NEW WEST CREW

I don’t 100% recall how I got into this band. I’m pretty sure I found their 2x7” in a sale bin, thought it looked cool and checked the thanks list and decided it was worth gambling a buck or two on. Regardless of how I got into them, this band is great! they don’t really seem to be remembered outside of some regional heads and a few randoms elsewhere. Outside of a few people in my direct peer group (Nerd Crew forever) and some Socal folks, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention them. I feel like they are on par with Four Walls Falling, Downcast, Billingsgate, or Insight (can someone explain the recent surge of people caring about this band?? They’re good, but it really came out of nowhere) when it comes to early 90’s ‘forgotten classics’ but don’t get nearly as much love as other similar styled bands from that era. I really don’t know a ton about their history, so if anyone wants to fill in some details that would be cool!

In lieu of real details I’ll go with an anecdote from a record fair a few years ago. I was rummaging though a box of 7”s, and Nardwuar the Human Serviette is standing next to me talking to the seller (this is a semi normal thing in Vancouver, so I didn’t think much of it), anyways, he notices that there is some Hardcore records in the box and asks the dude if he has any Forced Down stuff, and proceeds to talk about how he found Forced Down records in a Value Village once. True madness. One of the strangest things I’ve witnessed. If anyone cares, I bought an Ex-Ignota/Barcode split from the guy.

Another point of interest, it appears that one of the dudes from this band has been making dance music or hip hop of some sort lately under the name “Mike Down”. I don’t really care enough to look into it further.

This download contains their discography CD “Mortal”, and has all three EPs, plus their demo and some live tracks.

http://www.mediafire.com/?9bc776ag1muswn5