Killer episode this week on the pod. Check it out here, here, or here.
This week on the pod Kev, Dan, and I spent a lot of time talking about Lou Koller and Sick Of It All. I wrote this a couple weeks back when he passed. If you aren’t a SOIA fan, I implore you to check them out by starting at the beginning of their catalog with the Revelation Records 7” and working your way at least through their 1994 LP, Scratch The Surface. They’re a hardcore band who put together great records and that’s how they should be taken in. However, as a cheat, here’s a starter kit taking you through what I consider the most classic SOIA material.
I don’t know if I’d consider the SOIA demo essential material. Everything gets re-recorded for the 1st 7” or 1st LP, but it IS cool cuz it’s ‘86 and they’re already a good band. Plus that cover art is pretty legendary.
My favorite SOIA song. Killer tune. Good life lesson message while not being preachy.
First song off their first LP. Hard, fast and mean with a big singalong/mosh. The blueprint for modern hardcore at its best. Many would forget the fast (and most important) part.
I remember the first time I heard this on CD, I played it like 10 times in a row. Nothing had hit me like this since I heard “Do What You Want” by Bad Religion a few years prior. Of course when I listened to that one a dozen times in a row it was a little more frustrating since it was on cassette. This SOIA song was much easier…I smashed the fuck out of that back button and jammed it over and over and over. Every time it got better. Every time I was blown away by the simplicity and how something could be equal parts catchy and hard. It’s legitimately the golden goose and in my opinion a crucial song in any hardcore starter kit.
Whaddayaknow…46 more seconds of hardcore perfection from SOIA.
A little slower, a little harder. Still great.
Gods of tha stage.
Still fast. Still hard. Big chorus. Bigger singalong on the end. ‘90s hardcore at its best.
A rare good live hardcore record. LAST CHANCE TO DANCE!!
What’s the heaviest you can sound in E-standard without being metal?
(click above)
What a banger track.
RIP Lou Koller.
Jhaja Iwaki of Lip Cream passed away last month as well. Lip Cream was one of the most prolific Japanese hardcore bands of the 1980s, putting out four LPs, two 7”s, a tape, and multiple comp tracks. They’re a rare hardcore band that kept the heat up until the end and never fell off. I’ve talked to a handful of people who like their final LP the most. He also sang on the final Judgement 7”. What a legend!
Lip Cream’s catalog recently got re-released by Relapse so they’re easy to get right now on vinyl, and everything is up on streaming. I’ve spent significantly less time listening to Lip Cream compared to Sick Of It All over the last 30 years, but here’s a short starter kit nonetheless.
Baki from The Execute/Gastunk sang on the Lip Cream tracks on the Unlawful Assembly comp before Jhaja joined. This is his first record with the band. Crucial debut. All four songs are killer but this one comes first, giving you the feel for the whole record.
This is my favorite Lip Cream record, although the 1st song kinda blows. The next four are top tier hardcore including this one, “VX-2,” which is one of the best midtempo bangers of 1984.
In the write up for the Relapse reissue, it says this came out on tape because they were influenced by Bad Brains Rock For Light. I think they meant the ROIR tape cuz that was exclusive to cassette when it came out…but cool nonetheless. That fun fact makes me like this song even more cuz it seems like the song title is Bad Brains-esque. They got positive mental attitude? Lip Cream’s got RADICAL MENTAL TRUTH!
The final song on their five-song block from the compilation Thrash Til Death.
First full length. Full of SIQ tracks like this one.
Probably their best record. All ragorz, no skippers, and the best recording of all of their 12”s.
Noiser and sloppier. Depending on who you are, that may be right up your alley. This is one of my favorite album covers of all time…seriously.
Their final record goes hard. The original was sample heavy. All of that was cut out for this re-release which is a pretty great variation for the catalog, although I’m sure some purists were butthurt.
The only non-Lip Cream track on the list. This is the final song off the final Judgement 7”. It starts with hi-hat sizzle and a bass run then breaks fast with a sick vocal cadence from this legend we are paying respect to right now. This song sounds like Judgement in their prime and a lot of that has to do with the vocal delivery.
RIP Jhaja Iwaki
With our failure to find any early or mid 1980s punk or hardcore bands from Arkansas in our Roadtrip! Hardcore USA episode, I had to go to a reliable source for confirmation that I wasn’t trippin’. Ben Sizemore from Econochrist stepped up to break down how the punk scene came about in Arkansas, who were the players, where they played, etc. We also get into his early punk days, the birth of Econochrist and some memories of their time as a band. A cool interview, so check it out.
If you’re in the San Diego area, come see my band SUBVERSIVE INTENT and say WHATUP. Upcoming gigs:
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- ZN
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