Almost forgotten along the way: H2O

I guess everyone experienced something like this at least once. There is this band everybody is talking about and all your friends encourage you to buy the record this band has put out recently. You then go and get it, you like it, but somehow it just doesn't stick with you. You bury it somewhere deep in you collection and after some time you start to forget about it. The band gets bigger, but because of the first impression you had of that band, you don't really bother to even listen in to their new records. The band plays shows every now and then in your hometown, but you don't bother to show up there because of the first impression you had years ago. And thenm, after years of ignorance you finally see the light because you gave their latest record a chance.
See, this is what happened to me and H2O, a band I always filed under the category of a rather boring and average attempt to mix punkrock with the attitude of New York Hardcore. I know that a friend of mine made a tape recording of their first 7" for me and that was some time in the middle of the 1990s. The sound was okay but I didn't really see why the band got so much attention. It was average punkrock and I assumed that people only liked it because the band was from New York and was in some way connected to the big names of the NYHC scene. In addition their band name sounded a little to preachy to me, a guy who was preferring beer to water at that time. It was all too stereotypical and cliché. So I never really bothered to go and see them play live, it was too expensive anyway as that was the time when the bands started to become too big for the small clubs and moved into bigger venues which brought along higher prices for the tickets. To cut it short, I never bought a record and I never went to a show by H2O.
And now after more than 10 years I got my hands on their latest record "Nothing To Prove" and I have to admit that I am impressed. Although I still remember the voice and even though the music sounds familiar this is something I never imagined. This record got me right from the start. Great music, pumping beats, there's atmosphere in every song. Party tunes all the way. And what makes this even more enjoyable is the guests on the recording. Sick Of It All's Lou Koller and Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba are the voices I recognized right away. This record truly proves that this band has nothing to prove. To noone, not even to me. I missed out on something over a long period of time and I happily admit my mistake.

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (10): Black Train Jack - No Reward & You're Not Alone

There are some records that stick with you throughout time and you always like to listen to them every once in a while. Most of the time you recall the memories you made while listening to the music, sometimes you use it as a means to get rid off your frustration or simply for a change of moods. As I am writing this a person who has become a very good friend of mine will return to her homeland in just a few hours and when I get back home from all the farewell ceremonies I think I will once more put up Black Train Jack's records which always put a smile on my face every single time I listened to them.

I first saw the band play at a festival which was part of one of the first PopKomm exhibitions in Cologne in the early ninties. At that time I was hardly aware that there was other music in NYC apart from hardcore. That was everything for me and my friends. Hard, fast, loud, that was all we needed. So by the time we got to the show we had to realize that the first band already started. That was Ryker's who became the coverboys for German hardcore over the next few years. They were impressive, still we were there to see our heroes in Sick Of It All. But it was this happy-go-lucky singalong band with those nice melodies which stuck in my mind after the show. Yes, Black Train Jack managed to converted an audience of angry young men ready to let go of all of their frustrations in a huge moshpit into smiling, laughing kids who celebrated a huge party. I'm not sure if the majority of the people in attendance were familiar with the band - I wasn't - but it was awesome and it felt right. I still treasure the t-shirt I bought at that concert, although it starts falling into pieces.
A friend gave me a copy of their debut "No Reward" (1993) shortly after the show and it instantly became one of my favourite tapes. I have to admit though that it was hard to find my way into the music. But the way they change from rather hard and stomping riffs to wonderful yet simple melodies is brilliant. The intro is classy and I just realized recently with my growing interested that the used Lou Gehrig's famous retirement speech for the intro. What even more refreshing - today as well as it was back then - is that the lyrics are so positive it is very hard not to have a grin on your face. I guess my favourisong on the first record was "Leapfrog", I always liked those catchy guitar leads. Although it took me some time to find out that this song was sung by their guitarist who - something I found out a lot later - was in the great Token Entry before this. That's another thing which really distinguished the band from other groups. They were singing, I mean, their singer was capable of doing things with his voice I never really heard in a punk band. A cover of Bob Marley's "One Love" really completes a nearly perfect album. Be it fast numbers like "Guy Like Me", stompers like "This Is The Way", it all fits and creates a wonderful and positive atmosphere.

A year later they released their follow up "You're Not Alone" (1994) and with this one they reached an even higher level of positiveness (does that word exist?). The title says it all, right? This record will never ever let you down, no matter how hard you try to discard it. The opening track "Handouts" is pure happiness. The guitar lead is so catchy and wonderful. "I've seen you up, I've seen you down, I've seen you half dead on the ground...", I still get goosebumps when I listen to this. So simple, yet so great. Yet another coverversion on this one as well, this time "The Joker" by Steve Miller. Great songs like the fast "Lottery" or the thumping "The Reason" and on and on and on. And then they saved the best for last. "That Reminds Me", sung by guitarist Ernie again, starts off with a rather weird guitar intro which is then joined by an even stranger bass line but when they all join together it makes perfect sense. "I can't stay now, because I'm going home". I have been listening to this song hundreds, maybe even thousands of times and I never grew sick of it. Which is the same with these two records.

I managed to see Black Train Jack once more play live at Cologne, this time a headlining show at the "BüZe" in Ehrenfeld. I had to choose between them and a young and upcoming from the Stated called Green Day who played at another club in town. Still I went to see Black Train Jack once more and I think that was one of the best decisions I ever made. The place wasn#t sold out, maybe 150 or 200 people. But when the band entered the stage everybody was happy. I have never seen so many people smile during a show. Everybody was singing along, the whole room was moving and by the end of the night you could see satisfied and happy people leave the place with a smile on their faces. This is a picture I will always associate with this band and I am thankful I was able to experience this.
Unfortunetaly they never returned to Europe and I never heard of them again for quite some time. They played one of those farewell shows for CBGB's and I think The Gaslight Anthem drummer Benny told me that they still play shows in the New York area.

It seems I am not the only one who thinks highly of this band...

A Day At The Record Store (IV) cont.

Just to finish this off here's some words about the 7" singles I got while being at the record store a few days ago.

The Ice "s/t" 7"
The Ice were roommates of ours when we still had our rehearsal room in Cologne Mülheim and that basically is the only reason I bought the record. Well, it's not as bad as it sounds when I say this, it's just that it's not my cup of tea anymore. When I was listening to the single at the record store for the first time I had the record player on 45 rpm and the intro on the A side sounded cool. Not great, but cool. But then the voice set in and it turned out I had the wrong speed. Well, at 33 rpm the intro wasn't as cool anymore.
The Ice play your normal type of tough hardcore with lots of mosh parts, breakdowns and hard streetwise lyrics. As I said, nothing really special, but I heard the guys are great on stage so when they come around your place you might want to check them out. The artwork of this 7" is a blast though. Great good looking stuff.

No FX "Singles Club #10" 7"
I somewhat missed out on this Singles Club thing that No FX set up a few years ago. You had to pay some money in advance and in return you got a 7" each month. That's how it was supposed to be but some things happened along the way, at least I heard and now it's only 10 singles (edit: turns out there were really 12, I must have missed something there). Still a great concept and I didn't have the money to join the fun. Well, now I have to hunt and search for the scattered EPs all over the place and for someone who still is refusing to use eBay this can be rather hard. But every now and then I find one of those little gems and at this visit there was another one. I also got another of the 7"s but when I got home it turned out I already got that one. Damn!

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes "Jerry" 7"
I love the concept of this band. Usually coverbands don't really kick ass but this one is simply a revelation. Each of their records deals with a different topic and every time they manage to sneak in some quotations of punkrock classics in their versions of classic pop and rock songs. To accompany their full length releases they also put out 7" singles with two songs of one artist on it. So this one is off from their "Love their country" LP on which they shred country classics by artists like Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Hank Williams or Willie Nelson. The 7" features "East bound and down" by Jerry Reed, hence the title. The flipside is "I'm gonna write a song".
Now after 60s, 70s, R&B, musicals, country and a bar mitzvah I wonder what Me First & The Gimme Gimmes will be targeting next...

A Day At The Record Store (IV)

I haven't been to the record store in ages, it seems. So last week I decided it was time again to spend some money on some records and this is what I got in return.

No Use For A Name "The Feel Good Record Of The Year" LP (+CD)
I wasn't keeping track of these guys at all over the past few years. True, I was a huge fan back in the days and "Don't Miss The Train" is still one of my all time favourites ever. I also remember a brilliant live show at the "Underground" in Cologne where the whole audience just went berzerk for the entire set. But that was years ago and today I somehow lost my interest in most of the melodic punkrock bands mainly because the all sound the same, don't they? I know that argument is lame, but to me it's like that. There are no surprises anymore.
While saying that I know that that's true for this record as well but maybe because of sentimental feelings I still like it. It really is a feel good record.Nothing really changed over the years for Mr. Sly and his comrades, they still sound like 10 years ago. And in a way that's very reassuring and good. The record comes with a CD of all the album tracks. I guess that's one way of selling CDs to the kids.

Fine Before You Came "It All Started In Malibù" LP
Man, we love those guys. A Modest Proposal played two shows with Fine Before You Came from Milano, Italy a few years ago and we instantly fell in love with the band. While they are great musicians and composers who play a sound somewhere around the area of Braid and alike, they are also wonderful human beings, fun to talk to and hang around with. This is, I believe, their 2nd full length which came out on Strange Fruit Records, a label from southern Germany, not to be confused with other labels of the same name. So we were labelmates with them for a short time. They raised their level of excellence once more with this one. Jacopo's voice is just fascinating and really a thrill to listen to with the wonderful music pumping in the background. A great record and it's really a shame that this one was in the 2nd hand segment of the store.

Oiro "Vergangenheitsschlauch" LP
And once again the guys from Düsseldorf strike back with their way of playing northern German punkrock in the vein of all those "Jensen-bands" like Dackelblut, Blumen Am Arsch Der Hölle or Oma Hans. On their 2nd album nothing changed and I think it's better this way. They know what they are best at and they deliver. That's the way it should be. Although I initially bought this just because I know the people in the band this will become I record I like a lot, I am pretty sure that will happen.

Inferno "Pioneering Works" 3xLP
This was due for a long time now. Inferno used to be one of the first, if not the first hardcore band in the German scene. Their record "Tod & Wahnsinn" started it all here. That one is truly a classic piece of brutal early 80s hardcore music. I think I first got in touch with their music when I bought some compilation records of Mülleimer Records (who were then called AM Music). I then bought a CD which featured the aforementioned "Tod & Wahnsinn" together with their 2nd record "Hibakusha". And although I always like their first one better, the whole compilation was just great. "Ram It Up" was covered by S.O.D., they had tracks on the "Cleanse The Bacteria" compilation on Pusmort and so on. So they are truly legends in the German hardcore scene, although I would doubt if any of the young kids today know any of their songs.
This is a compilation of almost all the stuff they recorded. It features their three albums, compilation tracks, the "Son Of God" EP and the split 12" w/ The Execute. Three records labeled Oldschool, Nextschool and Highschool which I think is a nice joke. This is a piece of history.

Mount Logan "s/t" LP
I saw this band a year ago at some small festival show in Cologne where they played with some chaoscore bands and they completely stood out because of their very lo-fi and modest approach. Mount Logan are a three-piece without a bassplayer if I remember it correctly and yet they were able to produce a great sort of pressure and noise with their instruments. There were only a few vocals every now and then, very spartanic and the music was very dynamic ranging from loud to very quiet and back to really loud again.
This record really captures their live performance. Dark, gloomy, loud, quiet music which leaves a feeling of despair. You feel like you are the last person on earth. The design of the cover sleeve only emphasizes this. Almost completely in black with now band name or anything else on the front side. The record itself looks more like a test pressing with black labels and writings on it. Great lo-fi-doom-core (oh boy, how I hate makin' up those categories, haha).

Envy "Abyssal" 12" EP
Envy really seem to have found their style of music. After the brilliant masterpiece of their last record this just continues where "Insomniac Doze" left off. Only four tracks here, but the first one is a hymn which could have easily been put on the previous record. 10 minutes, maybe even longer, it just drags itself on and on and I personally wouldn't have a problem if there was no end at all to this one. It's got the usual breakdowns in the middle and then the outbursts come again, a classic Envy track, if you like.
What I especially like about the present Envy is that they still keep their rough edge while trying to add a few experiments every now and then. They could have easily slowed down their pace and reduced the heavyness of their music just like some other bands did. They could just turn into the next Mogwai, but that would be too disappointing if they just copy another band. I just like them they way they are. I liked them the way they were as well when they were still playing that upbeat chaotic brand of hardcore, but this suits them a lot better. I hope there's more to come in the future.

The Ice "s/t" 7"
No FX "Singles Club #9" 7"
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes "Jerry" 7"
...more on those three later on...

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (9): Cross My Heart - s/t

To be honest, when I first heard about the band I really found the name, well, debateable to say the least. I mean, okay, they sound like an emo band, but that name is way too cliché. Still the music is brilliant. I remember a friend telling about this new record he bought and there was this great line in one song going "...and I'm moving on my own two feet just to get my direction". He would go on and on and on raving about how great this record was and that I should really get it as soon as possible. It took me sone time to be convinced, but when I bought it it struck me with full force. The opener "Dornier" begins at a rather slow pace and tone, then suddenly crashs out and dies down again. The clear and subtle voice sets in and we're off on a great journey. This wasn't like anything I was listening to at that time. "It doesn't take that many pills to sleep forever" is the best one one this record and that's the song with that particular line my friend was talking to me about. The verse, again, very subtle and quite and then the rumbleing guitars set in for the chorus. The closing tune is yet again a true classic. Starting off with some feedback beeping which carries over from the previous track "The hypnotist" is very much hypnotizing, to say the least. There's this part in the end where there is a smal change to the previous chorus when it gets a little heavier which really gives me goosebumps.
With this record Cross My Heart from Baltimore made themselves immortal to me. Their follow up releases didn't quite get through to me as well as this one although one has to say that those records were way above average as well compared to the numerous epigones and clones that sprung up and died away with the time passing. Some of the guys are now in a band called Liar's Academy, but it just doesn't have the same feel as it had 10 years ago.

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (8): Big Rig - Expansive Heart

Now actually I can't quite remember when or why I pruchased this little gem. I think it must have been through the infamous German mailorder Lost & Found (note to myself: I have to write about Strain some time in the future). Could have been that the review said something about the singer of Operation Ivy being in this band and that was why I bought it. Ever since I first got my hands on the Op Ivy discography CD is was head over heels in love with that band. I always liked ska-punk, but this was different, as all of us know. I wasn't that much into Rancid at that time though, that only changed when they released their brilliant "...And Out Come The Wolves" record.
So I got Big Rig and at first I didn't really know what to expect. If I recall it correctly the review in the catalogue didn't say anything about the style of the music, so I am not quite sure what I was hoping for when I put the "Expansive Heart" 7" on my turntable for the first time. It wasn't ska-punk that awaited my ears, that's for sure. This record was explosive yet very intense and touching. Only four songs, but each and every one of them is great. The title track has a great melody and simply rips through everything. The singing of Jesse Michaels just sounds as if Operation Ivy have gotten rid of all the ska stuff and became a normal punkband. I never really got into listening to his next band Common Rider, that was too much reggea for me. But Big Rig was all that I needed back than.
I have no idea if this record is still in print, but maybe you can find some songs on the internet somewhere.

Approach To Concrete: Great records and strange merchandise

Approach To Concrete were one of the first bands coming from Germany I was listening to when I was younger. Back in the days it was all about New York Hardcore and Bands like Sick Of It All, Sheer Terror, Madball, Agnostic Front or Biohazard were coming to Germany on a regular basis, but as a teenager you somehow don't look sideways and search for bands coming from your area. At least I didn't at first. That changed with the time and at some point I got my hands on a copy of a fanzine called "New Direction" (yeah, well, it's all about the clichés, right?). The issue featured an interview with ATC and lead singer Jörg was confronted with a lot of strange questions, one of them dealing with the "milky way CBGC's", if I remember it correctly. The zine came along with a tape compilation and that one had three demo tracks of Approach To Concrete on it. That stuff got me hooked instantly. And because they were coming from Cologne me and my friends supported them at every show they played around here.
Their records weren't bringing in anything new to hardcore, but what I liked was their punkrock approach. "Drown" is a great 7" and the follow up mini CD "...failures" continued in that way. They didn't care about any rules and they weren't very concenred with the image they portrayed. Some people saw them as a straight edge band completely ignoring the fact that both guitarist Thommy and bassist Seppl were drinking a lot of alcohol and singer Jörg and drummer Jochen were the only straight edge guys in the band. But that didn't matter to anyone because they were just a great band. Filling in at a show in Dilsen, Belgium, when the Swedish straight edge girls of Doughnuts were stuck on the road was a highlight. They also toured Europe with Battery and played a great gig at Cologne's "BüZe Ehrenfeld". Their last two shows were memorable as well. A weekend doubleheader which started at Burscheid's "Megaphon" club, I think they played with Point One from Leverkusen. The club itself was more like a village discotheque and not at all like a squat or a hardcore venue. The turnout was very low and when Approach To Concrete entered the stage there were only three people in the audience. Me, a friend of mine and the guitarist's girlfriend. Their last one was a blast though. The "JKC" was packed and they played one hell of a show. A good way to end it.
I can't quite remember it but I think at that show they were selling or giving away those strange plastic hammers. This again shows their rather funny approach to dealing with the so called hardcore scene. I mean, writing "the face" on one side is just hilarious. I wonder why I still keep this thing. Perhaps it's because I still like to remember those times when hardcore was a great thing in Cologne. Me and bassist Seppl were always meeting up at shows at the "Between" club and when those shows ended we always went to the "Lotta" bar to drink a few more beers until the place closed at 1 am.
Since then the "scene" changed a lot over the years. Bands came and went and it seems to be getting back on track over the past couple of years. What I especially like is that the boundaries which were built up over the years between the different parts of the "scene" seem to be breaking down little by little. Back then it wasn't anything special that punk bands played with hardcore acts. It seems to be getting back to that now. "One finger in the air hardcore", as one shirt print of Approach To Concrete used to read.

Unexpected promotional packages: Blacktop Records

Someone who once in his or her life put out a fanzine will know this situation. You get promotional copies of records by labels you never heard of before. In my case it's even more strange since we at Dear You Zine always pouint out that we don't want and don't need any promotional stuff because we rather tend to buy the records. Yes, we review what we like and we buy what we like. Believe it or not. But so much effort that those promo guys put into their work should not be in vain so I decided to review the stuff here. So whoever wants to read this, feel free. The labels name is Blacktop Records, it's from some small town north of Cologne in the middle of nowhere and the bands are all at least hardcore-ish. Here we go:

AnchorsXUp - s/t CD
It's 2008 and bands still need to put x's in their names. Think you know what this band sounds like? I think you're right. For me this stuff comes at least 10 years too late. Don't get me wrong, this isn't crap at all. It's just that I've already heard enough of this sound over the past years. If I'd see this band live I might even like it. But on record this just hasn't anything to keep me interested. It always depends on who you send such a record to. If this was in the hands of a 20 year old hardcore kid who's totally into old school youth crew stuff then the rating would probably blow the roof. But for me this is just another copy of what was cool around 15 years ago. It's nice to know that there are bands who still play such music, but it's just not my cup of tea anymore. (4/10)

Seed Of Pain - Power, Corruption & Lies CD (actual release is a one-sided 12")
Interesting 90s hardcore touch that these guys from Switzerland have in their music. Although it's only a slight one it's enough to make them stand out of these four Cds I got in this package. Still it is rather sad that they feature the American blend of that period when there were so many great bands in Europe during that time span. What I like is the lack of melodies. Or let's put it this way, the melodies are rather unorthodox. At some point this even reminds me of Kreator's "Renewal" record, although there is no metal in here. Rather interesting. If they play live around here I might go and check them out. (6/10)

Storm & Stress - s/t EP CD
Gee, does anyone really need another band that sounds like all that crap that's played in big room discos where the alternative looking youth is shaking their hips to the newest and coolest sounds to get rid off their school stress? I'm definetely too old for this kind of stuff. Too much metal, too much despair and teenage angst and way too little punkrock. And, well, can we agree on the fact that this kind of music needs a rather bombastic production. Where other bands provide the listener with a tornado (with a little help from the funds of major companies) this is a slight wind. Once again, this might be better in the hands of someone who really digs this kind of sound, but to me it's just mainstream chart music. (3/10)

Black Friday '29 - The Pursuit Of Happiness CD
These guys have been around forever and I don't feel like they've changed a lot over the years. Still their typical hardcore blend with some mosh parts. The whole package sounds very international and will stand the test against their overseas counterparts. But yet again this won't be a record I will listen to in the time I have to spare. It's good and I really like their energetic live shows, but on record it's just not my thing anymore. The times I've seen them on stage they completely ripped through the audience and created a lot of mayhem. Wonderful old tyme hardcore. And I think if they play around the corner for small money I'd be coming along to take a look once again. But there are way too many bands who play this style nowadays, it's all becoming so similar. In my eyes, that is. Glad to see that there's still bands holding up the flag and promoting the spirit, whatever spirit they think it is. But for me that time has passed and I think it's time to move on to soemthing new, something different.
So out of sentimental reasons I'd still rate this one higher than the rest. Duh. (7/10)

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (7): Entombed - Clandestine

I encountered this record when I was in ... what was that? 8th grade? Or was it 10th grade? Must have been 10th grade, I think I got this one in 1992 through a friend who was introducing me to all kinds of hard music. He started out with stuff like Gang Green or Sodom, but this little gem stuck with me through all the years. At first I only had a cassette with the record and I only found out about the great cover later.
Back then when I was thinking of Death Metal I always thought of pure noise with growling vocals noone could understand. The kind of "music" my parents warned me about. I think I once got a copy of Morbid Angel's "Blessed Are The Sick", a record I today consider to be a great piece and a Death Metal classic, but back then I wasn't able to listen to this at all. So when I was given "Clandestine" I wasn't expecting much although the classmate was praising this thing all the way.
The voice on the record was what got me hooked instantly. This wasn't anything like what I've heard before. Hard, yet you were able to undertand what the fellow was "singing". He was growling, true, but this was different. And the the guitar sounds. This crunching tune was and still is brilliant. To me this had a lot more of a punk feeling than all the other metal records I was listening to at that time. I was always annyed by long and boring guitar solos noone really wanted to listen to. But here there was just plain and brutal music without too many extravaganza. The only thing I found a little disappointing was that "Clandestine" only had 9 songs. I would have liked to have more.
I somehow got my hands on some merchandise later and I was happy that I had a sweat shirt and a T-shirt with the picture of the LP. The sweat shirt disappeared somehwre along the way, but the T-shirt is still in my possession. It's a bit small and worn out, but I still cherish it, haha.
I didn't really get into what Entombed were doing after that great record. The "Hollow Man" EP and the "Wolverine Blues" LP weren't my stuff anymore and by today I have completely lost track of what they are doing now. I just lost interest. Still "Clandestine" and - although I don't like that one as much - "Left Hand Path", their debut are two of my all time favourite records. I own some other Swedish Death Metal records like Dismember "Like An Everflowing Stream" or Unleashed "Where No Life Dwells", but nothing ever topped Entombed at that time.

A day at the record store (III)

I had a little time on Thursday so I decided to stop by at the record store to grab a copy of the new album by German punk rock superstars Die Ärzte. And this is what I got.

Die Ärzte Jazz ist anders LP
This band is by far the best when it comes to putting out unique records. You can imagine the fun they must have when they think of the things they want to have for a vinyl release. They had double 10" records in gatefold sleeves, they had wonderful "normal" double LP releases with heavy vinyl, they had one record the put into a blue flokati rug thing (unfortunately that one is missing in my collection). And now they came up with a pizza box. Yup, that's right, a pizza box. The thing looks like what you get when you order a pizza to your home. But inside is not something to eat, although it looks like it. The picture LP inside has a normal pizza on the front (A) side and the bottom of a pizza on the B-side. A bonus 7" looks like a tomato slice and the lyrics sheet is just covering the floor of the box. This looks brilliant. A hilarious idea. And to round it off it comes with a coupon for the free download of the LP and 7" songs from their website. This is fan service at its best.


The music is just your usual Ärzte kind of silliness. Wonderful pop songs with lyrics in between the range of hilarious nonsense to wonderful love songs. The single "Junge" describes what most of us had to listen to when we were 16 years old and when you take into account that the members of Die Ärzte are now in their mid 40s it's rather funny to listen to such lyrics. This is a must have.

Pelican Pink Mammoth 10"
I just happened to come across this record while flipping through the stands. And since I'm a sucker for 10"s I just had to take this along. Although I just can't get into the mood to listen to their latest release this one is slightly better. Their new record "City Of Echoes" is a bit too widespread when it comes to trying out new things like changing the tempo in a song and so on. So what you get here is one song of pure and classic Pelican heavyness and the flipside will give you a nice remix of two of their songs. All this in a nice cover sleeve with a nice inlet. Not something one has to have but it sure is a nice record.

A day at the record store (II)

I finally made it to my local record dealer again last week and this is what found there:

MONO Gone (A Collection Of EPs 2000-2007) 3xLP
This was the record I want to buy at my visit to the store and, boy oh boy, this is a gem. A triple LP set in a wonderful gatefold cover, really thick vinyl, brilliant artwork, this is just great. I know I won't put this one on my turntable that often, but I really love the music. It's a collection of some of their EP and compilation tracks, just pure MONO music. Loud, quiet, very dynamic, a great variety. I just love the way they create an atmosphere in which you can endulge and by the time ou are sucked into it it suddenly changes and they do something new and unexpected. This band really is great. On record as well as on stage.

PELICAN City Of Echoes LP
I just didn't know that there is a new record by PELICAN so I was kind of surprised to find this. I saw the band play live some time ago and although I really like their records it was rather hard to listen to them play their songs because their drummer had huge timing problems. At least it sounded like he did. So this record is great once again, although it seems to be a bit more straight to the point at one time, but also a bit more complicated on the other hand. Sounds strange? Might be, but that's what I think. There are some parts which have a rather up beat tempo and not this slow stuff. and then they change back to their epic and broad parts. Anyway, this is PELICAN as you know them and the way their guitars sound is just wonderful.

SUNNO))) - Oracle LP
This is the kind of record which makes my parents shake their heads and make them say that this ain't no music, it's just pure noise. And it's true, I mean, SUNNO))) take sound to a whole new level. When I saw them live last year that was one hell of an experience. The audience was feeling the room, trying to cover their ears, but I was standing there with some of my friends, transfixed and completely focused on the band and their one hour performance which was just stunning. And it was so liud that you could actually feel the music in your stomach. Brilliant.
Now this is a contribution by SUNNO))) to an art performance in which they played the music in connection with a sculpture of their backline made out of cast resin and salt in New York. It's that stuff which makes them interesting to me as well. Their just not your average black metal idiots.

ANTITAINMENT Nach der Kippe Pogo?! LP
I picked up this record only because someone suggested I should go to their concert but I wasn't able to make it there. The name sounded like some cliché punkrock band, but there is more to it. ANTITAINMENT play rather hectic crustcore with a very annoying organ/synthi added to it. It is rather hard to describe so I'd suggest you take a listen. Their lyrics sound a lot like the mid 90s Ebullition style emo bands which popped up all over Germany, albeit with a little more humour. Think AMEN81. I don't think that this record will land on my turntable too often, but every now and then I will listen to it. It nice to have something like taht once in a while. Vinyl version comes in a limited gatefold sleeve cover. Looking good.

THE WEAKERTHANS - Reunion Tour LP
Winnipeg's finest are back on the map with their fourth album, a piece which took them three years to record. Well, I don't know if it took them that long, but it's been that time since the last record came out. This is just your wonderful WEAKERTHANS stuff. No changes made, just pure prairie poetry punkrock with a little country flavour to it. I'm really looking forward to see the guys play again in Germany this November, but I have to admit that this record just can't keep up with the previous three. It's great, no doubt, but it's not as great as the ones they put out before. This is what the WEAKERTHANS are, they make greatr music, they are wonderful people and I will listen to this record anyway. But I just don't think that I will listen to it as extensively as I did to the other records. Still, a must have, not only because the vinyl comes in a wonderful gatefold sleeve.

ILIKETRAINS - Elegies To Lessons Learnt LP
I first heard about this British band when a former colleague of mine told me about a show he attended in Cologne where this band played. He was so fascinated and wouldn't talk about anything else because he was so thrilled with their persomance. So I gave them a chance and searched for some of their songs. And, to be honest, he was right. Although their live show must be a once in a lifetime experience the recorded songs sinmply blew me away. The music is very hypnotic and the interaction between the vocals and the instruments is brilliant. The deep voice of the singer interacts wonderfully with how the songs evolve, starting out rather slow and mellow and then ending up in a hgue crescendo which after some time fades out to become the same mellow and quiet part again that started the song. Wonderful stuff. The really captures the attention of the listener.

A day at the record store (I)

There usually comes a time - and it happens around every one or two months - when I just drop by at our local record store and flip through the stands of vinyl. I usually go there with the purpose of buying at least one particular record which has been on my radar for quite some time. But most of the time I buy some more, because I stuble across this one record I have been looking for for a long time. Or this other one which just came out and I just happen to have enough money to buy that one as well. So things keep piling up and I was lucky enough to escape the clutches of evenmore records that wanted to be bought. This is what I got today:

TURBOSTAAT - Vormann Leiss LP
Turbostaat fits really well into the brand of northern German punkrock which mostly is influenced by bands which featured Jens Rachut. In particular those bands would be Angeschissen, Blumen am Arch der Hölle, Dackelblut, Oma Hans and just recently Kommando Sonne-nmilch. Enigmatic lyrics, sung with a little less melody than you'd expect from the music, which sounds very melancholic. Turbostaat are one of the better epigones of this type of music and all their records mean a lot to me. Their live performances were always very entertaining as well.
Now they released their first output on a major label and it really looks like nothing has changed,. Since their last record they have been on tour with German big shots Beatsteaks who enabled Turbostaat to get their foot in the door to the MTV generation. So now they attract a somewhat different audience, which at first always is painful to fans who followed what they were doing for a long time. But in the end it's the band's decision and with records like this one they have every right to do as they please. Here we have 11 wonderful songs, a huge booklet with all the lyrics, pictures and so on. You should get this one.

DENY EVERYTHING - Fire This Time LP
Next up are Deny Everything, local heroes, as you might say. They are from Cologne and their favourite band is obviously Lifetime. It might also be Propaghandi, if you read songtitles like "If there was a god, wouldn't he make people like you just shut the fuck up?", "Apparently it's still just boys' fun" or "Pariotism is so 19th century". Or it might even be all those early 80s hardcore bands from the states who used to play this stop-and-go type of hardcore music that just kept you going and going and going. The band has been around for quite some time evolving from a rather mediocre melody punkrocking outfit which was called Morning Wood to a all out war hardcore machine with the right hand for brilliant melodies and hooks. Their live shows are an experience and you should really catch them on stange if you have the opportunity. A brilliant debut.

OMEGA MASSIF - Geisterstadt LP
Last but not least it's Omega Massif from Bavaria. The first tie I came across this band was when someone of their lineup posted a song on some messageboard. This is the heavy stuff in the vein of bands like Isis, Neurosis or Pelican. Slow, hard, heavy, like a magma stream. What I like about this type of music - and here comes the "pretentious asshole record collector" part - is the way the record is made up. A nice gatefold sleeve, all in brown and yellow colours with pictures of a town where a life has left a long time ago (hence "Geisterstadt"/Ghost Town). Yes, I know that this type of music is very popular at the moment and that there are quite a few bands playing this sort of heavy rocking stuff. But I was listening to another record by some band at the store today and this one is way better. Just the way I like it. Not the same riff for 15 minutes, but still enough monotony to make you feel very medetative. Wonderful stuff.

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (6): Tommy heavenly6/Tommy february6

Crazy stuff. This is the lead singer of the J-pop band The Brilliant Green with her solo stuff. Kawase Tomoko started off with her solo alter ego Tommy february6, the name coming from her nickname and her birthday. It's brilliant 80s pop music which came out in tons and tons from production studios in Europe. To me it sounds a lot like the stuff produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman or Dieter Bohlen (anyone remember C.C. Catch?). I hated that sound back then but it seems with a change of language it really gets into my ear. She released two albums under that name (a self titled debut and another one named "Tommy Airline"), both with lots of hit potential. The mixture of Japanese and English phrases are well balanced and she even does a coverversion of "I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You".

And just when you thought it can't get anymore weird she pulls off another stunt and changes her image completely. Now calling herself Tommy heavenly6 she now plays rock music. Apparently she changed her whole image on a television show after performing as Tommy february6. The heavenly6 thing was put up for two albums (again a self-titled one and the follow up named "Heavy Starry Heavenly"). Sometimes this is a bit too poppy but there are some good rocking songs on those records as well.

What I find very fascinating about this is the rapid change of her image. I believe I have never experienced an American or European poptar change their appearance so fast and unexpected. True, there have been image changes every now and then but that was mostly because the perfomer was lacking success at that time and was trying to give his or her career a boost by doing so. This could be seen when all those boygroup guys went solo after their "band" split up. But this is unheard of over here.
The Briliant Green are back together again it seems as they contributed a song for the now showing drama series "Tantei Gakuen Q", an adaption of a manga novel. So we might not hear new stuff from both Tommys in the near future.

Just in: Kommando Sonne-nmilch "Jamaica" LP

There are certain bands that accompany you for a long time of your life. Most of the time those bands are the ones' you heard in your childhood. Those were the bands who played the first tunes you listenend to. At some point you get bored of those bands, in my case that would be Die Toten Hosen from Düsseldorf, one of the bands that sparked my interest for punk music. In the early 90s their sound was just too plain and common so I left them for good. There wasn't anything left and I just didn't see any point in buying their new records and up until this very day I don't think I missed a thing. They are mainstream music nowadays, still important for the kids who might get into punk music via their records, but it's just not my thing anymore. I still like the old records, but I just can't get along with the new stuff.
At around the same time I abandoned them I stumbled across a band called Dackelblut from Hamburg and instantly fell in love with them. I think the first show I saw was in Neuss where they were selling strange stuff at their merch table called "Dackelblutique". The second time I saw them at the "Tunnels" in Cologne, I show I especially remember because of what their singer said before the show: "Hi, we are Dackelblut. We are going to play 13 songs, 8 off our old record and 5 off our new one. The show will be 50 minutes, there will be no announcements in between the songs and no encores". And that's what they did. Great.
Since then I followed what Jens "Jensen" Rachut, their singer, was doing. The previous bands and their records (Angeschissen and Blumen am Arsch der Hölle) as well as the new projects (Oma Hans). The music sounded the same, well, most of the time. What really got me was the way the lyrics were sung. It was a mixture of a melody and just reciting a poem. Also the way the lyrics were written was great. A great reflection of what was happening in the "scene", comments on police surveillance, major label success and "sellout" suspects, everything. They even did a song in Japanese with Dackelblut.


There was only one project I always ignored and that was Kommando Sonne-nmilch. I think someone played a few of their songs from their first record to me at one time and I just didn't like it. This was no punk sound, it was pure electronic stuff, something I just can't seem to cope with. But their new record is a complete turnaround. They just sound like any other Jensen band. Which is great. This time he teamed up with former Slime drummer Stephan Mahler who also sings a few lines on this record "Jamaica". Wonderful stuff. I guess this is how you age with style in punkrock.

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (4): Avail - "Over The James"

I neglected this record for a way too long time. The were nomerous occansions when I listened to this gem over and over again. And after listening to it I really felt better. It's one of those records that really lift you up to the next level and give you strength and hope. AVAIL were one of those bands who managed to capture the intensity of everything hardcore and punkrock mean to me.


"Over The James" (1998, Lookout) wasn't the first record I bought by them, in fact I got "4AM Friday" (1996, Lookout) first. I fell in love with the wild mixture of power and melodies instantly. This wasn't as nearly as chaotic as some hardcore bands but it wasn't as boring as some punkrock records. It had the energy of a live show in a small room during a hot summer's day when everybody in the venue is moving around and there's the stench of sweat and beer everywhere.
So when I got myself a copy of "Over The James" I thought it couldn't get any better. But it did. And to top if off the live show at the "Sojus" in Monheim was one of the best I've ever been to. Pascal, Dimi and me were bouncing around in the front rows singing along to every song while the band was giving their all on stage. I guess in the end it's those memories that keep you coming back for more. Although I rarely experienced something like this again later.

"S.R.O." was one of the songs that stayed in my ear for most of the time. Great lyrics as well.

"What difference does it really make When your head's at the foot of the bed? Close the lid tight remain out of sight Easy escape numb the senses
Everyone around is such an expert On who is who and what they do I could give a fuck about small talk Discussions in fact I'd rather be alone And do without companionship for now Block out and walk out unseen Keep far away thean come clean
I thought I heard someone say That if the bottle falls but doesn't break Feel blessed it all stayed inside Unopen beats spilling
Bored to death with hearing second hand Who's grown roots who's on teh move Can't seem to avoid small talk discussions Is it safe to be unknown? Who's in, what's out, can't keep up Keep up, look good, be seen Label a trend with no meaning"

Do yourselves a favour, get the record.

On a side note, I completely lost track of what the band was doing after that show in 1998. They put out two more records on Fat Wreck and their singer tried some solo stuff, I heard. But I never got to the point where I wanted to buy one of their later records. Why, I wonder...

Here's one track off "Over The James" that can be found on their website. Enjoy.

Avail - August

In the Backyard Of The Record Collection (3): Water Closet

I can't recall where I stumbled across this little gem. Maybe it was while researching about another great band from Japan, Ellegarden. Anyway, I got some copies of the records of Water Closet and I was blown away with the first few chords. This is a band in the vein of Discount or Cigaretteman (who also shared a split 7", by the way). Female fronted melodic punkrock with the right kind of sloppiness. Not too perfect, yet not too crappy. The right amount of melodies with the right amount of crunchy guitars and (at least) a little out of tune instruments.

I think "Again & Again" (2000, Swept Rec.) was their 2nd release. This record has it all, I think. It starts of with a rather unnecassary intro and blasts of with a song sung by guitarist Asuka, who shares her vocal parts with bassist Shimo. They interact perfectly, wonderful harmonies. What's a little strange at first is the very heavy Japanese accent in their English. Without a lyric sheet you're not even close to guessing what they are trying to say. Then again, the whole music, instruments and vocals, really convey what the band wants to get across. I had the same feeling when listening to Negu Gorriak from Euskadia a few years ago. I wasn't able to understand a single word yet the message came across through the music and the way the singer was singing.
As for the lyrics one shouldn't expect too much intellectualism. It's everyday life stories with a little punk edge thrown in.


They released two more records after this one, "Water Closet Music" (2002, Pizza Of Death Rec.) and a Split CD with Registrators (2004, Pizza Of Death Rec.) and had another Record before "Again & Again" called "Time Is Cool" (1998, Swept Rec.). On that one the band was still a three-piece, guitarist Etsushi joined in 2000.

I was really happy when I found the European pressing of "Again & Again" (2000, Rugger Bugger) in a 2nd hand box at my local record store. Only 2 Euros, now that's what I call a bargain.
Unfortunately there are no mp3s on their website, but for a teaser you might want to try some songs on the Pizza Of Death Website.

The band still seems to be around as there are always new tourdates on their website. Hopefully they make it to Europe or else I have to travel all the way to Japan to see them perform.

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (2): Uinona

I will always be grateful to a good friend of mine who spent the past two years in Tokyo as an exchange student. he introduced me to a lot of new bands I had never heard of before and without him I had never had the chance to ever catch a glimpse of. One of those numerous (okay, I'm exaggerating, but there really has been a lot of them) bands is Uinona, a two-piece from Japan. Now my Japanese isn't that good but from what it looks like on their homepage the band seems to be a) on a hiatus or b) out of order. Which is rather sad because the records are really great.


First there is the self-titled mini album that was realeased in 2001. Wonderful popmusic with amplified and distorted guitars. Nice tempo for the songs as well. And, and this always hooks me up, this wonderful Japanese accent on the English vocals. The recording sounds a lot like it was homemade with a computer, at least on some songs. Both of the members, Yabe Kanako (vox) and Yoshida Tsuyoshi (vox, guitar, etc) sing on a lot of those songs and this makes it sound really good.


Next up is their first full length album simply entitled "1" (2002). That one totally follows the path the chose for the first release. A little bit better produced yet still very enthusiatic and simply wonderful. The version for the song "Show Me The Way" is different from the one they did for a compilation that was put out in the US called "Minty Fresh Japan Compilation Vol. 3" and in my opinion the one on the album sounds a little better.


Last up is what seems to be the final release of Uinona. A mini album called "One More With Feeling" (2003). Again it features wonderful pop songs with the usual instruments, very catchy. And again all songs have English titled but at the same time most of the lyrics are in Japanese. Something that is very common for Japanese pop music.

All in all I think that the music of Uinona sounds very colourful. When you listen to certain kinds of music you can always compare them to certain colours. And Uinona definetely sounds like very lively and fresh colours. I mean, just look at the covers of their records and you'll get the picture.

These are two links for songs on their website. Enjoy and find out for yourselves.

Uinona - Once In A Moment
Uinona - Show Me The Way

In The Backyard Of The Record Collection (1): Swedish Melody Punkrock

It has been quite some time since I endulged into the CD part of my record collection. maybe it's because I like vinyl better, maybe it's because I have enough music on my hard disc or maybe it's even because my CD player is standing on top of my whole equipment so it's rather tough to reach. Doesn't matter. When I was cleaning my apartment today I decided to put in a compilation CD I purchased at some time in the mid 90s. "Epitone Vol. 1" is its name and it contains some Swedish melodic punk bands. Back then there was a huge wave of swedish bands emerging onto the scene with Millencolin being the front runners, I guess. I first noticed them while flipping through a catalogue of Lost & Found Records in, I think, 1993. After some time I was so much into that sound that I blindly bought every record that came out on labels such as Burning Heart, Bad Taste or Ampersand.

This compilation features some of those bands, but the band that is still stuck in my mind is One Chord Wonders. I was never ever able to get a record by those guys, but I always liked the song "Summer Is The Time To Be". maybe because of the female background vocals, maybe because of the happy-go-lucky feeling of that song. Who knows. It's still one of my favourites.
The sampler also features two songs by Satanic Surfers with their 2nd singer with whom they also record their "Keep Out" CD EP. Great stuff. Satanic Surfers are a band I still like after all those years and I can still remember when I saw them live for the first time in 1995 in Düsseldorf. They were playing alongside Millencolin and German band Axel Sweat (yeah, a brilliant name...). The Surfers totally rocked the stage and by that time Rodrigo, their drummer, was already doing all of the singing.


So I pulled out their first three records starting out with the first record I bought and that was the aforementioned "Keep Out" EP. I still like that one because of the singer, but I like the "Skate To Hell" EP they record earlier even better. It's rougher than their later releases and suits my taste better, I guess. What a great band that was. So I was very pleased when I got to see Intensity play live in Cologne since they a) featured Rodrigo on Vocals but b) sounded a lot more like the "Skate To Hell" EP. That was a great show at the "Between".

Over the time the sound was getting annoying because there were simply too many bands playing that kind of music. But it's always nice to see and hear that some songs still stand the test of time. And if anyone knows something about One Chord Wonders, drop me a line, wil you? Thanx.