been awhile

so, as you might have noticed if you actually read this website, we've started neglecting things around here quite a bit. Sometimes life just takes hold but i'm trying to get back on track and get back to work on this.

and to start things off, i've amended the Swimsuit post i made quite awhile back to include their 7", they have since my post also released a full length lp/tape, a live tape and a triple tape box set, all of them are quite fantastic but out of respect for the band i wont be uploading any of them, i have however uploaded the mp3s of the 7" since it is now out of print, so enjoy!

Swimsuit - Dolphins/Heart Love 7"

More Chicago Hardcore..

In 1998, I ended up starting a band with Brian Ryder (ex-Everlast, ex-Yellow Road Priest and he ended up in Trepan Nation after This band), A dude named Mike (He became pretty involved in Animal Rights after he stopped doing bands and for the life of me, I cannot remember his bands), Jody Minnoch (ex-Everlast, ex-Hinckley, and he even toured with Disembodied for a summer but never recorded with them he later ended up singing for TUSK). We only practiced with Mike 2 or 3 times and then We asked Jay Mast to play with us (ex-halfmast, ex-XPlagued with RageX, ex-Extinction and he later did Arma Angelus and Holy Roman Empire). We started writing music that sounded a lot like Damnation AD and even had a bit of a Groundwork influence on one or two songs. After a few practices we asked our friend Neeraj from Extinction (he later did these 2 bands called The Hope Conspiracy and The Suicide File and then later Sweet Cobra and Holy Roman Empire) to play with us. Everything clicked and eventually we decided on the name Sever The Cord. This band is definitely in my top 3 bands I ever played with. Jay was a great songwriter and Neeraj was a great guitarist, Brian was an amazing drummer, Jody was not only a great vocalist but one of the most captivating frontmen I have ever witnessed-so Yeah, a great band. Eventually, Neeraj let us know he was moving to Boston with some dudes from Harvest to start a band-we all know how that turned out. Then I think Jay decided to leave the band due to him having a baby and feeling that the band was taking away from his responsibilities-I also think he lost his job but can't remember.

They re-formed as I was getting ready to leave for the east coast. I also didn't have any musical equipment anymore and I was young and sad so I was hard to be in a band with (probably hard to be friends with). So I was asked if it was ok if they reformed without me, I said yes.


http://www.mediafire.com/?bsn4cmrygyfcxvq


These 3 songs are taken from the split 7" with Suicide Note. While I am not on the recording, these were songs that I had played multiple times and am proud of even if I wasn't on the recording. If you like heavy hardcore with a bit of a rock vibe at times, you know, like Damnation AD, Unbroken, etc,check it out. I think you will like it. I know I do.


yup.

Chicago Vegan SXE

I moved to Chicago in the Late 90s to hang out with some friends and be involved in a scene that had similar musical tastes to what I had at the time. There were about 3 or 4 bands from this scene-Race Traitor, Xculture of violenceX, but the one that still stands up for me more than any of the others was Extinction. While technically they were not a vegan edge band (their drummer liked cheese too much) they were really the figureheads of the Vegan Mosh scene in chicago at the time. Which is funny since they were not a super Mosh-y band. An acquaintance of mine from the detroit area said they left him cold because it sounded like "downtuned old school hardcore". They honestly reminded me a little of Outspoken, Unbroken and Damnation AD (if only for the fact they tuned so damn low). There was a definite New Age records influence in the music. Anyways, if any of what I am saying appeals to you, download this shit. It's good. This has the lp and the "what you have created..." 7" (the last 4 tracks). The lp is good, but man, the 7"... SOOOOO GOOD! It also has the track (cease) from the "the difference between us" compilation which may be one of my favorite songs by them.

If it makes any difference at all, different members went on to form The Hope Conspiracy, Suicide File, Sweet Cobra, Suicide Note, Arma Angelus, Fallout boy and Holy Roman Empire (I am sure I am missing some bands).


http://www.mediafire.com/?6x6its637b0ss67

Concrete Sky.

Holy shit, I'm finally posting something! My excuse for such woeful slacking is that I've been too busy being a miserable grad student, but I don't want Micah to hate me anymore, so here's a fine album for yr listening pleasure. Flower was a late '80s/early '90s band featuring Richard & Ed Baluyut (later of the wonderful Versus), playing moody, dissonant post-punk in the the Mission of Burma vein. Concrete Sky is an anthology of Flower's complete recordings, including 1988's Concrete album & 1990's Hologram Sky, put out by the venerable Simple Machines label. For all you indie rock geeks out there, you might recognize "Torch Song" from Unwound's cover of it on a split 7" with Versus (hey, family tree!), not to mention Tsunami's rendition of "Beauty, Pt. II" from the Simple Machines Inclined Plane 7" compilation. Essential listening for anyone interested in the 1980s American underground scene (Our Band Could Be Your Life, anyone?).

Listen up!

unpleasant dreams...

I think this is probably the first thing I have put up here that is actually recent.

Den is like an unpleasant dream and I mean that as a compliment. Unpleasant in the sense that you had a dream that you finger banged a dog or something. I dunno. Not that I have ever dreamed anything like that but I imagine I would not be stoked to wake up and know my mind came up like that. Hell, I guess my mind did come up with that comparison.

Well, anyways, Den is a new band from Chicago. Imagine a little dinosaur rock like Black Sabbath(they do cover Symptom of the Universe) or maybe even Blue Cheer. Then throw in a little Godsheadsilo or Man is the Bastard . Finally if you throw in a little bit of the noisy Boner records bands from the 1990s and some bands from Touch & Go circa the early 90s you are probably getting somewhere.

So yeah, get into it. They are a good band and it would be nice if people took attention.


http://www.mediafire.com/?wjwcb3lrpw1pbc0

Pikadori

Today is March 15th 2011, 9 years to the day that a band that means the world to me, released their first (and only) album. The band is Pikadori and their untitled album literally changed my life and had a pretty tremendous impact on lil ol 19 year old me.

I think if i tried to put into words they would fail me, all i can say is Pikadori are one of the most important bands I've ever experienced.  I was lucky enough to get to do my very first tour with them as well as multiple weekends and one off shows here and there, as a result i eventually become relatively close friends with them which lead to me becoming friends with alot of their friends and even touring with said friends and then even moving to Pittsburgh,PA because i loved these people so much.

Tours end, bands break up, friends lose touch, people move away/on, but in the end you're luckily left with more memories than you even have time to share and of course, the music. There's nothing much more that i can say except, LIVE THE LIFE!

Thank You Joel,Joey,Jason and Jacob.

DOWNLOAD

As an added bonus, here for your enjoyment is their entire set from 9 years ago.

part 3.

Saginaw hardcore...

I think I was 18 or 19. My band was invited to jump on a show in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The show had a bunch of crust bands from Grand Rapids, a local christian metal band called Bones Of Adam, who, I'm sure were there for comedy relief, Naked Agression and,oh yeah, Hellbender also just sort of jumped on the bill..

Anyways, at that time, my old band was more concerned with "going off" then actually playing. We were going to show these kids we perceived as being out of touch with what was going on in contemporary hardcore/punk what it was all about. Why? Because we were young and arrogant. By the first song, most of the drums were strewn across the stage and a marshall head fell on my head.

Anyways, at that show we met these 2 kids-ben and jim. They had just moved to Grand Rapids from the Bay City/Saginaw area. They were stoked to meet kindred spirits, as were we.

They started coming down to shows in Kalamazoo and we would hang out with them up in Grand Rapids and eventually we ended up doing a split 7" with them.

Bev Clone, in my opinion, could have been huge. Unfortunately, they never were able to put together a tour and broke up after recording a final demo, which was great.

Here is the Bev Clone discography. The first 7" is pretty much just them doing Fugazi Worship, the split 7" material was dark and ugly hardcore, not unlike Union of Uranus. The final demo is a mix of the darker and ugly hardcore of the split 7" and the more chaotic Gravity records bands of the mid 90s.

I will always have fond memories of Tom, ben,Jim,Karl and Scott. Even removing myself from the ties to the band I find myself really digging this band..

Tom and Ben are in a band, that, in ben's words, is a mix of Southern rock and "screamo" (?) Karl and Scott are raising families and jim does Tristeza.
http://www.mediafire.com/?17ca4qnib4zmb5m

...so yeah. Check it!