Shufflepuck - Album LP (/100)

 

Self Released (2024)

Shufflepuck wasn't a band on my radar at all and I'm not sure they would have ever been picked up my my aging radar system if it wasn't brought to my attention by Servo from Bloated Kat records.  However, once I became aware of them I wasn't sure how I could survive without them.

Let's get into the lore.  It's a tale as old as time.  1990s pop leaning rock band gets picked up by a major label, major label doesn't do anything with them to the point where the record doesn't ever really officially come out.  Band fades into the background and life moves on.  You can thank Interscope for this one as Shufflepuck was all set to release their debut full length in 1996 only to have it delayed, pushed back and not put out.  There were advances, singles, promos and then nothing.

Fast forward to 2024 and the band decides to press up 100 copies of this album on vinyl, and the result is Album, a perfect little slice of that major label rock and roll sound that I have such a soft spot for.  This is going to fit right in you collection next to other luminaries like Pluto, 30 Amp Fuse, Fig Dish, Summercamp, Kara's Flowers and other bands that were great bands, but seemed destined to be the best CD in their respective used bin.

Every song on this album is a crunch guitar, hook filled blast from the alternative nation.  Are there echoes of Weezer? Of course there are and and they're the best sort of Weezer echoes.  Top to bottom this album, is just flat out great and while it is a shame that I was robbed of 30 years of listening to it, it's also pretty cool to hear what is essentially a brand new record sound this great to my old man ears.  Highly, highly recommended for being that perfect slice of the 90s.

Shufflepuck - Album:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/album/1757952753

Sad Days Indeed - Sad Days Indeed CD

 

Jukeboss (2006)

Last year I picked up a Sad Days Indeed record that was essentially a lost album that the band had begun recording before they split up in 2008.  I dug that one enough to hunt down their first CD that came out back in 2006.  Luckily I was able to get a nicely priced copy off of Discogs and am happy to report that this CD is just as good as Foral was.

Hailing from Finland, Sad Days Indeed nevertheless seems to take inspiration from the 90s UK melodic scene.  I can't say for certain what the guys in this band listened to, but I can't hear their songs without also hearing echoes of Hooton 3 Car, Broccoli and Leatherface.  Now, I realize that is some absurdly high comparison points and I would be lying if I were to say that Sad Days Indeed is as transcendent as any of those bands.  But I'm hopeful it gives you a touchstone on the sandbox these guys are playing in.

Listening to this record, with killer songs like "Last Supper," "Modern Surf Queens" and "Polewalk," it seems weird that this group never hit my radar back when they were active.  That said, I'm also not in Finland, so I can see how it happened.  Regardless, I'm glad I eventually found them and even though I don't rush out to buy many CDs these days, I'm happy to have both Sad Days Indeed CDs in the collection.

Headsparks - Working Parts CD

Fixing A Hole (2020)

I was a little late to the party and didn't realize that Andy from Gan/Donfisher had been putting out albums with his most recent band Headsparks until their third album Vs. The Metric System came out.  I then tried to make up for lost time and gather everything else they've released (though I stupidly didn't pick up a copy of their first CD when I ordered this new one from their Bandcamp page).  Anyway, Working Parts is the first album by Headsparks that I'm getting right as it is being released and I'm glad I did because I think it's their best yet.

Working Parts sounds like it could have come out in 1995.  And I mean that in the absolute best possible way.  It's not that I think the record sounds old or out of date, it's that it's a record every bit as good as some of my very favorites from the 90s.  This is UK melodic punk rock in the vein of a Hooton 3 Car or a more mature Donfisher.  And while Headsparks doesn't play quite as fast as those comparison bands, they capture the same sort of energy and write songs that are endlessly catchy and stay lodged in your head for days at a time.

It's like they cherry picked the best sounds of that scene, refined and matured them every so slightly and then unleashed them into the world as the band's best record. Not only is this a high water mark for Headsparks, but as far as 2020 releases go, this is without questions one of the top two or three records I have heard all year.  The only thing I can say that could maybe be a negative is that I just wish that there was a vinyl release available.  Working Parts is way too good of a record not to deserve the vinyl treatment as well as the most excellent Japanese CD.

Headsparks - Working Parts:
https://headsparks1.bandcamp.com/album/working-parts

New Japan Pro-Wrestling - The Piano Collection CD

Yamaha (2019)

To those that know me or follow me on Twitter, the fact that I am fairly obsessed with New Japan Pro-Wrestling is not a surprise.  I have been watching it for years and years and they have been a part of some great times in my life.  When this CD was announced towards the end of last year, I pretty much shrugged it off and thought it was a funny idea.  But after I stumbled across the songs and gave them a listen, I knew I had to own this.

This album contains entrance music from New Japan wrestlers, but played on a piano, classical music style.  It really hit me when I listened to this of just how lodged into my brain some of these songs were.  It also hit me that the writing of and musicianship behind these songs was at a much higher level than I originally thought.  When broken down to a single piano, you can really see the complexity of the way lead parts interplay with rumbling low end and chord changes.

Most of the main wrestlers from New Japan have their entrance music represented here.  Pretty much of them work well, with the standouts being the themes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tetsuya Naito and Minoru Suziki's classic, "Kaze Ni Nare."  I told my wife that if this CD had been out when we got married, I would have had to try to get Suzuki's theme into our ceremony.  She disagreed with that statement.  I guess we'll never know.

The one instance where I don't think the piano captures the theme as strongly as some of the others is for the entrance music of Kazuchika Okada.  For some reason the piano version just doesn't quite hit the same highs as the regular version of the music.  Something got lost in translation for this one, but for the other eleven songs, it's pretty impressive what the piano player was able to pull off.

Unfortunately, I can't find any of these songs streaming online.

Hateman - Welcome To Neverland CD

1000% D.I.Y. (2018)

I was absolutely floored by the Hateman record Radio Hate when I heard it for the first time.  I just loved it.  I've gotten use to the fact that a lot of bands from Japan put out an album and then don't put out a follow up for many years, if they ever do one at all.  The fact that a few short months later Hateman put out another full length album full of songs is pretty crazy, but I couldn't be happier about it.

In comparison to Radio Hate, this album leans more towards the jangly guitar and pop hook side of the punk rock spectrum.  I find myself often being reminded of the band Popcatcher, especially when it comes to the vocals.  I do like Hateman the most when they crank up the fuzz on their guitars and blast out rockers like "Dream Worker" and "My Daughter," but every song on this album is great.

I'm not sure if this is a band that is getting the credit and exposure that they deserve.  In 2018 they put out 2 full length albums that are barn burners.  I hope the band continues this pace because I will buy everything they put out.

Hateman - Welcome to Neverland (Two of the album's twelve songs are streaming):
https://hateman.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-the-neverland

The CSS - What A Coincidence! CD

Waterslide (2018)

The CSS is another in a long line of great bands putting out releases on Waterslide records.  There are several albums on Waterslide that use the same sort of artwork layout as the old Mutant Pop 7"s, but almost every one of the bands on Waterslide are better than most of those old Mutant Pop records. (Well, except for Underhand maybe, those are some of my favorite 7"s ever).

The CSS most remind me of The Hum Hums.  Both band have a bubblegum pop lean to them and both have outstanding backing vocals and harmonies.  Where CSS differs for me a bit is that I feel like they have more guitar chord progressions that remind me of older Lookout bands like Squirtgun.  But The CSS are so much better than Squirtgun ever was.

The golden era of pop punk in America was definitely in the 90s, but Japan continues to carry the torch today.  The CSS are just the latest band that I've heard playing the sort of music that I've always loved.  It's wonderful.

The CSS - What A Coincidence!
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/what-a-coincidence

Fastkiss - S/T CD

Self Released (2015)

Once again I'm indebted to Kazu from Waterslide for showing me yet another great band that I probably wouldn't have come across on my own.  I've felt this way for twenty plus years, but it's become more and more obvious every day that as far as music (and professional wrestling) goes, my heart is in Japan.  I just wish I could be there more going to see great bands like this play and shop for more records.  Also, the G1 Climax is going on right now so pretty much the best pro wrestling of the year is currently happening.  But alas, I'm far too poor for another trip to Japan at the moment, so I'll have to let albums like this help me get by.

Fastkiss has turned in nine songs of upbeat, 90s style pop punk and I love it.  It's not gruff and fast like a lot of the other Japanese bands that I tend to enjoy.  Instead, they have more in common with bands like The Hum Hums who seem to be inspired by the more pop focused side of the Beach Boys.

There's just great melodies on this album from start to finish, with each song fueled by punchy guitar chords and complimented by excellent backing vocals and harmonies.  Some of the songs are sung in English and others are in Japanese, but no matter what language the song is in, Fastkiss put their all into each and come out with endlessly catchy tracks.  This one might be kind of below the radar, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Fastkiss - "きみはFREE":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRLZL25Hn4A&feature=youtu.be

Shoplifters - Believe CD

Waterslide (2016)

Give all the credit in the world to Waterslide records.  I don't think I would have ever found this incredible band from Serbia called Shoplifters without them.  I try really hard to stay up to date with new bands, but Waterslide is on a totally different level.  Back to Shoplifters, this is one of those bands that I would best describe as playing exactly the kind of music I want to listen to.

To me, the most noticeable and easiest touchstones to compare them to would be Big Drill Car mixed with Snuff.  Now, I have to throw in a slight caveat, as they remind me of early, primo, Snuffsaid/Reach era Snuff.  The chaotic punky guitar blasts, the incredible breakdowns and the anthemic vocals that make you just want to jump around singing along.  Add to that the melodic punch of Batch era Big Drill Car and this is an album I can really get behind.

The highlights are too many to list, I could say something about every song if I had the space, but just know that top to bottom, this is a killer record.  If you are like me and have a difficult time giving up on the sounds of the 90's, Shoplifters will help stem the tide as we slip further into the twenty first century.  I only wish I had heard this record last year as it would have assuredly been quite high on my end of the year album list.  Go get it!

Shoplifters - Believe:

https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/believe

Sicko - Chef Boy R U Dumb CD (Japanese Version)

Real Cool (1995)

I don't think that the phrase 'pop-punk' meant quite the same thing in 1995 as it does today.  It certainly didn't have the sort of negative connotations that some people associate with the genre.  But I think that most agree that the mid 1990's was a different time and a different place.  Back then you would hear people extolling the virtues of Screeching Weasel, The Queers, Green Day and the Mr. T Experience.  But for me, my holy trinity of 1990's pop-punk would be the aforementioned Mr. T Experience, Zoinks! and at times the best of them all, Sicko.

I've had the American version of this record since the very moment it came out in 1995.  I remember counting down the days until it showed up at my local record store.  I loved it from day one.  So it's kind of cheating to write about it here and now on my website where I'm documenting recent purchases.  Although, since this is the Japanese version and I did just get it from a friend that was downsizing his physical record collection, I'll use it as an excuse to tell everyone that if they don't already own this album, they should fix that oversight immediately.

I go back and forth on if this is my favorite Sicko album, of if it's Laugh While You Can Monkey Boy.  Let's just agree that both are pretty spectacular.  Chef Boy R U Dumb is packed full of gleeful and catchy punk rock, highlighted by some songs that are among the best Sicko ever churned out like "Obsessive Compulsive Complainers," "The Dateless Losers" and "Escalator."  

The Japanese version of this release has a couple of bonus tracks (and the fancy obi strip seen in the picture). "80 Dollars" is originally from the Sicko split 7" with the Mr. T Experience.  You could definitely argues it's one of the top two or three songs in the band's catalog.  The other is exclusive to this CD, "The Rainy Day Song." This one is similar to "The Breakfast Song" in that it's just guitar, undistorted, and Ean crooning his heart out.  Essential? Probably not, but a fun little bonus added on top of an already stellar album. No matter which version of this album you pick up, it is a pretty essential piece of the 90's that everyone should have.

Sicko - "Escalator":

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

Sicko - "The Dateless Losers":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iKCKcRVvZ0

Sicko - "Obsessive Compulsive Complainers":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8WtGcH_bFg