NYHC: New York Hardcore 1980-1990

by Tony Rettman, Freddy Cricien (Foreword)

Known for its glamorous 1970s punk rock scene, New York City matched the grim urban reality of the 1980s with a rawer musical New York hardcore. As bands of misfits from across the region gravitated to the forgotten frontier of Manhattan's Lower East Side. With a a backdrop of despair, bands like Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law, and Youth of Today confronted their reality with relentlessly energetic gigs at CBGB, A7, and the numerous squats in the area.

Tony Rettman's ambitious oral history captures ten years of struggling, including the scene's regional rivalries with D.C. and Boston, the birth of moshing, the clash and coming to terms of hardcore and heavy metal, the straightedge movement, and the unlikely influence of Krishna consciousness.

With a foreword by Freddy Cricien of Madball, who made his stage debut with Agnostic Front at age seven, NYHC slams the sidewalk with savage tales of larger-than-life characters and unlikely feats of willpower. The gripping and sometimes hilarious narrative is woven together like the fabric of New York itself from over 100 original interviews with members of Absolution, Adrenalin O.D., Agnostic Front, Antidote, Bad Brains, Bloodclot, Bold, Born Against, Breakdown, Cause for Alarm, Citizen Arrest, Cro-Mags, Crumbsuckers, Death Before Dishonor, Even Worse, False Prophets, Don Fury, Gorilla Biscuits, H20, Heart Attack, Inhuman, Into Another, Irate, Judge, Kraut, Leeway, Life’s Blood, Major Conflict, Max’s Kansas City, Murphy’s Law, Nausea, Nihilistics, Nuclear Assault, Numskulls, Outburst, Pro-Pain, Quicksand, Rat Cage Records, Raw Deal, Reagan Youth, Rorschach, S.O.D., Sacrilege, Savage Circle, Sheer Terror, Shelter, Shok, Sick of it All, Side by Side, Skinhead Youth, Straight Ahead, the Abused, the Cryptcrashers, the Mad, the Misfits, the Misguided, the Mob, the Psychos, the Ritz, the Stimulators, the Undead, Token Entry, Underdog, Urban Waste, Virus, Warzone, Youth of Today, and many, many more.

MOSH IT UP!

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Punk, History

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2014

About the author

Tony Rettman is a freelance music journalist whose work has appeared in The Village Voice, Vice, The Wire, Philadelphia Weekly, Cleveland Scene, Arthur, Swindle, Signal to Noise, Mean, and Thrasher. At age 14 in the 1980s, he was the editor of Common Sense zine. He has provided liner notes for such artists as Hackamore Brick, Bored Youth, Beyond and many more. He is a contributing editor to DoubleCrossXX.com.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. It gave a history of NYHC through interviews with the key players of that scene. The whole book is full of anecdotes and stories about the first 10 years of the NY Scene.

And what made reading this book made a great experience is that it reminded me of all those great bands that I've not listened to enough in the last years. It reminded me how great records like victim in pain or break down the walls were. I gave my urban waste and antidote 7"s a listen for the first time in a few years. And I still loved them.

I was never a part of the NY hardcore scene, since I'm from Europe and the time I got into hardcore was a few years after the end of this book, but still I felt I could relate to the stories and sentiments in here.

If bands like Agnostic front, cro mags, leeway, cause for alarm, Youth of today, warzone or Gorilla biscuits have any meaning for you, this is a book you should definitely read

[Rob Schorr · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thorough and comprehensive job! Well done Mr. Rettman!! From the early blossoming of the NYHC scene to the new breed of the early nineties this book covers it all. Memories of great clubs and shows from years ago came flooding back. Reading about everything before my time was awesome and made me wish I could have experienced it but this was the next best thing. A lot of work went into this and it shows! Thank you!!

[G. Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a well thought out and well organized book that covered a lot of the gamut of NYHC and it's roots. The author did a great job interviewing some key people and people you wouldn't expect and the result was a good oral history of the genre.

I enjoyed it and had a hard time putting it down. I believe the author did a good job with what he set out to do.

The topic of this book, however, limits how much that can be said about a certain band. Some chapters left me wanting to hear more about certain bands or places or people. But, considering this book was a history of a certain scene, the author only has a limited amount he can put in a book (that is already 380 pages!

It's left me wanting to learn a bit more. There was some history of Agnostic Front that i would like to hear more about (their first break up, Roger's incarceration, etc). The lack of any interview with Harley Flanagan was noticed - but who knows what he would even say was truthful or not. Sure he is annoying but dude was there from the *very* beginning. I wonder if he just declined to take part? (Noted that John Joseph was interviewed in the book and same argument, who knows what he says is truth either). I would have loved to hear a few more pages about Nausea also.

Stuff I really liked: John Porcelly's thoughts about the scene are awesome. I also really, really enjoyed hearing so much from Eddie Sutton of Leeway. The inclusion of bands before the hardcore scene really took off was perfect too.

This book is a great read - but just the topic "A History of NYHC" can leave anyone arguing about what bands were included, not included, etc. So I think that is to be expected. But if you are into old NYHC I would totally suggest you pick this book up. Photos are excellent too!

[Gerry LaFemina · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many old friends talking in this book, so many old haunts revisited. It was great...to a point. I do think there's a lot of whitewashing some of the worst parts of the scene, and there are a number of voices unheard: that's to be expected in an oral history. More, the organization--by band--made it hard to get a sense of a timeline, and I really wish a chronology had been included.

I remember seeing Kraut, Reagan Youth, and an early incarnation of Murphy's Law at Tompkins Square Park in the summer of 82... I didn't go to A7 much. I wish the Lismar had been mentioned, the Pyramid Club, the old Tin Pan Alley up in the 40s that all did hardcore shows, just not regularly.

It's a good guide to NYHC, but I think it would take three or four more to get the full picture of the scene's diversity and vibrancy.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessantes Buch über die wohl berühmteste Hardcoreszene mit den Stimmen der Beteiligten von damals.

[Nori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a real time travel. When I started my journey I have decided it will be a complex experience. I've checked all the places and of course I was listening to mostly all the bands who were mentioned. It was so much fun. The whole book is entertaining as you have the feeling you are part of a conversation about NYHC, about the early ages, iconic places, iconic people, etc. Maybe you don't agree with everything, there are nostalgic memories, etc but as in a conversation you don't need to. Some people remembers this way, others that way. I like this book it's fun and also gives us a picture of the 80s and 90s NYHC history.

[Marion Hover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at a scene I knew little about

Giving this 4 stars because none of the photographs were visible. I knew nothing about NYHC but this book sucked me in and I have since started to listen to some of these bands.
You really feel the passion that these guys have for their music and scene, also how it changed over the years.
Thoroughly recommend this book, easy to follow and gives a good insight into a way of life.

[Daniel Hipkiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favourite book based on a particular scene/time period.
First of all I absolutely love NYHC as a sub genre, the music, characters, history and visual styles are so interesting and relevant to modern culture.

The book does a fantastic job of chronicling the emergence of the scene through it's evolutions to 1990, through the eyes of many that played key roles in the movement. The stories are funny, wild and inspiring.

I've read this countless times. Get on it!

[Javal Blades · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good but also kinda of vague!
I loved how it clarified who started what, and what interpersonal beefs lead to a fusion of genres or a ending of friendships and bonds

A lot of them were young, dumb, escaping with drugs, or trying to escape from drugs and poverty. Then another lot of them were middle class kids with style and confidence trying to be tough and not let the culture progress.

[Bosco Farr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it four stars because there isn't a half star option and I liked more than I disliked. It's a really good read but really for fans only. If you are looking for an cohesive intro to the NYHC scene this isn't it. That said, the book is an excellent read and really fun.

[Syka D. Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative, it's essentially a collection of statements from different icons in the scene, talking about a given band or venue or movement or something. As someone who's really into hardcore and from new york the history explained in this book seemed essential for me to know.

[Nosmo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well crafted path through the history of NYHC. Differing perspectives offered throughout, no one viewpoint trumps another. The well known bands don’t get more airtime than those who slipped through the cracks. A thousand times more well written and worthwhile than American Hardcore.

[Mr. D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good oral history of a decade of hardcore punk from New York City. Tons of interviews gather both beloved legends and unsung heroes getting their moments to tell their stories.

[Alejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great oral history, sheds good light in the transition from art punk to hardcore, then to crossover, and finally what has been called beatdown hardcore.

[Gabriel Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that talks about the music that redefined my life. All about the music and the art. Must read for music fans

[Denise Cimpko-Beller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could use some editing.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oral history of the NYC hardcore scene that includes mentions of show spaces and zines

[Beth Sousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

You get some pretty cool band recommendations from this. Cro Mags and Murphys Law supremacy.

[Andrew Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely done oral history, this is a book that could have spiralled out of control and gone on forever detailing everything of the era, but it's well edited and keeps focus without trying to cover every aspect that would detract from the overall project.

To Rettman's credit he dispensed with a straight chronology and the book is more coherent for it, jumping back and forth in time, allowing threads to continue.

What i think he did particularly well was tie in the spatial aspects of NYHC; how bands and community developed physical space to operate in and how space in turn developed bands and community. A7, 171A, CBGB, ABC no Rio, Some Records, Apartment X, and so on.

This book is definitely written by insiders for insiders, the horrific tragedy of Dave Rubinstein would go completely over the head of anyone without a passing familiarty with the situation.

Vinnie Stigma is the surprisingly loveable voice in this book and his final quote in the book about reunion bands is perfect. Vinnie needs his own book on food.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty average overview covering all the major bands but I couldn't help but be underwhelmed. A lot of bands weren't really mentioned aside from a couple lines here and there like Uppercut, Outburst, Maximum Penalty, The Icemen, Absolution, Altercation, Dmize, etc. It would've also been cool to have had a chapter on the Jersey bands covering Turning Point, Release, Enuf, etc. Aside from that, there are still plenty of in depth chapters on The Abused, Reagan Youth, Straight Ahead, and a couple others. I wouldn't be surprised if a second expanded version came out in a few years with a lot more to offer because this book feels lacking in coverage.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed to find out about the beginning's of the NYHC scene and this book gave it to me. It's an in depth look at the scene filled with cast of characters too many to list. NYHC 80-90 journeys into the early NYHC clubs and puts you right next to the musicians that you know and love. Plenty of surprises and it was a great read for me. The last 2 chapters explain hardcore down to it's core and how just a handful of bands continue to live the lifestyle while having families and passion to carry on.

[Salt · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many great bands

A must read. Love the chronological breakdown and that it is all straight quotes from each person involved in the nyhc scene. Highly recommended to anyone who loves punk or hardcore music.

[Pete Judge · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is recommended to all who are into this music, and even people who just want to learn about a slice of history in NYC. a good documentation of music history that modern hardcore fans should familiarise themselves with

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to sneak into NYC for shows. And the authors brother banned me from a record store

[James G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a succinct overview of the downtown New York hardcore scene from 1980-90 told through first-person accounts, incl guest appearances by Gary Tse Tse Fly. That's what made it five stars!!

[Evan Harrelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

very understated read, i liked it because i love the music but it left some to be desired.

[Joe Grammatico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about the NYC hardcore scene. Learned alot about the bands, music and stories behind it.

[Evan Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great one from Tony Rettman. The stories are so fun to hear in this format.