The Voids
Sounds of Failure, Sounds of Hope
Label: Doctor Strange Records
Release Date July 10, 2007

Adri - vocals
Mike - drums
Chris - guitar
Ruby - bass guitar

01. Money and Musica
02. Bad Dreams
03. Suburban Boredom
04. Disconnected
05. Fear
06. Grasping Hands
07. Are You Happy?
08. Romance and Heartbreak
09. Take It Back
10. Undone
11. Violent Nights
12. 24 Faces

This past Thursday night I hopped a train for San Diego to attend the San Diego Comic-Con, and to stir up some interest in next year’s Los Angeles Punk Con. We passed out over four hundred flyers, talked to a bunch of people. Rapped with David Finch, the artist of the latest Disturbed album covers. Stuff like that. Henry Rollins didn’t appear this year.

The absolute highlight of the four day trip was hanging out at Taang Records on 5th Avenue. The owner, Curtis gave us a punk history lesson like I had never heard, played us a bunch of old singles (Victims – Annette on Plan 9), and gave us run down on how he started the Taang label, and how the shops came to be. Great shop, if you’re in the area stop in and check the place out.

On to the review . . .

Vocally, and musically The Voids sound like a hybrid of 1980 L.A. Hardcore with a twist of Devo influence.

Musically, the group is really good, but my only problem with this album was the vocals, Adri sounds like Bret Michaels from Poison trying to sound like Jello Biafra from the Dead Kennedys.

The seventh track Are You Happy? is a Regan Youth cover.

Al in all a fun listen, check them out.

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: ** *** two out of five stars.

Suburban Boredom:
Download

Are You Happy?
Download

On a separate note, my Brother and I are going to be putting on the Los Angeles Punk Con next June 9, 2009. We have contacted, about, eight “big” names from the world of American punk, and as soon as we get some confirmations, we’ll announce the names; Henry Rollins is still a maybe until the beginning of the year. Glenn Danzig, Lee Ving and Jello Biafra have not responded. We have Lisa Fancher founder of Frontier Records, and Dr. Strange Records coming out, so make sure to browse their great selection of merchandise. Danny of Warning Label Records is trying to bring a couple of bands from his label. We are looking for vendors, and sponsors. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

Currently:
Reading: Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions and General Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski
Listening: Various Artists - Someone Got Their Head Kicked In!
Watching: The Dark Knight directed by Chris Nolan

What would another Sunday be without a complication of some kind. This week it appears that one of my charming children did something with my microphone that has caused it to stop working properly, unless sounding like you’re shouting through a really long tunnel can be considered working. Enjoy a Scott-free edition this week (and a short one to boot!). I’ll be hitting up stores this week in search of a mic replacement. Anyone have a recommendation?

Right Click To Download

Time: 45:10
File Size: 72.4MB

Tracks played:

01. Corrosion Of Conformity - Minds Are Controlled (Eye For An Eye)
02. George Moshington - 1,2,3,4 I Declare a Scene War (177-Fuck-You)
03. Chronic Sick - Blood Type X (Reagan Bands)
04. Wards - Six O’clock (The World Ain’t Pretty and Neither Are We)
05. Neon Christ - It’s Mine (2×7)
06. Condominium - Let’s Die (Hello Tomorrow EP)
07. Urban Waste - No Hope (No Hope EP)
08. Criminals - I Feel Funny (Never Been Caught)
09. No Pigs - Shoplifting (No Pigs EP)
10. Bark Hard - Beg Us to Stop (Bark Hard)
11. Zany Guys - Little Tuff Kid (Party Hits 2)
12. Lost Kids - Skrid (Født som Nul)
13. Forgotten Rebels - The Punks Are Alright (In Love With the System)
14. Descendents - I Wanna Be A Bear (Milo Goes To College)
15. Killdozer - Unbelievable (The Pig Was Cool 7″)
16. Voodoo Idols - Do The Kirk (Hyped To Death #32 compilation)
17. The Fun Things - Savage (The Fun Things EP)
18. DDT - People Are People (Broken Toy)
19. Forced Anger - Old Fart Drivers (Pent Up)
20. Piss Drunks - Good to Go (Urine Idiot)
21. Soulside - Punch the Geek (20 Years of Dischord compilation)
22. Eddie and the Subtitles - Zombie Drug Killers (Skeletons in the Closet)
23. Stimulators - Loud Fast Rules (single)
24. Insurgent Kid - Paranoia (Paranoia)
25. Crash Kills Five - Special School (What Do You Do At Night?)
26. My 3 Sons - People Who Bleed (New Jersey’s Got It compilation)
27. H2O - Nazi Punks Fuck Off (Anti-Racist Action Benefit compilation)
28. Dead Kennedy’s - Religious Vomit (Plastic Surgery Disasters)
29. Attak - Big Brother (Zombies)
30. The Pedestrians - American Town (Pedestrians EP)

Threats
God Is Not With Us Today
Label: Doctor Strange Records
Release: 2006

Jim Threat - Vocals, & Guitar
Gogsy Threat - Guitar
Dave Threat - Bass
Craigy Threat – drums

1 Live Fast Die by Mistake!! 00:13
2 Rotten 03:02
3 Bastards and Bitches 02:57
4 Greedy 02:03
5 No Time for It 02:47
6 Armchair Anarchist 03:08
7 B.F.F 02:01
8 Todays Youth 01:48
9 Oh Really! (I Don’t Think So!) 02:03
10 Believe 02:19
11 Time 02:34
12 Rejects 03:48
13 Iron Maiden 02:43
14 God is Not with Us Today!! 02:11
15 Untitled Track 03:54
16 Untitled Track 2 07:18

Back in September of 1978, after a year or so of idolizing all the Dogtown guys, my Father took my Brother and I down to Skatercross in Reseda and got us memberships; I was twelve, my Brother was eight.

One of the funniest things about Skatercross, was their application; at the age of thirty you qualified for a discount, because you were considered a senior citizen, my Father was thirty-two, he wasn’t amused. Another of the things I remember most about this application was the three categories “Novice,” “Intermediate,” and Pro.” I was horribly pissed, because my Dad checked “Novice” on mine. I remember freaking, asking my Dad “Why novice?” And he said “Because you are.” I was very disillusioned, hadn’t he seen me hop off of curbs? Grind along the edge of the sidewalk? Obviously, he knew nothing of skateboarding.

Skating into the starting point of Skatercross was frightening, you had your choice of going up to this two-story ramp, and skating down into the bowl at top speed or starting out at ground level. This was my first attempt at a skate park so I started at ground level just putting along as fast as I could go, and suddenly half a dozen kids come barreling down on me from the ramp, everybody’s screaming lookout to your right, lookout left, a few sailing over me via the bowls walls. It was crazy! My Brother and I skated for a few hours, until Dad scooped us up for dinner. I remember feeling very cool after that. Every street skater wants to attempt a park. I remember looking at pictures of Tony Alva airborne in skate parks in Santa Monica, wishing it was me (minus the crazy hair). So, for the next few months I showed everybody and their Momma my Skatercross membership card. I later acquired the nickname Mellow Cat (from Linda “Ziggy” Daniels) taken from the Skateboarder Magazine comic by Ted Richards.

Fast forward thirty years to July 2008, my four-year-old Son and I spent this past Sunday afternoon restoring an old Kryptonics skateboard I had. It was missing a wheel, bearings were rusted, screws and bolts were rusted. So, over the course of an afternoon I replaced the screws and bolts, put on new wheels and bearings, my Son, Lucas, put on the wheels, I just tightened them. Same kind of stuff I used to do with my Dad (when he had the patience) before we lost him in 2005. Eventually, everything comes full circle.

On to the review . . .

This album is definitely great skateboard music, pop this album on and find a pool, or ramp, and tear it up!

This is another one of the few times that I have popped on an album that I have never heard any of the songs from.

The Threats sound kind of like Motorhead if Lemmy had a smoother voice. The bass lines are great.

The song Greedy is kick ass, the guitar riffs sound real familiar (download it below). The Threats have a very cool old school UK punk sound (they were formed in 1978). Time is about the best song on the album.

Check out Dr. Strange’s website, they have this CD on sale for $8.00, for all fourteen songs. A good purchase.

Listen:

Time

Armchair Anarchist:

Video:
http://drstrange.com/info/threats_movie.html

On a separate note, my Brother and I are going to be putting on the Los Angeles Punk Con next June 9, 2009. We have contacted, about, eight “big” names from the world of American punk, and as soon as we get some confirmations, we’ll announce the names; Henry Rollins is still a maybe until the beginning of the year. We have Lisa Fancher founder of Frontier Records, and Dr. Strange Records coming out, so make sure to browse their great selection of merchandise. Danny of Warning Label Records is trying to bring a couple of bands from his label. We are looking for vendors, and sponsors. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: *** ** three out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Two Trains Running by Andrew Vachss
Listening: The Vandals - Peace through Vandalism
Watching: Grandma’s Boy directed by Nicholaus Goossen

Back to normal after missing the past two weeks. Requests or comments? Hit up the Contact section of StrangeReaction.com.

Right Click To Download

Time: 63:19
File Size: 72.5MB

Tracks played:
01. Sons Of Ishmael - Do Something Radical (Mimsy With the Borogoves)
02. Schlong - Jet Song (Punk Side Story)
03. Chinese Millionaires - Spoiled Rotten (Detroit Double Cross)
04. Blood Vessels - Catholic Zombies (Blood Vessels)
05. Terminal State - Your Rules (Your Rules EP)
06. Blanks 77 - Max Alert (Speed)
07. Smiley Kids - Bomb the Hill (Don’t Get Bored)
08. Virus Nine - 77 Threat (What Are You Afraid Of?)
09. Betrayed - The City Lights (Substance)
10. Bullet Lavolta - Because You’re Mine (Bullet Lavolta)
11. Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl (singles)
12. Ashley Von Hurter and the Haters - You Really Shouldn’t Have (EP)
13. The Vicious - Walking Dead (Alienated)
14. Nojons - Living With the Living Dead (Night of The Nojons)
15. Killroy - D-Generation (99 Bottles EP
16. Flipper - Ha Ha Ha (Sex Bomb Baby)
17. Section 8 - Fat, Drunk, & Stupid (Not So Quiet On the Western Front)
18. The Derelicts - Dirty City, Rotten Life (Going Out of Style)
19. Secret Hate - First Straw (Pop Cult Vomit)
20. Out With a Bang - Punches in the Face (I’m Against It)
21. The Business - Smash The Discos (The Singles Collection)
22. Picture Frame Seduction - Old Soldiers (Stop the Bloody Slaughter)
23. Necros - Bad Dream (Conquest For Death)
24. Red Beret - I Can’t Take It (You Can’t Argue With Sucksess compilation)
25. Jerry’s Kids - Bad Trip (Kill Kill Kill)
26. The Sick - Aware (Killing My Hope)
27. Strike Out - Strike Out (Embrace)
28. Terremoto Party - Kids In America (Punk Chartbusters Volume 1 compilation)
29. Terveet Kädet - Star Wars Game (The Horse)
30. The Mob - Upset the System (We Come To Crush)

Whatever
Youngsters
Producer: Bill Korecky
Released: July 15, 1997
Dr. Strange Records

Ben E. Wrecked - Guitar, &, Vocals
Mike Slapface - Bass, & Background Vocals
M. Fish – Drums & Background Vocals

1 Something New 2:45
2 Nothing to Say 2:08
3 Seek and Annoy 3:19
4 Me Against the World 3:31
5 I Can’t Forget 2:39
6 Happy Face 1:53
7 200 Gibson 2:21
8 Ruby Tuesday 2:12
9 Dog 2:18
10 Ratboy 1:41
11 I Want to Be 2:18
12 I Never Needed You 2:13
13 Peterman 2:00
14 Loser’s Theme/Conclusion 4:40

Back in August of 1980 a band called Jethro Tull put out an album called A. When it came out I thought nothing of it, I just vaguely remember seeing the album cover in an ad in, maybe, Creem magazine of something. Well, a month or two later I was at my Uncle Rick’s place, and Rick came walking into the kitchen wearing a white dress shirt with a big red anarchy symbol painted on the back. Rick had created a stencil out of cardboard, and painted this thing on the back. It looked cool as heck. The only problem was . . . I didn’t know, at the age of fourteen, what the hell anarchy was. So, in my ignorance, I ask Rick, kind of disappointed, do you like Jethro Tull? He answers, no it’s anarchy. I, again, answer stupidly, I’ve never heard of them. At this point Rick sits me down, explains the theories of Crass, the meaning of the Black Flag, and how anarchy isn’t truly chaos. It’s a concept of self-governing, the concept of elected government and man’s laws being eradicated. Probably, the deepest conversation I had had at this point in my young life, next to my Father’s very bizarre version of the facts of life that I received two years earlier.

Fast forward two years, 1982. I am wearing a sleeveless t-shirt that Rick had made for me. It was a huge anarchy symbol on the front of the shirt. Rick had used the stencil twice. Sprayed it with red first, let it dry, and then sprayed it with black. It was cool, the black symbol, and it looked like it had a red shadow around it. Anyway, I’m walking to lunch and this long-haired rocker dude walks by me, looks at me and scrunches his face up and says “You like Jethro Tull?” Unfortunately, I didn’t have the patience that my Uncle had with me, so, I said “Hell yeah, Jethro Tull Rocks!” And long-haired kid walked away very confused.

On to the review . . .

This is one of the few times that I have popped on an album that I have never heard anything about. Well, I was reading the press comments about Whatever, and they were described as sounding like old Social Distortion . . . well, do you need to hear more in order to grab this album? In all honesty, they are a great blending of The Offspring and Social Distortion, with a pinch of Bad Religion, a real clean, hard sound. Love it. They do a kick ass version of Ruby Tuesday. The Stone’s music always converts well to punk. Check out Dr. Strange’s website, they have this CD on sale for $1.00, for all fourteen songs.

What are you waiting for? Look in your ashtrays, in between your seats, hell I’ll put in a dime on it for you, order it!

You can download the first track, Something New, from Dr. Strange’s site.

Something New (right click to save)

On a separate note, my Brother and I are going to be putting on the Los Angeles Punk Con next June 9, 2009. We have contacted, about, eight “big” names from the world of American punk, and as soon as we get some confirmations, we’ll announce the names; Henry Rollins is still a maybe until the beginning of the year. We have Lisa Fancher founder of Frontier Records, and Dr. Strange Records coming out, so make sure to browse their great selection of merchandise. Danny of Warning Label Records is trying to bring a couple of bands from his label. We are looking for vendors, and sponsors. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: **** * four out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Post Office by Charles Bukowski
Listening: Dag Nasty - Minority of One
Watching: Strange Wilderness directed by Fred Wolf

I was all set to do a brand new show this week, and then I pretty much completely lost my voice. I’m a raspy, high-pitched, squeaky mess at the moment thanks to a severe allergy attack. That of course means… no new show this week.

This show was originally “broadcast” on February 24, 2007. Enjoy!

Right Click To Download
Time: 60:39
File Size: 83.2MB

Tracks played:

01. The Bags - We Will Bury You (No Excess Bagisms)
02. Active Ingredients - Service With a Smile (Bringing Down the Big Boys)
03. Angry Samoans - Pictures of matchstickmen (Return to Samoa)
04. Lethal Yellow - Velveeta (Declaration of Retardation)
05. Bedlam Hour - Get Off (the Drugs) (Rock the Cradle)
06. Crucial Youth - Positive Dental Outlook (Singles Going Straight compilation)
07. The Essentials - Johnny (Fast Music In a Slow Town single)
08. Plugz - Let Go (Electrify Me)
09. Tools - Hard Wark (single)
10. Second Wind - Above Us All (Security)
11. Thought Criminals - More Suicides Please (Food For Thought Criminals)
12. BVD - Look Out the Cops (Killed By Epitaph)
13. D.O.A. - Rent a Riot (Lost Tapes)
14. Vomit Thrower - Dying Breed (2004 Demo)
15. Anti - Club Me Like A Baby Seal (The Hardcore Years compilation)
16. Graven Image - Close Your Eyes (Kicked Out of the Scene)
17. Quincy Punx - Murder At The Senior Prom (Stuck On Stupid)
18. Society Dog - The Baby Is Dead (Off the Leash)
19. Pandemonium - No Reaction (Who the Fuck Are You?)
20. Derelicts - My Dad’s a Fucking Alcoholic (Beer Bier Beer)
21. Sector 4 - White House (We Can’t Help It If We’re From Florida)
22. False Prophets - Good Clean Fun (single)
23. Legion of Parasites - Party Time (Undesirable Guests EP)
24. Feederz - Bionic Girl (Ever Feel Like Killing Your Boss)
25. Sneaky Pinks - Life Stupid I Stupid (I Can’t Wait single)
26. M.O.T.O. - All Set (Kill M.O.T.O.)
27. Gutbomb - Blanket Party (2002 Demo)
28. Upright Citizens - Long Songs (Make the Future Mine and Yours)
29. AK47 - The Badge Means You Suck (single)
30. Wards - Fear the Government (Don’t Make U.S. Shoot the Pershing II)

Various Artists
Tribute to the Oi!
Producer: Various
Released: January 09, 2007
LibéRula Barriguda Records

Agnostic Front
Awkward Thought
Blind System
Blood for Blood
Brightside
Cromag, Harley & Friends
Death Threat
Dropkick Murphy’s
Hardsell
Ignite
Kill Your Idols
Madball
Murphy’s Law
Powerhouse
Roger Miret & the Disasters
Ryker’s
Second Chance NL
Sick Of It All
Son of Bronto
Stampin’ Ground
Stigmata
Tech-9
Ultima Thule

1. Blind System - If the Kids Are United (Sham 69) 3:38
2. Powerhouse - Maniac Peter and the Test Tube Babies 2:18
3. Roger Miret and the Disasters - Voice Of a Generation (Blitz) 2:10
4. Agnostic Front - Take’em All (Cock Sparrer) 2:46
5. Son of Bronto - Last Night another Soldier (Angelic Upstarts) 2:13
6. Awkward Thought - G.L.C. (Menace) 2:23
7. Brightside - One Law for Them (The 4 Skins) 2:48
8. Ultima Thule - The Power & the Glory (Cockney Rejects) 3:21
9. Cromag, Harley & Friends - Freedom (Last Resort) 4:08
10. Kill Your Idols - Work Together (The Oppressed) 3:00
11. Madball - Blind Justice (The Business) 2:22
12. Hardsell - Take the Blame (Vicious Rumor) 3:07
13. Second Chance NL - Stark Raving Normal (The Blood) 3:23
14. Ignite - The Jinx (Peter and the Test Tube Babies) 2:55
15. Dropkick Murphy’s - Hey Little Rich Boy (Sham 69) 1:33
16. Ryker’s - Never Surrender (Blitz) 1:43
17. Tech-9 - Sorry (The 4 Skins) 2:58
18. Stampin’ Ground - Where Have All the Bootboys Gone (Slaugther & the Dogs) 3:16
19. Blood for Blood - Never ‘Ad Nothin (Angelic Upstarts) 3:03
20. Sick of It All - Rip Off (Cockney Rejects) 1:11
21. Stigmata - Violence (Combat 84) 1:41
22. Murphy’s Law - Drinking and Driving (The Business) 3:10
23. Roger Miret & the Disasters - England Belongs To Me (Cock Sparrer) 2:51
24. Blood for Blood - Ultra Violence (The Oppressed) 2:07
25. Death Threat - King of the Jungle (Last Resort) 3:07

In 1992, after training for about six months I was offered my first amateur boxing match, I was twenty-six years old. I had been working for about three years for a big insurance company in Woodland Hills, and all the office politics and gossip was starting to get to me. It may sound slightly chauvinistic, but the whole environment seemed very unmanly. It was a company that rewarded its employees on kissing up and ratting out their coworkers. For the first two years I played the game, perfect attendance, massive overtime, but into my third year I wrote a proposal for a new unit to handle reports, they turned it down, then three months later they started the unit asked me to be in it, and denied I had anything to do with its creation.

So, I needed an outlet, I had tried kung fu and kickboxing, but I grew bored. My Dad recommended this boxing trainer Mort Lehr; he had trained along side Rocky Marciano and many others. From my first day I got into the gym I loved it. No BS, and the smell of old leather was, for some reason, appealing to me (and I’m straight). I begged Lehr from my first day for a chance to fight. But nothing until I got the basics down (this was so Karate Kid). So, I trained in and out of the gym. We had an Everlast bag in the garage that I worked out on, and occasionally an irate drunk in a club would also provide training for me.

After the six months, my couch paired me with the best amateur in the state, in my weight class. I asked him why this guy? My first fight and he’s ranked the best?! He said if I was serious about this I’d win. We both got taped up and had our hands inspected, gloves would be put on in twenty minutes. I went to the back of the gym and watch my opponent spar and warm up. He never broke a sweat. He was about six foot three or four; I was about five foot eleven and a half. He had that Thomas Hearns build, same weight, but lanky and tall. My stomach was in knots. I went into the bathroom, and started punching the wall, I sort of, blacked out, and when my couch came to get me I had left about twelve large holes in the wall. He rushed me out of there, and the official put my gloves on and checked my tape.

I was convinced that I wouldn’t be able to get in close to this guy and he’d beat my head in, and my couch would refuse to train me and I’d be finished. But five seconds into the first round I put my gloves up to cover my face and went under his arms and in my hurry to rush in I accidentally stepped on his foot, so when I swung with a right cross, he couldn’t balance himself, and fell eight seconds into the match. He got up and took the count.

The ref waved us on, I hit him in the ribs, he bent down, I swung with another right cross to the face, and instead of pulling back he came forward so my hand, as it was coming back to my side, hit him again in the same place, just opposite direction. The first punch, he snotted himself, basically a phlegm party on his face. The second (my hand coming back across his face) punch blood sprayed. He was lights out thirty seconds into the first round.

I told my couch about the stepping on the foot and the second punch that was a back swing, Lehr said “if the ref didn’t call it, it didn’t happen.” So, I won my first fight legal or not. I’ll say now, the best gym music was always the first TSOL release, the first Bad Religion album and the first Guns ‘n Roses album (even if you don’t like Guns, you can’t dispute the energy on that first album).

On to the review . . .

You can’t really go wrong with this selection of songs. Anybody doing Blitz is OK in my book. Roger Miret & the Disasters is one of my favorite discoveries of the past five years or so. I picked up their My Riot album a couple of years back and dug them, so you get a bonus cut of them on here.

On a separate note, my Brother and I are going to be putting on a convention next June (2009), officially titled the Los Angeles Punk Con. We have contacted, about, eight “big” names from the world of American punk, and as soon as we get some confirmations, we’ll announce the names; Henry Rollins is still a maybe until the beginning of the year. We have Lisa Fancher & Frontier Records, and Dr. Strange Records coming out, so make sure to browse their great selection of merchandise. We are looking for vendors, and sponsors. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con AT gmail.com.

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: * **** four out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Flood by Andrew Vachss
Listening: Secret Affair - Glory Boys
Watching: The Decline of Western Civilization directed by Penelope Spheeris

Tis review was the latest submission from Mike E. When he’s not writing articles about compilation CD’s, he manages an online comic book store. Visit him at Web Comics and give the man some well-earned cash.

I’m out for vacation this week, sorry to the rest of the World who don’t get long weekends this time of year. This show was originally put online on July 8, 2007.

This was one of the shows I made when my microphone decided that duplicating my voice would be awesome. As my microphone doesn’t have a brain, it was incorrect.

Thanks as always for any feedback given to the podcast.

Right Click To Download

Time: 55:42
File Size: 76.4MB

Tracks played:
01. Time To Escape - Wasted Time (Demo)
02. Seizure Crypt - Where The Bodies Are Buried (Hello, My Name Is… Madness)
03. Lights Out - Level (Overload)
04. Army Of Jesus - Priest Vomits Blood (Rats In the Walls)
05. Rosemary’s Babies - I’m Gonna Be Sick (Blood Lust)
06. Harpoon Guns - Hey Man (Self-Titled)
07. B.G.K. - Arms Race (A Dutch Feast)
08. Outpatients - Balloon Head (Outpatients)
09. Guttermouth - Encyclopedia Brown (Gorgeous)
10. INDK - Sunday Bombs (Kill Whitey!)
11. Prefects - Escort Girls (Are Amateur Wankers)
12. Warsaw - Warsaw (Warsaw boot)
13. Viletones - Possibilities (Screaming Fist)
14. Eater - Thinkin’ Of The USA (single)
15. Bayonettes - Let It Go (We’re Doomed EP)
16. Tipper’s Gore - Normal By Now (First Four Months)
17. Chronic Sick - Dress Code (Cutest Band In Hardcore)
18. Urban Waste - No Hope (EP)
19. Negative Trend - Mannequin (The Pop Sessions)
20. Teengenerate - Kicked Out Of The Webelos (Get Action)
21. Bad Brains - Jah People (Build a Nation)
22. The Audio Rapists - The Ballad Of Trent Lott
23. Hour of the Wolf - Deaths Coming (Power of the Wolf)
24. Warkrime - Suburban Suicide (Give War a Chance EP)
25. Brutal Knights - Worst City (Pleasure Is All Thine)
26. Yummy Fur - Policeman (single)
27. Hatepinks - My City Is Sick Of Pizza (Tete Malade/Sick In the Head)
28. Thee Stash - We’re Selling Jeans For the USA (single)
29. The Stooges - Greedy Awful People (The Weirdness)
30. Youth Brigade - Somebody’s Gonna Get (Their Head Kicked In) (Out Of Print)

Loud Fast Rules
Issue: 8
Released: February 27, 2008

Featured bands:
Dropkick Murphys
Misfits
Clorox Girls
McRad
Tiger Army
Fletcher from Pennywise
The Best Albums Of 1983
A Zillion Others

Back in 1981, when I started the tenth grade, I would wear my hair spiked up in a Darby from Decline/ Sid Vicious type style. I thought it was great. Anyway, right after first period I had what was called “home room,” which you had to attend or you would be marked absent for the day, so I made that class even if I missed everything else that day. In my homeroom I was one of about, maybe five white kids in the class. The classmates of other ethnic backgrounds weren’t particularly fond of the punk look, music or attitude, and they were kind enough to remind me daily. There was one girl who sat in the front of the class named Veronica; Veronica seemed to be the ringleader of the class. She was a “chola,” hair very short, all her clothes were black and gray, and she was deep into the life. Anyway, I was fifteen at the this time, and my Uncle Rick had just bought a Siberian Husky which he named Lobo, which I didn’t know at the time, but it was Spanish for Wolf. After I found out the meaning of Lobo, I saw it tagged all over town.

So, about a week into the first semester of the year Veronica was ranting about punk sucking, and I decided to pull a prank, I told her “I guess you don’t know about me?!” She stopped and said What? I told her that all the Vatos know me around here, they tag my name all over town. She looked kind of startled, and again with What? I explained because of my spiked hair, I resembled a wolf. That people only knew me by reputation. That I have snuck through neighborhoods, and taken on whole gangs, and all people were able to say was “El Lobo.”

Veronica started asking, which gang, which neighborhood, so I rattled off everything I could remember seeing tagged on the walls, and what neighborhoods I saw this stuff. She just smiled and shook her head. I guess it all checked out. She asked if I could tag, I said I didn’t need to, everyone else tagged my name. The next morning she gave me the alphabet in the cholo tag style. I thanked her, and said next time I go out prowling, I’d leave my name “El Lobo.” This pleased her. The following week she left a letter on my desk, assigning me to a gang called “Pacas 13,” I don’t know if that meant I was in the gang or they were sponsoring me or what, but when I was done reading it, I looked over at Veronica and she just nodded. The bottom of the letter was funny; it basically claimed I was not Black or Mexican, but a White Guy.

This El Lobo story started to take on chuppacabras-like proportions by mid-semester. I’d walk through the halls and all the Hispanic guys that were hanging against the walls would stop talking and stare at me as I walked by. At the beginning of the second semester a cholo named Tony came up to me and handed me a two-sided piece of notebook paper, and all he said was “here,” I have no idea what it says, other than that “BVN” is great and Van Nuys is the cool gang. I took the paper from him and nodded, and walked off. I gave it to Veronica the next morning (as she was my recruiting officer) and she was impressed. She explained that this was like their business card, explaining who they were and in a roundabout way they were seeing if I was interested. I never approached them or discussed it. I was into punk; I wasn’t ready to live as El Lobo fulltime.

I saw a picture of Veronica in 1994; she got out of the life, and really looks good. She had one or two kids, and did all right for herself. And El Lobo hasn’t been seen since 1984.

Let’s talk about the magazine . . .

This magazine is by far the best “punk” zine I’ve read sine the early days of Flipside. I used to dig Slash, Flipside, and We Got Power was fun, never a big fan of Maximum Rock & Roll. But Loud Fast Rules is fun, interviews, reviews, pictures, the only thing missing is the long droning letters complaining about the scene, otherwise it could very well be a continuation of Flipside, I take that back . . .most of us spent years reading those whiny letters, Loud Fast Rules did us a favor by leaving the letters out.

On a separate note, my Brother and I are going to be putting on a convention next June (2009), officially titled the Los Angeles Punk Con. We have contacted, about, eight “big” names from the world of American punk, and as soon as we get some confirmations, we’ll announce the names, Mike Ness, unfortunately, declined, and Henry Rollins can’t confirm until the beginning of the year. We are looking for vendors, and sponsors. As we get closer to the date, we will be accepting DVD’s from some local talent to perform. Check out the site, http://lapunkcon.com. Any questions, feel free to write: punk.con@gmail.com.

If you get the chance to get a copy of this, go get it.

Rating: ***** five out of five stars.

Currently:
Reading: Notes of a Dirty Old Man by Charles Bukowski
Listening: The Vandals - Peace through Vandalism
Watching: The Incredible Hulk directed by Louis Leterrier

This was the latest post from Mike E. If you’re going to be in LA next summer (or can get there), check out the convention he’s putting together:

I put this week’s show together at 160kbit instead of the usual 190. Let me know if you think it actually makes a difference to use the higher bitrate, I’d be curious to see if anyone can tell the difference.

Right Click To Download

Time: 60:01
File Size: 68.7MB

Tracks played:

01. Reprobates - Failure (Stress EP)
02. B.G.K. - Freeze Me (A Dutch Feast)
03. Contaminators - Closet Junkie (No Friends EP)
04. Brain Handle - Shit Pizza (Brain Handle EP)
05. Adrenalin O.D. - Suburbia (Sittin’ Pretty)
06. Beat Beat Beat - I’m A Disease (Living In the Future)
07. The Forgotten - We Got the Numbers (The Forgotten)
08. D.O.A. - Agony And The Ecstasy (Live Free Or Die)
09. Boils - The Life For Me (The Orange and the Black)
10. Hard Ons - All Washed Up (Dickcheese)
11. Fucked Up - Dangerous Fumes (single)
12. American Dream - False Accusation (Identity Crisis)
13. Iron Cross - I Don’t Love You Anymore (Crucified For Our Sins)
14. Partners In Crime - I Hate Your Guts (No Big Deal EP)
15. Bratbeaters - When I’m Dead And Gone (This Ain’t Plastic Music)
16. Civic Progress - Straight Teeth (Disposable EP)
17. Deep Sleep - Alone With You (You’re Screwed)
18. Total Abuse - The Same (Sex Pig EP)
19. Warkrime - Leader (Get Loose)
20. Untouchables - Nic Fit (Flex Your Head compilation)
21. Token Entry - The Bright Side (Jaybird)
22. Sleeper Cell - Terminal (Sleeper Cell)
23. The Sick - We Will (Killing My Hope)
24. Time To Escape - Blood’s Not Thick Enough (2005 Demo)
25. Send More Paramedics - Funeral (Tales Told by Dead Men split with Zombie Apocalypse)
26. The Horrors - Sheena Is A Parasite (Strange House)
27. The Ape Shits - Couch Surfing (La Pollution Culturelle)
28. Sneaky Pinks - Life Stupid, I Stupid (Sneaky Pinks EP)
29. April March and The Makers - I’m Alone (April March Sings Along With The Makers)
30. Yum Yum Tree - T.V. Dinner (Riot Up Your Ass)

If you like the show and want to buy the host a beer, tips are appreciated but not expected.