Zonaea - Zonaea LP - Pink Vinyl (/75)

Self Released (2024)

Zonaea hail from South Carolina and have already won the award for the band name I mistype the most while trying to write something (it's the 'aea' at the end that keeps throwing me).  The band reached out to me to send me an album to check out.  While I don't imagine it'll end up being the sort of thing that I listen to repeatedly, it does check a very specific checkbox of a style of music that I do enjoy listening to from time to time.

Despite being from the southeast, it's really the pacific northwest that comes to mind when I listen to this album.  It's brings me back to the mid 90s when I was checking out bands like godheadSilo, Karp and Unwound.  While those aren't bands I listen to every day, they are bands that trigger a very specific nostalgia for a time where I was a bit lost and trying to figure out what I wanted to listen to.

The pounding, angular guitar riffs coupled with the slightly more gentle breakdowns is what reminds me the most of Unwound.  The vocals are a tad bit shoutier than I usually prefer, but they're not so over the top to where there's no melody being conveyed.  I tend to prefer the songs that are the closest to having conventional hooks.  "Ditch" being a song that stands out in that regard.  Though there's something to be said about the punishing guitar work in album opener "3's Become 4's."  End of the day, it's a totally solid record that has moments where I get really drawn into what's going on.  Again, not an everyday listen sort of thing, but certainly something I'd get out from time to time.

Zonaea - Zonaea:
https://zonaea.bandcamp.com/album/zonaea

Overwhelming Colorfast - S/T LP - Clear w/ Yellow & Red Splatter Vinyl (/1000)

Org Music (2022, Reissue)

Releases for Record Store Day have typically been getting less and less interesting as the years go by.  In particular, the Black Friday version of the even essentially never has anything that I'm interested in.  This past year was an anomaly as one of the releases was this reissue of the first Overwhelming Colorfast album.

I'm not sure exactly how this one ended up on their list.  I find it difficult to believe that there was a huge clamoring from the general public for this album.  But for folks like me, this is on e of the more exciting records to be part of RSD in ages.

I first got into Overwhelming Colorfast through the band fluf.  I had heard favorable comparisons and fluf even covered the Overwhelming Colorfast song "Song in D" on one of their 7"s.  This album, their self titled debut, wasn't my entry point.  I had picked up Two Words prior to that and honestly, my absolute favorite record on theirs is Moonlight & Castanets.  But I have had the CD of this album forever and it's chock full of noisy, big guitar pop.

fluf is definitely a solid comparison and if that doesn't work for you, I would think pretty much anyone that likes Sugar or the more recent Bob Mould solo records would be happy to add this record to their collection.  I have seen it teased that the band is currently working on getting Two Words pressed on vinyl for the first time.  I can't wait for that one and am just keeping my fingers crossed that we'll get to my favorite, Moonlight & Castanets after that.

Overwhelming Colorfast - S/T:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n6By9tU1yg2tp80FCtkkkGUkrDpMyaNpU

Discomfort Creature - S/T LP - Orange Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers  Bearded Punk / Monster Zero (2022)

Discomfort Creature is a new project spearheaded by Chris Fogel, who was a part of the early 2000s band The Gamits.  Having spent time on the Vinyl Collective message board during this time period, they came up a lot due to their affiliation with Suburban Home records.  I own exactly one Gamits record, their split 7" with The Murderburgers that was part of an All In Vinyl subscription series.  But I have no memory of it whatsoever.

Because of that, I was pretty much coming into Discomfort Creature with a limited set of expectations or preconceived notions.  I'm not really expecting it to sound like anything specific and there's nothing for them to live up to because of my unfamiliarity with prior works.  The good news is, that it's a pretty fun record.  The band that I really keep hearing echos of for some reason is Armchair Martian.  I'm not exactly sure why as vocally, Chris has more of a Billy Joe style than a Jon Snodgrass one, but there's an air about the songs that puts me in a similar place as I was when I heard Armchair Martian for the first time, even though Discomfort Creature plays things a little faster for the most part.

There isn't a bad song in the bunch with the bulk of the proceedings being fast paced affairs with just the slightest bit of twang creeping into their predominantly pop punk stylings.  This came in a little late to be in the running for my best of 2022 list, but I definitely would have had to make a place for them if I had a bit more time to spend with this record.

Discomfort Creature - S/T:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-sln-233

Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion 2xLP

Hollywood Basic (1991, Bootleg Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I'm not exactly sure why I never listened to Organized Konfusion in the early 90s.  It's probably because I never saw any of their videos on Yo! MTV Raps, but it's not like that stopped me from stumbling upon other acts that weren't getting any airplay.  Even more puzzling is the fact that they were shouted out by name on Hieroglyphics tracks, which was pretty much a guaranteed way to make me go buy your records (See: Kurious).  But for whatever reason, it wasn't until many years later that I started to delve into the Organized Konfusion catalog.

I picked up this LP from Discogs about a year and a half ago.  I was able to snag it at a really good price considering what I had seen it go for.  The caveat is that this is the 2xLP version, which means it's an unofficial or bootleg release.  The positive is that said bootleggers didn't try to cram an overly long album onto one record, which is what happened with the original, official release.  In a lot of ways I prefer this double LP bootleg, though I would have preferred someone just reissue it properly.  Considering all of the old rap reissues out there, there must be something wacky going on with the rights for this to still be ignored.

As far as the music goes, this is fun golden era hip hop.  The production is solid and very good most of the time, but it's not in that top tier, upper echelon of the era.  I like it a lot, but it's not the sort of thing that gets my head nodding like a lot of the other records that came out around this time.  Lyrically, it's pretty amazing.  Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po are pretty amazing, stringing together complex rhyme structures while playing off beats of varying tempos and styles.  At the end of the day it's a really cool album that very obviously helped pave the way for the sounds of underground hip hop that would spring up towards the end of the decade.

Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_knJZD3Psd8I7IZOO7R0a-Gk766a53ZjpU

House of Pain - Self Titled 2xLP - Orange Vinyl & White Vinyl

Tommy Boy (2022, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

While I absolutely had this album when it was first released, I wasn't sure if I was ever going to add it to the collection on vinyl.  I had this album really early when it came out in 1992, I remember the first time I had heard about it was via a promo sticker that had come with an issue of The Source that I had.  I then saw the video for Jump Around on Yo! MTV Raps and picked up the album.  This was before the song would take off into the stratosphere and turn into a perennial Jock Jam, completely inescapable.

So, I soured on House of Pain a bit and just sort of let them be forgotten.  As I started ramping up my hip hop vinyl collection, I wondered if I should give the album another chance.  So about a year ago I downloaded the MP3s and gave it a whirl for the first time in probably 25 years or so.  It's still a pretty solid album in spite of itself.

What I really mean more than anything is that this is a pretty good album in spite of Everlast.  It's the beats.  The beats on this record are just incredible.  Muggs, Lethal and Ralph string together a parade of hits.  Even "Jump Around" is completely undeniable from a production standpoint.  Everlast's lyrics are another story.  They were never great, but with thirty years of hindsight, they sound even worse to me.  Gravelly throated, Irish pride was kind of an odd thing for rap in 1992 and it sounds even weirder now.  Nothing about it is necessarily bad, but it's such an outlier for the sort of records that were coming out back then.  But I keep coming back to how good the production is.

Which, ultimately, is why I decided to pick up the album and specifically, why I decided to buy the fancy double LP version.  This one has all of the remixes, including Pete Rock's excellent version of "Jump Around."  If I'm going to add this to the collection, I'm going to add the best possible version.  That said, I didn't get the free jump rope that was supposed to come with it.  Oh well.

House of Pain - Self Titled:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kuxIcs6kifAjHDpBx2Hm2AA7p6QxDaG-Y

Bart And The Brats - S/T LP

Big Neck (2022)

Bart and the Brats is a new venture from Bart De Vraantijk, known to some as being a member of bands like Wild Zeros and Teenage Hearts.  Though if I'm being honest, I'm not particularly familiar with his work, though I have at least heard of those two bands.  On this album, Bart is working solo, having recorded everything himself.  But don't worry, this isn't an acoustic, singer-songwriter adventure.  We've got the full complement of guitar/bass/drums at play.

This very much sounds like something that Ptrash would have put out in 2009 or so.  Fast and catchy garage guitar riffage with snarling vocals.  The simplicity of the Ramones with the energy of the Carbonas.  It's much catchier than a lot of other records of this ilk, so it's connecting with me way more than most.  I think if the vocals were a bit more melodic, I'd probably really dig it.  As is, I think it's pretty solid and something worth checking out if you dig on these type of fast and furious sounds.

Bart And The Brats - S/T:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/s-t

Alligator Gun - Alligator Gun Cassette

1991 (Self Released)

My love of Alligator Gun is well documented on Twitter where I call for the release of Onehundredpercentfreak on vinyl several times a year.  It's one of my top three albums that i think is just begging for a vinyl release.  I don't know anyone will ever release it, but if I win the lottery, you can bet PopKid will come knocking.

Back to reality.  This tape was the only Alligator Gun release I didn't already have (Though I am looking to upgrade my Smirk CD as the one I got a year or so ago has a corner cut off of the cover art).  I was surprised to see the tape pop up on Discogs and was even happier to see it's sub-ten dollar price tag.  It was an easy and instant buy.

Is it this sort of era defining classic as Onehundredpercentfreak?  No, of course not.  This is a super early tape released by a band that was just getting started.  It's actually great for what it is, with solid hooks and punchy guitar riffs.  In particular "Theory of Independent Feet" feels like a harbinger of what could come from this band.  But in this instance, you don't have to take my word for it.  The wonderful MKE Punk website has this tape and all of Aligator Gun's releases available to download, so go check them out!

Alligator Gun - Alligator Gun Tape:
http://www.mkepunk.com/releases/pop-punk/alligator-gun-3-song-ep/

Merger - S/T 12"

Impetus (2019)

I will be honest, I don't remember when I got this record.  It was sent to me for the purposes of reviewing on this site sometime last year, but it sort of vanished into the 'to do' pile.  I have not been able to buy many new records this year, and with the way things are deteriorating in the real world each day, it seems unlikely that I'll be buying many more in the short term.  The upside to that is that it gives me time to weed through the records that have been sitting around.  I guess if you want to send me a record to review, this is probably the best time to do that, just drop me an email first as the address on this site isn't going to be the best place to get a hold of me over the next month or so.

Back to Merger.  This is a six song 12" EP, which is my least favorite way to consume new music that isn't a cassette.  I'm always going to prefer a full length LP or a 7" for shorter endeavors.  That aside, the music itself is interesting.  While I can't really say that I like it or would be prone to listening to it very often, it's not bad.  There's a fuzzy chaos to it that I find endearing and there's solid energy behind the vocals.  The drummer is also particularly adept at keeping time amongst the various mood changes that take place during each song.

In my formative years when I was trying to find my way in punk rock, I ended up listening to a lot of Pacific Northwest bands like Karp, Unwound and Some Velvet Sidewalk.  I think that if I had heard this Merger LP back then, I'd probably have a different take on it than I do now.  This isn't for me, but there are likely folks out there that prefer the noisier side of the world that will be able to get down with this.

Merger - S/T 12":
https://merger.bandcamp.com/album/s-t

Polvo - S/T LP - Green Vinyl

Merge (2019, Reissue)

Now that it is completed and has wrapped up, I feel pretty confident in saying that the Merge Born Under A Good Sign 30th anniversary subscription thingy was not an effective way to spend my money.  When I originally signed up for it, I mainly did so assuming there would be an exclusive Superchunk release.  And while that did happen, I was pretty disappointed that the exclusivity was only the color of vinyl it was pressed on.  Not to mention it was an acoustic reinterpretation of the album Foolish that, while interesting, is not something I expect to listen to all that much.  The rest of the subscription's offerings ranged from 'pretty ok' to 'this is kind of terrible.'

That brings us to Polvo, a band who at no time have I really understood.  With apologies to my buddy Scott, I have never been able to figure out what Polvo brings to the table that I can't get a better version of from other indie rock bands of the 90s.  Their claim to fame seems to be the way they bring in noisy passages and noodle-y guitar solos to their songs.  Archers of Loaf do that much better on their first two albums, plus they hit with significantly stronger hooks and vocal melodies.  The times that Polvo did actually stand out to me, it was usually in a bad way.  I did a radio show in college with a guy named Todd.  He loved him some Polvo and I tended to only notice them when he played something terrible of theirs.

All that said, the songs on this LP (which is an LP reissue of songs from some of their early 7"s) is probably the best of Polvo that I've heard.  I suppose this was before the band got a little too nutty and these songs tend to be a bit more straightforward in a low-rent Archers sort of way.  Nothing really stands out to me as great, but these are average indie rock songs that aren't offensive or anything.  The green vinyl is exclusive to the subscription, but but the album is floating around out there on black vinyl for sale online and in stores.  Me? I've already sold this green version on Discogs.

Polvo - S/T
https://polvonc.bandcamp.com/album/polvo

Alpha Hopper - S/T LP - Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl

Radical Empathy / One Percent Press / Swimming Faith (2019)

I wanted to like this album more than I actually do.  One Percent Press has put out some really cool records over the years and I'm always grateful that they take the time to send some to me to check out every now and again.  I also really like the colorful artwork and palm trees on the front cover.  Not too mention the little note that was packaged in with the album made reference to all of the Weird Al reviews I did last year.  It was a charming little package and I went in with positive expectations.

Unfortunately, the tunes are a little too out there for me.  It's an arty style of punk rock with dissonant chords and vocals that veer a bit too much into yelling for my personal taste.  There are elements of the song construction that are positives, such as the Unwound style riffage, but there's also a few unnecessary sound effects/synths that spoil the party for me on a few tracks.

One of the things I have liked about bands like Unwound was their ability to go from quite whispers to uncontrolled roars in a surprising, but totally effective way.  Alpha Hopper seems to be stuck on loud throughout the record and it's missing some of the dynamics I look for when venturing out of my pop punk bubble.  In particular, the vocals just seem to sound the same to me on every song, regardless of what the music is doing.  As a whole, it's not a bad record, but it's somewhat one dimensional and it just isn't my cup of tea.

Alpha Hopper - S/T:
https://alphahopper.bandcamp.com/album/aloha-hopper

Brat Curse - S/T LP

Just Because (2019)

I've been trying desperately to get through as many of the 2019 records as I can before I put together my end of the year best of list. While this felt like a slow year for records overall, it feels like the floodgates have opened over the past couple of months.  There's no way I'm going to get through everything as I plan on posting my year end list on Monday, but I'm trying to get through a few last minute additions.

Brat Curse are a band that my buddy Scott likes, he's where I first heard their name mentioned.  Now that I've been able to listen to the record, I can see what he was on about.  Brat Curse are playing a fuzzy, lower fidelity strain of guitar pop that has rough edges where I like them and strong hooks where I need them.  There are elements of Superchunk to their songs, particularly when they slow things down a bit.  But in their faster moments, what they remind me most of is a slightly noisier Tight Bros.  I loved that Tight Bros record and wish they had made more, but Brat Curse is standing in nicely with their debut LP.

I really like this record and though I've only been able to listen to it a few times, it already feels like a grower to me, the sort of album I'm going to enjoy more the more I listen to it.  Could be a good last minute gift to yourself.

Brat Curse - S/T LP:
https://justbecauserecords.bandcamp.com/album/brat-curse

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

"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Weird Al" Yankovic LP - From Squeeze Box Accordion Box Set

 

Pledge Music (2017)

Since I finished up the Otis Redding Box Set, I figured I would tackle the incredible Weird Al Squeeze Box Set.  Since this box contains a hell of a lot more records than the Otis one did, I'm going to try to go through albums weekly instead of every other week.  We'll try to get Weird Al Wednesday to be a thing over the next few months.  I'll start with his first self titled album and finish up with the exclusive rarities LP that comes with the set.

Weird Al's first, self titled album has just about always been my favorite of his.  I've read interviews with him where he states that there are songs on here that make him cringe and it's a little rough for him to listen to.  He's also said that it's kind of his punk rock album and as time went on he got better at his craft.  While I will not deny that Al has had incredible, incredible albums that came out after this and while I agree that the musicianship certainly improved over the years, there is an energy on this album that surpasses anything else he ever did in my opinion.

The thing that I love the most about this album is how ridiculously accordion heavy it is.  It's not something in the background or used for a polka medley, the accordion is front and center and is far and away the focal point of the record along with Al's lyrics.  Hearing Al bust out accordion fueled parodies of "I Love Rock N Roll" ("I Love Rocky Road"), "My Sharona" ("My Bologna") and "Another One Bites The Dust" ("Another One Rides The Bus") blew my goddamn mind as a kid trying to figure out what I wanted to listen to. Up until about 1988 or so, Weird Al and The Blues Brothers were just about the only bands that really connected with me. 

I also adore Al's originals on this album.  "Gotta Boogie" is kind of a one note pun joke, but the intro of the song and the way the instruments layer on top of each other is something I've always found inspiring.  "Happy Birthday" is a fast paced and lyrically dark song that always hit my funny bone in just the right way.  And "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead" is perfect catharsis for a kid that was constantly restless in a remote part of NJ, who didn't quite mesh in with his classmates at the time.

I love this album.  I mean, I love pretty much all of Weird Al's albums, but this one will always be extra special to me.  It wasn't the first album of his that I heard, but it was the one that struck me as being the most brazen and exciting.  I still vividly remember that day I found the cassette in Caldor and how I thought I had found a secret that no one else knew about.  Just a phenomenal record that I found at exactly the right time.

"Weird Al" Yankovic - "My Bologna":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic3QnRj9Ev4

"Weird Al" Yankovic - "Happy Birthday":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nm37gzDnk0

"Weird Al" Yankovic - "I'll Be Mellow When I'm Dead":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAOYUTdkM-w

The Drains - S/T Cassette

Drug Party (2017)

I am almost through the pile of tapes I've had building up over here.  I'm sure now that I say that, I'll end up with another batch in the mail, but I feel accomplished that I'm nearly finished with the current backlog.

The Drains are a band that I'm not familiar with and from the songs on this tape, I don't think I'm likely to become more familiar with them anytime soon.  That's not to say it's awful or unlistenable, but it's not very interesting to me.  The Drains are playing the sort of tried and true scuzzy garage punk that countless Hozac inspired bands have been trafficking over the years.

They don't do it any worse or better than the other bands that sound like this that I don't particularly like.  It's just not poppy or catchy enough for me. I like my share of garage-y bands, they have to  have at least a bit of pop punk influence in order for me to pay attention.  The Drains don't have that and as a result, my interest wains after a few songs.

The Drains - S/T:
https://thedrains.bandcamp.com/album/the-drains

Starmarket - S/T LP - White Vinyl (/300)

Assembly Line (2018, Reissue)

When the news came out several months ago that Starmarket was getting back together to play some shows focusing on the early material in their catalog, I was pretty upset that I wasn't in Sweden or Japan.  Those first two Starmarket full lengths are among my favorite records of all time.  We were even lucky enough to release the US version of the band's second album, Sunday's Worst Enemy on PopKid.  Their first self titled release hadn't been released on vinyl when it came out back in 1995, but the fine folks at Assembly Line records have issued in on wax in conjunction with the band's reunion.

I still remember how completely blown away I was when I first heard this album.  My buddy Alan played a few songs for me at the Flipside record store in NJ.  When that machine gun guitar intro blasts out of the speakers in the opening track "Your Style," it still gives me chills almost twenty-five years later.  The entire album is full of dynamic pop-core guitar that would make Bob Mould proud.  Starmarket managed to harness so much energy into these songs.  Even on the slower ones like "Parking Lot" and "Cozy and Warm" there's a palpable electricity that so few bands are able to achieve.

This vinyl version sounds great.  Every high hat is crystal clear and every bass line rumbles along with the sort of warmth that envelops the room.  I really couldn't be more excited to finally add a vinyl version of this album to the collection.  It's probably been one of the biggest omissions up to this point (still waiting for Onehundredpercentfreak by Alligator Gun though).

I'm hopeful that a vinyl version of the Starmarket EP Calendar gets released (along with some extra B sides of the era would be nice).  I also really hope that Sunday's Worst Enemy gets a proper vinyl treatment.  While Dolores records put out a vinyl version of that album when it came out in 1997, it's a picture disc that frankly doesn't really sound that great.  A better vinyl release would be a very welcome addition.

Starmarket - "Your Style":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y51brekT60

Starmarket - "Unwanted":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEHPgqb2aXQ

Starmarket - "Cozy and Warm":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPvPhi_pdP4

Fire Heads - S/T LP

Big Neck (2017)

This Fire Heads LP is my first exposure to this band, despite the fact that they've been going since 2012 under various other incarnations and even another name.  That said, I am slightly more familiar with one of their guitar players, Bobby Hussy and his work in The Hussy.  So I thought I had something of a frame of reference for this album.

One thing I can say is that this is a pretty dynamic record, blasting you in the face with noisy chaos like "Dirty Body" and "Next To Nothing" one minute only to drastically shift to bouncier poppy songs like "Dad's Theory" or "Park Walker" the next.  For me, I favor the poppier songs and while I'm certainly one that likes their recordings a little loose and fuzzy, I think that the songs where Fire Heads shine the most are the ones that have a little more polish to them.

I don't love this record, but it's got a few pretty good songs on it that I think are probably worth checking out.  Though, if you like scuzzier garage rock a bit more than power pop leaning bands, this LP may be more suited to your needs.

Fire Heads - S/T LP:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/fire-heads-s-t

Fastkiss - S/T CD

Self Released (2015)

Once again I'm indebted to Kazu from Waterslide for showing me yet another great band that I probably wouldn't have come across on my own.  I've felt this way for twenty plus years, but it's become more and more obvious every day that as far as music (and professional wrestling) goes, my heart is in Japan.  I just wish I could be there more going to see great bands like this play and shop for more records.  Also, the G1 Climax is going on right now so pretty much the best pro wrestling of the year is currently happening.  But alas, I'm far too poor for another trip to Japan at the moment, so I'll have to let albums like this help me get by.

Fastkiss has turned in nine songs of upbeat, 90s style pop punk and I love it.  It's not gruff and fast like a lot of the other Japanese bands that I tend to enjoy.  Instead, they have more in common with bands like The Hum Hums who seem to be inspired by the more pop focused side of the Beach Boys.

There's just great melodies on this album from start to finish, with each song fueled by punchy guitar chords and complimented by excellent backing vocals and harmonies.  Some of the songs are sung in English and others are in Japanese, but no matter what language the song is in, Fastkiss put their all into each and come out with endlessly catchy tracks.  This one might be kind of below the radar, but it's definitely worth checking out.

Fastkiss - "きみはFREE":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRLZL25Hn4A&feature=youtu.be

Governess - S/T LP

Radical Empathy / One Percent Press (2017)

I will admit, I've had this album sitting around for a a while, unsure of what exactly I wanted to say about it.  I find it kind of perplexing and it's difficult to articulate the things about it that don't quite land for me, but without insinuating that it's inherently bad.

The album was sent to me to listen to by the folks at One Percent Press.  It's an LP reissue of Governess' self titled album, originally only released on cassette.  For that reason along OPP and co releasing label Radical Empathy should be commend.  I'll always support liberating albums from tape hell.  That being said, this isn't really the sort of album that I would really ever listen to all that often.

The production on the entire record is very soft.  Instruments register in the background, sometimes seeming like they were recorded on a different plane, not quite in the studio and not quite of this dimension.  The vocals are otherworldly, giving a gentle but haunting vibe and they glide over the sparse drumming and even sparser guitar work.

If you are looking for something that's perhaps a bit more chill than your typical punk rock diet or if you are a bit more into soundscape type stuff or albums that make strong use of audio texture, this might be up your alley.  For me, it's just kind of pleasant background noise.  Not present enough to offend or delight.

Governess - S/T:

https://governessdc.bandcamp.com/album/s-t

Custody - S/T LP Blue w/ Black Swirl Vinyl (/300)

Little Rocket (2018)

Custody are from Finland and hot damn what a great, great band they are.  So much so, that last year I put my money where my mouth was and helped release one of their 7"s.  While PopKid wasn't able to get involved with their debut full length, I can unquestionably say that: 1. It's great and 2. I really wish this was on PopKid.  It would have been a wonderful addition to our catalog.

Custody have a knack for melodic punk in ways that I have not seen in many years.  They have a 90s leaning style that often makes me think of Samiam in the way they craft their melodies and hooks.  But to get the full picture you need to add in a band like Starmarket in the way they are able to inject fierce energy and super dynamic guitar interplay.

Each of the album's ten songs just knock me over again and again.  They have an uncanny ability to craft their songs in a way that uses the verse as a launching pad for their killer choruses.  Custody also has incredible skill with constructing the instrumental portions of their songs, with perfectly placed bridges and honestly, some of the best song outros/conclusions that I've ever heard.

Custody's debut full length is so clearly one of the best albums to come out in 2018 so far.  I can't recommend it highly enough and I hope these guys keep cranking out records for many years.

Custody - S/T:
https://custody.bandcamp.com/album/custody

Nervous Tick and the Zipper Lips - S/T Cassette

More Power Tapes (2017)

I'm trying to get through these cassettes, but it's becoming something of a slog as a lot of them just aren't very good. Nervous Tick and the Zipper Lips are one of those bands that fit in that category.  Their band name isn't good and the 6 songs on this tape also aren't very good.

Now I will say that it's somewhat impressive that every instrument on this album is played by the same guy.  Though you could also make the jack of all trades/master of none argument.  Everything sounds rough.  The recording quality is lo fi and it's really just a demo.  I get that, but it ends up sounding like any one of a thousand high school punk rock bands that play three shows at house parties and then go off to college and/or working at K mart.  I'm sure it's fun for them, but let's be honest.  No one wants to listen to that.

The last song "Scib Dobbin'" is probably the best as it at least makes an attempt to be catchy, but it's also pretty silly.  I don't really have much else to say about this.  I just don't like it.  It's mostly a lot of yelling over basic screechy guitar and the occasional keyboard.

Nervous Tick and the Zipper Lips - S/T Cassette:
https://morepowertapes.bandcamp.com/album/nervous-tick-and-the-zipper-lips-2