***"Here at Sorry State we were huge fans of Illiterates’ debut LP, and when the Pittsburgh band offered to let us release the follow-up, we jumped at the chance to climb into bed with the self-described 'dumbest band in hardcore.' No Experts is a scorching follow-up to the self-titled debut, with even faster, shorter, and tougher songs, plus catchy gang vocals that, along with vocalist Lawson’s rabid cat delivery, recall Youth of Today at their most primal. While No Experts is about as straightforward as hardcore can get, Illiterates’ way with a tune makes tracks like 'Tricks of the Trade,' 'Nice Things,' and 'Weather Capital' hard to dismiss as anything like 'generic thrash.' Another track is called 'As Old As You Feel,' and No Experts makes me feel like a teenager, exploding hormones and a frustratingly short attention span ensuring that music this loud, fast, and action-packed is the only thing that makes sense in this world." Black vinyl, lyric insert, 24"x36" poster, and download card included.
LP $21.95
04/14/2023
***The “dumbest band in hardcore” returns with twelve more rampaging tracks. While Illiterates’ last record, 2023’s No Experts, trimmed their compositions to the bone, Does Not Compute widens the scope just a hair, making room for anthemic mid-paced parts (see “Remember When” and the epic title track), blazing Straight Ahead-esque crossover rippage (“Sustainability”), and even a touch of trad youth crew (the Can’t Close My Eyes influences were all over No Experts, but “No One Wants To” is pure Revelation Records circa 1988). Illiterates have also added a new guitarist since the last record, which they’re so excited about they wrote a song about it (“Hig Champion”), though they tastefully limit themselves to just a few eruptions of fret-melting lead licks. And while Illiterates insist they’re dumb, their lyrics are full of wisdom you don’t get at the library, like the anti-pretension anthem “Read the Room” (my favorite lyric: “one thing school didn’t teach you is how to read the fucking room”). Hair-splitting aside, Does Not Compute is another great hardcore record from one of the best bands in the game right now.
LP $22.25
TBD