Various Artists - A Rigid Digits Production - A Tribute To Stiff Little Fingers

Snuffy Smile (1996)

These days. there aren't all that many Snuffy Smile records that I don't have in my collection.  I'm all caught up on 7"s, but there are still a handful of CDs that have eluded me.  While they were never as high a priority as the 7"s, I really do want to get my hands on all of them in order to truly call my collection complete.  This compilation is one of the few I was still hunting.

This is a three inch CD with four bands each covering a Stiff Little Fingers song.  Registrators, who were never one of my favorite bands to release a record on Snuffy Smile, give a spirited rendition of "Wasted Life."  Sprocket Wheel tackle "Wait and See" in an interesting manner that bounces around genres mixing their trademark pop punk sound with a little bit of doo wop backing vocals and frequent tempo changes.

Nails of Hawaiian turn in the highlight of this release for me, a bouncy version of "At The Edge" with excellent guitar riffage and breakdowns.  Finally there's a band I'm really not as familiar with, Sawpit.  If their version of "Rough Trade" was an indication of the rest of their releases, I'd probably want to hear more.  That said, a quick browse through some YouTube video shows me that they typically deal in a more screamy version of hardcore which is probably why this and an appearance on the Ultimate Slow Beats compilation were their only Snuffy Smile releases.

These 4 cover songs don't make up the most compelling Snuffy Smile CD ever released.  They're fun songs, but not the sort of thing that would warrant repeated listens.  That said, from a collector position, it was very important for me to add this to my pile of Snuffy Smile releases.  Hopefully I'll be able to track down the last few.

Holy Shit! - Not My Tempo 7"

Snuffy Smiles / Vinyl Smash (2019)

Going into this, I already know that I don't really like Holy Shit.  I have a handful of their split 7"s on Snuffy Smiles and pretty much the only reason I bought this one is because it's a co-release between Vinyl Smash and Snuffy Smiles.  To keep the Snuffy Smiles 7" collection complete, it's a necessary purchase.

Holy Shit play really fast and the singer yells a lot.  It sounds like an older hardcore record, but one that might have been a Berkeley based sound.  There's a little bit of catchiness to their songs and I can tolerate them more than a lot of hardcore bands, but this just isn't for me.  This is a 7" that is truly not my tempo.

I will say that the last couple of years from Snuffy Smiles have been underwhelming.  They haven't put out many records and the ones they have aren't as focused on Japanese bands as I would like.  Still, I have quite a history collecting records from this label, so I'm likely to keep buying them year after year, no matter what band is actually on the record.

Holy Shit! - Not My Tempo 7":
https://holyshitwi.bandcamp.com/album/not-my-tempo

Your Pest Band - Automatic Aspiration 12" - Brown Vinyl

Dirt Cult / Snuffy Smiles (2018)

I have a lot of Your Pest Band records.  They just keep releasing music and as long as they do, I'll keep buying it.  This one actually slipped through the cracks on me as I am not positive I knew it was released late last year until very recently.  It's also possible that I saw it was out, made a mental note to grab it and then promptly forgot that mental note.  As I get older I find that these sort of things happen.  I should start keeping more actual notes I think.  I'll make a mental note to do that.

The songs on this 12" are all wonderful.  I like Your Pest Band the best when they lean closer to the pop punk side of the musical spectrum.  Sometimes they get a little too psychedelic for my personal taste, but always seem to have a killer hook waiting for me around the corner.  While the six songs on this EP are really diverse, they are all super catchy and fit together like puzzle pieces.  It's just a great listen start to finish.

12" EPs aren't my favorite format on the best of days, I always just think that it would be better to wait until you have a few more songs and then put out a full length.  But when you hand me six songs this good and this cohesive, it's hard to argue that it wasn't the right call.  Though you could probably convince me that adding four more songs just as good wouldn't be a bad idea either...

Your Pest Band -  Automatic Aspiration 12":
https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/automatic-aspiration

The Invisible Teardrops / Tony’s Bite - Split 7”

Snuffy Smile (2018)

Every time I stumble across a new Snuffy Smile release, I’m both relieved and excited that the label is still chugging along after all these years.  They are responsible for so many records that I love and I would be really bummed out if they ever stopped completely.  That said, I can’t say that this is my favorite release that they’ve put out.

On one side of the record we have three songs from The Invisible Teardrops.  They’ve put out a few releases on Snuffy Smile at this point, but they just haven’t managed to capture my attention the way other bands have.  The first of their three songs, “Someone Wrote You a Letter,” is pretty bad.  It’s a slow, organ heavy song that just kind of sits there and never goes anywhere.  Luckily, the next one, “Run, Run, Run Away” picks up the pace quite a bit.  It’s catchy and energetic and while I still don’t love it, it’s a decent enough song.  They close out with a song called “Cool Out” which was either recorded live or is a super lo-fi recording.  It’s better than the first song on this 7”, but not as good as the second.  It’s OK, but nothing special.

On the flip side we have Tony’s Bite.  They also contribute three songs to the split.  Their first one “Black City” is pretty heavy on the garage scale with a slick riff in the verse and and some lead guitar shenanigans in the break.  “Brains Out” is more of the same with a dark repetitive guitar riff that reminds me a little bit of Gas Huffer for some reason.   Last up is “Nard Play” which like the other two is also kind of dark and built off of a finger lifting guitar riff.  Honestly I can’t say any of these songs really jumped out as anything that I could see myself listening to very often.  I will always support Snuffy Smile, but I personally prefer when they release pop punk records as opposed to garage-y stuff like this.

Winstons / Invisible Teardrops - Split 7"

Snuffy Smiles (2016)

As I got ready to review this split 7", I had to look it up on Discogs to double check the year it was released.  I cannot believe this is from 2016.  I definitely haven't been sitting on this for two years, so maybe it was out in Japan for a while before I managed to pick up a copy.  It's not like me to be so behind on writing about a Snuffy Smiles record.

The Invisible Teardrops seem like an odd fit for a Snuffy Smiles release.  They have sound that reminds me a bit of Sedatives, in no small part due to the extremely prominent use of organ.  There's lots of good downstroked guitar chords that I like, but I'm not really into the reverb drenched, echo-y vocals.  Perhaps I was expecting something with a bit more pop punk behind it.

Winstons also aren't the sort of band I would typically associate with Snuffy Smiles.  With their jangly guitars and soul-style delivery, it's totally out of left field.  I like this a lot more than the Invisible Teardrops side as it has a vaguely Stax-esque flavor to it and I do dig that sound a lot.  It's just not the sort of release I'd expect from my favorite punk rock label of all time. 

Gleam Garden - S/T 10"

Snuffy Smiles (2016)

I've been sitting on this 10" for a really long time.  I don't know exactly why it's taken me so long to review it.  I think it has something to do with the fact that every time I pick it up to review, I try to figure out where all of the songs have come from before and that ends up taking up too much time so I just waiting until another day.

Well that other day is today.  I think I've finally figured it out.  Of the eight songs on this 10", five of them were previously released on a split cassette with Tony's Bite, two were released on a split 7" with Chestnut Road and one of them was on a split flexi with Car10.  I don't have that Car10 split, so if anyone knows where I can get one of those, please let me know.

I've been listening to Gleam Garden for years.  They are one of the best punk rock bands in Japan and the eight songs on this 10" just prove that even more.  These songs are poppy and straightforward and perhaps a bit less noisy than some of their older releases.  But don't worry that's actually a compliment as they've still managed to maintain the energy of the past records, with a tighter focus on hooks and vocal melodies.  These are some of the best songs they've released in my opinion.

I haven't heard much from these guys since this 10" came out, but rest assured I will continue to pick up everything they release.  Provided I know it has come out.  (Seriously, if anyone can get me that split flexi with Car10, I'm buying.)

Gleam Garden - S/T 10" (Four of the eight songs are on this Bandcamp page)
https://gleamgarden.bandcamp.com/album/gleam-garden-10

Your Pest Band - Something Never Changes 7"

Brassneck / Snuffy Smiles (2017)

It blows my mind how prolific Your Pest Band is.  It feels like they have a new release out constantly.  That's not a complaint mind you, the fact that I consistently am able to listen to new songs by these guys is the sort of problem anyone would be lucky to have.

As usual, this release shows off the diverse styles of Your Pest Band.  Opening track "Something Never Changes" is a mid tempo slice of jangly guitar and earnest vocals.  It some ways it actually reminds me of Tom Petty, but Your Pest Band keeps things rough around the edges. Great song.  Next up we have "Gas."  This is my favorite of the bunch with its fast, distorted guitars and old school Snuffy Smiles style pop punk hooks.  When Your Pest Band goes down this path, few are better.

Finally we have the nearly seven minute long "Gravity Force."  This is a song really testing the limits of what can fit on a 7", that's for sure.  It's slower and more deliberate than the other two songs, but no less potent.  I can't say that I tend to favor songs quite this long usually, but Your Pest Band manage to hold my attention better than most.

All three songs are definitely worth checking out and to mirror what Scott has said on the Brassneck website, this is actually a fantastic record to use as an introduction to the band.  With their massive discography, it can be intimidating to try to figure out where to jump in.  I recommend this 7", it gives you a sample pack of the sounds that Your Pest Band is best at.

Your Pest Band - Something Never Changes 7":

https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/something-never-changes 

Your Pest Band - Old Springhead 2xLP

Snuffy Smiles / Brassneck / Dead Broke (2017)

Over the last few years, Your Pest Band has been one of the most prolific and consistently great bands from Japan.  To the best of my knowledge, I have everything they've released and will continue to buy everything they put out.  That being said, Old Springhead isn't my favorite of their records, but it's still pretty great.

If there's one criticism I have with Old Springhead it's that it is just a little too long.  I'm not sure that Your Pest Band needed to do the double LP here.  Trim off a few songs and put out a 7" or two in addition to this LP would have kept the album a little tighter.  I'd also be remiss if I didn't point out that the fifteen plus minute long "Swell" is pretty tough to get through.  My favorite Your Pest Band songs are the ones that are catchy and blast in and out again.

Old Springhead has plenty of great songs that lean on the strengths of Your Best Band.  The title track "Old Springhead" is a picture perfect example of what I love about this band.  A catchy lead guitar riff, a fast paced drum beat and a killer vocal melody combine to make it a true highlight.  There are so many great songs on this album from the 50's tinged "Found Out" to the bouncy pop of "Nothing" to "Exits," maybe the best song on the entire album.  This is truly a great record, I probably would have just preferred it be a little shorter, that's all.

Your Best Band - Old Springhead:

https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/your-pest-band-old-springhead

V/A - Ultimate Slow Beats CD

Snuffy Smile (1996)

I'm very lucky that I've been able to gather a complete Snuffy Smile 7" collection over my years of buying records.  I've said it many times, but they have essentially been my favorite record label in the world for close to 20 years now.  When I went to Japan, one of my goals was to try to fill some holes in my Snuffy Smile CD collection.  I didn't find many of the missing albums, but I did find a couple. One of which is this fine compilation.

I've actually had a different version of this comp for quite a long time.  It was released in America on Broken Rekids under the name Peace And Love.  That never deterred me from seeking out the original version.  Ultimate Slow Beats has some of my very favorite bands from the first wave of Japanese punk rock that I started listening to.

You've got some of the more well known bands like Blew, Lovemen and Navel, all of which are among the best of the best bands you'll ever listen to.  However, there are also some songs from equally great, but not quite as well known bands like Snatcher, International Jet Set and Just One Day (pre-The Urchin).  Let's not forget about Cigaretteman, one of my all time favorites who dish up arguably my favorite song of theirs, "Sister."

These bands are just the tip of the iceberg, there are so many interesting sounds to hear across this compilation.  While this Snuffy Smile version is a bit tougher to track down, if you're not as nutty about things as I am, you can hunt down the US version much easier.  In fact, there's one on Discogs right now for five bucks.  Probably the best five dollars you'll spend today.

Cigaretteman - "Sister":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLnTrwC5ys

Navel - "Chaos Mind":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2GieDZMIuM

International Jetset - "Today":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIqGpOca90Y

Gleam Garden - Singles 2006 - 2013 CD

Snuffy Smiles (2015)

This was a CD that was on my list of things to hunt down while in Japan.  I have to once again thank Kazu from Waterslide records for helping me find it.  Due to its minimal artwork and lack of a spine, I don't know if I would have tracked this down on my own.  Luckily, Kazu found it at one of the record stores we went to and now it is in my collection.

Gleam Garden has been one of the great Japanese bands of the last decade.  They have a few albums out and have released a lot of singles.  This CD compiles most of their 7"s along with a few CD and compilation tracks.  I had most of these songs previously from the various Snuffy Smile 7"s in their catalog, though the compilation songs included are new to me.  Also, it's kind of nice to have everything on one CD that I can just play from start to finish.  Sure, it would be nice if this was an LP, but singles comps are one of those times where I really don't have a problem with their not being a vinyl release.  After all, I do have just about all of these songs on vinyl from the 7"s.

Musically, Gleam Garden are simply amazing.  Fast and loud, they come roaring at you with their guitar attack.  You can hear hints of Dickie Hammond style riffs on some songs, while on others the chord progressions are more immediate and stripped down.  No matter what the song, Gleam Garden is always there to cram in a hook or a chorus that makes you want to start jumping around whatever room you are in.  They've managed to capture an energy in these recordings that can elude so many bands.

Simply put, I just love this band and wish they got more attention here in America.  Pick this or any of their other records up if you see them.

Gleam Garden - "Factory" (this is a live version, but the studio version is on this comp):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT3l4XJlYcs

Gleam Garden - "Evaporation" (Also a live version, I can't really find many of the regular versions floating around online)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfwC1_gshJg

Divers - Achin' On 7" - Clear Vinyl (/100) & Black Vinyl

Dirt Cult / Snuffy Smiles (2016)

I'm not sure if it's all that noticeable, but despite the crazy amount of records I buy, I try not to get too caught up in the variant hunt.  Sure there are a handful of bands where I do feel the need to have every version of every record, but for most part I'm perfectly content just having one copy.  Though admittedly, I do always want the most limited version.  Well, in addition to the few bands I will go variant crazy for, I also want to try to have a complete collection of Snuffy Smiles 7"s, so when this Divers 7" popped up, I had to pick up both versions.

The A-side, "Achin' On" is a nice little slab off Tom Petty inspired rock and roll.  It has a pulsing bass line and some subtle hooks.  I definitely hear some similarities to the band Nude Beach, but Divers seems to be a touch more melancholy.  It's a great song though.  B-side "Can't Do That" is a Dead Moon cover.  While I'm not familiar with the original, The Divers version is a low key, somewhat murky track.  Pretty good, but I dig the A-side more.

I did like these songs enough that I also orders the Divers full length from last year.   I'll write something up about that in the next week or so as well.

Divers - Achin' On 7":

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/achin-on-b-w-cant-do-that-dead-moon

Defect Defect - Deefography Cassette

Snuffy Smiles (2015)

In the never ending quest to own all of the Snuffy Smiles releases, some tapes have been sneaking in over the last couple of years.  I don't know what spurred the label to begin releasing cassettes.  This is a pretty new phenomenon. There aren't really many cassettes released over the label's twenty-plus year history.  I'm also unsure why Snuffy Smiles releases so few CDs these days, but at the end of the day I'm always happy to support my favorite label in the world.

I'll admit that Defect Defect is not really a band I have paid too much attention to over the years.  They've had the occasional song pop up on my radar, most notably through other Snuffy Smiles 7"s, but they've never really grabbed me.  This cassette is supposed to be something of a discography release.  Poking around on Discogs, it does seem like this is almost everything they've released.  There's a few songs here and there that didn't make it on, most notably the ones from the band's recent 7", also on Snuffy Smiles.

The music itself is kind of hit and miss for me.  When the band is playing a bit slower and really lets that Wipers-esque downstroking be in the forefront, they churn out some pretty great songs.  These songs remind me a lot of the better moments of The Estranged.  But when Defect Defect really picks up the tempo and starts yelling, I tend to lose interest.  There's a wide range of songs here, but the ones that I seem to like the most are the cluster that made up the band's only LP.  

I don't know if I like Defect Defect enough to actually go pick up that album on vinyl, but it's certainly an OK listen.  That being said, no matter what music was on this tape, it's an automatic buy for me as I need to keep the Snuffy Smiles collection complete.

Defect Defect - Self Titled LP (About half the songs on this cassette are on this LP):

https://takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/album/defect-defect-lp

Defect Defect - My Life Is Like Death 7"

Snuffy Smiles / Dirt Cult (2015)

From reading the little description for this 7" on the Dirt Cult Bandcamp page, it looks like these songs were the result of one last recording session before Defect Defect called it a day.  The reason?  Seems that the band was asked by Snuffy Smiles to tour Japan.  I can absolutely see how that will make you delay your break-up for a bit.  I would do the same.  Heck, I'd join Defect Defect for a chance like that.

Snuffy Smiles is a co-conspirator on this 7" along with Dirt Cult.  I can't say that I love this 7".  It's alright for a band that leans towards the hardcore punk rock spectrum of things; they don't scream nearly as much as a lot of bands do.  There's some gruff, angry sounding vocals, but it never breaks down into unintelligible yelling.  So that's a plus from my point of few.

The other side to the coin is like a lot of hardcore leaning bands they seem a bit trapped in a box.  The guitars are playing their chords, the drumming is intense and powerful and the bass is thumping along, but it never really feels inspired and the songs are all a little predictable.  More than anything it just sounds kind of old to me.  I realize that probably sounds like some major league bullshit coming from the guy so obviously obsessive of the rock and roll sounds of the 90's.  Defect Defect seems to be throwing back to a time earlier than those golden years.  I guess that's a time and a sound I'm just not as enthralled with.

Defect Defect - My Life Is Like Death 7":

https://dirtcultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/my-life-is-like-death

Gleam Garden / Chestnut Road - Split 7" - Green Vinyl (Japanese Cover)

 

Snuffy Smiles / Brassneck (2015)

This is the Japanese version of the Gleam Garden / Chestnut Road split 7".  The songs are the same as the UK version, so you can click on yesterday's review of this 7" for more details about the music.  In a nutshell, both bands are insanely good and you should buy this 7" immediately if not sooner.

Also, in case you missed it yesterday, PopKid will be joining these fine labels (Brassneck & Snuffy Smiles) and we are going to be putting out the new Chestnut Road full length album very soon.  We're just waiting on a few more things and then you'll be able to hear this great, great record.  In the mean time, we have one song from that album "Handshake," streaming over at the PopKid Bandcamp page.  Check it out and let me know what you think:

Chestnut Road - "Handshake":
https://popkid.bandcamp.com/album/lp-ii

Gleam Garden / Chestnut Road - Split 7" - Green Vinyl (UK Version)

 

Brassneck / Snuffy Smiles (2015)

Now we're really talking.  A split 7" by two bands that I already have a bunch of records by and two bands that I just love.  Plus, with the addition of Brassneck records as a label co-conspirator, we get a rare Snuffy Smiles 7" on green vinyl.  This 7" was made with two covers.  The one is pictured above is of the Brassneck version.  Snuffy Smiles has their own exclusive cover for this record, but I'll post that picture tomorrow.

We'll start up with Gleam Garden.  A wonderful Japanese band that have been cranking out tremendous records for the last few years.  They've managed to pull from the influences of older Japanese pop punk bands like Blew or Husking Bee, but still keep things interesting and fresh.  Both songs on this record are just picture perfect examples what Gleam Garden is capable of.  "Empty Night, Empty Cry" is an upbeat and ultra catchy rocker in the best possible way.  "Stop The World" slows things down just a bit but still maintains the energy that the band is known for.  The closing moments of the song, in particular, are just perfect.

The other band on this record are from France.  They are Chestnut Road and if you've been reading my website for any length of time you know how much I love this band.  Even though they are from a completely different country, they are carrying the torch of my favorite music scenes ever, the mid 90s melodic punk rock of the UK.  The most obvious comparison is to the band Broccoli, but you can certainly hear how the band has been influenced by other bands from that scene as well as some of the great Japanese bands of the 90s like Lovemen or Blew.  Their two songs on this split are just as good as anything the band has ever released.  I just adore this band and encourage you to buy anything of theirs you can get your hands on.

And now an unpaid message from PopKid Records:

Speaking of which, I like Chestnut Road so much, I'm going to help people get their hands on at least one of their records.  There's a little something up on the PopKid Records website as well, but I'm thrilled to announce that PopKid will be releasing the new Chestnut Road full length in a few weeks. It's the first new record we're putting out on PopKid in about ten years.  I couldn't be more excited and I can't wait to tell you more about it and start selling these records.  We're not going to do a preorder because we hate those. Once the records are in hand, they will be for sale.  You will be able to get this new record in the US from PopKid, in Europe from the wonderful Brassneck Records and In Japan from the legendary Snuffy Smiles.  We're streaming one song from the record on our Bandcamp page, so go check it out here: https://popkid.bandcamp.com/album/lp-ii

And publicly, please let me thank Scott from Brassneck, Yoichi from Snuffy Smiles and everyone in Chestnut Road for letting us be a part of this album.  We couldn't be more excited.

Gleam Garden / Chestnut Road - Split 7":
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/gleam-garden-chestnut-road-split-7

Sanhose - π Japanese Cassette

Snuffy Smiles (2015)

I had already discussed the music on π Japanese back when I reviewed the CD version of this album a couple of months ago.  You can read that here, but to briefly recap, this is a sterling example of a Japanese punk rock band putting out a record on Snuffy Smiles.  Fast, catchy and just one of my favorite strains of melodic punk rock music.

Despite my typical aversion to cassettes, the real reason I needed to get this on top of already owning the CD version really just comes down to the matrix number used.  Snuffy Smiles has 2 matrixes that they use: SMILE-xxx for CDs and SNUFF-xxx for 7"s and LPs.  While I do not quite have a complete collection of Snuffy Smiles CDs, I do have all of the 7"s, all one hundred and thirty something so far.  When this cassette was released, Snuffy Smiles used the SNUFF-131 matrix number and that meant there was sort of a hole in my 7" collection.

I realize that probably doesn't make a ton of sense.  Sure, I'm not actually missing a 7" but just having that gap in the numerical order drove me crazy.  Luckily the Dead Broke Rekerds distro restocked this tape, so I picked it up and once again the collection is complete.  At least until the next batch of 7"s.

V/A - Bullshit Detector CD

Snuffy Smile (1997)

At this point, surely you understand my love for the label Snuffy Smile (or as they're now known Snuffy Smiles).  They have released so many records that I simply adore and I've tried to make it my goal to own every record they've ever put out.  I'm doing pretty well with 7"s and I believe that collection is complete for the moment, but I am still missing a fair amount of CDs that they released.  Well, you can scratch one off the list and it's a doozy.  I've been looking for this CD for at least 15 years, probably a bit longer.

This compilation contains two songs each by seven different Japanese bands.  Some of my very favorites are represented as Blew, Lovemen and Navel are all featured.  A big bonus for me are two songs I didn't have from the band Middishade.  I've always really felt that this is a band that never got their due, having only a split 7" with International Jet Set and a split CD with Snatcher in their discography.  So having two new songs from them is a real treat.

The absolute highlight for me and the reason I've been looking for this CD for so long are the two Cigaretteman songs.  Cigaretteman has long been one of my absolute favorite Japanese bands.  The way they weave together their male and female singers and the flat out incredible songs they write just cannot be beat.  Again, a band with only some 7"s and compilation appearances to their name, I've been trying to complete their discography for quite some time.  I think there's a two demos of theirs that I don't have, but I believe I now have just about everything they've officially released.  I'll have to double check on that.

One day I hope to finally make it to Japan so I can dig through their record stores to try to complete all of my Japanese band and label connections.  For now, it's nice to have a small victory and one less record to dig for.