Blue Train

 Kicking into the end of the year and I’m trying to get some posts in before things get too crazy over the Christmas period. 

John Coltrane - Blue Train • The Complete Masters - Blue Note 

A damn ass JAZZ record. And one of the best really. I’m still dipping my toe in to the whole jazz thing but I enjoy everything I hear from Coltrane. This record came out a couple months back and I cracked pretty early on adding it to the collection. 

Hype sticker on the sleeve - basically tells you what you’re getting. An incredible sounding record with some new to vinyl stuff, a nice essay on the record and some unseen photographs that capture the recording process. 

The records are house in a thick gatefold sleeve with the liner notes in a centre book. This is one of the highest quality records I’ve bought in years. From the jacket, to the liner notes to the quality of the pressing itself - this thing is so impressive to look at and listen to. If you’re even remotely curious about jazz, I’m sure any of the Tone Poet series will help you fall in love with the genre. 

The back cover is the standard layout of many Blue Note releases of the era. I love seeing this busy format and it definitely brings out a fun nostalgia of those early years of digging. 

I’m sure we’ll be back to regular stuff soon. Or maybe you’ll get a Charli XCX record next. Who knows?

God’s Country

 As we get into the end of the year, I’m starting to consider what albums are going to end up on my AOTY list. Without any doubt the latest LP from Chat Pile is ranking high in the running. 

Chat Pile - God’s Country - The Flenser - 1st Pressing - Transparent Orange /700 

This record is currently up for pre order for the 5th pressing which is likely just about sold out by now, with a new cassette only release on the way. All things considered I’m lucky to have found this when I did for retail. There was also a preorder limited cover with alternative ‘Pamela Voorhees’ artwork - the same image has also been used on a run of merch. I’d love that record too but at this rate I’m definitely considering the hoodie option. 

The photography was handled by the band from what I can gather, and all the scenes are local to home for them. The music matches the environment perfectly and so does the lyrical content. This release is pretty much perfect for The Flenser - it’s dark and weird with a habit of really sucking you in. I’m into it, but I remember a period of having to put it down because it was getting to me a little bit (listen to ‘I Don’t Care if I Burn’ I’d you don’t know what I’m getting at’). 

I scored this record from Wanna Hear It (via mailorder) which is run by Joey Cahill from 6131 records. It’s the 3rd of 4th time I’ve ordered from him and he’s always sound. 

Koyo on Blue

A weird but fun little one for a gloomy Monday morning. Over the last couple of years, Koyo have been steadily building hype and releasing an incredible trio of EP’s. Their debut EP was released overseas as a 7” via Life and Death Brigade; but picked up by The Coming Strife in the UK as a 10”. There was a bunch of variants for this one (including a sick Taking Back Sunday rip PO cover) but this one is the rarest excluding the test press. 

Koyo - Painting Words Into Lines - The Coming Strife Records - 1st Press - Blue Suede Shoes with Misprint Labels /30

The labels are printed to state the record plays at 33RPM but it plays at 45RPM - so they were released in a limited quarter fold cover exclusive to this mispress. I’m not entirely sure how these were released as I picked it up after the fact from a buddy. 

Here you can see the quarter fold cover and the incorrect labels. Koyo are pretty notorious for weird limited run covers and tour exclusive stuff. The ‘Koyo Fucked Your Bitch’ and Brand New rip cover of Drives Out East are big wants for me - but all good things in time I guess. Anyway, if you like Long Island early 2000’s core then this band are for you. 

NO PRESSURE

 A band that has gained a whole lot of hype in the last couple of years is No Pressure. A 7”, a couple of promo tapes and they landed the release of their debut LP on Triple B Records. For those that don’t know, this is Parker from The Story So Far’s other band. 

This pressing however isn’t the Triple B run, and came out on a Polish label called Ratel records. In 2020, Ratel also put out the debut No Pressure 7”. This pressing is on Green Transparent and is limited to 300. It also plays at 45 RPM and sounds pretty unreal. It turned up just before the Triple B pressing too and is already fetching some predictably over the odds prices on resale. 

The release comes with a double sided insert containing all the lyrics and some fun Live Photos. Discogs states it came with a sticker too but mine doesn’t. 

I didn’t pick this up on its release, and nearly missed the boat entirely just like I did the 7”; but a quick message to the Ratel Instagram and a copy was safely on the way. Also, its been fun to do a post on something a little bigger than a cassette. A couple hours of good weather meant I got some photos that didn’t look like they were taken on a BT Cellnet. 

Rouge Carpet Disaster

 Yep, this is a post on a vinyl blog about a CD. But it’s pretty fun, and aesthetically it’s got some real nostalgia to it. 

Static Dress - Rouge Carpet Disaster - Self Released /100 

This was sold at the Static Dress headline show at The Underworld 30-08-22. Remaining copies went out on their big cartel after the show and sold pretty fast. The PS1 rip artwork is different to the standard release but honestly I prefer this. I liked it enough to buy it on CD, which I’m pretty sure is the only one I’ve picked up in a few years. 

Static Dress have made a bit of a habit of releasing small runs of releases on weird formats - from rave case style cassettes and comic books to USB sticks to VHS tapes. Chasing fun releases like this has way more appeal to me recently than buying new release records. Between shitty quality control and waiting 10 months for a record to turn up, I’m just not as enthusiastic for some stuff as I once was. 

 

Halloween at the Metro

 I hadn’t got around to posting this yet, but this is a true grail that I’m beyond lucky to own. The story behind how it came in to my hands is simple; a pal was selling some records at a decent price and I was happy to buy it. I hadn’t spent £100+ on a 7” in a while, if ever - so I pondered it for a minute. But only for a minute. 

Alkaline Trio - Halloween - Asian Man Records - First Press - Orange /3000

I think the story of this one is pretty common lore by now. Alkaline Trio plays a couple of shows at the Metro in Chicago over Halloween a good couple of decades ago. They give this 7” away at the shows, and it has two Misfits covers on it. The cover art is a rip of an old Misfits promo photo, and the back cover has the famous Halloween 7” pumpkin logo. The remaining copies of this 7” were given to Blood Pact members and as far as I’m aware no copies were ever sold by Asian Man or Trio directly. 

For Fiend Club Members Only is a nice touch on the centre label. The version of Halloween on this 7” is perfect, haunting and gives the song a whole new life. Having it physically feels really special. Some Trio fans aren’t into the songs here at all, but this is a match made in purgatory for me. Plus it’s unlikely I’ll be buying any OG Misfits 7”’s anytime soon. 

I ended up with number 0013/3000 which lets be honest is the best damn number you could hope to have for this record. The ticket stub has a little story too. 

The 7” is signed by all 3 members of Trio at the Manchester date that my friend attended. He took the record along and got it signed, and kept the ticket stub in the sleeve. There was a Blood Pact patch in there too, but I passed it to a friend who is a HUGE trio fan (she was in the Blood Pact but sadly never got the patch she was promised, so I felt it was better off with her). She semi recently gave me an Alkaline Trio grail too that I’ll get around to posting. 

So here’s some last little bits of dumb trivia:

•Some copies that were sent through the Blood Pact were not numbered, leading to the assumption that more than 3000 were pressed. 

•Heather Gabel is the person creeping in the coffin on the cover. 

•There was a long standing rumour that Mike Park was going to repress this 7” on Halloween, but it’s never happened. 

•The label designation is AMR97 - which lines up with the Trio song that finished out the Halloween sets at the Metro. The live DVD of those shows is fantastic and I watch it every year when I wrap Christmas presents. 

Final Gasp on cassette

 I assume that everyone has heard everything nowadays and I’m not really introducing anyone to much. But on the off chance you haven’t heard Final Gasp then let’s get into it! 

Final Gasp are from Boston, Mass and although it’s a lazy comparison - Samhain worship springs to mind. Their live shows look fun as hell - lots of great merch and fake blood. 

Here are 3 of the 4 cassettes from this band - variants excluded. There’s also a 12” of the Baptism of Desire EP and another 12” on Triple B. I’m working on chasing it up trust me! There’s a record release of the Triple B EP ‘Final Gasp’ with a limited cover that rips the Halloween 3: Season of the Witch art, and I’m a sucker for that film. 

Final Gasp - Baptism of Desire - Helter Skelter Productions - Green /100

This was previously released by Primitive Propaganda on cassette and sold out - but Helter Skelter (now Regain) reissued it on cassette (and vinyl with 3 different cover variations). They also released a live VHS tape I’m really tempted to pick up. 

Final Gasp - Live at Ralph’s Diner - Kierrepotku Records - 1st Press /50 

A live soundboard recording of Final Gasp from October 2020 and the recording I return to most often. This has a full J-Card with lyrics inside but taking even a half decent photo just didn’t happen. 

Finally - we have Fine Live For A Murder - a bootleg of sorts. Kierrepotku also released this but it’s marketed as a boot, and is another soundboard recording from an August 2021show. The setlist is the same as the other cassette, but there are only 13 copies of this out in the world. 

This cassette comes in its own custom mailer with a hand screened patch and button. 

 

Live At Ralph’s Diner plays on one side, but on this recording the setlist is split into two halves. I assume the label had a few spare C20’s and fancied having some fun. For such a limited release this thing has some real DIY love put into it. 

That’s it for now folks, but I’ll keep buying Final Gasp stuff and I’ll post anything fun I find! Their new cassette has a Husker Du cover too, which is a fun left turn. I’m going to continue the spooky theme with my next post. It’s not an OG copy of a Misfits 7” or anything, but still quite fun.