Hey friends and X fans everywhere, we are disappointed to tell you we have had to push back the release date on the 12" vinyl re-issue of "Under the Big Black Sun". However it's only because we refuse to compromise and release an inferior product. Re-constructing these albums is a painstaking process that requires detailed attention at every turn. We need a couple of more days to finalize test pressings and ensure that the record is perfect. We will announce a reset street date by mid-week so that you can know when to expect. Thanks for your patience, Prime Vinyl will NOT disappoint!

Friends we are ready to give you a taste of the debut album from c e lane. "Meet Me At The Corner" is an ambitious undertaking that will take listeners on a trip. The album shifts seamlessly between roots and rock, with a couple of solid acoustic numbers thrown in to sooth the soul. c e's artist page at the Porterhouse 101 site has been uploaded and you can start to discover more about this talented performer and writer.

His page contains a direct link out to his social networking pages so you can sign on and follow his progress as we move towards the release date of September 28th. Head over now, listen to a few tunes, look at the photos and read up on his posted news stories and bio which will fill you in on what "Meet Me At The Corner" is all about.

The X epic "Under the Big Black Sun" is falling into place as we dash towards the July 13th street date. The album which is being meticulously reconstructed for a return to 12" vinyl glory is getting a detailed overhaul, which included this week's re-mastering sessions at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood Ca. The 1/4 inch master tapes were released from the Warner Brothers vaults and shipped over for a re-working. X bassist, vocalist and songwriter John Doe was in attendance as he was for our re-mastering of "Wild Gift", and the team went through the album song by song until we felt we had squeezed every ounce of energy and emotion out of the master recordings.

The goal remains to preserve the nuance of the original sessions but bring them to another level as far as sonic reproduction. There is little doubt that our 180 gram pressing will improve vastly upon the original Elektra 12" release which was pressed on what was probably some of the thinest vinyl we have ever seen.

The albums artwork is also in the process of being retouched and revived to it's original glory. The final proofs went under the watchful eye of Exene Cervenka last week and we have insured that X fans will be getting the goods. Exene did actually make two tiny augmentations to the inner sleeve for the re-issue, so we will see if all you vinyl freaks pick up on them. While looking over the files she mentioned that the original idea for the cover was to have the X logo in a raised gold foil. However that concept never made the album because of cost concerns. Now there's a good trivia item for X fans!

Keep tuned in as we continue to re-build this beautiful piece of art into a product you can hold in your hands and you heart.

Reviewing a record as revered as L.A.'s X's 1981 sophomore "Wild Gift" is at once a high honor and a daunting task. How does one reconsider the the LP that both captured the imagination of the underground and legitimized the American punk underground in ways that even it's earliest ardent advocates couldn't have hoped for?

Out of print on vinyl for 15 years, this 180-gram reissue, housed in a dead-on reproduction of the original packaging, right down to the inner sleeve, improves upon the original by swapping the the compression of the Slash Records mix for a brighter, sharper sound. All the dynamic interplay between band members that made "Wild Gift" such a unique experience is clean and clear, and all the nuance buried in the old mix have been given new life without sacrificing an ounce of bite.

Even the most casual fan will jump out of their skin when they hear this. My reissue pick of the year, already!

Bryan Swirsky
The Big Takeover
Issue No. 66

Porterhouse Records is extremely proud to announce the signing of solo artist c e lane. A gifted composer, multi instrumentalist and soaring vocalist, c e will bring enormous talent into the fold with his debut album which is slotted for a fall '10 release. Drawing from a catalog of well crafted tunes, c e is going to wow fans of Tom Petty, Wilco and Neil Young with his take on rootsy Americana rock.

Accompanying him on the album is venerable guitar-picker Matt Cartsonis (Warren Zevon, Glen Campbell) and Los Angeles icon Zander Schloss (Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Circle Jerks) Zander contributed electric, acoustic and twelve string guitars as well as bouzouki and bass guitar to the recording. Trust us... you will want to hear this record and you will want to own it. Look for tracks to be posted on the 101 artist page shortly.

In keeping with the Prime Vinyl drive that seems to have defined Porterhouse Records lately, we are again hunkering down to bring you the discerning punk rock collector more Circle Jerks catalog to spin on your turntable. June 8th will see the Jerks fourth studio album "Wonderful" be committed to 180 Gram re-mastered awesomeness. The package will feature the albums original artwork and inner lyric sheet. Featuring the tracks "Making the Bombs", American Heavy Metal Weekend" and "Killing For Jesus" this album has always been a fan favorite, and we intend to bring it home!

We are proud to announce that the 12" 180 Gram vinyl re-issue of the X masterpiece "Wild Gift" has been scheduled for a March 23rd street date. Mark that date on your calendar and get ready to line up at your favorite record store to snap up a copy. Look for the re-issues of "Under the Big Black Sun and "More Fun in the New World" by this summer.

The day is finally here and Kidneys fans worldwide can rejoice. The bands debut album is now available for sale worldwide as a digital download, so jump over to the Porterhouse 101 site check out the songs and get them onto your mp3 player now! You'll be so happy you did!.

Porterhouse 101 is pleased to announce the addition of a new member to the family. Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman has completed a full length L.P. on which he performs vocals, guitars and drums. Fans liken the bands sound to early Elvis Costello meets the Decendents, so if that sounds like your thing (and we don't know how it couldn't) then tune in to Porterhouse Radio for a preview.

Kidneys live band consists of Brooks on vocals and guitar, bassist John Spiker (Tenacious D, Filter) and drummer Todd Hennig (Death By Stereo). These guys tear it up live, so be sure to check the Kidneys artist page over at the Porterhouse 101 site for live show listings.

The self-titled release will be available via iTunes and Rhapsody, so drop back and check for the release date which will be announced shortly.

Sirius Satellite Radio has added Kidneys new single "Christian Cheerleading" to rotation on it's Faction channel. If you are a Sirius subscriber then be sure to tune in to check it out and feel free to hit them up on their request line to spin the track at 886-Yo-Faction.

Prime Vinyl is happy to announce that the first release in the X Re-Issue series is right on track for it's Oct 6th street date. Re-mastering took place August 17th at Bernie Grundman Mastering here in Hollywood, and in attendance for the historic occasion was John Doe.

Also present were the original master tapes from the "Wild Gift" sessions, and opening them up was a once in a lifetime experience. Stored in the Warner vaults, the 1/4" masters showed no sign of age or degradation and it wasn't long before the sounds of a landmark Los Angeles punk rock recording filled the air.

At the helm for the re-mastering process was long time Grundman staffer Brian Gardner, engineer to recording artists N.W.A., Blink 182 and Michael Jackson. Brian elevated the recordings to a new level without compromising the integrity of the original mixes. Fuller, warmer and yes louder, the re-mastered version of this album is going to have fans excited.

John was on top of the whole process as any artist who cares about his music and it's presentation would be. Attentive, engaged and vocal would best describe his approach to this session. Let's put it this way... no one was phoning this one in!

Sleeves are being run at the printer, and test pressings are on the way. Friends we are so close we can taste it, and so far it's tasting mighty good!

From left to right:
Steve Kravac - Porterhouse Records, John Doe - X, Brian Gardner - Mastering Engineer.

The "Wild Gift" original master tapes.
Note the change of sequence made directly on the boxes in blue ink.

Welcome one-and-all, to the new Porterhouse Records website! We have added a lot of new features and we hope you enjoy exploring our new virtual home. The biggest change you will notice is the addition of our new Sub-Labels: Porterhouse Prime Vinyl and Porterhouse 101. These two new outlets are a way to focus on the music that interests you, in the format you prefer.

Porterhouse Prime Vinyl is a special collection of vinyl products that features great artists you know and love. This collection will continue to expand as we seek out and bring you titles that have become sought after classics over the years or gems that have never been released on vinyl before.

Porterhouse 101 is a collection of digitally formated music available for download through iTunes or Rhapsody. In most cases, these are titles not available in compact disc or vinyl formats, but are amazing titles, from artists that we truly support and believe in.

Feel free to browse these new categories. Maybe you will discover some music that you weren't aware of, but certainly deserves a place in your music collection.

We wanted to be the first to tell you...

The greatest band in Los Angeles has a new home for their vinyl products, Porterhouse Records welcomes X! We have entered into an exclusive license that will allow us to bring you some of X's premiere releases in the 12" vinyl format. "Wild Gift", "Under the Big Black Sun" and "More Fun in the New World" will be rolled out through Porterhouse Prime Vinyl over the next year. Fans will finally be able to recapture the absolute brilliance of this band, at the top of their game, in an original format.

Porterhouse Prime Vinyl will release these completely re-mastered albums on 180 gram vinyl with dead accurate artwork, down to faithful reproduction of the inner sleeves with original lyric layouts. Most importantly, John, Exene, Billy and D.J. themselves will oversee and have final approval over these re-issues to insure the best quality product possible. These will be stunning sounding and packaged products and we think you would agree that they deserve no less.

Stay tuned for release dates and check out Porterhouse Prime Vinyl for product details!

It's been a long time coming but worth the wait... Circle Jerks' fans can rejoice once again as the bands third album, "Golden Shower of Hits", will finally be available on 12" vinyl. Complete with original inner sleeve lyric sheet, this album looks and sounds amazing! Check Porterhouse Prime Vinyl for product details and the Porterhouse Record Store, here at our site to order. Can you say Wonderful?

A collector's piece for fanatics... Porterhouse has released a stunning 12" picture disc of the Circle Jerks' debut release "Group Sex" and the band has signed an extremely limited number of the discs. Each one bears the signatures of the band's surviving members, Greg Hetson, Keith Morris and Lucky. The "slick" or picture in the record was signed by the guys and then sealed in the actual vinyl. This product is ONLY available through Aural Exploits, so hit this link and grab a piece of history while you can. There are less than 100 of these discs in existence!

For folks that want a regular "Group Sex" picture disc, just jump to our Record Store here at the site to order. You can also find it at your local music retailer or Amazon.com.

Both "Wild in the Streets" and "Group Sex" are available here at the Porterhouse Record Store or at a retailer near you. "Wild" is on regular black vinyl and "Group Sex" is available in THREE different colored vinyl variations. Both the hot pink and clear vinyl can be purchased here at our online store or your local record purveyor, but the clear blue vinyl is only available through Hot Topic, so get to the mall kids!