Vile Gash in Philly

There's not a plentiful amount of information on this one but here's what's out there right now:

Teri's - 1126 S. 9th St. Philly
9/30/10 - 9 p.m. - Free - 18+ (don't be an idiot)
Vile Gash
Leather
No Coffins
DJ Recordmoney

Vile Gash - 7" EP

Alright, so here we go again. Another well packaged, rip roaring release from Brooklyn's Youth Attack Records featuring 10 short bursts of pissed, down in the dumps hardcore. Columbus, Ohio's Vile Gash released three different demos of sorts before this, with many of the tracks being redone and re-recorded for their vinyl debut. Thick black wax, black and white printed inner and outer sleeves, wrapped up in the ever popular resealable poly bag, topped off with a quaint black Vile Gash sticker complete the packaging.

Raw, stripped down, and fast paced, Vile Gash pull off 10 songs in just over 7 minutes, partially thanks to the final track, "Incapable" lasting just over 2 minutes. Low, fuzzy bass tones match well with the grinding, fast guitar, backing the abrasive vocal style which spews venom all over the listener. I could rattle off about 15 bands they remind me of, but essentially it all comes down to some serious d-beat worship, just with some slight variations and shorter song length. Being a lifelong Discharge fan, this instantly appeals to me, but at the same time its not quite anything fresh or exciting.

Rash, violent, and chock full of disdain and hatred, the lyrics are brief and to the point, wasting absolutely no time, similar to the musical style. "Monotonous, stagnant, devoid of though/Each day is shit/Your life rots" repeated three times over takes care of the first 42 second track, and you can pretty much imagine where the rest of the record is headed from there. Depressed, hateful, and performed in a raw, honest fashion, Vile Gash is another soundtrack to further your nihilistic, negative point of view, if so inclined.

Neither shocking musically or lyrically, this is a decent EP which easily appeals to fans of the genre, but probably wouldn't make it too far outside of the slim scope of dark, dreary, fast hardcore. Fast rhythms and plenty of old school punk rock and hardcore influences are prevalent, which can either enhance the experience or bore you, depending on musical preferences. The record of course sold out weeks ago in about six minutes from YA, but there's a repress available on red wax from Deathwish Inc. (no, that's not a joke.) I'd imagine the band might have copies too, as well as some other random distros. Lyrics are included with the rip so you won't miss out on any of the fun. SUPPORT HARDCORE.

Download
Youth Attack Records
Buy at Deathwish Inc.

Youth Attack Bounty

The internet hyped, bursting at the seams hardcore label from Brooklyn has been busier than the subway during rush hour over the past few months, churning out releases and distro items for the "masses." The joke is on us though, as most of these items are highly limited; especially live, tour, or special mail order only releases. Even the quantities of the label's own material doesn't seem to be enough to satisfy the insatiable appetite for Youth Attack Records or their related bands, labels, or distros. Having bought items from them before, and followed some of their bands for years, the unusual activity surrounding these particular artists is approaching a level of questionable phenomena.

As with most popular labels or bands, maniacal message board chatter and mailing list news bulletins generate incredible amounts of essentially free publicity for underground music. Of course, I 100% support bands and labels promoting themselves, but the unique nuances of buying these releases is unlike anything I've seen in a long time. Unless the bands are touring in your area, attempting to pick up some of these records, tapes, or zines has become a ridiculous task of spending hours on the computer while feverishly hitting the F5 key until you're ready to rip it right out of your laptop. Youth Attack has a mailing list which will alert you of an incoming update, but this isn't necessarily fail safe either, as some of the items will literally sell out in a matter of a couple minutes, or even seconds. As each item pops up in the store, they almost instantly run out, forcing you to place upwards of four or five different orders if you want more than a couple items (refunds are given for combined shipping later but, still.) During the update that contained the Veins cassette, the Big Cartel store basically crashed, wreaking havoc through internetland and generating endless complaints in the Jerkbooth.  

There really wouldn't be so many aggravating factors about this, if it weren't for the fact that an inordinate amount of copies immediately end up on eBay, sometimes with outrageous "Buy it Now" prices approaching $75 to $90. Occasionally, you can hunt down copies in distros, or even at places like Interpunk (yeah, really), so the willingness to search will definitely help to avoid being ripped off by flippers. Right after Raw Nerve went on tour, a landslide of copies of the LP's tour press went up for sale, turning the entire purpose of buying it into a relative joke. The obvious response is "Well, just go to a show and buy one for yourself if you don't want to pay triple or quadruple the price." This would be great, but many of the Youth Attack bands don't visit a large part of the US, leaving many people out, especially on the West Coast.

Am I willing to sit through another pending update refreshing my browser for a couple hours? Probably. Will I consider buying ridiculous industrial noise or power electronics cassettes I don't even want so I can attempt to resell them for five times the asking price later? No chance. I'm not complaining about the rarity of the material, the difficulty currently buying them, or even having to place multiple orders to get the music or shirts I really want. However, fighting mobs of people on the internet to buy noisy underground hardcore or live powerviolence tapes seems like an oxymoron to me. I'm aware of my support of the label, and not interested in beating the dead horse that's the SQRM trash bag shirts, these are just some thoughts. My apparent irritation and criticism is derived more from the people who have no interest in supporting the bands, not McCoy, his label, or the groups fortunate enough to be on it. 

Pending reviews and more pictures of the items above will be up soon.

Raw Nerve/Vile Gash/Nomos/No Coffin @ Ava House 3/26/10

First off I'm going to have to start this one by saying I REALLY liked this venue. It's been way too long since I went to a house or basement show, and this spot reminded me of some of the grungy punk venues I used to frequent in high school. It took me a few minutes to find the place, but once I found the door, the location was actually pretty obvious. I was really psyched on all the bands, and for $5 this is easily the cheapest thing around on a Friday night in Philly.

Walking up the stairs, the hallway was littered with empty PBR cans, tagged in graffiti, and smelled of stale cigarette smoke. Upstairs, everything opens up into a large, empty space, except for old couches most likely found on the side of the road, and band equipment. Kids are skateboarding around the hardwood floors, while people crack open 40 oz's and light up Camels. The place could actually be a really swank apartment for some rich dude, but this is a far better use of the space.

Locals No Coffin was starting to play just as I came upstairs, along with other people filtering in for the night. Their sound was definitely unpolished, with a slightly unsure feel, but still decent for a first show. They have a somewhat droning, yet pleasantly noisy approach to their songs, and I'm looking forward to a demo so I can hear it better.

Raw Nerve. If you don't know about them yet, you've been sleeping too long. Fast, raw, frantic hardcore from the Midwest. These guys set up and roared through a set in probably about eight minutes, playing songs from all of their releases, including some new stuff from the LP on Youth Attack Records. The vocals were a little low, so the singer wasn't very audible, which could be a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. People raged back and forth during their songs, smashing from side to side as beer sprayed onto the ground. Their singer writhed around while howling the lyrics, while the rest of the band thrashed their instruments into submission. Great stuff; short and sweet.

Brooklyn hardcore punk act, Nomos, were up next. They performed most of the songs from their demo EP, which is an absolute monster for a debut recording. Fast, hard, angry music, with well formed songs and some old school hardcore influence makes these guys one of my favorite newer bands around. Nomos rips it up live also, shredding through their set in experienced, confident fashion. Do not miss out on this band next time they're in your area.

The final audio assault of the evening was Columbus, Ohio's Vile Gash. Similar to Raw Nerve, they came on without saying a word and immediately launched into a song. Their singer looked like a man possessed, furiously spitting the lyrics and punching people that came within striking distance. The set was a bit marred by some technical difficulties though, as the guitar kept cutting out, and there also seemed to be a problem with his distortion pedal. Either way, I was stoked on this performance too, and Vile Gash put a nice cap on an awesome night.

Ava House is easily one of the best DIY house venues I've ever been too, with a PA and gear that actually works, and a chill, friendly environment to hang out in. The show was basically a party, with plenty of people hanging out, drinking, and listening to music. Also, I made some nice vinyl pick ups, including the Raw Nerve tour press, a live tape, and Vile Gash's new EP. Thanks to the Hartford dudes I met for sharing some of their beer with me, and thanks to the promoters and people at Ava House for putting on a top notch show. I'll definitely be back again.

Upcoming Spring Philly/NJ/NYC Area Shows

Coinciding with the rash of incredible releases coming out all over the country, there's plenty of amazing, talented bands coming through the tri-state area. Whether its hardcore, indie, or punk rock, a little bit of everything is out there, no matter what your musical taste is. Some are at up and coming venues like The Barbary, while others are at local churches and basements, and some at larger spots such as the World Cafe.

3/6 - Coalesce @ Kung Fu Necktie (Philly, PA) - Unfortunately this show sold out pretty quickly in advance, but for those attending it will definitely be something special. With a dark, complex hardcore metal blend in the vein of Converge, these guys are back with a vengeance to tour again.

3/7 - Blacklisted/The Rival Mob @ The Barbary (Philly, PA) - There's not much else you can ask for from Joe Hardcore and company. Philly locals, Blacklisted along with fast-growing Boston hardcore, The Rival Mob, who are blowing up bigger than most of their contemporaries.

3/14 - Reign Supreme/Mountain Man @ Championship Bar & Grill (Trenton, NJ) - Deathwish Inc metallic hardcore hailing from Philly alongside Massachusetts' Mountain Man, fresh off the release of their 10" LP, "One."

3/21 - Raw Nerve/Vaccine/SQRM @ 538 Johnson St. (Brooklyn, NY) - Record release show for Raw Nerve's forthcoming LP on Youth Attack Records, alongside labelmates SQRM. Throw in Vaccine, and you're sure to need a bottle of aspirin the morning after this one.

3/27 - Drunk Driver/Vile Gash/Aerosols/Neon Blud @ Market Hotel (Brooklyn, NY) - Another YA record release show for Vile Gash's new EP, as well as Drunk Driver's new LP on Load Records. Lightning fast, loud as hell Aerosols and Neon Blud (ex-Cult Ritual) round out the bill for a pretty heavy night.

4/6 - Death Threat/Death Before Dishonor/The Mongoloids @ The Barbary (Philly, PA) - Boston and New Jersey hardcore uniting for another banger in the Northern Liberties area. DBD are on the road constantly, and put together a heavy, high energy performance that's not to be missed.

4/21 - Mastodon/Between the Buried and Me/Baroness @ The Starland Ballroom (Sayreville, NJ) - Metal explosion! I haven't seen BTBAM in such a long time, and after their last LP it seems like it might be time to relive their incredibly tight live show. Mastodon is sure to rage on for an hour or two, and while I don't like this venue, it might be just good enough to check out.

5/5 - As Tall As Lions @ World Cafe Live (Philly, PA) - Indie pop infused with electronic elements, ATAL is back on tour again after the release of their third record, You Can't Take It With You.

5/17 - Foundation/Backtrack/Rotting Out @ The Barbary (Philly, PA) - Basically the hardcore equivalent of the Monsters of Rock tour. Three of the best new bands, all from different corners of the country (Atlanta, Long Island, LA), joining forces for US tour that's better than nearly anything else out there.

5/19 - Foundation/Backtrack/Rotting Out/Mother of Mercy @ Stelton Church (Edison, NJ) - Yeah, this is intense enough to go see twice. Add in Wilkes-Barre's Mother of Mercy and you'll swear you dreamed this lineup.

5/21 - Capitalist Casualties @ Kung Fu Necktie (Philly, PA) - The influential grindy, crusty, political, pissed off punk group is back for a couple reunion shows. If the words "powerviolence" or "crust punk" mean anything to you, don't miss out on this one.

There's plenty of other shows out there, but this is enough to keep people busy almost every weekend until June. The tri-state scene is alive and well! More coming soon...