Saturday, October 31, 2009

Youth Youth Youth









From the reunion show on Saturday Night. This is just after the hilarious intro the Brian Tailor gave where he excuses himself from not wearing the Leafs jersey or the short shorts, which is a reference to the "Not Dead Yet" footage. Then they break into "Philosophy". They fuckin' raged and I am so glad I got to see them at least once in my life.


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

You Weren’t There: A History of Chicago Punk 1977-1984 film

I have been waiting to see this documentary for sometime. I have been holding out hopes for this to be the film that American Hardcore could have been. But it comes to the same conclusions. So if you are to view this movie for the historical content it is excellent. Joe Losurdo and Christina Tillman trace back Chicago’s punk history to La Mere Vampere. La Mere Vampere was a gay disco in Chicago that allowed a punk DJ night on Sunday at the request of Mike Rivers and John Molini who ran a record store called Sounds Good. They were aware of the new scene starting out in England as was Terry Nelson, a DJ at WZRD. They tell of a dance party that harkens back to the Roxy in the UK and the stories that Don Letts and the RUTS tell. It is legend that finds familiarity in a lot of the cities with early punk scenes. La Mere perished to a suspicious fire. Sounds like Club Davids. But what was to follow was the emergence of a music scene developed and created by local musicians that forced them to break out of the mold. There seems to be some consensus that TUTU AND THE PIRATES were Chicago’s first punk band. And there is some great footage of them performing “I want to be a Janitor” and “I Got Zits”. There is a great story of how they played in a Battle of the bands against STYX and the followers of each band took the battle more literally. SILVER ABUSE were the next band to start up in 1977 and they played a benefit show for the Gabba Gabba Gazette with TUTU AND THE PIRATES. They performed a parody of the American Nazi Party that was often misunderstood. Santiago would leave the band to start NAKED RAYGUN. At the same time a new wave scene was starting up in Chicago. People lured in by the record industry starting bands referred to by folks from the punk scene as the skinny tie bands. Bands like FILL IN THE BLANKS and BOHEMIA. This period was referred to as a lull but I think it allowed people in the scene to find each other and recruit new folks to the scene to start getting their shit together. The first Chicago punk record was about to get released in 1979 by MENTALLY ILL and it was called “Gacy’s Place”. The band self-released it and they snuck copies into the record bins of local stores. They also sent copies to the white house and to John Wayne Gacy in prison. Terry Nelson also feed the scene with his radio show “Sunday Morning Nightmare”. He would interview the likes of the UNDERTONES, the JAM, the DAMNED, the CRAMPS, the CLASH, BLACK FLAG. Anyone touring the states wound up on his show. He was like the Rodney Roq of Chicago. One of the next developments to take place was Wax Trax, which was a record store that put the punk records upfront. Wax Trax was not just an arbiter of punk, but they became a meeting place for the scene and later on a label for punk bands. STRIKE UNDER become the label’s first release and DIVINE the second. The cross dressing performance artist makes sense for a Chicago release given how closely tied the punk scene was to the gay underground. O’Banion’s becomes the second punk bar of notoriety in Chicago. O’Banion’s was a leather bar that opened it’s doors to the punk scene. It got closed down but the owner would not be dissuaded and opened up Oz. Oz recorded live sets and a compilation came out documenting the scene at the time. In fact the last recording was done on the day that the cops shut down Oz for good. The owner talks of a steady battle with the cops during this period. This is the period where STRIKE UNDER really comes to the fore. The EFFIGIES played their first show at Oz. The SUBVERTS also grew out of Oz and their material on the “Busted at Oz” comp is pretty inspired. I think it had something to do with the impending police bust that these punks played under. The Mayor of Chicago had taken some advice from the Mayor of Huntington Beach at the time. Don’t let the punk scene get a foothold in your city. So she went after the punks and in particular the punk club owners. Oz was the major casualty. But like every good underdog, the Chicago punk scene rose to the adversity. And Chicago punks added fuel to the fire by wearing the Illinois patch on their leather jackets to make them emulate cop jackets. This just infuriated the cops more. It gave them a reason to go after the punks. But the groundwork had been layed. Together with the SUBVERTS and STRIKE UNDER and NAKED RAYGUN they would have the basis for a scene to go forward. It is here that STRIKE UNDER’s “Immediate Action” 12” would come out. Then the EFFIGIES “Haunted Town” 12” came out. These first few releases by Chicago bands were 12”s, which were unique to Chicago’s punk scene. Other scenes in the States had first release in the traditional 7” format. Not Chicago. Around this time Donaghue did a show on punk. He was based in Chicago and so the kids in the Chicago punk scene were set up as the objects of ridicule. At the time every media outlet did a show on punk and all of them were so misinformed. But the show galvanized the kids in the scene even more. So did the underground. The examples of the DC scene started to have an effect on Chicago. Vic Bondi was from DC and on a trip back home he saw the BAD BRAINS. This inspired him to get ARTICLES OF FAITH to develop their own sound which started with speed. The first goal was to be Chicago’s fastest bands. They weren’t the only band. SAVAGE BELIEF had a bass player who was in one of the original GOVERNMENT ISSUE line ups. These bands started befriending kids from the suburbs. They started doing all ages shows and the scene started mushrooming. The Centro American Social Club was an all ages space. Promoters got bands to do two sets, for the all ages kids and one for the drinking scene. There was a lot more energy in the all ages scene and pretty soon you got to see bands from the suburbs cropping up. RIGHTS OF THE ACUSED, NEGATIVE ELEMENT, and END RESULT. These kids reacted to the all ages politically motivated scene with a sense of humour. And from here the scene would continue to morph. Great bands have come from succeeding generations of the hardcore scene. Chicago has given us bands like LIFE SENTENCE, SCREECHING WEASEL, LOS CRUDOS, MK ULTRA, CHARLES BRONSON, DEARBORN SS, and the list goes on. Chicago has had one of the best hardcore fests in modern times. Chicago has had great labels from Wax Trax to Lengua Armada. All these are testaments to how great of a scene the original Chicago punks had set in place. So it baffles me how original punkers have come to bash their own scene. Like “American Hardcore” the talking heads of the scenes past go on to criticize today’s scene. Especially because the story that they just finished laying out in front of you suggests the exact opposite. SILVER ABUSE picked up the ball from TUTU AND THE PIRATES. NAKED RAYGUN picked up the ball from SILVER ABUSE. STRIKE UNDER picked up the ball from NAKED RAYGUN. And the SUBVERTS lead to the EFFIGIES which lead to ARTICLES OF FAITH which lead to SAVAGE BELIEFS which lead to RIGHTS OF THE ACUSED which lead to NEGATIVE ELEMENT and so on. This is a story of passing the torch to keep independent thought and culture alive. And the pioneers of this scene have lost faith on the current torch bearers. It’s sad really because maybe they are too far removed. This may be a flaw in the format. How many years are the original punks expected to be punks? I mean I know when we are in it we are committed for life. And these punks do a great job of telling the story maybe one generation later. But they become too far removed after that. They lose sight in the urgency and importance in this vital counter culture. The movie comes off like a fuck you to the current kids in the Chicago scene which too me is misguided. The current scene are the people that treasure your legacy, and so it baffles me as to why would you piss on them? To a current day hardcore kid these heroes come off as jaded old farts who sound like their parents or traditional authority figures. This is exactly how American Hardcore ends. It saddens me to see these folks come to the same conclusion. It saddens me partially because I grew up being pen pals with Joe Losurdo. I would get inspired by his tales of LIFE SENTENCE and that era of the Chicago punk scene. Deep down I don’t think he believes in that tale of the city’s scene. But as a documentarian you have to shoot what the subject matter says. And as a way of bringing an end to the story you ask about summing thoughts. It is inevitable that the subject matter recognize this period as a special time that doesn’t exist anymore. It may not exist in the subject matter’s life, but that same scene building and urgency does live in today’s scene. It hurts to hear these pioneers trash what has become of their legacy. My advice is to watch this for the historical part and ignore the summation at the end. The Windy City has never been seen like this before.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Sunday, October 25, 2009



DISCO ASSAULT – Asshole Stare (Schizophrenic)

FACE VALUE – Up To Us (Smog Veil)
UNIFORM CHOICE – Scream to Say (Wishing Well)
MINOR THREAT – Little Friend (Dischord)
DAG NASTY – Justification (Dischord)
DEMON SYSTEM 13 – Steppin’ Stone (Deranged)

KRUM BUMS – Sons of Nothing (TKO)
MARILYN’S VITAMINS - Kids Need Guns (Underground Operations)
KNUCKLEHEAD – Big City Lights (Whiskey Voice)
WEDNESDAY NIGHT HEROES – We Will Not Be Pushed Aside (Longshot)
THE RESTARTS – Got Away With It (No Label)

MAX AND THE MAKEUPS – Poland (Puke n Vomit)
REJESTRACJA – Nowa Generacja (Supreme Echo)
BLACK DONNELLYS – Poor People of Poland (Audio Fellatio)
DEZERTER – Burdel (Supreme Echo)

LET’S DANCE – Out on Top (Meaty Beaty)
THE STRANGLERS – Nuclear Device (IRS)
TRANZMITORS – Beating Up My Heart (Deranged)
DEVO – Girl U Want (Warner Brothers)
ELVIS COSTELLO – Lipstick Vogue (Columbia)

FUCKED UP – Black albino Bones (Matador)
FUCKED UP – Police (Deranged)
MOLESTED YOUTH – Winter (Self-Released)
MOLESTED YOUTH – Going Nowhere (Self-Released)
BURNING LOVE – Lives of the Saints (Self-Released)
RAH – Keep Walking (Labelled)
CAREER SUICIDE – Attempted Suicide (Deranged)
CAREER SUICIDE – Recipe for Disaster (Deranged)
OMEGAS – False Worship (Self-Released)
OMEGAS – Gimme Oblivion (Self-Released)
URBAN BLIGHT – Fake Attitudes (Slasher)
VICIOUS CYCLE – Heaven or Hell (Deranged)
BRUTAL KNIGHTS – You’re Fired, I Quit (Deranged)

Demo Feature
RAKOSI - Dodo (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Hid (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Kalman (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Tinana (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Jaszjunsag (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Pipo (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Egri Joska (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Kabai (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Vallas (Combat Action Tapes)
RAKOSI - Mupina (Combat Action Tapes)

Friday, October 23, 2009

Flyer - Monday October 26, 2009


MONDAY OCTOBER 26th @ the Garrison, 1197 Dundas Street West
LOWERS (from the UK)
VICIOUS CYCLE
SCHOOL JERKS
FIRST BASE
THURSDAY OCTOBER 29th @ Sneaky Dee’s
THE BITTERS
METZ
MELIGROVE BAND
FRANCE HAS THE BOMB
LITTLE GIRLS

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th @ Kathedral
THE CRO MAGS jam
FUCKED UP
MIND ERASER
RIVAL MOB
WASTE MANAGEMENT
FREE SPIRIT
BURNING LOVE

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th @ Sneaky Dee’s
RED MASS
TEEN ANGER
THE BANG BANGS
PRIMITIVE HANDS (from Montreal)

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th @ Rancho Relaxo, 1:00 am
MOLESTED YOUTH
MATURE SITUATIONS
CAREER SUICIDE

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31st @ Sneaky Dee’s
FUCKED UP
IRON LUNG (Nevada)
DSB (Japan)
YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH (reunion)
BRUTAL KNIGHTS
FORCE FED (MA)
NOMOS (NY)

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31st @ Rancho Relaxo, 1:00 am
MAD MEN
OMEGAS
URBAN BLIGHT

Monday, October 19, 2009

Sunday, October 18, 2009



click here for a mp3 download


THE DISHES - Summer Reaction (Regular)

RANDOM CUTS - Sleep (Nominal)
MARGARET THRASHER - Dammit IV (P Trash)
B LINES - Social Retard (Nominal)
LET’S DANCE - X-Ray Eyes (Meaty Beaty)
FUCK ME DEAD - Circling Ahead (Clarence Thomas)
THE CRAWLERS - Political Evangelist (Blind Spot)

PERDITION - Freedom in Death (Mountains of Madness)
ATTAKE - Avalanche / Age of War (Mountains of Madness)
MAD WORLD - the World Owes You Nothing (Even Worse/Kangaroo)
MUTINY - Death to the System / War Profiteer (Black Banana)
INFANTICIDE - Disbelief (625 Productions)
WAR HERO - Gore (Black Banana)
MUDLARK - A.D.H.D. / Napalm (Schizophrenic)

OUR WAR - Fifty Years (Deranged)
RIGHT BRIGADE - Wasted breathe (Revelation)
BETRAYED - Understand (Bridge 9)
RIGHTEOUS JAMS - Thought Vacation (Lockin’ Out)
BONDS - Not a Phase (Tuned)
ALLEGIANCE - My pledge (Rivalry)
THE FIRST STEP - Pursuit of happiness (Rivalry)
GO IT ALONE - Faith and Fiction (Rivalry)
MIND SET - Self-Respect is My Anti-Drug (Counterpoint)
H20 - Still Here (Bridge 9)

ARMAGEDDON CLOCK - The War Just Begun (Tuska ja Ahdistus)
TWO BEATS OFF - BLU 82 (Kissankusi / Poison Idea)
LIBYANS - Empty Morning (Chamber of Commerce)
RAKKAUS - Tulta (Tuska ja Ahdistus)
ABSURD SYSTEM - Christ War (Mountains of Madness)

EMPTY VESSEL - Half Full (Blind Spot)
CAREER SUICIDE -Hapless (Kangaroo)
THE D.I.’s - People Like Me (Hep Cat)
INSUBORDINATES - 1968 (Feral Kid)
MINUTEMEN - Games (SST)
OKARA - Red Tide (Squeeky)
RHYTHM PIGS - Arkansas (Mordam)
FEEDERZ - Fire (Broken Rekids)
THE FUTURES - Hallowe’en (Skinny Dip)
HICKOIDS - Corntaminated (Saustex)

WITCH HUNT - A Slow Decay (Alternative Tentacles)
THE BRAT ATTACK - Okay Lets Entertain the Idea that Your God is Dead (Rebel Time)
REVILERS - On the outside (Patac)
SPASTIC PANTHERS - Victim (Handsome Dan)

Demo Feature
DEAD CAT LOUNGE - Bandwagon (Self-Released)
DEAD CAT LOUNGE - Barbara’s Bush (Self-Released)
DEAD CAT LOUNGE - Maniliation (Self-Released)
DEAD CAT LOUNGE - Time Warp (Self-Released)
DEAD CAT LOUNGE - Even Steven (Self-Released)

Friday, October 16, 2009

New Location

Here they are destroying the old building. It was sad to see the mural in pieces. There was two cranes working on it at once. I guess the Rotman Business schoolo couldn't wait to get their hands on the property to put up a multi-levelled building.
This was the side we used to enter from. You can still see one of the doorways in this shot. 91 St. George Street is quickly being reduced into a pile of bricks. Sticks and bricks.

Here is the location of the new studio. Notice the sign directing people to the Map Room. That studio is for the fancy day time programs. The ghetto hour shows, like ours, are up on the third floor. Kind of reminds me of stowing the prisoners away in the tower. Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair. Lots of ivy and bikes and stuffy traditional types who won't let us play live punk rock music in their hallways. Don't want to upset anybody.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Radio - Sunday, October 11, 2009


Click above to download an audio archive of this show

METALIAN - Instrumental (CIUT)
METALIAN - Conquest (CIUT)
METALIAN - Edge of the Knife (CIUT)
METALIAN - Immigrant Song (CIUT)
METALIAN - Warrior (CIUT)
METALIAN - Sonic Attack (CIUT)
METALIAN - Wasteland (CIUT)
METALIAN - Green Menalish (CIUT)
METALIAN - Shredded Beef (CIUT)
METALIAN - Interview (CIUT)

SYSTEM SHIT – Brutality Squad (Self-Released)
GOLERS – 5 in Line (VPAF)
WADGE – Never Double Cross a Samoan (Regurgitated Semen)
GERIATRIC UNIT – Can’t Sleep (Network of Friends)
BURN ALL FLAGS – Look in the Mirror (625 Productions)
SISTA SEKUNDEN – ven Fan Ar Arg? (Instigate)
INEPSY – Street City (Feral Ward)
CRO MAGS – Face the Facts (Bootleg)

Demo Feature
FRATRICIDE – Going Under (Self-Released)
FRATRICIDE – Grave (Self-Released)
FRATRICIDE – Final Solution (Self-Released)
FRATRICIDE – Rip Wide the Sky (Self-Released)
FRATRICIDE – Blood Red Dreams (Self-Released)
FRATRICIDE – Beaten Senseless (Self-Released)
FRATRICIDE – Blind Faith (Self-Released)

Friday, October 9, 2009

Volume 9, Issue 04

This issue features an interview with School Jerks. There is an interview with Disco Assault from Detroit. And there is an interview with Greg Bennedetto of Stuck in the City about the blog, the shows, and now the label.

UPDATE - October 9, 2009

I started a new section on releases. This is along the lines of Frank Manley's book "Smash the State" with some anecdotes of added trivia. I have only put up a couple of things so far with a focus on the early Toronto Hardcore scene. Up so far are cassette releases by Dead End, and LPs by Youth Youth Youth, Direct Action, Tyranna, and Sudden Impact.

Also I was able to put up
Issue 4 of Full Contact Magazine which has an interview with the Cro-Mags in it and seeing as they are coming to town in October I thought it might be appropriate.

There has been a significant amount of additions to the
flyer section.

And last week's playlist is up.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sunday, October 4, 2009



Click here for a download of the radio show
MDC – Maryjane for President (No Label)

RESTARTS – Pied Piper of Punk Rock (No Label)
THE BRISTLES – Malmo 26 (Union Bashing State) (MCR Company)
LET’S DANCE – Calling All Cars (Meaty Beaty)
REVILERS – Tried and True (Patac)
GEARS – Don’t Be Afraid to Pogo (Hep Cat)
SLEKS HULLUT – Seksihullu (Roku)
GERM ATTAK – Domination (MCR Company)
ANTIBODIES – Penis Intravenous (Patac)

BURNING LOVE – Lives of the Saints (High Anxiety)
OBTRUISIVE – Their System Fails (Die Ende)
I WALK THE LINE – Trouble Seeker (Combat Rock)
RUMOURS – The Chain (Self-Released)
SPASTIX – Terror Uber Wertburg (Matula)

BLACK FLAG – Spray Paint (SST)
BEAR PROOF SUIT – Digging a Ditch (Urban Pirate)
DEEP SLEEP – Face Down Dead (Grave Mistake)
BLANK STARE – Burdened (Refuse)
HAYMAKER – Can’t Believe (Deranged)
TAIPAN – Wolves (Gato (Fucking) Loco)

KAPUTS KRAUTS – DUDE, What the Fuck? (Self-Released)
RAH – Not Now, Not Ever (Labelled)
TARTOUT TOILET – Nichts (Self-Released)
CAREER SUICIDE – Double Life (Sewercide)
LIES FEED THE MACHINE – Burnt Offerings (Self-Released)
SURF NAZIS FEED THE MACHINE – I Am Angry (Youth Attack)

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES – Kill
SCHOOL JERKS – Sixties (Cowabunga)
NEOS – Opposed to all Violence except Self-Defense (Rat Cage)
BEASTIE BOYS – Transit Cop (Rat Cage)
YOUNG AND USELESS – P.M.H. (Rat Cage)
BRAIN CAR – No More (myspace)
OMEGAS – False Worship (Self-Released)

WILD THING – You’re a Punk (Clown College)
YAHMOS – Bobby Harly (Moolah)
BORED TO DEATH – Vomit (Recess)
OUT WITH A BANG – Going Home (Criminal I.Q.)
PSYCHED TO DIE – 5 Year Plan (Grave Mistake)
THE DICKS – Lifetime of problems (Bootleg)
NEON NAZIS – Fangs

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE – Franjo una Pester (Self-Released)
SISTA SEKUNDEN – Tattoos R Punx (Instigate)
THE VADERS – R.U.H.? (Horror Business)
THE FILAMENTS – Hiroshima (Household Name)
ORPHAN CHOIR – Everything in Past Tense (Tragic Comedy)
TYVEK – Give It Up (What’s your Rupture)
TRUE COLOURS – Up To Us (Powered)

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Friday, October 2, 2009

Update - October 2, 2009

I started to put up scans of old Toronto punk flyers. The inspiration came from collecting Tyranna flyers from Johnny Bubblegum for an MRR. these can searched under the -FLYER ARCHIVE section or TYRANNA. We also collected a bunch of flyers for the Colin Brunton interview for MRR so I put some fo those up, but they can also be found at the Last Pogo website. Colin has way more flyers up at his site and he gives context to the shows.

I was also able to put up an interview I did with Max Ward about What Happens Next? that was done a long time ago in Full Contact Magazine. I am going to work on putting up some of the other pieces I submitted to Rod for Full Contact. It is just a matter of getting them out of storage. But Christmas is coming and I have to go get the tree so that could be in the next couple of months. I am hoping to find a bunch of other Toronto hardcore magazines.
There is a new playlist up this week but no download. CIUT moved this week and it has proved difficult to get the MP3 file. It's unfortunate because we aired the Sick Error interview this week. This coming Sunday we broadcast from the new location which is up a Bell Tower at Hart House on the University of Toronto campus.



A top seven was posted for September.