03.29.2025

All the BATTLE FOR L.A. tapes have finally shipped, 100 tapes, 90 minutes apiece, all dubbed by hand, one by one. This release was a pretty surreal experience, I was in Italy with my family when it came out and the orders just kept coming in. It was mind-blowing, I’d wake up in Naples, have ten orders, we’d run around the city, stop for an espresso and five more orders had rolled in. Lunch would be at some salumeri & the sandwich would be killer and there would be three more orders. Pull out phone, receive orders. Eat pizza, have a beer, new orders. They went quick and rightfully so, 39 previously unreleased tracks including some seriously big names, all to benefit those affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Brilliantly curated by Evan at SEE-SAW.FUN and it’s an absolutely killer lineup, the physical cassettes are all gone but digital lives forever, grab it here.

Now that my existential dread of not meeting peoples needs has somewhat subsided it’s time to get back to the regular programming. “BLACK POP” the latest four song E.P. from AMOR, MUERTE Y LEONORA outta Alicante, Spain should be out the first weekend of April. Four absolute screamers out in the U.S. on a physical format for the first time. Plus, side two is the same four songs but faster, with more synthesizer and it absolutely rules. After that you’ll see the second release from PET MOSQUITO adjacent BURGERS GONE WILD! “BBQANON” is more of what you expect from the Carbondale, Illinois based BURGERS, four track basement punk, dirty, catchy and absolutely rockin’. 50 copies, 25 on transparent pink and 25 on blue glitter, out mid April. Only one (1!) copy of the first BURGERS GONE WILD tape still available, exclusively in the STUNSTORE. Towards the end of April we’ll be dropping the first full length from EYEBALL and it fucking smokes. High energy, fuzzed out, pop garage punk that’s criminally easy to sing along to, “GULL SONGS” might just be the soundtrack of the spring. Shortly after that we’ll drop another DRU THE DRIFTER two-fer, featuring both THE INVADER & MOON WALKER. Dru has a bunch of other shit in the works right now as well, grab THE PEST from GODLESS AMERICA and be on the lookout for a 7” from GOODBYE BOOZY. There’s more, find em, find em all. T.A.C.K. from gorgeous New Orleans have a new full-length out called “TACKLE” and we’re fucking stoked to get a chance to put out a run of 25. Primitive two-piece blues based garage punk and it’s oooohhhh so absolutely amazing, a new level for the band and that’s saying a lot considering that tape on XTRO is still solidly in the rotation. Mid May should see the release of the latest from BETA MAXIMO, “ULTIMO ASALTO” and also the “A CUCHILLO” E.P., we’ll drop both on the same day and you will want these. Banging ass garage punk from Spain, both releases will be available in runs of 25.

There’s more in the works, ‘cuz duh, but we’ll get there when we get there. Additionally, I’m going to try to start utilizing more of this site so you’ll soon see a link to a sister cassette label I’ve started, TENNESSEE COLD CUTS, an update to the DISTRO page & a link to some writing I’m trying to get better at doing. Life feels like a lot with a toddler and a job and shit but I’m hoping to make better use of this site. Also, any zinesters out there looking for an unpaid columnist, I’m fucking in.