International News International Spotlight
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Thirteen Steps (Korea)

Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

I first heard Thirteen Steps a year ago or so on a split they did with fellow Korean hardcore band Samchung. They were alright, I thought, pretty average old school hardcore. Now they have their own full-length, titled "This Is The Reality We Confront", and wow, have they ever turned it up. I recommend listening to it with the new Comeback Kid record back to back.

Thirteen Steps - Brotherhood (MP3)
Thirteen Steps - Good Fellas (MP3) Punk International recently received a design overhaul, so check it out. They're currently looking for news writers, so if you've got an ear for the international punk scene give then contact Tim for more info. Recent Spotlights: Bankrupt (Hungary), Antigama (Poland) .

International News International Spotlight
15

Bankrupt (Hungary)

Eastern Europe Month concludes. Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

The last stop in this month's tour of Eastern Europe is Hungary, home of melodic punk band Bankrupt. Their second album, "Bad Hair Day", came out in December. Most of the songs are in English, but the few in Hungarian sound much tighter. The CD's for sale at Interpunk, and more from it can be heard at PureVolume and Myspace.

Bankrupt - Szilikon (MP3) Visitors in Eastern Europe are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their area. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Antigama (Poland), In Stora (Latvia), Analena (Croatia).

International News International Spotlight
10

Antigama (Poland)

Eastern Europe Month continues. Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

When it comes to Poland, sadly all I know is metal. Not a lot of metal, but some good stuff, like this band Antigama. These guys play grindcore not unlike Pig Destroyer at times. The songs are short, fast, and brutal. This one I chose for today, however, is one of their longer ones. It's called "Save Copy As…" and it's off their album "Discomfort" released by Selfmadegod Records, also out of Poland.

Antigama - Save Copy As… (MP3) Visitors in Eastern Europe are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their area. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: In Stora (Latvia), Analena (Croatia).

International News International Spotlight
29

In Stora (Latvia)

Eastern Europe Month continues. Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

This week we touch upon the former Soviet Republic of Latvia. I heard my first Latvian hardcore bands thanks to the fine Moscow-based label Old Skool Kids. One of the bands is this one, In Stora, who have a seven-song CD called "Miasma". Read a little bit more about the Latvian scene here, and check out the track "Savior Paranoia Disco".

In Stora - Savior Paranoia Disco (MP3) Visitors in Eastern Europe are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their area. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Analena (Croatia), Tarakany (Russia).

International News International Spotlight
15

Analena (Croatia)

Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

March was Russia Month for the International Spotlight; for April, rather than focus on one particular country, I decided to do a quick survey of some of other Eastern European countries that we can't do in great depth. To start this Eastern Europe Month off, here's a band from Croatia called Analena, signed to. One of their members is from nearby Slovenia, so the band itself is multi-national. They're signed to a Slovenian label called Moonlee Records, home of the finest Croatian and Slovenian indie rock, where they have a new album called "Carbon Based". Their sound is a pretty unique one; I'd say it's somewhere between Submission Hold, Snapcase, and Funeral Diner. So, if you think there hasn't been enough stylistic variety on the I-Spot, check this track out.

Analena - Work In Progress (MP3) Visitors in Eastern Europe are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their area. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Tarakany (Russia), Changes (Russia).

International News International Spotlight
13

Tarakany (Russia)

Russia Month concludes… here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

I'm finishing off a month of Russian spotlights with my favorite Russian band, and one of my favorite punk bands of all-time, period: Tarakany. The Moscow punks have just released their new and eleventh CD, "Rockets From Russia", their first on their own new label FM Molchit Records. "Rockets From Russia" is also co-released by Zurich Chainsaw Massacre and thus distributed by Road To Ruin. Tarakany have toured Russia extensively, crossing Siberia several times, and they've toured Europe on a few occasions, sometimes performing with Marky Ramone.

For this week's spotlight, I'm highlighting tracks from their three most-recent albums, plus their stellar "Live in Moscow" disc released last year. These albums I consider among the most essential pieces in my music collection.

If you're interested in learning a bit more about the Russian punk scene, have a look at my Russian scene profile.

Tarakany - FM Molchit from Fear & Hatred (2002) (MP3)
Tarakany - Forever from Freedom Street (2003) (MP3)
Tarakany - Hymn Of The Democratic Youth from Live at DKG Moscow (2004) (MP3)
Tarakany - Gonna Hunt You Down from Rockets From Russia (2005) (MP3) Visitors in Russia are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their country. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Changes (Russia), Naive (Russia), 1.5 kg of Really Good Mashed Potatoes (Russia).

International News International Spotlight
12

Changes (Russia)

Russia Month continues… here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

This week we got some straight-forward old school Russian hardcore up at bat. Changes. They're from Moscow. And they're on Old School Kids Records out of the same city. This track, "The New" is from their coincidentally new album "One", a stellar piece of hardcore by any standards.

If you're interested in learning a bit more about the Russian punk scene, have a look at my Russian scene profile.

Changes - The New (MP3) Visitors in Russia are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their country. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Naive (Russia), 1.5 kg of Really Good Mashed Potatoes (Russia).

International News International Spotlight
29

Naive (Russia)

Russia Month continues… here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

From Moscow this week we've got Naive, another one of Russia's many top-notch punk bands little known outside the former Soviet Union. These guys have a very melodic new school Fat Wreck Chords sound, with a similar high standard of songwriting combined with punk rock authenticity. This track means something like "We Are Idiots", and it's from the 2003 album, roughly "It Is Dead". As far as I know this album is still their newest, though a live album was released last year. Any Russians who can update me on the status of Naive, I'd appreciate it.

If you're interested in learning a bit more about the Russian punk scene, have a look at my Russian scene profile.

Naive - We Are Idiots (MP3) Visitors in Russia are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their country. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: 1.5 kg of Really Good Mashed Potatoes (Russia), Neshamah (South Africa).

International News International Spotlight
35

1.5 kg of Really Good Mashed Potatoes (Russia)

Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

About a month ago, my Russian friend Tima (yeah, we have the same name, basically) visited Vancouver. We got to hang out, and he brought with him a pile of great Russian punk rock. One of my favorites is this band from St. Petersburg. Their name? 1.5 kg Of Really Good Mashed Potatoes. I'd tell you more about what they sound like, but does it really matter? Their name is 1.5 kg of Really Good Mashed Potatoes! What else do you need to know?

Well, if you insist, I'd say they sound somewhere between the Gamits, Millencolin, and NOFX. Everything is in Russian: the band name, album name, song names, and lyrics (as a result, I might be mistranslating; if anyone can offer a correction, don't hesitate). The song I chose means something like " Attempt", and it's from their 2004 album "The Center of Gravity". And with this, we begin Russia Month!

And if you're interested in learning a bit more about the Russian punk scene, have a look at my Russian scene profile. And if you're interested in the social/political context, check out this 'perspective' article I did with Tima while he was in town. We talk about everything from police brutality and the bad crime rate, to life under the Soviet Union and President Putin.

1.5 kg of Really Good Mashed Potatoes - Attempt (MP3) Visitors in Russia are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their country. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Neshamah (South Africa), Fokofpolisiekar (South Africa).

International News International Spotlight
16

Neshamah (South Africa)

Here's Tim Krysko with our International Spotlight:

Wrapping up South Africa Month for us is Cape Town's Neshamah (sorry, South Africa, for the Cape Town bias this month). Neshamah is the only one of our four bands to have toured the US, and they've been over twice. Their last appearance was a 2003 tour with Norma Jean and Stretch Armstrong. Well, they've got a new album out called "Communicating in Heartbeats", released on Witchdoctor Records. And this weekend they're one of the headliners of the Knife Fight Festival in Cape Town (along with last week's Fokofpolisiekar, and many other top South African bands).

Neshamah - Five Fingers Down (MP3) Visitors in South Africa are welcome to contact Tim about other good bands in their country. Drop him a line at tim@punkinternational.com. Recent Spotlights: Fokofpolisiekar (South Africa), Tonight We Die (South Africa), Fuzigish (South Africa).