Needles // Pins - Needles // Pins LP

Dirt Cult (2021)

I have written several times about the dearth of new records in 2021.  There have been so few albums that have caught my interest and for the first time ever, I'm actually concerned I'm not going to be able to put together a top ten list, let alone a top twenty.  I don't know if it's just fewer records being released or if I'm just started to slip into irrelevance.  Regardless, I've been way more interested in hunting down records from the 90s than I have been about anything coming out this year.

The new Needles // Pins records is something of a microcosm of this dilemma.  This is a band that I know and have been listening to for nearly ten years.  I have all of their LPs and have enjoyed them all.  You can include this new one in that mix as well.  This is an extremely well written and well put together album.  It has that Leatherface-esque gravelly vocal thing going on that I like so much.  You can play it right after Dear Landlord or Off With Their Heads or Dillinger Four and it fits right in.

But for some reason, I'm not as excited about this album as I think I would have been at another time.  Yes, it is a good record and it is absolutely one of the best thing I have heard this year, but it's just not grabbing me and holding my interest as much as I'd expect it to.  I don't really know why.  I can't point to anything about the record that isn't what I usually want out of a band like this, so I assume the problem might be me.  

Either it's fatigue from a seemingly never-ending pandemic or I may have just crossed that line and I'm too old to stay excited about new music.  I'm really not sure, but I feel like if this record had come out a year earlier, I would have been much more enthusiastic about it.  But again, I think it's me - not the album.  If you've dug the band in the past, this record hits all of the right spots, it's definitely worth picking up.

Needles // Pins - Needles // Pins:
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/needles-pins

More Kicks - S/T LP

Dirt Cult / Snap / Beluga / Wanda / Adrenalin Fix (2019)

We've got another late entry into the 2019 record list sweepstakes, creating havoc for me as I try to put together my best of list.  This is one of the reasons why I always wait until a day or two before the end of the year to post my list.  There's always a few records that I end up getting at the last possible moment.  When a record is as good as this More Kicks album is, I absolutely do not mind the list disruption.

What a great power pop record this is, reminding me right away of the less frantic moments of the Cute Lepers at times.  There are so many tremendous hooks and vocal melodies throughout the album.  They are on display during the more uptempo numbers like "What A Mess You Make" and "It's a Drag" just as much as they are on the more subdued "You Left A Stain On Me" and "Ain't That Just The Way."  There are moments where I get the same sort of feelings as I get when listening to early Ted Leo and there are other times where I'm positive this is straight up Mega City Four worship.  No matter what references I hear hints of, I'm always in the moment and digging what More Kicks are laying down.

I feel like I listened to a lot of bands in 2008-2010 that straddled that line between garage, power pop and pop punk.  Over the decade, I feel like most of those bands drifted too far into the garage territory for me.  There used to be a sweet spot for me and I haven't heard a band hit it like More Kicks has with this record in many years.

More Kicks - S/T:
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/more-kicks

Warp Lines - Human Fresh LP - White Vinyl (/200)

Dirt Cult (2019)

I've bought fewer new records released in 2019 than any year I can remember since the darkest days of my music consumption in 2004-2005.  The big difference between this year and those years where the passion was being forcefully driven out of my by the music industry is that although I have bought fewer records, the quality of the records I've picked up this year is pretty through the roof.  There have been several albums that I've listened to and thought, 'this could easily be the album of the year.'  Add Warp Lines to that list.  This record is hot shit.

When I found out that the band was from Canada and had a member that did time in the Steve Adamyk Band, I knew it would be worth taking a listen to.  That said, I was totally unprepared for how incredible this album is.  Warp Lines manage to take the sort of riffs and innovative chord progressions that you would hear on a Hot Snakes album, but use them with completely different guitar tones and melodies.  There's a retro vibe in the production with a bit of a dreamy haze floating over the record, but the band cuts through that with sharp hooks and creative song structure.

There are times where I hear a Jawbox sort of vibe emanating from the band's killer rhythm section.  The drumming in particular is outstanding and elevates the songs even higher.  Pounding toms and punchy fills create the backbone of the band's compositions, allowing the guitars to explore new ground, while staying rooted to the goal of ultimately providing a catchy song.  It's rare that I hear a band that can change things up and create interesting soundscapes without losing the plot.  This is an album full of pop songs at the end of the day, but they're delivered through a band that is taking chances and building off of many disparate influences.

To sum it up, this record is outstanding.  It's definitely one of the best I've heard all year.  Maybe the best to be totally honest.  There's nothing I can say to recommend it as much as it deserves.  Just go buy it immediately.

Warp Lines - Human Fresh:
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/human-fresh

Your Pest Band - Automatic Aspiration 12" - Brown Vinyl

Dirt Cult / Snuffy Smiles (2018)

I have a lot of Your Pest Band records.  They just keep releasing music and as long as they do, I'll keep buying it.  This one actually slipped through the cracks on me as I am not positive I knew it was released late last year until very recently.  It's also possible that I saw it was out, made a mental note to grab it and then promptly forgot that mental note.  As I get older I find that these sort of things happen.  I should start keeping more actual notes I think.  I'll make a mental note to do that.

The songs on this 12" are all wonderful.  I like Your Pest Band the best when they lean closer to the pop punk side of the musical spectrum.  Sometimes they get a little too psychedelic for my personal taste, but always seem to have a killer hook waiting for me around the corner.  While the six songs on this EP are really diverse, they are all super catchy and fit together like puzzle pieces.  It's just a great listen start to finish.

12" EPs aren't my favorite format on the best of days, I always just think that it would be better to wait until you have a few more songs and then put out a full length.  But when you hand me six songs this good and this cohesive, it's hard to argue that it wasn't the right call.  Though you could probably convince me that adding four more songs just as good wouldn't be a bad idea either...

Your Pest Band -  Automatic Aspiration 12":
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/automatic-aspiration

Hard Feelings - Sideways LP

Dirt Cult / Lost Cat (2018)

Sideways is the second album by Hard Feelings, though it's the first I've heard from them.  It's a really eclectic record that at times sounds like the one of the best bands I've ever heard and at other times leaves me scratching my head a little.

I will say this, the highs on this record are really high and absolutely make it a worthwhile pickup.  Opener "Tomorrow Never Knows" and others like "Don't Know You" and "Evildoers" see the band as a fast paced, melodic punk powerhouse.  Channeling crunchy guitars and midwestern basement show vibes into a potent blast of hooks.  The band is firing on all cylinders and this side of their sound is pretty flawless.

When the band strays from that formula, the results are a bit more scattershot.  There are huge successes like "Vision" that brings in a Marked Men meets A Giant Dog vibe.  You could argue this is the best song on the album and it's a sheer delight to listen to.

But then there are songs like "Morality" and "Black Skies" that are glammy in a way that reminds me of the aforementioned A Giant Dog as well as the band Napalmpom.  These songs really jump out when you're listening to the record and not always in the best way as they sound so different than what came before.  I give a ton of credit for making a diverse record with surprises around every corner, but there are songs where, for me, it doesn't come together as well.

Still, the successful songs far outnumber the ones that I don't like as much and Sideways is a bold, inventive record that warrants multiple listens.  Each time out it makes a little more sense to me.

Hard Feelings - Sideways
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sideways

The Pretty Flowers - Why Trains Crash LP - Yellow Vinyl (/100)

Dirt Cult (2018)

Let's cut to the chase.  This record is phenomenal.  Go buy it right now.  If you are wondering if there is a great record out there that's slipping below your radar, this is the one you're worried about.  Stop what you are doing and go buy it immediately.

I can't possibly say enough good things about this album.  The Pretty Flowers have created a perfect storm of fuzzy guitar riffs, incredibly catchy hooks and lyrical melodies that are impossible to get out of your head.  From the opening salvo of "Cream Of Canvas," you are instantly drawn into to its big Weezer-esque guitar solo (Blue album era Weezer, not that stuff they're doing on one of those recent Weezer albums that you didn't even know came out).  The guitars keep building up until that flawless chorus hits.  It's a killer song and only the first of many that await.

Let's move on to track three, "Some Girls."  I can say without a bit of trepidation that this is the best non-Hot Snakes song that has come out all year.  It's fucking perfect.  Once again, a short lead guitar riff punctuates the hook, and the vocals are constantly rattling around in my head, made even more impactful with the harmonies that kick in on verse two.  I have probably listened to this song a hundred times since I got this record (I've likely listened to the whole thing about fifty times or so). It gets better every single time I hear it.

The rest of the album continues this excellence.  Whether the song veers towards a mellower Weakerthans vibe like on "Chip My Paint" or if they're blasting into full on Built To Spill guitar insanity like on "Temple of Gunpowder," The Pretty Flowers hit every single song out of the park.

In a year where John Reis didn't put out an album, Why Trains Crash is almost a shoe in for album of the year.  Even with a Hot Snakes record on heavy rotation, I've been playing this Pretty Flowers album kind of non-stop the last few weeks.  After hearing this, I immediately ordered the band's other two 7"s and a T shirt from their Bandcamp page.  Anything I can do to support them and hear more music.  This is that kind of band, the one where you hear their record and you just know you're probably going to be listening to it for the rest of your life.  Go buy this now.

The Pretty Flowers - Why Trains Crash:
https://theprettyflowers.bandcamp.com/album/why-trains-crash
 

Character Actor - Out Of Hands 7"

 

 Dirt Cult (2018)

I recently picked up a batch of new records from Dirt Cult, a label that I implicitly trust with their releases (except those really fast hardcore leaning ones, they're not my bag so much).  There were several highlights, others that I'll be writing about soon, but I wanted to start out with this fantastic 7" from Character Actor.

While the players have previously been in bands like The Ergs, Black Wine and Night Birds, Character Actor have more in common with the sort of fuzzy guitar punk that bands like Fear Of Lipstick or The Creeps have released.  The first three songs all clock in under two minutes long and are quick bursts of punchy guitar and energetic vocals.  There's some great hooks in here and part of me wishes the band wasn't quite so economical with their time.

The final song on the 7", "72 Paperbacks," changes things up a little bit, slowing down the tempo and extending the length of the song.  It still manages to be just as impactful as the prior three with a lower key, but still driving rhythm section and some minimal, but very effective lead guitar riffs.  All in all a great debut, hopefully this isn't the last we hear from these guys.  I would absolutely pick up a full length.

Character Actor - Out Of Hands 7"
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/character-actor

Unwelcome Guests - Anything You Want LP

Dirt Cult (2017)

I couldn't tell you why it's taken me so long to write about this newest Unwelcome Guests album.  They're a band I've been listening to for a really long time and I have just about all of their records, but for whatever reason this album lingered in the to do pile for way too long.  I've been listening to it for a while and I can say conclusively that it's as good if not better than anything else they've ever released.  Which is to say it's quite good.

I've often tried to describe Unwelcome Guests by saying they seem to take the lead guitar dynamics of Dinosaur Jr. and mesh them into a rootsy, boozy Replacements style of songwriting.  It's never as chaotic or ear blistering as Dinosaur Jr., but it's certainly not straight up Replacements worship either as the energy of the lead guitar and punk rock song structure keep things lively and engaging.  

If I had to say any sort of generic descriptor, it would be that Unwelcome Guests are pitch perfect indie rock for today in the same way that Archers of Loaf were when they came out with Icky Mettle.  I don't think the records sound the same, but they both set themselves apart as standard bearers for the genre.  Needless to say, I dig this album quite a bit and I wish it hadn't taken me so long to write about it and say so.

Unwelcome Guests - Anything You Want:

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/anything-you-want

The Chinchees - The Chinchees LP

Self Released (2017) 

The Chinchees come from Minneapolis and this is their debut album.  To say this one has caught me by surprise would be a massive understatement.  I received this LP right as I was in the very thick of my '2017 is really a down year for new releases' lamentations.  The very second the needle hit the wax on this one, I completely reevaluated that statement.  Sure, 2017 may not quite have the same number of amazing releases as some of the more recent years, but with an album like this floating around, it's pretty hard to say it's been a dissappointing year for new music.

What gets me the most about The Chinchees is how they straddle the line between Marked Men style fuzz pop and Superchunk-like catchiness.  The hooks are more reminiscent of early Superchunk, but that have the sort of speedy intensity that you find in the Marked Men.  I don't care how you want to split the difference, the fact is that The Chinchees have quietly dropped one of the best two or three albums of the year.  And to think, I could have missed it while I was complaining about 2017.

This particular version is the first pressing that the band self released.  Dirt Cult records has stepped in and is handling the repress.  Hopefully that will help spread the word about The Chinchees.  This debut album of theirs is just great and everyone should have the chance to hear it.  Plus, Dirt Cult did a repress on colored vinyl, so I'm debating grabbing one of those at some point even though I already have this copy.  That's how good this record is.

The Chinchees - The Chinchees:

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-chinchees

Needles//Pins - Good Night, Tomorrow LP - Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl (/100)

Dirt Cult / Mint (2017)

I've been a pretty big fan of Needles//Pins for quite some time.  From trying desperately to get their first record label to actually mail me the LP I ordered (I'm pretty sure the band had to intervene on my behalf to finally get me said record) to their newest LP on Mint and Dirt Cult, this is a band I've been all in on.  I think I've mentioned before that the record that I first hear about a band tends to be my favorite of theirs.  Needles//Pins breaks that mold as Good Night, Tomorrow is their best yet.

While the band still has the sort of embedded Canadian pop energy shared by many of their peers, Needles//Pins takes a bit of a turn with their sound on their latest.  It's a little more punk than power pop.  Vocally they're really embracing their gruffness, eschewing some of the nasally inclinations of the past.  The result is an album that leans sonically closer to early Leatherface than Bum or Steve Adamyk Band.

Another change in the band is the overall tempo of the songs.  Things are slowed down a bit on Good Night, Tomorrow to great success.  It gives every chord and riff more meaning and it lets everything breathe a bit.  While the songs on this album aren't slow by any means, taking thing down just a notch has let the band really find their stride and they churn out hit after hit as a result.  It's a pretty great and one of the better records I've heard this year.  Worth checking out for sure.

Needles//Pins - Good Night, Tomorrow:

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/good-night-tomorrow

Chandeli'ers - Breaker LP - Blue Vinyl (/100)

Dead Broke / Dirt Cult (2016)

There are few labels that I trust more than Dirt Cult and Dead Broke.  When they unite their super powers on a single release, you can be pretty sure it's something special.  Chandeli'ers are following up a 12" EP with their first full length and it's a pretty solid offering.

Chandeli'ers may be a somewhat difficult name to have to type multiple times over the course of a review, but their music is the exact opposite.  Breaker is a collection of easy to listen to power pop hits, perfect for gatherings around a pitcher of iced tea in the backyard.  To me, their most kindred spirit is probably the band Nude Beach.  But Chandeli'ers are more liberal with their accompanying instrumentation, expertly introducing keyboards and brass into their songs.  In many ways they remind me of The Ballantynes in this regard.

Another place Chandeli'ers excel is with harmonies.  The alternating boy/girl vocals are great, but when they join up to sing together, that is when the magic really happens.  If you dig a good power pop record, Breaker is definitely worth giving a listen.

Chandeli'ers - Breaker:

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/breaker

Divers - Achin' On 7" - Clear Vinyl (/100) & Black Vinyl

Dirt Cult / Snuffy Smiles (2016)

I'm not sure if it's all that noticeable, but despite the crazy amount of records I buy, I try not to get too caught up in the variant hunt.  Sure there are a handful of bands where I do feel the need to have every version of every record, but for most part I'm perfectly content just having one copy.  Though admittedly, I do always want the most limited version.  Well, in addition to the few bands I will go variant crazy for, I also want to try to have a complete collection of Snuffy Smiles 7"s, so when this Divers 7" popped up, I had to pick up both versions.

The A-side, "Achin' On" is a nice little slab off Tom Petty inspired rock and roll.  It has a pulsing bass line and some subtle hooks.  I definitely hear some similarities to the band Nude Beach, but Divers seems to be a touch more melancholy.  It's a great song though.  B-side "Can't Do That" is a Dead Moon cover.  While I'm not familiar with the original, The Divers version is a low key, somewhat murky track.  Pretty good, but I dig the A-side more.

I did like these songs enough that I also orders the Divers full length from last year.   I'll write something up about that in the next week or so as well.

Divers - Achin' On 7":

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/achin-on-b-w-cant-do-that-dead-moon

Defect Defect - My Life Is Like Death 7"

Snuffy Smiles / Dirt Cult (2015)

From reading the little description for this 7" on the Dirt Cult Bandcamp page, it looks like these songs were the result of one last recording session before Defect Defect called it a day.  The reason?  Seems that the band was asked by Snuffy Smiles to tour Japan.  I can absolutely see how that will make you delay your break-up for a bit.  I would do the same.  Heck, I'd join Defect Defect for a chance like that.

Snuffy Smiles is a co-conspirator on this 7" along with Dirt Cult.  I can't say that I love this 7".  It's alright for a band that leans towards the hardcore punk rock spectrum of things; they don't scream nearly as much as a lot of bands do.  There's some gruff, angry sounding vocals, but it never breaks down into unintelligible yelling.  So that's a plus from my point of few.

The other side to the coin is like a lot of hardcore leaning bands they seem a bit trapped in a box.  The guitars are playing their chords, the drumming is intense and powerful and the bass is thumping along, but it never really feels inspired and the songs are all a little predictable.  More than anything it just sounds kind of old to me.  I realize that probably sounds like some major league bullshit coming from the guy so obviously obsessive of the rock and roll sounds of the 90's.  Defect Defect seems to be throwing back to a time earlier than those golden years.  I guess that's a time and a sound I'm just not as enthralled with.

Defect Defect - My Life Is Like Death 7":

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/my-life-is-like-death