Surrender - Summer Never Comes CD

Waterslide (2024)

I am still trying to catch up on writing about 2024 albums and I'm trying to focus on the ones that ended up on my year end best of list.  It's not super common for me to put an EP on my year end album list, but the six songs that Surrender have served up on this EP are so great that it's impossible to listen to it and not proclaim it as one of the very best releases of last year.

Surrender comes to us with a pedigree that immediately catches my attention.  When you've got members of bands like the Hum Hums and CSS coming together to make a new band of punchy, punked-up power pop, it's probably unlikely that I'm not going to love it.  And boy oh boy, do I love this EP.

It's fast enough that you can hear the pop punk influences shining through, but they wrangle harmonies in a way that stands so much higher than most bands, giving it a timeless sound that you can just as easily trace to the Beach Boys as you can some of the more notable power pop bands of the 70s.  

I just love everything about this and the only way that I think it could be better is if it was a full length album.  Hopefully we'll get one of those sooner than later and in the mean time I have to try to get myself a copy of their first EP from 2015.  2015?  I sure hope we don't have to wait another nine years for more Surrender music.

Surrender - Summer Never Comes:
https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/album/summer-never-comes

Falls - Egg Hunt CDEP

Too Smell (2018)

I'm a little delayed on writing about a few CDs that I mail ordered from Japan quite a while ago at this point.  I'm desperate to do another order, but that's not really viable at the moment.  Luckily I still have some to write about, but I do feel guilty that it took me so long to get to this Falls EP.

For those of you with steel trap memories, you may recall that Falls was one of the excellent bands to play the Waterslide/PopKid show when I went to Japan in 2017.  They made an instant fan of me that night and each release of theirs that I pick up only reinforces that feeling.  Whenever I hear them it always makes me think of those late 90s days where emo was becoming a thing in the US, but it hadn't quite become a dirty word just yet.

The bands that always come to mind when I listen to Falls are Silver Scooter, early Three Minute Movie (Especially those 2 killer songs on their Braid split and my favorite song of theirs, "Fish Don't Think, They Swim," on that 3" compilation CD) and lastly the quieter moments of the band Boys Life.  The 4 main songs on this EP are as strong as anything that I've heard by Falls so far.  If you have either of their other EPs that I wrote about and you liked them, there's no way you won't dig this one just as much.

Falls - Egg Hunt:
https://fallsband.bandcamp.com/album/egg-hunt

Bender! - Reputation Proof CD

Self Released (2009)

This Bender! (with an exclamation point) was from Japan and is not to be confused with Bender (no exclamation point) from Canada.  Bender! features Yu, who some may remember from recent write ups I've done on other bands he was in like Plum and 2 Sick Worry.   Yu send me this six song CDEP along with a few other releases from his Urban Sleep label.  It took me a little while to get to this one (sorry Yu!) but it's worth the wait as all six songs on this CD are tremendous.

While I definitely hear similarities to Yu's other bands, particularly in the Navel-esque vocals, the thing that jumps out the most to me is how much I'm reminded of the band New Sweet Breath when listening to this.  It's ironic, since the Canadian Bender put out records on Ringing Ear records, home to my favorite New Sweet Breath album, Demolition Theater.  Like that 1996 classic, Bender! trades is fast, jangly guitar riffs with hooky vocal melodies that just have a way of making me smile.

It doesn't look like Bender! released anything else outside of a couple of compilation appearances, but this EP is wonderful and I'm really happy to have it in the collection.  It's especially worth tracking down if you've liked the Plum or 2 Sick Worry records I've written about.

Bender! - Reputation Proof:
https://benderteikoku.bandcamp.com/album/reputation-proof

Turncoat - I. R. I. S. CD

Waterslide / Mostoff (2015)

Turncoat is another one of those Japanese bands that I somehow completely missed keeping track of.  I picked up their first album back in 2011, but never kept up on their other releases.  In addition to the CD Ep that I'm reviewing today, I just realized that Turncoat have a second full length CD that I didn't know existed either.  I really need to do abetter job of keeping track of bands that I like.

I guess it was worth the self inflicted wait on listening to this EP, because it is pretty great.  Strong, mid tempo and catchy punk rock with dueling male/female vocals and hooks in all of the right spots.  This CD is also a reminder that I actually have no idea how to play the guitar as they effortless shift from delicate and intricate leads to crunchy and dynamic chord progressions.  

There are elements of the way the band structures their songs that remind me of Dear You era Jawbreaker, though the vocals are completely different.  This comparison is especially interesting as the band also tackles an early Jawbreaker song with their cover of "Want" on this release (it's not up on the Bandcamp link, but it is on the CD itself).  It's a really great version that blends in surprising well with the rest of the band's original material.  If nothing else, I'm going to try really hard not to miss any future releases by Turncoat.  Oh, and I also have to go back and try to find their second album as well.

Turncoat - I. R. I. S.:

https://mostoffrecords.bandcamp.com/album/i-r-i-s

Peace Of Bread - 5 Songs CD

Peace of Bread (2007)

Peace Of Bread is one of those bands that I just can't believe I missed out on.  They are so completely right up my alley, but I'm not sure I would have heard of them if it wasn't for the recommendation of Kazu from Waterslide records.  I think one of the main reasons I was unfamiliar with them is that they were primarily active during the mid 2000s.  A time where, for whatever reason, I just had a harder time keeping up with the Japanese music scene outside of Snuffy Smile releases.

Peace Of Bread, in many ways, feels like the natural progression of what Cigaretteman would have ended up sounding like had they kept going..  With the sort of fast and catchy guitar work that brings to mind some of my favorite Snuffy Smile bands like Snatcher or Blew, the five songs on this EP are just unbelievably great. Every single song is just perfect with the right amount of energy in the verse that builds into toe tapping choruses.  

The alternating male/female vocals create an incredible dynamic where each singer is able to grab the spotlight for their portion, but the true magic hits when they come together with perfect harmonies.  If you can't tell, I really love this EP.  It looks like Peace Of Bread put out quite a few CDs and EPs over the years they were active.  I hardly have any of them, but it looks like I'm going to have a lot of work ahead of me trying to hunt them all down.  Maybe Kazu can help!

I can't find any of these songs streaming online, but trust me, they're great.

Kerbivore - All Dressed CDEP

Urban Sleep (2016)

Allow me to describe the complete ass backwards way I discovered this band.  Kerbivore is from Staten Island, NY.  As recently as last month, they played in Asbury Park, NJ - only 45 minutes or so away from where I live.  Did I discover this band while I was out at a local show?  Did word of mouth sperad of a local band that I had to check out?  Nope.  When I was in Japan the singer of the band 2 Sick Worry told me about the record label he was doing in Japan and then he sent me a handful of CDs he released.  Kerbivore was in that stack.  I had to go to Japan to hear about a band that's playing in my own backyard.  Sure seems weird.

Anyway, this Kerbivore CD is pretty great.  I'm reminded a lot of the band Golden City, one of the post-Christie Front Drive bands that was around for five minutes or so.  Mix that knack for pop with a hint of Dinosaur Jr. style fuzzed out guitar pyrotechnics and blend in some of the ramshackle energy of Demolition Theater era New Sweet Breath and I think that's starts to paint a decent picture of what you can expect from Kerbivore.  On of my favorite things is when a band is writing pop songs, but is skillful enough to complicate things a bit, but not lose that inherent hook and catchiness. Kerbivore pulls that off pretty flawlessly.

All five songs are hits, but the closer of the EP, "My Apartment's a Mess," really drives things home and makes me hungry for more.  The fact that these guys were just playing locally a few weeks ago is hopefully a sign that they're working on so new tunes.  I'd sure like to hear a full length from them.  Thanks for the CD Yu!

Kerbivore - All Dressed Up (It was released on cassette in the US as well, this is the US label's Bandcamp page):

https://unblinkingearrecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-dressed

Shipyards - 見つかった CDEP

Self Released (2010)

Shipyards is a band that has quickly become one of my very favorites in a Japanese punk scene that has more than a few amazing bands already.  I have both of their full albums and while I was in Japan I was able to find this CD EP of a demo of theirs.  Of course I had to pick that up for the collection.

This demo predates Shipyards' first album and two of the songs from the CD would end up on that full length.  Both "Bad Illusion" and "Someday in the Rain" are so great, even in this early form.  Sure, the recording is a little fuzzier but the way this band has captured the energy of these songs on this disc is something to behold.  It just seems like the band was formed and they were instantly great.

The two other main songs on this release are also fantastic and I don't believe that they've been released on anything else, but I could be mistaken.  I always seem to stumble across Japanese releases that I had no idea existed.  "Devil Comes" and "No Way" show how this band has taken an obvious appreciation for Leatherface and mid 90's UK punk rock and put their own spin on it.  The rhythm section is fast and punchy and the guitars create a powerful and dynamic blast.  The fact that these songs are so good on a demo is pretty impressive.  The fact that their full lengths are even better is damn near terrifying.  Shipyards is a great band.  I want more!

Shipyards - "Bad Illusion" (This is the version from their first full length, I can't find anything from the demo online):

https://watersliderecords.bandcamp.com/track/bad-illusion

Blotto - Life Dances On CDEP

Anti-New Waves (2003)

Blotto was one of those quintessentially great Snuffy Smile bands.  Over the course of a few years they cranked out a slew of wonderful 7"s and later compiled them all onto an LP.  For whatever reason the songs on this EP, their first release, weren't included on that compilation.  So thanks to record shopping in Tokyo, I was able to get two new Blotto songs into my collection.

Blotto always had a place in my heart as the boozier, Japanese cousins of Dillinger Four.  Blotto was a little rougher around the edges, but could pack a shout along chorus into any song.  Their wizardry with these hooks always impressed me as sometimes it would seem that they were starting to slip down a path that would lead to some shouty hardcore, but they'd always save the song last minute and keep things nice and catchy.

The two songs on this CD are early example of their songwriting prowess.  "Action" starts off as a mid tempo rocker with all the right singalong moments you'd expect, until the drums kick in at a thousand miles an hour and the songs just blazes through from there.  "Otherwise" is a more straight forward tempo-wise.  It has all the makings of a classic pub sing along with gruff choruses and chunky palm mutes.  Two great songs by one of the best Japanese bands that was putting out records in the mid 2000's.  I wish they were still putting out records.

Egotrunk - Letter CDEP

Nodevans (2005)

I've said before that I was very lucky to have Kazu from Waterslide records as a guide while record shopping in Tokyo.  For starters, he was invaluable helping to find some of the stores that were off the beaten path.  But where he really became indispensable was in the stores themselves, helping find things and recommending a slew of albums I would never have bought otherwise.  Egotrunk was one of his selections.

I'd never heard of the band prior to Kazu handing me this CD, but I was taken by the artwork right away.  The CD comes in a small envelope and the art itself is printed on a piece of transparent paper, the kind your teacher would have used on an overhead projector in the eighth grade in 1991.  It's a striking little package that really grabs your eye.  But once you've opened the envelope, it's the music that grabs your attention.

Starting things off is a slower instrumental intro song.  It's weaves and drifts through gently played guitar and reminds me quite a bit of Boys Life.  Once the rest of the songs kick in, the volume goes up.  There's still a bit of a 90's emo vibe to things, again with Boys Life being a good comparison, but that mixes with loud stuttering guitar riffs and catchy vocal melodies.  Nothing about this is the sort of mopey complaining a lot of people think of when you typically drop the "E" word.  This is much more akin to the sort of punchy songs you'd expect from Eversor or Rusty James.

Perusing the internet, it looks like Egotrunk have at least one more CDEP as well as a split that I'm going to have to track down.  If those songs are as good as these, it'll be worth the hunt.