Masshysteri- Masshysteri

Masshysteri- Masshysteri LP

This now defunct Swedish Punk band has a roster that reads like a who's who of the last ten years in the Umea punk scene. Featuring members of (International) Noise Conspiracy, Regulations, Vicious, Lost Patrol Band, and Insurgent Kid, Masshysteri immediately has quite a reputation to uphold. This eponymous second album meets and exceeds any standards that could be set for a band with this high of a bar set. Robert Pettersson's Swedish-sung vocals sound natural, crisp, and comforting. This album has a darker, slightly more palatable sound than their first album, "Ver Del Av Stan". It seems that they really figured out their formula to complete the seemingly impossible task of writing original sounding punk songs that are easy on the ears while not being tacky.

Masshysteri really popularized the newest wave of bands singing in their native Swedish, and it seems everyone else has followed. I read an interview at one point with Pettersson where he said something along the lines that he was sick of having to use an internet translator to write his lyrics, and if people didn't hearing vocals in Swedish, fuck 'em. It sounds perfect, and I think that this album is close to perfect.

Link after the jump...

Drunkdriver- Drunkdriver LP

Drunkdriver- Drunkdriver LP

I've been hesitant to share this album because of some strife that occurred regarding this bands breakup.  I do however think it was handled properly, and if you want to know more about it, you are on the internet, so do your own research.

A friend in Chicago told me that this band, Drunkdriver was playing at a loft near my house. I asked him what it sounded like and he just told me, "It's music your girlfriend would hate." Something along the lines of pure anger. From the slower opening chugs in the menacing and properly named first song "The Accident", the the chunky, hate-anthem that is "Quality of my life" this record literally sounds like frustration. With abrasion around every corner and in every valley, it is easy to say this record is not for anybody.  It's at times a two note hardcore band, twisting in circles like a convoluted adolescent. The drums drive this band to a point of pure anarchy and slob, then seconds later bring the songs right back into reality.

All this being said, I rarely meet people who DON'T like this band. They were and still are a breath of fresh air in hardcore, noise and punk. They were groundbreaking and prophetic. I can't even begin to mention the intensity, commitment, and lust of their live show, which people who saw should feel literally lucky to have been graced with seeing. They are palatable, and I'll bet your girlfriend will actually like it. Featuring members of Wives and Pygmy Shrews, this defunct Brooklyn band might have just broken up at the perfect time, albeit under unfortunate circumstances. Download this album, now.

Link after the jump...

Baddat For Trubbel- Baddat for Trubbel

Baddat for Trubbel- Baddat for Trubbel

I definitely have a problem with geographically categorizing my music. I fervently follow fashions from certain regions while completely disregarding whole musical scenes based on location alone. That being said, Sweden makes some of the absolute best punk rock, garage rock, and hardcore. They have for decades now, and the scene is diverse, porous, and constantly evolving. Baddat for Trubbel is so fucking good. Baddat takes a step away from punk and more towards Swedish pub rock. Done correctly, although it sounds impossible. It keeps an edge while remaining remarkably palatable.

Ever since I heard that first Masshysteri LP, I'm stuck on the Swedish vocals. It sounds so natural, so smooth, and unbelievably cool. Baddat is riding the same hype machine that Iceage is, albeit to quite a smaller degree. They have an LP out on Punks Only titled, "Det Här Är Inte New York" (This is not New York). Their eye-catching seven inch, just came out earlier this year and turns the fuzz on in comparison to their rough and tumble full length.


Anyways, I can't find the whole LP, so I have uploaded 11 of the 15 tracks for the LP. It's frustrating, I know... but this record just isn't showing up online. I uploaded the seven inch to make up for it.. Enjoy.

Baddat For Trubbel- Det Har Ar Inte New York (only 2/3 of the album)
Punks Only, 2011 2010
http://www.mediafire.com/?rrmckmjf6m4vcba

Link after the jump...

The Vicious- Alienated

Let me preface this entire post by stating that, in general, I almost always hate punk rock. Let me follow that up by saying that this is, in my opinion, the best punk rock record ever made. I know that a claim like that is loaded, but fuck. My roommate and I were talking recently about The Vicious and our relationship to them based on our growing up in the same dead town. You have to make your fun in those towns. Excitement doesn't come to you, you have to find it. If you can't find it, you have to make it. If you want to play music and you and your friends don't really know what you are doing, you play punk rock. The Vicious sound like Spokane, Washington to me.

The Vicious hail from Umea, Sweden, leftovers of the venerable socialist scene of the late-nineties. They share almost no musical similarities to those bands though. They take the melody of 77 punk and the angst of KBD and work it to perfection. While their lyrics border tacky at times, "The pigs are/ kicking in doors/ breaking bottles/ I wish I knew how to solve all of your problems" goes the chorus of one song, they also seem relevant in a somewhat dated way. This band more than any other reminds me of the angst of adolescence, the hopelessness of being a fuck-up. This album has stood the test of time. Since I first heard it, I would easily say that I have listened to it three times a week (for the past four plus years).

Fast forward to The Know in Portland, 2007. Drinking in the back of a van on the way to Portland, peeing in empty bottles. Stumbling into the jam-packed bar, we pushed right up to the front. I was already feeling jaded on punk rock by a few years at this point. I remember (albeit faintly) that it was hot in the show side, to the point of terror and discomfort. The bassist of the band wore her leather jacket zipped up to the collar, sleeves worn straight. I have never seen someone show such little regard to body temperature in my life, she just didn't give a fuck. They played a half-hour of punk rock with such vigor and attitude that I easily refer to it as a turning point in my musical spectrum. I walked out of the bar with a new found respect for music and a strange, unexplainable hope for punk rock. It's a shame, because at this point, this is the only scene that I still hold that light towards.

Link after the jump...

Terror Visions- World of Shit

Terror Visions- World of Shit LP

The polarizing Jay Reatard took some time between Lost Sounds and his eventually final self-titled project to record this gem of an LP. An understandable middle ground between LS’ darker synth-based jams and the straight up rock and roll of his final projects is where this synth-punk laced record lays. Think Holy Molar and some of the angrier GSL bands. Filled with all the angst you know and expect from Reatard, and a few epic song titles (my favorite being “Blood is Sweet but Semen is Sweeter”). Even if this wasn’t a one-off projects from one of my favorite artists, I would still enjoy it. Good summer vibes.

Link after the jump...

Screaming Females- Castle Talk

Screaming Females- Castle Talk

Lets start with the Screaming Females release from the end of Last year. Castle talk is a step in the right direction for this band, and an apt follow up to Power Move, their previous LP. New Brunswick, New Jersey is not the first town I think of when I think of vibrant DIY scenes, but it seems they continue to hold it down as an underrepresented scene, mostly anchored by Screaming Females. Riot-grrl inspired band, The females have played recently with Yo La Tango and are friends with Ted Leo. After making two appearances on Jimmy Fallon within a month, it's safe to say that they will only go up from here. This is a punk record for people who hate punk rock. I strongly recommend it to anyone. The song, "New Kid" is a breakthrough for me.

Link after the jump...