So this will be the ending chapter for Kolya. Such a odd find for me or even for anyone. I honestly do not think many people were aware of this release until some blogspots uploaded the tape sometime in 2012 as the 1999 demo tape. This release is under as a "Unofficial" release. Probably some tapes done for some tour in 1999 its the only conclusion I can come up with. This was the last release as a 4 piece band. There's no insert or any info on the tape so I am not so sure if I have that missing. Two of the songs made it to the bands second 7" there's a file of this tape around the internet entitled as "1999 demo tape" this is the same thing. I tried to get the best quality while converting so its at 320 kbps. There's some minor glitches but not as bad as the original upload with the long pauses. Overall this tape is pretty darn nice of a find. Supposedly the tape was in storage for 15+ years unused but it was definitely used. The quality isn't so bad actually for a tape that's been around for about 16-17 years this is still in top shape. Whenever I think about how this tape was done I imagine the band members gathering up in a garage or basement one night and made the songs. As a band I have admired for about 8 years I can still remember my first time listening to this band. I don't remember which blogspot but I believe it was somewhere between Hardcore for nerds or Zen and the art of face punching but it was around there where I found this band. I spent the entire night listening to the 4 songs off both 7"s and two off the LP (Since the blogspot didn't fully uploaded the LP) Kolya will always be that band I will first tell people about on what sort of Emo, Post hardcore bands I like. Spending 85 dollars for this tape almost felt like some dying wish of my younger self. Honestly I would never give that amount for any tape but since it's kolya I was very curious about this tape since discogs only claims the tape had 2 songs.
Here is the breakdown of the tape, it starts off with The story becomes the vehicle as the first version (Not the 7" version since that version as Todd Giles as the lead guitar only) what amazes me are the songs Jet lagged and the other two instrumentals that were not cut for the 7". Jet lagged sounding the most mysterious one with some odd lyrics thrown. I still have no idea what the hell Todd is really talking about but it sounds hell of mysterious that gave me the chills upon hearing it the first time. It's still the strangest song from Kolya's discography. The instrumentals have a bit more of a early math rock feel with "An encounter with logic" having some tapping calm moments and finally closing with Conversations and smokescreens which I honestly love this version a bit more. Two guitars being involved with the song sounds more complete than the 7" version.
I did some scans today, the only lyrics I do not have are for Jet Lagged. I did write the lyrics (Which were 90% completed there were only like 3 words I couldn't understand from Todd. I'll post those whenever I find my book.
Lyrics to Iditarod 7"
Lyrics to The story becomes the vehicle/Conversations and smokescreens 7"
If you have been there since the start I have previously brought up this band on my past crappy blogspots in high school. Before Lord snow, Suffix, Grown ups, Brighter Arrows, Coping and my favorite Lautrec (Maybe you're familiar to) started these two bands were associated with the rest. This was around the time when the members lived in San Francisco. I wanted to bring up these bands because they were part of the history with Lautrec. Ambulance! Ambulance! was a 5 piece or 6 piece (Idunno) hardcore band that had a pretty generic sound. The band self released two demos in 2005 (Members might have been in high school) the two demos are pretty decent as far as quality. The band later released the last two demos which has the transition sounds of the later Fiction like non fiction. Mac, vocalist of ambulance, fiction and lautrec ran a little diy label called Guesthouse. From what I know is that Guesthouse was a home venue (Which later moved to Chicago?) I can't say I am 100% certain but I am following along the lines. Fiction released a EP entitled "Rick or die" info on the EP is that members had a friend named Rick who I guess they joked on the EP and most of the songs were just loose titled based on rick. The cd was under guesthouse, guesthouse had a myspace so photos of that CD exists. From there on the band did a 3 song demo which later turned out to be re-recorded for the bands second ep which was a simple Self-titled. It includes 2 new versions off the Rick or die EP and 3 new ones I think. There was also a second demo thrown between the self titled and rick. The band finally released a demo song simply entitled as Cold winter '07. As far as other releases they had planned on releasing a third and final 4 song EP called ""I can't believe I knew you" that never came out I believe this could have been because Mac moved to Chicago and formed Iwanu Ga Hana and Lautrec (Respectively both bands sound the same honestly) It's a mystery for me to also know that Fiction had a discography LP so says discogs but I can't get any other clear information on this release. If you're looking for any other Lautrec tunes Fiction like non fiction is simply a pre-Lautrec while Ambulance! Ambulance! is a pre-Fiction. Thanks to the reddit post I was able to gather the actual fiction songs. I just checked and that reddit post no longer exists. Because so I think it be another nice addition to the blogspot. I uploaded everything, for Ambulance! Ambulance! there's the first 3 song demo then the 2005 demo and the guesthouse demos. For Fiction like non fiction there's the Rick or die EP, 2006 demos, Self titled EP, another set of guesthouse demos and the cold winter '07 track.
It's been a hot February so far. I was kind of hoping for that spring rain, only in a matter of weeks will it feel dry in California again. As far as more obscure records I own here is another one to make it on here. The band is led by female vocals which can be a bit of a crossover similarity to other acts at the time, noticeably Samuel (Both share the same sort of sound) This band only produced one 3 track 7". There must have been two pressings out there, the more rarity being the 100 press version of the 7" being marble green and hand numbered while mine falls as the 7" being black and unknown to how many copies. There hasn't been much info leaked but I suppose this band also faced the destiny of disappearing after the 7" was released. I'm not even sure if the members went on to other bands. I admire the plain look of the bands record because it is basically a photo of a boat on sea. There is a insert with lyrics which aren't so bad. The vocals do feel a bit off at some points or should I say here and there but its all just a natural process of the band just simply being DIY or whatever. Sadly, the record is a hit and miss with many people. Including me, even after finding a bunch of bands over the years I never heard of this one during my 24/7 hour searches (When I had run those past 2 shitty blogspots in the past) Now that it's mentioned here it should no longer be a hit and miss with any of you now.
Amortifera is a second band that was also completely off the radar to almost everyone. This was a emo post hardcore sound band that might have been active between 2002 and 2003. It also appears to be that the band recorded more songs that might have been a complete of total 8 songs as some demo tape of some sort. I will try to see if I can get those songs on here somehow. Well thanks to Ross having this record out this was a mysterious one I was interested to listen. I am not sure how these 2 songs had fitted the 7" since the songs round up to about 6 minutes on each side and it still sounds clean enough to hear through.
This is a band that was completely off the radar and I even include myself. The Forty-Two must have been linked somewhere between Atlanta just around the time The kossabone red in the mid 90's. The band only recorded a 2 song 7" which appears to be Concurrent's first release (Looks like a pretty decent diy release) I was looking forward to hearing this 7" for the very first time (Ross Martin has some great records he is selling) which even happens to be many of the ones I have posted on here. In regards of the band The Forty-Two does sound like a pretty nice typical mid/late 90's screamo band.
