Superdrag - In The Valley Of Dying Stars LP

Superdrag Sound Laboratories (2021, Reissue)

Superdrag is a band that I have always liked.  Ever since the first time I heard the song "Sucked Out" from their debut album, I was a fan.  I've always liked that first album the most and I admittedly have not kept up with them over the years.  There are definitely entire Superdrag albums that I've never listened to.  But Their first three albums are the ones I'm most familiar with and I'm pleased to finally have that third release on vinyl.

Somehow, I managed to buy this record on black vinyl, even though there are a multitude of other colors available.  I remember waking up early in the morning the day the preorder went live and seeing a few colored versions, but I didn't order right away/. I got up, did my normal morning chores and by the time I got back to the site, only the black vinyl remained.  Then, later that afternoon, other colors suddenly became available.  

It's not really a big deal, Superdrag is not a band that I go crazy collecting variants for, I really just wanted a copy on vinyl so I could listen to it.   But the collector in me is annoyed that I don't have either the most limited or the coolest looking version.  I'll survive.  Musically, this sounds as good as it did when I first heard it in 2000.  It's the last Superdrag album I really listened to extensively, but it's also my least favorite of the first three.  There are other albums that they have that never were released on vinyl.  If those come out, I'll probably be tempted to pick them up.  Maybe I'm missing out on a lost gem.

Superdrag - In The Valley Of Dying Stars:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lMPscmco7WYcBqzDkrvRFFSMdeip85l8E

Billy No Mates - S.F. Sourdough LP - Green Vinyl (/100)

10 Past 12 / Unless You Try (2021)

You may or may not know that I am a gigantic Snuff fan.  They are one of my very favorite bands in the world and I usually mention them, Leatherface and Rocket From The Crypt as the three most important bands to me.  Like John Reis from Rocket and Frankie Stubbs from Leatherface, I tend to follow Duncan Redmonds from Snuff to whatever other project he has brewing.  Guns N Wankers is probably the most famous of his other bands, but Billy No Mates is the one that has the most non-Snuff records out.

S.F. Sourdough is the fourth Billy No Mates album and this time Duncan is joined by luminaries of the US punk rock scene.  On this recording are Joey Cape from Lagwagon, Sergie Loobkoff from Samiam/Knapsack and some guy named Chicken.  He's from a band called Dead to Me that I'm not familiar with.  I have to say, I was especially intrigued by what Duncan and Sergie would do together as they both have some much great work under their belts and both have a really distinct point of view in their punk rock.  In that regard I was a little let down.

This album sounds pretty much like the other Billy No Mates albums.  That's not really a bad thing or a complaint, but I mostly hear Duncan's point of view on these songs.  I like his point of view, so that's good, but unless you told me Sergie was on this record, I would have never known.  That said, we have a bunch of nice melodic punk songs that have similarities with some of the more modern Snuff albums and some others that are more unique to what Billy No Mates has cranked out in the past.

It's a good record and it's nice to have something new that has come out in 2021 that I really dig.  Even though this is technically from 2010...

Billy No Mates - S.F. Sourdough LP:
https://snuffuk.bandcamp.com/album/s-f-sourdough-2

Operation Ivy - Hectic 12" - Clear Vinyl (/500)

Operation Ivy - Hectic 12" - Clear Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hellcat (2012)

Figured it was best to post this picture today as a companion to the post about Energy from Yesterday. Same pressing breakdown from Hellcat, though in this instance, I don't get this re-release. It doesn't make sense to me why you would release this as a 12". It did perfectly well as a 7" for years and years. I suppose the sound quality is a bit better, but to me, it just feels like an excuse to charge more money for it. If not for the Hot Topic coupon I found, I would have been really annoyed having to pay too much for this record. With the coupon, it's only a minor annoyance.

Operation Ivy - Hectic:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXzLNHGTXU

Hooper - The Shallows 7" - Purple Vinyl

Hooper - The Shallows 7" - Purple Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hot little 2 song single by a band called Hooper. It appears to be their debut, and I hope it's the first of many releases to come. Hooper show a hybrid of 90s influences, and that's a surefire way to get me to pay attention these days. They've got hooky choruses with big 90s indie rock bass lines and they keep up a tempo and energy similar to the band Sundials. I absolutely love how 1990s indie rock has become a viable genre again. Perhaps that makes me old and out of touch, but that doesn't bother me at all.

Hooper - 100 Acre Slingshot (via Bandcamp):

Collection: Built To Spill 7"s

Collection: Built To Spill 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Time for another collection picture, this time focusing on a long time indie rock favorite, Built To Spill. The first Built To Spill record I bought was out of the used bin at Flipside Records in NJ. I took a chance on the So & So So & So From Wherever Wherever 7" for 2 dollars. Well, I'm sure you can see by the picture above that I was immediately taken by this band and set out to get everything else. As Built To Spill has grown and changed over the years, they're one of the very few bands that has never lost me. I can always appreciate the direction they're going and while I don't think that they're one of the better live bands I've seen (a bit too jammy for me these days) their records are pretty flawless.

Built To Spill - Car / Girl - Face The Music -Green Vinyl
Built To Spill - Car / Girl - Face The Music - White Vinyl
Built To Spill - Joyride - K - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - So And So So And So - Saturine - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - Distopian Dream Girl - Up - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - Car / Scarin - City Slang - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - In The Morning - City Slang - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill / Marine Research - Split - K - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - Untrustable - Warner - Clear Vinyl
Built To Spill - Center Of The Universe - Warner - Clear Blue
Built To Spill - Center Of the Universe - City Slang - Black
Built To Spill - Strange - Warner - Clear Blue
Built To Spill - Conventional Wisdom - Warner - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - Don't Try / the Source - Warner - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - Water Sleepers - Warner - Black Vinyl
Built To Spill - Ripple - Warner - Picture Disc
V/A - Spunk Issue 6 - Spunk - Black Vinyl

Missing: Actually, I don't believe I'm missing anything. If you know of any wacky variant that's not in my picture here, let me know.

Built To Spill - So and So So and So from Wherever Wherever:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wog1iKR7550

Built To Spill - Joyride:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gncB-kQUUgQ

Little Cuts - Plastic Disaster 7" - Red Vinyl /200

Little Cuts - Plastic Disaster 7" - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap Records (2011)

Fronted by Dave Hernandez, a man who has served time in Scared of Chaka and the Shins, this Little Cuts 7" is nothing if not diverse. The A-Side & title track is a 50's throwback, with a sound that builds up with treble-y guitar along with borderline doo wop vocals. The 2nd track, He Finally Must Eat His Own, takes a catchy guitar riff for the verse, builds it up and then breaks the song into chaos during the chorus. The last track, RRHS, is a super sped up shouty assault. It's kind of a crazy ride over the course of 3 songs, but somehow it manages to work. I dig the title track the most personally, and if the band keeps putting out records, I hope that's a sound they spend more time exploring.

Little Cuts - Plastic Disaster (via Sound Cloud):
Little Cuts "Plastic Disaster" by 230MP3
soundcloud.com/230mp3/littlecuts-plasticdisaster

Steve Adamyk - Goodbye California CD

Steve Adamyk - Goodbye California CD, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Lost Cause Records (2003)

So like I said yesterday, here's a little surprise. An artifact lost in time. The very first Steve Adamyk CD (before there was a THE or a BAND) from 2003. It was released on a label called Lost Cause records, but that's about all of the information you're probably going to find about this record online. The only other hits that I found were a few college radio station playlists and message board posts from way back when.

Now, if you are expecting this to sound just like the more recent Steve Adamyk Band releases, you're barking up the wrong tree. This came out nearly 10 years ago and Steve Adamyk has had 10 additional years of perfecting his craft. What this CD does show is a time capsule, a work in progress. You can absolutely hear echoes of what is to come. From the dynamic chord progressions to the slick use of backing vocals, the pieces are here. There's some great songs on here, and a few that seem like Steve was still finding his way. Regardless it's an absolutely fascinating listen, especially if you are as obsessed as I am with the current incarnation of the band.

Sadly, I cannot find any of these songs streaming in any capacity and as I said when I started posting song links, I don't find it to be my place to be uploading anyone's music. But I will provide the track listing, who knows, if you search around, you may get lucky.

Track list:
1. 3 Miles And Back
2. Makeshift Lane
3. Got A Light
4. I'm Only Inspired By My Own Self Destruction
5. I Need Fire
6. Automated Man
7. Strychnine
8. Reality Dan
9. Without You
10. Celebration

Sloane Peterson - Why Go Out LP /300

Sloane Peterson - Why Go Out LP /300, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dead Broke / Art of The Underground / Hip Kid / Hang Up (2012)

A band that is sadly releasing their debut full length after they have already broken up. I give credit to all of the labels involved who ensured that this received a proper vinyl release and kept this great record from ending up as MP3s floating around in the ether. Sloane Peterson put out a handful of 7"s over the last couple of years that really caught my ear and had me eagerly awaiting more music. Catchy, energetic punk pop with a slightly nasal-y lead singer that really just sounded great. This LP is more of the same and it's a real shame that the band isn't going to keep going. As mentioned, there's only 300 of these pressed, with screened covers. While not a huge band by any stretch of the imagination, they have a good little following, so if you are interested, I'd grab a copy sooner than later.

Sloane Peterson - Why Go Out (Full Album Stream from BandCamp):

Grass~Show - Something Smells Good In Stinkville LP

Grass~Show - Something Smells Good In Stinkville LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Food Records (1997)

This is something of an oddity, and I really just happened to stumble across this band. I was on eBay, doing what I normally do, looking for records. Well, I was searching for Wannadies LPs, and a listing for this album came up. The listing said they were from Sweden and the record came out in 1997, so I started looking into the band a bit more online. Well, sure enough, these fellows sound an awful lot like the Wannadies to me. Perhaps the songs are a little more polished, a little bit more simplistic and kind of screaming for mid 90s radio airplay, but I have no problems at all with a nice slick pop record. A mild warning, there is a pretty goofy Ace of Bass cover that sneaks up on you in the middle of the record, but even that is kind of fun if you remember the context that this record is 16 years old, and wacky covers were 16 years less overdone than they are now.

Grass~Show - 1962:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU4WDOB0v8A

Grass~Show - Out Of The Void (Live-ish?):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnpU2heL7lQ

Wormburner - S/T LP

Wormburner - S/T LP /200, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Tapes Not Bombs (2011)

There's something about this record that makes me think of old times. Something that just feels mid 90's to me. I don't know that I can say that Wormburner is aping the sound of another, older band, but there's just something about their music that takes me back a bit. Though Wormburner's songs are at a faster tempo and significantly more poppy, aesthetically they really remind me of the band Boys Life. I don't know that a huge Boys Life fan is going to read that, buy the Wormburner record and then tell me I'm out of my mind, but both records just take me to that same place. That being said, I probably like this Wormburner LP better than Boys Life due primarily to the aforementioned faster tempo and poppier songs. I would bet fans of RVIVR may also enjoy. The record itself looks & sounds great, with a super slick glossy cover. Definitely worth a look, but they only made 200 of the, so look fast.

Wormburner - S/T Full Album Stream on Bandcamp:

Sick Sick Birds - Chemical Trains 7" - Yellow Vinyl /87

Sick Sick Birds - Chemical Trains 7" - Yellow Vinyl /87, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Toxic Pop Records (2007)

Very pleased to see this record sitting in someone's for sale list on a vinyl message board that I frequent. I already had this 7" on black vinyl and I already had the super limited transitional black & Yellow blotchy vinyl (There were only 13 of those). Finally I have the regular limited (if such a phrase exists) version of this 7". Sick Sick Birds are such a great band, and their limited discography is absolutely essential. So far they have this 7", a split 7" and 1 full length, though their 2nd full length is due out very soon. There was a super limited version of their first full length, Heavy Manners, limited to 9 numbered copies, right now that's the last record of theirs that I need, so if you have it and want to part with it, by all means get in touch. Tunes below!

Sick Sick Birds - Chemical Trains (Stream of entire 7" on Bandcamp):

V/A - Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Compilation 7" -Thanks @chrispager !

V/A - Beau's All Natural Brewing Company Compilation 7" - Thanks @chrispager !, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Beau's All Natural (2011)

This is a 7" that a local brewery in Ontario, Canada released that was sold with a specific limited beer that they were selling. Big points to them for a really awesome idea. Unfortunately, that made it a bit difficult for folks like me in the US to obtain. Luckily @chrispager was a great man and picked one up for me, helping me keep my White Wires collection complete. The bands on this 7" are The White Wires, The Flatliners, Chris Rayburn, Elliott Brood & Teenage X. Pretty varied rock and roll sounds overall, but I'm here for the White Wires who provided an alternate version to the song Ha Ha Holiday from their fist LP. Couldn't find this new version online, but here's a link to the album version of the song.

White Wires - Ha Ha Holiday:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4da-QDEZ64

Delay - Rushing Ceremony LP (Cover art not particularly safe for work)

Delay - Rushing Ceremony LP (Cover art not particularly safe for work), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Shout Out Loud (2012)

Long awaited (by me anyway) follow up to their last LP, Plain Language, Rushing ceremony sees Delay further developing their sound. They've slowed things down a bit focusing more on their indie pop side than on their pop punk stylings. The result is quite a treat. So many bands seem to lose their energy when they try to adjust the tempo of their songs, but Delay manage to still capture an incredible amount of enthusiasm and jam it into their songs. The vocals are the real highlight on this album as Delay employs harmonies and backing vocals better than about 90% of the bands currently putting out records.

I will say that I don't like or really get the artwork, but I hope it doesn't keep anyone from checking out this great, great record.

Bandcamp stream of the entire record:

W. H. Walker - Duds! LP

W. H. Walker - Duds!, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Taken By Surprise (2011)

Are you looking for a fun record? They don't get much more fun than Duds! It's a record full of rollicking, sing along party songs. I can't tell you how completely blown away by how infectious this album is. It sounds like a rag tag group of friends, sitting in the living room of the house they're squatting in, just banging away at their instruments without a care in the world. If there's a great record that came out last year that you missed, this is probably it (I missed it too). You should correct that omission immediately, if not sooner.

Pixies - Come On Pilgrim LP

Pixies - Come On Pilgrim LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

4AD (Reissue)

Honestly, I don't have much to say about this record that I didn't say about Trompe Le Monde yesterday. Even though they don't make a Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab version of Come On Pilgrim, 4AD did a great job with this one as well. Very happy to have an almost complete collection of Pixies full lengths on vinyl now. I always new getting gifts was fun.

Pixies - Trompe Le Monde LP

Pixies - Trompe Le Monde LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

4AD (2010 - Reissue)

Over this past holiday season, for Christmas & my birthday (also known as the most wonderful time of the year), I asked friends and family to pick me up some records that were sorely lacking from my collection. Mostly ones that I had on CD from high school or whatever (yes, yes I split my record buying time in high school and bought just as many CDs as I did LPs), but hadn't gotten around to grabbing on vinyl. I figured they were a safe bet, as I could hold off on buying them (I would never ask for recently released albums, because the wait would be brutal).

Anyway, I definitely needed to add the Pixies records to my collection. Though Trompe Le Monde isn't one of the albums that got the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab treatment, the reissue that 4AD did is also fantastic. 180 gram vinyl, perfect sound, great art. I'm not one of those people that insists EVERY record sounds better on vinyl. I think most do, but some simply sound better on CD. Well I can tell you this, the Pixies are absolutely a vinyl band. If you haven't heard their records from the comfort of your turntable, you are missing out on something special. Many many thanks to my wonderful wife for picking this (& Come On Pilgrim, which I will post a picture of tomorrow) up for me.

I'm not going to post a link to a Pixies song. If you seriously don't know what they sound like, I just can't help you as you should already be at the store buying their records.

Collection: Archers Of Loaf 7"s

Collection: Archers Of Loaf 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

I had threatened this a few days ago, that I may occasionally post a collection of mine rather than my usual 1 record as I buy it (I do post these pictures as I buy new & old stuff, I'm not just grabbing records I've had for a while off the shelf to take pictures of). And especially since January is a little slow for new releases, I figured now was as good a time as any. I may take pictures of all of the 7"s I have of a band or all of the full lengths or maybe just everything. In this case I decided to start off with my Archers of Loaf 7"s.

Archers of Loaf are such an amazing band, though the 1st time I heard them I wasn't impressed. I couldn't tell you what song of theirs it was, but I initially heard the band on some compilation my friend Pat had. Fast forward a bit and another friend of mine insisted I check out Icky Mettle and there you had it. I was hooked, destined to be buying their records for the foreseeable future. I will say the post Vee Vee releases never did it for me as much as their earlier records, but I'm nothing if not loyal.

Archers Of Loaf - South Carolina - Stay Free - Black Vinyl - w/ Zine
Archers Of Loaf - The Loaf's Revenge - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - The Results After The Loafs Revenge_Merge - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - UK Tour 7" - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf / Small (23) - Split 7" - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf / Treepeople- Split 7 " - Sonic Bubblegum - Black Vinyl - 2x7"
Archers Of Loaf - Harnessed In Slums - Alias - White Vinyl - w/ Archers 45 adapter
Archers Of Loaf / Monsterland - Split 7" - Radiopaque - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Mutes In The Steeple - Esther - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Mutes In The Steeple - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Vocal Shrapnel - Alias - Black Vinyl
Archers Of Loaf - Jive Kata - Archers Of Loaf Fan Club (Self Released) - Black Vinyl

Missing: I know there's a black vinyl version of Harnessed in Slums that I've never gotten around to picking up. I probably will at some point, but since I had the more rare white vinyl version, I just never made it a priority.

Ground Round - Confused & Unknown 7" - Green Vinyl

Ground Round - Confused & Unknown 7" - Green Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Kirbdog Records (1993)

This was the 1 Ground Round record I didn't have; their first 7" on Kirbdog records. Some nice fellow on discogs.com had it for sale cheap so I figured it was time to complete the collection. I'm going to guess Ground Round did OK in the 90's getting compared to Crimpshrine in reviews, and the comparison is certainly accurate I think. The band also has 2 other 7"s, a 10" and a CD that compiles them all. As this is their 1st 7", I guess the songs on here aren't quite as polished as some of their others, but it's such a nice, nostalgic feeling listen to a band like this almost 20 years later.

Daily Routine:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh50UhGiVGk

Tenement / Culo - Spilt 7" - Red Splatter Vinyl /100

Tenement / Culo - Spilt 7" - Red Splatter Vinyl /100, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Cowabunga Records (2011)

Another new Tenement record with 2 new songs, and these ones are rippers (not to be confused with the fabulous hot dogs sold at Rutts Hut). Fidelity-wise, this is probably mid range for Tenement. Not quite as polished as their full length, Napalm Dream, but to me it sounds much slicker than than the material they recently put out on their Blind Wink LP. Most importantly, these songs are just bursting with energy & hooks. The Culo side doesn't do anything for me. I don't really like the kind of screamy hardcore they're serving up. I'm sure people that like that sort of thing may enjoy, but it's not for me. However, Tenement is one of my current favorites, and this 7"s should be bought right away whether or not you plan on playing the Culo side.

I couldn't find any of the Tenement songs streaming online, but their bandcamp page has pretty much every other song they've ever recorded streaming. tenement.bandcamp.com/

Tanner - Guard Dog 7"

Tanner - Guard Dog 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Standard Recordings (1993)

I've been trying to pick up the stray Tanner 7"s not in my collection over the years and they're an interesting band to keep your eye on record wise. Sometimes I'll see their records sell for an unusually large sum, other times they go for next to nothing. I'm going to assume that's because they have a small, but very passionate following and it just depends on who is watching the sale at the time. Anyway I picked this up for little money and although it does have a bit of price sticker damage on the front cover, I'm not too upset by it.

The only thing I could find for this record online is the band has a version of the A side Guard Dog on their myspace page, which you can listen to here: www.myspace.com/tannerband/music/songs/guard-dog-25303458