The Dirtbombs / Soledad Brothers - Split 7" - Green Vinyl (#61/100)

Cass (2016)

First and foremost, I have to send out a gigantic thank you to my friend @skot1107 as I would not have this record if not for his kindness.  On New Year's eve this past year The Dirtbombs and Soledad Brothers played a show in Detroit at a venue called The Magic Stick.  There, and only there, could you buy this split 7".   It was limited to 100 copies and Scott was a wonderful person and picked up a copy for me as he was at the show.

Soledad Brothers are a band that I remember from my days working in the music biz.  I'm fairly confident I worked with one of their records at some point, but I honestly don't really remember.  So many of those records are just a blur.  Anyway, their contribution to the split is a slow and funky, yet rootsy song called "Human Race Blues."  It has a bluesy charm to it and is a good listen, but honestly it doesn't really blow me away.  It's a good song, but not the sort of thing that would make me run out and buy a bunch of their records.

For me the main attraction is the Dirtbombs.  They are a band that I like more often than I don't, but they have enough weird stuff out there that I've never really gone all in on them.  Though it appears that their contribution to the split, "Kick Me," is also available on another 7" of theirs, this was the first time I've heard it.  It's definitely one of their better songs.  The soulful groove of the bass and drums churn forward with the fuzzed out guitar leading the way.  It's got a big sing along chorus and I feel like I would have all of The Dirtbombs records if they all sounded like this.  Or if they sounded like the Ooey Gooey Chewy Kablooey LP.  I love that one too.

The Dirtbombs - Kick Me:

https://soundcloud.com/absentminded/kick-me

The Dirtbombs - Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey - Pink Vinyl (/200)

The Dirtbombs - Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey - Pink Vinyl (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

In The Red (2013)

I can't say that I've ever been all that into The Dirtbombs. Admittededly, I've only heard a few songs here and there and whenever I read about them, it seems like their doing some weirdo concept album. Well, Ooey Gooey Chewy Ka-blooey is one of their weirdo concept albums, and if every Dirtbombs record sounded like this, I'd probably own all of the other Dirtbombs records.

This is The Dirtbombs take on late 60's / early 70's bubblegum pop rock. You know, songs like "Yummy Yummy Yummy" and "Sugar Sugar?" The Dirtbombs serve up an entire album of tracks inspired by that genre. The result is just pure summertime bliss. Every song is upbeat and catchy. The hooks are simple in execution but are extremely well written. The band is not mocking this genre at all, they're lovingly embracing its sound and building on top of it.

There are so many standouts on this record, right from the opening track "Sugar On Top," with it's cowbell heavy drum beat and alternating vocal/guitar verse. There's the driving guitar riffs and sweet vocals of "Jump And Shout" and the pop perfection of "Sunshine Girl," the song with hands down the best chorus on this album. You'll here bits of inspiration peppered through. A piece of "Mony Mony" here, a taste of "Good Vibrations" there, but The Dirtbombs always tweak the formula just a bit to keep it their own.

If you can't tell, I really love this album. I hope that the band doesn't release this record into the world as a one off. They're way too good at this style of music to never go back to it. Plus, I really need to go back and check out some of the band's other albums. Any recommendations?

The Dirtbombs - Sugar On Top:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBqDDRDMz1s

The Dirtbombs - Crazy For You:
soundcloud.com/enablerpr/crazy-for-you