Season greetings..

Two videos in the spirit of christmas. Missile toads version of Dead Boys song Sonic Reducer and a brand new song from Toughskins that is available on the "Cashing in on Christmas Vol.4" from Black Hole Records.

Enjoy the weekend however you might spend it. Will be back before new year with the "2012 Year in review".

The missile toads - Santa's a boozer

Toughskins - It could be worse

Toughskins - Raised in anger LP (1995)

Band from Los Angeles not to be confuced with the Florida band with the same name.
The band was formed in 1993 by Adrian on vocals, Mike on drums, Jody on guitar and Danny on bass. In 1995 they released their first and only full-lenght record through Vulture Rock (this one) and appeared on Backstreets of American Oi! and Superyobs Vol.2 before splitting up in 1996.
During this split the band branched out into two new bands as Adrian and Mike formed Fully Loaded and Danny & Jody went on to for the band Rot-N-Roll.

In 2004 Adrian and Mike reformed the band with a new guitarist and bass-player, this version of the band didnt stay around for long but got around to releasing a split with Broken heroes before splitting up again (album can be found here).

In 2010 Danny decided it was time to punch some life intot he corpse that was Toughskins and with some new faces in their line-up they started doing shows again. This new line-up is Danny (now on vocals), Mike, Chris and Chavlon (think she used to play in Strongarm and the bullies, stop me if i'm wrong).

The "new" Toughskins have just released an EP called Anger Management through Randale Records and have more releases planned in the future so to keep updated by visiting their facebook (anyone who has followed the site know my thoughts on facebook so find the link yourselfs).
Thanks to JayB and Danny for the info.

Tracklist:
01. We are the Toughskins
02. Get drunk
03. Get arrested
04. I know you
05. School of hardknocks
06. Skinhead
07. 25 miles
08. Take the pain
09. Lucky to be alive
10. Strike

Released by Vulture Rock in 1995 and later re-issued by Dim Records on cd in 1998 (my upload contains artwork for both releases but audio tracks are from the CD).

This band is far from a new experience for anyone even remotly familuar with American Oi! music. These boys are legends and well deserved of their status. They have a distinct 90's sound going and play somewhat the same kind that Fatskins played (only thing these guys sound good while doing it).

The song opening up the album is in my oppinion the weakest and fail in the same way that Fatskins often failed, song sounds like a joke rap-song lets just leave it at that. Though on Get drunk they make a u-turn and  deliver what i think is one of the most iconic songs of the 90's scene (maybe because i grew up on the Backstreets album). Tightly followed by Get arrested and later crushed by the wonderfull anthem called Skinhead its not hard to understand why this band is one of the few who actually got a name for themselfs overseas.

As most probably allready own the record i will stop pestering you all with my thoughs and get on with my day.
9/10

Download

Broken heroes & Toughskins - Split 7'' (2004)

Tracklist:
01. Broken heroes - Smashing hippies
02. Broken heroes - Held back
03. Toughskins - Pay back
04. Toughskins - Never did anything right

Released by Headache records in 2004.

A post 9/11 record with aggressive lyrics and i am quite surpised Headache records released this record (they where never PC but they often stayed away from anything to extreme).

Broken heroes serves two absolutely great tracks and with their new singer Mike Fintzy they sound harder then ever. First song is one of my favourite tracks by the band and has some classic New York Oi! lyrics about flaggburners and hippiestomping. Second track is filled with the same brutal style but has a bit more laidback subject about growing up as a workingclass son and becoming a working man (haha cliché i know but its a damn good song).

Toughskins is a band that i deffinetly will upload and review later on. Start out the record with a payback anthem after the terrorist attack called Pay Back. It has a great rock 'n' roll feeling and i love the concept of an anti-terrorist song but they loose me when they mix in lyrics against arab imigrants with lyrics like "I know you dream of the day you come here/Own some seven eleven but you smell fucking wierd/Screw your fucked up country oil is the only thing good". I have seen photos of many lineups of Toughskins and believe me most of their members look far from the original blonde european settlers that founded the nation. Anyway a great song and its folowed by Never did anything right that is more of a classic rock track. First time i ever heard them play this kind of music and it actually sounds perfect for Adrians vocals.
10/10

Download

FOX 11 news report on skinheads from the west coast

This is like a feast for the eyes. An actuall indept and mature report on the American skinheadscene (not). Bands appearing in this clip is The revolt, The authority and Toughskins and also some interview footage with Spider and Reaper from skinheadcrew The family. There is a fight between two skincrews Hooligans and Carson skins.

So what fact and knowledge can we sum upp after seing this indept report? We learn about the tribal movements of the skins as the slamdance arm in arm, dive into the pit and bop their shaven heads to the music (hehe). We also learn that skinheads attack people with long hair if they make contact with them (wtf!?). Even if skinheads fight they often end it with a special greeting called the "skinhead embrace". Everywhere there is a moshpit there is a hardcore skinhead causing trouble and where there is trouble you can most often see a skinhead nearby (that often leads to some straight edge band crying out about it in interviews later).

Take me to your skinhead leader haha.