Alternative Tentacles

Nomeansno

Sex Mad

Alternative Tentacles

In the annals of punk, few albums hit with the seismic force of NOMEANSNO’s Sex Mad. Released in 1986, this was more than a record, it was a detonation. Amid the Cold War and the Reagan era’s cultural tension, Sex Mad erupted as a raw, furious, and utterly fearless statement that redefined what punk could be.From the opening blast of “Dad,” NOMEANSNO made it clear they weren’t following anyone’s blueprint. The Wright brothers Rob and John, alongside guitarist Andy Kerr, forged a sound that fused hardcore intensity with the precision of jazz, the elasticity of funk, and the cerebral bite of art rock. The result was unlike anything else emerging from the scene at the time.Lyrically, Sex Mad dove headlong into alienation, addiction, and societal rot. These are subjects punk had tackled before, but rarely with such intelligence and emotional gravity. Rob Wright’s snarling vocals and razor-edged bass lines delivered every word with conviction. Even the controversial cover art, an original painting by Andy Kerr was censored by some retailers,. This just underscored the band’s willingness to confront discomfort and provoke dialogue.Recorded at Profile Studios in Vancouver with producer Cecil English (D.O.A., Subhumans), Sex Mad captured the raw electricity of NOMEANSNO’s live shows while revealing the intricate musicianship that set them apart from their peers. Though critics at the time didn’t always know what to make of it, Sex Mad has since become a cornerstone of experimental punk. A record that influenced everyone from the Melvins and Primus to Faith...

Moms With Bangs

Do What's Delicious!

Alternative Tentacles

Alternative Tentacles Records is proud to present the debut 7” release from Moms With Bangs; “Do What’s Delicious” out everywhere on November 14th! Born out of the Northern California DIY scene, Moms With Bangs started as a ragtag group of high schoolers looking to build a musical community filled with loud, chaotic, unfiltered energy. Quickly becoming known for their loud experimental sound and unhinged live shows. Moms With Bangs become legendary for being high-volume, high-energy, and having zero barrier between them and their audience. It was these qualities that caught the attention of Jello Biafra himself, who was so impressed he signed them to his label Alternative Tentacles Records, making Moms With Bangs the youngest signing in the history of the label. Recorded at Tiny Telephone in Oakland, CA over the course of two days in January of 2024, Leo Hirsch, Michael Cook, Austin Kennedy, Axel Sanchez, and Oliver John live-tracked these songs in one large recording room, recording at the same time facing each other, to make sure the recording captured the unfiltered energy of the live show as much as possible. As for the name of the 7”? “Do What’s Delicious” came from a suggestion from Jello Biafra himself, while the band was in the studio, as a name he once considered for a Dead Kennedys release. The two tracks on “Do What’s Delicious” capture the throttling high energy rhythms of bands like Thee Oh Sees. Showcasing an affinity for the off-kilter groove of bands like Deerhoof or...

DFMK

Playa Nuclear

Alternative Tentacles

Alternative Tentacles is proud to present “Playa Nuclear”, the brand-new album from Tijuana, B.C. Mexico’s own DFMK. Started in 2009, DFMK have released several EP’s and a Full-Length LP before meeting Jello Biafra at an underground “if you know a punk” show at a motorcycle shop in Oakland, CA that led to the release of the “Dame Peligro” 7” in 2022. “Playa Nuclear” comes out swinging with dirty and mean rock n’ roll with a punk rock soul. Driving tempos, melodic riffs, raw leads, and high-octane vocals will make the album an instant favorite for hardcore punk fans Playa Nuclear” is the second full-length by the band since the self-titled LP debut in 2021. Recorded in 2023 in Tijuana by DFMK’s long-time friend and collaborator Fernando Morales, who also worked on many of the EP releases from the band including “Dame Peligro”. Mastered by Jason Livermoreat The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO who the band has worked with many times as well. The album features artwork by Boom Boom Kid, aka Nekro, a punk rock icon from Buenos Aires, Argentina (of the bands Fun People, Boom Boom Kid who also contributes vocals on “Tengo Lo Que Necesito” on the album along with keyboards by Nicole Laurenne, from labelmates The Darts on the title track “Playa Nuclear” and “Sometidos y Aburridos”!

Lard

Pure Chewing Satisfaction

Alternative Tentacles

Lard’s Pure Chewing Satisfaction is the second landmark album of the industrial-hardcore collision between vocals of Jello Biafra with the patented wall of noise assault and studio wizardry of Ministry founders Paul Barker and Al Jourgensen!Originally released in 1997, Pure Chewing Satisfaction is a dark, frightening look at everything wrong in America, and it rings as true now as it ever has. Lyrically its pessimistic and apocalyptic, tackling topics like looking for work, the legacy of the Me Generation and their failures, to environmental disasters. Sonically, the album is an avalanche of both real and electronic drums, menacing effects galore, and layers of machine gun guitars. Not quite punk rock, nor completely industrial—this is Lardcore for the people!A must have for fans of Jello Biafra’s work and of Ministry, the result remains another classic release from this legendary collaboration. This long awaited repress now features in addition to the wide release on black vinyl, a limited solid-pink vinyl edition!Praise The Lard!

Lard

The Power Of Lard

Alternative Tentacles

Lard’s Power Of Lard is over forty-four minutes of music by Jello Biafra and Ministry! Came out originally in 1989.“Jello Biafra and Ministry teamed up for this slab of wax. The title track is great. Imagine Ministry playing thrash, that’s what it is. ‘Hellfudge’ sounds like Flipper meets Jerry Lee Lewis, the lyrics take a nice roundhouse power swing at Jimmy Swaggart. ‘Time To Melt’ is a cool dirge / death rock type of song, but it’s too fucking long (almost twenty-five minutes). Overall this record is really good and Biafra fans won’t be disappointed.” —Thrashead, Flipside (Summer 1989)“Jello’s first musical vinyl since the DKs, and you can surely tell it’s him on the title track. He uses his inimitable vocal / lyrical style to good advantage, teaming up with Ministry’s rhythm section to produce a Pailhead type rave like Ian did on their first release. ‘Hellfudge’ takes a ‘Sex Bomb’ riff and basic rock and roll approach, and makes it work, again with Biafra’s commentary. ‘Time To Melt’ takes up the whole side (1/2 hour) and is a painfully slow, atmospheric John Cale-type piece.” —TY, MRR (March, 1989)

Dead Bob

Some Bodies / We Are The Humans

Alternative Tentacles

Alternative Tentacles proudly welcomes Dead Bob to the family with their brand new 7-inch release, "Some Bodies / We Are The Humans"! Hailing from Vancouver Island, Canada, Dead Bob is the solo project of John Wright—legendary drummer of the now-retired punk rock powerhouse NoMeansNo. In this new incarnation, Wright is joined by Colin MacRae, Byron Slack, Ford Pier, and Kristy Lee Audette, reimagining two incredible covers to mark his reunion with the label that helped launch his legacy. He didn’t have to look far for the track “Some Bodies,” originally a NoMeansNo song from their 1985 release You Kill Me. This new version starts with rich vocal harmonies in the call back to the original a cappella intro and builds into an explosive reworking of the classic—with Audette’s powerful vocals along with bold horn arrangements driving it into new territory. The song loses none of its original intensity, instead gaining new layers and depth. NoMeansNo fans will be thrilled. On the flip side, "We Are The Humans" is a complete reimagining of Kraftwerk’s "We Are The Robots". In the age of AI, the track feels more relevant than ever with the new title and chant. The guitar and bass work is front and center, reminding listeners why John Wright's incredible songwriting legacy endures to this day. There’s a reason we say: Play it loud. With Dead Bob, John Wright and company do what few have managed since NoMeansNo’s retirement— honoring that stylistic past while boldly forging their own path forward....

Brujeria

El Patron

Alternative Tentacles

Mexican grindcore fugitives who don't need no stinkin' badges pay tribute to the late Pablo Escobar and the Menendez Brothers. Originally released in 1994 by the Mexican extreme metal band rumored to be lead by Fear Factory's Dino Cazares (guitar) and Raymon Herrera (drums) but we can't confirm that. It was also rumored to include various members from Faith No More, Down By Law, and Napalm Death. We also don't know that for sure. We only know that it was overdue for a repress! Here is what we can say: Brujeria is a deathgrind metal band from Mexico formed in 1989. They are a group from Latin America notorious for the violent and the extreme. They are infamous for the terms Matando Güeros, La Migra, Marijuana y Brujerizmo. Roadrunner records refused to release this! Why? Because it mentioned DRUGS! Gore? Debauchery? Satanismo galore? No problem! But This? Too much! Truly heartfelt tributes, as only Brujeria can put into words, for Pablo Escobar and the Menendez brothers. If you go out and pick up one 7" tribute to Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (leader of the Medellin Cartel) and the Menendez brothers, then make sure this is the one you get. Or else.Fully authorized by Juan Brujo... R.I.P.

Brujeria

¡Machetazos!

Alternative Tentacles

What better time to resurrect and regurgitate one of the most extreme (and downright indefensible) releases in Alternative Tentacles history? OG Grindcore/Death Metal to the max, here’s their second-ever, from ‘92.  Whole concept at the time was one big celebration and tribute to those super-gory Mexican crime weeklies, like Alarma, Peligro and Alerta. Where do you think the cover came from?? Identities were secret, all lyrics en Espanol.  Rumors link some big names, from Fear Factory, Faith No More, Sepultura, and more... Why the name? Besides the obvious "Witchcraft" translation, “Santeria = animal sacrifice, but Brujeria = human sacrifice!” Or so they say. Featuring 6 amazing tracks this is Mexican death grind at its best. Enjoy.

The Voodoo 5

Moon Over Marin / El Tecolote/Fire Dance

Alternative Tentacles

Voodoo 5 brings Exotica to Alternative Tentacles with “Moon Over Marin”! In a genre where most bands are content to imitate old records, Voodoo 5 are making new ones—brave, bold, and unlike any exotica record you’ve ever heard. Led by composer/guitarist Skip Heller—producer to/protege of Robert Drasnin, orchestrator for Elisabeth Waldo, bandleader for Yma Sumac—and vocalist Lena Marie Cardinale, an operatic Sumac acolyte and former El Vez Elvette, Voodoo 5 has established themselves as a blistering live act not only at exotica festivals like Tiki Oasis and Tiki Caliente, but also such jazz venues as the Century Room (Tucson), Carousel (Palm Springs), and at various clubs in Los Angeles, their home base. Cardinale and Heller are rounded out by an all-star ensemble (Jay Work, flute, Mark Riddle, vibraphone, Connor Gallaher, steel guitar, Paul Eckman, upright bass, and Cesar Ventura, congas) who groove harder than do most exotica groups, all the while spotlessly executing some of the most interesting arrangements the genre has to offer.“Creative genius” – Exotica Moderne“Exceptional” – The Continental“At the top of the class” –Jazz Times“The kind of musician the big labels like to pretend doesn’t exist” – East Bay Express

Itchy-O

Söm Sâptâlahn

Alternative Tentacles

Itchy-O is an experiential performance ensemble that has mesmerized audiences across the U.S. and beyond since 2009. The beating heart of this fifty-plus-strong performance troupe is a batterie of percussionists accompanied by an orchestral arsenal of avant-instrumentation. Weaving a synergistic spell, the ensemble dismantles assumptions of traditional performance models to break down the barriers between audience and performer, administering a bombast of ceremonial chaos; baptizing the audience—body, mind, and collective spirit—in an elaborate, pan-sensorial ocean of music, mystery, and transcendental spectacle.Itchy-O has shared the stage with legends such as David Byrne & St. Vincent, while luminaries like JG Thirwell and Dan Deacon have opened for the humbled brigade. Over the years, they have energized crowds as the opening act for a slew of iconic artists including DEVO, Beats Antique, and Wooden Wisdom (Elijah Wood). Their unforgettable private engagements include a legendary performance at Maynard Keenan’s Merkin Vineyards while delighting festival audiences at Riot Fest, Biennial of the Americas, the Underground Music Showcase, and Tasmania’s world-renowned Dark MOFO with enveloping processionals, pop-up performances, and staged spectacles.In 2024, itchy-O debuted Söm Sâptâlahn, a sold-out collaboration with the Fiske Planetarium. Named for an epic set of custom-crafted gongs cast from six hundred pounds of reclaimed brass at the School of Mines and tuned to a bespoke seven-tone scale, this project birthed this latest double album. Accessible, mysterious, and meditative, it is a bold addition to the itchy-O catalog, sure to appeal to connoisseurs of the experimental, the contemplative, and the avant-garde.

Ani Kyd Wolf

The Last Steps Of Man-Un-Kind

Alternative Tentacles

Ani Kyd has been a member of the Alternative Tentacles roster since 2005 and in 2016 she became Ani Kyd Wolf. She started out in the 1990s as the fierce lead singer for the punk band Rumble Fish, then guitarist and vocalist for the grunge style female-fronted group Spank Machine with Gerry Jenn Wilson. Ani has played in various bands in the Vancouver area for over 30 years and in that time has played with some incredible musicians along the way: Gene Hoglan, Byron Stroud, Brian Goble, John Card and so many more. Ani played guitar for THOR in the early 2000s and is on THOR’s 2003 album “Triumphant” as well as being in many of THOR’s videos. She has sung back up vocals on a Jello Biafra album or two and in 2005 she released her first album on Alternative Tentacles called Evil Needs Candy Too. She then released two more albums: Past Demons in 2011 and Entangle in 2014. On Aug 15th 2023 A.T. released Ani’s fourth album, the thirty-year old recording of Spank Machine Spank You Very Much. This was a tribute album to the late Gerry Jenn Wilson. In April of 2023 Ani was invited to play acoustic guitar for Ministry on the Ministry / Gary Numan / Front Line Assembly tour. Ani’s other projects include BOOTS with Al Jourgensen and Royal Strays with Don Binns and Don Short produced by Dave Ogilvie.The Last Steps Of Man-Un-Kind is Ani’s 5th album on A.T. This powerful album...

Dead Pioneers

Bad Indian

Alternative Tentacles

Dead Pioneers vocalist, nationally known Indigenous artist of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Gregg Deal, started this project as an extension to a performance piece titled “The Punk Pan-Indian Romantic Comedy”. With the intent to create original music for this performance piece, the Dead Pioneers was born! Working closely with guitarist Josh Rivera and drummer Shane Zweygardt, Gregg tried to form something over the Covid lockdown. Original music from Shane and Josh got things flowing, but things clicked when Gregg met Lee Tesche, lead guitarist for Algiers, at an art residency in Florida and became Dead Pioneers bassist. The Dead Pioneers first single Bad Indian was born! Heavily influenced by Gregg’s Indigenous voice, this gave enough information to begin forming songs and the overall sound of Dead Pioneers. Later adding guitarist Abe Brennan to the crew while recording their first self-titled LP at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO. Dead Pioneers is rooted in creating and performing a sound heavily influenced by the punk aesthetic with an edge built on a First Peoples perspective and not afraid to tackle hard political and social issues, standing in solidarity of Indigenous rights, Black rights, Brown rights, Asian rights, Gay rights, Trans rights, Workers rights and beyond. From original songs to spoken word with punk riffs, Dead Pioneers was created with a love of music, a love of art, love of a scene that saves lives as well as the DIY disposition of just figuring it out and seeing what happens.

Biafra, Jello & The Guantanamo School Of Medicine / The November 3

Blunder Blubber / IFAR Split

Alternative Tentacles

Alternative Tentacles Records is thrilled to announce the first-ever vinyl release of two long-awaited tracks, previously available only in digital format. This highly anticipated split 7" features Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine and The November 3, with two explosive songs: "Blunder Blubber" and "IFAR." "Blunder Blubber," originally released as a digital single to mark Rush Limbaugh's passing and was recorded during the TEA PARTY REVENGE PORN recording sessions, highlights everything iconic about Jello Biafra & The Guantanamo School of Medicine. The song critiques the rise of right-wing extremism, tracing its roots back to Rush Limbaugh's influence and the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine under President Reagan in 1987—a policy change that allowed one-sided political commentary on public airwaves. Biafra argues that this set the stage for the toxic media landscape, fueling figures like Limbaugh and the current wave of "MAGA" rhetoric. Reflecting on the political climate, Biafra notes, "I wrote [the song] back when Clinton was president, seeing the writing on the wall. I was hoping never to use it, but we had no choice but to update and perform it now."  On the flip side, The November 3 delivers "IFAR," a fiery debut track that first dropped during the 2020 Republican National Convention. Blending punk rock energy with raw political outrage, lead vocalist Billie O' Rights unleashes a bold, biting rant, backed by Tom Pain’s searing guitars. Pat Triotte and Justice Ferrall add their creative touches to this electrifying anthem, capturing the chaotic spirit of the...

Redshift

Chaos As Planned

Alternative Tentacles

Do you want political music? Or maybe not. Maybe just absolute butt-shaking 21st century cosmic surf rock? Or maybe just some drag strip flat punk rock?  Why choose? You can have it all, with or without an overwhelming sense of responsibility. Because Redshift, the apocalyptic surf trio on Alternative Tentacles, are releasing their album, Chaos As Planned, just in time for you to throw eggs at the Orange grease stain: January 20, 2025.  That’s right, you can show up at the Capitol with the dials at ten and shout the bastard down, or at least let Redshift help. After all, the band is led by Vic Bondi, the legendary hardcore molotov maker (Articles of Faith, Jones Very, Alloy, RSA, Dead Ending), with a track record of dissent and rage that goes all the way back to Ron Reagan, backed by two virtuoso gunslingers, Mike Catts and Adam Gross, who bring their own bad attitudes to the party. They mix hardcore punk, surf, guitar rock, jazz and R&B into a spicy gumbo sure to turn your tech bro nephew into an ANTIFA activist, or at least a goofy footed surfer with communist sympathies. In any event, a thrilling good ride at a bad moment when all of us could use a boost above all the Chaos As Planned.

Tumor Circus

Meathook Up My Rectum

Alternative Tentacles

Jello Biafra, the members of Steel Pole Bathtub, and Charlie Tolnay (of King Snake Roost,Grong Grong, Lubricated Goat) play the infamous track off their LP (Virus 87). The equally infamous Clive Barker (Hellraiser trilogy, as well as numerous horror novels films) contributes disturbing artwork to complete the package. B-side is etching by Clive Barker.

M.I.A.

Murder In A Foreign Place 40th Anniversary

Alternative Tentacles

***AVAILABLE ON LIMITED BLOOD RED VINYL!!! Formed in Las Vegas in 1980, M.I.A. moved to Orange County in 1981 and started playing shows at the infamous Cuckoo’s Nest. They first appeared on the classic Last Rites for Genocide and M.I.A. split LP (Smoke Seven) in 1982. After a short break, the band got back together in 1983 and recorded a six-song demo at Greencarton studios in November. They quickly became known for their energetic live shows, blending fast, guitar-driven hardcore with singer Mike Conley’s unique melodic voice and the trademark Southern Californian punk sound. After a show with the Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra offered to release their next album, Murder In a Foreign Place on his Alternative Tentacles label in the summer of 1984.   “In the final days of December 1983, M.I.A. played a show in Las Vegas supporting the Dead Kennedys,” Guitarist & vocalist Nick Adams recalls, “It was one of those underground DIY shows, in a dark warehouse space with a wall broken out to make it bigger, the result of kids willing to do just about anything to be with their friends and hear the music they loved. It was nearly broken up by the police (the Butthole Surfers were not allowed to play) but the Dead Kennedys got to do their set. M.I.A. had made an impression, though, and Jello Biafra offered to release M.I.A.'s next album on his label Alternative Tentacles. The record was also done in DIY fashion, with the band self-producing the resulting album.”  The band went on to release two more records, Notes From the Underground (National Trust 1985) and After the Fact (Flipside 1987),...

Redshift

The Great Wall / Reed Mullin

Alternative Tentacles

Emerging from Seattle’s underground, Redshift carves their own path defying conventions with their unique brand of dark surf-punk. Led by hardcore scene veteran Vic Bondi (Articles of Faith, Alloy, Report Suspicious Activity, Dead Ending), the band delivers unwavering intensity through Bondi’s commanding vocals and searing guitar work. Bassist Mike Catts brings jazz and R&B influences, while drummer Adam Gross provides depth and drive. During the pandemic in 2020, Redshift wasted no time releasing their debut EP Stay At Home Orders. It was followed-up by Warning Flag and the single Mussolini Necktie which garnered attention and helped to pave the way for their debut album, Worst Timeline Possible, released in 2022. Since then, they’ve played numerous shows across the Northwest, including a notable performance at the Punk Rock Bowling Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2023. With their latest release, Chaos As Planned, recorded and mixed by J. Robbins, Redshift continues to push boundaries. Especially on this, their Alternative Tentacles debut 7-inch, The Great Wall b/w Reed Mullin. This isn't your parents' surf music. It's not even your parents' surf-punk. Raw and intense, this unforgettable 7-inch conjures up the destructive power of the ocean destroying everything in its wake.

Nomeansno

Wrong

Alternative Tentacles

At last, one of the all-time bat legends, Nomeansno has returned to Alternative Tentacles Records. The entire catalog no less, starting with their most beloved album, Wrong. Using the original all-analog master, from the original mother, as engineered by George Horn, John Wright, and Jello Biafra. Nomeansno formed in a vacuum, in Victoria, British Columbia in 1979 and honing their sounds for years before relocating to Vancouver and releasing eleven albums over an almost forty year career, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, and numerous EPs and singles. Originally formed as a two-piece by brothers John and Rob Wright, and later joined by monster guitarist, Andy Kerr. Mixing hardcore punk, dark lyrics, and sophisticated arrangements boarding on prog, Nomeansno was massively influential and widely regarded as the first band to be referred to as “math rock”. Originally released on Alternative Tentacles in 1989, Wrong stands on its own and is still considered to be a much-loved classic. Allmusic called the album a masterpiece and a definitive jazz core album. In 2021, the album was voted by the public’s to win the Canadian Polaris Heritage Prize to honor classic Canadian albums released before the creation of the award. In 2015, drummer John Wright described the album as their “most popular album by a country mile” and to the St. Louis Music Press of Wrong’s success to the rise of alternative music and the success of Nirvana: “That’s where all the buzz about us came from. We were touring throughout the...

Darts, The

Boomerang

Alternative Tentacles

***NEW VERSION ON ORANGE / BLACK STARBURST VINYL!!!  The Darts can’t stop, won’t stop! Hot on the heels on last year’s groundbreaking album Snake Oil, The Darts have returned guns blazing with a brand-new album, Boomerang! While on a break from their intense international touring schedule, the band stopped at Station House Studio in Los Angeles to work with producer Mark Rains (Hooveriii, Death Valley Girls, Hunx and His Punx) with the mission of capturing the band’s raw rock spirit. From the opening chords of “Hang Around,” listeners are launched into an explosive garage party, with the Farfisa organ bringing a carnival and snarky gang vocals adding to the fray. The band doesn’t let up from there. With Nicole Laurenne on vocals and Farfisa, Christina Nunez on bass and backup vocals, Meliza Jackson on guitars, and Mary Rose Gonzales on drums, the tight lineup fuels the album’s themes of resilience and empowerment. Each track on Boomerang packs a punch, drawing the listener into a world of infectious hooks and soaring riffs. “Boomerang is a reference to the fact that, right after we released Snake Oil, we turned right around and went back into the studio to do a whole new full-length album! I can’t stop writing songs! But ‘boomerang’ also refers to a lyric on the album that describes toxic people and things that keep coming back into your life despite your repeated attempts to fling them as far away as possible. This album is my manifesto about...

Biafra, Jello With Doa

Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors

Alternative Tentacles

***ORIGINALLY FROM 1989 AND BACK IN PRINT ON LIMITED COLORED VINYL AFTER NEARLY 20 YEARS!!! The album-length result of Biafra's collaboration with long-time associates D.O.A. for the super soundtrack of Terminal City Ricochet! Both DKs and D.O.A. began playing music in the same week of 1978, so perhaps this project was bound to happen. It sure seems like it...

Sandrider

Aviary & Baleen

Alternative Tentacles

The entity known as ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES, would like to express its excitement to be working with the Seattle, WA based BAND [Sandrider], and enjoyed the previous relationship of Damm and Weisnewski in their former entity known as AKIMBO. ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES is very much a fan of previous work from the BAND on Satanik Royalty Records and highly recommend new listeners investigate the discography further.

Kultur Shock

King / Country Mohammed

Alternative Tentacles

Yet another rockin’ new direction from the label that can’t stop expanding its….well,…Tentacles! Meet Kultur Shock—multinational ‘Gypsy Punk’ pioneers, led by irrepressible ball of energy and good cheer, Gino Yevdjevich.     Gino was quite the mainstream pop star in his native Bosnia (and the Balkans), when the shelling of Sarajevo began, trapping him in his family’s apartment for two years. He was finally able to flee, first to New York, then on to Seattle. Instead of reviving his pop career, Gino chose (a full plunge) to reinvent himself, reaching deeper into his heart and Balkan roots, and Kultur Shock was born! They began playing slightly electrified Traditional Folk, to a growing refugee audience, including many a dancing Serb. The fan base quickly widened to Krist Novaselic and Vic Bondi, among others, who then drew in Jello Biafra.  -  Then something happened -  A year or two later, they debuted in San Francisco to a sold-out audience at the Bottom of the Hill, packed with almost all refugees and migrants - and a much louder, heavier Kultur Shock. Lineups hail from all over Eastern Europe, Seattle, and even Japan; with a much wilder, more theatrical Gino as ringmaster of all he surveys. A more punked-out, direct version of their close friends and cousin, Gogol Bordello, Kultur Shock mixes Balkan folk melodies and bizarre meters with face-melting metal and blood-pumping punk rock in a pagan cauldron of lyrical, obnoxious, and politically irreverent music stew since 1996. The band released its first three studio...

Darts, The

Snake Oil

Alternative Tentacles

***NOW ON LIMITED GREEN VINYL!!! Note new price.At last! The Darts return from their Bat Cave Covid lair, with Snake Oil—by far their best album to date. The Darts formed in 2016 with the goal of getting some solid female musicians together to make garage punk rock and roll noise, see the world, and basically have a super-fun slumber party every night. They are now hands down one of the best garage bands in the world. This is a much fuller sound than any Darts disc before, courtesy of their longtime collaborator Bob Hoag (FB Rec) and some remote control co-production wizardry from Jello Biafra himself. Featuring the return of Nicole Laurnne on vocals / Farfisa and Hammond organ, Christina Nunez on bass / vocals, and Meliza Jackson on guitars / vocals, Snake Oil is the debut of new drummer Mary Rose Gonzales. The result? It comes out smoking as if the band had been in a pressure cooker throughout the pandemic. Expect the wider sound and sparkle of Laurnne and Nunez’s previous band, The Love Me Nots (which was also recorded by the brilliant Bob Hoag), but with way more raunch—and Laurnne’s voice has never sounded better. Snake Oil is for fans of agile, sultry vocals and beefy, vintage rhythm sections paired with razor-tone guitars. This Snake Oil was concocted to remedy the most unaffected and stiff-legged garage rockers out there!

Wheelchair Sports Camp

Yess I’m A Mess

Alternative Tentacles

Alternative Tentacles Records is proud to introduce Wheelchair Sports Camp – Denver’s biggest smallest band! Combining humor, playfulness, middle fingers, and an undeniable love for the groove, Wheelchair Sports Camp is certainly not your average hip-hop act. Fronted by Kalyn Rose Heffernan—a wheelchair using, profanely queer and tiny rapper, with a very distinct high-pitched sense of humor. This noisy experiment was birthed by the DIY, combining beats with shredding face live. Playing shows in every place they could, the band has since stretched into theatre, performance art, public television, politics, prison tours, permanent installations, and who knows what's next…. With two songs on this Alternative Tentacles Records debut 7-inch record, the band has written a future viral-hit with, “Yess I’m A Mess”. Conscience hip-hop mixed with acoustic beats, swelling keys and a lyrical flow that will get one singing along on the first spin. Side B does not slow down with Heffernen taking aim at her very own variation of trip hop beats and tones and her own experiences. For fans of Living Legends, People Under The Stairs, and J5.

Nomeansno

Dad/Revenge

Alternative Tentacles

For over thirty years, Nomeansno defined post-modern hardcore. Acclaimed by peers and adored by fans, this musically adept trio consistently thrilled sweaty crowds around the world. They were nothing less than a punk rock success story, and always on their own terms. In a word (or several), they are were at the same time intelligent, articulate, studied, thoughtful, violent, passionate, intense, playful, and they became legends. Now at long last, after twenty-two years, Alternative Tentacles Records is proud to welcome them home, starting with the brand new reissue of the Dad/Revenge 7-inch. Originally forming in 1979 by brothers Rob and John Wright after being inspired by a D.O.A. show, and guitarist Andy Kerr joining the following year, Nomeansno would go on to release eleven albums, including a collaborative album with Jello Biafra, and numerous EPs and singles. Heavily influenced by jazz and progressive rock, they created a distinct hardcore punk sound, featuring complex instrumentation, and dark, "savagely intelligent" lyrics. They are often considered foundational in the punk-jazz and post-hardcore movements, and have been cited as a formative influence on math-rock and emo. In 1985 Nomeansno entered Keye Studios to record “Sex Mad” for release on Psyche Industry Records. In 1986, the album was picked up by Alternative Tentacles Records and reissued in the United States and Europe. In order to promote that release, Alternative Tentacles released the Dad/Revenge 7-inch vinyl single in 1987. Pulling together two stand-out tracks for the release, a powerful straight up punk track “Dad”, with the...

Jucifer

Nazm

Alternative Tentacles

Nazm sees Jucifer deploy their familiar studio tactic: writing, arranging, producing, engineering, and playing all instruments themselves to create a sprawling concept album. This time, it’s to celebrate their shared love for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and central / south / west Asian traditional and pop music cultures with fourteen highly textured, intensely personal and passionately delivered original songs. Fans of the band likely know they can expect surprises with each album, as well as recordings which differ drastically at times from their live sound. In this tradition, Nazm strays far from the brutal excess of a Jucifer show (and of their recent releases Futility and District Of Dystopia) but, as with all Jucifer’s recordings, the point is not to imply any static trait of the band but instead to bring to life a story they’re telling.

Jucifer

نظم

Alternative Tentacles

A glimpse at the hypnotic نظم album (coming soon on 2xLP!) this 7" strays far from the brutal excess Jucifer are best known for, but follows their tradition of resolutely unorthodox studio offerings. Blinding sunlight strikes silver in celebration: worn black cloth casts shadows over infinite dust. Founded in 1993, Jucifer pioneered the metal two piece. With 29 years of incessant touring the band carved its reputation for literally towering onstage sound, which careens venomously from their walls of speakers in every extreme and tempo of metal and punk. Jucifer's motto "sludge, black, grind, thrash, death, crust, doom, combine" or more briefly "genre=obliterate" is fair warning.

DFMK

Dame Peligro

Alternative Tentacles

Dame Peligro, the new 7-inch record by Tijuana’s own DFMK is the definition of punk rock and roll. With driving tempos and raw leads. the high octane vocals will coerce any fan of hardcore punk to seek out more! Walking the line between melodic riffs, and soaring melodies, this is the band at their harnessed best—three songs to two-step to!

Spindrift

Classic Soundtracks Vol. 3

Alternative Tentacles

Described as a ’60s garage rock band performing as a mini-orchestra stuck within a Tarantino film, Los Angeles-based Spindrift is a cinematically inspired rock band that has also been described as “Heavy Western” or “psychedelic spaghetti-western rocknroll.” Led by songwriter-producer-composer Kirpatrick Thomas on guitar and lead vocals, along with Portland-based guitarist Becca Davidson, bass / baritone guitarist, producer, and vocalist Riley Bray, and aerospace engineer Joe Zabielski on drums and electronics, Spindrift creates a cinematic scope that has been heard on their compilation albums like Classic Soundtracks Vol 1, 2, and The West (released by Xemu Records), HBO’s Eastbound & Down (Seasons 1 & 2), the Quentin Tarantino-produced biker exploitation film Hell Ride, the film Diablo (featuring Scott Eastwood), and “The Ballad of Darrell Lemaire” from Season 1 Episode 9 of Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia (Viceland). Classic Soundracks Vol. 3 is their tenth studio soundtrack compilation album, co-produced by Riley Bray and Jello Biafra. Released by Jello’s own Alternative Tentacles Records, it completes a trilogy of themes from various feature films, documentaries, and TV mini-series. This final installment reveals a new level of maturity from the band, opening doors to new genres including espionage-esque Bond themes, upbeat guitar duets, “Italian Polizia” car chase electronica, hard rock from the Middle East, psychedelic disco, and progressive “kung fu” rock.

Itchy-O

Sypherlot / Hallowmass 2020

Alternative Tentacles

The 57-member neural necromancers Itchy-O have returned to unleash Sypherlot / Hallowmass 2020, a double-live album recorded during the chaos collective’s groundbreaking 2020 drive-in concert series. It was against this backdrop of isolation and suspended reality that Itchy-O heeded the call for a radical evolution in shared catharsis and new sonic experiments: short-band radio broadcast turned each car interior into a private listening experience for a post-apocalyptic simulation, while roving bands of mysterious beings opened a temporary escape portal with contactless chaos, engulfing each and every vehicle in rite and ritual for the ages. As the blaring car horns attested, these incredible live performances delivered a needed spirit-lift in the absence of concerts as one knew them amidst shuttered music venues, lighting a proverbial—and literal—torch during one of the darkest moments of modern history.

Legendary Shack Shakers

Cockadoodledeux

Alternative Tentacles

Join those Legendary Shack Shakers as they mark their 25th anniversary as a band on Planet Earth—to celebrate the occasion, they’ve invited former members to help them record an all country & western album! From spaghetti western to bluegrass, western swing to rockabilly, Tex-Mex to country folk, the variety of the genre is on full display. Always ones to respect their history, the Shack Shakers have also included some Kentucky local legends to “pick and grin”. Hotshots such as Stanley Walker (Grand Ole Opry band leader for Jean Shepard and guitarist for Sun Studio’s “Rockin’ ” Ray Smith) and Jack Martin (dobro-player for Lester Flatt) really give those “young ‘uns” a run for their money. And the always-ornery “Hillbilly” Bob Prather (Louisiana Hayride fiddler and running buddy of Opry star Onie Wheeler) pitches in too. Just add The Dead Kennedys’ Jello Biafra, hillbilly royalty Chris Scruggs and an Old Crow Medicine Showman and you’ve got a recipe for what could only be a Legendary Shack Shakers masterpiece. Titling it Cockadoodledeux was done, admittedly, to bookend 2002’s Cockadoodle-Don’t, an album by which many fans were first made aware of the group. However, it also serves to signal the start of another twenty-five years! Just as the plucky, two-headed chick emerges from the egg on the cover, so too begins a fresh start for the band’s creative energies. Once again, generations of fans—both young and old—get to lean in, listen and expect the un-expected.

Biafra, Jello And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine

No More Selfies/the Ghost Of Vince Lombardi

Alternative Tentacles

At last, Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine have finally delivered the two songs missing from the Tea Party Revenge Porn LP version on vinyl, the instant classics, “No More Selfies” and “The Ghost of Vince Lombardi”! This is very strong stuff. Hear the inimitable Mr. B skewer the place the world’s put itself in, like no one else would—or could—as he and The Guantanamo School Of Medicine capture the full power of the live shows on disc as never before. Only so many artists have a track record of lyrics this good, and back it up with music as good or better. It’s usually one of the other, but rarely this fierce, thanks to the wall of sound production of the mysterious Marshall Lawless, with Kurt Schlegel at the board this time. Co-conspirators now feature both string-titans of longtime AT mainstay Victims Family: guitarist Ralph Spight (also Freak Accident) and wonder bassist Larry Boothroyd (also Triclops, Brubaker); plus drummer / metal percussionist Jason Willer (UK Subs, Nik Turner, Charger, The Mob). Why on a 7-inch and not on the LP? The high speed “driving tests” Biafra always uses to find the best rockin’ song order for his albums (since the Dead Kennedy days of Fresh Fruit!) meant going “lean, mean (and louder!)” for the LP version, and two more songs in the middle for the CDs and download. These are not outtakes or “bonus tracks”. They make quite a strong 45 on their own. So play often!...

Biafra, Jello And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine

Tea Party Revenge Porn

Alternative Tentacles

Hot on the heels of five viral video singles, Tea Party Revenge Porn, the first full album since 2014 by Jello Biafra And The Guantanamo School Of Medicine, is finally here! This is very strong stuff. Hear the inimitable Mr. B skewer the place the country has put itself in like no one else would—or could—as he and The Guantanamo School Of Medicine capture the full power of their live shows on disc as never before.  Only so many artists have a track record of lyrics this good, and back it up with music as good or better. It’s usually one of the other, but rarely this fierce, thanks to the wall of sound production of the mysterious Marshall Lawless, with Kurt Schlegel at the board this time. Co-conspirators now feature both string-titans of longtime AT mainstay Victims Family: guitarist Ralph Spight (also Freak Accident) and wonder bassist Larry Boothroyd (also Triclops, Brubaker); plus drummer / metal percussionist Jason Willer (UK Subs, Nik Turner, Charger, The Mob). So as germs and police riots rage, there’s no better primal scream therapy than a long-awaited new Jello Biafra album. From Dead Kennedys to Lard to the now-classic albums with the Melvins, DOA, NoMeansNo, Mojo Nixon; and of course, The Guantanamo School Of Medicine, Tea Party Revenge Porn is right up there with all of it.

Dead Ending

American Virus

Alternative Tentacles

“Jeff said, ‘Let’s do a new record—we’ll call it American Virus’—sounded good to me. He wanted to do a Clash cover too—which I didn’t like. I was wrong.” – Vic Bondi, Dead Ending Stemming from conversations between vocalist Vic Bondi (Articles Of Faith) and guitarist Jeff Dean (Airstream Futures, All Eyes West, The Bomb) about the obvious politicization of the pandemic, Dead Ending’s latest release on Alternative Tentacles Records, American Virus presents two screaming new tracks; the title track “American Virus” and “Walter Benjamin At The Border” with a digital bonus cover track “Complete Control” by The Clash.  “I was watching the press conference when Trump called COVID-19 the Chinese virus, and watching him double down on it, when journalists were calling him out like some giant spoiled toddler, made me want to throw my TV out the fucking window!” Dean says, “I started trying to figure out logistically if we could even record, since everyone lives in different states.” Using their access to different recording devices Bondi and Dean each wrote a track, and along with the cover and sent them to drummer Derek Grant (Alkaline Trio), who laid down drums and the songs started to take shape. Bassist Nathan Voorhees (Ensign, Vision) was unable to record on this 7-inch, but founding bassist Joe Principe (Rise Against) was down to come back to play on the songs. In no time, once more the unrelenting, uncompromising, political hardcore sound that Dead Ending has long been known for was exploding...

Tsunami Bomb

Still Standing

Alternative Tentacles

With their new 7-inch Still Standing, Tsunami Bomb has returned with their unique sound of keyboard-driven, bombastic punk rock, with a dark edge and soaring vocals, that gives an incredible fresh spin on some classic tracks. Following up their emphatic return on the 2019 album The Spine That Binds, the band wanted to revisit two of their classic songs as a gift for their street team, The Bomb Squad. The Irish jig driven “Irish Boys” is a live show favorite, but only previously available on a bedroom made 4-track recording from 1999. Keyboardist and co-vocalist Oobliette Sparks takes lead on this track, firing lines back and forth with vocalist Kate Jacobi, while guitarist Andy Pohl showcases his lead guitar skills as the song screams through it’s bittersweet tale of both shoes and evening plans drunkenly destroyed. Another Tsunami Bomb beloved classic gets a revisit with “El Diablo”, a song that was co-written by Oobliette who had sadly left the band by the time it was originally recorded. Now in its intended form, the keyboards return with a vengeance making you wonder how they could have ever not been present. Meanwhile the band’s tight rhythm section, drummer Gabe Lindeman and bassist Dominic Davi, explosively charge through the track at a breakneck pace. However, it’s Jacobi who takes center stage, with her high-flying vocals making the song and its message definitively and unquestionably hers. That’s just side A! Side B has two tracks exclusive to the vinyl, from a bootleg recording of...

L.A. Machina

Welcome To The Machina

Alternative Tentacles

With a walloping brand of high voltage psych / stoner / punk & roll, newly forged female super-power trio L.A. Machina are an irresistibly formidable break-out force. Consisting of three notable natural born rockers—the powerhouse singer-guitarist Michelle Balderrama (Brainspoon, Electric Children, The Darts US), equally high impact vocalist-bassist Suzi Moon (Turbulent Hearts, Civet) and high priestess of banging backbeat Rikki Styxx (Death Valley Girls, The Dollyrots, Two Tens, The Darts US)—L.A. Machina brings both gorgeously rendered, highly original songs and a supercharged appeal that’s already gained them significant traction. The players all came into each others orbit at famed Downtown Los Angeles club The Redwood and quickly surrendered to the inevitability of this stellar alliance. The fast moving threesome’s intoxicating sound is brilliantly showcased with their debut single and video “Teenage Head” and now, very shortly after firing the band up, L.A. Machina already has both an Alternative Tentacles vinyl release slated and a spot on the Punk Bowling festival’s Main Stage confirmed for 2020. Expect a slew of radical, female empowering kicks aplenty from this tremendous new rock & roll asset. Their impressive underworld pedigree and wild, wild style ("We’re kinda like Josie & the Pussycats,” Moon says, “but with LSD and way more distortion") collide with magnificent effect. Having managed all of this in just 4 weeks time, these high-flying, hard-hitting women are guaranteed to reach a dazzlingly stratospheric rock & roll altitude.

World/Inferno Friendship Society

All Borders Are Porous To Cats

Alternative Tentacles

***BACK IN STOCK!!! Note price increase. The World/Inferno Friendship Society’s long awaited new album dares one to try and decipher its multi-layered, encrypted message, while being dragged kicking and screaming through a succession of flashbacks, alternate realities and drug and alcohol induced delusions. While this ensemble is known for its utter disregard for boundaries of genre, All Borders Are Porous To Cats deliberately pushes the limits of what could possibly be perceived as punk rock. It scores tales of fugitives, arson, larceny, perjury, drug addiction and freedom with elements of soul, funk, latin, polka, and classical music, as well as the band’s signature punk cabaret sound. Three years in the making, five missed release dates, five lost band members, many a bridge burned, and a defamation lawsuit waiting to happen, The World /Inferno Friendship Society invites the listener to enjoy the fruits of their perpetual torment.  This seventh full-length album finds the collective reset and reinvigorated, behind the lyrics of Jack Terricloth, apparent possessor of the punk rock fountain of everlasting style and rage. The album follows Cat In The Hat (no relation), an undocumented refugee who is framed for a crime and requires the assistance of a ragtag gang of miscreants, academics, orchestra-caliber musicians, and radical insurgents—sometimes art does in fact imitate life! The album’s release comes in tandem with the release of accompanying book One Smashed Window For Every Divided Soul, an illustrated combination tour journal and narrative exploration of Cat and his travails. The book acts as a companion...

Tsunami Bomb

The Spine That Binds

Alternative Tentacles

***Back in print on CD!!!  Northern California’s punk rock cult favorites, Tsunami Bomb, has risen from the grave and reformed with their third full-length release, The Spine That Binds, and with it they have proven that this chapter of Tsunami Bomb not only embraces their signature style of aggressive pop-punk supplemented by a touch of darkness but have taken it even further. Honing their skills of melody while being more in-your-face and more aggressive than ever, they conjure a dark journey of discovery with each track.  Originally formed in 1998, and disbanding after many member changes in 2005, Tsunami Bomb reformed at the end of 2015. This new release finds the quintet brought to life with the return of founders Dominic Davi (bass / backing vocals), Oobliette Sparks (keyboards / co-lead vocals), and Gabriel Lindeman (drums). Joined by Kate Jacobi (lead vocals) and Andrew Pohl (guitars/backing vocals), they combine their skills to create a sound that effortlessly mixes dark musings on the search to find one’s place in an increasingly uncaring world, into unforgettable anthems, calling on one to get up and sing-a -long. The Spine That Binds is not asking for your acceptance, it demands it. This album will scratch the itch of all the die-hard fans looking for that familiar Tsunami Bomb sound, but also show a new, angrier and brutally honest side of the band. With the support of Jello Biafra’s legendary punk rock label, Alternative Tentacles Records, Tsunami Bomb has not only heard...

Darts, The

I Like You But Not Like That

Alternative Tentacles

***Available again!!!  The Darts (US) have exploded onto the scene with a fiercely classic sound that invests deeply in late ’60s garage, while incorporating tones of horror-punk and psych-rock. Live, they hurtle through their songs with the reckless abandon of a freight train about to run off the rails, while their calculated musicianship sets a seamless trajectory of grooving hooks and danceable boogie back beats. If Elvira and Wednesday Adams consumed the flesh of man, drank shots of snake venom, started a garage rock band, and played a sweet sixteen party for Rob Zombie’s daughter, it would probably sound exactly like The Darts. The band formed in early 2016, after vocalist / keyboardist Nicole Laurenne (The Love Me Nots, Motobunny, Zero Zero) and bassist Christina “Madcap” Nunez (The Love Me Nots, The Madcaps) decided, following the end of The Love Me Nots, to finally utilize the similarities in their creative ambitions to put together the all-girl band they had been talking about for years. Tapping some of their favorite players for the project, like drummer Rikki Styxx (The Two Tens, The Dollyrots, Thee Outta Sites), the band quickly wrote and self-released two debut EPs back-to-back. Soon after this, the singles “Running Through Your Lies” and“Revolution” found instant radio airplay. “Take What I Need” was selected by Sirius / XM’s Underground Garage channel as “The Coolest Song In The World,” while infamous horror author Stephen King personally tweeted about the band, professing his fandom to the world. Shortly thereafter,...

Arnocorps

Welcome To The Gym!

Alternative Tentacles

Alternative Tentacles Records is pumped to announce the release of “Welcome To The Gym”, featuring two brand new songs from ArnoCorps, the self-proclaimed Greatest Band of All Time and inventors of Action-Adventure Hardcore Rock ‘n’ Roll. The 7-inch vinyl and digital release solidifies the band’s recently expanded lineup. Closing in on two decades as an active band, the “Austro-Californians” of ArnoCorps have consistently met with critical acclaim and frequent sell-out crowds from “San Fran-tastic” California to Great Britain and beyond. The group was founded to combat what they have deemed “cinematic Austroploitation”, including films featuring their fellow Austrian expat, Arnold Schwarzenegger. ArnoCorps claims that each film is actually unabashedly pilfered by Schwarzenegger from ancient Austrian folklore, then shamelessly bastardized by Hollywood moguls.   Having already restored integrity to timeless heroic lore such as “Terminator”, “Commando”, “Running Man”, and “Total Recall” with past releases, ArnoCorps turns back the clock to the Arnold of the 1970’s with their latest songs: “Scavenger Hunt” and “Dead Lift”. The transformative power and creativity of the group is truly showcased here as a campy comedy and embarrassing guest role on The Streets of San Francisco are ironically given new life as inspirational songs, one promoting the joy and benefits of physical fitness, the other an anti-bullying anthem for body positivity.   As with all of their releases, ArnoCorps successfully combines the best of both punk and metal influences that very few other bands have been able to. Adorned in trademark black combat uniforms and face...