan at all. Couldn't tell you why? Just didn't do it for me. I might have to give it another chance after listening to Red Hare. I've now listened to it a couple of times and I really like it. The first song "Horace" has got me hooked and sets an awesome tone for the rest of the songs on here. The band sounds great and Shawn Brown's vocals compliment the music perfectly.

I love the artwork on the record cover and sleeve. Definitely creative. As you can see mine came on red which is pretty cool. I hear the current pressing is on blue with a blue cover. (I am currently fighting the urge to get that record too. But I'm a record collecting nerd!) Anyway, thanks to Dischord and Hellfire for putting out this album. It's a solid release that is not coming off of my record player anytime soon.

I wish I had gotten my hands on this LP months ago, but I was a slacker. Then again, the other half of the D.C. Sniper Team didn't get it either, but I think it's because he's too busy listening to Morrissey on Pandora. LAME!

D.C.S.

Caught In A Crowd - The Fight

This new piece of wax came into our hands and we couldn't wait to give it a listen. This is Caught In A Crowd from Massachusetts and this is their debut 7" called "The Fight". We missed seeing these guys a few months ago in D.C. and after listening to this record, we immediately regret that.

The record has five songs that sound like straight up hardcore. Something about this reminds us of the Carry On "Roll With The Punches 7". In any case, if you like late 90's/early 2000's hardcore, then this should be in your possession. Because this record kicks ass and makes me wanna stage dive. (Then again, neither one of us is doing any diving these days. Not unless they have a paramedic in the building in case we throw out our backs.)

REACT! put this fantastic record out and you should get your hands on it right away. Or you could just download it from iTunes. In any case, Massachusetts officially has another great band on it's roster. They're right up there with Boston Strangler and No Tolerance. Those three bands playing on the same bill would be a pretty awesome show if you ask us.

D.C.S.

"Hardcore was better when I was your age." Really? Hmmm

Imagine you're walking down the street and an older guy is walking ahead of you wearing this shirt. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, we didn't think so either. Anybody that would actually wear this is obviously a life time member of the "douche bag club for men".

Who's the old fart that came up with this idiotic shirt? We know that we're some old guys (COUGH one of us is far older than other COUGH), but even we wouldn't go around saying something stupid like this. There's no better way to make yourself sound A) out of touch B) look like a total ass and C) make yourself seem too cool for the rest of the scene, by wearing this shirt.

The other half of the D.C. Sniper team has this to say:  It's sounds like something Grandpa Simpson would start a diatribe with. Like, "get off my lawn!" hardcore style. Every generation thinks it's generation was the best. Early 80's hardcore felt that way about late 80's hardcore. The 80's felt that way about the 90's and the 90's felt that way about the 2000's. It's no different than somebody who grew up with Zeppelin and telling some kid that is listening to Rage Against The Machine that it sucks. The reply would likely be "okay Grandpa, go back to your nap." Nothing you can do except laugh at the arrogance. 

Couldn't agree with you more partner. (After that contribution, I think he needs a warm glass of milk to get him ready for his nap.)
 
D.C.S.

Done Dying

Done Dying is a band that has been popping up on the radar for a few months now and what better time than now to check them out. It features Dan O'Mahony, Mike Hartsfield, Chris Lohman and Kevin Panter and they have put together an E.P. titled "Dressed For Distress".

Now, we've always been fan's of Dan's lyrics and this release does not disappoint. The man just knows how to put words to paper and deliver with power. The first song "Dressed For Distress" has a total "fuck you" vibe to it and we can't get enough of it. We here at D.C. Sniper can appreciate what he's talking about with this track. "Some motherfucker who is half my age and decides my fate. Some motherfucker who can bottom line my entire life." Not so sure we would necessarily get the message when we were teenagers, but as adults, it hits home.

The artwork for this E.P. is pretty cool, but after checking out their Facebook page, we saw this picture and thought it would've been even better. Just our two cents on that.

Anyway, if you like O.C. Hardcore, then this is right up your alley. Straight up hardcore the way the gods intended. So glad these boys got together to make this band happen. You can get this E.P. along with their 2nd E.P.  "Shelf Life" on iTunes or feed your need to collect records and get the wax from Reaper Records. At least one of us here will be ordering one up. 

D.C.S.

Exploited skull

For those of you who do not follow us on Instagram (and shame on you if you don't) we want to share this awesome sculpture that somebody made. Might be the coolest thing I've ever seen. 

Got this off of the official Exploited page on Facebook. Whoever made this needs to make another for my desk at work.Or at least for my nightstand.

D.C.S.

Modern Life Is War, Night Birds, Wet Witch, Nervous Impulse @ Rock 'N Roll Hotel Oct 11, 2013

This past weekend the D.C. Sniper team ventured out to the Rock 'N Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. to see the Night Birds. Neither one of us is all that familiar with Modern Life Is War, but we know of them and they were the headliner for the night. Opening for them was Nervous Impulse (D.C.) and Wet Witch (Who knows?).

Now, we don't know who put this show together, but Nervous Impulse kind of got shafted. I mean, we were two of maybe 11 or so people there. One could blame it on the shitty weather outside since it was pouring rain for three days straight or one could say that the show started a little too early. We think it was the latter.

 

Nervous Impulse

Anyway, they came out and played as if the place was full. We'll always give credit to bands that play regardless of the turn out for a show. I mean, it's gotta suck when there's only a few people around to watch you play. Quite frankly, their set could've been played in somebody's living room. If they were bummed by the turn out, they didn't really let it show. I seem to recall the singer greeting the crowd and the employees of RNR Hotel before their first song in a funny way. We dig this band and you can check out their s/t record that got repressed by Bridge 9 Records. It's worth it.

 

Nervous Impulse

Next up was Wet Witch and we don't know what to make of them? We have two different opinions on this band. I, just didn't get what they were going for and wasn't into it and he thinks they flat out suck balls. In any case, we're not quite sure why they were even on the bill in the first place? Just watch the video for yourself to see what they sound like.

 

Wet Witch

By the time they (Wet Witch) were done, the place had already started to fill up and thankfully the Night Birds were setting up. We don't hide the fact that we love this band. They, as usual, put on an energetic show and sounded fucking great. This band just doesn't disappoint. We and the rest of the place were singing along and pumping fists and finger pointing during their entire set. Or maybe it was just me? In any case, they kicked ass, as usual.

 

Night Birds

Oh and we finally got our hands on their latest LP - Born To Die In Suburbia and will be giving it many listens in the near future. They played a couple of songs that we weren't familiar with, so we assumed that it was the new stuff. The first video below has an intro that goes into "Born To Die In Suburbia" and it sounds pretty sweet.

 

Night Birds

 

Night Birds

Last, but certainly not least, was Modern Life Is War. Again, we don't know much about this band, but they put on a solid show and the people were eating it up. Apparently, they broke up some time ago and are now reunited with their original line up for this tour and a new record.

 

Modern Life Is War

They made an impression on me and I plan on checking them out. I think they have a few albums under their belts on top of their new one that is out/or coming out. We're obviously late to the party. Check the video.

 

Modern Life Is War

All in all, the show was fun, but we both could've done without Wet Witch.

D.C.S.

PS: Sorry for the less than stellar quality of the photo's and video's. Neither one of us is using Nikon's and zooming in 10,000x to get that perfect shot. We're too old and lazy for that stuff.

Coke Bust - Confined 12"

Now, we don't have this record yet, but a mutual friend of ours just got his and is letting us listen to it. Ordinarily we would wait to get our own copy and listen to it and do a review of sorts, but something caught our attention today that we just had to address. That something is STUPID PEOPLE.

Yes, we know that they're everywhere and that they continue to pollute our population by breeding with each other. But that doesn't mean that we aren't going to continue to call them out for their stupidity. 

Case in point, the new Coke Bust LP is only 9 minutes long. That's right, ONLY 9 MINUTES LONG. Go ahead and let that sink in for a minute, because apparently, there are some people out there that are bitching about it being too short for an LP. Check out this post that the band made about this outlandish crime against hardcore.

"Your new record is too short. Why is it only 9 minutes?" - We've seen this a few times. Here's why: We played our songs faster in the studio than we did at practice, less is more, we play short sets and put out short records and we trimmed the fat and only put on songs that we really liked. We believe in the "short, fast and loud" philosophy. Our 7"s are four minutes and our 12"s are nine. We think the artwork and packaging (including an enormous poster) warrant the larger format. If you disagree, that's fine. The record is streaming for free on Bandcamp :). Please direct all duration-related complaints to our award-winning customer service department over at Grave Mistake Incorporated!

Let me get this straight, you're bitching because Coke Bust put out a record that they are proud to put out to shlubs like you and not put out a record with a bunch of songs that they feel aren't their strongest. Holy shit, what a bunch of fucking assholes they are! Somebody put out an A.P.B. to promoters everywhere and tell them not to book these guys when they go on tour because they put out LP's that only are only 9 minutes long.

Listen up douche bags, you guys should be thanking Coke Bust AND Grave Mistake Records for putting out a great product. Not only is the record fucking bad ass so far, but the label gives you all kinds of little goodies to go with your purchase. We took this picture of what our friend got with his purchase and we can't wait to order our own copies.

That poster is big. Like, really big. (Insert "that's what she said" line here.) Plus some promo stuff for a zine called "Mosher's Delight", which we're not familiar with, but we will be getting our hands on a copy of it sometime soon. Record label sticker, download code for the record, promo's for a couple of other things. And most importantly, a great looking record cover, insert and color vinyl to boot. If you're going to bitch about spending $12 for all this, then you're a MORON. Please walk the plank and take your bitching with you.

D.C.S. 

New / old music

From time to time you'll be talking to a friend about the greatness of (insert band name here) and realize that your friend has not even heard them before. Conversation usually goes something like this:

Dude #1 - "Man, Walk Together Rock Together is my favorite 7 Seconds record."
Dude #2 - "Yeah, I've never listened to that record."
Dude #1 - "Get out of my car!" (Mind you, the car is still moving.) 
  
That is no different here at D.C. Sniper Headquarters. The newest band that I have not bothered to listen to over the years is Angry Samoans. I was told to check out their album "Back From Samoa" because it is "politically incorrect by today's standards, but funny and really tight musically." Well, that description had me intrigued. A quick Google search supplied me with the track listing for this album and I was floored. Songs like "Gas Chamber", "They Saved Hitler's Cock" and "Homo-sexual" stood out like a sore thumb. If these songs are considered to be funny, then I am in store for some crude ass humor.

Musically tight? Check. Politically incorrect? CHECK! Holy shit, I feel like I just got into my Delorean and traveled to the year 1985. I'm not going to lie and say that the lyrics aren't funny to me, because they are. On more than one song, I was laughing out loud at the sheer absurdity and all around silliness of their lyrics. "If Hitler's cock could start to talk, It would say to kill today." That's just goofy, but it made me laugh. Songs like "Homo-sexual" and "Ballad Of Jerry Curlan" would be considered homophobic nowadays, to say the least, but I was singing along. "You Stupid Jerk" sounds like childish trash talk you would hear at the playground, but put to music. But my favorite song so far is "Lights Out".

This record is catchy as hell and I am now looking to get my hands on a good digital copy of it for my commutes to work. Come to think of it, who's more lame? Me, for not listening to this record all these years? Or him, for raving about this album, only to tell me that he doesn't have it in any format and that I can just listen to it on YouTube? Me thinks it's the latter.

D.C.S.

Second chance listen: New York Hardcore - Where The Wild Things Are

Before I go any further with this, let me just say that I like this record a lot. But...I only like the songs on the first side of this record along with the two songs by Sheer Terror on the second side. I see and hear people rave about this record as being so great, but I remember getting this record when it first came out and hating everything after Sheer Terror. (Except for the Gorilla Biscuits cover). In lieu of this, I have decided to give those songs another chance. Maybe I've been wrong about the greatness of this record. 

Let's start with Maximum Penalty. Not a big fan of the vocals, but I can hang with it for the most part. Musically, "Immaculate Conception" sounds ok. The guitar solo's are a bit much and the breakdown doesn't make me wanna mosh. "Hate" doesn't really do much for me at all. Quite frankly, it blows. This band sounds like so many of the New York bands that I hated in the 90's and even today.

Next up is Uppercut and "Down For The Count" actually doesn't sound bad. Definitely like the vocals on here. This is a lot better than I remember. The song kind of suffers at the end with the breakdown, but oh well. "Am I Clear" is their next tune and I am not digging it at all. Too long and just boring.

Norman Bates And The Showerheads is next on the docket and I like the name a lot. Points for creativity. Stupid name, but I like it. Kinda like Gorilla Biscuits. Their first of two is "Hellminded" and it's not bad. Nice tempo, vocals are good, musically tight. "Desperate" is another catchy tune that I can totally see myself listening to in the future.

Um, excuse me while I go turn off the tv. I think I just heard Jaime Lee Curtis scream in Halloween. Hmmm nope, tv is off. It's in the song! Interesting. I highly doubt it's the singer and I highly doubt that they got Tom Araya to do a guest vocal session for them. Now I wanna know what the song is about. I've now listened to this song three times in a row and I am loving it. Totally wrong about these two songs.

Final verdict, this album is not as overrated as I once thought. In my world, I would've never had Maximum Penalty or Uppercut on this record. That's four songs that could've gone to two far worthier bands. Maybe Agnostic Front? Warzone? Murphy's Law? Sick Of It All? Oh and Gorilla Biscuits being on this comp has always been weird to me. Just didn't seem to fit in and worse yet, they only got one song on it and it's a cover song! I like this album a little more than I did some 20 plus years ago. This is more than what the other half of the D.C. Sniper Team has to say about this record. Check out his take.

I liked the Buzzcocks cover by GB, but to be honest, the late 80's early 90's brand of NYHC didn't really float my boat (other than GB, Token Entry, Underdog, YOT). Never really liked the hard guy bands, and it seemed like a lot of it started with many of those bands. Or at least, that's when I started to take notice of it. I find nothing inspiring about those bands. They were always so negative. Not my thing as far as liking a genre of hardcore.

PS: I think my partner is crazy, because those songs by Outburst, Raw Deal, Life's Blood, Breakdown and Sheer Terror are nothing short of AMAZING. But, he's entitled to his opinion.

D.C.S.

Remembering Raybeez

Back in 1997, the hardcore scene lost a great ambassador. Raymond "Raybeez" Barbieri lost his life due to pneumonia, but his spirit still lives on. There were/are plenty of bands that promote a positive mental attitude, but in my opinion, no one did it like Raybeez. Whenever I think of Warzone, I think of unity, equality and a positive outlook. They did it in a cool way without sounding corny.

In any case, they left a lasting impression on the entire scene. Whether he was on the dance floor singing along with the crowd for the entire set or creating songs with lyrics like "United we stand, divided we fall, we gotta keep the faith." To just hanging out a hardcore show to make sure things didn't get out of hand. Raybeez was a big part of what was good within hardcore and people respected him for that. R.I.P. Raybeez

D.C.S.

Enjoy some Warzone today.

New record reviews

Recently, I went up to a record store in search of the Void LP that Dischord put out a while back and I finally got my hands on it! I'm sure most people have heard the Hit and Run demo's that have been floating around and if you like Void, then you know that those recordings needed to be cleaned up and made official because they fucking shred!

Void was one of those bands that was total chaos and could totally push you over the edge. And this record delivers that and more. I would say that this is their best recording. I love the split they did with The Faith, but this one seems a little more raw to me. A little faster and just all around explosive. I've always been a fan of John's vocals. His delivery sounds like a mental patient trying to escape the loony bin. Spastic, angry, moody and all around insane. But even with their chaotic sound, they could still have some fun in the middle of it all with a "yee haw" thrown into a song like "Go South."

I like the lay out of the record a lot because it has some cool photo's I've never seen before. Ian gives his thoughts and an abbreviated history of the band on the back of the jacket. And there's a couple of live tracks added at the end. According to Ian's notes, the last song is possibly the last song they ever played live. My only complaint about the record is that there are was no lyric sheet for it. I would love to know the lyrics to these songs, but oh well. Won't stop me from enjoying it.  

I decided to buy a couple of records from a couple of bands I knew almost nothing about. Just do it the way we used to before there was Amazon or Itunes or the internet in general, to give us a preview. I purchased the Sectarian Violence s/t 7" and the WarXGames 9 trax / No Nightmare 7"

Let's start with WarXGames. These guys hail from Charm City (that's Baltimore, for those of you that don't know) and they come out swinging! WOW! It starts out with an instrumental that goes into a song called "Into Dust" and I almost shit my pants at the awesomeness that was coming through my speakers. Holy shit, that song by itself had me sold. They've got a sound that reminds me of Infest, but a little faster. They're fucking intense! Music is short and to the point and the lyrics range from thoughts of suicide and depression to all around darkness within.

I'm not familiar with any of the guys in the band, so I'm not sure if they're in any others. Regardless, they sound amazing. Real tight with their instruments and vocals. One can only hope that they're going to be around for a while. REACT! Records put out this masterpiece and I am stoked to hear some more from these guys. 

Next up is the Sectarian Violence s/t 7" and I got it because I saw that Nicktape is singing for them. If you don't know who he is, then you're missing out on the greatness that is Coke Bust. Apparently, he is in this band with a few guys from the U.K. and Sweden. Don't know who they are, but I am glad that they came together for this band. I was hoping for something good, but I didn't want Coke Bust 2.0

I am totally digging this record. 6 songs that kick ass! I dig the lyrics and the music is straight up HARDCORE! "No Regard" and "Self Destruct" are easily my stand out favorites on here, but all the songs will make you want to go off. I like Nick's vocals, but if I didn't already know that he was the singer, I might not have guessed that he sang for this band. He sounds just a little different on here. Can't put my finger on it. Anyway, do yourself a favor and get this if you haven't already. You won't regret it. Grave Mistake records just keeps putting out records from some awesome bands. Props to that label. 

D.C.S.

Don't you love awkward moments?

While checking out some pictures and video's on Instagram, I noticed a funny response to a picture that Revelation Records posted. Revelation was promoting a new Ignite shirt for their album, "Call On My Brothers" and some guy responds with this...

Wow! I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Jordan or whoever runs the Instagram for Revelation saw this response. I can safely tell you that it got deleted the next day. This guy has some balls for posting that, but one could argue that it was also pretty stupid to do. I don't see Jordan giving this guy a good job recommendation anytime soon. But, I'm sure he doesn't care.

D.C.S.

Jerry's Kids

Some never before seen footage of Jerry's Kids is up on Youtube and it's pretty sweet. Check out the link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMpDQq5TF-8

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter

Apparently, social media is all the rage these days. Who knew?! So follow us on these two sites if you want to get updates on new entries, or if you just want to see some videos and pictures that we don't post here. Enjoy.

D.C.S.

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All Stars Tour 2013 show review

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to check out his cousin's band that would be coming through town. I said sure, why not? I didn't bother to look into the details of the show because I assumed that I wouldn't know any of the other bands. I was almost right. His cousin's band was Every Time I Die and I knew of them because of my friend. He was a proud cousin that enjoyed promoting their music to everyone and anyone that would give it a listen. I could hang with their music because it was heavy, but it's not what the D.C. Sniper team ordinarily listens to on a regular basis.

Now, the show was at the Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland. I found the website for the venue so I can get an address and I see the promo for the show. I take a look at the bands on the line up and sure enough, I don't recognize most of the bands. Until I see a band that jumps off the screen because it was a hardcore band in a sea of what I assumed were metal bands, for lack of a better description. That band was Terror. I am not going to pretend that I am a huge fan of Terror, but I do like them a lot. Their first album Lowest Of The Low was great, One With The Underdog was a solid follow up and Always The Hard Way was good from what I remember. But, I haven't heard anything else from them since that third record. Couldn't tell you why? Needless to say, I was excited to see them play since I've somehow missed them every time they came through town. We arrived at the venue in time to see them setting up. Perfect timing! If all the other bands that played last night had sucked, at least I was going to enjoy seeing Terror.

They come out playing 7 or 8 songs in a row. I was tired just watching them go off to their music. They sounded good. Real good. Scott Vogel's vocals were on point and he urged the crowd to come onto the stage for stage dives despite the barrier with the bouncers. This old timer actually considered going up, but decided against it. Not enough of a crowd to risk busting my ass. But plenty of other kids eventually got the nerve to go up and dive off and then it looked like a hardcore show. Only weird thing was seeing a barrier with bouncers actually helping you get onto the stage.

An awesome band that you should know once said "dance and dive and have some fun" and that's exactly what happened after the flood gates opened. I just so happen to be standing next to a couple that may or may not have known who Terror was or been prepared for what could've happened next, but they headed for the hills when all hell broke loose. I loved every minute of their set and I plan on getting reacquainted with their library very soon. I would gladly see them again, preferably with a line up that consists of more hardcore bands than what I saw afterwards...

 

Terror - Photo by D.C.S.

Next up, Veil Of Maya. Well, where do I start? They sounded like a death metal band (which is a genre that I love) but it was too technical for me. The guitar player was really talented, but the guitar solo's were too much. The guitar player also looked like a scrawny version of Colin Kaepernick. If you have to ask who that is, then I can't help you.

Anyway, they had some background sounds that went along with their music and it just didn't do it for me. Just seemed to be too much going on at one time and my A.D.D. was zoning out. Good energy from those guys and they were definitely going all out, but I was happy to see their set end because I think I started going deaf at that point.

The next band up was Chelsea Grin and the first thing I notice is that there are three guitar players. Why three? I could just tell by all the skinny jeans on the stage that I was going to hate this band. Aaaaand I was right. I thought there was too much going on with Veil Of Maya, but these guys were worse. Maybe the kids nowadays are into guitar solo's being played over each other, but I don't. Maybe I'm just stuck in the past with greats like Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman (RIP) taking turns with their solo's in a song. Now that's how it's done.

Anyway, I tried to get a picture of Chelsea Grin rocking out to their breakdowns because it looked like synchronized swimming to me, but I was too slow to pull out my camera. It was like they were practicing one day and they said "hey, on this part, why don't we all spread our legs out as far apart as possible and rock out at the same time?" At the very least, they gave their hamstrings a good workout.

Despite my negative opinions on these two bands, I will say that they had plenty of people there that enjoyed their sets. These people clearly need to be institutionalized because that was a painful hour or so of music. But I digress.

Now it was time for Every Time I Die. I've heard some of their songs at my friend's place, and they sound just as good live as they do on their recordings. That's a big plus in my book because there's nothing worse than a band playing live that doesn't sound as good as their own albums. They had lots of energy and the place was going off for them. It didn't take long for me to be standing there bobbing my head to their music. The singer, Keith has an impressive vocal range. The man can go from a screaming growl one minute to legitimately singing the next. His brother, Jordan, who is the lead guitar player was all over the stage. His stage presence is very similar to another great guitar player by the name of Scott Ian. The man was just rocking out over every inch of that stage. The bass player and 2nd guitar player were no slouches either. (I apologize for not knowing their names.) As a matter of fact, during their last song the second guitar player went into the crowd to play. He casually walked off stage and the fans were eating it up. Would've been cooler if he had dove into the crowd, but that's just the hardcore kid in me. The whole band played well off of each other and the result was a great performance. I'm not sure how to describe their sound, but it was definitely some hard rocking music. Good music + great energy + tight sound + crowd interaction = the perfect formula for a band's success and these guys have it. 

I could see my buddy beaming with pride while watching their set. Either that, or he just had a drunken grin on his face. Who knows?

Funny story that happened at the end of the night. My buddy wanted to say hello to his cousins before leaving, so we go around to the back parking lot to find them. Keith is posing for pictures with fans while my buddy is talking to him and this one little blonde chick walks up asking for a picture and says "hey, I know your cousin." The fact that she threw out my friend's name as one of her friends while standing not more than two feet away from him was priceless. It led to an awkward moment where Keith took a step back and my friend was laughing his ass off because he didn't even recognize her at first. Who knew that my friend was such a celebrity? Keith probably thought it was a gag. In any case he was a pretty down to earth guy and took the time to talk to his fans and sign whatever they wanted. They've got a new fan in me.

My one complaint about their set was the lights on the stage. I thought I was going to have a seizure the way those bright lights were flashing. My video below isn't great and the lights definitely ruined a part of it, but it was the best I could give you all. Enjoy.

D.C.S.

 

Every Time I Die - Video by D.C.S.

Happy Left Handed Day

Enjoy some Samhain.

D.C.S.

Another second chance listen - Reagan Youth Vol. 2

Let me first say that the D.C. Sniper team is in complete agreement that the early material by Reagan Youth is nothing short of great. If you have never heard anything by them, get your hands on Vol. 1 because it's a killer record. Songs like Reagan Youth, New Aryans and Degenerated are a couple of favorites, but that whole record is awesome.

But then they put out Vol. 2 and it was poor follow up to the greatness of their earlier material. I remember buying "A Collection Of Pop Classics" because it had both Vol. 1 and 2, and thinking to myself, "what the hell is this shit"? That album quickly became an abomination like "Staring Into The Sun" by Uniform Choice.

The first song was ok, but the rest of it just sucked to me. It was like a different band had recorded music under the name of Reagan Youth. It's probably been about 15 years since I've listened to this album, so let's see if my opinion has changed on this.

"It's A Beautiful Day" is a kick ass song! I'm really digging it. It could pass for some of their earlier material. "Jesus Was A Communist" and "Urban Savages" have a 70's rock sound to them and they are pretty sweet. "What Will The Neighbors Think" is a slow ballad kind of song and it's fucking great! 4 songs in and I'm loving this album. I am already kicking myself for not enjoying these songs all these years.

"Get The Ruler Out", "Brave New World" and "Miss America" all get a big thumbs up from me. "Heavy Metal Shuffle" sounds exactly like it's called and I am into it. "Queen Babylon", "Acid Rain" and "One Holy Bible" are ok. Not clunkers, but ok. Maybe they will grow on me. The last song "Back To The Garden" is an instrumental and I've had it on repeat for this entry. Song is good. Solid jam song that almost sounds like something that Black Sabbath would do.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm loving this album! Holy shit, how could I have been so wrong? I wish I could go back in time and smack myself upside the head for not giving this album another chance. Live and learn.

D.C.S.

Lyle Preslar interview on Going Off Track

I just came across this interview of Lyle Preslar that took place a little over a year ago. Pretty cool stories about his time with Minor Threat, playing a show with Samhain, playing with the Meatmen, working at Caroline Records and more. Check it out.

http://www.goingofftrack.com/2012/05/04/lyle-presla/

D.C.S.

Ian Mackaye on Urban Outfitters selling Minor Threat shirts

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2013/07/31/ian-mackaye-responds-to-urban-outfitters-minor-threat-t-shirts/

This story just blew up on the internet in the last couple of days and I figured I'd shoot my mouth off on it too. Ian Mackaye has managed to get people's panties in a bunch all over the world because Urban Outfitters in now selling official Minor Threat t-shirts and worse yet, they are being sold for $28 buckaroos.

My initial impression of this was, damn, why let them sell your shirts, Ian? I mean, why not let one of these merch companies sell it exclusively, like Merchnow? But then I decided to do something that most people that see this headline didn't bother to do and that was to READ THE ARTICLE. Some of the comments that I've read regarding this are breathtakingly stupid. 

Matt says: "But if the only place to buy a (legitimate, non-bootleg) shirt is a place that sells it for $28, then those people who are big enough fans who really want shirts will grind their teeth and pay it. What's absurd is that you* are making your t-shirts available through the store that sells them for $28, rather than some more reasonable source, and then acting like it's your audience who is unreasonable for paying it."

Hey moron, he didn't make an exclusive deal with Urban Outfitters, he made a deal with Tsurt and you can buy the shirt for $15 bucks here http://bompa.com/minor-threat Urban Outfitters just happens to be able to sell it too and will be ripping off all the hipsters that shop there. 

Bill says: "if ian mackaye thinks the people selling his shirts are "absurd," and the prices are "ridiculous," and the people buying them (presumably fans) are "motherfuckers" then what does that make the guy who actually licensed the images/brand and makes a cut of the earnings?

a sanctimonious hypocritical douchebag, of course. can't have it both ways ian. if you're making money off expensive merch, own up to it. don't dismiss it as if you didn't have both hands directly in it.

Bill, your rant is idiotic and worse yet, you don't capitalize any words in your pathetic diatribe. All you have to do is push the "shift" button at the same time as the first letter of the word that you're starting a sentence with. Difficult to do, I know. Especially when you're talking out of your ass.

Shane says: "Ian, we understand that you "legitimized" your product here and bootleg groups are killing your wallet but come on dude... You are totally marketing to the wrong people. Thats all we need now is a bunch of hipsters and scene kids walking around with your shirt that have never owned a minor threat album in their lives. Weak. I used to work at Urban and I can tell you that this is a mistake lol."

Listen up, Shane. Ian isn't aggravated with bootleg groups killing his wallet, he's aggravated with people using his band to make a buck. Repeat after me "I. Am. So. Stupid." But I will agree with you that a bunch of hipsters, who have never heard a Minor Threat album, wearing a Minor Threat shirt is totally weak.

Skye says: "so he recognizes how shitty of a company UO is but doesn't care because he wants to make money off his shirts... i think that's even worse then just being ignorant of it. fuck ian mackaye anyway, ugh"

Skye, Skye, Skye...You're just a flaming idiot. 

The other half of the D.C. Sniper team says: If anyone is going to profit from the sale of Minor Threat shirts, it may as well be Dischord Records. 

This wouldn't be necessary if the DIY community that Ian champions didn't exploit his bands by bootlegging their merch. Pretty sure the money made from bootlegged merch isn't going anywhere but in the pockets of those who produced it. 

I have no problem with this. It's over 20 years past the decree of the $5 show. If you think $28 for a t-shirt is too high, don't buy one.

Out of all the musicians in the world who deserve shit for gouging, Ian Mackaye is NOT one of them. His contributions to the scene as a whole get him one of many free passes he is deservedly entitled to. 

Well said partner. 

D.C.S.

I was a teenage pencil neck geek.

I was recently browsing eBay for records when I came across this one. I'd never seen it before and it clearly looked like a bootleg and I had to have it. Why? Because it's their 1980 Demo. Duh! Well actually, it's partly because of the fact that it's their demo and partly because it seems to be something that mocks Henry Rollins.

Maybe this cartoon is old news and I somehow missed it, but I needed to see it for myself. It shows a scrawny Henry Rollins on the beach with a girl and some bigger guy runs by and kicks up sand on them. Henry is bummed by the whole thing and the bigger guy says that he would smash his face, but decides against it since he's so skinny. Henry's girl even busts his balls by calling him a "little boy" after the exchange.

Later, you see Henry throwing a temper tantrum and dreaming of being bigger all thanks to "hardcore punk rock" and getting lots of tattoo's and scowling. You then see him more muscular and with his trademark tattoo's and punching out the beach bum from earlier. His girl is even swinging from his dick at the end by saying "oh, Henry! You are a real man after all." Quite frankly, that ending sucked. He should've kicked his chick to the curb and picked up the other chick on the beach that was jocking his new build.

The back side of the sleeve is an advertisement for a book that Henry recommends. Apparently, it will help you be a new man. Screw the music, I'm gonna make this my summer reading! I need to look my best for all the ladies out there.

D.C.S.

No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes: An Oral History - The Exploited riot

Nowadays you're hearing all kinds of people asking for donations to fund their projects. I had never heard of Kickstarter until a few months ago. Quite frankly, I'm sick of hearing about Kickstarter. Seems like everybody and their grandmother has something that they wanna get done and are asking for donations to go towards their Kickstarter. But this project is one that I can totally get behind.

It's a documentary called No Slam Dancing, No Stage Diving, No Spikes: An Oral History and it's about a club called City Gardens in Trenton, New Jersey. City Gardens is like Trenton's own CBGB's or 9:30 club (the old one, not the current one.) Lots of great bands from all over the place have played there like Youth Of Today, Fugazi, The Dead Kennedy's, Gwar and The Exploited.

The last band is what has prompted me to do this entry. The Exploited. First, I love this band. They are easily one of my favorite European punk bands. Records like "Horror Epics" and "War Now" to even their later stuff like "Beat The Bastards" are solid punk tunes. If you're not familiar with their later material, check it out. It's worth it.

But back to City Gardens. I remember hearing about the riot that took place and involved The Exploited, skinheads, and a band called The Uprise. I've heard it so many times over the years and it never gets old to me. I've heard so many different versions of it that I didn't know what to believe? And then this little diddy popped up on my computer today. Do yourself a favor and read this entry because it's really good. 

One thing that I found hilarious was the fact that the tour manager for the Exploited would let Wattie babysit his kids! That's priceless. Wattie and the band continuing to play while people are giving them the finger and spitting at them is just crazy to me. Dumb fuck skinheads trying to intimidate the band and everybody else that was at the show is just crazy too. 

The book of the same name looks like it's going to be great and if you can donate to their Kickstarter to get the film going, I'm sure they would really appreciate it. According to their site, the book should be released later this year and I am totally going to get my hands on one.

D.C.S.

http://www.citygardensnj.com/Exploited.htm

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/436065921/no-slam-dancing-no-stage-diving-no-spikes-an-oral

 

Imagine this man babysitting your kids. 

 

War Now - EP

The Top 20 New York Hardcore and Metal Albums of All Time - According to the Village Voice

Top 20 lists are always going to get bashed for not having someone/something on it, but this list is just ridiculous. I like some of the bands, but I would never, in a million years, say that they're in the top 20 of hardcore/metal albums of all time. And there are a couple of bands that I've never even heard of! Where's Nuclear Assualt - Handle With Care?! If Twisted Sister is going to be on this list, then why not White Zombie? Here's my take on some of the bands on the list. 

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2013/07/top_20_nyhc_metal_albums_all_time.php

 

Twisted Sister

Life of Agony - River Runs Red is a kick ass rock album, but it doesn't belong on this list at all.
Made Out Of Babies - WHO?!
Riot - Again, WHO?!
Winter - Doom metal makes me want to rip my hair out. Boring.
Brutal Truth - They're ok, but come on! Top 20? Spare me.
Biohazard - Urban Discipline has a couple of good songs, but I've always thought the band was highly overrated. 
Agnostic Front - Cause For Alarm over Victim In Pain? Not in my book. 

D.C.S.

Another chance review

The D.C.S. Team  presents a new segment where we go back and give bands and or albums another chance. Over the years there have been many bands that have put out records that disappointed their fan base for whatever reason. We're going to see if our opinions have changed over the years.

First up is Dag Nasty - Field Day. Now, the D.C.S Team is divided on this one since I've always hated it from day 1. But for some reason, the other half of the team thinks the album is "enjoyable." He might also be the founding member of the Brian Baker fan club. But lets give this record another try and see if it grows on me.

The first track "Trouble Is" could easily be a Fugazi song that didn't make it onto their album "The Argument." And that's not a bad thing because that album is great. The next couple of songs pick up the tempo and are ok, but the lyrics are a bit suspect. "If you doubt it, let me remind you, I'm in love with you." BARF!

"Ambulance song" is downright horrible and "Staring at the rude boys" sounds like it belongs on the "Top Gun" soundtrack and that is terrible. Next few songs are no better and then we get to a Dag Nasty classic from "Can I Say" which is "Under your influence" and I immediately want to drag Brian Baker out into the street to have him tarred and feathered. This album went from terrible to blasphemous. Good job of ruining a great song with those vocals and that horrible breakdown. Ugh!

Overall opinion of this record is that it still blows. But I do like a song or two on here and that is more than what I liked over the years. One thing that the D.C.S. Team can agree on is that we would both recommend Dag Nasty in their glory, which is indisputably "Can I Say?"

D.C.S.

 

Happy 4th of July!

The D.C. Sniper Team would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday. Now go listen to some Murphy's Law!

D.C.S.

Getting records in the mail never gets old

Night Birds - Maimed For The Masses 7"

I got this record recently and have been listening to it non-stop. It starts out with the title track, Maimed For The Masses and apparently it's a song about Mick Foley the wrestler. It's an interesting idea for a song and I love it. Apparently, Mick Foley himself heard the song and liked it. The band posted a picture of the man with a copy of the 7" and that's pretty cool in my book.

The other tracks on this record are Barred Out, Last Gasp and an instrumental called Boat Trash. The whole record is great, but my personal favorite is Last Gasp. After reading the lyrics, I immediately thought of the actor David Carridine. If you know how he died, then you can see what i'm talking about here. Maybe he was their inspiration for that song. Boat Trash is just another great instrumental by this band. Can they do any wrong? They seem to have the midas touch for pumping out hits.

If I were to describe this band to anybody that had not heard of them before, I would say that they're an up beat surf punk band with plenty of sing alongs and fun/twisted lyrics. This record is nothing short of great and I can only hope that their up coming 12" on Grave Mistake Records called Born To Die In Suburbia is even better. 

Infest - S/T 7"

This record has four songs that were not included on the No Man's Slave LP and I'm giddy about hearing them now. Days Turn Black and Controlled Violence make me want to break things. Crushing guitars with pissed off/urgent vocals. You're Shot is a solid instrumental, but in my opinion, it's a filler song. (Can a song really be considered "filler" when it's short?)

Why Be Something That You're Not (Negative Approach) is a nice cover. Joe Denunzio's vocals on that are better than what John Brannon does for his songs nowadays. My only complaint is that it's only four songs and that there is no download available.

The songs are what you expect from the godfathers of Power Violence. Fast, furious and a kick to the teeth. That's the perfect formula for me. I once read a perfect description about this band and it went something like this - "Infest is a band that you can't listen to while driving. It will only cause road rage." Truer words were never spoken.

If you want to get your hands on this record (and you should) go to eBay and look up eBay user dedicated_to_society(699) to get it directly from the band. Apparently, people were buying them up at the Maryland Deathfest and looking to turn a profit for it online. Don't give $50 bucks to some greedy piece of shit, when you can pay $7 bucks for it from the band. 

D.C.S.