It's Been Some Time...

Connor, doing his best Alec McKaye 

... But as it was previously, things are still ticking. Life has been busy, unpredictable, and fun. The blog has suffered, but the little guy you see in the picture takes some priority. However, the blog will continue and new posts will emerge. Hopefully as soon as the next few days. Thanks to everyone this far- I appreciate the downloads, sharing, commenting, and emailing me, even if just to chat a bit. As always, if you want to possibly see your band/music here, email me. If you see something that is yours/you've been a part of and you do not want it here, email me and I will take it down. Im not doing this to take money from anyone, and I am making no money from this. It's all free, save for my time and effort- and if you look around, you will notice the posts have more than their bit of info. This isn't a massive download site looking to undermine music for free.

 Enjoy!

the Assistant - Both LPs, EP, and Splits

The Assistant were a hardcore punk band from New Jersey. They played loud, fast, heavy music with lots of screaming. They also played catchy and poppy songs with slightly off key singing. Songs with programming, keyboards, and samples- Yeah, that too. They could also jam for 5 minutes without saying a word. I try not to get to tied up in the genre(s) slapped on a band, outside of the broader things like Hardcore, Punk, Ska, Rock, Emo, Metal, etc.; I know that the Assistant was a Screamo band, but that just sounds so narrow, so I guess I will get caught up in it this one time, which is why I called them a Hardcore Punk band at the onset of this post. I think that does them the most justice, and at least for me, more fairly says what they were and the depth of what they meant to me.

The last song that the Assistant released, "I Have A Name", from the split with Takaru & This Ship Will Sink, states that the Assistant, as a band, was about standing up for what you believe in. To me, that speaks far more to what this band meant to me (and many others). They covered topics that encompass just about every aspect of human emotion, self-reflection, and dealing with life itself, as a whole. From self-abuse to the impacts of illicit drugs (and discussion of the lengths that governments have been willing to go to in order to test out new drugs on the poor and the resulting impacts), sexual abuse, consumer culture, the consequences of convenience, the com-modification of independent and thought provoking music sounds/scenes, and much more. All of it with thought and explanation - an insight into the words and thoughts that are just as heavy (if not more so) than the music they are playing. Multiple members singing and writing lyrics gives a little something extra, not that the band wouldn't have been great with just Leigh singing.

I will leave it at that- as i've said before here, some times less is more. The Assistant, for me, is a band that ranks up there with Battery, Hot Water Music, the Cable Car Theory, By The Grace of God, and other incredible bands that seemed to fuse themselves into the music they played, and shared words that were bits and pieces of themselves and of myself too. That's not said for a dramatic flair; this music of hardcore and punk ; through many bands and people; has indelibly made an impact on nearly every aspect of my life in some way.

Members have been in a laundry list of other bands, especially guitarist/vocalist, Tom. Check each and every one of them out.

Sadly, it seems, everything the band has done has gone out of print. So, in two downloads, you have the Self-Titled LP, In the Year of the Dawg Tour EP, We'll Make the Roads By Walking LP, the aforementioned 3-way Split, Split with Red Scarlet Letter, and a song that seems to come from an internet created Comp (an alternate version of the song "I Have A Name" from a comp called Screamo Room Presents...) ***In the Year of the Dawg actually features two tracks that ended up on the second lp, they are identical, but included for completions sake***

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD: The Assistant "Self-Titled LP & In The Year of the Dawg"

DOWNLOAD: The Assistant "We'll Make the Roads LP, Splits, & Comp Track"

Lay It On The Line - UK Hardcore - 4-Song EP

Lay It On the Line are a hardcore band from South London, England. Described as melodic hardcore, don't stop reading if you're immediately getting images of bands like Final Fight (who are great), Lay It On The Line is much more a hardcore band that has some melodic elements to a more traditional angry and riff filled attack.

The band formed in January of 2012 and recorded a demo shortly after, followed in May with this 4-song EP, "A Lesson In Personal Finance". Each song checks in under three minutes (with Pay Your Rent, Boy coming in under a minute) and builds a good pace without any songs sounding drawn out or forced. With some well placed slightly chugging riffs that definitely draw from heavier hardcore bands and little leads to add flavor and drums and bass that balance and fill out the sound, the music is very strong, especially for a band only roughly 5 months old at the time of recording. Something about the vocals helps to put the band over the top for me, from good sounding band with potential, to new band I am excited to hear more from. While none of it is re-inventing the wheel kind of stuff, it's a fresh sounding EP and the vocals have an almost spacey kind of sound at times to their gruff scream. Where many similarly sounding vocalists would likely opt for a more guttural sound, the vocals here blend into the mix somewhat, and work with the music instead of above or below it.

All in all, a great 4 song ep.

Check their Tumblr and Bandcamp for updates, more music (inc. their demo), and up coming shows. As always, be on the look out for new bands even more than the magical old records. Support the here and now, now.

DOWNLOAD: Lay It On The Line - "A Lesson In Personal Finance" EP

Descender - And So We Marched EP

Descender hail from the left coast- Brooklyn, New York to be specific. Not exactly the area I think of when bringing to mind heavy, driving, and a bit rhythmic hardcore/post-hardcore (I'm also not mr. super current-affairs these days).

While I could sit and rattle of bands that were most likely an influence on this band (and it would be a damn fine list of bands, you can be sure of that), it's better to just get to it:

Descender bring a sound of heavy music that can appeal to anyone in the realms of loud music- it can collapse on you like a pile of shifting bricks just as fast as the drums can shift into a galloping beat that gives way to a well placed chopping and chugging riff.

Surely, Descender owes plenty to heavy post-hardcore stalwarts of the last 5-8 years, but it's clear they draw on many other influences in the punk/hardcore/indie world- taking cues from plenty of bands in the 80's and 90's and creating a tightly put together EP of 4 songs in 16 minutes. And I think that's where the songs begin to set themselves apart from many of the other newer bands in the pack- their length. While the songs have plenty of the things that lend themselves to thought evoking, emotion provoking music for late nights or long drives, they still reign in each track in under 5 minutes (with two at the 3 1/2 minute mark) without giving up anything. The ringing notes, slowing drums, build ups and explosions- its all still here.

The other thing that really sets this record apart for me is the vocals. I really like them. Lots of bands have chosen to go the instrumental route, and I dig that a lot. But, its always nice to see someone incorporate vocals and do it well. None of the vocals feel forced or out of place, and the sound works just right... screamed and a bit back in the mix to have an almost faint sound at times, the vocals blend and add, rather than demand notice. Hardcore and Punk colliding with all the right touches of Metal mixing in.

I lied, I will say one thing band specific... this brings to mind, at times, how I felt listening to the Restrained/the Separation split 12inch. Heavy, driving, and deliberate in its sound- but not so much so that it only appealed to a certain set of heavy music listeners.

Give the record a spin, its 16 minutes you will listen to over and over again.

Big thanks to George from Descender for submitting this-

DOWNLOAD: Descender "And So We Marched"

Descender on Facebook

Glory Kid Records Giveaway Contest at Toxicbreed's Funhouse

Time For Change (2008)

   

Glory Kid Ltd. and Toxicbreed's Funhouse have teamed up for a great giveaway of a ton of Glory Kid releases.

All you need to do is head on over to the Toxicbreed Facebook page
and post how the name for the label came about. Yep. That easy
so don't be a bunch of lazies.

Toxicbreed's Funhouse: Glory Kid Ltd. Giveaway
Toxicbreed's Funhouse: Glory Kid Ltd. Giveaway
Toxicbreed's Funhouse: Glory Kid Ltd. Giveaway


Also, while you're there you can link to the TF blog and stream the Burn Your Life Down EP (out now on tape and soon to be released on vinyl). Don't sleep, unless of course you're a commercial driver and need to sleep before working. Then please, sleep. Then go to Toxicbreed.

Parades End - "Self-Titled" 7inch

Alright, time to bounce back. Been down and not posting for a few months. Moved into our first house and dealing with an infant who is rolling over and learning to crawl and stand almost simultaneously has proven to be the exciting challenged that it promised to be. But now that things have settled some and the office/record room has come together for the most part, lets get back to this.

Parades End were one of the first, if not the very first, band that I ever heard that you could remotely call Screamo (by 90's emo/punk standards). I had no idea of it when I heard them in the mid/late 90's. I was still very much a hardcore/punk kid who knew emo as it related to the DC/Dischord universe.

I was fortunate enough to catch Parades End on local 88.7 KSPC as they played a live 5-song set. I was doubly fortunate enough to be recording the radio that night. It wouldn't be until years later that a good friend would share with me the Assistant which then led to things like you&i, saetia, jeremin, neil perry, and on and on down that twisted genere muddled list of hardcore punk music. Unfortunately, it would still be more time after that before I was able to run down a copy of this 7inch. Clearly I did though, and even was able to get a copy of their split 7inch. Both 7inches and the live radio set were posted on the old What We Want Blog, though the rip here is just the 7inch, and is a newer rip done with the new laptop. It may only be marginally better, but its not quite as hot (loud) of a rip as the previous one, so it balances out a bit better on all playing platforms.

Enough mumbling... Parades End, as mentioned, certainly fell into the Emo/Punk/Screamo realm of music going on at the mid/end of the 90's. Spoken/Screamed vocals, driving guitars, drums that while not simplistic, didn't rely heavily on lots of toms and double bass, and enough emotion that you could see this four piece bouncing around the stage trading vocals between guitarists. Though, it isn't without mentioning that they did have at least one song on the Indecision Records comp Guilty By Association, which featured the band as a 5 piece with a singular singer. Not a bad track itself, but a fair bit different.

In the end, the band recorded this 4-song 7inch, 2 tracks on their split 7inch, the aforementioned comp track, the radio set, and a full length that was purported to have been recorded over with a lot of nonsense and noise since the band was splitting up. My understanding is that some of that became the track "the Book of Jae" which was on another comp. Members were in and have since been in quite a few bands, some you've even heard. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD: Parades End - 4 song 7inch

Comp taken down

At the request of the record label , the most recent comp with House of Suffering, Freebass, Beatless, and Triggerman has been pulled.

It's a first for me, but as a blog that is good on it's word to respect artists/labels wishes, and to serve as a document of this music and not a resource to scalp music- its been pulled.



-It Follows

Battery - Until the End

If I ever had to pick a best or favorite record from the 90's, it would come down to Battery's "Until the End", By the Grace of God's "fortheloveofindierock" EP, and Snapcase's "Progression Through Unlearning", with an honorable mention to Ten Yard Fight's "Hardcore Pride" EP (In My Eyes "Nothing to Hide" misses by a year- damn!).

"Until the End" is quite possibly the most played record that I own. For quite a number of years this album and the aforementioned By the Grace of God EP were almost daily listening, and with good reason-

Great lyrics, a passionate singer whose voice was always full of emotion, and music that was fast but able to hold a tone of heaviness when needed. The Until the End tracks that were actually recorded for the lp have an almost punky feel to them, as if the band blended punk and a metal sound to come out the other end with a punchy hardcore sound (the last 3 tracks actually appear on the 'Let the Past Go' EP and aside from These Are the Days, have a much heavier sound to them similar to the first lp "Only the Diehard Remain").

Brian McTernan had a way with getting his emotions across in his words and his voice (as he similarly did when playing guitar and occasional vocals in previous band Ashes), and Ken Olden as always, has a way to get the music to where it needs to be. The band was rounded out at the time by the equally noteworthy bass of Ben Chused (Ten Yard Fight) and drummer Jason Hamacher (Frodus, Combatwounded Veteran).

What has always set Battery apart for me, and kept them a lasting band some 15 years later, is that the music remains fluid to time- it isn't so rigidly defined by any time period, be it the heavy chugga, chugga of the 90's, or the youth crew revival that took off right around the time Battery disbanded. The lyrics still resonate, so many of the subjects in it are still things I have feelings about, even if some of them aren't necessarily relevant to my life anymore (I will be 33 tomorrow, I've moved on from feeling like the outcast kid in Has-Been, though it is still a indulgent thought to think about fat ex-high school jock stars as fat, balding used car salesmen), the lyrics and the emotion found within is about as close to timeless as I could ever call a hardcore/punk record.

Even when talking about things like the hardcore scene (In Our Hands, That'll Never Be Me, Until the End) it isn't 'rah rah rah- stabbed in the back- fingerpoint!' The same can be said for the emotional and personal issues discussed throughout, with the most glaring probably being the third track, "Why is She in Pain?" Tackling image issues and perception that rail thin, almost starving female figure is what should be held as the epitome of beauty; and more than that, accepting the responsibility the author has unwittingly played in that process.

At the end of it all, what makes Battery so incredibly important to so many is one shared thing that in all of my conversations with Battery fans, they just can't quite put their fingers on- the overall band and its emotion and feelings conveyed through their songs... all the records were good, but Until the End is the best one. Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD: Battery - "Until the End"

*That was weird...download link FIXED*

AD - Investing in Memories

AD were a hardcore band from California in the mid-2000's...






.... AD is once again a hardcore band from California, in 2012.




Without being limited to any one kind of hardcore or punk subset, AD draws out of its members a loud and abrasive sound that shows a wide range of sounds. Sometimes heavy, sometimes noisy, and almost always fast, AD delivers a compact 6 songs in just over 7 minutes; songs that do not sound rushed, simplified, or anything that a 19 year old with a bandana might call "thrash" or "crust".

There's a little bit of something for everyone in AD's sound, from the metal types to the punk kids, and all stops in between.Four friends getting back together and playing under the name AD, with plenty of experience in other Southern California bands, delivers on these 6 tracks. Here's to hoping for much more in 2012, and not another years long gap in new songs (wink wink, nudge nudge).

DOWNLOAD: AD - "Investing In Memories"

AD on Tumblr - it has links to their bandcamp (with the older Demonstration download) and their facebook, among other things

AD "Hymn":

City Rockers - A Tribute to the Clash

Here's a good and diverse (band wise and with the direction some of the covers take) compilation for your sunny and windy weekend.

I picked this CD up quite some time ago in a used bin at the local shop and its been worth every penny and then some. Many of you may have heard some of these tracks if you're a fan of the respective bands, but more than a few of these tracks have also slipped past recognition for far too long.

To say this track or that track are stand out tracks would almost literally take up the entire cd as each band either does a good traditional take on the song or adapts the song to their style and does it nicely. Whether it is the first track with Dave Smalley playing "Death or Glory" and channeling Billy Bragg with just his voice and guitar or Kid Dynamite's fairly traditional send up with hand claps and all- just with a snottier snarl to it (the same could be said for Saves the Day's cover of Clash City Rockers); the whole CD is strong throughout.

I will say that, of all the tracks here, my favorites are One King Down doing "London Calling" and playing it in its fairly intact original form, but as OKD (meaning as a metallic hardcore song), Demon Speed giving "Rock the Casbah" a psycho/rockabilly treatment (really, any treatment other than stripped out synth new wave punk of the original is probably a great treatment- NOTE: the live version Joe Strummer did with the Mescaleros is exceptional as it showcases the true strength of that song), and Lady Luck's introspective feeling "Lost in the Supermarket" shines with the soft female vocals. **I would say that I love the Dropkick Murphys cover of "Guns of Brixton", but the live track loses some of the energy and punch of the studio version they did which is included on their Singles Collection Volume One.

One King Down "London Calling":


The inclusion of some very good ska bands doing very good ska versions of songs is a huge plus for me, both as a fan of ska and a fan of the Clash. The Stubborn All-Stars do an almost ska-country version of "Lose This Skin" while Skinnerbox ends the CD with "Straight to Hell." As is always the case with these kinds of things, there are tracks any and all of us would have liked to hear which did not end up on the CD, but it is a good mix of some of the best known songs and songs that are a bit more secondary.

DOWNLOAD" V/A "City Rockers"

Lady Luck "Lost in the Supermarket":

H-Street - "Self-Titled" 7inch

H-Street were a hardcore band from Austria in the 90's/early 00's. They played a fast and slightly revival type of hardcore- owing a lot to older bands at a time when heavy and chugging riffs still dominated. As the cover would indicate, they were a straight edge band, but their appeal was much wider than that.

With songs about friendships, racism, , and perseverance, they tread some familiar ground at times, but the music and lyrics definitely make for a combination that does not feel rehashed or generic. Add in a cover of a local band (Open Season), some melody to the fast beats, and its a nice 5 song EP that still holds up some 10-12 years later.

Enjoy!



DOWNLOAD: H-Street - "Self-Titled" 7inch

H-Street "Common Ground":

Fourth In Line - Just Another Day tape + Religion Killing Policy ADDED: Open Wide CD

Fourth In Line were a hardcore band from Orange County, California in the mid-90's to the early 2000's. They played a style, at least on the tracks here, not too unlike the first album/7inch by Straight Faced. Not too surprisingly, that is how I came into contact with the band, as they seemed to play more than a few times with Straight Faced, and even covered the song "No Gain on the Play" when SF stopped playing almost all of the songs from their "Guilty"lp.

I got this tape at a Showcase Theatre show some time in '96 or '97 when it came out. It shows a good blend of somewhat punky hardcore that could put the band on a show at the time with anyone from bands like the aforementioned Straight Faced to Pennywise (at that time, not now). Songs like Trippin Randy and Religion Killing Policy (which is from 1999 and a compilation) show more of the straight forward Hardcore sound, while "Father" gets a bit of the softer treatment.

All in all, the tape tracks still sounded great after not being played for some 6-7 years now and the songs hold up pretty well- fun, fast, hardcore with just the right touch of punk and humor.

They have a Facebook page which a friend shared with me (thanks Sergio) and seeing as this tape was circa 1996 and the band split in 2001, hopefully there are more tracks out there. It is mentioned in the compilation that they were recording a full-length in 1999, if anyone has other tracks, get in touch with me, I'd love to hear them and can (and would gladly) post them up. E-Mail: it.follows.blog@gmail.com

DOWNLOAD: Fourth In Line - "Just Another Day +1"

ADDED: Fourth In Line "Open Wide" album
This Morning I received an email that contained the full length "Open Wide". 10 tracks (11 songs) of more of the same stuff, just more refined and with a bit more hardcore edge to it. Good hardcore from sunny Southern California.... enjoy and thanks to Jeremy for sending it over!

DOWNLOAD: Fourth In Line - "Open Wide"

Burn Everything - "Last Run Through the Ruins" EP

A little change of pace for myself and the majority of It Follows Posts, Burn Everything are a heavy metal/hardcore/technical/whatever you want to call it kind of band. I got this some time ago and have listened to it off and on (thanks to guitarist, Damian, for getting in touch).

The 6 songs here are heavy, technical, and have the bursts of energy and grooving parts that have become more and more prevalent in metallic hardcore. I'm not going to sit here and say things like mathcore or DEP or Burnt By The Sun- rather, its the kind of music that people listening to those bands might get inspired to play. That isn't to say that it sounds like those bands, but they could certainly play on shows with those kinds of bands. The music is not boring at all and the vocals have a good mix of clean screaming/shouting vocals to the deeper screams. The fact that the longest song clocks in at the 3:24 mark definitely helps the overall appeal of this band, for me. Many times bands can become too repetitive in beating a good riff or good idea to death, and as more and more bands seem to be trying to reign in every influence they've ever had and create some stoner tech post-metal (or whatever other clever things you might want to add in), Burn Everything play a good and heavy brand of metal/hardcore that stays fresh throughout; while wrapping it all up with the slightly introspective sounding instrumental aptly named "Crumbling Monolith".

Burn Everything proves that the wheel doesn't need to be re-invented with every single band, just as long as we don't go about flogging it with every riff and every song title along the way.

DOWNLOAD: Burn Everything - "Last Run Through the Ruins" EP

Burn Everything Facebook

I didn't include a song to play because you can pop on over to their facebook and listen to the tracks stream as you download it here. Enjoy!

Say Goodbye - Demo Tape 2002 / Anti-Social E.P. 7inch

SG @ Insted CA Reunion Shows- 2004

Say Goodbye were a Hardcore band from Mass. in the early/mid-2000's. They released a demo tape, two 7inch EP's, and a full length LP of fast and completely pissed off hardcore. A distinct Xclaim Records influence can be heard in the music and vocals, especially on early things such as the Demo & Anti-Social EP where the band snarls and buzzsaws their way through a total of 10 songs in 13 minutes between the two releases.

A raw but refined sound shows up on all of their releases, though the Misanthropy 7inch would start to show a little expansion with some of the guitars and bass/drum work.  Each of their four releases (you get the first two this time around) stand up now, 8-10 years later. To my knowledge, their stuff has been gone for quite some time now as everything, except for the self-released demo, was released by the defunct Western Front Records (Outbreak, Miracle Mile, Drop It!, Where the Sidewalk Ends).

A good Interview from 2004 can be found over at the old You Breed Like Rats blog HERE. Apparently, their bassist sings for Waste Management and plays bass in Mind Eraser.

I actually picked this up at a show in Ojai with Amendment 18, Terror, Skare Tactic, and maybe In Control and Say Goodbye? The tape was pretty new, so the fact that this demo is approaching 10 years old (which is a crazy thought), my memory is not super clear on it. It may also be that Terror was selling some copies after just getting back from tour. It was around the time their 2 song 7inch had come out and had some limited packaging that seemed a little bit much (to me) like a box or something and it was a one sided 7inch. Again, fuzzy memory, but its more fun to recall than it is to run off and research Terror's releases.

I do remember that Scruffy, A18's bassist at the time, recommended the demo, and since I'd know him for some time and generally trusted his tastes, I bought it. No disappointment. I hear the strongest X Claim Records bands influence in the vocals on this record. Lots of pissed off and fast hardcore with those little temp changes that have tons of toms and give way to a bass break before the song explodes again. Great stuff!

A good continuation of the demo (and from the same general time frame), the band steps up from the 4-track demo recordings to bring a 6-song 7inch that clocks in just a little past 7 minutes. All the things the demo had, just refined into a better recording. Still tons of snarl, fast riffs, bass work that you can actually hear (and appreciate) and those great drums.

Enjoy, at some point the LP and last EP should show up here...




DOWNLOAD: Say Goodbye - "Demo" & "Anti-Social" 7inch


Say Goodbye "Iantro/Stay Tuned":

A Poor Excuse Link Fixed

The Link was all screwed up... but it works great now... download the record from the post HERE

And a flyer for your troubles... one of many a great Headline Records show. As always, click the picture to see it bigger!

My True Love / Wear the Mark

Wear the Mark, originally named My True Love on the demo, were a straight edge hardcore band from Southern California. Angry as shit with a heavy riff sound not too unlike a great band at the time, the Promise (who were originally named My True Love).

Pissed off and sounding like he is about to come unglued, singer Ibi vents some rage and exercises some demons as the band chugs on. Fast and chunky, but the band does just enough to break from standard formulas of angry and heavy, to give the sound that slight difference from its peers.

You get the 6-song "My True Love" demo and the 4-song "Thrown to the Wolves" 7inch, released on the defunct Straight On Records. Members have been or were in a ton of So Cal bands inc. Fortunate Son, Pressvre, Head High, The Miracle Mile, Seven Generations, Final Fight, Force of Change, and guitarist Derek ran Straight On.

A look at the bands old Myspace page shows that there was at least some recording done for an lp, so Derek or any of you guys, if you have those tracks- feel free to email em my way: it.follows.blog@gmail.com

DOWNLOAD: My True Love - "Demo" | Wear the Mark "Thrown to the Wolves" 7inch

Wear the Mark "Don't Cross Me":

the Burning Reason - the Dead Speak e.p.

Good emo/hardcore of a 90's influenced slant. I actually know next to nothing about this band. They had come through on tour in maybe 2006-07 and had left some cd's at the local shop, Sounds Like Music. The store had put the cd in the listening station and friends who had seen them had said the band played pretty solid. After hearing a song or two, the $3-4 bucks was a worthwhile gamble ( my only complaint being that the drums are often too low in the recording/mix, especially the snare).

I've never been successful in finding any additional info. on the band- not then, not now. They were a 3-piece band and as best as I can tell, did not do anything other than this EP. Perhaps someone in Minnesota, where theyre from, can chime in and offer a little more insight.

Until that happens, you get 5 tracks of good mid/late 90's influenced emo/hardcore. I won't bore you with comparisons, but this record could have been released on a variety of labels, from No Idea or Jade Tree to Deep Elm (think Brandston's "Trying to Figure Each Other Out" type Deep Elm) or Immigrant Sun.

DOWNLOAD: the Burning Reason - "the Dead Speak e.p."


the Burning Reason "open/close":

Life Tyrant - Self-Titled Demo

Life Tyrant were an all too short lived Hardcore band from the Inland Empire, California. Taking the hardcore punk framework and setting it firmly in a metallic influence, the band churned out heavy but fast songs that showed equal doses of their influences.

No screeching vocals, no extravagant guitar showing off, no blast beats- just straight forward heavy, angry, fast. The band shows the varied experiences of band members (having been in or still in Burn Your Life Down, Restrained, Drop It, Bad Lovers, and more) in their sound. Unfortunately, not too long after these recordings the band became rather sporadic and inactive and ultimately ended at some time in early/mid 2008.

These recordings have floated around some, but never really been shared properly, as they deserve to be. 6 tracks, less than 12 minutes- fits pretty nicely in to the kind of heavy hardcore I like the most. Drive fast, be pissed off.

DOWNLOAD: Life Tyrant - "Self-Titled" Demo/EP


Life Tyrant "Symbiotic":

Just A Few Reminders About the Blog...

108 @ the Showcase Theatre '07

Just a few things...


It's 2012 and the blog rolls on. Sometimes at a slower pace as parenthood and job searching do take up time, but this continues on and every effort will be made to keep a (somewhat) regular and consistent flow of posts coming your way.

I'm always interested in hearing from new bands and glad to post recordings. As you can see, I don't "just post music", there's some thought and history into it. Feel free to e-mail me links/zips/info. and what not. The more you send me, the better (info./picture/that kind of stuff).

The Blog E-Mail is: it.follows.blog@gmail.com

Connor- Punk & Proud

I'm working on doing another "Mix Tape", working within the framework of a Mix CD time (60-80 minutes). While I have plenty of tracks I can pull from things already posted and yet to be posted, if any of you other would like to be a part of it, feel free to email me. It's no guarantee that you will end up on it and I am far from the reach and awesomeness of something like Toxic Breed, but the first two mix tapes have had a good download rate and a lot of the bands on them saw a good jump in their downloads. FYI- Im not looking for anything special or exclusive, though if you want to send newer tracks, it only helps you more ;)

I love comments and now that Shoutbox has gone "pay only", I love the comments even more. So don't be shy... really.

I also enjoy mixing in old interviews, zines, ads, flyers, pictures, etc- so far, all of this stuff has been culled from my own collection. I am always open to others submissions- You can e-mail scans/pictures. You can also send things to me for scan, which I can return or keep- just email me.

I finally have a tape deck. Its a nice little guy (still looking to upgrade to a proper stereo model) and its brand new, so it has worked like a champ. More tapes should be showing up here (the Amendment 18 & Retribution demos are the first) and like with flyers/pictures, they can be sent to me and returned. Just get in touch via email and we can work something out.

Lastly, as always - thanks to everyone who downloads, shares, comments, links, and so on. These downloads are entirely up for everyone and fellow bloggers, feel free to use them- just a little link back would be appreciated. I've found some great bands in the last year just from visitors to the blog and I'd like to hear even more this year.

Again- the blog email is: it.follows.blog@gmail.com

Burn Your Life Down- new EP out on Glory Kid Ltd

Stanford Prison Experiment "Worst Case Scenario":

A Poor Excuse - Self-Titled 7inch

Alright, lets get back into the swing of things with this new year and kick it off with a good, pissed off hardcore punk band from Mass.

Angry, hateful, in your face- work sucks, the people in power suck, intoxication numbs the pain. The song 4/20/99 does offer a little more than that, with a point that could be taken by a lot of people. The track For Those In Power offers up a nice anthemy call in it, but overall this little 9 track 7inch, released on Rodent Popsicle delivers what you would expect of a hardcore punk band putting 9 songs on a record.

They released another 7inch (Crashed Out...), & A split with Right Brigade, and a 4 way split with Dropkick Murphys, Slang, and Tom & the Boot Boys. The 4 way split should turn up here in the future; until then, enjoy 9 angry tracks in less than 8 minutes.

DOWNLOAD LINK FIXED

DOWNLOAD:A Poor Excuse - "Self-Titled" 7inch


A POOR EXCUSE "For All Those In Power":

Dr. Bob's Nightmare - Demo 2011

Ugly Ass Street Punk is what their lastFM page says. It's pretty on the mark. Ugly, snarled vocals, fairly straight forward music, and lyrics to get fucked up to. If you are looking for some of that magic from your teenage years, or maybe you just found the remains of that last stash from high school.

It isn't necessarily my thing, but the potential for angry and pissed of "work sucks" kind of band is there and perhaps with some more time things will flesh out develop more. They're playing shows and looking to do more, so perhaps 2012 will hold more for this "local" band of sorts (singer Dan, is one of the first people I met even before really "being a punk" was something I comprehended) even though they are based out of San Clemente.

DOWNLOAD: Dr. Bob's Nightmare - "Demo"

Dr. Bob's Nightmare on Facebook

SOPA/PIPA and the Wikipedia Blackout

I'm not inclined to use the blog to climb on the soap box about politics or personal views too much, but something like this compels one to say something.

I will be brief, but I will encourage any of you traveling here today or any day in the future to contact your respective congress person and other political representatives and voice your displeasure for these bills. Please do not think that perhaps because you are not a political radical or subversive individual that this bill will not affect how you view the interenet- IT WILL. Do not just take my word for it, read up on it for yourselves

Stop Online Piracy Act

Make your own conclusions. I can say though, it would not be a stretch of the imagination at all to see sites like this one and hosting sites such as mediafire and megaupload be wiped away.

Wikipedia has made it rather easy to contact your reps, please make use of their easy search function:

https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/SOPA/Blackoutpage

On-Line Petition

End of Year Lists???

I'm not much for the end of the year
"Best of..." type lists, especially with the music I listen to. Any given year is filled with just as many new releases as it is filled with new discoveries; and both tend to rule my listening habits fairly evenly. TO THE LEFT you see what lastFM has informed me was my most listened to artists for 2011. Give or take (it only logs my ipod tracks about every fourth or fifth time that I connect it, so these are mostly tracks listened to on the computer itself), the lists looks fairly accurate.

A mix of timeless favorites (Adolescents, Misfits, Minor Threat, Nirvana and more), new releases/discoveries (Arctic Flowers, Written Off, & Youth Avoiders), bands I was listening to as I worked on their respective posts/collections (Straight Faced, the Discipline Engine, the Cable Car Theory, and more), and some favorites whose listen count was elevated by having a newborn child (Aquabats, rjd2 & Aggrolites).

I will say that some of my favorite things released in 2011 (with about 5 minutes thought and with no order to it) were Arctic Flowers lp, some more great Dischord remasters/unreleased stuff (like the Faith demo), the Ratz "Uninformed Youth" 7inch, Youth Avoiders/Zombies Are Pissed split 7inch, Nirvana "Nevermind" (20th anniv), Move Forward "ep", Black Kites/Convulsions Split, & Humans "demo".

New music download posts coming, its going to be another active year with the blog, fear not....