Pop & Rock News

"Oakland, CA's No Babies return with their second LP, another furiously ecstatic exploration of the overlapping margins of punk, hardcore, and no wave. The pieces we've come to expect are all here: Jasmine Watson's invectives against capitalism, binaries, police; Ricky Martyr's inimitable and always surprising stop-start guitar; horns of all stripes breaking through the noise (Misha Poleschuck on tenor sax, clarinet); a nimble and powerful jazz-influenced rhythm section (Laura DeVeber on bass, Sean Nieves on drums).
Their particular brand of composed/improvised noise/music has never been chaos at all (they've always known exactly what they're doing), and this time around the band seems more at one than ever, aided by the crispness and brightness of Jack Shirley's able production. These are walls of sound, something like a runaway train, or a writhing sea serpent, and we are along for the ride. This is music that feels necessary. These are songs that sound vital to survival. We must play them or we will explode. We must play them in order to explode. California in 2018 is a place that feels difficult to survive in. Our friends and neighbours are murdered by the state and its negligence; our homes could crumble or be stolen from us at a moment's notice; capital is bearing down in new and even more unimaginably cruel ways. The land itself is telling us that we shouldn't be here: fire, mudslides, earthquakes. 
'Someone to Watch Over Me' is a reminder of the twin powers of sorrow and strength, noise and melody, anger and joy. 'Joy / Joy / Joy / Joy / Joy / Joy / Joy / Joy' Watson screams at the end of the album-closing titular song. Joy may be the only way out of this fresh hell—No Babies make joyful noise and for that we should all be grateful." - Grace Ambrose 

'Fist & Shout' is the debut release from Glasgow band Leatherette - currently now known as Total Leatherette - and the first to be released on Domestic Exile.

Recorded at the now infamous Green Door Studios, the album is a raw, visceral interpretation of instrumental post-punk, no wave, drone and industrial, complete with a fully immersive and foreboding gothic atmosphere.

Traces of minimal electronics and manipulated effects / vocals are present throughout, engulfing ones entire body with a sudden cold adrenaline rush - teeth rattling, muscles contracting, nails nervously scratching at walls, shivering - a combination of detached, minimalist drum machines, rhythmic noise and dense processed mutations mechanically dislocating as if oil is needed to stop the rust from corroding the engine. Chilling feedback loops, effects pedals and brutal yet infectious bass guitar grooves leave us stunned, shackled, agitated, weary and submissive.

Thematically channelling a hidden narrative of societal repression, queer sexual frustration and sleazy hedonism, the record conveys a twisted and alienating distorted version of reality.

During live performances the duo are shrouded in darkness, venues left pitch black with nothing but strobe lights to disturb ones eye sight. The intense and thought provoking suspense that is experienced at a Leatherette show uniquely translates to the duos recorded material.

Musically, influences can be traced back to radical counter-culture movements and their pioneers, most notably D.A.F., Malaria and Geile Teire during Berlins NDW period through to the 'Ambulance Station' nexus - Bourbonese Qualk and Zahgurim in London or Ike Yard, Nitzer Ebb and R.L. Crutchfield's Dark Day during New York's No Wave period to Minimal Man, however it is important to note that while comparisons can be drawn the music of Leatherette is never derivative or emulating in its approach.

Pro dubbed c50 cassette with risographed card sleeve.

Reissue of the first album of the Last Rites, originally released in 1984. Classic Oi! material from this Glasgow group, their one and only release.

For fiends of: Cursed, HIs Hero is Gone, Tragedy.

Formed in 2008 in South Florida, Centuries current lineup now includes members based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Nashville, Tennessee, and in the UK from Manchester.

Since their 2013 debut Taedium Vitae (Southern Lord), the group have refined their sound into something more focused, and intense, and The Lights Of This Earth Are Blinding surges with ten new tracks of the band's harrowing, metallic, punk/crust-influenced hardcore, delivered with a calculated, very deliberate approach.
 
The album was recorded in February 2017 by Kris Hilbert at Legitimate Business (Catharsis, Torch Runner, The Body), mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Integrity, Black Breath, Halshug), and completed with artwork by Phil Trona.  
 
About the new album the band remark..."The Lights Of This Earth Are Blinding is a dark album that carries a theme of constant self-doubt.  It follows how we choose to accept our loses and the reaction to life, as well as the journey we take to make peace with the demons we've made.' The new track 'Bygones' is streaming below.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- INCLUDES INSERT
- LIMITED EDITION OF 1000 NUMBERED COPIES ON RED COLOURED VINYL

Roll On is the second album by Australian rock band The Living End. Musically, the album marked a change from the sound of their debut album, The Living End (MOVLP1568). Roll On had a notably more polished sound as compared to the more garage-y sound of the previous album. Horn sections are featured on numerous songs, such as Uncle Harry' and Killing The Right'. Whereas the previous album had displayed punk and rockabilly influences (by artists such as Green Day and Stray Cats), Roll On showed more Australian rock influences, particularly artists of the 80s Pub Rock era. The album even garnered comparison to seminal punk band The Clash by a few critics.

Roll On is produced by Nick Launay, who also worked with artists such as Silverchair and Midnight Oil. The album's first two singles, Pictures In The Mirror' and the title track, peaked into the top 20 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Roll On' peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart and appeared in the top 150 of the UK Singles Chart.

The trio received US-wide coverage by playing on both Conan O'Brien's and David Letterman's late-night variety shows. The album included Carry Me Home', which appeared on the Guitar Hero II soundtrack.

Strictly limited, the first 1000 individually numbered copies are pressed on red coloured vinyl!

Former stripper Mary Monday had a life shrouded in mystery. Conflicting reports in the historic documentation as to the band and Mary's origins are still baffling punkologists to this day, especially her mysterious death a few years after this single's release in 1977. This is a classic piece of '70s SF punk history, featuring one of the most memorable singles of the era ('I Gave My Punk Jacket To Rickie'/'Popgun') plus studio material by Don Lamb, Rick Clare's The Street Punks and Da Statikz.

The late great LA punk scene hero Rik L Rik's (F Word, Negative Trend) only solo album is a killer collection of singles, compilation tracks (BEACH BLVD and RODNEY ON THE ROQ), live recordings and unreleased tracks spanning PUNK, GOTH-ROCK, and NEW WAVE. Rik L Rik was a true original, parading around L.A. barefoot, living at his parents' house well into his 20s, and generally not giving a fuck in pure punk fashion. Essential for all fans of the 70s/80s L.A. scene!

Reissued on LP with exclusive liner notes from Posh Boy label mastermind Robbie Fields himself!

Before there was Kiss, before there were The Ramones and Blondie, there was The Brats. The Brats and The New York Dolls were at the forefront of the NYC music scene of the '70s. Brats main man Rick Rivets actually quit The Dolls to form The Brats. The Brats would become the biggest draw in NYC, 1972 and every band hoped to open for them for the exposure. Just ask any one of the members of KISS or The Ramones ( Beat on The Brat!') or any other NYC band for that matter, The Brats were a big influence on them and the whole NYC punk and glam music scene of the Seventies. This compilation includes tracks from the band's two self-released 7-inches, plus much more.

Hailing from the SoCal working class town of Rosemead, the Simpletones only released one single on Posh Boy and had 5 tracks on the classic comp Beach Blvd. before breaking up but their influence on the punk scene is still felt today. They were one of the first West Coast groups to truly incorporate a melodic, pop-punk sound into their repertoire, and their influence can be seen from the 80s melodic hardcore of The Descendents and Bad Religion to the 90s revival of Green Day and The Offspring and beyond. The second band ever signed to the Posh Boy label, The Simpletones counted among its members, Snickers of The Klan, Jerry Koskie and Rabit from The Cheifs and Jay Lansford of the Stepmothers, ch3, Rik L Rik and the Urge fame. Collected here are all 20 tracks the group recorded during its original tenure from 1978 to 1980. Unbelievably classic first wave LA punk rock back in print on LP for the first time in over a decade.

In the fertile terrain of New Zealand's 1980s post-punk scene, few figures loom as large as the Jefferies brothers. Graeme Jefferies and Peter Jefferies - the primary forces behind This Kind of Punishment - wrote some of the best music to come out on Flying Nun, Xpressway or elsewhere. A dizzying mix of pastoral ballads and DIY experimentation, TKP's songwriting was at once classic and acutely raw. Originally self-released in 1984, A Beard Of Bees has been out of print for almost 25 years.

After the anthemic albums Something's Gotta Give', Riot, Riot, Upstart' and Dead Yuppies' you could (more or less) say that AGNOSTIC FRONT returned with a blast through the album that followed, ANOTHER VOICE'! Originally released by Nuclear Blast Records in 2004, the New York hardcore legends created furious, no holds barred, metallic-influenced mayhem, produced by Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta. Due to it's producer, who also provided some guest vocals on 'Another Voice' (as did Karl Buechner of Earth Crisis and Scott Vogel of Terror), the album leaned a bit to the 'metalcore' side of things, but it's still 100% Agnostic Front through and through!

Reissued under exclusive license from Nuclear Blast, this pressing is strictly limited to 500 copies on white vinyl and is housed in a gatefold sleeve.

Prior to AGNOSTIC FRONT's latest album The American Dream Died', the NYHC legends released MY LIFE MY WAY'. Originally released by Nuclear Blast Records in 2011, and already reissued by us in 2015, one of the band's most recent records is ready for another round, again on STRENGTH RECORDS! Both the original pressing and our reissue sold out in a heartbeat and with just another 500 copies being pressed, it will bound to sell out fast once again in 2017!

Reissued under exclusive license from Nuclear Blast, this pressing is strictly limited to 500 copies on beer-colored vinyl and is housed in a gatefold sleeve.

The first 7" by the Steve Ignorant's latest group. After a well-recieved album the legendary former- Crass vocalist returns with three brand new recordings with his band Slice Of Life. Three slices of kitchen sink realism topped with that distinctive voice. A limited edition complete with inner lyric sleeve.

Live in Sweden 1991. Limited to 300 copies, no repress!

Very rare Mönchengladbach punk/wave classic from 1984 now available again. Members of this band also played in the more well known EA80. Experimental melancholic dark punk, whose original copies trade for well over 100 euros. Comes with lyric sheet.

Experience the punishing sonic origins of a punk icon. Collected here for the first time, and skillfully remastered from original board tapes, demos, and session masters, this collection is an authoritative chronicling of the wellspring and maturation of Grant Hart, Greg Norton and Bob Mould—three St. Paul teenagers who'd go on to become the most heralded trio of the American punk underground. Follow the Hüskers to their earliest gigs in 1979, through extensive road dog touring, and to the start of their partnership with West Coast tastemaker SST in 1983.

This primitive stage in the fabled career of Hüsker Dü is presented as a deluxe box set and packaged with a hardbound book crammed full of never before seen photos, flyers, and a sprawling essay with participation from the band. Spread across four LPs or three CDs, 47 of the 69 songs compiled here are previously unissued. Also included are Statues/Amusement, In A Free Land, Everything Falls Apart, and an alternate recording of the Land Speed Record set..

We created this blistering wall of sound—bright white radio static with occasional melody.' —Bob Mould

It was like rolling down a hill aware of the bumps, but focusing on blowing people's minds and completely wearing out the audience.'—Grant Hart

We didn't know what hardcore was. We just got up there and played real fast and loud.'—Greg Norton

This LP + bonus CD features the entire track listing, plus 5 bonus tracks from the Italia New Wave LP. This album represents the musical mutation that occurred after the post-punk hangover gave way to more frigid emotional shores, in-line with the synth-wave moment that was sweeping Europe and the white cliffs of Albion. This scene flourished in Italy between 1981-1985, and the musicians that came out of it are still revered today (particularly in the US). Robotic rhythms and intuitions that, besides sharing common ground with the electronic movements that had come before, also knew how to fill up the dancefloor! Featuring four previously unreleased tracks by Der Blaue Reiter, along with tracks by Modo, Actor's Studio and La Maison, as well as the still fresh sounding contributions by true pioneers of the genre Neon and Naif Orchestra.

Nine O'Clock consists in a melt of Hip Hop skillz, electro pop.. The final result gives a new dimension, with a bit of a headbanger style (Dj hertz can do that)

Nine O'Clock consists in a melt of Hip Hop skillz, electro pop.. The final result gives a new dimension, with a bit of a headbanger style (Dj hertz can do that)

hysterical little punk electro souind ! Extreme and powerfull ! Undeground NYC band !

Originally released in 1986, 'Nowa Aleksandria' caught brilliantly the cold, sultry atmosphere of the dark times of last years of communism in Poland. Influenced by British post punk heroes like Joy Division and Killing Joke the album represents nowdays one of the most important records in the history of Polish rock.

The South will never rise again,' Jacky Cougar Abok intones in a manner that suggests he is looking straight into your eyeballs while singing the opening track on Des Demonas' debut album on In The Red Records. His hand may be around your neck as well! Sounding like The Last Poets acid tripping to '60s Sunset Strip, the band drags you on a wild ride of fuzzy guitars and swirling Farfisa organ, while the bass and drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain. And that's just the first song! The band hails from Washington, DC, and have been denizens of the byways and highways of the city's musical underground for years. Jacky Cougar Abok is the six-footfive-inch tall Kenyan punk singer who has drummed with Thee Lolitas and Foul Swoops. Guitarist Mark Cisneros has bent strings with Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds, Deathfix, and Medications, and has pounded the traps for The Make-Up and Benjy Ferree, the latter alongside organist Paul Vivari. Joe Halladay (Citygoats) on bass and Ryan Hicks (Suns Of Guns) on drums round out this squared circle of sight and sound. The songs on this album range from Nuggets-style snottiness on Tuff Turf,' to the brash warnings of Liez' ( Lies... only seem to matter if you never wise up'), to the stomper Psychedelic Soldier' and cool psycho creeper Say You Tried,' to the hard boiled '70s punk of Swahilisung Golden Eggs.' When Abok sings There are no vampires in Africa,' it may be a warning. It may be a fact. Or it may be a whole lot of unrelenting scuzzy fun. Dig the Des Demonas. Play it loud. Twist your wig. —Kid Congo Powers

Along with Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Green Day and MTX, the Groovie Ghoulies (USA) was one of the bands that made Lookout! Records the defining pop punk label of the 90's. In the late 90's though, the label moved away from pop punk and slowly their old releases went out of print and became harder and harder to find.

Finally, here's the re-release of the Groovie Ghoulies' best selling album, originally released in 1996, featuring hits like Running with Bigfoot', Island of Pogo Pogo', The Kids Go Go Go Crazy', Ghoulies are Go!' and the Billy Bragg cover A New England'. Remastered and with awesome new artwork by Tom Neely (known for the Henry & Glenn Forever' comics)!

One of the most popular and successful underground bands of the early- /mid-'90s, California's Jawbreaker was comprised of Blake Schwarzenbach (guitar and vocals), Chris Bauermeister (bass) and Adam Pfahler (drums). The band melded raw vocals, a driving rhythm section and grinding guitar with complex song structures and literary lyrics, forging a distinctive style that has since, along with Schwarzenbach's subsequent band Jets to
Brazil, influenced a generation of independent music.
By the end of 1993, Jawbreaker was in full stride. The band had completed a full US tour in the summer, played several shows that October with Nirvana, and was attracting significant major label attention.
24 Hour Revenge Therapy, released in early 1994, was Jawbreaker's third album. After the more progressive' Bivouac, the trio had returned to a straightforward, poppier sound, and the resulting full-length is widely regarded as their best. The bulk of the recording was done by noted independent producer Steve Albini (though it is officially credited to Albini's cat, Fluss).
Following the mainstream success of fellow Californians Green Day and Rancid, Jawbreaker decided to sign with DGC. They released a final studio album, Dear You, before calling it quits in 1996. A feature-length documentary on the band is currently in the works.

Very late 80's Rock sounding... At the meeting point between Killing Joke for the Guitar/bass/battery sounds and structures, with a pinvch of My Bloody Valentine for the noises a,nd larsens... Powerfull dark and rageous post punk music !

This is a brand new reissue of the Peawees' classic "Dead End City" album from 2001, featuring 3 bonus tracks!

Brand new reissue for a Belgian KBD punk rock classic by RAXOLA, formed in 1981 by Yves Kenge, who previously played in Bastard with Brian James from the Damned and Lords of The New Church. Raxola was a Belgian punk band spawned by the legendary Bastard, which also brought forth The Damned (through Brian James) and Elton Motello (through singer Alan Ward). Their debut album (1978) is now a collector's item. Formed along with better known bands, The Kids and Hubble Bubble in the fertile Belgian punk underground of the mid 70s, Raxola are usually the least name-checked of the three, but yet quite possibly the most brutal, and with their violently brilliant formula straddling their songs between sepulchral scrapings and melodic raw pop gargled with broken glass, they are long overdue on their time in the spotlight. Much appreciated for their rough pop punk songs and their somewhat socially and politically committed lyrics, Raxola has returned to the limelight, urged on by their fans. The only remaining original member, Yke N. Raxola (Yves Kengen) pushed ahead creating new material with Hadrien Frank, Dave Porzio and with a little help from Brian James, Fabrizio Manzini and other friends.

Repress in limited coloured vinyl of 2013 RSD release DOES NOT include Festival Programme, Postcard Certificate or DL
Paean to Wilson is arguably Vini Reilly and the Durutti Columns most important and consistent piece of work since the demise of the original and seminal Factory Records in the early 1990's. It was commissioned MIF (Manchester International Festival of Music), July 2009. Vini had already composed pieces for Tony to listen to whilst he was ill in hospital and it was from here that the project developed. The opening night of the three sell-out festival shows formed part of the BBC2 'Culture Show' coverage on the event.Dave Simpson - MIF Review - The Guardian 20/7/09 4 out of 5 ' Near the beginning of the final night of the Durutti Column's 70-minute international festival tribute to Tony Wilson, A Paean to Wilson, guitarist Vini Reilly announced that he wouldn't be singing: "So you won't have to put up with my awful voice and schoolboy lyrics." If Wilson was with us, he would have chuckled. The Granada presenter-turned-Factory Records boss spent years urging his first signing to stop singing, and concentrate on the virtuosity that led Red Hot Chili Pepper John Frusciante to call Reilly "the greatest guitarist in the world". Two years after his death, Wilson got his way, one of many lovely touches in a very personal, emotional and often warmly funny musical tribute. Wilson signed Joy Division and Happy Mondays, yet never gave up on this cult band he adored, working with them even after his legendary label went bankrupt.

Rocket 455 is a Flamin' Groovies-loving garage rock band formed in Detroit in 1992 after the breakup of local scene essentials The Nervo Beats. Although this was Rocket 455's third single, it was the first that featured the new, longest and current line up, including founding member Marco Delicato back in the fold as well as Steve Disco' Nawara from the Electric Six. This 7' was released on Devil's Night in 1997 and is notable as the first record ever produced and released by Italy Records.

The Dirtys were a totally raw garage punk band originally from Port Huron, MI. Their energy, coupled with a sound somewhere between the Oblivians and the MC5, is what makes a live show worthwhile. Celebrated Detroit garage hero Mick Collins (Gories, Dirtbombs) played guitar on the A-side "It Ain't Easy," which was unsuccessfully pitched to the Detroit City Council as the new official anthem of Detroit.
Italy Records was founded to release this single by these knuckleheads before the release of their debut LP on respected German label Crypt Records. For one reason or another, this Dirtys 7" actually ended up being Italy's second release. Regardless, it's as punk as it gets and demands your full time and attention