CL1 & First Offense - This is rust belt street punk CD (2010)

Tracklist:
01. CL1 - L.A.C.
02. CL1 - Katey
03. CL1 - No piece of mind
04. CL1 - Drinking class heroes
05. CL1 - Standing strong
06. First Offense - The Opening Bell
07. First Offense - The Final Call
08. First Offense - Rats In The City
09. First Offense - 27 Kisses
10. First Offense - The Worst Revenge

Released by Dim Records in 2010.

A record like this wakes me up to the fact that we all live in so different worlds from one man to another. In my world street punk can be used in the sentence "Nevermind that band they are on some candycoated street punk bullshit these days" or "Posing on their band picture with baseball bats like some retarded street punk band". This is all natural for me but at the same time around the bible belt in the US bands call themselfs that same thing and even plaster it on their records. This is scary since i don't even think the word "street punk" should exists because most of the street punk bands are the least street out of all the punk genres today. Whats even more scary is that i have come to enjoy some of these bands lately. Bands like Pistol Grip make some awesome music and Noi!se is a perfect example of Oi! and Streetpunk mixed into a functional crossbreed. Sadly enough both of these bands on the record are far from my favourite in the genre.

CL1 offers nothing new on the record and has simply taken songs from earlier releases (all available for download on this site). Even though their old it's a nice selection of their better songs (Drinking class heroes, L.A.C.) and represent the better half of this record.

First offense is a band that i must have some sort of sadistic relationship to since i have bought every single release by them but only like about 10% of their songs. Hell i even have the first printed copy of their first printed release with a handnumbred "1 out of 100" in the sleeve. If the band ever release anything else in the future i will probably buy it day one and hate it just like the rest of their stuff, it's wierd but can't be helped.

An ok band offering old songs and a mediocre band offering shitty songs don't really make a good record in my book.
4/10

Download

Video for L.A.C. by CL1

Probably wont see this on MTV anyime soon but nice to see a punkgroup actually making musicvideos again.

Cl1 performing Drinking class heroes in Toledo

Good performance on their hometurf. Drinking bad, drinking placeeeeboooooo hahaha.

CL1 - The bottom of the lake sessions (2008)

Tracklist:
01. City girl
02. Drinking class heroes (Full flavor version)
03. Friend or foe
04. Katey
05. L.A.C.
06. My way
07. No piece of mind
08. Stand strong
09. Work hard, die young
10. Wrong side of the track
11. Drinking class heroes (Aucostic version with Larry Love)

A bootleg released by the band in 2008.

These are all songs that where recorded in the summer of 2008 when the band had turned into a 3-piece band with Andy Sutter now playing drums together with Erick and Sam now sharing both guitar, bass and vocal duties.
Does this make an impact on their sound you might ask your self? Deffinetly not. This is the best sounding CL1 i have heard since they started in 2003. Dont get me wrong though this is still more streetpunk then Oi! in my ears but its good music nevertheless.
A damn nice initiative by the band releasing this CD (even if they only sell it from the back of their trunks) and the reason why it existed is that they grew tired of the split with First offence pended for over 2 years and they needed something new to play for the girls at the bar hehe.

The album contains the 5 songs that where on the split released earlier this year and it also contains 6 songs that has never before seen the light of day.
If they sounded like A.P.A. before i would say they have more of a Hudson Falcons sound now and also a bit of a Dropkick Murphy's sound at some points. The most 7'' friendly song on the album is the punkversion of Drinking class heroes that has a hard working class theme and a chorus that can easily be missunderstood (my girl listened to the aucostic verion of this song and thought they where singing We're drinking bad, we're dinking placebo hahaha thats almost worth a placebo-version of the song).
One thing that often pisses me of when it comes to streetpunk is their inabillity to do something new (not that Oi! is the most creative musicform out there) but this band actually tries a whole lot of new stuff. Track 3 is one of those songs where they mix in a bit of hardcore, its not a good song but they have to get points for trying atleast.
Other good tracks are Wrong side of the tracks, Work hard die young and No piece of mind.
Since they released a new album this year my guess is that this isnt the last we have heard from this band. Nice to see Ohio getting into the game.
8/10

Download

This bootleg can be bought from the band at their site.
But if you really want to support the band then buy their new album at these stores:
Dim records
Pure impact
Interpunk
CDBABY

Video for Drinking class heroes by CL1

This is an acoustic version of the song that was on their split with with First Offence this year. This version features Larry Love (check out his band and solo-project) on aucostic guitar and also singing the last verse. A great song i will upload the unofficial release this song was on after this.

Lyrics for Riot in the glass city by CL1

Politicians get paid and we loose jobs. Another day the working man gets robbed
Everyday that's how it goes in the glass city
Wake up man say it ain't so, 20.000+ lost in Ohio
The walls are comming down around the glass city
We lost our faith, lost our souls. Down in the gutter with nothing to live for
Streets are over come with fire in the glass city
Time to take back what we lost, victory is ours no matter what the cost
Boots and bats are ready tonight in the glass city

Riot in the glass city, Riot in the glass city, Riot in the glass city tonight X2
Gonna riot, Gonna riot, Gonna riot in the glass city X4

Feel it comming don another night, better lace up your boots cause we're heading for a fight
Saints and sinners stand side by side in the glass city
Breaking our acks through all these years, day after day blood sweat and tears
This is our way of life in the glass city
We're working class and we're proud & strong, we've been denied for way to long
Gonna rise up and take what's ours the glass city
We were born to work and we were born to fight, we're gonna show this city we're right
Goin off like a bomb tonight in the glass city

Riot in the glass city, Riot in the glass city, Riot in the glass city tonight X2
Gonna riot, Gonna riot, Gonna riot in the glass city X4

CL1 - Riot in the glass city (2007)

Tracklist:
01. Detroit woman
02. Don't fall down
03. Here come the boots
04. Rock n' roll
05. White flag
06. Riot in the glass city
07. Yesterday

Released by Roughneck records in 2007.

The bands first propper release and a big step up from their democd. Its the same lineup as before but this time Jenn plays drums on all songs.
I still think some of the tracks are a bit weak but Here come the boots takes the Nr. 1 spot. Dont know what they where thinking when they recorded this song. Drums are weak the lyrics are stupid and its actually physically hard to listen through the song from start to end. The last 3 songs are of a whole different breed though. White flag is a fast battle-anthem and its hard to hear that its the same band playing as the previously mentioned song. Best on the record is Riot in the glass city and its probably also the one with the best lyrics.
I really liked this album even if there only was about 3 good tracks on it. Good punkmusic that somewhat reminds me about A.P.A.
7/10

Download

Only way to get this album is to order it directly from the band at their myspace.

CL1 - Life in the 419 Mini-CD (2004)

Tracklist:
01. Die on the line
02. One night
03. Are you gonna fight?
04. Everythings alright
05. Livin' my life
06. 419

Self-released by the band in 2004.

This is basicly their first demo released as a minicd.
Not as good and as much Oi! sounding as they where later but still an ok demo.
Out of these 6 early tracks there is basicly only one that is worth mentioning and that song is Livin' my life. Its a fastpaced song with a fuckyou attitude and nice drums.
Basicly just download this and make up your own mind.
5/10

Download

Only way to get this record is ordering it straight from the band. You can do so on their myspace.

CL1 band-introduction.

A bluecollar punkband from Toledo, Ohio that has been around since 2003. It started out as a 4-piece band with young punkveterans from the Ohio scene who's goal was to put together a band that blended the best of old British oi! and mixing it with more modern American streetpunk.
Original lineup was Erick Kinney on guitar and vocals (also played in PKM and Slave March), Sam Potts also him on vocals and guitar (Sam also played in Anit- and Social Angst), Marc Barbour on bass (used to play in Left For Dead and also in PKM with Erick) and Jenn Moffit on drums also member of BroadZilla and The Ballistic Idiots). Jenn wasnt in the original lineup and on their first release most drums was played by Kurt that later left the band.
This is a bluecollar band all the way from the bandname to their lyrics and only thing that seems to be bigger then their workingclass pride is their love for their hometown Toledo, naming their first release Life in the 419 and their second was called Riot in glass city (hows that for hometown love).
Even if most bands they say they are influenced by isnt among my favourites (Rancid, The business etc) i find a lot of charm in their songs even though Rancid mumbeling and Dropkick chants are very frequent.
They released a split with First offence some time ago but i will try to upload their complete discography that i dont think many knows exists.