Vancouver’s Tough Customer are Kat, Claire, Katie and Ben. “Darlene” is their debut 7” and we couldn’t be happier with the results. All four songs kill it in the song-writing department with post-punk influenced rhythms taking centre stage while the two guitars lay down some sometimes sparse/sometimes wailing back and forth interplay and all four members take turns singing. Taking influence from the best of the UK DIY greats the band also took the production into their own hands with superb results. Comes on the patented thick/textured die-cut sleeve this time with some sick silk-screened cover art as well as a nice poster insert. 300 copies. Upcoming month long US/Canada tour with Puzzlehead. For fans of Raincoats, Kleenex, Long Blondes, Talking Heads, Cindy Lauper, Petticoats, etc.

Pustostany was a one-off side project from Wroclaw, Poland’s post-punk/no-wave band Kurws and vocalist Maciek Salamon (Nagrobki, Gowno). The 8 songs on “2012″ have lurked in the deep dark annals of the internet for a while and turned a few heads in the process including those of the misanthropes at Sweet Rot and France’s POUeT! Schallplatten who have teamed up to release this beast on vinyl. Probably the most loud and punishing and dare I say “punk” release on Sweet Rot even though there are massive amounts of harsh electronics to be found. For fans of Teledetente, SIDA, Dow Jones and the Industrials, etc. Download code included.

All European orders please contact POUeT! Schallplatten.

Sweet Rot is back with the 2nd full length from one of America’s most under-rated bands. Meercaz is the brainchild of Oakland’s Muslim Delgado who has released a handful of proto-punk gems over the years on labels as diverse as Gulcher, Night People, and Tic Tac Totally (plus a quite fine single on Sweet Rot if you don’t mind me saying so). This time Muzz has kept the thug-punk Gizmos/Twinkeyz-esque foundation of past Meercaz releases but upped the glam and pop factors a fair bit to come up with a set of 11 songs that’ll please fans of bands like The Hammersmith Gorillas and Coloured Balls and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Songs like “Hey Mover”, “Linda Lee”, “Kate Actually” and “Wild With Me” are total hits and are by far the catchiest songs the band has written to date. Muzz is joined on these recordings by Terry Six (Exploding Hearts) on drums. Absolutely killer cover art courtesy of Mac Blackout. Download code included.

Sweet Rot and Dragnet Records have teamed up for “Soft Stab” the impressive 2nd LP from Seattle’s Dreamsalon. If you’ve been paying attention to the NW rock underground of the past decade or so, you’re likely familiar with the names Min Yee, Matthew Ford and Craig Chambers who have collectively played in bands like Evening Meetings, A Frames, Intelligence, Le Sang Song, Factums, Yves/Son/Ace, etc. and together they’ve crafted a set of songs that will please fans of their earlier work as well as earn them new ones. The nine songs of “Soft Stab” have a little bit more of a sinister edge to them compared to their great debut LP “Thirteen Nights” and this sharpened attack is evident both in the songwriting and the production. All of these songs have the classic, locked-in, repetitive, booming Yee bass lines, paired with Ford’s seemingly-loose-yet-actually-tight distinctive drumming style while Chambers guitar work varies from reverbed-out pick scratching, to wailing feedback, to straight ahead driving punk. 9 songs. 500 copies. Download card included. Recorded in Seattle at MRX by Matt Stegner. Mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk.

US CUSTOMERS ORDER HERE – These copies ship from Dragnet Records in the US.

CANADA/INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS ORDER HERE – These copies ship from Sweet Rot in Canada.

In January 2010 Sweet Rot released our first LP which was the debut long player by Nerve City. Nearly four years later we are extremely pleased to be releasing the 2nd Nerve City LP, “Asleep On The Tracks”. In the years since the debut, front-man Jason Boyer has been busy traveling, touring, moving from Virginia to Florida, and writing an impressive amount of songs. The best of these were selected and recorded in late 2012 with a full band at Memphis’ Electraphonic Recording. The earlier Nerve City releases (including records on Sacred Bones, Hozac, and Kill Shaman) garnered a lot of positive attention from the likes of Terminal Boredom and Negative Guest List for Boyer’s knack to channel the classics like the Velvet Underground, JAMC, and The Troggs and to couple those influences with his distinctive and haunting blown-out home-recording techniques. And although no one will mistake “Asleep On The Tracks” of being anything other than a Nerve City record, the full band/studio production really adds a new element to the band’s sound and highlights more than ever Boyer’s ability to write a great fucking song. We couldn’t be happier to continue our relationship with one of our favourite artists. 330 copies. Silk-screened sleeves.

Sweet Rot’s Strasbourg series continues (after releases by The Anals, A.H. Kraken, The Feeling of Love and Teledetente 666) with the debut 7″ by SIDA. You could make the case that each of the four songs here has elements of the aforementioned bands but SIDA clearly have their own thing going on with the bordering on tribal drumming, the subdued synth, the strong female vocals, and the sometimes droning/sometimes no-wavy guitar all expertly recorded by (who else?) Seb Normal. The 7 minute a-side track “Apollo 13” is a lurching, hypnotic jammer that the word “epic” was invented for. The flip side has three shorter blasts, some rhythmic and glammy, some freaked out and noisy. 300 copies with some seriously great cover art on the usual deluxe Sweet Rot style sleeve.

Listen to “Apollo 13”

Sweet Rot is pleased to present the 2nd 7″ from Iowa City’s Solid Attitude. We were huge fans of the band’s debut single and LP on Rotted Tooth and feel that they are two of the most underrated punk records from the US of the past few years. On this new release Solid Attitude continue to bring their burly, Midwest, punk/garage/hardcore sound and show that they are just as comfortable going directly for the throat (“Dash-Ex”) as they are going for the slow burn (“Creeping Quilt”) all of which has drawn comparisons to bands like Tyvek and even The Stooges. Added to the mix this time is some pretty fucking sweet sax on both songs contributed by Justin from Wet Hair. 300 copies.

Listen to “Dash-Ex”

Case Studies is the solo project of Seattle’s Jesse Lortz, formerly of The Dutchess & The Duke. This is the just the 2nd Case Studies release after the excellent “The World Is Just a Shape To Fill the Night” LP on Brooklyn’s Sacred Bones Records, and we feel that these two songs continue to showcase Jesse’s ability to write extremely memorable and sincere folk songs. “Villain” is the darker of the two, while “Dull Knife” is a bit more upbeat and while this is one of the more mellow records in the Sweet Rot archive, it’s also one of our favourites. Recorded at his grandfather’s cabin in Lake Inez, MT. 300 copies pressed.

Listen to “Villain”

Sweet Rot is pleased to release a new 7″ by Minneapolis’ The Blind Shake. Perhaps best known for their multiple collaborations with psych-punk legend Michael Yonkers, The Blind Shake also have a string of albums and singles under their own name (on labels such as AmRep and Learning Curve) and we feel that these two songs come closest to matching the all out intensity of the band’s live shows. “Garbage On Glue” is a 2 minute anthemic punker that delivers a firm kick directly to the groin. The flip “Go Go 78” is no less direct, but includes some well placed guitar psych freakouts that bring to mind the band’s work with Yonkers. 300 copies pressed.

Listen to “Garbage On Glue”

Evening Meetings are Craig Chambers, Matthew Ford, Erin Sullivan, and Min Yee. Together they have been part of the great stream of underground bands coming from Seattle over the past decade – A Frames, Love Tan, Factums, Intelligence, The Lights, Le Sang Song, The Dipers, Yves/Son/Ace, AFCGT, etc. Sweet Rot has been a huge follower of these bands over the years (releasing a Love Tan 7″ in the process) and we couldn’t be happier to release the band’s debut s/t LP. Each of the ten songs featured here is grounded upon a solid foundation of rhythm while the two guitars are free to poke and lurch wherever they please, sometimes off-kilter and noisy, sometimes fuzzed out, and sometimes twangy and sliding bringing to mind acts such as Gun Club or Scientists. While most songs aim directly for the jugular a few are a bit more loose and wandering, similar to the band’s excellent 7″ on Dirty Knobby. The end result is a mature, focused, confident record that we think will stand the test of time. Expertly recorded by Alex Yusimov at The Pool on all analog gear and mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk.

Listen to 3 songs from the LP

Back in March 2007, Sweet Rot’s second ever release was the debut 7″ by Cheap Time. A couple of years later we released a single by front man Jeffrey Novak. Now Sweet Rot is pleased to continue the collaboration with a new two-song 7″ which comes hot on the heels of the band’s quite great “Wallpaper Music” LP on In the Red Records. These two new songs – “Other Stories” and “In This World” – are a prime example of what a 70s sounding glam punk single should be – short, well written and produced, and super catchy. We feel these songs perfectly complement each other and think fans of the band’s previous work will too.

Listen to “Other Stories”

Los Angeles band Lamps has been one of our favourites here at Sweet Rot for a while. This single, their first release in a couple of years, solidifies their place as one of the best angry punk bands in America. Title track “All Seeing Eye” is a two minute romp that finds Lamps at their catchiest, while the flip “G.B.D.” (an alternate mix of a song to be found on their upcoming “Under the Ground Under the Water” LP on In the Red Records) is perhaps the bands most punishing and sinister song yet with its five minutes of pure aural torture. Enjoy.

Listen to “All Seeing Eye”

Having released well received singles by French bands A.H. Kraken, Feeling of Love, The Anals, and The Dictaphone, Sweet Rot returns to France to release the debut 7″ from Strasbourg’s Teledetente 666. Taking elements from all of the aforementioned, Teledetente plays some of the most gnarly sounding, guitar damaged, drum machine punk that we’ve heard since The Anals. The two songs here “Les Rats” and “Panne Sexe” are pretty unrelenting in their all out attack on your senses. Menacingly recorded by Seb Normal. For fans of The Anals, Cheveu, A.H. Kraken, Volt, Pierre & Bastien, etc.

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Listen to “Les Rats”

Sweet Rot is pleased to present a two song scorcher of a single from Lafayette, Indiana’s TV Ghost as a follow up to their quite excellent 2011 LP, “Mass Dream” on In the Red Records. “Phantasm” and the flip “Panic Area” are both typical TV Ghost – sinister, pummeling, psychedelic, lurching, spastic, and ugly, in just the right ways. We’re huge fans of all the band’s records, and feel that this just might be the best one yet and the one that best captures the intensity and urgency of their live show. For fans of Scientists, Slug Guts, Gordons, Cramps, etc.

Listen to “Phantasm”

Sweet Rot is pleased to present the debut 7″ by Oakland’s Little Queenie. Icki, Oscar, Bean and Joe. Vocals, two basses and drums. No guitars. “Blackout” is the A-side song. “SS Shipwreck” is on the flip. Both are thug-punk of the highest order and make for a killer debut single. Calling Little Queenie the closest living relative of Crushed Butler wouldn’t be too far off the mark. We love these two songs and we think you will too. Perfectly recorded by Greg Ashley. Band features ex-members of Gris Gris, Battleship and Short Eyes. 300 copies.

Listen to “Blackout”

Sweet Rot is extremely pleased to present the debut LP from Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Omma Cobba. Ranging from hyptnotic psych-garage ragers to mellow Sunday morning back porch 60s jams the sounds presented here clearly show a band focused on writing immediate and memorable songs. Formed from the ashes of Omon Ra, the band has already completed tours of Canada and the East Coast of the U.S. after having been banned from many of their hometown clubs. The eight songs on this LP were primarily recorded across a half dozen or so countries during a hazy trip to Europe in an old VW RV (pictured broken down in the south of France on the cover) which gives everything a solid reverbed out thump. For fans of Nerve City, Sic Alps, Fresh & Onlys, etc.

Australia’s Circle Pit return with a new single after their debut LP “Bruise Constellation” on Siltbreeze Records. “Sewercide” and the b-side “Roll With The Punches” are more in the heavy glam/proto-punk tradition of their first 7” and is a taste of what’s to come from their forthcoming LP “Wassup”. Recorded by Mark Nelson (The Stabs) at 3CR Studios, with mastering duties and additional Gary Glitter hand-claps by Owen Penglis (Straight Arrows). Co-released by Sweet Rot and Australia’s R.I.P Society Records for the band’s 2010 US tour as a one off pressing.

After a pretty distinct sounding debut 7″ and LP that garnered good reviews yet still managed to fly under the radar of most listeners, Sweet Rot is pleased to present a new single by Portland, Oregon’s Meercaz that takes the band’s output to new levels. Formed by frontman Muslim Delgado, Meercaz’s two songs here float hazily somewhere around Gizmos/Twinkeyz/Chrome proto-punk territory that solidly nail it in the songwriting department while still maintaining an appropriate amount of guitar damage and experimentation. A perfect single, in our minds, from one of America’s most underrated bands. On this record, Meercaz also features Kyle Raquipiso (ex-Meth Teeth) and Clay Silva (ex-Clorox Girls).

Sweet Rot’s first release from the United Kingdom comes courtesy of The Pheromoans, purveyors of some of the finest DIY punk we’ve heard in ages. Coming hot on the heels of the bands fine split with Dan Melchior, this single’s A-side is a superbly shambolic two song romp while the flip features the title track, a Pheromoans patented spoken word number, and a 9 second ode to one of Canada’s finest institutions, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Consignment is the brainchild of Seattle’s Matt Nyce (ex-Meth Teeth) and this four song debut EP showcases some of the most pleasant songs we’ve heard in a while. Recorded last year in their laundry room when the band was just Matt and his then girlfriend/now wife Dena on drums this is the most mellow sounding Sweet Rot release yet, but one we’re very proud of. The focus here is on the songwriting and these songs are perfect front-porch-lounging-while-drinking-beer music, or as Seattle’s The Stranger put it – “Like a sedative elixir for your soul, Consignment make lethargic, lo-fi garage-pop songs less upbeat than they are beat-up”. The band has since morphed into a 4-piece live band.

Sweet Rot couldn’t be happier to present our first full-length release, the stunning debut LP by Nerve City. Subtitled “Recordings 2007-2008” this record showcases a dozen songs from the early days of this project from Richmond, Virginia. At the core, these are incredibly well written and played melodic songs with nods to the classics like the Stones and VU, but the note-perfect production that’s gone into each song adds an immense amount of haunting atmosphere and the final product is simply quite astounding. From minimalist folk songs, to full, lurching, droning epics this record contains absolutely no trace of filler and will stick with you immediately upon first listen. Perfect for these dark, dreary, cold days of winter. Previous releases on Hozac, Kill Shaman, and Sacred Bones.

The Metz Trifecta is complete. First it was The Anals, then A.H. Kraken, and now Sweet Rot is pleased to present a third record from Metz, France, a 3-song single from The Feeling of Love. Just like their previous releases this one features a schizophrenic mix that somehow makes perfect sense. You get one studio-recorded hit and one drum machine fuelled jam on the a-side, and an absolutely beautiful, yet fucked, reinterpretation of a Gainsbourg classic on the flip. Pretty cool cover art too.

Sweet Rot’s attraction to France continues with the debut release from French band The Dictaphone. This six song single is full of unrelenting, hypnotic songs that maintain a hefty dose of catchiness for a result that is both ugly and beautiful. Should please fans of The Intelligence as well as other Sweet Rot bands A.H. Kraken and Love Tan.

After a dozen plus releases Sweet Rot is pleased as hell to finally release a record from their hometown of Vancouver. Influenced in equal parts by Cheater Slicks and Spacemen 3, the debut release from Sex Church displays a perfect balancing act between depraved aggression and hypnotic psych. 2 monster songs. Ex/current members of Catholic Boys, Defektors, Ladies Night, and Vapid. Subsequent LPs on Load and Convulsive.

After two stellar singles (Hozac Hookup Klub, Needless) and a split with Jacuzzi Boys, Austin’s Woven Bones are back with another release and I think it might just be their best yet. “Your Sorcery” is an absolute monster of a song with its super tight rhythm section keeping everything grounded, perfect guitar tone, and just enough ‘tude in the vocals to keep you spinning it over and over and over again. The flip “Howlin Woof” relaxes the intensity a bit but succeeds just as much with its slow-burn approach.

This is the debut single from Flight, who hail from Mississippi. “Flowers” is an incredibly infectious, well crafted, off-beat pop song that sounds just about perfect heading into these summer months. The flip “Johnny’s Mixed Up” is equally fist pumping and will please fans of the Live Fast Die style of overblown guitar work. Expect more great things soon from Flight with a 7″ upcoming on the Hozac Hookup Klub and a 10″ on Kill Shaman.

The Shackles are Carlos, Cathy, Jim and Ruben (Coconut Coolouts). They are from Seattle and this is their debut 7″. Like the Jeffrey Novak 7″ this is an unabashed, pure pop, two song single that should please fans of Box Elders, Nodzzz, Brilliant Colors, etc. We love these songs and we hope you will too. Produced by Brian Standridge (Dutchess & the Duke, Suspicions) at Magical Basement Studio.

Third single from Madison, Wisconsin’s Dead Luke following his first two releases on Sacred Bones. 4 songs that range from dark and haunting, to surprisingly poppy and upbeat, all home recorded with a perfect balance between electronics and guitars. Eye catching cover art courtesy of Ilth.

Love Tan used to be called Pyramids (which is what the labels on the record say), but have recently changed their name. Hailing from Seattle, the six songs on this single display the wide range of sounds the band is capable of, which is all the more impressive considering that they are only a two piece made up of Matthew Ford (Factums, ex-Intelligence) on drums and Craig Chambers (The Lights) on guitar. The vocals range from falsetto to baritone, the guitar can sound sparse or punishingly full, and the drumming can go from methodical to off-kilter, and all in the same song. This is their debut release. For fans of Tronics, The Urinals, The Prats, etc.

The Blank Its are back. After their fantastic first single, a cool split with the Feelers and their underrated debut LP on Empty, they have returned with a self-released single of their own, plus this, a two song, no nonsense slab of wax that is our favourite record of theirs yet. “Windows Are Dirty” is everything an a-side should be – short, to the point, and super catchy – while the flip “Divorce” is about as epic as a three minute (weird) pop song can be, all played with that distinctive Blank Its sound (ie. loud guitars, insectoid vocals, off-kilter drums) and perfectly recorded.

Fourth single from Melbourne, Australia’s UV Race and just the like the other three, this one is fantastic. The A-side sees the band pushing forward into somewhat newer territories with “Acid Trip” their hazy/dreamy take on psychedelic pop, albeit with the typical UV Race retardo-punk bent. The flip “Speed Freak” is a more direct two minute burst of UV Race greatness. Expertly recorded by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring) with perhaps their best sleeve art yet. New LP “Homo” coming soon on In the Red.

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Sweet Rot is thrilled to present a split 7″ by legendary Australian noise merchants Primitive Calculators and Brisbane, Australia’s swamp gang Slug Guts. This record features three previously unreleased versions of the Primitive Calculators quasi single/hit “Pumping Ugly Muscle”, originally featured in the 1986 movie “Dogs in Space”. You get a devastating version recorded by Primitive Calculators in 1979 in the practice room of the band’s home in Fitzroy, Melbourne. As well as this, they contribute an equally killer live version recorded in 2009 following their memorable reunion at All Tomorrow’s Parties in Melbourne. Not to be outdone, Slug Guts (Sacred Bones Records) interpret “Pumping Ugly Muscle” and give it their own sludgy twist.

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After turning quite a few heads with his self-released debut LP and Shattered Records 7″, Jeffrey Novak (Cheap Time) is back with another two song single of quirky pop bliss. Both songs are so good, we had to flip a coin to pick the A-side. His second LP “Baron in the Trees” will be coming out on In the Red Records. This is a one time only pressing on black vinyl.

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Second release from French miscreants A.H. Kraken following their absolutely devastating debut LP on In the Red. Continuing with the trend from the LP, this two song single is loud, brutal, and punishing, featuring disturbing French lyrics about swamps and porn stars. One of the premier noise making bands of today.

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The Anals were Benoit and Nafi. Hailing from Metz, France, home to a ridiculous number of genre-bending bands, most of which they play in (like A.H Kraken, Electric Guitars, The Dreams, Plastobetton, Scorpion Violente, Funk Police, and more), this is their debut 7” and it’s a two song ass reamer. Taking the sheer repetitive brutality of a band like the Brainbombs and meshing it with the trance-like drone of a band like Suicide, these two songs have the guitars, drums, and synths all set to attack, and are not for the faint of heart. Sadly, in late 2007 Benoit passed away so now The Anals are done.

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Debut record from Meth Teeth, a Portland, Oregon three piece featuring members of Leper Print, Night Wounds, and Artificial Limbs that will be sure to turn some heads. Appealing equally to fans of lo-fi, blown out trash (a-side) and fans of haunting but sweet folk songs (b-side) these four songs have something for everybody. For fans of Bob Dylan, Hunches, Donovan, Hospitals, Sic Alps, etc.

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Three songs of Intelligence/Digital Leather-esque weird punk from one mysterious dude. Previous 7″ on Hozac and 12″ on Freedom School have been getting rave reviews. In my opinion, this is their best release yet. Think of it as “Blank Dogs: Phase Two”. Another 7″ on Florida’s Dying and 12″ on Sacred Bones will also be coming shortly.

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Four songs of schizoid trash punk from Milwaukee’s best. This is being released posthumously, along with one single just recently released and another coming soon on Trickknee Records. Previous releases have cemented this band’s position as one of the best straight up punk bands of recent years and this release is more proof.

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Cheap Time is Jeffrey Novak, Jemina Pearl and Nathan Vasquez. They hail from Nashville, TN. Fans of late 70s L.A. punk will be extremely pleased with this, their debut single. This summer the band will be recording their first LP for In the Red Records.

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The Pets, from Oakland, play catchy, bent, pop/punk songs. Dan Wood (ex-Right On) plays guitar and sings. Zack Olson (ex-FM Knives) plays bass and Vince Horner (ex-Short Eyes) plays drums. It’s a two song single – “Sticky Situations” b/w “Never Ask For Help”. This is the first of three singles coming out for them this year, with the other two coming soon on Raw Deluxe and Broken Rekids.

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