Bricheros - Live At Hensley 10" - Red Vinyl (/300)

Snappy Little Numbers (2021)

I've written more than a few times that live records are not typically my thing.  Even for bands that I love, I rarely listen to their live albums.  The only real exceptions to this are Leatherface - Live in Oslo and Bum - Shake Town! Recorded Live.  For everyone else, the live albums tend to just be collection filler.  Now add to that the fact that I've never heard of the band Bricheros, making a live album be my first exposure to them is probably not an ideal situation, but here we go.

The first thing I'll say is that the recording quality on this thing is great, if you didn't tell me it was a live album, I don't think I would have even noticed on most of the songs.  Everything sounds tight, the vocals sound outstanding and are not buried or overblown, which are usually the main problems with live albums.

The songs themselves are pretty standard three chord garage rockers.  There's enough of a pop element to keep me interested, with solid hooks on most of the tracks.  In 2010, I probably would have been even more into it as I was dabbling in this sort of thing a bit more heavily back then.  But even today, I can recognize that this is great little band who, if nothing else, really have their shit together.  Based on what I see on Discogs, they have one other record out, a full length from 2018.  I don't know if that would be an even better introduction to the band than this live 10", but this record is still a pretty darn good first listen.

Bricheros - Live At Hensley:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-hensley

Guns n' Wankers - For Dancing and Listening 10" - Black Vinyl and Blue & Green Mix Vinyl

 Fat Wreck Chords (2020, Reissue)

Randomly, out of nowhere I found an email from Fat Wreck in my 'promotions' folder on my Gmail account.  It harkened the arrival of a few 10" reissues on limited colored vinyl.  One of the items on the list was Guns n' Wankers, originally released on Fat as a 12", but now being condensed by inches and reissued.  The timestamp on the email said it was less than an hour old so I popped over to the Fat Wreck website to collect my prize.

It was sold out already.  I couldn't believe it.  I figured the NOFX reissue would fly out of the door, but I couldn't imagine the GNW 10" would have been blown out that fast.  Dejected, I grabbed a copy on black vinyl and set up an eBay alert.  It didn't take too long for one to pop up and luckily I had just traded in a holiday gift card to get an eBay gift card on one of those exchange sites, so I picked it up for $40.  I'm not as nuts as I used to be about owning every variant of a record, but there will always be a handful of bands where I'm going to get obsessive about things. Snuff and Guns n' Wankers are still on that list.

This version of the GNW songs is not as complete as the one that 10 Past 12 put out recently.  I don't even think it's really called For Dancing and Listening, but it does get referred to as that fairly often.  The three Metal songs and the two songs from the Silly 7" are not on this.  You only get the eight songs that comprised the Pop 7" and the Hardcore 7".  Now, those are the best songs of the bunch and spinning these hits at 45rpm as a 10", there's something that is just very cool about that.  The black vinyl is still up on the Fat Wreck site.  Definitely worth a pick up of these songs aren't in your collection.

Guns n' Wankers - For Dancing and Listening:
https://music.youtube.com/browse/MPREb_fB9N8mJJu5b

The Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades - Parallax 10"

Debauch Mood (2018)

10"s are starting to become a rarified commodity these days, I think.  You see so few of them, though I think that's mostly due to the fact that it essentially costs the same amount of money to press as a full LP.  I'm not a huge fan of EPs in general, but if you are going to release one, the 10" vinyl is my favorite format.  Debauch Mood takes it up an additional step and included a CD of all of the songs as well.  The best of both worlds.

Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades are from Japan and play a dynamic power pop that leans on the punk side of the spectrum.  I think they have qualities similar to bands like Not Wonk or Hateman, but there's also a strain of that old school Snuffy Smile pop punk weaving its way through the songs.  Blew is the band that I see the most similarity to, but it's not overt.  Just a little bit punky to keep things energetic and exciting.

Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades are a band that I am just getting into, but they have a lot of records that have been released over the past few years.  Theres several singles and two full length albums that I don't have yet.  I'm going to need to rectify that.

The Sleeping Aides & Razor Blades - "One More Minute":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO65TZlPmRY

Abolitionist - A New Militance 10" - Pink Vinyl (/250)

1859 / Different Kitchen (2019)

Abolitionist are back with a new 10" release.  Even though their last full length only came out in May of last year, they's put together a mini-album (maxi-ep?) of eight new songs.  While this is a band that has always had a certain thematic slant to their albums, this 10" is a full blown concept piece with each song almost directly connected to the one before it.

The songs focus on an uprising of women that are frankly sick of the bullshit that's been brewing in the country.  The liner notes specifically point out that the songs were written in February of 2017, right after the 2016 presidential election.  Each of the eight songs is a short powerful blast that moves the story forward, ultimately showing the autocrats being overtaken.  It's a loud and angry record, but the topics covered sure are ones that should make people pretty angry.

From a strictly musical standpoint, there are songs on other Abolitionist albums that I like better.  They're a little catchier and not quite as bleak.  But when you look at this 10" as a complete work, you could argue this is the most powerful release the band has put out so far.

Abolitionist - A New Militance:
https://abolitionist.bandcamp.com/album/a-new-militance-mlp-2019

Gleam Garden - S/T 10"

Snuffy Smiles (2016)

I've been sitting on this 10" for a really long time.  I don't know exactly why it's taken me so long to review it.  I think it has something to do with the fact that every time I pick it up to review, I try to figure out where all of the songs have come from before and that ends up taking up too much time so I just waiting until another day.

Well that other day is today.  I think I've finally figured it out.  Of the eight songs on this 10", five of them were previously released on a split cassette with Tony's Bite, two were released on a split 7" with Chestnut Road and one of them was on a split flexi with Car10.  I don't have that Car10 split, so if anyone knows where I can get one of those, please let me know.

I've been listening to Gleam Garden for years.  They are one of the best punk rock bands in Japan and the eight songs on this 10" just prove that even more.  These songs are poppy and straightforward and perhaps a bit less noisy than some of their older releases.  But don't worry that's actually a compliment as they've still managed to maintain the energy of the past records, with a tighter focus on hooks and vocal melodies.  These are some of the best songs they've released in my opinion.

I haven't heard much from these guys since this 10" came out, but rest assured I will continue to pick up everything they release.  Provided I know it has come out.  (Seriously, if anyone can get me that split flexi with Car10, I'm buying.)

Gleam Garden - S/T 10" (Four of the eight songs are on this Bandcamp page)
https://gleamgarden.bandcamp.com/album/gleam-garden-10

The Schizophonics - Ooga Booga 10" - Orange Vinyl

Pig Baby (2017)

I don't review nearly enough 10"s on this site.  It's one of my favorite wacky formats, but it's not used nearly as often as it could be.  As someone that's put out records and price checked the cost of the 10" format, I completely understand why.  It's just as expensive as putting out a full length, but it's tougher to justify the cost to the rest of the world for fewer songs.  Regardless, I applaud those that take the leap and I'm happy that Pig Baby records decide to send over a copy of this Schizophonics EP.

I've been hearing about The Schizophonics for quite some time from some friends out in California.  The consensus is that they put on one hell of a live show.  If the high angle suplex the guitar player appears to have given himself on the cover of this 10" is any indication, it seems like it would be an interesting show.  I'd only previously heard the band's contribution to the Swami Hardcore Matinee compilation, so it was nice to finally hear some more from them.

The band definitely has a late 60s/early seventies rock and roll vibe.  We're talking the gritty MC5 type stuff.  A more modern comparison that I see is The Dirtbombs.  The guitars are fuzzy and the vocals have the sort of howling in a cave distortion that really works when applied just right.  I'll always give extra credit to bands that throw in "wooos" and "uhhs"as exclamations during song fills.  

The highlight for me is "Venus Transit."  It has a super catchy escalating chord progression that only lets up briefly for the chorus or the occasional nasty guitar lick.  Ooga Booga is a fun EP and a nice introduction to the band.  I'm curious to see what else they have out there.

The Schizophonics - "Two Thousand Seventeen":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQKc0ycrTks&t

Boilerman - S/T 10" - Clear Vinyl (/500)

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86'd / Waterslide / Crapoulet (2015)

I've let the review copies of records pile up over here a little bit lately.  Not that it's a very large pile or anything and it's actually extremely helpful as they give me something to write about during these lean summer times.  So, I guess what I'm saying is that if you've ever considered sending me something to review, now is a pretty good time to do that.

Back to the point, this self titled Boilerman 10" arrived in the mail recently and I was pretty excited about it.  They're a band that I had heard a little bit about so they were already on my radar, at least peripherally.  The 10" itself is a mixed bag for me.  It's pretty punk rock with razor blades guitars and pounding drums.  The vocals can get a little too shouty at times for my personal taste, but when the band is hitting that sweet spot, everything comes together nicely.

In particular, I prefer the poppier songs on this 10" like "II" and "Weak Weak." I'm less enthusiastic about the harsher, angrier ones like bookends "I" and "VI."  In general, it's a pretty fun little one sided 10".  The songs are short and fast and have moments of being pretty good.  I'd likely look into their next release, especially if someone had the kind heart to send it my way to review.

Boilerman - S/T 10":

https://86drec.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-one-sided-10

Los Straitjackets - Yuletide Beat 10" - Red Vinyl

Yep Roc / Spinout (2009)

As has been my tradition the last few years, I try to buy at least one new Christmas album for the holiday season.  After last year's discovery of Los Straitjackets, I've been keeping an eye out for their other Christmas album, Yuletide Beat.  Thanks to eBay and a record seller in Germany I was able to add it to the collection this year.  At $25 shipped, it was a little more costly than a typical record purchase, but considering it's been out of print for a few years, I was happy to grab it when it came up.

Like The Ventures before them, Los Straitjackets have arranged some traditional Christmas carols into surf inspired rock songs.  While they never quite capture the same kind of magic that The Ventures were able to harness, it's still a strong collection.  Opening track "Deck The Halls" is probably the highlight of the bunch, with a upbeat rocking version of the song.  Another standout is the horn tinged rendition of "Joy To The World."  It puts some real soul into a song that's often times something of a downer.

In comparison to their first Christmas Album "Tis The Season for Los Straitjackets," the song selection isn't as good for my personal tastes.  That album focused more on upbeat songs of the season, while Yuletide Beat has an awful lot of more religious type songs.  Granted, make them instrumental and rocking and they're still pretty good, but I just prefer my Christmas music to be about snow, candy and Santa Claus.  Regardless, it's a great pick up if you like Christmas music, but still have the need to rock out a bit during this time of the year.

Merry Christmas!

Los Straitjackets - Deck The Halls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_Md3zdcc0

Midway Still - Slugabed 10"

Midway Still - Slugabed 10", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Roughneck (1992)

This is a record I actually picked up a little bit ago, but I hadn't gotten to write it up yet for the site. I found this in the Generation Records used bin in NYC for $2, so there was no way it wasn't coming home with me. I've been slowly trying to pick up the remainder of the Midway Still releases that I don't have on vinyl, but they don't turn up too often in America.

This 10" is a classic slice of Midway Still. Released when Snuff, Leatherface, Senseless Things & Mega City Four ruled the Earth, these guys have always been a favorite of mind. Their quiet-verse-to-loud-chorus mastery is on display particularly during the lead off song, "Just Get Stuck." It's a real time capsule of a time when the UK punky pop bands of the early 90's were really elevating the game.

While looking for some of these songs to share I actually stumbled across the fact that the band put out a new album last year. Sadly it seems it's CD only, no vinyl, but I'm going to have to pick that up at some point as well.

Midway Still - Just Get Stuck:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK-aHs0h0B0

Occult Detective Club - Alright Gentlemen 7"

Occult Detective Club - Alright Gentlemen 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtcult (2013)

There are a lot of bands that write good songs, but then do something screwy when they're recording. You've got the garage bands writing killer pop songs, but then they put a huge layer of static over the vocals. Then you've got the pop punk bands that have catchy tunes, but everything sounds so slick and clinical you lose all emotion. And finally there's a band like Occult Detective Club; a band doing everything right.

Occult Detective Club play extremely catchy punk rock with gruff vocals and unlike a lot of bands, they recorded this 7" perfectly. The guitars sound huge, but there's no unnecessary gloss here. The vocals have that great lived in, rough around the edges quality, but not so fuzzed out you can't understand them. It's really a perfect sounding record which makes it even more depressing that it appears the band has split and this 7" is their swan song.

Hopefully they come to their senses and make some more rock, in the meantime I need to finally go buy their other LP's. Anyone know of an online store selling both of them?

Occult Detective Club - Alright Gentlemen:
dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/alright-gentlemen-7

Gentlemen Rogues - S/T 10" - Blue Vinyl (/300)

Gentlemen Rogues - S/T 10" - Blue Vinyl (/300), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Shifting Sounds (2013)

Gentlemen Rogues is an Austin, TX based band whose singer Danny has spent time in quite a few other bands that I've enjoyed over the past decades. I first came to know of his music through his 90's pop punk band Jill. They released a CD EP and a few 7"s that I just adore. After Jill had run its course, Danny was in a band called Quimby. Aside from a compilation appearance, I don't think they released anything else, but I could be mistaken. Lastly a band called The Fall Collection made an appearance with a CD EP in the mid 2000's. I hadn't heard anything from him since, but as soon as Gentlemen Rogues showed up on my radar, I immediately picked up this 10".

I really enjoy this EP and I hope it's the first of many records to come. While there is obvious growth and maturity compared to some of Danny's earlier bands, he absolutely has not traded in his ability to craft a heck of a pop song. While Jill was more Sicko or Zoinks inspired; Gentlemen Rogues explore that punky indie rock area that you can hear from bands like Tugboat Annie or Indoor Living - Come Pick Me Up era Superchunk. Maybe a little Ted Leo, especially considering that the songs are all over 4 minutes long. A lot of bands couldn't pull off something that long; but Gentleman Rogues keep it interesting and aren't just retreading the same 2 minute long song over and over.

Again, this is a really great EP. To the best of my knowledge, Danny hasn't been in a band that has released a full length album. If there was ever a band of his ready for the long album format, this is the one.

Gentlemen Rogues - S/T 10"
gentlemenrogues.bandcamp.com/album/gentlemen-rogues-ep

Your Pest Band - In My Doom 10"

Your Pest Band - In My Doom 10", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Snuffy Smiles (2013)

Your Pest Band has rapidly been becoming one of my absolute favorite Japanese exports over the past few years. The way they channel energy & excitement into their songs is unrivaled. I haven't had the chance to see them play live, but I can only imagine that they blow the doors off places on a nightly basis.

In My Doom sees Your Pest Band expanding their sound a bit. In addition to their fast paced straight-up Snuffy Smiles style pop punk, theirs also a few songs that dabble in other genres. There are times when they slow things down a bit like on the songs "In My Doon" or "Here" where it works. But then there's "Entertainment," a song that sounds a bit too much like "Don't Fear The Reaper" for my tastes.

Despite 1 song I don't like, this is a great album that just flies by when listened to. I can't recommend this band or this label enough.

Your Pest Band - In My Doom:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz8sh2aG9S8

Flop - World Of Today 10" - White Vinyl

Flop - World Of Today 10", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Frontier / Munster (1995)

I'll admit that of the 3 Flop albums, this is the one I am most unfamiliar with. While & The Fall Of The Mopsqueezer and Whenever You're Ready were kings of the CD used bins back in the 90's, this is one I never saw with much regularity. The 10" was something I never had until quite recently; amazingly bought direct from the label all these years later.

It's a great record. Most everything Flop did was aces in my book and this album is no exception. I will say that it seems weird to try to fit all of these songs on a 10", it sounds like the songs unnaturally bleed into each other. I need to really compare it to the CD version, I might just be going crazy. Couldn't find any of these songs online to share unfortunately, but it's more of the big, catchy guitar pop that few bands could pull off as good as Flop.

Uranium Comeback - S/T 10" - Screened Sleeve (/100)

Uranium Comeback - S/T 10" - Screened Sleeve (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Ptrash (2012)

This will be the first in what promises to be a quite a few posts about vinyl that came out on Ptrash Records from Germany. I just got a big box from them that is just packed with hits. My favorite of the bunch is this Uranium Comeback 10". As always, I get extra excited for Ptrash releases as I am part of their Ptrash club so I get wacky, limited to 100 copy variants of all of their records. The Uranium Comeback limited release has screened artwork in different colors than the normal version.

This record was destined for success with me as it features Steve Adamyk and is another record full of fast, awesome & catchy songs. I wouldn't say it sounds just like The Steve Adamyk Band, but I just can't imagine you liking one and not liking the other. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a full album, but if it does, it's easily one of the best 2 or 3 records I've heard this year.

Uranium Comback - S/T 10":
mermanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/uranium-comeback