Double Dagger - ALT+0135

Hey fam. I don't feel missed, but I'm sure in your heart of hearts you believe my absence was the proverbial lump o' coal in your stocking this Christmas. Sadly, I've been rather busy with coming up with household budgets, P&Ls and new design work at the job and coming up with resolutions for 2009. It tends to put posting someone else's records up online on the back burner.
As a backhanded apology, here's Double Dagger's demo, "ALT+0135", originally released in 2003. Whadaya want out of me? If you've lived in Baltimore in the past 5 years, you know who these guys are. If you caught any of the recent Baltimore Round Robin tour, you probably gave these cats a strong look. All I can tell you is that they're still one of the few bands that can get me out to a club, or free college show...whatever the case may be. They've released two awesome, screamy post-punk records, as well as a number of 7"s, in the past five years, and they were my favorite band to book for shows. I put my money where my muthafuckin' mouth is, bitches!









Double Dagger - ALT+0135
(click the record to DL)

RIYL: graphic design, whoopin' & hollerin', spastic dancing

Midiron Blast Shaft Starts Fires In Your Pants

It's nearly 3 AM here on the East Coast. My neighbor ran over to us about an hour and a half ago, screaming for us to call the fire department. Turns out he had fallen asleep with a lit cigarette in his hand. He awoke a short time later, surrounded by flame, with his bed ablaze. Somehow in the ensuing confusion, I lost my cell phone and two hours of desperately-needed sleep. I own a rowhome. For those of you unfamiliar, it's like a townhouse, in that it's connected to other houses on the same block, only it's older and isn't made out of pressboard & staples.

Here's Midiron Blast Shaft. No links tonight/this morning, cuz I'm feeling busted out. Maybe addendums tomorrow/this morning from work...










Midiron Blast Shaft - Starts Fires In Your Pants
(click record cover to DL)

RIYL: AmRep, stabbing your thigh with a knife, smoke inhalation

Medic - Greetings & Amputations

Grind yr fuckin' ears out, jerkface!!!!










Medic - Greetings & Amputations
(click record cover for DL)

RIYL: skatin', Satan, Katan

Iron & Wine - demo

Photo by Stephen Dowling

I'm too depressed to really write anything. Here's the CD-R that Sam Beam gave me after he opened for Ugly Casanova about 7 years ago at the Ottobar. Is there any difference between this demo and the tracks that have appeared just about everywhere? Hell, I don't know. I think "Red Dust" & "Dead Man's Will" only appeared on the Calexico split. Maybe some better informed soul can hip me to the origins and whatnot.

Postscript: I apologize for the pixelly-azz image below. I still have no scanner, and the only shot of the demo/tour EP I could find was small as hell. C'est la vie.










Iron & Wine - demo
(click record cover for DL)

RIYL: Pitchfork's Best of 2004, banjos, yr sister

Leatherface - Fill Your Boots

I'd love to know why the site traffic jumped from my normal gang of 20 punk rock zombies a day to over 150 folks just today. A lot of kids seem to be watching the Ben Kingsley as Ian MacKaye video I posted back in September. That's kinda cool. I'd just like to know where the hell these people magically came from. As one of my favorite writers once noted, "Comments are the lifeblood of any author, good or bad." So, let me hear from you, interwebs, if you like what you see. Or if you feel I'm only contributing to the further downfall of the music industry with my efforts herein. Either way, a roll call is in order...comment below. It's like a Xmas gift you don't have to pay for!

Speaking of Christmas presents: a co-worker of mine, who knows how into HC I am, dropped my Xmas present on me a little early today.
I haven't read a lot of it, but it's by far the best representation, book-wise, or early American hardcore out there. Get it for the old scenester kid working in the cubicle next to you, or ask Santy Claus to bring you one.

I'm sure it has something to do with its in- and out-of-print status since being release nearly 20 years ago, but people just don't seem to as hip to Fill Your Boots as I think they should be. It's never received a legit American release (unlike BYO's releases of Cherry Knowle and The Last), although it looks to be available via Amazon.uk for the bargain (?) price of 8.79 (that's pounds, sucka). It also sounds a lot more like the Leatherface I fell in love with on Mush. Finally, I totally love the sincere covers of "In The Ghetto" and "Candle In The Wind". I mean, who today would try to pull this off without their tongues firmly tucked into their cheeks?

See you Saturday for more punk rock sounds.










Leatherface - Fill Your Boots
(click record cover for DL)

RIYL: gargling with whisky, Sunderland, karaoke bars

Dag Nasty - 85-86

Were you aware that the one of the biggest trade shows for Halloween takes place a mere six weeks after Halloween? It's true, it's true. And guess who has to go to it for work? If you guessed "Ape Mummy", then skip past this to the download. Yep, I'm bummed. I really don't want to go to New York. It's cold and far and I already miss my dogs and my bed and my Wednesday night TV...even though it's Monday now and I'm still two days away from splitting town.

One good thing is that I'll have my iPod, and thus I can rock some Dag Nasty. Dance of Days has some really good dirt on how quickly DN got rid of Shawn Brown when they figured out he wouldn't have a great deal of commercial appeal. Plus, I love that Dave Smalley up and decided to move to a kibbutz, so Brian Baker decided to replace him with Peter Cortner. Totally pro, dood. Anyone else wonder why D.C. got a big hard-on for embracing that U2-styled anthemic rock sound back around 1986? Is it kinda like when bands suddenly appeared with turntables about 10 years ago? Or now, when all these kids are starting youth crew bands again. Is that what it's like? Really?

Anyway...85-86 was released as a pretty bitchin' six 7" box set, as well as obligatory LP & CD back in 1992. It's pretty well out of print, although the Dischord remasters of and Wig Out at Denko's and Can I Say share some of the tracks. Overall, it's a little on the raw side, but that's what I dig about it, especially on the Cortner tracks.

...by the way, my boss reminded me today that you are not allowed to expense out lap dances. For those of you who have yet to travel for work...well, there you go.










Dag Nasty - 85-86
(click record cover to DL)

RIYL: the Beach Boys on 78, Big Country, 3 hour train rides

The Chase - The Better Part of Six Months

So I've become most attached to checking the Feedjit feed from time to time, just see who's poking their head in here (more folks than I'd expect), what's getting downloaded (there are A TON of Sense Field fans out there - CREE-PEE!), and who's using a Mac (cue obligatory Apple backpatting). If you write, and enjoy the masturbatory sensation of watching the world come to your door, I fully and heartily endorse this widget and/or bathtime product.

Whatchu got hear is a the only full-length from The Chase, who hailed from the "south of Baltimore/north of DC" 'burbs and generally rocked shit for a few years back at the dawn of the millenium. If you have any desire to listen to screamy, pop hardcore, then this'll be right up your alleyway. These guys used to support just about every fun HC show in Baltimore back in the day. Fun side note: these P.G. County bamas are playing a reunion show in Silver Spring, MD on the 20th of December with At Best. It'll be like it's 2002 all over again!

The Chase - The Better Part of Six Months

RIYL: punks vs. mods, College Park house shows, ninjas vs. Frankenstein