Regulations - Different Needs E.P.

Here's the final Regulations 7", and the penultimate recording of, arguably, my favorite Umeå band (you heard me!). Released on Havoc in three pressings here in the States, and co-released by Ny Våg Records and P. Trash Records in Europe, this came out around the time of Regulations' second U.S. tour. Which was the tits. It's a bloody shame that the hard drive holding all the pictures I took at that show has disappeared.

Have you not checked out the other two Regulations posts? Have you no clue what to expect? Imagine, if you will, a melding of late 70s Swedish punk rock, the Dils/Weirdos/Randoms portions of Dangerhouse, and an aggressive sprinkling of 90s skate culture. Now distill it through Euro leftism and youth culture, and you have the "Different Needs" E.P.

And if you don't get any of those references, then, I dunno, short, snotty, and fast punk rock songs?

I am constitutionally obliged to point out that the 3rd and final pressing of this record is available for one measly dollar via Felix von Havoc's eponymous label, which, honestly, is 20% of what I happily paid for a copy back in 2007. There's a part of me that wants to order 10 and send them out at random to folks who have never heard this record; that's how strongly I feel about the band.

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Regulations - Regulations

Prelude: Today is the fifth anniversary of the last show at Charm City Art Space. It closed a year after I left Baltimore, replaced by a tattoo shop that I assume is still there (?). I've already written about them before; I'll write about them again. But seeing as how they were doing their second American tour behind this release when I saw them in 2007 at CCAS, I guess it makes sense to write about this now.

If you don't get revved up by the opening chords from Marcus Axelsson's guitar on "Anna's Eyes" from Regulations' self-titled record, then you probably don't like punk rock, and should probably just put this down.

Everybody associated with this record is on fire here. Regulations have really hit their stride here, channelling Dangerhouse Records through Umeå skatepunk. Dennis Lyxzén co-produced this slab with the band and released it on his Ny Våg Records; you may know him as the singer of Refused, the Lost Patrol/Invasionen, the (International) Noise Conspiracy, and AC4. This was a co-release in Europe with Kick N' Punch Records in Denmark, who also put out records from Amdi Petersens Armé, Gorilla Angreb, and Hjertestop (amongst others) over their 21 releases in the aughts. Felix von Havoc put this out on his eponymous Minneapolis label, in the middle of a year where he put out the second R.A.M.B.O. record, a pair of reissues from the Finnish hardcore band Riistetyt, and the second Kylesa record.

More than anything, it's this record, along with the "Electric Guitar" comp that came out around the same time, that got me paying much more close attention to European punk rock. It was such a good year both domestically and internationally, but 2005 was the first year I made a conscious effort to seek out European releases. At the time, I thought it was just because I was a newlywed living with my father-in-law to save money for a house I couldn't afford. Turns out I got a lot more out of that newfound interest in Swedish crust than I did out of the house.

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Regulations - Electric Guitar

I can't believe it's been 15 years since this came out. What a banger.

I knew a little bit about Regulations before I snagged their first 7", "Destroy", back in 2003. I knew it was three of the members of E.T.A. I knew it was coming out on Busted Heads in Sweden, a counterpart to 625 Productions in the Bay Area, or Havoc in Minneapolis, or Amendment down in Virginia, all of which were putting out amazing, modern thrash. And I knew they were from the cradle of modern Swedish punk, Umeå, an incestuous, delightful hive of some of the most progressive DIY punk and hardcore on the planet. They were setting trends; we were lapping it all up.

But I didn't know that what I'd hear was more of a throwback to the early 80s, more influenced by the Lower East Side than skateboards. It was so amazingly fresh, due in no small part to the bass sound developed by this dude Robert who'd signed on with the trio of ex-E.T.A.'ers. It was fast but clean, something you could dance AND sing along to. It kinda felt magical.

Regulations records came in fits and starts. They'd released another, self-titled 7" on Malmö's Putrid Filth Conspiracy. Then, in 2005, Havoc put out a 12" & CD, collecting both 7"s and a new mini-album, "Electric Guitar", in support of their first North American tour. I listened to that record non-stop all summer long, into the fall, through into 2006 and beyond. After all, if you're going to let kids channel a band like the Dils and lock them in a house through a long Scandinavian winter, you're probably going to get something worth listening to.

Discogs

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