Teenage Panzerkorps - Knut Hamsun

Since forming in 2001, members of the Teenage Panzerkorps (Der TPK) gather every now and then, from the far reaches of the planet, to record short, fuzzy lo-fi songs for your listening pleasure. They're less about pop songs than they are about extremely pleasurable drones. That being said, this EP on Captured Tracks is probably more about actual songs than their previous releases. Three songs, around six minutes of languid tunes that wouldn't have gone astray in the 80s. Plus, who doesn't love a German vocalist with a cavernous voice speaking over music that sounds familiar somehow and makes you reach for the recliner lever on your La-Z-Boy.

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Snuff Film - s/t CS

It makes me hugely sad to think that I was (and still am) on the other side of the planet when Snuff Film played their one and only show, and that this is the only release they'll ever bestow upon their loving public. Snuff Film is a collaboration between Ecoli and Migraine, two quality bands from the Bay Area. I prefer this to either band. Hell, I prefer this to anything. When they play fast it's frenzied and ripping as fuck, it sounds real chaotic but it's all very precise and it wouldn't surprise me if they were perfectionists. When they play slow it's gut-wrenching, like the whole world is being pulled apart seam by seam, or at least your insides. The songs are called The Actor, Subject, Director, Camera Man and Producer and they're about as obscene and as demanding of your attention as I imagine the set of a snuff film to be. I guess this is a concept cassette? I find this tape very sexy in a filthy and abrasive kind of way. I think you might still be able to get a copy from Drone Errant.

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Butthole Surfers - Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac

Absolutely fucking essential psychedelic punk record. If you didn't get the hint that everyone in this group was so far deep into the acid-stained recesses of their own mind by this record and it sounded too 'weird' for you then you will probably never enjoy, or 'get' this kind of music. Everything here is a completely LSD-damaged shitstorm of bizarre vocal effects, screaming delayed guitar and stammering synth dickheadery (yeah). While the Butthole Surfers are probably better known amongst the youngsters for the song featured in the lame computer game 'guitar's hero' or the chart topping 'Pepper', this record is a serious display of broken-minded idiocy and a test of even the most avid hipster's mental stamina.

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Dry-Rot - Permission 7"

Dry-Rot are a hardcore punk band from southern California that play noisy, ugly songs. I like to think of their sound as a mix between Void and something like the Jesus Lizard. They've built up a pretty controversial reputation, due in no small part to the Christian beliefs held by the members of the group, as well as their alienating and violent live shows (the band broke up a year or so ago when guitarist Jordan poured a bottle of bleach over vocalist Drew's head in the middle of a set, but they've since reformed, don't worry). There need to be more bands like Dry-Rot in this age of myspace accounts and disposable internet personalities (the irony of typing this on an online blog isn't lost on me). Permission contains what I'd say is the bands best material, sounding like latter-day Void (the song Permission almost directly appropriates the song structure of Ignorant People from the Faith split), definitely an emphasis on the 'loud and slow' dynamics employed by a lot of 'weird' hardcore bands nowadays. There's a really weird droning indie rock tune to close off the EP as well (this style was explored to a bizarre extent on the Lumberyard EP, and is developed into a sound more fitting the band's Touch n Go style on their new LP, Philistine). I could write pages about how every facet of this band's identity intrigues me but I'll cut it short; download this and check out everything the band has done, they are one of the most important hardcore punk bands playing music today and their records are more than worthy of your hard earned Benjamins.

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The Shadow Ring - City Lights

This band was super weird. They formed in the UK in 1993 and were around, being weird, for ten years or so. This was their first record and was put out on their own label, later going on to sign with Siltbreeze. Their efforts are far from polished; they were playing shoddy amateurish guitar before it was cool. Spoken word and what sounds like somebody hitting pots and pans over atonal uncomplicated guitar that sounds superb in its unsophisticated reiterations. It all doesn't quite add up, yet somehow does.. Some people would no doubt think this band is shit, but they probably wouldn't be reading this blog if they did.

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Native Nod - Today Puberty, Tomorrow the World

Today Puberty, Tomorrow the World is a compilation of everything that Native Nod ever released. That's a grand total of nine songs on three 7"s. They were active during the early 90s in New York/Jersey. I dig the guitar; intricate and usually pretty, with the requisite noisy somewhat mathy parts that go hand in hand with being a guitar band around in that era (you know what I'm talking about). Some songs are better than others. Lyrics are good too. Good relatively nice-sounding emo band.

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Kitchen's Floor - s/t EP

Kitchen's Floor are a three-piece from Brisbane that play the kind of uncomplicated, apathetic bummed-out pop that Australia seems to be excelling at right now. They released their debut LP, Loneliness is a Dirty Mattress, last year to approving reviews and they are almost finished their (almost) nationwide tour. They were kind enough to offer up this 2008 out of print EP for free download. It's all rather vague sounding and a little more upbeat than their latter work. Blithe and straightforward outsider pop just the way you like it. You can order their album and 7" from R.I.P. SOCIETY Records by emailing them at r.i.p.societyrecords@gmail.com, or if you're lucky enough to live in the States you can get it from Kill Shaman.

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Scratch Acid - The Greatest Gift

Scratch Acid were a a noise rock band from Texas that featured members who would go on to form the Jesus Lizard and Rapeman. In my opinion Scratch Acid is far superior to both of those bands. If you like your noise rock alternately melodious and harsh then get this. Yow's vocals are, in my opinion, a whole lot better than his work in the Jesus Lizard. There are some fucking classic swampland cave punk songs like Greatest Gift and El Espectro that should probably enter punk canon as classics of the genre. Anyway this record is a compilation of their two EP's and single full length. Another band that, like Brainbombs, Flipper or Void, presents a clear aural history that you can trace to the 'noise punk' bands doing the rounds today. Get it or pose forever.

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Cult Ritual - s/t LP

Okay okay, I know this is all over the internet. Watch me not give a fuck. I'm doing this for you. If you haven't heard this, you need to. Right now, there's no time to lose. Easily my favourite album of 2009. This fucking slays, it all just flows perfectly, I don't even know what to say... It's just so relentlessly good... I totally don't get why it caused so much controversy. Even if you're not into hardcore, you'll no doubt appreciate this record. Pause whatever you're listening to and do yourself a fucking favour.

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Jandek - Skirting the Edge

People know sweet fuck all about this guy. You think you might know the meaning of the word 'prolific', but I'm under the impression that Jandek might be the only one that truly does. He has self-released over sixty albums since 1978. He only began performing live in 2004 and is coming to Australia fairly soon. Skirting the Edge is one of his most recent ventures. His atonal and outlandish folk music speaks of anguish, death, misery and unequivocal love in both exquisite metaphor and candid truths. His pained voice is unparalleled, and perfectly matched by his eerily anomalous guitar work. This shouldn't really be beautiful, but it is, and undeniably so.

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Church Police - Gilligan's Wings

Church Police were/are? a depressive sounding punk band from San Fransisco, circa the early 80s. They sound pretty much like you'd imagine them to, what with the name Church Police... This 7" was released in 2007, despite being recorded decades earlier. The three songs are dark, somewhat goth sounding. Apparently the bassist was the only one that could play, but I am more attracted to the clumsy guitar. Real no-hoper vocals going on. Oh and they were in the first ever issue of MRR. This rules.

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Neanderthal - Fighting Music 7"

Better than Suffer. Without Neanderthal power violence wouldn't have existed. Featuring Eric Wood (Pissed Happy Children, Pilsbury Hardcore, Man is the Bastard, Bastard Noise, et fucking cetera) and Matt Domino from Infest, this 7" is too often overlooked. About as close to a perfect punk release as you'll find.

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