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Known for their rich storytelling, witty lyricism and nostalgia, The Grief Brothers have been creating music together for decades. Telling tales from the Swansea valleys via a mix of indie, folk and country, this album has only previously been released on CD. The long-awaited vinyl edition is pressed on Steel Grey vinyl.

Sluta Leta first emerged in the mid-1990s with a series of EPs on legendary labels such as Mego (Fan Club, 1995), Uptight (Space Is The Place, 1996), Cheap Records (Lisa 94, 1998) and Chocolate Industries (…If You Like Champagne On Ice?, 1999). After the release of Sluta Leta's debut album “Semi Peterson” on Mego in 2003, the group somehow got lost in Second Life. Having missed a good decade and a half but not a beat, Sluta Leta unexpectedly reappeared in 2020 with a new album – “Entrée Contrôle” produced by Andi Pieper and Ramon Bauer with a little help from Gerhard Potuznik – released on famersmanual’s generate and test label.
Almost 30 years after their first release on Cheap Records (Lisa 94 in 1998), Sluta Leta returns to the Viennese cult label with their new album “Drift Dekoder”. Andi Pieper and Ramon Bauer have once again teamed up with Gerhard Potuznik to produce some crispy new songs that are bound to set the tone for the second half of the 2020s and beyond. On “Drift Dekoder”, the inherently artificial and somewhat otherworldly atmosphere of Sluta Leta’s songs is enhanced by the participation of several brilliant collaborators: vocals by Gerhard Potuznik on “Moment Eternal” and a duet with Luise Nehl on “Past In Reverse”, drums by ddKern (Past in Reverse, Björn i Fårkläder and Rymdpatrul), keys by Philipp Quehenberger (Björn i Fårkläder) as well as vocal contributions from various previous band members – Jonas Bergkvist (Tidsflayer), Bengt Liljstad (First Order) and Yngwie Moskowich (Driftstopp). A particularly noteworthy highlight of the album is the mix of “Tidsflayer” by Finlay Shakespeare.
Stop looking, start grooving! Written and produced by Andi Pieper and Ramon Bauer.
Lyrics and vocals on “Past In Reverse” and “Moment Eternal” by Gerhard Potuznik. “Tidsflayer (Finlay Shakespeare Mix)” mixed and produced by Finlay Shakespeare.

Originally issued in 2002, from the band formed by UFO vocalist Phil Mogg with guitarist Jeff Kollman (Cosmosquad/Mogg/Way), drummer Shane Gaalaas (Glenn Hughes/Uli Jon Roth) and bass player Jimmy Curtain, soon after the release of UFO studio album Sharks. Sparkling with melody, this album combines guitar-based rock and soulful blues perfectly.

Hot Creations new Vinyl Sampler featuring four of the Hottest recent release on Hot Creations.

The A Side features Kolter’s superb slice of old school House, ‘Red Alert’ a stomping powerhouse of a trackk, delivering relentless grooves and serious intensity. The A Side also features and Jamie Jones’s hugely popular rework of ‘XTC by HoneyLuv & Mason Maynard, a head bobbing hypnotic groover an exemplary, underground dubby take on the Original, intertwining layered effects and hypnotic atmospherics for the ultimate dancefloor weapon.

On the flip we have Lauren Lane’s monstrous Ryde Or Die Anthem, a inspired rework of DMX - Ruff Ryder's Anthem, a robust house cut that weaves hypnotic guitar strums, driving beats, and a mix of rolling low-ends and rapped vocals, coming together for a tripped-out ride with a deep bass and playful groove. Finally, we have Carloh’s ‘Quisiera Tenerte’ is a magnetic dancefloor filler, pulsing with a lively Latin groove and dripped in resonant basslines groove-led percussion, and hooky as hell vocal’s.

Hot Creations latest Vinyl Sampler featuring four of the Hottest recent release on Hot Creations.

Fresh off his Paradise debut with ‘Way U Move’ alongside Jamie G, Manchester’s Goosey steps up solo on Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations with ‘Funky Shit’ featuring Dope Earth Alien, with wobbly subbass
pulses and Dope Earth Alien’s catchy vocals, sweeping you into a full-body groove!

Murphy’s Law return to Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations, joined by label debutant Sam Curran and Harry Unsworth,on the collaborative banger, ‘Proper Whopper’. ‘Proper Whopper’ brings booming low-end that demand attention while soaring sirens and charismatic vocals build the track’s energy and pave the way for a thundering bassline to command dancefloors.

London-based DJ/producer Sidney Charles is back on Hot Creations with ‘Disco Bumping,’ a slick House cut that blends Aleya Mae’s lush vocals with Sidney’s warping sonic textures and immersive synth work.

Brazilian nocapz delivers the huge anthem ‘Getting Heard’, driving forward with quick, bouncy
beats and heavy synths that build a wave of intensity to the dancefloor.

Junun is the debut collaborative album by composer Shye Ben Tzur, Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, and the Indian ensemble the Rajasthan Express. Originally released in November 2015, the album was recorded in a makeshift studio within the 15th-century Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India. Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich worked on the album, creating a 2LP/CD release. World Circuit is set to reissue Junun on 16th January 2026, marking the album's 10th anniversary. This special edition will be available as a 2LP Gatefold Yellow & Orange Marble vinyl and a CD digisleeve. The album features Ben Tzur's compositions, which incorporate devotional Sufi qawwal musicians singing in Urdu and Hebrew. Greenwood contributed guitar, bass, keyboards, ondes Martenot, and programming, aiming to use chords sparingly and instead focusing on North Indian ragas. The recording process sought to capture the ""roughness"" of Indian music, avoiding the high fidelity often found in world music recordings. The making of Junun was also documented by acclaimed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, offering an intimate look at the creative process and vibrant daily life during the album’s production. His film, also titled Junun, debuted at the New York Film Festival in October 2015. Junun (an alternate spelling of ""junoon,"" meaning ""mania"" or ""the madness of love"") received widespread critical acclaim—including Album of the Year honors from The Sunday Times, who called it “one of the most inspired releases of the year” and “intriguing, sinuous, and essential listening”. The group also supported Radiohead's 2018 Moon Shaped Pool tour, performing under the name Junun.

Following our first LP of Tom Jones’s finest soulful performances on the radio, “Soul Man”, we present a second album of soul songs that we think he should have released but never did. This time we concentrate on his TV performances, the bulk of which come from 1969 and reflect his personal preference for covering Stax, Atlantic and Motown material. So put aside your preconceptions if you have any and listen to his collaborations with Aretha, Smokey, Janis, Cher, Dusty and don’t forget that Wicked Wicked Pickett. With a tight, funky band led by Herbie Flowers, this is Big Band Soul at its very best.

Rough Trade Records freut sich, das fantastische Debütalbum von Tyler Ballgame ankündigen zu dürfen: For the First Time, Again erscheint am 30. Januar 2026. Mit zwölf Songs, die zwischen Classic Rock, Indie und Americana oszillieren - Ballgame zeigt, wie große Stimmen und starke Melodien Herzen bewegen und Horizonte öffnen können. Die erste Single I Believe in Love, eine hymnische Mischung aus Lennon und Orbison, ist ab sofort mit Video erhältlich - gefilmt von engen Freunden in Ballgames WG. Entstanden am Küchentisch und inspiriert vom Rat seines Produzenten Jonathan Rado ("Schreib den größten Song der Welt"), wurde daraus eine Ode an die Liebe selbst - und an die Narren, die sie macht. Produziert von Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus) und Ryan Pollie (Los Angeles Police Department), bringt das Album analoge Wärme, akustische Energie und üppige Harmonien zurück - mit Unterstützung von Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) am Schlagzeug und Wayne Whitaker am Bass. Ballgames Weg hierhin war alles andere als geradlinig: Vom Kellergeschoss in New England über Coverband-Auftritte in Rhode Island bis hin zum mutigen Neustart in Los Angeles. Offenheit, Risiko und der Glaube an sich selbst prägen seine Songs - und werden live zur großen Bühne.

Rough Trade Records freut sich, das fantastische Debütalbum von Tyler Ballgame ankündigen zu dürfen: For the First Time, Again erscheint am 30. Januar 2026. Mit zwölf Songs, die zwischen Classic Rock, Indie und Americana oszillieren - Ballgame zeigt, wie große Stimmen und starke Melodien Herzen bewegen und Horizonte öffnen können. Die erste Single I Believe in Love, eine hymnische Mischung aus Lennon und Orbison, ist ab sofort mit Video erhältlich - gefilmt von engen Freunden in Ballgames WG. Entstanden am Küchentisch und inspiriert vom Rat seines Produzenten Jonathan Rado ("Schreib den größten Song der Welt"), wurde daraus eine Ode an die Liebe selbst - und an die Narren, die sie macht. Produziert von Jonathan Rado (Foxygen, Weyes Blood, Miley Cyrus) und Ryan Pollie (Los Angeles Police Department), bringt das Album analoge Wärme, akustische Energie und üppige Harmonien zurück - mit Unterstützung von Amy Aileen Wood (Fiona Apple) am Schlagzeug und Wayne Whitaker am Bass. Ballgames Weg hierhin war alles andere als geradlinig: Vom Kellergeschoss in New England über Coverband-Auftritte in Rhode Island bis hin zum mutigen Neustart in Los Angeles. Offenheit, Risiko und der Glaube an sich selbst prägen seine Songs - und werden live zur großen Bühne.

Noctourniquet And then everything went black, at least for a while, at least for The Mars Volta. In the months and years following their fifth full-length, Octahedron, Omar kept on at his usual fearsome creative pace. In fact, he ramped up his output considerably, starting up his own Rodriguez Lopez Productions label and releasing a slew of solo albums. It was a practice he’d begun shortly after De-Loused’s release, with his solo debut A Manual Dexterity: Soundtrack Volume One, but as the decade reached its close, Omar grew to rely upon his solo recordings as an outlet for his prolific creativity, these albums often exploring musical pastures far beyond even The Mars Volta’s wide-ranging parameters. Before choosing to release music under his own name, Omar would always play it to Cedric first, to see if the frontman thought it had potential to become Mars Volta music. Shortly after Octahedron’s completion, Cedric flagged one batch of tracks Omar had cut with Deantoni Parks, a brilliant drummer and composer who’d briefly occupied the Mars Volta drumstool in-between Jon Theodore and Thomas Pridgen’s tenures, and whose volcanic creativity and unique, unpredictable approach to rhythm and composition had quickly made him one of Omar’s favourite artistic foils.

As with the music that made up Octahedron, the new tracks Cedric had optioned for The Mars Volta often veered far from the riotous, Grand Guignol visions of their earlier releases. It possessed the punchy, song-based focus of Octahedron, though this was a considerably darker, more menacing strain of pop, with synthesisers figuring heavily in the productions. Cedric took the tracks in 2009 and set about writing songs to the music. But no more new Mars Volta music would be heard until 2012. The years that passed in-between were nonetheless momentous, and busy, witnessing an unexpected reunion of the members of At The Drive-In, and Cedric joining his own side-project, Anywhere. But there wasn’t any sign of life within the Mars Volta until Omar, Cedric and their bandmates took to the road for a series of live shows in the spring of 2011, billed as The Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group, debuting the songs that would become Noctourniquet. The album followed the next year, and it remains one of The Mars Volta’s finest, its electronic textures staking out unfamiliar but fertile new ground.

An unsettling, subtly turbulent listen, Noctourniquet found Cedric sketching out a story about “some sort of device that stops the darkness from bleeding”, drawing influence variously from the nursery rhyme Solomon Grundy, the Greek myth of Hyacinthus and the song Birth, School, Work, Death by British underground rockers The Godfathers. It was an album of dystopian futurism, signalled by the paranoid cyber-rock of opener The Whip Hand and its unnerving chorus, “That’s when I disconnect from you”. But it was also an album of inspired, unexpected moves and uncanny invention, like how Dyslexicon seemed to eerily evoke Blondie’s Rapture, before rushing headlong into its bruising chorus, tempos shifting restlessly throughout like quaking earth beneath the listener’s feet, or how Aegis put a brave new spin on The Mars Volta’s trademark rewiring of salsa’s overdriven passions, or how Cedric had never sounded as scary as he did on The Malkin Jewel’s mutant burlesque shuffle. Tracks like Molochwalker were sleek and concise in a way The Mars Volta had never really attempted before – which was all part of Omar’s plan.

“It had all been guitar, guitar, guitar, overdubs, everything fighting for space in the same frequency,” he explains. “So for Noctourniquet, it was all about subtracting elements, of sticking to how I made demos.” Deantoni’s presence helped revivify the group, playing against cliché and expectation, and taking each song in unexpected directions. “I’d beatbox a rhythm for him to play, to go with my guitar part, and he’d come back with three or four alternate options. It was so great.” Similarly, Cedric had never sung better than on Noctourniquet, staking out a fearsome spectrum from the chilling Tom Waitsian growl of The Malkin Jewel to the keening, beautiful vocalisation on Vedamalady, rising to match some of Omar’s most deft, most immediately effective and melodic songs yet. Indeed, Noctourniquet is the sound of a band discovering new ways to do familiar things, renewing their commitment to their mission, finding fresh inspiration a decade in, and shaking off any complacency that might have come with ten years of acclaim and success.

Voivod wurde 1982 in Jonquière, Quebec, von Sänger Denis „Snake“ Belanger, Gitarrist Denis „Piggy“ D'Amour, Bassist Jean-Yves „Blacky“ Thériault und Schlagzeuger Michael „Away“ Langevin gegründet und nahm eine Reihe von Demos auf, bevor Brian Slagel auf die Band aufmerksam wurde und einen Vertrag mit Metal Blade Records unterzeichnete. Das Ergebnis war das furiose Debütalbum „War And Pain“, das im August 1984 veröffentlicht wurde. Zu dieser Zeit teilten sich alle vier Mitglieder eine Wohnung in Montreal und lebten von 150 Dollar Sozialhilfe pro Woche. Da sie die Schule bereits hinter sich hatten, konnten sie fast jeden Tag proben, was zur Entstehung ihres zweiten Albums „Rrröööaaarrr“ führte. Während der Aufnahme des Albums wurde fast die gesamte Ausrüstung aus dem Proberaum gestohlen. Um Geld aufzutreiben, organisierte die Band zusammen mit ihrem Manager Maurice Richard das legendäre „World War III“-Festival. Dort lernten sie Karl-Ulrich Walterbach kennen, der Voivod davon überzeugte, bei seinem Label Noise Records zu unterschreiben. Nach „Rrröööaaarrr“ von 1986 hieß Voivods zweites Album für Noise „Killing Technology“ und gilt weithin als der größte kreative und klangliche Sprung der Band. Es wurde in West-Berlin unter den wachsamen Augen von Harris Johns aufgenommen und kam 1987 auf den Markt. Weniger hektische Kompositionen wie „Tornado“, „Ravenous Medicine“ oder „Killing Technology“ hoben die Kanadier schnell von ihren Thrash-Zeitgenossen ab. „Rrröööaaarrr„ haben wir mit unserem Tontechniker in einer heruntergekommenen Schule ohne Geld selbst produziert“, erklärt Michael Langevin in dem Buch „Damn The Machine. The Story Of Noise Records“ des amerikanischen Autors David E. Gehlke. „Plötzlich hatten wir ein professionelles Umfeld, ein richtiges Studio mit einem richtigen Produzenten und ein Label, das die Finanzierung sicherstellte. Es ging Schritt für Schritt. Für „Killing Technology“ haben wir vielleicht ein bisschen langsamer gemacht. Wir konnten die Rollen spielen, und es hat viel Abwechslung. Es ist mein Lieblingsalbum und in meinen Ohren die perfekte Mischung aus Thrash, Prog und Hardcore. Es ist definitiv ein entscheidendes Album.“

British singer-songwriter Lucy Kitt unveils her highly anticipated second album, Telling Me, a deeply personal collection that shifts focus from introspection to storytelling, capturing the lives and struggles of those closest to her. Drawing from her love of 70’s Laurel Canyon folk, 90’s indie rock, and country music, Kitt crafts narratives that blend her own experiences with compassionate observations of loved ones. Based on a raw acoustic “three chords and the truth” style of songwriting that ripples throughout, the album expands with full-band arrangements that give a huge range and richness to the sound.

Though influenced by American musical traditions, the Essex-native maintains her distinctive voice and authenticity, ensuring the music remains unmistakably her own. Following her 2018 debut Stand By, this new record represents a more mature approach to songwriting, written during her early 30s and completed in the 2021 lockdown – a storybook of songs capturing that moment in time.

Musically, Telling Me showcases Kitt's stripped-down acoustic foundations, while incorporating fuller arrangements that blend her love of Nick Drake, Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, with music she loved as a teenager such as The Lemonheads and Veruca Salt. The album features collaborations with an impressive roster of musicians, including Jay Starkey on drums, Nashville-based pedal steel virtuoso Spencer Cullum, Treetop Flyer’s Sam Beer and longtime collaborator Pat Kenneally on drums and piano.

Recorded between 2021-2023 at London's Lightship 95 studio at Trinity Buoy Wharf, the album was co-produced and engineered by Dave Holmes, with some musicians contributing remotely from Nashville and London.

Kitt's commitment to authenticity extends to every aspect of the album, from the down-to-earth, home-based album artwork which represents her life right now as a musician and a working mum, with all the wonderful chaos that comes along with it. Also her decision to maintain her natural accent throughout her vocals. "I have always retained my authentic self in my songs," she explains. "Always singing with my own accent, despite the influences of all the bands and artists over the years."

Kitt has been songwriting and performing for over 20 years, starting in a riot grrl band in her teens in her hometown of Romford, Essex, before evolving into the thoughtful folk storyteller she is today. A semi-finalist at the BBC Young Folk Awards in the early 2000s, she has performed at major festivals including Glastonbury and Cambridge Folk Festival, building a reputation for intimate, lyrically-focused performances.

Telling Me is a resplendent collection of songs, capturing the human experience with great empathy, honesty and musical sophistication that has become Lucy Kitt's signature.

“’Death & Connection’ is a body of work born from the absence of the people who no longer hold space in our lives”, comments the band. “This record was created from a necessity to express and soothe our deepest losses; however, that was never the intention — we simply set out to make an album we wanted to hear.” With “Death & Connection”, Shields invite the audience to experience the next evolution of their sound – mature, refined and fearless. Throughout the band’s career Shields toured with bands such as Ice Nine Kills, Born Of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, Veil Of Maya, Escape the Fate or Loathe.

Waking Up the new album from Annabelle Chairlegs - produced by Ty Segall

With roots in the industrial heartland of New Jersey. Annabelle Chairleg's music fuses gritty, dark, mechanical textures with a playful and whimsical spirit. The band has shared bills with The Zombies, Lucy Dacus and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, while lighting up festivals including Austin City Limits, SXSW, Levitation, and Austin Psych Fest.
On her newest release, Waking Up, lead singer Lindsey Mackin is joined by Nick Cornetti on drums and Derek Strahan on bass. Produced and recorded by Ty Segall in his home studio in Topanga, CA- this marks Chairlegs’ third full-length album— a bold new chapter for the Austin mainstay.
To Note: This vinyl has two vinyl exclusive tracks 'I Feel So Mad' and 'Beef Witted' which will not be available in streaming services upon release

First-ever vinyl edition of Magic Castles' 2014 cult album The Lore Of Mysticore. A hypnotic blend of shimmering psych pop, hazy drones, and kaleidoscopic guitar textures, this record captures the Minneapolis band at the height of their creative powers. Originally released in 2014, The Lore Of Mysticore stands as one of the most compelling documents of the contemporary psychedelic underground. Minneapolis-based Magic Castles craft a hypnotic and immersive sound that blends shimmering psych-pop, hazy drones, and kaleidoscopic guitar textures into expansive, sun-drenched songs. This first-ever vinyl edition brings the band's beloved debut album to wax for the very first time, offering fans a chance to experience its swirling, cinematic beauty in a format that truly does it justice. Essential listening for fans of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Asteroid #4 and Spacemen 3

The musical legacy of a night that will live on for years - Fermin Muguruza's 40th anniversary roar! Under the title "Akelarre Antifascista" (which literal translation would be "Anti-Fascist Witches' Coven", but loosely translated as Anti-Fascist Celebration), in a reference to the legendary Akelarre, a wild gathering of Basque witches, this album distils all the intensity, sweat and collective excitement of a night when thousands of voices joined together to celebrate not just a career, but a way of seeing art as resistance. On 15th February 2025, Madrid saw more than just a concert: it was a collective ritual, an anti-fascist demonstration in which thousands of voices came together as one to emphasize the tenacity of a voice that never surrendered. Four decades after lighting the fuse of combative rock in Euskal Herria, the Basque Country, Fermin Muguruza chose the capital of Spain, a city that closed its doors to him so many times and that he has described as "the heart of the beast", to make the definitive record of his 40th anniversary tour. The result is "Akelarre Antifascista", a live album that distils the history of a musical and political resistance that has spanned generations, languages and frontiers. The concert, sold out with 15,000 people, was an explosion of energy, memory and future. Right from the first chord, the Sports Palace of Madrid became an open setting, a free territory where bodies, rhythms, languages and flags mixed freely. Triple 180gr vinyl LP in trifold sleeve.

36 Jahre nach dem Fall der Mauer, präsentieren Dirk Zöllner (Die Zöllner) und Manuel Schmid (Stern-Combo Meißen) die schönsten Balladen aus dem
Land vor unserer Zeit. Keine Nostalgie Show, sondern Pflege eines hochwertigen Kulturerbes. Ein opulentes klangliches Erlebnis mit zwei Sängern,
zwei Klavieren, Saxophon, Gitarre. Lieder von Lift, Karat, Biege, Bartzsch, Bicking und Lakomy. Sänger und Pianist Manuel Schmid sorgt auch mit
eigenen Alben in der deutschsprachigen Musikszene für Aufsehen und hat 2024 mit der EP „Die Himmelsscheibe von Nebra“ die Stern-Combo Meißen
wieder in aller Munde gebracht. Saxophonist Marek Arnold ist in der internationalen Progressive-Rock Szene längst eine feste Größe und hat
gemeinsame Alben mit Steve Hackett (GENESIS), Jon Anderson (YES) oder Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) veröffentlicht. Das vorliegende
Konzertmitschnitt wurde von ihm bearbeitet und gemixt. Sänger Dirk Zöllner und der Pianist André Gensicke arbeiten seit November 1987 zusammen
und gründeten im Juni 1988 ihre Bigband „Die Zöllner“. Sechzehn Alben erschienen in den vergangenen 35 Jahren. Zöllner veröffentlichte außerdem
vier Bücher und engagiert sich als Kolumnist der „Freien Presse“ für einen friedvollen gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt. Das Raue und das Weiche,
das Improvisierte und das Klare – schon mehrfach kam es zur Symbiose der sehr unterschiedlichen Stimmen von Dirk Zöllner und Manuel Schmid. In
Zeiten von Corona veröffentlichten die beiden ein Wohnzimmerkonzert mit besagtem Liedgut. 2024 wurde die Symbiose nun live erlebbar und als
Mitschnittfestgehalten.

*13 ripping songs totalling 33 minutes from the original 20-song 65 minute master reel tapes, recorded in early February 1978 for producers Flo & Eddie, the night before DMZ (the raw-assed pre-Lyres outfit that never made it!) spent 3 days trapped by a blizzard recording their Sire album. **4 page insert with info, pics and Rick Coraccio's ultra-detailed journal on how it all went down! ***LP includes DOWNLOAD CODE Kapital Ink zine: "In the annals of R&R history, as far as local American rock'n'roll scenes go, Boston is hardly ever looked upon in the same shining light as, say, NY, Detroit, San Francisco or even Austin or Seattle. Unlike those other towns, there's never even been a definitive book about the scene. Maybe it's because Boston is a perennial hard-luck place (just witness the Red Sox) with a serious New York inferiority complex hanging over its head. Boston is ignored by the industry at large, despite the fact that the city has spawned countless heavyweights in both a commercial (Aerosmith, Boston, the Cars) and aesthetic (Modern Lovers, Real Kids, Mission Of Burma) (Crypt editor note: and DMZ!! and LYRES!!) sense. Boston was the first US city to directly reflect the influence of the Velvet Underground, as epitomized by the Modern Lovers, who've proven to be almost as influential in their own right. Fast forward to the days of hardcore, and Boston was one of the pre-eminent strongholds of shave-head mania, shoring up its rep as an angry, intolerant New England outpost. Naturally the town has produced more than its share of local legends: Willie Alexander (who actually was in the Velvet Underground, albeit when the band was on its Lou Reed-less last legs); Jonathan Richman (geekus supremus no small thing considering the subsequent indie hordes, to whom he's a savior); and most of all, the great Real Kids, (Crypt editor note: and DMZ!! and LYRES!!) who could've been the equivalent of the MC5, Stooges or Flamin' Groovies in the annals of American rock if it hadn't been for a series of bad breaks but let's not get into that because it'll only reinforce Boston's eternal self-pitying plight. The fact is, the scene in Boston was more or less built by a string of bands who are so organically-interconnected that it seems like an act of God."