Various Artists - DGC Rarities Vol.1 - Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl

DGC (2025, Reissue)

Ever since Record Store Day became a thing, and particularly since it became the dumping ground for major label reissues, I've been shouting from the hills that DGC Rarities Vol. 1 was the album that needed an RSD reissue.  Years came and went and it never happened.  They added a second Black Friday Record Store Day, still nothing. 2024 came and with this compilation having originally come out in 1994, I figured it was a slam dunk for a 30th anniversary reissue.  Nope.

What did happen was on some random Wednesday in August in 2025, Interscope just put up a preorder for it.  No pomp, no circumstance.  My buddy Scott let me know about it because he got an email.  Very odd, though I am certainly not going to complain that I didn't have to play the Record Store Day game of finding a copy and paying for a nonsensical 42% markup just because it's Record Store Day.  Still, I do sort of feel that it was a missed opportunity to make this a bigger deal, but maybe it isn't as important record to most people like it is for me.

In 1994 I was going through a musical crisis.  Hip hop, which had been my bread and butter for the prior five years was moving in a direction that I didn't really like.  Trying to find something that I could connect with, my friend Scott (a different Scott from the one in the last paragraph) played me Mellow Gold by Beck.  That was a turning point in my life.  And Beck led me to DGC Rarities Vol. 1.  He had an unreleased song called "Bogusflow" on the compilation.  It was exactly the sort of Beck song I loved at the time.  Solo acoustic, off the cuff and packed full of odd lyrics that really hit home for me.  So I bought the album.

I wasn't really familiar with most of the other bands.  Sure I had heard Nirvana and I knew about Hole.  I knew that Sonic Youth had been on the Judgment Night Soundtrack and I figure I must have at least heard of Weezer.  But it was mostly uncharted territory.  The album ended up being one of those gateway drugs that led me to other rock music that I'm not entirely positive I would have heard otherwise.

First off, "Pay To Play" is probably the only Nirvana song that I truly like.  They have other songs that are fine, but they've never really been a band that I connected with on any level.  Not since my friend Pat made me borrow Nevermind way before they blew up and I gave it back to him the next day and told him the I didn't understand how anyone could like that.  But "Pay To Play" is a beast. Loud, fast, great drumming and still something of a singalong.  I know that it's essentially the same song as "Stay Away," but for whatever reason, I don't like that nearly as much as this compilation version.

This is the first time I had ever heard Weezer and "Jaime" was a song that instantly grabbed my ear and turned me into a fan.  I didn't rush out and buy the Blue album immediately, but this was the song that laid the foundation for me.  This comp was my introduction to that dog, and I did immediately go out and by their album Totally Crushed Out after hearing their song.  It was the first time I heard The Posies who I ended up loving and the first time I heard Sloan, who are fine.  

Not that there aren't some stinkers on here.  The Sonic Youth song "Compilation Blues" isn't for me, but neither is 99% of their catalog.  While not a surprise now, back then I didn't know anything about them.  But even with the up and down quality of the album (for every Weezer there's a Murray Attaway), it's a great compilation album.  It's also among the first that I bought when I was trying to find may way through a world of punk, indie, rock and yes, alternative that was so new to me.  A real touchstone record that I am so excited to finally have on vinyl.

Various Artists - DGC Rarities Vol.1:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n54v6CRldlt9oEr4KQGCkgXN0XH1-rUdw

Various Artists - Rock Stars Kill LP + 7"

Kill Rock Stars (1994)

Recently, my buddy Alan and I were talking about the albums that were most influential to us. In fact we did a whole YouTube live stream about it if it's something you'd be interested in (YouTube: Perfectly Excellent).  The topic wasn't necessarily our favorite records of all time, but those really important ones that were life changing and sent us down different paths.  One of the five records I selected was this compilation album that I heard for the first time in 1994 early on during my senior year of high school.  It then dawned on me that I still only had the CD that I bought back then and never picked up a copy on vinyl.  Due to its importance, I felt that I really needed to correct this.

In 1994 I started to go through something of a musical crisis.  The hip hop landscape was drastically and rapidly changing into something that I didn't really like the sound of anymore.  I knew absolutely nothing about anything that was going on outside of the hop hop world until a friend of mine, Scott, played me the Beck album Mellow Gold because there were a few songs on there that he thought sounded enough like the Beastie Boys for me to be interested in them.  Not only was he right about those songs, I ended up loving that album.  Especially the weirder stuff and that sent me digging around to find more things like that.  

That's where my other friend Dave came into the picture.  He wasn't even a particularly close friend at the time.  Just a guy I had a few classes with, but he was more knowledgable about punk and indie rock than I was.  He let me borrow his CD copy of this album.  When I played it for the first time, it was kind of that second awakening where I just couldn't comprehend what I was hearing.  This stuff didn't sound like anything I had ever hear before.  I had no idea that music like this was being made and even less of an idea of where to get more of it.  That led to my friend Pat taking me to Flipside records for the first time and I was finally able to really start exploring rabbit holes.

I'm pretty sure it was the diversity of sounds that really intrigued me when I first started listening to this album.  There's loud songs, quiet songs, fast songs, slow songs, weird songs, serious songs and everything in between.  There were a handful that jumped out at me immediately.  I can't tell you how much I loved (and still love) the Peechees song "Patty Coahuila."  At least the actual song after the intro thing (which is way too long).  I bought three different Smog albums trying to find a song anywhere near as good as "37 Pushups."  I was not successful.  

This compilation is where I discovered The Spinanes (who I ended up being a huge fan of, especially their first album Manos), Rancid (this is pretty much the only Rancid song I ended up liking, though enjoying this song let to Pat recommending I try out Operation Ivy) and Team Dresch (whose record I bought on an early trip to Flipside, but I didn't end up enjoying the record as much as the song on here).

This album also marked the beginning of my Compilation Era.  I bought so, so many comps during this time period as it was pretty much the most economical way to discover a whole pile of new bands all at once.  I did discover a ton of bands this way.  But all of that sort of stems from listening to this album at a very important, transitional time in my life.  I'm grateful that I heard it when I did (especially as a good amount of it doesn't really hold up to me 30+ years later) and I'm really appreciative that Dave let me borrow this.  I haven't spoken to him in over 25 years, but him lending me this album had a far more profound impact on me that I'm sure he realizes.

Various Artists - Rock Stars Kill:

https://killrockstars.bandcamp.com/album/rock-stars-kill

Various Artists - Big, Big Wave LP - Mixed Color Vinyl

Feral Kid (2022)

This is a compilation album.  I feel that comps are really a thing of the past at this point.  I never really see them anymore, but were it not for comp albums there are so many bands that I never would have discovered otherwise.  This particular album focuses on a pretty specific scene, a burgeoning one in Hattiesburg, MS.

Most of the bands on here get two songs, but not all of them.  The songs represent many genres and for whatever reason, most are very short with over half of them clocking in at under two minutes.  Now there's definitely stuff on here that's not for me.  The breakneck screaming of Fumes isn't the sort of thing I would listen to on most occasions.  Same with the sludgy, stoner rock of Stellatone (they're one of the bands that only got one song on this) and the Stranger Things synth of Control Room.

That said, there are a few bands on here that I thought were pretty solid.  Pleather is a band that I have a 7" by, and their Baby Shakes-ish guitar pop is enjoyable.  The Squirms put forth a serviceable rock and roller called "Stiles."  It's not amazing or anything, but it's totally fine.  My favorites on the album are the two entries of Ded Jewels.  Both are fuzzed out guitar tunes that have a slight debt of influence to the sort of early rock of the late 50s and early 60s.

Is this the sort of compilation that I bought in the 90s, the kind that instantly alters my taste in music?  No, it's not.  But there are some decent songs in here and it definitely changed my opinion of what could be happening in towns like Hattiesburg.

Various - Big Big Wave:
https://feral-kid-records.bandcamp.com/album/big-big-wave

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.

V/A - Because We Can Cassette

Motorcycle Potluck (2018)

I believe this is the very last cassette that I have that hasn't been reviewed yet.  It's certainly possible that I misplaced a some others that were sent in to be written about, but I'm pretty sure this is it.  I really made a concerted effort to finally get through them all, so I'm glad the pile is no longer sitting there, taunting me.

This final tape is a compilation sent over by Motorcycle Potluck.  It's a batch of bands from the Denver Area and beyond, though the bulk are certainly flying under the radar for the most part.  There a few bands I already know.  I recently reviewed Seagulls and their contribution is another Iron Chic meets OWTH burner.  Bud Bronson & The Good Timers have song that has a lot of 80s sounding guitar riffage, so that would fit on their LP pretty seemlessly.  Spells check in with "Run Away," a track that seems a little darker than most of their other output.  It's still pretty catchy though, particularly when the shorus kicks in.

My favorite song on this comp is by Jack's Smirking Revenge, a band I wrote about recently under the name JSR.  I guess that's what JSR stands for.  Their song "Queen Pity of the Plains" is a slice of tight pop punk a la Zoinks, with vocals that sound like a cross between The Weakerthans and American Steel. They still have that Karl Hendricks style storytelling in tow and I've just been really impressed with everything I've heard so far.

This is a $2 tape.  It's totally worth the two bucks as there are quite a few gems in the bunch.  Worth checking it out, even if you hate cassettes.

V/A - Because We Can:
https://motorcyclepotluckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/because-we-can-4

V/A - All Temptation 7"

Coconut's House (1996)

This four band compilation 7" is another record that I picked up record shopping in Tokyo two years ago.  Since Husking Bee was one of the bands on it, there was no way I wasn't going to buy it, though I wasn't familiar with the other three bands.

First up on side A was Crickets with their song "Sad Rubbish."  They reminded me a bit of the UK band Exit Condition and also a little bit of the band Reverse.  Their song has a strong melody and a catchy chorus with a pretty cool tempo change.  It looks like they put out a few other releases back in the 90s, so I may have to look into them a bit more.  Next up is Scrap Yard Dogs.  They're a little bit faster and a gruffer than Crickets, but have a similar knack for putting together a catchy song.  While I'm not sure I'm as inspired to go try to find more of their record as I am with Crickets, it's still pretty good.

On the B side we have "Listen To This Song" by Scape Goat.  Scape Goat is a band name that I'm pretty sure I've heard before and I wouldn't be surprised to find out I own some other Japanese compilation that they are on.  That said, this is my least favorite song on the 7", built around that galloping NOFX style drum beat that is never my favorite thing to hear on a pop punk song.

Last up is Husking Bee and their song "Only Way."  This song is also on their first album Grip, which I highly, highly recommend if you haven't heard before.  Husking Bee has been a longtime favorite of mine, ever since an old friend named Tetsu put them on a tape of Japanese bands he made for me back in the 90s.  He was such a big part of helping me discover a lot of non-Snuffy Smiles bands and it makes me sad that I lost touch with him.  I often wonder if he still listens to punk rock as one of the last emails I remember getting from him was him telling me he was mostly listening to techno, but It's probably been twenty years since I last heard from him.

V/A - All Temptation 7":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfXN-he6FS8

V/A - Mainspring Tribute CD (/300)

Further Platonic (2017)

I will have to admit up front that I am not familiar with the band Mainspring.  I bought this compilation CD based on the fact that The Hum Hums and Short Straw Fate were both on it.  Though after listening to this six song tribute, it's pretty clear to me that I may have missed out on a band that is probably right up my alley.

The CD starts off with a band called Springwater.  I've also never heard of them, but their contribution "The Sun Has Not Yet Come Out" is a hell of a song and a great way to start off this CD.  It's got guitar octaves in just the right places and an incredibly catchy chorus.  I think this is another band I need to hear more from.  The Hum Hums's song "Turn Up" is exactly what I would expect from one of my current favorite bands.  Lots of wonderful harmonies and a melody that will be stuck in my head for weeks.  Short Straw Fate (another of my current favorite Japanese bands) takes things up a notch with their rendition of"Ordinary Persons."  They have a bit more of an aggressive sound, channelling their mid 90s influences.   They would sound right at home on Crackle or Snuffy Smile. 

I don't know Cody and The Checkmates, but their song stands out as being mellower than some of the others.  A little less distortion than some bands, but they still have a great guitar tone and this is another extremely catchy song.  Passive Chord turns the fuzzy guitars back up and their song "Still"  reminds me a little bit of the band Thirsty Chords.  They are another band I'd like to hear more from.  Wrapping things up is Slugger Machine, a band that I do have other records by.  "Belief" is their contribution and it's great.  The way the guitars sound remind me of a much faster Silver Scooter, but with stronger vocals and more emphasis on the hooks. 

This is a great CD.  It makes me want to hear more of the band that wrote all of these songs, Mainspring, plus it's given me my first taste of three new bands that I'd like to find more records of.  It seems like every time I buy a record from Kazu, it makes me want to buy ten more.

V/A - Radical Punk For Shits CD

Anti-New Waves (2000)

This compilation CD is one that I definitely picked up while I was in Japan.  In addition to the fact that it has quite a few bands that I'm already a big fan of, it's also the very first release that Anti-New Waves ever released.  While that label isn't really known outside of Japan as well as a label like Snuffy Smile, they've put out quite a few records that I really enjoy, so it was kind of cool to be able to buy the record that started it all.

The basic concept of this compilation is Japanese punk rockers covering older UK punk songs.  While cover songs aren't always the most exciting thing for me to listen to, I certainly understand how much fun it is for a band to play a song that they love and was influential to their music.  The good news is that most of the covers on this comp are pretty great.

For me the standouts are Cradle To Graves' take on "Kleenex" by Generation X, Oval's version of "Ulster" by Stiff Little Fingers and Short Circuit taking on "In The City" by The Jam.  Each manages to pay homage to the original version of the song, while still allowing the band's to put their own stamp on the recording.  But really, all eight songs on this are pretty solid.  They all manage to capture the energy and passion that I love about Japanese punk bands, and pour that into some classic punk rock tunes from a prior generation.

V/A - TOTY Split Series #1 7"

Trace Of The Youth (2017)

I haven't bought many records lately.  I recently moved into my first house and money is a bit tighter than usual.  There's only been a few sporadic new things coming in over the last few weeks.  But as I dig around to find records to write about on this website, it's amazing how much of a backlog I have of Japanese CDs and 7"s that I haven't gotten to yet.  Some are still from my trip to Japan nearly two years ago and others are from various mailorder acquisitions since then.  The point is, I'm not running out of things to write about anytime soon.

This compilations 7" features two songs each from three different Japanese bands.  On the record, they're arranged kind of haphazardly, but for the sake of this review, I'll write about each band's songs together.  Summer Months gives us "Before We Fall Asleep" and "Nothing."  "Before We Fall Asleep" is slower and reminds me a little bit of Boys Life.  They have the mid 90s midwestern vibe down pat while still keeping the chorus upbeat and catchy.  "Nothing" is a shorter, faster burst of energy.  Not as intricate as "Before.."is, but it's even catchier.

I was already familiar with the band Bows before I got this 7" and if I'm being truthful, they're the main reason I picked it up.  Their two songs are just what I've come to expect from this incredible band.  They have the I Excuse/Manifesto Jukebox version of dynamic punk rock perfected and both "Other Town, Other Light" and "Time Waits For No One" showcase wild guitar noise channelled into hooky choruses.  One of the more overlooked bands out there right now.

Finally we have Gremlin.  Like Summer Months, I hadn't heard of them prior to picking up this 7".  I should have expected yet another pretty great band.  Really, no one does pop punk better than all of these great bands from Japan.  Gremlin manage to fit right in with the other two bands on this compilation, while still sounding completely unique.  They have some similar elements that you can hear in Bows and Summer Months, going back and forth between fuzzy guitar chords and jangly guitar leads.  However, the way the structure these parts into their two great songs stand out as being different. 

V/A - TOTY Split Series #1 7":
https://traceoftheyouth.bandcamp.com/album/toty-split-series-1

V/A - 14 Soda Punx LP - Red Vinyl

Top Drawer (2018)

Reviewing compilations is a pain in the ass.  You have to try to write about a bunch of different bands all playing different songs and it's often difficult to tie everything together in a way that makes any sense.  For that reason, I've been sitting on 14 Soda Punx for a few months.  Even though there's a nice, built in talking point of my trip out to Seattle to see many of these bands play at the Seattle Pop Punk Festival (it was actually reviewing the Four Lights album the other day that spurred my on to finally tackle this one) it's still tough to navigate compilations.

I'm not going to be able to write something about every band, but I'll hit a few.  The album starts off on side A with a band called Sucesss who have a song called "Kurt Bloch."  That was confusing at first.  It's actually a pretty good song, even though the lyrics are kind of silly.  Coyote Bred have a song called "Pile" that's catchy and poppy, with a little bit of a Social Distortion twang to it.  Burn Burn Burn's drummer plays too fast.  I don't really like Choke The Pope, though I did enjoy the song on here more than I expected to.

"Leave You Guessing" by Four Lights starts off the B side and is as good as anything on their recent full length, so that's a highlight.  The Botherations have a great contribution with "Amor Perdido," that kind of has a darker pop punk feel, like the Red Dons.  The Drolls has Denny from Sicko in the band and "Getting Old" is probably my favorite song on the album.  Dude sure can write a hook.  Date Night With Brian has Ean from Sicko and "Get It In" is indie pop fun.  Really dig this song. Dude can sure write a hook.

13 Soda Punx was one of my favorite compilations of the 90s.  It had Sicko, Mr. T Experience, Bum, Stand GT and a slew of other pretty great bands.  14 Soda Punx is a pretty solid sequel.  The highlights for me tend to be some of the bands that sound like they could have been on the first comp, including the bands that have people that were in bands on the first compilation.  But there are plenty of new sounds to discover on this one and really, isn't that the point of compilations?

V/A - 14 Soda Punx:
https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F359264052%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-4t1pd&color=%23444e59&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=false&show_user=false&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false

V/A - A Tribute To Broccoli - R.S.V.P.

Fixing A Hole (2018)

If there is a band that deserves a tribute album, in my eyes, it's Broccoli.  In addition to being one of my favorite bands of all time, I also think they are wildly overlooked and under appreciated considering their phenomenal output.  While they were only a band for a short while, they amassed a pile of singles, a pair of albums and some of the best songs I've ever heard.

This double CD tribute album is boasting thirty eight bands, all providing their take on a classic Broccoli track.  Bands from all over the world take part, but Broccoli's influence seems to have been felt most keenly in the UK and Japan.  It would take a long time to point out every cool band and every cool cover, but I'll try to quickly go over a few.

Hyalin does a great version of "Constance." The Corpse's take on "Chestnut Road," a song always in contention for my favorite Broccoli song, is faithful, but still manages to tread new ground. The Hum Hums do a version of "I Am A Robot" that is pretty spectacular.  Though another band doing the same song, Honcho Tiros, is probably the most interesting take on a Broccoli song as they really put their own stamp on it and transform it into something completely new.  I do wish the vocals were just a little louder in the mix, but it is still a highlight of the compilation.

Egotrunk do the song "Short Straw Fate," The No Marks tackle "R.S.V.P." and Bows turn in "Constance."  The band Chestnut Road (named after a Broccoli song) don't cover the song their band is named after, they do "Fido."  The band Short Straw Fate (also named after a Broccoli song) don't cover the song "Short Straw Fate," they do a great version of "Jamaica Street."  And the funniest one to me is Water Closet's cover of "Da-a-a-ance," which isn't even a Broccoli song.  That one was a Lambrettas song that Broccoli covered on a 7". A band covering a band covering a band, but it's still a solid version of the song.

Now, I have to say that you really should own the original Broccoli albums these songs came from.  Their second LP Home is probably the best place to start.  But I think that this tribute compilation could be an interesting way to discover these songs, particularly if you're already familiar with some of the incredible bands that took part in this project.  There's no place online to stream the entire compilation that I can find, trust me.  It's definitely worth a listen.

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

Record Store Day Haul #5: V/A - Hardcore Matinee - Clear Vinyl

Swami (2016)

By now you're probably noticing a trend here, but I'll continue it again in case you haven't read any of the prior write ups I've done on my Record Store Day hauls.  My local store didn't carry the Hardcore Matinee compilation, so once again I was forced to look elsewhere and like with the other Swami RSD releases, I was able to nab this from Interpunk.  So, thanks for that Interpunk, you came through big time this year.

Hardcore Matinee is a throwback to the days of compilation albums that cram tons of bands and variety into a blender and serve it up to you, the listener.  Being of the appropriate age myself, I can't even tell you how many compilations I bought back in the 90s.  It was essentially one of the main ways I discovered new bands.  You find a comp that has a band or two on it you already like, and then you go through the rest looking for new sounds.  It's actually how I discovered Rocket From The Crypt oddly enough.  Swami John Reis has compiled a bunch of bands from his hometown of San Diego, CA and the results are pretty striking.

It starts off with a one-two punch of The Schizophonics and Octagrape, both are bands that I was familiar with, but hadn't really heard all that much by.  While neither song ends up being a true highlight on this stacked compilation, they are both good enough to warrant looking into both bands a little more closely in the future.  

There's some bands already familiar to me who expectedly knock it out of the park.  Pinback, The Heartaches and Mrs. Magician are all at the very top of the best songs on this record and by listening to each it is clear that they were not turning in leftovers for this compilation.  Every one of those songs could have easily ended up on an album or 7".

Of newer bands (or at least newer to me bands), Teenage Burritos and The Soaks really stand out.  In particular, The Soaks stake a real claim at possibly having the best song on the entire compilation.  I already have a demo tape by these guys, but I really hope to hear more from them very soon.  

Next we'll talk about the two John Reis bands on this record.  Chronologically, the first one is the first new Hot Snakes song since they started playing together again.  It's as fantastic as you would hope and instantly makes it obvious this is a band that has lost none of their fire over the years.  If anything it's interesting how much it seems to call on Rick's time with Obits.  Closing out the album is The Sultans.  Despite having been out of action for so long, they are the band battling with The Soaks for my favorite song on the record.  Their inclusion "Hardcore Matinee" is something of a theme song for the entire record.  It showcases all of the incredible chord changes, warm, jangly guitar and catchiness that The Sultans displayed on their last album.  I want new records by all of John's band, but part of me would like to hear some more from The Sultans the most.

There are a few bands that don't get to me quite as much.  The Gary Wilson song strikes me as being a little goofy and I'll never be into the kind of noisy hollering that bands like Death Eyes, Ghetto Blaster and WHA bring to the table.  But as a whole this is an incredibly enjoyable compilation packed with old favorites and new hit songs.  It brings me right back to the 90s, digging through compilation albums, looking for gold.

Octagrape - Rabalais:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAD9pP_QEPI

The Soaks - "Boyfriend":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFUzXxQWls8

The Sultans - "Hardcore Matinee":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hQzbGTGAqE