New Zine: Artcore Fanzine #41 (with Stukas Over Bedrock 7″)

Artcore is always worth reading for the reviews section alone. I have said many times that Welly Artcore is hands down the best reviewer in punk. He has a hilarious turn of phrase and is constantly taking the piss. This makes even a scathing review worth having. On the odd occasion he is even nice about some of the wide range of bands he covers. Then the medication wears off and he’s back to his scathing comedic self.

Welly has a wealth of knowledge about even the most obscure reaches of the DIY punk scene. Add to this an intelligent enquiring mind and a bullshit detector turned up to 11 and it makes for good reading.

As ever Artcore is a pleasure to behold, with Wellys design skills honed over hundreds of album sleeves and flyers as well as the zine. This issue also features some of the art of Jim Martin.

Bands covered in issue 41 include older reformed punk icons Mau Maus and Naked Raygun alongside newer hot property like Zero Again (England/Wales), Social Experiment (Wales) The Lungs (LA), Wrong War (Chicago) and White Stains (Pittsburgh). There’s also some retrospective content in the Vaultage section focused on Attitude Adjustment, Condemned To Death and Wall of Voodoo.

Artcore continue their series of repressings of difficult to find gems with the
Stukas Over Bedrock 7″. This was new to me but was a welcome find with a typically snotty L.A. sound that made me want to watch Suburbia again. Here’s the official line:

This highly sought after classic L.A. Hanna-Barbaric hardcore punk 7″ from 1984 is expanded to a six song remixed and remastered EP on ‘Dino’ purple vinyl. ‘Life Like Yogi’ comes in the 12 page 7″ ‘Artcore Audio Fanzine’ booklet sleeve including SxOxBx interview/history, lyrics and dozens of unpublished photos by Linda Aronow… and of course a download code.

This great combo is available from Boss Tuneage with some US and European distribution.