Hozac   Page 2

Vector Command

System 3

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  San Francisco’s bands in the early 80s didn’t have many stalwarts from 5 years prior, and just as the first wave’s legendary bands dissolved and re-grouped into their reinvented personas, the second wave of bands had just as many interesting ideas. Enter VECTOR COMMAND, Blade Runner aesthetics cross-wired with Velvet Underground’s deconstructed noise, and lyrics full of subconscious madness and mysticism, an all-analog 2-man unit consisting of JOHNNY STRIKE and JOEY D'KAYE from SF punk legends, CRIME. An entirely different direction, yet still seedy and sonically corrupt, Johnny & Joey were looking to start something ahead of the curve yet again, and with the snazzy, quirky new wave of electronic music emerging everywhere in the early 80s, they got in on the ground floor and locked themselves into the Dark Side of this sick new wave and never looked back. The tracks included on their unreleased debut LP, System 3 are stark, minimal, and nightmarish noise exercises into the deranged mental state, a sci-fi experiment gone off the deep end, and a bad trip you can’t escape. Panic-inducing drum machines, interlaced with shrieking blasts of paranoid vocals on one track, and subdued and sedated whispers on the next, a sonically-thrilling experience in Dark Wave music, back when still in it’s evolving primordial stages. The System 3 LP sat unreleased and unfinished for decades until the early 2000s, when the two decided to start the tape transfer & mixing process from the original analog reels, and...

Tupica, Rich

There Was A Light - The Cosmic History Of Chris Bell And The Rise Of Big Star

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  FINALLY! After FIVE solid years of painstaking research and hard work, Rich Tupica's epic tome on the deep end of the BIG STAR story is ready. At 400 pages, stocked with a wealth of previously-unseen color photos, personal ephemera from the Bell family's archive, as well as everything Ardent Studios could jam in, breathtaking stuff! Starting with intense coverage of Bell's childhood bands and continuing deep into his post-Big Star solo work, this book delves into the details beyond the documentary, distilling countless hours of minutae into a riveting oral history of one of rock'n'roll's most beloved cult bands, and a trip through Memphis underground music history like no other. First edition of 500 copies. 400 pages. Paperback.

Ruby Karinto

S/t

Hozac

There’s a lot to absorb with a band like Ruby Karinto, yet another band on HoZac without any guitars, although they’ve got so much going on sound-wise, you won’t even miss ‘em. With a spaced-out and throbbing rhythm section, gurgling Moog squelches, and an impeccable Japanese front woman, it’s a sensory assault from all angles and it’s just the perfectly refreshing blast of No Wave art-pop you’ve been waiting for. The 4-piece band emerged from the Victoria, British Columbia underground a few years ago, self-releasing their impressive debut 7” EP with three impossibly catchy tracks, bopping with mesmerizing robotic vocals and other-worldly sizzling electronics, so naturally, we couldn’t resist the chance to release their debut LP. With half of the tracks sung in Japanese and half in English, Ruby Karinto are the hypnotic post-punk band that mastered the details, yet didn’t forget how to dance, and their long-form workouts echo ESG, Delta 5, and the bass-driven strain of No Wave’s best early 80s entries.   Ruby Karinto’s debut LP is really nothing like we’ve ever released, but everyone that’s heard it so far is shocked and amazed at the instant pleasure, it’s a record not just anyone can make, and it’s a sound that’s far out of reach from most participants, and it’s set to surely expand some horizons. Grab their debut EP if you still can, and thank your lucky stars that modern music can still be this exciting and dynamic. As much as the guitar is an...

F.u.k.

Road Kill B/w I Got A Head

Hozac

It’s still so exciting to think how many “lost bands” are still out there, and this installment of the Hozac Archival series zones in on Detroit circa 1977, with the debut single from F.U.K. (Fucked Up Kids) -a band that only played one show on Halloween 1977 in Ann Arbor, MI, and only recorded two songs, and thanks to our good friend Byron Coley, they have been saved from slipping through the cracks and presented for you here. Starting as a parody of their close friends Destroy All Monsters and their moniker “D.A.M,” Sue Rynski and Roger Miller (later the founding member of Mission of Burma) cobbled together these two primitive punk blasts that sound purely lost in time, stuck in between trends and genres, but yet both so sloppy, enchanting, and undeniably PUNK. Before Roger Miller had moved out East to form Mission of Burma, he’d been in Sproton Layer in the late 60s-early 70s in Ann Arbor with his brothers Larry and Jim, who would later join the early version of Destroy All Monsters. The B-side of the single holds a bit of that same paranoid psychosis, but much more nihilistic and less of the Syd Barrett influence is showing. It’s neurotic, unintentionally DEVO-esque, and distorted beyond anyone’s good sense, yet it has that spastic primitive-futuristic sound that always works so well.   But the A-side is really where F.U.K. come to shine. “Road Kill” is just the song you’ve been waiting for. Snotty, bratty, disgusting lyrics,...

Sueves, The

R.i.p. Clearance Event

Hozac

Chicago’s most intricate punk heathens are back with their second full-length, and if you already know their sound, it’s important that you bolt down the furniture, we can’t be responsible for this kind of punishment when you’ve already dealt with their recklessly “endangering” debut. This band has evolved so much in the past five years, it’s hard to even imagine their massive strides of punk progression, let along their ability to conquer the impossible tension that most band can’t even reach in their wildest dreams. The local talent has eroded in recent times to a point of panic, yet The Sueves are still standing, brutally pushing your face into the fire, with one of the last examples of a physically abusive guitar tone left on domestic soil, and one of Chicago’s best and purest rock’n roll byproducts. Strangulated vocals, nervous & bashing riffs, and soul-crushing bass lines all coalesce into perfectly absurd punk anthems that shouldn’t make any more sense to Joe Strummer than they do to Gaye Advert, yet they swerve and pop like nobody’s business.  In case you hadn’t witnessed their live unit, The Sueves now employ Tim Thomas on drums, known for his endless battery charges in Heavy Times, and his reputation of breaking into everyone’s heart without permission or warning continues here. With Joe Schorgl’s Cleveland origins and Thomas’ Detroit history, the Midwest Rust Belt heritage is finally all locked in place. Just take a second to listen to those beaten-in vocals breaking through that...

Velveteen Rabbit

Mind-numbing Entertainment

Hozac

***As sad it was to hear about the demise of THE JEANIES by far NYC’s most addictive power pop band of the last half decade, we’re happy to announce their re-emergence as VELVETEEN RABBIT, now with far more polish and panache and pushing the boundaries of glam pop to unimaginable levels of euphoria. Whereas The Jeanies had a more ragged American pop feel like early Tom Petty meets Gentleman Jesse, Velveteen Rabbit are pure gloss & glam and far more fey, yet no less ferocious. Far less flavor of The Fevers here and more aligned with the breathy pop syrup of the gone-too-soon Brett Smiley and Milk N' Cookies, Velveteen Rabbit are one of the finest examples of modern glam, a genre soaked in 1970s over-production that’s virtually impossible to pull off in most cases. But sure enough, these two incredible songs are proof positive that it can be done, both massive tracks with deep, cavernous production and the impossibly great songwriting you’ve come to love, seeping out of every pore.  Hopefully this smash hit single is the first in a long line of many more from Velveteen Rabbit, a band that truly understands how the craftsmanship of impossibly great pop isn’t an easy job to pull off, and definitely a shot in the arm to glum-glam/lazy-pop psych-a-like crowd. Everything is mastered to maximum thickness and pristine, glistening tonality, with both tracks instantly competing to be your favorite. -VictimofTime.com. Edition of 300 copies with download.

Mac Blackout

Madman's Eye: The Art of Mac Blackout

Hozac

***"The all-seeing Eye of MAC BLACKOUT knows no visible boundary. After a solid 25-plus years of neurotically-enthralling creativity across several media types, he finally has a book to show for all of his exciting and enduring hard work. Around Chicago, his art has become inescapable, always peeking out from a storefront, a doorway, an alley, or one of his beloved garbage cans, his aesthetic has become an unofficial pock mark on the face of the city. But that’s only what you can see on the surface, as the tone gets darker the deeper you dig into his cadre of nightmarish delights, depicting the spectrum between twisted daydreams and fantastic exaggeration. Mac truly creates the demons you WANT around you, adding strange comfort to the mayhem and fear they would normally invoke. Madman’s Eye may be Mac Blackout’s first art book, but we’d wager it will not be his last. As his direction has drifted across so many projects over the years, he’s gone from respected graffiti artist, into the world of fine art, and into pen & ink, collage, & multi-media painting. Not to mention his numerous world-renowned punk bands, FUNCTIONAL BLACKOUTS, DAILY VOID, MICKEY, NEW ROSE ALLIANCE, and his solo material with Mac Blackout Band, Mac has always been at the center of a rogue nervous system that needed to come to life on it’s own in the form of his art. The incredible resourcefulness and raw talent are impossible to ignore here, and his work is already instantly...

Razor Boys

S/t

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!! "Atlanta in the mid 1970s was not exactly the place you’d expect punk and glam rock to sprout, but with a little research into the quality of proto-punk bands descending upon the city during the 1973-74 era (NY Dolls, Stooges, Teenage Lust), its not hard to believe there would be a few brave souls who would take up the torch for dangerous and loose rock’n roll savagery and stake their claim as pioneers of this classic sound, well before it caught on elsewhere below the Mason-Dixon Line. So as history would have it, there wasn’t much real record label action that took chances on the very few real punk bands that dared tread these grounds, otherwise you’d already know the Razor Boys pretty well by now. With roots as far back as 1975, predating all the debut punk records released world-wide, Razor Boys were quite the anomaly, especially in the Deep South, and their outrageous & androgynous sleazy glam look wasn’t helping them win over many converts in the Allman Brothers/Lynyrd Skynyrd saturated cover band circuit either.  Always honing their craft on the dangerous and damned side of the rock’n roll spectrum, these guys had a very distinct look that was somehow stuck in time between the post-NY Dolls glam era, and the upcoming LA “Hair Metal” look, but at least five years before that LA scene took root. The music on the other hand, is white-knuckled, trashy rock’n roll at it’s finest,...

Maida, Sal

Four Strings, Phony Proof, and 300 45s - Adventures from Roxy Music, Sparks & Milk 'N Cookies

Hozac

***HoZac Books is proud to present Four Strings, Phony Proof, and 300 45s, written by SAL MAIDA, one of the most interesting 1970s rock figures you just don’t know enough about. As a member of TWO such integral and ground-breaking '70s bands, ROXY MUSIC and SPARKS, not to mention NYC glam/power pop impresarios MILK ’N COOKIES, as well as studio work with the RUNAWAYS and Robert Calvert’s post-Hawkwind solo material, it’s no secret that Maida was in the right place at the right time, more times than we can count. His first book is presented here for the first time, along with his stash of personal unpublished/unseen photographs (including meeting Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Mick Jagger in 1969) on his first of many trips to the UK in the late 1960s, as well as many bands he witnessed in their embryonic states just as the monumental shift in music was taking place at the end of the psychedelic era. From his intricately-detailed stories about growing up in Little Italy’s protected confines, and his far-ahead-of-the-curve craze for record “collecting” before that was even a concept, this book takes you on a ride through Martin Scorsese’s mob territory (they grew up only a few blocks apart) and how it’s inescapable soundtrack influenced him deeply, as well as the unbeaten paths deep within the music-obsessed trenches we all love so well. Sal Maida’s laid-back personality and his dextrous musical adaptability ensured he’d be in high demand once his chops were in place,...

Cowboys, The

3rd

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  "Bloomington, Indiana has something to really be proud of in hometown heroes THE COWBOYS. One of the most exciting and indescribable bands of the last five years, this band manages to escape all of the pitfalls of modern DIY punk/garage and break out into a field of their own instantly. First off, nobody is supposed to have vocals this good, like almost bewildering talent-wise, but to actually be able to sing like this and be sweating it out in front of a packed room of rock’n roll revelers all night is almost charity work. The songs have this hard-to-pin Midwest je ne sais quoi and and the guitar and rhythm section are just off-the-charts in their ability to bridge themselves between the polarity of tightness and looseness. Coming off like summery sons of The Gizmos circa 1981 at one minute, and then diving head-first into their other-worldly piano-based tracks, which surprisingly simmer along perfectly next to their punkish rockers without any abject knee-jerk derailment. Just arty pallet-cleansers? I wish it was that simple, but The Cowboys have too many chops to minimize their effort, and this LP is nothing short of a riveting ride through a range of rock’n roll styles that should NOT work when liquifyed as such, yet with this band and it’s subversive magic, their songs come off as perfectly original, yet warmly familiar.Housed in silk-screened LP jackets, and equipped with a rock’n roll wanderlust that keeps them in perpetual touring...

Lowlife

Leaders

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  Canadian punk is a rich tapestry of angry delights, and as long-time fans of our northern neighbors’ rock’n roll output (don’t forget the powerful punkish glam of Nick Gilder’s debut LP, too), we’re absolutely chuffed to bring the Lowlife ‘Leaders’ 7” EP back into the fold. Self-released in 1979 and known as the first punk release from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Lowlife were a band with a lot of blanks to fill in, and if you did not become exposed through their reissue appearances on the Smash the State Vol 2, or Screaming Fist compilations as most of us youngsters did, you’ll revel at the brazen punk bravado, barreling off the rails and bursting with agitated urgency in each of the three tracks here. And although this EP’s release just made it across the line for inclusion in the 70s, all three screamers on this release seem to careen recklessly toward an obnoxious early 80s hardcore punk vibe, although still melodic enough to draw comparisons from the Dangerhouse bands, Negative Trend, Dils, and the Authorities. Limited edition of 500 copies.

Oister

Pre-dwight Twilley Band 1973-74 Teac Tapes

Hozac

***BACK IN PRINT!!! The legendary 1973-74 ‘Teac Tapes’ from deep inside the DWIGHT TWILLEY BAND vault have been unleashed, never before available in any format, OiSTER was the primary name of the Dwight Twilley and PHIL SEYMOUR duo from the time they met in 1967 until the release of their Top 20 debut “hit” single for “I’m On Fire” in 1975. The two “halves” of the Oister formed a whole, and a tight friendship and performing partnership took flight, and with Dwight’s incredible songs in hand, the two were off an running. Recording at home with one of the first (commercially-available to the public) multi-track Teac home tape machines, the Oister DIY ethic was locked in early, and just exploded with an endless stream of ethereal pop magic, most of which has never been re-recorded by the Dwight Twilley Band, remaining frozen in time. The pair were cranking out an impressive amount of original material and pressing small batches of their own acetate LPs locally in Tulsa to sell to their friends at school, of which, this 2xLP collection rounds up 20 of their finest tracks, finally available to the public after over 40 years.  The early, primal years of the Twilley/Seymour Oister-era are sadly undocumented until now, with this 20-track collection, freshly remastered from the original tape for vinyl for the first time anywhere, now on HoZac Archival. These songs seamlessly bridge those heavenly Everly Brothers harmonies with their beloved Anglo Pop bravado, yet keeping the sound undeniably...

Rubs, The

Impossible Dream

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  JOEY RUBBISH must be stopped, but it’s too late for that. As the architect of every note on this immaculate new LP, he joins the ranks of other groundbreaking modern home-recording luminaries such as Jay Reatard, Nobunny, Mikey Hyde of Medication, and Rich Crook of Lost Sounds/Lover!, all able to cover every instrumental note recorded, as well as the vocals & recording. Not a small feat and worth noting since it’s such a rare thing to pull off, especially when it’s this nuanced and complex, even by power pop standards. And with that, THE RUBS second offering is finally here with Impossible Dream, a full spectrum of songs so tightly-knit, so cleverly-written, and so impossibly dreamy, you won’t be able to pull them out of your skull for eternity. Agonizingly articulate pop that can barely contain it’s own excitement, these songs just keep hitting you, one after another, each better than the last, just continuously pounding their unwavering contagiousness into your brazen heart.  It’s not like The Rubs are reinventing the guitar with Impossible Dream, but this LP has something brilliant humming at it’s core, something stark, genuine, and extremely vulnerable. And yet so charming and confident, it’s almost dizzying in it’s bravado. From the instant “Wrong Right Girl” kicks off, it’s a tense and tender tear through the highs and lows of girls, summer, breakups, and tight jeans, drizzled with a reduction of those irresistible vocal hooks. With a run through a...

Mcmahon, Brian

Jaguar Ride: Memoir of an Electric Eel

Hozac

***Founding member of the Cleveland proto punk legends the ELECTRIC EELS, BRIAN MCMAHON has unleashed his story, finally available in print. The very first BOOK covering the synthesis of these cretins of the pre-punk underworld is now available, written by founding guitarist and author of such acerbic classics as "Accident," "Cold Meat," "Splitterty Splat," "Sewercide," "Safety Week," "Jaguar Ride," and last but not least, "Agitated." Over the course of 300 pages, you can really crawl inside the brain of one of America's finest overlooked musical miscreants, a fascinating glimpse into the vivid details and sickening dreams of one half of the songwriting contribution to the electric eels demented noise. To be so ahead of their time with so little to lose, now just the utterance of their name holds instant reverence with the punk cognoscenti, but that took a while. Once the meat of their recordings was unearthed and had time to circulate, now everyone is tripping over themselves to drool at their feet, and rightfully so. First edition of 500 copies.

Liminanas, The

Malamore

Hozac

***By now this Perpignan band is less of a shadowy illusion and more of a full-on force of French underground sounds, and we couldn’t be happier to being a part in helping perpetuate this fully-blossoming evolution. HoZac had the honor of releasing the debut single from Les Liminanas in early 2010, featuring their most enduring song “I’m Dead” as well as their Crystal Anis LP a few years after, and in a short amount of time, they’ve laid the foundation of darkness delicately into their hazy template of swirling, mind-expanding soliloquies for all to see, hear, and feel. As time has passed, the band has expanded and contracted with whatever size ensemble worked best at the time, still rotating around the core members Marie & Lio but switching out lead vocalists and backup members until they found the right fit. Their newest incarnation features the duo with a full band, much like you’d see onstage when they play live, keeping those delicate nuances in top form, and allowing Marie & Lio to steer this vessel straight into your pleasure zones.  On their new LP ‘Malamore’ they keep their lyrics mostly in English, yet their sly use of the French dialect is pure heaven to any fans of Serge Gainsbourg who also enjoy their side of Velvet Underground, and it’s a deadly combo to the uninitiated, to say the least. The breathy vocals inflected over the sublime feedback and fuzz coalesce into the perfect soundtrack to this utopian atmosphere, never...

Sueves, The

Change Your Life

Hozac

***Chicago’s punk underworld has reimagined itself several times over the past twenty years, from the cavorting slime punk damage of the early 2000s, through the fracturing of styles and directions a few years later, it’s all been simmering salaciously for generations now, and for the last few years, only a few really noteworthy band have grasped the raw agitation as well as The Sueves. Rearing their ugliness up through the tropes of plastic flowers and goofy sunglasses, these brave young ravagers are not content to sit idly by as the stench of indifference passes over the masses, always the “least chill” band at the rock’n roll party and that is really a good thing. You can’t just sit still when The Sueves are wielding their wares, both in person and on record, the aggression has to burst out somehow, and although it’s far, far easier to just appeal to the low-hanging fruit dangling at the bottom of the rock’n roll food chain, it’s far more respectable to be the ones who are bleeding and bruised, flipping over the tables & chairs with reckless abandon, every single time.  The Sueves’ core sound echoes back to a time not long ago when you really had to TRY HARD to make your band stand out, pushing the boundaries of the tired “garage rock” trappings into a mutated stump of unpredictable punk splatter. The guitar tone sits somewhere between sadistically strangulated and blisteringly complicated, an ominous bonafide shredding sound that leaves you beaten...

Terminals, The

Uncoffined

Hozac

***We are proud to present our first New Zealand band and luckily one of the finest to ever grace the Flying Nun label. The Terminals were a mid-late 80s-era supergroup featuring many important shards of the Kiwi underground, including core members Peter Stapleton, Mary Heney, and Ross Humphries from the very first Flying Nun release, the monumental Pin Group, joined with Susan Heney from The McGoohans, as well as Stephen Cogle from Vacuum and Victor Dimisich Band. Hard to keep all those intersections straight, that’s for sure, but this intense, brooding and ominous cadre of players have pulled together some of the darkest sounds to ever emanate from the isle. It’s hard to pick favorites with The Terminals, but ‘Uncoffined’ their debut LP recorded in 1988 seemed like the best place to start. It’s hard to believe something this dark and twisted could also be so catchy, sounding like not much else from the time, The Terminals never caught the indie rock afterglow that label mates The Clean, The Bats, or The Verlaines got, yet their catalog of dubious releases is still being discovered, even now as we speak.  Remastered from the original tapes to revive what was lost in the haze of limp late 1980s studio mastering techniques, this improved version sparkles with hostility, the sheen of atmospheric shadows interlaced between tension-building crescendos, The Terminals ‘Uncoffined’ is a lost masterpiece of Antipodean dark wave pop music destined to reinstate it’s place in the annals of underground music history....

Charlie 'ungry

Who Is My Killer?

Hozac

***A slightly altered reissue of the 1977 House On Chester Road EP from UK punks CHARLIE 'UNGRY. Leveling off their enthusiasm for a wider variety of sounds than most of their contemporaries, the band grasped a serious metallic sound right out of the gate, as their signature song “Who Is My Killer?” rips through the speakers in a NWOBHM style that’s undeniable. However, their glammy Slade-like rhythms and break-neck speed signaled a very punkish angle, reflecting the energy and nihilism of the exploding punk phenomenon, and their unique interplay between song styles, even mid-song as in “Who Is My Killer?” had an incredible effect, yet it was sadly underexposed. In retrospect, most truly innovative bands trying something new have had a cold response in general, par for the course in the case of Charlie ‘Ungry as well, with their incredible fusion of British metal guitar, pulse-pounding glam vocals, and white-knuckle punk rock delivery. Most simpletons just couldn’t get their heads wrapped around it. Features "Who Is My Killer?," backed with a song interchanged with an incredible, first-time-on-vinyl track. Edition of 500 copies on black vinyl.

Jeanies, The

Amilee

Hozac

***We are proud to present yet another incredible pop band that seems to have eluded the masses but is a strong contender for the crown of that genre without even being challenged. THE JEANIES are a NYC anomaly, yet even with such good company such as Games and 1-800 Band they are still very much under the radar for most pop fans, so it’s with great pleasure to welcome this bunch of young upstarts into the fold, as once their sound soaks in, you won’t be pulling yourself out of it’s clenches any time soon. As a band that could easily confuse you upon first listen as to it’s year of origin, The Jeanies burst out last year with a self-titled LP & tape release that took most folks by surprise, an unrestrained, powerful and familiar tone stretched perfectly across a collection of songs that were instantly addictive, incredibly intricate, and possessed devastatingly perfect details, linking these songs to the echoes of the past they encapsulate so well. As a band with little connection to the veteran cognoscenti of the underground pop consortium, The Jeanies are a refreshing blast of pop purity, combining the greatest nuances of the old wave into a rock-solid foundation of what’s next. Edition of 300 copies on black vinyl.

Leather Towel

Towel IV

Hozac

***The debut album from Melbourne's LEATHER TOWEL—twelve songs of white-hot punk scorch that plays out in eighteen minutes. Songs about the cinema, love, fast food and Yoko’s righteous takedown. The most outrageously (fake) punk band any of these jokers have played in and the most bonkers record you will hear all year. At first blast, the AUSMUTEANTS instantly come to mind before anything else, and of course, that's due to that very same band's JAKE "THE LOVER" ROBERTSON's brash and unhinged vocals and guitar interchange splattering his guts across the room. But this project has far more nuance and panache, as noted by the inclusion of cohorts from NUN, EXHAUSION and OOGA BOOGAS will attest, an attempted swipe at the hardcore template, yet thrown off-balance due to the amount of truck stop cheese whiz and vertigo oozing out of these unhinged scatterbombs as they screech across both sides of this frantic debut LP. It's an evolved hardcore record for the non-mysterious guy, and the post-punk side trips don't hurt the effort one bit, further channeling the Gordons-esque downstrokes and brackish, ugly rhythms which lead to an ultimate climax of irreversible malaise. Edition of 400 copies on black vinyl.

Rep, Mike and the Quotas

Hellbender 1975 - 78

Hozac

***A full primal serving of mostly previously unheard MIKE REP AND THE QUOTAS chaos, recorded between ’75 and ’78, that will no doubt cause future generations to marvel at just how one could be so brutally honest, raw, and wasted yet, live to chronicle it all. Describing the allure of the mid-70s Ohio sound to the uninitiated isn’t too difficult. Take the freaked-out post-13th Floor Elevators to Velvet Underground to Stooges to RFTT/Pere Ubu barbed wire bop and compound those influences with the dawn of home recording equipment access, a D.I.Y scene began to evolve . Just the right mixture of humidity, THC & malt liqour-fueled a primal pool ripe for spontaneous generation producing much fruit from apparant sterile soil as viewed from the overlook of big city coastal-dominated Hipsterism. Edition of 500 copies on black vinyl. Includes a download.

Soft Candy

Bixarre Luv Pyramids

Hozac

***A truly sophisticated pop band that knows it’s way around the Byrds/Beatles/Zombies/Love territory quite well, SOFT CANDY recently came out of dormancy after being out of commission for a couple years when one of the original band members left town. The band reconfigured and bounced back and just in time for a debut single rich with flourishes that eerily echo those riveting ‘Fading Yellow’ vibes and hazy UK dream pop that always delivered on such labels at Parlophone, Hansa, Deram, and Harvest, of course. Their command of their instruments is impeccable, their bizarre stage presence always provocative, and this double A-side of impenetrable songs are just too torturous for you to pass up. Angelic baroque pop entranced with hypnotic rhythms, delivered with genuine style, there really just isn’t much on this level. Edition of 300 copies on black vinyl.

Denim Delinquent

1971-76 - Complete Collection

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!! Hold on folks, HoZac Books has unleashed another edition: the Denim Delinquent 1971-76 fanzine compendium has RISEN. As one of the rarest home made publications of the nascent DIY and proto-punk tornado looming on the horizon in the early 1970s, this groundbreaking and undeniably PUNK magazine encapsulates the innocence and excitement of running your own ship, and draws a clear outline of where underground music journalism needed to go during a time when all kinds of styles crashed together with sickening and shocking results. Denim Delinquent is your ticket on that ride, a hard rock trip down a far out tunnel, or a proto-punk prognosis, you decide. Includes all 8 issues with features on IGGY & THE STOOGES, CAPTAIN BEEFHEART, BLUE OYSTER CULT, MOTT THE HOOPLE, NEW YORK DOLLS, LESTER BANGS, ALICE COOPER, LOU REED, KINKS, SEEDS, KISS, MC5, ENO and more. 200 page softcover book. Edition of 300 copies.

Kitchen's Floor

Battle Of Brisbane

Hozac

***With so many interesting Australian bands we’ve come across over the last ten years, KITCHEN'S FLOOR has got to be the most desperately unhinged while still being one of the most prolific. As the main progenitor of the group, MATT KENNDEY's band has clearly evolved over time, yet he’s consistently retained the grime and agitation from their earliest endeavors, and on this new Battle of Brisbane LP, Kennedy steps forward into an almost daringly palatable collection of songs, still soiled with the stains of defeat, yet unexpectedly triumphant. The bitterness is inescapable yet there’s some rays of something resembling sunshine trying to break through, and it seems as if Kitchen’s Floor have managed to finally edge in some lighter hues in their otherwise never-ending series of grays. Clearly they’ve made artistic progress with Battle of Brisbane, and the variety exhibited within these grooves shows that with the band going on hiatus after the passing of Kennedy’s close friend, and Negative Guest List creator Brendon Annesley, returning to music was definitely the right idea. The songs on this LP shine with a brilliance that isn’t apparent to the outsider ear, ragged and textured with gunk and delusion, yet naked, pure, and honest. A post punk masterpiece done in the folk art vein without the consideration of image or pretense, and churned out with the most delightfully egregious results. Starkly modern and with bleakness beyond measure, Kitchen’s Floor are a consistent bearer of excellent recorded material, and this LP should boost their...

Prix

Historix

Hozac

***BACK IN STOCK!!!  Memphis power pop studio sessions from BIG STAR members that will blow your head apart, featuring TOMMY HOEHN, JON TIVEN, CHRIS BELL, ALEX CHILTON, even HILLY MICHAELS (SPARKS) and JIM DICKINSON! A true missing link in the Mid-South pop underground circa 1975-76 that lots of folks still don't know about, all recorded at Ardent Studios and every song a rocker. Bon Scott fronting a rowdier Big Star? Don't think you've heard it all, the rarest and most hard-rocking of all the post-Big Star side projects is finally here.

Made In Japan

Instant Hit

Hozac

***By now you probably know that we’re pretty big B-movie fans here at HoZac, and any time there’s ever a band performing in one of these films, it never fails to send those jolts of curiosity, as was pretty much the case with the classic 1980 horror film, New Year’s Evil. After we got the Archival leg of our operation underway, it was prime time to dig in and try and see if these near-mythical bands had any unreleased material, and sure enough, MADE IN JAPAN bit on the line and after a few email exchanges, we had a grip of unreleased 1979 material from one of Los Angeles’ unsigned bands of the first wave of punk on our hands. The Made in Japan story starts a little earlier than their appearance in the film though, as original bassist BOBBY ASEA was in CYCLOPS, the band that opened for The Damned on their first US tour in LA in 1977, DAVE CODLING (aka MAHA DEV) was originally from the early 70s UK psych rock band QUINTESSENCE, and BARRY PAUL from SAVOY BROWN, as well as HEAVY METAL KIDS, so they truly had quite the offbeat pedigree. In late 70s LA, punk and new wave were inescapable so the melting pot runneth over with all types of rock’n roll remnants scattering about to form bands, and Made In Japan fit the mold quite well, despite sadly never acquiring a record deal at the time. First pressing of 500 copies.

Killer Kane Band

S/t

Hozac

***Another lost classic and missing link between the glam rock and punk era, KILLER KANE BAND formed its embryonic state during the NEW YORK DOLLS ill-fated 1975 tour in Florida when Johnny Thunders and Jerry Nolan split and headed back to NYC, leaving the band in a desperate grasp for fill-in members, resulting in bass played ARTHUR KANE call up to his old friend BLACKIE GOOZEMAN, from his days growing up in the Bronx, to fill Thunders’ spot on the remaining dates. The two decided to head to Los Angeles after the tour, as the Dolls days were numbered at that point, so they enlisted guitarist ANDY JAY from the MOTOR CITY BAD BOYS and drummer JIMI IMAGE, and set out to conquer the LA club scene with their gritty Alice Cooper-styled proto-punk sound. Rubbing elbows with such netherworld luminaries as the Berlin Brats, Hollywood Stars and Ron Asheton’s New Order, Killer Kane Band didn’t last long, but made a lasting impact, launching the career of future W.A.S.P. frontman BLACKIE LAWLESS (Goozeman) in the process, as well as laying down a scorching three-track EP recorded in 1976 which we lay before you here. First pressing of 500 copies.

Heavy Times

Black Sunglasses

Hozac

***Those irresistible misanthropes are finally back with a new record after a year of lineup changes (4 different bass players on this 4 song EP) and strife, and those impressive new songs are ready to saw you in half. The A-side bolts forward like a pair of metronomic 70s Italian electro-punk anthems that skipped through time, complete with icy KORG patterns interwoven with sinister simplicity that’s almost too much to handle. The sheer brevity of craft here is in high form, like a knife made of ice or an invisible noose around your neck, it’s all downhill UNLESS you see their way. This is gutter-level pop for nobodies that want everything, and it’s about time these tracks were allowed to sizzle like this, as Heavy Times have evolved yet again and you’re gonna love every minute of it. The B-side unplugs the synthesizer and takes a turn back toward their signature “criminal pop” side that we love so much, conjuring up feelings of running for your life from the cops (and outrunning them) as well as some slick & melancholic Thin Lizzyisms that are just what your lonely heart needs tonight. So have no fear, Heavy Times are still throbbing along better than ever, lurking in the shadows, trying hard to not to act like they’re the best band in Chicago. First pressing of 500 copies.

Gross Pointe

Bad Seed

Hozac

***What’s this, yet another ravaging Chicago punk band bursting out onto a 7” EP for the first time? Gross Pointe are another perfect example of how good this town has it going on right now, and as a fixture on the local underground circuit that’s always tearing down a party, and always leaving everyone begging for more, we jumped at the chance to deliver their debut vinyl EP. Although these three guys spend a lot of time in other bands, Gross Pointe is really where they shine, and it’s never been more evident than on these tracks, cut with scorching production, raging guitars and crushing & melodic vocals that will strip you bare upon contact. Finally we see a gang of dudes who can bang out Heartbreakers-style hits without any of the over-fashioned haircuts or embroidered cowboy shirts, and just let those riffs bleed out naturally, it’s seriously refreshing. With so many bands emulating re-hashed attempts at psych/garage and failing so miserably, we’re so glad to have a real band like Gross Pointe to smash it all apart and reinvigorate your will to live another day. Just powerful songs delivered at a break-neck pace, almost like a modern day Devil Dogs or Mullens, you can really warm up to the tightness. On the title track “Bad Seed” it’s not hard to imagine, and it’ll get your heart racing in seconds flat, because all that thick, throbbing guitar scorch like this doesn’t just fall in your lap every day. Four quick...

Mama

Speed Trap

Hozac

***Chicago’s masters of disaster have officially arrived with the long-awaited 7” vinyl release of their debut cassette EP which exploded into the heads and hearts of true rockers across the country last year, and lucky for you it’s here screaming across the platter at 45rpm, just as God intended. MAMA are a truly unique band in these modern times, carefully executing massive and complex pop arrangements with blistering ferocity and rabid delivery that forces anyone “on the fence” about power pop to choke down that pride in one painful gulp. Merging hard rock slashings with AOR-style early 80s hard pop isn’t technically anything new, but MAMA have a rock solid monopoly on this sound right now, and just as the audience continues to “lose it” at their live appearances on a regular basis, now you can take that complete loss of self-control home to enjoy. But back to this sound, rarely has a band of heathens such as this managed to pump out such consistent hits, and without any of the low road short-cuts most bands get trapped into such as overdone gang-style vocals, or lackadaisical rhythms that point squarely to laziness and half-assedness, it’s just not in their blood. MAMA cranks out nothing short of breath-taking lost pop hooks, bronzed in a hard rock veneer that’s impenetrable to anything short of military-grade artillery, yet just like that sweaty bottle of Michelob you’re drinking, always easy going down. This EP was produced by George Szegedy and Alex Szegedy from People’s...

Peel, David

King Of Punk

Hozac

***David Peel is a true counterculture original, an enigma as tough, bombastic, and incendiary as any of the proto-punk gods he walked the Earth with back in the late 1960s. He is NOT the famous British DJ responsible for the ‘Peel Sessions’ series of radio recordings, but just as important to the early landscape of not just the “punk mindset” but more specifically, planting the seeds for one of the most revered punk scenes in history, the Lower East Side of New York City. His band, called The Lower East Side were signed to Elektra Records along with label mates The Doors, Stooges, and MC5, and unleashed a pair of LPs that were as opposite as possible in 1968 and 1970, yet both slid steadfast into the underground, quite perfectly timed for the groundwork to be laid for the upcoming punk movement of the mid 1970s. As a peer of The Fugs and The Gods, Peel kept his style gritty and unpretentious, and his noxious vocal template was already turning heads all across the underground. Not many people know that David Peel’s debut LP was the first commercially-available album to contain the word “motherf–ker” just a few months ahead of the MC5’s notorious inclusion on their massive debut in 1969, but that’s just one of many firsts Peel had a hand in, but obviously, that’s a big one! Next up was defining the upcoming framework of the NYC punk sound, with his own version of gutter-level “street rock.” The raw...

Subtractions, The

It's Exposed

Hozac

***Another uncovered whopper, and a massive missing link of 1st-wave West Coast punk, the long-lost debut EP from Fresno, CA punk devastators The Subtractions is finally here. Fitting in somewhere between the fading surge of 70s Punk Rock and the imminent tide of Hardcore, The Subtractions crept in and bashed out these four incredible songs in 1980 that sadly never saw a release during their tenure, that is, until now. Massive thanks to Cory Lindstrum from Savage Damage Digest magazine who discovered the recordings, luckily we had access to the original master tapes to use for the EP, which is boiling over with punk brilliance, pulse-pounding and antagonistic anthems that immediately command your attention. – VictimofTime.com “Fresno, California: located roughly between Los Angeles and San Francisco, but still off the beaten path. One doesn’t simply drive by but has to head east, along the smaller highways that pass the farms, orchards and pastures, before arriving at this dusty location. It’s in no way a glamorous place, instead quite gritty. What makes Fresno different than the other agricultural towns of the Central Valley is that it enjoys a strong punk rock scene with a rich history of great bands. Some you may have heard of – Capitol Punishment, Nazi Bitch & the Jews, the Frigidettes, Cambodian Kids, S.A.D. Boyz – many others you have not. Each of these bands is indebted to the one that kicked things off in this cow town – the Subtractions. Regarded as Fresno punk ground zero,...

Kim & Leanne

True West

Hozac

***In 1985 THE SCIENTISTS, KIM SALMON's Australian post punk band were stranded. On the eve of a major UK tour, their talented, yet difficult drummer Brett Rixon walked out on the band. A number of name “Rock” drummers were hired to replicate Rixon’s parts, however, it never sounded like The Scientists. The last thing this band wanted to do was “Rock”. In 1985, The Scientists' sound was Dark, Primal, Beat Driven, Minimal and Swampy. As important as the Beat was, it couldn't overpower the band. The playing had to be Metronomic and Restrained. At this time, the band’s tour manager LEANNE COWIE secretly purchased Rixon’s drum kit and proceeded to learn the instrument through The Scientists' repertoire. After a few more failed auditions with what would be viewed by any other band as more than worthy applicants, Leanne was finally asked to join the band. Instantly, The Scientists sounded like The Scientists. With Leanne as Rixon’s replacement, the band was able to tour and record a little longer. However, even with this vital transplant, the band’s days were numbered and by 1987 it was no more. Now with the newly reformed Scientists (with Leanne on drums) playing again, a re-ignited Salmon and Cowie entered a Melbourne studio and within a few days, True West was born.  The material on True West has echoes of the classic Scientists' Swampy sound especially in the tracks "Freudian Slippers" and "Get A Hold Of Your World." And "The Science Test" is another exercise...

Twilley, Dwight Band

Firefly / Living In The City

Hozac

***HoZac Archival is back with our second 7” single from the DWIGHT TWILLEY BAND vault, this time with two sparklingly powerful rockers, the first time for both on vinyl, culled from the Great Lost Twilley Album, and thrust onto a 45rpm disc for your pleasure. By now you don’t even need to second guess the raw power of the Dwight Twilley/Phil Seymour connection, and with that warm early Summer breeze wafting through your open windows, it’s clear that these good times belong to this sound, and this sound is right at your fingertips. The two tracks are from 1980 and 1977 respectively and deliver that impossibly tight pop sound you just can’t get enough of, the kind that can turn a small outdoor get together into a raging party, and the kind that can turn a bad day into yesterday’s news.   “Firefly” is yet another would-be hit which should have been resting at the top of the charts in 1980, yet contractual complications as well as inner turmoil knocked it out of contention, despite the appearance of the Cowsills’ Susan Cowsill on backup vocals, and one of the catchiest choruses in their entire catalog. Either way, we’ve got it here on the single that it always should have been, and backing up that massive hit is the uproarious lost 1977 track “Living’ In the City” with Phil Seymour on lead vocals, and some of the wildest backup vocals these guys ever laid down on tape, a true party...

Ausmuteants

Mates Rates

Hozac

***It has to be said, these boys are just on fire, there’s no way around it! With an incredible, agitated, and nervously energetic sound they’ve pounded into all their own, AUSMUTEANTS are back with another massive slab of synth punk savagery you won’t be able to wash off with just one shower. After two pummeling LPs, another album full of demos, and a handful of stellar singles, all garnering the mouth-breathing praise they so wholly deserve, we’ve finally caught up with our release schedule and have shoved our bloody stump of a head into their sticky world, and we never wanna pull out. The two sizzling, neurotic, and probiotic cuts featured here don’t appear on any other releases, and are as vile, infectious and just as rabid as you needs require, crushing their formula into a powerful dust that erases your will to resist their impeccable Aussie charms.  The A-side’s irresistible anthem “Mate’s Rates” rides a riveting synth line that will surely go down in history as one of New Wave Theatre’s great lost performances by a band you didn’t catch the name from, and sometimes something this classic sounding doesn’t need anything else, just like a good steak. And if that wasn’t enough, Ausmuteants dig deep on the b-side for a cover of Martha & The Muffins’ bizarre 1980 new wave hit “Echo Beach” that just doesn’t let up until your grip on life has loosened to the point of submission. You really don’t even have much of...

Brown Spiders

It's Something To Do

Hozac

Pretoria, South Africa’s most dangerous arachnids are here to finally burst forth from their egg sac and right into your vulnerable arms and ears, as the debut 7” from our second South African export has hit the floor and is busy scrambling into your darkest corners. A prodding, sinister and disorienting riff hits you immediately just before that winding, repetitive and repulsive bass line stares you down, and before you know it, Jacco and Andreas (Make-Overs) have their claws at your throat with two cuts so thick with bad vibrations, you might just want to get yourself inoculated to prevent swelling on contact. You won’t have time to call up Dr. Moosa or any of your normal witch doctor contacts as this blackness and numbness will spread quickly, and just as soon as the main riff in “It’s Something To Do” unravels into a demonic roar, it’s probably too late to save any semblance of sanity.As a brackish minimalist counterpart to the more free-form sonic smashings of Make-Overs, Brown Spiders linger in the shadows, sharpening their pincers and retracing their horrific steps, carving their undulating chords into your wrists and ankles as you sleep. Building tension comes as second nature over these two rough numbers, just enough ominous thunder bellowing out between the soiled grooves to let you think you're safe from those utterly murderous backup vocals. We’re beyond stoked to bring this dark and brutish-style thug crusher into the world, and we hope you will allow several listens before...

Buck Biloxi & The Fucks

Streets Of Rage

Hozac

***BACK IN PRINT!!! BUCK & the boys are back with a vengeance, and the new Streets of Rage LP is going to cause quite a few dizzying episodes of pure punk euphoria so don’t even start to think you’ve heard it all yet. Culling all the burned-out, hate-fueled visceral verbiage from the streets into an impossibly catchy and dare we even say 'poetic' benchmark of garbage spun into gold, ‘Streets of Rage’ kicks off with 'Rock’n Roll Sucks Part 2' and just never lets loose of its grip around your neck/life until your record player is emitting the typical black smoke of overheated electronics. A slight uptick in fidelity won’t even begin to ruffle any feathers here, as the guitars-cum-food-processors tone is still hitting the spot every time, surely ushering in the next era of Buck Biloxi and the F*cks’ primitive pessimism, and establishing this New Orleans troupe as one of the modern era’s greats, stomping their way through a sea of pretenders. It doesn’t take long to realize the caliber of Mr. Biloxi’s moxie, his lyrics will be quoted for the next ten generations, and his attitude toward human existence will be the material of graduate level sociology courses, mark my words, and this insight doesn’t come cheap. Streets of Rage might be the most punk record you’ve ever owned, or will the record OWN YOU? Either way, you lose, so don’t get those high hopes up anywhere where you can’t reach ‘em, because Buck Biloxi and the F*cks...

Nun

S/t

Hozac

***NUN—one of the most powerful bands Melbourne has ever produced, presents their dark-yet-somehow-vibrant vision of electronic pop with their debut self-titled album. Nun’s sound flows from sinister drone-orgy and hyperkinetic synth-punk to saturated new wave worship by incorporating huge, gnarling basslines, shimmering analogue synthesiser, punishing drum machine and the most malevolent vocal presence since the Dalek. From the first few seconds of opening track ‘Immersion II,’ it is clear that the lean minimal buzz of their debut 7” Solvents (on cult Melbourne label Nihilistic Orbs) was merely one sparkling facet of a much more monstrous body of work. Their debut album veers from perfectly crafted electronic pop to intense industrial noise, with singer JENNY BRANAGAN’s scathing lyrical vision always rising to occupy the central point of focus. Nun’s unrelenting aesthetic sense penetrates every aspect of this record, resulting in a remarkably cohesive work of art. The music is danceable and poppy, it’s sad and incisive, it’s fun, aggressive and heavy as hell. Most impressive of all is its immense force; the effortless delivery belying an overwhelming sense of something very heavy and unpleasant looming just beneath the scintillating pop surface. Edition of 500 copies.

Repairs

Decay

Hozac

***“That's right, yet another crucial Australian single, from the blackend depths of minimal synth hysteria, and offering up the perfect chaser to the Nun LP. Rooted in an electronic nightmare set to overlapping Throbbing Gristle compositions, REPAIRS emerged with a cassette-only release on the upstart Captured Tracks label, which quickly slipped through the cracks back in 2009, but it was the debut 7" on Nihilistic Orbs in 2011 that really knocked us back into their corner. It all starts with that nervous little throb that evolves into a poisonously aromatic nightbloom, drowning in an inescapable whisper, as each song emerges and hovers over you. A deeply electronic sadistic minimalist sound, that's as primitive as it is demonic, both of these new tracks bleed out of the speakers in slow motion, gripping your world in a vice, bending shadows back and forth until the madness creeps in. The pulsations continue long after the music stops, keeping REPAIRS in the dark, torturous corners of your mind, and carving out another essential release from the Melbourne underground.”—Victim Of Time. First pressing of 375 copies.

Sueves, The

Liquid Hounds

Hozac

***“Chicago is clearly in the midst of a new rock'n roll revival, with floods of great new young bands ripping up the spots on a weekly basis, and rising to the top of that immense heap, are THE SUEVES. Punishing static hiss coupled with tough-as-nails riffs, careen down a belligerent groove, with immense, crushing noise that comes right to a halt, only to resume with even more thunder. Frontman JOE SCHORGI’s vocals will get right under your skin, with such a classic scream already in place, and such an agitated delivery, he's bound for the big time. I mean how else would your band sound if the guitarist from the electric eels was your landlord? The Sueves blast forth with a blizzard of treble-soaked noise, and once Joe's spidery guitar, along with ROB’s vicious bass lines, and ANDY’s shambolicly acute drumming really kick in together, they just explode, and they've clearly got that elusive ‘tension’ so many bands just can't get right. We're extremely excited to get this debut 7" out into the world, so don't sleep on this raw and trashy debut single from one of Chicago's top bands, busting right out of the gate and right nto your dreams and nightmares.”—Victim of Time. First pressing of 375 copies.