Bread and Water/Reason of Insanity - split

Artist: Bread and Water/Reason of Insanity
Title: split
Release: 2011
Label: Burrito Records

Track List:
1. Bread and Water - Keep Walking
2. Bread and Water - One Day
3. Bread and Water – Entertainment
4. Reason of Insanity – Expendable
5. Reason of Insanity – No Good Intentions
6. Reason of Insanity – Battle Hymn
7. Reason of Insanity – L.P.P.D.
8. Reason of Insanity – Clouded Judgment
9. Reason of Insanity - Outro

Bread and Water was a bit before my time, which is a shame, because they're one of the better hardcore bands to come out of Dallas in the last 10 or 15 years. I know absolutely nothing about Reason of Insanity except that their mailing address is Lafeyette, LA so I guess that's where they're from.

Bread and Water is notable for the dual male/female vocals. That's not something you see often in hardcore. I might get flak for saying this but they remind me of a way more punk version of Circle Takes the Square, but really only for that reason.

On the other side, Reason of Insanity offers up five very short songs and one outro track. The music is pretty simple hardcore, heavy sounding, but nothing fancy. My guess is that they were probably much better live. That isn't to say their side is bad, but considering how good the Bread and Water side is it's hard to find much of a reason to flip the record over. I love the lyrics to L.P.P.D. though.

On a related note, my buddy Jason Warhammer has recently started his own label, Timekiller Records. His first offering is a DVD of Bread and Water's last show. I don't think he has a website or anything, but you can definitely contact him at jasonjamesdesign@yahoo.com to inquire about it. I believe it's $15 + postage.



Download: Bread and Water/Reason of Insanity - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Bread and Water/Reason of Insanity - split (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Cosigner - Cosigner

Artist: Cosigner
Title: Cosigner
Release: 2000
Label: Visalian Records

Track List:
1. Soft and Drowsy Song
2. Left to the Quiet
3. Lift Me or I'll Surely Run
4. Maduro

I thought for sure this would be some kind of late 90's emo when I bought this record based solely on the cover. I was wrong, but this is still pretty good indie pop so it was 50 cents well spent.

Cosigner has a blog of their own. The last post was in April of 2009. I dunno if they just haven't kept up with it or if they're still around at all.

There's a couple of very small skips that I tried my hardest to fix. I suspect only one of them will be noticeable at all. Sadly I cannot say this is a perfect rip because I can still notice them. But I know where to expect them so you might not even hear them.

Download: Cosigner - Cosigner (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Cosigner - Cosigner (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Rainer Maria - Hell and High Water

Artist: Rainer Maria
Title: Hell and High Water
Release: 2000
Label: Polyvinyl Record Company

Track List:
1. Hell and High Water
2. Paper Sack

If you've heard of Rainer Maria I bet you haven't thought of them in a few years. If you've never heard of Rainer Maria, they were an emo band from Wisconsin featuring male and female vocals. Pretty good, but nothing exceptional.

This is still for sale over at Polyvinyl. As usual if you like it you should buy it since it's still in stock.

The second track was recorded live so that probably accounts for the slightly inferior sound quality.

Download: Rainer Maria - Hell and High Water (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Rainer Maria - Hell and High Water (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

Shikabane - 自我と煩悩

Artist: Shikabane
Title: 自我と煩悩
Release: 2000
Label: Agipunk Records

Track List:
1. 憎悪 (Hatred)
2. 繰り返し・・・そしてまたその繰り返し・・・ (Repeat... And Repeat It Again...)
3. 自我と煩悩 (Ego and Desire)
4. 人のために生きるか 自分のために生きるか (Living for Someone or Living for Myself)

This record has been sitting on my desk since my last post nearly two months ago. I just never got around to ripping it. Better late than never I suppose.

I should note real quick that this fine blog, which I frequent, posted a rip of the CD version of this record that was put out by MCR. The CD version actually has an extra track, but for some reason it isn't noted on the disc itself nor is it included in the lyrics sheet.

This record is a bit more on the melodic and metallic side of things. In fact at times there is too much melody for this EP to really be considered grindcore like. It works for Shikabane though because this 7" is no less intense as any of their other output. The song length however might be an issue if you suffer from ADD as all the tracks are over two minutes.

Download: Shikabane - 自我と煩悩 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Shikabane - 自我と煩悩 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

SHORT,FAST+LOUD! vol.#1

Artist: Various
Title: SHORT,FAST+LOUD! vol.#1
Release: 2000
Label: Slap A Ham Records

Track List:
1. Aftermath - Loyalty Oath
2. B.S.E. - What's Worse?
3. Catheter - Slain and Broken
4. Dataclast - Strategic Intertext
5. Daybreak - Romulan Boarding Party
6. Dead Nation - What Are You gonna Do About It?
7. Despite - Crust
8. Discordia - Segregacion
9. Dread 101 - Predestination
10. Dumbstruck - 180 Degrees
11. El Nudo - Hate and Hate
12. Entropia - Assunizone
13. Existench - Cleanse
14. Fetus Eaters - Father Howard
15. Goat Shanty - Thirteen
16. In Control - Crash and Burn
17. Insult - Let's Give Emo Something to Cry About
18. Iron Lung - Pushing Life
19. Kontortion - Boxed In / Closed Off
20. Lana Dagales - Instrumental
21. Life in a Burn Clinic - Unsilence
22. Life's Halt - Take It to the Heart
23. Mouthbreather - Pandemic
24. Mukeka di Rato - Mickey
25. Otophobia - Blue Polyester
26. Peruke - Your Choice
27. Pignation - Moral Demise
28. Point of Few - Developed Research
29. Progeria - Life's Scars
30. Ruinacre - Atrophied Emotions
31. Ruination - Who's in Season?
32. The Scarlet Letter - Collateral Damage
33. Shank - Ergot
34. Spaul - Unexpected Terms
35. Totally Ridiculous - Conquer Earth
36. Tusks of Blood - Flesheater
37. The Ultimate Warriors - The Only Good Mark...
38. Uniq - Take No Notice
39. What Happens Next? - Those Who Own the Streets
40. Wilbur Cobb - N.S.T.

Like 40 punches to the face in a little under an hour.

Download: SHORT,FAST+LOUD! vol.#1 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: SHORT,FAST+LOUD! vol.#1 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Summertime Compilation

Artist: Various
Title: Summertime Compilation
Release Date: 2000
Label: Kordova Milk Bar Records

Track List:
01. Ache - Falling from the Sky to Our Heads
02. Five Stars For Failure - Fired
03. Joshua Fit for Battle - Detication
04. Knives and Greenwater - On Horsell Common
05. Landed - ---
06. Lycosa - Lycobra
07. Numbers Are Neutral - Fedaykin
08. Off Minor - Visible Distance (Live on WNYU, on 5-11-00 by Steve Roche, Orig. by UOoA)
09. Neil Perry - September 15th, City Lights and The Clouds That Suck Them Dry (Live on WNYU, on Winter 99)
10. pg. 99 - Mary Get Your Knife
11. Racebannon - The Boy in the Bathtub
12. The Assistant - f.Orever a.Ngry at m.Y I.Nner l.Ove For y.Ou
13. The Awakened - Put on Ice
14. The Cable Car Theory - Second Guessing
15. Keyboard Masters - Is That a Bichon Frise, Young Man
16. The Scarlet Letter - I'm Just a Lonely Bumblebee and That's the Way I Like It
17. The Vida Blue - ...So the Pirate Says
18. Thursday - This Side of Brightness
19. To Dream of Autumn - The Pill Versus the Springhill Mine Disaster
20. Usurp Synapse - More than Meets the Eye

This is a bit of a change of pace considering my recent posts, but I figure since this is such a rarity I just had to post it. All I know about this little compilation is from the liner notes that are in the booklet it came with. It seems two high school kids in Rhode Island put this out sometime in 2000 after March and only 1000 of these were made. My copy is hand numbered 12/148. I'm not certain if that means the particular packaging I have is limited to 148 or what. The money from this compilation went to help underprivileged kids go to summer camp. Hence the name I suppose.

This is a fantastic comp with bands you should probably already be familiar with and a few you've probably never heard before. It's got a slew of awesome screamo bands in their prime all in one place. But what I think I like most about this is that it was put out by a couple of 10th graders who just wanted to get involved in their local punk/hardcore scene and put something out for people to enjoy and help a good cause at the same time. That's the kind of DIY ethic that makes all of this such an awesome and fun thing to be a part of.

I'm including the entire booklet scanned at 600 DPI (lol overkill) because it's got a pretty neat layout and it has information and lyrics that might be of interest. Just a warning though, it's a good 281 MB. I could have scanned it in at a lower resolution but I wanted to make certain it was all readable.

Download: Various Artists - Summertime Compilation (LAME 3.98r V0)

Download: Various Artists - Summertime Compilation booklet