Kill Your Idols

I always really admired the way Kill Your Idols went about doing their band.  You could tell that they only did releases with bands and labels with whom they had built strong relationships throughout their years in the underground hardcore punk scene. They were never afraid to do releases with new or smaller labels/bands.  It’s no surprise that KYI seems to have a ton of “super fans” who collect every version of their records, get the KYI skull tattooed on them, etc.  Kill Your Idols always seemed so humble, so down to earth, and so connected with the local scenes that they passed through.  They just seemed to “get” what hardcore punk was supposed to be all about.  I’ll never forget one summer around 2001 when KYI embarked on the most brutal 6-7 week U.S. Tour.  Most bands do 3-4 weeks max on US tours, and even that is pushing it.  But KYI went out and played every small town that they could find.  On that tour my best friend, Zach Harlan, booked them a show in Chico, CA.  There was hardly anyone at the show other than the dudes in the other bands and some of our closest friends from Chico and Redding.  But the dudes in KYI played an awesome set and were very thankful and respectful to Zach and all of us who had helped set up the show.  That made a big impression on me.  From that day on, I always made it a point to follow what Kill Your Idols was doing.  I bought pretty much all of their records.  The only problem with KYI is that they work so hard and release so much material, many times as small vinyl-only releases, that it can be hard to keep up before another release comes out!  I’ll bet KYI has many hundreds of songs in total, haha.  I tried to keep up as best I could, as shown in the photos below, but I definitely never had everything!

Kill Your Idols – “12 Inch EP”KYI’s first release, on None Of The Above Records. This was the beginning of the KYI “skull”.

Reverse side. I like dig the KYI/cross poster.  I remember reading in the 7″ boxset liner notes that this was a drawing done right at the beginning of the band, before there was ever really a record to release.  Who knew how much of an icon that KYI skull would become.

Kill Your Idols – “This Is Just The Beginning” 10″This 10″ was their first release on Blackout Records, and was the record that really introduced most people to KYI. This is a rare mistake variant with pink lettering on the cover, out of only 60 copies, I believe. They fixed it and the rest have the intended red lettering.

The reverse side features a new take on the KYI skull. I remember reading somewhere that Gary drew this with the intention of giving the skull a makeover, but it never really caught on.

Red vinyl 10″. I’m thinking it was 500 on red, 500 on white, but I could be remembering wrong.

White vinyl 10″

This is a 12″ version of “This Is Just The Beginning”, released by a different label in Europe. If I remember correctly, the green vinyl is super limited, out of only 50? Maybe 100? I don’t remember 100% for sure.

Red vinyl European 12″

Kill Your Idols – “No Gimmicks Needed” LPThis is probably the KYI record that I ended up listening to most often. The clear vinyl was out of 500, I think. I always used to joke that the super-cool-silver-foil-embossed-cover didn’t really fit with the title of “No Gimmicks Needed” – or did it? Maybe they were being ironic? haha. Either way, I never really cared, I was just dicking around – I think it looks cool.

Back cover

Test pressing! But hold on, this isn’t as cool as you think it is. Mine is labeled #5/60. Maybe they used them for radio promos or something? I can’t remember why Blackout made so many.

The splatter vinyl was pretty limited… Maybe out of 100? I always wanted the even more limited purple vinyl, which was the “tattoo press” that was only available if you sent in pics of your KYI skull tattoo. But I wasn’t a big enough fan to get a tattoo of KYI, so I didn’t deserve one! haha.

These promo posters were sent to us in order to promote the KYI show that Zach had booked in Chico, CA.

Kill Your Idols – “s/t” LPI’m having a hard time remembering what material is pressed on this 12″. I know it was released in Europe by Reflections Records. I don’t think it was a new release, I’m thinking maybe it was some of their split 7″ songs and some cover songs pressed on a 12″? Anyway, I know the splatter vinyl was pretty limited, out of 100 I think? The jacket has black-on-black embossed printing.

Back cover, with lyrics printed in the shape of the KYI skull.

Here’s a close-up of the cover, showing the cool black-on-black embossed printing. The back cover had the same type of printing for the KYI skulls.

Kill Your Idols – “Funeral For A Feeling” LPKYI’s first release when they switched to Side One Dummy Records. I don’t know the pressing info, but I know there was blue and green vinyl, and neither was very limited.

Reverse side

There was also a special 7″ single for the “Funeral For A Feeling” LP. There were copies pressed on red and green vinyl.

The back

Red vinyl

“Fuck Christmas” limited cover on green vinyl. I believe there are only 60 of these?

Kill Your Idols – “For Our Friends” 12″ EPFor their friends, duh… This record was released by Big Joe on Lifeline Records, who has always been a huge KYI supporter from Day 1. More reason that KYI is the coolest band – always so approachable and willing to be a part of their “fans” lives. There were 800 on clear vinyl, 200 on red vinyl, all with a screen printed skull. Very cool looking.

Reverse side. The poster is a flier for the record release show in Chicago with Modern Life Is War, In Control, and The Control.

Red vinyl is more limited, out of 200.

Kill Your Idols / Fisticuffs – “I Hate The Kids” Split 7″KYI did a ton of split 7″s over the years, and this was the first one.

Outside layout

Inside layout

Kill Your Idols / Full Speed Ahead – “Split” 7″Split 7″ with Full Speed Ahead from New Jersey, the very first release on a small local label called Hell Bent Records, run by a long-time KYI fan. Another example of KYI being the coolest dudes ever, by willing to be part of a new label’s very first release. Red vinyl, #111/200.

Outside layout

Inside layout

Limited cover, out of around 50 copies I believe? This is surprisingly one of the more rare KYI variants.

Kill Your Idols / Voorhees – “Split” 7″Sweet looking artwork on this split with Voorhees from the UK, released by a close friend of KYI – Dave Mandel on Indecision Records. The KYI skull is split down the middle with Friday The 13th Jason Voorhees’ mask. Notice that the KYI skull is the altered skull from the back of the “This Is Just The Beginning” 10″! I never noticed that until I was typing this out right now. This is a particularly unique color of transparent purple vinyl (out of 503) that I’ve never seen on any other release before. It’s somewhere between the transparent purple and transparent pink that you usually see. It was probably accomplished by mixing transparent purple and clear vinyl to lighten it up.

This photo just shows the cool gatefold front cover.

Outside layout

Inside layout

Kill Your Idols / the Nerve Agents – “Split” 7″Now here’s a cool fucking split! The Nerve Agents are the perfect match for KYI, and the layout/color looks perfect with Nerve Agents usual “spooky” vibe. This release was yet another KYI release on a tiny label, Mankind Records, run by a huge KYI and NA supporter, Igby from SoCal.  Cool shit. I think purple vinyl was 1st press out of 300, and green vinyl was 2nd press out of 300.

Nerve Agents side

2nd press, green vinyl

Kill Your Idols / Good Riddance – “Split” 7″This split was released on Jade Tree Records (CD) and Bridge 9 Records (7″). (The rest of this release’s text was originally written in the Bridge 9 Records blog entry): The 1st pressing was 300 pink, 700 white, 1,000 black. 2nd pressing was 1,000 on red. It seems like Kill Your Idols has more songs than any other hardcore band in existence! Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually a big fan of KYI, but man it was hard to keep up with all the material they were always releasing. They may also have set a record for most split EP’s ever – I can think of splits they did with Full Speed Ahead, Voorhees, Nerve Agents, Crime In Stereo, Good Riddance, Fisticuffs, and I’m probably missing something. On top of that, they had a bunch of their own EP’s and full length records! I wonder how many total songs they had? I know it’s well into the hundreds. This split was cool because I’ve always loved Good Riddance. Growing up in California, GR was one of the first hardcore punk bands I ever saw. I saw them right after they released their second album, “A Comprehensive Guide To Moderne Rebellion”. That has always been an album I held up as a “classic” for me, just because I played it over and over when I was a kid. That record has held up really well, and I still listen to it pretty often. In fact, I like pretty much all of the Good Riddance albums, they were a really good band.

The glue pocket cover plus insert. I always like photos like that with two bands hanging out together.

Kill Your Idols / Crime In Stereo – “Split” 7″I picked up this “KYI / Crime In Stereo” split 7″ with limited cover at Posi Numbers Festival one year. I don’t know how many were made with this cover, but I bet it’s under 100. C’mon, if you’re gonna do a limited cover, at least make it worthwhile. This cover is pretty bad… I never did end up getting one with a real cover.

The back

Kill Your Idols – “Salmon Swim Upstream” 7″This EP was released by another KYI friend and supporter, Dave Brown, on Vicious Circle Records. I dig the artwork.

Outside layout

Inside layout

The 7″ came with this CD.

Kill Your Idols – “The Skinnier Years” 10″This release came out on Vicious Circle Records and features some of the earlier KYI material, like the first “12 inch EP”, re-released on 10″ format. I think there were 500 pressed on red vinyl. I always thought the food illustrations on this release were kinda funny.

The back

Kill Your Idols – “Something Started Here 1995-2007″ 7” BoxsetThis boxset features 5x 7″s of hard-to-find and out-of-print KYI compilation recordings, cover songs, outtake b-sides, alternate versions, etc. You thought when KYI broke up the material would stop? Oh no way, the releases kept on coming! haha.

Here’s the entire contents of the boxset, including a nice CD-sized booklet which has explanations of the recordings and history of the band, written by Gary KYI.

V/A – “Adult Crash” 7″ Compilation + BookReleased by Dave Sausage at Six Feet Under Records, this release features a book full of photos by Dave Brown (Vicious Circle Records), and comes with a 7″ featuring tracks by Kill Your Idols, Down To Nothing, Slumlords, and Cloak/Dagger. There were other colors other than blue vinyl, but I don’t remember all the pressing info.

Book outside

Book inside

Shirts“Making Depression Fun Again”, haha. I always liked this shirt.

The back of the “Making Depression Fun Again” shirt.

Here’s a basic, but cool, crew neck sweatshirt. Crew necks are always cool because not many bands print them.

My Kill Your Idols collection, at its peak…

• Kill Your Idols – Funeral For A Feeling (GREEN, “Fuck Christmas” cover, out of 60)
• Kill Your Idols – Funeral For A Feeling (GREEN, out of 200)
• Kill Your Idols – Funeral For A Feeling (RED)
• Kill Your Idols – Salmon Swim Upstream (YELLOW)
• Kill Your Idols – Something Started Here 1995-2007 (5x 7″ Box Set on different colored vinyl with stickers, patches, etc)
• Kill Your Idols / Fisticuffs – Split (BLACK)
• Kill Your Idols / Full Speed Ahead – Split (BLACK, Limited Green Cover, out of 50?)
• Kill Your Idols / Full Speed Ahead – Split (RED #111/200)
• Kill Your Idols / Nerve Agents – Split (PURPLE, 1st press, out of 300)
• Kill Your Idols / Nerve Agents – Split (GREEN, 2nd press, out of 300)
• Kill Your Idols / Voorhees – Split (PURPLE, out of 503)
• Kill Your Idols / Good Riddance – Split (PINK, 1st press, out of 300)
• Kill Your Idols / Good Riddance – Split (WHITE, 1st press, out of 700)
• Kill Your Idols / Good Riddance – Split (BLACK, 1st press, out of 1000)
• Kill Your Idols / Good Riddance – Split (RED, 2nd press, out of 1000)
• Kill Your Idols / Crime In Stereo – Split (BLACK, spray painted cover, posi #’s 2004)
• Kill Your Idols – This Is Just The Beginning 10″ (BLACK, PINK lettering on cover, out of 60)
• Kill Your Idols – This Is Just The Beginning 10″ (RED)
• Kill Your Idols – This Is Just The Beginning 10″ (WHITE)
• Kill Your Idols – This Is Just The Beginning European 12″ (GREEN, out of 50?)
• Kill Your Idols – This Is Just The Beginning European 12″ (RED)
• Kill Your Idols – The Skinnier Years (RED, out of 500?)
• Kill Your Idols – 12 inch e.p. (their first LP on None Of The Above, one time press)
• Kill Your Idols – No Gimmicks Needed (TEST PRESS, #5/60)
• Kill Your Idols – No Gimmicks Needed (CLEAR w/RED SPLATTER, out of < 100?)
• Kill Your Idols – No Gimmicks Needed (CLEAR, out of 500)
• Kill Your Idols – Funeral For A Feeling (BLUE)
• Kill Your Idols – Funeral For A Feeling (GREEN)
• Kill Your Idols – s/t (Reflections records, CLEAR w/RED SPLATTER, out of 100)
• Kill Your Idols – For Our Friends (RED vinyl w/WHITE silk screened skull, out of 200)
• Kill Your Idols – For Our Friends (CLEAR vinyl w/RED silk screened skull, out of 800)
• V/A – “Adult Crash” 7″ Compilation + Photo Book (BLUE vinyl, KYI, DTN, Slumlords, Cloak/Dagger)