I have this "old man shaking fist at cloud" block in my head over the cost of vinyl. I know it has everything to do with knowing how much it used to cost to press 1,000 copies of a 7", but I can't wrap my brain around how the cost of vinyl has climbed, while availability has increased exponentially over the past ten years. Why the hell does a new copy of
Queen's "Greatest Hits Vol.1" retail for $27? Why the hell is anyone pressing new copies of Queen's "Greatest Hits Vol.1"? It sold 25 million copies! You can't find a used copy anywhere? What the hell, man?
That's why I've been buying a lot of cassettes.
I think cassettes are the perfect format for DIY releases in 2020. It provides the artifact, the collectible, while a digital download provides the listenable content. Cassettes are inexpensive to manufacture, accessible to anyone in the world, can be transported cheaply, and are more easily repairable than any other audio format. You can make one as a gift, duplicate 100 at home, or 10,000 at the plant, based on how available you want the physical media to be, with little financial barrier to entry. They're kinda perfect.
And, with all respect to Burger Records, I don't think anyone is doing a better job with cassette releases than Malaysia's
Pissed Off!! Records. They focus on the bleeding edge of punk, hardcore, and Oi! world-wide better than anyone since...BCT back in the 80s. While they've been an active label since 2005, they've really grown over the past five years, with 20 releases last year. I first learned about them in 2018, via a post from the always-amazing
Terminal Escape, and I've been a loyal fan ever since. Their releases run the gamut of styles, from a
Fy Fan discography they released in 2011, to my first order, 2018's
"Complete S.H.I.T." from the Toronto powerhouse, to Mexican Oi! band Dead Hero's Japanese tour tape from last year,
"La Voz De Una Generation". They focus on releases for South East Asia, but these are probably the most well-crafted cassette releases I've ever seen. Slipcases, heavy-gauge paper, foil printing; it's hard to believe these only run $5 US. Like their counterparts at Iron Lung, it's easy to see the love and attention that goes into each release.
Last week saw the announcement of three new releases from Pissed Off!!: the first demo from transatlantic hardcore trio
Urban Void (ex-Cokebust, Mind Trap), new music from Berlin's
The Fog, and some 80s worship from
Invalid Format, a new band from Shah Alam, Malaysia. Add to that recent releases from Chicago's
Man-Eaters (ex-Cülo), Ottawa popsters
Liquid Assets, and a drop dead debut from Texas's
Nosferatu, and their 2020 lineup is looking stacked.
Unfortunately, the shipping can run up the tab on an order, and, for some reason, most of my orders route through New York rather than ship into the West Coast, but it's all the more reason to pick up a few titles when you order. It can take almost a month (due to COVID-19) for orders to arrive, which is why I order via the
Bandcamp page, so I can listen immediately. If you're interested in what's happening around the world in punk, go ahead and order a few of these.
If you're looking for recommendations, I highly suggest the following:
Sonic Warhead - Bleed Runner EP
C.L.A.W. - Absolute Control EP
Urgent Matter - s/t EP
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