A forgotten chapter in Charlottesville punk history

Have you ever had a period in your life, be it several years or a single day, when, in retrospect, everything that happened seems to have been of utmost importance? Despite the drama, the craziness and perhaps the very real harm that was done, looking back it all seems so beautiful and golden that you wish you could keep it forever, like a flower frozen in amber.

The Big Fun Glossary captures just such a moment: “state-of-the art youth hedonism” as practiced in Charlottesville in the mid-’90s. It reads like a reality show version of On The Road, a devil’s dictionary filled with gossip, social criticism, and philosophical musings, where people with names like Morgan Anarchy and Diana the Redhead live in a state of enlightened poverty and angry joie de vivre, hoisting jugs of cheap wine like weapons in a war against the straight-laced forces of oppression.

Read about it here, via C-ville Weekly.

Wild Life — Speak

Wild Life is my most recent band. We set out to play some Rev Summer style tunes, but I don't know how well we hit that mark. What we did end up playing is (in my opinion) some cool, complex tunes that turned out to be a lot more contemplative and serious than what I usually play. I honestly don't know of any other bands to compare us to, except maybe the spirit of certain groups like Fugazi or later Turning Point. We never managed to find a singer, so me and Slagle, one of the guitarists, split vocal duties. Members of No Brainer, Slugz, The Volstead Agents, etc. I wrote most of the lyrics, so I've linked the song titles to what was on my mind when I was writing them. Check it out:

Wild Life — Speak Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Zeitgeist
2. Villa El Salvador
3. Speak
4. Monasukapanough

Wild Life is a new band from Charlottesville, Virginia. No shows played, and probably none ever will be. Thanks to Jake, Claire, Hannah, and Daniel for helping us out.

http://wild-life.bandcamp.com/

Moms — Demo 2011

Moms is a noisy, sometimes-fast band comprised of some dudes from Charlottesville (and now sort of Richmond), playing some noisy, angry hardcore. The first track reminds me of dissonant, Cali-style punk, similar to what Raindance or even Sucker Punch used to play in town. The rest of the demo moves on into more straightforward hardcore territory, with some thrashy, negative tunes good for the Cville Mosh (where you run back and forth in front of the band. It sounds lame, but you do it really fast!) They also hit some cool musical moments, like the intro to "Remorse Code," which sounds like Fugazi until it turns into Poison Idea. Good dudes, backed hard.

Moms — Demo 2011

Track Listing:

1. Anatomy
2. Lascivious
3. Tooth
4. Inwardly Crippled/Outwardly Stunted
5. Fuck
6. Remorse Code

Moms is a noise punk band from the mean streets of Chartown. Get wild.

http://moms.bandcamp.com/

The 40 Boys — Going Nowhere Fast

Saw this band play at Magnolia last week, and it reminded me of what a singularly Charlottesville experience these guys are. See, the 40 Boys are a couple old punk rock heads who got together to play some rocknroll, and do so par excellence. They've been playing shows as long as I've been going to them, and are often as not the best set of the night.

In case you missed it, these dudes are into drinking. Take a gander at the track titles real quick, I'll wait for you. Pretty much every song is about alcohol, with the occasional sidestep to talking about rocknroll. Cause for real, these guys know how to rock. Tony and Porter turn old musical themes into something new with every song, and considering they're a 2-piece they do so with only a small margin for error. Anyway, this is their full length, presented here for you in the Charlottesville tradition of being from a burned CD, so the sound is a little blown out at places. But whatever, these guys are supposed to sound like that. The epitome of party tunes, although they have a couple surprisingly sentimental tracks too (I'm a 40 Boy is always a crowd favorite). Some of the best Cville has to offer.

The 40 Boys — Going Nowhere Fast LP

Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. I Hope I Die From Rocknroll
3. Raise Your Beer
4. Never Too Drunk To Party
5. 40 Boy
6. Let's Get Fucked Up
7. Slut
8. Alcohol's My Woman
9. Rock n Roll Woman
10. I Got No Control
11. I'm A Drunk
12. Happiness In A Can
13. PBR
14. Just To Support My Habit
15. Sick Broke And Drunk
16. I Shot My Girlfriend

The 40 Boys are a rocking and rolling 2-piece from Charlottesville (the "40 Boys are 38 members short" joke never gets old). Members of Riot Act, Dead Beat, The Elderly, Bella Morte, etc. Always worth seeing live.

http://www.myspace.com/the40boys/

The Elderly — Old Time Quality Virginia Drunk Ass Punk Rock

I figure it's time to get back to my Charlottesville roots. The Elderly were another first-half-of-the-decade local punk band, sort of the same time period as Riot Act or Barracks Road. For a lot of people, The Elderly were the best band from that era, and with good reason. Their sound is self-described as "Angry Samoans getting butt-fucked by Iggy Pop while shooting dope with Johnny Thunders," and that's actually closer to the truth than you might expect. The Elderly play punk rock, with an emphasis on the rock — these dudes can really jam out. This album is something approaching a discography, although it might be missing a recording or two. Sound's great, music's great, a cover of the Dead Milkmen to boot — this is a cool piece of history.

The Elderly — Old Time Quality Virginia Drunk Ass Punk Rock

Track Listing:

1. Beer
2. Dangerous Erection
3. Get The Fuck Off My Lawn
4. Got Me Good
5. High School Mentality
6. Let's Go
7. Liar
8. National Drinking Day
9. Never Liked You
10. Spitballs
11. The Thing That Only Eats Hippies (Dead Milkmen)
12. We Are The Elderly
13. High School Mentality (live)
14. Liar (live)

Bio: "The Elderly is an old school punk rock (with some roll in there) band from Virginia. We formed in late 1999 after the demise of our band Guilty By Association. Many member changes later, the current line-up is as follows: "Scary" Larry Houchens (drums, b/vox) and Josh "Old Man" Mustin (guitar, lead vox). We are influenced by old punk, 50's rock and country, metal, girl groups, some new punk and garage too, you name it. We are known mostly for our fun attitude and very high-energy shows that leave you wanting more."

http://www.myspace.com/theelderlypunks

Daniel rocking out up in the front — last show at the Tokyo Rose

Demagogue — Bad Blood EP

Figure I might as well put up more tunes from my first real band. This EP was six of Demagiggle's first songs, plus a SLF cover. It's a strange cross-section of punk, kind of crusty, a little bit hardcore, a definite late-70s influence. Keep in mind that we were all under 18 though, so it's a little weird. It was also recorded after Jake left but before Sam joined, so it's really heavy with the Patrick/Alethea influence, also very weird. This was recorded by Corey at the MRC, so it sounds pretty good, at least. It also has the hit single 'Motivation,' the first time I ever sang on a recording. SO POS. Actually it's all kind of silly looking back, but we had some fun times. Now it's just another piece of Charlottesville history, I guess.

You can also check out our unreleased LP if you're interested here.

Demagogue — Bad Blood EP 

Track Listing:

1. A King And His Crown
2. Motivation
3. Up The Subordinates
4. Tainted Water
5. Pedestal
6. Sleepless In Sedation
7. Alternative Ulster (Stiff Little Fingers)

Originally a small side project from M2S, Demagogue was built around Patrick and his then-girlfriend Alethea. Jake Phipps showed up to the first practice, but phased himself out and was eventually replaced by Sam Richardson, at which point we cranked up the rock. It wasn't very good. It was hardly punk, and contained far too many awkward screams and yelps. That being said, I got a lot better a bass during our 6-8 hour per week practice sessions, and we managed to create some interesting, if unusual songs. We spent like 30+ hours in the MRC's studio trying to record and mix an LP, which unfortunately never saw the light of day; however, I recently got my hands on a copy, and I have to say, we were on to something… too bad that that something was so strange and ephemeral that it serves as an example of our potential, rather than our actual quality.

www.myspace.com/upthesubordinates

Raindance — Demo 2010

Raindance is a new band from Charlottesville, members of Werebear, Full Court Press, Gutter Strutter, that whole crew. Chappy once again fronts, this time with almost scarily negative lyrics and some insightful commentary on sexuality and relationships. Recording quality is solid if not groundbreaking, but the music is straightforward and well-played (Sam can put some good crunch on a guitar) and there's a good matchup between vocal content and musical style. It makes allusions to Richmond riffs, but also to newer West Coast bands like Trash Talk or Ceremony. Maybe I'm analyzing too much. Anyway, solid dudes, solid band. Check this out if you're into good music.

Raindance — Demo 2010

Track Listing:

1. Flaws
2. Broken Machine
3. Come Alive
4. I Know Your Type

Raindance started a year or so ago in Charlottesville, although half the band lives in Richmond now. They don't seem to be doing too much at the present, but hopefully they'll get it going again and play some more house shows.

http://www.myspace.com/raindanceva

Lackey Die — S/T

Another classic from Charlottesville in the early 80s. My buddy Sam Richardson, of Got Myself Zine (and a shit ton of bands) fame, started a record label partially just to release this. Long story short, these dudes were all locals, and while they recorded twice (in 1984 and 1985) nothing ever got released — until now. These songs are all textbook examples of early hardcore: simple songs, high energy, a great mix of humor and anger. There's nothing too original about the music, but it's well written and so sincerely played that it's hard not to get into it. Big support to Sam for doing this, records like this should never be forgotten.

Lackey Die — S/T 7" 

Track Listing:

1. Get Rich Plan
2. No Choice
3. Mercy Killing
4. You Better Run
5. Puberty
6. Fantasy Island
7. Nuclear Employment
8. Never Change

From Feel It Records: "Lackey Die was the first hardcore band from the small city of Charlottesville, Virginia. Starting out in 1982, they played furious, no-bullshit hardcore. During this time they recorded two studio sessions, one at Floodzone Studios (White Cross, Unseen Force) and another at the now-famous Inner Ear Studios (Minor Threat, Bad Brains, etc.) The band broke up in late 1985, leaving behind only some local fans and a couple mentions in MRR scene reports. 25 years later, the master tapes have been re-discovered and remastered for vinyl. You'll see why Lackey Die would fit in perfectly on an old Southern hardcore mixtape alongside bands like C.O.C., early HONOR ROLE, BEEF PEOPLE, LANDLORDS, NEON CHRIST, etc. This release is fully authorized and is limited to 500 copies w/ hand-screened sleeves."

http://feelitrecords.blogspot.com/

The Landlords — Our Favorite Songs!

The Landlords return with this 7"! After their impressive LP, The Landlords faded somewhat and focused on other projects (like the Happy Flowers), but they did manage to release this in 1987. It's all covers, presumably each band member picked their favorite song and recorded it. But the quality is good, and the songs are all very interesting.  For some reason the tracks on the vinyl and the cover aren't in the same order, but I'm going with what was on the 7". Anyway, these are all cool tunes by a really awesome band. Go listen.

The Landlords — Our Favorite Songs! EP

Track Listing:

1. The Night Chicago Died (Paper Lace)
2. Suzanne (Leonard Cohen)
3. Lies (The Knickerbockers... see comments)
4. He's Waiting (The Sonics)

Around the same time as Minor Threat was getting things going in DC, the Landlords were playing to the sleepy hippie town of Charlottesville. Somehow there was actually a reasonably scene in 'Ch-ville' in the early 80's, played mostly by UVA kids and a few townies. The Landlords were sweet, and put out an awesome, if unknown LP, and this 7".

http://www.myspace.com/landlordsva

Still Here Zine Update 04/13/10

Yo so I hope people are still digging what I'm putting up here. It seems like there's been a pretty good response to most things. I hope you're liking it, and if you have any comments or complaints leave a comment or email me.

In other news, I fixed the For All Time recordings so they are now of a downloadable size. If you're from Charlottesville, especially, you should make sure you have that. Actually everyone should, it's sort of the first draft of Permanent but harder and a little bit late-90s metalcore-y. Now that I'm thinking about it, if you want to know what Charlottesville's been all about, make sure you check out at least The Landlords, For All Time, Vomit Up Blood, like Shin Kick or Full Court Press, and now Total Wreck, those are some of the most important Cville bands at a glance. Or just click the Charlottesville tag over on the right. Do it, you won't regret it.

Total Wreck — Self Titled EP

This is really exciting. It's the brand new Total Wreck 7", out now on Absent records. Musically it's not a far cry from their demo, but their sound has been somehow refined, distilled into something even more ferocious and raw. All the songs are short, fast, and really really energetic, only breaking the thrash for an occasional solo by Patrick. Sound quality is very good and the tunes are hot, but don't just download this and be an armchair snob: go see them live, and pick up a copy before you find yourself sniped on ebay for it.

Total Wreck — Total Wreck 7" EP

Track Listing:

1. Repetition
2. R.S.C.
3. Contact
4. Total Wreck
5. I'm Losing
6. Asleep

From the ashes of Shin Kick arose a new, faster, louder, more depressing thrash band. Total Wreck are the only really active punk band in Charlottesville at the moment (though that looks like it's about to change), and are just about to go on a second east coast tour with Crooked Teeth. Get off your lazy ass and go mosh, this might not last forever.

www.myspace.com/totalwreckva

Insurgency — Persist To Resist

Streetpunk Uploads Part 7

The full-length by Charlottesville's own Insurgency, with members of Total Wreck. Really well done streetpunk songs on many subjects, all propelled by Erik's gruff and super-intense vocals. These are probably some of the most singalong-friendly songs ever written; literally every song has a chorus that you can get into even if you're seeing them live without ever having heard them before. The mix on this is really unique, as in I've never heard instruments and vocals that sound like this on a record before. It's sweet. Go listen.

Insurgency — Persist To Resist LP

Track Listing:

1. Intro
2. Death Wish
3. Drown
4. Life As We Know It
5. Gothic Fuck
6. Absent Minded
7. New Direction
8. Indecision
9. Call My Shots
10. Nothing Left
11. Swindler
12. Wasting Away
13. Nothing's Changed

The only true punk band in Charlottesville for a long while. A syrupy Ramones-infused center coated with crispy bits of something even rawer and more urgent. Seriously, it's really solid punk, fast and rough but still a little melodic, with a strange ability to come out as really deep and honest. Originally started in 2001 under the name Weapon of Choice, switched to The Insurgency, dropped the 'The' and went on their first tour in 2006. In the middle of that tour the band had a few days off, and Kyle, the original bassist, went back to Cville, found his girlfriend with some other dude, wrecked said dude, and broke his wrist and fingers in the process, leaving him unable to play and the band pissed they had to cancel what remained of the tour. They got a new bassist. After teaching Tos all the songs, they did an even more jaded tour. Some dudes have since left the band, but they've sort of reformed with new members. Hopefully they'll pick it up again soon.

www.myspace.com/insurgencypunx

The Stabones — Amateurs EP

Streetpunk Uploads Part 5

This EP is pretty straight-forward punk rock, with in emphasis on the rock. See, the Staboners like to party, hard. Most of the songs on here are about partying, or being prevented from partying. But even so, they've been probably the longest-lasting punk band in Charlottesville, and are still playing shows, usually at parties. Classic songs about bus driving an not getting laid at the prom. Word.

The Stabones — Amateurs EP

Track Listing:

1. Doormats
2. I Wanna Be A Couch Potato
3. Bite Out Of Crime
4. Don't Wanna Drive This Bus No More
5. Jack To Beam
6. Shoulder Tapping
7. Didn't Get Laid At The Prom
8. Bitch Slap
9. The Stabones
10. Days Belong To Me
11. Take It Away

Founded by several UVA busdrivers, the Boners turned out to be one of the biggest drinking bands Chartown has to offer. Fueled by an unstoppable desire to party hard and rock harder, they were a fixture when I was coming up, playing almost every show there was in town — although there weren't many. They're still a fixture, playing a few shows every month or two, but usually with bigger, more party bands, like the Pietasters. Bartley, the singer, is a really nice dude, who has a habit of drinking too much to stay standing as his shows progress.

www.myspace.com/thestabones

Vomit Up Blood — RobotxAttack ExPx

Note the gratuitous use of X's. Hardcore for the... people who are willing to have fun? Every song on here is a lesson in satire, both musically and lyrically. Like, contrary to popular belief, xFallxDownxStairsx is not about friends breaking edge, it's about people falling down stairs. Perfect.

This was Vomit Up Blood's final release, and sound quality is pretty high. It has a couple of repeats from previous releases, but everything sounds a bit more practiced and perfected. Plus there are a few new songs, like Immortal, that are actually definitive of the band and their sound, like For All Time but in some ways more adventurous. Seriously, get into this.

Vomit Up Blood — RobotxAttack ExPx

Track Listing:

1. Intro/Soundtrack For Violence
2. xFallxDownxStairsx
3. Godzilla
4. B-Style
5. Injustice: The Taco Bell Song
6. Robot Attack
7. Mouthwash
8. Duke's Mayonnaise Tastes Better
9. Immortal

A deadly serious band of Hulkomania enthusiasts. Hardcore played by punks has never been so real. Songs about Godzilla, the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, falling down stairs, and immortal squatters, with a small bit of For All Time influence and a lot of torn shirts. The various final and reunion shows were a highlight of my show-going experience.

www.myspace.com/vomitupblood2k6

Riot Act — Live For Today, Fight For Tomorrow

This is one of the most interesting things to come out of Charlottesville since the Landlords. On the surface it's straightforward punk rock, but as you get more into it it becomes harder and harder to pigeonhole. It's mostly hard and fast, and has a habit of being really anthemic. It's pretty simple songwriting, but more in terms of exercising restraint than just not being very good — because they are very, very good. Tony, the guitarist and main vocalist, is also in the 40 Boys, but is probably best known for his work in industrial strength Goth band Bella Morte.

Riot Act — Live For Today, Fight For Tomorrow

Track Listing

1. Intro/As One
2. X
3. Burn
4. What I Believe
5. All The Kids
6. What's Left
7. Way Of Life
8. Keep Us Strong
9. You'll Get Yours
10. Last One Standing
11. Start A War
12. Dead To Me

A high-power punk rock band, Riot Act tore up conventional genre boundaries and made a music all their own. Sometimes catchy, sometimes thrashy, sometimes rocking, and occasionally jammy. They put out one very solid LP. There were a couple other punk bands in the early 2000s, but Riot Act were the biggest, and in my opinion one of the best. Honestly, you'll be listening to this for months.

Shin Kick — Nothing More, Nothing Less

This was the second record Shin Kick put out, in early 2008. Since the first demo, we had gotten a new drummer, written a bunch more songs, and gotten somewhat serious about what we were trying to do. This was ostensibly a demo to accompany us on tour and sell to people so they could rock out to us later, but it ended up being our final release — our long-proposed 7" just never materialized. We recorded it on a vocal mic in Sam's basement, but sound quality isn't that bad for a single-tracked live set, at least once you get used to it. At the very least, you get a good idea of how we might sound live.

Unlike on the demo, all of the songs were original. I wrote the lyrics to about half the songs, Sam writing the others when he wrote the guitar riffs. You can hear a definite progression from the music on the demo as well, the newer songs being more varied, and perhaps even a little melodic. Sam was really on point with most of the jams. Anyway, as much as this meant to me, you should listen and come to your own conclusions.

Shin Kick — Nothing More, Nothing Less EP

Track Listing:

1. (Sh)In(Kick)tro/Closed Venue
2. Kicked Out
3. What Is This?
4. I Nailed Tony Hawk
5. Insanity
6. Time Off
7. Got Myself
8. Next Generation
9. Brobleed

Lyrics are available here. Oddly enough we never actually recorded Still Here, the song this zine is named after, but the lyrics for that are up too.

Shin Kick: 2006-2008

Marley — Vox
Sam — Guitar
Straume — Bass
Pat — Drums

Where do I begin? Shin Kick was the band that put Cville back on the map. It was a side project from the then-big M2S and Demagiggle, because Sam wanted to start an 80's hardcore band with me. We recruited Dre and Straume, recorded a demo that had as many covers as originals, played the single MRC show we ever booked, and had the maximum amount of fun possible. At the end of the summer of '07, Dre went to the farm and Pat stepped in to be our drummer. This is when things got serious. With a functioning band as impetus, Sam started booking shows at DUST. I can't begin to say how important Sam, and his connection to Curt at DUST, has been to the scene. At least 90% of the shows any of us played were there; it was literally vital. 

Anyway, months passed, xSKx played assloads of shows and almost as many sweet 80's covers, and Cville began to actually produce music, other bands forming to help out on those same shows. Eventually we recorded a low-quality EP in Sam's basement (while his mom made us lots of delicious food), and went on tour, the first band to do so since Insurgency's misadventure. For more on that, get in touch with me or read Got Myself #1. Unfortunately, we had kind of played ourselves out by the end of that spring; the sets were always basically the same, and it got to be more of a hassle to play than was worth. By the end of the year we had thrown in the towel. Maybe we weren't the best band, but we sure as hell tried. We were Charlottesville hardcore punk, nothing more, nothing less. No regrets.

www.myspace.com/angerattack

Lazy Eye — Live From The Surf Cave

Lazy Eye was pretty different from everything else that came out of Charlottesville. Sam and I had always had a love of surf, but that's sort of a hard thing to incorporate in hardcore unless you set out to do so from the beginning. After Shin Kick ended and neither of us had much going on, Sam played me a few of his surf lines and we decided to get the ball rolling. This is what came of it.

During the couple of months that Lazy Eye was an actual band, we got a few sweet riffs out. This was actually a practice sesh that we recorded to see how we sounded, with plans to do a more intensive demo later. However, seeing as how this is all we've got, I figure I might as well put it up. It was recorded on Sam's little box, which is roundabouts of the size of a deck of cards, so sound quality isn't perfect... but it is pretty damn good for being recorded on a little box in the center of the room. This is four of our earliest songs, plus a hilariously bad rendition of Wipeout by the Ventures. We weren't too practiced by this point, and everything's at least a little rough — but I think that's part of what makes this music great. Fuck perfection, just feel the currents... man.

Lazy Eye – Live From The Surf Cave Demo 2009

Track Listing:

1. Tide Up
2. On/Off
3. Tumbleweed
4. Splashdown
5. Wipeout (The Ventures)

Lazy Eye - 2009

Sam — Guitar

Marley — Bass

Slagle — Drums

The other follow-up to Shin Kick, along with Total Wreck. Sam and I thought it would be cool to play some surf, and ended up creating an instrumental punk band with Slagle, a friend from back in high school. Simple songs, lots of reverb, a few Ventures covers, and three shows later, it was all over.

www.myspace.com/lazyeyeva
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lazy-eye/74151366989

Menace To Society — S/T EP

So, this was the first demo our generation put out in Charlottesville, released just a few days before the Demagogue  demo. It was another MRC recording, and Alex played through an electronic box rather than an amp, so the guitar sounds a little goofy. There was literally no mixing or production involved; it was more punx to record the songs in one take, burn a CD, and go get drunx at Two Bridges. Even so, Corey knew what he was doing, and it sounds pretty good. It's pretty basic streetpunk, some unity songs and a hint of political awareness, but more than that it's just fun. Cheque it out:

Menace To Society — Menace To Society Demo 2007

Track Listing:

1. Unite
   
2. Menace To Society
   
3. Waste Of Life
   
4. Kicked To The Curb
   
5. Police Oppression
   
6. Rebel Youth
   
7. Eat A Bowl Of Fuck (Quincy Punx) 

Menace To Society: 2005-2007

Dre — Vocals
Terp — Guitar
Straume — Bass
Jesse — Drums

There were really several versions of this band, the first happening when Jake and I would hang out with Dre and Alex every weekend for half of freshman year. Pat played drums for a while, but that never really went anywhere. Then, when our little group started hanging out with the kids from Western, the early band combined with Bear Claw Kr3w to form a five or six-member supergroup that practiced at the Sorority House every so often. At this point, we were basically the only band in town. It was a cool feeling, to be on top of the music scene and be involved with everything going on. We felt like we could turn into A Global Threat or Clit 45 in a couple of months, if we just played loud enough and had enough fun.

It didn't really turn out that way. Chris and I left, the band slimmed down and recorded a demo, and other bands got started. M2S only ever played a couple of shows, and we've all come a long way since then, but that was still one of the solidest points in our history. We were all really close friends, we all hung out together all the time, and we all went to all the same shows. I don't regret things moving beyond that small world, but I'm glad I can always look back.

Take the Menace To Society Quiz!

Sucker Punch! — Demo 2k8

I think Charlottesville kind of has a habit of using band names already taken by other bands, even though myspace and the internet tell us better. Seriously, there is another Full Court Press, another Mob Mentality, another Demagogue, another Menace To Society, and a couple other Sucker Punches through the decades. Oh well, in a genre where being too original means you're no longer in that genre, I guess some repetition is to be expected.

On that note, Sucker Punch! is sweet. This was the evolution of the band DDT, whose demo may end up up here eventually. It was a really interesting combination of Straume's skate-thrash songwriting brought out by Eric's really precise drums, and Noah's vocals that remind me of like Horror Show or Shark Attack. I always felt like they had more potential than they ever exercised, and this demo showcases that really well. It's different, and darker, than most other things Charlottesville ever put out, maybe more akin to Richmond's style than anything else. It's good. Listen to the drums. Backed hard.

Sucker Punch! — Demo 2k8 

Track Listing:

1. Intro/Deceitful 
2. Caught Up 
3. Let It Out 
4. Can't Take It 
5. Alone 

Sucker Punch: 2007-2008

Noah — Vox
Straume — Guitar
Riley — Bass
Eric — Drums

After the short-lived thunderdome that was DDT, Sucker Punch! came about to give a thrashier perspective on modern hardcore. Noah's very-real delivery and Eric's ridiculous proficiency made it something interesting. They were too-often paired with FCP, leaving them somewhat lacking for an identity for a while, but they eventually came into their own and started ripping it up. Always a really solid live band, they faded away after the fall of 2008. 

www.myspace.com/suckerpunchcville

Total Wreck — Demo 2009

So, Total Wreck are the biggest band in Chartown at the present, and it's easy to see why. This is their demo from round abouts of a year ago; there are many like it, but this one is mine. You can still get one of your own if you contact the band, they're just giving them away now. Anyway, it's really solid Negative Approach Worshiping Fastcore, and I'm guessing you'll like it. There's even a small fan base in Europe for some mysterious reason. If you want to see the direction Charlottesville (and Richmond) is moving in, this is it.

Total Wreck — Demo 2009

Track Listing:

1. Suicide Trap 
2. Suffocation 
3. Day By Day 
4. Dead Inside 
5. Asleep 
6. Quicksand 
7. Shut In 

Total Wreck: 2009

Pat — Vox
Patrick — Guitars
Straume — Bass
Jack — Drummage

From the ashes of Shin Kick arose a new, faster, louder, more depressing thrash band. Pat's obsessions with sleeping and asthma really come out. He should be a doctor. Really though, TW have somehow risen to be on the top of the scene, and really seem to be going farther than any of us have before. They already pulled off a three-week, hijinks-filled tour around this half of the country. They have a solid demo, and are currently working on throwing down a 7 inch. Hopefully we'll get to see them thrashing it up on a three-month world tour in support of their fourth LP in a couple years. Hopefully.

www.myspace.com/totalwreckva