Econochrist

Econochrist were a four-piece hardcore punk band that originated in Little Rock, Arkansas before moving to California and settling in the Bay Area. They were active from 1988 to 1993. In that time, they delivered two full-lengths, three EP's, a split, and a handful of compilation track appearances. Their debut EP came out in 1988, which was a solid albeit standard hardcore release for its era. They really came into their own after their cross-country move that occurred shortly after, along with Mike Scott coming in as their new bassist. His bass lines were the driving backbone to songs still heavily rooted in fast-paced power-chord punk, but with a well-rounded sense of dynamics, balancing elements of melody and dissonance. It also continued to establish their markedly political lyrical leanings. Their gradual evolution continued through Another Victim and their magnum opus Trained To Serve, both released by Vermiform Records. The now-defunct label is best remembered for their work with Moss Icon, Born Against, Heroin, Rorschach and more, all good indicators of the forward-thinking extremities Econochrist espoused in their latter years. 

They dropped their dark and angular swan song Skewed on Ebullition Records in 1993, with their intensive vocal delivery, fretboard frenzied bass work, cutting guitar parts and pounding drums in chaotic tandem, and then called it quits. They marked their gravestone with the following year's retrospective discography, which includes all their released recorded material along with the handful of compilation tracks they dropped over the years. Highly recommended, especially as this band often goes unsung in their placement of genre-pushing political hardcore that emerged in the early 90's. Enjoy.

It Runs Deep (1988)

1. It Runs Deep

2. Can't I

3. Think For Yourself

4. Camouflage

5. Blind Faith

6. Fuck Your American Dream

7. Ignorance

RuiNation (1990)

1. Comabox

2. More To This Life

3. Misspent

4. On One Day

5. The Exception

6. Behind Vanity

7. Tunnel Vision

8. Fights That Solve Nothing

9. Bullet With No Name

10. Weak Inside

The Detonators/Econochrist (1991)

1. The Detonators - Day To Day

2. The Detonators - Crime & Punishment + Angry Young Men

3. Econochrist - Petty Ways

4. Econochrist - Uncontrollable Urge

Another Victim (1991)

1. Another Lie

2. Your Duty

3. Purge

4. Any Questions?

Trained To Serve (1992)

1. Epidemic

2. Behave

3. Deadlocked

4. Treadmill

5. Invertebrate

6. At A Loss

7. 18 And Free

8. New Regression

9. One Sided Story

10. Divine Right

Skewed (1993)

1. Withdrawal

2. Words Alone

3. Bled Dry

4. Passed On

Discography (1988-1993) (1994)

Disc 1

1. Withdrawal

2. Words Alone

3. Bled Dry

4. Passed On

5. Epidemic

6. Behave

7. Deadlocked

8. Treadmill

9. Invertebrate

10. At A Loss

11. 18 And Free

12. New Regression

13. One Sided Story

14. Divine Right

15. Another Lie

16. Your Duty

17. Purge

18. Any Questions?

19. Repel

20. Seek To Use

Disc 2

1. Petty Ways

2. Uncontrollable Urge

3. Comabox

4. More To This Life

5. Misspent

6. On One Day

7. The Exception

8. Behind Vanity

9. Tunnel Vision

10. Fights That Solve Nothing

11. Bullet With No Name

12. Weak Inside

13. Take

14. Tooth Itch

15. It Runs Deep

16. Can't I

17. Think For Yourself

18. Camouflage

19. Blind Faith

20. Fuck Your American Dream

21. Ignorance

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Chino Horde

Chino Horde were a four-piece emo/punk band from Little Rock, Arkansas that began in 1990 and broke up in 1993. They played an early iteration of emo featuring melodic bass lines, vibrant guitars and vocals that ebb from spoken to screamed in an instant. I don't think it'd be a stretch to suggest these guys were big fans of bands like Embrace that preceded them by just a few years. They released a small chunk of material, with only one full-length, a few EPs, and a split with the also-incredible Current. Their discography was later compiled in 2010 for a vinyl release, though I don't have a digital version of that. A quick point of interest with this band is that their bassist, Jason White, would later become known as a long-time touring guitarist with Green Day and a member of Pinhead Gunpowder. Other members of Chino Horde also formed Thumbnail, who were active in the late 90's Enjoy.

Demo Cassette (1990)

1. Twenty Seven

2. Single Question

3. Invalid

4. Velour

5. Too-Edged

6. Too-Edged

7. Prelude

8. Pinned

9. Racket

10. RSON

Chino Horde 7" (1992)

1. Merit

2. Racket

Towncraft: Music And Words From Little Rock, Arkansas (1992)

9. Composite

Chino Horde (1993)

1. Undone And Over

2. Natural

3. Twenty-Seven

4. Paul

5. Arson

6. Silo

7. Composite

8. Donor

Current/Chino Horde (1994)

1. Current - Monument

2. Chino Horde - What You Can't Get Now, I'll Give You Later (Prelude)

3 Chino Horde - Silo

This Is Done (1995)

1. Song 3

2. Song 2

3. Song 1

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Everyone Asked About You

Everyone Asked About You were a four-piece emo/indie/twee pop band from Little Rock, Arkansas that were around in the late 90's (only '97 and '98 are definite years). Though relatively unknown in their heyday, they've built up a following over the years, almost exclusively because of their sole 7". Besides that self-titled EP, they only ever released one split and another EP, neither of which gained as much attention of the self-titled one. They did record an album in their time together, but it wouldn't be officially released until 2012.

Everyone Asked About You are one of 90's emo/indie's best kept secrets. They took the juvenile pop energy of Cap'n Jazz and blended it with some incredibly songwriting. They clearly had an ear for catchy melodies, in addition to the raw guitar sound employed by contemporary punk/emo bands. They band featured two vocalists, one female and one male. The female vocals are dominant, and unique to say the least. They're very high-pitched and "girly", for lack of a better word. This is really where the band's sugar-sweet pop influence comes in, and one of the major factors that sets them apart as being this fantastically unique project.  It's also a clear indicator of where bands like Rainer Maria and Football, etc. would take influence from. The male vocals often act as a backing voice for the female vocals, though sometimes take the lead in the gruffer parts of their songs. Fans of 90's era emo will definitely see what makes this band so special, and why that one 7" has held up so well over the years. Their full-length is also fantastic. This is one of many bands that make me glad to be in the Internet era of music, because underground gems like this may never have been unearthed (or at least hard as hell to find). Enjoy.

Everyone Asked About You (1997)

1. Paper Airplanes, Paper Hearts

2. Me Vs. You

3. It's Days Like This That Make Me Wish the Summer Lasted Forever

4. Everyone Asked About You

The Boston To Little Rock Connection (1998)

1. The Shyness Clinic - Barcelona To Madrid

2. Everyone Asked About You - I Will Wait

3. Everyone Asked About You - A Better Way To A Broken Heart 

Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes (1998)

1. Handsome, Beautiful

2. Sometimes Memory Fails Me Sometimes

Let's Be Enemies (2012)

1. Crazy

2. Boston

3. Song For Chris

4. Letters Never Sent

5. Taxi

6. Last Dance

7. Let's Be Enemies

8. Solitaire / Across Puddles

9. Greek To Me

10. Outro