More from Casa Negro

I haven't touched this blog in what seems like forever which is a shame because I still do have stuff to share but you know what they say- time is sometimes in short order. And that couldn't be truer in the last several months. However, if you all recall I shared some live sets which represents the only recorded material for the band Casa Negro (outside of their track "Into the Fire" on the "Hope Machine" comp under their original name Music) that came courtesy of the band's guitarist Greg Gerardi. And now just a few days ago Greg dropped me a line to inform that he has uploaded two more shows. One of the shows is a improvised set at The Charleston in 2003 that the band did at an open mic a year after they broke up. And the other is from a warehouse show in Brooklyn in 2002. Check both new sets as well as the past ones here.

This Is My Life and You Can Have It

Yes, I will have a few more posts left for Here On This Island so please sit tight. Thanks for the support and interest in the blog everyone. So I have yet another new blog and it is called This Is My Life and You Can Have It. With this blog I am essentially sharing vinyl. tapes and cds from my personal collection that I have been building since my teenage years. With this blog I am generally focusing on sharing indie rock, indie pop, lo fi, shoegaze and post punk. Dig in!

Half Man "Force Field" 7 inch (Mountain Collective/1993)

I would be completely remiss if I got through this blog without posting something from on of the first Long Island hardcore bands I ever saw, Half Man. I have seen their other releases such as the split 7 inch w/ Kisses & Hugs as well as the full length As Everything Fell Apart posted on other blogs so I figured why not share the Force Field 7 inch.Half Man were loud and abrasive with socio political lyrics in that Born Against meets early Ebullition Records style hardcore kind of way that I still love.  Force Field contains five songs, all of which were previously released as part of 12 song demo cassette which I have never actually seen. Wild. Anyhow this is the type of hardcore that was going for awhile in the 90s here on Long Island and it had a powerful effect on me as did Half Man's Chris Jensen and his various projects over in the years including the label he started, The Mountain Collective. This ep is a great trip down memory lane for me and I love every step.

Half Man Force Field track listing
1. Force Field
2. Substitution
3. No Lunch Today
4. Change of  Pace
5. Candle Stubs

Download Here

Scent of Human History/Memory as Perfection "split" 12 inch (2003/Waking Records/McCarthyism Records))

Here is the last bit of material I have from the band Scent of Human History, a band whom I have a very deep personal relationship with and was fortunate to be around when this record came out. I remember being on tour with Yes Sensei and Scent when this record came out. We pulled into the Baltimore area and bullshitted on our way to a show a Charm City Art Space with Hot Cross, lickegoldensky, Medic and a few other cats. And we stayed at Josh from McCarthyism's house. I fondly recall being very happy that folks from outside of Long Island were as excited about Scent of Human History's music as I enough to put out a record for them and document their great music. Their music was loud, abrasive yet beautiful and sprawling. Like I have said previously in my write ups about the band, they played what one would call "screamo" in that expansive Pg 99 and City of Caterpillar manner. And their four songs on this split are some of the best the band ever recorded.

As a side note I have not included the Memory As Perfection tracks as I am short on time and being that this is a blog about Long Island music I felt as if the space here isn't appropriate to share their music.

Scent of Human History/Memory As Perfection "split" track listing
1. The Choice Unchosen
2. Take Your Time With Time
3. Change Melts Away
4.  Still Not Past the Future

Download Here

Knox Overstreet "Jammer Failed/Coming Around" 7 inch (Abominable Records/2000)

I know... I know... This blog has been greatly neglected the last few months but for those of you have been following Here On This Island you'll be thrilled to know that I have ripped all the last remaining releases that I have planned to share here. Everything should be wrapped up in the coming weeks and from there I shall focus on my new blog which I'll be launching soon as well as some regular posting once again on Away From This Island. Anyhow...in wrapping up some of the discographies that I was promising to complete here is a 7 inch from a band whom I have spoke very highly in this space and whose passing I still lament, no other than Knox Overstreet. They were such a great band and the two songs on this 7 inch, "Jammer Failed" and "Coming Around" are just aces. This two song 7 inch was the second release on Abominable Records who were a short lived label out of Nassau County. Their first release was the It Was Certainly a Grand Piano CD compilation and I believe they had one more release a cd-r from the band HelicopterEjectionSeat. Anyhow back to Knox-once again they played driving melodic indie rock/emo that was a mix between Garden Variety, Indoor Living era Superchunk, Afghan Whigs and even Big Star. The songs were super catchy and none of the instruments were over bearing, Knox Overstreet I have say had one of the most mature and balanced sound out just about any band I have encountered in the local scene over the years. No one was trying to show off or anything like that-it was all about the songs and they were all great. I have know shared the band's entire discography here as well as some live stuff, I can't recommend their music enough.

Download Here

Rok Lok Records Showcase August 20th

Here is a flyer for a show that I am putting on August 20th at Mr Beery's in Bethpage. It is a Rok Lok Records showcase of sorts as it features bands I have done releases for or will be doing releases for in the next few months or so. The DEEP POCKETS Demo cassette came out this past winter and it rules. If you haven't picked up a copy yet do so now! BRICK MOWER's Why Are We Doing This? 7 inch is in production right now, VEHICLE BLUES from Missouri will be on a split 7 inch with KEVIN GREENSPON that will be going to press this fall. And both GIANT PEACH and MAKE IT PLAIN are two bands whom I love a great deal and will be looking to do something for towards the end of 2011. Most likely 7 inches.

The info for the show is as follows:

Rok Lok Records presents:
Saturday August 20th
@ Mr Beery's 4019 Hempstead Turnpike Bethpage, NY
9PM 21+ $5
featuring: DEEP POCKETS, BRICK MOWER, MAKE IT PLAIN, VEHICLE BLUES, FAMOUS LAUGHS, and GIANT PEACH.

Check out the bands:

Deep Pockets Demo on Bandcamp
Brick Mower Why Are We Doing This? on Bandcamp
Make It Plain on Bandcamp
Vehicle Blues on Myspace
Famous Laughs on Myspace
Giant Peach on Bandcamp

Risk "Demo" cd-r (2010/self released)

Here is a fairly recent release but I am not really certain to the extent of which this material was made available or how many of this demo actually made it into the hands of folks so I figured why not share it. Risk, not to be confused with the band from the mid west this Risk is a four piece that resides in Brooklyn but two of the members were originally from Long Island and each in their own ways played significant roles in making Long Island DIY what it was in the late 90s/early 00s. Guitarist/vocalist Jay Melli was in bands such as Scent of Human History, Sometimes Walking Sometimes Running, United States, Jan Cux, etc while guitarist/vocalist Bryan Winston was a part of making the Long Island Freespace a reality.

Risk plays fast screamo/emo fury infused hardcore that reminds me of bands like Yaphet Kotto, Shotmaker, and even a bit of Kaospilot. A style of music that admittedly I listen to less and less these days but when done right I still absolutely love. You know classics never die and when I hear current bands of this ilk cherry pick the Ebullition archives so to speak I can't help but get excited. This four song demo cd-r comes packaged in a re-purposed brown paper bag with graphics glued on. Totally DIY packaging that really takes me back. I can't help but think of late night Kinko's hang outs with my friends making zines and demo packaging. Great stuff.

Risk "Demo" track listing
1. Need to Burn
2. Bombs Away
3. Living Dead
4. Bloodlines

Download Here