Good Shade - Way Out LP

Dirtnap (2019)

I'm really happy to see Good Shade releasing an album on Dirtnap records.  Since I picked up their first LP that came out after the dissolution of Tight Bros, I've always thought that they would fit well in the Dirtnap sonic landscape and there's nothing that I like more than being right.  Way Out is the fourth Good Shade album I've bought and I think it's probably my favorite of the bunch (Though I'm surprised it's called Way Out and not Dinner as the last two Good Shade albums were called Breakfast and Lunch).

Good Shade have a Marked Men vibe going on for sure and that's the main reason why I though Dirtnap would be a good home for them.  The album starts off with hyper speed drumming that meshes in with interesting chord progressions to create a canvas for the soaring vocal melodies.  As the album progresses, the velocity comes down a notch, but the hooks never waver.  While the B side is more low key than the songs that came before it, in a lot of ways this is where Good Shade really shines.

There isn't a bad song in the bunch, but the faster ones that stand out most to me are album opener "Maybe" and "Must Have Been."   "I Don't Want Anymore" and "Just Leave" are my favorite of the slower batch.  If you are into albums by Chinese Telephones, Steve Adamyk Band or Mike Krol I'd be shocked if Way Out didn't end up in your record collection.  Birds of a feather and all...

Good Shade - Way Out:
https://dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/good-shade-way-out

Good Shade - Lunch LP

Gut Genug / A-F Records

Lunch is the third Good Shade album that has been released.  it follows up their self titled debut and their last album Breakfast.  I can only assume Dinner is on the horizon, though perhaps they'll throw a curveball and put out an Afternoon Snack while we wait.  The pressing information on this album is a little scattered.  What I think happened is 175 copies are available through the band and Gut Genug records.  The other 125 seem to have been part of the A-F record club, so I think that puts us at 300 copies total.  I bought this one from the band, but the A-F website mentions something about exclusive artwork for their version.  The world my never know.

As far as Lunch is concerned, in many ways this album is another batch of tried and true songs from Good Shade.  They've always had something of a Marked Men feel to them, ever since they spun off from the equally excellent Tight Bros.  This album does take the band in a few new direction, slowing things down a little bit and taking a slightly darker twist than they have in the past.  It results in an album with variety, but still sounds like the Good Shade I know and love.

I tend to prefer the faster songs, as they have an energy to them that doesn't shine through quite as much when things slow down, but I can't say there's a bad song on the album.  Absolutely worth picking up if you like Dirtnap style fuzz pop.

Good Shade - Lunch LP:

https://goodshade.bandcamp.com/album/lunch

Good Shade - Breakfast CD

Gut Genug (2016)

CD's do still have a place in my world.  Sure, I'd never buy one if there is a vinyl version available, but I'd rather buy a hundred CDs than one cassette.  At this point I can't imagine it's more expensive to do a cheapo CD than to do a cassette.  I haven't price checked either, but you'd think the CD duplication process would be a lot easier.  Regardless, even though I wish this new Good Shade album had been released on vinyl, I'm glad they avoided the tape route and went with a good old fashioned CD.

Good Shade is a band that is flying way under the radar and that's a damn shame because this is the second straight album they've released that just rips from start to finish.  Good Shade is the brain child of Shane Natalie and he plays all of the instruments on this album.  He was also in Tight Bros, a band that I really dig.  I'm not sure if they're still together though.  Anyone know?  Anyway, Breakfast is a non stop attack of hooks and buzz saw guitar.  A little bit Marked Men and a little bit Sonic Avenues.  I could certainly see this album on Dirtnap and it definitely deserves that kind of exposure.

2016 has been something of a lackluster year for new albums so far, especially truly great, fun pop albums.  This is the sort of record that turns your entire year around.  Breakfast is a top tier punked out pop album and it really should be picked up at all costs (and actually the cost is ridiculously cheap on the Good Shade Bandcamp page, so there's really no excuse).  Oh, there's also a little note in the CD artwork that just says "1 of 3" with no other info.  Could that mean Lunch and Dinner albums are on the way? I sure hope so.

Good Shade - Breakfast:

https://goodshade.bandcamp.com/album/breakfast

The Absolute Best Records Of 2015

 

Many times throughout the year I had commented on how 2015 seemed like a year that had a lot of really good records, but seemed to be lacking in drop dead great ones.  I'll admit that when I sat down to work on this list, I ended up being presented with a lot more records that I loved this year than I was expecting.  The top 20 in particular is damn strong.  Aside from Clearance, I didn't have those records that I just played non stop over and over again this year, but looking back at it, 2015 was nothing to sneeze at.  Some pretty good records came out this year.  I don't have time to discuss them all, but I do have some extra thoughts on a few.

The record that really did it for me this year was Clearance.  I am a sucker for Pavement, so when Clearance decided to pop by and pick up that torch, I was all too pleased to follow along.  It's such a perfect record from top to bottom.  I can't think of a record that I went back to over and over again as much as Clearance.  These guys are on the right track and I really hope they keep pumping out new tunes.

The Mountain Goats and Royal Headache also both received a ton of play out of me this year.  Even though the record was about pro wrestling and I figured that would be fun for a listen or two, I was shocked at how much I genuinely enjoyed the Mountain Goats, especially as I had never been that much of a fan previously.  Royal Headache was top notch, but there were a couple of songs in the middle of the record that slowed things down a bit and may have kept it from the top spot. Third of the year is still pretty great.  Good Shade technically was released digitally in 2014, but the LP came out this year, so it's going on my list.  Wonk Unit may not totally deserve to be on the list on a technicality as it's a compilation of previously released songs, but it was their first time on vinyl, and I hadn't heard them previously, so on it goes.

Lastly at number fourteen is Unlikely Friends.  I didn't review that record this year.  It didn't come out on vinyl, so I kept putting off buying it hoping it would eventually be released.  It didn't happen so I finally ordered the CD but I waited too long.  I'll get a review of that up first thing in the new year, but it's really worth a listen.

01 - Clearance - Rapid Rewards - Tall Pat (Listen)
02 - The Mountain Goats - Beat The Champ - Merge (Listen)
03 - Royal Headache - High - What's Your Rupture (Listen)
04 - Good Shade - Good Shade - Gut Genug (Listen)
05 - Wonk Unit - Feel The Wonkness - Drunken Sailor (Listen)
06 - Swami John Reis & The Blind Shake - Modern Surf Classics - Swami (Listen)
07 - Warm Soda - Symbolic Dream - Castleface (Listen)
08 - Red Dons - The Dead Hand Of Tradition - Taken By Surprise (Listen)
09 - Outtacontroller - Television Zombie LP - Southpaw (Listen)
10 - Lost Balloons - Lost Balloons - Alien Snatch (Listen)

11 - Widows Watch - This Message Repeats - Toxic Pop
12 - Radioactivity - Silent Kill - Dirtnap
13 - Hungry Tiger - Hungry Tiger - Sex Sheet
14 - Unlikely Friends - Solid Gold Cowboys - Jigsaw
15 - Sweet John Bloom - Weird Prayer - Tiny Engines
16 - Ash - Kablammo - E.A.R.
17 - Tenement - Predatory Headlights - Don Giovanni
18 - Beach Slang - The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us - Polyvinyl
19 - The Barreracudas - Can Do Easy - Oops Baby
20 - Beach Party - Broken Machine - Sex Sheet

21 - The Ballantynes - Dark Drives, Life Signs - La-Ti-Da
22 - ИO​​/​​​/​​​/​​sé - Lower Berth - 1859/Man In Decline
23 - The Blind Shake - Fly Right - Slovenly
24 - Nervous Talk - Nervous Talk - Hosehead
25 - King Khan and BBQ Show - Bad News Boys - In The Red
26 - The Sonics - This Is The Sonics - ReVox
27 - Built To Spill - Untethered Moon
28 - Mikal Cronin - MCIII - Merge
29 - Legendary Wings - Do You See? - Dirtnap
30 - Apocalypse Meow - The End Is Nigh - Sex Sheet/Rad Girlfriend

Other Records I Picked Up This Year:
Archers Of Loaf - Curse Of The Loaf - ARRA Music
Baby Shakes - Starry Eyes - Lil Chewy
Built In Sun - Built In Sun - PIAPTK
The Butterscotch Cathedral - The Butterscotch Cathedral - Trouble In Mind
Casual - Casual - Dead Broke / Square of Opposition
Hex Dispensers - III - Alien Snatch
Hysterese - Hysterese - Dirt Cult
Hospital Job - Never Get Cold - Rad Girlfriend / It's Alive
Jaill - Brain Cream - Burger
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Freedom Tower - Mom + Pop
The Knew - Schmew - Greater Than
Mandates - In The Back Of Your Heart - Hosehead/Taken By Surprise
Maniac - Demimonde - La-Ti-Da
Mac McCaughan - Non Believers - Merge
Nervosas - Nervosas - Dirtnap
Pale Angels - Imaginary People - Recess
Phylums - Phylum Phyloid - Dirtnap
The Rubs - The Rubs Are Trash - Tall Pat
Sanhose - Pi - Snuffy Smiles
Shadow In the Cracks - Shadow In The Cracks - Goner
The Soaks - The Soaks - Riot House
Spraynard - Mable - Jade Tree
Wavves - V - Mom + Pop
World's Fair - Leisurely - Rok Lok

Previously:
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009

Good Shade - S/T LP - Yellow Vinyl (/200)

Gut Genug (2015)

Even though this record is brand spanking new, I've actually spent quite a bit of time with these songs.  I first became aware of them as a digital only Bandcamp download.  It's one of the dudes from Tight Bros, so you can bet I grabbed that instantly.  I was really hoping for a proper vinyl release so when Smellhound Records announced it and tossed up a preorder, I was on that immediately as well.  Time went by and Smellhound no longer was part of the equation, but at long last the vinyl is here courtesy of Gut Genug records.

Good Shade are playing high energy, fast paced, super catchy punk rock.  They have some similarities to Tight Bros for sure and if you enjoy The Marked Men or Chinese Telephones, this record is essential to add to your collection.  The lightning quick downstroke guitar strumming blasts into big sing along choruses.  The vocals have that slight coating of fuzz that enhances the song, rather than try to hide the singer's voice.  Simply put, Good Shade has crafted a phenomenal album 

I really can't say enough great things about Good Shade.  This is hands down one my favorite records of the year so far and honestly you're a fool if you don't go grab this right away.  It's just a tremendous record.

Good Shade - Good Shade LP:

https://goodshade.bandcamp.com/album/good-shade