The Arrivals - Payload LP - Yellow Vinyl (/250)

Recess (2026)

The Arrivals popped onto my radar with their 2010 album Volatile Molotov.  I remember reading such incredible things about it and the fact that Paddy from Dillinger Four was on bass pushed me over the edge to pick that album up.  And I was underwhelmed at first.  Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it didn't really grab me aside from the closing track "Simple Pleasures in America."  But that song did a lot of heavy lifting.  Its strength kept me going back to the record and it did that thing that a lot of great records do.  It grew on me.  A lot.  Today, I can say I unequivocally love that record and I've been waiting 16 years for a follow up that seemed like was never going to arrive (heh).  Well, it finally has.

I had very lofty expectations for Payload upon its arrival (OK, I'll stop now).  And having spent some time with it over the past few weeks, I'm sort of in the same boat as I was with Volatile Molotov at first.  It's unquestionably a very good record and I enjoy listening to it, but it's not knocking me over or providing any 'holy shit' type moments.  This time out, I have a different perspective on the band based on how the last record grew on me, so I've been patient and that patience is paying off.   I still haven't had that 'holy shit' moment yet, but every time I listen to this record it gets better than I thought it was the previous time.

Part of that is probably because of the lyrics and how it takes some listens for the ideals and imagery to sink it.   This is a band that is actually saying something and if you're the the sort of person where lyrics aren't the initial thing you pay attention to when listening to an album (for me, it's never been the first time I focus on), you're going to miss some of the subtleties and messages.  But after a while, the way these stories are woven into very catchy working-class punk rock start clicking and for me there's another click every time I put this on the turntable.

Like Volatile Molotov, I fully expect this to end up being one of my favorite records of the year.  Truthfully, it already is, but by December I expect to be singing its praises from the highest mountain.  It's a grower and I'm being patient and giving it the time it needs.

The Arrivals - Payload:

https://recessrecords.bandcamp.com/album/payload

Pinhead Gunpowder - Kick Over The Traces LP - Green Vinyl

Recess (2010)

I've been on a real kick of listening to early 90s Lookout records style pop punk lately.  I think it's in part because of the Mr. T Experience reissues that have been coming out, but I certainly haven't limited my playlist to their records.  I've been listening to a lot of Pinhead Gunpowder and while I do have all of their 7"s and the other 10" and LPs that came out in the 90s and early 2000s, I am missing a few key pieces on vinyl.

I don't have Jump Salty on vinyl.  I have all of the singles and comps on vinyl that make up that album, but I only have the CD Lookout put out of Jump Salty.  I want this on vinyl bad, but apparently there was some sort of issue when it was pressed and most of the copies were recalled.  I'll just say this, if anyone has a copy they'd be willing to sell or trade to me, please get in touch.

In order to fill the gaps a bit, I decided to pick up Kick Over The Traces.  This is essentially a Pinhead Gunpowder greatest hits album.  It has six songs from Jump Salty on it, so at least that's a start.  It's actually a really solid compilation of the band's best songs.  All eras are represented and it features tracks from Carry The Banner, Goodbye Ellston Ave, Compulsive Disclosure, Shoot The Moon and more.

I've always loved this band and I even prefer them to early Green Day when push comes to shove.  Their songs have that little extra grittiness to them that I like while still managing to cram in all of those wonderful pop hooks that drive me wild.  Plus I finally have the electric version of the song "Landlords" on an easy to play format.  It's one of my favorite Pinhead Gunpowder songs, but only has existed on a 7" previously.  When the Compulsive Disclosure CD was put out, an acoustic version of "Landlords" appeared.

Typically I'm not the biggest fan of greatest hits records.  I own very few as I would much rather listen to a band's full album concept.  But in this instance, it's kind of a placeholder until I can find my own copy of Jump Salty.  Plus, Jump Salty was just a compilation of other previously released Pinhead Gunpowder songs anyway.  This will do for now.

Pinhead Gunpowder - "Landlords":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG3oz803RZc

Pinhead Gunpowder - "Losers of the Year":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j5UHfRQrkI

Pinhead Gunpowder - "Swan Song":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6MBvuTR-l0

Iron Chic / Toys That Kill - Split 12"

Dead Broke / Recess (2019)

While I have mentioned in the past that split 12"s are not my preferred medium to enjoy music, it is hard to complain about that too much when presented with a release like this.  Would I rather have a new full length by each band? Probably.  But would I have preferred this to be a split 7" with less songs? No, I don't think that I would, despite the fact that in general I think the split 7" is a far superior way to have two bands share a release.  In this specific instance, I wouldn't want to cut any of the songs from either band.

Iron Chic has become so woven into the fabric of my record collection that I typically use them as a reference point when trying to describe other bands.  The way they combine their hook filled driving music with anthemic vocals is such an incredible talent.  The other thing that is equally impressive is how consistently great their songs tend to be.  There's very seldom any dip in quality.  They're a goddamn hit machine.  The four songs they contribute to this split are as strong as anything else in their catalog.  In particular, "Kid Icarus" stands out to me as the best of the bunch.  It's so catchy that the entire song feels like a bunch of choruses put together instead of wasting time with something pesky like verses.

Toys The Kill are one of those bands that I always tend to like when I hear them, though they're not one that I typically buy every single release of that I see.  I'm not sure why that is though, as they tend to be one of the more creative and interesting bands in the corner of punk rock that I tend to gravitate towards.  Their contributions to this split are no exception as there are songs that are quite varied in style and tempo.  You'll have the caveman stomp rhythm of a song like "The Cut Up Boy" that transitions right into a song like "Where Have All The Kids Gone," which is structured much more like a straight up pop song.  No matter what they attempt, they always seem to pull it off and that's a unique talent that very few bands can lay claim to.

Iron Chic / Toys That Kill - Split 7"
https://ironchic.bandcamp.com/album/iron-chic-toys-that-kill-split-lp