New Age Records - '77 Pressings

Back in October last year, Marcus posted an article on New Age Records who has repressed a few of their more popular 90's bands releases for the first time on color vinyl. He was very excited.

I read his post and proceeded to post a comment along the lines that it was a stupid, exploitative, cash grab for records that were long past their relevancy.

Then I went and ordered a couple for myself.

To be honest, I knew it was kind of a stupid move in the first place. New Age did not have the best mailorder reputation as hundreds of people had complained over the years about not getting their records going back as far as the 1990s. I figured it's two records, if they don't show up - it was my own fault for ordering them in the first place.

Well, I wasn't proven wrong. Weeks turned into months and I figured my order was a lost cause. Hell, Marcus even suggested I call Mike Hartsfield personally to find out where my order was. I just couldn't be bothered to put that much effort into it.

Then last month my best buddy ever, Al from Hardcore Shirt, sent me a facebook link with a message from New Age stating they were cleaning up their mailorder department and that if anyone had an outstanding order, you could email your paypal receipt and they would take care of it. I took 5 seconds and forwarded the email and then proceeded to forget all about it.

Well lo and behold, yesterday I received a package from New Age.

The records I was most interested in were the '77 Pressings of Strife - My Fire Burns On 7" and Outspoken - A Light In the Dark lp. I already had the Outspoken - Survival 7" I picked up from Marcus in the summer I think.
The deal with the '77 Pressings is that each release has the 1st press Walk Proud labels which was New Age #1.
Marcus also has a good theory on why 77 was the number pressed as it is the "title" on the Unbroken - Crushed On You 7" cover.

Works for me. Let's get to it!

Outspoken - A Light In The Dark lp

Clear with black streaks/77. This color is getting a lot of play lately. I have seen it around a bit, and it's the same as rarest color of the new Comeback Kid lp.

There is no distinguishing marks anywhere on the sleeve. You just go with the labels to tell the pressing.

Strife - My Fire Burns On 7"

As you can see they use a unique b/w photocopied cover.
The vinyl is Pink/77

The 77 Pressing mark is on the back cover on this guy's neck.

Outspoken - Survival 7"

Once again we have a b/w photocopied cover for the special pressing.
Vinyl is Pink/77 as well.


The '77 Pressing is stated on the bottom of the back cover.

Of course, the one I am missing is the best one. There is a Unbroken - Crushed On You 77 Pressing out there that I wouldn't say no to if someone gave me one. Just saying.
Go ahead and share your favorite New Age mailorder story! I know there are few out there.

Mindset - Liveset lp

"Where the fuck were you 12 years ago?" - Ev, Mindset

"Right here son. Right here." - Doug W.

Those of you that have heard the album will get that joke!

I was one happy/relieved dude to see that the new Mindset lp had finally arrived safe and sound at my door yesterday. After an unfortunate set of circumstances, Upside Down Records was able to finish and deliver the Liveset lp and I have to say it looks and sounds great. All the b.s. about the delays just melts away once you drop the needle. It's nice to see it is also a dead issue now on the React! board.

The most important thing about this record is how good the recording is. I really wasn't expecting too much from an all ages gig sound board recording, (this isn't The Song Remains The Same) but everything is very clear and mixed well.

While listening to the record, I had to wonder how old the crowd was at this show. The between song banter by Ev was everything you would expect from a youth crew posi hardcore band; positive messages about the scene, unity and friendship, shout outs to other band members and VIPs in the crowd and a just a touch of name dropping for scene points.

However, another thing I heard is that some of the talking also seems to come off a bit like a history lesson - which I like. Hardcore is one of the only music scenes that reveres and celebrates the past, not eat it alive without acknowledging any influences.

As for the vinyl, three colors were pressed in ridiculously low numbers.

The rarest is clear gold out of 110.

The next color is white out of 220.

Lastly, black vinyl also out of 220.

The cover has a really cool 60's vibe with a lot of information on the cover, thereby negating the need for an insert or printed inner sleeve. I think it looks sharp.

The gold vinyl is long gone, but you can still pick up both white and black vinyl at the Upside Down Records webstore. At $10, you can't go wrong!

Remission - Winds of Promise 7"

As you may have noticed, I haven't been posting much lately. Or maybe you have a life and didn't notice at all. Either way is fine.
To tell the truth, there hasn't been much rolling in lately. The stuff I have been buying is so generic no one would care anyway so I haven't been posting it. The stuff I was excited about never showed up and I am tired of fighting with flakes and assholes.

So it makes me happy to say that at least I have this ripper of a new record brought to us from our reliable, trustworthy friends at React! Records.

Remission have got the melodic heartfelt posi-core down. Yeah sure they sound a lot like Verbal Assault but damn, more bands should. It's a formula I love and let's face it - we hardcore folk love our formula!

If there is any complaint at all it is that the record is just too damn short. Three near perfect songs with my favorite being the title track, "Winds of Promise". As always, it's better to be left wanting more.

The rarest (for now) color that was available with the pre-order was baby blue out of 200.


The next color is clear blue out of 300.


Finishing up is the most "common" color black out of 400.


As with all React! releases the quality is there with a nice printed inside cover with the lyrics, pictures and thank you's.

The record also comes with the standard issue React! posi insert (this one on humility, which is really well done) and a sticker. All in all another excellent release.


Now all I need is the yet to be dropped rare color out of 100 that we all know is coming. Back off, I want one first!

Supertouch - Lost My Way 7"

In what seems like an endless parade of 80's and 90's hardcore bands reuniting and getting back out there for another shot, Supertouch join the party with their new 7" record "Lost My Way" released on Reaper Records.

When I saw the preorder go up for this, I was genuinely surprised. I didn't hear about any reunion and I hadn't thought about the band in years as I wasn't the biggest "The Earth Is Flat" fan.

Well damn, "Searching For The Light" was the best song off the Together and The Way It Is comps so I figured, why not? I ended up ordering a couple to make the postage costs worth the order.

I am glad I did as there were two colors available and the first one was sold out in what seemed about 10 minutes.

There is nothing official for pressing numbers yet, but the word is there are 1000 pressed in total. 200 on blue vinyl.

800 pressed on green.

Yeah I know, they look the same. It's just the dim lighting in my house, but these colors are pretty faint in my defense.

Musically, I kind of like it. I wasn't huge into them at any point in the past so I don't have the angry reaction to their "new" sound that 90% of the people on messageboards have for these four songs.

As it turns out these are older songs that were written for their lost lp before they broke up in 1996. They recorded them last fall and here is what we get.

I am a sucker for Uniform Choice "Staring Into The Sun" and Unity "Blood Days" so I like the rock edge, experimental sound that comes off as "growth" that most edgemen despise. There are some effects on Mark Ryan's vocals that will turn people off but whatever.

There are plenty of places to check the songs out online so you can make up your own mind. It's all good.