What didja buy?: Kino Lorber May edition

Y'all know I'm a big DVD collector (in addition to record, toy, book, and debt). I've been picking up a lot of Kino Lorber's back catalog recently. I've followed Kino Classics for years, but the quality of recent releases on KL Studio Classics has been really strong, and they're almost single-handedly keeping a lot of underseen films from the 50s through 90s available on physical media. Their website regularly runs sales, including a big one in May, which is how I ended up with a fat stack of new DVDs and Blu-rays that arrived earlier this week.

The title that drew me in to making an order was the KL Studio Classics release of 1972's "ZPG: Zero Population Growth". I'm a big consumer of dystopian cinema, and, man, is this a dark movie! Oliver Reed, Geraldine Chaplin, and their bangs star as a futuristic married couple, living in relative privilege on an overcrowded Earth, who have to hide the fact she's pregnant. There are a ton of super-creepy touches to really drive home how terrible everything is: Geraldine Chaplin's character contemplates hitting the "Abortion" button in her bathroom, their Christmas tree is straight out of "A Charlie Brown Christmas", people queue up to watch others eat in a restaurant. And, yet, there were probably a half dozen times during the movie where I thought, "Yeah, that could happen." This was the first movie directed by Michael Campus, who helmed a handful of really distinctive films in the early and mid 70s. Normally, this retails for $29.95; I snagged it for $9.49.

I also grabbed a copy of "Foxes", original released in 1980. I'd heard the score when I went through a big Giorgio Moroder phase (that hasn't ended yet), and I figured it'd fit well in between my copies of "Ladies & Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" and "Little Darlings". This was one of Jodie Foster's last movies as a child actor, as well as the first movie for both Laura Dern and Cherie Currie. There's not a ton about this to say; it's just one of those late 70s/early 80s films where the teenaged leads are actually allowed to act like teenagers. This was also Adrian Lyne's debut as a feature director, before he'd go on to make "Flashdance", "Fatal Attraction", and "Jacob's Ladder". The soundtrack is just as good as I remember it, with Moroder's score really capturing the era and setting in 1979's San Fernando Valley. I snagged the DVD for $9.99, down from $19.95.

I haven't watched it yet, but I know it by reputation, and I've started watching more "killer animal" movies during the quarantine. So when I saw that the Scorpion Releasing Blu-ray of "Grizzly" was part of the sale, I had to have it! Director William Girdler had a hell of a run in the 70s making a wide range of exploitation movies before dying in 1978. While I really love "Day of the Animals", all recommendations point to this being even better. While mine didn't come with the killer slipcase, it did come at the low, low price of $8.99. So I guess I can live without the slipcase.

I took a wag on the Code Red release of "In The Aftermath". Like I said in the beginning, I like dystopian movies, and their sibling, the post-apocalyptic film. The cover of this one reminded me of the poster for "DEFCON-4". So this seemed like a decent bet. This was definitely worth the $6.99 I spent. "In The Aftermath" takes the Mamoru Oshii OVA "天使のたまご" ("Angel's Egg"), repurposes the animated footage, and combines it with newly-shot live action to create one of the better post-apocalyptic arthouse movies I've seen. I mean, it's weird, and low budget, and the acting isn't great, but it's a clever and watchable first movie by Corman disciple Carl Colpaert. This DVD copy is super bare-bones compared to last year's Arrow US Blu-ray release, but, again, it was $6.99. Totally worth it.

The one purchase that wasn't part of the sale is Kino Classics' Ultimate Edition of "The Blue Angel" ("Der blaue Engle"). I've had my eye on it for a while, and seeing it available for $23.97 was all the excuse I needed to pick it up. 2018's Josef von Sternberg/Marlene Dietrich box set from Criterion really piqued my interest in early Dietrich. It was her first sound film, and her first of seven films directed by Sternberg. It also co-stars Emil Jannings, whose fictional portrayal in "Inglorious Basterds" is one of my favorite throwaway references. This version is super cool because it has both the original German language version and the English language version, which had been shot concurrently, but thought to be lost. The featurette comparing the two versions is really enlightening, and there are a ton of Dietrich-focused extras left to watch. Dietrich is overwhelmingly beautiful here, and even 90 years after its release, this is a really great watch.

I woke up on the 1st to discover that the sale had been extended into this month. There's some great stuff included in the sale, and, with the exception of "Grizzly", all of these are available. It won't be a surprise if I go back for another pass.

A smorgasbord of Bandcamp buys (national jams)

Judy and the Jerks (from Goner Records Facebook)

Yesterday, I wrote (at great length) about the Baltimore bands whose music I picked up on Bandcamp. Now, let's talk (also at great length) about the various national bands I downloaded.

A note before I start: the day before the 1 May fee waive was announced, I ordered the new Coriky & Hammered Hulls from Dischord, and a pair of C.H.E.W. records from down the road at Iron Lung. I'm omitting them here, because I'll end up saying something about each of them in the coming days.

Gouge Away - "Consider" b/w "Wave of Mutilation" / "Stray"

Hey, new music from Gouge Away! I was really blown away by their last full length, "Burnt Sugar", after years of people telling me to check them out. Their new single popped up on my feed a few weeks ago, so I made a mental note to snag it when the opportunity arose. "Consider" sees Gouge Away moving farther away from hardcore into post-hardcore, but also remaining super political in this observation of white supremacy. I like this for the same reasons I like a band like Modern Life Is War; there's an obvious groove present in the song that not every hardcore band embraces. The B-side is a Pixies cover; they play it pretty straight, although there's a lot more guitar hijinx present here than on the original. There's a 7" release of these two songs through Deathwish, if you're looking for a physical release. As an added bonus, I grabbed the digital-only release of "Stray", which appeared in an shorter form on "Burnt Sugar". I like this expanded version; again, there's a Fugazi-like groove present that really grabs my attention.
American Nightmare - "Life Support"

You could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out that American Nightmare was putting out new music in 2020. I was aware they were still playing out, but here's their first recording in two years and it is...unexpected. The band first blew me away in 2000 has matured a lot, showing influence from both deathrock and Swedish power pop on this 7". The songs are still short, fast, and loud, but there are real tunes here. I think this is what I hope for when a hardcore band's sound evolves; their songwriting and performance progresses, while remaining true to the spirit that brought them to life. And, hey, there's a Lemonheads cover on the B-side!
Self Defense Family - "Leeds"
I really enjoy the sheer volume of music that SDF releases on an annual basis, and their willingness to experiment. SDF has been, in their words, "cleaning out our hard drives for your quarantine entertainment" for the past few weeks, as well as putting together some limited edition t-shirts inspired by the songs. There's no dating for these recordings; I'd guess they might have been recorded in the past couple years, since both evoke the songwriting on "Have You Considered Punk Music". I know most folks have a fairly binary opinion on Self Defense Family; you either loathe them, or you love them. I'm firmly in the second group.

Time Crisis - "Demo 2020"

I like taking wags on Bandcamp releases: I put in whatever (sub-)genre I'm feeling, look for something interesting, plunk down my $1-$5, and typically enjoy. That's how I found Denton, TX's Time Crisis. I've been listening to a lot of D-beat and crust during quarantine, so this is right in my wheelhouse. If you like Doom and Inepsy, you'll more than likely like this. I will say this is more blue jean crust than it is ropeleash crust, if that makes any sense at all. A track like "World Crumbles" takes on new relevance now. And how can you not love a pair of lines like "Everyone/Is so uptight/Everyone/Going to die"?

Judy and the Jerks - "Bone Spur"

I got put onto Hattiesburg, MS's Judy and the Jerks via 2018's "Dog City, USA" comp, provided by Robert at Terminal Escape. I hear good things about what's happening right now in Hattiesburg; I'm always interested in what's happening in smaller cities down South, considering that's where I grew up. And holy moly, I AM INTO THIS! If I had one adjective to describe these songs, it'd be "brash". If I could add another one, it'd be "snotty". These cats have a ton of attitude, but instead of it coming across jerky, it just sounds fun! JatJ cut these new tracks last September in preparation for their East Coast tour. $4 gets you four new JatJ songs, as well as an Urban Blight cover. I hope they're spending their quarantine writing new music, because I think I just got hooked on their junk.


And that's it. Just a metric fuckton of music. It should keep me occupied for at least a few weeks. Here's where I remind you that Bandcamp is doing this again on June 5 and July 3 (the first Friday of each month), and if supporting active artists and labels is important to you, it's a good chance to provide that support.

A smorgasbord of Bandcamp buys (The Baltimore stuff)

Homosuperior

So it's possible I may have gotten a little out of control on Bandcamp this weekend.

As I noted in my Friday post, Bandcamp waived their typical fees for the day in support of musicians. I'm really excited to see what kind of money was spent; if memory serves, fans spent something around $4.3 million on independent music during the last sesh. I was able to do my part this time around, picking up 16 records this past Friday. Today, I'll talk about the Baltimore bands; tomorrow, it'll be the non-Baltimore jams. So here we go!

Concrete City - "Break Up The Band" / "Strange Bodies!" / "Killer Kane"

Concrete City bills themselves as "power pop for a disappointing world". I'm just happy that some of favorite 40-something punx from Baltimore have teamed up and are making really fucking great music. Mike Hall (Sick Sick Birds, the Thumbs), Elena Fox (Squaaks), Tim Baier (Roads to Space Travel), and Lee Ashlin (every fucking band) have been playing the soundtrack of my life since the late 90s, but have only been together for about a year and a half now. Since June 2019, they've rolled out six singles, the three newest of which I snagged Friday. I typically try to wait until there's a physical release I can get through a new band's Bandcamp, but these are worth snagging immediately. I suppose the closest sonic comparisons are the last Sick Sick Birds record and, I dunno, maybe something like the Greenberry Woods or XTC? These are the kind of recordings that would have been championed by WHFS and released by Merge back in the 90s, only you get to see them today with 50 other smart souls...if you live in Baltimore.

Homosuperior - "SISSY FUSS"

Here's another one that I wasn't going to wait for a physical release to pick up. Homosuperior is super-queer, super political punk from D.C. This is their third record. They started playing out and about the year after I left Baltimore, but I was lucky enough to check them out live during my last trip home. This is awesome, basement dance party punk rock; I dare you not to shake your ass while listening. I really like Donna's vox on this recording; there's more than a hint of Darby Crash in the performance, without the out & out nihilism. This record is so snotty, you almost want to offer it a tissue. How much do I like this record? So much that I'll buy a physical copy when it comes out.
Dakota Condition - self-titled / Geezus/Hain's Point - split / Inner Oral Photography - "Assorted Artisanal Hand-Crafted Meats and Other Fine Dairy Products"

It's really fun when the kids of former bandmates get old enough to start their own bands. It's also nice to see when their taste doesn't necessarily echo their parents' taste, instead using it as a jumping off point. That's what you get here with these three releases from Baltimore's Soursop Records. Dakota Condition's been playing a fair amount of DIY shows over the past couple years in Baltimore, and started to make a good name for themselves. This recording from 2019 sees them wearing their post-hardcore & emo influences on their sleeve, but that's not a bad thing. Honestly, the more I listen to it, the more I'm reminded of the Emo Summer CD, which, again, good thing! Two of three members play on the Inner Oral Photography cassette. It embraces the players' more experimental side. I found myself reminded of the first Mr. Bungle record listening to it; they've heard a lot of great music, and now they're playing it back in 90 second blasts. Finally, there's the Geezus/Hain's Point split, which I grabbed mostly because there's a perfectly good Rites of Spring reference on the B-side. Most of what I take away here is "promise". I can't wait to hear what comes next. Oh, for shits and giggles, here's Dakota Condition covering Fugazi.

Cold Feet - Punk Entity

I shared "The Worst of the Worst" last week, so that era of American hardcore has been on my mind lately. I had heard good things about Cold Feet from friends back in Baltimore, and I figured it was a good time to check them out. "Punk Entity" is their brand-spanking new 12", and it - fucking - ROCKS! I hate to regurgitate the text on their Bandcamp page, but it's really true: they sit firmly at the intersection of 1983-era American HC and 2020 rock & roll. I like this for the same reasons I still love "This Is Boston, Not L.A."; this is young, snotty, fast, and often unintelligible. I feel kinda dumb that I only snagged the MP3s on this; I really should have copped a copy of the 12" while I was at it.
Mallwalker - DEMO

Fuck, this turning into a REALLY long post. But it's worth it; I swear. Baltimore's Mallwalker has been on my radar for a while. I'm not sure why I haven't snagged their 2018 demo tape until now, but it's a worthy addition. I think making a riot grrrl reference would be really lazy, but I hear a fair amount of Bikini Kill and, oddly enough, Circle Jerks on these five songs. There's a definite Girls-Up-Front vibe at work here, and it totally works for me. Considering it's been two years since this was released, I expect to hear something new from Mallwalker after the quarantine lifts. Grab this and get out in front of the hype; we should be hearing more from this quartet soon.


And that's it. I got some real bangers from my hometown on Friday. Come back tomorrow and listen to what I got from around the country.