Senator Flux

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Two years ago I picked up the debut Senator Flux record and I liked it a lot, I tried to casually find other releases as well, but none shows up locally. So I went online I ordered everything except for the last full length, I still need to find that one. I picked up the second and third full length and an EP released around the time of the third LP.

Senator Flux was an American indie rock band active in the late 1980s and early 1990s originating from the Washington D.C./New Haven area, formed by friends including David Levine, Jeff (Geoff) Turner and Tim Goldsmith. They emerged from the post-punk and post-hardcore milieu but developed a distinctive sound that blended melodic, left-of-dial indie pop with folk, garage rock and psychedelic influences and incorporated thoughtful, sometimes philosophical lyrics. Their recorded output included several albums and EPs such as Shotgun for Cosmo, Spectacles, Testicles, Wallet & Watch, The Criminal Special and Storyknife, the latter featuring a conceptual arc and more developed harmonies. Although they never achieved mainstream fame, their music was praised for inventive guitar work, ironic and witty songwriting, and a blend of styles that set them apart from contemporaries, earning them a niche reputation among college-age indie audiences and collectors. Geoff is most famous for the band Gray Matter and the drummer on the second album is Jeff Nelson of Minor Threat.

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God save the gun

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The final new record that could end up on the yearlist is the new Militarie Gun album, it is a slow burner for me. It took me a while to warm up to it, but after a couple of plays, I enjoy it more and more. It is a departure from their previous efforts but they took it into an interesting direction. The songs are slower and longer and the lyrics are less direct but it feels like an Militarie Gun record to me, nice to see this band evolving and using more than hardcore bands as their influence.

Still waiting on a few records that I played a lot this year but that aren’t available on vinyl yet or at least in my neck of the woods.

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Watch It Die

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The new Home Front album is among my favorite records of the year, it is so good. A very natural follow up to their previous album with an amazing mix of punk, post-punk, new wave and synth pop.

Will be posting some more yearlist contenders this week.

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Lungfish

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Lungfish was an American band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1989 and was active until the mid-2000s. The group consisted of Daniel Higgs on vocals, Asa Osborne on guitar, Nathan Bell on bass, and Mitchell Feldstein on drums. Lungfish was closely associated with the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore underground music scene and released most of its recordings through Dischord Records. Their music combined elements of post-hardcore, punk, and experimental rock, characterized by repetitive song structures, steady rhythms, and a restrained, minimalist approach. Daniel Higgs’s lyrics frequently drew on religious, mystical, and philosophical themes, contributing to the band’s distinctive identity. Over the course of their career, Lungfish released more than ten studio albums and remained largely independent and non-commercial, earning critical respect and influence within underground and alternative music circles rather than mainstream popularity.

I picked up three albums, one was released in 1993, one in 1996 and one in 2005, so you get a nice insight in their career listening to these.

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Extince

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Extince is the stage name of Peter Kops, a rapper from Oosterhout, Netherlands, born in 1967. He’s widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Dutch-language hip hop (Nederhop) and an important figure in the development of hip hop in the Netherlands.

These are two singles from the late nineties that have been released on vinyl for the first time in the last few years.

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I want the Moon

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I think this record will make it to my yearlist for sure. Some amazing Peel sessions on a LP. Probably one of the best UK punk bands ever.

The Peel Sessions is an official archival release of three BBC John Peel recording sessions that UK punk band Leatherface recorded live at Maida Vale Studios in the 1990s at the invitation of iconic BBC Radio DJ John Peel. These sessions capture the band’s raw energy and performance quality outside of their studio albums, preserving a legendary era of their early career.

Leatherface, formed in Sunderland, UK in 1988, are widely regarded as one of the most influential punk bands of the 1990s. Their sound combines raw punk intensity with melodic hooks and the distinctive gravelly vocals of frontman Frankie Stubbs. They’ve influenced a wide range of punk and post-hardcore bands globally.

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Mecht Mensch

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This is how you should do an anthology record, they put their heart and soul into it, with an extensive booklet, very nice gatefold sleeve and all their output on a single record but released and unreleased tracks.

Mecht Mensch was an early-1980s hardcore punk band from Madison, Wisconsin, known for a raw, intense sound typical of Midwest U.S. hardcore at the time. They formed in the early ’80s and shared members with another local group, the Tar Babies, releasing a self-titled demo and a split cassette with the Tar Babies before issuing their sole standalone record, the Acceptance 7″ EP in 1983, which was recorded by famous producer Butch Vig. The band also contributed tracks to several influential U.S. hardcore compilations such as Master Tapes 2, We Got Power, Barefoot & Pregnant, Meathouse, and America’s Dairyland, making them a notable part of the underground punk scene at the time.

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Minor damage

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Als Je Haar Maar Goed Zit Volume 2 is a Dutch punk and thrash compilation LP released in 1983 on the independent label Vögelspin Records, following the first volume from 1982. The album brings together 23 fast, raw, and aggressive tracks by a wide range of bands from the Dutch underground punk scene, including groups such as Pandemonium, The Haemorrhoids, Zmiv, The Outlawz, Null-A, The Last Few, Amsterdamned, and BGK. The music ranges from straightforward hardcore punk to more thrash-oriented sounds, all recorded with a strong DIY ethic and an unpolished, energetic feel. Rather than focusing on one band or style, the compilation captures the diversity, intensity, and rebellious spirit of the early 1980s Dutch punk movement, serving as a snapshot of a vibrant and uncompromising underground scene.

The sleeve has seen better days, with a lot of water damage, luckily no mold, the LP plays fine. Maybe someday I can upgrade the sleeve but seeing how much I paid for this copy, I am satisfied, it was super cheap.

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