My Mom came visiting earlier today to help me out with the kids and give me a tiny bit of a breather, allowing me to go run some much-needed errands. During the course of same, I noticed that the Union Square Virgin Megastore had finally given up the ruse and was now fully admitting that the store was soon to close via posters announcing a storewide sale. I popped in to sniff around, although there isn't really anything I'm looking for at the moment (and I still haven't had time to listen to that Jane's Addiction box set, the new Mastodon and that Cure remaster). But who am I to turn my nose up at a sale?
Finding nothing in the racks (even at 20% off the sticker price), I wandered over to a space wherein they usually displayed punk stuff. I noticed a thin gent standing there wearing a vintage t-shirt of my NYC hardcore heroes, Kraut (featuring the cover of their second LP, Whetting the Scythe). "Kraut.... fuckin' nice!," I exclaimed while gesturing to the shirt. I looked up and suddenly realized it was none other than Kraut guitarist Doug Holland himself. Once I spotted this, I practically dropped to my knees ala Wayne Campbell's "We're not worthy" stance (embarrassing Holland in the process). We chatted for a bit. I asked him why their hilariously rude b-side, "Matinee" (as in "I'm fuckin' my girl at the....") was never appended to any of their compact disc collections and only available on a rare Killed By Death compilation. He went onto explain that said track was basically just a Ramones homage and only meant to be a limited thing. He handed me a flyer advertising a show coming up at the Blender theater. Kraut will be playing alongside Reagan Youth, Blanks `77 and a host of others on May 22nd. I'm going to try to be there. So should you. In any case, Doug was totally cool, approachable and an overall good guy. Just for some further historical perspective, it should be noted that after Kraut's first go-`round (wherein they appeared on the classic ROIR compilation New York Thrash, Holland joined the seminal line-up of the Cro-Mags. I only got to see Kraut a few years after that when they reunited at the New Ritz on 54th street, opening up for G.B.H. In any case, they've always been one of my faves of the era.
Here they are from their most celebrated hour, the video for "All Twsited" off their classic debut LP, An Adjustment to Society. I may be wrong, but I believe this was the first hardcore video to ever get any play on the nascent MTV in the early 80s. Gloriously low-budget. Crank it up.
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Krautspotting
My Mom came visiting earlier today to help me out with the kids and give me a tiny bit of a breather, allowing me to go run some much-needed errands. During the course of same, I noticed that the Union Square Virgin Megastore had finally given up the ruse and was now fully admitting that the store was soon to close via posters announcing a storewide sale. I popped in to sniff around, although there isn't really anything I'm looking for at the moment (and I still haven't had time to listen to that Jane's Addiction box set, the new Mastodon and that Cure remaster). But who am I to turn my nose up at a sale?
Finding nothing in the racks (even at 20% off the sticker price), I wandered over to a space wherein they usually displayed punk stuff. I noticed a thin gent standing there wearing a vintage t-shirt of my NYC hardcore heroes, Kraut (featuring the cover of their second LP, Whetting the Scythe). "Kraut.... fuckin' nice!," I exclaimed while gesturing to the shirt. I looked up and suddenly realized it was none other than Kraut guitarist Doug Holland himself. Once I spotted this, I practically dropped to my knees ala Wayne Campbell's "We're not worthy" stance (embarrassing Holland in the process). We chatted for a bit. I asked him why their hilariously rude b-side, "Matinee" (as in "I'm fuckin' my girl at the....") was never appended to any of their compact disc collections and only available on a rare Killed By Death compilation. He went onto explain that said track was basically just a Ramones homage and only meant to be a limited thing. He handed me a flyer advertising a show coming up at the Blender theater. Kraut will be playing alongside Reagan Youth, Blanks `77 and a host of others on May 22nd. I'm going to try to be there. So should you. In any case, Doug was totally cool, approachable and an overall good guy. Just for some further historical perspective, it should be noted that after Kraut's first go-`round (wherein they appeared on the classic ROIR compilation New York Thrash, Holland joined the seminal line-up of the Cro-Mags. I only got to see Kraut a few years after that when they reunited at the New Ritz on 54th street, opening up for G.B.H. In any case, they've always been one of my faves of the era.
Here they are from their most celebrated hour, the video for "All Twsited" off their classic debut LP, An Adjustment to Society. I may be wrong, but I believe this was the first hardcore video to ever get any play on the nascent MTV in the early 80s. Gloriously low-budget. Crank it up.
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