JFA - We Know You Suck: Blatant Localism/Valley of the Yakes (2003)

/We Know You Suck/ compiles J.F.A.'s earliest recordings for the Placebo
label, as well as 12 live and compilation-only tracks. The /Blatant Localism/
[1] EP, so important as an artifact from the initial unification of punk and
skateboarding, appears here in its entirety; it's joined by the /Valley of
the Yakes/ [2] LP, where surf anthems like "Baja" and deceptively simple,
Clash [3]-inspired screeds ("Preppy," "Johnny D.") illustrate the breadth of
J.F.A.'s definitive skatepunk sound. Even if it's plagued by shoddy fidelity,
the live material is nevertheless exciting as it encompasses the band's
youth, aggression, and immediacy.

[1] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:h9frxqehldhe
[2] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:j9frxqehldhe
[3] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gifqxqw5ldte

7 Seconds - Crew (1984)

This debut long-player from 7 Seconds was released after a series of
seven-inch singles and presents the type of material that made their
reputation as West Coast punk rock figureheads. Recorded several years before
the band ventured off into the uncharted waters of "artistic growth," /The
Crew/ finds the band residing proudly in the blurry confines of all-out
hardcore, with abstract, paste-together riffs for verses and anthemic
sing-along choruses to drive the point home. The sound is thin like it was
recorded in an aluminum tool shed, but the band is tight and clearly
inspired, and Kevin Seconds [1]' vocals are mixed high enough to be easily
discerned (a lyric sheet is included for any words that fall through the
cracks). Subject matter covers classic hardcore concerns like youth power,
friendship, sexism, racism and supporting the scene.

[1] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:jpfoxqwgld0e

Universal Congress Of - Prosperous and Qualified (1987)

*Joe Baiza*'s Universal Congress Of was one of the first jazz acts to sign on
Hardcore label /SST/, and their breed of furious funk-jazz fit in remarkably
well. /Prosperous and Qualified/ was their second album, and by this time
they' had found their style: garage funk. For a group of punk kids with a
heavy *Ornette Coleman* fixation this sounds pretty funky, danceable and even
melodic, but everyone who has seen them live knows that they were all about
having a good time.

Throbbing Gristle - Throbbing Gristle's Greatest Hits: Entertainment Through Pain (1981)

A compilation of fan favorites and a good intro to a dark, difficult group.
Hamburger Lady has to be one of the most brilliant yet unpleasant pieces of
music ever made. Nothing will ever prepare you for that experience.

Sentridoh - Lou Barlow and his Sentridoh (1994)

Early home-recordings of Sebadoh frontman Lou Barlow under the Sentridoh
moniker. This is very stripped-down lo-fi with just Lou and his guitar. It's
a bit hit and miss, but the hits are good enough to make this a worthwhile
listen.

Nurse with Wound - A Sucked Orange (1989)

A collection of little musical scraps collected over the years by Mr.
Stapleton. Lots of neat of ideas here but they simply don't have the time to
grow and evolve into classic NWW tracks. Still, Stapleton's leftovers are
better than a lot of people's finished work. This record stands on its own as
a collection of sonic dada snippets -- some dark, some hilarious, some
disturbing, and some just plain weird. Titling was half the brilliance ("A
Precise History of Industrial Music"). Great for short attention spans.

Minor Threat - Complete Discography (1989)

/Complete Discography/ compiles Minor Threat's entire body of recordings on a
single compact disc. Hardcore, as a rule, wasn't particularly musically
diverse, but Minor Threat were one of the genre's groundbreaking acts and
their music has held up better than most of their contemporaries. As the de
facto leaders of the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, the band pioneered the
straight-edge mentality by emphasizing impossibly fast tempos, brief songs,
political lyrics, and a drug- and alcohol-free lifestyle. Besides setting the
precedent for several generations of punk rockers with their music and
ideals, Minor Threat were simply a better band than most hardcore groups.
They had a tight, distinctive sound that wasn't as heavy as their Californian
counterparts and, therefore, were often more bracing and effective.

Eugene Chadbourne - I've Been Everywhere (1988)

This 1988 album, credited to "*Doctor Eugene Chadbourne*," features such gems
as a manic version of *Hank Snow*'s "I've Been Everywhere," a *Buck Owens*
medley, and several strong originals. In addition to the usual answering
machine messages and between-track silliness is Chadbourne's mom's
recollections of Nazi-era Germany, which are interesting but have nothing to
do with the rest of the album, and, in fact, provide a jarring juxtaposition
with the humorous songs. In what must be one of the most fitting
collaborations in Chadbourne's history, the *Legendary Stardust Cowboy*
appears as a guest. /I've Been Everywhere/ is entertaining on many different
levels but very strange. /(AMG)/

EL-P - High Water (Featuring The Blue Series Continuum) (2004)

El-P's entry into Thirsty Ear's Matthew Shipp [1]-curated /Blue Series/ is a
compelling experiment in genre and sound collision. El-P doesn't rap on this
set, nor does he saturate his mix with a truckload of effects. His
compositions are skeletal frames on which to hang his mixological
architecture of ambitious beats and skeletal samples, creating a tightly
controlled dynamic inside which ambitious music is created. His collaborators
are pianist Shipp [2], bassist William Parker [3], drummer Guillermo E. [4]

[1] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fixql5ldse
[2] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fixql5ldse
[3] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dpfrxqr5ldfe
[4] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:09foxq90ldje

EL-P - Fantastic Damage (2002)

Of all the boundary-pushing underground hip-hop acts who emerged in the late
'90s, Company Flow [1] was easily among the hardest and least compromising,
spinning highly technical rhymes over buzzing, lo-fi beats with virtually no
concessions to melody or polish. It comes as no surprise that onetime Company
Flow [2] leader El-P's solo debut, /Fantastic Damage/, takes a similar
approach -- yet it's a logical and distinct progression from the sound that
made Company Flow [3] such seminal figures in underground rap. /Fantastic
Damage/ is even more aggressive and confrontational in its approach, and this
time out, El-P himself is solely responsible for the sonic backdrop,
producing the entire record by himself.

[1] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dbfyxqthldje
[2] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dbfyxqthldje
[3] http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dbfyxqthldje