Pitchfork – Needle In A Haystack [Cass] (1988, Not On Label)

Pitchfork were part of that late-80s moment when hardcore punk was starting to burn itself out and mutate into something harsher and more experimental. They came out of Southern California, with ties to the San Diego underground, which at the time was full of small, intense bands playing short sets in garages, community halls, and all-ages spaces. The scene was very DIY, and Pitchfork fit right into that mindset -no labels, no promotion, just recording music and putting it out themselves.

 
Their 1988 cassette 'Needle in a Haystack' is the main reason anyone still talks about them. The recording is rough and unpolished, but that’s part of the appeal. The songs are fast, abrasive, and confrontational, with a sound that sits somewhere between classic hardcore and the more angular, noisy post-hardcore that would take off in the early 90s. Compared to earlier hardcore, Pitchfork’s music feels darker and less straightforward, with a sense of tension rather than just speed and aggression. 

They never toured heavily or built a national profile, which kept them firmly underground. Most people who heard them at the time probably saw them live or got the tape through word of mouth, tape trading, or local distro networks. Because of that, the band never developed a big following, but they did leave an impression on people who were paying close attention to the scene. 

Pitchfork are often mentioned in retrospect as one of those “in-between” bands -not famous, not polished, but clearly part of the shift that led from hardcore punk to post-hardcore and noise-rock. Like many bands from that era, some members later moved on to other underground or alternative projects, which helped keep their name circulating among collectors and punk historians. Today, 'Needle in a Haystack' is mostly known through rips, old zines, and Discogs listings, and the band has become a small but interesting footnote in the history of American hardcore punk. 

 

Label: Not On Label (Pitchfork Self-released) – none 

Format: Cassette 

Country: US 

Released: 1988 

Style: Hardcore Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A1 Sucked In, Spit Out 2:57 

A2 Caretaker 1:59 

A3 Orchestra 2:09 

A4 Cut And Dry 1:30 

A5 Acoustic 2:09 

A6 Soak It In 2:12 

B1 Freedumb 3:20 

B2 Mind Over Matter 2:13 

B3 Darshana 3:21 

B4 Blazing Saddles 1:52 

B5 It's A Nice Day 3:14 

 

DOWNLOAD HERE