Knapsack - This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now LP - Blue & Yellow Pinwheel Vinyl - From The Complete Discography Box Set (/300)

Spartan (2023, Reissue) 

I recently got my hands on the vinyl box set of all three Knapsack albums. Rather than try to write one really long review that encompasses all of the albums, I figured I would break this into multiple parts like I have with other box sets I've written about. For the next three Friday's we'll visit each of Knapsack's albums. Even though I have the original pressings of each album, the box set was just too cool to pass up. For the final week we'll focus on the third Knapsack album, This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now as well as the box set as a whole.

This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now came out right when I was starting out at my college radio station.  When I started college, the campus station was playing a top 40 format and was really seen as a training ground for DJs.  But in my fourth year, that teacher split and a new guy came in and decided to change the format to a more traditional college radio station.  I went over there immediately and became a DJ.  

No one at the station had any real connections and didn't know how to get music sent to them, I had a lot of contacts from my time writing at the college newspaper, so I used them to get records and became the music director of the station in fairly short order.  One of the first people I reached out to was my contact at Alias and one of the first new records he sent was This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now.  He also hooked me up with a ton of back catalog to help jumpstart a library that didn't exist, so I was grateful for that as well.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the guy's name, but he was a good dude.

I had my copy before Alias sent one to the station, but I'll always link that record to my time there as it was so pivotal.  Having already been a Knapsack fan, I was really excited that a new album war coming out and was expecting it to be good.  I was not expecting to think it was even better than Day Three of my New Life.  But, I thought it was and still think it is.  

Both are insanely stellar records, but something about how well the songs are structured on This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now takes it over the top.  I hesitate to call the songwriting mature, as there is still a nice amount of that angsty energy that is so important to Knapsack working, but there's definitely growth.  The songs are more complicated, but are never overwrought.  The hooks and choruses shine even brighter than before and for me this is the quintessential Knapsack album, with Day Three a very, very close second.

Now for the box set.  I'm not going to spend multiple paragraphs singing its praises, but hot damn is it beautiful.  The outer box is high quality and has a nice, hefty feel.  The records themselves have good weight and sound great, though I do question some of the colors that were pickled.  I think some of the individual releases had vinyl colors that played better with the album art, the box set ones tend to feel a little wacky to me.  This particular album has a good color to match the art work, but the first two really don't.  And none of them match each other in any sort of cohesive way, so it feels kind of jumbled and disjointed.

It also comes with a large, awesome book that has an oral history of the band with input from all of the key players.  There's even a listing of every show they ever played.  They only did about a dozen more shows after the time I saw them in NYC with Archers of Loaf in 98, until the reunion shows kicked off.

It's an incredible set.  I really couldn't be happier with it aside from the vinyl color weirdness.  It is sold out a few times over at this point as they ended up making more boxes with other versions of the vinyl from other pressings.  Some of those look better than the exclusive version, but I ordered my set right away, so there were no choices to make when I was buying.  At the end of the day, I'm just happy it sounds great and the box and book look awesome.  I wish more sets like this could be made for other bands that I love.

Knapsack - This Conversation Is Ending Starting Right Now:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ksx5rz0ZTfsemUBL0t-g2wMlcbLkmqcwI

De La Soul - Stakes Is High 2xLP

<

Chrysalis / AOI Records (2023, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Of the De La Soul records I have written about thus far, Stakes Is High is the one that I really knew nothing about.  While I'm familiar with the phrase 'stakes is high' as part of the vernacular, I never had listened to this record prior to purchasing this reissue.  I wasn't even sure I was going to buy it as it came out in 1996, which is typically a few years removed from any hip hop I've historically cared about.  I've gotten more open minded about hip hop that came out after 1994 in recent years, but I'm still often trepidatious about release post-Golden Era.

Now that I've spent a little time with Stakes Is High, I could make the argument that it's the best De La Soul record.  It doesn't necessarily have the best songs, the highs aren't as high, but as a consistent record, it's pretty aces.  A big help is the fact that it's not bogged down with a bunch of crummy skits, you can actually listen to this as a record without getting interrupted by nonsense that ceases to be even remotely funny after about the third listen.  

On Stakes Is High De La just brings great beats and great rhymes.  No Gimmick.  This was the first album they recorded without Prince Paul helping out with production, but that doesn't hurt the beats at all.  Even though this is a '96 release, the feel is absolutely of the era I always gravitate towards.  I was pretty sure I was only going to buy the first three De La Soul reissues, but I took a chance on this, their fourth, and I'm really glad I did.  Does that mean I should give their next record, Art Official Intelligence a try?  I'm not sure, but I'm considering it.

De La Soul - Stakes Is High:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m2ITVdSZ6vxDIoaifH7LI8A0dXT1nTa0I

Chinese Junk - Fly Spray LP - Clear Vinyl

Big Neck (2023)

I wanted Chinese Junk to sound like Chinese Telephones, but that's an unfair expectation to put on a band only based on their name.  Funny enough, they do have some sonic similarities, but the tunefulness of the songs is a separating point between the two bands.

Chinese Junk are playing fast, Ramones-style, downstroke heavy punk rock.  Musically, it's catchy in a similar way to Johnny & co., but it's very much a rougher, lower fidelity version.  All but one of the albums fourteen tracks clock in at under two minutes and that one outlier only breaks the two minute mark by four seconds.  It's maybe a bit trashier than is my usual cup of tea, but there are endearing qualities about a band that just sets up and blasts through a dozen of so songs at warp speed.

The vocals are where things are a little dicier for me, and it's the same observation that I've made a thousand times.  The recording quality of the vocals is just a bit too rough and distorted for me.  Now, I don't like over-produced, slick vocals, but I don't prefer them to be blown out to this extent.  The Marked Men are about as distorted as I can take before they've gone overboard, Chinese Junk is a bit past that.  That said, I really think the record is pretty strong for this style of band.  If the vocals were reigned in a bit more, I could probably get behind it.

Chinese Junk - Fly Spray:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/chinese-junk-fly-spray

Knapsack - Day Three of My New Life LP - Orange Vinyl - From The Complete Discography Box Set (/300)

Spartan (2023, Reissue) 

I recently got my hands on the vinyl box set of all three Knapsack albums. Rather than try to write one really long review that encompasses all of the albums, I figured I would break this into multiple parts like I have with other box sets I've written about. For the next three Friday's we'll visit each of Knapsack's albums. Even though I have the original pressings of each album, the box set was just too cool to pass up. This week, we're on the second Knapsack album, Day Three of My New Life.

Day Three of My New Life was the first Knapsack record I picked up.  It made an immediate impact on me in 1997 with its angsty, impassioned vocals over those thick, crunchy guitars.  I listened to the album on repeat and even picked up a T shirt with the album art on it from a store, as I didn't see them play when they toured this album.  I traded the shirt away for a 7" and that shirt is way harder to find now than the record is.

Of all the albums in this box set, this is the one I'm most excited about.  It's not because it's my favorite of the bunch, but because the pressing I've always had is the double 10" version that Alias put out.  While it is unique and neat looking, it's always been a pain to actually play, having to flip or change the record three times to get through the whole thing.  Now, I can finally listen to it as a normal LP along with the bonus track "Drop Kick," which was originally on Knapsack split 7" with Stuntman.

Knapsack - Day Three of My New Life:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l9m6okmObLcQUaSkuy05O38ho5fwCh2cM

Terminator X & The Godfathers Of Threatt – Super Bad 2xLP

Rush / P.R.O. (1994)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I had the first Terminator X album back in the 90s and was quite the fan of it.  While not every song was incredible, it was a solid listen all the way through and the highs were pretty high.  The follow up to that album wasn't released until 1994, and honestly I had no idea it even existed.  1994 was definitely a year where my taste in music was starting to change, as hip hop was also changing.  I guess I wasn't paying as much attention as I thought as this one just slipped by me until I discovered it a few years ago.

It's never been rereleased, so it took me a minute to find a copy in good condition that was also at an affordable price.  That second part was very important because while this is a solid record, it is absolutely not good enough to pay collector prices for.  The highlight of the album is the production.  Terminator and Chuck D crafted a record full of interesting samples and beats and there's a consistency there that I wish carried over to the vocals.

There are moments of lyrical excellence.  Chuck D, Ice Cube, Ice T and MC Lyte all contribute to "Sticka," a fiery anti-censorship screed over a laid back beat.  There are also a lot of appearances by those considered old school at the time like Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, Cold Crush Brothers and Fantastic Five.  These appearances are kind of uneven and for me, only Whodini's run on "It All Comes Down To Money" really sounds like something from 1994.  And even that song is almost ruined by the nonstop repetition of the sung hook.

All in, it's a fun record and one I'll definitely listen to on occasion.  But if you only have room for one Terminator X record in your collection, go with Jeep Beats.

Terminator X & The Godfathers Of Threatt – Super Bad:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xedga5Jo3M&ab_

The Mr. T Experience - Road to Ruin LP - Yellow Vinyl (/300)

 

Sounds Rad (2023, Reissue)

I'm a much bigger fan of The Mr. T Experience than I am of the Ramones.  I know the Ramones' hits and they range from 'fine' to 'pretty great,' but they aren't a band that I ever connected with and I think part of that is just because of my age.  They were an older band and I was more focused on what was going on around me during my formative years than I was about what was going on in the past.  And on top of that, they weren't old enough for my parents to care about them, so I didn't hear them growing up like I did The Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra, Tom Petty and that sort of thing.  The Ramones were just in that sweet spot where they were somewhat invisible to me.

The Mr. T Experience, on the other hand, was front and center in my life, particularly in 1998 when I was twenty-one and the original version of this album was released.  Clearview Records was doing a gimmick where they were having bands cover entire Ramones albums and when Road To Ruin was up, The Mr. T Experience stepped to the plate.  I have the original version of this from when it first came out.  It had a felt cover and was on split color vinyl.  I remember being psyched that I had gotten my hands on the limited, fancy-pants version, though I don't actually remember listening to it very much.

Now that I have this newly re-released and revitalized version, I'm still not sure it's going to be an album that I revisit with a ton of frequency.  It is better than I remember it being and I think a lot of that is because of how they spruced up the way everything sounds.  It's much fuller where it needs to be and brighter in the other spots.  MTX does a perfectly serviceable job on these songs, though I can't pretend to be super familiar with several of the originals.  "I Wanna Be Sedated" is still a lot of fun, no matter what band is playing it.

It's a little perplexing to me why this album was prioritized so high on the list in the Sounds Rad reissue series.  It certainly should be reissued, of course, but if you were to ask me, there are other albums I would have put in line before it.  Regardless, it's important to own and I'm happy to still be getting the 'dibs' versions of these albums.  I am eagerly awaiting the earlier Mr. T Experience albums, in particular, and am hopeful that Making Things With Light is coming very soon.

The Mr. T Experience - Road to Ruin:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nbhaCiozW08Qk06GzudRNQd8bQ0Hg6xP8

Knapsack - Silver Sweepstakes LP - Clear w/ Multicolor Splatter - From The Complete Discography Box Set (/300)

Spartan (2023, Reissue)

I recently got my hands on the vinyl box set of all three Knapsack albums.  Rather than try to write one really long review that encompasses all of the albums, I figured I would break this into multiple parts like I have with other box sets I've written about.  For the next three Friday's we'll visit each of Knapsack's albums.  Even though I have the original pressings of each album, the box set was just too cool to pass up.  This week, we're starting with their debut, Silver Sweepstakes.

While this was the first Knapsack record that was released back in 1995, it was not the first album of theirs that I heard.  I started off with their second album, Day Three of My New Life.  I had to backtrack and get this album.  It was also the last album of theirs that I picked up on vinyl, having only added it to the collection about ten years ago or so.  I did have the CD for ages, having picked it up in the late 90s.

Of the three, it is the Knapsack album that I listen to the least.  That's not to say it's 'the worst' record or bad in any way, it's just that the band improved so mightily over their next two albums that they kind of left this one in the dust.  All of the necessary components for Knapsack fun are here.  The crunch guitar riffs, impassioned vocals and general feelings of angst are all exactly what I want from a Knapsack album, but the band managed to pull them off even better on the next two releases.

The reissue that is part of this is an exclusive colorway that only came with the first 300 copies of the box set.  When they sold out, the label did through together a little over a hundred more with some vinyl variants that were also available separately.  It sounds great and they have also added the song "Don't Mind," originally the B side of the Trainwrecker 7".  I'll write a bit more about the box itself when we get to the last album, but know that the box is pretty crazy with a big old book full of Knapsack information.  A very nice set and really makes rebuying these albums again worth it.

Knapsack - Silver Sweepstakes:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lci8rB0w87aaTOD72uv3kXQ8HOYKxaKs0

 

Chubb Rock – I Gotta Get Mine Yo! LP

Select (1992) 

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Chubb Rock was a name I was very familiar with in the early 90s, but I never had any of his records.  I'm not exactly sure why, but I don't remember seeing him too much on Yo! MTV Raps.  I'm pretty sure most of my memories of him came from reading the source.  This album, 1992's I Gotta Get Mine Yo, is the one I remember seeing, but this was Chubb Rock's fourth album by that point.  Over the last few years, Chubb Rock was one of those rappers that I took another look at, having missed their heyday.  And I was recently able to pick up a sealed copy of this album for a very nice price on Discogs.

As a whole, it's a really strong record.  When the Chubbster has a strong boom bap beat, he's as good as anyone from the '92 era.  And the majority of the album provides him that opportunity.  Where the album falters for me is when Chubb goes against that formula.  Be it the slow jams with R&B background crooning like "The Hatred" or "My Brother," or when there's a little bit of reggae flavor added on tracks like "The Funky" or "I'm Too Much."  That's only four of sixteen tracks on the LP though, so you're still getting twelve great cuts.  

After a pretty prolific career in the late 80s and early 90s, Chubb Rock pretty much vanished after this album for the remainder of the golden era.  I'd be curious to hear what he could have come up with as hip hop was really starting to peak in '93 and '94, but it wasn't to me.  He has another album that he put out in 1998, but I haven't listened to that.  Right now, my focus is on finding an affordable copy of his 1991 album, The One.

Chubb Rock – I Gotta Get Mine Yo!:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_moF-f74llSctFL7lqdE1zuHUeRdwIgJaU

Navel - Rainfall Flexi 7"

Hello From The Gutter (2022)

Navel is a band that I have been listening to for quite some time.  There were part of the initial wave of Japanese punk rock that I got into via split 7"s on the Snuffy Smile label.  I originally bought these splits for the likes of Broccoli, Chopper, Skimmer and Hooton 3 Car, but I walked away being fans of bands like International Jet Set, Blew, Lovemen and Navel.  Navel initially appeared on split 7"s with Travis Cut and Skimmer/. Eventually they started releasing some full length albums and I've been chasing their records ever since.

This 7", so the liner notes on a couple of websites say, was originally going to be part of a 7" released in 2000 on an American label.  I'm pretty sure I know what label that is, as I think they were going to try to put out a Chester Copperpot 7" as well, but I'll not name them right now.  It's coming out all of these years later as a flexi that was originally sold at a show they played, with the leftovers making their way out into the world.  I got my copy from Servo from Bloated Kat records, so many cheers to him for helping me out.

Both of the songs did end up on Navel full lengths, though these are early versions and different recordings.  "Rainfall" is the first track and also was on their album Heartache.  It's a midtempo song, perfectly capturing Navel's ability to write a catchy song, even when drifting into territory that some might say feels a little melancholy.  It's not too dissimilar from the album version, though to me the backing vocal harmonies are a little more pronounced on the 7".  

The second song is a quick, hardcore blast called "Bystander."  It ended up as the closing track on Navel's second album, Depend.  Super fast, shouty punk rock has never really been my thing, but it never bothers me when a pop punk band throws something like this on one of their albums.  Snuff does it all the time.  Mostly, for me, this album is another great Navel 7" for my collection.  I dig the artwork and am happy to add it to the pile of great records this amazing band as released.

Spells - Loose Change, Vol. 2 - Red w/ Black Smoke Vinyl (/300)

Snappy Little Numbers / Motorcycle Potluck Records / Big Neck Records / Keep It A Secret Records / Shield Recordings (2023)

It's been about ten years since I first discovered Spells when I picked up one of their 7"s on a lark while buying an LP by Hooper.  In those intervening years, Spells have unleashed a torrent of releases.  A couple of full lengths, yeah - but their bread and butter, to me, feels like singles and one offs.  Loose Change, Vol.2 compiles eighteen songs that had previously been available on singles, splits, comps and some that were digital only.  That's a lot of songs, and I'd like to point out that this is the second volume of Loose Change.  Vol. 1 just came out in 2018.

For a band as prolific as Spells, there's sort of a little trepidation.  Is a band releasing this much material just recording every idea, noise and fart that they can think of?  Which is why it is always so surprising to me how high the quality of all of their songs are.  Everything on this LP is really great.  There a a few really short songs, but there are no throwaways on this edition of Loose Change.

I always compare Spells to having a similar vibe to Rocket From The Crypt.  That's not to say they sound alike, because they don't most of the time.  But, they are a band that exudes that same sort of infectious energy and every time the next song fires up, it's a party.  I'm always psyched when a new Spells record is released, and even though I've heard some of these songs before, having everything put on a single LP just makes my life so much easier.  It's a blast to be able to throw this LP on, sit back and join the Spells party.  And yes, I see that Zoinks! sticker on the cover.

Spells - Loose Change, Vol. 2:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/loose-change-vol-2
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/spells-loose-change-vol-2
https://motorcyclepotluckrecords.bandcamp.com/album/loose-change-vol-2
https://keepitasecret.bandcamp.com/album/loose-change-vol-2
https://shieldrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/spells-loose-change-vol-2

Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots 2xLP

Be With (2022, Reissue) 

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I wrote about the reissue of the first Freestyle Fellowship album a few months ago and while I liked it, I wasn't blown away.  Some of that certainly stems from it not being a record that I heard in context when it actually came out.  I think I can probably say something similar about their follow-up, 1993's Innercity Griots.

Right off the bat, I can say that I think this album is a little be stronger in the production department.  The beats feel fuller with a lot more low end.  I'm not sure that it means the album is better than the group's debut, but it definitely lands in that golden era 1993 style sweet spot for me.  It's the lyrics that might be something of a step backwards for me.

I had mentioned on their debut that sometimes it sounded like the lyrics were complex just for the sake of complexity.  That's the case here a bit as well, but I'd take it a step further and say that a lot of the lyrics and rhyme structures seem weird just for the sake of being weird.  The flows go offbeat, the internal rhyme schemes layer on top of each other and the vocal deliveries can just be kind of odd at times.  

It probably sounds like I don't like the record, but that's not true.  It is good, but when I listen to it I tend to feel like it could have been even better if they just calmed down with the wacky a little bit.  As Del famously said, "If he go off beat and it's on purpose/he gotta come back on beat or the effort is worthless."

Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kEKA3QYW4pgQc7e9tuKe5y8RkSnzQ5mIg

Rick Froberg - 1968 - 2023

I'm sure it goes without saying, but trying to write about someone whose art has affected you is very difficult at times.  When that person passes and you want to sum up what they meant to you in a few paragraphs, that task is even more daunting.  Within the past few years I've tried to let the world know what artists like Sam Jayne from Lync and O from fluf have meant to me.  I'm not sure I was successful, but it was important to me to try.  With the news this weekend that the world has lost Rick Froberg, I'm really struggling with how to explain just how important his music and art have been in my life.  Needless to say, he has had an outsized impact on me.

My initial introduction to Rick was the first Drive Like Jehu album.  No, I wasn't ahead of the curve and a fan of the band from their earliest beginnings or anything like that.  I just happened to buy their debut album first.  I was a pretty huge fan of Rocket From The Crypt and by 1995 or so I was really starting to dig in and hunt for anything of theirs I could find.  I had heard that John Reis was also in another band called Drive Like Jehu, but he didn't sing in it.  As this was the mid 90s, there really wasn't an easy way for me to check out this band to see if I would like it.  You kind of just had to commit to buying something.

What I ended up doing was something of a scheme to try to minimize my financial risk.  There was a record store in Montclair, NJ called Let It Rock.  It may not have been the best store in the area, but it was another one to check out.  They did the old 90s gimmick of opening all of the CD cases, leaving the cases on display and putting the CDs themselves behind the counter, to help deter theft.  They had the first Drive Like Jehu CD there.  My friend Joe had a birthday coming up and my master plan was to buy the Jehu CD and listen to it since the CD was already unsealed.  If I didn't like it, I could just give it to Joe and no harm, no foul since Joe knew that's how Let It Rock rolled.

I listened to that CD and I did enjoy it.  It didn't change my life at that exact moment or anything, but I definitely liked it. I don't actually remember if I ended up keeping that exact CD or if I gave that one to Joe and bought my own copy anyway.  I think I kept the one from Let It Rock, but some of these memories are lost to the sands of time.  Regardless, I did become a Drive Like Jehu fan in that moment.  Fast forward a few weeks or months later and I saw the second Drive Like Jehu album at my usual record store, Flipside in Pompton Lakes.  I picked it up having enjoyed the first one.

I was absolutely, completely unprepared for Yank Crime.  The opening, rolling bass line of "Here Comes the Rome Plows" started and the moment that the chaotic ferocity of the rest of the band kicked in, I knew something in my life had changed.  I had never heard anything like this before.  The jagged, screeching guitar riffs swirled around a propulsive and driving rhythm section.  And then there was that voice.  Rick sounded like he was trying to claw his way out of some type of confinement using only his voice.  As if the sheer power of his vocals could knock down any door or wall impeding him.  I liked what I heard from Rick on Jehu's self titled album, but this was a revelation.

What hit me more than anything else was how the intensity of his vocals varied based on the needs of the song.  He showed a surprising amount of vulnerability and in the next breath eviscerated what stood before him.  Combine that with the absolutely magical connection he had with John and it's no wonder that to this day Yank Crime is one of my favorite all time albums.  Top five of forever, desert island whatever.  No matter the gimmick you want to use to categorize it, Yank Crime is as important to me as just about any other record I can think of.

We're in 1995.  Jehu was essentially done at that point, so the years went by with no new music and no shows that I could see.  They were a band frozen in amber, one that I just barely missed but had such a monumental influence on how I felt about music.  This brings us to the year 2000 and the rise of Hot Snakes.

I don't remember the first time I heard about Hot Snakes, but there's pretty much no way that it wasn't on the old Rocket From The Crypt message board.  That thing was where I've met so many people that are important to me to this very day.  At the time, it was the number one news source for Rocket related information.  When word got out that John and Rick were making music again, it is hard to explain just how excited I was to hear it.  When Automatic Midnight was released, my jaw hit the floor.

This wasn't Drive Like Jehu, this was something different.  Tighter, with more economical songs.  Hooks and passion and everything you want rolled up into one perfect, Wipers influenced band.  Yes, you could hear echoes of Jehu.  You could also hear bits of Rocket and Pitchfork, there was something special happening with this band, the sum of its parts reflecting all of the member's past triumphs.  It was magic again.

I saw Hot Snakes twice on their very first set of East Coast tour dates in 2000, which I think were among the first handful of shows they ever played.  I saw them at Maxwell's in Hoboken and also at Mercury Lounge the next night in NYC.  I don't remember how I got in to the Mercury Lounge show as myself and my friend Justin were left standing outside of a sold out show in December.  Justin was trying to convince me to try to use my Rocket tattoo as some sort of leverage to get us into the show, but that wasn't something I was comfortable doing, nor is there any reason it would have worked anyway.  I think ultimately we ended up being able to buy tickets from someone with extras on the sidewalk.  I'm just glad we were able to get in.

Those shows were amazing, they played the entire first album and one extra song, which I think remained unreleased, though I don't actually remember what that extra song was anymore.  The biggest part of the experience was that I finally got to see Rick in person.  When the band was playing, he was as I imagined, commanding the performance and just being the center of the maelstrom whipping around him.  He didn't have the natural banter or innate on-stage charisma that John has, but he had a presence and a gravitas that let you know he was the anchor and emotional center of what the band was presenting to the world.

I saw Hot Snakes countless times whenever they played the East Coast.  At least twenty times and I have so many memories from the various shows.  I remember when they played Bowery Ballroom and broke out the Drive Like Jehu song "Luau."  I was so blown away that I broke my watch jumping around like a maniac.  

It was Hot Snakes being a group that I first connected with John on a level other than just being a dude at all of the shows.  I worked at a radio promotion company called AAM and got in touch with John through a contact I had at Vagrant records.  When the second Hot Snakes record, Suicide Invoice, came out, I knew I had to help out and I ended up being able to.  We worked something out and I got to send out copies of the album to college radio stations all across the country.  This was the first Swami release we got to be involved with and it opened the door to help out with every single record until I eventually left the music industry in 2007.

That meant I got to promote Yank Crime to college radio when it was rereleased in 2002.  Talk about a dream come true.  It's funny looking back on it now.  Yank Crime felt like a record from another generation, even though it was only eight years old at that point.  Compare that to how long ago those first few Hot Snakes records came out in relation to 2023 and it sure feels like time warps the older you get.

I don't have too many personal stories about interacting with Rick.  I've always known John better.  But I have two that stand out during my time at AAM.  The first is that he designed a logo for us that we used as part of a CMJ party we had.  Someone in my office wanted a design with a wolf it and I got in touch with Rick to ask if he could make us something that said AAM and had a wolf on it. He did.  I don't even really know why as he didn't charge us anything.  

He came up with a boy scouts inspired logo that we used for flyers, put on pins and even had a couple of sweatshirts made up with it on.  My sweatshirt is up in my attic somewhere, so that's why I'm not putting in a picture of it now.  I also cannot find the actual files of the logo and was only able to find a really pixelated version using the Internet Wayback machine.  But I do have these two pins that we had made using the wolf logo.

The other story I have about Rick from my AAM days was at the Knitting Factory in 2004.  Audit In Progress had just come out and we had sent it out to radio.  I came to the show early with a bunch of album artwork posters.  The goal was to have the band sign them and personalize some for some of the college radio stations that were being particularly supportive.  This sort of promo work isn't really fun, but it means a lot to the college kids that make college radio work.  

John was writing lots of funny messages to stations, Mario and Gar were also getting in on it a bit, but Rick was different.  I'm not going to say he was annoyed or bothered by the process, in fact he was very nice and generous with his time, but when he was signing stuff he was doing so in the most exaggerated and funny way I've ever seen.  You couldn't possibly ever tell it was his signature, just making the broadest, wildest pen strokes.  The resulting signed items were absolutely unique and I'm really happy I hung on to one, even though it's been in a poster tube for almost twenty years now.

Hot Snakes would eventually called it a day (for now) and stopped playing in 2005.  A few years later, Rick resurfaced with Obits.  Obits had a lot of the styles and sounds that I expected from Rick, but filtered through a band that was not as loud and aggressive as Hot Snakes or Jehu.  These songs were a little more open, they were textural and dynamic.  It was interesting hearing Rick without John, but the ending result was three more albums (four if you count the singles comp) full of classic Froberg brilliance.  I saw Obits several times during their run.  

The shows that jump out the most to me are both shows they played with Night Marchers (John's band at the time).  The first was at Santos Party House in December of 2008.  I had never been to that venue before and have never been since, but that was one of the louder shows I have ever been to.  Both bands just killed it.  The other show was a secret show in Brooklyn somewhere at this tiny little bar whose name I do not remember.  It was the night after Night Marchers played Siren Fest in 2010.  Carlos from The PeeChees gave me the heads up that it was happening and it was a wonderful, intimate show surrounded by friends.

Hot Snakes came back in the early 2010s playing sporadic shows at festivals and some familiar haunts on mini tours.  It was great seeing them again, but I wasn't at all prepared for the mother of all reunions when Drive Like Jehu started to play again.  It began with a show at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in San Diego.  I just couldn't get out there from a money standpoint and was heartbroken to miss it.  I did watch it live on the organ's web stream and have vivid memories of sitting in my apartment at the time, hugely inspired and hugely bummed out all at the same time.

Luckily additional shows followed and I made my way out to Chicago for a one-two punch of the band playing at Riot Fest and also a club show the night before.  That club show in 2015 at the Bottom Lounge is one of the greatest shows I have ever been to.  Surrounded by Swami friends from over the years, it was a night over 20 years in the making.  

They played amazing and I left the show just floored.  Rick was unbelievable, just moving the crowd with his guitar work and unbelievable vocals.  The Riot Fest performance the next day was equally great, but lost a little something in the festival atmosphere versus the far superior club experience.  

The only other time I got to see Drive Like Jehu was the next year at Irving Plaza in NYC.  I don't know why I didn't go to the Brooklyn show on that same tour, I assume because it was in Brooklyn, which can be a giant pain in the ass to get to from NJ.  I can't say this particular show was as otherworldly as the others.  Rick didn't seem to be in good voice that night and the show suffered a bit as a result.  I mostly bring it up as it was such a bizarre outlier.  I've seen Rick play dozens of times, and this is the only time ever that something was off.  But even with that, it was an incredible experience and was the only time I got to see Jehu with my wife, so it is a night I will always treasure,

I was able to see Rick was with Hot Snakes in Jersey City in 2019.  They were coming off of their incredible 2018 album, Jericho Sirens.  An album that seems impossible to have been made fourteen years after their previous record as it sounded every bit as vital and ferocious as the three that came before.  As usual, the show was amazing and you could just feel what a special band they were.  In particular it was very evident what a special connection Rick had with John.

That Jersey City show was the last time I would see Hot Snakes and Rick.  I certainly had no idea that would be the case at the time.  Hot Snakes didn't play any shows after early 2020 that I'm aware of.  It's hard not to feel like everyone was robbed of more time with a great band.  A few weeks ago, Rick had posted online that the next Hot Snakes album was nearly done.  I don't know if we'll hear it, I don't know how much of it was completed.  I know that I hope to hear it someday, but if I do, it seems inconceivable to me that I'll never hear those songs live.  Or any of the Hot Snakes songs live. Or Jehu.

It is completely unbelievable to me that I won't see Rick again, standing on his side of the stage.  Generally inconspicuous and good natured.  Just a guy standing there.  Until the music started.  Then he became a force of nature that moved me in a way that few musicians have ever moved me.  Nothing I have already mentioned even touches on his incredible work as an artist.  I could say so much about the imagery he used on album art, T shirts, zine ads and proper gallery style artwork.  His visuals cut through the bullshit and showed the same type of raw emotion that his music and lyrics did.  But it also showcased his sense of humor and ability to engage in commerce while poking fun at it.  

I didn't know Rick personally to the point where I can comment on him too much as a person.  Though everything I have ever heard or read about him makes it seem like he was a really grounded guy with a wry sense of humor.  That shows in his art.

Rick Froberg is one of the most important musicians that has existed in my life.  Despite blathering on for far too many paragraphs, I don't feel like I've really explained just how important he has been to me.  I can rattle off and describe experiences I had over the years, but I can't really describe how his music has made me feel.  It is cathartic and hopeful, messy and meticulous, beautiful and ugly.  But more than anything, to me it has been inspiring.  I am so grateful I have had his music and art in my life for nearly thirty years.  It is so tragic that he isn't with us any longer, but the world he created will be with me forever.

De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate LP

Chrysalis / AOI (2023, Reissue) 

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Buhloone Mindstate is the third De La Soul album, and of the first three it's been the one I've spent the least amount of time with over the years.  As these albums have been reissued, I've been picking them up as it's the first time in a while that they have been affordable.  Though I have never been the biggest De La fan in the world, I really wanted to give the albums a fair chance.  And the only way I can really give them the attention they deserve is a dedicated vinyl listen, not just playing in the background.

I can say that as a full album, Buhloone Mindstate is probably my favorite of the first three.  That's not the same thing as saying it has my favorite songs of all three, but as far as a start to finish listed, Buhloone Mindstate is on top.  Why?  Honestly, it's mostly because it isn't crammed full of stupid skits.  There are a couple short interludes, but it's not like the first two albums where the flow of the record is constantly interrupted by unfunny bits of tomfoolery.

That's not the only reason it's such a good listen, they definitely bring the tunes and beats on Buhloone Mindstate.  "Patti Dooke," "Ego Trippin' (Part Two)" and "Breakadawn" as as strong as any songs in their catalog.  By the time we get to 1993 in the history of hip hop, there are some pretty insane all-timer type albums being released.  I can't say that I would personally rank Buhloone Mindstate in my list, but I also don't have thirty years of history with it like I do with so many others.  But even if I don't consider this album to be quite on that level, there's no denying it's a great album and one that I unfairly ignored for way too long.

De La Soul – Buhloone Mindstate:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lJiOEdLL1pLgM1qZF1DwK87-ciVQ1rW8w

Toeheads - A Cruel Winner's World LP

Big Neck (2022)

Toeheads aren't a band I was familiar with prior to listening to this album, but it looks like they've had a bunch of singles and tapes and the like released over the past few years.  This is their first proper full length LP on Big Neck.

I can't say that I love this album, and it's really down to the vocals more than anything else.  They have that echo-y, howlin' from a cave thing that is kind of prevalent in some garage rocking bands.  I'm not saying I need smooth, clean vocals - Frankie Stubbs is one of my all time favorite singers, after all - but sometimes when vocals are this blown out, I feel like it takes away from the overall package.

Musically, I think this record is pretty fun.  The guitars are loud and cutting, the rhythm section has a stomping propulsion and the energy level is right where it needs to be. You can tell this is a band that is into what they are doing as it really shines through.  But for my personal taste, the vocals are just a little too rough around the edges and it takes me out of the album a bit.  

Toeheads - A Cruel Winner's World:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/a-cruel-winners-world

Night Court - Humans! LP

Snappy Little Numbers / Debt Offensive (2023)

Night Court released a double cassette salvo in December of 2021 and May of 2022.  These were really fun albums and as usual, my biggest lament was over the fact that they had not been released on vinyl.  Well, Night Court is back with their new album and this time, we've got wax.

Much like their last two releases, Humans! is full of tight, economical pop songs.  I've compared the band to So Cow every time I've written about them, and I'll do it again now.  The way they construct their low-medium fi songs is similar to my ears, even though the vocals are much different.  I've always struggled to find a good touch point for the vocals, but listening to this album really crystallized everything for me.  I can't listen to Night Court and not hear a little bit of Ween in there now.

Night Court is not as goofy or silly as Ween is, but if you've spent any time with Ween's catalog, you are well aware of their pop chops.  There's a similar spirit here and in the vocals I can definitely feel a kinship as far as inflection or delivery.  There's probably a little bit of Mike Krol in there two, from the garage-y side of the equation. 

No matter how you want to try to identify their influences, there's no denying that Night Court has a winner with Humans!  It's a fun, fuzzy pop record and that's before we even get to the album closing Abba cover.  Despite the exclamation point in the title making my sentence structures look ridiculous while writing about it, Humans! is a record worth going out of your way to check out.

Night Court - Humans!:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/humans

Positive K - The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills LP

Island (1992) 

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Like everyone on the planet, I could not escape the song "I Got A Man" when it came out in 1992.  It started bubbling on Yo! MTV Raps and then just became an omnipresent track, played in malls and anywhere else current music was played publicly.  And while I will always admit to have liked that song (despite not knowing what it meant to "Get Raggamuffin") I was never inspired to pick up the full album or try to find out more about Positive K.  In my head, he was a Young MC type pop rapper and I just moved on as the song faded from the Yo1 playlist.

Since then, I have learned two things about Positive K.  The first is that he also did the female character's raps on "I Got a Man" by pitch shifting his voice during the recording process.  I literally had no idea that was him playing both sides of the conversation.  The second thing that I discovered was that Positive K was not a one hit wonder pop rapper.  He was quite respected in the hip hop community and his only full length album is pretty great top to bottom.

I'm a sucker for the hip hop production on the late 80s and early 90s and The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills delivers exactly what I'm looking for.  Boom bap drums and funky basslines make up the foundation of the album.  Once you add in K's rapid fire lyrical delivery, it's impossible for me to not love this.  My biggest regret is having ignored the album for such a long time.  I should have bought it in 1992 and if I had I'm pretty sure every lyric would be lodged in my head like so many others of that era.

Positive K never released another album after this one.  I'm not sure why as this one was obviously a hit.  He has a bunch of singles, but as far as a full length, this is it.  But it's a hell of a record and one that shouldn't be overlooked.

Positive K - The Skills Dat Pay Da Bills:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lwFxd3PZWp9vuwbBV2zSSyY3qCHSpDYXM

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

Feral Kid (2022)

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

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

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

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

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

CC Voltage - Berliner Pilsner 7"

Snap! (2023)

This two song 7" from CC Voltage was concocted in part as an entry into a beer-based songwriting contest.  Seriously.  The A-side "Berliner Pilsner" was originally written to enter a contest sponsored by the beer of the same name.  And it someways it shows.  It's a saccharine-sweet, catchy pop tune, with all of the hallmarks of an advertising jingle.  Now, that's not to say it doesn't stand on its own as a fun song, but you can certainly hear how it leans into the fun cheese.  

the B Side, "Bummer Party" doesn't seem to have any brand affiliations, but still keeps the catchy choruses coming.  It's not quite as poppy and slick as "Berliner," but it has a sing along atmosphere, though perhaps a bit tougher and ever so slightly darker.  It's got an older school scum-rock vibe to it, being a little glammier than a straight up garage blast.

All in, a solid little 7".  I'd be curious to hear what did win that beer contest, because I can't imagine it was more fun than this.  Maybe it's time for CC Voltage to ply their wares to other beverages.  I see a ton of Twisted Tea commercials during wrestling that could use some new music.

CC Voltage - Berliner Pilsner:
https://snaprecordsspain.bandcamp.com/album/cc-voltage-berliner-pilsner-fun-7076

A.D.O.R. – The Concrete (25th Anniversary Edition) 2xLP (/300)

Hip-Hop Enterprise (2019, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

I can't actually remember how I stumbled across A.D.O.R..  I think it was digging through Discogs trying to find more albums that Pete Rock had worked on.  This album was originally released in 1994 by Atlantic records, though it seems like it only came out in Germany.  Digging around on Wikipedia and the like it seems that The Concrete was scheduled to be released by Atlantic, but was shelved and A.D.O.R. was dropped.  That would probably explain me never having heard of it, but it's still a little confusing how.why it got released in Germany.  Anyway...

Hip-Hop Enterprise, a record label out of Belgium, released the full album on vinyl in 2019, to celebrate the album's twenty-fifth anniversary.  It's nice to be able to get a copy of the record, but it's kind of uneven.  When I first checked it out to see if it was something I felt like picking up, I came pretty close to bailing on it as the first four tracks (the first being a short intro thing) are all pretty mediocre.  The beats are kind of uninspired and the rapping is really not up to the standards of the era.

Things don't really click until we hit the fifth song, "Day 2 Day."  While the rapping doesn't improve dramatically, A.D.O.R. is helped out big time by an absolutely killer beat cooked up by Willy Gunz.  The smooth "Oooooohh" vocal sample packed together with a great drum beat makes this the first can't miss track for me.  Then we have "Let It All Hang Out."  This is the Pete Rock produced track that hits as hard as anything on the first CL Smooth record.  Pete was pretty unstoppable back then and he really elevates A.D.O.R.'s game with this one.

The rest of the album has it's ups and downs.  Nothing on the record is flat out bad, but there are definitely songs that aren't going to impress anyone.  Why the album is so front-loaded with average songs is a mystery to me, but if you are patient and have time to go along for the ride, The Concrete has moments worth investing some time in.

A.D.O.R. – The Concrete:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDNerf3719k&ab_

Curious Things - Naif LP

Snappy Little Numbers / Dumb Ghost (2023)

I liked the artwork on this one right away.  It reminded me of digging through 7"s in the 'indie rock' sections of record stores in mid 90s New York City.  Yes, I do recognize that this is an LP and not a 7", but the style of art takes me back to a very specific place in time.  Further complicating things, Curious Things are not from NYC, they're from Denver and they're not really playing indie rock, but rather a pop punk influence strain of power pop.  

Two of the folks in this band and are in Lawsuit Models (Were in? Unsure of Lawsuit Models are past tense now), so that made me pretty confident I would like this as that's a band I have been super into whenever I hear something new by then.  And I think most fans of Lawsuit Models would dig Curious Things.  They don't sound alike, but they come from a similar place with a reverence for hooks and catchy tunes.

Curious Things remind me a little bit of Odd Numbers, but maybe without the mod sensibilities.  The guitar tones are warm and jangly at the same time and pretty much every song is anchored by stellar vocal harmonies.  It's such a bright record and you can almost feel the sunshine beaming off of it.  It's one of the best albums I have heard so far this year and if pop is your bag, this is an album to get in on right away.

Curious Things - Naif:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/naif

Steve Adamyk Band - Live Cassette

Big Neck (2023)

While I acknowledge that it has been four years since 2019's Paradise, this stretch of time since the last Steve Adamyk Band album came out feels like an eternity.  Granted, there are some real world events that probably adds to that feeling, but I'l not used to waiting quite so long to hear something new from Steve & co.

For now, I'll settle for this live tape that Big Neck has released.  Now, I'm on record as to not really loving tape only releases, but if you're going to do it, a live album really feels like the way to go.  In a lot of ways it brings me back to my days in the mid 90s trading live bootleg tapes on the internet (so help you if you don't use Maxell XL II as your blank).

This was recorded in various spots, with the biggest chunks being five songs recorded in Philadelphia and another five from Brooklyn.  Then we have a few from Toronta, Japan and WFMU in New Jersey for good measure.  The songs are mostly focused from the band's first three albums and include some of my personal favorite heavy hitters like "Better Off," "Forever Won't Wait" and "Speed It Up."  The recording quality of each song is really solid and really captures the live energy the band has.  This is a really fun release, even though live albums are not usually my thing.  It's worth checking out.

Steve Adamyk Band - Live:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/steve-adamyk-band-live

De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead 2xLP

Chrysalis / AOI  (2023, Reissue) 

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

When I wrote about 3 Feet High and Rising, I had mentioned how I had a complicated relationship with De La Soul, never having liked them quite as much as I felt I was supposed to.  With the reissues coming out at affordable prices, I figured I would pick up the important ones and try to give them really, dedicated listens.  I really wanted to figure out if I had been missing something all of these years.  The short version of the story is that I have been missing some things, but others I had pegged from day one.

De La Soul is Dead is a different album than 3 Feet High and Rising.  The beats are less innovative and I think things feel a bit more cohesive to me as a result.  Again, I have a much deeper appreciation for 3 Feet these days and it has some incredible songs on it, but De La Soul is Dead speaks to me more.  The production is a little darker and harder, but in no way is it actually dark or hard, if that makes any sense.  Lyrically, they took a pretty big leap forward and the flows of everyone are more dynamic, while still maintaining that laid back groove that has always been their hallmark.

That said, much like on their debut, the skits on this album drive me crazy.  They are such momentum killers and they unnecessarily drag out the album.  I know they tell a story and I also know a lot of people really love them as they were very inventive at the time.  But I can't think of a single album that was ever made better by one skit, let alone a dozen of them. Cut out the fat and this is a much, much better album, at least when it comes to what I want to hear.  But at the end of the day, the actual songs on here do make this a great album and one that I wish I had spent more time with back in the 90s.

De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l3G5nIesO1UwClQQTPHA5U0-50etHChTA

208 - Nearby LP

Big Neck (2023)

As soon as you put the needle on this record, you are immediately blown back by a massive wave of swirling, distorted guitar and screaming vocals.  Typically, if you are me, that's about the time where I am already checking out.  Loud screaming isn't usually my bag, but there's something about 208 that differentiates them from your typical howlers.

Immediately, I'm flashing back to the mid 90s when I was finding my way around the sort of punk and indie rock I wanted to listen to and I stumbled into buying a couple of godheadSilo albums.  That was a band pushing the extreme of decibel containment on a recorded medium, but I was nevertheless drawn to their energy and craziness.  208 has a similar vibe to them, just pushing everything into the red for the sake of it.

The other thing this record has going for it is a propulsive, stumping rhythm.  There's a bluesy undercurrent that reminds me a bit of the first Black-Eyed Snakes album, another band that was able to capture lightning in a bottle.  Combining these elements creates an album that at first brush seems way outside of my wheelhouse, but as you peel back the layers, they're using a lot of the same ingredients that have drawn me to others.

208 - Nearby:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/nearby

Brothers Uv Da Blakmarket – Ruff Life LP

Select (1992)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Brothers Uv Da Blakmarket are another one of those groups that I discovered recently just digging around to see what hip hop records were released in the early 90s.  Ruff Life is the groups only album and came out in 1992 on Select records.  They're from Paterson, NJ and have a vague alliance with Naughty By Nature and The Flavor Unit.  They aren't a group I remember hearing about back in 1992.  I don't recall ever seeing them on Yo! MTV Raps and based on the fact that I lived in rural Sussex County, the fact that this group was from New Jersey didn't help elevate their visibility to me.  I only really ever had access to The Source and Yo.

I am glad that I discovered them finally.  Ruff Life is a really strong record.  The production is great, classic early 90s Hip Hop.  It's fit in nicely right next to anything of the era, particularly if you enjoy the sort of production techniques that defined the Flavor Unit.  You can definitely hear Naughty By Nature influence on the beats, though maybe not as much lyrically.

Cool Money Cee may not be as lyrically as intense as Treach, and might not have the most complicated or rapid fire flow, but he holds his own just fine.  He's primarily a storyteller at heart and while he might not be playing off of crazy internal rhyme schemes, he works narratives better than many from that era. 

All in all, it's just a fun, solid record.  Is it going to be your new favorite album?  Probably not, but if you like golden era hip hop, I just cannot fathom anyone not liking this.

Brothers Uv Da Blakmarket – Ruff Life:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-LxPAhIIMcilgvzBA6BnbAPtvkxrw86k

The Drolls - Novelty Rock Monthly Singles Club, Vol. One 7" - Café Au Lait Vinyl (/250)

Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

This 7" is volume number one of a one hundred percent confirmed monthly series where The Drolls are writing songs in the style of other bands.  The first fifty of them come with a nifty, hand crafted Drolls 45 adapter.  Very swank.  On this record itself we have two bands that I'm not sure I envisioned being paired together, but perhaps that's my lack of imagination showing.  MC5 and Guided By Voices are the subjects for volume one and The Drolls have delivered two songs that each band would be proud to call their own.

The MC5 inspired song is "Kick Out The Jammies," a profanity laced ode to not going out, staying home and being comfortable.  It's remarkable how The Drolls captured the spirit of those old MC5 songs on this.  There's the same sort of heavy, garage-influenced guitar riffing, a pounding, propulsive rhythm section and an appropriately screeching guitar solo tightly packaged into a sub-three minute song.  Oh, and it's about pajamas and not wanting to leave the house. Perfect.

On the B side we have "I am a Data Scientist," which is meant to evoke the feelings of listening to a Guided By Voices song.  Now, there are approximately five hundred thousand Guided By Voices songs I have not heard, so I'm not exactly sure where in the catalog they are pulling this particular influence from, but this does sound closer to a traditional Drolls song.  It's on the slower side of the spectrum, with maybe "Before The Fall" being the song I could come the closest to comparing it with, but "I am a Data Scientist" is still has a unique enough sound that you can tell the band is attempting something different. Of the two songs, this is the one I personally like the best.

This was a fun record and luckily the band and label have made it very clear that this is the first of many years worth of 7"s paying homage to various bands.  There's absolutely no ambiguity whatsoever that every single month for the foreseeable future there will definitely be a new Drolls 7" released in this same vein.  There is no chance whatsoever that this is a one time release.  Promise.  While no one has told me personally, I assume that June's volume two will feature songs in the style of Boston and Gorilla Biscuits.  I'm also fairly certain that July will pay tribute to the musical stylings of The Locust and Wang Chung.  I don't know about you, but I'm counting the seconds until those records are released.  I've started counting now.

The Drolls - Novelty Rock Monthly Singles Club, Vol. One:
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/novelty-rock-monthly-singles-club-vol-one

Record Store Day Haul #2: The Dismemberment Plan - Change LP - Blue Vinyl (/2100)

Partisan (2023, Reissue)

The second and final Record Store Day release I picked up this year was The Dismemberment Plan's fourth album, change.  This one wasn't available in-store the day I went, so I had to pick it up online when leftovers were put up for sale the next day.  I don't even remember what store I picked it up from.  Port of Sound, I think?  Anyway, it wasn't tough to track down and I ended up seeing it for sale on multiple sites that day.

After the tour de force that was Emergency & I, folks were understandably pretty psyched for the follow up.  I've always liked Change and thought it was a good record, but it kind of isn't able to hold a candle to Emergency & I.  The songs are all good, if not a bit mellower than the ones on their previous outing in general.  For me, "Pay For The Piano" is the standout as it gets the most raucous of the bunch, but again, every song is good.

I do find it kind of off that the first two Dismemberment Plan records have never been released on vinyl.  Even change had previously been released in 2014, I just hadn't picked it up at the time.  I'd like to see the other ones get the treatment, even though, much like Change, they can't really compare to Emergency & I either.  Sometimes it's tough when a band has a true classic in their catalog like that.

The Dismemberment Plan - Change:

 

Record Store Day Haul #1: K-Solo - Tell The World My Name LP - Yellow Vinyl (/1800)

Real Gone Music/Atlantic (2023, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Calling anything Record Store Day related a 'haul' this year is a pretty misleading.  I only added two new records to my collection this year and only got one of them in a store.  The one I'll post about on Friday had to be mail ordered the day after.  But this K-Solo record is the one I wanted the most and was the one I was able to pick up at Factory Records in Dover on the big day.

When I was younger, I only had K-Solo's second record, Time's Up.  It wasn't until many years later that I was able to backtrack and pick up a copy of his debut.  And I'll be honest, the copy that I picked up wasn't in the best condition in the world, so it was nice to see that it would finally be reissued.  It's definitely a fun record to listen to, especially as the bulk of the production was handled by Parrish from EPMD, aside from a song handled by Erick, so it was an all Hit Squad affair. For 1990, the beats are great and doesn't sound old the way some other records of that era do.

K-Solo can also handle his own on the microphone.  If anything, I think the main issue is he's in a crew with some pretty incredible MCs.  EPMD are great, Das EFX are completely insane and few can hold their own with Redman, so K-Solo probably was going top be a little overshadowed being surrounded by talent like that.  So maybe this isn't a must hear classic in comparison, but it's still a great listen that can hang with all but the most elite hip hop albums that came out in 1990.

K-Solo - Tell The World My Name:

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lW2MJ0vsQ5lEIIkCkqqDcxg5CK-K1vD34

Pollen - Chip LP - Silver Vinyl (/200)

President Gator (2022, Reissue)

Originally released in 1999, Chip was the final full length released by Pollen, a band that I really dug at the time.  This album came out a couple of years after Peach Tree, which was (and is) my favorite album of theirs.  By the time Chip came out, the band was no longer on Wind-Up and had relocated to Fueled By Ramen records.  I do remember being quite excited that the record was coming out, but when I did pick it up, it didn't really do anything for me.  I likely listened to it a few times and just filed it away, preferring to listen to Peach Tree again if I needed a Pollen fix.

Looking back on it many years later, I have no idea why I didn't listen to Chip all that much.  When it was announced that Pollen was reissuing this record, I figured I should pick it up.  After all, I still had the CD and did want to put together a complete Pollen collection on vinyl if possible (Still waiting on their first album Bluette).  When I listened to this album again for the first time in decades, the only thing I could really think was that it sounds pretty great.  

It is a strong record that isn't all that dissimilar from Peach Tree at the end of the day.  The songs on here are just as catchy, with lots of great hooks and the sort of big, fat guitar sound that I went crazy for in the late 90s.  It's honestly kind of perplexing that I didn't really get it at the time and I'm glad I ended up grabbing this as it's allowed me to reconnect with an album that I very unfairly didn't give the time that it deserved.

Pollen - Chip:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kV-E6l0K8evh69GlUz0LgQbLB2EwoJZKw

Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It / 5150 Home 4 Tha Sick 2xLP

Priority / Ruthless (2002, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

While I have always enjoyed NWA, the various members solo work has been a mixed bag.  Of course, Ice Cube wins that contest hands down as he has three incredible LPs and a great EP.  MC Ren put out an EP that I really liked, but then I never got into any of his full lengths.  I bought The Chronic by Dr. Dre the week it came out (in a CD longbox) and while I can't say I thought it was bad, I lost interest in it very quickly and I grew to resent it as I tend to think that's the record that ended up killing the Golden Era of hip hop (it's a long story, but I have my reasons).

Eazy-E was my least favorite member of NWA, plus he ended up being the punching bag of Cube and Dre as they left the group.  I never had Eazy-Duz-It when it originally came out, but I did have the 5150 Home 4 Tha Sick EP, based on the strength of seeing the video for "Only If You Want It."  I ended up getting the CD of Eazy-Duz-It for free at some point during my tenure in the music biz.  It made the most sense to just grab this version of the vinyl as it had both in one convenient place.

That said, I have no idea how often I'll actually listen to it.  Eazy-Duz-It sounds about ten thousand years old.  It's crazy how primitive the beats sound, even compared to Straight Outta Compton.  Eazy was never the most gifted on the microphone, but luckily Ren shows up on three of the tracks to save the day.  It's still 5150 that's the real draw for me, mostly because of the production.  Apparently Naughty By Nature actually produced "Only If You Want It," which is something I didn't realize back then and it's the best non-NWA song Eazy ever did.  It takes advantage of his cadence better than most songs, but even then, it can come close to being annoying by the end of the song.

As I write this, I'm trying to figure out why I bought it.  I think it was mostly just because I had the CD and wanted to replace it with the vinyl.  These releases haven't aged that well, but I still think it's better to have the vinyl than a promo CD from twenty years ago.

Eazy-E

Eazy-Duz-It: 

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_njH2ZYth0IslcKXXYFG3bXrx7HPkfaP2E

5150 Home 4 Tha Sick:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mngg7-H53TKleIfIIPvqKku4D6Knv9PgA

Replica City - Last Rights Flexi 7"

Snappy Little Numbers (2023)

When I first saw the artwork for this flexi 7", coupled with the name of the song, I have to admit that I did sort of anticipate some yelling, hooting and hollering.  What I'm getting at is I expected it to lean on the hardcore side of things, but I'm happy to report, I was wrong.

I feel like I haven't heard something like this in a few decades.  From the moment the one and only song, "Last Rights" starts playing, I'm instantly transported back to the mid 90s, when I started to discover bands like Boys Life and Blueprint.  Melancholy rock.  Emo? Maybe, though I always felt that term was thrown around a little cavalierly in the 90s (and thrown around with blatant disregard after that).  But for me, Replica City have thread the needle perfectly, combining the nostalgic feeling I have for a band like Boys Life with a hint of a band like The Estranged thrown in for good measure.

"Last Rights" is the song on the flexi, but over on ye olde Bandcamp, there's two more songs that are every bit as good.  Had these two songs been added and a vinyl 7" been released with all three, that would have been a lovely moment that transported me right back to 1995.  But even as is, "Last Rights" is the best song of the three and is absolutely worth picking up in its current, flexible format.  I hope to hear more from these guys.

Replica City - Last Rights Flexi 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/last-rites

The Karl Hendricks Trio - Declare Your Weapons LP

Merge (1998)

Here it is, the last Karl Hendricks full length that I needed to pick up on vinyl.  Sadly, 2003's The Jerks Win Again and 2007's The World Says only came out on CD, so until someone decides to press them, I'm all caught up on Karl Hendricks vinyl aside from a split 7" that I've been lazy about picking up.  And it feels good to have all of these records finally.  While I have had the CDs for ages, there's just something different about being able to listen to them on a turntable.

If there's one thing that you can say about Karl and company is that they are nothing if not incredibly consistent.  Their records mostly sound the same from album to album, and in this case I mean that as a huge compliment.  They were never a group that worked well within a 'recommended if you like' culture.  They always just made the sort of music they wanted to make and didn't ever really fit in with the popular sounds of any era that they put out an album during.  But while they may not have had the largest fanbase or the flashiest sound, they just cranked out album after album after album of incredible songs.  Declare Your Weapons is no exception.

As with most Karl records, I tend to favor the faster songs like "A Letter To The Coach," "The Policeman's Not Your Friend" and "The Smile That Made You Give Up."  That said, when Mr. Hendricks is feeling melancholy there are few songwriters that can hit you right in the guts the same way he can.  Sound-wsie, there's nothing 'emo' about The Karl Hendricks Trio, but if you're looking that can weave real emotion and pain into their songs, Karl is better at it than most.

Another great record by one of my favorite, if not somewhat overlooked, bands.  People really need to have more Karl Hendricks Trio records in their collection, and while I don't know that I'd recommend Declare Your Weapons as the first one they should pick up, it should definitely end up on their shelf after grabbing a few of the others.

The Karl Hendricks Trio - Declare Your Weapons:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_muZUn-k3iX-FJwIE2fkbDbXH_hO2Z_PO0

OFTB - Straight Up Watts LP

Big Beat (1992)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Operation From The Bottom, or OFTB, were a gangster rap group from Watts, CA.  Straight Up Watts was their only full length album in the 90s, though they put out a few singles and made some compilation appearances before the decade was over.  I had never heard of these guys until somewhat recently when I was digging around for something new (but old) to listen to.  It's a solid record, but it's difficult to listen to without making comparisons to other West Coast hip hop that was coming out at the same time.

The easiest one to make is to NWA.  Subject matter is similar, beats are not too different from what NWA was working with on Straight Outta Compton, but are a little more advanced, from a technology perspective anyway.  The beats sound less old, but I couldn't call them better, if that makes any sense.  On top of that one of the guys in the group sounds just like MC Ren.  Not at the same lyrical level or anything, but the tone of his voice and inflections are eerily similar to Ren.

Ultimately, this is a fun listen.  It captures West Coast hip hop before it was completely transformed into g funk land.  I like this sort of thing way more than I like The Chronic or any of the soundalikes that spawned in its wake.  This feels more like the path that Ice Cube was forging with Da Lench Mob.  I can't say this is elite, but it's pretty good and was worth it to me to add to the collection.

OFTB - Straight Up Watts:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF-JoktnEEaXNFtdL8nMlNdC

Samiam - Stowaway - Sea Blue And Aqua Blue With Bone And Yellow Splatter Vinyl (/300)

Pure Noise (2023)

First of all, things are starting to get a little out of hand naming these vinyl variants.  Bone splatter?  It looks like white to me.  I mean, it barely looks like white if you look really close.  This particular variant was limited to 300 copies and was one of several variants released.  By the time I went to buy, this was the best looking one left, but I'm not getting any others.  As I've mentioned, with a few exceptions, I'm really trying to not own multiple copies of the same record, so this one will do.

Samiam is a band that I got into later than most people, but are a band I really ended up enjoying.  This is their first full length since Trips came out in 2011 and it's lovely.  The first few times I listened to it, I wasn't sure that I liked it.  But that was primarily because I was listening to it while I was working and was being too strongly influenced by the first song, "Lake Speed."  It's too fast and shouty and lacks the melodic vibe that makes Samiam such a great band.  There's something to be said about picking the right opening track, and I'm not sure this was the correct choice.

The rest of the album is quite nice.  Catchy songs, with Sergie's excellent guitar work topped with lots of melodic vocal harmonies.  It's really a perfect blend of the sort of thing that I tend to like to listen to.  I can't say that 2023 has been knocking my socks off with new releases so far this year, but Stowaway breaks through.  It might not sound like anything fresh, new or exciting, but that's not what I want from this band.  I want Samiam to sound like Samiam, and thankfully, they still do.

Samiam - Stowaway:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nQtTTe2Kied8o4B4e6M8bu2h7FLTqUYhU