Xibalba / Incendiary split

I try to normally post about these records in the order that I get them in, but that systems all fucked up at the minute. The stack of yet-to-be-blogged about is all out of order and growing, so it's time to just get on with it. This post is also an experiment, as I'm posting from the Blogger app cause I'm lazily not booting my laptop up. It might look, like my ordering system, all fucked up.

Anyway, Xibalba / Incendiary split. 2nd press out of 452 on blue/black marble released on Closed Casket. My good friend and tattoo wizard Kieran picked this up for me when he went to see Xibalba in Wales recently. Top dude. The Xibalba side is CRUSHINGLY heavy, as to be expected. I've heard their next album, it's a monster.

EDIT: I've just checked on Safari, and this came out alright.

Code Orange Kids / Full Of Hell split

I've gone on about how great I think both of these bands are on just about any internet platform that lets me log in and write stuff, so I won't repeat myself anymore except to say that both bands contribute two incredible tracks to this split. Released by Topshelf Records (an out of character, barbarically heavy release for that label) a few weeks ago. This is from the 1st press, on a blue marble out of 500. This is already on its 2nd press now, and that Code Orange Kids EP 'Cycles' 1st press that I posted about here is now on its 3rd! Popular dudes.

Collecting The Wonder Years - part 3 : The Upsides 1st press

I finally acquired a 1st press of The Wonder Years second LP (their first to be pressed onto vinyl) The Upsides. This is the second to rarest color, orange, 300 pressed and released by No Sleep Records in 2010. It marks a huge leap forward from the debut, indicated along the way by a handful of  of 7"s, and thankfully drops all those synth keyboards that plague Get Stoked On It (sorry, just cannot get down with those). In terms of pop-punk, and as a statement of just how crucial and creative this genre can be, it's untouchable and is rightly regarded as a modern classic.

The Price didn't go TOO high on this, which is good for my wallet because I was willing to just keep bidding until I won. A blue pressing that was up at the same time went way above what I paid for this though. The blue is the rarest colour out of 200, which must be the main reason behind the price difference. I can't remember the final sale price of the blue, but with 4 days to go it was up to £66 ($107). It was either the blue pressing or the fact that it was being sold by the guitarist from Such Gold that drove the price up. I'd predict it was the limited pressing. Anyway, I paid £36 for this in the end. Which was later bumped up to around £50 by being charged import tax. The import tax is fine to be honest, it's £4 or something. But it's Royal Mail that pisses me off. Seriously, their "handling fee" of something like £9 is disgusting.

Getting this marks completion of part of this quest to own at least one copy of every TWY vinyl pressed, with all of the LP's now in my grasp. Ok, there's only 2 LP's (3 if we're counting the Upsides repress with new art) but still...

Plenty of 7"s to go though!

View From The Attic Records

View From The Attic Records

This isn't a regular post, but seeing as I get a lot of vinyl heads from the UK checking in, this seems pretty relevant. Two long time friends of mine have just opened up an online distro for punk-rock, emo and a sprinkling of hardcore vinyl. They literally only launched today but have got a real solid starting line up of records from a few labels throughout the Globe. Midnight Funeral Records in Australia and Tiny Engines in Carolina, USA are just a couple of the labels supported at the moment, and there's some brilliant bands on offer. Marathon play a guttural, chaotic blend of hardcore (one of the releases I jumped on and ordered this morning), there's a Milhouse 7",which is so gloriously 90's emo that it's impossible to not love it and Gates are a band from New Jersey who play a wonderful blend of post-rock and emo, and create something pretty incredible to hear, their 1st LP is in stock on a white pressing, also one I ordered without hesitation. Oh! And don't sleep on that Signals Midwest LP, who take a refreshing run at pop-punk and come out with something brilliant and thought provoking with strong melodies and hard hitting verses that fans of Joyce Manor will dig. I won't list everything they've got, I urge you to go check it out, and keep tabs on them as they start to grow. Good dudes, good records.

Get at them : VIEW FROM THE ATTIC RECORDS