Harsh Distractions

Owen - Live At The Beat Kitchen, Chicago, IL (09-18-2009 Late Show)

2011-03-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

This live recording captures 1 of 2 full band Owen shows to celebrate the release of New Leaves. He and the band play a good mix of songs spanning the entire Owen catalog and though they didn't play a few of my favorites, it was a great show. Check it out!

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Archers of Loaf - Live at Cat's Cradle (Reunion Show) - 1/15/11

2011-03-30T09:18:00.000-07:00

There have been a staggering amount of band reunions in the past few years it seems. Some are more appropriate and relevant than others, and my interest varies from band to band (even the ones I love). For instance, I was very psyched about the Pavement reunion at first announcement. After the novelty and shock factor wore off I decided I'd rather keep my memories untarnished than go see them at an outdoor amphitheater off Michigan Avenue with 15,000 GRUPS. On the other hand, I went and saw My Bloody Valentine a few years ago and they were incredible, so everything is evaluated on a case by case basis.

Archers of Loaf are another favorite I often wished would get back together for some shows. Then a few months ago I came into work and found out they opened for The Love Language the night before at a show in Chapel Hill. I was excited. I downloaded a bootleg of the show and they clearly killed it. They played a good selection of material from Vee Vee, Icky Mettle, and the Vs the Greatest of All Time EP. However, as great as this sounds and how much fun it probably was to be there, there are some feelings you just cant recreate when you parade it around the country. I'm pretty ok with this bootleg and the back catalog, so if they end up touring I'll probably sit that one out.

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Pukeoid - Demo

2011-03-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Pukeoid are another great band from Northwest Indiana playing fast, raw Midwest hardcore in the vein of the early Touch and Go Records roster. 8 songs in 6 minutes, crushing without being broish. Every time I put this on I end up listening to it 2 or 3 times in its entirety. That's always a good sign. They have a 7" coming out soon on Not Normal Tapes featuring photos of them with puke all over their faces. That is true dedication to the craft.

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Harsh Distractions Playlist 1/30/10

2011-01-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

Here is the playlist for tonight's episode of Harsh Distractions. Download link is below.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
2. Iceage - Eyes - New Brigade
3. Japandroids - Wet Hair - Post-Nothing
4. Smith Westerns - Weekend - Dye it Blonde
5. Sorry Excuse - Confessions - Sorry Excuse EP
6. Raw Nerve - New Neighbors - Nervous Habits CS
7. Raw Nerve - Strychnine - Nervous Habits CS
8. The Screamers - Vertigo - Demos 1977-1978
9. The Ropes - Blood Gut Twins - Demo
10. The Ropes - Low End Highs - Unreleased
11. Tyvek - This One, That One - Nothing Fits
12. Spells - Oh My - Demo
13. RVIVR - Tiny Murders - Dirty Water EP
14. RVIVR - Had Enough (of this Hell) - Dirty Water EP
15. Lemuria - Pleaser - Pebble
16. Stick Together - For Myself - No More Games
17. White Guilt - Born a Victim/Born Ashamed - White Guilt LP
18. New Lows - Last of the Rats - Harvest of the Carcass
19. The Splinters - Splintered Bridges - Kick
20. The Fresh & Onlys - Red Light Green Light - Play it Strange
21. Summer Camp - Round the Moon - Young EP

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Night Fever - You Can't Hide From... Cassette

2011-01-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

I apologize for letting this blog more or less go by the wayside. It's easier for me to write about one song every day than it is to consistently think of new records to post here. However, I'm gonna try and get better about posting in here. I've had this blog for a long time now and I don't want it to turn into some music time capsule, left to be discovered years later by people searching for the Loose Dudes cassette or whathaveyou.

In any case the past few years have brought some real gems out of the bastard Chicago suburb that is Northwest Indiana. Typically I wouldn't be so quick to give praise to The Region, but they've been churning out great punk bands and Night Fever is another one to add to the list. This three song demo of cool, weird synth heavy punk has a strong early LA influence (think The Screamers, Nervous Gender) and even include a take on Black Flag's "Wasted." Download now and experience life after fallout.

Download

Harsh Distractions Playlist 1/23/11

2011-01-23T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here is the download for tonight's broadcast of Harsh Distractions.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
2. Night Fever - Fallout - Demo Cassette
3. Forcible Discipline - Worthless - Demo 2011
4. Hoax - Dead Weight - Demo
5. Hoax - Living on the Brink of Suicide - Demo
6. Black & Blue - Intro/Make Way - Demo 2011
7. Black & Blue - America's Blood - Demo 2011
8. In My Eyes - Can't Live Through Me - Nothing to Hide
9. Abecedarians - Smiling Monarchs - Smiling Monarchs EP
10. Minks - Kusmi - By the Hedge
11. Minks - Arboretum Dogs - By the Hedge
12. X-Ray Spex - I'm a Cliche - Germ Free Adolescents
13. Wild Nothing - Your Rabbit Feet - Golden Haze EP
14. The Babies - All Things Come to Pass - The Babies
15. Best Coast - Sunny Adventure - Best Coast/Jeff the Brotherhood Split 7"
16. Weekend - Veil - Sports
17. Weekend Nachos - Black Earth/Friendship - Black Earth 7"
18. The Boston Strangler - The Truth - Outcast Demo
19. Daily Void - Civilization Dust (Before Death) - Civilization Dust EP
20. The Babies - Sunset - The Babies LP

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Harsh Distractions - Playlist for 12/5/10

2010-12-06T07:28:00.000-08:00

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool
Best Coast - Boyfriend - Crazy For You
The Soft Moon - Phantoms - 7"
Have a Nice Life - Wizard of the Black Hundreds - Time of Land
Cyborg - Cream Queen - Demo
Reckless Agression - Crusties Fear - Demo
Like Rats - Hunger - 7"
Vaccine - Fuck Your Faith - Human Hatred
Vaccine - Rotting Away - Human Hatred
Wiccans - Teenage Cults - Teenage Cults Ep
Sucked Dry - Oedipus - Tour Tape
Omegas - Ravages Of Age - Sonic Order
Tigers Jaw - Smile - Two Worlds
Summer Camp - I Only Have Eyes For You
Ty Segall - My Sunshine - Melted
Snowing - I think we're in Minsk - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted if I Wanted
Death In June - Peaceful Snow - Peaceful Snow / The Maverick Chamber 7"
Whirl - Sandy - Distressor EP
Crime In Stereo - I Cannot Answer You Tonight - I Was Trying To Describe You To Someone

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Harsh Distractions Playlist for 11/14/10

2010-11-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool
Spells - Oh My - Demo 2010
Spells - The Losing Kind - Demo 2010
Spells - Hopeless & Heartless - Demo 2010
The Fresh & Onlys - Waterfall - Play it Strange
Population - Croatoan - Demo
Fielded - The Mark, My Good Master - Sister Split
EUC - Red Of Deception - The Prey EP
Ty Segall - My Sunshine - Melted
Risk - Tip it Back and Smile - Demo Volume 1
Nails - I Will Not Follow - Unsilent Death
Masshysteri - Vintern - Masshysteri
Manipulation - Secrets - Manipulation EP
CYBORG - Tough Love - Demo
Bad Banana - Green & Red - Crushfield
The 1900s - Tucson - Return of the Century
Coma Cinema - Gentlewoman - Blue Suicide
Sun Airway - Waiting On You - Nocturne Of Exploded Crystal Chandelier
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Lost Saint - Say No To Love 7"

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Harsh Distractions Halloween Episode - 10/31/10

2010-10-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here is tonight's episode of Harsh Distractions. Happy Halloween everyone!

Vince Guaraldi - The Great Pumpkin Waltz (intro)
Bobby Picket and the Crypt-Kick - Monster Mash
Type O Negative = Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)
Misfits - Night of the Living Dead
Misfits - Skulls
Misfits - Astro Zombies
Misfits - Teenagers from Mars
Creedence Clearwater Revivial - I put a Spell on You
B-52's - Rock Lobster
Ink and Dagger - The Road to Hell
Misfits - Halloween
Misfits - Children in Heat
Muder City Devils - I Drank the Wine
Cat Power - Werewolf
Los Shains - El Monstruo
The Zombies - Time of the Season
Ramones - Pet Cemetery

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Harsh Distractions Playlist - 10/24/10

2010-10-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the first episode of Harsh Distractions in our new time slot. The show will now be on every Sunday from 5-6pm CST.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro Music)
2. End of a Year - Charles Ewert - You are Beneath Me
3. Title Fight - Dreamcathers - America's Hardcore Compilation
4. RVIVR - Tiny Murders - Dirty Water EP
5. Boilerman - Bright Young Things - Bright Young Things EP
6. OFF! - Upside Down - 1st EP
7. Summer Camp - Was it Worth it? - Young EP
8. Zola Jesus - Sea Talk - Valusia EP
9. Black Math - This Love's Got to Change - Phantom Power
10. †‡† - Simona 6.40
11. Model Worker - Look Away - Squares and Triangles
12. Weekend - Youth Haunts - Sports
13. Minks - Our Ritual - Ophelia
14. The Splinters - Motorcycle - Kick
15. Gayngs - Ride - Relayted
16. Sun Kil Moon - Half Moon Bay - Admiral Fell Promises
17. Slices - Medusa - Cruising

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Harsh Distractions - 10/12/10 Playlist

2010-10-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the playlist from tonight's show. Download link is at the bottom of the post.

Chapterhouse – Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
Population -Waltzing a War - Population Demo
Population - Heaven Can't Help - Population Demo
Superchunk - My Gap Feels Weird - Majesty Shredding
Nomos – Mendicant - Notes From The Acheron [One-Sided 12"]
The Rival Mob - Face to Face with Your Executioner - Hardcore for Hardcore EP
Like Rats – Hunger - 7"
All Pigs Must Die - Die Ignorant - All Pigs Must Die
Sweet Cobra – Matriarch – Mercy
Sweet Cobra – Crusader - Mercy
No Age - Valley Hump Crash - Everything In Between
The Love Language - Summer Dust – Libraries
Wild Nothing - Golden Haze - Golden Haze EP
Owen - Abandoned Bridges - Abandoned Bridges b/w I'm Always in Love
No Joy – Heedless - Ghost Blonde
EUC - Rising Tide - The Prey EP

Download

Harsh Distractions - 10/5/10 Playlist

2010-10-12T17:35:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted a playlist from my show. I apologize for my laziness, but hopefully now I will be able to stay on top of things. Here is the episode from last Tuesday. If you've paid attention to my radio show or this blog you may notice this episode is only 1 hour long. This is a slight test run for the new format of the show, which will go from being 2 hours to 1 and will broadcast on Sunday evenings from 5-6pm CST instead of Tuesdays starting on October 24th. Big changes are on the horizon and the bright side is that bands will soon be performing live on the show again. I'm incredibly excited about that. Download link is posted below for interested parties. If you're in a band and want your stuff played on my show send me an email and we'll go from there.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro)
Ty Segall - Imaginary Person - Melted
EUC - Shattered Glass - The Prey EP
Former Ghosts - Winter's Year - New Love
Toro Y Moi - Blessa - Daytrotter Studio 9/14/2010
La Sera - Never Come Around - "Never Come Around" b/w "Behind Your Eyes"
Craft Spells - Party Talk - Party Talk 7"
Marvelous Darlings - Sleeping Like a Dead Man - Sleeping Like a Dead Man EP
Cülo - I Don't Like Today - Military Trend EP
Bad Banana - Celery - Crushfield
Daytrader - Paper Pusher - Demo
Confines - Downward Harmonization - Withdrawn 7"
The Cobblestones - Anytime - Highlight of Superficial Provocation
Four Eyes - Tough Shit - Four Eyes 7"
The Vaselines - Overweight but Over You - Sex With An X
The Verve - No Knock On My Door - A Northern Soul

Download

Murder Weapon - Demo 2002

2010-10-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Murder Weapon were a relatively short-lived NYHC style band from Richmond, VA. They only released this demo and an EP on the now defunct Martyr Records entitled Nervous Wreck. The EP was something of a let down because it seemed to lack some of the intensity and fluidity of this demo. It seemed too calculated or edited, whereas this demo is raw and hard and everything a band like this should be. I used to listen to this on repeat on a boombox in my parents basement. Now I can listen to it on my iPod thanks to the wonders of technology!

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Young Moons - Music from the Manor CS

2010-09-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Young Moons is the moniker of Chicago based singer/songwriter MJ Grant. On his first effort, Music from the Manor, Grant brings 4 excellent rootsy, yet jangly acoustic tunes to the table. His voice is intimate and melancholy and lends itself well to the loose bluesy guitar work. This is a perfect listen for a rainy Sunday morning after a long night out. Check it out.

Young Moons - Music from the Manor CS

Pick up the cassette over at Priority Male.

Loose Dudes - Permanent Sex Vacation CS

2010-09-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

Permanent Sex Vacation is the raucous follow up to their four song demo. Where the first Loose Dudes recordings had a bit of a polished feel, these songs sound more true to their live show - a raw yet tight blur of aggression and humor that borrows heavily from early 80's west coast punk rock. There are 5 songs on here and each serve as a reminder of why you got into punk in the first place.

Loose Dudes - Permanent Sex Vacation CS

Pick up the tape over at Priority Male.

Joel PPO - Relationship Status CS

2010-09-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day of 2010 members of Running, The Catburglars, The Pagan Blonde, The Plain White T's posted up in a studio and wrote and recorded 4 songs in the span of 4 hours. The result is Joel PPO, a fuzzed out, lo-fi garage punk homage to our brother Joel who went on sabbatical to New York for several months. Lyrics include incriminating details about various friends, inside jokes and generally confusing banter from the mouth of one of the greatest minds of our time, Ben Phillips. However, no one will ever be able to decipher the words because of the layers of static and noise burying the vocals. Check it out and pick up the cassette from Prio Male.

Joel PPO - Relationship Status Cassette

The Alright Alreadies - S/T CS

2010-09-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

Right out of the gate, The Alright Alreadies established themselves as an excellent 4 piece, all-girl punk band. Then seemingly as quickly as they began, they rearranged their line up, slowed it down a bit and started borrowing more influence from 60's girl groups and surf-rock than Screeching Weasel. As a fan of their early material, I was skeptical of their shift in direction, but these songs are so catchy and well written it's hard not to get psyched about what they are doing. Maggie and Meg's vocals compliment each other wonderfully to create the layered vocal harmonies necessary for this style of summery garage-pop and the recording is lo-fi and natural without sounding muddled and shitty. Check out this cassette and pick it up from our friends at Priority Male.

The Alright Alreadies - S/T CS

Buy the cassette from my dude at Priority Male

Wound Up - 7" and Unreleased LP

2010-08-12T13:15:00.001-07:00

In 2002-2003 I was in a hardcore band with several of my childhood friends called Time to Die. We didn't know how to write music or play very well, but we had a good time practicing and playing shows. We went on a poorly planned tour out to California that resulted in us breaking up while we were in LA. It was inevitable. We only released a demo, no one knew us outside of Chicago and even then, I'm sure a lot of people didn't know or care who we were. It was a bad idea from the get go.

After Time to Die broke up Donny and Matt (the singer and bass player) started a straight forward, 80's style punk/hc band with Tim (the guitar player of Unit Pride), Mark (the drummer of Punch in the Face) and Neal (who currently sings for No Class) called Wound Up. They recorded 3 songs for the Hysteria comp which were later released as a 7" by the mighty Painkiller Records and 7 songs for an LP slated to come out on Manic Ride/Deadalive Records. After recording the LP, Manic Ride folded, the band disbanded shortly thereafter and as such, only a handful of people have these songs. Since they might not ever see a proper release it only seems fair to post them here so anyone can check them out. Wound Up was a great band who unfortunately broke up a bit too soon.

Wound Up - 7" and Unreleased LP

Weekend Nachos - Bleed EP

2010-06-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

The other day I woke up to an email from blogger regarding a post on my blog that allegedly infringed upon the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. I took it with a grain of salt and assumed it was justified because even though I try to primarily post out of print and old records, a lot of major labels tend to get upset when you go around sharing records for free even though they let them go out of print. I'm a rational person and I understand these matters from a variety of angles, but if a record isn't even available to purchase anymore and technically out of print (i.e. Hum's Downward is Heavenward), why shouldn't people be able to access it somewhere else?

However, I didn't receive the email about Hum, CNN, Casual or any of the other major label records I've posted in here. Rather, it was about these two Weekend Nachos songs they personally made available via their MySpace and on message boards that I merely reposted. The link on my blog goes directly to the mediafire link they put up prior to the release of Unforgiveable. This was back in April of 2009. Though they didn't (and don't) really need my help promoting their band, they are my friends and I was psyched on the record they were about to release so I posted the two songs and a short interview with John. Though in the grand scheme nothing happened other than blogger setting the post back to "draft" status of which I was easily able to republish, it was still a curious and annoying situation.

With that said, here is their brand new EP Bleed, ripped from the original master copy straight from the band. Don't bother with the other horrible sounding version floating around, this one sounds awesome and heavy as it was intended. 2 songs in 14 minutes complete with drawn out, sprawling, heavy riffs, periodic fast parts and the occasional NYHC groove ala Madball. It's a bit of a departure from everything else they've done, but it's as well thought out and intense as anything they've done.

Buy the record and attend their record release show on July 18th if you live in the Chicago area.

Download

V/A - Summer Goth: For the dark days of Summer.

2010-06-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Inspired by my friend Joel's mix, I figured I'd try my hand at a Summer Goth compilation. Enjoy or not as you see fit.

1. Bauhaus - She's in Parties
2. The Boys Next Door - Somebody's Watching
3. Gene Loves Jezebel - The Immigrant
4. Killing Joke - Complications
5. Have a Nice Life - Hunter
6. Dead Can Dance - The Trial
7. The Cure - Play for Today
8. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust
9. This Mortal Coil - Mr. Somewhere
10. Cocteau Twins - Cicely
11. Zola Jesus - Odessa
12. AA - Suicide Fever
13. Silk Flowers - Flash ofLight
14. Alien Sex Fiend - I'm Her Frankenstein
15. Psychic TV - The Orchids
16. Kate Bush - Cloudbusting

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Harsh Distractions Playlist 05/04/10 - Jawbreaker Appreciation Day!

2010-05-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately my guest for the evening had to bail at the last minute, but since it's May 4th, the internet has deemed it International Jawbreaker Appreciation Day. Not being one to go against traditions I heard of 12 hours before, I figured it was only appropriate to play a bunch of Jawbreaker songs in celebration. Here is the playlist. Download links are at the bottom.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
1. Jawbreaker - Chesterfield King - Bivouac
2. Jawbreaker - Sluttering (May 4th) - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy
3. Jawbreaker - Oyster - Dear You
4. Jawbreaker - Ashtray Monument - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy
5. Jawbreaker - Sea Foam Green - Etc.
6. Jawbreaker - Boxcar - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy
7. Rocketship - I Love You Like the Way that I Used to Do - A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness
8. Pomegranates - This Land used to be my land, but now I hate this land - Everybody, Come Outside!
9. Shoppers - Demo - Demo I (You Shot Me and I woke up in my Next Life
10. Ova Looven - The Killer Six - Gravity Has Expired
11. Husker Du - New Day Rising - New Day Rising
12. Loomis - Conquistador - You're No Tiger | Meow, Meow, Meow
13. My Best Fiend - Cracking Eggs - Cracking Eggs
14. Shook Ones - Not a Day Goes By - Slaughter of the Insole
15. Sea of Shit - Sea of Shit - Tour Cassingle
16. Leather - Prince of the Salon - Anchorite 7"
17. Total Abuse - 14 Years Old - Mutt
18. New Dad - Quitter - Demo 2009
19. Black Breath - I Am Beyond - Heavy Breathing
20. White Mystery - Aaron - Powerglove 7"
21. Loop - Got to get it Over - Fade Out
22. Smith Westerns - Diamond Boys - S/T
23. Jawbreaker - Kiss the Bottle - Etc
24. Jawbreaker - Tour Song - Bivouac
25. Jawbreaker - Busy - Unfun
26. Jawbreaker - Do You Still Hate Me? - 24 Hour Revenge Therapy

Hour 1
Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 4/20/10 w/ Dave Hofer

2010-04-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Last week Dave Hofer came on the show and we took a step back in time a bit to discuss growing up in the 90's punk scene in Chicagoland and played songs from the era. Unfortunately, the computer froze and erased the first 7 songs we played, but here is what was salvaged.

Boris The Sprinkler - She's Got a Lighter - 8 Testicled Pogo Machine/She’s Got a Lighter 7”
Brockmeyers – 202 – Paul - 2006
Brent's TV – Trinidad - V/A - Can of Pork – 1991
Green Day – 80 - Kerplunk! - 1992
Hey Mercedes - Our weekend starts on Wednesday – Every Night Fireworks - 2001
Propagandhi – Showdown - How To Clean Everything - 1993
Screeching Weasel - Slogans – My Brain Hurts - 1991
Digger - Boy Toy Days - Powerbait - 1996
Rhythm Collision - After Hours (Oh Yeah) – Clobberer ! - 1995
All - Million Bucks – Pummel - 1995
Dear Landlord - Goodbye to Oakland – Dream Homes – 2009
NOFX – Bob – White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean - 1992

Download Hour 1
Download Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 3/2/10

2010-04-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

The week after Duress played a great set on an otherwise disaster of a show, I was alone in the studio and stuck to playing songs. Here's the playlist.

1. Chapterhouse – Breather - Whirlpool
2. Nails - Unsilent Death - Unsilent Death – 2010
3. Infest - Wheres The Unity? – Slave – 1988
4. Life's Blood - Youth Enrage - Defiance 7" – 1987
5. Guided by Voices - Interest Position - Hold On Hope EP – 2000
6. Knots – Heartbreaker - Heartbreaker b/w Action – 1980
7. No Warning – No Time For You - 2002
8. Monsula - Down Inside – Sanitized – 1992
9. Sleepwall - Since Third Year - 4 Song EP – 2009
10. Best Coast - Wish He Was You - Something In The Way – 2010
11. Piece By Piece - All My Life (I Say Fuck You) - Piece By Piece – 2010
12. Say Goodbye - Anti-Social - Anti-Social 7" – 2003
13. The Dismemberment Plan - The City - Emergency & I – 1999
14. Beat Happening - I've Lost You – Dreamy –
15. Get it Away - Nation of the Damned - S/T 7"
16. Holding On - These Hallowed Halls - Question What You Live For – 2003
17. Koro - Dear Sirs - Koro 7" – 1983
18. Nazi Dust – Fervor - Nazi Dust 7" – 2009
19. Zola Jesus - Devil Take You - The Spoils – 2009
20. White Hinterland - No Logic – Kairos – 2010
21. The Teardrop Explodes - Went Crazy – Kilimanjaro – 1980
22. Blueboy - Always There – Unisex – 1994
23. Lemuria – Hours - The First Collection – 2007
24. Gun Outfit – Like it Is - Dim Light - 2009
25. AA - Suicide Fever - Essential Entertainment – 1981
26. The Legends - Something Strange Will Happen - Over and Over – 2009
27. Closure - The Vomiter - Closure 7" – 2009
28. Sin Orden - Otra Muerte - Arte, Cultura, Y Resistencia – 2009
29. Girl Alliance - Time Heals Nothing – S/T – 2008
30. Letting Up Despite Great Faults - In Steps - Letting Up Despite Great Faults – 2009
31. Wild Nothing - Vultures Like Lovers - Summer Holiday – 2009
32. My Bloody Valentine – Good for You – Unreleased Songs

Download Hour 1
Download Hour 2

*The photo above is a neon Louis Vuitton sign inside the freight elevator of the Fearless building. Why it's there, I don't know.

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 2/16/10 w/ Dan Richardson

2010-04-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Tour manager, artist, budding clothing designer, and across the board mover and shaker Dan Richardson came in to chat play some metal tunes I have little knowledge about back on February 16th. He's had this posted on his blog for weeks, but I'm a much bigger slacker. Here's what we played:

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro)
1. Trap Them - The Iconflict - Seance Prime
2. Last Rights - Chunks - Chunks 7"
3. Urban Blight - Not Like You - Urban Blight EP
4. Sodom - Code Red - Code Red
5. The Templars - Victim - Omne Datum Optinum
6. Landmine Marathon - Certain Death - Rusted Eyes Awake
7. The Catburglars - King Kong - The Catburglars LP
8. Shrinebuilder - The Architect - Shrinebuilder
9. Criminal Damage - Everything that Bleeds - No Solution
10. Converge - Plagues - No Heroes
11. The Pagan Blonde - Cool Life - Be Free EP
12. Obituary - Immortal Visions - Slowly We Rot
13. Wasted Time - I'm Surrounded by Winners - Wasted Time LP
14. Rot in Hell - Kingdom of Heaven - Hallways of the Always
15. Cannibal Corpse - Hammer Smashed Face - Hammer Smashed Face EP
16. Dead Can Dance - The trial - Dead Can Dance
17. Watain - Storm Of The Anti-Christ - Sworn To The Dark
18. Crime in Stereo - Republica - I was Trying to Describe You to Someone
19. 16 - Me & My Shadow - Bridges To Burn
20. RazorxFade - Turn Your Back - Demo 2010
21. Rival Mob - RCBS - Raw Life
22. Trap Them - Digital Dogs - Sleepwell Deconstructor

Download Hour 1
Download Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 3/30/10 w/ Kyle from Fireworks/Smear Campaign

2010-04-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a Harsh Distractions playlist in months and for that, I apologize. Here is the first hour of the episode with my friend Kyle. Like so many instances in the past, the computer lost the second hour. It's very frustrating.

Chapterhouse – Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)
1. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Hounds Of Love - 1985
2. Alkaline Trio - Hell Yes - Hell Yes 7"/Remains
3. Cheap Girls - Hey, Hey, I'm Worn Out - My Roaring 20's
4. Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La - I Will Be - 2010
5. The Animal Upstairs - Fail and Fall - Is Anybody Upstairs - 2010
6. Modern Life is War - Pendulum - Midnight in America
7. Descendents - Thank You - Everything Sucks
8. The Ergs - Books About Miles Davis - Upstairs Downstairs
9. Death in June - The Accidental Protégé - Rose Clouds Of Holocaust - 1995
10. Defiance, Ohio - The List - The Fear, The Fear, The Fear
11. Billy Bragg - The Milkman of Human Kindness - Back to Basics
12. Bad Business - Inside A Dogs Brain - Bad Business - 2004
13. Nomos - Operation Cyclone - Demo Tape
14. Fordirelifesake - We are the Company we Keep - Dance. Pretend. Forget. Defend. (cuts off)

Download

Everyday Gems

2010-04-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

Throw this one in your google reader.

Everyday Gems

Spring Skinhead - A Mixtape

2010-04-12T20:48:00.001-07:00

1. Criminal Damage - World is Not Enough
2. The Templars - Victim
3. YDL - Skinheads 88
4. Negative Approach - Can't Tell No One
5. Morrissey - The National Front Disco
6. Symarip - Skinhead Girl
7. Faust - The Sad Skinhead
8. Youth Brigade - Moral Majority
9. R'N'R - Your Rules
10. Blitz - Attack
11. Death in June - Symbols of the Sun
12. Christian Death - Romeo's Distress
13. Nazti Skinz - Defending Liberty
14. Rome - Swords to Rust Hearts to Dust
15. The Last Resort - Violence in Our Minds (Singles Version)
16. Unrest - Yes, She is my Skinhead Girl
17. The Ronettes - Do I Love You?

Song selection inspired by and for one of the most interesting and misunderstood youth subcultures, the skinheads. Above photo borrowed with the utmost respect from Alison Kinsey.

Download Spring Skinhead - A Mixtape

Duress - Live on Harsh Distractions - 2/23/10

2010-03-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday Duress came and played live on the show. The show as a whole went poorly, but we got a decent recording of their performance which included some new songs and a cover or two. Check it out and get their 7" when it comes out.

Duress - Live on Harsh Distractions - 2/23/10

* Photo by Ryan Lowry

Boiling Over - Barriers [Cassette]

2010-02-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Chicago's Boiling Over recently announced they are breaking up after playing the remainder of shows they have booked. This is a pretty big loss for Chicago as they are one of the best bands around right now, in my opinion. Fortunately for everyone, they recorded 5 new songs that rank among their best. If you've never heard Boiling Over, they play classic, Boston inspired hardcore, taking cues from bands like SSD, Last Rights, etc. These tracks have a much more gritty, raw feel than the Trash City 7" on LifeLine. Pat sounds even more pissed and the song "Control" might be their hardest yet. So while it's a bummer they are breaking up, at least they are going out at the top of their game. Check it.

Boiling Over - Barriers [Cassette]

The Saturday People/The Clientele Split 7"

2010-02-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Slumberland has a storied history of releasing great indie-pop singles and splits. So, I'm sure the idea of pairing up two fantastic singles bands in The Clientele and The Saturday People must have been a no brainer. After all, the majority of these bands finest output were singles and 7" EP's.

On the A Side is the original single version of "Grace" by The Saturday People. It was re-recorded for their LP, but in my opinion this version is head and shoulders above the later version. This song was my introduction to 'The People and it is one of, if not, THE finest recorded moment of their short tenure. "Grace" is everything a beautiful indie-pop song should be - shimmering guitars with a catchy hook and breathy vocals so delicate it seems like they could break at any moment.

On the flip side is The Clientele's contribution with "Porcelain." While it is not my favorite of their early tracks, it is a fine edition to a nearly flawless singles catalog. It's a moody, dreary track perfect for this time of year when you really want to isolate yourself from the cold, grey weather.

If you like either of these bands, or pop music in general, you need this one.

The Saturday People/The Clientele Split 7"

Omegas - Demo

2010-02-22T11:37:00.001-08:00

I was a little late to the game on this one, but this demo is incredible. Omegas are a hardcore/punk band from Montreal that have a great take on frantic, vintage 80's hardcore. The four songs on here are all ragers that bring to mind classics like Bad Brains and Void. They have an EP entitled Sonic Order out on High Anxiety I've yet to hear, but if it continues in the same fashion as this demo then I'm sure it's great.

Omegas - Demo

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 02/09/10 w/ BIRTH

2010-02-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Josh and Tim from Chicago band Birth came on the show to guest DJ and play some songs of their own. Here's what we played. Hopefully they will be back on the show soon to play a live set. Download links are below.

Download Hour 1

Download Hour 2

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)

1. Oxymoron - Get a Gun - Pack Is Back - 1997
2. Quicksand - Omission - Slip - 1993
3. Rapeman - Dutch Courage - Two Nuns and a Pack Mule - 1988
4. The Abused - No End in Sight - Loud and Clear 7" - 1983
5. The Minutemen - This Ain't No Picnic - Double Nickels on the Dime - 1984
6. Drunkdriver - Ode - Born Pregnant - 2008
7. Birth - Emerging Manhood - Demo
8. Birth - Suits - Demo
9. Washed Out - Feel It All Around - Life of Leisure EP - 2009
10. Whirl - Meaningless Demo 2010
11. Witch - Rip Van Winkle - S/T
12. Secret Mountains - Gate/Gate/Paragate - Kaddish - 2009
13. Outburst - No Choice - Miles To Go EP - 1989
14. Rome - To Die Among Strangers - Flowers From Exile - 2009
15. White Zombie - Diamond Ass - Soul Crusher - 1987
16. The Jesus Lizard - Nub - Goat - 1991
17. The Burbon Knights - Manner Mit Bartes - 2009
18. The Melvins - Nude with Boots - Nude with Boots - 2008
19. Electric Eyes - 1st Track - Demo
20. Huey Lewis - The Heart of Rock n Roll - Sports - 1984
21. Swans - Cop - Cop - 1984
22. Dinosaur Jr - Forget the Swan - Dinosaur - 1985

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2010-02-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

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Harsh Distractions Playlist 02/02/10

2010-02-12T13:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the playlist from 2/2/10. Download links are at the bottom.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro)
2. Empire Of The Sun - Walking On A Dream - Walking On A Dream – 2008
3. Like Bats - 3814 Wirth Road - Look on the Bright Side 7” – 2010
4. Veronica Falls - Found Love in a Graveyard - Found Love in a Graveyard 7”- 2010
5. Guided By Voices - Yours To Keep - Bee Thousand - 1994
6. The Saints - No Time - (I'm) Stranded – 1977
7. Implodes - Meadowlands – Demo – 2009
8. Medicine - Miss Drugstore - Shot Forth Self Living – 1992
9. Devotion - My Desert - Bastard Son Of Affluence Blues – 2009
10. Nomos - Pax – Demo – 2009
11. Some Girls - Skull's Old Girlfriends - Heaven's Pregnant Teens – 2006
12. Year Of The Rabbit - I Wanna Be Adored - Hunted EP – 2002
13. Hum - Puppets - Comin' Home 7" – 1998
14. A Place To Bury Strangers – Ocean - To Fix The Gash In Your Head – 2008
15. RazorXFade - Holy Hands - Demo 2010
16. RazorXFade – Choke - Demo 2010
17. Last Lights - The Dream Homes of Insomniacs - Last Lights 7” – 2008
18. Short Ride - Tones of the shark - Cant Keep Us Out - 2010
19. The Isolation - Dancing Away - The Isolation EP – 2009
20. Lungfish - Put Your Halo On - Talking Songs For Walking – 1991
21. Scotia Widows - Good Mosque – Demo – 2009
22. Mother Of Mercy – Demise - No Eden - 2008
23. Nuclear Family - Safety Net - S/T – 2009
24. Gene Loves Jezebel - The Immigrant - Desire 12" EP 1985
25. Teenager - Alone Again – Thirteen – 2007
26. The Boo Radleys - I Feel Nothing - Everything's Alright Forever – 1992
27. Archers of Loaf - Harnessed In Slums - Vee Vee – 1995
28. Sonic Youth – Schizophrenia - Sister – 1986
29. Puerto Rico Flowers - This is Murder - 4 Song 12" – 2010
30. Chronic Sick - Dress Code - Cutest Band In Hardcore - 1982

Hour 1

Hour 2

Japp Gutter - Heaven Dollars (Cassette)

2010-02-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Japp Gutter are a San Francisco/Chicago based noise project featuring Matt from Running Ben from The Pagan Blonde and a few friends. It's a blown out, lo-fi wave of distortion with desperate, buried vocals somewhere within. I'd love to get my hands on the lyrics because I'm sure they are hilarious. Check it out!

Japp Gutter - Heaven Dollars (Cassette)

Buy the cassette from Priority Male Tapes

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 1/26/10

2010-02-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

Last week Eric came in and we discussed Nirvana, played some tunes and generally had a great time. Here is what we played. Download links are at the bottom.

Chapterhouse – Breather – Whirlpool (intro music)
1. Nirvana - Anuerysm - Live at Reading Festival
2. Harvey Milk - Barnburner - Life....The Best Game in Town
3. Girl Alliance - Lost – EP
4. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Inside Out - World Without End
5. Fugazi - Repeater - Repeater
6. Whirl - Leave - Demo
7. Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
8. Beat Happening – Noise- You Turn Me On
9. Aerosols - God is USA's Terrorist - S/T LP
10. Minor Threat - Look Back and Laugh
11. Cruel Hand - Life In Shambles - Prying Eyes
12. Shark Attack - Foreign Job Lot (Antidote Cover) - Discography
13. No Tolerance - Pay The Cost - Demo 08
14. Nirvana - Very Ape - In Utero
15. Free Spirit - Stand As One - Be Yourself Demo
16. Agnostic Front - Society Sucker - Victim In Pain (Reissue)
17. Radiohead - There There - Hail to the Thief
18. Weed Hounds - Best Friends - Demo [Cassette]
19. Ringworm - No one Dies Alone - Ringworm/Terror Split 7"
20. Tigers Jaw - Meet Me At The Corner - Spirit Desire
21. Black Flag - My War - '82 Demo
22. Iron Lung/Walls/Pig Heart Transplant - Sexless//No Sex
23. Deftones - Knife Party - White Pony

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 1/26/10 Hour 1

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 1/26/10 Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 01/19/10

2010-01-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the playlist for last weeks episode of Harsh Distractions. Download links are at the bottom.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro Music)
2. Parade - Penelope Shoes - A Red Button - 2005
3. The Exploding Hearts - (Making) Teenage Faces – Shattered – 2006
4. Girls in the Eighties - Yesterdays Don't Mean Shit - Teenage Royalty – 2009
5. Kill Your Idols - Hardcore Circa 1999 - Something Started Here – 2007
6. Souls She Said - Sunken City - As Templar Nites – 2006
7. Turn Cold - Shattered - S/T 7"
8. Starflyer 59 - Good Sons - Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice – 2005
9. In The Red - Red Light - 4 Song Demo - 2004
10. Failure - Enjoy The Silence (Depeche Mode Cover) - Rare/Demos
11. Paleo - Boring Together - May 19, 2006 - Carpet Samples from The Song Diary - 2006
12. Last Priest - Here On The Ground - We All Failed - 2005
13. Descendents - Clean Sheets - Liveage! – 1987
14. Stay Gold - 40 Smith And Wesson - Pills And Advice - 2002
15. Loose Dudes - Black Preacher – Demo – 2009
16. Pale Saints - Under Your Nose - Slow Buildings - 1994
17. Times New Viking - DROP-OUT -Rip it Off - 2008
18. Right Brigade- More Than I've Got - Right Brigade/A Poor Excuse Split 7" - 1999
19. Oxymoron - Bored & Violent - F**k The Nineties...Here's Our Noize! - 2006
20. Knapsack - Less Than - (Don't Forget To) Breathe – 1997
21. Bad Moon Music - Dirty Words - Empire - 2004
22. The Trouble - We Are The Blood - Nobody Laughs Anymore – 1998
23. Seaweed - Thru The Window - Actions And Indications
24. Ringworm - Take Back What's Ours - Birth Is Pain - 2006
25. National Skyline - A Night At The Drugstore - This=Everything – 2001
26. Crooked Fingers - New Drink For The Old Drunk - Crooked Fingers - 2000
27. The Church - The Unguarded Moment - Of Skins And Heart - 1982
28. Alcian Blue - Fall Behind - Years Too Late - 2007
29. Beat!Beat!Beat! - Sinking Slow - Living In The Future - 2006

1/19/10 Hour 1
1/19/10 Hour 2

Whirl - Demo

2010-01-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

Whirl are a fantastic new Shoegaze/Dream Pop band from Northern California. I don't know much about them at all, but in the few days I've had this demo, I've listened to it no less than 30 times. As a long time fan of this genre, one of my biggest issues is with some of the recordings. Too often, bands go for a slick, overproduced sound that takes the warmth away from the songs. Two prime examples of this are Slowdive's Just for a Day and the Cocteau Twins' Heaven or Las Vegas. Both have incredible songs, but the production is so bright and full treble I'd rather listen to something else.

Thankfully, Whirl avoids this pitfall by having a warm and inviting recording, perfect for listening to through headphones. There is a sound permeating through the demo that sounds like tape hiss, but rather than being a nuisance, it adds an extra element of texture to the songs as it kind of clips in and out. The first track entitled "Leave" is a beautiful and distant yet blown out wall of sound that definitely takes some cues from Loveless. The haunting indecipherable male/female harmonies bring it together and sound so gorgeous I wish the song was 3 hours long. There are days where I can listen to songs on repeat, and I could spend the rest of this grey Chicago afternoon listening to this track over and over again. "Meaningless" is a bit more of an up-tempo rock song carried by a driving riff and the layered male/female vocals that show the other side of Whirl. With this demo only being two tracks, I'm left wanting more and I'm anxious to hear what else they will bring to the table in the future. If you like shoegaze/dream pop or trust my opinion, give this demo a listen. You won't regret it.

Whirl - Demo

Turn Cold - S/T 7"

2010-01-22T15:39:00.000-08:00

Turn Cold was a fairly short lived hardcore band from Brighton, UK that released a demo and a 7" and cd EP on Courage to Care. They played fast, dark hardcore that took more than a few cues from early 2000's Boston hardcore, especially in the imagery and lyrics. As a fan of those bands, Turn Cold always resonated with me, so I was kinda bummed when they called it a day. Singer Nick Worthington now sings for Bridge 9 band Dead Swans who kind of picked up where Turn Cold left off, only heavier and more "pro" sounding.

Turn Cold - S/T 7"

Harsh Distractions Playlist 12/08/09

2010-01-20T18:47:00.000-08:00

Goodrich from Iron Rain came in to chat and play some songs from their upcoming 7" into some other songs under the theme of The Fest. Sadly, the first hour was cut off due to a technical problem, but here is the second hour of the show.

1. Iron Rain - Silent Sins - Silent Sins 7"
2. Dillinger 4 - Super Powers Enable Me to Blend in with Machinery - Midwestern Songs of the America's
3. Ty Segall - Standing at the Station - Lemons
4. Drive Like Jehu - New Math - Yank Crime
5. Good Luck - 1,001 Open Hands - Into Lake Griffey
6. Kylesa - Nature's Predators - Static Tensions
7. My Bloody Valentine - Sunny Sundae Smile - Sunny Sundae Smile EP
8. Mudhoney - Hate the Police - Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles
9. Off With their Heads - Die Today - Hospital
10. Paint it Black - New Folk Song - New Lexicon
11. Touche Amore - Honest Sleep - ...To the Beat of Dead Horse
12. The Vaselines - Let's Get Ugly - The Way of the Vaselines: A Complete History
13. Real Estate - Fake Blues - Real Estate
14. Iron Rain - Illusion of Truth - Silent Sins 7"
15. Olehole - Ostinato - Holemole

Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/10/09

2010-01-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

On 11/10/09 frequent Harsh Distractions guest and contributor Joel B came in and we discussed our favorite fall songs.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)

1. Boris - Farewell - Pink
2. Slowdive - Alison - Souvlaki
3. Autolux - Audience No. 2 - Audience No. 2
4. Jens Lekman - Pocketful of Money - Oh, You're So Silent Jens
5. The Beatles - She Said She Said - Revolver
6. Built to Spill - LIfe's A Dream - There is no Enemy
7. The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man - Doolittle
8. Sic Alps - Love is Strange - Description of the Harbor
9. The Strokes - Hard to Explain - Is This It?
10 The Raveonettes - Gone Forever - In and Out of Control
11. The Clientele - We Could Walk Together - Suburban Light
12. Woods - Rain On - Songs of Shame
13. New Order - Ceremony - Substance
14. Owls - Everyone is my Friend - S/T
15. Braid - Urbana's too Dark - Frame and Canvas
16. Hot Snakes - Lax - Suicide Invoice
17. Dinosaur Jr - On the Way - Where You Been?
18. Darker My Love - Two Ways Out - 2
19. Cold Cave - Youth and Lust - Love Comes Close

Hour 1

Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/17/09

2010-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

In mid November Drew from Weekend Nachos and formerly of Convicted came in and we discussed Chicago underground music both new and old. Here's what we played:

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro music)

1. Alkaline Trio – Message from Kathlene – Goddamnit
2. Canadian Rifle In A Land Of Flakes Nothing Sticks - Canadian Rifle 7"
3. Slapstick – Broken Down – Lookit!
4. Boiling Over - Trash City – Trash City 7"
5. Houseboy – Puke is on the Way – V/A Achtung Chicago Drei
6. Gods Reflex - A Chance in a Disaster - When It's Down To This
7. Oblivion – Bob and Weave
8. The Catburglars - I Hate My Job - Holy Shit
9. Sig Transit Gloria – Chapter One – Red Line Distribution Compilation
10. Smith Westerns - Be My Girl - Smith Westerns
11. Apocalypse Hoboken – Jerk Lessons - Easy Instructions for Complex Machinery
12. Duress - Allergic To Hope – V/A The World Itself Is A Bad Dream
13. MK-Ultra – Killing for College Money – Melt 7”
14. Like Bats – Lousy – Demo
15. Thirty Seconds Deep – Champion – Hot Carl 7”
16. Screeching Weasel – Cindy’s on Methadone – My Brain Hurts
17. Daylight Robbery – Bent Out of Shape – Washtenaw EP
18. Tuesday – Disappear – Freewheelin’
19. The Ponys – Another Wound – Celebration Castle
20. The Broadways – 15 Minutes – Broken Star
21. The Repos - More Kicks Than Bricks - Hearts And Heads Explode
22. The Mushuganas – Disappointed – V/A Lo-Cal A Taste of Chicago Compilation
23. 88 Fingers Louie – Past Mistakes – 88 Fingers Up Your Ass

Hour 1

Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/24/09

2010-01-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

Here is the playlist for the 11/24/09 episode of Harsh Distractions. A bit late, I know, but the songs are still good.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (Intro Music)

01. Felt - The Day the Rain Came Down - Ignite the Seven Cannons
02. The Bitters - East - East b/w Foreign Knives
03. Former Ghosts - Us And Now – Fleurs
04. Have A Nice Life -Trespassers W – Voids
05. Rival Mob - Mob Rules All - Raw Life
06. Aloha -You've Escaped - Here Comes Everyone
07. Summer Camp - Ghost Train - Single
08. Best Coast - Feeling Of Love - Make You Mine 7"
09. Toro Y Moi - Blessa - Causers Of This
10. Insted - There's Nothing Like It - Bonds Of Friendship / We'll Make The Difference
11. Wide Awake - The Truth - 25 Song Discography
12. Heaven and Breakfast - More or Less - Water Lines and Anti-Light
13. Carry On - Fuck Your Politics - It's All Our Blood
14. R'N'R - I've Had It - I've Had It b/w Your Rules
15. The Lucksmiths - Synchronised Sinking - Why That Doesn't Surprise Me
16. The Church - North, South, East And West – Starfish
17. Negative Approach - Can't Tell No One - 7"
18. Silent Majority - Party at Rich's - You Would Love to Know
19. The Libertines - Cola Queen - Single
20. G.B.H. - No Survivors – Single
21. The Untouchables - Nic Fit - Flex Your Head Compilation
22. Dead Boys - What Love Is - Young, Loud and Snotty
23. Nouvelle Vague - Teenage Kicks - Nouvelle Vague
24. Matt Pond PA - Measure 3 - The Green Fury
25. Deathreat - Pay No Mind - The Severing Of The Last Barred Window...Plus Early Tracks '97-99
26. Interpol - Precipitate - Precipitate EP
27. The Lightning Seeds - Pure – Cloudcuckooland
28. Ida - Maybelle - Will You Find Me?
29. Dead Serious - Delaware Hall - It's What You Can't See

Hour 1
Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 12/01/09

2010-01-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

My friend Dan came on the show early in December and proposed the theme of "Ignorance" to me. I never thought I'd end up playing Fury of V on my show, but there I was, listening to "Takin' Respect." I guess there is a first time for everything. Download the episode below.

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro)
1. Clipse - Doorman - Til the Casket Drops
2. Merauder - Gangsta - God is I
3. Harm's Way - Delusion - Reality Approaches
4. In Cold Blood - Straight Flush - Suicide King
5. Melvins - Goin' Blind - Houdini
6. Mobb Deep - Drop a Gem on Em - Hell on Earth
7. The Black Dahlia Murder - Funeral Thirst - Unhallowed
8. Agnostic Front - Public Assistance - Cause for Alarm
9. Fear - Fresh Flesh - The Record
10. No Warning - Short Fuse - Ill Blood
11. Cro-Mags - Crush Demoniac - Best Wishes
12. Birdman - Money to Blow - Pricele$$
13. Fury of Five - Takin' Respect - At War With the World
14. Outburst - The Hard Way - V/A: The New Breed Comp.
15. Hate - Scab Nation - Crimes 7"
16. Cam'ron - Leave me Alone Pt. 2 - Purple Haze
17. Rick Ross - Magnificent - Deeper than Rap
18. Antidote - Foreign Job Lot - Thou Shalt Not Kill
19. Stigmata - Nothing But Enemies - Hymns for an Unknown God
20. M.O.P - Ante Up - Warriorz
21. Weekend Nachos - Nights - Unforgivable
22. Biohazard - Chamber Spins Three - Urban Discipline

Hour 1

Hour 2

Loose Dudes on Harsh Distractions 1/12/10

2010-01-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Last week Loose Dudes came on the show played a live set and played some songs they brought in. Here is the first hour:

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (intro)
1. Devo - Don't You Know - Freedom of Choice
2. Henry's Dress - Can't Make It Move - Henry's Dress/Rocketship Split 7"
3. Duress - Indifference - Indifference 7"
4. Pissed Jeans - Human Upskirt - King of Jeans
5. Snuff Film - Director - Snuff Film
6. The Horrors - I Can't Control Myself - Primary Colours
7. Damages - Dreamt a Little Dream of You - Love's Labor

Loose Dudes Live Set

Mission of Burma - Red - Signals, Calls, and Marches
Canadian Rifle - Infinity - Visibility Zero
Hunks and his Punks - Cruising - Gay Singles
Young Governor - Summer Girls
Double Dagger - No Allies - More
Birdman Ft. Drake & Lil Wayne - Money to Blow - Pricele$$

Loose Dudes on Harsh Distractions 1/12/10

The Saturday People - Twilight Story b/w The Castle 7"

2010-01-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

Prior to the release of their self-titled LP The Saturday People released a handful of great singles, all of which were rearranged and rerecorded for the album. On this 7" are the original versions of "Twilight Story" and "The Castle," two essential, shimmering 60's pop gems worthy of repeated listens. More Saturday People material will be posted soon.

The Saturday People - Twilight Story b/w The Castle 7"

Harm's Way - Live on Harsh Distractions - 12/22/09

2010-01-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

A few days before they embarked on a west coast tour, Harm's Way came and played some new songs on my radio show. If you happen to catch them, they have tapes available for sale with these songs. For everyone else, here is an mp3. I can't wait until they record these properly for their upcoming 7" on Closed Casket Activities.

Harm's Way - Live on Harsh Distractions 12/22/09

Low - Christmas

2009-12-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

I meant to post this record earlier in the month so it had some time to sink in, but that didn't happen and in true Christmas fashion, I am waiting until the last minute. I'm ok with that though because whether you get this record today or sometime deep in July, these songs remain fantastic and could be enjoyed through out the entire year. For this, Minnesota Slowcore giants Low put their stamp on some Christmas tunes in a way only they could. Unlike so many other holiday records that work well for parties and family gatherings, this has always felt a bit more personal as if it's just for the individual listening to it at that very moment. I sort of feel that way about all Low material actually. Something about these songs has a distinct night time feel. Maybe you can enjoy them tonight with a nice seasonal beverage by the fire. Or, if you are me, in your parents basement while you drink your fathers beer. Merry Christmas everyone!

Low - Christmas

Re-Up: Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

2009-12-24T19:13:00.000-08:00

I posted this one last December, but it was removed. Here it is again because tomorrow is Christmas and this is the quintessential Christmas album.

Various Artists - A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector

Harsh Distractions Playlist 11/03/09

2009-11-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-07T01:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-31T13:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-10-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-07T11:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-07T11:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-05T11:49:00.000-07:00

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

Say Goodbye - Anti- Social EP

2009-10-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

Say Goodbye were a great hardcore/punk band from the Boston area that put out a handful of stellar releases, particularly their debut 7" entitled Anti-Social. The songs are fast, raw punk/hardcore that remind me of an updated take on early 80's Boston bands. Don't get me wrong, they aren't merely an '82 rehash band like a lot of what's been coming out. Say Goodbye mixes it up and know when to slow it down to deliver these crushing, non-broish mosh parts. The lyrics are overflowing with hate and disgust and the vocal delivery matches perfectly. I had the good fortune to see them once and I thought they were great, but it seemed like they weren't as appreciated as they should have been. Perhaps that's just how things were here. Either way, check out this record and anything else you may come across by them.

Say Goodbye - Anti-Social EP

Death Cab for Cutie - Dream Scream (Daniel Johnston Cover)

2009-10-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been a fan of Death Cab since I was in high school and though their newer records grab my attention less and less, I will always have a soft spot in my heart for them. Ben Gibbard is an incredible songwriter with a unique voice and writes fantastic lyrics and I think that's something that will never really change. One thing that I've always found appealing about them (and Gibbard when performing solo) is their affinity for covers. I have numerous rarities and b-sides of them covering everything from John Vanderslice to The Ocean Blue to Darlene Love's classic, Phil Spector produced, "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)." The latter, being one of the greatest Christmas songs ever written.

One of my favorites though, is their cover of this Daniel Johnston song "Dream Scream." Johnston is the epitome of "cult musician," shrouded in personal problems and mystery, but loved for his simple, incredibly unique songwriting style. He did a lot with very little and figured out cool ways to double track on very simple recording devices. I could go on about his influence, but you should just watch the documentary about his life entitled
The Devil and Daniel Johnston. It's a pretty heartbreaking but uplifting story.

That aside, Death Cab really brings it on this lush, sprawling rendition of a song about a girl. Gibbard's voice sounds sad and lonely and accurately portrays the protagonist, making Johnston's pain his own.

Death Cab for Cutie - Dream Scream

Harsh Distractions Playlist 9/22/09

2009-09-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Here is last weeks episode of my radio show, Harsh Distractions.

Harsh Distractions - 9/22/09 - Hour 1
Harsh Distractions - 9/22/09 - Hour 2

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool - 1991 (Intro Music)
01. Urban Waste - No Hope - S/T EP - 1983
02. Smith Westerns - Tonight - S/T - 2009
03. The Babies - Meet Me In The City - Demo - 2009
04. Hate - Life Taker - Crimes 7" - 2009
05. Dirty Money - Dead Mans Shoes - No Escaping This - 2007
06. Wild Nothing - Summer Holiday - Demo - 2009
07. Desolation Wilderness - Boardwalk Theme - New Universe - 2009
08. Brain Handle - Lifestyle Template - Brain Handle - 2008
09. Metric - Help I'm Alive - Fantasies - 2009
10. Bottom Line NYC - Dragging My Heels- 2004 Sampler - 2004
11. Gypsy - Me Against The World - S/T 7"
12. Sex Positions - You Better Start Running - S/T - 2004
13. Right Brigade - Think Again - Right Brigade - 2000
14. John Lennon - Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy - Double Fantasy - 1980
15. Mayyors - White Jeep - Megan's LOLZ 7" - 2008
16. Lewd Acts - Nightcrawlers - Black Eye Blues 2009
17. Modest Mouse - Edit the Sad Parts - Interstate 8 - 1996
18. For Those Who Know - Night At The Danceclub - For Those Who Know - 2006
19. 2pac - All Eyez on Me - All Eyez on Me - 1996
20. Crime In Stereo - War (Demo) - V/A -Bridge Nine 2009 Summer Compilation - 2009
21. Knapsack - Cellophane - Silver Sweepstakes - 1995
22. Shook Ones - Double-Knot That - The Unquotable A.M.H. - 2009
23. Count Me Out - Against The World - Permanent 2002
24. The Jazz June - Phone Works Both Ways - The Medicine - 2000
25. Life's Blood - Never Make A Change - Defiance 7" - 1987
26. Monaco - What Do You Want From Me - Music for Pleasure - 1997
27. Get Down - Unlimited Nights and Weekends - S/T 7" - 2003
28. The 1900's - Two Ways - Cold & Kind - 2007
29. No Turning Back - Sick World - Rise from the Ashes - 2005
30. Sade - King of Sorrow - Lovers Rock - 2000

Mental - Live on WERS -04/17/04

2009-09-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

For a period of time Mental were one of best bands in hardcore and absolutely one of the most interesting straight edge bands of the time. Led by charismatic singer Greg Wilmott and rounded out by serious multi-tasker and drummer DFJ, Mental released several impressive demo's, 7"s, comp tracks and topped it off with a a great LP that showed their evolution as a band of masterful hardcore songwriters. Then in the blink of an eye their popularity vanished as word spread that some of the members were no longer straight edge. Personally, I could have cared less, but it was like watching a hot air balloon being shot out of the sky. It was heartbreaking to see their final show in Chicago. Their shows here were insane and on the last tour so many people left before they even played. They broke up on tour shortly after that show.

However, in the spirit of celebration, I present this radio set is from the period around the release (if memory serves) of Get an Oxygen Tank. It is a fantastic representation of how great they were live and why they were such taste-makers within hardcore.

Mental - Live on WERS

Viking - Demo (2009)

2009-09-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

My friends Chris and Tymm from the band Fireworks started a project band with their friend Justin singing called Viking. Musically, it bears a lot of similarities to late 80's/early 90's NYHC ala Cro-Mags, Life of Agony, etc, but the vocals strongly remind me of what people commonly associate with "90's hardcore," somewhere in between talking/yelling/singing. I think Justin is going for an Eddie Leeway, Life of Agony, Only Living Witness thing, but it only periodically reminds me of that. Check it out and see what you think and let me know. I can't put my finger on it.

Viking Demo - 2009

Bottom Line NYC - 2004 Sampler

2009-09-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

I can't lie. When I first heard Bottom Line a few years ago, they didn't leave much of an impression. They played with Sex Positions at the Fireside Bowl and though I thought they were good live (and did an excellent cover of "The Hard Way" by Outburst), I thought their 7", No One's Safe, was pretty boring and derivative. Frankly, it still might be. I haven't heard it in a few years and when I searched for it at my parents house tonight, I couldn't find it.

However, I came across this sampler they brought on their Summer tour in 2004 last night and have been listening to the songs all day. They aren't the most original band ever, and they weren't when they were around either, but the songs here are pretty solid mid-tempo New York Hardcore. Brian, Bottom Line's singer, has a perfect voice full of anger and disgust, especially when they go into the slower mosh parts.

Aside from Brian going on to sing for Sex Positions, I'm not sure what happened with this band, but these songs are definitely hitting the spot for me today. Check it out.

Bottom Line NYC - 2004 Sampler

Count Me Out - Live on WPRB

2009-09-19T17:49:00.000-07:00

Due to my recent attempt to include live performances on my radio show, I've gone back and listened to a number of radio sets I've obtained over the years. Here is a Count Me Out set I found on a blog a while back. It seems like it was recorded shortly after the release of their second LP Permanent for Princeton University radio. It's about 20 minutes long and well worth checking out if you're a fan. Personally, they were one of my favorite hardcore bands of the early 2000's and though they put out a solid catalog of material during their existence, I was really interested to see what they'd do next.

Count Me Out - Live on WPRB

Sex Positions - Pre-LP Demos

2009-09-19T16:37:00.000-07:00

Sex Positions were a pretty short-lived band from Boston that put out and excellent LP on Deathwish Inc. They formed after the demise of their other short-lived band, The Dedication who put out a pretty decent EP on Deathwish as well. However, in my opinion the members didn't really hit their stride until they started writing for Sex Pos. The songs were far more intricate and developed and the lyrics were far more mature and literate.

Before their LP came out my buddy Rich sent me some demos of what they were working on. I was impressed. A lot of the songs had a Drive Like Jehu meets Ink & Dagger feel to them. Later on they re-recorded these and the songs from their demo tape, added a lot of programming and electronics to create their debut. I still feel it's a pretty underrated record. They did a lot of interesting things with hardcore that pushed the envelope without being some ridiculous metal-core band or straying too far from the path of straight-forward song writing. So, for those interested, here are these demos.

Sex Positions - Pre-LP Demos

The Babies - Meet me in the City

2009-09-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

According to Stereogum, “The Babies is the new project of Vivian Girl Cassie Ramone, Woods bassist Kevin Morby, Bossy drummer Justin Sullivan, and Stupid Party’s Nathanael Stark on bass.”

I have been going to their Myspace on a daily basis to listen to the two songs they’ve posted and I can’t get enough. Here’s hoping for a proper release in the near future.

The Babies - Meet me in the City

Raw Nerve on Harsh Distractions

2009-09-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Here are both hours of Raw Nerve on my radio show. Unfortunately, the second hour cuts out due to some technical difficulties. Their live performance is during the first hour. I am very happy with how it turned out.

Raw Nerve - Hour 1

Raw Nerve - Hour 2

Raw Nerve - Demo

2009-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Before I began doing the radio component of Harsh Distractions, I knew I wanted to have bands come in and play live sets similar to the classic WNYU ones, and more recently the performances on WERS Boston and WLUW Chicago. My ultimate goal is to have the show be somewhere in-between Sound Opinions and the independent hardcore/punk shows I grew up listening to. Tomorrow I get a bit closer to that with Chicago's Raw Nerve coming in to play live in the studio. This is big for me. If all goes well, this is just the beginning of bands playing on the show.

With that said, here is the Raw Nerve demo. They play fast, dirty, lo-fi hardcore with enough grit and mystery to keep it from sounding like every other fast punk/hc band. They have a record coming out on Youth Attack in the near future and I'm anxious to hear it. For now, download the demo (there is even a Nirvana cover included.

Check out their set tomorrow (9/15/09) at Fearless Radio from 7-9pm CST. Click 'listen now.'

Raw Nerve - Demo

A New Project:

2009-09-09T11:08:00.000-07:00

Lost Relics

Technical Difficulties.

2009-08-20T09:10:00.001-07:00

Mediafire deleted the entire library I used for Harsh Distractions, so I've slowly been re-uploading things. However, it is very tedious and my time is better spent doing other things, so if there is something you are looking for specifically that I have posted, please let me know and I will try to get it up sooner than later. Thanks.

Harsh Distractions Episodes

2009-08-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Since Mediafire shut down my entire library of music, including the episodes of my radio show Harsh Distractions, I had to re-up them elsewhere. So, for interested parties who are unable to tune into my show on Tuesday's from 7-9pm CST on Fearless Radio, here are a few mp3's of it. They are broken up by hour.

6/23/09 Hour 1

6/23/09 Hour 2

6/30/09 Hour 1

6/30/09 Hour 2

7/7/09 Hour 1

7/7/09 Hour 2

7/21/09 Hour 1

7/21/09 Hour 2

8/4/09 Hour 1

8/4/09 Hour 2

Harsh Distractions - Two Episodes Available for download

2009-07-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

Fearless hasn't been able to put up a page for my show or converted any of the episodes into Podcasts yet, so I figured I'd upload the files to Mediafire and post them here for anyone interested. These are the shows from 6/30/09 and 7/21/09. Eric from
Hate was my guest on 6/30 and I did the show alone on 7/21. Check it out.

6/30/09 Hour 1

6/30/09 Hour 2

7/21/09 Hour 1

7/21/09 Hour 2

Harsh Distractions Playlist 7/28/09

2009-07-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

My friend Joel came on the show last night and here is what we played. I'm not sure who will be on next week, but the show is on every Tuesday from 7-9pm CST on Fearless Radio. Just click 'Listen Now.'

01. Atlas Sound - Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox) - Logos
02. The Horrors - Three Decades – Primary Colours
03. Robes - I'm Floating On You - The Breaks
04. Disappears - Needs - Live Over the Rainbo
05. Black Math - Reckless Thoughts - EP
06. Archers of Loaf - Wrong – Icky Mettle
07. The Beach Boys - Aren't You Glad - Wild Honey
08. M. Ward - Carolina - End of Amnesia
09. Def Choice - Culture is Dead - Culture is Dead
10. Depeche Mode – Strangelove - Music For The Masses
11. The Clean - In The Dream Life U Need A Rubber Soul - Mister Pop
12. Sleep Out - I'll Take Care Of It - Not Even Dust
13. Sonic Youth - What We Know – The Eternal
14. Phoenix – 1901 - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
15. King Khan & The Shrines - Welfare Bread – What is?
16. The Kinks - This Time Tomorrow – Kinks part 1: Lola versus Powerman and the Moneygoround
17. The Magnetic Fields - The Desperate Things You Made Me Do – Get Lost
18. My Heart to Joy - Empty Homes - Seasons In Verse
19. Guns N' Wankers - Nervous - For Dancing and Listening
20. Guilty Faces - Hospital Eyes – Nightmares 7"
21. Trembling Blue Stars - For This One - Her Handwriting

Sleep Out - Not Even Dust

2009-07-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

I can't lie, I feel guilty posting a record released within the year that is still very much in print. However, I think Sleep Out is so underrated, I don't think anyone into incredibly well crafted indie-rock should be without this album.

In 2006 they released their debut full length, I Was Your Shroud, a great debut containing one of my favorite songs of the year, "It wasn't Darkness." The record was in my top five albums of the year and I raved about it to anyone who would hear me, including the readers of Punk Planet during my tenure as a reviewer for the publication.

Last year, the band released their second record Not Even Dust, an altogether more focused and gloomy effort inspired by Chicago's Graceland Cemetary. It has no shortage of stand out tracks like the title track, "Not Even Dust," or the more upbeat, "I'll Take Care of It," but the album is best presented in its entirety. The 11 tracks on Not Even Dust speak of Chicago's sadness and hope, and tell the stories of those deceased and those still living. Much like their first record, this made my "Best of 2008" list, so if you like it please support them and buy it.

Sleep Out - Not Even Dust

Buy the Album

Sleep Out on MySpace

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 7/21/09

2009-07-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

I flew solo on the show for my first week back from vacation. You can listen to my show every Tuesday from 7-9pm CST on Fearless Radio by clicking 'Listen Now.' Here's what I played this past week:

Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool (INTRO)
01. Cold Cave - Youth and Lust - Love Comes Close
02. Blank Dogs - The Tied - Seconds EP
03. The Brother Kite - I'm Not the Only One - Waiting for the Time to Be Right
04. Trapped Under Ice - See God - Secrets Of The World
05. Death In June - Symbols Of The Sun - Rose Clouds Of Holocaust
06. Aloha - Balling Phase - Sugar
07. Crushed On You - Kissing is an Artform - Demo 2009
08. Vivian Girls - Lake House - V/A The World's Lousy With Ideas, Vol. 8
09. Ramones - Chinese rock - End of the Century
10. Blitz Someone's Gonna Die Tonight - The Complete Blitz Singles Collection
11. Narrows - Chambered - New Distances
12. Sleepwall - A Song to Start With - Demo 2008
13. Crime In Stereo - For Exes - The Troubled Stateside
14. Boat Club - Always Away - Caught The Breeze
15. Total Abuse - Ain't Got No One - Self Titled LP
16. Silk Flowers - Flash of Light - 1st 7"
17. Crocodiles - Neon Jesus - Neon Jesus
18. Give Up The Ghost - The Hell We've Been Living In - Love American EP
19. Sun Kil Moon - Lucky Man - April
20. Cursed - Antihero Resuscitator -Three
21. Down In Flames - Down In Flames - Three Seven Inches On One CD
22. Sunny Day Real Estate - Rodeo Jones LP2 (pink album)
23. Swamp Thing - Square One - The Youth Is Sick
24. Talking Heads - Sugar on My Tongue - Popular Favorites 1976-1983: Sand in the Vaseline (Disc 1)
25. Vaccine - Family- Demo Cassette
26. The Afghan Whigs - My Enemy - Black Love
27. Bad Religion - Fuck Armageddon... This Is Hell - 80-85
28. Crud Is A Cult - Missionary Position - Triple Corpse Horror
29. The Chameleons - Perfume Garden - What Does Anything Mean? Basically
30. Airiel - Thinktank - The Battle of Sealand
31. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Throwing Things - God Fodder

Harsh Distractions Playlist 7/7/09

2009-07-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

Joel came on the show on Tuesday and we played some of our favorite 90's hip-hop tracks. It was fun and something we'll hopefully revisit in the future. I foolishly played a Hiero song from 2003, thinking Full Circle came out in the 90's, but I was mistaken. Live and learn. Here's what we played. Also, I will not be doing the show next week as I am taking a much needed vacation to the Bay Area. I'm psyched to not be at work for a whole week.

1. Gangstarr – Work - Moment Of Truth
2. Wu-Tang Clan - C.R.E.A.M - Enter the 36 Chambers
3. Poor Righteous Teachers - Gods, Earth and 85ers - The New World Order
4. A Tribe Called Quest - Oh My God - Midnight Marauders
5. Nas - It Ain't Hard To Tell - Illmatic
6. AZ - I Feel for You - Doe or Die
7. Mobb Deep - Drop a Gem on 'Em - Hell on Earth
8. 2Pac - All Eyez On Me - All Eyez On Me
9. Capone -N- Noreaga - Iraq [See the World] - The War Report
10. Big L - All Black - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
11. Camp Lo - Luchini (This is it) - Uptown Saturday Night
12. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) - Mecca And The Soul Brother
13. De La Soul - Stakes Is High - Stakes Is High
14. Black Star – Respiration - Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star
15. Hieroglyphics - Fantasy Island - Full Circle
16. Company Flow - Vital Nerve - Funcrusher Plus
17. Artifacts - Come on with the Come on - Between a rock and a hard place.
18. GZA/Genius - B.I.B.L.E. feat. Killah Priest - Liquid Swords

Aloha - Sugar

2009-07-06T01:22:00.000-07:00

I think Aloha are one of those bands that have a little something for everyone. Their abundant use of vibraphone is what reeled me in initially, but their unique and incredible pop melodies coupled with their experimental tangents kept me wanting more. I also appreciate their awareness of "enough is enough" in regard to their progressive, freak out tendencies and they are great musicians without being too Steve Vai about the whole thing. Humility goes a long way in my eyes.

Their second full length, Sugar, came out in 2002 and quickly earned a spot as one of my favorite summertime records.
The songs are full of depth and layers, but still have this undeniable breezy quality that makes me want to lay in the grass on a 75 degree day or drive with the windows down on Lake Shore Drive late at night. Even after seven years of listening to this album I get this incredible sense of relief when "Let Your Head Hang Low" starts with that steady guitar riff and singer Tony Cavallario's soothing, airy voice.

I often want to give drummer and multi-instrumentalist Cale Parks a lot of the credit for Aloha's greatness (see 2:43 and forward in the song "Balling Phase" for an example of what a machine he is), but I truly think they are truly the sum of their parts. If you've been looking for a new record to accompany your summer adventures, I suggest this be it as it's the perfect time of year to really absorb it.

Aloha - Sugar

Buy from Polyvinyl Records

Aloha on MySpace

Crushed on You - Demo 2009

2009-07-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

Crushed On You is a relatively new band from Orange County comprised of members of Cold War, Julia, Throwdown and fronted by Steven Miller of Unbroken/Kill Holiday. I read about this band a few years back and was stoked that Steven Miller was doing a new project, but it took a while for demos to surface. Now, in 2009 they have formally released their demo online and it doesn't disappoint. Musically, it's a bit poppier than where Kill Holiday left off, but the songs still tread pretty close to mid-90's Revelation Records territory which is right up my alley.

Hopefully they will release a 7" or EP in the near future. Until then, enjoy this demo.

Crushed On You - Demo 2009
Crushed On You MySpace

Harsh Distractions Playlist 6/30/09

2009-07-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

I had Eric on the show last night to play some songs and chat about them. Here's what we played.

01. Owls - Everyone Is My Friend - Owls
02. Torche - Across the Shields - Meanderthal
03. Cold Cave - Love Comes Close - Edsel And Ruby
04. Burn – Godhead - Shall be Judged 7"
05. Dinosaur Jr. - Over It - Farm
06. Cam'ron - Used to get it in Ohio - Crime Pays
07. Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine - Josephine
08 Trap Them - Guignol Serene - Seizures in Barren Praise
09. Title Fight – Symmetry - The Last Thing You Forget
10. Comadre – Angeles - Mixtape Volume 2
11. Limp Wrist - This Ain't No Cross On My Hand - Discography
12. Cave In - Moral Eclipse - Until Your Heart Stops
13. Treason - The British are Coming - Demo
14. Charles Bronson - The Story of my Life - Complete Discocrappy
15. Charles Bronson - Obligatory Jock Slaughter Song - Complete Discocrappy
16. Say Goodbye - Anti-Social - Anti-Social 7"
17. Dungen – Festival - Ta Det Lugnt
18. Saturday Looks Good To Me - Meet Me By The Water - All Your Summer Songs
19. Dying Fetus - Pissing in the Mainstream - Destroy the Opposition
20. Foreign Born - Early Warnings - Person to Person
21. Kylesa – Scapegoat - Static Tensions
22. Punch in the Face - My dear I haven’t Learned a Thing - S/T 7"
23. Descendents - Everything Sux - Everything Sucks
24. Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring - Behaviour

Tune in every Tuesday from 7-9pm CST on Fearless Radio to listen to the show.

Breaker Breaker - Out of Service

2009-06-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Breaker Breaker were what I'd consider to be a "2nd Tier" band of early 2000's hardcore. While I always enjoyed them, they were never as fully realized or as influential as their contemporaries. In fact, you can pick out the influence of their peers in their songs. Luckily, those same bands are among my favorites of the era and my only complaint is that there weren't enough bands playing that style of what a friend of mine would refer to as "tragic" hardcore. Sadly, Breaker Breaker only released a demo (later repressed as a 7" on Bridge 9) and this posthumous EP, Out of Service, for Martyr Records.

Musically, Breaker Breaker rarely tread too far outside the realm of straight forward hardcore, but they write great songs that are fast and pissed with bummer lyrics. What really impresses me is how harsh and desperate singer Mark Kelley's voice sounds. It's unique how every word is strained, seemingly on the verge of collapse and it's even more apparent on Out of Service than their demo. They elevated everything a bit on this EP - the riffs, the breaks and their lyrics. I'm interested to know what direction they would have taken had they continued to write, but unfortunately they broke up before their time. Kelley also went on to sing for Treason, who put out a great demo and seemed to vanish as fast as they'd come.

Breaker Breaker - Out of Service

Kill Holiday - Somewhere Between the Wrong is Right

2009-05-24T00:38:00.000-07:00

One of the things that initially drew me to Unbroken was how much they wore their non-hardcore influences on their sleeve. Having pompadours and a strong affinity for Morrissey, wearing Smiths, KMFDM, and Christian Death shirts in band photos and at shows, covering Joy Division and so on were not par for the course in 90's hardcore. However, all of these things set them apart from most hardcore bands I came across and admittedly, made me want to like them more. I could relate to wearing a KMFDM shirt, liking Morrissey and being a depressed teenager more than I could to things Youth of Today were talking about. Shortly after getting into Unbroken I discovered Steven Miller and Todd Beattie had a post-hardcore band called Kill Holiday who put out a record on Revelation. As it turned out, my friend James owned it and traded it to me for something he'd listen to more.

Somewhere Between the Wrong is Right is the bands final record and a drastic stylistic leap from their earlier, more Quicksand influenced material. For the LP, Kill Holiday ditched the heavy chug riffs and took a gamble on their version of brit-pop and yielded quality results. I often see this record compared to The Smiths because of the acknowledged influence, but I see far more similarity to bands like The Verve, The Lemonheads and later era Ride. Miller's voice is perfectly breathy and the songs have just the right amount of bouncy drumming and swirling reverb to set them apart from their contemporaries (especially in the realm of post-hardcore alumni). I often wonder if some of the more gripping lyrics about loss have something to do with the tragic suicide of Unbroken guitarist Eric Allen. Even if they are unrelated, there is a lot of introspection and brooding in some of the stand out tracks like "You're Taking it Well," "Know who your friends Are," and the title track.

I've heard a lot of discussion about Revelation's post-hardcore back catalog these past few years and it's a shame how little play this Kill Holiday record seems to get. It's easily in my top 3 non-hardcore records released by Rev (up there with the Texas is the Reason's Do You Know Who You Are and Elliott's False Cathedrals). It is a solid record by a severely overlooked band.

Kill Holiday - Somewhere Between the Wrong is Right

Harsh Distractions Playlist 5/19/09

2009-05-21T11:05:00.003-07:00

This past Tuesday was my first show flying completely solo. I had some technical issues, but aside from that I think the show went well. I'm psyched on doing themed shows that have a singular concept but allow for a variety of music and discussion. Next Tuesday I'm going to have my friend Eric in from the band Hate so we can play songs that we associate with certain memories and times in our lives. It should be fun. Here is what I played on the show this past week.

1. Chapterhouse - Breather - Whirlpool
2. The Queers - Fuck The World - Love Songs For The Retarded
3. Dum Dum Girls - Catholicked - Yours Alone 12"
4. God Help The Girl - Come Monday Night - God Help The Girl
5. Little Lungs - Atlantic Bridge - Hoist Me Up!
6. Superchunk - Learned To Surf - Leaves In The Gutter
7. The Legends - Always the same - Over and over
8. Yo La Tengo - Tom Courtenay - Electr-O-Pura
9. Acid House Kings - Do What You Wanna Do - Sing Along With The Acid House Kings
10. The American Analog Set - Punk As Fuck - Know By Heart
11. The Raveonettes - Blush - Lust Lust Lust
12. Olivia Tremor Control - Define A Transparent Dream - Music from the Unrealized Film Script Dusk At Cubist Castle
13. Tiger Trap - Words & Smiles - Tiger Trap
14. Creeper Lagoon - Wonderful Love - I Become Small And Go
15. Tahiti 80 - Heartbeat - Puzzle
16. The Nerves - Hanging on the Telephone - The Nerves
17. Nodzzz - We Are The Only Animals - I Don't Wanna (Smoke Marijuana) 7”
18. Shop Assistants - You Trip Me Up (JAMC Cover) - Here It Comes EP
19. Lavender Diamond - Open Your Heart - Imagine Our Love
20. Black Tambourine - Black Car - Complete Recordings
21. Cub - Pillow Queen - Box Of Hair
22. Beat Happening - In Between - Jamboree
23. Brilliant Colors - Highly Evolved - Highly Evolved b/w Takes So Little 7"
24. Television Personalities - A Picture Of Dorian Gray - And Don't The Kids Just Love It
25. Felt - A Wave Crashed On Rocks - Forever Breathes The Lonely Word
26. The Chills - Doledrums - Kaleidoscope World
27. The Radio Dept. - Always A Relief - Pet Grief

Hey Mercedes - EP

2009-05-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

In high school, I LOVED Braid. As the ska phase I went through for the first half of high school began to fade I started delving into the realm of emo and hardcore, constantly searching for something even more underground. I bought the First Day Back b/w Hugs from Boys 7" at Bizzy Bee in Naperville along with a My Lai 7" and thought I was so cool. I listened to those records constantly and from there my obsession with Braid and all things emo began. I was fortunate enough to see Braid twice before they broke up. Once with Less than Jake and ALL where they were LITERALLY booed for their entire set. It was like something out of a movie and an occurrence I have never seen again. I felt awful for them as they sounded incredible, but apparently it was not their crowd. I still remember some really fat guy wearing a Teen Idols t-shirt making crying noises and rubbing his eyes in a mocking fashion (you know cause they were, "Emo." He was very clever). Vinnie from Less than Jake had to come out mid-set and yell at everyone and for some reason when he defended Braid everyone started clapping as if they weren't just heckling five seconds prior. It was such a blatant 180 and it made me immediately disgusted with 90% of the morons in attendance. It was also one of my first lessons that the majority of individuals involved in punk rock are full of shit and will change their stance at the drop of a hat.

The other time I saw Braid was at one of their last shows at the Fireside Bowl. It was crowded and hot because it was early August, but they played a great set determined by a giant wheel with all of their songs on it. People from the crowd would spin the wheel and whatever song it landed on is what they would play. They were fantastic and I was bummed I slept on seeing them for so many years. The next day they played a show at the Metro and a "secret" show afterward at the Fireside and I didn't know anything about it. It was very upsetting seeing as I spent the entire day at a poorly attended Piebald/Still Life show. Had I stuck around the Fireside afterward I would have been able to see Braid again. Such is life.

So, with Braid's dissolution came the formation of Hey Mercedes (and the more serious pursuit of Chris Broach's project, The Firebird Band). I was upset about the end of Braid, but Hey Mercedes was a worthy replacement in my eyes as they more or less picked up where Braid left off on the Please Drive Faster 7", albeit less mathy. Each of the four songs on their debut EP are incredibly catchy rock songs with Bob Nanna's typically interesting lyrics. I was 18 when this was released and always thought about the line, 24, not a kid anymore, are you kidding? in "St. James Street" and being 24 seemed so far off. Now I'm 27 and it remains an interesting lyric to me as it's incredibly true. Turning 24 is kind of the end of being a kid and really facing things on your own and making a life for yourself.

As Hey Mercedes continued, the quality of their output got increasingly spotty, but this record is solid and still deserves the attention 9 years later.

Hey Mercedes - EP

The Magnetic Fields - The House of Tomorrow EP

2009-05-10T19:28:00.000-07:00

Stephin Merritt is one of the most prolific songwriters of the past 20 years, not only because of his work under The Magnetic Fields moniker, but also as the primary songwriter for The 6ths, The Gothic Archies, The Future Bible Heroes and his work as a solo artist. Though The House of Tomorrow EP is neither his most celebrated or ambitious work, it remains one of my favorite Magnetic Fields releases for a number of reasons. It was my introduction to the band when I was incredibly sick at my friend Robin's house in North Providence, RI. I had an extremely high fever, woke up disoriented and almost tripped down the stairs on my way to curl up on her couch. My friend Matt put this EP on the stereo and it was the perfect thing to be listening to at that moment. It's so lo-fi and warm and Merritt's bassy voice is soothing and rhythmic. I have a tendency to enjoy repetitive songs and that's exactly the concept behind this record - five looped songs, primarily centering around the theme of love, all clocking in around 2:30 and done in a comfortable synth-pop fashion.

For those only familiar with 69 Love songs, The House of Love will feel like a dramatic shift in sound because of its rigid uniformity. However, that is part of the appeal and something I enjoy greatly about Merritt's songwriting. He seems to have an uncanny ability to zone in on exactly what he's going for and make every recording a transparent replication of that vision.

The Magnetic Fields - The House of Tomorrow

Harsh Distractions Playlist - 5/5/09

2009-05-06T15:19:00.000-07:00

Here is what I played last night on my radio show. If you are in a band or have a label and are interested in submitting music to the show, please contact me at StephenKane@fearlessradio.com.

1. Beautiful Skin - Harsh Distractions - Revolve
2. Monikers - 80 Proof - Wake Up
3. M83 - Graveyard girl - Saturdays=Youth
4. Archers Of Loaf - Plumb Line - Icky Mettle
5. The Vaselines - The Day I Was A Horse - The Way Of The Vaselines
6. Crime In Stereo - Everywhere and all the Time - Selective Wreckage
7. Telefon Tel Aviv - Helen Of Troy - Immolate Yourself
8. No Age - Cappo - Nouns
9. White Hinterland - Dreaming of the Plum Trees - Phylactery Factory
10. The Wooden Birds - The Other One - Magnolia
11. Cale Parks - Every Week Ends - Sparklace
12. This Is Ivy League - Love Is Impossible - This Is Ivy League
13. Vivian Girls - I Believe in Nothing - Vivian Girls
14. Fucked Up Black Albino Bones The Chemistry of Common Life
15. Crystal Stilts - Departure - Alight Of Night
16. Sleep Out - I'll Take Care Of It - Not Even Dust
17. New Lows - Hung Up on the Crossroads - New Lows
18. Sonic Youth - Sunday - A Thousand Leaves
19. Weekend Nachos – Pain over Acceptance – Unforgivable
20. Memorial -Sideways - The Creative Process/Berlin
21. Bad Seed – Through My Hands – Bad Seed EP
22. The Magnetic Fields - California Girls - Distortion
23. Failures - Crowning Achievement - Failures
24. Cult Ritual - Electric Depression - 3rd EP
25. Cold Cave - Our Tears Help The Flowers Grow -The Trees Grew Emotions And Died
26. Beach House - Holy Dances - Devotion
27. Air France - No Excuses - No Way Down
28. Smog - Cold Blooded Old Times - Knock Knock
29. Screeching Weasel - One Step Beyond - Wiggle
30. Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane - The Trinity Session
31. Dennis Wilson - You And I - Pacific Ocean Blue

Harsh Distractions Playlist 4/28/09

2009-04-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first episode of Harsh Distractions on Fearless Radio. I got off to a rocky start, but it will improve with time. Here is what I played:

1. Beautiful Skin - Harsh Distractions
2. The Hope Conspiracy - In the Shadow of God
3. Rival Mob - Upside Down - Demo
4. Crocodiles - I Wanna Kill - Summer Of Hate
5. Slices - Desert March – 7”
6. Unbroken - Absentee Debate - It's Getting Tougher To Say The Right Things
7. Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened - Microcastle
8. Wavvves - So Bored - Wavves LP
9. Killing Time - Fool's Die Brightside
10. Torche - Across Thjavascript:void(0)
Publish Poste Shields - Meanderthal
11. Harms Way - Warriors Will Reign - Reality Approaches
12. Sister Cities – Sinkhole – Demo 2009
13. Chamberlain - Yellow Like Gold - Fate's Got A Driver
14. Hum - Ms. Lazarus - Downward Is Heavenward
15. 108 - Three Hundred Liars - A New Beat From A Dead Heart
16. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction – S/T LP
17. Converge – Homewrecker - Jane Doe
18. Convicted - Cyrus, the Almighty - Demo 2009
19. Disappears - Hearing Things - Needs b/w Hearing Things
20. Superchunk - The Popular Music - Indoor Living
21. Damnation A.D. - Rain As My Veil - Misericordia
22. Young Governor - Virginia Creeper - Virginia Creeper 7"
23. Like Bats - Hellbound - Demo
24. Endgame - I Divide - Distracted
25. Tigers Jaw - I Saw Water - Tigers Jaw
26. Gods Reflex - When It's Down to This - When It's Down To This
27. The Daysleepers - The Soft Attack - The Soft Attack EP
28. New Order - Regret - Republic

Harsh Distractions Radio

2009-04-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Starting tomorrow, I will be hosting my own internet radio show every Tuesday from 7pm-9pm CST on Fearless Radio called Harsh Distractions, just like the blog. When I was a kid I'd stay up late every Sunday to listen to the original Sound Opinions and fall asleep to the radio every night. So, the idea of having a show of my own has always appealed to me. Now I have that opportunity thanks to Fearless and I'm very excited. Like this blog, it will focus on music, spanning pretty much everything I listen to and want to share with others. This first show is a "soft opening" of sorts so it won't be advertised on the site nor will it be promoted in any other way. If you are interested in checking it out, go to the Fearless Radio website at 7pm CST on Tuesday and click "Listen Now." I have ideas for the future which include bringing in bands, doing interviews, playing advance material, and hopefully getting to the point where live sets can be recorded specifically for the show in the same vein as the WNYU and WERS sets. For now though, I just need to get acclimated.

Weekend Nachos - Pain Over Acceptance/Shot in the Head

2009-04-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

My friends in Weekend Nachos recently posted two new songs from their forthcoming LP, Unforgivable. I wanted to ask John a few short questions while we were at work to give people an idea about these two songs and the new record.

Steve: So, you have a new record coming out soon called Unforgivable. Tell me a little about it. How does it differ from the last few records you've done?

John: Yeah. First and foremost, it's our best stuff, in my opinion. Overall I'd say it's still very fast, but in a more crusty d-beat sort of way. It's a lot heavier, the lyrics keep getting more and more personal and less obnoxious/Spazz-ish. We're just progressing, but in a good way. It's making our songs better and way more genuinely hateful which is what the band is basically about. I'm sick of 12 second songs. Our songs are still short but they're reasonable on this record.

Steve: I'm glad you mentioned the lyrics actually because we've had numerous conversations about not being able to relate to people, both in and out of hardcore. How conscious of this are you in your daily life? How much of this comes through in your lyrics?

John: I am more conscious of this every single day, it's not good. Things get worse, they don't get better. What rules is that I've never expressed it through music as well as I have on this record, lyrically. Originally everyone pigeon-holed us as a band that was basically a joke. I understand that fully, but I really don't think that people are going to be saying that once this record comes out. like it or not, things are different now. All of the discomfort I feel in my life and with society is definitely apparent on this record. It's important to have a band where you can write lyrics about that shit. Any real person out there is going to understand why that's important, others will make fun of it and those people are pussies anyways.

Steve: What is something that you touched upon in the lyrics on the new record that is uncharted territory for WN?

John: Hmm, well we have a song about feeling hopeless and alone and never wanting to go outside. I think that sounds pretty emo-goth-whatever you want to call it, and when we started out I never ever would've wanted to have lyrics like that, cause let's face it, that's some terrible crybaby shit. I'm almost 26 now and I'm still doing this band and things are still fucked. What do I care now? The songs are going to be as real as they can possibly get. There's also a song about stalking and killing ex-girlfriends, but you know, that's not too far off from something I would've written about back in the day, haha.

Steve: Do you think a lot of bands are being as honest as they could?

John: Honestly, I see it more and more these days and the most important thing is to seriously just not give a fuck. You will get shit-talked by plenty of kids who think there's nothing more to punk rock than complaining about how you have to work every day (no thanks to all the '82 style/NA clones out there), but then again, others might relate. If it's what you want to write about, there is nothing anyone can legitimately say that's bad about that. I'm stoked on any band that seems sincere, I seriously don't care what the songs are about.

Steve: Who do you think is doing that right now?

John: Honestly, I'm just gonna name some bands who I personally know the singers and they're very honest about their songwriting and I know what some of their songs are specifically about even. Convicted, Sick Fix, Poison Planet, Cold Shoulder and The Killer are all bands who i know the lyrics are written sincerely and each and every song really stands for something, whether it's personal or political, shit doesn't matter.

Steve: You guys have gone through some line up changes since the last record. How much did that affect the song writing process?

John: It actually didn't effect things that much. We would have all had to learn the songs together anyways and we really hadn't accomplished much by the time Varg and Aaron left. Fortunately we put together a new line-up very quickly and immediately began work on the new album. Andy and Drew are fast learners.

Steve: What made you choose "Pain Over Acceptance" & "Shot in the Head" to be the first songs people heard?

John: Well the truth is, I don't consider those to be the very best songs on the record, but I feel they do an alright job of representing what sound to expect from the new record. I wanted the songs to be good, but not the highlight of the record. This way when people pick it up, they are in store for some more awesome jams than the ones on the MySpace.

Steve: When does the record actually come out? What kind of reaction do anticipate and what are you hoping people get out of this record?

John: The record comes out in May. We'll most likely release it at Maryland Death Fest. I am anticipating a 50/50 sort of reaction to it. I think the people who truly like Weekend Nachos will really be impressed by it. I think the people who like Weekend Nachos because we sorta sounded like Spazz when we first started are going to absolutely despise it and that's good. That's what I want.

Steve: Anything else you'd like to add?

John: Not really, man. Thanks for putting the songs on your blog, we appreciate it.

Weekend Nachos - Pain Over Acceptance/Shot in the Head Download

Spring Mix 4/5/09

2009-04-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the photo, spring has sprung in Chicago. Since I avoided the weather and stayed indoors most of the day, I made a mix of some songs I've been listening to lately. Enjoy!

01. Creeper Lagoon - Wonderful Love
02. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Young Adult Friction
03. Young Governor - Virginia Creeper
04. Kleerup - Thank You for Nothing
05. Jim O'Rourke - Please Patronize Our Sponsors
06. Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring
07. Lavender Diamond - Open Your Heart
08. Deerhunter - Never Stops
09. Guided By Voices - Smothered in Hugs
10. Dirty on Purpose - Mind Blindness
11. Cold Cave - Always Someone
12. Brian & Dennis Wilson - I Feel So Fine
13. Ra Ra Riot - Each Year
14. Archers of Loaf - Plumb Line
15. Evan Dando - All My Life
16. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
17. Julie Doiron - Ce Charmant Coeur
18. Astrud Gilberto - How Insensitive

Spring Mix

Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report

2009-03-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

The other day I watched a portion of VH1's Greatest 100 Hip-Hop songs of All Time on VH1 Soul. While I think those shows are interesting to watch, they are extremely narrow in their level coverage. The hard rock/metal countdown seemed short sided to me, but this one was even more incomplete. It just seems unbelievable to me that music journalists specializing in rap music along with a panel of rappers, producers and DJ's would exclude so many important and influential MC's in favor of pop songs like Nelly's "Hot in Here" and MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This." C'mon, no Gang Starr? No Mobb Deep? No Pharcyde? Souls of Mischief/Del/Hieroglyphics? Big L? KRS-ONE? Kool Keith? Even "The Bridge is Over" didn't make the list. It was thoroughly disappointing.

So, on that same note of classic rap, I have to mention the debut by Queens, New York's Capone-N-Noreaga. The War Report is a perfect example of grimy post-golden age era hip-hop - Hard beats, gritty lyrics about crime, drugs and the hood, referring to their housing projects as "Iraq," the continuous use of the instigating phrase "What What," and various other things suburban nerds like me have no real comprehension of. At 20 tracks The War Report drags at times, but there are some definite bangers on here such as "Bloody Money," "LA, LA," "Halfway Thugs," and "Illegal Life." For more insight into the mind of NORE check the links below:

Cocaine Blunts Interview

Noreaga's Twitter

Capone-N-Noreaga - The War Report

Fireworks - We walk the Streets at Night

2009-03-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Since their debut LP All I Have to Offer is My Own Confusion comes out today, I thought I'd share a
semi-rare piece of Fireworks history.

A few years ago for Halloween they went and recorded four The Misfits covers to celebrate the holiday. Some people don't seem to be into their take on these classic songs, but I think they did a solid job. They always make covers their own with deviating too far off the path of the original structure. Obviously, nothing will compare to The Misfits, but I think these are definitely worth having if you're into Fireworks.

Fireworks - We Walk the Streets at Night

Convicted - Demo 2009

2009-03-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

My friends in Convicted recently recorded a new set of demos with Andy at Bricktop Recording. Admittedly, I always felt underwhelmed in regard to Convicted's recorded material, but I think the two new songs here and the re-recording of "Cages" sound great and far more representative of the band in a live setting - really heavy, fast, and intense. Check it out if you're into heavy hardcore similar to Turmoil, Buried Alive and other good bands.

Convicted - Demo 2009

Convicted on MySpace

Seam - The Pace is Glacial

2009-03-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

This was another record purchased on a whim sometime in high school. The main selling point was the $2 price tag it boasted in the discount bin at Bizzy Bee in Naperville, IL, where I purchased records during my formative years. I had only heard of Seam through the fliers that covered my bedroom walls at my parents house, but I knew they were an indie rock band on Touch & Go Records and that was enough for me. I listened to this record constantly, finding more and more things to love about it. The laid back, almost bouncy riffs, singer Sooyoung Park's breathy, hushed vocals and the simple leads that often get stuck in my head the way vocal melodies normally would. Seam only really seems to get their due within a certain, select facet of the indie rock community, but The Pace is Glacial (along with the rest of their discography) is essential listening for the genre.

A few years ago Touch & Go celebrated their 25th anniversary and Seam reunited to play on the final day of the weekend. It was a rainy, grey fall afternoon and by that point in the day the numbers dwindled because of the weather and the previous two days of shows, but Seam was great. They played almost everything I wanted to hear and they looked like they were having a great time. It was absolutely worth getting rained on and possibly the perfect accompaniment to their song selection.

Seam - The Pace is Glacial

Right Brigade - S/T

2009-03-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

During my senior year of high school my friend Joe took me to the now defunct Reckless Records location in Evanston. I went actively searching for a copy of Chain of Strength's The One Thing That Still Holds True, but also picked up the Right Brigade EP on a whim. The summer after high school my friend Matt and I took a trip to the east coast to attend Hellfest in Syracuse and visit some friends in Boston. We listened to this EP a lot during that week and since then it has secured a spot in my Top 5 hardcore records of the past 10 years.

Right Brigade didn't really seem like anything out of the ordinary to me upon first listen, but it became clear after repeated listening that they were everything a good hardcore band should be - fast, angry and have breaks so hard they make me want to get in random, unnecessary fights on the street. They were a fairly short lived band and only released a demo, this 7", a split with A Poor Excuse and an ill-fated LP on Revelation. However, in the few years after their break-up it became apparent just how influential they were. So many bands bit them left and right, especially in the early part of the decade - Frostbite, Outbreak, Murder Weapon, even early American Nightmare had some tinges of what Right Brigade were doing. Ultimately, they were just a solid hardcore band and if the 7 songs on this EP weren't enough, check the video for further proof - front flips, stage moshing, a good Agnostic Front reference and double handed mic grips. So hard.

Right Brigade - S/T

Material Issue - International Pop Overthrow

2009-01-28T00:00:00.001-08:00

Growing up my friend Nick was pretty lucky to have two older sisters into good music. One put him onto things like skateboarding, punk rock, graffiti and miscellaneous rebellion. The other was an academic, but really into 90's indie rock, shoegaze, new wave and brit-pop. There was a fair amount of musical crossover between the two so I'm not sure which one got him into Material Issue, which coincidentally got me into Material Issue. Truth be told, I could not stand them at first. Sometime in middle school Nick and I were watching a VHS tape full of music videos one of his sisters had and "Valarie Loves Me" was on it. I think I might have said "they are trying too hard to sound British" or something at the time, but either way, I wasn't having it. I was a hard sell as a kid because I remember hearing the Morrissey single "The more you ignore me the closer I get" and Blur's Modern Life is Rubbish around the time I first heard Material Issue and I was put off by all three. Morrissey being the most offensive to me at the time. It more or less boiled down to the fact that none of those bands were Nine Inch Nails and I didn't really want to hear anything that wasn't fast, heavy or both.

A few years after the original exposure, Nick was listening to International Pop Overthrow in his car and it occurred to me that I really hadn't given Material Issue a fair shake. While they aren't the most mind-blowing, innovative band ever, they still put out a record full of incredible, jangly pop songs about girls and heartbreak. An old friend of mine always said he wanted his wedding song to be "The Very First Lie." Kind of funny given the backhanded nature of the lyrics, but a great song nonetheless.

Though this record sold fairly well, they were certainly overshadowed by other, edgier bands coming up in Chicago music at the time. They released a few more records following International Pop Overthrow, but like many (I presume), I've never actually listened to them. Sadly, lead singer Jim Ellison committed suicide in 1996.

Material Issue - International Pop Overthrow

Thirty Seconds Deep - Hot Carl

2009-01-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

My mom was the newspaper adviser at a high school for the better part of her career as an educator. The paper would often have fundraisers to make up for the money they couldn't generate through subscriptions & funding and in the mid-90's, a "Battle of the Bands" was one of them. I was in middle school at the time and right in the early stages of my musical development. Every year there would be a few bands that were legitimately good and as someone just getting into punk, I was drawn to those bands more than any other. The band that made the biggest impression on me at the time was Thirty Seconds Deep. They were still something of a ska-punk band, but they were so much tighter and cohesive than the other bands that were vying to be crowned kings of an arbitrary award.

A year or two later I saw a flier for a show they were playing at a church in downtown Naperville with The Undesirables, Three Days, The Tardies and Luke Skawalker. This was the first show I ever attended and I still remember the day vividly. We had a half day from school so my friends and I spent afternoon smoking pot and eating pizza until my parents drove us over. That part sticks out to me because it was one of the only times I smoked pot and actually enjoyed it unlike every other time where I thought I was having an anxiety attack.

The show itself was great and it opened my friends and I up to a whole world we had only read about in interviews and liner notes. It just kind of made sense. I was neither popular nor outcasted in school, but I never really felt like I fit in either. However, in the confines of this show I felt like a part of something bigger. Even if only on a surface level.

I bought the Hot Carl 7" at the show even though I didn't own anything to play it on. I had my mom borrow a portable record player from her school and I'd listen to it on repeat on the floor of my bedroom and read through issues of Maximumrocknroll in which I'd only recognize the name of one band in the entire magazine (as part of an advertisement, not because of an article or review).

On Hot Carl they had officially ditched the traces of ska that permeated their previous 7"s and took the direction of classic Chicago Punk Rock with a midwest emo bent (namely on "Gamble"). There are some moments on here that haven't aged too well in the grand scheme, but much of it just sounds like something that came out of Chicago in the mid-90's. Regardless, this record will always be important to me because of the memories associated with it.

I have also included the self-titled 7" (aka The Chiquita Banana 7") as a separate download.

Thirty Seconds Deep - Hot Carl

Thirty Seconds Deep - S/T

Like Bats - Demo

2009-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Every so often a new band will cross my path that makes remember why I got into punk/hardcore in the first place. This nervous, unpredictable energy that reminds me of the Saturday afternoons my parents would drive me to the record store so I could buy Screeching Weasel and Apocalypse Hoboken records, aimless nights spent driving around with my friends or days spent inside listening to said records and typing out ridiculous content for my high school fanzine. Sometimes the smallest things about bands trigger this and it immediately brings back intense feelings for times past. Like almost everyone growing older but still interested in punk rock, only a handful of things stick out to me in any given heap. However, when something does catch my ear, it feels like being 15 again and discovering something for the first time. One of the most interesting bands I've heard in a while is a trio from Northwest Indiana called Like Bats. They play a rough but melodic brand of pop-punk that reminds of a lot of early-mid 90's bands on the Lookout! Records roster. After years of seeing tons of bands playing melodic "punk" that have no connection, interest or roots within punk rock, it's always refreshing to hear a band that does it right.

I sent Like Bats a few questions to get an idea where they are coming from. It's pretty short, but I feel like I'll do something else on them in the future. This is a first for Harsh Distractions and something I'd like to continue. I posted their demo below. Check it out.

If you had to name one band that really got you into punk rock, who would it be? What about them made you want to dig deeper and when did you realize you could just start your own band?

Joey: Although it isn't the most 'punk rock' album, I'd go with At The Drive-In's Vaya EP.

Kyle: Green Day's Dookie. I would always go into S&J stereo in Highland and I was scared that if I never bought anything the guy would kill me because he is very intimidating. It was a good buy.

Mike: The band that got me into punk rock was Bad Religion. My dad showed me that band when I was super young, but the band that made me realize punk could be really personal and introspective was Small Brown Bike. That's when I realized I could start a band like this and write lyrics that are specific to me and kinda wimpy but still play punk.

As a relatively new band, how has the response been so far?

Kyle: It's been pretty good so far. People seemed to be into us at the out of town shows we've played and the response where we live has been really good too.

How has being from Northwest, Indiana affected the dynamic of your band? Do you see a difference in the people and attitudes from there compared to those from Chicago and the suburbs?

Mike: I think it affects the dynamic of the band and the songwriting only in the way that Northwest Indiana and the suburbs are a little more depressing. There's no bright lights or big city to look at and I think we use that to our advantage and it helps us write better songs. But other than that, Indiana's not so bad. Sometimes you just feel trapped in a cage of houses, strip malls, and Wal-Mart's, but you get used to it. A person's surroundings always helps shape the way you write songs. I have this weird sense of pride about living in Indiana, it's the underdog. Everyone looks down on it. The only difference I really see in music scenes between NWI and Chicago is that people from Indiana are more accepting and eager to go out to see Chicago bands. People from Chicago can generally give two shits about bands from Indiana, for the most part. There are definitely exceptions though. People from Chicago seem to really like Cold Shoulder.

The lyrics on the demo are pretty depressing, but incredibly self-aware and well-written. Are they primarily about the same incident? How closely do the samples from "Lonesome Jim" tie in?

Mike: I wrote all the lyrics about one specific girl. I know its kind of selfish and almost immature to write about a girl so literally, but I think anyone who has ever had their heart broken can understand and relate to the lyrics. It's one of the worst feelings in the world. And the movie Lonesome Jim is just one of those movies I watched over and over when I was most down. I relate to that movie like a good record and I just wanted to put some quotes in the demo because of its relevance to the time in my life when I wrote the lyrics.

What has been the most satisfying part of doing the band up to this point?

Joey: All the kind words our friends have said.

Kyle: Mike motivated me to start writing some lyrics. I am satisfied as fuck.

Mike: The most satisfying part is just having an outlet to vent about all my bullshit. Also, playing shows obviously. I love it.

If you could have people take away only ONE thing from listening to or seeing Like Bats, what would it be?

Mike: It would be that sense of comfort you get from sad songs when you're feeling down. You know what I'm talking about.

Kyle: That we're all single. Sup ladies?

What are your plans for the future?

Mike: We're doing a split with our friends Young Devilry and we're currently booking a ten day tour to the east coast in March, and we're also doing a 4-way split 7" with some other bands for this D.C. based label called Traffic Street Records. That's about it for now I think. Thanks for the interview and for putting our demo up!

Like Bats on Myspace

Update: The link for this was deleted when Mediafire erased my entire library. Since then Traffic Street Records has announced they will be re-releasing this demo/EP on cd with new artwork, etc. Out of respect for the label, I won't be re-upping this. Pre-Order the EP Here

Evil Nine (Feat. EL-P) - All The Cash (Glitch Mob Remix)

2009-01-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

I can't stop listening to this track from breakbeat duo Evil Nine. This thing is such a banger.

Evil Nine (Feat. EL-P) - All The Cash (Glitch Mob Remix)