The Saddest Landscape

Burning Love- Rotten Thing to Say

The original intent of this blog was for us to have a way to nerd out on the vinyl format and talk about records we think are cool.

Unfortunately I’ve been terrible at updating it the last few months.

Been too busy.

So here’s a 1st attempt at getting back on track.

Remember- you can help - write your own record post and click the submit button up top. Keep it clean, positive, remember to put a photo and a stream for people to hear some of it, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have it published here.

• Burning Love- Rotten Thing to Say

I’ve known about these guys for a while since this is the singer of Cursed’s new band. I was never a big Cursed fan (i know i know i have shitty taste in music) but I saw these guys open for Converge and they were real good.

This record is a rager- dirty southern rock riff-infused heavy rock with a hardcore sensibility. If you like the bronx or remember bars (if not you need to get on that immediately)- you will enjoy this. Get it here from Southern Lord.

Tour/Post-Tour Grabs

So it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything so I’m just going to list somethings I picked up while on tour and since I got back.

Botch - An Anthology of Dead Ends

This is one of my favorite records. Ever. When we stayed over in Brighton I peaked through our host’s collection and offered to take this off his hands. So fair warning: none of your collections are safe. But this is the record my mind goes to when I think of Botch. I love We Are The Romans, but this 10” simply rips.

You and I - The First Seven Inch/Hearts On Paper (1st Press)

I’ve already talked about this 7” a few months back, but at the end of tour I got sick and when I was home I couldn’t sleep. So while perusing Vinyl Junkie Distro at 5am I stumbled across this. I guess it pays to be sick sometimes. 

Converge - You Fail Me

I’ve been putting this off for a while. I think it’s because I really like Jane Doe, and upon initial listen to this I was pretty turned off. But hey, I decided I’d give it another chance when I saw it sitting on the wall at Double Decker. I have to respect Converge for always trying something different and not repeating themselves.

Charles Bronson - Youth Attack!

Another ripper. This record flies by, but every cut is gem on this one. 

The Spirit of Versailles/Caligari - Split 7”

So for a long time now I’ve been hearing a lot of hype about The Spirit of Versailles. I know they’ve become kind of a “classic” in this genre if you will, but I tend to put things off sometimes because of such hype. That said, I am also an idiot. The song on their side of the split is actually really cool. Caligari is pretty metal and it was kind of lackluster compared to the SOV side, but overall a pretty neat split.

Cult Ritual - II & III

More rippers. I’ve been meaning to pick up some Cult Ritual records for a while, but since they’re a Youth Attack band a lot of their stuff is hard to come by. Packaging on II is really awesome. The ski mask cover comes off and there’s a rad poster inside. 

Envy - Compiled Fragments 1997-2003

So all of us in TSL love Envy, and not just more recent post-rock Envy. I really like some of their more hardcore records and while I have a few 7”s and 10”s that predate Footprints… I saw this and figured I’d grab it to hold me over. The only thing is this record is really long and it took me a few sittings to finish it.

California Love - Reaping The Whirlwind

More Youth Attack! I can’t get enough! I’ve been meaning to get this one for a while too. The first LP was a lot more metal than this one, but I really feel like they found their niche on this record. I need to see this band live.

What’s Yr Damage/Kodan Armada - Split 7”

So I’ve been slowly catching up with Kodan Armada. The track on their side here is great. Every Kodan release I expect a hand full of inserts and this 7” is no different. Great band with a lot of passion and emphasis sharing punk rock with everyone.

Jeromes Dream - Seeing Means More Than Safety

Another one I’ve been putting off. This is a great record and probably Jeromes Dreams best effort. Each cut on here is great. I can’t really describe JD without mentioning the vocals they sound so distant and howly on each recording and it just fits them. Thanks to my friend Matt for finding this for me.

Green Day - Dookie

Like most kids who grew up in the 90’s Green Day was a huge influence on me, and when I started collecting vinyl I said I’d only buy Dookie if it had Ernie on the back. So when I spotted this in a random shop in London I had to grab it. Our friend, Jordan, who tagged along on tour would get so mad when he saw this. I’m 99.9% positive this is a bootleg, but hey, it’s on red vinyl, has Ernie on the back, and I only paid £10 for it. I’m not complaining. Just happy to own it, along with the rest of the stuff I’ve picked up so far this year.

-Eric

P.S. You all look great today.

In First Person - Lost Between Hands Held Tight

In First Person was provocative and political within the lyrics, and technical and emotional within the music. This is more than a solid LP and I would put this on any day of the week. The thing I really like about this band is how well they work as a single unit. The big problem I find with a lot of hardcore bands that have vocalists also playing instruments is that they tend to write music and then the vocals almost seem like an after thought, but here all three members share vocal duties and use them to their full potential. Vanessa’s vocals in “…And Now It’s Happening In Mine” really stand out and build the record up to the climax.

Also the packaging on this is superb. It looks like it took some TLC and many an hour to design put all of this together. Just goes to show that thoughtful hand made packaging goes a long way.

-Eric

Kerouac - Cold and Distant, Not Loving 10”

I stumbled upon Kerouac a few months back because people who liked You Will Not Survive seemed to really dig Cold and Distant, Not Loving as well.

Their singer Thom and I started talking on Twitter recently and we traded records. Really nice dude and really good band/release. Hopefully we can meet up for some shows the next time we do a UK tour. Stream the whole 10” below, and pick up a copy from Holy Roar Records here.

RIYL: Converge, Trap Them, More Than Life, etc.

-Aaron

Guest Nerd Post: Chad from Pianos Become the Teeth

Today’s guest nerd post is from our buddy Chad of Pianos. Chad has rad taste in music. He keeps a music and art/design blog called Stoking The Roots which has turned me on to some of my favorite albums of the past year. Chad is also the doppelganger of my friend Andrew- they look identical, have the same mannerisms and personality- it’s fucked up. If the two of them ever end up in the same room together a head or two is going to explode. Anyways. Many thanks to Chad for doing a post!

-Aaron

• Have Heart: 10.17.09
  

Thanks to Aaron and Andy for inviting me to do this guest post! I had a hard time deciding what to write about so I’ll just give a short review of my most recent purchase - a live recording of Have Heart’s final show entitled 10.17.09.

From the accounts I’ve read on the internet Have Heart’s final show was a blast. They played to a crowd of around 2,000 people on National Edge Day in Revere, Massachusetts with the show’s proceeds going to a women’s shelter in Boston that their singer’s mother runs. Their hour long set contained material spanning their three releases.

Just as a minor aside before I get in to the album review, it’s commendable how hard this band worked. After they released Songs to Scream at the Sun they embarked on a world tour. In 5 months they hit Asia, Australia, Africa, South America, Central America, Europe, Canada and the United States. That’s all back to back - with one week off I believe. For most bands a long tour is 30 to 45 days and Have Heart toured for nearly half a year. That takes a ton of dedication.

Ok, on to the review. I was a bit slow in placing my order so I missed out on the more limited first pressing (which was green out of 100) but I was quick enough to snag a package deal that came with a first pressing clear 12” out of 300, a cd/dvd combo pack and two large posters.

They vinyl itself is beautiful. A heavy, thick transparent slab of wax engraved with a curated selection of hits from all three albums. 22 songs in total. It comes in a glossy gatefold package. Live photos on the front and a short essay on the inside fold by HH’s singer Patrick Flynn.

To be completely honest I was a bit disappointed with this album. You can’t really hear Pat’s vocals during some key moments because the microphone is being pushed into the crowd for group sing-a-longs or the mic is pulled from his hands. Pat addresses this criticism in the liner notes, basically saying that this is how a hardcore show sounds and if you disagree then you don’t grasp the essence of hardcore which is the live experience. While I think his point is valid, though a bit condescending, it doesn’t change the fact that this record sounds very sloppy at times. It’s annoying when you can only hear 1/3 of a songs vocals. Not to worry though, the DVD that comes with this package makes the purchase worthwhile and when I watch it I’m jealous that I wasn’t at the show.

-Chad

Neil Perry - Lineage Situation

Neil Perry is one of my favorite bands, and I’ve been trying to collect the discography for a while and the final piece of the puzzle came today. If you haven’t heard them and you’re into punk rock I highly suggest you get a hold of the discography CD. Most of their earlier songs are short and sweet, but the progression as musicians really shows here. The later songs are, in my opinion, their best works becoming more creative and intricate and a little less straight forward. These guys are also members of: Hot Cross, A Life Once Lost, Welcome The Plague Year, Joshua Fit For Battle, etc., etc., So you know it’s rad

P.S. Sorry for making you do all the blog work lately, Aaron.

Eric

Vitriol Records: Dangers, Graf Orlock, Comadre/Glasses

I imagine most of you are already familiar with Vitriol Records and their roster. They put out records from bands that rip and the level of creativity and effort they put into their vinyl packaging is just top notch. We recently traded for a few LP’s from Dangers, Graf Orlock and the Comadre/Glasses split 7”, and I wanted to take a minute to highlight all of these releases on the blog. Everything you see below is up in our merch store, and you can also grab these directly from Vitriol right here.

• Comadre/Glasses split 7”:

I’m admittedly not a big 7” guy, but the packaging on this split is incredible. Easily one of- if not the best- packaging on a 7” I’ve seen. Pretty sure it’s a co-release between Comadre’s own label and Vitriol. Kudos to all involved- great split and a fantastic looking record. I wasn’t familiar with Glasses prior to this split, but they rip as well. No bullshit female fronted hardcore. Really good stuff.

• Graf Orlock: Destination Time Today LP
  

Again, great record. Stellar packaging job. This one’s been out for a bit so you’ve probably seen it, but the cover has a translucent rifle scope. Depending on which panel you fold out on the insert poster, you can set a different historical political or musical figure within your scope sights on the cover.  Really? Yep. Fucking awesome.

• Dangers: Anger and Messy, Isn’t It? LP’s

If you’re a fan of hardcore, you’re doing your self a disservice by not listening to Dangers. Anger is great, and I firmly stand by the fact that Messy Isn’t It is one of the best hardcore albums of the past 5 years. Instant classic in my book. Pissed, witty, creative, catchy- everything I want in a hardcore band and then some.

Messy, Isn’t It?:

Anger:

-Aaron

Street Smart Cyclist - Demo 7”

Back in 2007 Street Smart Cyclist recorded an awesome demo and Our Neighbor Records put it out. First time I saw them was when one of my older bands played with them in a garage in New Jersey on their first tour with Storm The Bastille. They showed up after the show ended and somehow we managed to get everyone to come back and catch their set. This is one of my favorite 7”s and is always a pick me up when I’m feeling blue. They’re a really fun band and really nice dudes. I’m stoked they’re getting back together for a couple reunion shows. The first one is sold out, but you can buy tickets for the second night here: http://bit.ly/fiOaCw

-Eric