SLHC MUSIC ARCHIVE: THE LAZARUS PROJECT - THERE IS NO CURE

(*We missed the SLHC Archive post again yesterday. Sorry*)

Just about the time that Clear and Triphammer were ending their runs at the top of the Salt Lake Hardcore scene and before bands like 78 Days After Death or Compilate began turning heads, The Lazarus Project sat alone as the best-known band in Salt Lake.

Made up of prior members of both Climb and the aforementioned Triphammer, their shows were the stuff that late-90s hardcore shows were known for—chaos, excitement and a whole lot of fun (the most memorable was probably at the American Fork VFW with Clear and Undying, which if anyone has video of that, we'd love to see).

They were poised to be the next big thing out of Salt Lake when the All Shall Be Infected demo started making the rounds. They played a number of west coast shows and eventually released an 8-song EP for Breakout Records called There Is No Cure. It was a well received batch of songs that were the epitome of the bruising sound Salt Lake had become known for throughout the 90s.

The band broke up shortly after its release and never quite lived up to the promise they showed—which is, sadly, the case for most bands from this city.

The Lazarus Project - There Is No Cure

SLHC MUSIC ARCHIVE: FROM THE MEAN STREETS COMPILATION

*We didn't really have a chance to post anything yesterday, so we're starting off the day with the Salt Lake Hardcore Archive download and we'll end with an Essential Listening later tonight.*

The From the Mean Streets Compilation was released in December 2003 and acts as a snapshot into what the Salt Lake City Hardcore scene was like nearly a decade ago.

It features early recordings from bands like Aftermath of a Trainwreck, 78 Days After Death, Cherem and Parallax and a few lesser known groups like Minion and Timebomb. The comp also features two tracks from pre-Reviver metal band Grace From Gallows.

The actual CD's are out of press and relatively hard to find and while most of the material made it's way to the bands other, later releases (some re-recorded), some of it exists only on this one compilation.

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SLHC MUSIC ARCHIVE: PUSHING UP DAISIES - GUNSLINGER EP

When Pushing Up Daisies played their first show in the basement of Wagstaff Music in the early 2000s, no one knew quite what to expect. The majority of members had spent the last few years playing fast, old-school hardcore in bands like Tempered and Breakaway. As they set up with their equipment, myriad of effects pedals and a keyboard next to the drummers hi-hat stand, people knew they were in for something a little different.

Their eclectic style and tremendous virtuosity immediately set them apart from the other local bands at the time. Pushing Up Daisies brought a whole new level of talent to the Salt Lake hardcore scene and it was captured perfectly on their only EP, that was never officially titled, but often referred to as Gunslinger.

However, that EP almost never saw the light of day. Pushing Up Daisies took a long hiatus when Tim, their original guitarist, left for a mission and the drummer Nick left the band around the same time. With no drummer no guitarist and no future planned, it seemed silly for the band to invest money in a CD that they'd be in no way able to promote. Luckily, a few long months after that, Compilate was about to call it a day, freeing up Kel to take over drumming duties for Pushing Up Daisies. The band soon found a replacement guitarist and set out to play again.

The resulting EP is one of the best CD's a local band has ever put out. Chock full of sections that range from beautifully rhythmic to downright brutal, the Gunslinger EP is only 5 tracks deep, but nearly 40 minutes of great Salt Lake City hardcore.

Look for a SLHC 101 on both Pushing Up Daisies and Tempered in the (hopefully) near future. Until then, download the Gunslinger EP if you haven't already and marvel in its greatness.

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SLHC MUSIC ARCHIVE: PARALLAX

To date, I've spent most my life in Happy Valley. My family moved to Provo from upstate New York when I was just a kid. Growing up, I played in a number of punk and hardcore bands -- even a short-lived, Op-Ivy-rip-off, ska band called Special Guest. Most never left the practice spaces, basements, and warehouse venues of  Provo and Orem. I moved to SLC when I was 18 but those experiences still mean more than I can express in words.

You see, when you grow up in a place like "Happy Valley," you follow one of two paths: 1) You buy into the conservative socio-econo-poli-sexual-spiritual role that the culture hands down to its youth and go on to live a life of squandered potential and repressed passion, or 2) You realize very quickly that roles are meant to be broken.

While I was never close with the guys from Utah Valley hardcore act Parallax, their band came to embody this second path for me. Elliot's progressive take on writing heavy music and Blake's powerful lyrics continue to influence me... as well as the sound and shape of Utah hardcore.

It's been five years since Blake's death and Parallax's demise, but the band's music and messages are every bit as vital as they were when I was a 14-year-old kid playing in a shitty band called Special Guest.

Parallax - On Dead Tracks - Download

Parallax - Mediums and Messages - Download

Also, head over to the Salt Lake Hardcore Blog to download a rare Parallax Ep.

ESSENTIAL LISTENING - H20 & ARLO GUTHRIE

No, it's not an epic team-up of hippies and hardcore, just two solid records that you should have in your collection.

Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant has been a Thanksgiving tradition for my dad since it came out in 1968. If you've never listened to it, give it a shot. It's pretty entertaining.

On the flipside...

H2O's self-titled album is just good old-fashioned fun. Reminds me of fist-pumps and sing-a-longs. Get to it.

Arlo Guthrie

H20 - Self-titled

ESSENTIAL LISTENING: INFEST - SLAVE

Infest's influence cannot be understated. While often credited as the forefathers of the "power violence" genre, the brutality of records like "Slave" has influenced bands in every corner of the punk-hardcore-metal world. Bottomline: Infest took hardcore to a level of abrasiveness and disgust unseen before their formation.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING - REFUSED - SONGS TO FAN THE FLAMES OF DISCONTENT

Refused was one of the most influential punk/hardcore bands of the late 90s and Songs To Fan The Flames of Discontent is arguably their finest release. While it may not be as popular or as well-known as their seminal album The Shape of Punk to Come, it shows that the band never strayed from the path they were on in the beginning, with strong political opinions and chants of anarchy on full display. Not to mention that it contains some of the best, straight-forward hardcore songs of the era. Songs To Fan The Flame of Discontent was the first step Refused took towards the revolution.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: SHEER TERROR - JUST CAN'T HATE ENOUGH

Here it is folks: Salt Lake City's favorite Sheer Terror record. A few weeks back you voted the 1990 classic, Just Can't Hate Enough, into the top spot. If you've misplaced your copy, or you're new to the game...

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: SICK OF IT ALL - BLOOD, SWEAT, AND NO TEARS

Blood, Sweat, and No Tears requires very little introduction. Twenty years after its release, it would be difficult to find a hardcore band that hasn't been influenced by these 19 tracks of fierce New York Hardcore. (And 20 years later, SOIA is still playing angry music at all-ages shows around the world!)

It's clobberin' time...
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ESSENTIAL LISTENING - DEADGUY - FIXATION ON A COWORKER

One of the most underrated but extremely influential bands from the mid-90s Victory Records stable had to be Deadguy. The band only released one proper full length, but it is widely regarded as one of the best hardcore releases of the 90s. Later, more popular, bands like Botch learned a great deal from Deadguy and you owe it to yourself to listen to this band.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: EARTH CRISIS - FIRESTORM

Love 'em or hate 'em, Earth Crisis' early releases had a major impact on the shape of hardcore to come. The band's fearless incorporation of metallic riffing and unapologetic stance on issues such as veganism and straightedge paved the way for the development of the 90s hardcore sound and ethics. Firestorm is arguably the band's most influential, and infamous, release.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: LIFE OF AGONY - RIVER RUNS RED

One of my favorite albums and definitely Life Of Agony's best work. It was released in 1993 on Roadrunner Records. Not exactly the epitome of hardcore, but a great album nonetheless.

Download.

ESSENTIAL LISTENING: CIRCLE JERKS

The Jerks started up in 1980 after Keith Morris left Black Flag. With a handful of songs from the Flag and the talent of future Bad Religion guitarist, Greg Hetson, the band crafted its 1980 debut, Group Sex -- a must have.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: WARZONE

By popular demand, we're featuring Warzone's '88 classic, Don't Forget the Struggle, Don't Forget the Streets. "Now there's a bad ass record!" wrote xdislocationx in our comments yesterday, and we couldn't agree more.

Warzone added an extra dose of Oi, and extracted a chunk of metal, from the New York Hardcore style to create their timelessly-catchy sound. And they did it for 15 years! Frontman Raybeez died of pneumonia on September 11, 1997, but the band's legacy lives on in the hearts and sounds of today's hardcore scene. R.I.P.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING - 7 SECONDS - THE CREW

Arguably the best thing to ever come out of Nevada, 7 Seconds is one of the longest lived and most respected hardcore/punk bands of all time. The bands first full length, The Crew, contains the classic tracks "Not Just Boys Fun" and the great sing-a-long "Young 'Til I Die." Their influence has reached far and wide in the music industry and it's for good reason.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: BORN AGAINST

The Rebel Sound of Shit and Failure is one of those records that captures everything a hardcore album should. The lyrics are angry and nihilistic, but informed. The production is harsh with songwriting that leans closer to chaos than tradition. It pissed off everyone, the mainstream and the hardcore scene alike, by refusing to bend to any popular trends. Give it a listen and get pissed off.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: GORILLA BISCUITS - START TODAY

Continuing the theme of yesterday's entry and 'keeping it simple,' here's Gorilla Biscuits' classic album, Start Today. This is arguably the best hardcore album of all time. Get it, listen to it and join the discussion. Does it deserve that title?

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: MINOR THREAT

We'll go with a fairly obvious one today: Minor Threat. They were great songwriters, they coined the term "straight edge," and they gave birth to Dischord Records, Fugazi, Dag Nasty and so much more. If for some bizarre reason you don't have this release, it is absolutely essential that you download Minor Threat's Discography.

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: UNBROKEN, LIFE. LOVE. REGRET.

Life. Love. Regret. is one of the finest examples of the honesty and vulnerability that the 90s introduced to conviction-fueled hardcore. I could write some cheesy bio, but instead I'll leave you with the lyrics to the song "Razor."

Brought down before you and i'm feeling the feeling
of not wanting to be like you i refused to be trapped
it molds us like a clone never thinking for ourselves
it's time to break this sterile tradition time to crack
take a crack to let us breath
before i consume your filth consume your product
consume this genocide consume your media
give me a razor and with this
I give my wrists a kiss of steel

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ESSENTIAL LISTENING: CRO-MAGS - THE AGE OF QUARREL

Speaking of the Cro-Mags, The Age of Quarrel was the band's first album, originally released by Profile Records in 1986. Cro-Mags were one of the first bands to lead the next generation of NYHC, giving the scene a bit of a tougher attitude. The band has gone through numerous line-up changes over the years, but remain a vital part of hardcore history.

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