Tracklist:01. Volxsturm - Forever and for eternity
02. Volxsturm - Ich habe die strasse gesehn
03. Harrington saints - Factories
04. Harrington saints - Put your boots back on
Released by Longshot in 2009.
The fact that Longshot is the most active recordlabel in the modern US Oi! scene is sort of alarming since it doesnt represent the scene in any way (except releasing the odd Noi!se album). With all the shit they press and release year after year (OFC, Razors in the night) most people without the time or intrest to digg a little bit deeper think this is the modern American Oi! sound. With all the great unsigned bands that Vulture and American Defence left in their demise its a bloody shame and the reason why people say "You mean you like streetpunk" when you say you like American Oi!.
The album is somewhat saved by Harrington saints last song which is a great tune but the rest of the record just sound fucking weak in all sorts of scales (depending on what you listened to before putting this EP on). Me myself i was listening to the excellent hardcore EP by Battered Citizens from 1989. If this is what Oi! is 40 years on i will gladly leave Oi! behind and go listening to 80's hardcore in the future.
5/10
Okay so it's just not me. It seems like since Longshot Music left Vancouver, they have lost a lot of their Skinhead edge. It seems like most of their releases these days are pretty lightweight Oi! as apposed to when the label first started out.
SvaraRaderaAnd I have to agree I get tired of the "white guilt" that I hear, what happened to Oi! being about the working class and fighting for something instead of crying about it.
Cheers,
Brian Guy
Hi Bernando,
SvaraRaderaI respect your point of view, but I cannot really follow it. If Volxsturm and Harrington Saints are not Oi! for you, please tell me: what's Oi! for you anyway?
Is it that today's (american) Oi!-Bands are "weak"? What does that mean "weak"? Lyrically, musically?
Cheers, Dickie
Hi Dickie.
RaderaSurf around the site and check out the records that has gotten themselfs a 10/10 rating and you will understand what i views as real oi!
What you also need to understand is that this site reflects MY views and nothing more so that people like you dont share my thoughts is obvious. My guess is you grew up on Cock Sparrer and The business while i grew up on Combat 84 and Battle zone. And tyherefor we have different views on what Oi! is. Oi! to me is in your face, aggressive and most of all anti-trend. Something this band lacks, tyherefor weak in my eyes.
My rantings on the recordlabels and all is mainly because there are so many hardhitting bands today that all release record after record on a DIY basis (check out On trial) yet these more poporiented bands get to release record after record mainly because they tend to hang out in the right subcultural circles and know the right people.
Bernando,
SvaraRaderaI have to confess: I was really more growing up on Cock Sparrer than on Combat 84 (I love 'em anyway).
I'm understanding your point and you`re being different from the regular Oi! crowd is one of the reasons I'm following your blog.
One more thing I'd like to stress: I'm just coming home from a Sydney Ducks/Downtown Struts gig in Berlin. SD are (beside of 45 Adapters) in my opinion the best american Oi! band around at these times. And they are far away from Battle Zone and Combat 84 and much more like Sparrer. What do you think of this kind of Oi!?
Real or not real?
You really got me there and my doublestandards will sprout out in the following sentences haha. There are a ton of different sounds that i dont really concider Oi! but that i associate with the skinhead (or atleast somewhat gutterfree punkmovement). SD is one of those bands and just like 45 Adapters i think they are more mod-rock than Oi! but i can still enjoy them. Same goes for all the HC bands that claim they play Oi!, i love them but i would never concider them Oi!.
RaderaBottom line i am in no position to pass out judgement on what is Oi! and what is not but to me Oi! will always walk hand in hand with aggression and "in your face" attitude. Neither SP or Harrington has it but i enjoy SP for what they are.
Never heard about Downtown Struts by the way, need to check them out.