Snuff Daddy — Grindhouse Vol. 1

Snuff Daddy return with another full-length. It's the same kind of goofy rap, but better produced and with a great flow between songs. I might prefer the lyrics on Party Sharks (they give fewer fucks), but there's no doubt that this album is just better quality in general. Well-done sampling, so many pop-culture references (Aladdin, Lost, Twilight, Animorphs, etc.), really solid delivery – they put some serious time into this. Songs about girls, crews, Dry Spell, friends, fighting, it's all here. Wonder why it's called Grindhouse? They answer that too.

Snuff Daddy — Grindhouse Vol. 1

Track Listing:

1. Greet Death
2. Make It
3. Siren
4. Dry Daddy
5. Goin' In
6. Make Love
7. Middle Finger
8. Crew Ain't Shit
9. Feet Feel Good
10. Talk To 'Em
11. Party Dream
12. Goldfish

Snuff Daddy are a Virginia hip-hop group, with ties to RVA hardcore. Check it out.

www.myspace.com/snuffdaddyva

Billy Bragg — Joe Strummer Tribute

If you don't know who the Clash were, what are you doing on a punk rock blog? And if you don't know who Billy Bragg is, I'm disappointed with you. This is Billy playing a tribute set to Joe's life two months after he died in December 2002. He opens with some of his own songs and closes with a few of his favorite Clash tunes, interspersing the whole set with pithy anecdotes about Joe. This was also shortly before Tony Blair decided to roll into Iraq with America, so there's lots of talk of that as well (the altered lyrics to 'Great Leap Forward' are brilliant), and a general focus on politics in general. This was recorded with a hand-held mic, not a soundboard, but while it's relatively lo-fi the atmosphere of the crowd comes across great – there are plenty of singalongs and commentary on what Billy's saying. It's nice to hear a brilliant musician celebrating the life and works of another brilliant musician.

Billy Bragg — Joe Strummer Tribute (Feb. 22, 2003)

Track Listing:

1. A New England
2. World Turned Upside Down
3. Between The Wars
4. Like Soldiers Do
5. The Price Of Oil
6. Joe & Woody (That's My Fuckin' Telecaster)
7. All You Fascists
8. Power In A Union
9. Waiting For The Great Leap Forward/Lover's Town (Not Revisited!)/Safe European Home
10. Groovy Times
11. Pressure Drop
12. White Man In Hammersmith Palais
13. Police & Thieves
14. Garrageland

Billy Bragg is a musician and political activist who blends folk songs, punk rock, and concepts of political protest in a fantastic manner. Listening to him is like hearing Woody Guthrie and Joe Strummer singing a duet. He's coming to DC on sunday, maybe I'll see you there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Bragg

http://www.billybragg.co.uk/

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/

Tough Luck — Missing Pieces Demo

This demo brings me back to the early days of Swamp Thing, or maybe Step Above. Fast, hard, angry hardcore with respectable breakdowns. It has a definite Richmond sound too, in both the vocals and the songwriting. Good recording quality as well. The lyrics are solid and the music well-written and executed, although there's nothing too groundbreaking about either. Tight jams, good energy, and plenty of mosh opportunities (moshortunities?). I'm digging it.

Tough Luck — Missing Pieces Demo 2010

Track Listing:

1. Martyrs
2. Missing Pieces
3. Failure
4. Welded Shut
5. Push Comes To Shove
6. Lowlife
7. Bite Your Tongue

Tough Luck is a pretty new youth band from Richmond. They have two demos out, both solid. Looks like they're playing shows around the state (one's coming up in Cville on September 25). Go see them live.

http://www.myspace.com/toughluckhc

Avail — Each Other Demo 1988

It looks like this is an SHZ exclusive! I can't find any record of this online, but it's nevertheless definitely early Avail. If the 1988 is true, this would be one of the first things the band ever recorded, when they were still a bunch of kids based in Reston, Virginia, up near DC. It's likely that Tim Barry isn't even on this record, or if he is he's probably on drums. But the music is still that brilliant blend of roots rock'n'roll and impressive lyricism with all the energy of hardcore. It sounds like this is probably a rip off of a cassette, with a few stutters, but overall sound quality is pretty good. Most of the songs appear to be original and don't ever appear elsewhere, with the exceptions of "Bob's Crew," which resurfaces on Satiate (their first LP), and the music of "Who Agrees," which was reworked into "Armchair" on 4AM Friday almost a decade later. It also has "Hope," a weird acoustic song that also reappears on Satiate, but actually closes out the record really well. It's a solid early effort by an incredibly important Virginian band, even before they were in Richmond.

Avail — Each Other Demo 1988

Track Listing:

1. Bob's Crew
2. Aim To Reach
3. Who Agrees
4. One Half
5. Then And Now
6. Have They Won
7. 1 Divided By 2
8. Always
9. Make It Stop
10. Hope

Excerpted from Jade Tree Records: "What some may not realize about AVAIL is that, like most bands, they came from humble beginnings in suburban Reston, VA. They were just like any other kids rocking in their parents’ garage, but instead of ripping out covers or aping their heroes, AVAIL were defining their unique sound at a very early age. By the time Joe Banks (guitar), Tim Barry (vocals) and Beau Beau (cheerleader / uber-roadie) moved the band to Richmond in 1990, the group had already almost honed their effortless blend of the classic Southern rock and protest folk that was in their veins with the melodic skate punk that constantly filled their ears. The backdrop of everyday life in Richmond, though, proved to be the key ingredient in solidifying the band’s immediately recognizable sound. Barry’s tales of everyday struggle and triumph became inextricably tied to the life (and death) of his hometown, at once creating blue-collar anthems that are often not just highly personal, but also highly political. It’s this ability to seamlessly streamline both sonic and lyrical content (along with a relentless touring bug) that has truly made the songs of alienation, travel and anti-establishment triumph… legendary."

http://www.myspace.com/availrva
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avail

Police & Thieves — The Blizzard Sessions

Four brand new tracks from DC's own. As the name suggests, these were recorded roundabouts of the 'snowmageddon' at the beginning of 2010 in an attempt to put out a new 12". The band wasn't really happy with how the tunes came out sounding, and is actually recording again at Inner Ear to get it right. But they decided to release a couple tracks from the first session anyway, to demonstrate their style and get people stoked on the new record that should be coming out on Youngblood in a few months. And while these songs could use a little mastering and fine-tuning, they nevertheless came out sounding damn good. The songwriting is still hard and melodic, reminding me a little of Staygold or Horror Show at times, and while different from their earlier efforts still is solidly rooted in classic DC jams. Lyrics continue the same trend of personal stories and discontent, with solid delivery by Carlos and a good timing relationship to the music. The guitar gets nice and crunchy too. All told, I'm excited to hear the full length.

Police & Thieves — The Blizzard Sessions Demo '10

Track Listing:

1. Thieves Intro
2. All Saints
3. Suburban Life Decay
4. Race To The End

Police & Thieves hail from the hallowed grounds of Washington DC, the intellectual inheritors to a musical tradition decades old. Basically, they sound awesome, mixing energy and passion with impressive songwriting and effort. They are, of course, named after the Junior Murvin song, although most people are probably more familiar with the cover the Clash released on their debut album. They've been around for almost 5 years now, and are in the process of branding a new album. Go see them live.

Get merch and find show dates at http://www.myspace.com/policethieves, or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Police-Thieves/22668852750

Still Here Zine Update 08/17/10

Good news, I'm back with reliable internet and free time, so new tunes should be coming up pretty often. Got lots more Charlottesville jams, new and old, plus more from Richmond, DC, and farther afield. I'm also planning to start doing reviews again, and maybe some other shit, like upcoming shows or interviews, make this more like a real zine. Anyway, stay tuned.

In other news, the Werebear demo is now available for download!

Down To Nothing — Demo 2002

This was one of the first things Down To Nothing ever recorded, when they were just getting started. It's almost a decade later, but this demo still holds its own with the rest of their releases. The recording quality is pretty solid, and the music and vocals are classic DTN — with the exception of being a little more metalcore. But the unbridled rage and hard breakdowns are still there, and the straight edge vibe is pervasive to say the least. The song 'Burn' was rerecorded on 'Splitting Headache,' and 'I Hope It's Worth It,' the secret song on 'Save It For The Birds' is on here too. Pretty good stuff.

Down To Nothing — Demo 2002

Track Listing:

1. Keep Your Head Up
2. Burn
3. Life Of The Party
4. Used Up
5. Contaminated
6. Stand Down
7. I Hope It's Worth It

What can I say about DTN that isn't common knowledge? This is the biggest band from Richtown, Va since Count Me Out or 4 Walls Falling, and with good reason. I'm not about writing anything too personal on a band like this, but I'll leave it with saying their live shows are consistently some of the funnest and most intense I've ever seen — and I've seen them a lot.

www.myspace.com/downtonothing

Go It Alone — Hollywood North Demo

This demo is sweet. The guitar is crunchy and sound quality isn't quite perfect, but the energy and passion Go It Alone was known for is definitely there. They recorded this demo before they ever even played a show — in fact they didn't play together as a band for over a year after recording this. But they knew what they were doing, and as with a lot of Pacific Northwest bands there's a kind of desperation in the sound that makes it really urgent and angsty. Must be the rain. Anyway, despite the rough conditions when it was recorded, this demo is sweet, with well-written songs and classic lyrics. Some of these tunes appeared later on Vancouver Gold and The Only Blood Between Us with the song structure virtually untouched. I guess they got it right the first time.

Go It Alone — Hollywood North Demo

Track Listing:

1. Picking Up The Pieces
2. Close At Hand
3. Reflection
4. Turn It Off
5. Water Finds Its Own Level
6. Go It Alone

Go It Alone was a hardcore band from Vancouver, BC, circa 2002-2007. They released this demo, a  few 7"s and splits, and 2 LPs. There is a photography book commemorating their existence and final show.

http://www.myspace.com/goitalonehc

Sinking Ships — Demo 2004

Sinking Ships may very well hold the title of Most Depressing Melodic Hardcore Band. Lyrically, it's a far cry from Champion — the singers of both bands are brothers, but there seems to be little in common besides the Core. But along with the really sad lyrics are complex music and lots of energy, and something redemptive in the sound. Anyway, this is their first release from way back in 2004, from before they were really doing much. But it's sweet, good enough that they rereleased 6 of the tracks on the Meridian EP and only edited the vocals a little. These are probably my favorite songs by them, mostly for the unique songwriting and powerful delivery.

Sinking Ships — Demo 2004

Track Listing:

1. Int(Chi)Ro
2. Roads Leading Midwest
3. Memorial
4. All Paths Of Glory
5. The Limit
6. Angels Live In My Town
7. Kiss The Sharks

Sinking Ships were a melodic hardcore band from Seattle circa 2004-2008. They released a bunch of demos and splits, the Meridian EP, and the Disconnecting LP on legendary Revelation Records.

http://www.myspace.com/sinkingships