Stay Clean Jolene / Does It Float - Split 7" - Red Vinyl (/300)

All In Vinyl (2015)

When done properly, I sure do love a good singles series.  While I've been a part of quite a few that fizzled out and disappeared into the night, All In Vinyl is still going strong with their singles club, which is entering its fourth year.  Once again, the quality of bands they've brought on board this year is pretty stellar.

Volume 1 starts off with Stay Clean Jolene, one of my current favorite punk rock bands from the UK.  Everything you would want from these guys are featured on their two songs.  Raspy, impassioned vocals over loud and brash guitar riffs.  They manage to straddle the divide between heart on your sleeve punk like Iron Chic (with those big, big sing along choruses) and the full throttle, driving style you've come to expect from bands like Leatherface.  I've yet to hear a Stay Clean Jolene song I haven't liked, and these two are no exception.

On the other side is Does It Float from Japan.  These guys fully encapsulate what I love about a good singles series.  I'd never heard of this band previously, but man these two songs just knocked my socks off. They could so easily fit in with the very best bands on Snuffy Smiles.  In particular, they really remind me of the slightly slower, more thoughtful Japanese punk of bands like Three Minute Movie or Lovemen.  Two absolutely spectacular songs.  If anyone can point me towards any more of their records, please get in touch.

Stay Clean Jolene - "Red Salt":

https://soundcloud.com/allinvinyl/red-salt-1

Does It Float - "Speak For My Secret":

https://soundcloud.com/allinvinyl/speak-for-my-secret-1

The Absolute Best Records Of 2014

2014 was another year where I bought way too many records.  Luckily there was no shortage of fantastic albums released this year.  Everything on my list is a great record and worthy of a listen, but in particular the top 5 records on this list are all essential purchases.

Cloud Nothings and The No Marks dominated my turntable in 2014 as I couldn't even tell you how many times I listened to each.  I'm always extra excited to add bands to my year end list that have never been on before.  Sonic Avenues and Steve Adamyk Band are both longtime stalwarts of my end of the year lists and once again they each delivered a truly fantastic album. So Cow and Stay Clean Jolene couldn't be more different, but they both jumped way up on my list despite the fact that they came out later in the year and I haven't spent nearly the amount of time with them as some of the others.

I also wanted to make sure I specifically point out Minutes, Bear Trade and Freak Wave as I think they are bands that likely didn't get as much attention as some of the bigger name bands in 2014, but all three put out amazing records that really shouldn't be missed.

01 - Cloud Nothings - Here And Nowhere Else - Carpark  (Listen)
02 - The No Marks - Light Of One - Brassneck  (Listen)
03 - Sonic Avenues - Mistakes - Dirtnap  (Listen)
04 - Steve Adamyk Band - Dial Tone - Dirtnap  (Listen)
05 - So Cow - The Long Con - Goner  (Listen)
06 - Survival Knife - Loose Power - Glacial Pace  (Listen)
07 - Minutes - Roland - Self Released  (Listen)
08 - Gold-Bears - Dalliance - Slumberland  (Listen)
09 - Unwelcome Guests - Wavering - Dirtcult / One Percent Press  (Listen)
10 - Stay Clean Jolene - Stay Clean Jolene - Dead Broke / Rad Girlfriend / Drunken Sailor / Eager Beaver  (Listen)

11 - Murmurs - Bound - Dead Broke
12 - Blank Pages - Blank Pages - Dirtcult
13 - The Blind Shake - Breakfast Of Failures - Goner
14 - Herzog - Boys - Exit Stencil
15 - Bear Trade - Blood And Sand - Dead Broke / Everything Sucks
16 - Freak Wave - Don't Let Me Down - Poison City
17 - Dan Sartain - Dudesblood - One Little Indian
18 - Bob Mould - Beauty & Ruin - Merge
19 - Your Pest Band - Time To Go - Snuffy Smiles
20 - Needles//Pins - Shamebirds - Dirtcult

21 - Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End - Republic
22 - The Capitalist Kids - At A Loss - It's Alive / Toxic Pop / Rad Girlfriend
23 - Wringer - Bullfighter - Smellhound
24 - Songs For Snakes - Year Of The Snake - Self Released
25 - The Creeps - Eulogies - It's Alive
26 - Nude Beach - 77 - Don Giovanni
27 - Average Times - Average Times - Hosehead
28 - Mother's Children - Lemon - Taken By Surprise
29 - The Estranged - The Estranged - Dirtnap
30 - Matthew Melton - Outside Of Paradise - Southpaw

Other Records I Bought & Enjoyed This Year:
Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues - Total Treble
Banner Pilot - Souvenir - Fat Wreck
Beck - Morning Phase - Capitol
The Both - The Both - SuperEgo
Brick Mower - Teenage Graceland - Don Giovanni
The Cry! - Dangerous Game - Taken By Surprise
Failures' Union - Tethering - Dead Broke
Hospital Job - The Believer - It's Alive / Insubordination
Hurry - Everything/Nothing - Hot Green
Jet Black - In Paradox - Self Released
Mapmaker - Critical Path - Salinas / One Percent Press
Masked Intruder - M.I. - Fat Wreck
Martha - Courting Strong - Salinas
The Men - Tomorrow's Hits - Sacred Bones
Missing Monuments - Missing Monuments - Dirtnap
Napalmpom - The Unconditional Love Of - Teenage Rampage
The Pixies - Indie Cindy - Pixies Music
The Raging Nathans - Losing It - Dead Broke / Rad Girlfriend / Recess
The Yolks - Kings Of Awesome - Randy
The Young Leaves - Alive And Well - Baldy Longhair
Warm Soda - Young Reckless Hearts - Castle Face
"Weird Al" Yankovic - Mandatory Fun - RCA

Previously:
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009

Stay Clean Jolene - S/T LP - Red Vinyl (/200)

Dead Broke / Drunken Sailor / Rad Girlfriend / Eager Beaver (2014)

Now it's gotten to the point where I am scrambling to get the reviews I need to have done before I am able to put up my top albums of the year list.  I'm actually delaying the list now, in large part because of this Stay Clean Jolene album.  Even though it's a really late entry into the list of 2014 releases, I had a feeling it was going to be one of the best.  I wasn't wrong.

As I had bought and written about the band's debut 7" a while ago, I was pretty confident I'd be into this record.  Stay Clean Jolene even exceeded my lofty expectations.  UK based, Stay Clean Jolene drawing from the rich history of amazing melodic punkers they have over there.  You can hear the touch stones of Leatherface and Snuff, especially in the way the guitar weaves in and out, creating layers of leads and chords that elevate each song to be something special.  The vocals actually remind me a bit of bands like Dan Padilla.  There's some gravel in the raspy delivery, but it's a bit smoother and really carries melody better than a lot of bands that go down this path. 

I do have one negative thing to say and it's not even anything about any of the actual songs.  I was a little disappointed that 3 of the 10 songs on the album had already been released on the bands first 7".  Being the selfish bastard I am, I would have preferred 10 new songs.  But, if you don't already have the 7" for some reason, it just makes picking up this full length even more essential.  Stay Clean Jolene was worth holding up my year end list for.  Hopefully I can have it finished up early next week.  Stay tuned.

Stay Clean Jolene - S/T LP:

http://deadbrokerekerds.bandcamp.com/album/stay-clean-jolene

Stay Clean Jolene - Green 7"

Stay Clean Jolene - Green 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Drunken Sailor / Just Say No To Government Music / Eager Beaver / Rad Girlfriend (2013)

My first thought before listening to this 7" is "really, 4 labels all need to co-release one 7" record?" Then I listen to it and wish I could have gotten the PopKid logo on there too. What a debut. Leatherface-ish/Broccoli-ish UK punk rock. Gruff, but smooth vocals, dynamic guitar work, great hooks. Please someone confirm for me that they're working on a full length.

This is pretty much everything I look for in a punk rock band, and really takes me back to the glory days of the UK scene when it was populated by the likes of Chopper & Hooton 3 Car. If those types of bands strike your fancy or if you are someone that enjoys the punk rock that Snuffy Smiles puts out, this 7" should be the next thing you pick up. From whichever label is closest to you.

Stay Clean Jolene - Green 7":
drunkensailorrecords.bandcamp.com/album/s-t-7