Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/03/09

I'm a few weeks behind on posting this, but on November 3rd, Like Rats came in and played a set live on Harsh Distractions. Here's what was played in addition to their set.

Hour 1
Hour 2

1. Chapterhouse – Breather - Whirlpool (INTRO MUSIC)
2. The Disaster - Cholera Asiatica And I Have Bullet Wounds For Eyes - Holy Ghost Can Suck It - 2003
3. On The Might Of Princes Go Fuck Yrself – Sirens - 2003
4. Polvo - Can I Ride - Cor-Crane Secret 1992
5. Sun Airway - Waiting on You - Oh, Naoko EP - 2009
6. Henry's Dress - Can't Make It Move - Henry's Dress/Rocketship Split 7" - 1996
7. Scotia Widows - Night In LA – Demo 2009
8. His Hero Is Gone - ...And We Burn - Fifteen Counts Of Arson - 1997
9. Down In Flames - I Don't Care That I'm Falling Apart - Down In Flames/Tear It Up Split - 2001
10. Colleen - I'll read you a story - The Golden Morning Breaks - 2005
11. Lake – Gravel - Let's Build A Roof - 2009
12. Group Home - Serious Rap Shit - Livin' Proof - 1995
13. The Saturday People - California Girls - The Saturday People - 2001
14. Cold As Life - Little From The World - Born To Land Hard - 1999
15. Unrest - Yes She Is My Skinhead Girl - Yes She Is My Skinhead Girl 7" - 1990
16. Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) - Singles 45's and Under - 1982
17. Dead Swans - Thinking of You – Sleepwalkers - 2009
18. Altercation - Friends Like These - Demo #2 -1987
19. Punch in the Face - Sector 7g - S/T 7" - 2002
20. Blacklist - Blue Shifted – Solidaire – 2007
21. Marva Whitney – It’s My Thing
22. Shudder to Think – Earthquakes Come Home – Pony Express Record
23. Black Breath – Beneath the Crust – Razor to Oblivion

Raw Nerve - Teens in Heat EP

If you've read hardcore/punk blogs or messageboards within the past year at all, chances are that you've heard about Raw Nerve. Most of the initial attention they received came from the mystery surrounding them and the fact that Youth Attack would be releasing a R/N record before they'd even really done anything. However, there is nothing wrong with keeping things interesting and presenting yourself in a creative way, especially when you have the songs to back it up. Musically, Raw Nerve plays raging, noisy hardcore that often reminds me of Void because of their use of mid-riff "solos" and delay effects. Singer Ralph Rivera has perfectly snotty vocal delivery that carries the four songs (including an X-Ray Spex cover) here. This band makes me really excited about current hardcore and I'm psyched to see what they do next.

This 7" was limited to 300 copies and sold out in a matter of days, so if you didn't have a chance to grab a copy, you can now at least have the songs. Enjoy!

Also, if you didn't check out their live set on my radio show, you can download it here.

Raw Nerve - Teens in Heat EP

Harsh Distractions Playlist 10/27/09

Here is the October 27, 2009 episode of Harsh Distractions.

Hour 1
Hour 2

Chapterhouse - Breather – Whirlpool (intro music)
1. Youth Of Today - Flame Still Burns - We're Not in This Alone
2. Portastatic - I Wanna Know Girls - Bright Ideas
3. Minutemen - History Lesson - Part II - Double Nickels on the Dime
4. The Mayfair Set - Cease to Be - Young One
5. Blitz - Criminal Damage - Voice Of A Generation
6. Sex Vid - Dead Ends – Demo
7. No I.D. - State to State - Accept Your Own & Be Yourself
8. Breaker Breaker - Sound Check #2 - Out Of Service
9. The Heist - My Point – Demo
10. Madball - Pride (Time are Changing) - Demonstrating My Style
11. Grouper - Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping - Dragging a Dead Deer Up A Hill
12. Pedestrians - Deal of the Century – Demo
13. Mineral - Gloria - The Power Of Failing
14. Biohazard - Urban Discipline - Urban Discipline
15. Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks – Veckatimest
16. Young Governor -You're So Sad - Hidden Love EP
17. Wet Hair - When the Right Time Comes Glass Fountain
18. X – Sex and Dying in High Society – Los Angeles
19. New Sweet Breath – Shine - Acceleration & Distortion
20. Bad Business - What Are The Chances - Rare & Unreleased
21. Man Overboard – Dreaming - Hung Up On Nothing EP
22. Adorable - A To Fade In - Against Perfection
23. Young Marble Giants - Salad Days - Colossal Youth
24. Carry On – Waiting on Forever – A Life Less Plagued
25. Clipse – Comedy Central – Lord Willin’
26. Pulp - Disco 2000 - Different Class
27. The Primitives - Stop Killing Me - Lovely
28. Tsunami – Skinny - Deep End
29. Shark Attack – Feeding Frenzy – Demo
30. Sugar – Changes – Copper Blue
31. Jerry's Kids - Build Me A Bomb - Is This My World?

Fall Mix 2009

We've had a fairly prolonged fall in Chicago compared to the past few years. Usually, it lasts for about 2-3 weeks between the extreme heat and extreme cold, but it's been long and in spite of early onset SAD, it's been pleasant. Here is a mix to set the mood of the season, posted just before the cold sets in.


01. The American Analog Set - Born On The Cusp
02. The Babies - Meet Me In The City
03. Lake - Gravel
04. New Sweet Breath - Shine
05. Josef K - Sorry For Laughing
06. Black Math - Reckless Thoughts
07. The Sunday Reeds - 2000 & Something
08. Beulah - Silver Lining
09. Telefon Tel Aviv - I lied
10. Chris Walla - St. Modesto
11. The Beach Boys - Aren't You Glad
12. Vivian Girls - Lake House
13. Swearing At Motorists - One More Next Time
14. Giant Drag - Slayer
15. Sleep Out - Ross Sea Party
16. Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
17. White Hinterland - Icarus
18. Therese Aune - I Tend To

Fall Mix 2009

Running - Demo Cassette

Here is the debut cassette from Chicago's Running. I wasn't sure what to expect when Matthew was telling me about his new band, but the songs here are fast, blown-out punk tunes that are heavy in a non-bro way. It's noisy and lo-fi with the vocals buried deep in the mix, but when they come through it sounds pissed. I'm excited to see them live in the near future when they inevitably play some harsh noise show featuring a dude spraying an aerosol can into a microphone through an effects pedal. Check it out.

Running - Demo Cassette

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 10/20/09

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro)
01. Girls - Lust For Life - Girls 2009
02. The One AM Radio - Witness - A Name Writ in Water 2004
03. Harm's Way - Warriors Will Reign - Reality Approaches – 2009
04. Against the Wall - Burning Identify - Me 7" 1988
05. Trash Talk - Birth Plague Die - Trash Talk – 2008
06. The Sound - Words Fail Me - Jeopardy 1980
07. Thee Oh Sees - I Can't Get No – Help - 2009
08. Seam - Get Higher - The Pace Is Glacial – 1998
09. (Smog) - I Break Horses - Accumulation: None 2002
10. Treason – Altamont – Demo – 2003
11. Chris Walla - St. Modesto - Field Manual 2008
12. Some Girls - The Rains – The Rains 7” – 2002
13. On Various Days - Between Time - Demo – 2009
14. Grass Widow - Thirsty Again - Grass Widow EP – 2009
15. Epic45 - Ghosts On Tape - In All The Empty Houses – 2009
16. Vivian Girls - Can't Get Over You - Everything Goes Wrong 2009
17. Chain Of Strength - Just How Much? - True Till Death 7” – 1988
18. First To Leave - Drag the Lake - Forging a Future – 2007
19. Sheer Terror - Here to Stay - Just Can't Hate Enough – 1990
20. The Postmarks - Winter Spring Summer Fall - The Postmarks – 2007
21. Slices - Coping Mechanism Slices 7" – 2009
22. The Mary Onettes - Lost – S/T – 2007
23. Cult Ritual - Failed – LP – 2009
24. Cock Sparrer - We're Coming Back - Shock Troops – 1982
25. The Daysleepers - Stereo Honey - The Soft Attack EP – 2006
26. The Hope Conspiracy - Greed Taught - True Nihilist – 2009
27. Deep Wound - Sick of Fun - Almost Complete 2006
28. The Estranged - Don't They Know - Static Thoughts – 2008
29. James Mercer - Gone for Good – Live Radio Set
30. Knife Fight - Open Your Eyes – 7” – 2002
31. Sunday's Best - Sons of the Second String - Sons of the Second String 7" – 1999
32. Teenage Cool Kids - Awkward Type of Girl - Queer Salutions 2007
33. Cursive – The Radiator Hums – Domestica - 2000

Hour 1
Hour 2

I'm this weeks guest blogger on Primitive Future.

My friend Todd asked me to make a mix for his blog Primitive Future. Head over there and check it out! The songs are very weather appropriate (at least if you live in Chicago).

Hate on Harsh Distractions - 10/06/09

Last night Hate came on the show and played a set live in the studio. We had some technical difficulties so the show started WAY later than it should have, but in the end I think things turned out well.

Harsh Distractions - 10/06/09 - Hour 1 with Hate

Harsh Distractions - 10/06/09 - Hour 2 with Hate


Chapterhouse – Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
01. Failures - I've Done Unspeakable Things Again – Failures – 2008
02. Crowbar - Like Broken Glass - Broken Glass – 1996
03. Swearing At Motorists - One More Next Time - Number Seven Uptown – 2000
04. Horror Show - Stuck Again – Demo – 2002
05. Kings Of Convenience - Mrs. Cold - Declaration of Dependence – 2009
06. Superchunk - Phone Sex - Here's To Shutting Up – 2001
07. Let's Get Invisible - Kabrit Sans Cor - Three Little Bones EP - 2009
08. Vaccine - Demo
09. Charles Manson - Arkansas - Lie: The Love and Terror Cult
10. Hate - Spreading Infection - Crimes 7"
11. Berzerker - Spare Parts - The Reawakening

Harsh Distractions Playlist 9/29/09

Last week my friend Joel came on the show and we chatted about music. There was no overwhelming theme going into it, but a lot of the songs have kind of an end of summer/fall vibe to them. Perhaps we're just products of our environment now that the weather in Chicago is cooling down. Here's what we played, download links are below.

Harsh Distractions - 9/29/09 - Hour 1
Harsh Distractions - 9/29/09 - Hour 2

Owen - Good Friends, Bad Habits - New Leaves
01. Amusement Parks On Fire - In Our Eyes - Young Fight
02. Renee Heartfelt – Sirens – Death of the Ghost
03. Califone - Funeral Singers - All My Friends Are Funeral Singers
04. Page France– Say Wolf in the Summertime – Pear EP
05. The Raveonettes - Gone Forever - In and Out of Control
06. ...And you will know us by the Trail of Dead – How Near, How Far – Source Tags and Codes
07. Mew -Why Are You Looking Grave?(feat. J Mascis) - And the Glass Handed Kites
08. Catfish Haven - Tell Me - Tell Me
09. The Magnetic Fields - Old Fools - Distortion
10. Babyshambles – Fuck Forever – Down in Albion
11. A Place to Bury Strangers - In Your Heart - Exploding Head
12. American Analog Set – Born on the Cusp – Set Free
13. Pavement - Gold Soundz - Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
14. The Promise Ring – Forget Me – Nothing Feels Good
15. My Bloody Valentine - Come In Alone - Loveless
16. New Buffalo – I’ve Got You and You’ve got Me – The Last Beautiful Day
17. Owen - Good Friends, Bad Habits - New Leaves

Hate - Demo's

Tomorrow on my radio show Harsh Distractions, Chicago hardcore band Hate will be playing some songs live in the studio. They released 7" entitled Crimes on their own label Vanthrax Records a few months ago that is fantastic. The songwriting is a bit more varied than these demos and a giant step forward in them becoming more than just a project band. Definitely pick it up. Here are their first three demos for your listening pleasure. Tune in tomorrow from 7-9pm CST on Fearless Radio and click 'Listen Now.'

HATE - I


HATE - II


HATE - III