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

Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005

Artist: Vitality!
Title: Reality Check Demo 2005
Release: 2005
Label: self released

Track List:
1. What's it Worth?
2. Release!
3. Up to You
4. Step Back
5. This Walk
6. Missed the Point
7. The Reason

Before there was Seeker there was Vitality!. I picked this up at a show at Across the Street bar in 2005. I don't remember what show it was, probably something like Kids Like Us or Life Long Tragedy. It's times like this I wish my hard drive hadn't crashed in 2008 because I had a list of every show I'd been to up to that point. Naturally the list I keep now only goes back to that time.

Anyways, if you've heard Seeker and this sounds similar it's because of David Horn and his vocals that manage to come across as positive as he is in real life. This demo sounds a lot like Uniform Choice and Dag Nasty to me. Which is great because I love both those bands. If you do too you'll love Vitality!.

While I'm thinking about it, David Horn went to Africa. You should check out what he's doing there. Some people talk the talk about making a difference, very few people literally uproot their entire lives and move far away to walk the walk. If you listen to David's lyrics it's not surprising at all though.

From their MySpace (since I'm lazy):

Formed in the summer of 2004, VITALITY! originally played shows under the name AsxOne. The Houston hardcore band put out a 7 song demo, "Reality Check Demo 2k5" in the early part of 2005, with Ramiro Rangel drumming. After the release of the demo, Ramiro and the band parted ways, and Ryan Endsley became the newest member of the band. In December of 2005 and January of 2006, VITALITY! hit the studios again to record their first EP, Introspection.

Download: Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Vitality! - Reality Check Demo 2005 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

My Luck - Cleaver

Artist: My Luck
Title: Cleaver
Release: 2004
Label: Pass Youngblood Records

Track List:
1. Flashbacks
2. Alone
3. Caring for Nothing
4. Fingers Crossed
5. Vinyl Fix

More from this Houston band. This is their 2001 demo plus one more song. For fans of Champion, Carry On, Far From Breaking, etc.

Download: My Luck - Cleaver (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: My Luck - Cleaver (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

On My Side - Redefinition

Artist: On My Side
Title: Redefinition
Release: 2007
Label: Words of War Records

Track List:
1. Firm Grasp
2. On My Side
3. Definition
4. Speak Out
5. Prison Break
6. Do It Right
7. Gossip

I miss this band so much. It still bums me out that they broke up. Great dudes playing great hardcore with extremely positive lyrics is what you're in for here. Musically they remind me of Judge and other similar late 80's NYHC bands but Carlos' lyrics are far more upbeat and far less negative. He told me once that he actually had a cold that caused his sinuses to back up when they were recording this so the vocals didn't turn out how they wanted at all.

Carlos was awesome enough to send me a CD copy of the "Redefinition" EP the other day. I've heard this a thousand times, but it's always been rips from a cassette or vinyl, and never ones done properly. So hearing it with this much clarity for the first time is, for myself, a real treat.

Download: On My Side - Redefinition (CD) (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: On My Side - Redefinition (CD) (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire


Here's a little bonus (I guess...). This is a rip of my cassette copy. I got a decent tape deck at Goodwill for like 8 bucks a couple of months ago so I've decided to start ripping some of my cassettes. After some minor tweaking in Adobe Audition I'd say this sounds pretty damn good for a tape. But still not as good as the CD.

Scans of the cover and lyrics insert included.

Download: On My Side - Redefinition (Cassette) (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: On My Side - Redefinition (Cassette) (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire

Anger Management Session 1

Artist: Various
Title: Anger Management Session 1
Release: 2002
Label: Martyr Records

Track List:
1. Kill Your Idols - All Those Wasted Calling Cards...
2. Holding On - Turn the Screw
3. Close Call - Left in the Dark
4. My Luck - Just Friends
5. Diehard Youth - Scene Vampire Killers
6. What Feeds the Fire - Without the Weapon

I somehow ended up with two copies of this 7". I don't remember where I got the first one. Either way Kill Your Idols and My Luck are both really awesome. The rest of the bands on this compilation are pretty generic 2000 to 2009 American hardcore. In 2002 I might have been excited about every band on this compilation, but in 2010 I can't help but roll my eyes at most of them.

That being said this is really worth it for the Kill Your Idols and My Luck songs. I've posted My Luck here before, so you might have already heard them. If not think Carry On or later Champion.

600 DPI scans of the artwork included.

Download: Anger Management Session 1 (LAME 3.98r V0) Multiupload

Download: Anger Management Session 1 (LAME 3.98r V0) Mediafire