Rizoma-s/t EP (2013)

New in the "less talk more rock" category, Rizoma is Madrid's answer to Chicago's bratnoise outfit Birth Deformities. Succinctly stated, if you've been mourning the demise of Government Warning as much as I have, you'll love Rizoma. On their debut, Rizoma shouts, strums, bangs, and kicks their way through six mid-tempo shout-along bits of bratpunk, tailor made for those of you still living with your parents. Which is half of the Europeans between 18-29 reading this, apparently, according to the Guardian.

If I had any experience in said subject, I would heartily agree with the proposition of the second song: "It feels so good to kill my neighbors while listening to the Stooges." As it happens, I only have experience getting blackout drunk and throwing bottles at them while "Death Trip" blares from my bedroom window, but whatever.

Point is, as March's winds usher in the pissant spring downpours of April, why don't you download Rizoma's debut EP and let your miscreant misanthrope misery burble over like fine wine? You know you want to. 

Belgrado-self/titled LP (2012)

On the third night of a four-evening bender, I decided it would be a good idea to watch that Warren Beaty flick, "Reds." Yup, it had me in tears watching the situation unfold in the '10s. It got my so worked up emotionally, I hadda go get blackout drunk on the beach with my Marxist buddies. Seriously, we're coming up on the centenary of Red Oktober, and who but us weirdoes, punks, and losers will commemorate that anniversary?

Whatever, Belgrado is a distinguished representative of the deathpunk/postpunk/whateverthefuckpost- revival sweeping the globe these days. I still can't tell if this band is for real or just faking the funk, but whatever, I'm gonna give 'em the benefit of the doubt. Either way, they do a pretty good version of Gang of Four with female vocals. I'm guessing they cribbed the cover art from some WWII photo+photoshop. Plus they throw in that aesthetic touch of biting The Mob hardcore. No Doves Fly Here. Punk as fuck, right? Who cares. This band does a much more interesting version of ripping off a dead style than a lot of their contemporaries do. That's all.

Hang out with Belgrado then stay tuned for next month's installment of this blog, wherein your humble narrator relates his escapades abroad and/or in the Malian revolution for Tuareg independence. By staying home and guzzling gin and chompin' on Xanax, 'natch.

*Edit, 12.12.13: I re-up'd the file, so get it HERE, geeks.*

Warsong-The Caravan 12" EP (2012)

...or, "come for the Wipers cover, stay for the chanted choruses."

With a name like "Warsong," I was expecting this Zaragoza outfit to burble through Discharge-clone songs about...uh, war.

Turns out they're a lean mean guitar riff machine. "Feel the Darkness' is a slow burning, guitar-heavy song that sounds like a Wipers outtake ca. 1979's "Is this real?" Warsong uses simple, direct guitar riffs and elegantly minimal bass, framing the infectious, chanted choruses.

This style was popular to the point of saturation in the States a few years ago, and I got burnt out on Wipers-syle punk around the time Portland's beloved The Observers broke up and the first Red Dons LP came out (ca. 2008). Warsong's pretty damn good, though, and if guitarcentric garage punk is yr cuppa tea, you'll prolly agree.

You can listen to and buy "The Caravan" EP from Zagreb's Doomtown Records or from the band's bandcamp page.

Also check out Doomtown Records' distro/online store, or their Discogs page.

Punk, que punk? Y Ahora que? Compilation (1983)

The older I get, the less I understand how I was able to imbibe such  heroic amounts of booze as a young'n....I feel about as lively as a wet ferret hung out to dry by a fur trapper, and half as smart.

So, dear reader, I'm dumping this on you: a 27-track compilation of early '80s Spanish (Catalan, Murcian, Galician et. al.) punk...there ain't a dud among them. It sounds like all the bands recorded live into a boom box, but whatevs.

I'm re-posting this from Robert's original on Terminal Escape. Hopefully this is justified (hangover aside) by how good the music is, first of all. Also, I re-formatted the tracks so that the individual bands appear as the "artist," which should make it easier to find more information on each band, for those who want to.

Ahora que!

Eskorbuto/RiP-Zona Especial Norte split LP (1985)

Another Spanish[/Basque] '80s punk classic, well-known but neglected by most Yankee punx. Eskorbuto ("Scurvy") was, by all accounts, one of the most notorious Basque/Spanish punk bands-numerous arrests, a violently confrontational attitude, and death-by-heroin for two of the three original members...uplifting stuff.

Eskorbuto bashes out 8 tracks of snide, mid-tempo punk. It's quite similar to the sound that crystallized on their classic LP, Anti-Todo ("Anti-everything"). Altogether they're one of my favorite '80s bands, and they sorta give you a sense of Billy Bao's historical context.

I can't find much, not reading Spanish, about RiP. But their 4 tracks blaze by in a rush of clipped drumming and ripping guitar that's close to Never Again-era Discharge, without slavishly imitating their English brethren.

Mierda! Mierda! Munster Records released a sick re-issue of this split a few years ago, with extra tracks and a 'zine. BUY THE FUCKER!

*EDIT, 10.31.12: Reup'd the file. Download HERE. *

Ultimo Resorte-Cementerio Caliente EP (1982)

Ultimo Resorte needs no introduction for Spanish/Catalan punks, I'm guessing-they bridged first-wave Spanish punk with hardcore in Barcelona. Around New Year's I was talking to a Latino punk from NYC, though, and when I mentioned liking Ultimo Resorte he did a double-take and looked at me weird-"I didn't know white people knew about Ultimo Resorte!"

So, my fellow crackers, here ya go. This EP has a unique sound, especially in the guitar. It's really dirty and guttural, and on "Violencia" the guitarist uses a distortion effect that sounds terrifying. Yet the band always maintains some sort of harmony under the grime: "Johnny Mofeta" even has a wicked, sinuous bass line. The whole thing sounds trashy, mean, and urgent, just like punk should. 

 Oh, and the singer, Silvia, was hanging out with and photographed Sid & Nancy in 1979. It resulted in a fistfight between her and Nancy...big surprise, huh?

Llama la muerte.... La Vida es un Mus Records put out an excellent discography that you'd be a fool not to purchase. There's an excellent English-language bio of the band on Kill from the Heart.

*EDIT, 3.6.13: Reup'd the file. AQUI!