TIGHT END FANZINE

Count On To Survive

2012-01-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

Malaysia's hardcore unit Second Combat will release its most awaited album under Rude Kids Crew records. There are some couple of tracks uploaded on the website's label. Some will notice that the band's musical approach has gone to more melodic, but there are those occasional sing-along parts that will still make you finger point in the air. It is clear that even they have changed music wise, the message is still there. http://rudekidscrew.com/index.php/en/releases/158-rkc8-second-combat-count-on-to-survive

Learn To Trust Records will also release another great hardcore band from Bogor, Indonesia. Take One Step

Another album to check out is Straight Answer 's "Passion Is The Reason"

And don't forget to catch the last show of Half The Battle this coming January 22nd. It's a very sad news to not be able to be there, so don't make any excuses on missing this one unless you're in my situation living a thousand miles away right now. Give them your support, give them a one last show that they will never ever forget. Thank you for everything Easy and the rest of HTB guys!

new zine?

2012-01-07T19:14:00.000-08:00

You can say this would be issue #3 for Tight End and #2 for Believe, but we decided to join force and make a new one instead of calling it a split issue.

-Dan

Early Holiday treats for you kids out there...

2011-11-23T14:25:00.001-08:00

Jep Peligro of Konspirazine from the deep down south of Binan, Laguna will blast you this December with its 5th booze. While the bastard brain child of Paco, Manila Incidental Afterthought fanzine will also give birth to its 15th issue this coming month. Joab of Real Tight Crew Fanzine also has released its 5th issue. Now going to our neighboring country Australia, my two mates has their newest issue out now. Cutting Away #3 and It's Still Not Okay Not To Drink #5. So what are you waiting for? Get in touch now!

Halloween

2011-10-27T20:44:00.001-07:00

Already on its 7th Fiend!

Zine God

2011-10-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

The newest issue of hip-hop (not the bling shit and mtv hype), politics and culture in the Philippines.

-Grand Master Jose you still owe me the 2nd issue.

The Geeks

2011-10-18T08:39:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite hardcore bands in Asia is finally coming down to the Philippines this November. Seoul Youth Crew Straightedge go! Awesome line up too, so you shouldn't sleep on this one.

Wanna know why vinyl still rules in 2011?

2011-10-08T20:45:00.001-07:00

Here's an article I would love to share to everyone. It was printed on my first issue and I think only 80 copies were distributed. I've sold a few in every local shows I went, but most of it were given to close friends, and traded to some of my friends abroad. Commitment Record is one of the best European straightedge hardcore/punk label that brings you Vitamin X, X-Men, Oil, Soberesponse, Product X, More Than X in our Hands international compilation, Pointing Finger, Infect, OnexMore just to name a few, and until now Robert is still dedicated, committed, and passionate to the core.

By Robert of Commitment Records, a straight edge label from The Netherlands, well-known forreleasing a large bunch of 7” EP’s of straight edge bands in the last 10 years.

The cassette tape tried it, but it did not succeed. The CD tried it and it did not succeed either. And now the iPod tries, but it will also not succeed. The vinyl record will survive them all. Vinyl was there before them, and will be there long after they will be gone and forgotten!

At the end of the 1940s, the vinyl records as we know them today were developed. The vinyl record replaced the shellac 10 inch record that played on 78 rpm (rotations per minute). The 78 10” shellac record had dominated the music scene for over 50 years – since its introduction in 1898.

The 7” vinyl record was developed in 1949 by RCA Victor and it played on 45 rpm. It was a reaction to Columbia’s 331/3 rpm 12”, that was introduced the year before. After the “War Of The Speeds”, that lasted until 1950, the 45 rpm 7” vinyl record became the standard for short length records (singles) and the 331/3 rpm 12” record became the standard for long play (LP) records.

From the beginning of the 1950s until the 1980s, the 7”’s and 12”’s ruled the record market, but that changed with the introduction of the CD. In a few years, the mass public shifted from vinyl records to CD’s, and by 1988, the CD had taken over the place of the vinyl record as the most important media to buy music on. Still, vinyl did not disappear, mainly thanks to two underground scenes: house and punk/hardcore.

In the dance scene, vinyl, especially 12” vinyl, remained on top. Vinyl gave DJ’s the opportunity to mix songs (by pitching them up or down) and the fact that music from vinyl sounds more dynamic than music from CD also contributed to the popularity of vinyl records in clubs. An experiment even showed than when the same songs was played on CD and on vinyl, the reaction of the crowd was far more enthousiastic when the songs was played from vinyl than when the song was played from CD!

Also in the hardcore scene, especially in the USA and Western Europe, vinyl remained the most important medium to release music on, even after the introduction of the CD. In the beginning, probably the main reason was that vinyl records were cheaper to produce than CD’s. Especially for beginning bands, a CD was one step too far. On a 7”, they could put 4 to 8 songs, and for a quite affordable sum of money, they could produce 500 to 1000 7”’s EP, that they could sell for something between 2 and 4 US dollars. Besides, most bands that started had only 4 to 8 good songs, so it was also smarter to do a 7” than a full length half filled with filler songs. As most punk kids don’t have that much money, the rather cheap 7” was the perfect way to check out new bands. Kids could maybe not afford a CD for 10 US dollars, but a 7” of 3 US dollars they could afford.

So 7” records were cheap to produce, but it also gave more opportunities for doing something nice with the artwork (as with a CD, everything had to be squeezed inside this little plastic box). The artwork of a record has always been important in the punkscene, as punk is not only music, but a way of life – as was reflected in the lyrics, that were most of the time included in the record, but also in the way the record looked. Just take 5 punk records, and try to guess the style of music a band plays from the way the record looks. You will probably be right in 5 out of 5 cases!

A third reason why vinyl was (and still is) popular in punk is that the raw sound of punk sounds much better on a dynamic and raw vinyl record than on a clean and cold digital medium like a CD. The main drawback of vinyl (the pops and clicks) is not such a problem for punk – the music is so loud that you do not hear the pops and clicks in the first place!

Vinyl also became a collectors item. CD releases have most of the time just one edition, but vinyl comes in many different editions: different vinyl colours, limited edition sleeves. I don’t think there is one single punk or hardcore kid who collects CD’s, but the number of vinyl collectors in the punk scene… well, probably, there are just too many!

The situation is a little bit different outside the USA and Western Europe. In Latin America, East Europe and Asia, besides the vinyl record, also the cassette tape had become very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. Although the sound quality of a tape is less than that of a vinyl record, it is not only cheaper to produce, but also much easier to copy. That was an important reason why tape releases were the main way to spread music in the punkscene in these parts of the world. Punkbands from East Europe, Latin America and Asia could not afford to put out vinyl records, so most of them released their music on (self-produced) tapes.

When the CD was introduced in these countries, it ended the already weak position of the vinyl record – not only in the punk scene, but also in the music general in general. So contrary to the USA and Western Europe, these countries were never able to develop a vinyl culture. Almost all pressing plants in Latin America and Asia closed down, so even when, at the end of the 20th Century, punk bands from these countries finally could afford to release records on a more professional media than tapes, they had to choose for CD, as there were no plants to press the vinyl in their area anymore. And besides, most punk kids in these countries did not own a record player in the first place. The situation is a little bit different for Eastern Europe, as they still have pressing plants. It is no coincidence that they days many Eastern European labels are also releasing on vinyl – more than 10 years ago.

The dance and punk/hardcore scenes kept vinyl alive and, very unexpectedly, in a time when the iPod and other digital media cause a revolution on the music market, the vinyl record, especially the 7” record, is making a comeback. In 2001, even in the UK, traditionally a stronghold of vinyl (although less in the hardcore scene than in the indie and dance scenes, strangely enough), 7” vinyl sales had gone down to a mere 170.000 – while in 1998, more than 1 million 7”’s had been sold. It seemed the 7” was as good as gone. But in 2005, in the UK the number of 7”’s sold rose to 1.070.000 again! Even many young people have started buying vinyl and big deparment stores are again selling record players. Thanks to popular indie bands like The Artic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and Interpol, who release all their singles on 7” vinyl (many times with limited coloured edition vinyl and special artwork – it almost seemed as if they are inspired with what is already common for many years in the hardcore and punk scene).

Even hardcore bands from Latin America, South East Asia and Australia are more and more releasing their records on vinyl, which is another proof that vinyl will probably not only survive the iPod revolution, but maybe even outlive the CD!

And as a 7” vinyl lover myself I’m very happy to be able to conclude that even in 2006, vinyl still rules the punk scene! And now, just to proof the point, please pick up a beautiful disk of black vinyl, put it on your turntable, turn the volume to the maximum and enjoy the sound of vinyl!

http://www.commitmentrecords.nl

xcommitmentx@yahoo.com

Staid (Philippines) & Straight Answer (Indonesia) Malaysia Tour

2011-10-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Staid
Straight Answer

Two of the best bands from South East Asia will give the Malaysian hardcore/punk kids a show they won't forget. Check them out!

Straight Answer Live in Jakarta - Empty Building - 2011/02/26 from Matthew Niederhauser on Vimeo.

xstaidx - another territory to conquer [2009.02.22] from sannee crapsalad on Vimeo.

COCHE BOMBA South East Asian Tour

2011-10-04T19:11:00.001-07:00

Istukas Over Disneyland (Philippines) / Rab (France) split 7"

2011-10-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

LOVE FROM HATE: infoimation@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/lovefromhate
http://www.myspace.com/79rab

Permanent Records

2011-10-03T14:00:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the closest and newest Record Shop around from where I live. It's just a few block, so you can just take a walk to get there. They have a great selection, but not much of hardcore/punk stuff, although I saw some rare singles of early LA punk bands there. One thing that really caught my attention was the Asta Kask Live EP. The used section is the best place to check, and that's where I got this Minor Threat LP. The staff there was friendly, the place has a good ambience and atmosphere. Still it's a recommendable record shop for music lovers.

MIXTAPE #1

2011-09-24T01:26:00.000-07:00

Here is the track listing to my first series. No profit, no bullshit here just promoting hardcore/punk music. It's the age of the internet so let's take advantage of it by spreading the message to our friends and other people around the world. Please do support the bands and buy their releases. You can listen to it by checking out the small player on the upper right panel of this blog.

http://proxynation.podomatic.com

(Philippines) Staid - One Step Ahead
(Philippines) Staid - Too Deep Until Now (Chain of Strength cover)
(Malaysia) SecondxCombat - Infidelity
(Malaysia) SecondxCombat - This Is the Reason I Stay
(USA) Truth Inside - Truth Inside
(USA) Truth Inside - Goals And Dreams
(Philippines) Half The Battle - An Exercise In Free Will
(Philippines) Half The Battle - Purpose
(Belgium) Not Afraid - Not Afraid
(Brazil) Positive Youth - Decepcao
(Columbia) xPosi Thinkx - Consumo
(Columbia) xPosi Thinkx - De lo sutil a la Innegablemente Necesario
(UK) Times Together - Cause For Concern
(UK) Times Together - Break The Mold
(USA) Outlast - American Dreams
(USA) Outlast - Power For Change
(Poland) Double Vision -Phony
(Bulagaria) Unbreakable - Suffering For Satisfaction
(Australia) Refrain - Growing Up
(Australia) Refrain - Just Another Fool (the Abused cover)
(USA) Alert - Be Heard
(Mexico) It's X Now - La Solucion
(Mexico) It's X Now - Resistir
(Portugal) Pressure - Your Rage
(Portugal Pressure - Words and Promises
(Japan) xBrightx - Light in the Dark
(Japan) xBrightx - Common Bond
(UK) IronxCurtain - Use Abuse
(Chile) Identidad - Nuestros Pasos
(Chile) Reminder - Strong Enough
(Australia) Thick Skin - Fairweather
(Australia) Thick Skin - Enough
(Italy) Upward - What We Stand For
(Portugal) Critical X Point - Make or Break
(Australia) Right Minds - Consumed
(Japan) Public Sphere - Anchors Up
(Russia) Rearranged - Letter to A Friend
(Italy) Set Me Free - Only One Flag
(USA) Better Times - The Kids Still Have Their Say
(Indonesia) Straight Answer - Fasisme Pasti Runtuh
(Indonesia) Straight Answer - Same Old Story (The Oppressed cover)
(Australia) Ill Brigade - Flex Your Head
(Australia) Ill Brigade - Bad Attitude
(Sweden) Stay Hungry - Overture
(Sweden) Stay Hungry - Bottoms Up For The Weak Minds

Clevo Stomp - by Committed on the Outro

Staid picture by Mel Dolorico

San Pedro, Laguna to Los Angeles, CA

2011-09-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

Life

So its been a while now since the last time I write something new here. And this would be my first post since I moved here in the US last May. A lot of changes has happened, from adapting to the weather and the daily use of english language, the time difference from where I came from, and the culture since California has a lot of different race and nationality. The food here is awesome and I think every city adheres something unique or special to offer. From Vegan/Vegetarian to your usual meat serving cafe/restaurant. But still there's a lot of option you can find especially in their super market.

Hardcore, Punk, and Fanzine

I've been staying here now for five months and yet, I haven't been to any shows around LA. And yes , stupid as it may sound, there's a lot of shows going on but it's a pain in the ass if you don't have your own source of income to spend for yourself. In other words, I'm still unemployed haha. But I'm hoping that by this coming month I will get this job that I wanted. Another problem, and something I noticed, most of the people here don't commute through means of public transportation. But instead everyone owns a fucking car. You can travel by taking a bus, but there's a time schedule that you need to catch up. Most of the places here also will take 2 or 3 rides before you get to your destination, but it still depends on where you're going. If you want to travel from city to city. You can also take the train. It would be the fastest and the most convenient. No heavy traffic. And yeah fuck the rush hour in Downtown.

From where I live in LA there are three record stores that I've already checkout. Each and everyone cater vinyl records and different kinds of music that fits to your taste. The first is Permanent Records along Colorado Boulevard which is a new one. Wombleton Records along York, and the third one that I forgot the name which is just across from my street and run by a middle aged hispanic boy. Now there's a record store that I want to check out in LA, that is Headline Records which is the haven for punk and hardcore records.

Speaking of fanzines. It's awesome that Razorcake is for free in every public library here. Two thumbs up for that! I just wish younger kids would take the chance to pick it and read. Because usually when I comeback to the library and check for a new one, those free issue are just left alone, untouched in their respective shelves. It would also be great if we could introduce fanzines (of all types) in our public library there in the Philippines. Not only it would be educational, but at the same time it can help anyone to be inspired and creative in writing their own stuff.

As for my zine, I'm still passionate about it and there's no way I'm gonna stop doing the things that I love. 3rd issue is on the plan and this time it will be a split issue. Just wait at the next announcement. I will also post the bands that will be featured for this one. I've already made my list. One thing that my co-op and I needs to complete here is the number of pages that we're going to make.

My 2nd issue is still out and you can get your copies through the editor of xBelievex Fanzine in the Philippines (She printed for her own distribution there). For those I promised to send out their respective copy, you will get yours after I print out another batch. Sorry for the long delay, especially the bands I have featured here. My excuse is still the financial aspect. If anyone is willing trade or to distribute it. I'm always down. Just reach me at my email. You can view it on my profile here.

Read on the next post. Still stoked on Hardcore and Punk. Still Edge.

Dan

XXX

#2

2011-03-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

Slow update? Here are some of the finished pages for no.2, Please bear with me, as I'm really busy in school because I'm now on my last semester. And I've got two weeks left before I get my degree in Accountancy. I will try to finish it this weekend, so I can bring it for the upcoming Terror show next week.

My Top 5 as of now...

1. True Colors - Rush of Hope

2. Outlast - Take Control

3. Birds of A Feather - the Past, the Present

4. Absolution - Discography

5. Staid - Demo Tape

KOTF

2011-02-05T00:28:00.000-08:00

For more info you can check Mic's blog @ La Cosa Nuestro

facenook

2011-02-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

just hit the add button.

http://www.facebook.com/tightxend.fanzine

Keeping it alive!

2011-02-04T02:10:00.001-08:00

The blog is back again! I don't know if I would still be using my MySpace account because of their shitty layout and crappy format. If you want to communicate just email me. Here's the cover for the upcoming 2nd issue. It was made by my friend Rodrigo Vargas. Check out more of his work and get in touch if you'd like to get your artcover or design stuff.

www.rodri-go.com

2010-08-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

RECONSTRUCTING AND MOVING! STILL WORKING ON ISSUE NO.2