Top 5 (or so)

This year is moving right the fuck along. Making plans and all of that, waiting for them to materialize. Anyway, I was looking over Maximum Rocknroll's Top 10 of 2012, which of course led me to start making my own list. Now, I also decided to not limit the list to shit from 2012; instead, I am gonna do a top whatever list of stuff I have been into as of late, not necessarily that from last year. So, here is a list of Top However Many of Shit I've Been Enjoying Lately (And In No Particular Order)

1. WRETCHED/INDIGESTI Split 7" Reissue  - Thank you to whoever decided to do such an excellent job of reproducing this fine piece of Italian hardcore. In fact, this split 7" is the answer to the question, "How would you describe Italian hardcore?". Fast, sloppy, and urgent. The vinyl doesn't have a cover per se, instead the dust jacket has been silkscreen with the release information/band logos. True DIY style.

2. SCAM #9 Zine - This time, Erick Lyle fully explores the story behind Black Flag's monumental LP, Damaged. For so many people my age, this was the album that made us punks. I was in middle school when I discovered Black Flag. "I don't want to live, I wish I was dead" were lyrics I could relate to all to well at that time in my life, as I am sure so many others have as well. Anyway, this zine has the stories, interviews, and research that only true passion can create. Rolling Stone magazine couldn't handle something like this. It would overshadow everything else they have done in the past so greatly, that the whole thing would implode.

3. SHIT-FI.COM - This has to be one of the best music blogs I have ever found. Exactly the kind of music I love, yet have a hard time penning down exactly what it is. Shitty, lo-fi, poor musicianship, yet somehow all of these elements come together perfectly.

4. STAR WARS 3 3/4'' FIGURES - Anybody else who is a collector of Star Wars figures will know exactly what I am talking about here. The extreme advancements in technology that have occurred since I was a kid in the 1980's has greatly improved the quality and detail of modern figures over those of my childhood.

5. TERCER MUNDO S/T 7" - Are you fucking kidding me?!? This is one of the best punk 7''s I have heard in, well, ever. Holy shit does this slay. First off, the cover depicts a Mexican police officer who has obviously been brutally murdered. The Mexican drug war has greatly affected these band members' lives, and it reflects heavily in this record. All lyrics and insert are in Spanish, a language I am only slightly familiar with, yet even when I cannot fully understand the lyrics, the anger and emotion comes through clearly.

Nerd Stuff

As you may have guessed by my name there, I am sort of a nerd. I am pretty nostalgic about toys from the '80s, especially Star Wars and Transformers figures. Here is my collection of Generation 1 Seekers (that was the name of the Decepticon jets).  Clockwise from top left: Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Sunstorm, and Dirge.

And here are a few of my boxed G1 Autobot Cars, along with a few Decepticons and other things...

I started collecting Transformers a few years ago, Star Wars figures a short while after. Before that, I collected records. I still do, though my collection budget has to be split between several different vices. Since so much of this site has to do with punk rock, I figured I would show something non-punk related that I waste my time with.

Scam: The First Four Issues!

Here we go. I was very excited when I heard that this was coming out. Having first discovered Scam #5, Scam has become one of my favorite zines of all time, comparable maybe only to the mighty Cometbus. Every time I read Scam, it puts me in a good mood. Iggy Scam is a master at making something out of nothing. Inspirational how-to guide for living the squatter lifestyle, and how to get by without the need for money through the art of Scamming. Above all, how to have fun while doing it. Truly great stuff here. Most takes place in South Florida during the early '90s, a time when the Florida punk was very small but very devoted and tight-knit. Although somewhat regional by nature, Scam's Iggy manages to travel, either by hitchhiking or train hopping, and retells the stories here in all of their underhanded, Scam-worthy details. Highly, highly recommended, along with the other issues 5-9.

                                                           Scam: The First Four Issues

Toxic State Records

So, here is a list of some stuff I have been listening to lately. First off, the NYC label Toxic State Records can do no wrong. Crazy Spirit, Hank Wood and the Hammerheads, and Dawn of Humans are some of my favorite bands right now. They are all noisy, with a shitty production quality. Okay, I am not really good at describing how a band sounds, so I will post a link to their latest work here:

Crazy Spirit S/T LP (Toxic State Records)

Hank Wood & The Hammerheads - Go Home LP (Toxic State Records)

Dawn of Humans - Blurst of the Birdfish 7" (Toxic State Records)

If you enjoy them, don't be a cheap fuck! Support the bands and label. Contact Toxic State records for ordering info HERE.

CRAZY SPIRIT

Rancid Essentials

Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. This is the first posting in my new online venture, titled Maximum Punk Rock. I don't really have much of a plan as to where this will go, so I will just be "winging it" at first, until I find my stride. I have wanted to do a zine for a while, but kept getting stuck in the ideas phase, never committing anything to post or paper. So, I decided to just go ahead and write. We'll see where this goes.
First off, I would like to talk about this thing...

In case you haven't heard, Rancid is releasing their entire catalog as a 7" 45 box set, consisting of 46 records. Certainly a "collectors only" item, since this is probably the most difficult format to listen to every song Rancid has recorded. The label putting this out, Pirates Press from San Francisco, stated that the songs have been remastered for "audiophile quality", whatever that means. There is even an optional Rancid Louisville Slugger baseball bat that is available with the set (don't ask me why).
I have to admit, Rancid are one of my favorite bands. I listened to these guys way before they became famous, back when their only claim to fame was that some guys from Operation Ivy were in the band. The first EP was awesome, as was every album up to Life Won't Wait, which was the first time I was disappointed by their work. The following albums were again brilliant, until Let The Dominoes Fall, which I have only listened to a few unimpressive times. As I write this, they are apparently working on their 8th album. Hopefully, it will not be another disappointment.
Anybody old enough to remember when Rancid first appeared on MTV will remember the shit-storm of controversy surrounding the move. Rancid was by no means the first punk rock band to end up on that dreaded network, but they certainly received the greatest backlash from it. Almost every punk zine around criticized them for it, especially the venerated Maximum Rocknroll, who published nothing but criticism, bad reviews, and even (some obviously made-up) stories about their rock star antics and gratuitous purchases. At the time, I jumped on the "bash Rancid" bandwagon and stopped listening to them for a while. I eventually changed my mind, however. Although I would have preferred they remained independent, it is their band and their decision. Years later, it appears to have been the right choice for them.
Anyway, enough of that. Here is Rancid's new single, which will not appear on the 7" box set, but instead on the Oi! This Is Streetpunk Vol.2 compilation... Rancid New Single - "Fuck You"