Superchunk / Quivers - Split 7"

Merge (2024)

I love me a good split 7" and I also do enjoy it when bands have exclusive merch when they tour.  But when that exclusive merch becomes impossible to obtain unless you happened to go to a show at a very specific time in an extremely specific geographic region, I'm not as into that.  That's where this split 7" comes in. Sold only on the briefest run of tour dates in the center of America, had it not been for the tremendous kindness of my buddy Danny, I would have been shit out of luck.  Nary a copy has shown up anywhere on the internet since this tour happened, not even on eBay or Discogs.  Again, I like cool merch, but some of us have been collecting Superchunk records for 30+ years.  I would have been most distraut to miss this.

Anyway, the Superchunk song is a fun little cover of Dead Moon's "Fire in the Western World."  I can't say that I'm familiar with the original, but Superchunk have turned it into one of their standard, upper-mid tempo numbers.  I  really enjoy it and for me it's miles better than a lot of the mopey songs they've been slinging the past couple of years.  Give me more Superchunk like this!

I had not heard of Quivers prior to the announcement of this 7" and I don't know the Yo La Tengo song they are covering, "Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind." This one is slower, dreamier and for me kind of fades into the background a little bit.  It's good, but it's nothing that grabs me and makes me think that I must track down more music by this band.

I'm very grateful to have this record and again send many thanks to Danny.  I had a complete Superchunk 7" collection prior to this release (including a longtime omission that's sitting in a stash of records another friend is hording for me in the UK) and I thought that once I had this 7", I was set again.  Then Discogs alerted me to another regional exclusive.  But that's a story for another day.

Superchunk / Quivers - Split 7":
https://superchunk.bandcamp.com/album/fire-in-the-western-world-pass-the-hatchet-i-think-im-goodkind

Lync / Pedro The Lion - Split 7" - Blue Vinyl (/300)

Suicide Squeeze (2024)

This is an odd little release.  It's a split 7" with Lync and Pedro The Lion on each side playing the Lync song "b."  This version is on blue vinyl and was limited to 300 copies.  There's also a purple vinyl version, but I haven't seen that for sale online anywhere, though admittedly, I haven't really looked all that hard as I'm not sure I need another copy of this.  Though the Lync collector in my head often disagrees.

The original Lync version of this is from 1994's These Are Not Fall Colors album.  It's probably my favorite by Lync, which is saying something considering how much I love pretty much all of their songs.  It's the one that grabbed me by the ears in 1994 and never let go, fully establishing that Lync wasn't 'a band with those guys on the Beck album.'  Which was, of course, how I stumbled across them in '94.  I can't ever say enough good things about this song, this album and this band.  Sam Jayne forever.

On the flip is a newly recorded version of this song by Pedro The Lion.  I've never really been a fan, their records have always been a little too slow and sleepy for me.  Their take on "b" doesn't really do anything to change my opinion.  It's a solo acoustic take that is so slow and has such low, deep vocals that I thought I was playing it on the wrong speed.  To call it a melancholy take would be doing a disservice to melancholy things as it's just borderline depressing.  If this means that more folks get to hear the Lync version of the song, then this 7" is a worthwhile endeavor.  But for me, I don't really need a slower, sadder version of one of the great indie rock songs of all time.

Lync / Pedro The Lion - Split 7":
https://lync1994.bandcamp.com/album/b-2

Night Court / The Dumpies - The Shit Split Part Duh 7"

Hovercraft (2024)

I feel like the split 7" is really an endangered species at this point, so I am always happy to see a new one get released.  Having that 7" include one band that I really like and one I'm not at all familiar with is exactly what I want out of a split.  A sure thing that I know I'll like and an opportunity to hear something new.

Night Court is back with four songs of ramshackle fuzz pop songs.  They are all pretty short as they would need to be to fid that many on one side of a 7".  As with everything they've released so far, I enjoy this immensely.  There's enough punk energy to keep things upbeat and exciting, the right amount of pop hooks to keep my brain singing along and just enough oddball chaos to keep things interesting.

My first impression of The Dumpies is that they are similar in spirit with The Marked Men.  Fast guitars with a mix of fuzz and jangle, distorted vocals, but an unwavering commitment to catchy melodies.  They're not quite as polished as The Marked Men just yet, but really who is.  I went into this 7" as a Night Court fan, but I'm leaving it being really interested in The Dumpies as well.  Though I will say that I wish all of their songs weren't quite so short.

Night Court / The Dumpies - The Shit Split Part Duh:

https://nightcourtpunk.bandcamp.com/album/shit-split-part-duh

https://thedumpies.bandcamp.com/album/shit-split-part-duh

Unwound / Karate - Fantasma Split 7" - Red Vinyl

Numero (2023)

This 7" was originally available at the Primavera Sound Festival that took place in Barcelona.  Unwound and Karate both played on day three and were grouped as part of the third font size (out of four) on the poster.  As both of these songs are also available on albums by each band, I assume this was mainly released to be a take home trinket of the experience.  Lucky for record dorks like me, Numero put some extra copies up on their website, so I was able to keep my Unwound 7" collection up to date.

On the Unwound side we have "Look A Ghost," from their Leaves Turn Inside You album from 2001.  While the later era Unwound records are definitely not my favorite of their overall discography, this song does stand out as one of the best.  It's not quite as noisy as I usually want my Unwound songs to be, as they rely more on a clean (as in not distorted), but muddy guitar tone.  The playing is intricate though and it's not sleepy like some of the band's other later era songs. 

Karate is a band I never listened to.  I'm not entirely sure why as they aren't a band that I can point to and say "I don't like them because ______."  I just never listened to them and I think I always thought of them as a slow, kind of boring band.  Now that I've heard their contribution to this 7", "There Are Ghosts" from the 1998 album The Bed is in the Ocean, I'm not sure my assumption was incorrect.  It's not a bad song, it is pleasant enough, but it has that slow, smooth jazz sort of indie rock vibe that never did anything for me.  Maybe they have other songs that are a bit more dynamic and exciting, but this one is kind of just there.

If you didn't go to the festival and already like either band, I'm not sure this is an essential release as you probably already have the song.  But for that segment of people that need to hunt down things like this, you can get it at a reasonable price from the fine folks at Numero.

State Drugs / Zephr - Split 7" - Muddy Green Vinyl

Snappy Little Numbers (2022)

This is a split 7" containing one song each by State Drugs and Zephr, two bands that have also released full length albums on Snappy Little Numbers.  I was pretty excited when this showed up in the mail as I was a fan of each band's prior albums and I've long said how the split 7" has historically been one of my favorite formats.  Though it's certainly not as common an occurrence as it was back in the 90s.

State Drugs has a rootsy, Tom Petty, Nude Beach sort of vibe, but with vocals that really cling more to a melancholy feeling than the more upbeat nature of a Petty.  "Mr. Untitled" is built on a dark guitar and bass sound that is very heavy on low end.  That's then peppered with bright lead guitar riffs.  Once the vocals come in, things can feel a little dour to be honest, but the backing vocals help make the song veer into more uplifting territory.

Zephr feels like they have really slowed things down since the last time I heard them.  Whereas on their last album I thought they would fit in good with the early 2000s No Idea crowd, this time they've dialed things back considerably.  "Landline" doesn't strike me as the quintessential contribution to a split 7".  To me, it feels more like a deep album cut that you write to give an album a more dynamic feeling and to let the listener catch their breath in between a couple of rockers.  It's a good song, but hearing it by itself with no other songs for context makes me wonder if the band is in the midst of a major sound chance from their last album.  Time will tell I guess.

State Drugs / Zephr - Split 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/split-single-sln-222

Custody / Bear Away - Split 7" Lathe (Clear, /30)

Brassneck / Disillusioned (2021)

I don't have many lathe cut records.  And most of the ones I have are kind of old.  There must have been some big time advances in lathe technology over the past few years as I am shocked how good this split 7" sounds.  Does it sound quite as good as a proper piece of vinyl, just barely, no it doesn't.  It's a little bit heavy on the low end and is maybe lacking in crispness ever so slightly.  But that said, my jaw was on the ground when I put this on the turntable as I couldn't believe how good it did actually sound.  We live in crazy times, folks...

Anyway, there's two bands on this record, the first of which is Custody, a long time favorite of mine and definitely in the running for being one of the best active bands going.  They've long since mastered the Samiam-esque style of melodic punk and their contribution, "Running In Circles," is just another example of said mastery.  The way the powerful vocals mesh in with the dynamic and catchy guitar work is just fantastic.  I wish these guys put out a new record every week, like Rocket From The Crypt 1995-style.

Bear Away isn't a band I was familiar with prior to getting this record, and damn if this isn't the reason I love split 7"s so much.  While they definitely have something of a similar melodic sound as Custody, Bear Away is definitely a beast unto themselves.  The drums are fast, the guitar riffs are warm and fuzzy and the vocals hit all of the right notes.  These guys are from England and when you listen to their song, I feel like they couldn't be from anywhere else.

This split is just excellent and I'm so relieved to have it in the collection.  If you can find one, grab it...but if nothing else at least the songs are up on Bandcamp to download.

Custody / Bear Away - Split 7":
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/split-11

Spells / Hooper - Rock N Roll Swap Meet: Day 1 Spilt 7" - Pink Vinyl (/220)

Snappy Little Numbers (2021)

I do not claim to be an all seeing, all knowing oracle of punk rock information, but I do own a few punk rock records.  The gimmick behind this particular split 7" isn't one that I've ever heard of before.  If it is a completely original thought, kudos to all involved.  If it is just something that has only been rarely done that never crossed my path before, again - kudos.  This time for bringing out an idea that I think could use a bigger spotlight.

So, what is the gimmick you ask?  Well for starters, the two bands on this 7", Hooper and Spells, cover a song originally done by the other band.  But Tim, you say, that's been done approximately one hundred thousand times in the past.  Ah yes, but let's talk about the second contribution for each band.  Spells wrote a brand new, never before recorded song.  And they wrote it specifically to be played by Hooper.  Hooper returned the favor and wrote a brand new song for Spells.  So these aren't covers, they are brand new originals written for another band.  To me, this is a wild idea and am super into it.

The songs themselves are fun to listen to as well.  The Spells' take on the two Hooper written songs provide a blast of that usual Spells energy, but with songs that feel a little more straightforward and to the point than some of the more traditional Spells fare.  On the Hooper side or the equation (not their side of the record as each side has a song by each band) is my favorite song of the four, the Hooper version of "Forget About Virginia" from the Spells' Loose Change Vol.1 comp.  Also on board is a new song, "Salted Breeze."

I dig the concept a lot.  It helps that it is executed by two bands I already am a pretty big fan of.  As this is set up as Vol. 1, I assume that means more volumes are coming.  Let me give you the million dollar idea for Vol. 3 or 4.  The Drolls and Foxhall Stacks.  You're welcome.

Spells / Hooper - Rock N Roll Swap Meet: Day 1 Spilt 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/rock-n-roll-swap-meet-day-1

Rocket From The Crypt / Dead Bolt - Split 7" - Pink Cover

Standard (1992)

It's rare that I get to buy a new Rocket From The Crypt release these days.  I am committed to trying to track down every single stupid variant of every one of their records, but at this point there's really not many left.  That said, something new always manages to pop up and this 7" is an example of that.

I have had a version of this record since around 1995.  That version had a blue sleeve.  In the early 2000s I found out there was a version with a yellow sleeve as well, so that was added to the archives.  Well, it turns out there was a third version that showed up on eBay a few weeks ago.  This one has a pink sleeve.  Aside from that it's the same as the other two, but whenever I find a Rocket From The Crypt record that I previously didn't know about, it makes me wonder what else could be floating around out there.  Probably more than I really want to know at the end of the day.

Song wise, I can't say too much about Deadbolt.  Their spooky surf didn't really grab me in the 90s and I've probably only listened to their side of this record a couple of times at the most.  But the Rocket side is a favorite of mine.  "Cha Cha Cha" blasts forward with pick slides, hammered chords and that fuzzy vocal feedback that was present on so many of those early RFTC masterpieces.  I just love it and it still gets me pumped up all these years later.  Give it up for the band.

Rocket From The Crypt - "Cha Cha Cha":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF_jMxwopk0

Deadbolt - "Down In The Lab":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJs7SzQOPx0

Three Minute Movie / Litters - Split 7"

Fine Tuning (2018)

I'm always happy to see a split 7" released in Japan.  So much of the music I loved was discovered on split 7"s that were put out by Snuffy Smile in the mid 90s.  The format will always have a special place in my heart.

Three Minute Movie are the reason I bought this 7".  I love these guy, but I am still missing two of their full length CDs from my collection.  I really need to fix that.  Both songs on this split are the sort of uptempo rockers that have been their calling card on the other recent 7"s.  They are a band that has evolved a lot over the years.  You could certainly say that their earlier albums leaned towards the emo end of pop punk, but everything I've heard from Three Minute Movie lately have been super catchy rockers.  I seem to like whatever style of punk rock they want to play.

Litters are a band I'm not familiar with and that's always been my favorite thing about split 7"s.  You never know what you are going to get on the other side of the record.  Yes, I bought this because of Three Minute Movie, but the two Litters songs are just great.  Big and catchy with crunchy rock and roll riffage, but pop-punky enough that everything the band does is in service to the hook.  According to Discogs, Litters have two other 7"s.  I think I'm going to have to track those down.

Gauche / Joyero - Split 7"

Merge (2019)

This split 7" came along with the acoustic Superchunk album AF as part of the Merge 30th subscription series.  Born Under A Good Sign has been pretty scattershot for me personally.  While I realize I haven't subscribed to a series of Superchunk records, I do wish I liked more of the bands that have had records be part of this subscription.

Gauche is kind of middle of the road, jangly guitar rock.  It's mid tempo and mid good.  I don't really like the vocals much at all, though they are the only thing that really stands out when you listen to the song.  Unfortunately, they don't stand out in a good way.

Joyero is even less up my alley.  "Evacuate" is built off of synth sounding 80s electronic drum beats and strained, reverb drenched vocals.  I don't listen to New Order, but they are who I thought of when this song was playing.  Except this Joyero is even slower and more forgettable.  Hey, at least there was a Superchunk record in this package.

Midway Still / Filthy Hate - Split 7” (Tour Sleeve) - Blue Vinyl

 

Break The Connection (2012)

This split 7” is another record I got on my trip to Japan that I hadn’t gotten around to writing about yet.  In case it isn’t obvious yet, I bought a lot of records on that trip. This particular version is a tour version with an additional sleeve, given to me by a very wonderful man who came out to the PopKid/Waterslide show at What’s Up in Tokyo.

Midway Still is a band that I’ve known and loved for many years.  They were part of that initial blast of UK melodic punk rockers that I got into which included Snuff, Broccoli & Leatherface. On this 7” they have an original and a cover of a Filthy Hate song.  “I Don’t Wanna Feel Anymore” Is a wonderful mid tempo rocker that could easily have been culled from Dial Square or any of the other amazing records that Midway Still put out early in their run.  “Various Cultures - Brutal Edit” is a Filthy Hate song and while I can’t say I’m familiar with the original, the Midway Still version is outstanding.  It’s just a joyous pop song, though with lyrics that are a bit darker.  Still it works incredibly well and exceeded my expectations.

Filthy Hate isn’t a band I had heard of before, but the band name made me assume it was a loud, yelly hardcore band.  Guess what, I was right.  Million mile an hour guitar, drums that sound like someone tossed the drum kit down a flight of stairs and people yelling lyrics that are angry and unintelligible.  I’m sure some folks would like this, but it’s certainly  not the sort of thing I typically listen to.  But the 2 Midway Still songs are phenomenal.

Custody / The Phoenix Foundation - Split 7"

Little Rocket (2019)

I've been anticipating this 7" for quite some time.  When Custody came to the US for The Fest, I was lucky enough to hear their song on this split live when they band played a show in New Jersey.  As soon as I heard "Tuesdays" I loved it and I let the band know how much I thought it should come out on PopKid.  While things didn't pan out for that, I'm still very excited to have this 7" in my collection, even if it's on another record label.

"Tuesdays" is a classic Custody rocker.  The way they channel a furious mix of 90s UK punk sounds and a Samiam style melody always blows me away.  This is a band that can just do no wrong right now.  Every song I hear by them I love more than the one I heard before (except for "Whatever We Decide," that one is still the best).

Phoenix Foundation is a band I've been buying records of for a really long time.  I first heard of them through a release they had on Snuffy Smile in 2004 and it's great to see them still putting out records.  Their last full length from 2017, Closer, was outstanding and is worth hunting down.  Their contribution to this split is "Secrets."  It's a great song, but it is kind of long.  We're talking six and a half minutes long and the vocals don't start until two minutes in long.  The songs itself is terrific, but can't help but feel I'd probably like it more if a bit was shaved of the intro at lease.  That's probably a fault of my attention span though and not the song itself.

Custody / The Phoenix Foundation - Split 7":
https://custody.bandcamp.com/album/custody-the-phoenix-foundation-split-single

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.

Chestnut Road / Navel - Split 7" - Blue Vinyl & Cream Vinyl

Brassneck (2019)

I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to find out that this 7" was in the works.  It pairs two of my favorite bands on one 7" put out by one of the best labels going.  There is really nothing not to love about this release and it just makes me so happy that it exists,

This split marks the first appearance of Chestnut Road in quite some time.  They contribute two melodic punk stunners that would have been right at home on their last full length that I liked so much I put out on PopKid records.  "Black Corridor" is the slower of the two, but it still invokes the sort of 90s UK magic that makes that one of my favorite times in music.  It's similar to some of the slower moments of Broccoli.  The second song, "Prison," is just incredible.  This one is faster and makes me think of the best kind of Hooton 3 Car songs with rapid chord changes and supremely catchy hooks.  I've said dozens of times that Chestnut Road is one of the best bands on the planet right now, these two songs further cement that claim.

On the other side of the 7" we have Navel, an incredible Japanese band that I've been listening to for over twenty years at this point. It kind of amazes me that they somehow seem to get better every time that I hear them.  The two songs on this 7" are two of the their best yet.  "Dying" is just an incredible song, blending complex and melodic guitar parts with Tomi's trademark higher pitched, but ultra catchy vocals.  "End of the Line" is just as amazing, with a slower driving beat, but still maintaining the sort of catchiness that has always made me love this band.  Both songs are slower than the sort of rocket fast songs that made up their classic album Uneasy, but as much as I love that album, I'd have to say that these two are even better.

This is quite simply an amazing 7".  I certainly shouldn't have to convince you to buy it.  If you read my nonsense on this website, odds are you are probably inclined to like this sort of thing.  So I'm not sure what you're waiting for.  Go get it.

Chestnut Road / Navel - Split 7"
https://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/split

Not Wonk / The Full Teenz - Split 7"

Second Royal (2015)

I picked up this split 7" after really enjoying the two Not Wonk LPs that I had.  While I wasn't familiar with The Full Teenz, one of my favorite things to do is to buy a split 7" only knowing one of the two bands.  It's lead to so many great discoveries over the years and I was hopeful this would be another.

Not Wonk's side includes the song "On This Avenue."  I already had that song on their second LP This Ordinary, but I'm not really all that great at remembering song names, so I didn't realize it until I played this 7" for the first time.  Still, it is a really great song with a slower, Senseless Things meets 90s Brit pop style chorus.  The other song they contribute is a cover of a Full Teenz song called "水彩画." I'm not familiar with the original, but the Not Wonk version is on the slow side and I can't say I like it quite as much as the song that they wrote.

The Full Teenz side of this split is a lot of fun.  The songs are upbeat and catchy, with a treble heavy reverb on the guitar tone. They remind me of another Japanese band called Popcatcher that I have a bunch of CD EPs from that I picked up in the late 90s.  The Full Teenz was a nice surprise and I actually liked their side of this 7" better than the Not Wonk side.  I'm going to have to see if they have any other records that I'm able to get my hands on.

Not Wonk - "On This Avenue":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjl2ZZZMpZw

The Full Teenz - "swim! swim!":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r71bz_A_7p8

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. 

Mudhoney / Hot Snakes - Split 7" - White Vinyl

Sub Pop (2018)

This week, I'm going to go through each of the four split 7"s that Sub Pop released as part of their SPF30 singles spectacular.  These 7"s were available at the Sub Pop 30th Anniversary show and then were later sold online.  Last on the list is the split 7" between Mudhoney and Hot Snakes.  This 7" is the reason I wanted these.  I was very lucky as a friend in Seattle picked up a copy for me at the festival itself.  At the time it was unclear if the records were going to be available elsewhere, so I just wanted to say than you Sir.

Mudhoney is a band that I don't think I've tried listening to in twenty five years.  They were never really my thing and I always felt they had more noise than hooks.  Their contribution is "One Bad Actor."  They still seem to have a fair amount of lead guitar wanking and a sludgy, heavy sound that's probably not too dissimilar to what they were cranking out in the 90s.  Chances are if you already like Mudhoney, you're going to like this.  For me, it's just not a sound that's ever been close to my heart.

A band that is very close to my heart is Hot Snakes.  They are one of my all time favorites and it's no surprise that I love this song as much as I do.  "They Put You Up to This" ticks all of the boxes that I want to hear from Hot Snakes.  It has a riff that is reminiscent of "Bye Nancy Boy" and it builds while the drums pound into a deceptively catchy crescendo.  It's another in a proud line of mid tempo maulers from the Snakes and I couldn't love it any more if I tried.  It's an essential addition to your Hot Snakes collection.

Frankie Cosmos / LVL UP - Split 7" - Red Vinyl

Sub Pop (2018)

This week, I'm going to go through each of the four split 7"s that Sub Pop released as part of their SPF30 singles spectacular.  These 7"s were available at the Sub Pop 30th Anniversary show and then were later sold online.  Next  up is the split 7" with Frankie Cosmos and LVL UP.

Frankie Cosmos took me by surprised as it reminded me of something that would have fit in on K Records in the mid 90s.  There are elements of "Home is Where" that bring Go Sailor to mind, but it's not quite as cuddlecore as that.  I also think it's something that probably could have fit in on the Juno soundtrack as it has a similar vibe to those songs.  The vocals seem a little loud in the mix to me, but it's a decent enough song.

LVL UP on the flip side is slower and has some psychedelic leanings.  There's a bit of fuzz on the vocals and the music itself is very full, with the bass guitar very prominent.  It sounds like a cross between a less poppy Mikal Cronin and some of the bands on Trouble In Mind that are too far out for me.  "Orchard" isn't a bad song, but it's nothing I find that exciting either.

Shabazz Palaces / Chad VanGaalen - Split 7" - Blue Vinyl

Sub Pop (2018)

This week, I'm going to go through each of the four split 7"s that Sub Pop released as part of their SPF30 singles spectacular.  These 7"s were available at the Sub Pop 30th Anniversary show and then were later sold online.  Next  up is the split 7" with Shabazz Palaces and Chad VanGaalen.

Shabazz Palaces is another group that I hadn't heard (or even heard of) before I put this 7" down on the turntable.  I can't really say I know what to make of it.  It's drum machine beats paired with a warped bass sound that sort of makes me think of godheadSilo, but with no distortion.  The vocals as kind of spoken word, but also somewhat odd.  This might just be one of those things I don't get.

Chad VanGaalen is someone who I'm familiar with, but I've never been particularly impressed with the songs I've heard.  On "Friendly Aliens" it starts off pretty much like I would expect.  Minimal drums and electric guitar, but it's just barely louder than being acoustic.  There's a few sound effects buried in there and it seems like the sort of song that's boring indie rock to me.  But, as the song progresses things really pick up in the chorus.  Everything thing gets louder and the drums are pounding and the guitars are roaring in a way that reminds me of the first Black Eyed Snakes album. Probably the best song I've ever heard from Chad.

Metz / Clipping - Split 7" - Orange Vinyl

Sub Pop (2018)

This week, I'm going to go through each of the four split 7"s that Sub Pop released as part of their SPF30 singles spectacular.  These 7"s were available at the Sub Pop 30th Anniversary show and then were later sold online.  First up is the split 7" with Metz and Clipping.

Metz is a band that I always want to like a lot more than I actually do.  There's something intriguing about every song that I hear from them, but for whatever reason there is also something that keeps me from really getting into it.  Their contribution, "Escalator Teeth / On and On" has pounding drums and a repetitive, but quite excellent, guitar riff.  It's somewhat marred by spacey sound effects inserted here and there and vocals that I don't really love.  It's noisy, but still pretty catchy.  Again, I want to like this, but I'm not there yet.

I've not heard Clipping prior to this 7" and I wasn't exactly sure what to expect.  It's hip hop, but it's lacking the sort of thing I look for.  The flow of the rapping itself is very good and reminds me a bit of Akrobatik from The Perceptionists, but musically I just don't get what they are doing.  There is no real beat to speak of, just an electronic drone that sounds a bit like Flash Gordon background music whenever Ming is on screen.  It does get progressively louder throughout the song, but it's a total case of blue balls as you keep waiting for that beat to kick in, but it never does.  While I think this song is kind of a bust, I am intrigued enough to check out some of their other stuff to see if that's more my speed.