Lunch Break Records

So yesterday I had a bit of time between meetings on my lunch break and decided to visit Nottinghams three record shops to see if I could find anything. The first was a total bust - what is it with record shops these days I mean who's actually buying records now? Whilst there is definately a revival in the number of stores they all seem to be peddling the same Beatles reissues and Lana Del Rey records at varying prices. In fact prices is an odd one, all three record stores I visited yesterday had one record in particular priced at £18, £24 and £32 across the three stores. Very strange. Yet the most expensive store had some records cheaper than the other two. Anyway I digress...

Mutoid Man - Bleeder

So into the second store and this one snuck up on me, I really liked the first Mutoid Man record but had no idea there was a follow up doing the rounds. It said 'last copy' too so I quickly snatched it up thankful I'd found a record I actually wanted.

Once again the record sports great trippy colourful artwork and this is the red vinyl version. I've only had a couple of listens but this album is good too, it's slightly different to the first record, a bit cleaner and less 'stoner' rock but still good.

Code Orange - I Am King

It's taken me ages to pick a copy of this record up, I don't know why as I loved the first full length- you know back when they were kids - but it was worth the wait as I got it for a measly £10.

This green marble vinyl whilst probably very common looks great with the rest of the packaging too so I'm not complaining.

On to store three and I was less than hopeful of finding anything other than Mumford and Sons records and copies of AC/DC's more popular work but surprisingly I did buy three records.

Ajax - S/T

I'd heard the name of NY punks Ajax being banded around for the last year or so and made a mental note to have a listen at some point. Low and behold in a VERY small 7" section marked U.S Hardcore/Punk I found a copy of their 7" release.

It's gruff, raw punk on offer here but I can see why the name had reached my ears as I really enjoyed this record. Good stuff indeed.

Rage Against The Machine - S/T

Doesn't really need an introduction does it? I ventured over to the metal section and it was as cheap as I've ever seen the record so I decided to add it to my record collection. 

No thrills black vinyl reissue

Earth Crisis - Salvation Of Innocents

Okay, bear with me on this one. Still flicking through the metal section I noticed a familiar old name - Earth Crisis - I looked at the cover and thought 'Jesus that's terrible' and was about to put it back when something else caught my eye, the price tag!! It read £3.99! Now , don't get me wrong I haven't cared about Earth Crisis for years, decades maybe, but when I can buy a year old record for less than lunch, fuck it I'll take a chance.

I presume this had been hanging around for the past year with no takers hence the price drop.180grm blue vinyl in a gatefold sleeve. To be honest it kinda sounds how you'd expect Earth Crisis to sound now, but it's not that bad, more than listenable  and for that price I'll throw it on my shelf.

And that folks is how I spent my lunch break yesterday.

Seven sevens

Here's seven 7" records I've picked up over the last few months that were sat on the pile. Usual mixed bag of stuff

Harm Done - Harm Done

I'd been meaning to pick up a copy of French band Harm Done's 7" for ages as they feature members of Raw Justice another Straight & Alert Records band I like. It took so long that I had to wait for the repress to pick one up but I did at least manage to get this Spray Painted cover version out of 40 copies.

Cross Me - Mind Prison / Content

So Cross Me who I really like and are about to make their Bridge Nine debut chucked this out on Flatspot Records a few months ago. I don't know why I pick these Flexis up at all as they are totally useless but hey that's the collectors dilemma I guess. I didn't realise how bad this photo was till after I took it sorry. It came with a big double sided poster / lyric sheet.

Ancient Heads - It Can't Rain Forever

Missed out on a coloured version of this Ancient Heads release on React which was a shame as its really good straight ahead hardcore. The Black version is out of 500 but there's 350 on white and 150 on red. I really like how this record and cover looks.

In My Eyes - Demo

Doesn't really need an introduction this does it. It's In My Eyes, It's the Demo and its on blue.

Social Justice - I Refuse To Lose

I have a new job that involves a lot more driving to see clients and go to meetings and the like. Between meetings during the day I don't always want to listen to Converge or similar heavy stuff when I'm trying to keep my head straight. So recently I've been listening to a lot of Downset. That in turn made me want to check out Social Justice the band Downset became further down the line. This was I believe their only 7" release I Refuse To Lose. This is the European repress that came out a year later and includes an Inside Out cover.

Better Than A Thousand - Self Worth

I think I picked up this Grapes Of Wrath released version of Better Than A Thousands Self Worth whilst I was still rocking the Just One LP repress that came out for RSD.

Good Times / New Reality - At The Beach - In The Woods

Whilst picking up the Harm Done record from Straight & Alert I saw this release from two U.S bands and the description said for fans of Mental, Righteous Jams and Rotting Out. Sounding right up my street I added the Handmade Artwork version of 40 copies to my cart. I didn't realise how hand made it would be though, this is the kind of felt penned picture I'd have probably done at school whilst supposed to be doing maths work or something. Decent stuff though from both bands. It also came with a shed load of inserts. On a blue and black marbled vinyl.

First Post Of July

I had every intention of bringing these posts to you on a more regular basis but a promotion at work has eaten in to my time in July, so let's just get some recent LP pick ups out of the way all at once.

Break Away - Face Aggression

Loved the 7" releases this band put out but I was rather slow on the up take of their full length debut. It's good stuff though - aggressive and heavy. Black vinyl of 500.

Rotting Out - Reckoning

Rotting Out's recent EP offering is a glorious looking slab of wax. This photo does it no justice but the blue with black splatter and white half vinyl is a sexy looking thing. The etched B-side is nice too. This might be the first Rotting Out release that doesn't see them sporting their own Merch too - Hazaah!!!

Violent Reaction - Marching On

You couldn't have written it any better for me. Revelations first ever release of a UK band is a band from Leeds and their record is called Marching On (together) come on, it's brilliant!! As is this record! 

Billingsgate - No Apologies

I picked up this slightly beat up copy of Billingsgates No Apologies record from eBay mainly out of curiosity as much as anything. I wonder why this was on Nemesis and not Victory like their first release.

108 - A New Beat From A Dead Heart

The first of two 108 releases I got recently. After listening to the 18.61 release quite a bit I had it in my mind to pick up some more and these both came along cheap without any real effort. This came out in 2007 and is I believe the yellow and gold mix of 400.

108 - Holyname

I also found a copy of the bands '93 debut on Equal Vision. As far as I know there isn't a colour version of this record just black. I always find it funny when I buy a record off eBay and the seller only has one record of this ilk - how does that happen? I'm sure all the other stuff they were selling was barely even rock music much less hardcore or punk and right in the middle sitting there like an ugly step child is this 108 record. Odd. 

Give Them Rope She Said

Continuing to make dents in my Coalesce collection I picked this up very cheaply a while ago.

Coalesce - Give Them Rope She Said V 2.0

This is the No Idea reissue of the 1997 debut LP Give Them Rope on Edison Records. This reissue came out in 2004 and was remastered and remixed and given the slightly longer title of Give them Rope She Said V2.0 by the band. It also features completely different artwork to the original record.

This is the white vinyl version of which 559 copies were pressed.

Together We Win

I picked this up on eBay for a few pounds a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't thought about this band for years in fact I couldn't really remember what they sounded like, I just knew that I'd once owned it on CD and they had something to do with Ten Yard Fight. It's weird I guess, sometimes I remember every little detail of information about the most obscure bands and then bands like this I barely remember a thing about.

Stand & Fight - Together We Win

This came out in 2004 on Bridge Nine and I'm surprised I don't remember more about the band because it's good youth crew hardcore stuff. They did indeed have a Ten Yard Fight connection too in that Wrench sang for both bands.

This grey and blue swirl vinyl looks really nice, I love how side A has the deep blue inner before the grey suddenly appears over the top. Alas though this is actually the most common variant of 770. Another 330 were pressed on purple.

Pray For Light

JI've slowly been working on my Coalesce and Converge collection so this record ticks both bands boxes.

Coalesce / Converge - Among The Dead We Pray For Light

I guess it's relatively rare that you love both bands on a split release so for that reason this is a pretty special record from 1997. Two amazing bands contributing a track each.

This is the red version of the record I think, there's a pink version too and having not seen it I guess it could be the pink one as it has a pink tone to it. Either way I'm stoked to have a colour vinyl version. I believe either way it's out of 100 made pressing numbers wise.

I love when things like this are inside a record, mail order sheets/adverts. Remnants of a bygone era now really.

Overkill

Under normal circumstances I probably wouldn't bother posting up this record, but I was just spinning it so thought 'why the hell not'. 

Motörhead - Overkill

Remember back in my Iron Maiden - Women In Uniform post I described myself as something of a metal head? Well, despite this claim, I didn't previously own any Motörhead on vinyl. I know my away around a lot of their records but when the mood struck me a few weeks back to listen to them for the first time in decades I realised there was this glaring ommission from the collection. I didn't mess around, I headed straight to the nearest record store knowing they'd no doubt have a few of Lemmys finest work on wax.

In fact they had most of Motorheads back catalogue, so what to pick up to scratch the itch? I remembered that Orgasmatron and Overkill had been albums I'd enjoyed when I was about 13 so narrowed it down to two easily enough. I then remembered that Overkill was the bands second album with the first largely being viewed as non essential and horaah!! I'd made my choice.