OFF! - First Four EPs

OFF! - First Four EPs

This is one of the best hardcore releases I've heard in a long time. You should already know who these cats are, that being said, It's great to hear Keith Morris fronting a band again. This sound like classic L.A. hardcore circa 1980: fast, fun and short. Sixteen tracks in seventeen minutes and each song absolutely shreds (most of the songs for this project came from an aborted Circle Jerks album). Totally fucking rad jams here.

V/A - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

V/A - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010

This album was released by Matador Records at the start of 2010 and it compiles the best and brightest new bands from Austin, TX (with a few ringers from Denton, TX). This was assembled by Matador co-founder Gerard Cosloy who moved to the city a couple years ago and fell in love with the local scene (he's since signed Harlem to Matador). Great songs from Woven Bones, Wild America, Harlem and The Young. "Casual Victim Pile" is an anagram for "live music capital", which is what Austin is. So if you thought Texas was all honky-tonk and Stevie Ray Vaughn worship give this a spin and see how fucking punk the city is.

OFF! - First EP

OFF! - First EP

OFF! is Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steve McDonald (Red Kross) and Mario Rubalcaba (Earthless, Hot Snakes, Rocket From The Crypt) playing old-school hardcore. The four songs on here all clock in at under one minute and all totally slay. This is just the first of four planned 7" singles that will be compiled into a box set later this month. This EP is fucking awesome. Keith's old buddy Raymond Pettibon (Black Flag, SST records) even does the artwork.