Sunday, June 14, 2015

OSTIA PUTA - Un Cuento Particular / La Caja Tonta


Sometimes when I spot a record I've never seen before, my gut says "buy it." As long as the price is low, of course. I came across this single on my first day of record shopping in Barcelona last fall and my gut ordered me to pick it up. Turned out to be a pretty good find thanks to some nice singalong choruses and the urgent and snotty a-side. Maybe comparable to other Spanish bands like LA POLLA RECORDS, especially in the more light-hearted sounding moments. Don't know what to make of the cover other than they must not have taken themselves too seriously. 


Friday, June 12, 2015

BRZYTWA OJCA LP


Reviewing records at MAXIMUM ROCKNROLL has it perks. Sometimes I get stuck reviewing awful and soulless modern clone bands with a mere penchant for regurgitating aesthetics. Sometimes it's a long lost demo limited to 30 that no one cared about then, and frankly no one should care about now either. Other times I get assigned reissues of brilliant but little known bands such as BRZYTWA OJCA. Just when I think I've collected up all of the best Polish hardcore there ever was from the 80s, I'm reminded that I don't know it all. These guys formed in 1984 and this recording is from their 1988 tape. Liner notes explain they shared the stage with the likes of DEZERTER, THE CORPSE, ARMIA, KSU, NADZOR, etc... Their sound is bouncy and urgent punk very much in the tradition of their aforementioned contemporaries. Being introduced to bands like this is definitely a huge upside and privilege to being on the MRR reviewer team, but the downside of that is many times foreign submitters can't afford to include a copy for the reviewer (I  get assigned a lot of the Eastern Euro stuff). Luckily I made it to Poland last fall and kept a keen eye out for this reissue, and thankfully it wasn't too hard to find. Recommended for fans of Polish (or just good) punk!