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Post by reasontorevelate on Aug 4, 2018 9:12:00 GMT
FUN FACT If you're from Southern California, or were a hardcore/punk connoisseur passing through the greater Long Beach area before the turn of the millennium, you may remember Zed Records. First opening in 1974 as a rock/import store, Zed became a mecca for underground music when the first punk records started to materialize in the late '70s. The store lasted the better part of three decades before finally closing its doors in 2000. Throughout the store's 26-year history, countless people manned the helm there, including a good number of people involved in the local scene. Here's a list of all of the people from bands or labels that we could remember who once worked at the legendary Zed. Who did we forget? Big Frank Harrison (Carry Nation/Nemesis Records) Human (The Vandals) Katon DePena (Hirax/Junk Records/Black Devil Records) Josh Stanton (Farside/411) Drew Traulsen (Jester Records) Joe Nelson (Triggerman/Ignite) Shaan Obney (Le Shok) Dan Hennessy (The Killingtons) Rusty Cavender (Treadwell/Le Shok) Billy Rubin (Halfoff/Haywire/New Beginning Records) Chris Malinowski (Point Blank/Bonesaw) Joey Karem (The Locust/Le Shok) Dennis Owens (Free Moral Agents/Suburban Rhythm/Action League) Andrew Reizuch (Focused/Treadwell/Le Shok/The Wordsmith Covenant) Ron Martinez (Final Conflict/Shocking Truth) Todd Jacobs (Le Shok) Jenny Homer (Downy Mildew) David "Igby" Sattanni (Ammunition Records/Mankind Records) Vadim Rubin (Halfoff/Haywire)
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Post by reasontorevelate on Aug 4, 2018 9:13:25 GMT
FUN FACT If you own the Crippled Youth debut 7" "Join The Fight" on New Beginning Records, you may have wondered what the story was behind the matrix/runout etching: SIDE 1 "BOBBY....." SIDE 2 "DADDY WANTS YOU." Like a lot of inside jokes, it stems from an event that, over the years, got warped and repeated and just got funnier. The guys who formed Crippled Youth were friends from elementary school, and the story goes back to that time -- specifically 5th grade. They had a very stern teacher named Ms. Kerns, who ran a tight ship and kept the troublemakers in the front of the class. Bobby (of the 7" matrix fame) was one of the class troublemakers up front and one day his older brother came barging into Ms. Kerns' classroom and said something to the effect of "Bobby, you'd better get over here now." Over time, the story of that episode got creepier and funnier and ended up immortalized on the record's matrix. If you're wondering whether the band changed the matrix on the new pressing of the Crippled Youth 7", they did.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Sept 5, 2018 20:22:15 GMT
FUN FACT In between recording sessions for the "Creepy Eepy" EP, Drew Thomas, drummer of Into Another, read the entire Lord Of The Rings trilogy in a hidden pine nook in Central Park.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Sept 5, 2018 20:25:05 GMT
FUN FACTAmbassador Records was a mid-'90s hardcore record label from Southern California started by Ryan Hoffman, guitarist of Chain Of Strength, along with friend, arcade machine collector, and Frosty from Chain Of Strength's brother, Steve Hertz. The label put out a good number of releases, including records by Statue, Circle Storm, Halfmast, Count Me Out, Collision, and more. But did you know that the label name was actually taken from a short-lived band that Ryan was in? It's true. After the original break-up of Chain Of Strength, Ryan Hoffman continued playing music in various projects, one of which was called Ambassador. The band featured Ryan on guitar, Barry Kellman (Amenity, Kill Holiday) on drums, DC-transplant JB White (Defamed) on bass, and Lee Callans (Radio Wendy) on vocals/guitar. But, alas: it wasn't meant to be. The band broke up only after two shows and fell into obscurity. But, Ryan must have been fond of the name, as he re-purposed it for his new record label a short time later. Thanks to Ryan and Steve for the info., and Jason Farrell for his helping to identify JB. Check out a photo of Ambassador, the band, courtesy of Chad Stroup, here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/Ambassador.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Sept 5, 2018 20:42:59 GMT
FUN FACT Decades after Judge's "New York Crew" was released, the seminal NYHC band's influence is still felt all over the world, including by Dutch parliamentarian Peter Kwint. Kwint is a 33-year-old member of the Dutch House of Representatives for the Socialist Party, and serves on the committees for Education, Culture and Science and Social Affairs and Employment. Kwint gained some notoriety in the Netherlands as the one member of parliament who doesn't show up to work in a suit, is a very sub-par (in his own words) MMA practitioner, and spends his weekends stagediving at hardcore shows. In fact, when the chairlady of the Second Chamber of Parliament asked him where his jacket was, he replied that he had "wondered that for years," and that he had a very slow washing machine and a terrible dry cleaner. Kwint recently got even more attention because he competed on the Dutch TV game show called "De Slimste Mens" (The Smartest Person), wearing an old-school Judge shirt. Sadly, the shirt failed as a good luck charm, and Kwint was knocked out of the competition that night. But still, you can't rob a warrior of his pride... Speaking Dutch would be helpful, but you can still check out the game show here: www.npostart.nl/de-slimste-mens/25-07-2018/KN_1700273
Check out some pics images here (or see the episode, in Dutch, at www.npostart.nl):
revhq.com/images/misc/404/PeterKwintJudge.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Sept 5, 2018 21:19:36 GMT
FUN FACT If you're a fan of New York Hardcore, you're familiar with both Killing Time and Token Entry. And, although the bands play considerably different styles of hardcore, they do have a couple of things in common that you may not be aware of. Token Entry put out several LPs with vocalist Timmy Chunks, but their first release came out in 1985, and featured Anthony Comunale on vocals. It wasn't until Anthony left Token Entry that the lineup of Token Entry would take shape with Timmy Chunks on vocals. Anthony Comunale left the mic alone until 1988, when he laid down vocals on the famed demo for Raw Deal, who changed their name to Killing Time a short while later. Also in 1988, Token Entry released their lauded "Jaybird" LP on Hawker Records, which featured a song called "The Bright Side." Killing Time, of course, released a similarly titled LP a year later on In-Effect, simply titled "Brightside." And while this may suggest the songs are linked in some other way besides their title, we reached out to Token Entry's Timmy Chunks, who politely chalks it up to a mere coincidence.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 7, 2018 20:44:54 GMT
FN FACT Getting "stabbed in the back" is probably the No. 1 hardcore/punk lyrical trope (with "uniting" trailing as a close second). We thought it'd be fun to compile a list of all of the hardcore or punk songs that we could think of that cover a) getting stabbed in the back, or b) stabbing someone in the back. So, here are the ones that we came up with, in reverse chronological order. What did we miss? (Rhetorical question - please don't reply, we could be here all day). Horrorpops, "You Vs. Me," 2005 The Mistake, "You Turned Your Back On Me So Now I'm Gonna Fucking Stab It," 2005 Disembodied, "Sticks And Stones," 2000 Brother's Keeper, "XHardcore SongX," 1999 Youth Brigade, "Friends," 1996 Ignite, "Holding On," 1996 Quicksand, "Shovel," 1996 No Use For A Name, "Sign The Bill," 1994 Prong, "Pointless," 1991 Sick Of It All, "Friends Like You," 1987 7 Seconds, "The Inside," 1986 Cro-Mags, "Don't Tread On Me," 1986 Youth Of Today, "Stabbed In The Back" (actually in the title!),1985 Black Flag, "I Can See You," 1985 Youth Brigade, "On The Edge," 1984 The Faction, "Not Nine," 1983 Agnostic Front, "Friend Or Foe," 1983 Descendents, "Kabuki Girl," 1982 and, the earliest occurrence that we could find: The Damned, "Stab Your Back," 1977
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 7, 2018 20:58:03 GMT
FUN FACT The Cro-Mags "Age Of Quarrel" LP is arguably one of the best hardcore records of all-time, helping to redefine the genre upon its release in 1986. Its cover art is almost as legendary as the music itself, featuring a photo of a nuclear explosion with the band name and album title in black, "Old English" type on top of the the red image beneath. And while most fans of hardcore or punk are probably familiar with the album cover, they may not know its exact origin. The striking image of the mushroom cloud was captured during Operation Castle, a series of nuclear tests conducted in the mid-'50s in the Marshall Islands. One of the bomb drops during the operation was dubbed "Castle Romeo," and occurred on March 27th, 1954, at Bikini Atoll. It was this test, dropping a device referred to as the "Runt," that produced the apocalyptic image. On a side note, California thrash metal legends Megadeth used an altered version of the same photo in 2005 (some 20 years after the Cro-Mags) on their greatest hits collection, "Back To The Start," with a layout almost identical to "The Age Of Quarrel." Check out the actual Castle Romeo photo, an alternate view of the explosion, and the two different record covers here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/CroMagsCover.jpg
Here's video footage.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 7, 2018 21:10:12 GMT
FUN FACT Last week we told you about the origin of the cover photo on the Cro-Mags "Age Of Quarrel" LP and its connection to a nuclear bomb test in the 1950s. Surprisingly, Cro-Mags aren't the only band who have a connection to this series of tests. The Cro-Mags cover photo was taken in 1954 during "Operation Castle" at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands, but some two years earlier the eighth American nuclear test series had taken place, also in the Marshall Islands. That series, in October and November of 1952, was christened "Operation Ivy." The name, of course, was appropriated by the NorCal ska/punk band in 1987. Operation Ivy was quickly signed to Lookout! Records in 1988, a record label run by one Lawrence Hayes. Coincidentally, Hayes went by the stage name "Larry Livermore," an obvious homage to the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a nuclear research facility in Northern California.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 7, 2018 21:16:33 GMT
FUN FACT The hardcore and punk scenes have long revered the 1984 cult classic film Repo Man, with its many references to the bands and culture of the time. But there's one "Easter egg" included in the film that you probably didn't know about. Famed hardcore/punk artist Ric Clayton is best known for his work with Venice thrash legends Suicidal Tendencies, designing their band logo, flyers too numerous to count, and drawing all of the t-shirts displayed in the photos on Suicidal's 1983 debut LP. Repo Man's main character, "Otto," played by Emilio Estevez, can be seen in the film with one of these hand-drawn t-shirts tied around his waist. The shirt, which was drawn by Clayton just for the movie, shows a skeleton in a leather jacket in Clayton's familiar style. But instead of "Suicidal Tendencies," the character on the shirt was drawn wearing a "Rim Pests" t-shirt, a reference to Clayton's first band from 1982. Before Clayton joined legendary Venice band No Mercy (and later played for Suicidal Tendencies), he was in a band called the Rim Pests that also featured friends Dave Frappier (later of Blood On The Saddle) and the late David Kasin. Unfortunately, Rim Pests never recorded a demo or released a record, but they did their fair share of "band promotion," spray-painting their "bug" logo all over the streets of Venice. And of course they are immortalized in the frames of Repo Man. Check out a screen capture of Emilio Estevez repping the Rim Pests here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/RepoManRimPests.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 7, 2018 21:18:16 GMT
FUN FACT "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" is a 1965 rock song written by Ed Cobb and originally recorded by The Standells, but popularized in the punk world via the Minor Threat cover version recorded in 1983 (but not appearing until two years later on their "Salad Days" 7"). We were surprised to find out, however, that Minor Threat wasn't the first punk band to cover the song. Minnesota's oft-overlooked proto-punk stalwarts The Hypstrz formed in 1976, only ever releasing a live 7" and an LP, in 1979 and 1980, respectively. When the live EP (featuring recordings from April 1979) was later reissued and expanded, their cover of "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" was once again heard in all its glory. On a side note, songwriter Ed Cobb also penned the song "Tainted Love," which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964, later re-popularized by Soft Cell in 1981, and resurrected in the punk world in 1995 by Shades Apart. Check out The Hypstrz take on The Standells classic here:
The Original 1965 version, The Standells.
Cramps covered this song as well...
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 13, 2018 21:53:15 GMT
FUN FACT If you've ever seen the Youth Of Today "Disengage" EP, you may remember the insert photo of vocalist Ray Cappo wearing a maroon 7 Seconds t-shirt with a handprint on it. Fans of 7 Seconds were left wondering, "Where can I get this t-shirt?!" But alas, it was a one-of-a-kind design created by someone who recently revealed his identity. The 7 Seconds shirt was actually printed on a home silkscreening kit by future No For An Answer vocalist Dan O'Mahony, along with friend and cohort Billy Rubin (Halfoff), several years before YOT's "Disengage" was released. We asked Dan to elaborate, and this is what he had to say: "In '85, Billy Rubin and I burned two silkscreens on one of those home kits in his backyard. The Dag Nasty 'Can I Say'-era logo and the 7 Seconds logo. We made shirts for ourselves, screened shorts, backpacks, etc. Over the course of doing so, I got white ink all over my hand. Rather than wipe it off, I planted it on the maroon 7 Seconds shirt that was drying on the patio table." Years later, Ray of Today "borrowed" the t-shirt from Dan to wear at the Youth of Today/No For An Answer show at Gilman St. in late '88, and never returned it to Dan. The shirt was then immortalized in the Trent Nelson photo of YOT from that show when it was used in the layout of the "Disengage" EP. Check out this old photo of Dan O'Mahony sporting his handmade 7 Seconds t-shirt at the beach, circa 1986, and Ray Cappo rocking the same shirt at the above-mentioned show, years later: revhq.com/images/misc/404/7SecondsHandprintShirt.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Oct 13, 2018 22:16:54 GMT
FUN FACT Schism Records was, of course, the short-lived, late-80s New York fanzine/record label run by Porcell (Youth Of Today, Judge, et al.) and Alex Brown (Side By Side, Gorilla Biscuits), releasing the Project X, Judge, and Wide Awake 7"s, among others. The Schism logo, consisting of a chaotic font silhouetted by a city skyline, has become as well known as the zine/label itself. The lettering, taken from a store-bought Chartpak-brand transfer letter sheet, was stylized by the label to include the city image in the letters. Though the font has become identified with the label, they weren't the first or last to use it. It appears on several other releases in the hardcore/punk world, and other genres as well. Some of the standouts include the Outspoken, Bloodline, and Half Off 7"s, an Adolescents LP and the Sick Of It All demo and first two 7"s. Check out the following image showing some of the font's other appearances, including an original Chartpak sheet on the top left (courtesy of Tim McMahon), and a partly hand-drawn version of the lettering for the Ink Assassin t-shirt (courtesy of Eric Schauffele). Thanks to Eric, Tim, and their cohorts for this tidbit! revhq.com/images/misc/404/SchismFont.jpg And for further fun, check out the Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Band at Visiones Jazz Club in NYC that happens to use the same font on the wall of the venue:
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Post by reasontorevelate on Nov 26, 2018 16:15:54 GMT
FUN FACT If you're reading this, you're probably familiar with the cover photo for the debut Sick Of It All 7" from 1987. The image, made by legendary NYHC photographer BJ Papas, shows the the Alleyway Crew standing at the gate of the namesake alleyway. But, did you ever wonder where the alley actually was? The now infamous photo was shot at Junior High School 189 in Flushing, Queens. Sick Of It All hung out in the schoolyard alley there and were local to the Flushing area, hence "The Alleyway Crew." Other notable Flushing bands and residents were Kraut and their label, Cabbage Records, Tommy Victor (Prong, Danzig), rappers Large Professor, Action Bronson, and rap group Black Sheep. Thanks to Andrew Orlando for help this week. Check out the original Sick Of It All photo and the gate now here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/SOIAAlleyway.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Dec 3, 2018 21:59:33 GMT
FUN FACT If you were a fan of seminal Indiana band Chamberlain, you may know that they got their start as the youth-crew inspired Split Lip. And while "Split Lip" may sound to some like a typical band name from the early-'90s hardcore scene, there is a story behind it. At the group's first practice, before they had a name, then 14-year old drummer Charlie Walker was jumping on a trampoline, and, you guessed it, split his lip. The other members of the band thought this would be a fitting name for their hardcore band, and went forward using the moniker Split Lip. The band recorded some demos under the name and had a track on the "Voice Of The Voiceless" compilation. The band later followed that up with a 7" and two LPs on Doghouse records, before eventually changing their name to Chamberlain in 1995 with their sophomore effort "Fates Got A Driver." That album was first put out as Split Lip, and later remixed and released under the name Chamberlain. Coincidentally, Split Lip/Chamberlain will be doing a one-off reunion show on December 15th in Los Angeles, playing songs from both eras of the band.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Dec 3, 2018 22:22:42 GMT
FUN FACT Bridgeport, CT area's 76% Uncertain formed in 1983 from the ashes of Connecticut HC pioneers Reflex From Pain and CIA. For the rest of the '80s, they put out multiple releases on as many labels, including an LP on Wishingwell Records. With a lack of touring keeping them from garnering a foothold across the entire US hardcore scene, the band did manage to make a name for themselves on the East Coast, a name that may have made fans of the group and the uninitiated alike wonder: Just where did the moniker "76% Uncertain" come from? We asked one of the founding members, Bill Knapp, for the story, and this is what he had to say: "We were hard pressed to find a good name for the band. At the time, Kenny Peterson, rhythm guitarist, was reading the Stephen King book 'Christine.' There was mention of one of the characters being '76% certain' about something. Kenny came into our practice space and said... 'Well, what about 76% Un-certain?'" According to Knapp, the name stuck and the rest is history. On a side note, Bill Knapp, along with 76% Uncertain guitarist Todd and bass player Dave, made up 3/5 of the "Perfection Of Desire"-era lineup of Shelter, recording with their former Reflex From Pain bandmate Ray Cappo and of course Beyond's Tom Capone.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Dec 11, 2018 22:28:37 GMT
FUN FACT We've mentioned that '80s group New Kids On The Block had worked with hardcore/punk producer Tom Soares at Normandy Sound, a studio that recorded bands such as Mission Of Burma, Leeway, Cro-Mags, Sick Of It All, Killing Time, Judge, and more. But that wasn't the only time the boy band shared the same recording space with bands from the hardcore/punk scene. While NKOTB's debut, "Hangin' Tough," lists Normandy Sound as a recording location, the band ended up doing some work at Syncro Sound in Boston on their Christmas album in 1989, and their LP "Step By Step" in 1990. Syncro Sound, of course, was run by Ric Ocasek from '70s rock band The Cars and was the recording location for a good number of HC and punk bands itself, including Bad Brains, Ministry, Wrecking Crew, Eye For An Eye, and others. On a side note, the old Syncro Sound location is just a stone's throw away from legendary HC/punk store Newbury Comics' namesake (Newbury Street) location.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Jan 1, 2019 22:30:11 GMT
FUN FACT Last week we told you about the '80s boy band New Kids On The Block having recorded at Syncro Sound in Boston, a studio with a clients list that boasted notable hardcore acts such as Bad Brains, Wrecking Crew, etc. But there's another hardcore connection to NKOTB that goes back even further than their recordings at the famed studio, but this time by way of one specific NYHC drummer. Eric Komst, better known in hardcore circles as just "E.K.", played drums for legendary hardcore band Warzone on their 1988 LP "Open Your Eyes" and their self-titled follow-up LP in 1989, and later did time in Sick Of It All, recording on their "We Stand Alone" 7" in 1991. But years before he was playing in NYHC bands, E.K. was living in Boston and playing drums in a band called Miracle Boy all the way back in 1983. Miracle Boy featured a 13-year-old E.K. on drums, and none other than Jordan Knight from New Kids On The Block on guitar and vocals. The group was rounded out by a friend of E.K.'s named Kevin Cradock, with the trio playing numerous shows around the Boston area before eventually disbanding. And we can now confirm the long-standing rumor that "the drummer of Warzone played for New Kids On The Block," as it was this childhood friendship with Jordan Knight that led to E.K. playing drums on the song "This One's For The Children" on the NKOTB holiday album from 1989, "Merry, Merry Christmas." This also gives further explanation to Jordan Knight's older brother Jonathan wearing a Youth of Today t-shirt in the New Kids On The Block "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)" video. Special thanks to E.K. for the help this week!
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Post by reasontorevelate on Jan 1, 2019 22:31:36 GMT
FUN FACT If you're not a diehard fan of Boston hardcore, you may not be aware of the time that punk rock and the holidays collided by way of SSD. In 1983, the seminal Boston HC band recorded a version of "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" for a compilation called "A Boston Rock Christmas." The compilation featured SSD along with a cornucopia of other Boston-Area post punk, garage, and rock bands,. Being more of a local item, the compilation, along with the SSD track, sank into obscurity. It wasn't until Taang! Records released it as a one-sided single in 1992 to help promote the SSD "Power" compilation, which included the festive holiday song in its track list, that the song resurfaced for everyone to hear. Check it out here, and Happy Holidays!
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Post by reasontorevelate on Jan 1, 2019 22:34:36 GMT
FUN FACT San Diego post-hardcore band Swing Kids released their debut EP in 1994. The 7" cover, done by band member Justin Pearson, featured a stark, high-contrast image of someone playing a saxophone. Unbeknownst to the Swing Kids at the time, the person in the photo actually had a connection to the hardcore scene. As we've mentioned before, Djinji Brown, vocalist of NYHC band Absolution, was born to legendary NY jazz musician (and saxophonist) Marion Brown. And, it was a photo of Marion Brown that coincidentally made its way onto the cover of the Swing Kids EP. We asked Justin Pearson about how it all came to be, and this is what he had to say: "It was weird. At the time, I had a booklet on swing and jazz and, I can't recall exactly what it was, but I think it was supposed to be part of a box set of LPs. The cover page was missing, but I was drawn towards this image of Marion Brown in the booklet. Back then, with layouts, it was all cut and paste, and I just pieced it together with a sort of minimalist vibe. Since the back cover of the Swing Kids EP had no image, and only text with a lot of empty space, as the front did. But, I never knew who the musician was. More recently, I was shown a photo of our EP and conversation with his son (Djinji Brown), and started to piece things together. Small world, and even smaller when you consider that I had the Absolution EP back in the day!" Thanks to Justin for chiming in, and check out the cover to the Swing Kids record here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/SwingKids.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Jan 5, 2019 16:27:59 GMT
FUN FACT If you're a fan of Chain Of Strength, you'll probably know - and may remember us mentioning previously - that the cover photo and some of the insert photos on the "True Til Death" 7" were taken at a practice space called Trojan Studios in Garden Grove, CA. Well, Chain Of Strength wasn't the only SoCal hardcore band to use photos from that location on one of their records. Freewill, from San Bernardino County, CA, featured Mike Hartsfield (Against The Wall, Outspoken, Drift Again, Dear Furious, Done Dying, New Age Records...) on bass. The band only played at Trojan Studios once, on June 4th, 1988, with photos from that night eventually appearing on the 7" re-release of their demo almost three decades later. Check out the 7" insert to the Freewill demo 7" here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/Freewill.jpg And then sit back and enjoy a pretty great TV spot for Trojan Studios, showing the glory of 80s band culture:
(can you spot the Chain of Strength members at 0.25 ?)
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Post by reasontorevelate on Feb 4, 2019 22:22:05 GMT
FUN FACT If you click on the link to the image below, you may do a double-take when you see the name Walls Of Jericho on a Revelation Records 7" label. But give it a closer look. The name of the band is actually the Gospel Challengers, and it's the song title that's "Walls Of Jericho." So what's the deal? If you're reading this, you obviously know about OUR Revelation Records. But there was another label called Revelation Records that started in the late '50s. The New York label was a religious-based outlet that mainly released 45s by gospel singers and groups. Over the course of just a few years the label put out a few dozen singles before dissolving in 1962. Check out the older-school Revelation Records 7" label here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/RevelationWallsOfJericho.jpg
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Post by reasontorevelate on Feb 4, 2019 22:25:29 GMT
FUN FACT We've previously mentioned that Chain Of Strength guitarist Ryan Hoffman pulled double-duty by doing a short stint with NYHC band Judge. But years before Chain Of Strength was even a band, Hoffman was asked to join a well-known West Coast hardcore band: Uniform Choice. Before Hoffman was in Chain Of Strength, he played guitar in the seminal Southern California hardcore band Justice League. Justice League played several So Cal shows with fellow upstarts Uniform Choice, and in the mid-80s, before either band had released any records, UC frontman Pat Dubar asked Hoffman to join up with the now-legendary UC. Hoffman, not wanting to leave the band he had co-founded with longtime friends, declined the invitation. Which makes us ponder what might (or might not) have been, since Hoffman and bandmate Chris Bratton put out multiple Justice League releases and eventually formed Chain Of Strength.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Feb 4, 2019 22:27:19 GMT
FUN FACT You may remember us telling you about the NYHC band Misguided and how they released a 7" coincidentally called "Bringing It Down..." in 1982. This early-'80s New York band also had a connection to a well-known California punk label that you may not be aware of, all tied together by a what you could call "a string of bad luck." On the back cover of the 7" mentioned above, the band refers to the B-side of the record as "Side 13," and the label artwork features a skull and the number "13" on it. Misguided followed this up with the "Options" 7" in 1983, keeping the aforementioned theme going with a matrix inscription of "If You Break This Record - You'll Get 13 Years Bad Luck." After Misguided's breakup, members went on to form Das Damen, a band that would eventually sign to Greg Ginn's SST Records. They put out multiple releases for the label, including 1988's appropriately titled "Triskaidekaphobe" (fear of the number 13), bringing that theme back yet again.
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Post by reasontorevelate on Jul 5, 2019 21:57:58 GMT
FUN FACTIf you're a fan of the late-'80s Southern California band Halfoff, you are probably familiar with the cover to their 1987 LP, "The Truth." The memorable image features a pencil drawing of a judge looming over his bench, wielding a gavel. And while it was the only record cover ever done by its artist, Nils Schirrmacher, it was luckily not the end of his artistic endeavors. Nils Schirrmacher was a SoCal local, but besides doing the now-legendary album cover and a few iconic hardcore show flyers, with the Halfoff LP being his sole foray on a punk record. He was more prolific in the world of art, receiving a BFA in sculpture from the California College of the Arts, and an MFA from UC Irvine, and has gone on to do dozens of installations and art exhibits over the past few decades, combining multiple techniques within his art such as drawing, photography, sculpture, miniatures, and collage. Check out the cover to the Halfoff record and one of his flyers (also featuring some Dan O'Mahony drawn Nike high-tops) here: revhq.com/images/misc/404/HalfOff.jpg And check out some images from one of his exhibits here, showing how far his artwork has come: commonwealthandcouncil.com/exhibitions/showcase-milan
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