Episode 223: 224 LFG!
Killer episode this week on the pod. Check it out here, here, or here and listen to the playlist here or here.
Let’s get into it!
185 Trivia is back! All the 25 Ta Life Stuff got pulled off of this song, so crank it up and sing along.
We talked our hardcore wish lists for 2024. At the top of all of ours was putting a stop to the casual homophobia that seems to be creeping back into the scene. Shit is lame - cut it out.
Calling shit “g*y” or using “f*ggot” in a mosh call sucks - straight up. It’s not edgy or cool and you’re only pushing people out who have to put up with enough bullshit from normal society. Using hate speech (or anti-gay language etc) in an attempt to get attention, only emboldens sleeping right-wing sentiments and provides the permission structure for them to come out in the open. You’re fostering that behavior and building a safehouse brick-by-brick for it to crawl out of its hole and exist in. Or are you the person who is secretly harboring the mentality? In that case, just fuck off.
At the end of 2023 Dan pledged to take a journey through the Poison Idea catalog. This week we got his take on the first EP Pick Your King. Everyone, except Dan, has always known this is one of the greatest pieces of hardcore ever. We talked it a bunch back on the 1983 Super 7 episode.
No need to pontificate here. You know it. You rock it on the reg. You love it. Hardcore rules.
Minus returned at the end of December with 2 songs following up their 2019 LP, Compulsion. They continue to be one of the most consistent bands playing roots hardcore - all killer, no filler. It’s awesome to get new music from them but just 2 songs is a pretty brutal tease. Hopefully we get some more tunes (and shows) from them this year.
The Social bring us three banging tracks - two originals and a Satan’s Rats cover. That’s a great semi-obscure pull and a fitting song for them, although Facade is probably my favorite Satan’s Rats’ track. The two originals bang but the thing that grabbed me the most is this spectacular recording. The guitar tone is fuzzy and mean and the drums sound deep and real. The only real critique I have is I’d like to see a little bit more creativity in the lyrics. I’m not looking for Greg Graffin thesaurus-core, but maybe just one step beyond the total simplicity of Class Warfare/Dogs of War.
We couldn’t do our first episode of the new year without some FrOi! on here. Rancœur claimed they were “cold oi” and this is along the same lines, or perhaps even colder. It’s dark, it’s moody, but most importantly it’s punk and it fucking rules.
Care for a fun (or unfun) fact? Alright then! Here are 10 hardcore singers who were drummers first:
Finally we put these two stone cold classics head to head. Both 1983. Both follow ups to classic material. Both two of the best vocal performances in the history of hardcore punk. Which is better? It’s a split vote from our side.
I want to thank all of you who read this substack in ‘23. If you dig it, give it a like, share it, tell your friends, or whatever. Hardcore rules. Peace!
- ZN
Just stumbled yesterday on an (otherwise excellent) online fanzine where there were at least two instances of „gay“ used as pejorative. I thought that shit died in the mid 2000. Good of you to call it out!
Not sure if you have talked it on the pod before and I just do not remember but the stigmatism ignorance in power cover that won best artwork of 2023 bears a good deal of resemblance to the SSD Get it Away cover. Both sick covers and great albums. Unfortunately in the head to head I lean Minor Threat. Get it Away might be the best song off either album though.