Charlie Continental - Singles & Jingles 2016-2021 Cassette

Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

Charlie Continental has a new release with a tape compiling a bunch of songs from other releases from 2016 to 2021.  Some of these I've heard before, others, not so much but it's always a nice thing for me to have tracks collected onto a single release.  Even if it's on a cassette.

I'm not going to go into the what tracks are from where game.  There's a little blue piece of paper with the tape that lays that out for you, but they are from tapes, flexis and comps that perhaps fell under the radar for some people.  Listening to them all in a row as an album vs here and there on other releases helps everything out a lot, particularly the short songs which somehow feel more substantial in the context of an album.

You've got some mid tempo rockers like "Monotony of Care" and "We're Getting Fixed."  There's quick hit jingles like "Quit Wastin' My Time" and "Nothing But Time."  There's even a ska song when "Be Much Better" comes on.  My favorite of the bunch is "Come Howl With Us" which hits me in a Sedatives sort of way with it's darker vibe, though maybe the spooky backing vocals could be taken down just a notch.

You might know Charlie's work with Spells, but there's something very charming about the cobbled together feel of this tape that hits in a very different, but equally excellent way.  It's definitely worth checking out.

Charlie Continental - Singles & Jingles 2016-2021:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/singles-jingles-2016-2021

The Gamits - Endorsed By You LP - Yellow Vinyl (/200)

Snappy Little Numbers / Fail Harmonic / Bearded Punk (2025, Reissue)

Endorsed by You was originally released back in the year 2000 and was The Gamits debut full length.  I know this, because i looked it up.  I've never been all that familiar with The Gamits.  I have a split 7" with them on it somewhere in my collection (I assumed filed under "G" or "M"), but I really don't remember it as it was part of a 7" subscription series I was in over a decade ago.  Before that I did know their name, but mostly from hanging around the Vinyl Collective message board in the mid 2000s.

Putting on this album is the first time I've heard much of anything by The Gamits.  I wasn't going in with any idea of what they sounded like, aside from the fact that I knew they were pop punk and I do have a good record by Discreature Comfort, the newer band fronted by The Gamits' Chris Fogel.  For whatever reason, despite my unfamiliarity with them, they kind of sounded like I thought they would.  Pretty good pop punk, with the occasional song or section of a song that has the sort of drumming that makes me nuts.

There's this galloping, super fast drum beat in pop punk that I most closely associate with NOFX, but creeps out into many, many bands (even ones I love like Snuff).  It's one of those things that immediately makes me tune out and think, "oh, it's this kind of pop punk."  And while that is definitely not the case for the vast majority of this Gamits record, when it does pop up, I immediately get frustrated.

And that frustration is mostly because I do like the bulk of this album.  The guitars have the big crunchy sound that I dig.  The vocals and choruses remind me a little bit of Hospital Job (though, due to when each of those bands were releasing records, it's actually the other way around).   At its core, it's a well done pop punk record.  It's just at its best when they slow things down just a bit and lean into the pop side of pop punk.  And if the occasional drum gallop isn't a weirdly specific pet peeve for you like it is for me, I think this is a record worth checking out.

The Gamits - Endorsed By You:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/endorsed-by-you-reissue

Zephr - Past Lives LP

Snappy Little Numbers (2025)

Zephr is back with Past Lives, a follow up to their debut LP from 2020.  It seems inconceivable to me that was nearly five years ago already, but time does fly.  I was glad to see Zephr made a second album.  I liked their debu well enought, but more than anything I thought it showed a lot of potential for a band that may have still been coming into their own.  Particularly given when that record came out.

The last time I wrote about Zephr I mentioned that, for me, they fit in nicely with the Dear Landlords and Off With Their Heads of the world.  They bring similar things to the table: Aggressive vocals, dynamic guitar work and these folks definitely know their way around a hook.  I did want to touch on the vocals in particular.  I had made a comment about their debut that I didn't like one of the vocalists as much because his singing sounded a little strained to me.  I don't feel that way at all about this new album.  Both singers to a great job of carrying the melodies, while still maintaining that gravel-y roughness that works so well for this sort of thing.

In general, I think this record is an improvement from their debut.  The songs feel a little more put together this time, and everything comes across tighter as a result.  I like some ramshackle rock and roll as much as the next guy, but Zephr has just the right amount of polish that makes their record sound really big, but never falling victim to an artificial gloss.  That's mostly just a dumb way for me to write that I think this record sounds really good.

Zephr - Past Lives:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/past-lives

The Ape-Ettes - No Matter What 7" - Red Vinyl (/400)

Snappy Little Numbers (2024) 

As a casual fan of Curling (let's face it, it's challenging to be more than that in America with the lack of televised coverage of this great sport), I was immediately taken in by the cover of this Ape-Ettes 7" and was determined to try to like it no matter what the music sounded like.  I was pre-judging the book by its cover, but luckily this 7" is great and I definitely don't need to force myself to enjoy it.

To me, The Ape-Ettes sound like another in the longstanding line of great bands that are sometimes classified under the 'cuddlecore' banner.  I'm not sure you could listen to this 7" in a vacuum and make that statement as the guitars are a little warmer and crunchier than the traditional cuddlecore band and there's a garage pop edge to these songs that make them all the more enjoyable to me.  

At the same time, it's hard for me to not be reminded of bands like Cub, Dressy Bessy and Go Sailor.  Are they one to one comparisons?  Not at all, but I think you'd be hard pressed to not like The Ape-Ettes if you're a fan of any of those bands.  We've got three songs on this record and all of them are great, making this a no brainer recommendation.  And I vote for more curling in the artwork for any future releases.

The Ape-Ettes - No Matter What 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/no-matter-what

Bad Year - Bad Year LP - Red w/ Black Splatter Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers (2024)

Five Years after a 12" EP, Bad Year are back.  As I mentioned last time I wrote about them, if you're naming yourselves after one of my favorite Sicko songs, there's a better than average chance I'm going to be into what you're doing.  And I am into Bad Year.  While they don't really sound like Sicko, you can hear the influence as the band builds off of that.

I tend to think they sound more like something from the No Idea roster of the 2000s.  There's that fleeting base of a Leatherface sound, with gruff, but still melodic vocals.  Off With Their Heads a bit maybe, Dear Landlord is probably closer, but it's a sound that doesn't strike me as being too dissimilar from bands like that, but with those big Sicko influenced hooks.

The entire record is really strong all the way through, particularly in a year that hasn't been very giving with this kind of punk rock.  If I were to point to a single song to check out to get a vibe of what this band is all about, I'd recommend "Idle Hands."  It's got a great chorus and that catchy, but energetic sound that is a common thread in the punk rock that I tend to like the best.  This was an album that was on my top records of the year list for 2024, I just wasn't able to get this write up posted before that.  Regardless of when this is read, Snappy Little Numbers has a winner once again.

Bad Year - Bad Year:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-sln-254

The Drolls / Gentlemen Rogues - Split 7" - White Vinyl (/100)

Snappy Little Numbers (2024)

What do you get when two of my favorite active bands and one of my favorite active record labels hatch a plot for world domination?  In my opinion, you get possibly the best split 7" of the last five years.  I have to go back to 2019's Chestnut Road/Navel split to find a release that has two bands I like this much on.  Both bands are in top form as well.  These aren't throwaway cuts or album rejects, these songs are all grade A rock.

The Drolls check in with two songs.  "Burned Out" is another top shelf song in their still burgeoning pantheon of great songs.  It's a mid tempo song that certainly has some similarities with the sort of thing that Denny was cranking out in Sicko's later days, with its bouncy chorus and excellent guitar riffage.    The second song, "Happy Hour," is a bit different, which it would be as it's a cover of a Housemartins song (which I am unfamiliar with).  It has a quicker pace, lots of lyrics and really nice backing vocals in the chorus.  I'm sure all three Drolls are probably tired of the constant Sicko references, but it's hard to ignore one of my all time favorite bands and the fact that two of that band's members are in The Drolls.  But The Drolls are more than standing on their own, away from the shadow of Sicko.  Two more hits that only make me want to hear more.  Give me LP 2!

Gentlemen Rogues are following up their stellar Surface Noise full length from earlier in the year.  I'm sure the Rogues are equally sick of me talking about the band Jill when I write about them, but it's impossible for me to hear Danny's voice without calling back to seeing Jill play in a garage in New Jersey in the 90s.  Once again, we've got two stellar songs, an original "Young 'Til We Die" and a Rolling Stones cover, "Connection."  While Danny's voice certainly makes my think of Jill, the music is definitely different.  I think I've mentioned before, but this is the grown up version of pop punk, with more similarities to Superdrag than to Zoinks.  Tons of vocal harmonies on songs that I just want to listen to over and over.

As has been my way for the last several years, I have been lamenting the lack of records coming out this year that are exciting to me.  If I could have a few dozen more that are as good as this split, I wouldn't have to do so much complaining.  This one everybody should go grab as quickly as their fingers and internet connection will allow.

The Drolls / Gentlemen Rogues - Split:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/split-sln-250

Spells - Past Our Prime LP - White Vinyl (/300)

<

Snappy Little Numbers / Big Neck / Rad Girlfriend / Keep It A Secret / Shield (2024)

Spells are back with their third LP, not counting their two excellent singles comps.  Past Our Prime has been a long time coming, and while I realize bands are not on the yearly album cycles of yesteryear, four years sure feels like a long time since their last full length.  I always wonder if the band is going to undergo any sort of major change or if they we still keep cranking out the tunes that I like.  In the case of Past Our Prime, it's kind of a bit of both.

One of the key selling points of Spells for me is just how so many songs sounded like a party.  Huge energy, catchy riffs and singalong choruses.  While I would never say that this album is lacking in energy, riffs or singalongs, the vibe in general feels more serious to me.  The songs feel a little slower and at times lean into a darker territory, with churning bass and pounding drums.

What this album also has is a huge old pile of gang vocals.  Do you like gang vocals?  My friend, do I have an album for you.  Essentially every song has a thunderous chorus with what feels like the entire world singing along.  Even outside of the choruses, there's a ton of dueling vocals and combo vocals between Stevie and Dusk.  That's not really a surprise when a band has two dedicated vocalists, but it really stands out on this album.

So what does this all mean at the end of the day?  Past Our Prime does feel different than past Spells albums to me.  I don't get the same sort of Rocket From The Crypt leanings or upbeat-ness (unsure that's a word, but let's go with it).  But what I do hear is a band that is coalescing into something bigger than their back catalog.  Every member moves in lockstep with each other, you can hear just how ridiculously tight and on point everything is.  The album is massive sounding and everything has a feeling of being more important than it used to be.  It's an extremely well done and great sounding album.  As I've said, I always felt like Spells was a party band.  They still are, but there's a chance you might get punched in the face at this party.

Spells - Past Our Prime:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/past-our-prime

State Drugs – Parade of Red Flags LP – Green Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

State Drugs are another band that I’m not entirely positive I would have heard if not for them putting out records on Snappy Little Numbers. It’s certainly possible, but them being part of a label that I already was super into served them up to me on a silver platter. I’ve been listening to them for a few years now and was thrilled when their second proper full length, Parade of Red Flags, showed up in the mail.

Every time I write about them, I can’t help but compare them to Unwelcome Guests or Nude Beach. That’s because those are the two bands I always think of that best exemplify the strain of earnest, rootsy rock and roll that State Drugs is playing. There’s a lot of average, midwestern rock made by bands that collectively own two Tom Petty CDs. But State Drugs, Unwelcome Guests and Nude Beach are three bands that just take it a step further and manage to create songs that sound fresh and exciting, even if the influences are tried and true.

Red Flag Parade is probably the best State Drugs album to date. I really enjoyed their last one Live. Laugh. Love. And their singles comp Takings & Leavings is just crammed full of hits. However, Red Flag Parade is their most consistent record, start to finish. Every song is great and each one fits as part of a larger album feeling. I feel like I’m saying this a lot lately, as 2023 was certainly stacked towards the end as far as good albums being released, but this is one of the better albums of the year. I fully expect it to be on my end of the year list, which terrifyingly enough, I really need to get working on.

State Drugs – Parade of Red Flags:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/parade-of-red-flags

Hooper – Swim the Races Nobody Wants LP

Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

In 2013, Hooper released their first album, How to Become a Ghost. I adored that record and it was one of my very favorites of that year. Five years later in 2018, the band put out their second album, No Monument. And in all honesty, I didn’t like that one quite as much. It was still a good record, but it didn’t grab me quite the same way that Hooper’s debut did. Five years on from that, Hooper is back with their third LP. Ten years on from their debut, am I still digging this band the way I once did? Yeah, I am.

Swim the Races Nobody Wants is a really strong album. Is it a return to the sounds of their first album? No, it’s still different, but for me they’ve found a sweet spot between the sound of their first two albums. There are post punk influences, particularly in how the guitar riffs are structured, but I feel that this album has a much stronger grasp of hooks and melodies that the last one. There are plenty of fist pumpers and sing along choruses again, while still showing a growth in sound from the first album that you’d really have to expect ten years later. I’m sure not the same person I was ten years ago.

Hooper was the first band on Snappy Little Numbers that I ever wrote about. They were the gateway drug that opened up an opportunity to hear so many other incredible bands over the years. The fact that they are still kicking and putting out records as good as this one is the sort of thing that needs to be celebrated. This is definitely one of the better records to come out this year and should be checked out for sure.

Hooper – Swim the Races Nobody Wants:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/swim-the-races-nobody-wants

Spells - Loose Change, Vol. 2 - Red w/ Black Smoke Vinyl (/300)

Snappy Little Numbers / Motorcycle Potluck Records / Big Neck Records / Keep It A Secret Records / Shield Recordings (2023)

It's been about ten years since I first discovered Spells when I picked up one of their 7"s on a lark while buying an LP by Hooper.  In those intervening years, Spells have unleashed a torrent of releases.  A couple of full lengths, yeah - but their bread and butter, to me, feels like singles and one offs.  Loose Change, Vol.2 compiles eighteen songs that had previously been available on singles, splits, comps and some that were digital only.  That's a lot of songs, and I'd like to point out that this is the second volume of Loose Change.  Vol. 1 just came out in 2018.

For a band as prolific as Spells, there's sort of a little trepidation.  Is a band releasing this much material just recording every idea, noise and fart that they can think of?  Which is why it is always so surprising to me how high the quality of all of their songs are.  Everything on this LP is really great.  There a a few really short songs, but there are no throwaways on this edition of Loose Change.

I always compare Spells to having a similar vibe to Rocket From The Crypt.  That's not to say they sound alike, because they don't most of the time.  But, they are a band that exudes that same sort of infectious energy and every time the next song fires up, it's a party.  I'm always psyched when a new Spells record is released, and even though I've heard some of these songs before, having everything put on a single LP just makes my life so much easier.  It's a blast to be able to throw this LP on, sit back and join the Spells party.  And yes, I see that Zoinks! sticker on the cover.

Spells - Loose Change, Vol. 2:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/loose-change-vol-2
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/spells-loose-change-vol-2
https://motorcyclepotluckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/loose-change-vol-2
https://keepitasecret.bandcamp.com/album/loose-change-vol-2
https://shieldrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/spells-loose-change-vol-2

Curious Things - Naif LP

Snappy Little Numbers / Dumb Ghost (2023)

I liked the artwork on this one right away.  It reminded me of digging through 7"s in the 'indie rock' sections of record stores in mid 90s New York City.  Yes, I do recognize that this is an LP and not a 7", but the style of art takes me back to a very specific place in time.  Further complicating things, Curious Things are not from NYC, they're from Denver and they're not really playing indie rock, but rather a pop punk influence strain of power pop.  

Two of the folks in this band and are in Lawsuit Models (Were in? Unsure of Lawsuit Models are past tense now), so that made me pretty confident I would like this as that's a band I have been super into whenever I hear something new by then.  And I think most fans of Lawsuit Models would dig Curious Things.  They don't sound alike, but they come from a similar place with a reverence for hooks and catchy tunes.

Curious Things remind me a little bit of Odd Numbers, but maybe without the mod sensibilities.  The guitar tones are warm and jangly at the same time and pretty much every song is anchored by stellar vocal harmonies.  It's such a bright record and you can almost feel the sunshine beaming off of it.  It's one of the best albums I have heard so far this year and if pop is your bag, this is an album to get in on right away.

Curious Things - Naif:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/naif

The Drolls - Novelty Rock Monthly Singles Club, Vol. One 7" - Café Au Lait Vinyl (/250)

Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

This 7" is volume number one of a one hundred percent confirmed monthly series where The Drolls are writing songs in the style of other bands.  The first fifty of them come with a nifty, hand crafted Drolls 45 adapter.  Very swank.  On this record itself we have two bands that I'm not sure I envisioned being paired together, but perhaps that's my lack of imagination showing.  MC5 and Guided By Voices are the subjects for volume one and The Drolls have delivered two songs that each band would be proud to call their own.

The MC5 inspired song is "Kick Out The Jammies," a profanity laced ode to not going out, staying home and being comfortable.  It's remarkable how The Drolls captured the spirit of those old MC5 songs on this.  There's the same sort of heavy, garage-influenced guitar riffing, a pounding, propulsive rhythm section and an appropriately screeching guitar solo tightly packaged into a sub-three minute song.  Oh, and it's about pajamas and not wanting to leave the house. Perfect.

On the B side we have "I am a Data Scientist," which is meant to evoke the feelings of listening to a Guided By Voices song.  Now, there are approximately five hundred thousand Guided By Voices songs I have not heard, so I'm not exactly sure where in the catalog they are pulling this particular influence from, but this does sound closer to a traditional Drolls song.  It's on the slower side of the spectrum, with maybe "Before The Fall" being the song I could come the closest to comparing it with, but "I am a Data Scientist" is still has a unique enough sound that you can tell the band is attempting something different. Of the two songs, this is the one I personally like the best.

This was a fun record and luckily the band and label have made it very clear that this is the first of many years worth of 7"s paying homage to various bands.  There's absolutely no ambiguity whatsoever that every single month for the foreseeable future there will definitely be a new Drolls 7" released in this same vein.  There is no chance whatsoever that this is a one time release.  Promise.  While no one has told me personally, I assume that June's volume two will feature songs in the style of Boston and Gorilla Biscuits.  I'm also fairly certain that July will pay tribute to the musical stylings of The Locust and Wang Chung.  I don't know about you, but I'm counting the seconds until those records are released.  I've started counting now.

The Drolls - Novelty Rock Monthly Singles Club, Vol. One:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/novelty-rock-monthly-singles-club-vol-one

Replica City - Last Rights Flexi 7"

Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

When I first saw the artwork for this flexi 7", coupled with the name of the song, I have to admit that I did sort of anticipate some yelling, hooting and hollering.  What I'm getting at is I expected it to lean on the hardcore side of things, but I'm happy to report, I was wrong.

I feel like I haven't heard something like this in a few decades.  From the moment the one and only song, "Last Rights" starts playing, I'm instantly transported back to the mid 90s, when I started to discover bands like Boys Life and Blueprint.  Melancholy rock.  Emo? Maybe, though I always felt that term was thrown around a little cavalierly in the 90s (and thrown around with blatant disregard after that).  But for me, Replica City have thread the needle perfectly, combining the nostalgic feeling I have for a band like Boys Life with a hint of a band like The Estranged thrown in for good measure.

"Last Rights" is the song on the flexi, but over on ye olde Bandcamp, there's two more songs that are every bit as good.  Had these two songs been added and a vinyl 7" been released with all three, that would have been a lovely moment that transported me right back to 1995.  But even as is, "Last Rights" is the best song of the three and is absolutely worth picking up in its current, flexible format.  I hope to hear more from these guys.

Replica City - Last Rights Flexi 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/last-rites

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

Lawsuit Models - Unknown Ghosts LP

Motorcycle Potluck / Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

Anyone in need of a bright and shiny pop punk record to help jolt you out of the doldrums of day-to-day life?  I'm always looking for something like that and Lawsuit Models deliver that with gusto.  Unknown Ghosts is their second full length album, following up 2018's excellent Off The Pavement LP.  I really dug that album, but this new one hits me even harder.

When I wrote about Lawsuit Models in 2018, I compared them to a Peach Tree era Pollen.  For this new one, I can still hear that a little bit, but the band that more immediately comes to mind this time out is The Stereo.  In particular the way The Stereo sounded on their first album, Three Hundred.  It's got the big, crunchy guitars for sure, but the vocal melodies are what really take it over the top for me.  Just listen to the way they sing "co-o-o-matose" on the album's second song and then try to convince me it won't be stuck in your head for the next six months.

The whole album is full of hooks and melodies like that.  Super catchy stuff, with just the absolute tiniest hint of a Tom Petty-esque twang hear and there.  Ands that's not a complaint or a detriment.  That's very much a selling point as it adds a slightly rough-around-the-edges authenticity to things, even though the production on the record is somewhat slick overall.  In summary: this a great, fun, upbeat, catchy, energetic record.  The raised the bar from their debut and have easily claimed a spot in my list of best records of 2022 so far. 

Lawsuit Models - Unknown Ghosts:
https://motorcyclepotluckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/unknown-ghosts

Gentlemen Rogues - A History of Fatalism LP - Red Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers / Rocket Heart (2022)

I can't write about Gentlemen Rogues without mentioning how much I loved the band Jill back in the 90s, as they share members and you'll probably hear me say things like they sound like a grown up Jill, which makes sense if you think about it.  Another thing I do when writing about Gentlemen Rogues is double check every mention of their name to try to make sure I didn't write Gentleman Rogues by mistake.  Which I do almost every single time.

This LP is made up of ten of the twelve tracks from two previously released EPs.  The CD only A History So Repeating and the digital only Fatal music.  I assume the two tracks that were left off were done so due to space constraints on the vinyl, but you do get them as part of the digital download.

These are all great songs.  Upbeat and catchy.  Tons of melody and catchy choruses.  A little slower than what I'd typically call pop punk, but punky enough to where there's still just the right amount of energy and enthusiasm coming through.  Every time I hear Gentlemen Rogues, I like them more and more and am eagerly waiting for their first official full length, which I understand they are working on now.  Sign me up.

Oh, and while I have a captive audience, I'd like to say to Danny and Chuck, would you two please talk about putting out a physical version of a Jill discography.  It should be vinyl, but at the very least throw a CD together or something will you?  The people need it. The people demand it. Make it happen!

Gentlemen Rogues - A History of Fatalism
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/a-history-of-fatalism

Night Court - Nervous Birds Too Cassette

Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

A few weeks ago I wrote about volume one in the Nervous Birds double cassette epic from the band known as Night Court.  That one came out in December and this second tape was just released in May.  I tried to get this one written about a bit more timely than the last one.  But I'm just one guy with two ears and can only consume so much music at a time (which seems to be getting harder and harder each year that I continue to age).

Nervous Birds Too isn't really any different from Nervous Birds One.  And I am one hundred percent, completely fine with that.  In fact, I applaud it, because this is exactly the sort of thing I want to hear more and more of.  Tight, catchy songs with someone rough, lower fidelity production.  It captures all of the energy of the songs but never sacrifices the insane amount of hooks.

Last time I mentioned that this is a group that's straddling catchy garage rock like So Cow or Wavves, but is also putting in a Pavement-y indie rock perspective and I stand by that statement for this tape as well.  This is great stuff, so great that I will now insert my annoying comment that I wish these had also been released on vinyl. Tapes, you know?

Night Court - Nervous Birds Too:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/nervous-birds-too

despAIR jordan - Before Your Wings Gave Out 12" - Gray Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

despAIR jordan (did they think people might not get the joke if they didn't capitalize AIR?) is a Denver based band, like so many others that are part of the Snappy Little Numbers universe.  They also sound completely different than pretty much any other band on SNL which is part of the reason that I'm always interested to see what the label will do next.  Though admittedly, I tend to like the pop punk sounding stuff the best.

despAIR jordan is not pop punk.  They have a late 80s, early 90s shoegaze alternative sound that makes me think of bands like The Cure or Depeche Mode, particularly in regards to the vocals.  The songs are pretty slow, deliberate and long.  there are six songs on the vinyl, though the download comes with four extras.  I'm not sure if it was a timing reason that those songs weren't on the vinyl or if it's because it would have been too long to fit everything.

I can't say this is my favorite record I've heard lately.  I like my rock a bit crunchier and/or more upbeat and these songs kind of just feel like downers to me.  That said, they do as good a job as anyone with this style of music.  The musicianship is strong and the production is great.  It's just that for me, this kind of thing just tends to fade into the background when I listen to it.

despAIR jordan - Before Your Wings Gave Out:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/before-your-wings-gave-out-deluxe-digital-with-hell-year-ep

Gentlemen Rogues - Francy 7" - Red,Blue & Yellow Tri Color Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

Over the years Gentlemen Rogues have but out a bunch of singles and EPs, many of which I have written about in the past, always eager to point out that singer Danny Dunlap was also in Jill, a pop punk band of my youth very near and dear to my heart.  This newest single is their second release for Snappy Little Numbers and it contains an original and a They Might Be Giants cover, both of which are a mighty good time.

A side "Francy" is a an energetic, crunchy guitar fueled blast.  The verse builds ever so perfectly into the supremely catchy chorus.  It's power pop for sure, but has a roughness to it that reminds me that these guys have punk rock roots and that just can't help but seep in and give it that extra little something that I'm always looking for in a song.

On the B side is a cover of the They Might Be Giants song "I've Got A Match."  The original TMBG song is from the album Lincoln and while I can't say that I'm the biggest fan of theirs, I do know some of their earlier material after being exposed to them on Al TV, when Weird Al would take over MTV.  The Gentlemen Rogues version strips out the nursery school vibe and turns it into a straight forward guitar pop blast.  A different take to be sure, but one that I enjoy quite a bit.

All these great Gentlemen Rogues singles.  I enjoy them immensely, but what it does more than anything is make me continue to salivate for an eventual full length.  Let's get on that!

Gentlemen Rogues - Francy 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/francy-b-w-ive-got-a-match

Night Court - Nervous Birds! One Cassette

Snappy Little Numbers / Debt Offensive (2021)

This lingered a little longer than I would have liked as it was released this past December.  On my birthday, no less if the Bandcamp release date is accurate.  Snappy Little Numbers does a great job of unearthing bands that fit pretty perfectly into my wheelhouse.  So much so, that I even forgive them for putting out some of it on tape.  Debt Offensive is no slouch in the quality releases department either and Night Court is yet another example of this.

I watched the TV show Night Court a lot as a kid.  I'm not sure I really understood all of the jokes, but they had a wacky cast of characters and Yakov Smirnoff as a recurring guest star.  Gold.  Nervous Birds! One is also gold.  They have a lo-fi guitar sound and beat it into submission resulting in song after song just crammed full of catchy hooks.  

There are times where I hear Wavves, other times where So Cow feels like a good touchstone and still others where Pavement or Guided By Voices seem to make the most sense.  It's an album oddly anchored in early 90s indie rock and early 2010s garage rock, but somehow they mesh perfectly together.  

For me, if you put out an album that's this catchy and memorable, I'm going to be a happy guy no matter what fidelity you're recording in or what era has most inspired you.  Night Court has done that and it seems that Nervous Birds! Two is already lined up for release really soon.  Color me excited to complete the duology.

Night Court - Nervous Birds! One:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/nervous-birds-one