various artists - The Hope Machine

Here's a (at the time of this post) 23-year-old cross section of Long Island DIY, courtesy of a label that, sadly, seems to have not made it through COVID intact. Rok Lok put out an early Loma Prieta record, and did a tape release for my buddy Nick's project about 12 years later. It's a small world that felt a lot bigger back then.

Geez, a lot of these folks ended up playing CCAS back in the day: Latterman, Nakatomi Plaza, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, De La Hoya. A hundred fliers flicker through my mind's eye.

The way the memories have faded, it makes me wish I'd done more party drugs, so I'd have a better excuse for faulty recollections of hazy summer nights. It makes me wish I'd spent a few more weekends in vans on I-95, rather than working a straight job or going back to school. At the risk of wistfulness, I sometimes think of the paths not taken, and where they might have lead. Maybe I would have been in one of these bands, immortalized to be rediscovered nearly a quarter century later.

Discogs

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Garden Variety - Knocking The Skill Level

I think I got this because the Revelation Records catalog likened them to Fugazi. It was such a lazy shorthand for any post-hardcore band circa 1995, but, shit, it worked, because it got me to order this. I happen to think it holds up remarkably well 25 years later; these songs are so energetic, so smart. As far  as I'm concerned, it's yet another example of a band being a few years ahead of their time. Plus, Joe Gorelick beats the ever-loving shit out of his drums on this record, and that is a high mark of quality to me.

The good folks at Arctic Rodeo Recordings in Hamburg put together a lovely, limited edition 3 x LP box set of the Garden Variety discography last year. If you have the bread, I'd definitely recommend picking it up. Otherwise, enjoy the band that preceded Radio 4, Retisonic, and Red Hare!

Discogs

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various artists - This Is Springfield, Not Shelbyville!

Ah, maybe these minstrels will sooth my jangled nerves.

Here's a turn of the century tribute to the Simpsons, featuring a strong nod to "This Is Boston, No L.A." and a grip of Tri-State hardcore and punk bands. My favs? How about Milhouse adapting "Firestorm" with Bart-inspired lyrics? Or Lifes Halt's thrash paean to the state's first Aquacar factory? Maybe it's Black Army Jacket's tribute to Poochy? They all tread a thin line between clever and stupid.

Whoops, wrong reference.

I'm not sure how I managed to miss this record's existence for almost 20 years. Is this just an excuse to post a .gif from Frinkiac? No chance, nerd. Does it fit thematically with yesterday's post? Sure. Is this a cheap ploy to get some more eyeballs and ears to the blog? Probably. Did it work? Who knows?

This blog is over.

Discogs

Click here to download.