Well, that was an unwelcome bit of news.
So why not wash the political developments of Tuesday out of your brain with the aptly-named fourth volume of "Tomorrow Will Be Worse"? A snapshot of the waning days of fastcore, featuring six bands from the US and Japan, this was the final volume of the influential series from Covington's Sound Pollution Records. And it captures one of my favorite eras of punk rock, chock full of blazing fast sounds, perfect for circle pitting and skateboarding and flipping the brim of your baseball cap up.
For me, Vöetsek is still the stand out here. This was Scotty Tankcrimes and Athena of Six Weeks Records, and if you know anything about the records they've put out, you know they have expert taste in punk rock. That doesn't diminish any of the other bands here. Orlando's RunnAmuckS is the other "big" name here; they are still playing out and releasing records (as of last year, at least). No Value, the Sprouts, and Fasts all hailed from Japan, and are all bands that I'd happily have bought 7"s from back then. Finally, there's Michigan's Threatener, featuring members of xBrainiax and Saturday Looks Good To Me, a combination of related bands that tickles me to no end.
You want the advice of a white cis male, speaking from a place of privilege? You cannot change the path of a nation. You can change the path of your town, your neighborhood, your street, your building. Take a little time over the coming days to think about what matters to you and how you can help build the world you want to live in. Or download this, turn up your speakers, and circle pit in your bedroom until you get dizzy and pass out. There's a fair chance I'll do both.
