Unwound - Rat Conspiracy 3xLP Box Set

Numero (2014)

Keeping on with Unwound this week, this is the Rat Conspiracy box set from Numero Group. Like its predecessor Kid Is Gone, Rat Conspiracy documents another time specific chunk of Unwound and fills up 3 LPs worth of greatness.  This era of Unwound is probably my favorite and it's where I first checked in on the band when I was a kid.

The first LP is the 2nd full length that Unwound recorded, but the first one to actually be released; Fake Train.  Unwound really took form on this album.  While still retaining the energy and aggression of some of their earlier work, Fake Train jettisoned some of the extreme noise that Unwound had been playing with in favor of a slightly more structured take on their music.  Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of yelling, feedback and squall, but this time the band seems to have more of a purpose.

The 2nd LP is the full length New Plastic Ideas.  This was always my favorite Unwound record.  The sound is more refined, but the band still has some gnarled freak outs to keep things interesting.  In reading the massive liner notes for this box set, I was surprised that the general consensus from the band is that people didn't really like this album and thought it was boring.  I never got that vibe back when it was originally released and I sure don't see that now with 20 years of hindsight.  In my opinion these are the best Unwound songs aside from a little slice of joy that leads of the 3rd album in this set.

The 3rd and final disc of this box set compiles a bunch of 7", compilation and other assorted tracks.  The odds and ends of this era of Unwound.  The first song on here is "Broken E Strings." This is the first Unwound song I ever heard as it originally appeared on the Jabberjaw compilation in 1994.  Not only is it the first song that I heard from the band, it stands the test of time as being their very best.  The gentle verse, with minor guitar parts and rhythmic drumming careens into the blown out screaming chorus.  As a high school kid hearing this for the first time I was pretty blown away.  The rest of the songs on the 3rd LP are also strong.  This was a time that Unwound was really firing on all cylinders.

The next box set that comes out will be interesting for me.  It's going to contain the albums that many point to as the band's best, but it also starts off the era of Unwound that I wasn't following that closely as I was moving on to different things at the time.  I'm curious to see if those songs just can't hold up to these earlier recordings or if I just blew it when I was younger.  We'll see in a few months.

Unwound - Broken E Strings:

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

Unwound - Dragnalus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA5XFTJISAI

Unwound - Entirely Different Matters:

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

Unwound - 7/26/2001 LP

Numero (2013)

When Numero put the first Unwound box set, Kid Is Gone, up for sale on their website they also provided an ordering option to get an additional LP.  This LP would only be available directly from the label to those ordering the set. The LP was a live recording of Unwound called 7/26/2001. It was recorded in 2001 right before the band released their final album.

The songs that Unwound is performing on this album are some of their earliest.  They pull material from their self titled album, some 7"s and they even play 2 really old Giant Henry songs ("Listenator" & "Chris Jordan") for good measure.  It's a pretty decent quality recording and it is interesting to hear the band at what would amount to the end of their career ripping through songs from their beginning.  There's not much in the way of banter or anything like that. Just a band reliving some memories.

As with the box set, Numero did a strong job with the packaging.  Sturdy cover, great sounding vinyl.  I guess I wish that there was room in the box set to put this LP in with everything else, but that's not really a big deal.  It's a cool record to have and absolutely worth the extra $10 it cost, but I'm not sure it will get a ton of repeat spins going forward.

Unwound - Kid Is Gone 3xLP Box Set

Numero Group (2013)

I've had this Unwound box set for a little while now, but have been holding off on reviewing it.  It's such a daunting task as there's so much here and so much to say about Unwound, but I don't always feel qualified to say it.  Unwound was sort of a fringe band for me.  I got into Unwound in my late teens and they were one of the bands I fell into while I was still finding my sea legs so to speak.  Unwound along with other Pacific Northwest bands like Fitz of Depression, godheadSilo, Karp and Lync were the bands that a lot of my other friends never really got into.  Most of them were somewhat fleeting; I never really listened to much Fitz, godheadSilo or Karp past 1995 or so.  Lync stuck with me and I've been listening to them pretty much non-stop for the last 20 years.  Unwound is more in the middle.  While I never abandoned them completely, I really can't say I've listened to them much until recently digging through these Numero reissues.

This box set is the first of 4 planned sets to reissue pretty much every song, noise and recorded fart that Unwound put to tape over their career.  Numero has done a pretty stellar job assembling this set.  The sturdy cardboard record sleeves, the high quality vinyl, the fantastic photo filled booklet, the inner record sleeves with the original release 7" & LP artwork; it all just looks and sounds amazing.  If I had one gripe, it would be that the records in their cardboard sleeves fit a little too snugly into the box.  Sometimes it's a chore pulling the records out.

The 3 LPs cover a lot of ground.  The first is primarily made up of some early demos, compilation appearances and the band's first 7" Caterpillar.  This is a band that is noisy, abrasive and stumbling around in the dark trying to find their way.  They hit on some great ideas, but they also get a little lost here and there.  The 2nd LP has the songs recorded for what was to be the band's debut full length plus a couple of unreleased songs.  Ultimately this album was shelved, but then reissued in 1995 as a self titled effort.  The band was starting to get on track more by this point, but the songs were still kind of chaotic.  A few real gems are on this disc though.  The 3rd LP is where they cram in all of the extras.  Radio sessions, unused songs, 7" b-sides.  It's the odds and ends of the bunch.  Not anywhere near as exciting as the first 2 LPs, but neat stuff to have regardless.

It's a really impressive set that is so artfully put together.  Even if the band was still finding their way during this era, Numero has shown incredible clarity assembling this box set. One of the main reasons I wanted to get this review written finally is because the 2nd Numero box set is out now and I'm planning on getting to that one this week as well.  That is the set that contains the Unwound songs that I first found.

Unwound - Caterpillar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9hEZ-PRrI0

The Mountain Goats / Mount Moriah - Split 7" - Turquoise Vinyl

Merge (2014)

Shipped with the Superchunk / Mikal Cronin 7" from yesterday was the second entry in the Merge Records singles series.  This one is a split 7" between The Mountain Goats and Mount Moriah.

We'll start with The Mountain Goats since I am familiar with them.  I can't say I have ever been a big fan, but at the same time I've always appreciated the music that John Darnielle has released.  I remember originally I stumbled across them when I went through my tape label phase in the mid 90's and was buying cassettes & records by bands like Diskothi Q and Charlie McAlister.  For some reason The Mountain Goats just never hit for me and the song on this 7" is another reason why.  It's a strong song, plaintive and honest. It's mostly just voice and piano with some light electric guitar work occasionally in the background.  I think it's just a bit too downtrodden to really embrace. I certainly can appreciate plenty of music that's not fast and catchy rock & roll, but I've always found the Mountain Goats a bit too gloomy for me.

Mount Moriah is a band I've had no prior exposure to.  Their contribution to this 7" is somewhat soulful, female fronted rock.  It's built off of a repetitive, bluesy guitar riff with some nice organ work in the background.  it's pretty good, but I'm not wowed to the point that I'll likely pursue anything further by this band.

So 2 singles into the Merge series and it's a good showing so far.  I'm eager to see what comes up next on the horizon.  I worry that the Superchunk 7" might end up being the highlight for me, but who knows, maybe they'll get the Karl Hendricks Trio on board.

Superchunk / Mikal Cronin - Split 7" - Pink Vinyl

Merge (2014)

Another year, another singles club.  This year I joined up for the Merge records 25th anniversary singles club.  How could I not, it starts off with a Superchunk 7" and if there's 1 thing in this world I have, it's a lot of Superchunk 7"s.  The Merge series looks like they're sending out two 7"s at a time.  I'll write up the 2nd one tomorrow.  The sleeve is a sturdy cardboard with a shiny silver logo on the front and some light embossing on the back.  There's a few odd designs cut into it as well that exposes the vinyl, so make sure to bag this guy up before filing it away.  It looks cool though.

I'll start out with Mikal Cronin.  He is one of the absolute top guys where so many people whose taste in music I trust love him, but he just never did anything for me.  I tried so hard to get into his first record and it just never clicked.  What I can say though is that his song "Takin' It Easy" on this 7" is incredible.  It's got some minor psych/drone on the vocals, but it's not annoyingly distorted like a lot of bands go for these days.  This song has an awesomely loud and catchy chorus.  The verse takes it down a bit, but it just helps build up energy for that chorus.  I've only heard the first Mikal Cronin record.  If anything else of his sounds even sort of similar to this song, than I really need to give him another chance.  Someone confirm or deny please.

Superchunk hardly needs a description.  Their song "Good Morning" is another slice of classic Superchunk greatness.  It's a bouncy, jump up and down because you can't contain yourself anthem. It's catchy in the right places and dynamic where it needs to be.  Superchunk hardly ever lets me down and this song is no exception.  I also love how committed Superchunk is to supporting the 7" format.  All these years later and they're still cranking them out.  This record is a great start to the series.

The Cry! - Dangerous Game LP

Taken By Surprise (2014)

I have the first album that The Cry released and I liked it.  I wasn't floored by it or anything, but it was a solid poppy record that got played in my rotation reasonably often when it came out.  As what happens to all but the very best of records, it got filed away and hasn't been on my turntable in a while.  When I saw the band had a new record out, I absolutely wanted to pick it up, expecting another good outing from them.

I was completely unprepared for the truly dramatic increase in quality in Dangerous Game compared to their debut.  Where that record was pretty good, Dangerous Game is just stellar.  Though I think the first band that might come to mind while listening to Dangerous Game is the Cute Lepers, I'm actually kind of shocked that The Cry isn't from Canada.  I think you could definitely have this filed next to your Mother's Children or Sonic Avenues records and feel pretty good about that classification.  I think The Cry is slightly more glammy, slightly more pop and maybe a bit less garage than either of those bands, but Dangerous Game is every bit as amazing. 

The band really excels in delivering fast past, guitar driven tunes with fantastic backing vocals and harmonies.  The absolute standout of the record for me is "Toys In The Attic."  All of the ingredients of the perfect guitar pop song are present and it's likely one of the best songs I've heard in 2014 so far.  I can't recommend this record highly enough.  Even though there's a kind of goofy picture of the band on the back cover, I'll let them slide because the music is just so damn good.

The Cry! - Dangerous Game LP

http://takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/album/dangerous-game-lp

V/A - Puke & Destroy III 7"

Snuffy Smiles (2013)

It only happens a couple of times a year, but almost nothing makes me happier than when I find out there's a new release on Snuffy Smiles records.  Hands down, the best label in the world and they've been cranking out records for over 20 years.  Their latest is a 3 way split 7" with each band putting in 2 songs.

First up is perennial favorites Your Pest Band. Their first contribution is a fast punky song called "Foolish Decade.". The vocals are a little echo-y as far as production goes, but it's more like their earlier releases than it is like the more bluesy songs on their last 10".  The 2nd song "Something In My Head" is even better. Hyper fast, catchy and awesome.  Kind of reminds me of car chase music with a hint of Rocket From the Crypt in the chorus. Just a great band.

Next is Car10.  The first of their songs "Get Drunk" is a mid tempo, but catchy song.  It has some weird, production on the vocals, like the singer is underwater, but it's got a good call and response chorus.  The B side, "Falling Night," is kind of slow, short and unmemorable.  Neither song is bad, but they're not as strong as the other bands on this record.

Finally there's Dog Hotel.  Their first entry "Everything Is A Joke" sounds weirdly similar to Car10 as the song starts, kind of mid tempo 60's rock.  But it has stronger vocals than Car10.  2nd song "My Race" is a bit more powerful with big crunchy guitars.  It's has a fast bang-bang-bang guitar driven verse that kind of drifts into a chorus that reminds me of boozy karaoke.  All in all another pretty strong 7" in the illustrious Snuffy Smiles catalog.  May they continue for 20 more years.

Mission Of Burma - Youth Of America - Clear Vinyl

Matador (2013)

I'm going to start writing about the new Merge singles club pretty soon, so I figured I should probably wrap up last year's Matador club.  This is the last "bonus" 7" and the neat little box that Matador sent over to hold the whole series.  This series was plagued with delays that Matador had to continually apologize for, but honestly, it didn't bother me much at all. The entire series was wrapped up just a couple of months later than expected and when you are putting out 13 7"s, delays are to be expected.  I thought they did a great job keeping everyone in the loop and I would definitely subscribe again.

The quality of the records was all over the place to me. There were stellar entries that made the whole series worth while like Superchunk and Royal Headache.  But, there ware also a ton of 7"s that I will never play again.  Even though I'm sure many people were thrilled to get Mission Of Burma as the bonus 7", I can't say that I cared that much.  They've always been one of those bands that everybody likes, but they don't do anything for me.  This 7" doesn't change my opinion.

It starts off with "Youth of America," a Wipers cover.  They do nice work with the lead guitar riff intro, but once the vocals kick in, I'm checking out.  Echo-y yelping in the background that sounds like they turned on the wrong mic where ever they recorded it this.  The chorus is a bit better, but it doesn't live up to the downstroke fueled energy of the original. 

My reaction to the B-side "Tremelo" is as follows.  It has a lot of tremelo on the guitar.  Wow this is a pretty long intro.  Wait, has the song started already, is it an instrumental? OK, it must be an instrumental.  After about half an hour the drums finally kick in.  There's some minor 'ahhhh-ing' in the background that sounds more like a ghost from Lord Of The Rings than any sort of vocals.  The tremelo effect gets turned off at the 7 hour and 45 minute mark.  I'm literally counting the grooves in the record to see how much longer this cursed song is.  And it's over.  Not a fan, but again, I'd sign up for another Matador club in a heartbeat as the good far outweighs the bad. 

Chestnut Road / BUZZorHOWL - Split 7"

Brassneck / Boss Tuneage (2013)

There have been a lot of records put out recently that have bands harkening back to some of the styles of music that were all the rage in the 90's.  Being the age that I am, the 90's will always be a special time for me and I'll probably always think that was the best time for buying records.  I think it's true for most people that the music you discover in your late teens and early twenties is the music that really sticks with you throughout your life.  Enter this 7".

Some of the best records I've ever bought came out in the UK in the late 90's.  The Chestnut Road / BUZZorHOWL split could have easily come out during that time.  BUZZorHOWL features members who were also in the band Drive (go grab their discography CD right now).  I can certainly see the influence of Drive in BUZZorHOWL, but the band I'm immediately reminded of when I listen to the first song "Little Cop" is Alligator Gun. The melodic vocals soar over the big crunchy UK punk style guitars and this song just blows me away.  The 2nd track is an instrumental and though I actually love it when bands throw an instrumental onto a full length, since there's only 2 tracks to work with here, I probably would have preferred another with vocals.

Chestnut Road are really cementing themselves as one of my absolute favorite current bands.  They've put out a lot of records over the past couple of years and I've yet to hear a bad song out of them.  Hell, I haven't even heard a song from them that was merely good, they've all been great.  They really take their influences from some of my all time favorite bands like Broccoli, Hooton 3 Car and Leatherface.  Gravely vocals over dynamic guitar work.  It's just perfection.

 Chestnut Road / BUZZorHOWL - Split 7":

http://brassneckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/buzzorhowl-chestnut-road-split-7

Can Of Beans - S/T LP

Recess (2013)

It never fails that I end up writing about records that came out during November and December well into the start of the following year.  It bums me out a bit because I always feel like I'm doing the records a disservice since I wasn't able to include them on my end of the year round up.  I try to stay on top of new releases, but I guess I'm just destined to be a few months behind on certain things.

Can Of Beans would have definitely ended up on my best-of in some capacity.  It's a terrific album that manages to take some pet peeves of mine and flip them into something really enjoyable.  I've probably gone on record a few time saying that I just can't get into bands like Nobunny or Hunx And His Punx.  The super high pitched vocals and general goofball vibe of it all makes it impossible for me to take seriously.  So, whenever I hear anything kind of similar, I tend to not like it as much.

Can Of Beans completely turns that around for me.  Yes, the vocals are quite high pitched and have similar production values to those aforementioned folks.  However, Can Of Beans slows things town and takes everything much more seriously.  I'm not saying this is an important, stark record or anything like that. It's a good time, but it's not played for laughs.  These are just great well written pop songs. At the same time, if you are someone that does typically like Nobunny & co., this record should just floor you as I think it is that style of bubblegum garage pop perfected.

Can Of Beans - S/T:

http://canofbeans1.bandcamp.com/

Dulac - The First of the Last Chords LP

Taken By Surprise (2013)

It's always exciting when a brand new band ends up on your radar.  Taken By Surprise is a record label that I trust, so when they started letting the world know that this Dulac record was on the way, I sat up and took notice.  When the label put the record up on Bandcamp, I clicked play on the first song.  I was adding this record to my cart and sending money to the label before the song was even finished.

When a band puts out their debut record and it's just a beast from start to finish, that's a hell of an accomplishment and Dulac deserves the accolades.  They're playing an upbeat, treble heavy style of rock and roll.  In particular, the guitar sound and riffs remind me of The Statues, but in a more subdued and not quite as explosive way.  That's not saying Dulac isn't full of energy; but they are channeling it in a different way, as the band has a slightly darker and certainly more serious tone.

A reference point on the vocals are a bit hard to pin down.  Aspects of them remind me of some of the bands you'd find on Snuffy Smiles out of Japan. But there are other songs where I get a really strong Starmarket feel.  There are even times where I'm reminded of the band Rusty James.  Regardless of what other bands the the singing kind of sounds like, the end result is a mix unique to Dulac.  It's a fantastic record from start to finish and should have made my best of 2013 list.

Dulac - The First of the Last Chords LP:

http://takenbysurpriserecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-first-of-the-last-chords-lp

Chopper - Last Call For The Dancers LP - Blue Vinyl (/300)

Crackle (1998)

A while back I had written about one of my favorite bands from the late 90's UK punk scene Chopper (http://www.ibuywaytoomanyrecords.com/2012/04/collection-chopper-lp-7.html).  I put up a picture of my collection of all of their records.  A pretty complete collection of their vinyl aside from the glaring omission of their LP on colored vinyl.

I had always kind of wondered how I missed the colored vinyl version of this album as I was really on top of things back then and I know I bought the LP the moment it came out.  In doing a little research before writing this up I discovered that the blue vinyl version was actually a repress that came out about a year after the first pressing on black vinyl.  To me that at least kind of explains how I missed it.

The best part about finally adding the blue vinyl LP to my collection is that it was sent to me by Dave from Chopper.  An extraordinarily nice man, who has really gone out of his way being nice to a sad old record collector like me.  Cheers Dave, it's much appreciated.

As far as the tunes on this LP, they're just some of my favorite from one of my favorite eras of music.  This LP managed to take the incredible hooks that the band was creating on all of their 7"s and move those into a slightly more mature direction.  Produced by Frankie Stubbs from Leatherface, this album shows the band slowing their songs down just a hair (seriously, just a hair slower, there's plenty of fast songs on this record) while mixing in a bit more influence by bands like Broccoli. The result is a smoother album, that is impactful, but has more staying power and holds up well through the years that have passed since its release.  An essential album that you go out of your way to add to your collection.

Chopper - Staedler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwdzRUiT2j4

Chopper - F. Perry:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC4d0kJhkiE

Samiam - Astray LP - Tie Dye Vinyl (/100)

Unless You Try (2013, Reissue)

As I've mentioned before, sometimes timing works out perfectly.  I decided to give Samiam another shot after not really being that into them in the 90's.  Turns out I blew it and they're great.  Then, just about every one of their full lengths gets a fancy vinyl reissue.  So, getting this collection filled out has been pretty easy.  As mush as I do like these Samiam records, I'm completely content with these reissues and I don't have that strong desire to start picking up the original pressings...yet...

Astray is an album that I know a lot of Samiam fans really like.  To me it always stood out because I knew quite a few people (myself included) that couldn't remember if it was called "Astray" or "Ashtray."  Not sure that it's relevant, but I can confirm it is "Astray."  This particular variant is courtesy of Unless You Try records out of the UK.  Ever since the Lillingtons boxed set came out, I wanted to get my hands on a "tie dye" colored vinyl record.  This one isn't that special really.  It's just blue swirled with white and a little red here and there.  I've seen some tie dyes that are super unique looking, but I'm sure I could pull another record out of my collection that looks similar to this one.

As far as the record goes, it's pretty great.  I'd lump it in with Clumsy or You Are Freaking Me Out in terms of quality.  Full, deep guitars with strong vocal melodies. No throwaway songs and as I'd mentioned in another review, I definitely hear some Knapsack style guitar work in here.  I realize since Sergie was in both bands, that is a bit silly to bring up, but I think that Knapsack influence certainly is more prevalent on Astray than on some of the other Samiam records I have.  One of the best records I've heard since giving Samiam another shot, though Clumsy is still my favorite so far.

Samiam - Astray:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF0-U_rthTE&list=PL7800432710721428

Outtacontroller - Remote Control Cassette

Sorry about the sporadic updates lately.  Last week I took a few days off work as I was going to a bunch of Rocket From The Crypt shows. Then I ended up getting sick for a few days this week and when I'm sick, trying to write coherently is even harder for me than it typically is, so that's why this site has languished a bit.  Don't worry, I haven't given up on it yet.  I'm still not feeling completely better, but I am feeling well enough to write a few words about this excellent Outtacontroller cassette.

I'm even going to skip my usual cassette complaint as this was specifically made for a tour the band was doing and for some reason bands making cassettes so they have something to sell on tour doesn't bug me at all.  I sure hope these songs end up on vinyl at some point, but for now the tape will do.

On this cassette are 4 new songs, 2 cover songs (1 of a Ladytron song and the 2nd of a "When You Found Out" by The Nerves) and 2 songs recorded live on the radio at CKDU.  Musically I've always felt that Outtacontroller straddles the line in between Hex Dispensers and Steve Adamyk Band, and if there are 2 bands to be compared to, those 2 aren't too shabby.  We've got loud fast guitar, with catchy vocals & choruses.  Though they've never ventured to my neck of the woods, I get the impression from their songs that Outtacontroller is likely a hell of a live band.

I've read that Outtacontroller will have a new 7" coming out soon on Ptrash records and I believe they are also at work on their 2nd LP.  Rest assured, I will be buying both of those records the moment they are available.

Outtacontroller - Remote Control:

http://outtacontroller.bandcamp.com/album/remote-control

Record Store Visit: Repo Records - Philadelphia, PA - 04/04/14

This past Friday I went down to Philadelphia for the first time in many years so that I could see Rocket From The Crypt play.  It was the 3rd show in a row that I was lucky enough to see them play.  Though I didn't really get much time to spend in Philly before the show started, I did manage to hit up 1 record store while I was in town.

Repo Records is a fairly small store.  They certainly slant towards indie music for the most part.  A few racks of CDs a bigger selection of new LPs and a few crates of used records floating around upstairs.  There's a 2nd floor of junker vinyl downstairs as well according to signs in the building, but I didn't really have time to go digging though that.

What the store really doesn't have much of at all is 7"s, which are always my favorite things to dig through.  It's hard to get excited about a store that has fewer 7"s than I do, but I think I have more records in the B section of my 7" collection than Repo Records has in the whole store.  Still, while I was there I picked up the new Cloud Nothings record on blue vinyl, so while it wasn't an amazing shopping experience, there were still things there to keep me interested.  Hopefully next time I end up in Philly I'll be able to hit up some of the other stores as well.

Tony Molina - Dissed And Dismissed - Red Vinyl

Slumberland (2014)

I became intrigued with Tony Molina thanks to his participation in the Matador single club this past year.  That club had its ups and downs, but the Tony Molina 7" was absolutely the biggest and best surprise of the batch.  When I found that Molina also had a full length album that was currently out of print; it was a relief to hear that Slumberland was going to be reissuing it shortly.  And here it is.

Yeah, as a nerdy collector, I would probably prefer to have the original pressing of this, but I'll absolutely jump on a limited colored vinyl version of the reissue.  This record is short.  Really short.  The songs themselves are short.  Really short.  Typically this would probably annoy me a bit, but Tony Molina crams so much into each pop blast it's quite remarkable.

We have fast fuzzy guitar pop crammed full of hooks, melodies, strong vocals and some of the most intense guitar solos I've ever hear during songs so short.  When I wrote about the Matador 7" I compared the guitar solos to The Minibosses.  That comparison still stands I think and they add so much to each track.  I'll go on record and say that in general I think most guitar solos like this are self indulgent wanking, but damn if each and every one of them doesn't work in the context of this album.  It's really something.

Tony Molina - "Change My Ways":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRCXGT8dTmo

Tony Molina - "Walk Away":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlzR_3_pDfU

Beezewax - Who To Salute / When We Were Kids 2xLP

Reveal (2005)

Well, I'm a pretty big Beezewax fan.  I've been one ever since PopKid records started getting ready to release the album South Of Boredom back in 1873 or so.  But somehow, I'm often surprised to find out that Beezewax has released something I'd never heard of.  It's happened on several occasions; I'll just stumble across a record of theirs that just sneaked out into the world.  This vinyl version of Who To Salute is a prime example.  No clue it was out there, then one day...bam.  A discogs entry for it.  Been looking for a copy ever since.

All Beezewax records are great.   Who To Salute is no exception, though you'll forgive me if I have a slightly stronger attachment to South Of Boredom.  Still, just go buy all their records, every one is outstanding.  The band churns out perfect Posies inspired pop songs better than just about anyone (including the Posies on several of their records).  They can take a song slow and tender and they can get bouncy and poppy with equally successful results.  A hell of a band, they always have been.

The extra wacky thing about this LP is that it comes with a second LP called When We Were Kids.  It compiles a handful of songs from the first 3 Beezewax records A Dozen Summits, Who To Salute and Oh Tahoe.  It's pretty cool having a few songs from each of these records on vinyl.  I would obviously prefer each one had been reissued on vinyl individually, but it's nice to be able to hear my favorite Beezewax song "In The Stands" blasting from the turntable.  Someone should release all the Beezewax LPs on vinyl.  If anyone is interested in putting out South Of Boredom, I bet you I could put you in touch with the right people...

I couldn't find any songs from Who To Salute streaming anywhere, but there's a video for in The Stands up on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkgnwzrwcFc

The Botherations - S/T 12" - Blue/Yellow Split Color Vinyl

Self Released (2013)

The Botherations is another in a line of bands/labels that thought enough of this website to send over a record for me to check out and write about.  The best part about it is that this 12" easily ranks up there with the Space Wolf cassette as one of the best things I've ever been sent.

Though only 5 songs long, this EP packs such a huge punch.  From the very second the first guitar hits, you almost feel like the guy sitting in the chair in that old Maxell advertisement.  This is a band playing loud and that's something I can usually get behind.  The guitar work is so full and raucous, it reminds me a bit of bands like Manifesto Jukebox or I Excuse, who in turn get their inspiration from Leatherface.  While I wouldn't say that The Botherations specifically sound like Leatherface, I can certainly find their influence.  

Vocally the singer is gruff, deep voiced and has a slight sheen of Marked Men static obscuring the message.  This is a band that could easily come off as too shouty or angry for me, but they manage to keep just enough melody in the vocals to keep things from going too hardcore.  There's just the right balance between hooks and urgency and I really hope I get to hear more from this band in the future.

The Botherations - S/T 12":

http://thebotherations.bandcamp.com/

The Ballantynes - Liquor Store Gun Store Pawn Shop Church 12"

La-Ti-Da (2013)

I have been following The Ballantynes for a little bit now and have eagerly grabbed all of their 7"s released prior to this newest EP.  I have to say, every time they put out something new I'm pretty blown away.  This 12" has six new songs of the garage tinged, 60's soul revival music that they've been churning out over the past few years.

The band has male/female fronted vocals switching from song to song, so you get equal parts Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin love from this band.  Or if you're looking for a modern day equivalent you could say they go back and forth between a more garage sounding Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and a more soul leaning Royal Headache. The production is incredible, the organ blasts adds so much to each track, but what really drives this EP home is the outstanding backing vocals that punctuate the songs.  They add so much authenticity and energy to the proceedings.  The Ballantynes wouldn't be anywhere near the force they are without them.

I can't recommend this band highly enough.  The is the Ballantynes 4th outstanding release over all.  Three 7"s and a 12" EP.  Though you can string them all together for a full length long experience, I say it's time for the band to crank out that LP I've been clamoring for.  I mean, surely the fact that I want to listen to it is more than enough reason to release one, right? 

The Ballantynes - Liquor Store Gun Store Pawn Shop Church 12"

http://latidarecords.bandcamp.com/album/liquor-store-gun-store-pawn-shop-church-ep-ltdrep001-2

Steve Gunn - Wildwood 7" - Blue Vinyl

Matador (2014)

I really wish the Matador Single Going Home Alone series was ending with a bang, but honestly these last few records just aren't doing anything for me.  Yesterday's Sleaford Mods 7" was just plain awful, but at least it elicited a little emotion in me.  This Steve Gunn 7" is flat out boring.

A-Side "Wildwood" is a mid tempo, acoustic guitar driven song.  It starts off with vaguely traditional sounding folk song lead guitar that's repeated over and over during the intro.  Then the verse pretty much settles right on top of that riff.  There's nothing all that interesting or exciting happening over the next few minutes.  Just a hypnotic drone over and over.

Amazingly the B-side "Worn Threads" leaves even less of an impact.  It's is several minutes of slow, light acoustic meandering.  I'm certainly not discounting this because it's predominantly acoustic, I enjoy lots of folks that have no need to plug in.  But to me it just seems like Steve Gunn is not able to harness any passion into these recordings and the end result is I just don't care.

Sleaford Mods - Routine Dean 7" - Red Vinyl

Matador (2014)

I finally received the last three 7"s from the 2013 Matador Singles Going Home Alone series recently.  Though the series had some delays over the past year, I think it all worked out in the end.  I will say that the quality of records was all over the place.  There were a few great records, some average records and a couple of real stinkers.  Sleaford Mods can absolutely be filed under "stinker."

Over a never changing, minimalist riff, The singer from Sleaford Mods just shouts and rants and complains throughout the course of the A-Side "Routine Dean." There's no rhyming, there's no melody.  It's not singing, but it's definitely not rapping.  It just sounds like some guy from the UK rambling incoherently on the side of the road; the kind of guy you would cross the street to avoid walking past.  

I guess the B-side is a little better.  At least there's a bit of rhyming in the lyrics for "Pubic Hair LTD."  But if you think a song called "Pubic Hair LTD" is likely pretty stupid, you would be absolutely right.  It's just more pointless rambling,  I know I'm getting older, but I just don't understand records like this.

Sleaford Mods - Routine Dean:

http://sleafordmods.bandcamp.com/track/routine-dean

The Men - Tomorrow's Hits - Red Vinyl

The Men - Tomorrow's Hits - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sacred Bones (2014)

I find there to be something fascinating about The Men. The way they soldier on and change up their sound from record to record despite the pained cries of protest from the fans of their earlier releases is really remarkable. Whenever a new record by The Men comes out, I always see threads on vinyl collecting message boards about how "the new album totally sucks, man." It seams like The Men just don't care. And more power to them.

Tomorrow's Hits really elevates their game. While I still like the energy of their 2012 release Open Your Heart a bit more than the Springsteen style classic rock stylings of Tomorrow's Hits, I think it's worlds better than their last album New Moon. I found New Moon kind of disappointing, enough so that I didn't preorder the wacky, fancy version of the new record. Though I'm still OK with the fact that I don't have the expensive variant, I ended up liking Tomorrow's Hits way more than I expected.

The band is finding new ways to build their songs off of somewhat simple guitar riffs. It starts with a riff, that riff is repeated, but then the band layers dynamic rhythm, lead guitar background noodling, lead guitar solos, horns, catchy vocals, the list goes on. The songs come off seeming just crammed full of layers, but the original riff that everything is built on anchors the song so that all the other components don't steer the song into something absurd. In particular "Dark Waltz," Another Night" and "Pearly Gates" really exemplify this.

Despite the Men constantly reinventing themselves, they've managed to become a band I can count on. Even though New Moon wasn't my favorite record of theirs, they've come back and proven that they can take their music in new directions and still put out a great record.

The Men - "Pearly Gates":
soundcloud.com/sacredbones/the-men-pearly-gates

Missing Monuments - S/T LP - Gold Vinyl (/200)

Missing Monuments - S/T LP - Gold Vinyl (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Dirtnap (2014)

Though it is self titled, this is actually the 2nd Missing Monuments full length album, the first having come out on Douchemaster back in 2011 (Does anyone know what happened to that label? Are they gone forever?). While I did enjoy that first record, this second one is such gigantic leap forward in quality it's pretty amazing. While the first had quite a few great songs, this one is just wall to wall hits.

Missing Monuments have always had something of a gritty southern flair to them, but they've managed to tie it in with their power pop in a way that creates a distinct sound that separates them from the pack, but manages not to take away from the poppy hooks and great melodies. There's probably a few more guitar solos than I typically like, but it's not like the record is full of endless indulgent wanking. The solos are there, but they are short, sweet and punchy.

"Answer The Call" is just a stellar album opener and really sets the stage for what's to come. The non-Louie fronted "Another Girl" packs a hell of a pop punch. And it's hard not to love a song like "Super Hero" that manages to work the line "You've got queso on your face-o" into the chorus. All in all, this is just a great album. It's by far the best Missing Monuments release to date and proves once again that if there's a label you can trust, it's Dirtnap.

Missing Monuments - S/T:
dirtnaprecords.bandcamp.com/album/missing-monuments-s-t

Corduroy - Overhauls 7"

Corduroy - Overhauls 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Insignificant (1994)

It's funny, I thought I had all of the Corduroy singles. In fact, I thought I had this one, but not only was I missing the Overhauls 7", there's 2 other 7"s I don't have that I'm going to have to pick up. See kids, I didn't have the internet back then and it used to be tougher to keep track of all of the records bands released. I'm old.

And this 7" sounds old, but in the best possible way. It's wonderful 90's rock. Corduroy have a dash of the Bay Area punk rock sound, but they lean a bit more towards raspy vocal 'alternative rock' than some of their peers. The A-side "Overhauls" has big fuzzy guitar riffs, a gigantic punchy chorus and stomp-on-the-floor overdriven guitar solos/breakdown.

The B-side "GE" takes it down a notch with borderline sludgy bass and palm muted guitar. The muffled, distorted vocals are just audible during the verse that lead into the chorus. I think it's the chorus anyway, it's mostly just a loud chaotic blast of noise with a few random shouts here and there that is sandwiched between the verses. It reminds me of a noisier version of some of the weirder Pavement songs.

I love these old 90's 7" bands. Corduroy, Jolt...the bands that never ended up doing a full length. Well, I won't let them be forgotten, even if I forgot to get 2 of their other 7"s. Discogs, don't fail me now...

Sanhose - Parada 7"

Sanhose - Parada 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Snuffy Smiles (2013)

The greatest record label in the world still lives. 20+ years later and they manage to blow me away once again with a new band. Well, a new to me band anyway as it looks like Sanhose put out a full length in 2012 that I must immediately hunt down.

Like the greatest Snuffy Smiles releases, Sanhose is fast, catchy, loud guitar rock. They have just the slightest garage influence as far as production goes, but in general they are much more in line with some of the mid 90's records that Snuffy Smiles released. If you think of bands like Blew or Cigaretteman (minus the female vocals) you're probably on the right track.

All four songs are equally amazing. This 7" is a total throwback to the golden age of Japanese pop punk bands, complete with the rad 90's lead guitar in the breaks. It is just such a fun 7" to listen to and I will absolutely be picking up their full length CD as soon as possible.

Sanhose - Parada (All I could find online is this 1 minute commercial type thing):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3iM9jr1hlY

Brokedowns / Wide Angles - Split 7"

Brokedowns / Wide Angles - Split 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Cassette Deck (2012)

As 2014 has been pretty slow with new releases so far, I've been able to tackle a lot of the backlog that's been building up over the last few months. This 7" goes all the way back to my September trip to Chicago.

The Brokedowns are kind of your run of the mill gritty vocal punk band. Nothing really all that special, but certainly better than a lot of bands as well. Their first song is loud, fast, angry and short. There's not much time for it to really develop into anything. The 2nd & 3rd songs are called "Beast Resources IV" and "Beast Resources V." As the names would lead you to suspect, they are kind of linked together. They are both significantly more dynamic than the first song, though there still is quite a bit of shouting going on in the chorus of "IV." "Beast Resources V" is probably the best song on their side of this 7", in large part because The Brokedowns slow things down a bit.

Wide Angles are one of the better bands I've heard over the last few years. Their other 7"s and especially their full length, Smile More, are just essential. The songs on this split are just as good as anything else they released during their short time together. Significantly more melodic than The Brokedowns, Wide Angles really understand how to craft an energetic, serious punk rock song. With this seriousness, the still manage to cram tons of hooks into their songs. A great band that I truly wish hadn't decided to split up.

Wide Angles - "Painted In":
wideangles.bandcamp.com/album/wide-angles-brokedowns-spli...

Toys That Kill - Jukebox Records 7" (/300)

Toys That Kill - Jukebox Records 7" (/300), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Jukebox (2013)

Jukebox Records set up a singles series last year, limited to 300 copies for each record. It's another example of the time honored tradition of subscribing and then you get some records every once in a while. I do love me a good singles club, but based on the bands that were going to participate, I couldn't justify pulling the trigger. Lucky for me, the one record that I did want to make sure I got a copy of ended up for sale by itself on the Recess Records website.

This Toys That Kill 7" is solid, but unremarkable. It has one original (which was already released on their last album) and 3 cover songs. 2 of the cover songs are by the band Warsaw, an early incarnation of Joy Division (I had to look that up, I am not well versed on Joy Division at all) the 3rd cover is an Adam Ant tune.

All 3 covers are OK, when filtered through the Toys That Kill lens they do fit in with the band's catalog someone, but they just can't shake the stigma of really, truly just sounding like extra songs earmarked for B-sides. It's a good enough record to add to the collection, and I like the idea of jukebox singles, but there's nothing on here that's essential.

Samiam - Whatever's Got You Down LP - Clouds In The Sky Vinyl

Samiam - Whatever's Got You Down LP - Clouds In The Sky Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

No Idea (2013, Reissue)

As loyal readers of this website probably know, I've been on a quest to reclaim some older bands from the 90's that for one reason or another just didn't click with me back then. Seaweed and Jawbox have been the most impactful of these bands, but right on their heels is Samiam. As stated in another Samiam review I wrote, I am going through their discography completely out of order, so I'm getting snapshots of the band at different stages of their career.

Whatever's Got You Down originally came out in 2006, apparently to some mixed opinions. I will have to say, I'm not familiar with that initial release of the album, but it seems that many people have very strong feelings about the production of the record and it's effect on the songs. Well, No Idea jumped into the fray and re-released the record with a completely redone mix. Again, I can't compare it to the original, but I think this record sounds great.

The guitars are full and crunchy, the vocals are clear and the songs all have a great energy to them. There's definitely some aspects of later Samiam records that do remind me an awful lot of Knapsack. Maybe not in the vocals so much, but certainly in the way some of the song structures are set up. Probably not surprising as guitarist Sergie Loobkoff has done time in both bands. Still, this is a very strong album and if the production really was that bad on the original release, it's definitely worth checking out this reissue as everything sounds peachy to me.

I really wish I had been keeping up with Samiam all these years. It's fun having a band that has such a lage amount of records to go out and get all at once, but it can be a bit overwhelming. Thus far it's only been their debut self titled release that hasn't really clicked with me. Every other Samiam record I've heard has been great. And I still have more to go.

The Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full of Blues LP - 2014 Reissue

The Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full of Blues LP - 2014 Reissue, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Friday Music (2014, Reissue)

Briefcase Full Of Blues by The Blues Brothers is arguably the most important record that was ever released in the history of the Earth. Well, in my world anyway. I was probably only 3 years old when I got a copy of this record for the first time in 1979 or 1980. It was my first favorite record, my first favorite band and The Blues Brothers was my first and only favorite movie. I've been living with this album for over 30 years, so when I read that a fancy reissue was on the way, I immediately pre-ordered it, despite a pretty hefty price tag.

I have little to say about the music on the record, some of my favorite songs I've ever heard. It's simply a timeless classic. If you don't have this record, it's an essential addition to any collection. What I want to talk more about is the quality of the actual reissue pressing.

If you go to Amazon right now, this reissue will set you back $30. Thirty dollars! When it was first announced I figured they had to be doing an expanded version of the record, a 2 LP set with unreleased songs or something. Nope, it's the same single LP record it's always been, so no new music. As far as the sound, it sounds great. It's probably the best this record has ever sounded. The music is clear, the vocals are crisp and even the crowd noise sounds better. I don't know that I would call it a revelatory experience or anything, while it sounds great it certainly didn't change how I already felt about the record.

The pressing is 180 gram vinyl, they've remastered everything from the original tapes, the artwork looks like it was cleaned up a bit. It's a good presentation, but I do think Friday Music completely dropped the ball by not using the old red, white & green Atlantic records label on the actual record. That label is so iconic and so much a part of this record that it's jarring to me to not see it on the turntable. Odd choice when so much was done to keep this faithful to the original pressing.

I guess at the end of the day I'll say this. If you don't have this record, you should add it to your collection. It's not going to sound any better than it does on this pressing. But, I think $30 is way too much for a single LP and you can probably find a good condition original pressing for a third of the price of this. I guess ultimately you'll have to decide how important a brand new record is to you vs. a used one.

The Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full Of Blues:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiO5eWF0Bik

Off With Their Heads / Morning Glory - Split 7" - Black Vinyl (/200)

Off With Their Heads / Morning Glory - Split 7" - Black Vinyl (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Fat Wreck (2013)

I don't like all of the records Fat Wreck puts out, but over the years they've ended up with quite a few bands on their roster that I enjoy. Considering the mad scramble on their site that usually occurs when their limited colored vinyl variants go on sale, I've been pretty lucky over the years and I've been able to grab most of the records I wanted. For this split 7", it was actually the black vinyl version that was the most rare at only 200 copies, so of course that's the version I had to buy.

I do have a lot of Off With Their Heads 7"s. Seriously, I have a ton of these. I wouldn't call the songs on their side of this split essential, but they're pretty good. The first is a redone version of a song off their album Home called "Always Alone," though on this 7" it's called "Alone Again." It's kind of an acoustic take on the original, but not totally acoustic. It's good, but I like the original better. Their 2nd song is a Morning Glory cover; "Care Of Me." Not being familiar with the original I can't compare and contrast, but it's another OK song. Not bad, but nothing that really stands out.

The Morning Glory side of the record is a cover of the OWTH song "Nationality Anthem." This is pretty terrible. Their take on it turns it into something that sounds like one of those old late 80's early 90's skate punk bands. It just sounds weird to me.

It's a cool 7" that they were able to sell when they were on tour together. It's a record I need to keep my Off With Their Heads collection complete. However, It isn't something I see myself listening to particularly often.

Off With Their Heads - Care Of Me:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwB0BseBfhg

Morning Glory - Nationality Anthem:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dW6A20hfzw

Coho Lips - Less of Everything 7" - Red Vinyl

Coho Lips - Less of Everything 7" - Red Vinyl, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Matador (2014)

Matador records is still finishing up their 2013 singles series and after this Coho Lips 7" I believe there are only 2 more coming. I'm curious to see how those last singles shake out as this series is one that I've found inconsistent at the best of times.

I'm going to be very upfront about this 7". I do not have much to say about it because I don't think I have a strong enough knowledge base about this sort of thing. Oh don't get me wrong, I heard plenty of records like this when I worked in music doing radio promotion, but I always just tuned it out and couldn't tell you the difference between any of the bands putting out this kind of record.

Coho Lips are playing a slow, ambient kind of electronica with off time "drum" noises and atmospheric sound effects. The wispy vocals have almost no impact and are content to just meander through the song with the rest of the other noises that don't seem to have much direction. I have an appreciation for an awful lot of music, but this is the sort of thing that my brain just cannot process. Call me dumb, I just need more structure in my songs.

Coho Lips - Less of Everything:
soundcloud.com/styrofoam/coho-lips-less-of-everything

Heavy Times - No Plans 7" - Gold Vinyl, Alt Cover (/200)

Heavy Times - No Plans 7" - Gold Vinyl, Alt Cover (/200), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

HoZac (2010)

So this is a weird one. I was reorganizing my 7"s the other day and while I was filing recent purchases into the main vault I found this 7". I bought this way back in 2010 but never reviewed it on this site. Best I can tell, I'm not even sure I ever listened to it. A very odd situation for sure, but I'll rectify that today.

Those familiar with Chicago's Heavy Times are probably aware of their stomp rocking squall. They're a band that funnels a tremendous amount of energy into their songs. Well, that wall of sound is not representative on the 2 songs from this 7" at all. I'm not saying that as a criticism or a compliment, this 7" is just a different beast altogether, but I like it.

The A-side "No Plans" is an economic, simple song. Just a voice and a guitar. There's is the slightest touch of reverb on the vocals and that's combined with a repeating, gently plucked, descending guitar riff. It's very basic and stripped down, but it's a great song, The B-side is a bit more robust with a full compliment of backing instruments. Again, it's much more subdued than anything on either of the two Heavy Times full lengths and shows a calmer band, but one that can still put together a hell of a tune.

I have no clue how this 7" got lost in my collection, but I'm lucky that it came back to the surface. Would have been a shame to miss it completely.

Heavy Times - "No Plans"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXZfoPKy_xA

Varsity Drag / Chestnut Road - Split 7"

Varsity Drag / Chestnut Road - Split 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Sick Scene / Boss Tuneage / Note To Self / Waterslide / Le Syndrone de Galilee (2013)

That's a whole lot of labels to be involved releasing one 7" record, but it's something I've seen more and more lately. I assume part of it is to defray the rising cost of putting out a record, but in some instances it has to be because of the amazing music contained on the record. I'll say this, someone needs to let me know what I have to do to get the PopKid logo on the back of the next Chestnut Road album, because they are quickly becoming one of my current favorite bands.

But let's start out with the other band on this split, Varsity Drag. I wasn't familiar with them and honestly I would have bought this 7" no matter who was the other band on here with Chestnut Road. Varsity Drag is fronted by Ben Deily, who was in The Lemonheads for their first few albums. There are 2 originals and a cover. The originals are both pretty good. Musically, they're upbeat and catchy with climbing guitar riffs and big hooks. Vocally, I don't think they're quite as strong, but these 2 originals are good enough to make me want to seek out more from the band. The 3rd song is a cover of a band called The Dark Matter. I don't know the original, but this cover is pretty terrible. 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

Chestnut Road can do little wrong as they continue to put their Broccoli/Hooton 3 Car inspired stamp on everything they've released. They also have 2 originals and a cover. The 2 originals are on par with any of the classics from their full length last year. They're such a dynamic band, cramming so much depth and excitement into their songs. Even the cover song, appropriately an song from The Lemonheads catalog, is certainly not phoned in. Chestnut Road really make it their own and it could easily be mistaken for one of their own.

I don't care if their next record has to be co-released by 100 labels, please keep filling this world with more Chestnut Road releases.

Varsity Drag Side:
varsitydrag.bandcamp.com/album/split-7-with-chestnut-rd

Chestnut Road Side:
chestnutroad.bandcamp.com/album/varsity-drag-split-7

Adam Widener - Vesuvio Nights LP

Adam Widener - Vesuvio Nights LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Speakertree (2013)

When someone trusts my opinion in music enough to send me a full length LP to review, it's a pretty nice feeling. When that LP is actually good, it's even better. Vesuvio Nights is Adam Widener's debut full length and it's full of the foot-tapping power pop he's been putting out on his recent 7"s.

The other band that immediately comes to mind when listening to Adam Widener is the Italian band Love Boat. I see big similarities in their vocals with their high pitched, slightly distorted up and down delivery. but while Love Boat is more know for straight ahead fast paced pop, Widener shows a bit more range and diversity.

Admittedly, some of the diversity doesn't hit as strongly for me. There's a couple oddly timed, stuttering song with stop/start guitar riffs like "Telephone Traps" and "Crystal Caskets" that are not quite as successful as some of the other songs on the album. But when Widener aims for the pop hit, that's where the real successes of this album are. Particularly strong are "Pools Of Light," "Average People In An Average World" and "Gentle Swarm."

In total Vesuvio Nights is a strong collection of songs for Adam Widener and a great debut album. Every release I've heard of his has gotten progressively better. If this trend continues, there's some great songs on the horizon.

Adam Widener - Vesuvio Nights LP:
adamwidener.bandcamp.com/

Beck - Morning Phase LP

Beck - Morning Phase LP, a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

Capitol (2014)

This may be a somewhat long and meandering review, so I do apologize for that right off the bat. For a quick synopsis; I really like this record and while I think some may interpret the criticisms I have for it as dislike, it's only because I probably judge Beck a bit more harshly than I should. His early records were so impactful on me as a younger man that I still hold him to an impossibly high standard.

This past Saturday, March 1st 2014 marked 20 years to the day that Beck's DGC debut Mellow Gold was released. I was a junior in high school and that record just hit me like a ton of bricks. Here was a guy that was on a major label and putting out a record that was so off the wall it couldn't have been any other time but the 90's. That run of records Beck put out in 1994 (Mellow Gold, Stereopathetic Soul Manure and One Foot In The Grave) put me in a totally different space musically than I had ever been in before.

He single-handedly blew open the entire Pacific Northwest scene for me as Beck was directly responsible for me getting into Lync, Built To Spill, Beat Happening, Unwound, Karp, godheadSilo and many, many more. He never caputured that lightning in a bottle again for me. I was even a bit disappointed in Odelay, but I've kept coming back album after album; year after year.

Beck has changed a lot in 20 years and I guess I just haven't changed as much as he has. What I loved most about those early Beck records is the relaxed attitude of the recording. Hell, he coughs in the middle of the song "Outcome" on One Foot In The Grave. Since then, Beck has become a meticulous studio musician. Often times, I think, to his detrement. In my opinion he has a bad habit of overproducing.

Morning Phase (yes I'm finally getting to the new album) suffers from this over production. The songs on this record are great. Flat out great. Well written, serious songs. But, I think they lose a lot of their impact as Beck crams too much atmospheric ambiance, multitracked vocals and other unneeded sound effects into ever square inch of each song. If the production was stripped down, if the songs were given a bit more room to breathe, Morning Phase would be a complete different, but equally revelatory album.

Don't get me wrong, In general I prefer somber, serious Beck to kind of rapper Beck, but I just miss the spontaneity of his 90's work. I just believed in it more. But again, like its spiritual brother Sea Change, Morning Phase is a truly great album. While Beck has grown up a lot more than I have, it is comforting that 20 years later he's still here for me. He's still putting out records and I'm still buying them. But would it kill him to just sit in front of a microphone with an acoustic guitar and hit the record button once in a while?

Steve Adamyk Band - High Above 7" - Black Vinyl & Orange Vinyl (/150)

Steve Adamyk Band - High Above 7" - Black Vinyl & Orange Vinyl (/150), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

La-Ti-Da (2013)

Wrapping up my week of La-Ti-Da singles with my favorite of the bunch and one of my absolute favorite current bands. The Steve Adamyk Band can almost do no wrong as far as I'm concerned, but despite my lofty standards for them, they still manage to blow the doors off of this record.

This is a band that has put out quite a few great 7"s in the last year or so. High Above is the best of the bunch. The 2 originals on the 7" are instant classics. Fast, full of energy and the hooks this band churns out are just insane. In particular "High Above" is yet more proof that no band can write choruses as catchy as these guys. But for me, the main event is the 3rd song, an unsuspecting cover song that I imagine most people outside of Canada probably have never even heard of before.

"A Promise Is A Promise" is one of my favorite songs of all time. It was written by a Canadian band called Bum. It was first released on a 7" in 1991 that came out on Lance Rock Records. It also ended up on the full length album Wanna Smash Sensation. That record came out in 1993 on Pop Llama/Munster records. Wanna Smash Sensation is easily in my top 10 records of all time. They never amassed the biggest following in America from what I could tell, but there were a group of us in New Jersey that really loved this band. Just go buy Wanna Smash Sensation, please.

The Steve Adamyk Band take on the song is just perfect. Don't fix what isn't broken. The band plows through it full speed ahead, picking out all of the buried lead guitar parts & background harmonies. They also brought in some guest vocals from one Chris Page. Chris fronted The Stand GT many moons ago and is still cranking out hits both solo and with his other great band Camp Radio.

There are rumors of a Dirtnap Records showcase in NYC this year. One would think that Steve Adamyk Band might play that show as they have NEVER come to the NYC area. All I'm saying is it would be pretty great if they pulled out A Promise Is A Promise while they were playing. I never got to see Bum play. But anyway, go get this 7", it's great!

Steve Adamyk Band - High Above 7":
latidarecords.bandcamp.com/album/high-above-hate-myself-p...

Needles // Pins - Outta This Place 7" - Clear Vinyl (/150)

Needles // Pins - Outta This Place 7" - Clear Vinyl (/150), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

La-Ti-Da (2013)

Outta This Place is the Needles//Pins entry into the La-Ti-Da singles subscription, and if you're getting the feeling I'm saving my absolute favorites for last, you'd be right. I truly believe that Needles//Pins are the Canadian all star team. Not because of the individual folks in the group; but because they manage to harness the best parts of some of my favorite bands into their songs.

For starters, I can't fathom you not liking Needles//Pins if you don't like Mother's Children as the bravado they take to their songs strikes me as being very similar. Do you like your pop music with straightforward hooks and a slight retro vibe like something the White Wires might do? Well, all you need is one listen to the B-Side "Date Night (You Bring The Napalm)." Wrap all of this up in a high energy, crunchy guitar sound not too dissimilar from The Steve Adamyk Band or Sonic Avenues and you've got a band that has really cranked out some great records over the past few years.

It's really a must have 7", and La-Ti-Da also just reissued the band's debut full length from a couple of years ago, so you'd be a fool to not grab that as well while you're at it.

Needles // Pins - Outta This Place 7":
latidarecords.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-this-place-date-n...

The Wild Ones - Day Drunk 7" - Green Vinyl (/150)

The Wild Ones - Day Drunk 7" - Green Vinyl (/150), a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

La-Ti-Da (2013)

I decided that I'll spend the rest of this week catching up on the remaining La-Ti-Da singles subscription releases I've recently received. Today's entry comes from a band called the Wild Ones. I wasn't familiar with them prior to hearing this 7" and I don't know that they would have ended up on my radar otherwise. But that is what I love best about signing up for a series of singles. It's the surprises and discoveries that keep me coming back. Even if I've been burned by some labels that just never fulfilled what I subscribed for, I'll probably always be a sucker and come back for more. I just love the discovery process.

The Wild Ones immediately remind me of the old Douchemaster band The Baby Shakes. They play a similar jangley, 60's girl group influenced style of guitar pop. The songs are infectious and the vocals are so much stronger than what you'll get out of your run of the mill garage band. The first song, "Day Drunk" is a faster, carefree track that really harnesses the bands energy. It's an immediate attention grabber and I can't think of a better first song to hear by a band.

The B-side, Come Around, slows things down a bit, but really captures that 60's style song of yearning better than anything I've heard in quite some time. La-Ti-Da is becoming particularly adept at finding bands who can cull the sounds of 50 years ago; but present them in a fresh and exciting way that holds up with anything being released in 2014. I wish them continued success in this endeavor and offer more money flung at them for future singles subscriptions.

The Wild Ones - Day Drunk 7":
latidarecords.bandcamp.com/album/day-drunk-come-around-lt...

The Jay Vons - Night (Was Stealing From The Sun) 7"

The Jay Vons - Night (Was Stealing From The Sun) 7", a photo by Tim PopKid on Flickr.

La-Ti-Da (2013)

Part of the 2013 La-Ti-Da singles subscription, The Jay Vons seem to be coming from a similar place as their equally fantastic label mates The Ballantynes. The Jay Vons are playing organ laced, 60's style soul. They have a real attention to detail when it comes to production as both songs sound less "retro" and more like an actual product of the time frame that they obviously have a great affection for. I've thought for a long time that old soul music was ripe for a renaissance and it's great to see La-ti-Da leading the charge.

The one thing I find confusing is that the record I received was on black vinyl. I thought as part of the La-T-Da singles subscription, I was supposed to get a limited colored vinyl variant, but I'm wondering if that ended up not happening as I couldn't find a reference to what color it was supposed to be anywhere on the La-Ti-Da website. If anyone out there knows if there is another version of this 7" floating around, please let me know.

The Jay Vons - Night (Was Stealing From The Sun) 7":
latidarecords.bandcamp.com/album/night-was-stealing-from-...