The Mojomatics - You Are The Reason For My Troubles LP - Clear Vinyl(/100)

The Mojomatics - You Are The Reason For My Troubles LP - Clear Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Outside Inside / Wild Honey (2012)

I became a fan of The Mojomatics when their last album, Don't Pretend That You Know Me, was released on Alien Snatch records. Their newest release is on a new label, but the hodge podge of sounds that I loved on their last album are present on this record as well. The Mojomatics is a hard band to pin down. They have some straight up pop songs, some harmonica tinged country ramblers and some swamp stomping garage-y blasts. Definitely a band not content writing the same song over and over and it gives the album a fresh & dynamic feel.

I was lucky to catch the limited to 100 clear vinyl version that was sold during the pre order. Sometimes I think that record pre orders can be annoying (and dangerous if they last longer than the window you can file a complaint with PayPal), but this is a label that did it right. Only a couple of weeks and then the record was in hand. Good job everyone!

The Mojomatics - Behind the Trees:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aYvwUuIklw

The Cry! - S/T LP

The Cry! - S/T LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

SP Records (2012)

This is a high energy band of folks from Portland making some really infectious music. There are parts that remind me of Impulse International, though the singer's vocals are more high pitched than Impluse. The guitars are bouncy and lean heavy on the treble side of the sound spectrum. Not tinny like some bands, but the vibe is more of a slap in the face than it is a warm bath.

There was a limited to 100 colored vinyl version of this record available directly from SP Records, but the shipping from Japan was just a bit more than I could justify at this exact moment in time (Totally the fault of the post office, not the fault of the label). Luckily Green Noise is also stocking the record. If there are a lot of records in your collection that have been released by Dirtnap, The Cry! will fit right in.

The Cry!- S/T LP:
thecry1.bandcamp.com/album/the-cry

Minibosses - Brass 2: Mouth LP

Minibosses - Brass 2: Mouth LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Self Released (2012)

For those that don't know, Minibosses are a band that covers old school video game music. They've been at it for quite a while, but this is only their 2nd full length album. When I first heard that the band was releasing a new album plus they were going to put it out on vinyl, I was beyond excited. Then, my excitement came crashing down around me when I heard the price. $35. $35 for 1 single LP record! That's absurd. So I decided I wasn't going to pay that. Now I've paid WAY more than that for an old rare record, but something just wouldn't let me justify shelling out $35 for a record full of video game covers.

Well, the more I debated, the angrier I got, but it was actually a reader of this very website that came to the rescue and offered to buy one of the albums I gave a less than positive review for just about $35. In my head, I can justify that as an even trade. So that money went into my PayPal account and then right back out to get this record.

I will say this, the packaging looks outstanding. 180 gram vinyl, big beautiful gatefold cover. It's a quality product for sure. Plus some of the songs are simply great like the sports medley (with RC Pro Am music!), Kid Icarus & Batman. But then there's about 137 different terrible versions of the Excitebike jingle. Those are such a waste. At the end of the day, I am glad this record is in my collection, but it is just not worth $35. For $20, sure, this is an easy pickup, But if you have to shell out $35 of your hard earned dollars, I can point you to distros where you can pick up 3 amazing records for that much money.

Minibosses - Brass 2 Mouth:
minibosses.bandcamp.com/album/brass-2-mouth

Dunebuggy / Moped - Split 7"

Dunebuggy / Moped - Split 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

spinArt (199?)

I actually forgot to post a picture of this when I wrote up the Dunebuggy LP that I bought recently on Little Black Cloud records. I was one of the first 15 people who ordered, so I received this bonus 7" that the band had released on spinART back in the 90's. The song is also on the LP, but it's a nice little bonus to have in the collection

Mean Jeans - Mean Jeans On Mars LP - Red Vinyl (/300)

Mean Jeans - Mean Jeans On Mars LP - Red Vinyl (/300), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap (2012)

When Dirtnap put out the 1st Mean Jeans record, I bought it out of loyalty to one of my favorite record labels. I buy everything that Dirtnap puts out. While I thought the record was pretty good, I was shocked at the huge outpouring of love that record received. So many people thought it was the best thing ever, and I was kind of left scratching my head a bit. Well, Mean Jeans On Mars is a record much more up my alley than their last.

The songs are well constructed much more dynamic that the last record (Well, as dynamic as you can get when your chief inspiration is the Ramones anyway...). It's hard to accuse a band of maturing with song titles likeDon't Stop Partying and Come Toobin' but the songs on this record are just written better. While i still am probably not the huge devotee to this band that many are, I can definitely say it makes a bit more sense to me after listening to this record.

Mean Jeans - On Mars (Full album stream via punknews.org):
www.punknews.org/bands/meanjeans

Collection: Hooton 3 Car - LPs & 7"s

Collection: Hooton 3 Car - LPs & 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Another all time favorite band of mine, Hooton 3 Car was very much a part of the wonderful Leatherface-influenced scene that cropped up in the UK in the mid 90s. Along with bands like Chopper, Skimmer, Broccoli & Crocodile God, they made me so jealous that I was not living in England at the time. The saddest part is that although I got to see the other 4 bands play when I went to England in 1997, I never got to see Hooton 3 Car live (though I did sleep on their floor and watch The Day Today on VHS with a few of them).

It's hard to describe the music of Hooton 3 Car without comparing them to some of these other bands. They don't play as fast as Chopper or Crocodile God, they're not as angsty as Broccoli, not as poppy as Skimmer, but what they are is a perfect storm of the best elements of all of these bands. Super melodic, ultra catchy but there's something about them that you have to take seriously. Again, they are easily one of my favorite bands from the era and one of the collections I'm most proud of.

LPs:
Hooton 3 Car - Spot Daylight 12" - Rumblestrip - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Cramp Like A Fox LP - Out Of Step - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Monkey Mayor LP - Rumblestrip - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - By Means of Maybe CD - Rumblestrip
Hooton 3 Car - Recordings 1994-1998 2xCD - Crackle

7"s:
Hooton 3 Car - Danny 7" - Rumblestrip - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Drone 7" - Out Of Step - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Driver 7" - Out Of Step - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car / Lovemen - Split 7" - Snuffy Smile - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car / Screaming Fat Rat - Split 7" - Snuffy Smile - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car - Carpet Burn 7" - Damaged Goods - Black Vinyl
Hooton 3 Car / Jesse - Split 7" - Rugger Bugger / Damaged Goods - Black Vinyl
V/A - Club Stoat 7" - Mother Stoat - Black Vinyl

Missing: After years of looking around, I'm pretty confident that By Means Of Maybe never came out on vinyl, but if it did I am missing that and would love the opportunity to buy it.

Hooton 3 Car - Not Recognized:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIr__54dIqE

Hooton 3 Car - Carpet Burn:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVI3zn_jHXw

Hooton 3 Car - Danny (Live):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHyEoYx2yus

The Steve Adamyk Band - Take It Back 7" (#33/500)

The Steve Adamyk Band - Take It Back 7" (#33/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Lady Kinky Karrot (2012)

Been waiting on this one for a while. If you're a bit mad like me, when the Steve Adamyk Band record Forever Won't Wait came out you bought the clear vinyl, the black vinyl the US CD and the Japanese CD. Well, both CDs had songs not on the LP. There was a note in the CD saying the remaining tracks were being released as a 7" on an Italian label. Well, I've been watching that label's website ever since and finally the record is up for sale. I'm very excited to finally have the rest of these songs on vinyl as there are just some classics on this 7". Sure, shipping from Italy was ridiculous (plus the label charged me double what the actual cost of shipping was, so that's no fun [05/18/12 Update - The label actually refunded me the difference in shipping, so they're A-OK in my book!]), but in order to keep the Steve Adamyk Band collection complete, it's worth it.

The Steve Adamyk Band - Take It Back:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbotheKy-GQ

Also, last night this silly website had its 10,000th view.  I realize that's not the same thing as 10,000 different people coming to this website, but still, that's pretty cool considering I've only been posting since late December.  Thanks to everyone who's stopped by to have a look.

Spider Fever - S/T LP - Blue Vinyl (/100)

Spider Fever - S/T LP - Blue Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Windian (2012)

What started out as purchasing a 7" out of loyalty to a Rocket From The Crypt related band has turned into buying records because I actually like them. After spinning the 1st 2 Spider Fever 7"s that were released, I was figuring that their debut full length would probably illicit a similar reaction in me. But this album is leaps and bounds ahead of anything the band has done up to this point. The songs on this are like the sharp end of a spear, just stabbing you in the face with full on fast punk rock. That isn't to say there aren't hooks and even the occasional melody tucked into the assault, but the one thing most will probably take from this record is that it's LOUD, and sometimes loud is just good.

I wouldn't want to listen to 10 bands that sounded like this, but I'll say that if you are going to listen to 1, having that 1 be Spider Fever is probably a good idea.

Spider Fever - Don't Let Deth Get In The Way
soundcloud.com/windian-records/spider-fever-dont-let-deth SPIDER FEVER - DON'T LET DETH GET IN THE WAY by WINDIAN RECORDS

The Hex Dispensers - Parallel 7" - White Vinyl (/100)

The Hex Dispensers - Parallel 7" - White Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Red Lounge (2012)

Very excited for some new tunes from the Hex Dispensers, my favorite Marked Men meets Ghostbusters pop band. We've got 3 new songs that to me, follow a closer path to their last full length album, Winchester Mystery House, than some of their other singles. That's a great path to follow. The band always sounds at their best to me when they are just pummeling downstrokes & keeping the mood dark. If there's any change on this particular 7", I do notice a slightly stronger Wipers vibe than the band has shown in the past, but that's A-OK in my book.

Hex Dispensers - Parallel (Via Bandcamp):
thehexdispensers.bandcamp.com/album/parallel-7

Various Artists - Trouble In Mind 4-Way Record Store Day Split 7" -White Vinyl

Various Artists - Trouble In Mind 4-Way Record Store Day Split 7" - White Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Trouble In Mind (2012)

First off, big thanks to @chris_whitehead for giving me the heads up on a website that was selling a copy of this. Vintage Vinyl wasn't stocking this record on Record Store Day. I do have to say, if you want to sum up Record Store Day 2012, this record is a perfect analogy. Something I usually look forward to, but something that ended up being disappointing. I'm usually super into Trouble In Mind's yearly Record Store Day compilation, but this year, it's just not doing it for me. On the 7" for 2012 are; Mikal Cronin, The Paperhead, The Liminanas and Apache Dropout. Noe of these bands really get me going. But I'm nothing if not a collector and since I have all of the label's other RSD 7"S, I needed this one too.

Mikal Cronin - I Enjoy Being A Boy:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIF-dAdXs6I

Donald "Duck" Dunn - 1941 - 2012

I was extremely sad to hear today that Donald "Duck" Dunn died in Tokyo.  He was such a big part of so much of the music that influenced me when I was a kid.  The first musical memories I have were all based around the Blues Brothers movie & records.  Those songs opened me up to a whole world of rhythm & blues that Donald Dunn had also been an integral part of.

Just take a look at the clips below.  He lived a hell of a life.

Operation Ivy - Hectic 12" - Clear Vinyl (/500)

Operation Ivy - Hectic 12" - Clear Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hellcat (2012)

Figured it was best to post this picture today as a companion to the post about Energy from Yesterday. Same pressing breakdown from Hellcat, though in this instance, I don't get this re-release. It doesn't make sense to me why you would release this as a 12". It did perfectly well as a 7" for years and years. I suppose the sound quality is a bit better, but to me, it just feels like an excuse to charge more money for it. If not for the Hot Topic coupon I found, I would have been really annoyed having to pay too much for this record. With the coupon, it's only a minor annoyance.

Operation Ivy - Hectic:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DXzLNHGTXU

Operation Ivy - Energy LP - Clear Vinyl (/500)

Operation Ivy - Energy LP - Clear Vinyl (/500), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hellcat (2012)

I almost don't even know what to say about this record. It's one of the best and most important punk rock records to ever come out. It sounds just as exciting as it did 23 years ago. If you don't own it, you're a fool. That's all I can say about the music.

As far as the record itself goes, this is a reissue of the classic LP that originally came out on Lookout. I have an original copy of the record (with the Laytonville address, nerds), but when I heard this was getting re-released with a few colored vinyl variants, the collector in me just couldn't resist. It was re-released on Black vinyl, Red vinyl (only for sale in the Epitaph webstore) and Clear vinyl (only for sale through Hot Topic). I thought the clear vinyl matched the artwork best, plus I saw someone on the Vinyl Collective message board post a $15 of your purchase of $30 coupon online. Managed to pick this up and the re-release of the Hectic EP for about $25 including shipping. Say what you will about Hot Topic, but I'll take those prices.

Operation Ivy - Knowledge:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HtUnubXAO4

Operation Ivy - Sound System:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eKdJnijh50

Roommates - Winnifred 7" - Blue w/ Purple Vinyl

Roommates - Winnifred 7" - Blue w/ Purple Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Slumberland (2012)

Roommates features Ben Cook, famous in my world for fronting Marvelous Darlings & Young Governor, though most know him as one of the guitar players in the band Fucked Up. Roommates is a band that he did with one of his Roommates (crazy, I know). Originally the band released two cassette singles on the label Scotch Tapes (You know, the label that ripped me off on a $75 subscription series a couple of years back), but now they have been given the vinyl treatment thanks to Slumberland records.

I love the songs on this 7", lo fi pop genius. While the recording invokes some of the great 4 track heroes of old, the songs tend to sound a bit like Marvelous Darlings, but without much of the glammy flair that band is known for. I won't go so far as to say it sounds deep and introspective, but it seems to be coming from a different place than the MD or Young Governor songs. The one thing I am most curious about is before Scotch Tapes vanished into the night, these songs constituted 2 of 4 total tapes that were supposed to come out. I wonder if more Roommates records are lurking in our future...

Roommates: Back To The Sun / Girlfriend Swap (You can stream the songs on this website):
www.slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/214

Roommates: Kelly I'm Not A Creep / 1st Floor Blues (You can stream the songs on this website):
exclaim.ca/MusicVideo/ClickHear/Roommates-Nn

Dunebuggy - S/T LP - White Vinyl (/100)

Dunebuggy - S/T LP - White Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Little Black Cloud (2012)

This was a band kicking around the NJ indie rock scene in the early 90's. Though they were a bit before my time going to shows (living in Sussex county before you got your drivers license pretty much guarantees you're not getting out to many shows) I remember their 7"s always hanging out at the local record stores. This album compiles the songs from some of those 7"s along with unreleased tracks to cobble together a debut album for Dunebuggy all these years later. It's a surprisingly tight collection and flows really well as an album.

At times the vocals seem a bit buried in the mix to me, but I'll chalk that up to 90's recording, plus I've never been a huge fan of bands that have the vocals dominate the recording. This is a great, mid tempo, well crafted indie pop record with some really dynamic guitar parts. It's unmistakably 90's, but doesn't sound old or dated like so many other albums from that time do. Only 100 copies were pressed on white vinyl, so best to grab this quick if you like what you hear.

Dunebuggy - S/T (Via Bandcamp):
http://dunebuggy.bandcamp.com/album/dunebuggy

Flop - & The Fall Of The Mopsqueezer LP

Flop - & The Fall Of The Mopsqueezer LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dashboard Hula Girl (1992)

This album was a longtime champion of the $3 used CD bin back in the day, and like fellow dust collectors Fig Dish, The Figgs & fluf, I'm not sure why this band didn't catch on when they were in their prime. & The Fall of the Mopsqueezer is such a terrific album of catchy melodic rock with a huge helping of Rusty Wiloughby's outstanding vocals.

I picked up this LP during my recent trip back to Flipside Records on Record Store Day. As I mentioned a few days ago, that place is just packed to the gills with dead stock from the 90s. So while I didn't get any kind of discount on this record, it was pretty cool to pick up a brand new, still sealed copy in 2012.

Flop - Anne:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQYvER7MXiQ

Flop - Hello:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCbqJ0NTAPM

Collection: fluf - LPs & 7"s

Collection: fluf - LPs & 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

If you had asked me in the mid 90s ('95 - '96ish) to list off my absolute favorite bands, there is no chance I would not have listed fluf. I just absolutely loved these guys. Giant, crunching guitar, big powerful vocals, catchy tunes and tons of energy. Sure there was always some filler on each record, but the hits were monster hits. Plus, they always put a little something extra into the vinyl versions of their records, which is definitely something I can get into.

Sadly as the years went by, I became less interest in fluf's records. Waikiki was only OK, and I didn't really like Road Rage (not pictured) much at all. Still, those first few records & 7"s were a real treat. everyone should at least have Whitey On The Moon and The Classic Years in their collections.

LPs:
fluf - Whitey On The Moon LP - Headhunter - Black Vinyl
fluf - The Classic Years LP - Headhunter - White Vinyl
fluf - Waikiki LP - Headhunter - Black Vinyl
fluf - Wasting Seed 10" - Headhunter - Red Vinyl

7"s:
fluf - Tried 7" - Headhunter - Black Vinyl (Bonus 7" came w/ Whitey On The Moon LP)
fluf- Garbage Truck 7" - Sympathy For The Record Industry - Black Vinyl
fluf / Further - Split 7" - First Strike - Black Vinyl
fluf - Sheela Na Gig 7" - Goldenrod - Black Vinyl
fluf - Moody As The Day Is Young 7" - Goldenrod - Black Vinyl
fluf - 24-7 Years 7" - Silver Girl - Blue Swirl Vinyl
fluf - Skyrocket 7" Headhunter - Picture Disc
fluf - Kim Thayils Paw 7" - Value Club Member - Black Vinyl
fluf / J Church - Split 7" - Goldenrod - Black Vinyl
fluf - 2klb 7" - Red Can - Black Vinyl

Missing: Road Rage LP (Never got round to picking it up, I'll grab it if I see it super cheap). Also, I'm sure there are colored vinyl versions of some of these records that I don't have. I've just never been able to find a really complete discography.

fluf - Sticky Bun:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr30Y4uwKk8

fluf - One Trick Pony:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gi7F6mH0w8

fluf - Sheela Na Gig:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKI4bfPPtQ

The Jealous Sound - A Gentle Reminder LP - Pink Vinyl

The Jealous Sound - A Gentle Reminder LP - Pink Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Burnt Toast (2012)

I don't want to sound overly harsh towards the record label, as I did get my record and it looks and sounds great, however it is super annoying when you put a record up for pre order in January and it doesn't arrive until May. Cut down the time of your pre order buddy!

The Jealous Sound took an awful long break between records. I was a huge fan of their last album, Kill Them With Kindness and was an even bigger fan of singer Blair's old band Knapsack. When listening to A Gentle Reminder, I'm struck by 2 very specific thoughts. 1. Yep this does in fact sound like the Jealous Sound and 2. Boy, I wish it sounded more like Knapsack.

That's probably a little harsh. A Gentle Reminder is the very definition of "a solid record." There's not a bad song in the bunch, and most of them are pretty good, but there's nothing really on here that jumps out at me. I wish there was a bit more yelling on this record. I said jokingly to a friend that I wish the band had bad lives so they'd be more angry at everything, but what I really mean is that their used to be more fire and angst in Blair's vocals once upon a time. I just miss that a bit I guess.

Check out some of the tunes below and judge for yourself. Despite any minor gripes, I think you'll agree that it's definitely a record worth having.

The Jealous Sound - Your Eyes Were Shining:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUg4sFf0xys&feature=related

The Jealous Sound - Change You:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Pi2Ytj90c&feature=related

The Creeps - Creeping Me Out 7"

The Creeps - Creeping Me Out 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Art Of The Underground (2012)

I've said it many times, but I really love the Art Of The Underground singles club. If you are not subscribed to this, you are missing out on some great records. I was very excited when I heard that The Creeps were doing an AOTU 7". I really enjoyed their last album and most recent 7"s. I know I've mentioned this before, but the singer reminds me so much of the guy from that old 90's band Reverse. This new 7" is pretty good. I like the music & the vocals, though I don't love the lyrics as much as past records. Just not jumping out at me like their more recent releases. Anyway, it's definitely worth picking up, hell, you really need to just subscribe to the singles club as a whole, OK?

The Creeps - Creeping Me Out (Via Bandcamp):
http://thecreeps.bandcamp.com/album/art-of-the-underground-single-series

Ash - Barbie 7" - Gold Glitter Vinyl

Ash - Barbie 7" - Gold Glitter Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Barbie (1997)

Another LONG time want off the list! I have had such a great run of finding some of these records lately. This 7" was given away to members of the Ash fan club at 2 shows that took place in London in 1997. Needless to say, I wasn't at either of these shows so I've been looking for a copy ever since. I've seen this record sell for way over $100 over the years, and was just never willing to invest quite that much money into it.

Well, thanks to Discogs.com, I managed to find someone willing to sell me a copy for about $30. I'm totally willing to pay that much for this 7". Songs on it aren't special. A halfway decent cover of I Only Want to Be With You and a live version of Kung Fu played approximately 10 times faster than the album version. Still, as an Ash fan with a pretty healthy collection of their records, it's great to add another holy grail to the stacks.

Ash - Barbie 7"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fADe1o-q27g

Record Store Visit: Flipside II - Pompton Lakes, NJ - Record Store Day2012

Record Store Visit: Flipside II - Pompton Lakes, NJ - Record Store Day 2012, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Once upon a time I spent more hours in this little hole in the wall record store than I spent almost anywhere else. This store is so intimately intertwined with how my taste in music developed, I honestly couldn't tell you where I would be without it. Of all the places I've been, this is one of the most important.

Back in the 90's my friend Alan worked at Flipside. I used to go and hang out for hours at a time. We'd bs, go through promo CDs (throwing the bad ones into a giant fan resulting in impressive destruction) and just immerse ourselves in all of the great music pouring into the store. It was here where I found out about labels like Crackle, Snuffy Smiles and Rugger Bugger. This is where I first heard Chester Copperpot, Starmarket, Leatherface and so many, many more.

Well, Alan left this store a long time ago, and little has changed. That's not the compliment that it sounds like. Little has changed because the stock hasn't been updated since the 90s. It's literally the same records. Now for some, this will probably be like walking into a treasure room (especially if you're looking for Schleprock 7"s for some weird reason), but for me, it's just nostalgia. Sure I picked up a Flop LP and some cheap Edsel Auctioneer LPs, but for the most part, it was just kind of sad being in this place. It's dirty, it smells kind of funny and the records are really old, but damnit I spent my 20s in this place and I am happy it's still standing even if it's a shadow of its former glory.

Oh and even though this store doesn't seem to advertise in any way shape or form that they participate in Record Store Day, they did have about 12 RSD releases. Nothing worth getting, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

Bum - The Bum Go Crazy 7" - Red Vinyl

Bum - The Bum Go Crazy 7" - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Au Go Go (1992)

Another addition to the Bum collection. Again, when I posted my collection picture of this incredible band, I thought I had caught them all, but no, there were variants out there. I have had the black vinyl version of this record for quite a long time, so it's nice to add a colored vinyl version. Picked it up on eBay for what could probably be considered collector's pricing, but it certainly didn't break the bank. Your Disciple is one of my very favorite Bum songs, though I'm pretty sure the version on this 7" is the same as what's on their LP Wanna Smash Sensation.

Bum - Your Disciple:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4KtHKRTfyc

Sick Sick Birds - Gates Of Home LP - Yellow (/100) & Black Vinyl

Sick Sick Birds - Gates Of Home LP - Yellow (/100) & Black Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Toxic Pop (2012)

I have been waiting for this record to come out for such a long time. Sick Sick Birds' 2009 release Heavy Manners was my absolute favorite record of that year. I feel like I've been counting down the days for this one, plus the fact that my record took a bizarre detour to Tennessee thanks to the post office only built my anticipation even more. The end result? I'm not totally sure, to be honest.

I'm sure a lot of what I write is going to be interpreted as me not liking this record, and that's simply not true. I love these songs. They build in such clever ways, catchy in the right parts, yearning in other parts and everything gets a bit quiet at just the right moments. It's a beautifully written album. My issue comes down to the recording. I'm just not thrilled with how the final product sounds.

The thing that gets me is the vocals. And while I don't like the slight distorted effect that is present on a handful of songs, that's not a deal breaker for me (I think the number of Marked Men records I own will back up this claim). I think what I don't like is how loud the vocals are in the mix. They just seem so much louder than everything else. They don't blend into the music, it seems like a lot of times the vocals simply overpower the music. I'm not sure if it was a recording issue or a mixing issue, but I vastly prefer the way Heavy Manners sounded, production wise.

Don't think that means this record isn't worth picking up, it is a really, really good record. I just think with a little knob fiddling, it could have been perfect.

Sick Sick Birds - Gates of Home (Via BandCamp):

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard LP - Red Vinyl

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard LP - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Specialty (2012)

Yeah, I know it's a reissue, but it turned out to be a nice, pretty inexpensive way to pick up a clean copy of this record. The red vinyl looks nice too, but for me it was all about being able to grab some classic rock and roll without a destroyed cover and scratched up vinyl. Don't have a lot to say about this record, as I would imagine most people know the hits, but it does bring back a lot of memories of listening to the oldies station on the radio when I was a kid. Also, it's high quality. The cover is super strong cardboard stock and the vinyl is hefty and sounds great, worth picking up if you dig these tunes.

Otis Redding / Aretha Franklin - Respect Split 7" - Gold Vinyl

Otis Redding / Aretha Franklin - Respect Split 7" - Gold Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Rhino (2012)

This was one of the only records that struck my fancy on this years Record Store Day list, and since it's pretty much a novelty, I'm sure that speaks volumes for how completely unexcited I was for this year's list. I will say this, I love Otis Redding and I really like Aretha Franklin, and having their versions of the song Respect on a 7" just sounded like a neat idea to me. I still contend that labels haven't really figured out how to do gold vinyl (looks almost green and swampy to me), but as an interesting record to have in the collection, this one fits the bill for me.

Record Store Visit: Vintage Vinyl - Fords, NJ - Record Store Day 2012

The 2nd installment in my visiting a record store posts.  While I would like to get out to record stores more often than I do, frankly I just do way more mailorder these days.  So many labels have exclusive versions of their records only available directly from them, and as much as I like supporting the record stores, I also like to support bands and labels as directly as possible.  In an ideal world I'd split my time 50/50, but times have changed since I was young.

Anyway, Vintage Vinyl is a store I am very familiar with.  I've been coming here since the mid 90's.  It was one of those stores that commanded a special trip since it was about an hour away from where I lived at the time.  By far the biggest store in the area, plus they had some pretty smart buyers, so you'd always find something unexpected in the racks.  It's a pretty good mix of vinyl & CDs.  Old stuff, punk stuff, indie stuff and from what I gather a pretty impressive metal section, though that's not really my bag.  Big enough to cover all genres, but smart enough to stock good records in every section.

For the past 4 years, Vintage Vinyl has been my Record Store Day stop. They get more stock than anyone in the area and every year I manage to get just about everything I need there. 2012 was more of the same.

The Record Store Day 2012 releases were pretty underwhelming this year, so for the 1st time in 3 years, I didn't line up early in the morning before the store opened.  I wandered in around 11:30 in the morning and only had to wait in line for about 10 minutes.  Went up to the counter and sure enough, they had 2 of the 3 records I wanted.  Picked up the Little Richard LP and the Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin split 7" (both will have their own posts in the next couple of days). After that I dug around for a bit, but didn't come across anything else that was worth picking up that day.  I did, however, take a fascinating picture of the CD section inside.  At least on this day, there was no one there; everyone wanted vinyl!

This wasn't the only store I stopped at on Record Store Day, but it was the one I went to explicitly for RSD releases.  I also went to another old time favorite, but I'll post about that next week so I have a few days to post about records.

Collection - Chopper - LP & 7"s

Collection - Chopper - LP & 7"s, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Chopper was a great buzzsaw fast punk pop band from the mid 90's that called the UK home. Coming from a scene chocked full of incredible bands, they immediately stood out to me back in the day with their lightning fast guitar playing and super melodic vocals. Though they didn't end up releasing records for an extended period of time, they managed to churn out a nice little discography. The singles are essential and the album is quite good too.

I was pretty lucky and got to see the band play in 1997 (along with Skimmer and Crocodile God) at a show in England, I only wish my Chopper shirt had held together better after all of the washings it went through over the past 15 years.

LP:
Chopper - Last Call For The Dancers - Crackle - Black Vinyl

7"s
Chopper - Said And Done - Crackle - Black Vinyl
Chopper - Self Preservation Society - Crackle - Black Vinyl
Chopper - Porcelain - Crackle - Black Vinyl
Chopper - For Youth And Valour - Crackle - Black Vinyl
Chopper / Broccoli - Split 7" - Crackle / Rugger Bugger - Black Vinyl - w/ Photocopied Sleeve
Chopper / Blew - Split 7" - Crackle - Black Vinyl - Black and Yellow cover
Chopper / Blew - Split 7" - Crackle - Black Vinyl - Black and Green cover
Chopper / Blew - Split7" - Snuffy Smile - Black Vinyl

Missing:
Last Call For The Dancers on colored vinyl (I've seen it, but never had the chance to buy it. Get in touch if you have one to sell).

Chopper - One More Day:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgVYhn-8bHs

Chopper - Porcelain (live, kind of crappy though)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dAngmwfrmA

Dan Sartain - Too Tough To Live LP

Dan Sartain - Too Tough To Live LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

One Little Indian (2012)

First off, kudos to One Little Indian for putting this out on vinyl. When we never got Dan's last album, Dan Sartain Lives, on vinyl, I was worried the label would keep letting me down. But now that we did get Too Tough To Live on vinyl, it would be great for One Little Indian to backtrack and put out Dan Sartain Lives as well.

On to the record. This is a very different Dan Sartain record. It's full of short, fast Ramones-y punk songs. All of which are catchy as hell and delivered with such genuine enthusiasm. It's a fantastic record, and if it were by anyone other than Dan Sartain, I'd be totally thrilled. However, it's a lot different from Dan's usual twangy output and if I'm being truthful, I prefer those songs. Again, not saying anything bad about this record, but I hope Dan goes back to his more soulful material next time around.

Dan Sartain - Indian Massacre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIFMjqLykac

Bum - Debbiespeak 7" - Yellow Vinyl

Bum - Debbiespeak 7" - Yellow Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Lance Rock (1992)

First off, how crazy is it that this 7" came out 20 years ago. Man, I'm getting old. Anyway, this is the 2nd record that Rob from Bum sent me to help fill out my collection. This version of Debbiespeak has a Red & Yellow cover (My copy has a Blue & Yellow cover) and comes on Yellow vinyl. I'm not sure how limited the colored vinyl was, but I had never even heard that it existed, so I'm going to assume it's fairly limited. Someone uploaded Debbiespeak to YouTube, so I'll link that below, it's one of my favorite Bum songs. Thanks again to Rob Nesbitt for hooking me up with this rad record!

Bum - Debbiespeak:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4PLDmSSoYs

Bum / Pingu / Novaks - Magic Teeth Record Number 2 7"

Bum / Pingu / Novaks - Magic Teeth Record Number 2 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Magic Teeth (1997)

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of what I thought was my complete Bum collection ( http://www.ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com/2012/03/collection-bum-7-lps.html ). When I posted it, I ended up getting contacted by one of the singers from Bum, Rob Nesbitt. Rob was kind enough to let me know that I was actually missing a few things. A cover variation here, a color of vinyl there, but the main thing was I was somehow missing an entire 7"! Well, in addition to providing some great information, Rob also went above and beyond the call of duty and sent me 2 of the records I was missing. One of them is the picture above, the 7" that was missing entirely from my collection.

Magic Teeth Record Number 2 came out on the Magic Teeth label and featured 1 song by Bum, 1 song by Pingu and 4 songs by the Novaks. I hate to be unfair to the other 2 bands, but I'm really here for the new Bum song. I'll summarize briefly. The Pingu song is a pretty decenty, slightly lo-fo garagey pop song. It's alright. The Novaks songs aren't terrible, but they kind of remind me of that band that forms in everyone's high school (complete w/ Misfits cover). The Bum song on here is a treat. yet another in their line of awesomely catchy pop classics. That band has always had such a knack for writing incredible hooks.

I can't find a version of this song online anywhere to share, so I'm sorry about that. And I also want to publicly thank Rob again for getting in touch and hooking me up with some amazing records. I'll be posting about the other record her sent me on Monday.

Snuff / Cokehead Hipsters - Split 7" - Picture Disc

Snuff / Cokehead Hipsters - Split 7" - Picture Disc, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Cokehead Records (2008)

Despite considering myself as someone with a pretty large knowledge base when it comes to Snuff records, I don't really know much about this release at all. I never heard about it when it came out. I don't really know why it came out or anything about the label. I'm going to assume that the band on the flip side, Cokehead Hipsters, released it themselves. Maybe they toured Japan together in 2008? The world my never know.

What I can tell you is that there are only 500 copies of this out in the world and that I've been aware of it for about a year. Been keeping my eyes open and finally was able to grab one. The Snuff side is an old song of theirs from the Not Listening 7" (or CD version of Snuff Said...) and the Cokehead Hipsters is a cover of that song. Not an essential release musically, but when someone with a Snuff tattoo doesn't have one of their records, that's just a crime.

Snuff - That's Enough (Crazy live performance from 1989!):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU68YKrw-_4

Couldn't find the Cokehead Hipsters version online anywhere.

Collection: Chisel - 7"s & LPs

Collection: Chisel - 7"s & LPs, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

These days, Chisel is most famous for being the band Ted Leo fronted before he hooked up with the Pharmacists, but when I was buying these records, Chisel was simply one of the best bands going. Chisel had a jangle-y, mod-pop sound that really stood out at the time and it absolutely formed the basis for the tunes that Ted Leo is crafting these days.

The first album I ever heard by them was 8am All Day, and from the first few notes of the first song, "Hip Straights," I was hooked. I scurried around trying to pick up whatever vinyl I could. And while I still absolutely love everything Ted Leo is churning out these days, I'll always have a special place in my heart for these records

LPs:
Chisel - Nothing New EL 12" - Gern Blandsten - Black Vinyl
Chisel - 8am All Day LP - Gern Blandsten - Black Vinyl
Chisel - Set You Free LP - Gern Blandsten - Black Vinyl

7"s:
Chisel - Swamp Fox - Assembly - White Vinyl
Chisel - Sunburn - Gern Blandsten - Black Vinyl
Chisel - The O.T.S. - Darla - Black Vinyl
Chisel / Brian, Colin, And Vince - Split 7" - Sudden Shame - Black Vinyl
Chisel - It's Alright, You're O.K. - Gern Blandsten - Black Vinyl
Chisel / Van Pelt - Split 7" - A.K.A. - Black Vinyl
Chisel / Velocity Girl - Split 7" - Shute - Black Vinyl
Chisel / Tuscadero / Frodus / Bloodnation - Squirrel Compilation 7" - Level - Clear Vinyl

Chisel - Hip Straights:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH3MqxKlb0U

Chisel - On Warmer Music:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpJgbKUmdR0

Chisel - The Mutable Mercury:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZ3AL_oKfM

Hex Dispensers - Razorcake Sister Series III 7"

Hex Dispensers - Razorcake Sister Series III 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Razorcake (2011)

This 7" is one half of a Sister Series release from Razorcake. The other half is a 7" by Young Offenders, though I haven't picked that up. I will always pick up Hex Dispensers 7"s though (I have another on order from Europe, actually). They play fast, downstroke heavy punk rock in a very similar vein as The Marked Men. However, the Hex Dispensers lyrics are more focused on darkness and evil (In a Halloween sort of way, not in a devil worshiping way). Regardless, 3 great songs, which you can hear below.

Hex Dispensers - Razorcake Sister Series III 7" (Via Bandcamp):

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Relative Ways 12"

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Relative Ways 12", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Interscope (2001)

When I went to Texas with my wife this past Christmas, she pulled out a pretty substantial stack of records she had received as promo items from various labels when she was the music director at her college radio station. Upon leaving, they ended up in a closet at her parents' house. We dug through them for a while and found some real eBay worthy things in there, but what I also found was this Trail of Dead EP that I didn't have on vinyl.

Let's be honest, musically, it's kind of silly, The 2 awesome songs on the A-side are both on their full length Source Tags & Codes. The 2 songs on the B-Side aren't even really songs, mostly just noisey stuff. But it doesn't matter to me, they're a band I like (Especially this era of their releases), so I'm very happy to put it next to their full length in the collection thanks to my wonderful wife!

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Relative Ways:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkW9w4LQZuo&ob=av3e

Rusty James - Save The Last Dance For Me LP

Rusty James - Save The Last Dance For Me LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Love (1996)

When I get a new record, it lives at my desk for a while. I have a 12" case and a 7" case there. I take a picture for this website, give it a few high priority listens and the eventually it gets filed into the main collection. When I was going through the records at my desk this weekend and was filing them in their permanent home, I realized I never took a picture of this record when it came into my possession a few months ago. Now, I wouldn't even go so far as to say this record is mine. In my mind I'm just babysitting it for now. @AlanRappa gave me this record so I could make MP3s of it for him (and for me), but he didn't want it back when I tried to return it. Well, rest assured it will be well taken care of while I'm keeping an eye on it for him.

I can't say I know much about Rusty James. They're a German band from the mid 90s. This is the only full length they released, they also released 1 7". I do not know where Alan heard of them originally, but I do remember him looking for this record when we went to England in 1997 (though I can't remember if he actually found it on that trip or if he came across it later). Well I can say that this is a really strong record, and it's sad that the band only released 1 full length. It's super melodic, slightly melancholic rock. You might want to stick that emo tag on it, but they have way more energy than the typical emo band of the time. They remind me a bit of that Australian band Caustic Soda, but Save The Last Dance For Me is far superior to anything that band released. Amazingly I found a couple of songs on YouTube, so you should check them out. The first one has a pretty long movie sample at the start of the track, but trust me it's worth it once the music kicks in.

Rusty James - Birthday:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_x4orXEphc

Rusty James - Bow:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-NC6lZfpR0

Poppets - Do You Know? 7"

Poppets - Do You Know? 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sneakers (1996)

I am having quite the good run finding records lately and hunting down this 7" is the culmination of another decade plus search. Even though few will probably realize how crazy it is to have found this record (aside from @AlanRappa), picking this 7" up is a huge deal to me! I first heard of Poppets from a 7" they released called Down & Out. It was on a Spanish label and boy oh boy did I love that record. I knew they had another 7" and have been looking for it for years. Well, thanks to the want list function on discogs.com, I was notified that someone had this and put it up for sale. Sure $30 for the record and $18 to ship it from Japan seems like too much money, and for most people, it probably would be. But when I have the chance to grab a record that has been eluding me since 1997, I will happily pay that.

The songs on the record are just what i expected since I have their other 7" and the CD they released in '98. We've got 4 Zoinks!/early Green Day-ish songs from this sadly overlooked Norwegian band. I cannot find any songs from this band (from any of their records) hosted online anywhere, so I am sorry I can't share any of their music. Rest assured that this is good stuff and it really takes me back 15 years or so...

Ultramagnetic M.C.'s - Funk Your Head Up LP

Ultramagnetic M.C.'s - Funk Your Head Up LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Polygram (1992)

I was very pleased to see this record pop up on eBay with a low price tag attached to it recently. I had the CD version of this back in high school. I went to Spain my sophomore year and while on a 7 hour layover in Heathrow airport in London with some classmates, I picked up the CD version of Funk Your Head up at a store in the airport. I absolutely loved it. Such innovative beats, and Kool Keith in particular just had the craziest cadence and delivery. While most people hail Critical Beatdown as the best Ultramagnetic album, I always thought Funk Your Head Up was the one.

Fast forward to 1998, Snuff was staying with me while they were on tour with Less Than Jake. Their guitar player Loz was looking through my CDs and came across this one. I told him he could have it, thinking I'd just pick up another copy. Little did I know it was long out of print, and I'd never see it again. Well, no worries about that anymore as now it takes its rightful place in the vinyl collection, even if the cover is a little beat up.

Ultramagnetic M.C.'s - Poppa Large:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnTxf6SYQCQ

Ultramagnetic M.C.'s - Funk Radio:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK5AhI77LYw

Masked Intruder - First Offense 7" - 4 colors of vinyl & box

Masked Intruder - First Offense 7" - 4 colors of vinyl & screened box, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hang Up (2012)

I will admit, I'm a sucker for wacky packaging like this. 4 different colors of vinyl (limited to 75 copies for each color) plus a logo box to hold them all (which was limited to 30 copies) PLUS it was only 12 dollars shipped for the whole shebang. That's variant collecting done right, my friends. Masked Intruder seem to be doing a luchadore/burglar gimmick with masks (4 colors - the 4 vinyl colors), but they're playing some pretty catchy & hooky pop punk. I do not like the 2nd track on here, "Stick Em Up," but the other 4 songs are pretty fun. Lyrically the songs are mostly about petty crime, but in a tongue in cheek sort of way. This may get old as the band moves forward, but it makes for a good 7".

Masked Intruder - First Offense 7" (Via Bandcamp):

The Men - Open Your Heart LP - Screened Cover /250

The Men - Open Your Heart LP - Screened Cover /250, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sacred Bones (2012)

There are so many reasons I shouldn't like this record. Long guitar solos, Songs where the singer yells a lot, a large amount of predominately instrumental tracks. But for some reason, I love this record. It probably helps that there's 3 absolutely killer songs over the course of the LP, but even the ones that I normally wouldn't be into fit perfectly in the context of the album. The album is bristling with energy, slipping into chaos every so often, but it always comes back around and delivers. Definitely one of the bigger surprises for me this year.

Definitely check out the title track, which I have embedded below. I liked this song so much, I went out and hunted down the wacky, limited version of this record.

The Men - Open Your Heart (Via Soundcloud):
The Men - Open Your Heart by sacredbones

Mr T Experience / Goober Patrol - Split 7"

Mr T Experience / Goober Patrol - Split 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Punk As Duck (1995)

First off, sorry for the lack of updates this week. Came down with a brutal cold, but I'm back again. I was going through my Mr T Experience 7"s recently, and I realized I didn't have this one. Kind of crazy. I did have the CD version of it that has an extra song by each band on it though, probably why I bought that version back in the day. So I picked this up on eBay for cheap, but I guess you get what you pay for. Sleeve is in OK shape, but the vinyl is pretty beat up. Well, it's a place saver for now. I'll probably need to pick up a better conditioned copy at some point. The songs below are both on this 7", but I believe they're different recordings. All I could find...

The Mr. T Experience - Semi OK:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjNE_C_h0Tg

Goober Patrol - Good Times, Bad Times (Sorry, Myspace was all I could find...):
http://www.myspace.com/gooberpatroloi/music/songs/good-times-bad-times-24629034

Young Governor - Pizza Face 7"

Young Governor - Pizza Face 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

SP Records (2012)

A redone version of a 1 sided lathe cut 7" ( http://www.ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com/2011/12/young-governor-pizza-face-lathe-cut.html ). Coming out on the mighty SP Records out of Japan, this 7" takes the Pizza Face song from that lathe cut and puts it on real vinyl so it actually sounds good. Add on a B-side that wasn't on the original version, and you've got yourself a record that just begs to be added to your Young Governor collection.

Sadly, I can't find either of the songs anywhere to stream, but both are a good time, so you should pick this up if you're into Young Governor or Marvelous Darlings

Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta LP - Green/White Split Color Vinyl(/100)

Gentleman Jesse - Leaving Atlanta LP - Green/White Split Color Vinyl (/100), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Douchemaster (2012)

Let me start out by saying how much I love the 1st Gentleman Jesse record. It was one of the best records I've heard in the last 5 years, just about flawless from start to finish. Leaving Atlanta blows that record out of the water. I almost cannot comprehend how amazing this record ended up being. It's so easy to be disappointed when a band puts out an amazing debut LP. It's almost expected that the follow-up will be just a notch lower. Leaving Atlanta defies those odds.

Right off the bat, the first big and most obvious change is the addition of keyboards to the band, and it is a stellar addition. Mostly in the background, adding to the fullness of sound, similar to how Snuff uses keyboard in their songs. Every song on here is perfectly constructed and tight as hell. From open to close, it's just one perfect power pop song after the next.

Douchemaster was a bit sneaky and put this album on sale in the middle of the night. Luckily I wake up super early for work, so I was still able to score a copy of the limited colored vinyl. It would have been a bummer to have to pay eBay prices for this guy, though I do still need to pick up the regular version on black vinyl as I do collect variants when it comes to Gentleman Jesse records.

Gentleman Jesse - Eat Me Alive:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Ax2yY5PZ4

Gentleman Jesse - Take It Easy On Me:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaETDYqpdkI

Little Cuts - Bishop Eyes 7"

Little Cuts - Bishop Eyes 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Bag Of Hammers (2010)

After enjoying the Little Cuts 7" that came out on Dirtnap, I picked up the band's 1st 7" on Bag Of Hammers records. I'm not sure if I went into this record with my expectations a bit high, but I definitely ended up disappointed. A markedly lower fi affair than the Dirtnap 7"s, the 2 Little Cuts songs on this record just don't do anything for me. Noisy, fuzzy and kind of repetitive. But that's the deal with records, you win some you lose some. Hopefully any future releases by this band will be more like the Dirtnap 7".

Couldn't find anywhere that would let me embed any of the songs, so I'm going to have to subject you to a Myspace link, you can listen to both songs there:
www.myspace.com/431028745

The Capitalist Kids - Sarah B/W Ayn 7"

The Capitalist Kids - Sarah B/W Ayn 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Hang Up (2012)

This is the Mr T Experience's cover.

I can honestly say, this is the first time in a long time that I bought a record almost exclusively because of the cover art. In case you didn't know, this 7"s cover is a spoof of the Mr T Experience's Love Is Dead. Had me cracking up the first time I saw it, so I had to add it to the collection. Now as far as the music on it, I'm not sure what to say. It's good, it's very much straight up MTX/early Green Day style pop punk that I probably would have gone crazy for when I was in high school. All these years later, I won't say I don't like it, it just feels a little paint by numbers. Though I will say the title track, "Sarah," is a pretty fun mock-ode to Sarah Palin in the vein of Zoinks' "Uma 14 Times."

The Capitalist Kids - Sarah B/W Ayn 7" (Via Bandcamp):

Jet Black - Escape Measures LP

Jet Black - Escape Measures LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Self Released (2011)

Here's a buzz word that keeps popping up in a lot of what I am writing lately: 90s. Throwing back seems to be a pretty popular thing these days and as I've stated before, I am A-OK with that. Jet Black hail from Quebec, Canada, but their music hails from 90s alternative land. So much of what they're doing is steeped in that glorious time where halfway decent music dominated the airwaves. I hear some Nirvana here, a little Jawbox there, but what I hear more than anything else is a tight band that really knows how to string a great song together. Escape Measure is an album that brings back those wonderful loud/quiet/loud days of yore.  The only bad thing I can say is the cover of my record arrived damaged, so i have a pretty substantial crease on the lover left-hand corner.  That kind of sucks.

Jet Black - Escape Measures (3 Songs via Bandcamp):

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory 2xLP

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory 2xLP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Jive (1991)

A combination of Amazon gift cards & this being on sale lead me to finally add this piece of vinyl to the collection. And though the vinyl is new to me, the music is not. I picked this up on CD in 1991 after hearing the 1st single "Check The Rhime" on Yo MTV Raps. I was totally blown away at the time (an interesting side note, when I bought this CD I also picked up Nice & Smooth - Ain't A Damn Thing Changed and a CD by a band called H.A.R.D.C.O.R.P.S - that one didn't last in my collection however).

Since Low End Theory ended up getting pretty famous after they released "Scenario" as a single and it's become one of those critically lauded classic golden era hip hop records, I don't think I need to say a whole lot about it. But I'll say this, at 21 years old, this record sounds more cutting edge and innovative than 90% of the current hip hop or rap music being made today. Good times.

A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRrM6tfOHds

A Tribe Called Quest - Buggin Out:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhgEpT4f7p8

Tenement / Cheeky - Split 7"

Tenement / Cheeky - Split 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

No Breaks / Let's Pretend (2012)

The past few months have seen a pretty steady onslaught of new Tenement records. I really hope they keep this pace up as I would love more and more 7"s every month. This time out Tenement shares a record with a band that has already broken up, Cheeky. Cheeky supply 2 female fronted, fast paced & pretty aggressive tracks. Can't say they're my favorite and I think the vocals are a little loud in the mix, it's all I hear.

Tenement give us one firecracker in "Blast Exhaust," though the 2nd song of theirs, "Perverse universe," songs like it could have been the theme song of an 80s sitcom. I like that the band genre hops and explores a wide range of music, but if pressed, I will always say I like their fast punky stuff better.

I can't find the Cheeky songs to embed, but if you go here, you can listen to one of them:
http://www.nobreaksrecords.com/fr_blastexhaustsobored

Tenement Songs (Via Bandcamp):