Along with contemporaries like Fucked Up and Clockcleaner, Pissed Jeans are leading the renaissance of noisy hardcore revivalists. But where many bands imitate standard-bearers to perpetuate a fad, Pissed Jeans seeks to reinvent. Hope For Men, their sophomore full-length (and first for Sub Pop), combines the self-loathing lyrics of ’80s hardcore bands Flipper and Black Flag with the feral noise rock of the ’90s Touch and Go roster, all filtered through their piss-taking sense of humor. The result is a colossal mess for hardcore nerds and noise fans alike. To prove he’s done his homework, guitarist Bradley Fry shows off five of his prized rarities.

Seems Twice
Non-Plussed 7″
(Doublethink, 1980)
This record took me forever to find and was well worth it. Punk, hardcore, Australian weirdness of the early ’80s. It’s all in there. Twelve short songs that leave you wanting more. Kind of like a faster, raw-er Wire.

American Dream
s/t 12″
(America, 1984)
This record is special to me since this band is from Lehigh Valley, PA. This thing never shows up anywhere, but should be on everyone’s wantlist. Eight songs of quality hardcore from 1984 that sound like they were from much earlier than that.

S.N.O.T.
Slaughterhouse
(KML, 1986)
Slime from the Nose Of Texas. Nine songs on this single that remind me of some strange mix of the speed of DRI, the solos of Violent Children, and the mosh parts of Breakdown.

Suspense Murder
“With the Axe”
(Neo, 1981)
A killer four-song 7” from this Dutch band, formerly known as the Neo-Punkz. Super snotty hardcore. The first time I heard “Crazy Sod,” I was hooked.

Rights of the Accused
“Innocence”
(Little Farmer, 1984)
A greaser-looking guy on vocals, a nerd on drums, a future member of White Zombie on guitar, and some dude who looks like a young Derrick Turnbow [of the Milwaukee Brewers] on bass–a formula for success.

Download “I’ve Still Got You (Ice Cream)” by Pissed Jeans.