Feral Kid Records presents:
FK40 - PLATES "four horsemen of beauty" singles collection cassette

Plates "Four Horsemen of Beauty" cassette
I might be biased and/or talking shit, but I give Plates credit and thanks for being the band that ushered in the resurgence of Buffalo's music scene around five years ago, which along with the Rust Belt Revolt years was the most exciting period of local action I've experienced. They were the band that bridged the gap between the Big Neck garage scene that was dying off (Furies, Blowtops, TPT) and brought it into the hardcore basements which begat bands like White Whale (and EFA before them), Mayday, Brown Sugar and others. While the death of Tha Shug was a major blow (as I was expecting them to carry the cross for a bit longer than they did), when Plates played their last show last month it was truly the heart of a scene taking its last beats. I feel a dark age descending upon us in Buffalo, now that these horsemen are not there lighting the way. We still have some fun bands, sure, but nothing's as vital as it was just a few years ago. Admit it. Things will come back eventually, and I'll probably too old to enjoy it when it does - fuck, I can barely go to house shows now without being fingered as a narc, much less another five years from now when the cycles renews. And I shouldn't let this review be about Buffalo's scene death, but a reflection on the life of Plates. Unjustly underappreciated, at least outside of Buffalo (and Cleveland). For whatever reasons, they might not have found what they were looking for outside of WNY, not for lack of trying - they toured more than once, played fests, shook some hands, did some networking I imagine. Maybe they were too much a part of Buffalo to translate elsewhere. Maybe their blue collar dirt was too honestly Rust Belt for the rest of the world. I feel like I didn't write about them enough, but it was too hard to distance myself from them. I saw their first show and last show and a lot in between. I saw them all over WNY and even a couple other states. They meant a lot to me as a band, they symbolized something about my city and the people who live in it. Something I can't put into words, but they were us. The ultimate injustice is that this tape kicks off with their last recording session, three songs that are probably the best songs they wrote. "The Privelege of Bordeom", "To Pieces" and "First Teacher" are songs you probably heard live if you caught them during their last year, and offer a more streamlined and cleaner attack which is no less powerful than their earlier and dirtier tunes. They'd really become masters of their sound, and it's a shame they pulled the plug at the top of the hill. Or maybe that's what they wanted. I know I want these songs on vinyl. The rest of the tape compiles their three EPs, adds two unreleased earlier tunes ("With Teeth" being particularly notable) and some songs from a live on the radio set that sound great (with OG bass player Ross Vegas). As it stands, you absolutely need this for the three "new" songs and the rest is gravy. Sweet sweet gravy. Plates, I miss you already.(RK)
(Feral Kid/drug Party)
-Terminal Boredom

Scum Stats: 200 units on black cassettes, no variant