INSOMNIO - Happy Loneliness (No Way)
INSOMNIO's follow-up to their debut LP No Escape does not disappoint. Happy Loneliness boasts 8 songs of blistering and melodic punk rock n' roll out of Zaragoza, Spain, that hearkens back to mid-tempo ADOLESCENTS and fits right in with contemporary bands like NO HOPE FOR THE KIDS and CRIMINAL DAMAGE. Reverberated vocals and frantic, WIPERS-esque guitar work carry the sound of anxious and fucked up youth. These songs are catchy as hell and still intense. The album has been out for a few months but this is the anticipated American release on No Way records, who get it right again.
Where are they now? UPRIGHT CITIZENS
I was able to snag an original pressing of UPRIGHT CITIZENS' classic Open Eyes, Open Ears, Brains to Think and a Mouth to Speak LP from a distro in Germany (total score) recently and haven't been able to stop listening to it. This was a massive distro that carried THE BACKSTREET BOYS and MILLI VANILLI alongside DRI and SLIME, so even though I had to pay costly shipping and meet the inflated Euro, it was still worth it because the record was undervalued. There are several represses floating around though, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a copy of this record in some form.
UPRIGHT CITIZENS was a German punk band that formed in the early 80s and was equally influenced by Black Flag and the guitar tones and emotional songwriting of Husker Du. They debuted with their Bombs of Peace 7" in 1982, consisting of 9 punishing hardcore songs with radical left-wing slants that were commonplace among Deutschpunk bands. The band attacked right-wing politics, racism and fascism as well as apathy. 1983 Saw the release of their first LP, Make the Future Mine and Yours. This album hinted at the more melodic and emotive sound that would characterize the band through the mid and late 80s.
In 1984 they released Open Eyes, Open Ears, Brains to Think and a Mouth to Speak, which is their masterpiece if you ask me. The LP featured 15 tracks - some re-recordings of older songs and some new. The cover of CRISIS' Holocaust makes the album an instant classic. It is fucking genius. Sped up and revamped from a German perspective, CRISIS' warning against neo-fascism and Holocaust denial seems even more poignant. Slower and more melodic songs like Future Dreams and The Dark Side of My Mind somehow don't seem out of place next to fast ragers like Stand Up, Swastika Ratss and Bombs of Peace. This is one of my favorite punk/hardcore albums.
This distro also accidentally mailed me UPRIGHT CITIZENS' 1988 Farewell 7", which is mediocre in comparison but still pretty cool. They released a few records after Open Eyes... that were all solid but lacked the intensity of their earlier stuff. Looking back, though, Bombs of Peace and Open Eyes... are two of the best Deutschpunk records that don't get a lot of recognition in the States.
EDIT: Since I titled this little section "Where are they now?" I feel obliged to mention that I have no idea where the hell they are now and I'd like to keep it that way.
Show Reviews:
2/13/09: INTERARMA, LORD BY FIRE, TRIAC, SURROUNDINGS, NO FUTURE @ the Bagel Czar:
This line-up was incredibly solid, so I had been looking forward to this show for weeks. It was supposed to be LORD BY FIRE's 7" release show, but the records didn't show up in time. Apparently Forcefield has been having some trouble with Pirates Press. NO FUTURE was up first. I had missed their first two shows (even though I played at one of them!) so I was pumped to see them this time. Pretty sweet, ripping hardcore. From the way I had heard them described I thought they'd be crustier and grindier but I was definitely still into what ranged from fast to mid-tempo hardcore. They expanded to a four piece and there was some pretty sweet and unique guitar work there. Leland ripped on the drums. All in all it was a solid set and they have the potential to grow into an awesome band.
Next up was SURROUNDINGS from Baltimore. They played some really fucking good Swedish style hardcore. Their singer was pretty nuts and the intensity level was high. I'm looking forward to hearing more from them, specifically their split with Triac...
Which leads me to our next band. TRIAC brought the noisey, grindy hardcore they are known for. Their new guitar player seemed more acclimated and comfortable than the last time they played Richmond at the Riot House. Lots of fun.
Next was LORD BY FIRE. They did a good job of not seeming too pissed off that the record wasn't ready. They were by far the slowest band of the night. SLEEP cover. You know the drill.
INTERARMA was on last for an all-cover set that everyone was really excited for. CRO-MAGS, MINOR THREAT, and DEAD KENNEDYS. Everyone went nuts from the beginning and never let up. Hearing a band that knows how to play their instruments cover MINOR THREAT songs is so awesome. As soon as they went into California Uber Alles I decided to get in the circle pit and act like I was 15 again, except as I ran down the stairs I slipped on the beer that some metal chick had spilled and wiped out on to my ass before I even got started. Actually I seem to remember this happening a lot when I was 15. Either way I went nuts and had a great time, and I still have a giant bruise on my backside to prove it. This was one of the best shows I've been to in a while, and I'm so glad the Bagel Czar is in full force now.
That's all for now...more to come soon. Keep checking the blog for updates. Also, I'm now contributing reviews to Wilbo's Richmond based zine SLATESHELL so look out for that too.
