2 months after the release of his first solo album (streaming below) and 2 months before the release of his new upcoming book dubbed ‘Hard-Core’ (see the details below), legendary hardcore veterans Harley Flanagan of the original CRO-MAGS is back with some exciting news! Harley is currently working on rehearsal recordings, lyrics and titles for his new album! See the official statement below and stay tune for more details soon!
I’m going through recordings from last weeks rehearsals.
I can’t wait to record these new songs! I think these may be my best ones yet!
The lyrics are starting to come together and the riffs are brutal!!!
I wanna tell you the song titles, but I cant.
All I know is
If you liked my last record, and you like other cro-mags stuff
I can’t wait for you all to hear this!!!
This will put all doubts to rest,if there ever were any
Harley Flanagan provides a fascinating memoir: a homeless child prodigy and family friend of Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg, at a young age he became close to many stars of the early punk rock scene like Joe Strummer of The Clash and was taught to play bass by members of the famed black punk band Bad Brains. He went on to start the notorious hardcore band Cro-Mags.
From the memoir’s introduction by American Hardcore‘s Steven Blush: “Harley Flanagan is not like you or me. Most of us grew up in relative safety and security. Harley came up like a feral animal, fending for himself in the ’70s Lower East Side jungle of crime, drugs, abuse and poverty. By age 10 he was a downtown start at Max’s Kansas City and CBGB, drumming in his aunt’s punk band The Stimulators, and socializing with Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Cleveland’s Dead Boys. Everyone thought it was so cute, but it wasn’t.”
Currently an instructor for the famed Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Harley was never shy: making friends with important figures like Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead, defending himself in street battles, and, most recently, finding media play and court battles after former band members betrayed their one-time friend and bandmate.
“Harley Flanagan’s incredible story is not just the history of New York hardcore, of which he is a founding father, but a history of New York itself. It’s all here, an amazing series of unlikely coincidences, catastrophes, accomplishments and associations. chances are if it happened in New York and it was important and interesting? Harley Flanagan was somewhere in the room. If you care anything about music history, punk rock, hardcore or just a ripping good story, this is the punch in the face you want and need.”
Anthony Bourdain
