三日月爆音団 (Mikaduki Bakuondan, Crescent Moon Explosion Brigade) - Judgement Truth

Artist: 三日月爆音団 (Mikaduki Bakuondan, Crescent Moon Explosion Brigade)
Title: Judgement Truth
Release: 2008
Label: H.G.Fact

Track List:
1. Judgement Truth
2. Look at Me, My Motion

First a little bit about the band from H.G.Fact's website:

BUGZ ARTS, they had played around Urawa city in Saitama, changed their name to CRESCENT MOON ROAR TROUPE and display 1st 7"EP!!! Band formed by Gon Chan from Shiga on vocal, Kin (ex FUZZCALL) on drum, Hilmax on guitar, and PAINTBOX's Goro playing bass.

The band started six or seven years ago but the drumer have changed many time and their vocalist was too young then so it didn't go well. Since Kin became a member as drumer, it gets on the right track and at least, they have been played a show in a month.
The band is planing to plesents the gigs once a month from this August and so much expectations!

CRESCENT MOON ROAR TROUPE brings quite thrilling and delightful hard punk sound based on Japanese Hardcore!
Gon chan's impressive vocal bursts at any time with catchy chorus hitting your ears!! ltd500copies!

I'm pretty certain that is a machine translation. In fact, every mention of the bands name in English that I could find is most likely a machine translation. 三日月 (mikaduki) definitely means crescent moon, but 爆音 (bakuon) can either be the sound of an explosion or a metaphor for the roaring of machinery. Given what the band sounds like I personally think explosion is more fitting. And 団 (dan) can be troupe, but I'm so used to it being brigade and troupe reminds me of monkeys. I hate monkeys.

Anyways, enough bullshit. This 7" has exactly one flaw and one flaw only. It's only two songs instead of a whole LP. After listening to it over and over I am left wanting more. Not in a I found it lacking sort of way. But in the same way as when you finish a really really good lobster tail and then realize that's it, your plate is empty, and the meal is over. You just want another damn piece of lobster, you've still got a little melted butter in the little ceramic cup suspended by a wire over a candle, but no more lobster.



It's hard to pick a favorite track since both are so damn good. But I can say that the short bad ass sing along part in "Judgement Truth" is my favorite part. There's just this whole rock and roll undertone to the songs that gives the impression of a don't give a fuck attitude. Fucking punk.

Download: 三日月爆音団 - Judgement Truth (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: 三日月爆音団 - Judgement Truth (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

The Apples in Stereo/Bis - Heroes & Villains

Artist: The Apples in Stereo/Bis
Title: Heroes & Villains
Release: 2000
Label: Kid Rhino

Track List:
1. The Apples in Stereo - Signal in the Sky (Let's Go)
2. Bis - The Powerpuff Girls (End Theme)

Another 7" from my girlfriend's collection. This time it's The Apples in Stereo and Bis playing songs inspired by The Powerpuff Girls.

When I first heard The Apples in Stereo I wasn't really a fan. I suspect that was because my first experience was with their older (mid and early 90s) borderline psychedelic material. Then "New Magnetic Wonder" came out and my girlfriend made me listen to it. I became a fan after one listen. Now I regularly listen to pretty much everything they've done in the last decade or so.

Download: The Apples in Stereo/Bis - Heroes & Villains (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: The Apples in Stereo/Bis - Heroes & Villains (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E. - Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P.

Artist: Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E.
Title: Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P.
Release: 2004
Label: Dangerously Small Records

Track List:
1. Machine Gun Romantics - Asstown
2. Machine Gun Romantics - File Under Fun
3. Machine Gun Romantics - A History Lesson
4. Machine Gun Romantics - Desk Job Desk Trap
5. Machine Gun Romantics - Oh, for the Love of Thrash.
6. S.S.E. - Waking Up
7. S.S.E. - Vitamins=Punx (No Really)
8. S.S.E. - Return to Skate Boarding
9. S.S.E. - Post Carnage Game Report

Here's a split by Houston power violence maestro's Machine Gun Romantics and S.S.E..

If I remember correctly Machine Gun Romantics arose from xPOWERBUTTx (seriously). Alex Hughes has since gone on to play in Hatred Surge, Sacred Shock, and Iron Age. I can't say I know much about anyone else in the band though.

As for S.S.E., Scott from On My Side IMed me about his new band Plug (I'll post a link when I find out more) and knowing he's from Houston I asked him about S.S.E.

(9:22:20 PM) Sean: what do you know about the band S.S.E.?
(9:22:31 PM) Scott: dude
(9:22:38 PM) Scott: houston band with ryan and tom?
(9:22:41 PM) Sean: yes
(9:22:46 PM) Scott: haha so random
(9:22:46 PM) Sean: i know nothing
(9:22:50 PM) Scott: where did that come from?
(9:22:58 PM) Sean: i'm about to post their split with machine gun romantics on my blog
(9:23:09 PM) Scott: man, talk about blast from the past
(9:24:15 PM) Scott: s.s.e. was a pv duo consisting of tom who later played in insect warfare... currently plays in the energy. and ryan endsly... one of the drummers of vitality at one point.
(9:25:06 PM) Scott: i ran around with those guys and some of their crew for a little while when i was a freshman and sophmore in high school... they got me into infest, napalm death, spazz and other extreme noisy stuff.
(9:25:47 PM) Scott: good dudes. i saw them a few times, but nothing really notable.
(9:26:01 PM) Scott: i got invited to the show to see them play with R.A.M.B.O way back in the day
(9:26:17 PM) Scott: but i didnt go
(9:26:27 PM) Sean: hah i haven't thought about r.a.m.b.o in a long while
(9:26:32 PM) Scott: yea dude
(9:26:36 PM) Scott: same with sse for me
(9:26:37 PM) Scott: anyway
(9:27:59 PM) Scott: sse were like elitist pricks... but it was that elitism that was kinda cool. for whatever reason, they were always really nice to me... which i thought was weird since i hung with dudes who they beefed with. sse were like into really crusty punk and stuff while the dudes i hung out with were more into modern hc, technical metal, etc. etc. etc. funny thing is that both of those "groups" now hang out alot.
(9:29:38 PM) Scott: but also, those years i hung out with them and the other crowd were really formative for me... because not only was i into modern hc through the one crowd... i was also really into fast stuff... which kind of lent to the vibe of some of the early stuff that my band on my side did. also, one of the guys who was also friends with both "crowds" sold me a bunch of youth crew records and shirts that also really proved to be formative for me at the time. that guy has a slipknot tattoo now... next to a man is the bastard tattoo.

Download: Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E. - Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P. (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Machine Gun Romantics/S.S.E. - Dead Reagan Era HxC Split E.P. (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Allo, Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance

Artist: Allo, Darlin'
Title: Henry Rollins Don't Dance
Release: 2009
Label: WeePOP! Records

Track List:
1. Henry Rollins Don't Dance
2. Dear Stephen Hawking
3. Heartbeat Chilli

This is not hardcore, but it is actually tangentially related. Allo, Darlin' is an indie pop/twee band from London. "Henry Rollins Don't Dance" is their second release under the name (they put out an EP as The Darlings before changing their name).

"Henry Rollins Don't Dance" is a catchy and upbeat tune that from what I can tell is about dating a dude who likes hardcore punk and just wanting to be able to dance to normal music with him. As much as I like the title track I think "Dear Stephen Hawking" is the best song on this 7". It's a little bit slower and a little bit more melancholy, but the lyrics are really thought provoking in a romantic sort of way. The last tack is just too slow for me to really get into. I like the use of the ukulele, but it's not enough to save it from being skipped most of the time.

I was lucky enough to catch Allo, Darlin' during SXSW last year. They played outside in the freezing cold on the patio of a pizza place. I don't think they were prepard for the cold at all since it was March in Austin and being from England they probably thought Texas was always warm. They're going to be back here again for Chaos in Tejas 2011. Why and how they got put on that I have no idea. Not that I'm complaining.

This rip is from my girlfriend's small but excellent record collection. I think you can easily find it elsewhere online but I wanted to post my rip here along with scans of the cover and insert.

Download: Allo, Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Allo, Darlin' - Henry Rollins Don't Dance (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Tetsu Arrey - Rocket / Core

Artist: Tetsu Arrey
Title: Rocket / Core
Release: 2002
Label: H.G.Fact

Track List:
1. Rocket
2. Core

I was lucky enough to pick this up at the same time as Tetsu Arrey's "Force" 7". To be honest this 7" isn't quite as good as "Force" but it's still full of energy and fun.

I forgot to mention in my last post that 鉄アレイ means "iron dumbbell". Personally I think it should be romanized as Tetsu Arei but I guess at some point enough people started using Arrey. I suppose it's pronounced the same either way so it doesn't really matter.

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Rocket / Core (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Rocket / Core (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Tetsu Arrey - Force

Artist: Tetsu Arrey
Title: Force
Release: 1996
Label: H.G.Fact

Track List:
1. 生きてる自分を誰かが知っている
2. 最初に足を引っぱるのは自分
3. Starting Over
4. Force

This is a killer 7" by Japanese burning spirits veterans Tetsu Arrey. You probably already know what to expect and I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. All four songs rage from start to finish.

I've seen this posted elsewhere, but the copies I've downloaded have all been from the same rip that didn't have any of the crackling and popping removed. So if you've been looking for a better rip of this here it is. I was lucky enough to snag this for a more than reasonable price last month.

Scans of the cover included. Sorry about the large file size, but it's 2011, deal with it.

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Force (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Tetsu Arrey - Force (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire