Nog Watt - Fear

Incredible all-female hardcore punk from the Netherlands. This EP is a true classic. I could listen to this a thousand times over and still be turned on. Released in 1985 on Revenge Records. The female vocals are really great, not weak, but with the perfect amount of aggressiveness. Nog Watt have a great sound too, ripping, thrash-esque tone with some beautiful melodic riffs and slow noise-rock dirge parts. Anyways, this is some pretty essential stuff. If you don't have this already you should listen if you like punk or hardcore at all. Oh, I've seen this rad Nog Watt shirt printed here, buying soon.

download here.

SRZ Newsletter on Activist Investing Developments

Schulte Roth & Zabel, a leading legal advisory firm counseling on complex issues relating to shareholder activism today issued their Activist Investing Developments newsletter for summer 2009.

Download the newsletter here

The paper discusses three important issues to companies and investors, and includes:

(1) The SEC's proposed Proxy Access Rules;
(2) SEC enforcement actions relating to 13D filings; and
(3) 'Poison Put' provisions and their impact on activist campaigns.

Marc Weingarten, a Partner with SRZ and an expert on activist investments, is a regular contributor to The Official Activist Investing Blog.

Chronic Seizure - Brainsick E.P.

Chronic Seizure are one band that play the USHC resurgence right. One of my favorite Chicago bands and I'm more than stoked to see them more often. This is Chronic Seizure's first E.P. and the first Fashionable Idiots release. I don't think there's one boring song on here. Ripping throughout, No Slow All Go. This EP is sold out and so are the other two. LP, "Ancient Wound" is still available and rips just as hard. Check the FI webstore. Ex members of legendary Chicago bands, The Repos and 14 Or Fight.

download here.

Crucifix - Crucifix

The first Crucifix record released in 1981. If you don't know Crucifix, they were a great hardcore punk band from Berkeley, California. Unfortunately they are clotted with Crass-records shit and other goofy bands. They should instead be classified with great USHC bands like Antidote, Jerry's Kids, etc. This is their 5 song 12". They had another LP, "Dehumanized" which is also a rager. Were also on Rat Music with Black Flag, Circle Jerks, etc. Sorry for the shit picture, only one I could find was the one off KFTH.

download here.

Follow Hedge Fund Solutions on Twitter

Microblogs on Value Investing and Shareholder Activism

The Hedge Fund Solutions Twitter profile is now active. HFS will use Twitter to broadcast breaking news and updates in the activist investment world as well as to notify followers of new research and blog postings.

To follow, please click on the Twitter icon or go to: http://twitter.com/activistinvest

NIRI Southwest Conference Case Study on Shareholder Activism Proves Successful

The NIRI Southwest conference in San Antonio recently hosted a unique learning experience for its attendees. Over 100 participants intensively played out a case study that profiled an activist investor pressuring a trouble company for strategy change and board representation.

The objective of the case study was to provide corporate Investor Relations officers with an action learning experience that simulated an increasing common dilemma facing many boards of directors and executives at publicly traded companies today. By the end of the case study participants gained a greater understanding of the issues and complexities of shareholder activism – it’s causes and effects - and wrestled with key fiduciary issues as if they were a Director of a public firm.

The case study was very well received by participants - particularly the value of the learning experience. One participant commented:

“The exercise was extremely interactive, engaging and entertaining. What was significant was how tactically the role playing hammered home what the board actually has to deal with – and the hoops the IR has to jump through when an activist letter arrives. It really emphasized IR’s need to a) be on the lookout for activists, b) alert the board and senior management regarding an activist position in your company and c) try to be as proactive and educational towards the board regarding an activist. When a board is accused of being asleep at the wheel, it’s a serious black mark for the directors. It can irrevocably taint them for future appointments."

Damien Park, Managing Partner of Hedge Fund Solutions helped author the case study with Lee M. Ahlstrom, VP Investor Relations and Planning, Noble Drilling Services, who was also the conference chair. The case study forms part of a platform of educational programs and advisory services offered by Hedge Fund Solutions that address board, company management and investor relations knowledge, skill and strategy development in matters relating to activism and value investing.

For additional information about this case study contact Edward Ferris at eferris@hedgerelations.com.

You can read more about the activist case study implemented at the NIRI Southwest Conference on John Palizza's blog Investor Relations Musings

Horrid Cross - Demo I

First demo by new BM project featuring members of Florida's great Divisons (RIP) and Nazi Dust. The demo is amazing and Horrid Cross execute the raw punishing bm sound perfectly. I bought the demo with the Irradiated Corpse zine, Interviews with Cult Ritual, Grinning Death's Head, Hellkontroll. Tape reviews, and all your cult hardcore needs. Very much worth checking out. The demo is 4 tracks, spanning almost 10 minutes. There are no track titles. Contact Irradiated Corpse [irradiatedcorpse@hotmail.com] for tapes and the zine. There maybe some left.


download here.

Hail Mary - All Aboard The Sinking Ship

Underrated Vermiform gem released in 1999. Hail Mary (Albany, NY) was fronted by Mark Telfian, ex-guitar of Limp Wrist, also played in Deathsquad. An easy comparison would be Born Against and other wacky hc punk ala Articles of Faith. Artwork by Sam McPheeters himself. Hail Mary released a 7" on Prank another on Vermiform, a split with The Red Scare, and were on some Comp on X-Mist. All gone but you may find them in a dollar bin near you. I've seen this LP on ebay quite a bit. Check there. Buy the CD if you want, plus other Vermiform greatness here. Anyways, this is an all around great hc/punk record.

download here.

Obliteration - Obliteration EP

Dirty hardcore somewhere between American classics like Crucifix/Agnostic Front/Battalion of Saints/Final Conflict, and swedish hc like Anti Cimex/Mob 47/Disarm/Crude SS. Riffs to pump your fist, solos to bang your head, and lyrics to remind you of your fascist oppressors. From the idiots responsible for bands like MIND ERASER & KNIFE FIGHT! This was a request and the bio was stolen from Painkiller. This is the first 7". There is a second pressing of this available on the Painkiller site and their new 7" (This is Tomorrow) is available too.

No website that I know of.



Download Here.

Hong Kong Blonde - Splitfinger Fastball

Hong Kong Blonde was formed in 1999 in Victoria, Canada. HKB sounds like a cross between Poison Idea, the Accused, and early Suicidal Tendencies. If anyone has a scan of the album art, please post it in a comment. This was a request.

Myspace.



Download Here.

Harm's Way - Demo

Harm's Way is a hardcore band from Chicago, Illinois which features members of Weekend Nachos, Convicted and I'm sure some other bands. This demo is definitely a lot different than their newest album. This is very Infest influenced while the new LP is more NYHC influenced.

Myspace.



Download Here.

Grinning Death's Head - Demo

Raw black metal band from Georgia. Don't know much about them. This was a request.

Myspace.


taken down by request. sawwry

The Warmers - S/T

The Warmers were a post-hardcore trio from Washington D.C. consisting of, Alec MacKaye (The Faith, Ignition), Juan Luis Carrera (Lois), and Amy Farina (Lois, The Evens). As you can tell by the album art The Warmers are a simple, minimalist band along the lines of Wire. My favorite part of this band has to be the odd off-kilter drums, that somehow fit the choppy, twangy guitar. While this was their only release during their tenure as a band they also have a posthumous EP, both out on Dischord Records (like you didn't see that one coming). I don't know what more there is to say other than, you should be downloading this right now.

Download Here

July Activist Investments - 27 Companies Targeted

Below is a summary list of 27 companies targeted by 30 shareholder activists during July.

This information was extracted from Hedge Fund Solutions' Catalyst Equity Research Report, a free in-depth weekly research on activist investments.

Click Here to subscribe to the FREE report.

This report is sponsored by a number of firms with expertise in the activist investing space.


Legal Advisors:
Olshan Grundman Frome Rosenzweig & Wolosky
Schulte Roth & Zabel
Lowenstein Sandler

Proxy Solicitors:
Georgeson
Innisfree M&A
MacKenzie Partners
Laurel Hill Advisory Group
The Altman Group

Ticker	Company	Investor
ANR	Alpha Natural Resources	Duquesne Capital Management
ASP	American Strategic Income Portolio Inc	SIT Investment Associates
ASTC	Astrotech Corp	Trace Capital
ASUR	Asure Software	Red Oak Partners
BASI	Bioanalytical Systems	Peter Kissinger
BEE	Strategic Hotels & Resorts	Vector Holdings
BTIM.OB	Biotime Inc.	Broadwood Partners
CNBC	Center Bancorp	Lawrence Seidman
CNSO.OB	CNS Response Inc	Leonard Brandt
ENTU	Entrust Inc.	Arnhold & S. Bleichroeder Advisers
ENTU	Entrust Inc.	Douglas Schloss
ENZN	Enzon Pharmaceuticals Inc.	DellaCamera Capital Management
HBRF.OB	Highbury Financial	Peerless Systems
HBRF.OB	Highbury Financial	Talon Asset Management
HPOL	Harris Interactive Inc	Mill Road Capital
IFLO	I-Flow Corp	Discovery Capital
LGF	Lions Gate Entertainment	MHR Group
LVWR	LiveWire Mobile Inc	Karen Singer/Lloyd Miller
MIN	MFS Intermediate Income Trust	Karpus Management
MZF	MBIA Capital Claymore Man Dur Inv Grd Muni Fund	Western Investment
NLCI	Nobel Learning Communities	Discovery Capital
PLCE	The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc	Ezra Dabah
PPM	Investment Grade Municipal Income Fund	Western Investment
PTYA.PK	Penn Treaty American Corp	Atlas Capital Management
PTYA.PK	Penn Treaty American Corp	Bedford Oak Partners
SLA	American Select Portfolio Inc	SIT Investment Associates
TESS	Tessco Technologies	Discovery Equity Partners
TOH	Hicks Acquisition Co	Bulldog Investors
TXI	Texas Industries Inc	Shamrock Activist Value Fund
UAHC	United American Healthcare Corp.	Lloyd Miller
UAHC	United American Healthcare Corp.	Strategic Turnaround Equity Partners

E.A.T.E.R. - Chaos Casette Vol. 1

E.A.T.E.R., or Ernst And The Edsholm Rebels, were a Swedish hardcore punk band that existed from 1982-1988 (I believe). Definitely one of the many underrated hardcore bands from Sweden. This is their very first release, which was I believe was self released in 1982 on cassette. They have a pretty nice discography that's worth looking up.

Website.



Download Here.

Ugly Law - EP

Ugly Law is a hardcore punk band from Richmond, VA. Their style is very similar to bands current bands like Government Warning and Wasted Time and takes strong influence from bands like Necros and Koro. This is their first EP, which was self released on a 7" in 2007. This was their only release until just recently, where they appeared on the South Will Rise Again comp on Cowabunga Records. There are some decent bands on this comp (Cult Ritual, Logic Problem, Socialcide and more) so pick it up.

Myspace.



Download Here.

The Homopolice - Fuck Entertainment

Noise punk band from Texas influenced by Whitehouse and the Stooges. Has every member of No Talk (check previous posts for No Talk material) plus some other guy. Their bassist, Beau, used to do guitar for grindcore band, Insect Warfare. This band sounds nothing like either. "We are a noise band, not some hippie space jam bullshit."

Myspace.



Download Here.

The Cancer Kids - Boston Cream

Some people were asking for this on Kevin's other Cancer Kids post, so I figured I'd upload. This a single sided 7" with one song clocking in at thirty-four seconds. Only pressed to 100 or 150 copies. If you haven't listened to the Cancer Kids, they play fast, thrashy hardcore punk. I've never really listened to this band, so I don't know who to compare them to. Previous Cancer Kids post.

Myspace.



Download Here.