Curtis Mayfield - Sweet Exorcist (1974)

1: Aint Got Time
2: Sweet Exorcist
3: To Be Invisible
4: Power To The People
5: Kung Fu
6: Suffer
7: Make Me Believe In You

What needs to be said about this man? One of THE greatest vocalists EVER. Smooth, funky soul, sweet as honey strings, and well, I could go on all day, but you already know how fly this shit is gonna be. This album screams of the early 70s, the politics, the sound, and even the obsession with all things kung-fu. So whether you need an album to party on to Saturday night, or to recover to on Sunday morning, this could very well be the one for you... A classic.

Dave Heroes says: Mr Superfly himself, Power to the People!

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?2r778np1982kzzp

Amy Winehouse - The Ska EP (2008)

1: Monkey Man
2: Hey Little Rich Girl
3: You're Wondering Now
4: Cupid

I've always had a soft spot for Ms Winehouses music, I remember first hearing her on the Wake Up To Wogan show on Radio 2, and at first thought she was an old soul singer that I'd missed out on discovering, but no, she's a tabloid-seeking junkie who happens to make pretty fucking awesome soul music. Here tho, Amy takes us on a trip to Skaville, with 4 covers of classic songs from the original ska era. Occasionally sounds like drunken kareoke, but its still a bouncing skanking little EP that you may very well of missed out on finding...

Dave Heroes says: A trip down nostalgia lane, with a pop twist, perfect for a party...

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?1vno2mcrx2mf8ma

Mafia vs Ninja - Straight Outta Thirsk (2002)

Self released demo / Choke On It Music Anti©

1: Back 2 Da Old Skool
2: Choke On It
3: Happy Addict
4: Why?
5: Kill You Bastard (Mr Bear vs. MvN) Remix

Recorded at the same time as …And Now The Screaming Starts… which were all supposed to be released on an album which we never got round to (story of our lives). Has a couple of real early tracks when we first started out 'Choke on it' and 'Happy Addict' a couple of later ones and even a bastardized remix 'Kill You Bastard' - containing mainly samples we previously used - created by another Thirsk hero, Mr Bear. Again manic, angry, energetic tunes - an ideal soundtrack for smashing up pretty much anything within an arms lengths radius whilst slamming around like an idiot. We had great times in this band and got up to tons of mischief: Manic hometown shows, BeatUp nearly getting beheaded, Broken down vans, blagging lifts on fancy tour buses, getting stopped in the middle of London because the cops thought we were terrorists, stealing Leftöver Cracks rider, banned from the Horseshoe in Portsmouth - lots of blood, chair dancing, Jez in Stockport, Robbo in Notts and many many more. We met some great people, loads of weirdos and played with some amazing bands...those were the days! Even features BeatUp's arse on the cover with his Thirsk tattoo - now there's dedication...



Dave Hero Says: For info check out Mafia's Myspace page

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?m8ksqtx2o9l5s44

Mafia vs Ninja - …And Now the Screaming Starts… (2002)

Self released demo / Choke On It Music Anti©

1: House At The Edge of The Park
2: Evil
3: The Last House on the Left
4: Outro (Shogun Disorder)

Brings back great memories listening the the Mafia CDs. A manic punk band featuring all the great Thirsk superstars including The Day of Heroes team. An energetic and eclectic mix of punk rock, rap and ska so we branded ourselves as Darkska Splatterpunk Rapcore whatever that ment; we were kinda a hard band to pin down and pigeonhole. All band members were into different stuff so we dumped all our influences in a big stinking pot and mixed it up to see what we could create. Initially Mafia had 4 vocalists which was pretty mental to begin with but after BeatUp's departure we settled on 3 for a while. Only 3 vocalists!? This CD was self released just to get it out there so it's pretty hard to find and reflects MvN's old school horror fixation with the likes of the 'House' tunes which were just plain hard punk rock; 'Evil'- MvN's ska anthem which starts with one of the best samples ever (taken from The Hammer House of Horrors series) and always used to get the kids toes tapping and bouncing around and 'Outro' a nice little instrumental with samples taken from Shogun Assassin....Check out the MvN Krew and see what all the cool kids were listening to in 2002!



Dave Heroes Says: Grab yo-self a little snippet of some Thirsk punk rock history...

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?m8mjzh816bub9z2

Four Letter Word - Words That Burn EP (1995)

1: Rich White Ghetto
2: Call Off The Dogs
3: Fundamentally Flawed
4: Shelf Life

This is a right treat. Welly, from Artcore fanzine fame, fronts this melodic hardcore punk rock band from Wales. Blazing hooks, great manly yet melodic vocals, and enough power to make you feel like He-Man. Or Something. Some real punk rock, drawing influences from the old UK greats like SLF, and mixing it up with some good ol'USA hardcore punk, and adding a twist of crunchy pop punk. Politically charged lyrics, with a personal touch to them, and choruses you'll be singing along to in no time at all. Just fucking great, it really is...

Dave Heroes Says: One of the UKs most under-rated punk rock bands.

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?hwb05hqth1vwbac

Freefall - 7" (1993)

Redemption Records / red-013-7 / White Vinyl

1: On and On
2: Never Had

Like Engage I first heard these on Lookout's 'Can of Pork' compilation. They had a great track on there called 'Other Day'. Apart from that track and the two on this 7" I don't know if they released anything else which is a shame as they were a great power pop punk band with that definate rough-round-the-edges early 90's Berkeley sound (if anyone knows more info on the band - feel free to leave comments). It's uncomplicated, innocent and catchy as hell with great vocals. Label mates with Engage on Redemption, Freefall were yet another one of those inconspicuous bands that faded away without gaining the popularity they deserved. This record came on a nice white vinyl which is always a nice bonus...If you like your pop punk uplifting without the cheese then grab a slice of this - you won't be disappointed...enjoy.

Dave Heroes Says: If you like these check out Brody which features vocalist Keith Cucuzza after Freefall disbanded.

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?oaodqrlli8524lt

Alloy - Eliminate (1992)

Bitzcore LP 01677

1. Alloy
2. Unafraid
3. Forever
4. More Alone With You
5. New Worlds
6. Eliminate
7. An Advertisement
8. Run
9. Absurd
10. Rote
11. Without
12. Just Plain Evil

This was another firm favourite in Shrimp's smoke-laden bedroom circa 1992. Alloy features former members of Articles of Faith and Dag Nasty but is a much more restrained and chilled affair than aforementioned bands but still retains the passion and power. Some great great tunes on here which are perfect for daydreaming in your own little world whilst the rain batters the grim grey world outside. Right from the start the thumping drums and fat baseline thunders into action and you just know this is gonna be good. 'More Alone With You' is one awesome track - it starts off nice and chilled with a tight riff which just builds and builds - my only criticism is it ends too soon. Bondi's vocals are unmistakable and this has to be one of his finest moments fer sure - a solid performance. I love this album and again like many others it's kinda fallen into obscurity and often overlooked. Not a great album cover but one hell of a great album!



Dave Heroes Says: Check out Bondi's current hardcore band - the heavily politically charged 'Report Suspicious Activity'.

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?t8txnmq1xqv12ww