Dan Sartain – The Lost Record LP – Yellow & Black Swirl Vinyl (/1000)

Bent Rail / Seasick (2023)

Of all of the Black Friday Record Store Day releases that were announced for this year, seeing a Dan Sartain record as one was probably the most surprising.  I was able to get my hands on one through the kindness of my lovely wife, as I was not able to get out to the store myself for a myriad of annoying reasons.

This album was recorded before Dan Sartain recorded his Swami debut, Vs. The Serpientes.  It was done with the folks in Plate Six, who he had toured and collaborated with from time to time.  The result is a record that sounds like a natural step in between his Crimson Guard record and what would eventually come out on Swami.

The songs are all great, but many ar ones that you may have heard before.  "Who's Sorry Now" and "This is How they Beat You Down" were both previously released on a Bent Rail 7" back in 2005.  Different recordings of "Lonely Hearts," "Tryin' To Say" and "Autopilot" appeared on Vs. The Serpientes.  That leaves us with four new songs, one of which is about 20 seconds of noisy wailing.  The three new songs are all stellar and it's kind of crazy to me that they remained unreleased until now.  It's the traditional dark, vaguely leaning towards rockabilly sound that Dan was perfecting in that time period.

Even the songs that were on Vs. The Serpientes have a completely different light cast on them in these recordings.  They feel more bass heavy with a lower end that makes them sound a bit more ominous and engaging.  The coolest part is that this really sounds like a cohesive record, despite knowing a lot of the songs from elsewhere.  There's a definite feeling and vibe that they have and they work together making to total album stronger.

I really miss Dan Sartain and I do get depressed when I listen to some of his music at times.  But there's no denying how great his songs are and how much I still enjoy listening to them.  I'm grateful for this lost record, and I hope that one day someone will be able to release Western Hills and Vs. Sun Studio on vinyl as well.

Dan Sartain - Arise, Dan Sartain, Arise LP - White Vinyl

One Little Independent (2021)

It's very difficult to write about this Dan Sartain record without delving into the extremely unfortunate fact that he's no longer with us.  In fact, a very brief back and forth about the title of this record is the very last time I interacted with Dan.  I can't remember where it happened and I can't seem to find it now.  When he was recording or had just finished recording the album, he posed a question about what the title should be and gave a few options, one of them was Arise, Dan Sartain, Arise.

In case you are unaware, it's a G.I. Joe reference.  There's a G.I. Joe miniseries called Arise, Serpentor, Arise. I of course voted for this title, but mentioned that when Serpentor came into G.I Joe is when I pretty much checked out of watching the cartoon.  Dan responded with something to the effect of "Serpentor Sucks."  He's not wrong.  Serpentor may suck, but Dan Sartain records are pretty amazing.  For the rest of this write up, I will try to only talk about the record itself.  It's too sad to go too much further into everything else, but one thing I can say if this has to be the last record, it's nice that it is as great as it is.

You could say this is a return to form in some respects to Arise, Dan Sartain, Arise.  It's definitely a return to the song styles and structures that were most evident from his self released albums through Dan Sartain Lives.  There's not much in the way of synth like his last release, Century Plaza, though there are some electronics and the use of drum machine is there for sure.  Mostly these are just great rock and roll songs with Dan's traditional swagger and passion.

It's dark in places, like on "You Can't Go Home No More" and "Kisses In The Morning."  It's optimistic in others like "Daddy's Coming Home." And it also just gets a little surreal (which is common on a lot of Dan's records) when he starts singing about "Personal Injury Law" or the infectiously fun "Foreman Grill."  That Dan could write such an amazingly catchy song extolling the virtues of cooking on a George Foreman Grill is a testament to the genius of his songwriting.  Is it silly? Of course, but that never stops it from being an engaging listen.

It's such a great record.  If you've liked Dan's other works, there's no way you won't like this one, at least when it comes to the music.  It's emotionally tough to listen to at times and there's some lyrical content that makes you wonder if there's a deeper, more connected meaning when you take real life into account.  But ultimately, looking at this record in a vacuum and listening to it just as a collection of songs, you're not going to find many any finer than Arise, Dan Sartain, Arise.

Dan Sartain - Arise, Dan Sartain, Arise:
https://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/arise-dan-sartain-arise-2

Dan Sartain - 1981 - 2021

I was planning on just posting the reviews that I had written last week, but had forgotten to post.  But over the weekend I read the news that Dan Sartain died.  At the time of writing this, there hasn't been a cause of death announced, so I will not do any speculation about that.

I didn't know Dan, but I met him a few times over the years when he would play shows in the NYC area.  Usually tagging along with other Swami bands.  I can't really speak knowledgeably about him as a person, but what I can say is that his music was very important to me.

I first discovered Dan like a lot of people, through his Swami debut, Vs. The Serpientes.  I was still working in the music business back then and was lucky enough to be able to have had a hand in promoting Swami releases to college radio stations.   I'm not sure what I was expecting when the Serpientes CDs showed up at our office one day, but I can assure you I was totally surprised and blown away.  What a great album.  A little punk, a little rock and roll, a little greaser and little Johnny Cash.  These were sounds that were absolutely not in vogue at that time, but here was this kid, a few years younger than me, cranking out some incredible tunes.

During this time, my wife and I had just started dating.  She was still living in Boston and I was living in Jersey City.  When Dan Sartain came through with Hot Snakes, I set her up so she could go see the show.  I know she liked the record, but that's the night I'm pretty sure she became a big Dan Sartain fan.

Fast forward to 2010, and we used his version of "Besame Mucho" from Join Dan Sartain as our first dance song at our wedding.  His music has always been very special to us and has been interwoven through our relationship.  Neither of us liked everything he did when he started experimenting with his sound after Dan Sartain Lives came out.  She didn't really like the punk leaning Too Tough To Live and I completely checked out on Century Plaza.  But, there's something about Dan where you always knew the next record could have something special on it.  He wasn't the type of artist you could just move on from.

That became very clear in the past couple of years. I absolutely adored his cowboy song cover album Western Hills.  I delighted in the bristling energy of his Vs. Sun Studios release and I was so eager to hear his next offering Arise, Dan Sartain, Arise.  I'm not sure if that album will ever come out.  I also do not know if there will end up being physical releases of Western Hills or Sun Studios.  I hope all three come out someday.

I'm struggling with this one.  It's not the same as when Sam Jayne died and I felt just intense grief.  With Dan, it feels more complicated.  I mentioned to some friends over the weekend that I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone as I couldn't figure out what was going on.  All I know for sure is that his music touched me and I wish that there would always be more on the horizon.

Dan Sartain - Walk Among The Cobras (Redux) 7"

One Little Indian (2015)

Dan Sartain is one of my absolute favorites.  I've really loved just about everything he's released over the years, but I tend to dig the first four or five of his albums the most.  Whether it's a rockabilly sound or a Ramones-y punk offering, I can usually get behind whatever he's doing.  Until he put out that electronic album Century Plaza.  I didn't buy that one because I didn't like it.  Felt weird to miss out on a record, but it didn't make sense for me to buy something I would literally never listen to.

I also ended up with a hole in my Dan Sartain 7" collection as the redone, electronic version of "Walk Among The Cobras" was put out as a 7" with the original on the B side.  Again, it didn't make sense to import a 7" and pay the shipping costs for a record I didn't plan on playing much.  I didn't really think about it a whole lot over the past couple of years until I was digging around on Discogs one day and found someone in the US selling the 7" for one dollar.  For a buck and US shipping, I can justify picking this up to keep the 7" collection complete.

I still don't like the new version of "Walk Among The Cobras."  It's slow, it's dark and there's no emotion in the vocal delivery.  I realize that's the point, but it doesn't mean I have to like it.  Just because this sort of thing works as a soundtrack to Stranger Things doesn't mean it works as a Dan Sartain song.  It's especially jarring when you flip the record over and play the original, bursting with energy and hooks.  This is just a weird record.  I hope Dan got this electro-thing out of his system as I'd really like to see a return to the style of music he pretty much perfected on records like Join Dan Sartain.

Dan Sartain - "Walk Among The Cobras (Redux)":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KIyCC_3fss

Dan Sartain - "Walk Among The Cobras (Original)":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByLeoDScJxw

Dan Sartain - Dan Sartain Sings LP - Screened Cover (/110)

Slice Of Wax (2015)

What we have here is the follow up to yesterday's review of this album.  While yesterday's talked about the standard versions of the record, in both black and white vinyl, this version has a completely different cover.  It's limited to 110 copies and screened black on white.  You probably can't really tell from this picture, but the black that is making up the image is actually text that says "Dan Sartain" over and over again.

It's a pretty neat little effect.  The vinyl color is technically different as well.  Even though it looks white based on my picture, it's actually white with some gray swirling.  It's subtle, but it's there.  Musically, this is the same exact alum as yesterday, so you can read my thoughts on the record there.  In a nutshell; it's great and I like it.

I think this screened cover version is sold out on the label's website, but they still have the other two variants in you need to complete (or start) your Dan Sartain collection.

Dan Sartain - Dan Sartain Sings LP:

https://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/dan-sartain-sings

Dan Sartain - Dan Sartain Sings LP - White Vinyl (/165) & Black Vinyl (/265)

Slice Of Wax (2015)

The fine folks over at Slice Of Wax record have stepped up and made Dan Sartain's first ever, cassette only album available for the first time.  They've made three different versions and unlike some other labels, they actually cut me a deal to order all three rather than jack up the price and charge an unnecessary premium.  I actually hadn't planned on buying all three as the variant game is becoming a little overblown for me, but I couldn't pass up the deal and at the end of the day, I do want everything.

I'll take a picture of the third version tomorrow as it warrants an individual shot, so what we have today is the standard black vinyl version and the more limited white vinyl.  The quality of this reissue is pretty impressive.  Thick card stock on the album cover, super high quality paper on the printed inner sleeve and a big old fat slab of wax.  Quality is job one over at Slice Of Wax.  Considering what the One Little Indian vinyl reissues of Dan's other records came out like, this is just stellar.

Musically, it's an early feeling Dan Sartain album.  It leans a little more towards the darker country and rockabilly stylings and is not at all out of place grouped with Romance In Stereo or Crimson Guard.  Dan Sartain Sings is probably not quite as realized as those two, but it's a strong precursor and shows Dan at an early age when he was still pulling his influences and ideas together.

It's just another fun listen as is virtually everything in Dan Sartain's catalog.  I'm pretty thrilled that Slice Of Wax made this available on vinyl as now I can finally say I have a vinyl version of every Dan Sartain album.  And that's a good feeling.

Dan Sartain - Dan Sartain Sings:

https://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/dan-sartain-sings

Dan Sartain - Romance In Stereo LP - Clear w/ Pink Splatter Vinyl (/25)

Shed House (2014, Reissue)

A few months back I wrote a lengthy piece about the Shed House records reissue of this LP.  I had drawn the conclusion that I didn't like the way the rarest variant was being bundled as it was only available for a hefty price tag.  I decided to just buy the most common version direct from Dan Sartain and be done with it.  I was a bit bummed as Dan is one of my favorites and I had been trying to acquire as many of his variants as I could, but I couldn't justify the cost.

My patience paid off big time.  My pal @charles1981 sent me a message the other day saying that he found both the test pressing of this album as well as the splatter variant for sale at a store by him.  He kept the test pressing and sold me the splatter for a silly low price.  Now this record is finally in my collection and I didn't have to pay through the nose to get it either.  Thanks Charles!

As I've mentioned before, the record itself is just stellar.  Hearing the early rough Dan Sartain recordings are what really elevated him to be in the upper echelon of my favorites and having Romance In Stereo on vinyl is such a treat.  I may not have totally agreed with the pricing breakdowns that Shed House employed, but I absolutely applaud and thank them for bringing this amazing record to vinyl.  

Dan Sartain - Romance In Stereo:

http://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/romance-in-stereo

Dan Sartain - Dan Sartain Lives LP

One Little Indian (2015, Reissue)

The second of the two Dan Sartain reissues is Dan Sartain Lives.  It's another album that wasn't on vinyl previously and that was a crime.  You're not going to hear me say much about Dan Sartain that isn't a compliment and among Dan's records, this is one of the best.

I think Join Dan Sartain will always be my favorite of his records, but Dan Sartain Lives is definitely in the discussion for number two on the list.  Once again he's just packed this album full of great songs.  From the slower fuzzed out "Doin' Anything I Say" to the latest manic installment of "Walk Among The Cobras IV" to the stripped down and deliberate "Atheist Funeral" you can really see Dan growing as a songwriter on this album.

Dan Sartain would start experimenting more with some good old fashion punk rock after this Dan Sartain Lives came out.  While those records are also tremendous in their own way, to me the one-two punch of Join and Lives really epitomizes what I love about Dan Sartain's music.  As with Vs. The Serpientes, the card stock that One Little Indian used on the album cover is kind of cheap and flimsy, but I'm just so happy that this record is finally out on vinyl, it's hard to complain too much about that.

Dan Sartain - "Walk Among The Cobras IV":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pt_cVGNa4Y

Dan Sartain - "Atheist Funeral":

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

Dan Sartain - Vs. The Serpientes LP

One Little Indian (2015, Reissue)

For the longest time Vs. The Serpientes and Dan Sartain Lives were two of the records that I was most annoyed had never come out on vinyl (Onehundredpercentfreak by Alligator Gun, Start.Stop. by Him Kerosene and Shipwrecked by The Sultans round out the top five if you're curious).  I wasn't sure if these Dan Sartain records would ever be released and I had nearly dropped a large sum of money on a Dan Sartain Lives test pressing, thinking it would be the only way to own it on vinyl.  Luckily, I was outbid on that record and shortly thereafter common sense prevailed over at One Little Indian and I finally have both of these amazing Dan Sartain records on vinyl.

Vs. The Serpientes is what started it all for me.  I vividly remember how completely blown away by it I was and how I immediately had to share this incredible record with everyone.  There was just something so unique and exciting about Dan Sartain.  He had that southern, Johnny Cash outlaw thing going.  He played some acoustic guitar, but was unabashedly punk rock.  The fact that he had cozied up to Rocket From The Crypt and Swami record certainly didn't hurt as I'm not positive he would have ended up on my radar otherwise.  But the songs on this record were just so amazing.

All three "Walk Among The Cobras" are essential listing and the one-two opening punch of "Trying To Say" and "P.C.B. '98" is one of the strongest I can think of from the 2000's.  The real knock out punch for me has always been the slow and somber "Place To Call My Home."  It's simply a gorgeous song and puts Dan right up there with some of the best things Beck ever wrote for One Foot In The Grave.

I'd be remiss to not mention the fact that One Little Indian skimped out on the artwork here.  The cardstock they used is really flimsy and the spine of my record was completely obliterated by the time my record got to me.  I had actually bought my copy direct from Dan Sartain as he was selling a handful that he had redecorated himself.  He drew over the cover with red and blue ink and funny enough, if you look at it with the enclosed 3-D glasses, it does jump out at you a bit.  Pretty neat.

Regardless of the cover issues, this record is beyond essential and I really am thrilled to have it in the collection.  Tomorrow I'll write a bit about the other reissue, Dan Sartain Lives.

Dan Sartain - "Walk Among The Cobras, Pt. 1":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13_NnEsiqTM

Dan Sartain - "Place To Call My Home":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDHbSDVeE0w

The Grave Walks - She's A Suicide 7" (White Vinyl (/150) & Green Vinyl (/150)

Windian (2014)

Talk about a supergroup.  The Grave Walks is Jacob Turnbloom from Mrs. Magician and Dan Sartain. You'd be harder pressed to find 2 people who have been making better records as of late.  Dan has been a perennial favorite of mine for years and Mrs. Magician released my favorite record of probably the last decade.  Teaming them together is probably going to lead to some magic.

If you thought that, you'd be right.  The A-side "She's A Suicide" steers closer to the Mrs. Magician side of the spectrum.  Dan take vocals over a lightly distorted, surf-y guitar riff.  The tempo is probably a little bit slower than most Mrs. Magician songs, but the song has a haunting melody that is just fantastic.  Dan Sartain's vocals truly elevate this song.

B-side "Teresa, I Love You" could be categorized as being similar in style to previous Dan Sartain songs.  Particularly I'm reminded of "Marfa Lights" off his last album Dudesblood.  It's a slow somber song with Dan crooning over acoustic guitar and very light percussion accompaniment. Very few people can pull off this style of music better than Dan Sartain and again, it's his vocals that make this song something special.

The odds of me not liking a project put together by two of my very favorite musicians were slim to begin with.  The Grave Walks is every bit as good as you'd want it to be.  I just hope this isn't a one off; I wand to hear more from these guys in the future.

The Grave Walks - "She's A Suicide":

https://soundcloud.com/windian-records/the-grave-walks-shes-a-suicide

Dan Sartain - Romance In Stereo LP - Pink Vinyl

Shed House (2014, Reissue)

Romance In Stereo is one of the 'lost' Dan Sartain albums.  Though a lot of the tracks later appeared on the Sartain Family Legacy CD, even that is getting harder and harder to find these days.  Aside from its original and extremely limited 1st and only pressing on CD, Romance In Stereo has mostly just existed as a record that people heard about but few actually had.  I was a lucky one and managed to snag a copy of the CD on eBay a few years back, but I had always wished it had come out on vinyl.

It seems that wishes do come true and finally this lost gem is back and on vinyl.  Some of my favorite Dan Sartain songs are on here such as "Boy She Knew, " "Walk Among The Cobras Pt. 2," and "Carry Weight."  Dan's crooning on top of the lo-fi and sparse instrumentation captures a certain kind of magic. Although I think my favorite Dan Sartain record will probably always be Join Dan Sartain; Romance In Stereo and Dan's other early self released album Crimson Guard will always hold a special spot for me.

When I was originally looking into buying this record from the record label that released it, Shed House, I got really pissed off.  I was going to write this whole big article about record labels screwing over record collectors and what BS it was.  I've calmed down a lot over the past few weeks and the label did actually lower their album prices at their website, so I guess he's trying.  But I wanted to bring up a few things that I think are wrong.

1. There was a pink splatter variant of this record limited to 25 copies.  The only way that you can purchase it from the label is by buying a pack of 4 copies of this album. The pack contains one copy on pink splatter, one copy on solid pink, one copy on black and a copy of the test pressing.  The cost of this package is $200.  I think it is completely and utterly absurd that you are forced to drop $50 per record if you want to get all of the variants.

And $50 per record is being generous since 2 of the 4 versions in the pack could be bought for way less than $50 bucks each, you end up paying a simply gigantic amount for the splatter variant and for the test pressing.  That is, of course, assuming that you have any interest in test pressings.

There have been labels in the past that have offered the opportunity to buy several variants of a single release in a bundle, sometimes even offering exclusive versions in that pack (Tiny Engines and their recent Beach Slang 7" comes to mind).  However, these labels typically offer a discount to the buyer for purchasing multiple copies of the same record, they don't jack up the price.  Isn't the fact that you're willing to buy several copies of the same album enough? Why try to get more out of your most hardcore buyer?

I realize no one is forcing anyone to buy this pack, and as you can tell, I didn't buy it.  But, I think it's pretty lame that I have to give up on my Dan Sartain variant collection because the guy at the label wants to charge high end eBay prices for his own records.

2. The standard version of this record is on pink vinyl limited to 250 copies.  The label was selling it for $20 plus shipping (which for reasons I don't fully understand they will only ship priority mail so that's another $9.50 in shipping costs).  While I think that's a little steep, it's not out of this world and I wouldn't call it unfair pricing for a small label in today's world.  I am not picking up the pitchfork over that.  But the next limited version is on black vinyl and that is limited to 50 copies.  When this was put on sale, the cost was $25 for this version.  Why is it $5 more than the pink vinyl version? Because it's more limited.

I contacted the guy at the label to ask why on earth a black vinyl version would cost $5 more than a colored vinyl version and he gave some vague answer about circumstances dictating it being necessary and concluded "With only 50 copies made, it's not a bad price.  I would pay it and I don't expect others to pay prices I wouldn't pay." Black vinyl traditionally costs less than colored vinyl to produce, so the only thing I can come up with is that Shed House records is trying to get more money out of record collectors by creating an intentionally limited and higher priced version of this version.  I just think that's nuts.

There are plenty of labels that charge a buck or two more for the more limited colored vinyl version of their releases.  Fat Wreck Chords, Dirtnap and Goner all do this.  I have never once complained about this practice and regularly (and happily) pay the extra money to own the more limited version of the record.  I am totally fine with this because colored vinyl costs more to make and it's only one or two dollars.  But to gouge someone for five extra dollars simply so they can have the privilege of buying a rare version of your record (which isn't even the rarest version) just doesn't sit well with me.  Now in fairness, since these records went on sale, the label has dropped the price of both versions and the pink vinyl is now $15 while the black vinyl is $20.  I assume because they weren't selling at their original prices.  But he's still going after that extra five bucks.  It just makes me crazy.

I spoke with my wallet.  I wasn't comfortable with the record collecting/punk rock ethics of the label.  So I was thrilled when Dan Sartain himself started selling some copies of the pink vinyl version of Romance In Stereo on his Bandcamp page.  I happily paid the $20 for the pink vinyl version to Dan (only $5 for him to ship it) and I feel great knowing the money has gone right to the artist.

I'm honestly not trying top start shit.  I, more than a lot of people, know the costs of running a label.  That's why PopKid records has been dormant for the past 10 years.  It's an expensive hobby and I applaud anyone who is out there trying to get music they love out to people.  I am also ecstatic that someone put out Romance In Stereo out on vinyl.  But all of the weird pricing and overcharging for variants leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.

At the end of the day I'm mostly just complaining because I can't afford to buy them.  I want them, I can't have them and I'm annoyed.  I don't mind missing out on a rare record because I wasn't paying attention or didn't get my order in quick enough.  That's the law of the jungle.  If I then have to over pay on eBay to get the record in my collection, so be it.  At least other collectors are setting the price.  I just don't see how a small indie label can arbitrarily decide how much their 'rare' record is worth.  I would never do that with my record label.  But that's just me.

This wound up being way longer than I meant it to be.  Apologies to Dan if this bothers him.  Apologies to Shed House records if this causes anyone to not buy the now very fairly priced $15 normal version of this record.  I'm happy the record is in my collection, and it really should be in everyone else's too.

Dan Sartain - Romance In Stereo:
http://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/romance-in-stereo

Dan Sartain - Crimson Guard LP - Pink Vinyl

Cass (2014)

I've taken pictures and reviewed other versions of this record in the past, so I'm not going to get too bogged down with describing the music.  All that really needs to be known is that these are some of my very favorite Dan Sartain songs.  They're early recordings of his and he originally released this the first version of this LP himself.  Several of the songs were picked up and put on his first Swami CD, Vs. The Serpientes.  Others were latter compiled onto the Sartain Family Legacy CD compilation, but this is how they originally were meant to be heard.

I'm not entirely positive of the circumstances on how this 2nd reissue came about.  It has completely different artwork than the original or even the prior Cass reissue.  It's housed in a plain black sleeve with a white piece of paper glued to the front.  It's on pink vinyl this time (Though I think it was actually pressed on mixed colored vinyl, so there could be a lot of different versions out there).  Lastly, like the original, it comes with a pair of 3D glasses, though this version doesn't have anything in 3D to look at with them.

You should go buy this record.  It's just one of my favorites and if the fact that this is the 3rd version of this LP I've added to my collection doesn't show how much I like this album, I'm not sure what else I could say to reinforce that.  Last check Dan was still selling these on his Bandcamp page.

Dan Sartain - Crimson Guard:

http://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/crimson-guard-vinyl

Dan Sartain - Dudesblood LP

One Little Indian (2014)

Strange things have been going on with Dan Sartain records over the years.  After several borderlain perfect albums, he started shaking things up.  While he was a crooning southern greaser with an acoustic guitar and a penchant  for cobras for quite a few records; his last album, Too Tough To Live took things in an altogether different direction.  On that album his love for The Ramones and other older, darker shades of punk rock came into the forefront. While it was a fantastic record, it did leave me wanting some songs like his earlier work.

Dudesblood is kind of the best and worst of both worlds.  Each individual song is actually great.  There's a few fast catchy punk rock songs like "Dudesblood" "Smash The Tesco" and "Love Is Suicide."  There's also instances when Dan slows things down like on "Pass This On," "Marfa Lights" and "You Gotta Get Mad To Get Things Done." While every one of these songs are outstanding as stand alone tracks, the album as a whole suffers a bit as it doesn't really have a cohesive direction and jumps all over the map style-wise.  It's not bad and in the grand scheme of things it's not really that big a deal, but it is a bit jarring the first few times you listen to the record.

I enjoy pretty much every Dan Sartain song released into the world.  I like his slow acoustic based records.  I like his loud punk rock records.  He's one of those songwriters that I really trust, always knowing that whatever direction he's taking his music in; there's a pretty good chance I'm going to love it no matter what.

Dan Sartain - Dudesblood:

https://soundcloud.com/onelittleindianrecords/sets/dan-sartain-dudesblood-album-stream/

Dan Sartain - Pass This On 7"

One Little Indian (2014)

I felt like it has been an awful long time between when this 7" was announced and when I finally got to buy it.  Preorders - feh.  Anyway, It's always exciting when new Dan Sartain records are out as he is one of the best things going these days.  One Little Indian has always been a little wacky with his releases.  They seem to put out a ton of 7"s for him, but they almost always end up being just tracks from the album.

This one's about half and half.  "Pass This On" is a track off of the new Dan Sartain album Dudesblood.  It's a cover song by a band called The Knife, but I can't say I'm familiar with the original.  What I can say is it's one of the best songs on the new album.  Slow and dark, with Dan crooning the vocals.  While I do enjoy Dan's punk rock songs, I'll always have a soft spot for his softer side.

The B-side is a Roy Rogers cover called "Dust."  This was originally on the digital only He Touched Me, released as a benefit for The Travis Jackson Memorial Fund.  It is nice to have at least one of the songs from that excellent EP on vinyl and I can't say I'd mind it if they ended up releasing all of them as B-sides if that's what it takes.  There's a lot of Dan Sartain 7"s out in the world.  They're all worth picking up in my opinion.

Dan Sartain - "Pass This On":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfNXgAysFd8&feature=kp

Dan Sartain - "Dust":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfNXgAysFd8&feature=kp

Dan Sartain - He Touched Me Digital EP - Travis Jackson Benefit

For the first, and likely only time I will be breaking a rule of this site and will be reviewing an album that was released digitally only.  There's no LP, CD or Tape, but this release gets a pass for 2 reasons.  The first is because I just love Dan Sartain.  But, the 2nd and significantly more important reason is because this album has been released to raise money for the The Travis Jackson Memorial Fund.

Travis Jackson was the founder of Windian records, a label that has released so many fantastic records.  Travis was tragically killed in an accident at work.  He left behind a wife and a child.  In addition to all proceeds from this Dan Sartain release being donated to The Travis Jackson Memorial Fund, there is a 2nd website where you can donate directly to the fund here: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/fgGY8 While I'm sure that there is no deadline for buying this EP, the Fundrazr.com fundraiser is closing in 4 days on February 15th.  Please give a little something if you can.

This Dan Sartain EP is just phenomenal. Sure, it was recorded in just 24 hours. Sure it's all cover songs, but it highlights the very best of Dan Sartain.  His voice and his retro rock and roll take on music.  This release is most reminiscent of his earliest work like Romance In Stereo, Crimson Guard and Vs. The Serpientes.  He gives inspired acoustic takes on songs from Dead Milkmen, X, The Wipers, The Ramones & others. Dan manages to turn them all into thoughtful , borderline ballads.  Although I like Dan's more rocking releases, his slower, old school country records are always the ones I go back to over and over again.

If you are a Dan Sartain fan it would be silly to not grab this.  If you are new to the party, it's a $5 investment that goes to a great, great cause. And if you hate it, you can still give to The Travis Jackson Memorial Fund directly at https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/fgGY8

Dan Sartain - He Touched Me:

http://joindansartain.bandcamp.com/album/he-touched-me

Dan Sartain - Now Now Now 7"

Dan Sartain - Now Now Now 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

One Little Indian (2012)

Honestly, nothing special here as both songs are also on the most recent Dan Sartain full length, Too Tough To Live. One Little Indian has a thing about releasing Dan Sartain 7"s that don't have exclusive B-sides, although a couple of the Dan Sartain full lengths never came out on vinyl, so the 7"s were the only way to get any of the songs. Dan Sartain is one of my current favorites though, so I'll still buy any record that you slap his name on.

Dan Sartain - Now Now Now:
soundcloud.com/onelittleindianrecords/01-now-now-now-with...

Dan Sartain - Too Tough To Live LP

Dan Sartain - Too Tough To Live LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

One Little Indian (2012)

First off, kudos to One Little Indian for putting this out on vinyl. When we never got Dan's last album, Dan Sartain Lives, on vinyl, I was worried the label would keep letting me down. But now that we did get Too Tough To Live on vinyl, it would be great for One Little Indian to backtrack and put out Dan Sartain Lives as well.

On to the record. This is a very different Dan Sartain record. It's full of short, fast Ramones-y punk songs. All of which are catchy as hell and delivered with such genuine enthusiasm. It's a fantastic record, and if it were by anyone other than Dan Sartain, I'd be totally thrilled. However, it's a lot different from Dan's usual twangy output and if I'm being truthful, I prefer those songs. Again, not saying anything bad about this record, but I hope Dan goes back to his more soulful material next time around.

Dan Sartain - Indian Massacre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIFMjqLykac

Dan Sartain - Crimson Guard LP /200

Dan Sartain - Crimson Guard LP /200, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Cass Records (2012 Reissue)

Though I do have a copy of the original pressing of this album (www.ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com/2011/12/dan.html), as something of a Dan Sartain super fan and completist, I had to pick up this new reissue put out by Cass records. Like the original, this version is limited to 200 copies and the artwork is hand stamped on to the cover. It was a bit pricey at $30 shipped, though the odds of finding an original at all, let alone at that price are pretty much non existent. That being said, for $30, the least they could do is put the track list or something on the otherwise blank back cover of this.

Musically I love these Dan Sartain songs. Early demo quality recordings, full of youth & exuberance. Sartain's trademark rock-a-billy swagger and soulful crooning on top of slick guitar riffs and just the right amount of fuzz and feedback. At the end of the day, I'm pleased with this purchase and can only hope it leads to someone reissuing Dan Sartains other lost album, Romance In Stereo, on vinyl as well.

Dan Sartain - Walk Among The Cobras:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByLeoDScJxw

Dan Sartain - Telegram Sam:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgzYUjMFXc4

Dan Sartain - A Place To Call My Home:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDHbSDVeE0w