return of the BLOG

(banner by mark "joops" hatley--A+ dude)

where did it go? laziness? perhaps...but then it vanished. and now its back.

no further questions!

it's been a long, cold winter for all of us...and, for many of us, that means being a hermit more often than not and what better way to hole up in your crib than with some cool records to keep things interesting? none, i say. and we've got what you need (in most cases...if not, let us know what you need and we'll do our damnedest to find it as quickly as possible).

our pal Felix von Havoc (and the man who helped coined our store "Spiral Scratch" has, through his fine Havoc Records label, reissued some classic punk rock. We are proud to serve up reissues from DISCHARGE, VARUKERS, MDC and more. This is also our source for classic titles from BAD BRAINS (Rock For Light---superior euro mix), The PIST, REGULATIONS, POISON IDEA (Feel The Darkness) and more.




a snapshot of some recent units to have come through the door (and out the door, in most cases)

FEBRUARY 18th: a day that might live in infamy.
of course, there is much more happening every day. we have been making a conscious effort to unleash hundreds of used backstock, which had been sitting unpriced for months as we try to keep up with collections coming in frequently. in an effort to make room for the upcoming HOMOSTUPIDS/PLATES/UTAH JAZZ show on february 18th. if you plan on attending, we ask you respect the Scratch, our neighbors and everyone around you. any dickheads will be promptly removed by our "Heavy Dudes Security Team™". And yes, the cameras do work. we ask you not to be that guy (or girl). also, keep in mind space is LIMITED. we love you all, but in the interest of safety, the law, our lease and others who want to enjoy this show--we will be forced to turn folks away if it becomes too crowded.

SCRATCH and SNIFF zine:

Issue #3 will be out soon! If you missed the first issues, a small reprint will be made available for a time. After issue #1 is gone, it will be gone for good...don't sleep. Editor-In-Chief B. Gaffney is hard at work laying it all out while our foxhole buddy Chuck Barrels will man the repress machine.

SOME LOCAL RELEASES OF NOTE:
A four-way split involving some of Buffalo's coolest singer-songwriters, playing acoustically for the most part, a part of the BORN TO KILL vinyl compilation 7".
Fences Make Good Neighbors (members and/or ex-members of Exit Strategy, Failures Union, Palomar Sky Survey (!)), Ellen West (Missing Planes), Tony Flaminio (Failures Union) and the amazing Bill "Tracey Morrow" Nehill. A digital version includes extra tracks. Brought to us from One Percent Press/Headless Actor.

Another comp of note comes to us from Warm Bath Label entitled BUFFALO BRUTALITY. As you could imagine, this title is self-explanatory. Some of Buffalo's most br00tal including Inerds, Resist Control, Avulsion, Morax, Ordinary Men & Women, Scheisse Krieg & Ancients of Earth round out this crushing 7" record.

Lindsey & Jack Topht, Buffalo's favorite "power couple", make their 7" vinyl debut (in anticipation of a lengthy tour), all with handmade covers. Everything you'd come to expect from this eccentric dynamic duo, right down to the incredible artwork on the sleeves.

To Hell And Back -- technically an Albany outfit, THAB features the beloved Matto and have unleashed a full length of straight ahead ROCK. Think Turbonegro sans homosexual imagery or Kiss with balls and without the make-up. LP is pressed on opaque blue wax and comes with a digital download. Keep an eye out for their release show coming up when the weather breaks. Another Peterwalkee release. (Don't forget the Figgs "Sucking In Stereo" reissue from a few months back)

Unwelcome Guests also have graced us with their latest 7".

From the ashes of long running, under appreciated BLOWTOPS rise the FATAL FIGURES. More Scientists, Pussy Galore influenced dark garage punk. They are now armed with a debut 7" which includes, surprisingly, a Pussy Galore cover. After parting ways with their frontman Creepy Dave Brand, the remaining members forge ahead as a trio proving that these folks are "lifers" who are unfazed by the criminal lack of attention they have received locally while achieving acclaim internationally. Released on none other than BIG NECK RECORDS.

We will also be re-stocking crucial Feral Kid Records releases including Mayday!, Coworkers/Inerds split, Rational Animals, an upcoming Death Trap 7" and pretty much everything else that is offered from this important prolific Buffalo imprint.

Other new releases of note:
Dismemberment Plan - Emergency 2xlp reissue.
OFF! 4x7" box set with fancy booklet. Playing at the Mohawk Place 3/30.
Low Threat Profile 12" long player.
Dirtbombs - Party Store 3x lp. An adventurous homage to detroit electronic/house music played by one of the greats, led by garage legend Mick Collins.
Mogwai - Hardcore... 2x lp/7"
Lemuria - Pebble Hardworking Buffalo outfit unleash breakthrough album, out of place, on Bridge 9 (!!!).
Lemuria/Cheap Girls split 7"
Boomgates 7" - Aussie outfit featuring Brendan Suppression of Eddy Current Suppression Ring, his girlfriend and some other blokes.
Straight Arrows import LP - More Aussie greatness...one of my favorites in recent months, a psychedelic-pop killer of an album.
Gentleman Jesse - ...Wrong Guy 7" After unleashing one of the great power pop albums in recent years in 2008, Gentleman jesse & His Men hit the road hard for a time and return in top form with this limited 7" ep. Another gem that no self-respecting power-pop fan should be without. And make no mistake, this is the real deal--not some Warped Tour schlock pop punk turd masquerading as power pop.
Ride - Nowhere A classic shoegazing masterpiece available on thick vinyl for the first time in...quite some time. Includes their standard Vapor Trails. An all around classic of the genre.
plus new stuff from DESTROYER 2xLP, AGAINST ME (7"), DUM DUM GIRLS 12", SUPERTOUCH 7" and plenty more.
Restocks (partial)
The Fall - Live at The Witch Trials/Dragnet/Grotesque LPs. One of the greats. Now significantly cheaper than previously. Why are you paying more, sucker? We also have This Nations Saving Grace and the Wonderful World of the Fall in stock.
Shangri-La's - Leader of the Pack/'65 LPs - still on Red Bird!--sorry collector geeks, but these are identical to the originals and sound GREAT!

Blind Willie Mctell - One of the great country-bluesmen; a fantastic collection of many of his great numbers. A must for any early acoustic blues fan. Which brings us to:
Bukka "Booker" White LP, reissued by the excellent 4 Men With Beards Label, the same bearded fellas who bring us fine reissues by WIRE, TELEVISION, BUZZCOCKS, FUNKADELIC, FLIPPER and more. Top quality.

That's all for now. Stay tuned for Part II of this entry and we'll keep you informed of things going on at the Scratch.

Don't forget to tune into SPIRAL, SCRATCH & SNIFF RADIO every saturday at our NEW time, 10-midnight on saturday evenings. Too anti-social for the endless dance-party circuit? Dig the longest running (15 years?!) free-form rock and roll radio show in Buffalo! With hosts Anchovies, Chuck Barrels & Get Mugged! Rock and roll, punk rock, hardcore, power-pop, post-punk, proto-punk, new wave, noise and whatever else feels right.
Tune those transistor radios to 91.3 fm or check it out on streaming live at wbny.org

thanks for reading and come visit us soon!

anchovies
2/14/11
5:07 a.m.