The Punk Vault

Late night

Last nite I ended up working until just after midnight. I had such a headache last nite that it made me sick to my stomach. I had a hard time sleeping but at least I got to sleep later today and not come in until noon. I still don’t feel quite...

Sleep aways escapes me

I’m so tired today that I am having trouble keeping my eyes open. I wish I could take a nap. Thankfully the day at work is almost done for me. I needed to go get an oil change in the car but I decided to blow it off and not call to schedule...

Good friends visit

Last nite, Kristine came by and brought me dinner and kept me company to help keep my sanity since I’m trapped in the house while recovering. It was nice to have company since I’m starting to get cabin fever big time. She brought me...

Latest articles

Wax Trax Retrospectacle day one

If it wasn’t for Wax Trax Records this site may never have existed. Wax Trax Records (the store) did more to shape the punk and new wave scene in the Chicago area than anything and Wax Trax Records (the label) did...

Subhumans and MDC 4/13/11 at Reggies

Two punk rock veterans from the early days joined forces to play a show together at Reggies last week. One of the UK’s finest, the Subhumans, returned to Chicago after a couple of years away and brought long time...

Peter Murphy 4/10 at Reggies

Sunday night the alternative rock legend, Peter Murphy, made his long-awaited return to the Windy City headlining a rare intimate show at Reggies. It had been many years since Mr. Murphy played a solo show in our City...

Hellmouth/Explode and Make Up split 7″

A solid split featuring one band of crunchy and melodic punk and another with a more aggressive and slightly metallic hardcore. Hellmouth/Explode and Make Up – Split 7″ Underground Communique Records Explode...

Weedeater cancels remaining tour dates due to injury

In what should come as a surprise to no one, a member of Weedeater sustained an injury severe enough to force them to cancel the remaining dates of their US tour. This is disappointing news as the band is an amazing act...

Weedeater – Jason… the Dragon

The band that the term sludge was invented to describe return with an extremely heavy and thick record full of swampy, gritty guitars and bowel shattering bass. It doesn’t get any heavier or thicker than this...

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry – Smashed Hits vinyl reissue

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry was a band that formed in the UK in 1981 and lasted about ten years in various incarnations before calling it a day back in 1991. In their wake they left a bunch of singles and a couple of albums...

Adolescents LP turquoise vinyl

Spring means spring cleaning and there was some cleaning going on over at the pressing plant. They cleaned out the plates of the old color of the first Adolescents LP on Frontier Records and they poured in a brand new...

Circle Jerks – Group Sex LP rootbeer vinyl

It is officially spring  which means the grass turns green again, the weather hopefully warms up, skateboarding season has begun, the birds start chirping, and legendary punk rock albums get pressed on new colors of...

Motörhead first LP vinyl reissue

In 1983 Chiswick Records (who had the good taste to sign The Damned after they left Stiff) released the first Motörhead LP and a metal/rock and roll institution was born that still lives on today. Motörhead is one of...