Hard Leather - "Demo" Stream

McKayla Edmonds of Hard Leather. Photo by Cody Blanchard.

Hard Leather is a new Kansas City band that plays dirty Midwestern hardcore punk. It's hard to tell which bands were making this sound first. Articles Of Faith from Chicago and Die Kreuzen from Milwaukee were releasing music in 1981, but so was Kansas City's own Choke and (most likely) dozens of similar bands throughout middle America. Regardless of origin, the current wave of eighties hardcore revival across the country is being continued by this pissed off four piece.

Over the course of these four short songs, hits on True Newman's drum kit register like rocks being kicked and bottles being smashed. Jonah Hamilton's distorted guitar lines neglect all temptations to zig-zag and lead the band on a straight and stomping path to the finish line. As a result, the delivery of McKayla Edmonds' vocals are decidedly more aggressive and direct than they were in her last band, The Vitamens. "Iron Bells" -- a vicious revenge plot -- is a testament to this approach from Edmonds.

"We'll haunt your dreams / So every day you'll wake up on a mattress soaked with piss," Edmonds wails.

This demo may not be the most polished punk recording to emerge this year, but that won't discourage Kansas City from making it the soundtrack to a summer full of slam dancing and rock-and-roll roughhousing.

Stream and download the demo from Hard Leather below.