Money makes the world go round or stated much more eloquently by the Wu Tang Clan, “cash rules everything around me”. Well, as instructed by the philosophy of C.R.E.A.M., I am no exception and must “get the money”. Having no traditional means of income i.e., an employer, this can pose as somewhat of an obstacle. Luckily, I made some shrewd investments in my youth that I’m now reaping the rewards of. Who knew punk records would yield such a return? Put your back pack on and get ready to rock back and forth as we journey to a magical time…the 90’s!

Thank God for Europeans with money to burn. Without these kids and their disposable funds and hunger for vinyl, I might have to go out and get a real job. Perish the thought. Each time I throw another stack of Lp’s on Ebay, I liken it to tossing a few more logs in the furnace to keep the fire going. I’ve definitely been warm through the winter. Whether it’s an original Dischord pressing or a limited, tour only, piece of colored vinyl by some mopey emo band, the bidders come out of the woodwork. Ebay takes care of all the particulars, all I have to do is remember to ship it out once I have recieved payment.

In the process of selecting which records I can part with and which I won’t sell for any price, I’ve really taken quite a stroll down memory lane. As I thumb through my collection, I realize I haven’t listened to many of these recordings in years. Some of the bands I’d forgotten about entirely, a few did not age well but most are as good as ever and hold up today. In the shuffle I was reminded of some bands that will always hold a special place in my heart. I want to take a moment and share with you some of my favorites.

John Henry West 7″

Torches to Rome 12″

Both bands boast the mighty Mike Kirsch on guitar, the former primarily as guitarist, the latter as both guitarist and co-vocalist. JHW produced few recordings, never releasing an LP but what they left behind did pack a wallop. Watch this Youtube vid for proof of the fury that was John Henry West.

Torches to Rome had the same balls out intensity but tempered it with some solid grooves and melody. At times they are reminiscent of D.C.’s Rites of Spring played at 45 rpms instead of 33 1/3, while in another moment they are spewing something more melodic with harmonized gravel and sand paper vocals. This surely harkins back to Kirch’s earlier band Fuel (not to be confused with the awful radio rock band of the same name). Check out this Myspace.com fan site for some awesome tracks from this record. Just makes me pine for the days of the unbleached cotton band t-shirts and wooden bead necklaces.

Angel Hair 7″

Colorado’s Angel Hair, to me, were the best of their genre. Esoteric, jibberishy, free association style lyrics delivered by throat shredding vocals set to spastic, blistering and chaotic music. The 90’s saw a lot of bands like this, some better than others. Somehow Angel Hair just stood out from the pack to me. Here’s another Youtube time portal:

Taking a slightly different path on the journey through my record collection, and more so my youth, we come to a few of the hardcore bands of the chunkier variety.

Integrity Systems Overload LP

Though there were many truly great bands of this scene some labeled “Tough Guy” hardcore, I’ve chosen these guys to list here. The “Tough Guy ” label was rightfully given, the aggro sounds certainly attracted many a meat head and was often the soundtrack to violence. Eventually, I became disallusioned and even somewhat alienated by this scene and paid more attention to what was going on else where in the underground. Nonetheless, 90’s hardcore had been my introduction and would leave it’s impression on me for better or worse. For some not a part of this, it’s hard to understand. It’s easy to brush it off as mindless male agression and there is probably a good argument to made for that. Looking deeper, there is something to be said for the unity and commeraderie. Hundreds of kids stacked on each other in a pile screaming in unison. It felt like communion. We were gonna change the world. It’s probably for the best that we didn’t, our fashion sense was truly abyssmal. I’m really glad that I rarely see bleached blonde bowl cuts, baggy camo pants and basketball jerseys all on the same individual anymore.

Though much more on the dark side and not so posi, Integrity was still a favorite of mine. To those that think hardcore shows are about cool dance moves: Notice that the crowd does not look like a synchronized jazzercise class. That shit is whack.

108 Songs of Separation LP

I absolutley loved this band. 108 were one of the first “big” shows I ever attended and let me tell you it was quite a spectacle, what with the Hare Krishnas dancing in the front. I never personally got into the religious aspect but the ideas presented truly resonated. They preached the rejection of the material world and addressed the dichatomy between the flesh and the spirit. Aside from all that, they were just plain brutal and put on some totally impassioned live performances…. yup, another youtube clip.

Lincoln - Everything they ever did…I cherish the entire catalog.

Finally, and only because I have to stop somewhere, I submit to you, Lincoln. Hailing from Morgantown, West Virginia they brought forth a demo, two 7″ ’s and a split 7″ with Washington DC’s Hoover. I seem to recall them being popular and well received in the small sub-genre, niche scene they existed in. That scene being the burgeoning post-hardcore-but-still-screaming, indie rock thing of the early into the mid 90’s. In subsequent years, I feel they have kind of been fading from memory and in danger of being lost in the sands of time.

Well, hopefully you enjoyed our foray into the 90’s. I think maybe only those of us not currently employed have the time to watch all these videos..but that’s kinda my deal isn’t it?