Alien Kulture

Paco played us this record a few years ago, and it became an MRR obsession, but I never even thought to look them up on YouTube… The perfect antidote to the endless parade of clueless punks who endorse Skrewdriver (“Only the early work/BlahBlah Blah”). As someone who grew up in Thatcher’s Britain, with the dark shadow of the National Front and Combat 18, that never sits right with me… The lyrics to “Culture Crossover” are so fucking great and punk — Alien Kulture rules…

You can read the Alien Kulture story on their website here or in the Observer here.

It’s great when it’s hard to explain why a band is so awesome. It means something new and larger than words is at work in their music. Umeå, Sweden’s MASSHYSTERI is that awesome. The elements are easy enough to lay out. There are the surf-drenched guitars, the complementary lady/dude vocals and the rock ‘n’ roll frenzy of X, some of what has been brewing in Denmark and Sweden over the last decade with bands like GORILLA ANGREB, and NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS, and the ashes from which this band sprang: THE VICIOUS. But there is something more than that here too. It’s tuneful hooks that grab you and drag you into bleak and feral songs that threaten to pull you in two once you’ve been snared. It’s simultaneously melancholy, frantic, and joyfully danceable. It’s something wild and new and wholly it’s own.

For a taste, here’s a video for one of their iconic songs, “Tvivel,” that is totally simple in concept, but spellbinding to watch. What would it look like to undo the damage of war, to rewind, unbomb, unkill? Plus, how many punk bands actually have concept music videos, not just blown-out YouTube clips?

Sorry if this makes your eyeballs hurt, but in the party spirit of New Year’s, here’s an insane video of my favorite band and song of the Riot Grrrl era: Huggy Bear’s “Her Jazz”… It’s from the ’90s UK TV show The Word — a show for “young adults” made by “young adults”, etc. I’m pretty sure that’s Amelia from Heavenly singing backups there… Happy New Decade! Now fuck shit up.

Bonus: Nozin’ Aroun’

Encountered in a dingy basement in the famous Köpi squat in Berlin this summer, NAILS blew everyone away with their great, driving, mid-tempo hardcore, and the spastic energy of their singer Marc (formerly of Bombenalarm). I was hoping to see a record, or at least demo by now, but no such luck. Are these guys still around? Someone let us know!

Here’s a video from a different gig earlier this year…

Kraków, Poland’s HALT! plays the kind of killer, raw, political hardcore that can only be done properly in Eastern Europe — or so it seems. This band is unique in being a stripped down, modest looking male-female duo playing a style usually reserved for four dudes with spiked hair and studded leather jackets. Their MySpace page features an EP called Postęp which is great, and heavier than what you hear in the video. I can’t tell if the EP is out on vinyl or not, but they’ll have another out soon: a split EP with KRAKOWSKĄ KAPELĄ, so keep your ear to the east…

There are so many classic scenes in Peter Stuart and Adam Small’s 1982 punk rock-umentary Another State of Mind that it’s hard to pick just one. I like this scene because it’s a good example of how this film simultaneously shows how awesome and how lame punk rock was in old days. People like to glorify this era, and even though I absolutely love Mommy’s Little Monster and lots of other Social Distortion stuff, it’s funny to see how hilariously pathetic Mike Ness was, while still being a little bit of, well, a “sympathetic” character. (Love the the rad jump to the stumble into the drum kit!) I’d highly recommend repeated viewings of this classic punk historical document. Possibly even better than Decline…

Local genius Janelle Hessig busts out another awesome piece of work here for the beautiful and talented HUNX AND HIS PUNX. And bonus points if you recognize who the other “Good Kisser” is…

Play “spot the shitworker” with this video featuring local heroes and long time MRR shite-workers Young Offenders! Apparently this is the “official” video — wonder what the unofficial one looks like? Oo-er missus!

Hey check out the new episode of Mondo Vision,  featuring three of my favorite current bands: Tuberculosis from South Central LA, XYX from Monterrey Mexico and Brilliant Colors from San Francisco. Mondo Vision is a great video scene report, usually covering bands from the Bay Area, but with the agenda of inspiring kids to make their own scene and document it! DIY or DIE!

If you have been paying attention you would have read Mark Murrmann’s column last month where he raved about the comp Ride To Live. He has great taste so I picked the sucker up quicksmart. To some of you folks the idea of a comp devoted to the “New Wave of British Heavy Metal” would make yer toes curl, but trust me, there are some bangers hidden in there. A lot of it is kinda KBD bluesy pub rock. The opener though? Epic. The track is pretty fantastic…but the video? Holy shit.

Agony Bag – “Rabies Is a Killer”