AVAIL

AVAIL

I must’ve seen Avail more times than I can remember. I put them up there with Fugazi and Shelter, a band I’ve seen over 20 times. Avail was originally from Reston Va and actually had a different singer. The band had relocated to Richmond Va and their drummer Tim Barry took over for vocal duties. Smart move too, they blew up and became one of the bigger bands to emerge from VA. The last time I think I saw Avail perform was either a show at Twisters in Richmond Va or with Into Another at the Insect Club near Va Beach. I picked up these reissues on EBay for under 7 bucks each. Really cheap considering each album is 2 lps. These were the reissues that No Idea did for Jade Tree. I also picked up their first record for 6 bucks. I know it was reissued on cd but I am not sure if they reissued the vinyl. Anyone remember that crappy demo they had with the Chinese symbol on it?

Type O Negative – Box Set for Dead Again

Type O Negative – Box Set for Dead Again

The first time I saw Type O Negative was actually with Shelter at the Bayou in Georgetown around 1994. They were really good and as much as I love Shelter, they did horribly in front of the Type O fans. I have never seen Carnivore live, even when they used to do the once a year reunions in NYC. I still kick myself for not going. They never did the reunion tour on the west coast or I just lost interest. I’ve seen Type O Negative a few times with my cousin Kristin in New Jersey. She was a big metal head in the late 80’s and 90’s. When I used to visit the my family up north we used to travel to see allot of shows in Jersey and NYC. Unlike DC allot of the hardcore bands were playing with the metal bands. What is funny she still has all of her metal shirts and will not give them up.
The box set has 3 lps are on color a DVD (best part of the box set) and a size large t shirt. I wear XL and honestly the t shirt looks like dog crap. It’s cool for 40 bucks and I think it is out of print but you can get it on Amazon. Dead again is not their best record but it is a cool item to add to a collection.

Rotting Out – Street Prowl

Rotting Out – Street Prowl
My friend Mike was in a band called Rotting Out. He left the band last summer due to the fact he couldn’t tour full time. Their bassist took on the vocal duties and has changed the band around. This band has no ex members of any prevalent band from before. They just took over from where Mike had stopped and have dominated the Los Angeles scene. Next to Touché Amore this is one of the biggest bands in the Los Angeles hardcore punk scene.
Their debut lp, Street Prowl, is more in the vein of punker suicidal tendencies. Walter Delgado has taken over for vocal duties and his lyrics are a bit personal. In fact they might be too personal for my tastes, but live they do shred. Anytime they perform it is a stage diving frenzy. This lp is out on 6131 records. They did a nice job on the packaging, full color poster and jacket. The record release version is just blank labels numbered out of 50. I know they will be one of the bigger bands to perform at this year’s Sound and Fury. 6131 are taking preorders for this along with their side project band Minority Unit right now.

SKA SKA SKA

TWO TONE
In high school I used to hang out with a girl name Angela Mitchell. She hung with a few girls that were on the borderline of skin, Goth and punk. Every high school usually has that same group of weird alternative girls. You know the ones who wore Docs or monkey boots. Well Angela and her friends were really heavily into SKA. I think we saw the toasters, Bad Manners, Murphy’s Law and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones a handful of times. Even one of our friends started a band called the Pie tasters. So for nostalgic reasons I started picking up some Ska lps for super cheap.
I bought this Selectors lp on eBay for 9.99. I picked up the Madness lp in DC for 4 bucks and a Specials record at a local store near me for 9 bucks. I also picked up the English Beat lp at Amoeba during Peter Murphy’s live in store appearance.

The Smiths

The Smiths

I have never seen the Smiths live. I have seen Morrissey perform over a dozen times. In LA he is a god and he takes advantages of his fans. The last tour here was 95 bucks a ticket.
I have seen Mike Joyce perform with the Buzzcocks at the old 930 Club. I have seen Johnny Marr perform with Electronic, Modest Mouse and THE THE. I just saw Andy Rourke at the local Smiths convention which I got in for free thanks to my buddy Furn. So here is some recent Smiths vinyl I just picked up. If anybody has Morrissey Vauxhall and I for trade or sale hit me up.

adult crash, social distortion, raw deal and turning point

The first time I met Dave Brown was at the Safari Club in DC. He used to hang with all of the DC Skins as well as the local hardcore kids. He still runs his label Vicious Circle which still puts out releases periodically. Dave also used to work at this record store in Maryland called Vinyl Ink.
Vinyl Ink, Smash, Orpheus, Kemp Mill and Record convergence were my stomping grounds to buy anything that was remotely punk or hardcore in the DC area. Dave worked behind the counter and was always a good person to recommend up and coming bands.
When we ran the label, Dave was like a silent partner and he inputted allot of his knowledge into it. In fact majority of the test press covers for the label were made by Dave. I traded allot with Dave throughout the years. I got my Gorilla Biscuits on Purple and my Turning Point on Clear from him. Dave Brown is one of my closest friends and is someone I respect.
A few years back he released his book “Adult Crash” which showcases various photos that were taken by him at hardcore shows from 1987 to 2008. I think the book and the eps are out of print. I know for a fact he is doing another book with a few collaborators. He sent me a package which he signed to me. I nearly laughed my ass off when I read it “To Tru Enjoy the Book! … I still hate Forbes”
(Forbes was a nice kid from DC who we unfortunately picked on when we did the band BARFIGHT. Forbes was so shaken up, he got his dad from the CIA to pay Dave a visit at his work. Again sorry Forbes.)
Well not only did I get a signed book from Dave he also sent me actual prints of pictures he had taken of Raw Deal and Turning Point. I love these photos. I need to get these framed along with my Carry On artwork (see earlier entry). I know for a fact he is releasing a new book in the next year or so.
He also sent me a copy of social distortions live oop double lp. This is so good and completely out of print. I just heard the new Social Distortion on Epitaph. YUCK!
Dave still puts out records occasionally he sent me a copy of his latest release called the South Side Stranglers. A punk band from Richmond Va which has members of Government Warning. Great snotty punk and like most of Dave’s past releases will probably be out of print soon.

Youth Of Today / Mouthpiece California Weekend

Youth Of Today / Mouthpiece California Weekend

Here is what I picked up and below is what I shot on my video camera.
Oh the Chain Of Strength records are just in there cause of the cover Mouthpiece did with Curtis.