Ice Cube – The Predator

‘The Predator’ is Ice Cube’s third album and released within months of the 1992 LA riots.

FFO: Public Enemy, NWA and Cypress Hill

Website: http://www.facebook.com/IceCube

            http://www.icecube.com/

Various Artists – Worldwide Hardcore Mixtape

This is what you guess it would be. A mixtape of hardcore bands from across the globe. This free download includes a PDF booklet with links to band pages and info on where the recordings can be found.

Bands worth checking out include Shackles, Pressure, Stay Hungry, Connections, Outright, Police and Thieves, Ill Brigade and No Turning Back.

You can find a download here: http://www.mediafire.com/?i5bwbfgt1p4u6yp

Crimpshrine - Duct Tape Soup LP (black / ???)

‘Duct Tape Soup’ is my introduction to Crimpshirne. After hearing and reading about them I stumbled across this while flicking through the records in Ritual Music and Books in Melbourne.

Coming from Berkeley, California, Crimpshirne formed in 1982 under the name S.A.G. before a name change in 1983 to Chrimpshirne. Members would go on to play in bands such as Operation Ivy, Rancid, Screeching Weasel, Pinhead Gunpowder, Tilt, amongst others.

‘Duct Tape Soul’ compiles tracks from EPs ‘Caution’ and ‘No Idea’ the ‘Lame Gig Contest’ LP and comps ‘Floyd’, Collecter Nerd’ and ‘World In Shreds’ Vol 1 and 2. The recording is rough. But that’s all part of its charm. The LP comes with a zine containing lyrics, interviews, written pieces by the band and more.

A worthwhile addition to the collection and a history lesson.

FFO: Operation Ivy, Green Day and Jawbreaker

Heartsounds – Drifter

Heartsounds continue to perfect their sound with ‘Drifter’. As with ‘Until We Surender’, Heartsounds’ melodic and technical punk rock is soaked in metal riffs and packed with hooks making sure these songs will not leave your head for a long while. Its bands like Heartsounds that show us that not all hope is lost for Epitaph yet.

FFO: A Wilhelm Scream, Anchors and The Swellers

Website: http://www.facebook.com/heartsoundsband

            http://www.heartsoundsband.com/

Candy Hearts – Everything’s Amazing and Nobody’s Happy (cassette / ???)

Simply put, Candy Hearts play cute female fronted pop punk. And it’s pretty damn good. My girlfriend surprised me with this tape after we played ‘Ripped Up Jeans and Silly Dreams’ on repeat for months. If you liked that album then you will like this one as they haven’t strayed too far from the path, and that’s not a bad thing. If you like sweet and genuine pop punk, this is for you.

FFO: Lemuria and Mixtapes

Website: http://www.facebook.com/candyhearts

            http://candyheartsband.com/

            http://candyhearts.bandcamp.com/

Top 10 of 2012

I haven’t posted here for a while. I have a massive back log to post about as well. So here is my top ten list for 2012:

• Top ten releases of 2012:

-       Mean Jeans – On Mars LP

-       Guantanamo Baywatch – Chest Crawl LP

-       Chinese Burns Unit - Chinese Burns Unit 7”

-       Title Fight – Floral Green LP

-       Various Artists – Split Scene LP

-       Helta Skelta - Helta Skelta LP

-       Snake Face – Oberon LP

-       Code Orange Kids – Love Is Love/Return To Dirt

-       Big Eyes – Back From The Moon 7”

-       Smith Street Band – Sunshine and Technology

• Most disappointing release of 2012:

-       Hot Water Music – Exister LP (This is a good album, but I was expecting a little bit more. Much like The Fire, The Steal, The Tread 7” from 2011)

• Favourite reissue of 2012:

-       The New Red Archives reissues of Samiam’s Samiam, Soar and Billy

• Favourite release from 2011 that you discovered in 2012:

-       Night Birds – The Other Side Of Darkness LP

Portugal. The Man - Waiter: "You Vultures!"

If new Saves The Day and The Mars Volta were to get together this would be the result. Not a fan.

Website: http://www.portugaltheman.com/