Abolitionist - Ugly Feeling

  Today's update certainly isn't the first time Abolitionist have featured on here but it's possibly the last. The Portland, Oregon band have decided that it's probably time to call it a day. If it is the end they've gone out with a bang in the form of new (last?) release Ugly Feeling. Featuring the talents of Dustin Herron (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Dunlap (lead guitar/vocals), Joey Mohler (bass/vocals) and Sean Rule (drums), the album is a dozen political treatises on anger, ignorance, imperfection, selfishness, disillusion and self doubt. It's the sound of a band looking inward at the human psyche and not always liking what they see. Questions are asked, "What can you do when you're at the crossroads?" What can you do when berating and controlling are all you know?" "So what now?" It's claustrophobic and uncomfortable. It's essential listening.

  There's a limited edition opaque purple vinyl version (though there's only a handful left so get in quick) and it's also available as a name your price download :   https://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/album/ugly-feeling-lp-2019

  Despite going their separate ways, they've still got a few gigs lined and you can check details here :   https://www.facebook.com/abolitionist.portland.9

  My pick of the bunch? I'm going with the title track. This is Ugly Feeling...

He just had an ugly feeling. He just couldn't relate. He just couldn't blah blah blah (isn't being a white boy great? Ugly feeling. To be honest, it wasn't all that bad growing up in the rural life … being shredded by the eggshells of an unhappy marriage of two imperfect souls living an imperfect life in a spoiled, dying world.

 

Abolitionist - Avalanche

 

  Portland, Oregon 4 piece Abolitionist return to Just Some Punk Songs today with a track from their brand new 8 track mini album A New Militance. It'll soon be available on vinyl and cassette (250 copies on opaque pink 10" vinyl & 50 white/pink cassettes available mid February) but for now you can download it "name your price" on Bandcamp : https://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/album/a-new-militance-mlp-2019 

  Originally intended to be released as part of a double album alongside last May's The Instant lp it was written last February, inspired by the 2016 presidential election. As you'll notice, all the songs are one word titles and they coalesce to form a politically themed concept album ending with hope that "It's over. The bad guys lost. They never stood a fucking chance once we all fought as one." but warning against complacency "When the war is over, the real work begins..."

  The line up of the band is Dustin Herron (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Dunlap (guitar/back-up vocals), Joey Mohler (bass/back-up vocals) and Sean Rule (drums). Dustin tells me they won't be doing much promo on this release (so feel free to share it around for them as it deserves to be heard) as they'll be concentrating their efforts on a new 12 song album that's scheduled for release in May or June (digital/cassette first, hopefully vinyl eventually). There's also plans for a summer tour so keep an eye on Facebook for details :  https://www.facebook.com/abolitionist.portland.9

  From the mini album, this is Avalanche...

The pink bombs were a start to an unforgiving war. Soon there was an avalanche from an unforgiving source. No peaceful marches, online petitions. Too fucking sick of the bloody war on women. You should have seen it. It was a bloodbath, reminiscent of the French Revolution. Autocrats, with their pockets lined with cash. Wife-beaters, with their flaccid micro-dicks.

Abolitionist - Backlash

 

  So, Portland. The largest city in Oregon. It sits on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers and is in the shadow of Mount Hood. And it's the only city in the world where every one of it's 639,863 residents are in a band!

  One of those bands, Abolitionist, has just released their new album. It's their 4th and it's titled The Instant. Their previous albums have been It Used To Rain (2011), The Growing Disconnect (2013) and The Vicious Rumor (2015). Regular visitors to this blog may also remember I featured a song from their ep, The Pinnacle, which came out last year. All their releases are name your price on Bandcamp (donations appreciated but not necessary) and should be snapped up.  https://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/

  Featuring Dustin Herron (lead vocals, guitar), Jeremy Dunlap (lead guitar), Joseph Mohler (bass, backing vocals) and Sean Rule (drums), the band will be touring throughout the summer, dates are also on Bandcamp.

  The new album was released on May Day in the spirit of Workers Day and anti-capitalism in general. It features 12 taut tracks exploring an alternate reality where almost everyone in the world suddenly becomes touched by overwhelming empathy, though as Dustin sings, "we think we feel empathy, but underneath it's contempt."

  Usually I post a video of the studio version of a song but as there aren't any yet on Youtube today you're getting something a little different (but still an excellent represention of the feel of the album). From the Bridge City Sessions, this is a fuck you to internet warriors everywhere, it's called Backlash....

We get the sense that it's already started. The small minority, freaks of fucking nature. Where's their compassion? Sense of empathy? Sitting on their asses, keyboard warriors. Backlash (fucking keyboard warriors). Backlash (freaks of fucking nature). Fuck you, we know what you're all about. We were just like you. Watch your backs ... soon will be the day when, hand in hand, we'll tear your houses down. Backlash (we'll tear your houses down). Backlash (hand in hand).

Top 10 Songs Chosen By Dustin Herron (Abolitionist / 1859 Records)

  Hopefully you were all blown away by the Abolitionist song that I posted yesterday and hopefully you've all returned to check out the favourite songs of vocalist/guitarist Dustin Herron.

  Firstly a few links, you can check out Abolitionist here (and as their music is "name your price" you'd be daft not to) : http://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/

  1859 Records can be found here : http://1859records.bandcamp.com/

  Death Culture Tapes : https://deathculturetapes.bandcamp.com/

And now to the top 10, Dustin says that these are his 10 favourite English punk songs so with no further ado, thanks Dustin, over to you......


 1)  AMEBIX - Nobody's Driving

 2)  THE CLASH - Janie Jones

 3)  CRASS - White Punks On Hope

 4)  GANG OF FOUR - Damaged Goods

 5)  THE JAM - Down In The Tubestation At Midnight

 6)  KILLING JOKE - Requiem

 7)  LEATHERFACE - Springtime

 8)  RUDIMENTARY PENI - Blissful Myth

 9)  THE SMITHS - Bigmouth Strikes Again

10)  WIRE - Reuters

Abolitionist - Birds, Bees And Disease

  Maybe you've noticed the rise in internet punk shows that are playing some really cool music (have I mentioned the weekly Just Some Punk Songs show???). One of the best of these shows is former Dr And The Crippens' bassist Wayne Elliott's Pulsebeat (it airs every Wednesday at 9pm GMT here : http://mixlr.com/wayne-elliott/). One band he's been playing is Abolitionist and I was impressed enough that I'm highlighting one of their songs today.

  The band hail from Portland, Oregon and have been together since September 2009. There's been a few changes in personnel down the years but the current line up features Dustin Herron (vocals/guitar), Ryan Sotomayor (bass/vocals) and Jeremy Dunlap. (drums/vocals). As well as singing and playing guitar, Dustin also runs the record label 1859 Records and their catalogue features music from great bands such as ИO///sé and Blackbird Raum (http://1859records.bandcamp.com/).  As if that weren't enough there's also his cassette only Culture Death Tapes label. Watch out for tomorrow's update as Dustin has sent me his top 10 favourite songs list.

  There's a number of releases for you to check out on their Bandcamp page (https://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/) including their latest album The Vicious Rumor (which you can snap up "name your price"). Various cassette and vinyl versions of their music are available in Europe from Different Kitchen Records (http://differentkitchen.bigcartel.com/).

  It was thought that they could be calling it a day following the release of The Vicious Rumor but they recently announced that 6 new tunes had been written and that they weren't dead yet. Whilst we await any future activity, this is one off their last album, Birds, Bees and Disease.....

Liberty, I always said I'd die for you. Now that death has come from 

above, I find myself smiling, thinking back on the better times 

(moments we spent not giving a fuck). I only wish we'd wasted more 

time than we did. Birds, bees, and disease -- bringing us to our fucking 

knees. If we make it through this alive, I'll try to do better. Travel out 

to

more ancient forests, explore more water. It's a beautiful fucking world 


but I guess we didn't always notice. Let's navigate these poisoned 

Portland streets so we can get back out there.