in the case of darkness

#138: KOBAYASHI - “s/t” in the mid/late 90s the hardcore-scene...

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:19:28 +0100

#138: KOBAYASHI - “s/t”

in the mid/late 90s the hardcore-scene in and around vienna had quite a vital band-scene as well. together with KONSTRUKT (from vienna) and PROHASKA (from baden), KOBAYASHI (from st. pölten) was one of my favorite bands of that time. the five-piece (two screamers, bass, guitar and drums) played some kind of screamo with a pretty low-fi sound. especially the guitar had this crackling sound that makes their songs pretty unique.

there are 4 songs on side a of this self-titled 7” (recorded in 2000). especially “eisenherz” and “gomorrah” let me think of all the live-shows i’ve seen. this mixture of super short mosh-parts and thrash-parts was very typical. i’ve seen KOBAYASHI pretty often, but the two most intensive shows i remember were the shows in berlin (only 5 people showed up) and in hamburg (supporting CHISPA at rote flora) at the 3-dates-germany-tour we (PROGRAMM C & KOBAYASHI) did in 1999 (i think it was 1999). the tour was so much fun!

the hardcore-scene in and around vienna never was homogeneous at all. KOBAYASHI were more those slick arty guys. so the remix on side b of this 7” (“equilibrium disturbance rmx” by TMA) fits perfectly. it starts pretty slow and ends up in this hard breakbeat-sounds. great record.

#137: KITO - “julius seizure” i remember buying this 7” at...

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 21:29:46 +0200

#137: KITO - “julius seizure”

i remember buying this 7” at a KITO-show at the ekh in vienna. i think it was a show together with KONSTRUKT. beside of being from great britain, i don’t know anything about KITO. and it’s not that easy to find out anything about them. they released a split-7” with KONSTRUKT for sure - i’ve got this one as well.

the four songs on the “julius seizure”-7”, which i bought without cover for 30 or 40 schillings, are pretty raw. at least the sound is. the music is really interesting. the first song sounds like mid 90ies post-rock but the rest is pretty slow and reminds a bit of hardrock-/70ies-metal-influenced hardcore. funny stuff actually.

#136: KISS IT GOODBYE - “choke” the second KISS IT...

Wed, 04 Jul 2012 19:51:19 +0200

#136: KISS IT GOODBYE - “choke”

the second KISS IT GOODBYE-7” in my collection. again released by revelation records. this time in 1999.

wikipedia says the songs were recorded to be released by sub pop records, but never came out because of tim singer leaving the band. so sub pop missed out on at least two great songs. “choke” and “cement” again have this chaotic/metallic-hardcore-touch that RORSCHACH and DEADGUY were famous for.

especially “cement” really gets you. i really should try to get the “she loves me, she loves me not…”-lp.

#135: KISS IT GOODBYE - “preacher/target practice” it’s a...

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 10:39:22 +0200

#135: KISS IT GOODBYE - “preacher/target practice”

it’s a little bit weird that i only own the two KISS IT GOODBYE-7”s and not the album (“she loves me, she loves me not…”). members of DEADGUY and RORSCHACH teaming up for a band, i mean, wow! and you really know what you can expect from members of those bands. really chaotic, metallic and noisy hardcore that - and i have to use this idiotic phrase - blows you away. but it’s really like that.

the songs (“preacher” and “target practice”) are so tense and have this kind of sound that causes a stress-reaction on people who don’t like this kind of music.

the two songs seem to have been recorded during the “she loves me, she loves me not…”-recording session and were released in 1997 on revelation records.

#134: KING FOR A DAY - “s/t” another initial records release. i...

Sun, 27 May 2012 11:29:43 +0200

#134: KING FOR A DAY - “s/t”

another initial records release. i really trusted the label back in the days. i liked most of their releases and bought lots of them. i don’t know, where i got this KING FOR A DAY-7” (released in 1997), but it was quite satisfying too. especially “sleeping hero” on side a, which reminds me of TEXAS IS THE REASON or SPLIT LIP/CHAMBERLAIN. emotional indie-rock, i would say. “lazy” on side b is in the same vein, but not that good actually.

the packaging is very nice too. through the cut-out-cover you see a picture on the front side of the paper sleeve. on the backside there are pictures of the band-members with the lyrics printed over it. very cheesy for today’s standards, but it’s 15 years old already.

#133: KINDLE - “s/t” im not sure, if i really like KINDLE....

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:05:27 +0200

#133: KINDLE - “s/t”

im not sure, if i really like KINDLE. sometimes their songs sound like german punk (deutschpunk). and i never was really into that. but on the other hand they have those northcore- and even some emo-influences which are quite okay actually.

the three songs (“ethik”, “mut”, “repression”) deal with the (political) topics that were big in the scene in the 90ies and were recorded in 1997.

the record is a split-release by desperado syndikat and no more heroes. i’m really wondering what stephen and paul of desperado syndikat are doing nowadays. i’m not sure, if i wrote this before, but they generously gave me a place to crash after an AVAIL-show at rote flora in hamburg in 1998 (i guess), because the youth hostel i was staying in closed at midnight.

#132: KILL HOLIDAY - “meant to let you down” i listened to side...

Sun, 20 May 2012 12:52:27 +0200

#132: KILL HOLIDAY - “meant to let you down”

i listened to side a of this 7” so many times, that i’m surprised it still works properly. unlike others, i really liked all the stuff of KILL HOLIDAY (especially the “somewhere between the wrong is right”-album), even though the new band of steven andrew miller didn’t really sound like UNBROKEN anymore.

the two songs on this 7” are still more hardcore than indie-rock, but especially “meant to let you down” is a first preview to the “somewhere between the wrong is right”-album. “one more time for me please (then i’ll go)” could be on the split-7” with DEMPSEY as well.

both songs were recorded in 1997 and the 7” was released on simba records, the label of vique martin.

#131: THE KILLERS - “voice of reason” i guess there have been...

Fri, 18 May 2012 17:35:13 +0200

#131: THE KILLERS - “voice of reason”

i guess there have been various bands called THE KILLERS long before NEW ORDER used the fictitious name in the video to the song “crystal” and THE KILLERS (pop-rock-band) from las vegas went big. this 7” is by a powerviolence-/fastcore-band from the late 90ies.

i remember lots of people talking about this record or band, because some ex-members (or at least one) of CHARLES BRONSON were in it. and CHARLES BRONSON was, together with REVERSAL OF MAN, one of the most popular powerviolence bands (at least here in vienna) of that time.

the record was released on a german label called chappi records in 1999. the 11 songs are really straightforward fastcore/powerviolence with some nice moshparts. lyricwise you get lots of political topics (e.g. a hate-song against nike), which is quite typical for that era.

by the way: that’s for sure the heaviest vinyl-7” in my collection. i just put it on a scale: it weighs 70 grams!

#130: KEROSENE 454 - “blown clean” i can’t really say...

Wed, 16 May 2012 19:08:47 +0200

#130: KEROSENE 454 - “blown clean”

i can’t really say that much about KEROSENE 454. i just remember that the name turned up on lots of distro-leaflets and in -catalogues and that they were from washington, d.c.. they play some kind of rock/hardcore that nowadays would be filed under post-hardcore, i guess. while listening to the two songs (both recorded in 1993) i had to think of CABLE. the record is quite okay actually. the only weird thing: side a (“with age”) and side b (“blown clean”) are on totally different volume-levels. first i thought the songs for sure were recorded in different studios, but it doesn’t seem like that. but nevermind.

#129: KASSIOPEIA/NOTHING LEFT TO GRASP - “split” again a release...

Sun, 13 May 2012 11:11:42 +0200

#129: KASSIOPEIA/NOTHING LEFT TO GRASP - “split”

again a release of two of those german emo-violence-bands.

the two songs by KASSIOPEIA were recorded in 1995. while the first song (“scham”) is a pure powerviolence one, the second song (“knife”) sounds more like the songs on the KASSIOPEIA-7” that was recorded earlier in the same year. again it begins like this fragile emo-song and gets more chaotic and loud pretty soon.

NOTHING LEFT TO GRASP from augsburg start off like an emo-rock-band, but just by listening to the very tense drum- and bass-sound you can guess, that it will get more chaotic soon. which it does. the song (“gravitas”), which is better than the KASSIOPEIA-songs by the way, was recorded in 1995 too.

#128: KASSIOPEIA - “s/t” in the mid- and late-90ies there were...

Sat, 12 May 2012 16:52:18 +0200

#128: KASSIOPEIA - “s/t”

in the mid- and late-90ies there were lots of “emo-violence”-bands in germany. they didn’t really have a homogeneous sound. but the kind of singing, the poetic lyrics and the emo-attitude was quite the same. this really made a difference to other scenes in other countries that were more violent or had more machismo. not that something like that wasn’t happening as well, but it was slightly different. KASSIOPEIA was one of those bands.

this 7”, that was recorded in 1995, is like a fanzine. between the cardboard-cover there are several pages full of personal texts, lyrics, political messages and some kind of poems. the whole thing is really well done.

the four songs have this kind of fragile-emo-feeling, but turn out really loud at the end. the screamed lyrics and all the guitar-/drum-work is some kind of german emo-violence - if you want to label or call it like that.

#127: JR EWING - “integritas.consonantia.claritas.” for me JR...

Fri, 11 May 2012 18:38:18 +0200

#127: JR EWING - “integritas.consonantia.claritas.”

for me JR EWING was a “live-band”. their shows - i’ve seen them at least three times (#1 “emo is evil”-festival at kafe kult in munich, #2 tüwi in vienna, #3 together with PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES at the chelsea in vienna) - were awesome. every single one. but i never listened to their records that much. and i don’t know why, actually. this 7” is very, very good! it reminds me a lot of DEADGUY, KISS IT GOODBYE and the late REFUSED. still some of my favourite hardcore-bands of all time.

there are four songs on “integritas.consonantia.claritas”. the lyrics-sheet even says: “integritas.consonantia.claritas - ad pulcritudinem tria requiuntur” (“three things are needed for beauty: wholeness, harmony and radiance” - actually it should be requiruntur. thanks to google for that, i never learned latin in school). it seems that JR EWING never took themselves too seriously. one of the best qualities of a band.

with the references given, you know how JR EWING sound like anyway. a very chaotic and tense sound with a strong voice. the lyrics to “hate me tender” are based on the song “love me tender” by ELVIS PRESLEY. but they are very hard to understand.

my lyric-sheet is hand-numbered, by the way. it says “2nd press 234/500”.

#126: JIMMY EAT WORLD/JEJUNE - “split” lots of people loved,...

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:37:22 +0100

#126: JIMMY EAT WORLD/JEJUNE - “split”

lots of people loved, really loved JEJUNE in the 90ies. i remember people crying in the audience during their show at the ekh here in vienna supporting KILL HOLIDAY. i like their songs too, but i never was that much into them.

the main reason i bought this (i guess at sacro egoismo here in vienna) were the two JIMMY EAT WORLD songs. “what sould i say to you now” is a pretty fast and hard song and “speed read” seems to be just a fragment of a very slow song. both are not the best JIMMY EAT WORLD songs, but it’s a great record anyway.

the two songs by JEJUNE (“early stars”, “that’s why she hates me”) have this special touch that really gets people just by hearing them for the first time. it’s just 90ies emo at it’s best - not too whiny and with a little indie-rock touch.

#125: JIMMY EAT WORLD/JEBEDIAH - “split” this release...

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 18:56:25 +0100

three 7"s...

...in one gatefold.

#125: JIMMY EAT WORLD/JEBEDIAH - “split”

this release wasnt’ cheap exactly and i still remember the discussions about the price. i don’t remember it anymore, but not cheap in punk-/hardcore-terms. i mean - there are three 7”s in one gatefold-cover. JIMMY EAT WORLD and JEBEDIAH or big wheel recreation did a very good job on the packaging. and there is red vinyl too. so those things legitimate a higher price somehow. and the 6 songs on the records are awesome too. so it’s a great release and i’m really happy that i got it. i think this was around 2000 or something like that.

JIMMY EAT WORLD contributed “the most beautiful things”, “no sensitivity” and “cautioners” - three songs that sound a lot like they sounded during the “clarity”-era, which for me, definitely was their best time. man, i loved this album. and somehow i still do, i guess, although i haven’t listened to it in a while. those three songs just got me on the wrong foot, i guess. now i’m getting melancholic.

JEBEDIAH from australia play some kind of an emo-indie-rock. their songwriting is okay, i guess. especially at live shows “animal”, “the less trusted pain remover” and “harpoon” could work out quite okay. but to be true: i’ve never heard of JEBEDIAH before this release and never heard anything after it.

#124: THE JAM - “when you’re young” no cover for this one....

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 18:07:49 +0100

#124: THE JAM - “when you’re young”

no cover for this one. and of course i can’t remember, where i bought it. but i guess it was very cheap. “when you’re young” on side a is a single-only release and “smithers-jones” on side b appears on the 1979-album “setting sons” as well - but in another version. all in all two quite solid, but more rock-driven THE JAM-songs. some more infos on wikipedia.

#123: THE JAM - “just who is the 5 o’clock...

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:30:34 +0100

#123: THE JAM - “just who is the 5 o’clock hero”

“just who is the 5 o’clock hero” is another great THE JAM-song that originally was released on the album “the gift”. the 7” was released in 1982 and on the b-side there’s a song called “the great depression”, which is okay as well. not more to say actually, because i don’t know where i bought this record. but it belonged to a carol j. once. at least her name is written on the sleeve and on the record. more about the single itself on wikipedia.

#122: THE JAM - “absolute beginners” THE JAM definitely are one...

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:32:33 +0100

#122: THE JAM - “absolute beginners”

THE JAM definitely are one of my favourite bands from the 70ies and 80ies. so i bought some cheap second hand 7”s quite regularly. i think i got this one in spain or in the u.k.

wikipedia reveals that “absolute beginners” is a non-album track that was released on october, 24th 1981. it sounds a lot like THE STYLE COUNCIL already, who formed shortly after that period. “tales from the riverbank” on the b-side has no horns and sounds like a typical THE JAM-ballad.

not their best single, but still good!

#121: INTRO TO AIRLIFT - “s/t” if you love CHISEL or TED LEO you...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:23:10 +0100

#121: INTRO TO AIRLIFT - “s/t”

if you love CHISEL or TED LEO you will like INTRO TO AIRLIFT as well. secretly canadian tells us that the three-piece outfit from bloomington, indiana was largely considered a mod band. and somehow that’s right. they sound a lot like an indie-band with mod-influences.

the five songs on this 7” were released in 1996 on red dawg records and really sound a lot like CHISEL. i feel the strong urge to listen to CHISEL right after finishing this review.

later on they released another 7” and a split cd with june panic on secretly canadian. in 2000 an anthology came out. i think i’ll try to get this somewhere.

the price tag on the plastic-sleeve (40,-) makes me believe that i bought this at sacro egoismo. maybe melanie or daniel recommended the record to me.

#120: INTOLERANCE - “aspectos humanos de la vida animal” most of...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:13:21 +0100

#120: INTOLERANCE - “aspectos humanos de la vida animal”

most of the 90ies-hardcore-bands from spain and italy sounded a little different to the stuff from the rest of europe. i’ve never figured out why. it really seems that they weren’t influenced from any trends from anywhere else. most of the bands had this political punk-/crust-touch and actually played not that kind of hardcore, i really liked. but i bought their 7”s anyway, as it seems.

INTOLERANCE from xixon, spain are a perfect example for that. 6 songs with lots of spanish lyrics (english translations are in the booklet) that sound all the same. only song #1 (“belleza canibal”) is a little different and not that bad. the rest isn’t really my thing.

#119: THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY - “plays abolish...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:31:07 +0100

#119: THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY - “plays abolish work”

when i’m listening to the really early stuff of THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY i have to think of THE MAKE-UP a lot. especially the two songs (“the first conspiracy”, “abolish work”) on the a-side have that kind of a touch. “a new language” on the b-side is already going into the 60ies-punk/garagerock direction. but again a great record.

the three songs were recorded in december 1999 and the record was released in 2000, i guess.