DECRY.

In my mind, a classic Los Angeles hardcore record - one that does not get the love that, say, the Adolescents got...

Underrated as fuck, the twin-guitar attack here is ahead of its time, the bass player "laying right in the pocket" (the way bass should be played), etc. Now add some suburban angst (peer pressure, drugs, violence, depression, cops,) and it all adds up to the perfect formula for some classic 1980's first-generation American Hardcore (the good shit).
None of this needs to be said though, honestly - let the music do the talking…

Decry - Falling

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DIE KREUZEN.

The pride of Milwaukee Hardcore, these guys need no introduction (at least around the L-RV)…

Here we have a promotional-only collection that spans their entire recorded output (although this one is lacking heavily in the early material department).
None the less, these guys were great all the way until the end - the flavor may have changed a bit over the years, but for myself (and many others), it's easy to say that they were a truly unique band that transcended the term "hardcore", yet were more hardcore than most when it came down to their approach to tone, melody, songwriting, etc. Dig.

Die Kreuzen - Internal

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WAYNE KRAMER.

As a kid growing up in a no-way-out / burned-out General Motors town in mid-Michigan, The Brother Wayne Kramer always "spoke" to me. His playing in the MC5 fanned the flames of many a revolt in the Seventies; be them political demonstrations, or of "the innner self".
Sadly, the MC5 went down in flames like only they could do it - they will always be legend.

They don't make protest bands anymore, kid.

Wayne has been there & done that more than twice, and has played with the likes of everyone from GG Allin to Red Rodney to Johnny Thunders to The Melvins & quite a few other bad-asses in between. These days, he spends most of his time giving hope to "correctional facility" prisoners via his Jail Guitar Doors foundation, as well as scoring the music for the "television-awesomeness" known as Eastbound & Down.

The man has risen from a dark past - to shine like a motherfucker - to say the least.

Ain't nothin' wrong with that - most of us can only hope to attain some semblance of inner peace, right?

Six strings and a grip of soul.
Fuck yes.

Wayne Kramer - The Hard Stuff + 4

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CAPITALIST CASUALTIES.

Santa Rosa, CA's own Kings of Powerviolence make their second appearance here on the L-RV, and damn if they aren't overdue…

What can be said about a band that was at the forefront of the genre and kept their benchmark high from the get-go. These guys live the filth they spew - unlike today's "jockviolence" set.
Every now & again they still rear their beautifully fucked-up heads, so never, ever, ever count them out.

No soap is gonna wash this off, you'll just have to live with it, kid...

Capitalist Casualties - A Collection of Out of Print Singles, Split EP's, & Compilation Tracks

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PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES.

I remember listening to this record for the first time - I was living in my Aunt Gloria's basement in downriver Detroit, circa 1986. I was 17, freshly out of high school in my small Tri-Cities Area town - (Bay City) - and trying to "live the dream" of moving to Detroit to be a "skatepunk". I was bagging groceries during the day & driving my shitty car all over to The Motor City at night looking for skate spots & girls & generally a good time, ya know?

(I didn't mention that my aunt was / is a born-again X-tian who put up w/ my heathen ass, but none the less, she was awesome as fuck & let me do my thing. She also made some serious carnitas & homemade chorizo, so why would I bother to complain)?

Anyways, to make a long story short, I first heard this while listening to a "Brave New Waves" radio broadcast on CJAM out of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. That's also where I heard a ton of stuff ranging from bands like Alien Sex Fiend running the gamut of "alternative" all the way to Black Flag & all points of chaos / art-damage in between.

I haven't listened to this album in a really long time, but every time I hear it, I still feel as though it is a "classic" U.K. punk album. The mix is a bit thin, but the riffs on this thing are epic. Excellent rhythm section & vocal harmonies abound as well. A band that definitely has their own sound. Not much of the rest of their catalog speaks to me, but it ain't bad - it's just that this album (for me anyways) is their pinnacle.

Peter & The Test Tube Babies - The Mating Sounds Of South American Frogs

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