Cruel Hand-Studio Footage

Cruel Hand have been making quite a bit of noise with their latest album on Bridge 9, "Lock & Key". We're talking about some quality heavy, pissed off hardcore in the Terror tradition, but with less metal. Seems like Cruel Hand will be one of the bands that will take the hardcore scene by a storm in the remaining 2010, as they are on this year's Persistence tour (along Sick Of It All, DRI, Blood For Blood and many others) and they are creating a huge buzz around their name in hardcore circles, and for a good reason!

Cruel Hand: True hardcore sounds from Maine, US

This following video (off the band's myspace) was taken during their recording sessions for the above mentioned album. It documents the everyday hassle of committing yourself to recording your music. Such an activity might not be easy, but it is always a memorable part of making something happen. Having recently been in the studio myself, all this feels pretty familiar. Being in the studio is definitely a lovable part of playing in a hardcore band. Don't we all love it? Enjoy!

Pamela Anderson Lectures @ Oxford Uni Vegetarian Style!

Vegan pizza went 97% up at Oxford Campus

after Anderson's prolific speech.

Good news for vegetarians: their cause is officially under discussion at Oxford University. Not only that, but the person who actually brought the issue is no other than Pamela Anderson! The actress and model, known for being a vegetarian and working with Peta (an organization promoting vegetarianism for those who don't know), accepted the  world-famous university's invitation and payed a visit to lecture its students. She based her speech on the easiest ways to go vegetarian, as well as the ethical and environmental parameters of taking the 'veg pledge'.

This may seem to some of you as a cheap promotional trick on behalf of Peta, but on the other hand shows that the  people at Oxford know how to maintain their students' attention. The best people to deliver a message are the most unconventional ones. I mean, how boring would it be to have a lecture on vegetarianism by some Phd dude who would talk about percentages? So thumbs up to Oxford for being ahead of their time, and also thumbs up to Pamela for showing it's never too late to work for a good cause!

p.s. What does this article have to do with hardcore? Absolutely nothing, aside our own vegetarian considerations!

Absinthe Rose/HUMANWINE- Split CD (2010)

Well I knew Rodent Popsicle Records for putting out good HC/punk records of the crusty variety; what I didn't know is that they also put out quality folk punk. Yes! It may come as a surprise to read a folk punk review in a blog about hardcore but trust me, this is good. After all, we all want to occasionally listen to something lighter and unwind; this will do just fine cause it has the punk foundation to back it up.

Split out now on Rodent Popsicle

Anyways, so this is a split release between two bands, Absinthe Rose and HUMANWINE. Absinthe Rose starts the record  with some quality and straightforward acoustic/electric folk punk. It wouldn't be unfair to say that AR stick to the roots of Americana folk and go the extra mile by coating their sound with some punk/folk instrumentation. Yes--this is definitely more country than punk. What makes it punk though is the mind-frame behind the whole music, which is totally DIY punk, of course. The band promotes 'DIY awareness and skepticism' with incendiary political lyrics, which many will love and sing to howling at the moon on their drunken or tea-soaked nights. If you like to find your punk somewhere at the outdoors, in an old house in the woods or by the railroad tracks next to empty sticky bottles, this is for you!

Kimbo Rose forgets the lyrics again

HUMANWINE (always written in capital letters) is a different story. This band is much more experimental within their acoustic folk, drawing influences from everything ranging from Nick Drake to Matt Elliot, even fucking Tiger Lilies (which I hate). Just experimental acoustic folk sung by both male and female voices. These two take the whole indie-DIY punk mentality to a different level, and it's not necessarily based on music. On the contrary, they use music in order to transmit images, words and thoughts, like a primitive stream of thought into the minds of the civilized. The music is 'fluid and changing'. So sometimes it's mellow/sweet, some others discomforting, sometimes just plain weird. HUMANWINE needs a fair few listens before anyone can actually say they 'get them', but if it's your thing you should definitely catch on to them as they're a must for primitivist punk ethos!

HUMANWINE: back from the wild side 

So that's all new and different for Rodent Popsicle Records, I know for a fact that there are many out there who dig the anarcho primitive punk style, we got many such fans right here in Greece, so I hope they will discover the wondrous & mysterious punk world of Absinthe Rose and Humanwine. Salute!

Just a Reminder

So it's been sort of quiet here at TYS for a week or so, as I was crazy busy and also out of town with My Turn for a weekend show in Sofia (will report on that laters); but now we're back and I am personally hungry for more hardcore, and definitely ready for action.

This Wednesday we got the "Locals Only" show hosted by WAK, with a bunch of Greek bands playing covering the wider spectrum of hardcore and its musical divisions. So (starting from the way down), we'll warm up the crowd with My Turn , it will be our first ever show here in beloved hometown Athens. We're playing at 9 pm, so if you're coming then come early so you can check us out! We'll blast out our entire brand-new demo plus a couple of covers.

Next up we got Against All Odds, these guys play straight up old school (maybe a little Oi-influenced) hardcore. Hard stuff, no shit indeed. Next band on the bill is Eternal Hated, metalcore kids from Volos with an extra dose of talent and brand new ideas. Melody combined with youthful energy and fucking in your face metal. Finally, personal faves & heavy beatdown champs Eden Demise will groove your freakin head off with their stomping brutal hardcore. 

Yo yo yo so check it out, the show's gonna be a blast, lots of friends are coming, it should turn into a big party and if the turn out is good there will be a DJ set afterwards.

Hungarian Fans Show Sum Love

Talking about dedication....

Here's what the Budapest kids had to offer the bands when the NYC United tour dropped by their country (taken from http://www.facebook.com/madballNYC):

Cake reported not to be vegan

This is great! There are just so many ways to welcome a band and make it feel like more than just another band visiting your town. People, remember: bands will appreciate eating your food.