Episode 246: December 2024
Killer episode this week on the pod. Check it out here, here, or here and check the playlist here or here.
Before we get started, I wanted to shoutout to IDIOTEQ for writing the dumbest thing I’ve read all year. Congrats, you got it exactly WRONG. Da fuq?
Let’s get into it:
Force S/T EP DBNO Records
Solid ass roots Hardcore 7” outta Belgium. Singer has a nice natural mean voice and can write a hook (peep “Price to Pay”). Good drumming and they change up the speeds nicely, including showing love to the scissor beat. LP level writing on a debut EP. Respect.
Mystique Face Your Fate LP Quality Control Records
Bands who attack that sweet spot between Age of Quarrel and Best Wishes rarely miss. Let’s add Mystique to the mix of bands who execute this style nicely along with Ekulu, Blow Your Brains Out, and Big Cheese. Mystique come out the gate with an excellent recording and riffs that land somewhere between Cro-Mags and Leeway worship. What makes this band stand out is the absolute laid back voice of the singer which is more of a loud talk or a light shout than a yell. It’s monotone vox stacked on top of monotone music that is almost so, well, monotone that it’s ironically jarring. I dig it a lot, especially after repeat listens.
Lexan Demo II Cassette Delayed Gratification Records
Lexan return following their first demo with a green one, I’m sure as a tribute to E-Town Concrete. This is a step up from the first demo where they buried the vocals both in the mix and with distortion. The band is at their best when they’re doing sleazy rock ‘n’ roll riffs like on the breakdown on “Luxury Tax” or the opening riff on “Putting Your Dog Down.” I swear the riff is better than the subject matter of that one.
We continued trekking on Dan’s journey through the Poison Idea catalog and have arrived in 1990. Lots of folks think Feel The Darkness is the best LP in the Poison Idea catalog and some think it’s the greatest Hardcore Punk record of all time. I’d say the A side has an argument for being the best side A on a Hardcore Punk LP and definitely the best of the ‘90s.
The brief piano intro on “Plastic Bomb” is so iconic and then we’re into the intro licks before breaking fast. The woahs are less 7 Seconds or Bad Religion and more haunting. They make me think of the chorus of the Gastunk song “The Eyes.” The record has four songs that join “Death Wish Kids” in the Poison Idea top 5 mid-tempo banger list, including “Alan’s On Fire” which is one of the greatest b-side needle drops ever. “Gone For Good” and “Back Stab Gospel” show that they can still tap into the same fire of their 1983-1986 run. MTBs aside, my favorite song on here is “Death of an Idiot Blues” with the wild ass talking parts. Thanks mom, thanks dad, I’ll see you in hell! Hell yea.
Dan Sant (champ) took on Bedge (challenger) in another round of 185 trivia. Here were the questions:
In the Misfits song “Rat Fink” does Danzig start by spelling out rat or fink first?
In the Misfits song “Rat Fink” does Danzig spell rat like the rodent, or like the 1980s butt rock band?
In the Visual Discrimination song "Those Drugs" the singer Tim states when he sees a mind polluted with those drugs, knowledge is: A) diluted B) derooted C) rebooted D) mad stupid
Before changing their band name to Riistytyt, this legendary Finnish hardcore band was called what?
Spell Riistytyt.
On the first GBH 12" do you see the cover dudes left or right ear?
In 1985 Mystic Records released an Ill Repute collection titled after an egg dish. What was it?
What is the Buzzcocks song that was covered by SSD, was a Dave Weinberg band, and is also what you'll get if you DM 185 Miles South on Instagram instead of emailing?
Chthamalus stellatus, Semibalanus balanoides, and that guy that only went to two Punk shows in 1984 but is active on Facebook telling everyone how much better it was back in the day are all types of what species?
The Partisans sing of how many years in hell?
Does the Eyeball song "Talkin' Straight" appear on their 7" Talkin Straight?
In the E-Town Concrete song 4 the Fame, who was the gentleman that got shot in the opening verse?
Scroll down for the answers.
I was joined by Jay Way from Bayway to talk their new EP and Hardcore in general. He’s a thoughtful dude who has a great perspective on Hardcore and understands the balance between bravado and humility better than most.
Trivia answers:
Fink
Butt Rock
A) diluted
Cadgers
R I I S T Y T Y T
right
Omelette
No Reply
barnacles
17
No. It appears on the For The Sake Of Dedication comp
LaGhram
Have a killer week.
- ZN