OK, I start a new gig the day after Memorial Day, so I'm trying to load a few posts into the queue in between chores from Mrs. Ape and sleep so's I can make a good impression this first week. Adulting; what is it?
I've written about a couple of the 100 releases on the defunct S.F. label Allied Recordings before, but not really ever commented on how underappreciated I think Allied is today. It probably has a lot to do with the limited lifespan of the label (10 years, 100 recordings), as well the staunch indie stance Mr. Yates took during its tenure. Being exposed to Allied midway through its life not only helped shape my tastes; it encouraged them to stay broad, to listen to Buzzoven next to J Church next to the Ex and for it all to make sense.
Allied was always good for a great comp, and "Invasion" captures a super interesting snapshot of the great punk underground right after the 1994 major label wave crested and dissipated. The standouts are early recordings from Dillinger Four and Hot Water Music, as well as a J Church song that I ended up playing a lot on my radio show in 1996 because it was just over a minute long and slotted perfectly into those little gaps at the top of the hour. But the cool part of this one, like all the other Yates-curated comps, is many gems appear here. There are bands like Philly's Franklin and Atlanta's Car vs. Driver, who toured and put out lots of great records. There's Peaceful Meadows, V.Card, and Strawman, a trio of Allied standard bearers whose CDs still show up in dollar bins all around. And there are songs from bands like Trench, Water Monitor, and Pound, whose recorded output consisted of this appearance and a demo tape. All in all, it's a pretty cool document, which is what comps are good for.
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