The Movielife - This Time Next Year Re-release

BACK in the early 00s/late 90s, there was a golden era when the term 'emo-core' was understood as a new style of hardcore that was a bit more melodic and well... emotional, but it was definately still HARDCORE, or at least punk. The genre had nothing to do with what emo came to be through the years (whiney kids focused mostly on style, playing modern corporate rock music).

Which brings us to the Movielife and the re-release of their now classic 2nd album "This Time Next Year" by Mightier Than The Sword Records. Originally released in 2000 by Revelation Records, "This Time Next Year" had dropped on the hardcore scene like a bomb, bringing melody and freshness in a scene that was oversaturated with the mostly chugga chugga metal mentality of 90s hardcore.

Some 11 years later, the album still sounds fresh and I am very glad to see it circulating back in the scene which needs positive, melodic bands like the Movielife. Their short career in hardcore surely left its mark on the kids and now it is time to re-live their history all over again!

Some extra info for you all: the re-issue is limited to 562 copies of 180 gram vinyl, so all you collectors can go crazy as of now. The Movielife have reunited for some 2011 shows while you can check out the Mightier Than The Sword webstore here: http://store.mtsrecords.com/products/7850.

The Cheifs - "Holly-West Crisis" Re-Issue (Dr. Strange Records)

Before hardcore even had a name, there were bands who played a form of raw, unadulterated heavy punk that became the base for what was about to follow. We're talking about that early proto hardcore sound of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, X etc. Today, we - as hardcore fans - consider this sound a must and a lesson in hardcore history. The Cheifs are one of those primitive punk bands lost in the annals of punk history. Luckily, now Dr. Strange records has re-released everything they ever recorded on a single slab of vinyl.

So what's the deal with this lesser known early So Cal punk band from the early 80s? Well they were around for just a short while (from 80 to 82), but put down some quality punk music that captures the essence of that early époque that is so dear to us all. Their sound is crunchy and dirty with snotty attitude but at the same time has a tunefulness that most current punk bands can only be jealous of. Even some thirty years later, the Cheifs have a sense of urgency and a musical power that can't go unnoticed. I mean this is really rad, essential punk for skaters and hardcore historians alike! The bass is distorted, the guitar is fuzzed out to the max, the tempo is always steady and at mid-speed, and the ball just keeps on rolling.

Definitely there before we were punk

Listening to the Cheifs, I just wish for some better weather so I could just rock that shit on a stereo somewhere outside! This is perfect music for suburban punk parties, for having no money in your pockets and feeling good about it, sleeping on people's couches and going around the neighborhood with your bike or skateboard... Yeah. This shit can even make you feel young again. Fans of DOA, Dicks and even pre-MDC should definitely get into this now. This is real snotty, psychedelic punk nihilism!

Limited to 1,000 pieces by www.drstrangerecords.com.