Punk Obituary

Seeking the X-Negroes

Whoa. As if on cue to my original query below, an X-Negroes mp3 collection entitled "Euphemistic Castrations" was released some three weeks later, on June 22. I might have been the first person to buy it. It doesn't have all the songs I need to replace, but it contains some choice faves as well as songs I'd not heard before. Shortly after that, the original band members concocted their Web presence at http://xnegroes.com.

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If anyone who comes across these pages knows anything about a band from the late 80s (and early 90s?) called the X-Negroes, please let me know. I went to make MP3s of their demo sessions only discover that the tape is damaged (magnetically?). The sound is distorted and barely listenable. I'll continue to listen though until someone is able to help me find better recordings.

I know very little about them except that they were awesome. A friend passed their tapes to me 20 years ago or so. They were a black (all black?) group that played political and humorous punk/funk and other styles. Some of my favorite X-Negroes songs are "Funky Anus," "Dark World," "Can Head," and "Idiosyncratic," just to name a few. I think they were from Brooklyn and one of them may have been from Rochester, NY originally. I'm a little surprised that in this digital age, there are surprisingly few references to them anywhere. My most promising lead was from a blog that is now deleted. (See results of my Google search below).

FACTS MYTHS & LIES of D.I.Y. MUSIC 1987-93: X - NEGROES - "Mr Neo ...
Eddie Scales was my friend, played in a band with him. ... to the anonymous post that was looking for Eddie Scales (X-NEGROES) I know where Eddie is! ...
diycassettemusic.blogspot.com/.../x-negroes-mr-neo-naziballad-of-leonard.html

There is a link to a couple X-Negroes mp3s on a Rochester Punk/Hardcore Facebook page. Oddly, I had never heard either of those songs before, even though my tapes have at least 20 others. I want my X-Negroes back! Any help appreciated.

SFA - "New York" EP

Blogging time has been scarce lately, but I've had some mp3 rips collecting dust that I just hadn't posted. This short burst of postings will probably come to a quick end soon enough. In the meanwhile, let's listen to some SFA.

In Brendan's brief history of SFA he writes: "The EP was crap. It didn't help that our engineer was doing lines of coke on the mixing board while we were laying down tracks. If you're one of the unfortunate few who bought out first EP, I apologize. It was so bad that I used to break copies of the record before giving it to promoters and zines so they could judge it without having to suffer through it."

Regardless (sorry Brendan), in the interest of hardcore history I'm posting it here. I believe this might be the only vinyl release featuring both of SFA's vocalists (Mike Bullshit and Brendan) singing together. If it ain't the only one, there are few anyway. Just be advised that, as Brendan has noted, it is SFA's worst recording production-wise. But doesn't that just make it more endearing?

Songs:
Intro/Bliss
Once Again
95 Average
Gyroscope
Zip-A-Tone
Finast
RealityJourney

Visuals:
Cover (large)
Back
Insert 1
Insert 2
Vinyl

Fearless Vampire Killers "Target" EP

While Japan is better known for its crusty thrash, grindcore and d-beat, Discharge-clone bands like Disclose, FVK was more like a Bad Brains clone. Unlike the d-beaters FVK doesn't live up to the standards of their hero band (BB) by any stretch of the imagination (especially in the vocals department, in my opinion), but this is nonetheless a classic 80s Japanese release worth a listen.

Songs:
Though We're Youth (Smegma-O-Mara)
One Summer Vacation
All You Offend To My Eyse (sic)
Buffalo Slam
Dept 49
Oh Your Mammy

Visuals:
Cover (large)
Back

SCRAPS - "Aaargh" 7"

I never anything about this band beyond what it says in this record, but the folks at Kill From the Heart have more info…Enjoy.

Songs:
Dubeauf s'en va t'en guerre
Au service de la loi
Macho Klan
Major Shits
I Hate Memories

Visuals:
Cover (large)
Back
Insert 1

Life's Blood Defiance 7" and 1988 Demo

Here is the Life’s Blood “Defiance” 7” along with the 1988 Demo recorded at Don Fury.

7inchpunk.com also posted the 7” so you can compare this rip with theirs and see which you like better. Jay (Jason O’Toole) gave me the green light to post this (MiddleAgedYouth.com had posted it too, but removed it, prompting me to ask Jay if he cared if it got posted).

Random trivia about this record: I happened to be at Dave Stein’s apartment when the first shipment of Defiance arrived in the mail. A couple lucky friends and I got to buy the first ones out of the box. I remember Dave talking about how he thought Maximum Rock'N'Roll would probably give Life’s Blood a better review than many NYHC bands, because he thought they would "Iike the packaging" and because the songs critique a lot of BS in the NYHC scene at the time. He was totally right on. MRR gave it a great review. The look and feel of the cover and inserts look everything but NYHC circa late 80s. Speaking of packaging,another bit of trivia: According to a source close the situation at the time, the cover of this 7″ was made on stolen card stock. MRR’s review, of course, was due to more than the packaging. The music was right on and the lyrics critiqued a lot o’ crap going on in the NY scene then. The only minor MRR complaint (according to Dave K. was that Tim Yohanan said that “Catch our Breath” just sounded so obviously like Blitz that it “it just couldn’t be forgiven.” Dave claims Life’s Blood never played the song life again. I don’t know. For more info on Life’s Blood, see the Middle Aged Youth post.

Eventually I’m going to post a live LB show at CBGB’s as well as some other random LB tracks that I have.

Songs:
Sorry folks! I've deleted the Life's Blood 7" at the request of Neil, as I understand it is going to be re-released via Prank records. When I have more information I'll post that here. (Hmmm, digital re-release. Does this mean my original vinyl 7" goes UP or DOWN in value? Hard to say. The punk rock futures market is one big roller coaster in today's digital age.)

1988 Demo

The demo is all on one mp3 file so here is the song list:
Maximum Security
Left Behind
Never Make A Change
Stick To It
Not For The Weak
Youth Enrage

Defiance Visuals:
Cover (large)
Back
Insert scans coming soon. My files got messed up.
Insert 1
Insert 2
Lyrics

Swiz - "Down" 7"

Between the birth of my beautiful daughter and school, there is precious little time for mp3 blogging of late.

This is the first 7" of the great D.C.-area group Swiz. I saw them multiple times in Albany and Connecticut in the late 80s, including on the awesome "SwASide" tour with Soulside and New Jersey greats American Standard (upcoming post -- American Standard's first LP, stay tuned). Trivia: vocalist Shawn Brown was Dag Nasty's first singer (Aug 1985 - Feb 1986) before quitting to form Swiz. He later sang for a number of other bands, most recently in Jesuseater.

Songs:
Much
Time
Cause
Lie

Visuals:
Cover (large)
Back Cover
vinyl side A
vinyl side B
Insert A
Insert B

A History of Albany, NY Punk & Hardcore -- 1980-1991

I built (and may add to) this compilation of Albany, NY off site, ON THIS PAGE. I didn't have time to test all the mp3s and images, so please write comments here if you find problems with the page.

No Outlet demo

Another post for the Albany folks. Thanks to Carl for providing the track names!

No Outlet was a classic Albany style hardcore ("ASHC" in Capital District parlance) band from the mid- to late-1980s. If you weren't there, you probably never heard of them. Their few releases include this demo and songs on two Albany compilations (see more at Middle Aged Youth's posting of the Albany Style Hardcore 7"). Nate of Gloom Records (and Monster X and a number of other bands) just sent me a live No Outlet show from 1989 (one of their last shows?), so keep your eyes peeled here for that.

I lost my copy of this 1987(?) demo years ago and this replacement copy came with no track list. Carl just sent them in, but be advised that the mp3 files don't have the right song names embedded with them. You'll have to set them yourself on your iTunes or mp3 program. Enjoy.

First Glance
Last Time
Just How It Goes
Push Back/Know Yourself
Loser
Abuser
No Outlet
Thanks

Born Against

Trivia: Most people know that BA featured members of LifesBlood. Fewer know that, at various times, BA also featured members of Citizen's Arrest and Moss Icon. There are plenty of sources on the Web to read about them so I won't repeat it here.