HARDCORE MATINEE [LP] (INDIE-RETAIL EXCLUSIVE) (RSD 2016)

Hardcore Matinee is an ode to the budget punk rock compilations that informed a young John Reis, Swami Records head honcho / overlord. While many of these LPs were disposable - they favored quantity over quality, cramming 40 or 50 unknown groups onto records that crackled and popped with tinny sound and infantile graphics - their cut-rate aesthetic has actually weathered the passage of time relatively well. Call it nostalgia or perhaps a testament to how truly ugly the world has become, but these records can now be enjoyed as curious oddities of a bygone era. It was with this inspiration that Hardcore Matinee was assembled. ?The compilation features 22 of San Diego's most exciting groups and covers the wide range of current punk music. From well-established bands such as Hot Snakes (with their first new recording since 2004 and featuring both drummers on the same recording), Pinback (their final recording before disbanding and then reforming) and Gary Wilson (off his recent collaboration with The Roots) to up-and-coming bands Octagrape (ex-Truman's Water), Death Eyes (hardcore supergroup with members of Rat's Eyes and Death Crisis) and Schizophonics, this record's varied styling is a jarring ride. The Swami Records harem is represented by the reformed Sultans (first recording since 2003), Beehive and The Barracudas (first new recordings since 2008), Mrs. Magician (an outtake from their soon-to-be-released second album Bermuda) and The Heartaches (first new recording since their Too Cool For School LP). Other artists include The Loons (featuring Mike Stax of Ugly Things), Rob Crow, Teenage Burritos (Burger Records), Plateaus (Art Fag Records), Creepy Creeps (Dionysus Records), The Widows (Route 44 Records), Ale Mania (Volar Records), Ghetto Blaster (ex-Fishwife and The Let Downs), WHA (ex-Tourettes Lautrec), The Shake Before Us, The Lumps (both on Tower Bar Records) and the debut of The Soaks.?In order to stay true to the original compilations' aesthetic, it was important to keep the music fresh and moving quickly. All of the bands recorded new and previously unreleased material and kept their contribution as brief as possible. Hardcore Matinee showcases a cross-section of some of Swami Records' favorite, current San Diego noise and presents it in a blurred collection high on energy and momentum. The result is a whole record greater than the sum of its parts. ?Equally important was to keep the spirit of regional punk rock alive for future generations. As a result, proceeds from Hardcore Matinee will be donated to The Museum School in San Diego and be used exclusively for their music department. The Museum School is a tuition-free, public charter school that serves students from all over San Diego in Kindergarten through 8th grade. ?* RSD 2016 release with all unreleased tracks?* For those who miss the heyday of Mystic Records?* No export restrictions